Deena pulled her cell phone from her gold clutch purse and proceeded to text someone, using her neon-painted thumbs.
Jade rolled her eyes.
Seven years ago Jade had turned eighteen and her father announced he was divorcing her mother. Later they found out that he ran into the waiting arms and bed of a twenty-year-old he met at his job. Her father leaving wasn’t the only change in Jade’s young life, because suddenly the woman she knew as her mother disappeared as well. After having a baby at sixteen, getting married at eighteen, and living under the rules of her husband for sixteen years, suddenly Deena Prince had freedom.
Her last name went back to Rockwell.
Her clothes became more fitted and hip.
Her hair was lengthened with an expensive, stylishly cut weave.
Her weekend nights were filled with clubbing.
And her taste in men went from being married to a man twenty years her senior to running through men twenty years her junior—her “hot boys,” as she called them.
Deena Rockwell was having all of the fun Deena Prince never had.
Jade couldn’t recall how many times she’d strolled into a club to find her mother already on the dance floor. Or to have cute guys stroll up to her—to ask if she could hook them up with her mother!
Sometimes, Jade just wanted her mom and not someone who was more like a friend.
Deena snapped her phone shut. “Actually, Hassan canceled, so I’m all yours, Honeybear.”
Hassan?
Good Lord.
Jade walked into her bathroom, shutting the door before she undressed and turned on the shower. She busied herself brushing her teeth and cleaning her face as the steam built up in the small room. She studied her reflection, inspecting her unmarried chocolate face. “I am going to have a great day with my mom,” she said aloud, placing a huge, bright, and completely fake smile on her pretty round face.
Jade stepped into the shower, inhaling deeply of the steam. Stretching her arms high above her head, she arched her back as she let the spray rain down on her body. She frowned as the fall of the water running down her breasts made the fleshy bud nestled between her lips flutter to life.
Jade’s lips pursed. “Ooh.”
And that steady thump-thump beat of her core made her think of Kaeden.
“Ooh,” Jade sighed again as she recalled the fierceness of his loving as he pulled her hair and rode her from behind.
That night was seared into her memory. She doubted she would ever forget it, no matter how much she wanted to. And she did want to.
Jade adjusted the water so that she could be a bit cooled.
She hadn’t seen Kaeden since the trip two weeks ago, and she was more focused on making it work with Darren. They were just perfectly suited for one another. And although she didn’t have those sparks with Darren…yet, she was sure she would. Okay, she hoped. If they couldn’t evoke any passion in a kiss or a caress, how dry would the sex be? Jade shivered at the thought of boring sex.
Truth be told, she had no desire to have sex with Darren, while she was quite sure if Kaeden made half the effort, she would drop her panties in a hot second.
Thump-thump.
“Whoo!” Jade pressed her thighs together to ease the ache.
Jade still hadn’t come to the understanding of why on earth Kaeden had attracted her and drawn such passion from her. She couldn’t wrap her brain around it. She just knew that they were as different as two people could be.
“No more Kaeden. No more Kaeden. No more Kaeden,” she chanted in the same fashion as “I think I can. I think I can. I think I can.”
She rushed through her shower, ready to get dressed and into a diversion from the erotic memories that plagued her. She whipped back the curtain and stepped down onto the plush carpet.
She quickly sprayed her damp body with her own mix of baby oil and lemon, orange, and bergamot essential oils. She massaged them in before she towel blotted her skin. It was a trick to help ease the dry tendency of her skin. She just loved for her deep mocha skin to gleam, and gleam it did.
Jade scooped her dirty clothes into the wicker hamper near the tub before she loosely draped the towel around her body and opened the door, releasing the steam in a dozen swirls ahead of her.
“Darren’s here.”
Jade whirled before she could catch herself, and the ends of her towel briefly flew up around her. She could tell from the way his eyes dipped that he had caught quite a peek. “Hey…Darren. I’ll be right back.”
