An Arrangement of Love (9 page)

“You have three women to make you laugh.”

“And still I want you.”

I sighed. “Back to these deaths. Do you think the women were killed by someone who—”

“Oh no. I don’t think they were killed. It’s just discovering that a man’s three ex-girlfriends died back to back would scare most, so I figured that was why you were hesitant.” His eyes widened as he shook his head, but for some reason I didn’t believe him.

Fear plopped to the pit of my stomach and then unfurled into a full blown anxiety attack. I hadn’t had an anxiety attack like this in a year. My throat tightened. Sweat appeared and dripped down my face. My heart banged in my ears. I scanned my eyes around the restaurant as if any of these customers sitting at the tables could be there to harm me. My body trembled. The waiter approached from behind me with a pitcher of water. I shrieked and jumped in my seat.

“Jasmine? Are you okay?” Chase reached for my hand. I shoved it away and rose.

“I have to go to the lady’s room.” I wiped some of the sweat away. My stomach twisted into an unsettling knot.
Focus on breathing. Count your breaths. You know what to do.
I sucked in a lot of air through my nose.

“Let me walk you.” Chase rose.

“No.” I hurried away, bumping into a woman as she left the bathroom.

They all died.
A cold dread expanded across my skin. My fingers turned ice cold. I rubbed them together.
But who did it? Do they want to hurt me? Am I safe?
Stay in the moment. Don’t think about it. Breathe.

Chapter 9

I
stood in the
bathroom for fifteen minutes, meditating and calming myself down. When I walked out, Chase stood by the door. It took another five minutes to reassure him that I was okay and it was just one of many anxiety attacks I’d experienced in my life. They’d started the day after Troy killed my mother’s boyfriend. Through the years, I’d learned to cope with them. Dinner continued in silence with a little casual talk tossed in. I think Chase figured I was too fragile for his arrangement and decided not to bring it up again.

Fine by me.

“I’ll be dreaming about that chocolate lava cake all night,” Chase said, interrupting the quiet in the limo.

“Yes, that qualifies as an orgasmic moment.”

“So what’s next for us?” Chase opened a glass panel on his right that housed a tiny bar. He poured me a glass of champagne. The bubbles skittered to the rim. “I still get to enjoy your company for the rest of the evening.”

“I don’t remember agreeing to that.” I took the glass and sipped. The luscious liquid poured over my tongue.
God, he’s spoiling me
.

“What were you going to do tonight?”

“Hang out with my brother, Vivian, and her boyfriend at Drunken Lyrics.”

“Cool. I never heard of the place, but your taste in food is impeccable. I trust you.”

“You’re just going to invite yourself?”

“Of course.” He poured himself a glass.

M

Sue Lin owned Drunken Lyrics. She’d been a famous Asian poet who traveled all over the world. I owned all her spoken word CDs when I was in high school. I knew her popular poems by heart. So when she moved to Oshane City and opened her place I was her first customer. Once I met Sue I understood the full meaning of her place’s name. She drank nonstop and always held a glass of wine, shot of liquor, or can of beer when I saw her. The nights began with her tipsy announcements on the microphone and continued with her drunken slurring by the end of the evening.

“Welcome to wonderland, baby!” Sue slurred and spilled some of her drink near my feet. “We’re all crazy here.”

“Thanks, Sue.” I waved at her as she headed off to the side of the building to smoke her cigarette. Chase placed his hand on my back. Warmth swelled where he touched me. I moved his hand away.

“I can’t touch you?” he asked.

“Not that area.”

“Why not?’

“It’s sensitive.”

“Hmm.” He gazed at the spot as if it possessed a special secret. “Can I hold your hand? It’s packed in there I don’t want to lose you.”

“Okay, but just until we’re inside.”

“I’ll try to remember that.” He chuckled and clasped his warm hand on mine. Satin skin wrapped around my fingers as he squeezed.

We entered. Soft green lights gave the place a soulful effect while the reggae band My Republic sung on stage. They were one of my favorite cover bands because they performed all of the popular reggae songs.

