Formula for Passion

by Yahrah St. John

  An hour later, Miguel was tucking her into the Lincoln Town Car that was to take her to the airport. “A note for Mr.... uh...Jasper?” Miguel asked.

  Tears sprang to her eyes and Courtney shook her head. “It’s better this way, Miguel. You and I know this wouldn’t last forever. Thank you for your hospitality. I enjoyed my stay.”

  As Miguel closed the door behind her, he drew in a deep breath.

  * * *

  “What do you mean she’s gone?” Jasper said. When he’d gone to Courtney’s hotel suite and found his staff cleaning it for the next guest, he’d been floored. What the hell had happened? Had she somehow found out he was Andrew’s son? She couldn’t have, he told himself as he stormed to the main building. He’d been so careful. He flung open Miguel’s office door.

  “Sir!” Miguel stood up, startled.

  “Where is she?” Jasper roared.

  “I’m sorry, Mr. Jackson.” Miguel went back to calling him by his proper name. “But Ms. Adams checked out this morning.”

  “Why in God’s name didn’t you contact me?” Jasper asked.

  “There wasn’t time, sir,” Miguel responded. “Ms. Adams checked out rather quickly and then there was an emergency here at the resort.”

  Jasper let out a ragged breath. How could this be? How could Courtney be gone? “Did she leave a note?” Jasper turned his dark, blazing eyes on the hotel manager.

  “I’m sorry, sir, but no, she did not.”

  “She didn’t leave a note?” Jasper said aloud, more for himself than Miguel. After everything they’d shared, she didn’t even think him worthy of a note? He pulled out his cell phone to check for voice mail, but there was none. Courtney had left Punta Cana and him without so much as a backward glance.

  For the first time in his life, Jasper was speechless. He sank into the chair opposite Miguel’s desk. He’d thought they’d come to mean more to each other in their short time together than just a roll in the hay, but he’d been wrong. Courtney had come for an island fling and nothing more. She’d shown that by her callous disregard of him. He didn’t know what he was more upset by, that she’d tired of him and just didn’t want him or that she’d left without a note.

  Jasper rose from the chair. He would not take this lying down. Despite his less than forthrightness, he wouldn’t let the pampered princess get away with treating him like the gum on the bottom of her shoe. Just because she thought he was a lowly construction worker did not give her the right to treat him so carelessly. He was determined to show her that he would not be trifled with. He would make her want him, and when she was pleading for more, he would walk away.

  Chapter 7

  “I’m so happy to have you back, darling.” Elizabeth Adams kissed her daughter Courtney when she came strolling into the living room later that afternoon. Courtney noted that the entire family was in attendance, ready for another round with Andrew Jackson, no doubt.

  Courtney leaned back to peruse her mother. Had she gotten more beautiful since she was away? Her fair skin was just as smooth as ever with nary a wrinkle, her green eyes shone brightly and had she lost a few pounds? She was wearing her usual attire of slacks, cardigan set and pearls.

  “Thank you, Mama. I’m happy to be back,” Courtney lied. She wasn’t at all happy. She felt horrible for leaving the way she did and now felt terribly guilty. How must Jasper feel? He was probably furious to realize she’d left without so much as a call or note. At least the breakup was swift, and Courtney doubted she’d ever see him again. But it was hard knowing she couldn’t share her thoughts and dreams, much less her nights, in his arms ever again.

  “My darling, are you okay?” her mother asked, stepping away to regard her.

  Courtney blinked several times. “Oh, yes, I’m fine.”

  “Glad you’re back, sis.” Shane rose from the couch he was seated on with Gabrielle to give Courtney a big hug.

  “It feels like you’ve been away for an eternity,” Gabrielle added. “I’ve missed talking to you, girlfriend.”

  Courtney smiled as the warm cloak of family surrounded her, allowing some of the grief she felt over leaving Jasper to dissipate. “Me too. So, bring me up to speed on what’s going on with Jax Cosmetics.”

