“Jade,” Ponch called over the speaker.
I jolted upright. “Is he talking to me?”
“He is,” Cruz said.
“Present,” I called out. Unsure what the protocol was when responding to the man asking for you while he held your life in his hands.
“You want to ride copilot for the landing?” he asked.
“Do I want to ride copilot? I don’t know.” I whispered to Cruz.
“You do. It’s cool.”
He walked me up front to the cockpit. There were so many bells and whistles and I tried to take it all in.
Cruz buckled my seatbelt like I was a child, but it was so endearing it didn’t offend me. He returned to his seat and I focused on the captain. He explained what some of the gadgets and buttons did, and handed me the walkie-talkie so I could announce that we were preparing to land.
“Prepare for landing,” I said. And because I was in the moment, I continued in my deepest voice. “I’m the captain now.”
Cruz laughed, and Ponch had a grin spread clear across his face. He was focused on landing the plane, so the last thing I wanted to do was distract him. He pointed to the controllers and talked me through what the process was.
When the wheels touched down, I cheered. This is quite possibly the coolest thing I’d ever done. When we exited the plane, Cruz told Ponch we were going to spend the night here and head back tomorrow. He took my hand and led me to a car waiting for us on the runway. My guess was, it wasn’t the norm to depart a plane and walk to your awaiting vehicle. I was so excited to be here I could barely contain myself.
“Hey Donny, this is Jade,” Cruz said. This was all normal for him. He was relaxed and comfortable.
“Nice to meet you, Jade.”
I shook his hand. “Great to meet you. Thank you for picking us up.”
“Where are we off to?” Donny said.
“Are you hungry? There’s a great breakfast place near the apartment,” Cruz asked.
“Sure. Sounds great to me.”
Cruz gave Donny directions and we stopped to grab a bite to eat. The café was crowded, and the scent of warm bread and pastries filled the space. My stomach rumbled and we found a small table and ordered.
“Thanks for bringing me here. Seriously, this is unbelievable. I can’t believe I’m here.”
“I think we should study in different cities more often. It’ll be a great way for you to see some new places.”
“Your dad doesn’t mind if you use the plane to fly around just for fun?”
He chuckled. “My dad wants me to use it. It makes him feel like he has something on me in a sick way. He loves when I ask for things.”
“That’s odd, right?” I said.
“You’re not even scratching the surface. But I’m glad we’re here. You know NYU is right around the corner if you want to stop there first. I didn’t know you wanted to go to medical school in New York.”
“Yeah, it’s a pipe dream. But it’s an incredible school, and they’re the first med school to offer free tuition for all four years,” I said as the server set our food down.
“It’s not a pipe dream. You’re fucking amazing. They’d be lucky to have you. Don’t sell yourself short.”
“They don’t take many out-of-state kids and med school is super competitive. But you’re right—you don’t know until you try. I’ve got a couple years before I have to cross that bridge. I’m trying to graduate in three years.”
“That’s an impressive goal. Especially with your major. But if anyone can do it, it’s you.”
“Thanks. We’ll see how it goes,” I said.
“I’m glad we came.”
“Me too. So, you have an apartment here?” My stomach dipped at the thought of sleeping in the same bed with Cruz. I’d been tempted to stay the night a few times but made a conscious effort not to move too fast. But it wasn’t because I didn’t want to.
“Yeah. We’ve had it for a few years. I’m glad we’re staying the night.” His tone was flirty, and he waggled his brows.
“Don’t get cocky. I’m not Veronica. Nor am I like that naked girl that was at your house before we started dating.”
“Are you worried that I think you are?” he said.
“Am I worried you’ll have your way with me and never talk to me again? No, I don’t think you’d do that. But sure, you could tire of me. You seem to have a pattern of doing that.”
He pulled my chair close to him. “Jade. I didn’t talk to those girls before I hooked up with them. I didn’t know them or like them. It was a mutual thing. Something to do. It sounds bad, but it’s the truth. And they were in it for the same thing. There were no broken promises. No one got hurt. You’re so different. I could never tire of you. I’ve never felt this way about anyone.”
“Neither have I.” Admitting this was scary.
He leaned forward and kissed me. “I’d never pressure you. Hell, I don’t want to push things either because I don’t want to fuck it up.”
I smiled. “Me either.”
We ate a few more bites, but I was too excited about being in New York to eat.
“You want to get out of here?”
“Yes. But I’m paying for lunch. It’s the least I can do,” I said, and grabbed the check.
“You’re ridiculous. I brought you here. You haven’t let me pay you for tutoring for weeks. And now Lennon has you proofreading all his papers, so you’re helping him, too. The whole family owes you.”
“I don’t tutor you. We study together. And I’m helping Lennon. It’s not a job.”
He rolled his eyes. “Let’s go see your dream school.”
I led the way out the door. Ready to explore. Ready for new adventures.
Ready for all the things with Cruz Winslow.
Chapter Fourteen
Cruz
Today was definitely the best day I’d ever spent in New York, and several hours had been at a fucking library. We’d stopped by the medical school at NYU, went to see the Statue of Liberty and a few other quick touristy things before going to the NYC public library. I took her to Bryant Park for hot chocolate when we left the library.