“She loves all men from Martin to Louie, as long as they buy her pearls and rubies,”
the leader sang the lyrics to the song “Gold Digging Lady” by Red Lion. His long dreadlocks swayed back and forth over his shoulders. Sweat trickled down his dark face.
“She no care about heart break, cuts, and bruises, it’s all about money for her that’s what she chooses.”

I bobbed my head to the beat as we squeezed through a crowd of grinding couples. Chase released my hand and placed it on my hip instead. My heartbeat increased, but I told myself it was the music and not that he was touching me. I balanced on my tippy toes and scanned the crowd for Vivian or Troy.

“Do you see them?” Chase’s lips brushed my ear. I shivered, inched away from him, and shook my head. He turned me around until I faced him. “Well, let’s dance a little and then when it slows down maybe we’ll see them.”

“A rich man can satisfy her needs. She’ll let him use her up. It’s all about greed .”

“Maybe we should just go in the bar,” I whispered in his ear.

He pulled me to him until my body pressed against his hard chest.
It’s been a long time since I’ve been in a man’s arms. And never a man like this.
He slipped his hands from my waist and rested them on my hips. “I’d rather stay here.”

“The sex price is getting higher, houses and more money she require. But is she a prostitute or lover for hire. Diamonds and pearls she require.”

I used to love this song, but now I wasn’t so sure. I stiffened under his arms.
What the hell am I doing in here with him?
Surely, this would not end with us shaking each other’s hands and saying goodnight. He didn’t seem like that type of man, the type to give up. He’d spent three months figuring out how to get me in his company and I’d easily walked into his trap like a mouse following the scent of cheese.

“Gold digging lady. She’ll call you baby for the cash. Gold digging lady. She’ll make you moan for the cash.”

“What’s wrong? You stopped dancing.” With his hands, he guided my hips and helped them to sway, in perfect time to the song. “Is everything okay?”

I swallowed down my discomfort. “Yes.”

Our bodies were so close, every ridge of his layered muscle touched the front of my body.
He’s so rock hard
. And I enjoyed each press of him into me, each rotation of his hips as he grinded into my center. The bundles of nerves between my thighs stirred. I bit my lip and was certain it would be swollen by the end of the night. One of his hands moved from my hip and nudged my arm.

“Relax.” He caressed the tip of my earlobe with his lips. “I told you I would take this as far as you let me.”

That’s what I’m afraid of.

I edged back until there was space between us and placed my hands on his shoulders. “You’re a good dancer.”

He twirled us around. “I wanted to be a ballet dancer when I was a kid, but my dad said only homosexuals love to dance.”

“That sucks. You would’ve been a grand Black Swan.” I giggled.

“If only my father wasn’t a bigot.”

“That still doesn’t explain your excellent dancing skills.”

“I take ballroom dancing with Wendy. It’s usually what we do on our evenings together.”

“Interesting.” It was also just what I needed to return back to reality. I could never be with him and I needed to remember that as much as possible. The music’s tempo slowed. The lights brightened around us.

“Thank you for coming to see My Republic!” The singer wiped his head with a towel. “We’ll be back in thirty minutes. Please welcome three aspiring poets: Magnetic, Liquid Dread, and Noc Santiago.”

Dang it.
I thought we’d missed Noc’s performance. I hated listening to him. His poetry incited diarrhea symptoms.

Chase continued to hold me even though everyone was leaving the floor and no more music was playing. “Let’s get a drink. Maybe we’ll see your friend.”

“We need to get some water too.” My movements were getting that delayed reaction I got when approaching a tipsy state. Tension vanished from around my neck. Chase guided me through the departing dancers. When we arrived at the bar, he pulled me in front of him.

“Go ahead and ask for what you want, and order me a brandy on the rocks, please,” he said.

A brunette with a tube top that read Drunken Lyrics placed two napkins in front of us. “Hey Jasmine. What would you like?”

Chase seized the moment to press his body against my behind. Heat pooled between my thighs. I gripped the edge of the bar with my hands. “Um...water, pinot noir, and a brandy on the rocks.”

“Gotcha.” She rushed off.

Chase kissed the curve of my neck. I arched my back in response. Sparks of lust fluttered everywhere he touched.

“What are you doing?” I twisted around and moved his hands.

