Jayce began to climb up the ladder and Zahra followed behind him. They stood together on the platform with Boriss coming up the rear and a spotter on the ground, standing by the net. They were higher up than he realized and one look at Zahra’s face told him she was thinking the same thing. Miss Bravado wasn’t looking quite so confident anymore.
“Okay, who is going first?” Boriss asked, already hooking the safety attachments to Jayce’s belt. He had intended to go first and didn’t need Boriss to make the decision for him, but he brushed aside his irritation for the sake of not ruining their night.
Zahra bit her lip when Jayce gripped onto the bar and he winked at her before he jumped off, flying through the air, back and forth. It was so exhilarating, it was intoxicating. He let go and bounced onto the safety net, looking up at Zahra. Her hands were clasped under her chin as she nodded at Boriss. The spotter unhooked Jayce and he jumped down, ready to see her take flight.
For a moment, Zahra hesitated but then her feet left the platform and she sailed through the air, squealing like a little girl. Jayce chuckled alongside the spotter, who also couldn’t take his eyes off of her.
When Zahra let go, Jayce was beside the net, ready to help her down. He had never seen her smile so brilliantly.
“Oh, my gosh!” She climbed into his arms and he kissed her, his body still rushing with adrenaline.
“Ready to go again?”
She nodded, not a doubt in her mind.
By the fifth fly, they had their knees up and on the sixth fly they mastered a knee hang catch. Jayce didn’t let her fall, holding on to her with everything he had.
Back on the ground again, he sweetly kissed her forehead. “I like you.”
Surprise flooded her face. “I like you too, Jayce Tohmatsu.”
After an hour on the trapeze, they were ready for dinner. They changed into dinner-wear and then walked the three blocks to the restaurant with a table waiting for Tohmatsu.
Sitting opposite at the table, Jayce enjoyed the view in front of him. “Have you decided?” he asked, gesturing to the menu.
“I will have the watermelon salad and the Risotto del Giorno, please.”
Jayce blinked. “No meat. You’re vegetarian?”
“Yes. You seem surprised?”
Jayce shook his head. “I just didn’t realize. When did you go vegetarian?”
“When I was seventeen… I think it’s inhumane to eat anything with a face,” Zahra said, looking at him squarely, “but that’s a personal decision. You order whatever you want. I’m accustomed to eating with carnivores. Jemma likes her meat still bleeding.”
He scrunched his nose up, smiling. “That’s kinda gross.”
“I completely agree,” Zahra said with a laugh.
The waiter came and took their order. Jayce ordered steak, medium-well. A few minutes later the same waiter came back with a bottle of wine, and they toasted their glasses. ‘To flying.’
He watched her lips as she drank the champagne; she was so tempting. “I didn’t see you in the office today?”
“No, I dialed in from home… less distractions,” she responded, shrugging her shoulders casually.
Jayce looked at her for a moment. There was something about the way she said it, almost too casually, and it made him question it but he couldn’t put his finger on what it was. Pushing the thought aside, he continued. “What else did you do today?”
“I went for a run, Jemma came over this afternoon, and then I worked for a bit. What did you do today?”
He smiled. “I worked, I went to a business lunch, and then I worked some more… speaking of—” He paused, reaching into his pocket and pulling out his vibrating cell phone. “I have to take this call.”
Zahra nodded and her face transformed when he began to speak in Japanese. He ended the call as quickly as possible.
“Sorry—that was my father. He likes daily progress updates and he does not like it when I don’t answer.”
“I see. Was he impressed by your update?”
His lips turned up at the corners. “No, actually, he wasn’t. I told him I was at dinner with a girl, but he thinks I should be in the office working. He is very displeased with his prodigal son.”
“You must be such a disappointment to him, Jayce,” she said teasingly.
“It’s okay, I’ll get back in his good books tomorrow.” He leaned forward and took her hands, energy pulsating through him. His eyes swept over the other diners watching them and he wondered if their sexual tension was that obvious. Jayce cleared his throat. “I think there should be no touching for the rest of dinner.”
