“Are you serious?” I’m shocked by the notion.
“Yeah, how about we stop at the library at lunch, and I help you sign up.”
I feel oddly nervous, but I force myself to say, “Okay, thanks.”
She turns up the music again, but while she’s singing, I’m not. I just keep feeling the pamphlet in my apron. This doesn’t mean I’m giving up on my lamp or on destroying Allie, but it does mean something. It feels like the wind has changed direction in my life and that things I never thought possible are suddenly in my reach.
I just have to have the balls to actually go after what I want. I can do that. Right?
Chapter Twenty-Two
Jade
Two days later, I’m all dressed up again and looking like a completely different person than myself. Evan and I are seated at a table with a white cloth and silver dining ware. We’re at a lunch party, and people are seated at other tables all around us. We’re in someone’s gorgeous backyard, just a little away from a massive pool. Rich flowers bloom all around us, and waiters in white outfits set down bowls of soup.
But I’m only vaguely aware of how beautiful this place is and how lucky I am to be here, because we’re sharing a table with not only two young wealthy couples, but also with Mr. Blake and Allie. I’m so nervous I feel like I’m going to puke. I’m not as dolled up as at the late night party, so I keep worrying that Mr. Blake will notice I’m his maid.
Fortunately, or unfortunately, for me, he seems to only have eyes for Allie. She’s been all over him from the moment they got here, and he looks all too pleased by her attention.
“How’s your soup?” Evan asks.
I realize I haven’t touched my food. Leaning down, I dip my spoon into the green liquid and take a sip, then wince. “It’s cold.”
He laughs. “It’s chilled green pea soup.”
“It’s gross,” I whisper.
He grins. “No one ever said expensive food was good food.”
I smile at him. I can’t help it. Even at this party, his hair has that just-out-of-bed look. He wears a pale blue suit with a white shirt underneath and no tie, a strange combination of casual and formal, but he still has the air of someone who wants to be hooting and running around rather than sitting here politely.
“Evan, my dear!”
I look up to see a woman in her thirties with blond hair loose around her shoulders, and a short white dress with flowers on it. Evan stands as she approaches, and she clasps his arms and gives him air kisses.
“Mrs. Brancha, it’s good to see you.”
She beams at him as she draws back, and I’m surprised by the wave of jealousy that comes over me when she looks at him.
“You are looking handsome, as always, Evan. And how is the auction business treating you?”
He smiles, and the dimples in his cheeks give him a boyish quality. “Wonderful, but it hasn’t hurt having so many amazing items sent over from you.”
She gives a fake, little laugh. “I do have an eye for antiques, and my new husband’s family has crowded this house with so many that it’s nearly a full-time job clearing them out.”
“Well, you handle it all well,” he says, then looks to me. “Have I introduced you to my date?”
She smiles, but it doesn’t reach her eyes. “No, who is this foreign beauty?”
Foreign? I stifle a little bit of annoyance.
“This is Jade,” he says, and I stand, but glance at Mr. Blake. Surely my name will jog his memory?
But he doesn’t react.
“Hello,” I greet her.
She takes my arms and gives her little air kisses.
“I don’t believe we’ve met before. Where are you from, Jade?”
“Actually, just another part of town, but parties have never really been my thing.”
Her smile wavers. “Oh, well, I’m glad you’ve joined Evan today. I’m always glad to meet new people.”
“I appreciate you welcoming me into your home. It really is lovely.”
She frowns, looking back at the mansion and sprawling property. “Oh, it’s alright, but it will be lovely with everything I have planned. See, this is Charles’s childhood home. It’s cluttered, and frankly, out-of-date. But with a complete remodel, it’ll be breathtaking.”
I glance at the home and grounds. I wouldn’t change a thing about this place, but I don’t tell her that.
“Well, I better go and greet the rest of my guests!” she says.
She gives us air kisses again, and then we sit down and watch as she greets and chats with the other people at our table, including Mr. Blake and Allie. When she leaves, a young man with a narrow mustache turns to Mr. Blake.
“So, when do you plan to take that boat of yours out again?”
Mr. Blake smiles that stunning smile of his. “Actually, Allie is such a big boat lover that I’ve been dying to take her out, but she’s been so busy she hasn’t had time for a day on the boat.”
Mustache man turns to Allie. “You’re a boat lover?”
She smiles and her gaze briefly catches mine, then looks away. “Oh, yes, my father had us out on his boat all the time growing up.”
“What kind of boat did he have?” I ask, trying to keep my voice light.
“Oh, what kind didn’t he have?” she says with a laugh.
And to my irritation, the whole table laughs too.
“You’ve got a good one there,” Mustache man says.
I bite down my anger. “I don’t know anything about boats,” I continue, trying to sound causal. “Tell me, what are the most important things to remember on a boat?”
A flash of annoyance comes and goes on her face. “Not to go overboard.”
There’s more laughter from the table.
Evan laughs too, but then asks his own question. “I’ve been researching boats, and it’s just been overwhelming. What class of boat would you recommend for a beginner?”
