Jaden's Love

by Shayne Ford

  Is it all worth it, I wonder?

  “Damn you, Jaden...” I murmur to myself, the words popping on my lips out of nowhere.

  I turn the water off and wrap myself in a towel. Barefoot, I saunter back into the bedroom. Shoulders propped against the headboard, covered from the waist down, Abel raises his eyes from his phone.

  “Hey, baby,” he says.

  We briefly lock our eyes before I shift my gaze away.

  “You okay?” he asks.

  I swing my eyes back to him.

  Lifting an eyebrow, he shoots me a questioning look, hard, long muscles shifting smoothly beneath his skin as he changes his position.

  My gaze moves over him.

  A knowing smile creeps up his lips.

  “Yeah... I am,” I say quietly.

  He tilts his head back and narrows his eyes, the smile still brushing his lips.

  “I gather you liked it.”

  “Yes, I did.”

  Turning my back to him, I hide my face and let the towel drop while reaching for my robe.

  “You don’t need that,” he says with a soft voice.

  I flip my eyes up and catch his gaze in the mirror. He runs it down my back, pursing his lips as he takes me in.

  His eyes flick back up.

  “Come.”

  He taps the spot beside him on the bed, motioning to me.

  I smile.

  A mischievous look slides across his face as he peels the sheet off him, his full, erected cock, jutting in the air.

  A crooked grin creases his lips.

  “I have something for you.”

  “You sure do,” I say, smiling and giving him a side glance.

  He beckons me to him.

  “On me, baby,” he demands. “Turn around.”

  He gently slaps my butt when I straddle his chest, my back to him, my eyes trained on the wall mirror.

  He grabs my hips and pulls me to his face, his mouth sliding straight between my thighs, his tongue licking right between my legs.

  Oh, my.

  Just what the doctor ordered. That’s a nice way to start your day, I muse, smiling to myself.

  It doesn’t take long before my breathing picks up and I begin to tremble with pleasure.

  It’s perfect.

  Dirty. Intimate. Familiar. No boundaries. No craziness. And no addiction.

  No Jaden.

  4

  SENNA

  “Nice shack,” Abel says as the server clears the table and smoothly pulls away. “Is this your typical Saturday brunch?” he asks, pointing to the floral centerpiece and the gourmet food tastefully arranged on the plates.

  I shake my head.

  “No. Not really. But I haven’t had any company for a while, and I wanted to make this a special day,” I say and take a sip of coffee.

  He leans back in his chair, and laces his fingers behind his neck, at the same time stretching his bare torso.

  “What happened to your man?”

  I shoot my eyes at him.

  “He wasn’t my man,” I say curtly, not even trying to conceal my frustration.

  A soft smile curves his lips.

  “Love hurts, huh?”

  “Yeah... It does,” I murmur.

  “I’m sorry,”

  He straightens his back and brings his elbows to the table.

  “We can talk if you want to,” he offers, and I suddenly feel bad for us.

  “Isn’t this a bit odd?” I ask, trying to put a smile on my lips. “We just rolled off the bed, and now we’re talking about my love life.”

  He gives me a small smile.

  “We don’t have to, but I’m good at this. I grew up with a younger sister, and I was the go-to person when she had any questions. She always wanted to hear the other side’s opinion. Preferably a truthful one. She said it helped her a lot. I don’t know if I can be of any help to you, but I can try.”

  A bright smile lights up his eyes, and a pang of jealousy seeps into my heart. Someday, some woman will get really lucky with this man if she’s smart enough.

  “I don’t know...” I mutter hesitantly.

  He shrugs.

  “Fine by me.”

  He picks up his cup of coffee and takes a small sip.

  “What happened to your little side business?” I ask.

  He shakes his head and sets the cup on the table, his lips parting into a soft smile. I look at him, captivated.

  “I’m not doing it any longer.”

  “Why? It was good money.”

  “It was, but money was never an issue for me. I was looking for something different.”

  “And?”

  “It wasn’t what I thought that it would be.”

  Lifting an eyebrow, I telegraph him a questioning look.

  “It got boring after a while,” he says.

  I quietly laugh.

  “Shit... You could've told me then.”

  He breathes out a chuckle as well.

  “It had nothing to do with you. It was the two other clients.”

  “What about them?” I ask, picking up a slice of orange from the plate.

  He watches me in silence as I squeeze the pulp between my teeth, and lick a drop of juice from my lips. Fragrant aroma rolls over my taste buds.

  His eyes shift up.

  “They didn’t have much imagination, and it got boring, fast.”

  “What about me?”

  “You were different.You knew exactly what you liked, and you enjoyed it as much as I did.”

  “You mean the hard stuff?”

  He nods.

  “Mmm-hmm. Other than a few exceptions, I don’t know many men who don’t enjoy it if it pleasures the woman. You asked for it. And I was happy to provide.”

  “Hmm...” I mutter, in a pensive mood.

  I pause for a moment, staring blankly at a napkin.

  “What?”

  I glance up.

  “Someone else told me the same thing.”

  He smiles.

  “Him?”

