by Jerilee Kaye
“You didn’t have to, Justin. You didn’t owe me that. You didn’t have to tell me everything that you do.”
“But I wanted to,” he said. “I was quite excited to show you my new car, actually. I had a plate especially made…”
“Ienne,” she whispered.
He nodded. “I wanted to see how you would react when you saw it. I know you would be furious at me, as I’m defying your request to keep us a secret. But it was my little way of showing that we…belong together.”
“And when Jill told me about it, I thought it belonged to the girl I found in your apartment.”
He shook his head. “It meant you.”
She pulled his face to hers and kissed him again. When he deepened the kiss, she felt a sting on her lip.
“Ouch!” She giggled. She had forgotten about the wound that Troy gave her. In her excitement to make love to Justin again, she didn’t even feel any pain when he crushed his lips to hers.
“I’m sorry, honey. I forgot.”
She nodded. “It’s okay. I forgot it, too.”
“Come on, let’s go freshen up.”
“Justin, I have to go back to Yuan’s and Jill’s room. I was sharing a room with Kimberly. And I just can’t bear to see her right now.”
He raised a brow at her. “Who said you were going to stay with Yuan and Jill? You’re staying the night here with me, honey.”
“But Jill and Yuan are mad at me.”
“If you go back to your room will it make a difference? They already know about us. I’m sure they would have guessed that you’re spending the night with me.”
“They won’t. They still believe I’m a virgin.” Adrienne rolled her eyes.
Justin grinned. “Then when you stay the night with me, they won’t think that about you tomorrow morning. I’m the most wanted rakehell in town, remember?”
She pinched his side. “You are so conceited!”
He laughed.
“Did you have dinner already?”
“Barely—I didn’t have the appetite,” she replied.
Justin called room service. Then he gathered her in his arms and carried her to the bathroom.
“I can walk, you know,” she said, staring up at him.
“Pretend you can’t, so your new boyfriend will feel he’s such a hero.” He winked at her.
“New boyfriend? Did I say you passed the audition?”
He grinned. “Considering you screamed my name thrice, I think I just earned the right to claim that position.”
Adrienne’s face turned red and she pinched Justin’s arm again.
“Ouch! Adrienne! Do you want me to drop you?” he asked, laughing.
“Don’t you dare!”
He settled her down on the shower. He helped her remove the remaining pieces of her clothing and did the same to his. Then he gave her a mischievous smile and before Adrienne could ask what he was up to, he turned on the shower and Adrienne shrieked as the cold water hit her skin. He laughed and hugged her to him.
When she looked up at him, he looked like a playful little boy. His crystal blue eyes were dancing. She realized he was exactly like this in Alaska. This was Justin…unrestrained.
“I missed you so much.” She leaned forward and kissed him on the lips.
“Really? What did you miss most about me?” he asked.
She smiled. “Your eyes.”
“My eyes?” he echoed.
She nodded. “You always keep them hidden behind those shades of yours. Your face looks expressionless, sometimes, even cold. But your eyes are frequently dancing with laughter. I love the way you can be so serious and yet your eyes are very warm.”
“Really? You were the first one who’s noticed that.”
“Maybe I was the first one who looked at them very closely.” She smiled.
“Indeed, you are.”
“You know… I was especially curious about the color of your eyes. I have…” She remembered the novel that she started writing after she moved into her apartment. She realized that she hadn’t thought it since she met Justin.
“What?” he asked.
She blushed and turned away. But Justin knew her better.
He tilted her chin up. “What is it?”
She felt embarrassed to admit this. But she realized that she promised to trust him. And she should…no matter how small or embarrassing it could be.
“Well, you were a popular guy. My friends talk about you all the time. I thought you were cute and all, but I never fantasized about you. I just didn’t understand why some girls would lose their breaths at the sight of you. And then…I discovered that you were my next-door neighbor. I grew fascinated by you. I decided to see what the fuss was about. I was… watching you sometimes…trying to see what you were like.”
She stared back at him. She was watching if his expression would show signs of panic. She was scared that he would be screaming ‘Stalker Alert! Stalker Alert!’ inside his head. But when she looked into his eyes, they were dancing again.
She smiled shyly. “I started writing a novel. And…I drew out the character after you.”
He raised a brow. “Really? What type of novel?”
She shrugged. “Historical romance. You were a rogue knight. For sure you were a rakehell.” She giggled.
He asked. “Was there a red-haired damsel in distress?”
She stared back at him. His eyes were sparkling. She nodded shyly.
“And how did that turn out?” he asked.
She shrugged. “I didn’t finish it yet.”
“Why?” he asked.
“I met you. And I haven’t written a single word on it again.”
“How do you think that will end?” he asked. She smiled because she felt that he actually seemed interested.
“I haven’t thought about it yet,” she said. “But I sure hope it would end in happily ever after.”
He stared at her for a while and he sighed. Something crossed his face. A thought, an expression. But he pulled her to him too fast, she wasn’t able to decipher it.
“I’m sure he would do everything he can to make sure it ends that way.” He hugged her to him tightly, keeping her warm against the cold water pouring over their skin.