Jade closed her bedroom door and rushed around her room grabbing things until she was able to quickly jump into a lace thong and a flowing cotton maxi dress that was strapless and a brilliant shade of white. She barely put on mascara, topped her lips with a pale lip gloss, and slipped on a pair of leather flip-flops before she flew back out of the room.
She made a face at her mother and Darren, who were both laughing like crazy. Is she telling him all my business, she wondered.
“What’s so funny?” she asked, her eyes darting from him to her.
Deena opened her purse and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. “He was just saying he can’t believe I’m your mother.”
“Ha…ha…ha,” Jade drawled as she took the pack of cigarettes from her mother’s hand. “Now you smoke? What’s next? A blunt?”
Deena waved her hand dismissively.
Darren rose up to his feet to lean over and kiss her cheek. “You look beautiful as always, baby,” he whispered near her ear.
“I know,” she teased, cutting her eyes up at him with a smile.
“We were just headed to Savannah,” Deena said, rising to her feet. “Join us. That way I can check out my daughter’s man and all of that.”
“I wish I could, but I have a few errands to run,” Darren said, stepping past Deena to slide his arm around Jade’s waist.
Deena slid her shades back in place and slid her purse under her arm. “Finish up your errands and meet us at the Comfort Zone at eight. Bye, Darren,” she said in a little singsong fashion before she sailed out the door.
“Guess I’ll see you at eight,” Darren quipped before he pulled Jade’s soft body to his and squatted down to level his eyes with hers.
Jade wrapped her arms around his neck, tilting her head to the side as she looked back at him with smiling eyes. “I guess we will.”
Darren kissed her warmly. “And how long before I see all of you?” he asked as he nuzzled his face against her neck. “Second base was nice the other night, but I’m ready to slide into home.”
Jade fought not to frown as she tilted her head back, forever searching for that spark with him. Forever searching and forever coming up empty. She looked into his eyes. “Soon,” she promised him…and herself.
Darren is the man you are trying to build something with. It’s time. Take the lid off the cookie jar. You didn’t even know Kaeden’s home number or address and he got all up in it…in the woods.
Jade shook her head to clear it of her thoughts. “My mom’s waiting.”
“I gotta run anyway. See you tonight.”
She waved him off and grabbed her purse as he left her cottage. “Maybe I should just give him some,” she thought as she walked out the door, locking it behind her.
She walked around her mom’s cherry red convertible to climb into the bucket passenger seat. “Mama, you can’t order people around like that.”
Deena looked at her over the rim of her shades. “When it comes to men, they always do what I tell them to do. Look, listen, and learn, Honeybear. Look, listen, and learn.”
Kaeden parked his BMW in front of his parents’ house, grabbing the leather Coach briefcase from the passenger seat before he hopped out. He straightened his tie before he slid on his shades and made his way to the barn. The closer he got to it, the more the customary smell of farms surrounded him. He’d smelt worse.
Kade and his father were strict with keeping the farm and its animals clean. As long as Kaeden could remember, his
father had raised grazing livestock and used the irrigated area on the land for growing hay and feed grain to feed the cattle and horses. Like their father, Kahron had started his own cattle ranch and Kaleb had ventured off into dairy farming. Now his father was semi-retired and Kade ran the Strong ranch.
He waved to the ranch hands he passed. His father walked out of the barn leading Kaitlyn’s all-white stallion, Snowflake, behind him. “Hey there, son,” Kael greeted him in his deep voice before he handed the reins over to one of the hands.
“Evenin’, Pops. Where’s Kade? I have the payroll checks for him to sign.” Kaeden frowned as Snowflake unloaded his digested hay and twirled his tail. The smothered pork chops that Felecia fixed for him for lunch got upset in his stomach.
“Kade should be on his way back from town. He rode with Kaleb.” Kael accepted the envelope Kaeden took from his briefcase.
“You know you still can sign them.”
