Be My Valentine: The McClendon Holiday Series, Book 3

by Sean D. Young

  “You have a very nice place, Patrice,” Jacques said. “Are you sure you want us to eat on this nice rug?”

  “Yep, I do. You just get comfortable. I have a table cloth that we can spread out.” Patrice watched Jacques get down on the floor with the pizza box. She handed him the glassware. “It will only take me a minute and I’ll grab us some plates and a knife,” she said before walking away.

  When she came back, Jacques got up to help her down and she thought it was sweet of him to do so. They worked together to make the cover fit most of the huge rug. After they both had gotten comfortable, they opened the pizza box.

  “Boy, this sure does smell good,” Jacques said, smiling at Patrice.

  “Let me serve us and you pour us some wine,” she said, using the knife to separate the square slices of pepperoni pizza.

  She handed Jacques a plate and he gave her a wine glass.

  “Before we start eating, I’d like to make a toast,” he said.

  “Okay,” Patrice agreed, holding up her glass.

  He looked her in the eye. “To us. May our new fragrance be as sweet as this wine and as hot as I am for you.” He moved his glass closer to hers.

  Patrice looked away as she was a bit stunned by his admission. But her nipples tightened immediately and she suddenly felt warm and she hadn’t had a drop of wine yet. She knew it was her body reacting to him. She’d noticed the other day that when he came into the room, she started to feel warm as well. She thought it was because she had on that heavy sweater but now she didn’t think it was that at all. The man made her hot.

  It wasn’t the first time that he’d told her that he was interested in her but she was happy to hear him say it. She held her glass up to his. “To us,” she repeated and they clinked their glasses together.

  Jacques put his glass down and rubbed his hands together vigorously. “Now, let’s eat.”

  At first they sat quietly eating but it was what they weren’t saying that had Patrice reacting. Every time she’d look up at him, he would raise his eyebrows. At first, she thought he was trying to be funny, but the next time he did it, his eyes drifted downward to her bosom. Her eyes were fixed on him and she imagined his hot mouth caressing her tight nipples bringing her pleasure. His huge hands, cupping her bottom as he brought her body closer to him. The heat radiating from him urging her to come closer. Oh how wonderful, she could see him removing her clothes and their gaze never failing. Maybe, just maybe.

  “Patrice,” she heard him say.

  Shaking her head, she looked at him. “I’m sorry, I just drifted away for a second.”

  “Were you sitting here dreaming about what I was thinking about?” he asked.

  “What was that?”

  “Me making love to you,” he said.

  Patrice bucked her eyes at the boldness he displayed just coming out, telling her what he wanted.

  He must have thought she was insulted because he sat his glass on the table nearby and stood. “Patrice,” he reached for her hand and she grabbed his.

  Jacques helped her up and took several steps away from the rug bringing her with him. “I’m not trying to insult you. You’re not just another notch on my belt if that’s what you’re thinking,” he said, reaching out to caress her right cheek. “I want to get close to you both mentally and physically,” he said, taking two steps closer. His lips were merely breaths away. “I’ve felt a connection to you ever since we met.”

  Patrice knew he hadn’t told her everything, but she didn’t want him to have any doubt that she felt the same way. She placed her forefinger on his lips. “Shh, now,” she whispered then standing on the tips of her toes, she placed a soft kiss on his lips.

  Desire simmered in her and she wanted him as much as he wanted her. When she broke the kiss, he looked at her with desire in his eyes. His hands went to her hips and his gaze lowered to her mouth before his head descended once again. They shared a heart-stopping kiss.

  Patrice knew she was a goner when she heard him moan and pull her body closer to his. Feeling his manhood rise to the occasion urged her to stick her tongue in his mouth. Their tongues went wild and Patrice just wanted to wrap her legs around him and let him have his way with her.

  Finally, Jacques tore his mouth away from hers and pressed his forehead against hers. “Baby, if I don’t get these pants off, I’m going to explode.”

  Patrice grabbed his hands. “Let’s get them off then,” she said, leading him down the hallway to her bedroom.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Jacques followed Patrice’s lead as they walked down the hall removing their clothing. By the time they’d gotten to her bedroom, they had stripped down to their underwear—she in her purple lace see-through bra and panty set and Jacques in his boxer shorts. He stood behind her knowing that she could feel his sex jutting against her butt.

  Jacques moved over to the bed and sat on the edge, beckoning her with his finger to come closer. He reached and gently grasped her hand to help her along. The only thought that kept reverberating in his mind was how badly he wanted to be buried so deep inside her that they would surely become one.

  With Patrice standing in front of him, his right hand slid sensually over her belly, down to the top of her delicate panties. He heard her catch her breath when he grazed a sensitive area, so he touched her there again, before kissing her inverted belly button. The delight in discovering what made her feel good filled him with excitement. It urged him to continue to explore her tight, tantalizing body. Taking the edges of the fabric, he gently pulled down her panties over her hips without ever taking his eyes off hers.