After the bath, Justin kissed her softly on the lips and then went out to answer the door.
She put on a fresh bathrobe and then towel-dried her hair.
When she went out, Justin had just finished setting the food he ordered from room service.
She realized that she didn’t have clothes to wear.
“Oh my God. I’m gonna have to go to Kim’s room after all.”
“Why?”
“I don’t have clothes to wear, Justin.”
He went to her and wrapped his arms around her waist. Then he smiled mischievously. “You don’t need any tonight.”
She giggled. “Jus-tinn!”
He laughed. “Here.” He handed her a bag. “I had room service deliver a fresh pair of underwear from their souvenir shop. They’re dry cleaned already.”
“Really? They do it that fast?”
“Considering I tripled the price, I’m sure they would do magic.”
He handed her a white long-sleeve shirt from his closet. “I hope you don’t mind wearing something of mine tonight.” He smiled. “I’ll call the shop again to have a bathing suit delivered up. Then tomorrow, I will go to your room to get the rest of your stuff.”
“Thank you.” She headed to the bathroom to dress up.
Justin studied her from head to toe when she emerged from the bathroom wearing his shirt.
“I look okay?”
He pulled her into his arms and kissed her. “You’re a fox.”
She smiled and kissed him back. She realized she missed hearing that line.
She laughed and kissed him back. Then he said, “I’m happy that you made a character out of me. To be honest with you, I was watching you whenever I can, as well. I knew you from Blush. You were snobbish. I wa
s intrigued. And whenever you sat out on your balcony, it fascinated me to see you lost in your thoughts. I saw you talking on the phone and I couldn’t make out the expression on your face. But now that I know you, I realized that during those times, you were talking to your ex-boyfriend or your mother.”
“You can see my frustration from afar?”
He shrugged. “I didn’t see your happiness. That’s why I was so surprised to see you at Gypsys. Looking the way you did. And God! You looked so hot!”
“And I thought you wouldn’t even recognize me, or remember me afterwards.”
He laughed. “I was… short of stalking you whenever you’re at home, to be honest. That’s why it was so hilarious when you introduced yourself as Jamila McBride. I already knew a lot about you when I approached you that night.”
“That night changed my life. It changed the way I looked at things. I got to appreciate myself more now.” She looked at him. “Thank you, Justin Adams. For stepping into my life…when I wasn’t even asking you to.”
He smiled. “And thank you, Adrienne Miller. For looking at me in a different light.” He leaned forward and kissed her lips gently. Then he said, “Come. Dinner’s getting cold.”
After dinner, they sat on the balcony and drank some beer.
“Tell me again what happened with your sister?”
“I came here to clear my mind. And to break up with Troy. When I couldn’t find him in his room, I went back to mine and Kim’s room. I found him there all right. Between Kim’s legs.”
Justin stared at her for a while. “Can your sister do any worse?” He shook his head. “Are you sure you have the same genes?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know what I ever did to her.”
“And this Troy character? What a loser! I don’t understand what else he was looking for. He’s got you. And you…are perfect just as you are.”
“No, I’m not. For him, I would be a disgrace to his family. His brother married a hotshot lawyer, and he somehow couldn’t accept the fact that he, on the other hand, will be marrying a vanity writer.”
Justin shook his head. “Why? Did he expect his wife to make a living for him?”
“It was all ego for him.”
Justin took a deep breath. “If a person…had the right to choose who he marries, he should marry for love. It’s a privilege to be able to choose your own happiness. Doesn’t he realize that? Not everything is about money and prestige. I would rather be penniless and married to the girl of my dreams.”
Adrienne smiled. “Your parents must have been so in love with each other for you to think that way, in spite of who you are.”
Justin looked away from her. It was a while before he spoke. “My father has always been Jac Adams. He inherited my grandfather’s empire. But he was married to a woman that he was excited to go home to. A woman he felt content to be with…who stirred his blood, affected his senses, and challenged his intelligence.”
“I’m sure they’re happy.”
Justin smiled and nodded. “Very. Every day I see them, they still look like they were newlyweds. My father adores my mother from head to foot.”
“Your mother…what does she do?”
“She came from a good family, too. She didn’t work a day in her life.”
“By good, you mean…wealthy, powerful, decent.”
Justin took a deep breath. He nodded. “Heiress to one of four companies her family owned. But she didn’t have any interest in managing it. How could she be interested in mining?”
“So what happened to her family’s business then?”
Justin gave her a serious look and then in a quiet voice he said, “It became part of Adams Industries.”
“Your father acquired it?”
Justin nodded. “During that time, my father’s family business was the biggest in the industry. Acquiring my mother’s company made it even bigger.”
“Your parents must be really lucky to find each other.”
Justin sighed. “I don’t believe in luck. You want it, you go for it.” His voice became firm and sober.
Adrienne smiled. “No wonder you’re branded as the rebellious heir of Adams Industries.”
He grinned at her. He reached out for her hand. “I have a feeling I will always be.”
“If your parents are so in love with each other, how come you were an only child?” she asked.