  “The fragrance is called Noelle, and it’s debuting this week with much less fanfare than Andrew would have liked,” Kayla spoke up from across the room. She and Ethan had arrived at the mansion earlier in the afternoon.

  “It smells dangerously similar to Ecstasy,” Shane added.

  “We all knew this was coming,” Ethan said. “At our launch party a few months ago, Shane smelled the knockoff. Andrew just held back his launch until all the criminal business with Noelle was over. What he doesn’t know is that Graham International has also filed a civil complaint against her for damages.”

  “With the no contest on the breaking-and-entering charges, the civil suit will wipe her out,” Kayla said with a smile.

  “Perhaps then she’ll be willing to play ball,” Ethan said.

  “I doubt it. She didn’t want to give Andrew up then. Why should she now?” Byron, their father, spoke up. He stood tall and proud at the far side of the room, holding a glass of cognac. His mahogany skin seemed even darker when he was angry. He was wearing black trousers and a pullover sweater. “If I know Andrew, he gave her some deal on the back end.”

  “We need to put on a full media blitz surrounding Ecstasy,” Courtney said, interrupting the conversation. “We need to go head-to-head with Jax Cosmetics once and for all.”

  Kayla turned to look at her baby sister. What had gotten her fired up all of a sudden?

  “In my final act as Adams Cosmetics spokesmodel, I will pull out all the stops.”

  “Your final act?” her mother said. “You no longer want to be the AC woman?”

  Courtney looked at her mother. “It’s time I step down and let someone else take the reins on the spokesmodel front. And I have some great ideas to lead our future marketing and publicity campaigns.”

  Kayla smiled proudly at Courtney. She was happy to see that her time away had done her some good. She’d come back sure of herself and focused.

  “Allow me to show you what I propose.” Courtney stood up and walked over to her iPad, which she had resting against the mantel. Her time in Punta Cana had served her well. While Jasper was working, she had typed up her ideas on her iPad in preparation for her transition.

  An hour later, it seemed her family was duly impressed with her media campaign and business acumen. She was back in the saddle!

  Courtney met up with Tea for drinks later at Tea’s apartment in Buckhead. Courtney needed to tell her best friend everything that had happened down in Punta Cana.

  Tea arrived at the door looking sophisticated as usual in a black-and-white kimono-sleeve top and black jeans. Her shiny Latina hair was swept in a casual ponytail to the side.

  “Well, look who’s returned to the land of the living,” Tea said when she opened the door. She leaned in to give Courtney a quick kiss on the cheek and a hug and accept the bottle of wine Courtney had brought. “Since I haven’t heard from you in two weeks, I was beginning to think we needed to send out a search party for you.” She grabbed hold of one of Courtney’s arms and escorted her into the living room. “I thought perhaps some fine Dominican had kidnapped you.”

  “It was a fine brother,” Courtney replied, plopping onto the couch alongside Tea.

  “Do tell, do tell. But first let me uncork this delicious bottle of wine you brought.” She went off in the direction of the kitchen and returned five minutes later carrying two wineglasses. She handed one to Courtney and kept one for herself.

  Courtney accepted the glass and took a sip first. The Merlot was perfect. “Jasper was everything I could have dreamed of,” she sighed as her head leaned back on Tea’s re
d leather sofa. “Tall, dark and handsome was on the menu.”

  “And did he serve it up to you?” Tea inquired.

  Courtney smiled from ear to ear. “Oh, he served it and baked it until I was done.”

  Tea laughed. “Wow! Now I know where I need to go when I need to let off some steam.”

  “I can’t describe how incredible this man was, in and out of bed. He was fun and took me zip-lining and on

  WaveRunners and horseback riding to waterfalls. But he was also supersmart and spoke Spanish and bargained with the locals. He even paid for homeless kids to eat, and oh yeah...he was an incredibly giving lover.”

  “No wonder you couldn’t leave him.” Tea was enraptured by Courtney’s story. “Sounds like he put quite a spell on you.”

