by Candy Caine
“Ah, the proverbial wining and dining, I presume.”
“Yeah, sometimes we really have to suffer for the cause.”
Jade chuckled. “All those clients better be males.” The minute she said that, she was sorry. She had no claim on him and absolutely no right to make demands. “I’m sorry. That was out of line.”
He put his hand over hers and smiled warmly. “Don’t be. Something happened between us on Sunday, and I’m not taking it casually.”
That reply chased away whatever discomfort she’d felt, leaving relief in its wake. Charles changed the subject and began to tell her about a new case, one he was trying to get settled out of court. “It’s a ridiculous suit between a newly divorced couple.”
“Did one of them hide something belonging to the other?”
“Perhaps the wife should have.”
Jade gave him a sideways glance. “Why would you say such a thing?”
“You see, the wife had gotten the house and dog. However, when the husband went to retrieve some of his things, the dog bit him. Now he’s suing his ex-wife for punitive damages.”
“Ah, now I understand what you meant,” Jade said.
“And people wonder why the wheels of justice turn so slowly. If the courts weren’t clogged with such frivolous cases as this one, the important ones might be handled in a timelier manner,” Charles said, topping off their glasses.
The waiter returned with their main course. Charles watched as Jade tasted the filet.
“Was it a wise choice?” he asked.
“A perfect one.”
“Phew,” he said, wiping his brow in exaggeration. “I was worried.”
Jade arched an eyebrow. “Really?”
“Nah. I knew the food had to be good if half the law firm came here.”
She rolled her eyes and finished the second glass of wine. By that time, she was feeling no pain. All the sharp angles of her world had been smoothed to the point where she felt warm and fuzzy. And underneath those innocuous feelings, a tad wanton. She kicked off a shoe and slowly began to work her toes up the inside of Charles’s thigh. Even in the dim light, she saw his eyes widen as she reached his penis. Then an impish smile replaced the shock on his handsome face. She felt the bulge of his erection grow as it strained against his slacks.
Jade removed her foot and moved her chair closer to Charles. Unzipping his pants, she slipped her hand inside. She glanced sideways at him as she stroked him. It was nearly comical how he tried to keep his expression neutral. She grabbed the napkin from her lap a split second before he emitted a soft groan and ejaculated into the napkin.
A smile now covered his handsome face. Jade imagined all was well in his world. Just then the waiter appeared. “Are you folks going to have dessert?”
They both laughed, and the poor waiter, having no idea why, left the check and rushed off, mumbling something about leaving the money in the folder.
They left the restaurant and headed directly to Jade’s apartment. He kicked the door closed behind him as he took her in his arms and kissed her waiting lips. Mouths joined, they did an impromptu slow dance into her bedroom, undressing each other as they collided with walls, leaving a trail of discarded clothing behind them.
Jade, feeling horny as hell, wanted Charles. She no longer recognized herself. With little more than a glance or a touch, he could turn her into a sex-starved, crazy woman. And she loved it. His kisses seared her lips, yet she craved more. Jade now had this incontrollable desire—no, aching need—for more. She had become diseased with a rare form of love that only he could cure.
Lips locked, bodies still entwined, they fell onto the bed. Seconds later, they rolled and switched positions with her on top. Then they rotated again, as if they were struggling for dominance. Finally, his member found its mark and slipped inside. Jade wrapped her legs around his waist and they rocked together in rhythm as her senses whirled and skidded in a kaleidoscope of feeling. Lips mashed together feverishly as hands roamed everywhere. Moments later Jade felt the onrush of her first orgasm, followed quickly by his.
Collapsing in a tangled heap of limbs, they caught their breath and allowed their vitals to return to normal. Then they began to make love again, slower this time, so they could savor every kiss and every touch. Charles kissed the sweet, soft hollow of her throat as he lightly fanned her breast, its nipple hardening at his touch. She moaned softly as he replaced his hand with his mouth and his tongue tantalized the tight bud.
