Just...Breathe: The Love They Had Always Wanted, and Now Try to Fight... (The Broken Series #1)
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Just…Breathe
The Broken Series
Book 1
Angela Fattig
All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer's imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locale or organizations is entirely coincidental. An Original work of Kathleen Brooks. Acquiring Trouble. Copyright @ 2014
Published by Angela Fattig
Cover art by Angela Fattig
Copyright 2014 © Author Angela Fattig
Language: English
Dedication
I want to thank everyone who has/is following me on my journey.
I love reading, writing, and challenging myself to new genre.
Erotic Romance is one that I have read, but never saw myself writing, until now… I will admit that book 1 won’t have much as I am still learning. However, book 2 and 3 will have loads!
Writing is me in a raw and opened form. This is where I leave myself bare, for you.
Please enjoy the journey through my mind, heart, and soul…
~~Angela
“Keep love in your heart. A life without it is like a sunless garden when the flowers are dead.”
~Oscar Wilde
“Love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies.”
~Aristotle
“The greatest happiness of life is the conviction that we are loved; loved for ourselves, or rather, loved in spite of ourselves.”
~ Victor Hugo
There is no disguise which can hide love for long where it exists, or simulate it where it does not.
~ Francois de La Rochefoucauld
Preface
Sitting outside a small street café on South Vermont Ave. were a devilish beautiful couple. They nervously discussed two of their dearest friends. It was a beautiful sunny day in Los Angeles and they enjoyed watching the hustle of the lunch crowd.
The small blonde-haired woman sat back as she closed her eyes. The sun kissing her skin she said, “Jaden’s birthday is in a week.” She opened her eyes to look at the man beside her. “I want to take her to the island.”
The handsome tanned blonde man smiled, it was a smile that most women would die to see each day. “Ah, the island,” he hummed. “That sounds heavenly. I will ask Chase to join us as well. You know how much he loves the island.” He took in the woman’s screwed up face and frowned. “What’s wrong?”
She shook her head and her golden locks bounced. “Should we wait until after the dinner to ask them, just in case?” she questioned.
He smiled again, flashing a perfect set of white teeth. “I’m sure the dinner will go fine,” he shrugged. “If not, then shaking the ground beneath them might just be the wakeup call they need.”
“Do you really think it will work?” she nervously asked the handsome man seated across from her.
“Yes, sweetheart, it will work,” he answered, reaching for her hand. “Jaden and Chase have been alone for far too long. They need each other. They just don’t know it, yet.” Laughter radiated from them.
“I won’t back out, it’s too late for that, but I’m worried,” she said as she bit her lower lip. “You know how hot headed Jaden can be. After Steven, well, she closed herself off. She thinks love is now a fairy tale.”
A small chuckle rumbled in his throat. “Yes, she is,” he said, remembering the first day he had met her. Boy, did she let him have it when she thought he had been cheating on her friend. “But so is Chase. He too was screwed over and it fucked him up. Don’t worry it will work.”
“What do we do if they find out that we set them up?” she asked.
“Honey, please,” he said. “Just…breathe.”
Chapter One
Jaden’s Bad Day
I should have thrown the towel in and went back to bed when my alarm didn’t go off this morning. I had been an hour late for my shift at the diner and had known I was going to hear about it. I just hadn’t expected to be fired today and it hadn’t had anything to do with being late.
A guy that had been coming in for the last week had tried to hit on me again and I had lost it. Everywhere I went it was all about sex. Grow up; there is more to life then sex. How about love? Of course, I wasn’t a virgin; I’d had a few lovers. At least that’s what I call them. My past is something that is only thought about during the dark hours of the night as I lay there screaming.
I knew in my head that there was no such thing as great sex, hell for that matter good sex. No guy has ever given me an orgasm; I would take care of that when I go to the bathroom to clean up. Romance was also an illusion, but a girl could dream, right?
What was with guys and me? I am not very great to look at, rather plain, wavy brown hair, brown eyes, and a decent figure. I am short, 5’3, just plain and average. This time, the guy had grabbed my ass; I lost it and slapped him. Mac fired me on the spot in front of everyone.
Now I was down to one job, one job that barely paid minimum wage. How in the world am I going to pay my bills? Most of the time I didn’t even eat, I was so broke.
My friend, Lori, was always trying to give me money. Lori had been born into money, but chose to work at a fashion magazine. She was always bringing new clothes home and giving them to me claiming that once she tried them on she did not like them. I knew what Lori was doing. I was not blind. However, I loved Lori like a sister so I let it go.
I walked back to my dump of an apartment since I did not need to be at the bookstore until five and it was only ten in the morning. Maybe I would get a newspaper and see what jobs were open that I did not qualify for.
It is not that I wasn’t smart; I just never had the money to attend college. I wasn’t born poor, but would probably die poor and alone.