Jade flipped out over the apartment and I ordered take-out so we could have a late dinner. We ate in the dining room which offers amazing views of the city.
I gave her one of my T-shirts to sleep in because she only has a change of clothes for tomorrow. She came bounding into bed. It was the first time she’d ever spent the night with me, and I was actually nervous, which was completely foreign to me. Nothing was going to happen, so it wasn’t about taking that step with her. Not that I ever got nervous about sex, obviously. It was more about how much she meant to me and making sure I didn’t fuck it up. The Veronica thing disappointed her, which was the last thing I wanted to do. I couldn’t change my past, but I could control what I did moving forward.
“You smell very fruity,” I said with a laugh.
Her head falls back. “There are so many lotions in there. I just put a little squirt of each one and made myself a little moisturizer salad.”
Her legs were crossed as she sat in the middle of the bed, her dark hair falling around her shoulders, and her face was clean and shiny. Absolutely fucking perfect.
“I’ve never heard of a moisturizer salad,” I said before tipping her back and tickling her.
She laughed and squirmed beneath me, which immediately got a reaction down south. I’ve grown used to having a constant boner. I kissed her hard, claiming her. When we came up for air, I pulled her up so we could get in bed. We both rolled on our sides to face one another. The moon shined through the floor to ceiling windows which illuminated her pretty face. She begged me to leave the blinds open, as she liked seeing the view of the city from the bed. I hadn’t appreciated this view in years. But Jade saw the beauty in all things. W
e were on the top floor, and it really was magnificent.
“I can’t believe I’m here,” she whispered.
“In New York?”
“Well, yes. But here, in bed with you, too.”
“Me either,” I said. I stroked her hair, and she moved closer.
She rubbed the tip of her little nose against mine. “I’ve noticed you’re not smoking as much.”
“Yeah, I’m cutting back.”
“I’m glad,” she said, and her lips grazed mine.
“You probably hate the smell.”
“Well, I don’t like cigarettes, but that’s not why I’m glad.”
I ran my fingers up the back of her neck and into her hair and tilted her head to the side for better access. I teased her lips with mine.
“Tell me why then,” I said against her mouth.
“Because they’re bad for you, and I don’t want anything to happen to you.”
So. Fucking. Sweet.
“Nothing’s going to happen to me, More Jade. You’re stuck with me.”
I covered her mouth with mine, needing this girl in a way that was completely unfamiliar. My tongue tangled with hers, and the little sounds she made drove me fucking crazy. I moved my hands to her waist, and she tugged her T-shirt up a bit, so I followed her lead and my fingers moved beneath the fabric. Her hands were on my shoulders, and I felt the tremble in her touch.
Take it slow, douchebag.
I was so out of my element. This had never been an issue. Most of the girls I took home were down to have sex. Hell, most of the time, they were the ones moving things forward. I rarely took the lead. But Jade was different. So fucking different.
She placed one hand over mine and urged me to move higher. I laughed against her mouth. “Are you eager, baby?”
She was panting. “I guess so.”
“All you have to do is say the word. I just don’t want to push you. But I’m dying here, in case you can’t tell,” I said, pressing myself against her so she could feel for herself.
“I’m not ready to have sex. But I’m sure there are other things we can do.” Her voice wobbled. A heavy weight settled in my chest with the realization of what a big deal this was to her.
“I know you haven’t had sex before, but I’m sure you’ve messed around with your old boyfriends from high school.” I needed to know why she was so nervous. If it was just about trusting me, or if this was all new for her.
“Not really, no. We just kissed.” She avoided my gaze, staring over my shoulder at the wall.
“Hey,” I said, pulling her hands between us and kissing them. “Don’t ever be embarrassed with me. I love that I get to be your first—everything.”
Her gaze locked with mine. “Me too.”
I wanted to tell her I loved her. Because I did. But I didn’t want her to think I was just saying it to get in her pants. Nothing could be further from the truth.
My mouth moved over hers, and my hands slipped back beneath the cotton T-shirt. Her skin was soft and smooth. I took my time traveling up her stomach. Exploring every beautiful inch of her body. Her mouth was so sweet, I couldn’t get enough. I kissed her deeper and cupped her breast. Her head fell back on a gasp, and I took my time exploring her perfect tits. I kissed my way down her neck, and she arched into me. I pulled the T-shirt up and over her head. There was too much fabric between us. I wanted to strip everything away so it was just me and her. More Jade. My mouth closed over her breast and I teased her nipple with my tongue. Jade gasped and moaned, and I swore in that moment I could die a happy man. Right here with her.
“Cruz,” she pleaded.
My hand moved down her body until I reached the band of her panties. I was worshipping her breasts with my mouth and I wanted to pleasure her. She froze as my fingers slipped beneath the silk fabric.
“Nothing bad is going to happen, baby. Let me touch you. I want to make you feel good.”
