Much more slowly he continued filling her. When she relaxed against him, he started the sensual dance. His rhythmic thrusts carried their own beat that were answered by the gyrations of her hips.
Wherever he led, she followed. Their union was natural and uninhibited. In his arms, Denise didn’t back away from all that he offered. This was no time to examine his emotions, yet he set aside his vulnerabilities about the future.
Now. In the present, he wanted to feast on the delights that Denise brought for his consumption. Likewise, he hoped that she enjoyed the same level of satisfaction.
Her legs clamped around his waist with a vicelike grip that shocked and delighted him. From the tightness on her face and the quivering between his legs, he sensed her readiness.
“Ride with me,” she gasped. “Come with me.”
Jaden didn’t need any further invitation. He gripped her shoulders and bore down. He wanted to feel the electricity that charged between them setting them on the same road, at the same time. He quickened his thrusts, matching the increasing tempo. Their bodies writhed, stretched, pushing toward the hypersonic boom that shattered their thoughts, ripped the breath from their lungs, quickened their pulse to the edge of reason.
With each torturous cry from her lips, Denise raised her hips to grind through Jaden’s powerful releases. Her legs trembled from the grip she had sustained. But she welcomed all of Jaden between her legs. Deep within her, the pulsations continued while slowing down so that life was no longer a blur. She could now get off the heady merry-go-round and focus on the real world that stood still.
“I hope I didn’t hurt you.”
“I hope I didn’t wear you out.” Denise kissed the tip of Jaden’s nose.
“I’m famished.” On cue, his stomach rumbled. “I’ll slip away and get us some food.”
Denise nodded, also reading that Jaden wanted time to clean up. When he left, she also got up and headed for the bathroom. The bright, cruel light put her in a spotlight in front of the mirror. She shuddered at the sight.
Her hair was disheveled and appeared matted. The rest of her body, well, regardless of how it looked, it felt marvelous. She set about trying to make nice with her hair.
“I brought up your clothes,” Jaden called from the bedroom.
Denise stuck out her head. “I’m sending you the bill for my hair and clothes.”
“Didn’t realize that a heated moment brought out the comedian in you.”
“I’d say we had more than a moment.”
Denise emerged from the bathroom. This time she tilted his chin to kiss him. His lips responded to her, his hands covered her back. She cupped his face with all the tenderness of holding something precious.
She looked into his eyes. “One more time?”
A long, guttural moan was his only response.
This time under the entrance of the sun beaming into the bedroom, they made love with a lazy abandon. Half starved, half exhausted, they clung to each other and let their bodies move on autopilot.
Denise kept her eyes open, when she could. Other times, the throes of desire hit so hard that she swore her eyes rolled back in her head. But she held on, sinking her fingers into Jaden’s back as his hips ground against hers.
Their passion traveled a path together, neither one running ahead of the other. At that destination point that had no definition, no place on a compass, they surrendered to the explosions of their bodies’ celebration.
Denise closed her eyes and held on. This was a beautiful storm that she wanted to ride with Jaden. She wished it would never end.
“I think we may need to go to an all-you-can-eat.” Denise followed Jaden into the kitchen the next morning.
“I’m too weak to think about driving.”
“Oh, my car.” She remembered that her car was still at the ballroom.
“We’ll get it.” He pulled out a frying pan from the cupboard. “After we eat.”
Denise wanted something to keep her mind off the past glorious hours. She didn’t want to behave like a teen with her first crush. Grown women had to be prepared that there might not be anything beyond an initial physical attraction.
“Why don’t you take a seat at the dining-room table?”
“But I wanted to help.”
“You’re distracting me and I’m hungry. Let me do my thing.”
Denise raised her hands in mock surrender.
He whipped up an omelet, pancakes and turkey bacon. He presented her breakfast with freshly brewed coffee.
“You are quite handy. I like a man that is versatile. Thank you.” Denise looked at her laden plate. This morning she wasn’t counting calories, points or anything else. And she was quite certain that she could eat every crumb of this meal because she had worked up an appetite.
“What time do you want me to help you move?”
“I had forgotten about moving. I appreciate you helping me out with your men. The moving company had a lot of hidden fees. I’m willing to pay them, don’t get me wrong, but they were trying to take advantage.”
“No need to explain. I understand what you mean. Let’s finish up here and I’ll organize them.”
“I’m excited about moving into the house.”
“Good. You had me worried there for a second. You didn’t seem to want the house.”
“I just wish that I could do more things on my own.”
“And I’m sure that you are very independent. But isn’t the house a tradition in the family?”
She nodded. Little did he know that she had received her gift as an incentive to stop her gambling habit. In their own way, her parents thought she gambled because she needed money or stability.
“Don’t be ashamed of it or who you are.”
“I’m not,” she retorted. He’d touched a nerve.
“I work with the wealthy and superwealthy on most of my projects. You’d think that would guarantee payment, but they can be the tightest when it comes to giving up their cash.”
Denise nodded, understanding that his comment wasn’t directed at her.
“All that money messes with your mind,” Jaden reflected.
“What makes you the expert? What inner demons are you hiding? ’Cause I got a lot.”