Kael shook his head. “Nope, not gone step on my son’s toes. He’ll handle it when he gets back. You staying for dinner?”
Kaeden shook his head. “Nah, I have plans.”
“With Felecia?”
Kaeden nodded.
“Hmm.” Kael leveled wise eyes on his son. “Think it’s gonna work this time?”
Good question. Kaeden shrugged. “Working on it,” he said. “She’s a good girl.”
“You should bring her over some time and let the family meet her,” Kael suggested, stooping down to scratch behind the ears of one of the dozen dogs on the ranch.
Kaeden frowned as he shifted his new pair of spectacles on his face. “I don’t know if we’re to that point yet.”
“Hmm.”
Bzzzz.
Kaeden snatched his BlackBerry from the holster on his hip. “Hello.”
“Hi, sweetie. Where are you?”
Kaeden cut his eyes at his father briefly before he turned his back to him. “I’m at my parents’.”
“Oh, I didn’t know you were headed there,” Felecia said. “Something wrong?”
Kaeden walked a few feet away from his father. “No, I brought the payroll checks for Kade to sign.”
“Oh, that’s right,” she said with saccharine sweetness. “Tell your mama I said thank you for her recipe for homemade chicken pot pie. She said it was your favorite, so I’m making it tonight.”
Kaeden frowned deeply. “You spoke to my mom?” he asked in surprise.
“Yes, I called her today.”
“Oh.”
“I just wanted to make sure I cooked your favorite meal. Is that okay?”
“No, no, that’s fine.” Kaeden rolled his shoulders to try and ease the tight tension he felt.
“Well, I closed the office and headed home to start dinner. You’re coming straight to my house now or…”
Kaeden’s rolling motions got bigger. “Yeah. I’ll see you in a bit.”
“Okay, bye.”
Kaeden slipped the device back in its holster as he turned and walked back across the dirt to his father. He raised his glasses to massage the bridge of his nose.
Kael cut his eyes up to Kaeden. “Think it’s gonna work this time?” he asked again.
“See you later, Dad,” Kaeden called over his shoulder, ignoring his father’s chuckle as he started to walk back to the house.
After stopping in quickly to speak to his mom, Kaeden headed out to Felecia’s apartment in North Charleston. He was starving and actually looking forward to a good home-cooked meal and just hanging out with Felecia.
Over the last two weeks he was beginning to feel that being with Felecia wasn’t just an impulsive, knee-jerk reaction to Jade. He and Felecia were more suited to one another. The thing between him and Jade—that crazy explosive shot of chemistry—was good for the fling they had but would have fizzled out since they had nothing else in common.
Truth? He’d actually thought that he would walk out of those woods with Jade as his woman, and it hurt him that she didn’t want the same thing.
But now in hindsight he was all 20/20 that she was right, especially since she already had a man. How could he trust her anyway, especially since he knew that men flocked to her in droves begging for her number, wanting to holler, wanting to claim her as their own?
Wanting to see that gloriously lush body of hers in nothing but a lace thong.
Wanting to have her astride them.
Riding.
Licking.
Biting.
Moaning.
Cumming.
Over and over and over again.
Kaeden’s hand tightened on the wheel as he felt his nature rise at the thought of her. “Down, boy,” he drawled, not wanting to want her anymore. Mentally the thrill was gone for him. Now he just had to get his body to play catch-up with the updated status.
Right now he was going to give Felecia a chance. That undeniable spark or flame or chemistry—or whatever—had yet to show up, but they had other things. More stable things. She was a good churchgoing, home-cooking, typical Southern gal who catered to her man.
He knew that tonight she would greet him at the door in a pretty dress—in heels—with a drink ready for him in her hand and a pleasant, welcoming smile on her face. And from the door everything she did would be about him.
Kaeden settled down in his seat and pressed the gas a bit. In twenty minutes he was pulling his Beamer into a parking spot in front of Felecia’s apartment building. He removed his tie, throwing it onto the backseat before he climbed out of the vehicle and walked up the short paved walkway to her front door.