  Patrice’s legs were shaking and Jacques could tell that her body was getting itself ready for him. Letting the light garment fall to the floor, she stepped out of them. “Come closer, baby,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

  “Beautiful,” he said out loud, eyeing the heart of her femininity. He dragged the tips of his fingers down both sides of the curves of her hips. His sex continued to thicken but he wasn’t ready to take her just yet. He never wanted her to forget the first time he’d made love to her.

  Jacques buried his face in her curves, savoring every bit of her flawless skin. Once he kissed her mound, he cupped her backside, his wide hands filled with her creamy flesh. “You taste so good, baby. So good.”

  Patrice moaned, so he did it again. He could tell that she was totally letting herself go by her rapid response when he touched her in certain places. He was happy because there was no room for inhibitions now. He wanted to make pure, passionate, mind-blowing love to her.

  By the time he laid her on the bed, she was dripping with desire. With her legs spread, he touched her there and she was writhing underneath his fingertips. He could feel her throbbing and he wanted to soothe that ache, but not just yet.

  Lying next to her, he placed his finger underneath the silk bra-strap and pulled it down her arm. She helped him out by unhooking the eyelets in the back and removing the other strap. Jacques gathered the slinky garment and threw it on the floor, then pulled her to him.

  Patrice’s body felt good under his fingertips—she smelled wonderfully sensual with a hint of vanilla. It was simply tantalizing, encouraging him to taste her perky chocolate nipples. With the tip of his tongue, he licked the left one and he saw her body come up off the bed. He pinched it and watched them both pucker.

  “My beautiful brown honey,” he said to her.

  To his surprise, Patrice pushed him on his back and helped him remove his underwear. “Wait, baby, I forgot…” he started, but Patrice reached over and opened her nightstand. She removed a foil packet, tearing it open with her teeth.

  “Do you want me to help you with that?” Jacques asked. He’d forgotten that he’d had a condom in his pocket, but was happy that Patrice was prepared.

  “No, I think I can handle this,” she said, gently grabbin
g his rigid length and rolling the prophylactic down on it.

  Straddling him, he heard her gasp as the tip met with her wet heat. His sex flexed causing him to sink a bit deeper. His hands went to her hips to help guide her until she was filled to the hilt with him. Oh the sweet ecstasy as they started a rhythm together. He watched as her eyes flutter closed and her head fell back, clamping tight and twisting down on him. Once they got the hang of it together, she curled her fingers with his.

  “Ride baby, ride,” he said, sounding breathless. He captured her hips with both hands as his head thrashed from side to side.

  Soon as he felt like he was about to explode, Jacques switched positions and entered her in one swift motion, his manhood buried deep within her sex. She was so tight and it felt so good, he wanted to give her the ultimate pleasure before his release.

  “Yes, yes,” she said over and over. “Ooo, baby,” Patrice said as they moved together at the same pace.

  A few minutes later, Patrice was twisting beneath him, meeting every thrust. She was ready, so he made sure they finished together.

  Basking in the afterglow, Patrice rested in Jacques’s arms with him lightly stroking her skin. She had never had sex that good before. He was definitely methodical and for that she was grateful for his thoroughness and they soon fell asleep.

  The next morning, Patrice opened her eyes and wanted to get up in order to get breakfast started before they went to work. They stayed up well into the early morning making love once again before falling sound asleep for the second time. She didn’t want to wake Jacques, so she slid from up under the covers and walked around the bed.

  “Baby, where are you going?”

  Quickly covering her nakedness with her hands, Patrice rushed inside her closet and grabbed her terry cloth robe. Tying the closure as she came back out, she eyed Jacques laughing at her.

  “What?” she asked walking over to the bed. She wanted to know why he was laughing at her.

  Jacques shook his head.

  “What’s so funny?” she asked again.

  Jacques slid upright in the bed. “Baby, now, really. Do you need to cover yourself up like that? It’s not like I haven’t seen you before.” He patted the empty space beside him on the bed. “I never thought of you as the shy type.”

  Walking the short distance to the bed she sat beside him. “I’m not really shy, but this is different. We’re just getting to know each other.”

  “I understand, but I think we got really acquainted last night and this morning,” he said, playfully pulling her into his arms.

  Patrice pressed her lips together as Jacques snuggled against her.

  “You know you want to laugh,” he said, before kissing her cheek. He whispered to her, “Lay with me a while longer. Please. I really like feeling that tight little body of yours against me.”

  One thing Patrice learned about Jacques was that he had a very big sexual appetite. She stretched out beside him and rubbed his bare chest.

  “You okay?”

  “Sure, I’m fine. How about you?” Jacques replied, running his fingers lightly down her arm.

  “I feel good,” she said in response. “No regrets?”

  “Not a one,” Jacques said, gathering her closer to him. “Patrice, I want you to know…”

  Patrice stopped him with her finger on his lips. “Careful. Don’t say something you don’t really mean.”

  Moving her hand away, Jacques continued. “I’m starting to care for you very much.”

  She tried her best to stop him from revealing his feelings. She didn’t want to jump too quickly because they were getting to know each other and she liked the fact that they weren’t attached to each other. People jump into relationships too quickly and she didn’t want that, but her heart was telling her something different.

