The pleasure was so intense, especially when Damian increased the rhythm and began driving into her with wild abandon. He was hot and primal and out of control. Damian was riding her hard, his eyes locked with hers, drawing her to the edge. Jada tried to keep up, moving her hips, but her head fell backward, and Damian thrust into her while his mouth devoured hers in a hungry kiss. Soon, a violent climax took over her and all Jada could do was shudder and cling to Damian’s slick shoulders, shattered by his fierce possession. Seconds later, sensations rocked her again as his orgasm rammed through him, hurtling him over the edge with her.
When Damian finally lifted his head to look at her, Jada’s heart was pounding fiercely and her breathing was rapid and uneven. “Jada?” His voice was a husky whisper even though his hands were still clenched in her hair. “You OK?”
“I should be asking you that.” He’d held them in position by his sheer strength until he’d driven them both to the peak. And he was still holding her.
“I liked holding you, but perhaps we should clean up.”
Jada nodded as he loosened his grip, allowing her to slide down him. She hated that she hadn’t been able to adorn his muscular body with kisses, feel his stomach contract as he’d made hers do, but there was no time. The need to mate with him had been so strong, almost elemental, as if she’d die if she didn’t have him. Now that it was over, Jada felt like she was standing on unstable ground.
She moved away, keeping her back to him, and zipped up her skirt and buttoned her blouse. She glanced around for her underwear and flushed when she caught Damian watching her. Then he patted his suit jacket.
“I need those.”
“Not tonight,” Damian said with a smirk. He was already dressed and looking as flagrantly male as ever, especially with his shirt open due to the buttons she’d ripped off it in her eagerness to be with him.
Does he expect me to walk out of here without any panties on? Although there was something deliciously wicked about being naked underneath her skirt, Jada needed time to process what had just happened between them. She’d been with other men, but what she’d just shared with Damian had been more powerful than anything she had ever experienced.
It scared her.
“Come home with me tonight so I can make love to you properly.” He walked toward her.
Jada took a step away from him and shook her head. “No, I can’t. I, I have an early morning tomorrow, remember?”
Damian frowned. His dark eyes were like black coal and glowed fire at her. “Don’t do this, Jada. You’ve been of two minds tonight. One minute, you’re agreeing to dinner and what’s on the table, and the next, you’re running. But even you can’t deny that what just happened between us was pretty damn spectacular.”
“I—”
“There’s nothing wrong with doing what pleases us, what comes naturally. Let’s take what we want. And I want the rest of the night with you.”
“And what then?”
“Excuse me?”
“You’re my boss, Damian. Even you know that what we … what we’re doing”—she pointed back and forth between them as her voice hitched—“what we did is dangerous and complicates everything. And I just need some time to think.”
“Thinking is overrated,” Damian said tightly. “I’d rather act.”
“That’s what got us into this situation to begin with—being impulsive.” Jada walked backward toward the door. “And I really have to go.”
Quickly, she dashed out of the room before she could change her mind.
Chapter 7
Jada dragged in long deep breaths when she entered her vehicle. She would love nothing better than to close her eyes, lean back against the headrest, and replay the last hour, but she couldn’t stay here. She glanced behind her to see if Damian had followed her out. He wasn’t there. She was sure she’d wounded his ego by not agreeing to go home with him. But she was out of her element. He threw her off balance in their normal interactions, but tonight everything had changed because they’d had the hottest sex she’d ever experienced in her life.
Slowly, Jada turned on the ignition and pulled out of the parking lot. She had to leave before Damian convinced her to come home with him, but not before she pulled out her phone. The screen was dark. Her phone was dead. She plugged it in the dash and waited for it to charge.
Several moments later, the screen popped on and within seconds, her phone began beeping as text messages and voicemails appeared on her screen.
It showed multiple calls from Bree, one from Grayson, and another from her mother. Jada pressed play and listened to the most recent message.
“Jada, it’s Mom. Call me immediately when you get this message. It’s Bree. She’s gone to the hospital with labor pains.”
“Omigod!” Jada’s hand flew to her mouth. No, no, no. It was too early. Her baby niece wasn’t due to arrive for another three months. Bree must be scared out of her mind. Jada wasted no time calling her sister, but the call went straight to voicemail, so she tried Grayson. He picked up.
“Jada?”
“How is she, Grayson? How’s Bree and the baby?”
“It’s too soon to tell,” Grayson said hoarsely. “We’ve been at the hospital a few hours, and they’ve given Bree some medication to stop the contractions. But, but …” His voice cracked, and Jada could hear the tension in it. “We just don’t know.”
“I’m sorry that I didn’t get the calls, but I’ll be there as soon as I can get a flight.”
“Duke has already sent the Hart jet for you. It should have arrived or be there soon.”
“OK. I’ll call Daddy and get all the details. And, Grayson?”
“Yes?”
“Tell Bree I love her and I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
“Thank you, Jada. She needs you. She needs all of us. Please keep her and the baby in your prayers.”
“I will.” Jada ended the call and prayed for green lights. She had to get home to Dallas as soon as she could. A wave of guilt washed over her. If she hadn’t been so involved with Damian tonight, she would have been home and received the call informing her that Bree needed her.