Allie freezes for a second, then gives a little laugh. “A ten, of course.”
The table goes quiet.
Mr. Blake looks confused. “There is no Class Ten boat, darling.”
She stiffens. “Oh, yes, sorry. I meant a…well, a…”
Mr. Blake stares at her.
We all stare at her.
“At least a…”
Finally, Mr. Blake speaks, looking at Evan. “Why not just get a Class 3? I say always get the best!”
Evan grins, but it doesn’t reach his eyes. “I like the way you think!”
Waiters come to clear away our gross, cold soup. Then they set out a salad with a bunch of weird fruits on top. As we all eat the salad that’s surprisingly good, I watch Allie. She looks flustered. And Allie never looks flustered.
I wonder if Mr. Blake is starting to see through her shit. The idea makes me smile.
The rest of the meal continues, and Evan manages to catch her in two more lies. Allie is no longer touching Mr. Blake and giggling like a moron, and there’s some tension to the man that I’ve never seen. I can’t help but feel giddy. Maybe today was enough to get him to see the truth.
If only I could be so lucky.
When our meal is done, Evan takes my hand and we go for a stroll through their gardens. I’m feeling about as happy as I can feel, near a mansion, dressed in a pretty green dress, next to a handsome guy.
“You look happy,” Evan says.
“I am,” I tell him. “That was…awesome. I can’t wait for her to get what’s coming to her.”
“And what’s that?” he asks.
I feel my happiness go down a notch. “What do you mean? I told you. I want to destroy her.”
“I’m just wondering what that looks like to you.”
I shrug. “I want Mr. Blake to dump her. I want her to feel uncomfortable in this high society, and I want her to end up right back at her parent’s house, regretting screwing me over for the rest of her life.”
“Huh,” he says.
“What does that mean?”
> He takes a long minute to answer. “You don’t seem like the vengeful type.”
I stop walking and turn to face him. “This isn’t revenge! It’s justice!”
He doesn’t say anything, which irritates the crap out of me.
“If you have something to say, say it.”
He hesitates. “It’s just that…I’ve never seen someone do something like this and end up getting what they want in the end. It seems most of the time being angry hurts you more than the other person.”
My hands curl into fists. “She took everything from me! Don’t you get it? She was my friend. I trusted her, and she used me and abandoned me!”
“I get it—“
“I don’t think you do!” And now I know I’m getting too loud. “I don’t think you have any idea what this feels like.”
His dark blue eyes lock onto mine. “I know a little about anger and a desire for revenge.”
“I doubt that!”
He looks sad. “After that drunk driver hit my parents and pushed us into a tree, we had to sit in that court room and see him. I wanted…I wanted him to die for what he did. I wanted it to be slow. I wanted him to suffer.”
Every ounce of my anger is gone. My hands unclench, and I can’t stop staring at Evan. “I—I didn’t know. I’m so sorry.”
He shakes his head. “The thing is, by the end of it, I forgave him. I know that sounds impossible, but he was such a broken man. His addiction had taken everything from him, and when he was sent to jail, it took his freedom too. And it wasn’t just that; he really regretted what he did. He hated himself for it. And that made it a little easier for me to stop hating him.
“Which was when I realized something else. Letting go of my anger helped me to move on too. To find a little happiness in life. I’m not saying it was easy, but it was the right thing for me.”
Feeling uncertain, I tuck my hair back behind my ear and look away from him. What am I supposed to say to that? Complaining about my stolen lamp after he forgave the person who killed his parents makes me feel petty and small.
“It’s okay that you aren’t there yet, Jade,” he says. “But just really think about this plan of yours. I understand getting your lamp back, but I’m only going along with the other part of your plan because you seem to think it’s what you need.”
I don’t know what to say. “I’ll think about it.”
He smiles, then reaches out and takes my hand. We continue strolling through the garden, and I feel a little less happy and a little more confused.
“What are you thinking about?” he asks.
I don’t want to tell him that life is getting more complicated each and every day. “I’m thinking of going back for my GED.”
Evan stops walking, turns, and hugs me. “That’s awesome!”
When he pulls back, I find myself smiling. “Is it?”
“Yeah! You have so much you want to accomplish, and that seems like the first step.”
His words make my hesitation about going for my GED lessen. “But what if I can’t do it? Or it’s too hard? Or—?”
“You’ll never know until you try. And besides, I can help you. I love studying.”
I laugh. “You love studying?”
He grins. “You’d be surprised.”
I hesitate. “The course is for a month. I’d have to work at it every night, and then I’d have to try to take the test.”
“I’m there!” he says. “I’ll bring the snacks, you bring the books!”
I stare at him, feeling amazed. “You really don’t mind?”
He smiles, and it’s a sweet smile. “I would do anything for you, Jade.”
And I can see he means it.
Leaning up, I kiss him. I’d meant it to be a gentle kiss. A peck. But it changes fast, the instant that our lips touch. He leans closer, his arms around me tightening, and the kiss deepens.
The garden melts away around us. I tilt my head, giving him easier access, and love it when I hear him groan. Breaking our kiss, panting, I glance up at him.