“When Jeffrey died, my mother didn’t take it well. After a few years, they tried having another baby, they just…couldn’t.”
Adrienne squeezed his hand. “You would have been a wonderful brother. You’re a wonderful cousin.”
“I always wondered what Jeffrey would be like. Would he be as stubborn as I am? Would he defy Mom and Dad? Would he like the same things that I do? Would he rather be a businessman like I am now destined to be, or would he like to be a lawyer or a doctor, instead?”
She reached out and squeezed his hand again.
“You have a blessed life, Justin. You don’t know how lucky you are. Maybe Jeffrey became your guardian angel. He would always look after you. Since you were the one who lived, he made sure your life would be a blessed one.”
Justin stared at her eyes deeply, and she thought she saw a hint of tears in his eyes. He smiled and squeezed her hand back.
“I think you would have been better brothers than Kimberly and I were sisters,” she added. “Our relationship is a pity, really. And worse, my parents didn’t do anything about it. Somehow, I even think that the root of all this was my mother. When we were young, Kim would always want what was mine. No matter how cheap or shabby my little toys were, if she saw that I am happy with it, she would always try to get it from me. And my mother would always take her side.” She looked at him. “I think Jeffrey would love you more than his life. I think that he would always be there for you. He would want what is best for you.”
Tears rolled down her face. Justin rose from his seat and pulled her up gently and enclosed her in his arms. Then she lost it. She let him comfort her. She cried hard and hugged him tightly. He didn’t say anything. He just allowed her to cry. He caressed her head while leaning a cheek against her forehead. He let her pour it all out, but through his embrace, he told her that he was there for her. That he would catch her when she fell. That with him, she would always be adored and appreciated.
19. Nar
Arabic, meaning Fire
They got ready to sleep. By the foot of the bed, Adrienne watched Justin come closer to her. He took her face in both of his hands.
“My sweet, beautiful Adrienne…” he whispered.
Then he kissed her gently. He wrapped his arms around her waist. She kissed him back and wrapped her arms around his neck.
He unbuttoned the shirt she was wearing. And soon, they were kissing each other passionately. She took his shirt off. He nuzzled her neck. She moaned. She felt the familiar desire creeping in her every vein, slowly consuming her, blocking her senses.
Adrienne thought she wouldn’t feel like this anymore. For days, she thought that all she could do was call Justin’s memory to her mind, just so she could feel alive again. Because she thought it was over. That she had lost him forever.
She could hardly believe that she was back in his arms. And he ignited all of her passions again, arousing her until her mind went completely blank with need and longing.
“Justin,” she whispered hoarsely. “Oh God! Justin, please…”
“I missed you so much, honey,” he whispered hoarsely. They kissed each other, feeling the effects of the time they spent apart. They held on to each other, devouring each other with their kisses. “I wanted you so badly!” he said to her.
“Then take me, Justin!” she whispered hoarsely.
They fell to the bed and barely a second after, they were one. When he looked at her, his eyes were a shade darker. They were drugged with desire and consumed by passion. She felt familiar sparks creeping in her every vein, until it took her to the brink of insanity.
“Justin!” she screamed. His lips descended on hers and he swallowed her cries. Then he moved with more urgency until she heard him scream her name, “Adrienne, honey!” Then he hugged her tightly to his body and she felt his body rock.
When it was over, he looked up and stared at her deeply. He leaned down and kissed her lips gently.
“My Adrienne. Finally… my Adrienne…” he whispered.
She smiled at him weakly. He lay on his back and gathered her gently into his arms. He tilted her chin up and she gazed into his eyes.
“I’m sorry. I wasn’t quite gentle. I’ve missed you so much, I almost feared that you weren’t real.”
She smiled. “Me, too. It’s okay. I wanted you as much as you wanted me.”
“We’ve got plenty of time to catch up on the time we’ve lost,” he suggested.
She sighed. “I was stupid, Justin. I judged you. I guess, I was scared of your reputation in spite of knowing you better.”
“I know,” he responded. “But it’s okay, honey. We’re both here now.”
She took a deep breath. “And since we’re on the subject of your reputation, I need to ask you something, just to make it clear and to hear it from you directly.”
“Okay. What is it?”
“Someone said you were clubbing with Tara Lambert.”
He laughed. “I was not! I was out with my friends and she happened to know one of them. She was there at Oxygen. But no, I didn’t dance with her. I didn’t flirt with her. I didn’t even exchange three sentences with her. All right?”
“You were talking to her this morning on the phone,” she said.
He rolled his eyes. “Somehow, she got my number. I must remember to cripple whoever gave it to her.” He looked at her for a moment. “If you heard me well enough, I even asked her first who she was. It means, I didn’t have her number. And because I think you will ask anyway, I’m going to tell you now, that she was asking me how I was, blah, blah, blah. She asked me where I was, and I told her straight out that I was in the elevator with my girlfriend. But you hopped out of the lift too fast. I don’t think you heard that.” He smiled at her gently. “At that moment, I wanted to know what it felt like to call you my girlfriend.”