by Jada Jordan
“Five Camrys?” she teased.
“Not quite,” he grinned as he exited the car.
He jogged around the car to open her door. He held his umbrella for her as she got out of the car. She looked at the house in wonder.
“It’s beautiful, Hunter. It’s a gorgeous gem tucked away in the middle of Manhattan,” she said in awe.
“Thank you. That was exactly my idea when I had it built four years ago. It’s my haven in a city of steel, glass and brick,” he said.
He shut her car door and guided her to the front door where he unlocked and threw the door wide. Yasmin caught her breath at the grandiose entrance; from the amazing marble floor tile to the exquisite chandelier hanging from the stain glass dome above a shining cherry wood round table. What an entry!
“You do have higher end taste,” she grinned.
“In some things,” he smiled. “Let me show you around.”
He dropped his umbrella in the umbrella stand and assisted her in removing her coat. Then the tour began. The house had seven bedrooms and nine baths; a gym, sauna, two offices and a spacious living area. He took her to see the backyard which of course consisted of a pool, Jacuzzi, a four hole putting green and beautiful furnishings.
“This is amazing,” she sighed. “You must be so proud.”
“I am,” he responded. They went back into the house. “Would you like something warm to drink? How about hot cider?”
“Yes. I would love some.”
“Coming up,” he replied.
Yasmin wonder into the sitting room and stared out of the window. It was only one-thirty in the afternoon but the rain and grey skies made it seem later. She thought about the home she was in and knew that she wanted this in her life. A warm, cozy home and one day a family. But she wanted her art as well. Could she have it all? Could she have it with Hunter? She shouldn’t be thinking about having anything with Hunter. She was in a relationship, although rocky but nevertheless she was in it. And they had to resolve their issues.
“Here you go,” he said as he handed her cider to her.
Yasmin took a deep sniff.
“Ahh! It smells delicious,” she murmured. She took a sip. “And it taste as good as it smells. Thank you.”
“My pleasure. Let’s sit and you can tell me how you got into law when you love to paint,” he suggested.
She took off her ankle boots and curled her feet under her. With cider mug in both hands she began her story.
“My mom is African American and my dad is French. They met while my mom was traveling in France to paint. They fell in love, married and were blissfully happy for six years. I was living the idyllic life until my dad died in a car crash when I was four years old,” she said.
“I’m sorry, Yasmin.”
She nodded.
“I was the apple of his eye and he was my hero. I was lost without him. We were living in a small village of Beynac in France and my dad’s brother, Uncle Pierre insisted that we move to New York to be near him,” she said softly. “We did and Uncle Pierre soon became the man that I looked up to and admired. We did everything together from cooking to fishing. It was Pierre who saw my aptitude for law. He was a lawyer himself and one day he took me to watch him argue a case. Afterwards we sat in a café having ice cream and I began to give him strategy techniques. He was impressed with my observations and began to mentor me. I was only fourteen at the time but I was quick and absorbed everything like a sponge. It only seemed natural that I should go into law.”
“How did your mom feel about your career choice?” Hunter asked.
“She said that I should follow my heart. Too bad I’m only now discovering where my heart leads,” she sighed.
They continued chatting for a while then watched reruns of I Love Lucy and Seinfeld. It was hilarity at the maximum and Yasmin had never laughed so hard. Yasmin then relaxed her head on the back of the sofa and closed her eyes. It had started to rain again and the sound of the raindrops hitting the roof was somehow comforting. She was warm, safe and dry. She couldn’t ask for more. She felt Hunter move on the sofa but wasn’t perturbed about it. She assumed he was leaving to do something. Then she felt his presence beside her and her eyes flew open. Hunter could see the sudden alarm in her gorgeous eyes and wanted to immediately put her at ease.
“It’s alright, Yas. I just want to be near you,” he whispered.
He pulled her into his embrace and they sat quietly for a while; each deep into their own thoughts. He understood that he had made her that promise and he wouldn’t break it. But by God it was hard to keep. All he wanted to do was to kiss her luscious lips and caress her smooth creamy skin. He ran his fingers through her wavy brunette hair and savored the soft texture of it. It wasn’t completely straight like the hair of the Caucasian women he had dated. It had depth, integrity and character to it. Just like its owner. He wanted to immerse himself into her hair just like he wanted to sink himself into her. He kissed the bridge of her nose. He couldn’t help himself. She looked up at him and he was lost. He cupped her chin and captured her mouth. Yasmin was couldn’t say that she was surprise for she’d been hoping that he would take that liberty. The kiss was gentle and feather-light. After a moment she pushed his muscular chest slightly. He pulled back.
“I know I haven’t kept my promise completely, but please don’t tell me to stop,” he pleaded.
She saw the white-hot passion glittering in his green eyes and wanted to feel that same hunger in his kiss.
“Don’t stop,” she whispered.
