Captivated Hearts

by Yahrah St. John

  “I can understand that, but I’m also not willing to be his booty call. It’s only going to get worse when I get back to San Francisco. Before, we didn’t know how good it could be, but now we’ve opened that door. It’s damn good, Bree. How can I possibly work with him when he’s seen me naked? When we’ve done all sorts of—”

  “Spare me all the details. I just wanted a little gossip, not the full enchilada.”

  Jada burst into laughter. She missed having her sister close by. “I love you, Bree.” She reached across the distance between them and embraced her. “I promise I’ll be back as soon as I hear you’re in labor.”

  “You’d better be.” Bree pointed her index finger in Jada’s face. “You promised you’d be in the delivery room with me and Grayson. Keep him on the straight and narrow.”

  “I promise.”

  And I mean every word, Jada thought as she drove back to the ranch an hour later to prepare for her flight back to San Francisco that evening. Her mother had tried to convince her to stay until morning, but now that Bree was out of danger, Jada needed to head home and face the music.

  On Monday, Jada was nervous as she walked into the bustling studio with morning broadcasts already underway. Would Damian be there? What would their first encounter be like? Would he treat her differently now that they’d become intimate?

  Despite all her worrying, Damian was nowhere in sight.

  The good news: All her colleagues were happy to see her. Many approached her to find out if everything was OK. Jada was happy to report that mom and daughter were doing great and she expected a healthy niece in three months.

  “Jada, welcome back,” Andrew said when he visited her desk.

  “Thank you, Andrew. And I’m sorry for the short notice on my departure.” She’d finally gotten caught up on all her emails and voicemails and was ready to dive back in.

  “Couldn’t be helped. Family is family. We did have to fill your Friday anchor slot.”

  “I know, but Kyler is here. She handled it, didn’t she?”

  “Here’s the thing,” Andrew whispered, grabbing Jada by the shoulders and leading her away from the newsroom. “Her numbers were abysmal compared to yours.”

  “Really? But she’s always been the backup.”

  “Well, the tide has changed. You know how fickle the public can be. Mr. McKnight indicated that Friday will be your permanent spot going forward.”

  “Did he?”

  And where was the elusive Mr. McKnight? He’d been MIA even though she texted him last night to say she’d made it back to San Francisco. He’d replied with a brusque, “Glad you made it home safely” text. Was that it? Was that all he had to say after their time in Dallas?

  “Yes, Mr. McKnight believes in your talent, despite your rocky start with him,” Andrew said. “So, whatever you’re doing, I would tell you to keep it up.” He tapped her lightly on the shoulder before departing.

  Keep doing what I’m doing?

  Which was what exactly? Lie on her back whenever Damian McKnight said so. Well, he could think again. She wasn’t his beck-and-call girl. He couldn’t just have her whenever he wanted. What about what she wanted?

  And what do I want?

  Hell if she knew. But she certainly wouldn’t find out if he didn’t contact her. Annoyed, Jada stalked back to her desk determined to put Damian further out of her mind. If that’s the way he wanted to play this, as if she was insignificant and no more than another notch on his bedpost, then so be it.

  Two could play that game.

  Chapter 15

  Jada was ignoring his calls.

  Damian didn’t like it. He didn’t like it one bit.

  Since returning from Dallas, he’d put out several business fires that had required his immediate attention, which necessitated putting all thoughts of the raven-haired beauty aside until he had resolved the issues. Additionally, a major deal that had been on the verge of coming through had indeed proved successful over the last several days. He was now the proud owner of a new radio station in Los Angeles.

  But he was also tense as hell. He needed an outlet.

  Usually, he would burn it off in the gym—run five miles, swim multiple laps, or spar with a boxing partner. When none of that worked, he’d call one of the women he kept on standby for just this type of situation. They’d help him relieve some stress in the bedroom, and he’d leave sated.

  Tonight, none of those options appealed to him.

  He only wanted one thing. Or should he say, one woman.

  Only Jada could put out the flame growing inside him, but she was refusing to acknowledge his presence. Could he blame her? He hadn’t exactly pulled out the welcome mat. It wasn’t his fault he couldn’t indulge her text messages, beyond acknowledging she was back home. He’d had other more important priorities, but he doubted she’d see it like that. Women always wanted to be the center of attention, especially this woman.

  My woman.

  When had he begun thinking of Jada as his? Since she’d turned his world inside out one night against a wall of a television studio and again in that Dallas penthouse. There was no way he could think of any other woman. There was only Jada.

  But Damian didn’t know how to make this right. He didn’t do relationships. He had sexual encounters, but Jada wasn’t having that. He knew she would want more. He didn’t know how much more he could give her, but he had to try. And so, now he was in his Tesla and heading for the studio.

  Damian was unprepared for the sight that greeted him: Jada walking arm in arm through the parking lot with another man. Meanwhile, Jada saw Damian slide his Tesla into his reserved parking spot, and in that moment, Damian saw a smile form on those damn delicious lips of hers. Fury raged inside him. He wanted to get out of the car and beat the man to a bloody pulp for taking his woman, but he couldn’t. He hadn’t made sure she understood in every way imaginable that he didn’t share. Wouldn’t share. She was his and his alone.

