Jade (The Kings of Guardian Book 9)

by Kris Michaels

  Normal? From what he'd heard about her from her family, the imagination could not be stretched enough to define Jade as normal. He couldn't believe he was going out with Jade King, being her wingman. The Matrix. Yep, he'd woke up in the middle of The Matrix or at a minimum an alternate reality. He'd let his little infatuation with her sister knock him on his ear. Perhaps it was time to change that.

  "You didn't answer my question."

  Jade's word's startled him out of his thoughts. He nodded. "Yeah. I could use a drink."

  Jade watched Nic head into the bathroom and shut the door. She'd always liked the way the man looked. She'd been a perv and watched him sleep for about a half hour. He was a beautiful man. Classic Italian with dark hair, strong chiseled features, and his body made clothes look damn good. Even if they were wrinkled beyond repair. He was sexy as hell and just her type, a man whore. Nic was easy on the eyes, had a body that made her drool, and understood what no strings meant. She wasn't going to lie. The semi he sported as he woke up was drool worthy-a promise of great things to come. Yup, he had the equipment to make her very happy. Then he woke up, and yeah, a sleepy, rumpled Nic was sexy as fuck, too.

  She waited until she heard the water running before she picked up the receiver to the phone on his desk and punched in the number. She hadn't really told her family she wasn't coming to dinner tonight. Time to rectify that situation.

  "Hey, Momma."

  "Hi, sweetheart. Where are you? Everyone except Jason, Faith, and Reece is here, and Jason called to say they were on their way."

  Jade could hear laughter and the sounds of pots and pans banging in the background. "Yeah, about that. I'm going to ditch tonight."

  Her mom didn't speak for a short time, and the sound in the background grew distant. "Why? Is everything okay?"

  "Honestly, I want to go out, get drunk and find a man to make me feel good. It has been over a year since I've had any relief except what I could provide for myself if you get my drift. I've been good and stayed off my knee like the doctors told me, but I'm ready to get back to being me." Jade had always been unerringly honest with her mom.

  "Well, I guess I asked." Amanda King chuckled into the phone.

  "Yes, you did." Jade smiled at her mom's obvious embarrassment.

  "Alright, I'll let the others know you've got other plans, but tomorrow night we are having a girls night, so no bailing on us. I have to get back to the ranch soon, and I want an evening for us ladies."

  "You're wanting to get back because you're missing your man, aren't you?" Jade teased her mom. She loved Frank. The cowboy was perfect for her mom. Strong and silent, and he loved her mom something fierce. It was obvious to anyone who had eyes.

  "Yeah, I am." Her mom's voice held a wistful edge.

  "See, I knew you'd get what I meant, Mom." Jade leaned back in Nic's chair and put her high-heeled shoes up on the desk. She might as well elevate her knee.

  "Slight difference, I'm married to him."

  "Lucky me, I still have so many options. Settling down with one is not on my agenda." Jade snorted to herself. As if she was ever going to settle down. "And you're telling me you never had sex with him before you got married?" Jade taunted.

  "I'm not telling you anything, young lady." Amanda's weak admonishment held no anger, and they both laughed at her attempt.

  The shower turned off, and Jade's attention once again drifted toward the naked man behind door number one. "Hey, I'm going to get going. Y'all have fun. Love you."

  "Love you too, and for the salvation of all things holy, do not get thrown in jail."

  Her mom had adopted that very specific caution after the second time bail money was required. Honestly, Jade was still pissed about the cops throwing her in jail for that one. She'd only finished the fight those bastards started. "But where is the fun in that, Mom? Besides, now I have a savings account set up just for my bail issues."

  "Somehow, I don't doubt it. Good night and have fun."

  "Night, Mom."

  Jade replaced the phone and leaned her head against the headrest of the massive executive chair. The sounds of Nic moving around next door kept her attention on the man. She needed an escape, a good time with no strings attached, and she wanted that good time to be with Nic. She'd thought of the man fucking her to oblivion five or twenty times since she'd met him a couple years ago. It never seemed there was an opportunity to jump onto that particular ride. Until now. He was perfect. She didn't work directly for him. They rarely saw each other, and he was smoldering hot. Jade smiled to herself. Now she needed to convince Nic sex with her would be the best idea he'd ever had.