Jaden shrugged. “I think we all do.”
“Yeah.” Denise pushed away from the table and took the dishes into the kitchen. In this perfect world where Jaden behaved like a responsible adult, her weaknesses had no place.
“Last night, when I came to get you…”
Denise set down the dishes in the sink. “Please, I don’t want to talk about last night.”
“Look, I’m here to help.”
Shame flooded her body and her face grew hot from embarrassment. His scrutiny had pierced her armor. She felt naked, and not in the sexual sense. “I don’t need anyone’s help.”
“Looked to me as if your family and friends all wanted to help.” Jaden joined her in the kitchen.
All of a sudden, the open, airy room felt the size of one of her closets. She tried to escape past him. His hands grasped her arms, forcing her to remain still. She kept her gaze focused on the embroidered emblem on the left side of his shirt.
“We’re friends, remember, and lovers. I think you’re trapped in this painful box, suffocating yourself in the process.”
“Please don’t try to perform therapy on me. What you saw last night was remnants of a family disagreement.”
“And is that why Sara wanted you to come away from the tables?”
“Drop it, Jaden.” She hadn’t meant to raise her voice, but she didn’t have the control she would’ve liked in this situation. “I haven’t invited you into my life.” She pushed away and ran toward the door to escape from further probing. The realization hit her that she didn’t have her car. She stopped at the front door and rested her head against the sturdy barrier. “I want to go home.”
He paused a beat. “Not a problem.”
The air of excitement was gone duri
ng this ride. Denise fastened her gaze out the window. Her other senses were tuned to every movement he made.
I haven’t invited you into my life.
How could she have said such a thing? And she knew that her emotional remark had wounded him. His face had registered shock and the unpleasant realization that she’d shoved his act of friendship in his face.
An apology could set things straight. But she couldn’t honestly say that it would be sincere. She wanted Jaden and enjoyed being with him. The idea of a future with him intrigued her. But this pit that she’d dug and jumped into with both feet imprisoned her. As long as she could pretend that everything was fine and normal, she didn’t have to deal with the feeling of being trapped.
She wanted to keep her lives separate. Last night proved that her wish might not be fulfilled. In the stark reality that came with daylight, she had to deal with her mother, Thea and her sorority sisters.
When Jaden pulled up next to her car, Denise mustered scraps of her courage. She opened the door, a small act that could speed her escape after his reaction. Without looking at him, with her feet on solid ground and her car a couple of steps away, she confessed. “Jaden, I’m a gambler.”
Jaden heard the anguish in those words. He reached out to touch her, give her reassurance. She’d slipped out of his car in a rush and jumped into her car. He respected her need to be alone.
Her admission didn’t provide any revelation apart from what he already knew. But it eased the hurt that she’d inflicted with her caustic words. His insecurity flared, reminding him that he had stepped right into another situation of hurt and betrayal.
Yet all the feelings he experienced were too vivid and powerful for them to be only his gullibility. And in one swoop, Denise had confirmed his belief with her admission. He didn’t drive away until she had, and then he returned home.
At noon, most of his men had showed up, glad for the chance to make some extra cash. He had thought about his brother, who could probably use the money, too. Denise had been brave with her demons. He had set aside his judgment and invited his brother into his life for a few hours.
Now they were all back at Denise’s apartment. “I’ve packed everything that I want you to start moving.”
Jaden hid his smile as she bossed everyone around. She looked too sexy in a tank top and jeans. Once in while, he would catch one of his men giving her a lingering look as she walked by. “I don’t think she’s paying you to watch.”
“No, boss.”
“Then let’s get moving.” They could call him selfish, but he wasn’t in the mood to share.
His men had made several trips to the rented truck when his brother finally put in an appearance. Jaden slipped on his shades to hide his irritation. Hopefully his brother hadn’t drunk his last meal.
“Calvin, good of you to join us.”
“What do you want me to do?” Calvin brushed past him into the apartment.
“Most of the work is already done.”
“I have plants in the dining room that still need to be moved.” Denise offered her hand. “Nice to see you again.”
“Again?” Calvin looked at Jaden.
“You were in my home when Denise was visiting.”
Realization came into his expression. “Oh, I wasn’t my best then.”
“We’re not always our best every minute of the day.” Denise offered to let him off the hook.
Jaden grunted. Biting back a sarcastic response, he moved away and busied himself with taking down framed prints. He surveyed the area from his perch on the stepladder. His men had cleared the apartment in under an hour.
“I don’t want to waste the guys’ time,” Denise said to Jaden. “Do you think you can handle the remaining items while I head over to the house? My sorors will be meeting me there, too.”
“Don’t worry about anything. And thank you for being so honest with me earlier.” He placed his arm around her waist and guided her to the front door. “See you in a few minutes.” He placed a strategic kiss near her earlobe. “You look good enough to eat.”
Denise squirmed out of his grasp. She winked at him and blew a kiss as she headed out of the apartment.
“I think she’s in love with you,” Calvin said. He placed a phone that had been disconnected from the wall into a box. “Are there more phones?”
