by J. L. Leslie
I spot Jade seated on the fifth row and I shoot her a smile. I glance down at her as I walk past and my breath catches in my throat at how beautiful she looks. She ditched the cowboy boots for a pair of heels and the lavender dress she picked out with Amelia. It’s absolutely perfect for her. Her hair is swept up in a French twist with some loose curls framing her face. She is the most beautiful woman here. Fuck that, she’s the most beautiful woman I have ever laid eyes on.
Keegan’s words instantly come to my mind. One day a woman is going to come into your life and turn it upside down, brother. That’s exactly what Jade has done to me. I wasn’t even expecting it.
It kills me to think she may not feel the same way, but I don’t want to continue this charade with her. Don’t want her to go on believing this is some temporary thing for me. It’s far from that and she needs to know it. She needs to know how I feel about her.
The bridal march starts and tears me from my thoughts. Amelia’s father, Henry, escorts her down the aisle and she looks like a vision in white. A huge smile spreads across her face as she gets closer to Keegan. Looking at the two of them now, I know I’m seeing what real love looks like and it’s not what I felt for Amelia. That was friendship.
I listen to them exchange their vows and while I thought my heart would be breaking this day, I couldn’t be happier for the two of them. I didn’t love Amelia like I thought I did. I was afraid of losing my best friend. I can see that now.
Once the ceremony is over, I find Jade. The first thing I do is kiss her, making her blush. It was only a peck, but I needed it. She laughs against my lips.
“You look stunning.”
“Thank you,” she says.
I take her hand in mind, and the moment I do, we start getting bombarded by guests. People who I haven’t seen in months. Everyone wanting to know where I’ve been. Who Jade is. What I’ve been doing.
I casually answer their questions. I’ve been working out of town, although I don’t divulge where. Jade is my girlfriend. Yep. I answer like that. This causes her to look at me in surprise. It seems natural to me to say it though.
“He’ll be home soon,” my father states after I’ve answered another guest. “We have plans at Steele Industries and those plans include my son.”
“That’s right, Madden. Didn’t you go to school for–”
“Please excuse us,” I cut off one of my father’s associates before he can go any further. I know it was rude, but I couldn’t take it anymore.
“Madden, are you okay?” Jade asks.
“Let’s just go,” I say. “Let’s go to our hotel and back to our lives in Hollis. We’ve done our part.”
“But your family...” her voice trails. She cups my face and strokes my cheek. “Look, it’s your brother’s wedding. Let’s stay at least until him and Amelia leave. Don’t let your father get to you. You are a better man than he is.”
I reluctantly agree, her words meaningful, and lead her to where Keegan and Amelia are getting ready to cut the cake. We laugh as Amelia smears icing all over Keegan’s face. He pulls her into his arms and kisses her, rubbing the icing against her lips and cheek. I briefly wonder if Jade and me will do the same on our wedding day. Holy shit.
“Madden, may I speak with you in private?” my father asks and the firm grip he has on my elbow insists that I don’t argue with him.
“I’ll be right back, Jade.”
Once we’re in the privacy of the theater room, I snatch away from his grasp. I cross my arms and wait for him to speak.
“What are you doing, Madden?” he asks in a calm voice.
“I put the money I owed you back in your safe. Every penny,” I answer.
“What about your yearly allowance? Your trust fund? Are you going to be able to survive without those?” he questions, fuming.
“Are you taking it away from me?”
“If you don’t come home, my money is no longer your money,” he states and I glare at him. “Why would I continue to support a son who doesn’t respect me? Someone who doesn’t even want his birthright? You have your entire future ahead of you! Your job at Steele Industries where you’d be making $2.5 million a year! Your yearly allowance is twice that much, Madden. Your trust fund has you and your future family set for your entire lives and you want to throw it all away for a cheap piece of ass!”
“Don’t talk about her like that!” I hiss.
“I did a little digging on Jade Bowen. She’s trash. Pure trash!” he says. “Her mother’s a junkie and her father ran out on his family! He is a low-level drug dealer now. He’s also a registered sex offender in Houston. Your little girlfriend came from nothing and she’ll never become anything! She’s not even educated!”
“I know where she came from, Father.”
“Do you?” he persists. “When I found out where you were and who you were spending your time with, I hired a private investigator. I’m surprised that construction crew you work with only has misdemeanors on their records.”
“You did what?”
“But this girl is an entirely different story. Did you know she ran away and lived on the streets? I can’t blame her for wanting to get out of what I’m sure was a pure shithole, but she became a whore, Madden!”
“I am aware of Jade’s past,” I say calmly, not letting him get to me. “And quite frankly, it’s none of your fucking business.”
“You approve of her spreading her legs for money and you’re telling me you’re going to flush your entire future down the toilet for someone like that? Give everything up?”
“No, that’s what you’re telling me!” I yell back and get nose to nose with him. “Just because I’m not following your plan, you’re shutting me out! That’s your choice! You should be proud of me for making my own plans!”
“Do you even have a plan, Madden?” he growls. “Or do you just plan on living in that shitty apartment above that rundown bar?”