  The door to the ensuite opened, and Jade was pleasantly surprised at the man who reappeared. He wore dark wash jeans, designer boots, a dark blue button down and a chunky silver watch. To say the man was sexy was like saying the Great Wall of China was long. While technically correct, the description vastly misrepresented reality. Nic DeMarco was sex personified.

  He flashed her a brilliant white smile. "Ready?" He rounded his desk, nudged her feet off where she'd propped them and pulled the top drawer out, grabbing his keys.

  "Oh baby, I'm always ready. For anything that happens." Jade purred the response as she lifted out of the chair and pushed by him making sure to graze his body with hers. She sauntered toward the door and glanced back over her shoulder at him. "Come on; time to go find us someone to take home tonight."

  She laughed softly as she walked out the door, because she was happy, and because she swore she heard him groan before the door closed. 'Operation Get Jade Laid' was underway.

  Chapter Six

  " God no, she's a creeper." Jade poured another finger of very expensive whiskey into her glass and refilled Nic's.

  "I've got something she could creep." Nic wagged his eyebrows at Jade. They'd had dinner at a bistro down the street from the exclusive club where they now drank top shelf whiskey. The conversation had been brisk and engaging. They had similar likes and dislikes in movies and in music and had common work experiences, so there had been no awkward pauses or silences since they'd left Guardian Headquarters.

  Jade shook her head at Nic's crude remark. She'd known he was going to say it before the words came out of his mouth. "Nic, you do not need a vine, someone who just clings to you and doesn't participate. You need a woman who knows what she wants from a man and takes it."

  He tossed back his drink with a shrug. "Yeah, well, your interpretation of what I need may be better than mine. Hell, I thought I found a woman who'd fit pretty damn good with me, but that shit sure as hell didn't work out."

  Whoa! Bombs lobbed over the deck! "Seriously? Fuck man, I'm sorry. Had no idea you'd been dating someone steady."

  He filled his glass again and sat the bottle down. "See that's just it. I wasn't. I wanted to be, or at least I had convinced myself I wanted to be. You said you had a conversation with my mother today, right?"

  "Oh yeah. Thirty minutes if it was a second."

  He flinched at her words. "Yeah, well imagine having that voice in your head every day for as long as you've been an adult. 'When are you going to settle down, Nico? Why haven't you introduced me to your girlfriend, Nico? When are you going to give me grand babies, Nico?'"

  Nic's imitation of his mother's voice was spot on. Jade sputtered and choked down the sip of whiskey she'd swallowed. Coughing to clear her throat she croaked, "She calls you daily?"

  "Every. Single. Day. She's an amazing woman, but really, I'm forty, and she's still nagging me about settling down."

  "Oh, my God! You're a momma's boy! That is so fucking cute!"

  A blush crept up his neck, and he looked away. He shrugged and spoke while looking across the room. "That woman has dedicated her life to my brothers and me. We're tight, and yeah, I'll own that title. She deserves my respect."

  Jade reached over, tapped his arm, and got him
to look at her. "Listen, I may give you shit for it, but that right there is a hallmark of a good man. I heard somewhere that the way a man treats his mother tells a lot about him. Hell, every one of my brothers is one hundred percent a momma's boy."

  Nic glanced up at her and nodded.

  "So you tried to settle down?" Jade prompted him before she took a long sip of her whiskey and thanked the stars she'd eaten before they started drinking. The year without alcohol had seriously fucked with her tolerance level.

  Nic smirked. "Get this, I asked Jewell out about the same time as Zane did. I didn't stand a chance but wasn't smart enough to know it."

  "Jewell, as in my sister, Jewell?"

  Nic nodded and refused to meet her eye.

  Jade took another sip trying to understand, but yeah, that wasn't happening. Two plus two equaled about five million in this case, so there was no way to make sense of what he said. "Why?" She really was at a loss. Jewell wasn't Nic's type. Like at all. Nic was free and loose. He was a "no strings attached" kind of guy. If you went by the rumors and threw a shit-ton of salt over your shoulder to balance out the bullshit factor, the man was a sexual legend. Jewell, well that girl was a hot mess, but she was also a permanent relationship waiting to happen. Jade had always known Jewell just needed to find the right man-one strong enough to make her realize a relationship was exactly what she needed. Obviously, Zane was that man. Jade had never seen Jewell as happy or as animated as she was when she was with Zane.