Conversation flowed easily between them, like old friends catching up after a long absence. Their childhoods were remarkably different but the qualities they were raised to respect were not. Zahra and Jemma had had the idyllic upbringing in a loving, nurturing family who worked hard and had made a good life.
“Ready?”
“Sure.” Zahra stood up and tucked her chair in behind the table. She took Jayce’s hand as they walked out of the restaurant and into the waiting car.
“Thank you, for tonight,” she said.
He leaned forward, cradling her face between his hands. “You’re welcome. Thank you.” He bit gently on her bottom lip and a low groan escaped his throat. “You taste so fucking good.”
Zahra closed her eyes and submitted to his kiss.
“I’ll walk you up,” he said as they pulled up to her apartment building.
George stood out front with his trademark smile on display. Jayce did a once-over, checking that Zahra was presentable to get out of the car—an un-tucked blouse or smudged lipstick would be sure to elicit a mark of disapproval from George.
“Evening, George.”
“Evening, Miss Foster,” he said. Nodding to Jayce, he said, “Mr. Tohmatsu.”
“Evening, sir.” Not in the mood for pleasantries, Jayce continued through the lobby toward the elevators, standing a respectable distance from her. “I think he’s watching me,” he said, almost laughing. Zahra did laugh, and when she looked over her shoulder she confirmed George was indeed watching. The elevator arrived and they stepped inside. They were finally alone and Jayce could no longer hold back. He pulled her hair, tilting her mouth up and arching her forward into his hips. He was hard. And would bet his life Zahra’s panties were wet. It seemed they only had two modes: they were either not touching at all or they were incapable of separating, drawn to each other in a frantic, inebriating lust.
Ping.
“Are we getting out?” she asked breathlessly while Jayce held her arms overhead, pressing her flat against the elevator wall.
“Don’t rush me,” he joked and then stuck his hand between the doors just as they started to close.
Jayce stood behind her as she fumbled around in her handbag, searching for her keys. He kissed the nape of her neck and when she finally found them she clumsily dropped them onto the floor.
It was an opportunity too good to miss. Jayce stood firm and waited to see her next move.
She bent over with straight legs, rubbing her ass against the hard bulge in his pants. He dug his fingers in a little deeper as he inhaled sharply. When Zahra eventually managed to open the door, Jayce closed it behind them and pushed her back up against the wall, his body holding her in position—he had wanted this all night. “You make me lose my mind,” he growled while his hands roamed her body with insatiable desire.
“Good,” she panted, “the feelings are mutual.”
It was a good enough invitation and he wasn’t about to refuse it. He looked up and saw the hallway and then lifted Zahra into his arms. She wrapped her legs tightly around his waist and her arms around his neck. Jayce carried to her bedroom, stumbling a few times, completely focused on the woman in his arms. Zahra bit his bottom lip and he threw her down on the bed. She was so beautiful and her eyes were filled with wild lust—it was the sexiest thing he’d ever seen.
He threw his jacket onto the floor
and lay down on top of her. His cock was throbbing, aching for her, but he paused for a moment. “Are you sure? We don’t have to do this.”
She nodded her head. “I want this.”
Jayce fought to keep some level of calm, not wanting to rush things—he wanted to enjoy every moment with her. Kneeling beside the bed, he pushed her dress up to her waist, dragging his nails on her skin just hard enough to leave faint lines. She shuddered as his lips kissed her inner thighs, working up to her panties. She rested on her elbows, watching him and he looked into her eyes when he put his hot mouth over the lace, licking and teasing her. Zahra shuddered again and rocked into him.
Jayce pushed two fingers inside her. “Fuck me,” he swore. She was dripping wet. He ripped off her panties, burying his face in her and stroked her clit with his tongue while his fingers slipped in and out in a tantric rhythm.
