by B. L. Wilde
“I better not. My stomach is still a little woozy from yesterday,” I winced, moving further down the seat to get some room. Why did he insist on being so close to me all the time?
The new Italian restaurant he took me to was very modern. Most of the large space was white except for a deep purple feature wall and tiny twinkle lights that covered the entire ceiling. The kitchen was an open layout, and all the chefs were busy preparing food for the bustling lunch service.
Mr. Brentford helped me into my chair in the far corner of the restaurant before finally taking a seat with his back to the whole room.
“This place has had some great reviews already,” he mumbled, picking up the menu to look over. The sommelier took our orders while we were still deciding what to eat.
“Are you having an antipasto?”
“Mm…I was going to just have a main dish.” He smiled and nodded while looking back at his menu. “You didn’t need to go to all this trouble for a business lunch, Mr. Brentford.”
“Please, call me Brian, Jade.”
“Sorry, Brian,” I giggled as someone in the distance walked in and caught my eye. No, it couldn’t be. Why would Oliver be having lunch here?
As the person drew closer, I gasped. It was Oliver, and he was scanning the crowd. I sank down into my chair, trying to hide myself from his view. What were the odds of him being here?
“Jade, are you okay?” Brian frowned, looking at me over his menu.
“I…um…Oliver just walked in,” I muttered, gazing toward him. It was bad timing, because just as I did, Oliver’s eyes locked with mine. Anger seemed to cross his face for a short second when he noticed Brian sitting opposite me.
“Why is he here? Did you invite him?” Brian fumed.
“No, I have no idea what he’s doing here.”
“Are you going to explain what’s going on between the two of you? This is getting ridiculous, Jade. You are my employee. He already attempted to warn me off you last night when I came back from taking you to the hotel.”
“He did what?” I gasped, watching Oliver make his way to a table a few feet from ours. He wasn’t even going to come over and say hello? Was he meeting someone here?
“Are you in some kind of relationship with him? I need to know!”
“I don’t know what I am to him anymore.” I looked over at Oliver, who was already sipping a glass of water, gazing directly at me.
“Try to ignore him. We’re here on a business lunch, and he’s being a cocky bastard. That’s his style. Trust me, you’re better not to get involved with him.”
“Maybe he has a meeting here, too?”
“I doubt it. I don’t think he’s here by chance. Is he with anyone now?” Stretching in my seat to see around Brian, I made sure no one was at Oliver’s table. He was talking to the waiter and didn’t notice.
“No, he’s alone,” I breathed.
“Pay no attention to him. He wants you to make a big deal out of this. Ignore him,” he replied sharply, clearly annoyed. Ignore Oliver? That wasn’t going to be easy.
I almost made it through my lunch without any eye contact with Oliver. Brian and I made the best of our time and talked business. He loved my ideas of showcasing one of the apartments as an art gallery.
He also tried to show off with his knowledge of wine, sending three bottles back that he believed had been corked, or not stored properly.
“I’m sorry, Madam.” A waiter placed a bottle of lager down in front of me while I watched Brian taste his fourth bottle of wine. “This is from Mr. Kirkham. He said he thought you might be more comfortable drinking this.” Damn, I loved him! I snorted, covering my mouth as Brian frowned at the bottle.
“I’m sorry, Brian. It’s an inside joke,” I giggled. Oliver smirked at me as I glanced at him.
“I didn’t have you down as a beer drinker, Jade.”
“Mmhmm,” I muttered, not really paying any attention to him. Oliver was becoming very distracting.
“If you want to finish the meal at his table, Jade, just say so,” Brian sulked, throwing his napkin down on the table. “You’ve hardly kept your eyes off him since he arrived.”
“I’m sorry. It’s just that Oliver and I have issues we need to resolve.”
“Go to him. We can finish this conversation in my office on Monday.”
“Are you sure?” I knew he was angry, but I didn’t care right then.
“Go,” he fumed. “I’ll settle up and come say goodbye at his table.” I didn’t need to be told twice.