Jaden nodded, pointing toward the kitchen where a wall phone was still connected. He tried to ignore Calvin’s comment, poking into his private affairs. What would he know about Denise being in love? However, his brother’s claim raised a glimmer of hope.
“Do you think you should be leading her on?” Calvin emerged from the kitchen. “Keep it up and you’ll have a track record.”
Jaden continued to take down the prints. He didn’t know why Calvin deliberately irritated him. If he kept it up, he’d cut this arrangement short and not have him go to Denise’s house.
“You can’t pretend that Charlene and Demetrius don’t exist. I saw Charlene the other day when Demetrius was sick. You won’t take her calls, and I was there for her. I’m a poor substitute for you, though.”
“Stop stirring up what doesn’t concern you,” Jaden warned. “Charlene is in the past. I love Demetrius, but it won’t do any good to be used as a tool by his mother. And you don’t need to do anything on my behalf.” Jaden walked past his brother to his car and loaded in the prints.
“I forgot, you’ve got your own thing going on.”
“What do you want from me?” Jaden headed back into the apartment. His patience had thinned to almost nothing.
“I’m pissed because you’re living your life with your crazy rules, running over people’s feelings. You don’t care about anything or anyone, you coldhearted, son of—”
Jaden grabbed Calvin by the collar and pushed him backward until a solid wall deterred his efforts. “Don’t lay your paranoid B.S. at my feet. I don’t owe you anything. As a matter of fact, I’m tired of picking up after you and propping you up. And with everything that I’ve done, you don’t have an ounce of appreciation. And this obsession you have about Charlene needs to stop. That chapter of my life is closed.”
“You’re so slick with your lies that you actually believe them. Does Denise know?”
“Thanks to you, yes, she knows.”
“And she still wants to be with you?” Calvin pushed his hands away and fixed his shirt. “Don’t you find that odd?”
“Find what odd, Calvin?” Jaden rubbed his forehead. “Are you sure you haven’t been drinking?”
Calvin launched himself at him. His wild punch glanced off his chin, not enough to do damage, but it stung nevertheless. Jaden’s body went rigid with coiled rage. His hands balled into fists and he badly wanted to wipe the smile off Calvin’s face.
“I think you need to leave. You came here picking a fight. I’m not going to allow you to take me to that place.” He shoved Calvin toward the door.
“I want my money.”
Jaden sighed. This unkempt man in front of him was his baby brother.
The thought that his hands were at his baby brother’s neck roiled his stomach. The best thing in this case was for them to go their separate ways.
He pulled out his wallet and opened it. “Here’s one hundred dollars.”
His brother took the money with a nod. He walked over to his latest car. Jaden didn’t want to know what had happened to the last one. He stayed until his brother drove off and disappeared from view.
With Calvin gone, the apartment was empty. He gathered the few items that hadn’t been boxed. Then he locked the apartment and drove over to Denise’s new home.
His phone rang as he pulled up to her house. He glanced down and saw that his mother was calling. “Hi, Mom.”
“Haven’t heard from you. How are you doing?”
“Sorry about that. Life got busy.”
“Not too busy for you to give me a quick call. Are you coming over for dinner tomorrow? I’m cooking baked chicken. You know we’ve got
to watch your father’s cholesterol.”
“How’s Dad? Is he taking it easy?”
“When I get on his case, he’ll rest, but only for a little bit. Your brother is on his mind. But I told him that you were handling it.” She paused. “Have you been able to reach out to Calvin?”
Jaden turned off the engine. “I’ve seen him.” He bit his lip, trying to spare his mother from the sordid details. “I gave him money.”
His mother clucked her tongue. “I know he needs money, but I don’t want you to make it easy for him. He needs a job, to get himself a nice girl and live a decent life. I tried to get him to come to church with me. He needs to unburden his soul.”
“Mom, Calvin needs professional help.” He could hear the argument about to be delivered. “I’m not saying that Pastor Womack can’t help him, but Calvin needs to be in a program.”
His mom was silent for a bit. Then she spoke softly, “I’ve been afraid of that.”
Jaden hated to make her worry. His parents should be enjoying their retirement and the results of their hard work and love. Instead they took on the guilt of his brother’s condition. He carried that boulder of guilt on his shoulder on a daily basis.
“Promise me you’ll get him to come to dinner tomorrow,” his mother continued. “I think that it’s important we at least act like a family. We can’t wait for only birthdays and Christmas.”
“I’ll try.”
“Do more than that, Jaden. I want both of you here tomorrow. I’ve got to run.” His mother hung up.
Jaden got out of the car in a melancholy mood. He grabbed a box and entered the house.
Inside, people moved around completing their tasks. Several large pizzas were lined up on the kitchen counter. Beer stuck randomly throughout filled a cooler packed with ice. Music blared out of speakers, the source unseen.
A party was in full progress. The furniture had been set in place throughout the house. The home had been transformed. He went out on the balcony in search of Denise.
“Hi, Jaden.”
“Hi, Sara. Is Denise out there?” He motioned toward the deck where another group was in lively discussion. He suddenly felt left out.
Gamble on Love Page 9