“I’ll see you later tonight. Have a good day.” I turned to walk away.
“Are you headed uptown? We could share a cab?”
“No, I’m the other way.”
“Oh well. We have a lot of catching up to do. I guess it’ll have to wait until tonight.”
“Tonight…” I replied, smiling at the thought of what the night could hold.
She waved then spun around and took off down the street, stretching her arm out for a cab. I watched a moment or two before turning and heading to find a place to kill time.
After leaving the military, I had been living on the small nest-egg I’d acquired helping Max and the others extract a ton of minerals from Afghanistan.
On rare days I missed working, having a reason to get out of bed in the morning, but most of the time I enjoyed having nothing tying me down.
Max called me occasionally, wanting to go into business together, but I’d never taken him up on the offer. We got away with our operation in Afghanistan. I didn’t want to push my luck.
Thoughts of the past faded as I concentrated on the future. After two years, I would finally be having uninterrupted time with Jade, the woman I’d never been able to forget.
TWELVE
Cooper
I approached the apartment building without receiving a single phone call all day. She’s been on my mind since the day I saw her being lifted into the air and away from the base. My luck in love was far from great since getting out of the Army, but it wasn’t exactly my first priority either. I hit the buzzer at the door and waited to hear her voice. After years of not having seen her, I could still hear her laughter ringing in my memory. There was something special about Jade. She was the first woman to leave this kind of impression on me.
“I’m on my way down,” she said, interrupting my thoughts as they trailed off.
I hailed a cab for us as I waited. When she walked through the doors and made her way to me, she demanded every eye on the street. I checked her out as the cab took off toward the restaurant I’d given to the driver. The red, low cut dress she had on played off the dark color of her hair and enticing eyes.
“You look incredible,” I said.
“Thanks. You never told me where we’re going.”
“A picnic in the Afghanistan mountains.”
She laughed. I slipped a hand behind her, rubbing her back.
“No, it’s a place called Maggiano’s. You know it?”
“They have the best pasta.”
“You have good taste.”
Tall buildings passed outside on either side of us, so different than Afghanistan where buildings over two-stories high were a rarity. The thought reminded me of something.
“Whatever happened with that story you were working on?”
She frowned.
“Well, after Captain Jeffries kicked me out before I’d had a chance to put the story together, my readers and the website who had paid me to go to Afghanistan were not happy. I had a hard time finding any work as a freelance journalist after that.”
“That sucks.”
“You’re telling me.”
“But you’ve got a better job now?”
“I don’t know if I would go that far, but I pay my bills. What about you? What happened after…that night.”
At the mention of the night where things were left unfinished, the mood changed in the back of the cab. She looked away, peering out the window on her side. I pulled my hand back.
“Yeah, it didn’t go too well for me either. I left the Army about a year ago.”
“What have you been doing since then?” she asked, turning back to face me.
“Oh, a little of this and a little of that. Let’s forget about work and the past for now. We’re just two people having a great dinner together.”
“I don’t think it will be as romantic as a picnic in the foothills of a mountain range, but I’m game.”
Her smile returned, putting me at ease. The driver pulled over to the side of the road in front of Maggiano’s. I paid the driver then got out and glanced around.
“I’ve not eaten here in a while,” she said. “It’s so expensive.”
“My treat.”
We walked to the front of the restaurant. I stopped and opened the door for her. Once inside, the hostess smiled when she recognized me.
“Mr. Anderson. Your table is ready.”
“Wow. You come here a lot?” Jade asked.
“Usually alone.” I nodded my head toward the hostess as she walked away. “After you.”
She walked after the hostess. I followed behind her, loving the way the dress clung to her body.
After we were seated at my usual table in the corner, she glanced around. The sound of other couples talking filled the dining room. I sat with my back to them. They didn’t matter.
“They’re busy,” she said.
“Good food.” I picked up a menu. “I’m not sure what to get yet.”
Both of us studied our menus a moment until a waitress arrived. She took our order quickly and then we were alone again. When she left, I looked across the table at Jade.
“That sucks that story didn’t pan out for you,” I said, feeling a bit guilty about not giving her all the information I had about what was going on in Afghanistan.
“It’s probably for the best. At least I’m not traipsing across the planet to war-torn countries anymore.”
“Yeah, me either.”
“What are you doing now?” she asked then took a sip of water from her glass.
“Not too much. I saved a bit of money, and I’ve been thinking about starting my own business. Lately, I’ve just been relaxing and enjoying life after all the craziness over in Afghanistan.”
She nodded.
“What kind of business?”
“I forgot how much you like asking questions,” I said with a chuckle.
“I’m sorry. When I get nervous, I tend to ask questions to keep the conversation going.”
“You’re fine. It’s cute.” I unrolled my cloth napkin and put it on my lap. “I guess I’m not sure what type of business I want to run yet. With my background, maybe a security firm or something.”
“It must be nice to have enough money saved up to not need to work for a while.”
