She Said Yes (Falling For A Rose Book 6)

by Stephanie Nicole Norris

  Both Jonas and Samiyah frowned over at Martha Jean.

  “I’m not,” she said, “I promise from here on out to be on my best behavior, but what am I supposed to do when she starts attacking me?”

  “She won’t attack you,” Jonas said.

  “She just did!”

  “Anymore,” he added. “Both of you need to understand that it is unbecoming of you to act like we would expect teenagers to. She won’t attack you again, and if she does, we’ll deal with it when that time comes.”

  Martha Jeaned huffed again. “Fine.”

  “Are you good?”

  Martha Jean smirked. “I’m good, son-in-law.”

  Jonas laid a gentle hand on Samiyah’s back. “How are you?” With his other hand, he rubbed her belly.

  Samiyah smiled up at him. “I’m okay.” She turned to Martha Jean but spoke to Jonas. “Baby, my mom and I are going to get lunch, do you mind?”

  Jonas kissed the side of her head. “Of course not.”

  Samiyah wrapped her arms around him and held on like she didn’t want to leave. Jonas nuzzled his nose between her shoulder and kissed alongside her face. “I’ll get Bradley over here,” Jonas said, speaking in reference to their driver.

  The heat from his lips made her quiver. “Okay,” she said. They kissed then pulled apart as Jonas left the room to make his call.

  Back in the living room, Jaden was welcoming Daniella in with a warm smile and a firm handshake.

  “How are you today, Ms. Daniella?”

  “I would be better if I wasn’t stuck in a traffic jam on my way over,” she said. “I’m so sorry. I would like to apologize to Ms. Stevens for my tardiness.”

  “She’s waiting on you in her usual spot.” Jaden stepped to the side to allow Daniella to pass.

  “Thank you, Mr. Rose,” she said as she found her way to the spa area.

  Jaden left the room for the second floor, taking the Mediterranean staircase two steps at a time. Inside their bedroom, Jaden loosened his tie and strolled into the closet. It was the end of the day, and he was more than ready to relax and take a load off. Standing inside his closet, Jaden removed his suit jacket and put it to the side when soft arms circled his waist. He smiled and turned slowly to face Claudia.

  “I didn’t mean to sneak up on you,” she said.

  “You didn’t,” he responded. “I smelled your saccharine fragrance before you hit the doorway.”

  Claudia smiled. It was amazing how this man made her feel more cherished as the days went on. Claudia’s hands roamed up his shirt, and one by one, she unbuttoned it.

  “I want to apologize for my mom.” She sighed. “It seems, regardless of what I do or say to her, she will be Adeline.”

  Claudia dropped her face, and Jaden pulled it up with the tip of her chin.

  “Do you honestly think I expect you to apologize every time our mother misbehaves herself?” He squinted at her and turned his head slightly. “Of course not. Our family will be who they are no matter what. I just hope she understands that it’s not something we plan to tolerate. She’ll get it together sooner or later. And I’m sorry, too.”

  “For what, babe?”

  “For raising my voice at her.”

  Claudia pulled his shirt from his pants and removed it from his arms. “Now, that right there is nothing for you to apologize about. With Adeline, that’s the only way to get her attention.” She unbuckled his belt. “Besides… it turned me on.” A cat like purr fled from her mouth, and Jaden pulled her into his arms, reaching down to grab her derriere as he slanted his mouth over hers. A streaming heat coursed through them, blazing right down to where they would soon connect. With his hands running up her jeans, Jaden quickly relieved her of the denim. Claudia yelped as he snatched her out of the pants, and her heartrate increased. Claudia would never get used to his hot, possessive lovemaking, and she never wanted to. Jaden didn’t bother to unbutton her shirt one button at a time. But he gave Claudia a fair warning before he destroyed the beautiful blouse completely.

  “Arms,” his deep voice grooved against her mouth.

  Claudia lifted her arms as Jaden sucked her tongue. A ripple of fire blazed down her body, over her breasts, to her vagina as he smoothly relieved her of the blouse. She reached out to him, and her hands trailed up his chiseled chest, coasting around his neck. She didn’t know when he had removed his pants, and before she had time to wonder, Claudia was in his arms. Jaden’s brawny warm hands palmed her ass with a hard smack.