Slowly, Charles worked his way down Jade’s body, planting tender kisses, awakening every cell within her. He paid close attention to the velvety skin of her inner thighs, nearly causing her to jump from the bed. And he heightened this exquisite torture by turning his focus on her swollen clit, licking and sucking until her insides had become molten. Her orgasm came quickly as one spasm after another gripped her, more intense than her first one.
Charles continued revving up the heat until Jade let loose a scream probably loud enough to be heard by her next-door neighbor. If that hadn’t caused the elderly woman to go into cardiac arrest, she was most likely making a 911 call to report a murder. As Charles climaxed, Jade imagined the police knocking down her door to save her.
He lay his head facing hers on the other pillow. Jade gently traced his face with her fingertips. In the semidarkness, she could tell he was smiling and felt her heart flutter. She had no idea what it was about this man that caused her to lose all sense of logic. It was as if all her senses short-circuited. When she was with him, he was her reality. He simply filled up her senses to the point where she lived and breathed Charles, as if he were a part of her.
Chapter 5
From the very first time they’d made love on that Sunday when Charles stopped by with bagels, they both willingly accepted the boundaries. Jade knew they’d always have the fact of his marriage wedged between them. Charles had mentioned his fears concerning his son, Stephen, if he left Caroline. And Jade would never ask him to. There were no strings attached to their relationship. This freedom helped increase the sheer enjoyment of being together during the stolen moments they shared. Every time they met was special, keeping their relationship fresh and vibrant. Not that Jade could ever tire of his kisses or touch.
No one knew of their affair—not even Shawna. This was a mutual decision. Aside from not wanting to hurt his career, Jade disliked gossip and certainly didn't want to become its focal point. She never asked Charles about Caroline. However, if he mentioned her in passing, which was hardly ever, she tried to listen with an open mind. Personally, aside from needing an attitude adjustment, Caroline was definitely chucking out a wonderful man.
Perhaps this was why Jade found the conversation they had several months later, as they lay cuddled together in the afterglow of their lovemaking, strange.
“Jade, if I were free, would you marry me?” Charles asked as he traced circles around the aureole of her breast with his finger.
“Why ask? It’s not a possibility and I’m not going to threaten to leave you.”
“I know that. I’m just asking hypothetically.”
“It’s silly to even talk about it.”
“Why? Wouldn’t you want to?”
“What’s the point of discussing it when you know it’s not going to happen?”
“It will one day. Stephen won’t need me forever.”
“Ask me when you are free.”
Hearing that, Charles’s face crumpled. Jade had regretted hurting him. Since she loved him with all her heart, it hadn’t been her intention. However, dwelling on or even discussing the fantastic possibility of him leaving his wife for her was painful.
“I love you, Charles, and always will. I will never love another man the way I do you.”
Hoping that what she’d said had soothed Charles, Jade kissed his forehead and then his mouth. Tears formed behind her eyelids. They always did when she thought about him going home to Caroline and not being able to stay. She glanced over at the time and knew he�
�d be leaving soon. There was a family gathering he had to attend.
* * *
A feeling of longing and despair dragged Jade down especially when Charles was involved in long, time-consuming cases. The most she could expect from him was a phone call. Those were the loneliest times of all, second only to major holidays spent with his family. Speaking of family, hers lived in Trenton, New Jersey. She was the only unwed child of four, well, the only divorced child, and her mother always tried to be a matchmaker, despite Jade’s protests.
One particular time, she wanted to set Jade up with the son of a friend, who supposedly was very handsome and rich. What transpired will never be forgotten by either of them. Jade hated blind dates. Usually they only worked out if the couple being set up were indeed blind. Logically, if the guy was as handsome and rich as he was supposed to be, he’d have dozens of women fighting for his attention. He’d be his own reality show.