  Courtney nodded. “I think I’m sprung, Tea. I can’t stop thinking about him. His laugh, his smile, the way he looked at me when he...” She stopped herself from becoming too intimate.

  “Given your feelings, I’m amazed you were able to face him,” Tea said, drinking her wine. “How did he feel when you told him you were leaving?”

  Courtney lowered her head and was silent for several minutes. She put down the wineglass on the cocktail table. “I didn’t tell him.”

  “What do you mean you didn’t tell him?”

  “Well...Shane called and told me the private jet would be there in an hour and there just wasn’t time.”

  “So you left the man without saying goodbye?”

  “I know, I know, must you make me feel bad? I feel horrible enough already.” Tears began to swim in Courtney’s eyes as she replayed that moment in her head. In the end, she realized she’d taken the coward’s way out. She knew if she’d had to face Jasper and tell him she was leaving, she wasn’t sure she would have had the courage to leave.

  “I’m sorry.” Tea scooted closer to pat her knee. “I shouldn’t have come down so harsh on you. Did you leave a note?”

  Courtney shook her head violently before cradling it in her trembling hands. “You must think I’m cold and heartless. I just couldn’t face him.”

  “Because you’ve fallen for him?”

  Courtney looked up with red-rimmed eyes. “No, it can’t be. I mean, I just like him a lot.”

  “Everything you’ve said tonight indicates otherwise,” Tea said softly.

  “Doesn’t matter now, does it?” Courtney said. “We live in totally different worlds. I live here in Atlanta and he’s a construction worker in Punta Cana. It would never work. This isn’t How Stella Got Her Groove Back.”

  Tea shrugged. “If you say so. Of course, now you’ll never know, since you didn’t give the man the opportunity to stop you and say goodbye.”

  Courtney knew Tea was right. She would always wonder what could have been if she hadn’t been afraid to put herself out there and tell Jasper that she was starting to fall for him.

  * * *

  “You want to fire the entire construction company?” Mark asked Jasper several days later. “Are you sure about that?” He’d noticed that Jasper was in a foul mood recently and had tried to steer clear, but when he’d been summoned into Jasper’s office, he’d had to come.

  “Yes, I want them out.”

  He’d seen enough. Since Courtney had left without a word, he’d been even more determined to wrap up his stint at Dorchester. So he’d remained on for a few more days, hoping for some proof. And he’d finally got it. Thanks to his rapport with the men on his crew, he’d finally found one laborer who’d overheard a conversation between the bank inspector and Dorchester and saw an envelope exchange hands. The man had agreed to come forward, provided Jasper could find some place for him should he lose his job. Jasper had agreed.

  “You realize this will delay construction.”

  “I’m well aware of that,” Jasper replied. “But with the information I’ve learned working there the last couple of weeks, I have grounds to terminate their contract.”

  “You know, Dorchester will fight you on this.”

  “Let him try,” Jasper said. “I’ll annihilate him.” At the moment, he was itching for a fight. He was still smarting over Courtney leaving Punta Cana without so much as a call or a note. He hadn’t quite wrapped his head around it, and his bad mood was exacerbated by the fact that he hadn’t slept very well the night before. He told himself it was just a bout of insomnia, but his body knew why. He missed Courtney sleeping next to him. He missed the sleek curve of her body spooned next to him on the bed. It was funny how in a short span of time, she’d become an important fixture in his day.

  Last night, when he’d gone back to his villa, he’d realized just how lonely he was without her. And it made him angry, angry that she hadn’t given him the chance to say goodbye, to convince her to stay with him.

  “Jasper, Jasper.” Mark broke into his thoughts. “Did you hear what I just said?”

  “Which was?”

  “Do you have another construction company in mind you want me to reach out to?”

  “Oh, yes.” Jasper forced himself to return to the matter at hand. “Contact our second-lowest bidder and bring them in. See if you can convince them to come down on their price if they want the business.”

  “Will do.” Mark rose to leave but stopped in his tracks. “And where will you be?”

