Jaded Hearts (The Jaded Hearts Club)

by Olivia Linden

  I turned around when it hit me that his scent changed. My eyes met Julian’s gaze as my original partner looked on in envy.

  “I had to cut in. Can you blame me?” His voice low and sexy. I guess because I was in my element I was better able to react to him.

  “That’s a little rude, don’t you think?” I teased as I continued to move, mouthing the words “…cause I’m the only one who understands, how to make you feel like a man…” His eyes narrowed seductively as me pulled closer to him, sliding his hands across the exposed flesh of my backless dress.

  “Rude? No. I just get what I want.” He pulled me tighter against his body so I could feel his muscles tight and taught under his clothes. Intoxication. His spiky black hair was slick with sweat and his scent was wrapping me in a cocoon of sheer lust. He rubbed his lips across my neck as he whispered in my ear.

  “Can’t wait for you to make me feel like a man…” Shivers, tingles, quivering and heat spread through me at once.

  Shit! I. Cant. Breath.

  I tried to pull away from him, but he just held me against him, his sexy eyebrows arched sinisterly. I was torn between abandon and panic. I could feel his arousal growing against me. Too close to ground zero. I pushed against his chest to not even a quarter inch of him budging. His face surprised me with a flash of amusement as he shook his head. He spun me around so my back was to him.

  I can deal with this, I’m a big girl.

  Jamie Foxx’s Living Better Now flowed through the speakers. I moved my waist alone for a few moves and then let my whole body flow to the rhythm. I heard him hiss into my neck.

  Focus on the music, not him!

  Again he matched my movements exactly. He ran his hands up and down my sides as he slowly caressed me while whispering his need in my ear. My body was not cooperating with 'Mission Keep It Together'. I could feel the goose bumps rise up on my skin. Every inch of me was beginning to ache for more. I closed my eyes and tried to refocus. He turned my body around to face his and put my arms around his neck.

  Julian moved like no other man I had ever danced with. I could imagine him doing this without clothes… Stop! I pushed that thought to the side, or tried to at least. He began caressing my cheek with his smooth tan fingers. Again I closed my eyes to the overwhelming feelings, intensifying as we danced.

  “Jade, open your eyes!” He demanded my attention.

  No! Don’t look into his eyes!

  But, I ignored my own pleas to obey his order as I gazed at him through lazy, lustful eyes. His eyes radiated some unfathomable emotion. He lowered his head and nuzzled his way from my right ear to my lips. I willing parted them allowing his warm tongue access. He slowly explored my tongue with his with the sweetest kiss I ever tasted. Any reserve I had left diminished and I pressed against him with desire. I couldn’t help the small moans and whimpers that escaped my throat. The urgency of his kiss increased and he began to suck my lips as if he could get juice from them. I returned the favor and was rewarded with a long groan as he leaned into me. Our bodies where calling to each other through our clothes. His erection pressed hard and heavy against me.

  “Ay, Jade! Let me fuck you tonight.” He implored.

  That snapped me to my senses. I did not want to be fucked! I stiffened my body and pulled away so fast he didn’t have a chance to stop me. As I was trying to regain my sanity at a safe distance I saw Ms. Tall and Blonde staring at us with folded arms. She filled in the space between us and began to loudly profess her displeasure at what she just witnessed.

  Julian’s expression went from bewilderment, disappointment and then to a scowl like a gear shifting. He tried to brush her off as he glared at me. The look in his eyes was that of a hunter.

  I’m going to get you, they said.

  Blondie, refused to be pushed aside and intensified her tantrum. His eyes never leaving mine, he addressed her with a few words of warning and her tone lowered. She began to whine and complain in a much smaller voice, turning to glare at me before she blocked his view of me entirely.

  Time for me to get the hell out of here!

  5 A dime a dozen

  The next morning I awoke to a familiar buzzing. I grabbed at my phone to see Jackie’s number register on my Android. I answered apprehensively.

  “Hey Jackie. Up early for a Saturday.” I hoped my tone would detract her from harassing me too much.