  Snuggling together, Jacques gazed into her eyes. “I need to tell you something.”

  Uh, oh, here it comes.

  “I worked as the head perfumer for the New York manufacturer Fairchild Ltd.”

  Patrice’s head snapped back. “I read about them somewhere. I think.”

  “You probably did because they are a four-generation family-owned perfume company that has created a lot of the big name brands you see advertised on television.”

  “You were the person behind the fragrances?”

  “Me and my team, yes. I worked there for six years.”

  “You keep saying worked. Did they fire you? Is that why you came out to Chicago?”

  “No, I resigned after I was accused of stealing the formula for a new fragrance that they were getting ready to launch.”

  Patrice sat up straight in the bed. “Why didn’t you say anything, Jacques?”

  “I didn’t tell you because we’d just met and I didn’t want to spring all that on you. Everything has been resolved. I found out that my partner in the lab was the culprit.”

  “Wow, you had a lot on you and yet you decided to help me and work with me,” Patrice said, grateful for his ability and the kindness. “Are you going back to Fairchild?”

  “I have no intentions or desire to go back,” he said, reaching out to her. They threaded their fingers together. “I’m here for you. Don’t you worry about anything. We are going to make this product the best the perfume world has seen yet.”

  Patrice grinned.

  “Did you look over the contract your attorney sent over?”

  “Yes, I did. The way the contract reads it protects both parties. Garrison said that not all of the celebrity contracts are written well.”

  “When do you go in to sign them?”

  “I don’t have to go in, I can sign them electronically.”

  “Do you feel comfortable doing that?”

  “Yes, I trust Mr. Bingham. He’s been our family attorney since my mother started the business.”

  “I’ll keep on working until we get perfection,” Jacques promised.

  “I’m going to meet with my sister Renee about some marketing ideas.”

  “I think this calls for a celebration,” Jacques said, before pulling her down to where he laid. “I love the way you taste,” he said, placing a kiss on her lips between every word.

  “Jacques, it’s well after six. We need to get up so we can get ready to go to the shop. If we go another round, we’re surely going to be late.”

  “Don’t the girls have keys to the shop?” he said, continuing to make her body hum. She couldn’t think straight as he opened her robe.

  “Let’s get this off you,” he said.

  Patrice surrendered to the passion that Jacques had ignited inside her and they spent several more hours making love.

  * * * * *

  Later in the afternoon, Patrice promised to meet Jacques at the shop in a while. There were a couple of things she needed to do. After he’d left her apartment, she took a luxurious bubble bath to soothe the slight ache she had between her legs. She wasn’t a very sexually active woman, so it had been a while since she’d gone that many rounds with a man. A man the size of Jacques took work and that she did. He made her feel so good, sexy and wanted.

  Now she understood when women said their men had them walking on a cloud. Even though she was more of a realist, a man could make a woman feel pretty damn good.

  Drying herself off, she removed the clothes that she was going to wear from her closet, but then she started questioning whether or not Jacques would like the outfit.

  Always meticulous about what she wore and not caring what others thought, it was different for her to consider someone else’s feelings about the way she looked; especially a man. After changing a couple of times she settled on tweed slacks and a burgundy blouse. She added gold accessories to compliment the outfit.

  Checking the time, she realized that she needed to get to the store, so that Fantasia and Nikki cou
ld both take a much-needed break. With only the two of them manning the store, Patrice hoped they weren’t overwhelmed with customers.

  Today was the first time ever that Patrice had skipped work in the morning. Always there and on time making sure everything got done, but today, she left it up to them. She was assured that Fantasia would be responsible.

  Before leaving the apartment Patrice contacted her sister Renee so that she could make an appointment with her.

  “What’s up, girlie,” Patrice said when her sister answered.

  “Treecie, I haven’t heard from you since we had that conversation at Mom’s house,” Renee said.

  “I know. I’ve been meaning to call you guys, but I’ve been busy.”

  “Is that it? I thought you were mad and had an attitude.”

  “No, my dear sister. I don’t have an attitude. I may possibly have a fragrance though.”

  Patrice removed the phone from her ear since her sister was screaming.

  “Really, Treecie.”

  “Yes, really.”

  “Did you tell Momma? How are you going to market it? Did you choose a fancy bottle design? I’m so excited for you.”

  “If you let me get a word in, I wanted to answer all those questions.” Patrice was thrilled too and it felt good to hear her sister’s excitement for her.

  “Okay, tell me all about it,” Renee said.

  “I need to sit down with you for about an hour so we can brainstorm about my idea.”

  “Well, it’s way past lunch time now and I have back-to-back meetings this afternoon. As a matter of fact I’m prepping for one now.”

  “Can we meet for dinner or something? You can meet Jacques,” Patrice suggested because her sisters were having a fit about meeting the guy who was helping her.

  “Really, I get to meet the French guy.”

  “Don’t start. I think you’re going to like him, Renee.”

  “Sounds to me like you really do already.”

  Patrice didn’t want to respond to that statement because she’d be admitting it out loud and she wasn’t ready. She wanted to keep enjoying the time she was spending with him. “Do you want to meet for dinner or not?”