  “Ah!” Claudia yelped. The stinging slap caused her toes to curl, and with her hands she held on to his shoulders tightly.

  When Jaden entered her, it was the profound thrust coupled with the thickened length of his dick that made her pull her mouth from his and toss her head back in a joyful scream. Her body arched into him and urgently, as if they hadn’t had untamable wild sex last night, Jaden drove in and out of her with passionate strokes.

  “Sssss… baby…” Claudia crooned as their bodies collided together.

  Jaden kissed down her fully extended throat, sucking in her chocolate flesh with a fierceness that made her nipples reinforce.

  “Aaah my God, I love you, I love you,” Claudia sang.

  Jaden’s lips trailed back to her face, and he pulled her lips into his warm wet mouth. His plunges sank deeper inside her core and against her lips his thick voice growled, “I love you more.”

  Claudia’s clandestine response was a high-pitched shout. With a handful of her bottom, Jaden took staggered steps until they fell against the wall. In long perpetual strokes, he filled her, pinging at her G-spot with every prod.

  “Ah! Jaden…” she whined.

  Jaden worked his hips back and forth, dipping so thoroughly that he touched every wall inside her. Claudia’s head fell back against the barrier, and Jaden pummeled her sex with a fierce intensity that had them rocking into the wall with fast vibrant thumps.

  “Jaden!” she shouted at the same time Jaden sucked in a nipple. Again, Claudia’s toes curled, and a mating cry clawed from her throat as she squirted all over his shaft.

  “Shit!” He cursed as hot semen rushed inside of her. Capturing her mouth, Jaden sucked in her tongue while they were coated in an electric warmth that tingled every nerve ending inside of them.

  After several seconds, Jaden pulled away from her glorious mouth, breathing heavily. “Tonight, I want you in the swing-set again.”

  Claudia’s eyes widened at the dangerous thought of the new toy they’d purchased, and the anticipation mixed with the comforting cocoon she was currently in made her muscles clench.

  “Or…” Jaden went on, “we could skip the remission and get straight to it.”

  Claudia’s heart raced, and a naughty smile spread across her face.

  “We’d have to put everyone out first,” she half spoke, half panted.

  “Or not,” he said as his growing muscle flexed and extended inside of her. Claudia gasped just as Jaden instilled another rocketing plunge into her, picking right up where they left off.

  Chapter Seven

  The next day

  At the doorbell ringing, Martha Jean quickly straightened her blouse and pulled her shoulders back to better position her posture. The nearing footsteps caused her excited nervous system to jump, but she kept her face calm and unbothered. The latch on the door was lifted, and when it opened, Norma Rodriguez stood there with surprised eyes as she glanced over Martha Jean.

  “Ms. Richards,” Norma said, “to what do we owe the pleasure?”

  Norma was really being pleasant. Everyone knew when Martha Jean came around, a scenario could either get wild or be surprisingly calm. More so the former than the latter. But it was in Norma’s blood to be cordial.

  Martha let her eyes roam over Norma. She’d met the older woman when Samiyah married Jonas. Martha remembered the first time she’d been introduced to her. She wasn’t that impressed with Norma’s five-foot-five height and short and stocky body, but she was surpris
ed by her salt-and-pepper hair that was cut right below her ears in a bob. It was a different look from what Martha Jean had expected in a housekeeper when she’d first been told about Norma. But now standing in front of her, Martha Jean had to admit the woman looked a little different like she’d lost some weight.

  “Hello,” Martha Jean sang. “I hear your birthday is coming up, and I wanted to be proactive in bringing you a gift.”

  Norma’s eyes perked, and she smiled while stepping to the side.

  “Oh, my goodness, Ms. Richards come on in,” she said with a light Spanish accent.

  Martha Jean eased inside, and she looked around before settling her gaze back on Norma. “I hope you have a sweet tooth,” Martha Jean said, “because these come fresh from the bakery.”

  Martha Jean handed over a fruit arrangement that held chocolate covered strawberries, mango, and pineapples. Norma gladly took the gift, her smile spreading further across her face.

  “Thank you so much, Ms. Richards. Hopefully, you’ll stick around and help me eat a few.”