Oliver’s eyes were fixed on me as I slowly got up and stalked toward him, bringing my bottle of lager with me. I used a slow, sexy sway of my hips to draw him in further. He subconsciously licked his lips as his eyes wandered over my body. The red dress I was wearing showed off all my curves, and I could read the want in his eyes. His desire for me hadn’t diminished.
“Oliver, what are you doing here?” I asked, standing in front of him.
“Please take a seat, Jade,” he smirked. I couldn’t deny this man anything.
“I’m still angry with you,” I sulked, sitting down and crossing my arms. “I’m on a business meeting for Christ’s sake!”
“Judging the way Brian has been looking at you, I can assure you business was the furthest thing from his mind. He’s trying to make you another notch on his bedpost!”
“Why would you even care if that was true?” I snapped coldly.
“Sorry about the way I acted last night. I was angry and confused.” His voice was speaking right to my center. “Have you forgotten that you walked out on me six months ago? Now suddenly you’re back. How the hell am I supposed to react to that?”
“How many times do you want me to apologize?”
“I need more than an apology if we try to make this work again.”
“Tell me what I need to do,” I pleaded, leaning closer to him. “I’ll do anything.”
“I’m the kind of guy who needs trust. That is the one thing you can’t give me, Jade—not anymore.”
“Then why are you even talking to me?” He studied my face for a minute, and my chest became tight as my heart began to beat furiously from all the adrenaline. Why was I suddenly feeling so hot?
“You have a hold on me I can’t explain.” His eyes darted behind me. “I’m sorry to monopolize Jade, Brian,” he muttered, still looking at me.
“I’m sure you are, Oliver,” Brian fumed, glaring at him. “I’ll see you in my office at nine a.m., Jade. We can finalize your drafts then.”
“Thank you, Mr.…I mean Brian,” I rebuffed.
“Have a wonderful afternoon, Jade.” With that, Mr. Brentford left.
“He’s pissed at me,” Oliver chuckled, watching him leave.
“Of course he is. We were on a business lunch!”
“Did you want dessert?” he asked, picking up the menu while completely ignoring my last comment. I wanted something but it wasn’t food, and I was sure he could read my face. He licked his lips and tilted his head, causing a gush of wetness between my legs.
“Only if you’re having something,” I managed to force out with a blush. It was amazing how easily I could go back to shy Jade. Maybe it was because I loved the way Oliver looked at that Jade—like he wanted to ride in on a white horse and save her. He had no idea just how past that I was, though. I could never be saved.
“Something tells me you’re not thinking about dessert right now,” he mused, raising his eyebrow at me. “I see some things haven’t changed between us. I’ve never felt a sexual attraction like this before.”
“You always have to bring everything back to sex, don’t you?”
“You were the one asking me to take you against the wall last night,” he quipped with a gleam in his eyes.
“Then you told me I should have kept on running!” I glared, raising my voice slightly.
“Let’s not do this here,” he winced. “Do you want dessert or not?” Was he still talking about food? I was completely lost.
>
“Why don’t we share one? I’m not that hungry.” Oliver nodded in agreement.
We quickly decided on the rich, chocolate mousse trio, and he ordered two more lagers while we waited.
“Brian didn’t see the funny side of your joke with the lager,” I giggled, playing with the empty bottle in front of me.
“I couldn’t resist. Sitting here, watching your face as he tried wine after wine—I could tell how bored you were.”
“You know me rather well.”
“Not that well,” he sighed, playing with his napkin. It wasn’t like Oliver to be restless. “Why did you leave me that night in Macon?” Whoa! We were doing this right now?
“Everything was happening so fast. I felt suffocated.”
“You could have told me. Why run? Was I really that bad?”
“Oliver, you hardly knew me and were declaring your love for me. You must see how frightening that is for a woman like me. I had no idea what you saw in me. What could someone like me really offer you? You’re this high-flying businessman who meets with world leaders and makes some kind of nuclear machines. How can someone like me fit into your world?”