I stopped at the corner newspaper stand and saw that there was one paper left. Maybe my luck was changing. I reached into my pocket, pulled out the correct change and got the paper; then I continued on my way to my crappy apartment dodging the drunks out front.
Once inside I set the paper on my ratty couch and went to the kitchen for a drink. I spied my note pad and sighed. ‘Maybe one day I will be a famous writer,’ I thought. Ya, right. Like that will ever happen.
I loved to write and Lori was always telling me to send them into writing competitions. I refused, I was too afraid. Besides, Lori had to say she liked my writing since we were friends, right?
Once my thirst was quenched, I made my way back to the couch. I picked up the paper and thumb through to the help wanted section. “Maybe today is the day I find a real job,” I said aloud, “Yea, and maybe I will see a pig fly.”
Twenty minutes later and ten phone calls, I had an interview for a personal assistant position at a big law firm, Daniels Law Firm. They were a very big deal and I knew the guy who owned it was filthy rich. I saw him in the papers, a real ladies man.
Not only did he have the law firm, he also owned CSD Inc. It had something to do with oil. He had an office in New York, Chicago, and here in Los Angeles. Yes, he was very rich.
I looked at my watch and saw I had an hour to get ready and be there. I had better get a move on. It should not take me long seeing as I am limited on clothes. I sighed, and slowly made my way to
my bedroom.
Ten minutes and I was as ready as I would ever be. I took a second to look at myself in the mirror. Unruly hair, simple make-up, straight knee length skirt, and white button down blouse, all courtesy of Lori, of course. “Well, this will have to do,” I said as I walked out of my bedroom, collected my purse, resume, and walked out the door.
As I lived in what was commonly called skid row, it did not take me long to arrive in downtown LA. The bright sunny day was a blessing. I love the way the sun kisses my skin, warming me to the bone.
The sight of the business district always excited me. I had once dreamed that one day I would be joining the hustle of the upper crowd, joining them for work. That dream ended the day my dad died.
I wasn’t born poor. I was ten and my sister Sammie had been six. My dad had been called away for a last minute business meeting in New York. The private jet hadn’t been properly checked before flight and it had gone down, killing all six people onboard, I shudder just thinking about it.
My mom, having never really loved her husband, had begun searching for a new moneyman without luck. Finances began to run low and bills could not be paid. We lost the house, all possessions, and were forced to move into a two-bedroom trailer.
My mother became desperate to find a man to supply her with endless money and she had used Sammie. I had protested but my mother was forceful. I remembered the hurtful words, ‘You look too much like your father.’ She spat out with venom in her voice. ‘What man would ever look at you more than once?’ She turned to look at Sammie and smiled. ‘Now, just look at your sister. She is a copy of her mother. The men will always fall at her feet.’
Her words still hurt to this day. So much so, that I firmly believed them.
I shook my head to clear it. I had arrived. I looked up at the building, shielding my eyes, and immediately felt fear. Fear of the unknown—fear of the handsome man inside.
I glanced at my dime store watch. I still had ten minutes. I studied the building, wondering if the building reflected what was inside the man upstairs.
It had to be a good forty stories. It was sliver, sleek. The entire building was reflective glass, shielding people to what was truly inside. The sign out front read ‘Daniels Law Firm’ and underneath it, ‘CSD Inc.’ The building truly was beautiful, just like the man.
I shook my head once more trying to be rid of the thoughts. ‘This is business,’ I thought. ‘Even if it wasn’t, do you really think a cold fish would turn his head? I’m damaged goods, I’m broken and no one wanted damaged goods.’ With a sad sigh, I straightened my skirt and entered the building.
The inside caught me off guard. It was stunning; the colors, the paintings, and art work. It was enough to take my breath away. Maybe I was right. The building just might reflect the man himself.
I walked over to the receptions desk. The beautiful blonde smiled at me. “May I help you?” she asked.
“Yes, Jaden Smith to see Mr. Daniels,” I answered. “I have an appointment.”
She typed into her computer then looked back up. “Please have a seat and someone will be with you shortly.” She indicated the chairs behind me.
I smiled back, nodded and took a seat. I enviously looked at my so-called resume feeling the shame wash over me. I had to lie just to get this far. Will he be willing to listen to my reasoning? Will he give me a chance to prove myself?
“Ms. Smith?” I heard my name being called. I looked up to see a smiling motherly type woman. The warmth in the woman eyes had me feeling a little better and she returned the smile.
I stood and extended my hand. “Yes, I’m Ms. Smith,” I said.
The older woman took my hand and said, “You are a refreshing sight. I am Mr. Daniels other assistant, Sandy. Please follow me.”
I nodded and followed the woman to a row of elevators. I was trying to wrap my mind around what the woman had said, ‘You are a refreshing sight.’ What did she mean? Sandy pressed the up button and I looked at her again. I could see joy in her eyes and it unsettled me. The elevator arrived and we stepped inside.