“Yeah, I guess. My expenses were super low the two years I was over there, so I saved a lot.”
“Maybe I should join the Navy or something.”
I smiled.
“What about you? Boyfriend?”
She glanced away a moment, avoiding my eyes.
“Not really,” she said in a noncommittal voice. “You?”
“Still single. I’ve been thinking about that night…”
I stopped talking as the waitress returned with our bottle of wine. She poured us each a glass before leaving. Jade lifted hers into the air.
“To finding friends years later.”
“To moving relationships to the next level.”
She stared into my eyes as we clinked our glasses together. I took a sip of the expensive wine, enjoying the bittersweet taste in my mouth.
“That’s good,” she said after taking a drink of her own.
“Maybe I’ll open a vineyard.”
“You’d have to move out of the city.”
“That’s true. There’s too much here I’m interested in right now.”
“Yeah? Like what?”
“Well, Maggiano’s, for one.” I joked. “Then there’s you…”
She glanced away again, looking down at the table covered in a white cloth.
“You’ve thought about that night, haven’t you?”
“Yeah,” she said. “I mean, once or twice. Not excessively.”
The waitress returned with our salads. I wanted to press Jade for more, but I backed off. We ate quietly for a minute.
“We can’t just pick up where we left off,” she said suddenly.
“No, I guess not. Let’s forget about it and have fun tonig
ht, okay? We have more options here than in Afghanistan.”
“That’s for sure,” she said, smiling.
By the end of our dinner, I had her laughing lightheartedly.
We finished our dinner and walked toward the door.
I don’t want this night to end, I thought. Where could we go next?
“You up for a comedy club or something?”
She took a deep breath.
“Normally I would, but I need to get up in the morning. I should get home.”
“Maybe some other time. You have my number now.”
“I do,” she said.
“Let me get a cab for us.”
“I’d rather go home alone if that’s okay with you.”
“Sure,” I said, hiding my disappointment.
From what I could tell, she would be worth the wait.
“I’ll call you later this week, okay?”
I stepped forward and put my arms around her waist, hugging tightly. After a few seconds, I pulled back and gave her a quick peck on the lips.
“Good night, Jade. So great to see you again.”
“Yeah,” she said. “You too.”
“Hold on.”
I stepped to the street and hailed a cab for her.
“Thanks again,” she said as she got in the back.
“No problem. Talk to you soon.”
After I closed the door, I watched the driver pull away, merging with traffic. I thought briefly about heading to a nearby strip joint to blow off some steam, but with her on my mind, I decided against it.
She’ll come around, I told myself as I made my way home. We’ll finish what we started.
THIRTEEN
Jade
Back at the apartment after my dinner with Cooper, I wondered if I should have invited him over. My phone rang. I glanced at the screen and saw Max’s name. Ugh.
“Hey, Max,” I answered. “What’s up?”
“You never called me back about our second date. You’re not backing out on me, are you?”
“No, I’ve been busy with work and stuff.”
Tell him about Cooper and get it over with!
“How about tonight? We could grab a bite to eat.”
“It’s late,” I said, walking into my kitchen. “I’ll call you later in the week, okay?”
“What’s wrong? You didn’t like our first date?”
“It was fine, but I’ve got a lot going on right now.”
“Yeah, that’s what you said.”
Both of us fell silent for a few seconds.
“I’m going to go,” I said. “I’m getting ready for bed.”
“Alright. I’m not going to stop trying to get that second date.”
“You can keep trying, but I’m not making any promises.”
“Later on, Jade.”
He ended the call before I had a chance to say anything. Max had looked me up a week earlier, and I had gone on a date with him out of curiosity, wanting to get information on Cooper.
Now both men were interested in me, and I didn’t know what to do. In Afghanistan, I had leaned toward Cooper, but maybe that had been a mistake? Max was much easier to read.
After pouring myself a glass of water, I retired to my bedroom. It was early, but I did have to make it to work early the next day. My skills as an editor were in high demand.
I worked for a publisher of trashy romance novels, which was as far away from journalism as one could get. While I told myself I didn’t care what other people thought, none of my friends or family knew about the job.
As I laid under the covers, memories of that night in Afghanistan flooded my mind. We had been so close to fucking, taking our relationship to the next level. Had I been too hasty?
The look on his face after the explosion would always be etched in my memory. Why had both men come back into my life so suddenly? Was it a sign I should be with one of them? Which one?
I had slept with one man on and off over the last year, one of the few male writers of romance novels, but I had broken it off with him a few months earlier.
He was okay in bed, but I couldn’t stand him the rest of the time. It was hardly worth the trouble.
Cooper had stoked my fire by arriving out of the blue. Or maybe it was Max who made me so horny? No, he’s so annoying. I should call Cooper.
When the thought hit me, I reached over and grabbed my phone off the nightstand. I turned on the screen, tapping and swiping until I saw his name in my contact list.
