“Keeping things to yourself?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“To guard myself I supposed.”
Jaden considered her for a long moment. “And what things are you keeping from me?”
Claudia wasn’t prepared for that question even though she’d stepped right into it. A plethora of thoughts ran through her mind, but she said none of them.
Stumbling she said. “No-nothing.”
There was unease in her response, and Jaden knew she was keeping something from him, but he reverted to her initial reply to give her a break. Later, he thought, we’ll get to it later.
“Why don’t you talk to them about it? I think your mom will listen.”
Claudia twisted her lips. “And Desiree?”
“One at a time. We’ll work on her.”
Claudia laughed, and they sat and ate.
“There is something I’ve wanted to ask you about,” Claudia confessed.
Jaden sat his rib down and looked on eagerly.
“You have my attention,” he said.
“I’ve lived in Chicago all of my life and as famous as your family is, I didn’t hear a lot about you growing up. It was only when I was in my twenties that I began to see you on TV or in the newspapers. I mean, I know we run in different circles with me growing up in the hood and all but I just—”
Claudia rambled, and Jaden’s hands touched her arm. The heat from his palm made her shiver. She stopped speaking instantly at his touch.
“Ask your question, chérie,” he said.
Claudia swallowed her tongue.
“Umm, well I guess I want to know where you were in your earlier years. What was life like for you?”
Jaden sat back in his seat and mused over her question. He grabbed a glass of water and took a large sip.
“I can only account for the last twenty years of my life,” he sighed.
Claudia’s eyes widened.
“I was ten years old when my mother passed away. It was a home invasion. At the time, the only people in the house were me, Josiah, my mother, and my sisters who were upstairs in their crib. Jonas had gone to the store and Julian, Jonathon, and Jordon, were outside playing around. When the men came in, they wore ski masks, and held big guns. You would think we had drugs in our home with the way they rushed the house.”
Jaden took another sip of water.
“I saw them from the banister on the second floor. When they kicked in our front door, it was earsplitting, like a crack of lightning. I ran to my father’s cabinet, where he kept his rifles and pulled one off the shelf. Josiah was too young to carry one, so it was up to me to protect us.”
Jaden paused, his eyes dropping to the food that sat in front of him as he stared off into space.
“I ran up on the tallest one with my gun aimed at his head. I could’ve taken the shot, but I failed to check the rest of the house first. One of his partners hit me over the head with the butt of his gun, and I passed out. When I came to, Jonas was standing over me, and Josiah was standing next to him.”
Jaden’s voice imitated the younger version of himself. “Did you get em?” I asked Jonas.
“No, get up you have to help me find, Jonathon, Julian, and Jordan.” He said. “He was panicked, and at the time, I didn’t know our mother wasn’t alive.”
Claudia covered her mouth with her hand.
“To make an extremely long story short. I haven’t been able to remember anything since that day. Memories of my mother before that point are a blur. I thought I was being punished for not living up to the hero I know I could’ve been. And although I know Jonas feels responsible because he’s the oldest, I’m the next in line, and I was there. I’ve had to live with the guilt of not saving my mother, and for a long while, I wouldn’t speak. As my family’s reputation grew, I made sure to stay out of the limelight. With my father and brother’s help of course. We all carry a bit of the traumatic event but none more than me.”
“Jaden…” Claudia said. “You sound as if you still blame yourself. You were ten years old. It’s not your fault.”
Jaden offered Claudia an easy smile. “I know that now.”
“But you still feel responsible.”
“Of course, I’m a man, sure I was a boy then, but that’s no excuse. I can take it in stride now. I don’t dwell on it or have pity parties. But to answer your question, that’s the reason you didn’t see much of me. It was only when Jonas took me under his wing did I show an interest in anything outside of my head. It took me five years before I spoke my first word again. Jonas and I were playing basketball in the garage as my other brothers looked on from the sideline. I’d made the three-point shot winning the game. I screamed. Yeaaah! And my brother’s all turned to me, surprised.” Jaden chuckled. “I was kind of surprised, too. That was a beautiful day. I wasn’t completely myself again, but I would say something here and there. Another five years passed and I was Jaden again, except for the fact that the only memory I have of my mother is her death.”
