by Emery, Lynn
Jade pushed away those thoughts. She needed all her energy for standing by her sister and now to defend her reputation, maybe even her career. Men! She became very angry all of a sudden. Did she have a bull’s-eye painted on her back? The men in her life seemed to think she was an easy target these days. Well, Bill Lang was in for an unpleasant surprise.
“Listen, Jade, I’ve got an idea that Ni—” Shaena started to speak, but Mike Testor opened the door without knocking.
“Jade, Bill needs to see all memoranda related to the increase in nursing home payment rates. We’ll be in his office.” Mike stared at Shaena with a question in his eyes. “Ten minutes.” He left the door open a few inches when he withdrew.
“Well, I’ll see you later,” Shaena said in a loud, staged voice. “Maybe we can have lunch tomorrow.” Then she stepped close to Jade. “Don’t let them team up on you,” she mumbled low.
“Don’t worry. I’ve got a plan,” Jade whispered. “Yeah, call me later. I mean it.”
* * *
Seeing only a green silk tie through the peephole, Jade opened the door with a wild hope—a hope that faded when she saw her ex-husband. Nick wore an attitude of cool confidence like the expensive suits he favored. She tried to deny she’d wanted to see Damon standing outside her door once again. But her reaction to the doorbell was no different than the way her heart pounded whenever the phone rang. Hadn’t she learned her lesson yet? Here was a very good reason to dislike men.
Jade stared at the flowers in his hand. “Nick, what is this?”
“A bouquet, lovely and fragrant. Like you, sweet thing.” Nick’s famous perfect smile flashed like the bulb of an expensive camera.
For a second Jade mused at just how little effect it had on her. Once she would have melted at the mere lift of his mouth. “Whatever,” she deadpanned. With a bland expression, she took the vase from his hands. “Come in.”
“My, my. Things have changed. You’re going to let me into your apartment.” He gazed around in appreciation that was genuine.
“Don’t get excited. I’m being polite. What do you want?” Jade was more bored than annoyed.
“Great colors. Love these Tanner prints.” Nick walked around the living room as though he belonged there.
“C’mon, get to the point.”
“The property is going to bring in top dollar as expected. You should get a healthy check every quarter as your share. I’m working with a contractor to build three big warehouses that will be leased.”
“Perfect.” Jade could at least count on more than her paycheck, the first bright spot in her personal life in weeks. “Thanks for coming by to tell me.” She went back to the front door and opened it. “Next time a phone call will do.”
“Where’s my ‘Thank you so much, baby’? I could have stiffed you on this deal. My lawyer said—”
“Your lawyer advised you that I’d clean your clock in court if you tried.” Jade batted her eyelashes at him and smiled sweetly. “Or words to that effect, baby."
“I don’t remember you being so cynical, so bitter.”
“Nick, it’s been a rough two weeks. So let’s not pretend.” Jade’s hard outer shell began to weigh heavy. When she went over all she’d been through, the fight began to seep from her. She needed a breather.
“Okay, enough with the flip attitude. I’m sorry.” Nick raised both his palms out. “Let me know if I can help in any way. I know you’ve been spending a lot of time with Lanessa and all.” He seemed sincere.
“Thanks, but I’m holding together.” Jade tried to smile and failed.
“Just barely by the looks of it. Tell you what, no games for the next hour at least. I’ll fix us some coffee.” He went into the kitchen.
“Nick, get out of there.” Jade marched in behind him.
“Great, you still like the same gourmet blend I drink. You know I have a special touch with coffee. Now just let me whip up two delicious lattes.” Nick searched through her cabinets. “Ah, yes. You haven’t changed much.” He drew out a package of beignet mix. In seconds he’d taken off his jacket and tie. He rolled up his sleeves and got to work.
“You have a lot of nerve, Nicholas Lane Guillory.” Jade planted fists on her hips.
“By the way, you could at least have waited a few years before dropping my last name. That was the cruelest cut of all.” He grinned at her.