“Okay.” Her voice was needy and gruff. I’d never seen this side of Jade. And I had yet to see a side that I didn’t love. But turned-on, sexy Jade—well, she was hard to compete with.
I moved my hand slow and gentle along her most sensitive area, allowing her to set the pace. I loved feeling how turned on she was. My own erection was on the verge of an explosion, but I didn’t even give a shit. I just wanted to please her. She moved her hips faster. Her breathing was frantic, and I pulled my mouth back up to meet hers. I kissed her as she cried out my name with her release. She was gasping and sweaty, and I’d never seen anything sexier.
“Oh my god,” she finally said.
“That good, huh?” I propped myself above her as she laid on her back on the bed.
Her hand found my cheek. “Yeah. That good.”
Her cheeks were flushed, and she tried to cover her face with her hands, but I didn’t let her. “No hiding. Didn’t you say you shouldn’t be with someone if you can’t tell them who you are? I love who you are.”
“I love who you are, too.” She met my gaze and smiled.
I lay down and rolled on my side to face her. She moved to her side and scooched close to me. I wrapped my arm around her, ready for sleep.
Her hands settled on my chest before making their descent to my happy place. She stopped at the waistband of my joggers.
“What are you up to?” I tilted her chin to look up at me.
“I want to make you feel good, too.”
“You don’t need to, baby. There’s no rush,” I said, but the boner in my pants was telling me to fuck off.
“I know. But I want to. Teach me,” she said just above a whisper.
She pushed my sweatpants down, and I guided her hand to the base of my erection. This had to be the most erotic thing I’d ever done, and I’d done some crazy shit over the years. But something about teaching Jade how I liked to be touched, was the sexiest thing I ever saw. She moved her hand slowly at first, but she followed my lead as I moved my hips faster. I tilted her head up and covered her mouth with mine as a loud moan escaped me, and I released weeks of pent up desire. Jade pulled her hand back and kissed me.
“You’re amazing,” I said.
“I have a good teacher.” Her cheeks pinked, and her warm breath tickled my skin.
I laughed. “As usual, you’re the top student in the class.”
I stood and pulled her up, and we made our way into the bathroom to clean ourselves up. She was watching me in the mirror, and I tossed the towel in the hamper.
“What?”
“Nothing. I just like looking at you sometimes,” she said.
I wrapped my arms around her waist and settled my chin on her shoulder. My chest pressed against her back. “Oh, yeah. I like looking at you all the time.”
“I’ve wondered what your tattoo says.” She turned and traced the script on my arm with her finger. “Wars begin in the minds of men?”
“Just a saying I like.”
“Me too.”
She moved to my back and traced the words just below my neck. “Inhale the future, exhale the past. I like that one too,” she said.
She came to stand beside me, and we stared at the two images in the mirror. Of course, she slipped my T-shirt back on when she got off the bed and covered up her gorgeous body. I studied the reflections looking back at me. All her soft edges to my hard ones. We just stood there in silence for a few minutes before Jade pushed up and kissed my cheek. She took my hand and led me back to bed, before settling her cheek on my chest as I wrapped my arms around her. I was tangled up in this girl in every way.
“How early did you get up?” I asked when I woke up to find Jade in the dining room studying.
“I got up a few hours ago and decided to get everything done so we could explore today.”
Damn. What was it like being this good? This responsible. This driven.
I pulled up a chair beside her. “What are you working on?”
“I finished my chem homework and Lennon sent me an essay to proofread. I’m just reading it now,” she said.
She had on my T-shirt and a pair of leggings. Her hair was in a messy knot on top of her head and she was fucking stunning.
“Thanks for helping him so much. School doesn’t come easy for him. But he can’t just rely on Exiled. He needs to have a back-up plan.”
“Like you do?”
“Right. But music is everything to him. Always has been. Lennon’s had a rough road. He struggles with a lot of shit,” I said, picking up her water bottle and taking a sip.
“Drugs and alcohol?”
“Yeah, the shit I told you about. It all stems from depression. It’s something he’s dealt with for a long time, and his coping mechanism is to numb himself. He’s been clean for eighteen months. Basically, since he came to college, away from my father’s influence. When he was living at home, he’d get into trouble every time my parents were in town, or when we’d visit them. The year I left for school, he had a really hard time.”
“Your parents know he struggles with drugs, and they still expose him to them?”
“Yes. As sick as it sounds, it’s the truth. My mom wrestles with it, but she struggles with her own addictions, so she can’t be of much support to him. And my dad flat out doesn’t care. He doesn’t think it’s a problem. He thinks drug use is normal. My brother overdosed shortly before he came to school, and my father wasn’t around to pick up the pieces.”
Jade stood up and moved to sit on my lap. She wrapped her arms around my neck and rested her face on my chest. She always knew what I needed.
“I’m so sorry. What happened when he overdosed? Were you there?”
“Yes. I called 911, and he entered a thirty-day program. It’s something he’ll always need to work on and be aware of. The fact that he still drinks is risky, but I have to choose my battles. There’s a fine line between supporting him and enabling him. I’m not sure which I’m doing most of the time.”
MoreJade_LPavlov-eBooks Page 14