Jaden went quiet again and this time Claudia spoke up.
“Are you the one who started her foundation?”
“I proposed the idea but we all contributed to making it a reality. Jan’s Roses, named after my mother, Janet. Devoted to assisting victims’ families of home invasions. My brother, Jonathon runs it.”
“I admire you,” Claudia said. “You are a fearless man, Jaden. You were then, and you are now. Some people don’t come back when they go through tragedy. You are loved unconditionally, and your support system is strong. I’m sure your mother is happier than anything that you survived. And you’re going to be an excellent father and make some woman lucky one day.” She smiled, “I’ll place a bet on that.”
I guess you’ll find out Jaden thought. The turn of his thoughts pulled at Jaden’s chest. He tried to dismiss the sudden promise. But it refused to go away. He smiled at her, and their conversation remained light for the remainder of the evening. There was still a twinge of spicy barbeque on their lips when they decided to take their leave.
Now standing on a field of green grass, nervous energy surrounded Claudia as she stared at the largest balloon she’d ever seen. In awe at the size of it, she turned to Jaden. “Have you ever ridden a balloon ride before?”
“I can’t say that I have.” He slid his arm around her shoulders. “Are you worried?”
Instead of pretending, she admitted outright, “Yes, I am.”
Watching her intensely had become second nature for Jaden, he loved that she was so fascinated like a kid on Christmas. The guide approached with his hand held out. “Good evening, you must be Mr. Rose.”
“Yes sir,” Jaden shook his hand, “And this is—”
“Mrs. Rose,” the guide spoke up without giving Jaden a chance to finish.
When Jaden didn’t correct the guide, Claudia turned to him flustered.
“Mrs. Rose,” Jaden said a gleam in his eyes, “This way.”
Claudia blushed but also made no mention of correction; she could pretend to be the misses for however long he wanted. They strolled to the hot air balloon and Jaden helped her inside. The guide didn’t do much talking as the heat shot out of the mechanical device causing the balloon to take flight, but he did make some small comments.
“You’re just in time for this miraculous sunset,” the guide said. “In about five minutes you’ll get the best view of Las Vegas yet.”
Claudia leaned into Jaden, snuggling under his warmth. His male scent did erotic dances across her nose, and she exhaled. Being with him was exhilarating, and Claudia never wanted this time with him to end. Rubbing an affectionate hand over her back, Jaden bent his head and kissed her temples then slowly turned her to face the view. Claudia gasped.
“Wow, this is extraordinary.”
“It is,” Jaden responded. He held her tighter against his wide chest, and Claudia’s head fell against him. A swirl of wind flew around them and this moment was heaven for them both.
>
Claudia hadn’t been with a man like Jaden; respectful, charismatic, thoughtful, wealthy, caring. Hell, she hadn’t been with a man long enough to grow anything real. Her relationships had been more like scattered thunderstorms. The mountains surrounding the Las Vegas Strip were large and rose by every moment of their ascent.
“Here it comes,” the guide said.
The skyline ignited as an array of orange stretched across the clouds. Claudia gasped again pulling slightly away from Jaden.
“My God,” she whispered softly. If only she could take this moment and bottle it up to re-live later. The sunset cast a glow over the Las Vegas scenery, and Claudia turned to look at Jaden only to find him gazing intently at her.
“Are you seeing this, you’re going to miss this view.”
“On the contrary, chérie, I have the best view in my sights already.”
His arm slid back around her waist, drawing her into him. A kiss that sparked like a soft flame, smooth and warm, became predatory and detrimental within seconds. Claudia became unhinged. In her sights all she saw was him. His honey brown eyes and sculpted features in front of an orange display of the heavens. Claudia skimmed her hands up his chest and pulled slightly away.