Hunter swooped upon her mouth like a starving man. He thrust his tongue into her mouth and swept it along every recess. Damn! She tasted so good. He couldn’t get enough of her. The hot cider blended with the vestiges of the white wine she’d had at the club was intoxicating. His hands roamed her torso and Yasmin couldn’t help but respond. It felt good being in his arms and she would not deny herself this one time. They continued kissing and caressing one another until Yasmin felt his hand at her pants zipper. He looked into her passion filled eyes. He didn’t need to ask the question. The word yes was screaming in her head but she couldn’t say it. Hunter could see the answer on her face. He was disappointed, but he would accept it. At some point during their passionate session Yasmin had ended up lying on her back on the sofa. Hunter rose up and pulled her with him onto his lap. She cuddled with him for a minute then slid off of his lap. She bent to pick up her boots and put them on.
“You don’t have to leave, Yas. I will behave,” he smiled.
“I know you will, but I should go,” she smiled wanly.
“Back to what, Yas? A broken relationship?” he asked sharply.
Suddenly he had never been so frustrated.
“A relationship that can be fixed,” she mumbled.
“Aw! Come on. On what planet are—
“I have to try, Hunter,” she cried.
She stood up. Hunter remained silent.
“Where did you put my coat?” she muttered.
Hunter got up to retrieve her coat from the closet. He held it while she slipped her arms through the sleeves. Yasmin smiled wryly. He’s always the gentleman even when he’s angry. He then put on a black leather bomber jacket and escorted her to the door. He took his umbrella from the holder and opened the door.
“I’m sorry I snapped. I have no right to expect something from you that you are not ready to give,” he apologized.
“It’s okay,” was all she could say.
They shared the umbrella as they walked to her car. She noticed the five garage doors again.
“You never said what type of cars you have,” she said.
“Maybe one day you’ll find out,” he responded.
He opened her car door and she slid into the grey leather seat. He gave the key.
“Thank you……for everything,” he nodded but said nothing. He backed away from the car. Yasmin reversed and made and three point turn. She then drove off. Hunter watched her go and wanted to howl at the da
rk sky. Never in his life had he been so angry at one man.
*****
Yasmin entered her dark apartment and automatically flipped the light switch by the door. She caught her breath when she saw Ryan sitting by the window.
“Why were you sitting in the dark?” she asked.
“It suited me,” he snapped.
Yasmin sighed. She could hear from his tone of voice that he was in a mood; one in which she didn’t feel like placating. She was tired of compromising to satisfy him. She’d had enough.
“We need to talk, Yas,” he said curtly.
“I know. And I want to,” she replied.
She removed her coat and tossed it over a dining chair. She then moved to sit in the chair opposite of him.
“Let’s talk,” she prompted. “How could you go to Dean behind my back like that? You had to have known how hurt I would be.”
“You know what the real question is. Are you going to leave your practice?” he countered.
Yasmin sucked in her breath in astonishment.
“So you want to dismiss what you’ve done as if it were nothing?” she gasped. “You tried to manipulate me and I’m supposed to be okay with it?”
“I did what I thought was best. How was I to know that Dean would run his mouth?” he retorted.
“Because he’s my friend; not yours. His loyalty is to me and he realized that I needed to know what type of man I was living with,” she snapped.
“The kind of man who knows what’s best for you,” he snapped. “You don’t need to be leaving your law practice. Not now. Not when you’re so close to having it all.”
Yasmin leaned her elbows on her knees and rubbed her temples. She had a blazing headache and his words only made it worse. Enough!
“Bullshit!” she yelled. “It’s not my welfare you’re looking out for—it’s your own. You want to live the grandiose lifestyle that I would be able to foot the bill for. You want the cars, trips, houses, yachts and Knicks season tickets that would elevate your social status.”
“And what the hell is so wrong with improving one’s life?” he said sharply.
“Do it on your own dime,” she yelled.
Yasmin stood and walked toward the kitchen. He followed her.
“Are you leaving the firm, Yasmin?” he barked.
She turned to face him.
“Yes! I’m leaving and I can’t wait,” she exclaimed.
“Then get the hell out of here!” he shouted.
Yasmin stared at him incredulously. He was throwing her out. Well, it was his apartment. Fine. She knew there was nothing left for them.
“It’s pouring out there. I’ll leave in the morning,” she retorted.
“You’ll leave now,” he snarled.
He grabbed her arm and shoved her to the door. He then snatched her coat from the chair and threw it at her. It fell to the floor.
“Get out!” he roared.
Yasmin looked at Ryan and saw nothing but hatred in his dark eyes. She no longer knew him……maybe she never had. She bent to pick up her coat and put it on. She opened the door and walked through it not bothering to close it. She heard the door slam shut.
*****
It was late and Hunter was about to call it a night. He tossed aside the reports that he’d been reading and stretched lazily in his favorite green recliner. He had spent a great part of the afternoon thinking about Yasmin and becoming increasingly more frustrated. He wasn’t used to not getting something he wanted; and he wanted Yasmin. It was strange for him to be so affected by a woman. There had been many and none had left any lasting impression on him. But Yasmin had slipped into his psyche and he had not been able to push her out. He rose from his chair and walked through the room turning off the lights. He had crossed into the foyer and had one foot on the bottom step when the doorbell rang. He glanced at his watch and wondered who was calling so late. He moved to the door and glanced out of the narrow side window. He then opened the door.