I know the surprise is evident on my face and I can’t conceal it. I was off the grid, careful not to leave a trace. How did he know?
“You think I didn’t know where you were? You’re my son. I’ve always known where you were,” he says, cockily. “Are you going to work a construction job for the rest of your life? Have someone who barely graduated high school be your boss?”
“Maybe.”
“What about when you decide to get married and have a family? Will your family live there, too? In that podunk town that doesn’t even have a Wal-Mart? Will that job be enough to support them?” he sneers.
“I...I don’t know,” I answer, honestly. “Marriage is not in my plans yet, so I don’t have to worry about that.”
“Son, you have to plan ahead. You have to be prepared,” my mother’s voice interrupts our conversation. My father takes a step back as she approaches us. “Your father has been planning ahead for you and your brothers for your entire lives. He has always taken care of us. Done what was necessary so that you, Keegan, and Landon could prosper. You have no idea the sacrifices the two of us have made for the three of you.”
Her eyes glitter with tears when she says this and she reaches up to touch my cheek. I have never seen my mother show any sort of emotion. Not once.
“You have to see reason.”
“You’re damn right you do!” my father says harshly, but then my mother glares at him and his voice softens. “I worked hard to provide for my family and you want to throw everything I’ve prepared for you away! All for some woman who doesn’t deserve you.”
My father pats my shoulder and walks away shaking his head. My mother follows after him. I let both of their words sink in. I know I don’t have a clear-cut plan, but I can make one. If he doesn’t want me to have my allowance or my trust fund, then that’s fine. I don’t need it. I don’t need approval from either one of them.
I head out of the theater and nearly collide with Jade. I instantly wonder if she heard anything. I study her face for any sign of anger, heartbreak, or tears. Any emotion that
would tell me she heard my parents’ hateful words. Nothing.
“Hey, I was just coming to look for you. Amelia and Keegan are getting ready to leave,” she says.
“Good. As soon as they’re gone, we’re heading to that hotel,” I say and press a light kiss to her lips.
Once we’re outside, we throw rice at my brother and now sister-in-law with the rest of the guests. I watch them ride away in the black limousine, and then I take Jade’s hand.
“Let’s go. I need you in my arms.”
Chapter Forty-One
Jade
We are almost to Madden’s truck when I realize I don’t have my purse. He’s talking to Landon, so I tell him I’m going to run inside and grab it before we leave. I walk through the house, still not believing this is where Madden grew up. It doesn’t feel like a home. It’s cold and unwelcoming.
“Forget something?”
Speaking of cold and unwelcoming.
“Oh, yes, my purse. I think I forgot it in the bathroom.”
Mrs. Steele eyes me with morbid curiosity while she calls out to Carmella. She orders her to go fetch my purse, her words.
“I’m not quite certain what my son sees in you,” she says. “You’re pretty, that is true, but he’s dated prettier girls. You can’t have anything different to offer in the sexual department. Let’s face it, it’s a vagina and we all know the power it holds and how to use it. What is it that has him so intrigued?”
“I apologize, but I can’t answer that for him.”
Carmella returns, my purse in her hands. She gives it to me and quickly leaves the room. Mrs. Steele walks over to the bar in the corner and pours herself a drink, not offering me one. She opens a small drawer and pulls out a checkbook.
“My husband doesn’t understand the way a woman’s mind works, Jade.” She knows my name, after all. “He attempted to bully Madden into returning home. It isn’t Madden he has to convince, is it?”
“I...I’m not sure I know what you mean.”
“You strike me as the type of woman who knows the value of a hard-earned dollar,” she says, her eyes glaring knowingly at me. “Life hasn’t always been easy for you, has it?”
“No, ma’am.”
“This should make it easier,” she says and offers me a check. I swallow at the number of zeroes, an amount I’ve never seen written on a check before. “If you care about my son, you will convince him to return home where he belongs.”
I’m unable to respond, to react, so I fold the check and put it into my purse. Madden thinks it’s his father who runs the show. I’m starting to think otherwise. His mother isn’t as much of a piece of arm jewelry as he likes to believe. She is so much more.
“Everything okay? I was just coming to find you.”
“Yeah, I couldn’t find my purse. It was in the bathroom.”
He takes my hand and we go back to his truck. On the ride to the hotel, he traces my palm with his fingertips. He doesn’t mention the conversation he had with this parents — the conversation he doesn’t think I overheard.
Your little girlfriend came from nothing and she’ll never become anything!
I’ve always been ashamed of what I did, the level I sunk to, but at the same time, proud of myself for figuring things out and surviving. Most girls would still be out there selling themselves but I got out. There was a time I was terrified I wouldn’t. Terrified that I would get sucked in, pulled too far down, and I would die on the streets of Houston. Or worse — still be there.
I think of my life now and I know it isn’t glamorous. I’m a waitress at a rinky-dink bar in a town so small we can barely be found on the map. The carpet in my house has stains and sometimes my roof leaks. My wardrobe is limited to a few sundresses, jeans, and cowboy boots. No matter what I do, I will never be good enough for Stanton and Elizabeth Steele.