“You have to stop doing this.”
Jaden cleared his throat. “What if I can’t?”
They stared at each other. Claudia was trying to decipher what he was getting at and Jaden awaited her response. Finally, Claudia turned away from him placing her hands on the basket’s edge. With the sun finally setting, their balloon flight began to descend. What did he want from her? Why was he so primitive one second and pulling away from her the next? One thing was for sure, Claudia had played enough games with men to last a lifetime, and she could no longer deny that she’d fallen in love with Jaden.
She inhaled a deep breath and pushed it out just as hard. Trying to get him out of her system once they’d made it back to Chicago was going to be dreadful. When their ride cruised back to the ground, Claudia was the first out. She could hear Jaden saying something to the guide before he sprung into a jog to catch up to her.
“Hey,” he grabbed her arm turning her to face him. “Did I do something wrong?”
The concern on his face didn’t make her unstable emotions calm. “I’m fine,” she said.
But he knew better. “You’re keeping something from me, Claudia. Tell me what it is.”
“I told you I’m fine, okay? Can we just go back to the hotel? I need some water.”
He watched her walk away then went after her again. At the car, they climbed in and Jaden turned the engine. Claudia was avoiding his gaze. She bit down on the inside of her jaw and twiddled her thumbs that sat in her lap.
“Seat belt,” he said.
Unsteady, Claudia fumbled with the seatbelt, but it was stuck. The tug and pull on the leather strap did her no good since it wouldn’t budge. Jaden reached over placing a warm hand over hers to steady her motions.
“Let me help you,” his deep voice thrummed through her. The rise and fall of her chest practically rocked her as his closeness played a game with her nerves. Jaden needed to know what had set her off. Pulling the strap, it stretched with ease as he buckled it around her. But Jaden didn’t move back. He hovered at her side watching her.
“Do you want to talk about it?”
“What is there to talk about?” Claudia kept her eyes straight out the window as she spoke.
“Chérie…”
“Don’t,” she said.
He continued to read her. “Will you at least tell me what I did wrong, so that I won’t do it again?”
Claudia’s pulse kicked up a notch.
“I just need to get some water and settle down.” Finally she gave him eye contact. “It’s me, not you.”
Bewildered, Jaden sat back in his seat, “Really?”
Claudia understood how she sounded. “I mean, it must have been the ride and all my crazy thoughts. I just need to get some water.”
Jaden knew Claudia was holding back from him. Relaxing a bit, he put the car in reverse and pulled off the gravel to the road.
They rode in silence back to the Palazzo hotel. Standing in front of her suite Jaden spoke.
“Claudia whatever it is that you’re feeling, don’t hold it back from me. We’re getting to know one another, right? No holding back.”
That was easy for him to say, she thought. He wasn’t the one falling in love when they were friends with benefits. But since they’d left Puerto Rico, the benefits portion of this friendship had become obsolete, since every time Claudia thought they would have sex, Jaden withdrew. She didn’t know what to think, but she did know she wanted and needed to connect with him.
“Would you like to come in?”
“If you’ll have me.”
She turned to insert her key card. The pad on the door struck green, and they walked inside. Housekeeping had obviously made their rounds since the bed Claudia left ruffled was now just as sharp as it was when they checked in.
Going straight to the bar, Claudia pulled a short glass from the counter and added two cubes of ice.
“Would you like something to drink?” Claudia asked.
“What do you have?”
“Well let’s see.”
Claudia bent to eye the display of liquors calling them out one at a time and giving Jaden a full view of her round, voluptuous backside.
“Let me help you with that,” he said appearing behind her like he’d been conjured.
Claudia stood slowly, indulging in the warmth of his body heat. Her pulse spiked, and she chugged the glass of water. It did nothing to calm her raging libido. Jaden reached for a glass and poured brown liquor on top of two cubes.
“Feeling refreshed?” He asked glancing to her empty glass of water.