He’s eyes are dark with desire. “If you kiss me every time I help you, I might have to help you more.”
My heart races. “I could handle that.”
He laughs, then pulls back from me. As we continue walking through the garden, I try to just enjoy the moment and our time together. But reality keeps pressing into me, whispering that I have no idea what the hell I’m doing.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Evan
Jade’s test for her GED is tomorrow, and I know she’s freaking out. We’ve spent the last month studying every night, and I know she’s ready. I just need her to know she’s ready.
She’s smart. Like so smart it turns me on. There’s so much she didn’t know, but she picks it all up so quickly that it’s like watching a masterpiece come together.
Is it weird how proud I am of her?
I don’t say that these late night sessions have been killer on me, even though they have. We have a big auction tomorrow, and my brothers have had to take over with it more than usual. We even had to bring in an outside person to help appraise, and Emmett had to help set everything up on the internet.
But it was worth it, because spending time with Jade has been amazing.
To say I’m head-over-heels in love with her is an understatement. And I know my brothers have fallen just as hard for her. Neither of them agree with her plan for revenge against her old friend, but they’ve had her on their arm for event after event the last month.
Owen’s even started interviewing people for a managerial position.
Something Emmett and I thought wouldn’t happen unless hell froze over.
Smiling, I stand from the chair at my desk and smooth my blanket down again. Then I go to the mirror to make sure I look halfway decent. Even though our study sessions have been casual, they’ve ended in a few makeout sessions. Very nice makeout sessions. My dick is starting to get hard every time I see more of her books.
Which is just pathetic.
I hear the door to my room open. Jade comes bounding in, closing the door behind her. I freeze, my gaze moving over her. She’s wearing shorts and a white tanktop. And damn if that white tanktop isn’t cradling her large breasts just the way I wish I was.
“It’s tomorrow!” she says.
I have to jerk my gaze up to her face. “Uh, what?”
“The test!” she exclaims. “It’s tomorrow! And if I fail it, I’ll have to wait another month to take it again.”
I smile. “You’re not going to fail it.”
“How do you know that?” She sounds frustrated as she moves across the room and dumps her books on my desk.
I walk over to her and take her by the arms. “You know everything, Jade. You are completely and totally ready.”
“I’m also losing my mind!” she says.
“You just need to relax.”
She nods. “That’s exactly what I need. But how the hell…?”
Her gaze is suddenly on me in a way I find unnerving. “What?”
A strange look comes over her face. “I need to relax, Evan. I need to calm down and just be focused for tomorrow.”
“Yeah, you do…” I say, a little worried.
“I think you can help me with that.”
“How…?” What the hell is she getting at?
“I can think of the perfect way to relieve some tension.”
“Yes?”
She moves over to my bed and seats herself on the edge. “Evan?”
“Yes?”
“Let’s relieve some tension.”
“With, uh, a nap?”
She shakes her head.
“A movie?”
Again, she shakes her head.
“I don’t know—“
“Fuck me, Evan!” she exclaims, throwing her hands up. “I don’t think I can be clearer.”
I’m pretty sure my mouth is hanging open. She wants me to fuck her? Well, I can do that. I can do that all night long.
As if in answer, my cock hardens, and my gaze moves back over her little outfit. Did she plan this before she came? Because she’s wearing a very fuckable outfit.
“Are you going to say anything?”
Shit, did I not answer her? “Yes, to the sex. I’m up for as much sex as you want. Any way you want it. Do you want me to lie down? Or you on top? Or should I stay over here? Or—?”
She sighs and pulls off her shirt.
My mouth goes dry as I stare at her lacy little white bra.
“You’ve done this before, right?” she asks.
“Yes!” I say, trying not to sound insulted. “Just usually I have to work at it a little more, and I don’t know it’s going to end in sex. It just sort of happens.”
She grins. “Okay, come here.”
I eye her suspiciously as I sit next to her on the edge of the bed.
She yawns. “Oh, boy, am I tired.”
“You are?” I raise a brow.
“Oh, so tired. And my clothes…they’re awfully uncomfortable.”
I get it. This woman is good. Very good. “Is that so?”
“Maybe I could just take them off and lay down?”
I’m trying to suppress a laugh. “That seems innocent enough.”
“And your clothes look a little uncomfortable too.”
I look down at myself and my hard erection straining under my basketball shorts. “They definitely are.”
“And you look a little tired.”
“I could use a nap,” I say.
She grins and stands, yanking her shorts off.
I stare at her in her matching lace bra and underwear. Oh, fuck. Wasn’t I finding this amusing a minute ago? Why doesn’t it seem so funny now?
“Let me help you.” Her voice holds a husky note as she reaches for my shirt and draws it off. “Now, stand up.”
I obey, transfixed by her.
She kneels in front of me and pulls my shorts off, then stares at the evidence of my arousal. “Well, one part of you doesn’t look tired.”
“Umpha,” I make a noise that definitely isn’t a word.
She kneels and reaches for the hem of my boxers. “Maybe your dick needs a little workout before our nap?”
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