“What’s that fragrance you’re wearing?”

“Answer my question first.” I placed my hands on his chest so he wouldn’t come any closer.

“I was touching you.” He waved my hands away. “Now answer my question.”

“It’s just organic shea butter. I have dry skin so I have to put it all over me after I shower or wash my hands.”

“That’s why your skin is so soft?” He massaged the skin on my neck. I stifled a whimper. His fingers delivered hot sensations where they stroked. And instead of those sparks dying there, they traveled down my spine and expanded to other places that yearned to be touched.

I stepped to the side. “Don’t.”

“What can I do?”

“Nothing.”

“Now that’s unacceptable.” He pressed his lips to mine and slipped his tongue into my mouth. And against all common sense, I sucked on that tongue, loving its thickness as it slipped in and out. Groaning, he pulled me into him until there was nothing but the thin layers of our clothes between us. I sucked harder.

He pulled away, nibbled my bottom lip, and then backed up. “Our drinks are here.”

“What?” I struggled to catch my breath.

“Your wine is behind you.” He changed his view to my nipples as they stiffened.

“Umm . . . okay. I turned away, grabbed my glass, and gulped the wine.

“Kissing you was probably a bad idea.” He leaned into my behind again, but now his hardness pushed against my curves. “I want to make you moan.”

Danger. Danger. Get a hold of the situation, Jasmine.

“You made me moan when I ate that delicious food tonight.” I switched from drinking wine to gulping down water in a desperate attempt to end this craziness. “By the way, you’re pushing your erection into my behind.”

“Do you like that?”

“No.”

He nipped at my neck and moved to my side. “You’re a bad liar.”

“You’re awful at courting a woman.”

“How?” His eyebrows furrowed.

I wagged one finger at him. “You kissed me without my permission.”

“You liked it.”

“Not the point. You also rubbed your erection on me like a pervert.”

“I am a pervert.”

“A spoiled one.”

He swallowed some of his brandy. “I’d love to spoil you. I’d give you anything you desired. Join my arrangement and you would never have to worry. I would take care of you and your family. I’d get them out of South End, put your nieces and nephews in good schools.”

Take care of my family?

I looked away and shook my head. He really did study me hard. He knew I was constantly giving money to my mother and that would be a weakness to use against me. Too bad it scared the hell out of me instead. He figured he could have anything he wanted, served to him exactly the way he desired.
He probably could, just not me.
My mother depended on men so much that when they did things like hurt my brothers or me, she looked the other way. I didn’t work my butt off to get into Harvard and then deal with the weird stares from rich kids and all of those long hours of studying just so I could be a highly paid mistress.

“Like I said before, I’m not interested.” I tucked my hair behind my ear. “Besides, I wouldn’t do well in your harem. I feel like if you’re sleeping with other women, then I should be able to be with other men.”

He stepped closer to me. “I don’t share.”

“And I don’t give to selfish people.”

“Are you attracted to me?”

“Of course. I already told you I would date you,” I said without hesitation, which signaled to me that I needed to slow down the drinking.

“If I didn’t have this situation, would you have let me make love to you tonight?”

I averted my eyes. The light dimmed again as a poet walked on stage. It wasn’t Noc.
Thank god.
By the way, where are Vivian and Troy?
People applauded and hurried to surround the stage.

“Jasmine?” Chase kissed my cheek. “Answer me, please.”

“Eventually I would have let my guard down and had sex with you.” I gazed into his eyes.

He set his hands on my thighs. “I wish I could have you in my bed tonight.”

“No.”

“I’m starting to hate that word on your lips.”

“Too bad. You’ll be hearing me say it a lot.”

He clasped his hands onto mine and pulled me away from the bar.

“Where are we going?” I asked as he dragged me toward the back. The audience applauded and cheered behind us. I couldn’t make out what the poet was saying because my heart banged in my ears. Fear and anticipation pulsed within me.

“Chase?”

We stepped into the shadows of the club. He gently pushed me against the wall. “I’ve said all I can to have you agree to my offer.”

“Then why are we—”

His lips smoothed against mine. He attacked my tongue with his and I loved it.