Jada had never been happier that the Hart family had more resources than the average person. As soon as she’d hung up with Grayson, she called Duke. He was heartsick over Bree’s condition, but thrilled his baby girl, Jada, was coming home. The Hart jet had already flown to San Francisco that evening and was waiting for her arrival. Jada didn’t bother packing a suitcase; she had clothes in Dallas. She just went home to pick up a few necessities, which she threw into her Louis Vuitton Keepall. When she made it to the private airfield, it was about three a.m., but the Hart jet was fueled and waiting to fly her to Dallas.
The three-and-a-half-hour flight home was interminable. Jada checked in with Grayson twice on the plane’s phone only to be told that Bree’s condition hadn’t changed. Jada blamed herself for not being available during her sister’s time of need. She and Bree had always been thick as thieves from the moment Jada had come out of the womb. She’d never for a second felt jealousy from Bree over being the youngest and spoiled.
In fact, at times, Jada had often felt envious of Bree and Duke’s relationship. Bree was Duke’s favorite. She was more like him than either Jada or her older sister, London. Duke and Bree’s fiery temperaments often meant they butted heads, but there was always love there and always would be. Meanwhile, Jada had enjoyed a similar relationship with her mother. There wasn’t anything Jada couldn’t confide in her. Until now.
Jada wasn’t sure how her mother would feel about her getting involved with her boss. Heck, she wasn’t even sure how she felt. All Jada knew was that this time apart, away from Damian’s circle of influence, would do her good. She wouldn’t run into him day in and day out or see his surreptitious glances in her direction and the enigmatic stares he bestowed when he thought s
he wasn’t looking.
She’d seen them because she too hadn’t been able to stop staring at Damian McKnight from the moment he’d bought the station. Nothing she’d said or done had seemed to change what must have been destined to happen.
They would become lovers—though Jada wasn’t sure she would necessarily call what they’d done against the wall of the studio lovemaking. No, she called that hot, unadulterated, sinful S-E-X. Since she had nothing but time on her hands on the flight, she replayed the images of the two of them together, clutched tight, as her legs had twined around his waist and he’d plunged deep inside her. The place between her thighs still pulsed, attesting to the fact that he’d branded her. Made her his.
There hadn’t been any soft kisses.
Just heat.
And passion.
She wished she could take it for what it was—sex of the purest kind—and make no apologies for taking what she wanted. It was just … Jada didn’t know where they could go from here. Damian had indicated he wanted to take her back home to his place and make love to her properly, but Jada feared what might have happened had he gotten the opportunity.
Jada didn’t get easily attached to any man because she usually found them all interchangeable. But Damian had a way of pushing all her buttons to make her react. Anyone could have come back to the studio and seen them up against the wall going buck wild!
She would have lost all her credibility. She’d made the right decision to take a step back and think things through. Jada had a lot more to lose than Damian. He owned the station. There was no blowback for a man in his position. He’d get an attaboy from most of the men there for having conquered what none of them could. Several of her colleagues had tried to put the moves on her and been promptly dismissed. Meanwhile, Jada’s reputation would be trashed. They would say she was sleeping her way to the top.
Jada refused to be a laughingstock. She hadn’t left her family, friends, and home in Dallas to be the butt of anyone’s joke. Ending their one-night encounter before it really began was best for all parties, especially Jada.
The plane touched down, and Jada peered out the window and saw her cousin Caleb standing beside his truck.
Seconds later, the pilot opened the cockpit and walked out to the passenger seats to greet her. “Ms. Hart, welcome back home.”
“Thank you. It’s good to be back.”
While he lowered the stairs, Jada grabbed her Pochette Metis and Keepall and followed him outside. The pilot helped her down the steps, where Caleb waited for her. Her cousin was over six foot tall and all brawn. His years of riding bulls had kept him fit, but he still looked the same with a bald head and a touch of mustache and goatee.
“Jada.” He smiled when he saw her and pulled her into his embrace. “How are you, cuz?”
Jada leaned backward to glance up at him. “I’d be better if I knew how Bree was.”
“She’s hanging in there.” Caleb took her bags and threw them in the cabin of the truck. “She’s a tough cookie, and she’s fighting as hard as she can to keep your niece in her belly.”
Tears sprung to Jada’s eyes. “I know that. It’s just too, too soon.”
“Aww, come here.” Caleb roughly hauled her to him and enveloped her in a bear hug. “It’s going to be OK. We just have to believe that.”
Jada nodded and sniffed. Caleb moved away to open the passenger door of the truck. She hopped inside and seconds later, he was in the driver’s seat and pulling away from the airfield.
“Duke wanted to get you himself, but I knew he didn’t want to leave Bree at the hospital. So, I offered to get you.”
“I understand. He’s right where he needs to be at Bree’s side. And it’s where I’ll be too.”
Caleb snorted. “If you can pry Grayson away. The man is a wreck. He’s usually so solid, ya know? But to see his wife, the love of his life, fighting to save their daughter—well, needless to say, he’s beside himself. And I know how he feels. If anything were to happen to Addison, Ivy, and Ethan, I’d lose my mind.”