  I tear my gaze away.

  “Yes.”

  “It’s the truth.”

  “I’m not so sure it’s that good in the end,” I say, glancing away briefly.

  We share a moment of silence.

  “Do you think it had something to do with him leaving you?”

  “How do you know he left me?”

  He gives me a soft grin.

  “It’s not that hard.”

  “It was probably more than that,” I murmur, my gaze trailing on the table.

  “The way I see it, there’s no point in fighting your nature,” he says, no trace of a smile on his lips. “It wouldn’t serve you well to pretend you’re someone that you’re not. There aren’t many women like you, Senna. If a man can’t see you for who you are, don’t waste your time thinking about him and missing him.”

  He pauses again.

  “I’m gonna be very frank with you here. Most men I know would rather roll in the bed with a woman they love instead of doing chores and domestic stuff. Modern men have adapted to this ‘new’ reality, but some of them still want the real thing. A woman who can be the center of their existence. Men do like to conquer, but they also like to be captivated by a woman they perceive as equal. Life vibrates through these men. But it’s not always easy to express that power when things tend to suppress their nature. They are not bad men. They are just men brimming with life, and if they’re lucky, they do find the kind of woman that they like. Women like them. Like you. It doesn’t mean that they never want to settle or father children or have a home. But when they do, it adds to their life, it never subtracts. It’s not a trade-off for them, and not for their women.”

  His eyes dip to his hands for a moment, light and shadows flitting through his gaze.

  “The point I’m trying to make here is, if he left you, it wasn’t because the way you wanted him to fuck you. I’ve seen the guy. He could’ve fucked his way through half of the guests at your birt
hday party. Men and women. But he wanted you. Because he liked you. If anything, he might have liked you too much.”

  We lock eyes again, my lips parting in surprise.

  “I’m not so sure about that. People don’t leave without explanation when they like other people.”

  “Regular people don’t, but he didn’t strike me as just another guy. When a man like him finds his match, it’s not a trivial event or a random occurrence. All that power that he has means nothing if he loses himself in you. Something prompted him to pull away from you. In time you will find out what his reasons were. Honestly, I don’t think you’ve seen the last of him.”

  “You can leave them on my desk.”

  The messenger slides a box wrapped in black and white paper and embellished with a golden ribbon, next to my phone.

  I give it a double take.

  “Harper?”

  Her head sticks out of her office.

  “Has anyone died?” I ask jokingly, my smile quickly withering away as I get a glimpse of her face. “What happened?” I ask, concerned.

  She looks as if she spent the weekend crying. Dark circles stretch around her eyes, not a trace of makeup on her face. Her ponytail looks like a botched attempt to tame her hair.

  She wears a dress that looks like a shopping bag.

  Lifting my finger, I motion to her.

  “Can you come in my office for a moment?”

  Reluctantly, she removes her earpiece, straightens her back and walks across the hallway.

  She looks frail and tired.

  Holding her eyes and rolling a pen between my fingers, I tilt my chin toward the door.

  “Close it, please.”

  She slides it shut.

  “Take a seat.”

  She lowers herself to the edge of the chair.

  “What the hell happened to you?” I ask, leaning forward, my elbows resting on the desk.

  Her lips begin to quiver.

  “I feel so bad about Adele’s party,” she says with a faint voice.

  I look at her, confused.

  “What are you talking about?”

  She fidgets in her chair.

  “I didn’t know you were in that bathroom with him.”

  “Him?”

  “Abel.”

  My mouth drops open. I stay like that for a moment before I start to laugh.

  “Is that why you are so upset?”

  “Partly,” she says quietly.

  “But why?”

  “I don’t want things to get awkward between us, and then you to think about firing me.”

  “Why would I fire you?” I ask.

  She shrugs, the corners of her eyes slanting down as if she is about to cry.

  “People are not comfortable in that kind of situations.”

  I push back a chuckle.

  “I looked pretty comfortable, didn’t I?”

  She studies my face.

  “I’ve never caught anyone before,” she says.

  “I’ve never got caught before either,” I say, amused.

  Her face brightens with a smile.

  “You think too much, Harper,” I say, flipping the lid of a different box and pointing to a bunch of cupcakes.

  “Help yourself,” I say.

  I scoop one out while she peers at them hesitantly.

  “Try one. It will make you feel better.”

  She opts for a chocolate cupcake with a mound of buttercream icing on top. One bite later, she smiles, the butter smearing her lips.

  I hand her the napkin.

  “About that evening. You were saying...?” I mutter.

  She looks at me again.

  “It feels awkward.”

  I place my cupcake on a paper plate, chew on the moist cake and swallow the small bite.

  I stare blankly at her for a moment.

  She reminds me of the way I used to be. Always excusing myself for everything.

  “It feels awkward because that’s the way you feel. We’ll go on with our lives. It doesn’t mean anything. Not to me, and not to Abel. Hopefully, not to you either.”

  “Seriously?”

  “Mmm-hmm.”

  Her face glows with another smile that gets quickly chased away by another thought.

  “You like him?” she asks.