“You would have fit perfectly, Jade,” he murmured, his voice as soft as velvet. There went another pair of panties.
“How can you know that?”
“You gave me a life outside of my job. No one has ever done that for me before. My desire for you was the best kind of distraction. It calmed me. I wasn’t thinking about work twenty-four-seven.” He always had a way of speaking straight to my heart. I was elated that I could make him feel that way. “I know you fell for me, too. What I want to know is why you fought it? Why did you leave?”
“I can’t do this right now,” I sighed, putting my face in my hands. I knew Sonia wanted me to use my real feelings for Oliver to trap him, but I wasn’t prepared to do that just yet. Firstly, I needed to make sure she’d keep to her word about giving me the Jade Gibbs identity when my contract was up.
“Then when? Jade, you owe me answers.”
“I know I do, but there is no easy answer.”
“Is this about your ex, Mario?” Ugh! Why did he always have to bring Mario up when we argued?
“No, it’s bigger than that,” I sighed, watching as the waiter delivered our dessert.
The chocolate mousse looked delicious with its three layers of different chocolates topped with a ripe strawberry.
“Are we going to fight for the strawberry?” I grinned, picking up my spoon as he moved the decadent dish between us so we could share.
“Jade, I’m nothing but a true gentleman. The strawberry is all yours,” he smirked, gazing at me with those dark orbs of his. It was difficult to control the need inside me. After all, I knew how well he could play my body. I noticed the slight stubble on his chin and imagined how it would feel as it grazed the inside of my thigh. Oh, God! Oliver between my legs while his tongue attacked my heated center… I wanted him so much it was almost painful. It was a deep yearning in the pit of my stomach.
I smiled at him, picking the strawberry up with my fingers before gently licking the chocolate mousse off it. His eyes turned hooded, watching my lips.
“I know what you’re trying to do, Jade,” he muttered, swallowing hard.
“I have no idea what you mean,” I purred, sucking the strawberry into my mouth.
“Jesus, how can you be so innocent and sexy at the same time?” he stressed, taking a spoonful of mousse.
“I’m just eating some fruit,” I teased. “What’s so sexy about that?”
“Just eat the damn dessert, Jade,” he pleaded with a slight smirk. I was breaking down his defenses, I could tell. All I needed was some time to make him realize that I wasn’t going anywhere. Well, for the time being anyway. I couldn’t think about completing this mission and having to leave him again. I only prayed that knowing I would be allowed back into his life once my contract was up would be enough to get me through.
The dessert was delicious. I couldn’t stop my low moans as I took my last mouthful. Oliver looked a little uncomfortable as he sat in his chair watching me.
“Are you having that last bite?” I asked him, licking my lips.
“I’d rather watch you eat it,” he murmured, leaning closer over the table. “Or better yet, why don’t I feed it to you?”
“Mmm…” I purred, leaning in as he scooped the last bite of mousse from the glass. His eyes were fixated on my mouth as I wrapped my lips around his spoon.
“Oh, Jade,” he whispered, playing with a loose strand of my hair once he’d put his silverware down. “What are you doing to me?”
“I’m not giving up on you, Oliver. If you need me to prove I’m not going anywhere, then I will. You just have to give me the chance.” I stretched my hand across the table, entwining our fingers.
“I can’t go through losing you again. I won’t put my heart on the line like before, Jade.” The torture in his voice was pure agony for me.
“I’m not asking you to,” I soothed. “I’m asking you to give me chance to make it up to you. I’m not asking for anything, just a few dates when you can fit me into your schedule.”
“Dates?” he chuckled.
“I know we skipped that part before. If you want to know everything about me, I need time, too. There is a lot you don’t know that’s difficult for me to talk about. Can’t we get to know each other first this time?”
“I wish I was strong enough to tell you no, but knowing that you’re here in New York, I won’t be able to keep away.”
“Is that your way of saying yes?”