Despite her attempts to defend herself from her mother’s guilt techniques, Jade said yes and agreed to meet the guy at her mother’s house. Her mother was the lucky one who got to open the door since Jade was in the kitchen talking to her dad. Malcolm Waters walked into the room followed by her mother, who, for the first time Jade could remember, was speechless.
Malcolm Waters was a barrel of a man, nearly as wide as he was tall, who reached only as high as Jade’s chest and she was five-six. She glared at her mother over his head and noticed the older woman was wearing her best apologetic look. If her mother ever tried to fix her up on a blind date again, she intended to remind her of this moment.
Jade never brought any of the guys she dated home, and in a way, she was glad she couldn’t bring Charles home. Her parents were activists and continually fought for black rights. She doubted either parent could deal with their Afro-American princess of a daughter falling in love with some white guy—and a married one at that.
Chapter 6
More months flew by and nearly a year had passed. Still no one in the law office knew of Jade’s affair with Charles, which suited her just fine. Aside from the fact there was no prestige in being discussed around the water cooler, she was well aware that wagging tongues spewing gossip could tank Charles’s chances of making partner. That she was a lowly secretary and he a married man made it worse. His desire to make partner was another reason he couldn’t divorce Caroline and tried to keep the friction between himself and his wife at a minimum. He also didn’t talk much about Caroline, which suited Jade just fine. Though one night after they’d made love, Jade casually asked Charles how his day went. Instead of answering, he gave her a crooked half-smile.
“What? Did I miss something, Charles?”
He kissed the tip of her nose. “No. It has nothing to do with you.”
“Then who?” Her killer curiosity had already taken a toehold.
He broke into a huge grin. “I mentioned we hired a new guy fresh from law school, didn’t I?”
“I believe so. Gary something.”
“Gary Nelson. Anyway, he acts like he’s God’s gift to women.”
She chuckled. “That slot’s already been filled.”
“Not exactly, my love. The operative word would be woman. Yes?”
Jade nodded, but she was beaming. “Sorry to interrupt. Go on.”
“Anyway, he corners me in the break room with an enormous shit-eating grin plastered across his face. ‘Do I have a place for you,’ he says. Before I could say another word, he tells me about a private sex club—invitation only—where all the swingers go.”
“Did he want you to go with him?”
“Yes, but that’s not the interesting part. He told me about his last visit when he’d partnered up with a woman and they did the master-slave thing. The woman he described as the dominatrix sounded awfully familiar to me, so I did a little checking.”
“No….”
“Yeah,” he said. “It turned out to be Caroline.”
“Giving new meaning to different strokes for different folks,” Jade concluded.
Charles chuckled. “That’s for sure.”
Jade’s last thought before she fell asleep was that whatever kept Caroline occupied was probably a good thing.
Charles used a throwaway phone to text Jade so Caroline wouldn’t know of her existence. Because of its convenience in being close to the office, they frequently met for dinner at Monte’s.
That Tuesday morning, he called her and asked her to meet him there for dinner later. Jade took a taxi over because it had started to drizzle. She went inside to see if Charles was already there. First she looked over toward the bar. She didn’t see him, so she walked further into the room and began to scan the tables.
Jade spied him sitting with his back to her at a table with a dark-haired woman. They were sitting awfully close—too close for her liking. The woman’s hand covered his and she was smiling as she whispered into his ear. This made no sense. Why on earth would Charles want her to see him with another woman…unless she was her replacement and he was too chicken-shit to act like a man and tell her himself. By having her see this, she’d go ballistic and do his work for him. Well, Charles, it worked, Jade thought, as she saw the woman again whisper something into his ear. That was about the same time she felt the first tear slip from her eye. Jade turned on her heel and raced out of there, nearly knocking a couple over as they entered through the doors.
She rushed out into the rain, which was now coming down in steady sheets. Blindly, she ran into the street to cross over to a taxi stand and was nearly hit by a car. Too bad. That would have been a perfect ending. At least she wouldn’t have to deal with the pain of rejection. A taxi had just pulled up and a man got out. Jade slid in and gave the cabbie her address.