I look over at Madden, at how damn perfect he is, and wonder what the hell I’m trying to pull off. I may have fallen in love with him, but this will never work. It was never supposed to work.
I was using him, and let’s be honest, he was using me, too. We are fooling ourselves if we think for one second we actually have a chance at something real.
“We’re here,” Madden says, pulling up to the valet parking.
Of course, the hotel he chose would have valet parking. It’s the nicest hotel in Dallas and must’ve cost him a small fortune.
“We could just drive back to Hollis,” I offer weakly.
“You don’t want to stay? This is supposed to be our night. No family. No distractions.”
I can hear the disappointment in his voice, and it breaks my heart. “I don’t want you spending this kind of money on me.”
“You deserve it,” he says with a smile and the check in my purse feels as heavy as a ton of bricks.
We get checked in and the moment we’re in the privacy of our suite, the mood shifts. Madden pulls me into his arms as if he’s been waiting to hold me all evening. His kiss is soft, but persistent and the sour mood I’m in slowly dissipates.
“I have something for you,” he says. “But first I need you to turn around.”
I do as he says, kicking off my heels in the process. When my back is to him, he skims his fingertips over my bare shoulders before reaching for my zipper. He lowers it slowly and lets the dress I’m wearing drop to the floor. He presses a kiss to my back as he unclasps my strapless bra and discards it. I’m breathless as he dips his fingers into my panties and slides them down my legs.
I start to turn and face him but he keeps my back to him, his lips hot on my neck. His erection pushes against my ass. I lull my head back and then gasp when something cold touches my neck. I look down at the sapphire necklace, my eyes filling with tears.
“Madden, I can’t...I can’t take this.”
“I knew you would say that.”
I hold the diamond between my fingertips, blinking back tears and when he closes his arms around me, I feel his bare skin against mine.
“You stripped quick,” I tease, and yelp as he picks me up and carries me to the bed.
“I want to make love to you, Jade,” he says. “With you wearing only this necklace. Nothing else between us.”
He slips his hand between my legs and strokes me, my pussy already wet and ready for him. There is so much being left unsaid between us. So much pain to come. But I can’t deny this right now. Not when we both need it.
“I want that, too. I want you, Madden.”
He rubs my juices over his dick, lubricating himself, and then he eases inside me. I tell myself this incredible connection changes nothing. I’m still going to give him up. Eventually.
“It’s only us, Jade. Just the two of us,” he whispers. “I’ll never leave you.”
His promise is not those three little words. Not an I love you. It’s so much more than that.
Chapter Forty-Two
Madden
I reach across the bed to find it empty. Again. The past few days Jade has stayed with me, but I’ve woken up to find her side of the bed cold and empty. I know she’s not a morning person. Not even close. So, why do I keep waking up alone?
Since the wedding, she’s been different. I can’t quite describe it. I don’t know how someone can be close, but distant at the same time. How I can be inside her and feel her passion for me, yet feel like she’s a million miles away, too?
I swear, when we got back to Hollis, I heard her crying in the shower. When I came in and asked if she was okay, she promised me she was. She even asked me to join her. When we make love, I keep getting this eerie feeling like it’s the last time. It’s fucked.
I get up and get dressed for work. As I head out the door, my phone rings. Now that it’s no secret where I am, I see no reason in keeping my phone turned off.
“You’re calling early, Landon,” I answer.
“With good reason,” he responds. “Do you remember the Wexler account?”
“You did not call me at 6:30 in the morning to talk b
usiness,” I deadpan as I climb in my truck.
“Actually, I did. They’ve always dealt with either you or Keegan in the past. As you know, Keegan’s gone on his honeymoon. They’re threatening to close their account if they don’t speak to one of you by tomorrow.”
“But they’re one of our key accounts,” I complain, unsure why I actually care. I have no intention in returning to Steele Industries. They need to figure this shit out on their own. “They’ve been with the company for twenty years.”
“Can you make a trip to Dallas?” he asks.
“Shit, it’s Wednesday. I don’t know if I can take off work. We’re halfway through a new job.”
“I wouldn’t ask if it weren’t important.”
“Let me see what I can do and I’ll let you know.”
I hang up and argue with myself on making the trip. It wasn’t like my father called and asked me to come. I know how important the Wexler account is to Steele Industries. It’ll take one meeting with me to keep their business. If it wasn’t Landon who called, I wouldn’t give a damn, but I don’t want to let my brother down.
When I get to the job site, I immediately seek out Caleb. Since his break up with Casey, he’s been my least favorite person to talk to. He turns to me and stands with his arms crossed. His scruff has grown out to a goatee and his light brown hair is curling under the edge of his hard hat. His eyes are blood shot.
“Is it possible for me to take tomorrow off? I have some business I need to take care of in Dallas,” I ask and see his jaw clench.
“Take the rest of the week off. I don’t give a fuck what you do, city boy,” he snarls.
“And I still have a job?” I press.
“Yeah, sure,” he snaps.
I don’t push my luck. I get to work and even work a little late to prove that I appreciate him letting me off. I don’t plan on taking off the whole week, though. I only need one day.