  “Woman! I’ve been waiting two hours to call you! What was that NC 17 moment that I witnessed last night? And why did your ass just vanish like that?” Her excitement was infectious.

  “Girl, I have no f’in clue what happened! One minute I’m dancing, having a great time, and then the next I’m being asked to fuck! Yes, you heard it right. 'Ay mamita, let me fuck you tonight!'” I did my best Julian impersonation.

  She laughed hysterically at my replay.

  “Then his girlfriend comes over and throws a hissy fit. In the middle of the freakin club! Yeah, I had to leave. He really frightens me.” I continued.

  “He asked you just like that? Wow... Was that before or after the kiss?” She was too amused.

  I tensed at the memory of our kiss.

  “It was after, and yeah just like that. I can't say I’ve ever had someone ask ‘let me fuck you tonight’ before.” I sucked my teeth in dismay, but her amusement of my situation didn’t lessen.

  “Wow, that is a turnoff, I guess. I still have to admit that I have never seen him like that before. Yeah, yeah, there are always women around him, but he’s always so cool and laid back. Nina is not his girl. She came there in hopes of hooking up and was pissed to see him give you sooooo much attention.” Her words were thick with implication.

  What was she, his damn spokesperson?

  “Well, whatever, what have you to all of that. I am not interested. Yes, he is sexy, but I don’t have time for the drama. Really.” I was trying to convince myself.

  “Really?” She reaffirmed my response.

  Really.” I repeated.

  “Well, that’s a damn shame cause from what I saw, there was a lot of interest oozing from both parties.” Her observations were not accurate.

  “No, what you saw was lust not interest. Lust!” I corrected her. She laughed again.

  “OK, OK. Well, don’t shoot the messenger, but Jules said to tell you he had a great time with you and looks forward to seeing you soon. Bye!” Then, she hung up.

  I sagged back into my pillow and sighed. I could only hope to not ever be in the same vicinity as that man.

  I spent most of the morning sleeping off my drinks from the night before. I made a note to myself to take it easy on the bubbly next time. No matter what I did, Julian always managed to creep into my thoughts. I couldn't stop thinking about the way he kissed me, and how hot I got just from him doing it. His eyes, his voice, his scent where all like some secret kryptonite sent to destroy me.

  What was it about him?

  The first day of work arrived in a blink. I woke up before my alarm and lay in bed for a few minutes. My thoughts kept drifting to sensual green eyes and long kisses. It had been like this for the last few weeks. I hadn’t seen Julian since that night in the club, but he hadn’t left my thoughts.

  As I showered I imagined his hands all over my body, caressing me slowly, and I couldn’t get his voice out of my head.

  I’m going to need a hobby!

  I’ve never really been a head over heels kinda gal. I don’t like to get caught in the moment, but then again, I’ve been with Evan for the last six years. Before that was my high school sweetheart. This was new to me. This felt like insanity. This was not what I wanted. I pushed my moment of weakness aside and got ready for work. I would have to tell Jackie not to invite me out if he was going to be around.

  That would not be happening again!

  My aunt would be here with a car in an hour. I switched my attention to getting dressed and making the right first impression at the office. I knew I had to project the right image since my job was literally
handed to me. I decided on a simple gray suit set with an a-line skirt. The jacket was cinched at the waist and revealed a glimpse of my pink silk top. I slipped on my gray pumps, and smoothed my ponytail. I think this will do.

  The next few days were the equivalent of a movie dream sequence. My first day at Emerge was filled with meetings with the entire staff. I had a welcome lunch with the top executives and a celebratory dinner with my immediate staff. I had an assistant named Donna who was probably the sweetest person I have ever met. She was only a few years older than me at 27 but was already married. Her Dominican features were exotic, but she downplayed them with a Plain Jane style of dress and wore her hair in a bun every day. She sat with me and helped me map out how I wanted to organize my files and schedule my meet and greets for all my in-country clients. Aunt V walked me through my client list and explained the compensation structure to my contracts. It was almost overwhelming. I was going to have to do audit reports to catch up on the financials. By the time Friday rolled around I was ready for my first client meeting. According to my aunt, he was a distributor of tequila from South America and wanted to branch out to the U.S. I was filled to the brim with excitement, and couldn’t believe this was real. I was so excited that I was beginning not to care that I had argued with Evan twice this week, and still hadn’t spoken to Colleen for more than a five minute chat.