Should I call? It’s so late…
My finger tapped the screen and it started ringing. I put the phone to my ear, my heart beating faster.
“Hello?” he answered.
“Hey, it’s Jade.”
“Everything okay?”
“Yeah, it’s fine, but I thought it could be better.”
“Huh?”
“You know, the night I left Afghanistan. What we were about to do.”
“Ohhh,” he said, drawing it out. “Fucking. What about it?”
“Are you really going to make me say it?”
“I’m on my way,” he said then ended the call.
What have I done?
I sat up and threw the covers back. After getting out of bed, I rushed to the bathroom. Am I making a mistake? I barely know the man, but that night in Afghanistan had been so special, even if we were interrupted.
As I looked at my reflection in the mirror above the sink, I swished mouthwash back and forth and decided I would have fun with him for a night. After that, we would see where it went.
I’m still young. This is no big thing.
I spit into the sink before washing my hands.
What should I wear? Why did I do this?
I decided to stick with the two-piece pajamas I was wearing. They were soft and comfortable and a bit sexy. Maybe if I unbutton a few buttons…
After baring a bit more of my cleavage, I went around the house, making sure everything was in place. Should I light candles? Start some music? Pour some wine?
I heard the buzzer.
This is it. Calm down and enjoy yourself.
I took a deep breath then pressed the button to open the security door downstairs.
Oh, shit! What if Max calls or decides to come over? I should have gone to his place. For being a past reporter, I really don’t think sometimes…
I walked over to my front door and opened it an inch, hoping Cooper and not Max walked in.
FOURTEEN
Jade
Cooper stood in the hallway. I smiled and stepped back.
“Come inside.”
He moved forward quickly, shutting the door behind him. I stood in my living room with pajamas and no socks on my feet, my heart fluttering as emotions from the past appeared.
Our eyes met as he stepped forward. He put his hands on my waist and pulled me toward him. My soft body pressed against his hard one, the perfect combination for love.
I stood on my toes and kissed him, wanting that warmth and sexual heat from my memories to turn into reality. His reaction told me he wanted the same. He’s so good.
While he unbuttoned my top, I fumbled with his pants. His dick had haunted my dreams many times, and I wanted to touch it again, have it inside me.
As our clothes came off, we kissed as much as possible. Once finished, I took his hand and led him to my bedroom. We didn’t need candles and soft music. This is it.
We kissed more as I walked backward toward my bed. I reached it and sat down on the edge of the mattress, the same way I had in Afghanistan. Will he?
A lustful look fell over his face as he dropped to his knees in front of me. Once again, those strong, thick hands ran over my smooth, silky skin, getting my blood flowing.
He trailed a path down my thigh with his tongue. I knew its eventual destination, and I couldn’t wait. The closer he got to my pussy, the faster my heart beat.
His tongue made contact. I ran my fingers through his hair as he explored every inch of my tender,
pink flesh. Tingles radiated throughout my body.
I remembered the explosion in Afghanistan and laughed. He stopped and looked up at my face, looking so cute and preoccupied with pleasing me.
“What’s so funny?”
“It’s nothing. I was just hoping there’s not an explosion before we get to it this time.”
He rubbed my thighs with his hand a few times, saying nothing, then stood. I saw his massive cock bouncing up and down in front of him.
I watched intently as he covered it with a condom. He crawled on the bed. I scooted back, spreading my legs and expecting the moment.
He held himself up with one huge arm and held his cock with the other hand, positioning it for penetration. I stared up into his eyes.
While the pleasure so far had been incredible, other feelings crept up inside of me as I stared at him. Never one who believed in wishy-washy love, I pushed them aside.
His cock worked its way into me. Everything else faded away. I saw his face and felt his hard, thick cock sliding in and out of my wet pussy like we were made for each other.
As I stared at his face, I ran my hands down his back to his ass. It so firm and strong, just like the rest of him. He leaned down and kissed me on the lips.
I let my hesitation fade away and enjoyed the moment. He thrust in and out of me, faster and harder, sending chills through my entire body.
“Don’t stop,” I begged, so close to coming.
The desperation on his face pushed me over the edge. My pussy tightened around his thick cock as my whole body shook. He continued pounding me as I moaned in pleasure.
“Fuck. Yes…”
His words made no sense, but I understood what he meant as his face scrunched up. He grunted and thrust into me one final time.
“Yes…” he hissed, breathing heavy.
Slowly, he stopped. He stayed inside me, staring into my eyes. Suddenly fear washed over met. What the hell am I doing? This guy is practically a stranger.
“Get off,” I said, propping myself up with my elbows.
“What’s wrong?” he asked as he pulled out.
I looked to the wall, wanting to see anything except his face, those blue eyes.
“This was a mistake,” I said, still looking away.
“Mistake? What do you mean? You wanted…”
“I know,” I snapped, cutting him off. “Will you please just leave?”
Mr. Charming_A Mistaken Identity Bad Boy Romance Page 20