“Yes,” he whispered, squeezing my hand that was still in his. “I’m willing to let you try and make it up to me.” Oh, if only Oliver knew the real me. I could think of a few ways to make it up to him, and they all included riding his impressive cock. Stop thinking about sex, Jade. I had a long way to go until any of that could happen.
“Thank you,” I beamed, closing my eyes for a short second.
“I need to be in a meeting soon. Can I give you a lift somewhere?”
“Oh, I’m staying at The Peninsula, but only for another week or so. Then I’ll be moving into my new apartment.”
“Where is your apartment?” he asked, signaling to the waiter for the bill.
“Oh, um…it’s on St. Andrew’s Avenue,” I blushed, playing with my empty bottle of lager.
“Is that so?” he mused, trying to hide his smirk. “Is that a coincidence that St Andrew’s Avenue is only a few blocks from my penthouse?”
“Not really,” I admitted, biting my lip. “I wanted to be close to you.”
“I’m starting to see that now,” he grinned, giving his card to the waiter to settle the bill.
“Come on. We better go before I’m late for my meeting.” Oliver got up to help me out of my chair a few moments later. “Do you have a coat?” I nodded, noticing one of the waiters already making his way over with it.
I had to suppress a groan as Oliver helped me into my jacket and his hands lingered on my neck. The warmth of his touch was unlike anything I’d ever experienced before. It was beyond sexual. It went deeper than that, as if I could feel myself breaking apart piece by piece for this man. I was his in every single way, and for the first time in my life, I wasn’t afraid to admit how much I needed someone.
“Are you ready?” he asked softly. I nodded, allowing him to lead me out of the restaurant.
“Why did you come to the restaurant?” I asked as we were waiting for the limo to pull around.
“I meant what I said about Brian, Jade. You need to be careful around him.”
“You came just to keep any eye on me?” I gasped.
“Yes.”
“Do you really think I’m that stupid?” I snapped, crossing my arms.
“No, but Brian already sees you as a conquest. It’s always been about rivalry between us. I came here to look out for you mostly. I certainly wasn’t going to let him take you home again like last nigh
t!” My heart was beating so fast at his confession. Oliver still cared a great deal for me; that much was clear.
“I can take care of myself, you know,” I beamed, nudging him playfully. “But thank you for looking out for me.”
“It’s my pleasure, Jade.” The atmosphere became electric around us suddenly. Oliver was gazing down at my mouth, and subconsciously, I began to lean up toward him. I couldn’t stop myself. I needed him too much.
“This is a bad idea, Jade,” he muttered as my lips grazed his. Just as I was about to run my hands into his hair, the limo pulled up. “Saved by the limo,” he chuckled against my mouth before pulling back. He wasn’t funny!
“The limo never stopped us before,” I purred with a seductive smile on my face. As I stepped into the backseat, I made sure he had a good view of my legs.
“A lot’s changed since then,” he pointed out, joining me. His eyes zoomed in on my legs, and I watched as they travelled all the way up toward my thighs. Mm…and some things haven’t, Oliver.
“I know,” I smiled sadly. “I have to earn your trust back. I get it.”
“You understand why, don’t you? This isn’t just about me. I welcomed you into my family, Jade, and I didn’t make that decision lightly. In my line of work, it’s all about trust.”
“I get it,” I sighed, looking out the window.
“There wasn’t anyone else while you were gone, by the way,” he whispered, making me snap my head around to look at him. Was he lying? Or was Alicia? “What?” he asked, studying my face.
“It’s nothing,” I mumbled, looking back out the window.
“No, there is something. I know that look, Jade. What’s on your mind? I’m telling you the truth. There hasn’t been anyone else. To be honest, I didn’t have the time. I was too busy looking for you.”
“You’ve really been looking for me all this time?” I gasped.
“Yes,” he whispered, running his hand through my hair lovingly.
“What happened to your PA, Abigail?”
“Oh,” he snorted, shaking his head at me. “This is about Alicia, isn’t it?”