Jade leaned against the counter and watched him go through familiar motions. Nick had always been a great cook because, surprisingly, he enjoyed it. Jade wondered why she did not throw him out on his butt. The truth was his antics were mildly amusing. For almost a month very little had appealed to her sense of humor. Damon. The name popped back into her head. How long would it take to get over him? Somehow she knew the answer and felt the return of sorrow.
“Listen, it’s better to find out these things early on.” Nick stirred the batter in a large blue mixing bowl.
“What?” Jade swam up from her deep thoughts to focus on his words.
“I mean that Damon Knight dude. Him and Rachelle go back a long ways. She’s his type, if you like shallow self-centered women who happen to be gorgeous.” Nick shrugged as though they both knew what he meant.
Jade gave a grunt. “I’ve seen some of your lady friends, pal. They’re about as deep as a baby’s wading pool.”
“Unfair. That description doesn’t apply to you at all.” Nick beamed at her. He turned back to concentrate on the task of pouring oil in a deep pan. “Look, Rachelle is just using business as a means to get next to the man. And he’s falling for it pretty good.”
“Guess she’s got the right plan for him in more ways than one.” Jade swiped at a spill of milk harder than necessary.
“Hey, she dangled two things in front of him he couldn’t resist—making his company more money and sex.”
Jade paused in the act of pushing back her ceramic canister set after handing him the one with sugar. “Is that a fact? You know all about it, do you?”
“Rachelle has a natural talent for making sure things go her way. Hell, once she sets her mind...” Nick’s voice died. He gave a nervous chuckle. “I mean when I knew her a long, long time ago.”
Jade grabbed his arm, making batter fly across the kitchen. “Just coincidence we happened to be at the same restaurant, was it?” She backed him against the counter. “Just happen to know all about her plans to use business as an excuse to get to Damon?” She picked up the large wooden mixing spoon and held it under his nose.
“Ba-baby, please,” Nick stuttered. “This violent side of you is so unbecoming.” His expression changed to a slight leer. “And kind of a turn-on.”
“Really?” Jade brought her knee up to his crotch with a quick motion.
“No, no,” Nick yelled out. Beads of sweat budded on his top lip.
“You and Rachelle orchestrated that little scene,” Jade said through clenched teeth.
“I knew he was no good for you the moment I saw the guy.” Nick spoke in a rush of words. When Jade stepped back from him, he blew out a gust of air.
“You slimy, lowdown lying—”
Nick tried to recover some masculine dignity. He straightened his shirt with care. “Nobody forced him to grin in her face or put his hands all over her.”
“You know what? I think I’m going to let the child support folks know just how much money you’re making on this deal.” Jade nodded at him slowly. “Both mothers of your children would be quite interested.”
“You know about—” Nick clamped his mouth shut.
“Have for a long time, Daddy dearest.”
“Now, baby, let’s not be vindictive.” Nick rubbed his mouth. “That would cut into both our profits.”
“My attorney says it will come out of your half of the community property.” Jade smiled at him. “Your check, not mine. Now get out of my apartment.”
“No matter how they got back together, Rachelle has her hooks in your precious Damon again. And you can’t pry him loose,”
Nick said in a voice heavy with rancor.
“Out!” Jade pointed to the door.
She watched him stroll out then sagged against the counter. What he said rang true. And she might have pushed Damon even farther into Rachelle’s arms by overreacting. Look how easy she’d made it for Rachelle by stepping aside. Three weeks since that night. Not a phone call from him. Nick was right. Her pride had prevented her from making the first move. Any chance they had was gone now. Or was it? The cordless phone seemed to pull her like a magnet.
* * *
“Rachelle, you didn’t have to come over so late,” Damon said. “Thanks, Helen.” He suppressed a smile at the look of disapproval the older woman gave Rachelle.
They were seated at compact round conference table in a corner of Damon’s large office on the second floor of his main building. Rachelle had insisted Damon review her firm’s work so they would know they were on the right track.
“That urgent call you were expecting might be coming in any minute.” Helen raised her eyebrows and gestured at him in sign language. “You know the one I mean.”