“Jayce.” Her voice was breathy and sultry, and he knew he had her on the edge. He groaned in response and flicked his tongue, sending her into a spiraling orgasm. Zahra screamed and he held her tight while she spasmed against his mouth.
“You taste fucking amazing,” Jayce said, thrusting his tongue into her mouth. Zahra reached for his shirt and unbuttoned it, ripping a few buttons off in the process. Jayce was impossibly hard and as soon as she had his pants off, he slid into her, groaning with pure desire. “Are you okay?” he asked, barely able to get the words out, his mind distracted by her tight, steaming hot pussy.
“Yes,” she moaned, closing her eyes. He sucked on her earlobe and pinched her nipple as he rocked in and out, ravenous for her. Jayce could feel his own orgasm building, but he wasn’t done, he hadn’t had enough of her yet. He pulled out and sat back on his knees, flipping her over and lifting her ass into the air. His hand spanked her twice and her body quavered in response. He kept one hand on her lower back as he entered her and, with the other, pulled on what was left of her ponytail, arching her back. Their bodies, coated in a thin layer of sweat, slid and rocked together like they had been made for each other. Zahra clenched around his cock and he couldn’t hold off any longer. “Fuck!” Jayce pulled out and let the thick liquid squirt over her ass.
For a few seconds, neither spoke nor moved.
“That… I don’t even have words…” There were no words. Zahra had just blown his mind. Jayce placed a soft kiss on her ass, on the only spot not covered in his cum, and then went to the bathroom for a towel. He grabbed the first one he saw and when he walked back toward her, she smiled over her shoulder at him. Jayce quickly cleaned up her ass and then pulled her into bed.
His mind was in a state of pure bliss and he was content just to hold her. He ran his fingers up and down her back and she kissed his chest. He couldn’t remember ever feeling such a level of peace. Jayce wasn’t sure how long had passed but when he looked down, his angel was asleep.
CHAPTER EIGHT – JAYCE
“I want some information.”
Jayce was startled from his sleep. “What?” He looked around, disoriented, until he remembered he was sleeping in Zahra’s bed. The bedroom was dark but lit enough by the hallway lights that he could see her face. Her eyes were closed, but she was talking.
“No… you don’t make the rules.”
Her forehead wrinkled and then relaxed. What is she dreaming about? Jayce watched her, fascinated.
“Raven, you can call me Raven.”
The room spun and Jayce stopped breathing. Raven. He looked at her again, his body trembling like a drug addict in withdrawal. No, it can’t be, Jayce thought. It’s not possible.
“If you don’t talk, I will cut your tongue so that you can’t talk. Where is he? Where is Dryas?”
The words kept spewing out of her mouth and Jayce stumbled out of bed, holding his chest, gasping for air. He backed up against the wall and steadied himself—he was going to have a panic attack. “Jesus Christ,” Jayce cursed, covering his mouth with his hand. ‘Breathe, Jayce, breathe,” he said to himself over and over again, fighting the claws of anxiety. He could barely think, but his body reacted on instinct: he picked up his clothes, got dressed and got the hell out of her apartment.
*
Jayce ran to the bathroom and emptied the cabinet, throwing boxes and bottles onto the floor until he found his magic pills. He popped two Xanax, crunching the tablets in this mouth before chasing down the acrid particles with stale tap water. His whole body shook, assaulted by cold flushes that left him feeling detached and broken.
Back and forth he paced across his living room floor. His stomach was in knots with anxiety, and his mind was trying to rationalize her dream, trying to think of every possible explanation as to why she would be dreaming about Raven and Dryas. But there was only one explanation he could come up with, only one that was feasible. And that explanation shattered his world.