  He watched her get in the other man’s car and drive away. She’d made her point. She would not be trifled with.

  Then again, neither would he. He would show Jada Hart just the kind of man he was.

  Why had she agreed to go out with an advertising executive who often visited the station? To get back at a certain chocolate man with the sexy goatee who’d encompassed her thoughts day in and day out. She knew she was being juvenile, but Brian had caught her in a moment of weakness and she agreed to go out on a date with him.

  Jada was just thankful the evening had ended and he was driving her back to the station, where her car was parked. After he found a spot close to hers, he walked her a few steps to her Jaguar. Then he leaned in for a kiss, but Jada tipped her head to the side to present her cheek instead. “Thank you for dinner, Brian.”

  “So, we can do this again sometime?”

  Jada shook her head. “No, I’m sorry. I’m getting over a bad breakup, and I’m just not ready to jump into anything new.” That was partially the truth—she wasn’t ready to start dating anyone, not until she cleared Damian out of her head.

  “I appreciate your honesty, Jada. Take it easy,” Brian said. Then he left.

  Jada stared after him for several seconds as he walked away. He was decent, just not the guy for her. She was about to jump in her car when the hairs on the back of her neck stood up. She didn’t have to turn around to know who it was. She could smell his cologne. Jada spun around on her stilettos. “What the hell, Damian? You scared me half to death.”

  “I doubt that,” he said smoothly and stalked toward her. “You knew it was me.”

  Jada blanched. Had he read her mind? “It’s late, and you could have been anyone,” she deflected. “What are you doing here anyway?”

  “I’ve come to claim what’s mine.”

  “Excuse me?”

  Damian used his car key to flick ope
n the locks to his Tesla, which was several parking spots down from Jada’s car. Then he maneuvered himself in front of Jada and brushed his muscular chest against her. The tips of her nipples hardened. “Come with me.”

  “You don’t get to order me around, Damian.”

  “You’re trying my patience tonight, Jada.” The edge in his voice gave her pause. “I know you saw me pull up tonight, yet you still chose to go out with … with that other man.” There was no mistaking the hurt in his tone.

  “I have every right to go out with whomever the hell I want. I’m a grown woman, and I’ll do—”

  In seconds, Jada was flat against the wall of Damian’s chest. He’d hauled her hard against him. “You’re going to get in my car, or I’m going put you there myself. Which is it going to be?”

  Jada shot daggers at Damian and pushed against him until he slowly released her. But she couldn’t help herself. She found herself walking with him to his car. When she was safely in the passenger seat, he slammed the door closed and joined her moments later in the driver’s seat.

  He revved the engine to life and pulled out of the parking lot. Damian emanated a barely unleashed fury as he gripped the wheel. Jada had no idea where he was taking her. She wanted to ask but thought better of it. She’d already rattled his cage enough tonight and evoked his ire. But it’s not like she’d known he was coming to the station. He hadn’t called her all week.

  Nearly twenty minutes elapsed before they pulled into the garage of a high-rise building, and Damian turned off the engine. Jada didn’t wait for him to open her door. She jumped out on her own accord. He didn’t speak. Instead, Damian headed for the bank of elevators and pressed the call button.

  “How long are you going to ignore me?”

  He turned his head and smirked at her. “Perhaps as long as you’ve ignored me the last couple of days.”

  The elevator door chimed, and Jada stormed inside but not before saying, “It goes both ways, Damian.”

  “I know that.” He entered the car with her and pressed the button for the penthouse floor.

  “Really? You could have fooled me.” Jada folded her arms across her chest. She was partly angry, but she also needed to cover up her nipples. They seemed to have a life of their own. Or perhaps they sensed the one man who knew how to caress, suck, and kiss them?

  “I realize that I inadvertently caused this,” Damian acknowledged from the other side of the cab, “but it was unavoidable. I had some pressing business matters to attend to.”

  “That’s all I get?” She stared at him incredulously. His eyes smoldered with desire back at her. “You just used high-handed tactics to get me to come with you. And where the hell am I, anyway?”

  The doorbell chimed again. Jada hadn’t even realized they’d moved because she was so in tune with this man.

  “You’re at my home.”

  Jada blanched. “Why?”

  “So we can talk—uninterrupted.”

  Jada glared at him. “I already know what you’re going to say. We had a good time in Dallas, but we’re back in San Francisco.”

  “And?”

  “And what?”

  “We work together. So this,” she said, pointing back and forth between them, “is going nowhere because it can’t.”

  “Who says it can’t?”

  That response surprised Jada. She didn’t have a comeback. The elevator doors opened, interrupting their conversation. A large open-concept apartment with modern contemporary furnishings and high ceilings greeted Jada. The place was obviously the work of an interior designer. She saw the pops of color amidst the dark masculine blacks and beiges as well as the eclectic mix of artwork that adorned the walls. “Nice place,” she commented as she stalked through the rooms. She stopped when he did at the bar.

  She watched him pour himself a glass of bourbon and another. He handed her one. “Drink.”

  She accepted the glass because he remembered what she liked to unwind to.