He barely raised his hand to knock before the door swung open. Felecia stepped forward, looking pretty in the print strapless maxi dress she’d changed into. “Hey, baby,” she said softly with a smile before handing him a frosted glass of ice tea with a sweet kiss to his lips.
Just like he expected.
Kaeden pushed aside any second-guessing of their relationship as he walked into the apartment and let Felecia firmly shut the door behind him.
Nestled in one of the booths in the front of the Comfort Zone, Jade smiled across the table at Darren. “Let’s dance,” she told him softly, swaying to the sounds of classic R&B.
Darren rose to his feet and held his hand out to her.
Jade let him lead her to the dance floor at the back of the club. She just laughed at her mama dancing with her latest hot boys recruit, a tall and muscular man of about twenty-five. She didn’t really like partying with her mother—that was rule #1 for her once her mother showed up on the club scene—but the Comfort Zone was laid back and Jade was actually having a good time with Darren.
Jade turned her back to him and was surprised when Darren stepped up and pressed the length of his body against hers. She rocked her hips side to side and let her head fall back against his chest.
She hated the way several of the men sat watching her movements like vultures checking for roadkill. Rolling her eyes before she closed them, she ignored their leers.
Darren put his hands on her hips.
Jade brought her arms up to wrap around his neck….
He brought his hand down from her hair to deeply massage her throbbing nipples as he used his other hand to finger her in deep circular motions that sent her spiraling over the edge until she was free-falling into a black abyss of an electrifying climax. “I’m cumming! Don’t stop, Kaeden. Don’t.”
Jade jerked her eyes open as her body flushed in sweet pleasure at the heated memory. Even in Darren’s arms, the memory of Kaeden could not be stopped.
The madness had to stop.
Turning in Darren’s arms, she caressed his face. “You know, I saw a nice bed-and-breakfast in the historic district of Savannah today,” she told him. “Maybe it’s time for a weekend getaway.”
“Now, that’s what’s up,” he told her with a big grin.
Chapter 11
Jade was thankful for a slow week as she unlocked the rear entrance to their small three-room office on Main Street in
Walterboro. She had just come from a quick workout at the gym, showered, and now she was energized to actually work on getting their files out of labeled cardboard boxes and into the file cabinets lined against the wood-paneled wall.
She removed her shades as she set her oversized turquoise tote on the empty desk in the reception area and walked across the room to turn on the lights. “Be nice if we had a receptionist,” she said into the silence, raking her fingers through the long swooped bangs of her short jet-black hairdo.
Jade had just turned the radio to 99.7 FM for her Steve Harvey Morning Show fix when she looked up and saw Kaeden’s vehicle slow down as it turned into the parking lot of the brick post office.
Her heart slammed against her chest.
It had been nearly a month since the camping trip, and she had barely seen him since. After church, he was one of the first to leave and he would be gone by the time she stepped outside the church doors. She bit her lips as she rose from the office chair and walked to the large window to watch as he climbed out of the dependable but still luxury vehicle.
He’s gotten new glasses, she thought, her heart pounding as he strode into the post office in his shirt, tie, and slacks.
Jade pressed her fingertips to her chest as she fought the immediate urge to go to him. Maybe a part of her moving on from that night was not just her and Darren’s trip to Savannah next weekend, but to talk to Kaeden.
And in truth, she wanted to see him and at least set things straight.
Following an urge, she walked out of the building. She checked the one-way street for oncoming traffic before she crossed. Her nerves were in a riot and she was scared her heart would literally burst through her chest, but Jade forged ahead.
Kaeden was just walking out of the building as she neared his vehicle. His steps visibly paused as he sighted her. Jade could see the surprise on his face, but she also saw when the surprise quickly changed to irritation.
“Is that necessary, Kaeden?” she snapped.
Give Me Fever Page 10