“My God!”
Acknowledgements
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This book is Book One of “The Bliss Series”
Bliss
Bliss Book Two
Bliss Book Three
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“Kiss me, Yas. Let me kiss you,” he murmured.
He lowered his head and Yasmin was lost. He kissed her upper and lower lips, licking and teasing. He glided his tongue along the outline of her mouth before thrusting it within. Yasmin felt pure joy when his tongue entered her mouth. She collapsed against him, surrendering to him completely. His arms tightened around her and he intensified the kiss. It felt magical to Yas and she didn’t want it to stop. His hands slid down to her hip and he held her firmly as he ground against her. Yasmin groaned and imagined what it would feel like to have him inside of her. She could feel that he was large and she desperately wanted to receive him. But when she felt him walking her to the bed, alarm bells went off. Yes, she had wanted his kiss and now knew she wanted a whole lot more. But was she ready? She’d sought the feel of his strong arms wrapped about her. She needed the security he could provide and yearned for the sweet taste of his mouth. But in her heart she knew she wasn’t ready for anything more– not yet. It was just too soon. She was still reeling from Ryan’s behavior and needed time to settle. She broke their kiss. He hungrily sought her mouth again, plunging into her sweet, hollow recesses. The kiss was wonderful and Yasmin’s resolve was almost swept away. She had to stop this now or there would be no turning back. This time when Yasmin broke the kiss she stepped away from him.
You may enjoy the Rapture Series, a BWWM billionaire series.
Here is a sneak peak of Rapture.
Shalisa Caprice Monroe sat at a table in the shadows of her favorite jazz club and listened distractedly to the vocalist. The singer was actually very good and any other time Shay would have been completely engaged; but this was not one of those times. She rotated her half full wine glass by its stem as she thought about her dire predicament. She needed a job badly and her prospects were dwindling rapidly. It seemed that every reputable restaurant in New York had a kitchen fully staffed with amazing chefs. She couldn’t buy a position as a sous chef which led her to swallow her pride and check out the diner that had a cook wanted sign in its window. The small, slightly rundown diner wasn’t the elite establishment that she had targeted for employment, but she was running out of options. She needed money to eat regular meals and keep a roof over her head. Cooking at the diner would allow her to do that if she budgeted carefully. However, when she arrived at the diner and enquired about the help wanted sign, she’d been told that the position had just been filled twenty minutes ago. Shay’s heart sank. She left the diner feeling completely dejected and discouraged. What was she going to do? Her savings was quickly evaporating. Before long she would be living in a cardboard box in a back alley if she didn’t secure income soon.
“May I join you?”
Shay was startled by the smooth, rich tone. She looked up into the oddest but most beautiful set of eyes she had ever seen. She could only describe them as a warm golden orange. It was like looking into a glorious sunrise. Shay blinked several times to clear her vision and ensure that she was seeing correctly. Yes, those penetrating eyes were the color of sunrays and they were set in the face of Adonis. The man was strikingly gorgeous; tall, dark blond hair with muscular frame. She sighed as she thought of being held in his powerful arms. His smile was lazy and sensuous and she wondered how they would feel pressed against her own. He was staring at her and she realized he was waiting for an answer. She mentally shook her head to clear it.
“You’re welcome
to sit here. I am leaving,” Shay replied quickly.
“I was hoping to share the table with you,” he responded.
Shay grimaced. She was in no mood for a flirtatious encounter; she had too many worries on her mind. Too bad. He was a total hottie. Thank goodness she had already paid her tab; she could make a quick exit. She grabbed her clutch purse and stood.
“Not this time,” she said.
Shay turned to walk away. River McAlister leaned against the nearby post and watched her as she left the club. She had a sexy walk. Her hips swayed ever so slightly in her smooth, rhythmic gait. But it was her lovely face that had caught his attention. He’d been sitting at the bar and when he had glimpsed her in his peripheral vision. He moved to looked at her directly and been arrested by her beauty. She was a slender, African American woman with long, wavy, dark hair. There was a haunted look on her beautiful features; as if she were upset or worried. That look inexplicably drew him to her. He knew he had to approach her. But she had run from him as if he had Bubonic Plague. That was crushing to his ego. Thank goodness he had a healthy self-esteem. He wondered who she was and if he would ever see her again. He doubted that their paths would cross again. That was too bad. He would have liked to have known her better.
About the Author
Jada Jordan loves to write romantic stories and especially loves to tell the story of strong interracial couples. Jada grew up in an interracial family in New York. She lives in the city and can be found in jazz clubs and quaint new eateries. Jada loves to cook for her friends and family.
Keep in touch with Jada Jordan at facebook.com/jadajordan.
For even more romance, check out Brazen Romance