  Oh well, that was my old life I suppose.

  I walked into work with my feet barely touching the ground. I said good morning to everyone I passed on the way to my new office, which I was in love with. Donna helped me redecorate from the old stuffy furniture that the previous occupant had the misfortune of having to sit at every day. We both agreed on a sleek cherry wood desk set with frosted glass edges. She was waiting eagerly at her desk and jumped up to greet me with our already established morning cappuccino routine. Neither of us were big coffee drinkers, but loved Frappuccinosand caramelmachiaottos, and we shared them as we went over the plans for that day. I think that my relief to have someone who was so helpful, and her relief to have a boss who was young and not sexually harassing her were the beginnings of a great relationship.

  We cut our ritual brief since the meeting was set for 9:00 am, and I went to the conference room to prepare. Vivian would be sitting-in as well as Donna, and Mr. Delgado was bringing his lawyer, so my office was too small to accommodate everyone. My nerves surged as I sat poring over my client’s background to make sure I would be well informed on his business, and my aunt walked in with the two men.

  Hector Delgado was tall, with a head full of salt and pepper hair that framed his face. His dark serious eyes assessed me and the tight reserve of his jaw loosened up. I was glad I decided on a taupe colored dress suit that had a short bolero styled jacket. He uttered a phrase in Spanish to the man my aunt introduced as his lawyer. John Benson was an equally tall gentleman at about 6’2 with short brown hair highlighted with golden flecks; a nice tan gave him a golden beige complexion and warm hazel eyes that looked like I was staring into my own. He reminded me of a mix between David Beckham and Clark Kent. I smiled expectantly waiting for him to translate for his client who was now also smiling at me.

  “Mr. Delgado is thankful that you are easy on the eyes Ms. Spencer.” He said.

  I blushed as everyone laughed at his observation.

  The meeting which should have been relatively brief lasted almost two hours. It seemed as if my client wanted to ensure that I fully understood his vision for expanding his empire, and the translation lag did help to extend our encounter. I was impressed not only with Mr. Benson’s fluent Spanish, but also his patience with all of his client’s questions and mine as well. I wanted to be certain of my responsibilities and the expectations of my customer. John had a laid back demeanor that made me feel at ease. After we wrapped up our session John handed me his card.

  “It was a pleasure meeting you Miss Spencer. I have a few clients who have expressed interest in your company. I would like to set up a meeting to discuss the prospects. Also it never hurts to have a lawyer on hand when you are new in town.” I took his card and we shook hands.

  “Please, call me Jade. I would never turn down a prospective client so I will have Donna set something up with your office,” I said.

  He shot me an all American smile. Very Nice.

  “OK, Jade. I look forward to it,” he beamed.

  I exchanged universal goodbyes with Mr. Delgado as they walked out. My aunt turned back to me with a look of sheer pride and a high-five.

  “I knew you would be perfect for this. I also told you that handsome available men come a dime a dozen,” she bragged.

  I met her cliché with a confused glare.

  “OK….price of tea in China, please?” I joked.

  Both she and Donna laughed out loud.

  “Just keep your eyes and your options open Jade,” was her reply.

  My first week was amazing, and tonight I would celebrate it with Jackie. She could make anything a reason to celebrate. I walked into my apartment around 6:00 pm. Just as I locked my door my cell phone began to buzz. It was Evan. I answered excited to share the details of my first week with him.

  “Hey Evan! What’s up?” There was a short pause.

  “Um, that’s a good question. You tell me.” His tone was dry. My spirits dropped. It was going to be one of those conversations.

  “Well, everything is good. I had a great first week at work.” I tried to remain positive in spite of his attitude. He snorted.