“Some night to be out,” the cabbie said.
“What?” Jade asked, having realized he’d been speaking to her.
“You okay?”
“No, I’m not!” she snapped at him.
“Wanna tell me about it?”
“No. I’d appreciate it if you just paid attention to the road.”
She heard him say, “Bitch,” under his breath.
Jade’s tears kept falling despite her attempts to stop crying. She hardly wanted to cry over a heel. What was it with men? Did they have to hurt you in order to feel like a real man? What was going on here? Charles wasn’t like that. Was she overreacting? Though she wanted to believe the worst, she found herself defending Charles. No. She knew what she saw. Even though she’d never ask Charles to leave Caroline for her, she didn’t want to be a mere number in a harem. Dwelling on this wouldn’t get her anywhere. She had more important things to deal with.
Like…what to do now. Jade took out her phone and left a message for Josephine Springer, the head of Human Resources. Told her that her mother was ill and she needed to go home. That way she’d be on temporary leave and have time to find another place to start over. With direct deposit in a major bank chain, she’d have no trouble receiving her pay. It wouldn’t look like she’d run away. The only one who might suspect that she had was Charles, and he’d never say a thing. This could work.
Jade thought about giving her parents a heads-up, but decided against it. Nothing gained by it.
“We’re here,” the cabbie said, interrupting her thoughts.
Jade paid him and rushed into the building. She’d gained some control over her tears, but she knew it was temporary. There’d be plenty time to cry, but now she had to get the hell out of Dodge.
She went directly to the hall closet and took down her luggage. Rolling the two largest suitcases into the bedroom, Jade attacked her closet. She grabbed a handful of things and began to pack. When the closet was empty, she started on her dresser drawers. The bathroom came next. She swept all her makeup and toiletries into a carryon. Then she glanced around to see if she’d left anything of importance behind. At this point, she doubted she’d be back.
Walking through the rest of the apartment, Jade took whatever she thought was necessa
ry and crammed it into a piece of luggage. When she was through, she assembled one bag on top of the other so she’d be able to pull it behind her. She went back into the bedroom one last time and visualized making love with Charles on the bed. She nearly fell apart, right then and there.
“No!” she said aloud, pulling herself together. She’d put this behind her and place Charles on the history shelf alongside John.
Why were all men self-centered swine? She might as well try to answer the riddle of life.
Jade closed the door to her apartment, hoping to close that chapter of her life as, well.
Before leaving the apartment, she called a taxi. She was heading for the Port Authority bus terminal. She intended to be on the first Greyhound leaving New York.
* * *
There were two buses departing within the hour. One was going to Georgia and one was going to Connecticut. Jade mentally flipped a coin and decided on the latter. While she waited to board, she went into the little snack bar and bought a ham-and-Swiss sandwich with coffee. Even though she had no appetite, she might get hungry later on.
Once on the bus, she watched the people around her. Were any of them feeling as crappy as she felt? Had any of them been cut loose by their lover, too? Realizing what she was doing, she applied the brakes to her mental rant. Feeling sorry for herself was not a prerequisite for moving on in her life. She should be planning for her future and what she intended to do when she got to Connecticut.
The bus pulled out of the depot only half full. There were people representing many different backgrounds, a few men dressed in business attire, a young couple who had eyes only for each other and some elderly people. Jade doubted anyone was intending to transplant themselves to Connecticut the way she was, though. Oh well, what did it matter? The good part was that she had the entire seat to herself and could stretch out. At least she was comfortable.
Jade knew what she was doing was cowardly, but running away seemed the easiest and wisest choice. She wasn’t exactly certain why she’d felt so jealous. With eyes wide open, she’d gone into the relationship with Charles already knowing he was married. She was also aware that he would stay with Caroline for the sake of his son. Charles couldn’t have been any more upfront about that. And she’d assured him she had no qualms about the situation, as well.