  “Abel? Mmm-hmm. I always did.”

  I take another bite of cake.

  She gives me a furtive glance.

  “He’s a very handsome man,” she says.

  “Yes, he is.”

  She lowers her eyes, red up to her hairline.

  “And well endowed,” she mutters under her breath.

  I breathe out another chuckle.

  “That too. There’s no way to deny that now, is there?”

  She flicks her eyes up.

  “He’s a good man too,” I say seriously this time, brushing crumbles off my fingers.

  She stays silent.

  “Is this the real reason why you’re sad?” I ask.

  “Maybe.”

  Smiling, I push out of the chair and walk to the fridge.

  “You want some?” I ask, pulling out a bottle of water.

  She nods.

  I set a bottle for her on the desk, and take a seat.

  “You spent some time with him that evening. Do you like him?” I ask.

  “Yes. I like him... A lot,” she adds, a bit embarrassed.

  I examine her for a moment. She avoids my eyes.

  “Abel is a very good friend of mine, but he’s not my boyfriend.”

  “He was friendly with me. I think he liked me back,” she says timidly.

  I’m weighing my words for a moment.

  “If that’s the case, Harper, I’ll do anything I could to get to know him better if I were you. If he indeed likes you, he can make you a very happy woman.”

  She looks at me, intrigued.

  “Are you sure you wouldn’t mind if I get to know him better?”

  I pick up my cupcake again.

  “Nope. I’m out of your way. If he likes you, don’t pass on that opportunity. He needs a woman who can be fun and also can give him her heart. I could never be that for him. You, on the other hand, are overly qualified. If you do that, trust me, he’ll give you everything you need, and you won’t regret it.”

  5

  SENNA

  The gown falls longer than I thought, trailing on the floor.

  It’s a black sequined dress, molded to my body, a long back zipper closing it tightly around my waist while a small train gives it a sexy look in the back. The event is formal, and by far, this is my best pick.

  I’ll fit right in.

  I hop on the heels and twirl. With heels, the hem fits just right, the train no longer dragging. I glance one last time in the mirror, inspecting my makeup and my hair before I snatch the clutch and head for the door.

  A car picks me up in front of my house.

  Forty minutes later, I’m sitting at a table surrounded by guests in one of the most beautiful beach resorts.

  The ballroom is royally lit.

  I survey the room for a good fifteen minutes, looking for Evelyne. I spot her just before she walks to the podium. The lights turn low as the speakers line up behind her, waiting for their turn. Most of the people are already in, so I use the opportunity to sneak outside.

  Fresh air fills my lungs as I take the first steps on the corridor. Wide open, the doors let in the ocean breeze.

  I run my gaze up and down the hallway. There’s no one in here. The few people who have skipped the ceremony, are now waiting for the party to get started, seeking refuge on the patio.

  Their meshed voices travel through the air, drawing my attention to the terrace. Men and women enjoy the beautiful weather not far from the handrail and the few steps leading to the beach.

  I step out the building and take a left, edging to a quiet corner. The wind starts playing with my hair. Absently, I comb my locks back, my eyes shifting to the horizon as my mind wanders aw
ay.

  The sun begins descending into the water, spreading a reddish glow over the ocean and the sand. A scent of algae imbues the air, reminding me of the summer vacation.

  Perhaps I should take some time off, relax and unwind for a while. A short break wouldn’t hurt, on my own this time. Spending one week on the coast sounds good, and the more I think about it, the more I like the idea.

  The voices turn into a muffled hum as I get swept away by the scenery in front of me. Seagulls chase each other on the beach. Waves crash gently against the shore. I get lost in my surroundings for a moment, feeling at peace for the first time in some time.

  Minutes later, I refocus and spin around, heading back inside. As I walk toward the entrance, men and women catch my eye, a splash of color grabbing my attention.

  I glance to the side, my gaze getting snagged by a woman’s fluid, red gown. The plunging neckline reveals her back down to the dimples of her backside.

  That very second, I register the beautiful curvature of her spine, her smooth skin and her hair tumbling down her back. I admire the cut of her dress, and the flattering fit, the slinky fabric intimately outlining the swell of her butt.

  A man’s hand rests on the small of her back, expressive and noticeable like her body. My eyes linger on the perfect French cuff and the expensive cufflinks peeking from under his suit jacket. I roll my gaze over his hand, the long, sculpted fingers striking me as familiar. My heart skips a few beats when I see his ring.

  Slowly, I drag my gaze over his arm, and shoulders and then to his hair. The mix of wheat blonde and sun-kissed strands stops my blood cold in my veins.

  My mouth falls open in surprise.

  It can’t fucking be.

  Someone in the group says something funny, and they all start laughing. I slow down a bit, keen to get a glimpse of his face, and confirm my suspicion.

  He whips his head to the side, half of his smile and profile entering my line of sight, bringing back a flashback of him.

  I look at him, paralyzed.

  One step away from the door, I freeze––my hands coated with sweat, and my legs rooted to the ground. My soul leaves my body as I witness their collective glee, and his irresistible charm working on that woman.