As a young child, Jayce had been tormented by the night. The earliest dream, or rather, nightmare, he’d had was at four years of age. It was rare for a child to remember a dream they’d had as such a young boy, but when it woke you with asphyxiating fear, it was hard to forget it. The nightmares continued, night after terrifying night, and Jayce would later discover they weren’t nightmares at all. They were past life memories. God had been cruel to allow a child to witness the things he had. His parents exhausted all avenues of conventional therapy, but his nightmares continued. Worried for their son who screamed in the night, and also needing a solid night sleep themselves, they took Jayce to see Igraine. Some called her an oracle, some called her a mystic. Whatever she was, she was able to show him his past. With thin bony fingers and skin so translucent it revealed her true age, she put her hands on either side of his temples and he saw the images flow in his mind like a movie. He didn’t see everything, but he saw enough, and those images were imprinted on his mind along with the heartache that burned him like a searing iron blade through the heart. Raven and Dryas’ story was one of impassioned love and calamitous betrayal.
But Igraine hadn’t just showed him his past, she’d shown him the future too, a way to end the inner turmoil that haunted him long after his nightmares stopped: Jayce, I’m going to tell you something now. I know you’re just a young boy, but you will come to understand in time, so just remember my words. We live in a world where humankind step over one another, fueled by power and greed, not even giving a considerate thought to those we hurt in the process. What most people don’t realize is that every negative act, every harmful action against another, must be balanced, in this lifetime or the next. A time will come, sooner rather than later, and you will see her again. That will be the time when the debt is to be paid, when she will bear the consequences of her actions. And only then will your pain end.
He had remembered every word.
*
“Kyoji, I’ve got a big fucking problem,” Jayce said, still pacing the floor four hours later. The pills had kept his panic attack at bay, but he was far from calm. He didn’t wait for Kyoji to answer before he continued on. “I know now, I know why I reacted the way I did when I first saw Zahra. I know why I thought she was different. Do you remember those dreams I used to have, those dreams that Igraine told me were past-life memories?”
“Yeah, what about them?”
“It’s her, Kyoji. Zahra is Raven, I’m sure of it.”
“What? How?”
“I stayed at her apartment last night and she was dreaming. She said, ‘Call me Raven’ and she was looking for information on Dryas. She was hunting him down. She said the names, Kyoji.” Jayce massaged his jaw muscles. They were in agony from a morning of clenching.
“Hang on,” Kyoji said and Jayce could hear the music fade out until he could hear only silence. “Okay, you’ve got to calm down. You’re speaking so fast I’m having trouble understanding. Are you sure she said those names? When people sleep-talk they’re usually mumbling.”
“She said the names, Kyoji, there was no mistaking it.”
“Hmm, okay. So what are you going to do now?”
“I don’t know what to do! That’s why I’m calling you. How am I supposed to look at her now? Even when I think of her, all I can see is Raven. Fuck, I can’t believe this is happening. Zahra is amazing, Kyoji, she’s everything I want and now it’s all fucked. Igraine told me we would be together again and that she would pay for her past mistakes.”
“Slow down, Jayce, and think this through. If you like this girl that much, then you need to talk to her and find out what she remembers. Maybe it’s a good thing you’re together again.”
“Are you fucking crazy? You know what she did to me!”
“It might be the same soul but I doubt very much she’s the same person who hurt you so many years ago. Perhaps you’ve found each other again so that she can make amends. If she’s worth it, just talk to her, Jayce. I don’t know what other advice to give you,” Kyoji said.
Talk to her… That’s going to be a fun conversation, Jayce thought, his mind soaked in bitter sarcasm.
“Look, I’ve got to go. Call me later with an update,” Kyoji said and hung up.
Jayce put the phone down and leaned out of the window, craving some fresh air. The sun was up and warm on his skin and he wondered whether Zahra would be awake or if it was too early to call. If she was awake, she was most likely pissed that he’d left in the middle of the night without saying goodbye or leaving a note. It had not been his intention to be such an asshole, but things had spiraled out of control.
Last night had been magical—and the sex the best of his life—but their relationship was crashing before his eyes and there was only one thing to do now: he took Kyoji’s advice and called her.
“Morning, Jayce.”
He had not woken her but he couldn’t tell by her voice if she was angry or not. “Good morning, Zahra. How did you sleep?”
The Secrets of Their Souls Page 7