  “Oh, I would be delighted,” Martha Jean said. It was her sole purpose for coming to Christopher Lee Rose’s compound. When Christopher didn’t reach out to her after the photo Martha Jean had sent, she surmised the man must need an up close and personal look at her new appearance. And that’s exactly what she planned to give him.

  Norma stepped past Martha Jean. “Follow me,” she said, walking through the foyer, down the hallway, to the kitchen. As Norma sat the basket down, she retrieved two small appetizer plates and sat them on the counter then turned for the kitchen sink to wash her hands.

  “I’ve been outside in that stubborn garden trying to make sure the ground stays fertilized,” Norma said. “If I don’t, Mr. Rose will hire a whole firm to come in here and tease the ground when spring comes back around.”

  Martha Jean frowned slightly. “It sounds like you’re working yourself too hard, Norma. If Mr. Rose wants to hire people to come tease the ground as you say, then why not let him?”

  Norma turned off the sink and turned around, reaching for the towelette across the counter to wipe her hands on.

  “Ms. Richards, I’ve been around here for a long time. I was here when Mrs. Rose passed, and I’ve seen the boys grow into distinguish gentlemen. So, trust me when I say, if I let Mr. Rose throw money at anything, he would be broke.”

  Martha Jean snickered. “Nooo, I don’t believe that for a second.”

  Norma smiled. “Okay, maybe not broke, but a close second.”

  Martha Jean continued to chuckle at what she assumed was Norma’s joke. Again, her eyes took in the woman’s light brown butter skin, the mole that sat on her cheek right up under her nose, gray eyes, and the short bob hairstyle.

  “You know, Norma, you look like you’ve lost a little weight. I hope you don’t mind me saying so. Everyone takes what I say so personally these days.”

  Norma chuckled again while she pulled fruit kabobs from the Edible arrangement. “I’ve gotten good about taking a thirty-minute walk in the morning,” Norma said, “and with all my daily activities the extra workout must have me shedding a few pounds.”

  “I hope you don’t mind me asking,” Martha Jean began, “but why haven’t you had a significant other? It’s hard to believe that you haven’t wanted the company in the twenty or so years you’ve been working here.”

  Norma smiled wider. “I’ve had boyfriends,” she said. “They never last under the scrutiny of the Roses.”

  Martha Jean’s mouth dropped. “Are you telling me that they all stick their necks in your business?”

  Norma was tickled at the outraged look on Martha Jean’s face.

  “You have to understand,” Norma said, “they don’t see me as their housekeeper. Actually, they’ve never treated me like one. To them, I’m family, and no one gets past the Roses’ inspection. To do so, you would have to be a pretty standup guy.”

  “Hmmm,” Martha Jean said.

  “Even Mr. Rose’s friends Fred and Sampson have tried their luck.” This had Norma’s laughing rising. “But Mr. Rose would fly Fred and Sampson to a remote island before he’d let them get anywhere near me.”

  Martha Jean rolled her eyes. “Yeah, I’ve heard about them two, they sound like heathens that need to be tamed.”

  Norma laughed harder. “They are an interesting team.”

  “It almost makes you wonder why Mr. Rose entertains them fools as friends. Why not just kick them to the curb all together?”

  “Oh, they’re harmless,” Norma reiterated, “just a bit loose at times.” She chuckled.

  “Mmhmm, speaking of, I heard they were in town,” Martha Jean went on, getting to the real reason for her visit. “Are they here?”

  “Not now.” Norma handed Martha Jean the small plate with three chocolate covered strawberries on top.

  Keeping up the charade, Martha Jean pulled one to her lips for a juicy, mouthwatering bite. “Mmm, this is good,” she said with juice running down her lip. Cupping her hand to her mouth, Martha Jean moved to grab a paper towel. Carefully, she dabbed the corners of her mouth.

  “So good,” Martha Jean quipped.

  Norma agreed with a nod of her head as she also bit into the sweet fruit.

  “So, does that mean Christopher is also gone? I know he’s been babysitting them since they got in town.”

  Norma nodded. “With all the time they spent getting fit for their tuxes yesterday, believe it or not, they still didn’t finish.”