  “The bourbon should relax you. Hell, relax us both.”

  “So you can get me into bed?” She eyed him warily.

  “Although I would love to take you up on the offer, that’s not solely why we’re here.”

  Jada took a large gulp and felt the burn going down her throat. She leveled him with a dark gaze.

  “I don’t like how we left things in Dallas,” he began. “I’d like to clear the air.”

  “Do you always have to be in charge?” She pointed her pinky at him while still holding her glass. “Do you always have to try to set the pace? Why can’t we let things happen organically? That would be too much, huh? I can assume that if Dallas wasn’t a one-time thing, you brought me here for one reason: to resume our physical relationship.”

  “That’s right. I’m willing to offer a committed sexual relationship in which both of us agree to be mutually exclusive and not sleep with anyone else.”

  Jada snorted and rolled her eyes. “What’s in it for me?”

  “I would imagine the multiple orgasms you’ve been having,” Damian quipped.

  Color rushed to Jada’s cheeks. She didn’t appreciate his frankness, but she was nothing else if not honest. “I own my sexuality,” she retorted. “So yes, I loved every minute of those orgasms.”

  Damian smiled, and Jada realized he’d lured her into a web of his own making. “And I assume you’d like more?”

  “What girl doesn’t?” She eyed him as he circled around her, and she blew out an uneasy breath. If he was trying to disarm her, it was working. It had been a long day, and with the glasses of wine at dinner and the sips of bourbon, the liquor was having the desired effect.

  “Then my offer benefits the both of us.”

  “And what do you get out of this arrangement?”

  Damian paused from circling her and stepped toward her. Jada moved backward, and the back of her legs hit the settee. “You. In my bed. Exclusively. Are you in or are you out?”

  Damian had let his imagination run wild for days, picturing Jada in every conceivable position as he took those full curves deep and hard in his hands. He knew he couldn’t offer her anything more than a committed sexual relationship. It was all he was capable of. Her brown gaze burned into him, and she didn’t speak. She merely nodded and accepted his terms: to be his exclusively.

  Instantly, he reached for her, fastening his mouth on those luscious lips. His tongue searched for all the secret spaces Jada tried to hide from him. Any vestige of anger he’d had over her date with another man tonight was quickly extinguished as the flame of desire engulfed them both. His hands covered her body, weighing her tight breasts and nipples that begged to have his hot mouth on them. She shifted and restlessly moved the lower half of her hips against him.

  Damian lowered his head and took a nipple in his mouth. It caught her off guard, and she swayed against him so he moved them backward to the couch. He began tugging at the zipper on the back of her dress, eager to get her naked. She seemed equally as desperate and helped rid him of his clothes. When they were both naked, he quickly slid on a condom. Then he kissed her again while his hands found a path down her arms, hips, and thighs until he came to the place he sought. “I love how wet you are for me.”

  She stretched her legs wide, giving his fingers easy access to swirl, stroke, and tease her slick flesh. But while he thought he was mastering Jada, the little temptress was giving as good as she got. She had his hard length in her clever hands and was squeezing and pumping her hand up and down his shaft. The tables had turned, and his breathing was just as choppy and uneven as hers.

  Damian feared he would come without being inside her. He grabbed her hand to stop her from tormenting him, then he swung her atop him to straddle him. “Ride me.”

  “With pleasure.” Her hips settled on his, and he felt the head of his erection just as she took him inside her silken, wet
entrance. Damian threw his head back as she began to undulate against him. Back and forth. Up and down. She was relentless. At one point, she’d nearly retreated and he was all the way out, but he wouldn’t let her go. He grasped her hips and surged hard upward, desperate for release. She got the hint and spread her fingers on the broad bunches of his shoulders and began moving faster.

  “Jada, sweet Jada,” he muttered. His breath hissed, and he tipped his head back and watched her. She was entirely focused on riding him harder, and he met her by pistoning his hips upward. When her orgasm hit her with full force, she screamed out his name “Damian!” Then she fell forward on top of him.

  Damian was nearly at the edge, and he flipped her onto her back so he could take over. He placed her legs on each of his shoulders and surged forward in one powerful stroke. Her eyes fluttered open as yet another cry came from her lips, but he didn’t stop. Instead, he thrust hard and fast, his breathing coming uneven and his heart beating so rapidly he thought it might burst from his chest, until eventually shudders racked his entire body as unbearable ecstasy washed over him. Jada contracted all around him, squeezing him tighter and tighter until he could no longer deny that this woman had him wrapped around her little finger.

  Chapter 16

  Jada awoke on Friday morning in a foreign place. It took her a few minutes to figure out she wasn’t in her condo but at Damian’s penthouse and that the man was asleep right beside her. They hadn’t exactly discussed how this “committed sexual relationship” was going to work in or out of the office. He’d just taken her straight to bed, or rather to the living room couch since they’d been so passion starved.

  Damian must think her some sort of nymphomaniac, but that was far from the case. She didn’t sleep indiscriminately with men. But since she’d met Damian, they’d done it up against the wall, on the floor, on the couch, in the shower, or on whatever surface was available.

  “Stop thinking so much,” Damian said from beside her.