“Thank you, Helen,” he replied in a stern tone. “If we want to be out of here by midnight, type up that final inventory report for tax purposes.” He jerked a thumb at her to leave.
“Call loud if you need help.” Helen threw one last hostile glance at Rachelle before leaving.
Rachelle sniffed at the closed door. “Helen has always been more trouble than she’s worth. I can help you find a competent administrative assistant, get rid of that old secretary.”
“Helen has the kind of business sense that you can’t learn in any MBA program.” Damon brushed aside Rachelle’s snippy comment. Helen had disliked Rachelle at first sight. And the feeling was mutual. “Now let’s see what your graphic design artist came up with for a new logo.”
Rachelle pulled out the large drawing with a flourish. “Alonzo outdid himself this time.”
“Bold, clean lines.” Damon continued to study the picture without sitting down. A large dark blue K with shadow below it was drawn on a soft gray background.
“Like a commercial giant looming on the horizon. See the shadow effect as though the letter is standing in sunlight.” Rachelle stood and leaned over him, her arm resting on his. “Ready to thrust forth.” She pressed her lips to him.
Damon glanced over his shoulder at her and inched away from her. “Uh, yeah. It really makes an impression. Let’s see the rest.”
With a knowing laugh, Rachelle sat down again. For the next fifteen minutes, Damon reviewed sketches for a complete campaign that included billboards and print advertising.
“I’m so glad you’re pleased.” Rachelle pressed her knee against his and put a hand on his thigh.
“I’m more than pleased. Alonzo did a fantastic job capturing the essence of where I wanted to go with this.” Damon stood and crossed to his desk to escape the sense of being crowded. Nothing about Rachelle affected him the way it had years before.
“Excellent! Let’s celebrate over dinner and fine wine, sugar.”
“No. I mean, thanks but I’ve got more work to do.” Damon tapped a stack of forms, hoping Rachelle took the hint that their meeting was over.
“We don’t have to go out, in case you don’t want your little friend to see us again.” Rachelle wore a catlike smile. “We could order in. There’s a new gourmet pizza place that delivers.”
“Rachelle, I—”
“Jade Pellerin got you on a short leash these days?” She spoke in a tone designed to needle him.
“Not exactly.” He looked away.
Damon came back to the grim reality of how much he missed Jade with a solid thud. Sure, he could keep the demon at bay for sometimes as long as an hour these days; some progress, if not much. In another decade II should be able to sleep through the night without... The ache for her body, her kisses was like an ice pick in his heart. The memory of how she tasted on his lips—sweet and salty at the same time—was a flame licking at his groin. Damon had never experienced this kind of desire before in his life—a craving that left him weak and bathed in sweat in the middle of the night.
“Damon? Hel-lo.” Rachelle waved a hand in front of his face. She wore an expression of annoyance. “Goodness. Little Miss Prissy Pants certainly has whipped.”
“Drop it, Rachelle.” Damon’s jaw muscles worked.
“We don’t have to talk. I’ve got something that can still make you forget everything else.” Rachelle opened her jacket to reveal a low-cut lace bra.
Damon stared at the flawless mounds of flesh the color of fine teakwood and felt...nothing. Not one twitch, not one thrill. All he could think of was how to get her to button up and leave. His thoughts must have been mirrored in his eyes. Rachelle’s lascivious smile drooped as she continued to gaze at him.
“Uh, well, you see I’ve got these reports and—”
“You must have some kind of problem these days.” Rachelle jerked her jacket together and jammed the button through the holes. “You can’t perform or something?” She stomped over to snatch up her leather purse and matching portfolio.
The implication that he was impotent was an obvious bid to restore her feminine pride. Damon felt guilty about embarrassing her. Rachelle wasn’t used to rejection from men, and with good reason. She had a lovely figure, a beautiful face and charm... to a point.
“Look, Rachelle, it’s just with all this work and stress I’m preoccupied. Besides, it’s been over between us for a long time.” Damon tried to be honest yet a gentleman at the same time. It failed.