  “Why not?” Martha Jean said, annoyed that Christopher wasn’t home, and she’d bought the expensive fruit and made the trip for nothing.

  Just as Norma went to respond, the kitchen door swung open and in walked Antonio Rose, Christopher’s brother. Antonio stopped short upon seeing the two women chatting in the kitchen.

  He turned to them with a smile and a cocked brow. “Good afternoon,” his voice crooned. He held out his hand toward Martha Jean for a shake.

  Slowly Martha Jean reached out, accepting his greeting. “Good afternoon… Antonio, right?”

  Antonio smiled slowly, his thick lips spreading the span of his tightly carved jaw. “You remembered my name this time,” he said.

  “Yeah, you only told it to me a thousand times,” Martha Jean retorted.

  Antonio laughed. It was an easy grooving sound that ran a surprising chill over Martha Jean. Approaching Norma, Antonio circled his arms around her for a full hug that picked her slightly off her feet.

  “Mr. Rose,” Norma said, tickled. “Put me down before you hurt yourself.”

  Martha Jean smirked. She had a feeling Norma would be fun to hang out with for a grown woman’s night out. Pushing her lips out and after a second thought, Martha Jean scrubbed that last idea.

  “I take it my brother’s not here,” Antonio asked after placing Norma back on her feet.

  “How’d you know?” she asked.

  “His Crown Victoria is absent from the garage.”

  Norma glanced at the watch on her wrist. “He’s been gone for about an hour. Honestly, there’s no telling how long he’ll be out with Fred and Sampson.”

  Martha Jean held back an eye roll. Christopher had really planned to babysit those two, and she couldn’t be more irritated.

  “I see.” Antonio brought his focus back to Martha Jean. “I take it you’re also here to see my brother?”

  Feigning unawareness, Martha Jean threw a hand to her chest. “Who me?”

  Antonio took his gaze around the room, pretending to look for someone other than Martha Jean. When he made it back to her, Martha Jean held pursed lips with her eyes cut at him. A low chuckle slipped from Antonio as he took in her shoulder length silver hair that sat straightened to perfection on her shoulders. The silky strands moved easily with even the softest of movements, and the diamond studs in her ear sparkled beneath. Martha Jean watched him as he took in her dark brown eyes, short nose, and medium full lips. As his eyes found their way down her silver blouse, b
lack denim jeans, and ankle boots that were barely an inch off the ground, Antonio found himself whistling, haphazardly.

  “That’s a fine color you’re wearing,” he said.

  Martha Jean found herself suddenly warm.

  “Oh this?” she said, running a hand down her blouse. “It’s just an old silver shirt I had in the back of my closet,” she lied. Martha Jean had purchased that shirt last week after she’d set her battle plan for winning Christopher’s heart.

  “No,” Antonio said, “the color on your lips.”

  Another wave of warmth coasted over Martha Jean, making her rub her lips together. In all of her groveling over what to wear this morning, she’d almost forgotten the deep shade of red lipstick she’d applied.

  “Oh,” she waved him off. “Thank you.” She blushed, feeling ridiculously coy. She switched gears quickly. “I just stopped by to bring Norma an early birthday present.” Martha Jean gestured toward the open Edible arrangement.

  “How nice,” Antonio said.

  “It’s delicious, too. Would you like a chocolate covered strawberry, Mr. Rose?” Norma asked.

  “Don’t mind if I do,” he said, taking it upon himself to pull a strawberry off the kabob.

  Norma moved in to pluck a few more berries off and sat them on a plate. With the remaining arrangement, she trekked to the refrigerator and placed it inside. Martha Jean hadn’t managed to take her eyes of Antonio’s lips from the moment they closed around the fresh fruit. It unnerved her and twisted her gut, and the warmth she’d felt rose. Martha Jean bit her lip just as Antonio’s gaze connected with hers.

  Walking toward her casually, he spoke, “This is delicious.” He held the half-bitten fruit. “You should try one.”

  As if her body had a mind of its on, Martha Jean stepped forward, closing their gap. With an open mouth, she slipped her lips around the other end of the half-eaten fruit and closed her eyes in a sensual moan. The warmth from her wet lips seeped into his fingertips, and the fire went straight to his shaft.

  His pupils darkened. “Was that good?”