  Nic frowned at her. Jade wanted to push her finger between his furrowed eyebrows and smooth out the tension that had settled there.

  "Suffice to say, I thought it was a good idea at the time. Hindsight being twenty-twenty, I know I was looking for something that wasn't going to happen, for her or me." Nic's eyes stopped searching the crowd and froze on a target. Jade took a gander in the same direction. There were three women, two blondes, and a redhead in the general vicinity. Oh, not tonight, ladies. Jade had absolutely no plans on letting anyone take off with Nic.

  "I have a better idea for you." Jade turned so she was facing him and drew his attention from the women across the room.

  "Yeah? What's that?"

  Jade lifted her drink to her lips and licked the rim. Nic's eyes followed the motion. She took a small sip before she whispered, "Fuck me instead." Jade watched surprise, then confusion, and then disbelief cross Nic's face.

  "Ahhh… that would be a no."

  She saw the second Nic realized exactly how close they were sitting. He pulled away and cleared his throat before he focused his attention across the room again.

  "Why not? Sex with you sounds like a great idea to me."

  "You are my best friend's sister." Nic shot the retort back at her without a second's delay.

  "Wait, what? So was Jewell!" Wow, why were the sexy ones so damn slow?

  "I wasn't going to take her to bed. I was going to date her and build a relationship with her. I would never disrespect Jared or Jason by just screwing you or your sister." Nic tipped the empty glass back and growled in frustration as he slammed it down on the bar and poured a double finger's worth into his glass.

  "Wow. I had no idea you were such a conceited, self-righteous, pompous, misogynistic asshole. Good to know."

  "Excuse me?" Nic's eyes pinned her, and he wasn't a happy camper, but Jade had a point to make.

  "No, I will not excuse you." Jade jabbed a finger at him and mimicked, "I wouldn't disrespect your brothers by sleeping with you." She put her glass down and carefully clasped her hands in front of her keeping her soapbox of emotions in check.

  "Right." He nodded, affirming what she'd said.

  "Wrong. My brothers have nothing to do with what goes on in my sex life. Ever. You won't disrespect them, yet you'll disrespect me by insinuating that a man, any man, including my brothers, has the right to approve or disapprove who I fuck? And believe me, that's what I do. Talk about an antiquated and chauvinistic heap of steaming bullshit. If I ever want to give a man that much control, I will sign a contract beforehand and there will be safe words involved. I want sex. Fucking. If not from you, then from…" Jade scouted around and found a likely prospect. She pointed at a guy that was tall, hard with muscles, and smoking hot. "…him." Jade downed her drink and stood up. "Thanks for dinner and the drinks. I hope you find a woman to live up to both you and your mom's expectations."

  "Jade, wait," Nic called after her.

  Fuck that and fuck him. Or not, as the case would be. She tossed her ponytail off her shoulder, held up a middle finger in response to Nic, and put the handsome hunk of man meat she'd identified in her sights. She was having an orgasm tonight. One that wasn't given to her by her own hand, and she was having it within the next hour.

  The guy must have felt her eyes on him because he turned and watched her as she sauntered toward him. Jade licked her lips and smiled. Target acquired, now it was time to launch the attack.

  "Jade, wait a minute." Nic grabbed her arm and spun her around.

  Oh, hell no, he did not just do that. With a practiced calm, she slowly moved her stare from the hand holding her forearm to the man who had crossed one hell of a line. "Unless you want to be laid out on your ass in less than three seconds, take your hand off me."

  Nic released her arm and raised his hand, palm out, toward her. "I can see that I may have screwed up back there."

  "May have screwed up? May have? Whatever. Good night, Nic." Sometimes sexy men were too stupid to fuck. It wasn't often she found an example of that rare and elusive creature, but it seemed Nic DeMarco was that special unicorn tonight. Lucky her. She spun on her heel and found her mark again. The man's glance bounced between her and Nic. Tall and sexy raised a questioning eyebrow. Great, now Nic was cock blocking her orgasm.