  “I will be in the States,” Jasper responded. Just then he’d decided that it was time he took care of some unfinished business. He was ready to give Courtney Adams a taste of her own medicine.

  Chapter 8

  “Your targeted approach to hit the Premiere Atlanta Beauty Show, the stylist show and the international trade shows for HBA and IBS with Ecstasy is a winning formula,” Kayla told Courtney when they met up for lunch several days later. They’d decided to keep it simple and grab a salad at a local café. “Are you sure you’re up to all this work before you step down?”

  “Of course I am,” Courtney replied. “I would never have suggested it if I wasn’t up to the task.” She needed the constant activity to keep her mind occupied and not thinking about Jasper. It was hard enough at the house each night with Shane and Gabby and watching them so deeply in love as they prepared for their wedding in less than two months. Courtney wondered if she’d ever have that. Or had she already had it? And she’d just let it slip through her fingers?

  “Hmm...I wonder,” Kayla said, taking a forkful of salad. She was still trying to take off the last unwanted pounds of baby weight since her son Alexander’s birth.

  “Why do you say it like that?” Courtney asked.

  “Because you don’t seem yourself,” Kayla replied. “Since you’ve got back you’re focused on work, but you seem a little edgy. I would have thought all that fun in the sun would have mellowed you out.”

  “It did.”

  Kayla raised a brow. “Did something happen down there?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean, did you meet someone?”

  “I met a lot of people.”

  “Yes, but you decided to extend your trip, so who was he?” Kayla knew her sister well enough to know a man was involved. How could it not be? Her sister was a beautiful, sexy young woman. The men down there must have lost their heads.

  “There was someone, but it ended and I’m back home.” Courtney tried to downplay the affair, even though in her heart she knew that was far from the case. She’d left her heart back in Punta Cana and she hadn’t felt the same since.

  “Seems to me that it’s not over,” Kayla said thoughtfully. “At least not here.” She pointed to Courtney’s heart.

  Courtney was surprised that her sister could still read her. Even though she’d married, had a child and moved away, the bond they’d created was still there. “You might be right,” she finally admitted.

  “Is there any chance t
hings could work out?” Kayla asked.

  Courtney shook her head. “No, his life is in Punta Cana and he seems very happy there.” Jasper had created a comfortable, laid-back lifestyle away from the States. She doubted he wanted to come back to the rat race.

  “I’m sorry to hear that.” Kayla reached for her water glass and took a liberal sip. “I want you to be happy and if he made you happy, I’d want that for you.”

  Courtney reached across the table and squeezed her sister’s hand. “Thanks, Kay. And in time, I will be.” If she could forget a certain brother with a sexy goatee and ebony skin, she would be.

  * * *

  “Baby, I’m so happy to see you,” Jasper’s mother, Abigail Jackson, said, when he came to visit her on the Cartwright family farm several miles outside Marietta. “What are you doing here?” Her eyes brimmed with excitement. She was surprised he was there again so soon after his last visit.

  “Can’t a son come and check on his mama?” Jasper asked, bending down to give her a kiss. As he’d driven up, he’d stopped to check in with the caretaker he’d hired to keep an eye on the farm. Everything looked to be in order, and Jasper was pleased with his hire.

  “Of course you can, sweetie,” Abigail said, pushing several pillows back so she could sit up on her king-size bed. She was still convalescing from her spill on the steps when she’d broken her hip. She hated to be kept down. At fifty-two, she was still in good health because of the clean air, organic food and good living. “I’ve missed you. Come sit down.” She patted a spot next to her on the bed.

  Jasper did as instructed and grasped his mother’s hand. “You’re looking much better than the last time I saw you.” At five foot three and a buck and a quarter, she was petite to begin with, so when she’d lost a few pounds, it had made her usual smooth skin appear slightly gaunt, but she was still as beautiful as ever to Jasper. She had a delicately carved oval face with kind brown eyes.

  “Well, you know nothing is going to keep me down for long, son. So, tell me what’s new with you. I know you didn’t come back here just for me. Are you here on business?”