  “Whoa, pace yourself Jade. It’s only been seven days. You don’t want to run out of gas,” he suggested sarcastically.

  Ouch!

  I wasn’t going to go along with his bullshit.

  “OK. Well, thanks for that, and I’m sure things are good with you. It was good to hear your voice, annnnd I will talk to you soon.” I heard him say my name before I hung up.

  Yes, I need to celebrate.

  6 Uncharted territory

  I met Jackie for dinner and drinks at one of her favorite spots. I told her about my call from Evan and she just grimaced. She had never really liked him. I could remember the distinctly plastic smile that she reserved just for him whenever she came to Miami. We decided on hitting a few bars and then headed to Echo. Tonight it was just as packed as last week’s special event. We went straight to the VIP section and ordered drinks. Thankfully there was no sight of Julian, and Jackie assured me that he didn’t usually come to Echo. He preferred another lounge that he owned.

  After we had a few drinks at Echo, Jackie wanted to check out another after-hour spot to see if it could be used for one of her events. We left Echo with Julian, who seemed to be hovering wherever I was all night since he showed up. I was not thrilled about that, especially once I caught on to the fact that someone had told him I was there. He offered to take us in his car and Jackie jumped at the offer.

  Part of me was excited at the idea of more time with him, and part of me wanted to turn and run for a cab home. Jackie didn’t seem to care one way or another. To her this is what men were for, to make sure we never spent any of our own money. We took the short ride over in Julian's limo. He sat across from me and I tried not to make too much eye contact, but I was very aware of him staring at me the entire time. Julian was handsome, powerful, and hypnotic. I sat brewing in a prison of his radiating sensuality as Jackie chatted and laughed with Edward the entire ride

  The driver pulled in front of a place called VI. It seemed tiny in comparison to the extra spacious Echo. We walked in and were seated at a small table by the hostess who seemed to know both Jackie and Julian. She was a petite Latina with the sexiest eyes I had ever seen.

  Next to Julian's, of course.

  She was dressed in a black skintight dress with spaghetti straps, and that stopped mid thigh. Her wavy black hair hung over her shoulders and rested right above her perky breasts that were pushed out of her dress. Julian ordered drinks for our table, and she responded to his request in Spanish as her cat eyes st
udied me curiously. His response was a curt thank you. She smiled and left our table to return to her duties.

  Did he do this to all women?

  The club was dimly lit with red and purple lighting, and the music was a mixture of Latin and Caribbean tunes.

  I like!

  Our drinks arrived and we all toasted to enjoying life. As he clinked my glass Julian gave me a gaze that was so hot I felt the familiar goose bumps pop up on my skin. There was so much to that look, and I wasn’t sure how to take it. Jackie went off to do her business with the owner of the club leaving me with the two men. Against my better judgment I knocked back a couple drinks to ease my nerves. I couldn’t help but to respond to the sexy rhythms.

  “Do you want to put those moves to good use?” Julian whispered in my ear. It seemed like everything he said had a double meaning. I was still contemplating an answer as he grabbed my hand, leading me as we danced to the fast paced salsa tune. He seemed surprised that I could keep up with him as he spun and twisted me around.

  “Not bad Jade. I may need to take a look at your birth certificate. My mother said Jamaica, not Dominica!” he mused.

  I narrowed my eyes at him.

  “What can I say? I’m versatile.” I countered.

  He eyed me expectantly. “I sure hope so…”

  Before I could respond to him Jackie handed us each a glass of champagne. I gulped mine eagerly to soothe my dry throat and growing anxiety. Maybe a little too eagerly, but I refilled my glass anyway. Julian sipped his drink casually, and studied the dance floor while still swaying to the music, for once not staring at me.

  I watched as he was approached by two more olive skinned men dressed in black suits. One of the men said something to him in Spanish and he frowned and barked orders at them. He put his glass down and turned to me and Jackie.

  “Ladies, please excuse me, I have some business to attend to.” Then he leaned towards me and whispered.

  “As for you Miss, don’t you dare think about running away.” He gave me a smile that never reached his eyes and stalked off.