We rode up to the fourth floor and stepped out. The colors here were the same as the main level, bright and beautiful. We stopped in front of a set of office doors and Sandy pushed them open, then gestured me through.
This room was no different. Next to another set of doors was a Van Gogh painting, ‘Starry Night’ my favorite.
I stepped closer and reached out to touch the glass. “A painting that can make you believe in fairy tales,” I whispered.
I heard Sandy gasp and turned. There was a surprised look on her face. She recovered quickly. “That’s what Mr. Daniels says,” she clasped her hands together. “He is going to love you. Please go on through, he’s waiting.”
I nodded frowning, not sure what Sandy meant, but shook it off. I turned to face the door, squared my shoulders as I let a breath out, and reached for the door handle.
“Just…breathe, Jaden,” I whispered to myself as I pushed through the door.
Chapter Two
Chase’s Bad Day
I did not think my day could get any worse, I was so wrong. Sitting in my lavish office on the fourth floor staring out the window, I was lost in thought. My assistant walked into my office three days ago declaring her love for me then threw herself at me. I had no choice but to let her go.
Now, I had been through ten interviews and not one of them cut it. I learned the hard way that you needed to read a woman. All of them were money hungry, well with the exception of my sister Patty, and would do what it took to get it.
Romance and great sex, hell even good sex, was an illusion, but a guy could dream, right?
Samantha had taught me well. I was close to asking her to marry me. I got the ring and went home early expecting to surprise her. Instead, she surprised me.
I found her in bed with a friend. I was dumbfounded. She laughed it off saying that I never spent time with her, never bought her things.
As I was packing my bags, she said something that rocked my world. “Awe, come on Chase. Don’t you know that all women want one thing and one thing only, money?” she laughed. “Don’t look so shocked. I never gave you any indication that I wanted anything more than that.”
From that day, I held women at bay, never allowing my heart to become involved. ‘She was right,’ I thought as I shook my head. Why would any woman want me for my heart? Looks are not everything. At thirty-one, I still had a youthful look about me; brown hair and eyes. I stand six foot two, slim, firm build, and tanned. No, not a model, but I was not ugly.
The intercom buzzed, bringing me out of my daydreaming. I reluctantly turned back to my desk. “Yes,” I snapped.
“Sir, your next candidate is here,” the voice said. I ran my hand over my face. If I have to sit through one more woman flirting with me, I would scream.
“Send her in,” I said, knowing it had to be a woman.
“Yes, sir,” came the voice again. I stood and placed a fake smile on my face waiting for the door to open.
When it did, I was struck speechless. The woman that walks in was nothing like what I was used to. She was plain, pretty, but plain. Simple, conservative clothes and she looked scared; utterly afraid, why?
When our eyes meet, I felt my stomach do a flip and that had me even more confused. I ignored it and reached my hand out. “Welcome, thank you for coming in. I’m Chase Daniels,” I said. She just stared, not accepting my hand.
I was not sure what to do. Most women fall over themselves just to touch me, yet she just stood there with a deer in the headlight look.
Just as I was about to drop my hand she snatched it. “I’m sorry,” she said. “Thank you, it’s nice to meet you, Mr. Daniels. I am Jaden Smith. I believe you will want this.”
In her other hand was a piece of paper, but I didn’t see it. I only saw Jaden Smith and felt how warm and shaky her hand was. I tightened my grip on her hand and she stiffened. I shook my head to clear it and released her hand.
I noticed that the resume she handed me was rather short. Without really seeing the words, I continued to wonder why I had such a reaction to her. She does not look like any of the women I usually dated. Nor was she acting like any of the women that threw themselves at me, daily. I shook my head again. I needed to look at the paper in front of me and get this over with.
“Are you ok, sir?” she asked me. My head shot up. She actually sounded concerned. Couldn’t be, women don’t really care how a man feels.
I ignored her question and looked at her resume again; high school, no college, part time here, part time there, and not for very long. “I don’t see anything here indicating that you have experience with being a personal assistant. So why are you really here?” I barked out. She jumped as her eyes went wide. “It can’t be for a job. You already knew that you would be turned down. So let’s just get it out of the way.” My lips formed a snarl. “You’re in love with me and want my money. Isn’t that right?”
Jaden looked as if she had been slapped across the face. “How dare you!” she fumed. “You have no right!” It was now my turn to feel as if I had been slapped, but I recovered quickly.
“Yes, Ms. Smith, I have every right,” I snapped back. “If I’m wrong, then tell me why you are really here.” She glared at me and it made my member stir. ‘What the hell is going on here?’ I wondered.
“I am here for a job, nothing more,” she answered. “I know I don’t have the qualifications, but I had hoped that my luck would change and a place would give me a chance to prove myself. I can see that I was wrong. Goodbye, Mr. Daniels.” She went to stand but I stopped her.