  "Whoa!" Jade gasped the word when a strong hand spun her around. She tensed and pulled back her fist. Oh, hell no, and she'd even warned the asshole. "You son of a…"

  Nic's hand caught her fist stopping her forward momentum. His lips landed on hers in a punishing kiss. Teeth pushed against her with demanding force, crushing her lips. The initial shock lasted a split second. Jade reached up and grabbed his neck, pulling him closer. The feel of Nic's strong arms pinning her to his hard chest swamped her senses. Fuck yes.This. She wanted this. She needed the contact and the feel of a man against her. God… Nic could kiss. She opened for him when his tongue swiped at her lips. He wasn't gentle and thank fuck for that because she didn't want gentle. She wanted raw, sweaty, mind-blowing sex and she wanted it now. Nic pulled away, and she chased his lips catching his bottom one with her teeth. She pulled on it not so gently before she released it. He waited until she looked up at him and met her heated stare. The lust in his eyes had to match what he must see in hers.

  She ran her thumb over his swollen bottom lip. "That's just a sample, big boy. Put your issues in your back pocket and keep them there. Take me home and let me get my freak on. I guarantee it will be a night you'll never forget." Jade leaned forward and bit his lip again, pulling it out with a tug.

  Nic pushed into the kiss forcing her to release him. He lifted away and grabbed a handful of her hair as he spoke. "I don't take anyone to my house." Nic ran his free hand down her arm and up her back.

  "I don't live alone right now, but hey, if you want to fuck me with my mom down the hall…"

  Nic groaned, grabbed her hand, and pulled her toward the exit. Jade felt a bubble of laughter well up and escape. Go, He-Man! Thank God. She was so getting laid tonight!

  Chapter Seven

  Nic hailed a cab the second they broke through the nightclub's door. He'd had too much whiskey to drive. Besides, his mind wasn't on the rules of the road. No, his mind was on a tall, leggy, bossy, sexy… fuck … Nic pulled Jade into him and found her mouth again. She met his tongue stroke for stroke and grabbed his shirt in a grip that wouldn't let him leave even if
he wanted to break free. But that was the last thing he wanted. He wanted her. Fuck, the aftermath was going to be messy, and he'd probably lose his best friend when Jared found out what he'd done, but God help him, he was going to take the demanding woman to his house, and he was going to fuck her like she'd never been fucked before.

  A horn blasting at his hip separated them. He gathered what remained of his brain and opened the back door of the cab, practically throwing Jade into the taxi. Once he ducked in, she bounced closer to him and threw her head back laughing as she grabbed at his shirt pulling him even closer. The melodic sound was lighthearted, free and unbridled. He somehow managed to give the cabbie his address and leaned into a kiss that sent his rock hard cock into titanium-coated-tire-iron category.

  He vaguely remembered throwing a wad of bills at the driver when the man announced they'd arrived. Their shuffle to the front door entwined in a dance of grasping hands and searching lips was a mere wisp of a memory. When he slammed the door shut and Jade grabbed the front of his shirt and ripped the fucking buttons off it before she pushed him into the wall…that he fucking remembered.

  He grabbed her wrists and captured her, pushing his leg between her thighs. He damn near came in his pants when she moaned and ground herself against his leg while rubbing his cock through his jeans. Fucking hell, he'd never had a woman act so aggressive, and he loved it. He grabbed her ass and picked her up.

  "Fuck yeah!" Jade wrapped herself around him. Her teeth, tongue, lips, and hands never stopped the chaotic exploration of his body. He kicked his bedroom door open and fell onto the bed, pinning her underneath him.

  Clothes disappeared between lust-filled kisses and desire-fueled groping. It took twenty seconds for them to perch their concealed weapons and identification on the bedside table. They lunged at each other, collapsing the space between them. Jade pulled his jeans down and grabbed his cock as she shimmied out of hers. He shuddered at the feel of her hand. She pushed him off her as if he was a one hundred pound weakling. The wildcat pounced on top of him and pinned his arms to the bed with her knees. She reached behind her and flicked the snap on her bra, and shrugged out of it. Nic watched as she pulled her hair out of the ponytail. Long black tresses floated down past her fucking gorgeous full breasts. In one fluid motion, she stood over him, turned around, so she was standing next to his hip on the bed and bent over sliding her panties down at the same time. Holy fucking hell, those long sexy legs and phenomenal ass were a work of art. Nic swallowed hard. She peeked around her legs and smiled before she dropped to her knees and spun around landing on top of him. He lost all the air in his lungs, but who needed to breathe?