“Hardly,” she chuckled.
“More?”
“I don’t think the water is going to suffice.”
“You have wine, or perhaps…” he offered her the liquor pointing the bottle at her glass.
It was probably the last thing she needed, but she went for it anyway.
“Just a shot.”
That one shot turned into two.
“Can you handle it?” Jaden asked.
“Can you?”
Jaden’s brows rose. Somehow, he knew they were no longer speaking in terms of the liquor.
“I beg your pardon?”
“Can you handle it?” Claudia took a step forward.
His voice dipped an octave. “I can handle all things, chérie.”
“Oh yeah?”
“Yeah…”
“Prove it.”
Claudia removed the blouse she wore. It sailed off her fingertips with ease. Her hands glided down her bare belly unsnapping the clasp on the jeans she wore. Moving her hips side to side in a strip tease, Claudia peeled the denim jeans down her thighs and legs. Stepping out of them, she kicked them to the side. Jaden’s gaze darkened and his jaw tightened.
“I want,” Claudia slipped her hands behind her back and unclasped her bra, “you.” She pulled the straps off her shoulders and tightened her arms around her breasts that were still covered by the lacy material, “In the worst way.” She bent her head and licked the lace covering that sat on top of her dark brown areolas. “Can you handle it, Jaden?”
If there was any resolve left in Jaden, it had officially shattered. He slammed the glass down on the counter and took one step before snatching her in his arms. He carried her to the bed and laid her down. His lips met her smooth skin leading a trail down her shoulders. Claudia tugged at his shirt wanting desperately to feel his ripped abs against hers. He pulled the material over his head, and she flung it across the room.
“Shit, girl,” he hovered over her adoring every inch of her flesh. “You shouldn’t have done that.” He cursed. “So fucking beautiful.”
Claudia’s pulse was racing. “Why not?” she asked. “What’s been stopping you? You’ve been standoffish what’s up
with that? If you don’t want me, just say that and stop playing with my emotions.”
Jaden crushed his mouth to hers, and a stabbing heat bounced between them landing between their centers. Jaden stretched her mouth with his tongue; invading the warm wetness of her palette. They moaned, and he removed the lace material that still separated him from her chocolate breasts. Dragging his lips down her jaw, Jaden nibbled on her neck before dropping his lips to her nipples. Massaging one while inhaling the other, his expert tongue lapped like she was the last chocolate snack on earth.
Claudia stretched and moaned, rising off the bed just enough to meet his pelvis. Her fingers drifted up the back of his head.
“Now, Jaden and don’t hold back.”
Jaden sucked in the other breast showing them both equal devotion.
Claudia moaned again, “Now… now…”
His massive hands skated down her hips to find the string of her panties. With fervor, Jaden pulled, and the lace snapped causing her body to bounce. Claudia’s heartbeat built momentum as his mouth found her sex. His tongue hadn’t been on her ten seconds before her legs began to quiver.
“Now… now… now…” she continued to pant. But Jaden was taking his precious time, savoring the taste of her cream like it was surely his last meal. A rumble left his throat, and it caused a vibration to crawl throughout her.
“My God,” she panted. If he could send her into oblivion like this, Claudia could only imagine what he could do if he let go of his inhibitions. As hard as it was for Claudia to pull away, she scurried toward the headboard officially out of his grasp.
Like a wildlife creature, Jaden pulled his face up to look at her. His eyes glowed with an unruly illumination that Claudia had never seen before. It should’ve scared her to death, but it only awakened the animal that lie within her.
“Where are you going?” His dark voice rumbled.
Knowing she was teetering on a dangerous course of action but not caring, Claudia turned with the grace of a cat to her knees propping her dark chocolate ass in the air. As she settled on all fours, her legs parted an inch more, making sure he got the full look at her lips below.
“I said…” Claudia purred, “Now, Jaden.”
Enough (Falling For A Rose Book 2) Page 12