Rachelle spun to face him. “You’re welcome to your little wannabe upper-class cow with the soulful eyes. Tell her to lose the innocent act. Nobody is fooled.” She had missed a button on the jacket, making it hang crookedly.
“You didn’t have to go there,” Damon said. He smothered a laugh at the spectacle of Rachelle’s obvious envy. He pointed to her clothes. “You need to fix th—”
Enraged at being the butt of humor, Rachelle squinted at him. “I’d like to have you fixed. Go on. Run back to what’s-her-name. She’s more your speed.”
Damon stopped smiling as a notion popped into his head. “Rachelle, you said something about me not wanting Jade to see us again. How did you know that she’d seen us together?”
“You must have mentioned it when I saw you last time.” Rachelle tossed her hair back in defiance. “What does it matter?”
“I didn’t mention anything about Jade to you. Wait a minute.” He snapped his fingers. “Nick Guillory and you know each other.”
“I know a lot of people,” she snapped. “Go sniff after Jade Pellerin if that’s what you want. That is if Nick hasn’t got her legs in the air by now.” Rachelle’s mouth twisted in a spiteful curve.
“Dumb. So dumb of me not to have figured it out by now.” Damon glowered at her. “You arranged it so carefully, didn’t you? Covered your tracks well, as usual.”
“What are you talking about?” Rachelle lifted her nose in the air.
“Just like you managed to hide your affair with Ivory Carrington.” Damon nodded slowly at her. “Yes, I eventually found out.”
What he did not say was that by the time he knew of the affair, it no longer mattered to him. He had already decided to leave her. Rachelle’s selfishness and deceit had killed whatever feelings he’d had for her.
She stood staring at him for a few seconds before she recovered. Damon could almost hear the wheels turning as Rachelle calculated what response would best serve her. It seemed denial and outrage won.
“You’re imagining things. Don’t come scratching at my door when you realize she’s back with Nick. He’s got a certain way with women, and she was stone cold crazy for him.”
Damon felt a wave of revulsion for this woman. How could he have ever thought he’d loved her? “Goodbye, Rachelle. I’ll deal directly with your uncle from now on.”
“Kiss my alimony.” Rachelle snatched up her leather briefcase and strode
from his office.
Seconds later Helen came into his office wearing a delighted grin. “Whoa! Miss Thang flew outta here like a cat with a fire cracker on its tail. Please tell me you got her told.”
“We had words, yes.” Damon could think only of how to undo the damage she’d done. He had a lot to apologize for as well. But what if Rachelle was right about Jade and Nick? He’d been stupid enough to clear the way for Nick to step back into her life. Now it was probably too late to do anything about it.
“Well if you ask me, which you didn’t, you won’t know until you call her, boss.” Helen broke through his musing.
Damon started at her words. “Are you psychic?”
“Don’t need a crystal ball to know something went wrong with you and the new lady. Not the way you’ve been brooding.” Helen pulled a long face in obvious imitation of him. “Now call so I don’t have to keep looking at this all day.” She gave a nod of approval when he picked up the phone then left.
After several seconds of hesitation, Damon punched in the numbers. He anticipated the musical sound of her voice with a mixture of excitement and anxiety. The phone rang six times then picked up. He heard her voice.
“Damn!” Damon groaned in frustration as the recording told him to leave a message at the tone. A cold knot formed in his stomach at the thought that Jade was with Nick. He put down the receiver.
* * *
Jade sat in the car, feeling numb. She’d hung up without leaving a message on Damon’s voice mail and made a bold decision. She knew he was more than likely at his office, working late what with the new business. His car in the building’s parking lot was a welcome sight. After parallel parking on the street directly across from the entrance, she started to get out when Rachelle emerged. With a toss of her hair, she disabled the car alarm on her Mercedes. Jade watched her slam the car door hard and drive away. Now she sat second guessing her boldness. Would it make a difference since Rachelle was obviously back in his life? Her own angry words from that last night came back to her. In a haze of gloom, she started the car with mechanical movements. No reason to stay here.