Thinking of Caleb’s beautiful children made Jada smile. “How are my adorable little munchkins?”
“Getting bigger every day,” Caleb said as he guided the truck along the freeway and toward the hospital.
“I can’t wait to see them.” It seemed like just yesterday Addison had given birth.
“Time flies,” Caleb said. “Before you know it, you’re looking at life through the rearview mirror.”
“That’s why you have to live every day like it’s your last.”
“Is that why you can’t settle down, li’l cuz?” Caleb said as he glanced at her. “You know you’re not getting any younger.”
“What are you trying to say, Caleb—that I’m getting old?”
“No, but I know when someone’s got that wanderlust, and you have it. Same as me. I was never able to really commit to any one person or thing.”
Jada frowned. “That’s not true. I’ve committed to my career.”
“Your career won’t keep you warm at night, or help you when you’re sick, or listen when you’ve had a bad day. And I understand Joshua did a number on you, but eventually you’ve got to get back in the saddle.”
“It’s hard to believe how far you’ve come,” Jada said. “To think you were once a ladies’ man and the hottest bull rider this side of Texas.”
Caleb chuckled. “I don’t know about all that, but I was successful. And I’d give it all up in a heartbeat for Addison and my family.”
“You’re a changed man, Caleb Hart.”
“Yeah, well, when you meet the right person—the person who makes your heart go pitter-pat, the one you can’t stop thinking about and who sets your soul on fire, you’ll know what I’m talking about. Trust me.”
Friday morning, Damian tossed the newspaper on the table and stood up from his chair. He walked over to the balcony and stared out over the bay. He was still in disbelief over the events of last night and the evening’s abrupt end. How could Jada have left the studio after what they’d shared? How could she have walked away so easily?
Damian was surprised by his own questions. Typically, after one night with a woman, he would begin looking for greener pastures. But last night with Jada had only whetted his tongue. He wanted more. He wanted Jada.
He would not be denied.
He showered and dressed for the office. Jada wouldn’t be able to ignore him at the studio.
A few hours later, he found out he was wrong.
“What do you mean she’s gone?” Damian asked as he glared at the beleaguered station manager. He wasn’t upset with him per se. He was upset with the situation. He’d been intent on calling Jada into his office so they could talk, so when he heard she’d flown the coop, he was not pleased.
Damian saw red. He didn’t like his plans being thwarted.
“I’m sorry, Damian, but Jada left word this morning that a family emergency arose and she had to leave town immediately,” Andrew said. “It sounded like life and death. I’d never heard her sound so distraught, so frantic.”
Damian’s brows drew together as he pondered Andrew’s report. Jada’s official employee profile had put Damian under the impression that her parents were in excellent physical condition. “Did she say who it was?”
Andrew shook his head. “No, the call didn’t last that long, but I could tell she was on the up and up.”
Damian nodded. “Of course. Do you know if she was going home to Dallas? Perhaps we could send flowers.”
“Most likely. I know she’s from there, but she didn’t say.”
“You’re a good man, Andrew, and I’m sorry for raising my voice.”
“No worries. She’s your new protégé, and I know how important she is to you.” He spun around and walked away.
How important she is to me?
Damian turned
and circled the room. Is that what everyone thinks—that Jada’s my protégé? He thought his interest in her success had been backed up with clear proof of her charm and poise on camera. Had they seen more? Did they realize just how far his feelings for this woman went?
Do I?
Jada walked quietly down the hall of the maternity ward. She didn’t want to wake any mothers or babies with the click of her stiletto heels. Grayson had just come to get her from the waiting room, where she’d been huddled with her parents hoping she’d get word that she could visit her big sister. Waiting through the morning hours for any change in Bree’s condition was nerve racking. Medical staff had restricted visits so only Grayson was allowed into her room.
Since her arrival, she’d learned more. The pregnancy had brought on high blood pressure for Bree, something called preeclampsia. Jada hadn’t understood how this was possible because Bree was the picture of health and hardly ever gained weight. They’d both been blessed with excellent metabolisms like their mother, who was petite. Grayson had explained that diet wasn’t the only factor, and that genetics and her autoimmune system played a role too.
In the afternoon, when medical staff finally approved a visit, Jada took a deep breath then pushed the door open. Bree was sitting on the bed, looking fragile and weak. Her normally bouncy curls hung like limp rags around a pale face. Instantly, tears filled Jada’s eyes, but she willed them back. Bree needed her to be strong.
“Jada.” Bree smiled and stretched out her arms. As soon as Jada made it to the bed, Bree hugged her in spite of her expanded belly. Jada realized it should be the other way around, but she accepted the show of affection nonetheless.
“I’m so sorry that I wasn’t here and didn’t come sooner, Bree.”
“It’s OK.” Bree pulled back and pushed her hair aside to look at Jada. “You came when you could. That’s all that matters.”
“How are you and the baby?”
Bree tried to smile, but it didn’t quite meet her eyes. “We’re hanging in there, Jada. I’m doing my best to keep this little girl inside me, but she seems determined to come out.”
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