Rules of Love (8 page)

Chapter Eighteen

Jason spent most of the morning fielding questions from his employees about his surprise nuptials. The only person who knew what really happened was Charlotte, and she wasn't going to dispute what Jason said. As far as they were all concerned, Jason was in love and had eloped. It really wasn't far from the truth. Jason loved Amber.

Jason sat back in his chair and stared at the computer screen.

Charlotte cleared her throat, alerting him she was in the room. She shut the door, then wobbled over and sat in the leather chair near his desk.

“This the first time all day we've gotten a chance to talk,” she said.

“I know. It's been a typical Monday morning.” Jason stared at Charlotte's big stomach. “How's my boy doing?”

Charlotte rubbed her stomach. “He must be doing okay. He's been playing kickball all day.”

“He's ready to see his uncle Jason.”

“I'm ready for him to come too, but the doctor said a few more weeks.”

“I'd better be the first person you call—well, after Sean—when you go into labor.”

“You will be. And speaking of my husband, he told me he talked to you last night.”

“Yes. I know you're probably not too happy about it, but you were so upset. I was concerned about your blood pressure. High blood pressure isn't good for you or the baby,” Jason said.

“Thanks to you, the misunderstanding has been cleared up. Things are back on track.”

Jason wiped his forehead. “Good because you guys are my role models when it comes to successful married couples.”

“Really?” Charlotte sniffed as if she was going to cry. “That's sweet. Well, we try, but as you can see, it's not easy. With miscommunication rearing its ugly head like it did, the end results could have been devastating.”

“Miscommunication seems to be at the root of a lot of relationship issues,” Jason noted.

“Learn from my mistakes. Talk things over. Even if it makes you feel uncomfortable,” Charlotte said.

“Easier said than done.” Jason wanted to share with Amber how deep his feelings were for her, but was afraid it would scare her.

“So, have you two decided on what you're going to do?” Charlotte asked.

“Yes and no.” Jason looked down.

“What does that mean?” Charlotte leaned closer to the desk.

“I've fallen in love, and I don't know what to do about it.”

“Jason, are you sure?” Charlotte asked.

Jason looked at Charlotte and without blinking said, “Yes. I am in love with Amber.”

“And you're not still drunk?” she asked.

“Yes. Drunk in love.”

Charlotte smiled. “How does she feel about your confession?”

“I haven't told her. We're just biding time until after the engagement party, and once she feels it's appropriate, we're supposed to break up and go our separate ways. But, Charlotte, that's going to be impossible for me to do.”

“Then do something about it. If you love her, work your Jason charm.”

“She has my mind all over the place.” Jason held up some papers. “Look at this. I forgot to even bring up renewing her contract.”

“Getting Amber to understand how you feel about her is more important than those papers right now.”

“You're right. Love has snuck up on me and swallowed me whole.”

* * * * *

Amber rushed to locate Jason's alarm system. She was seconds away from it alerting his alarm company when she found it and entered the code.

“Whew,” she said aloud.

She went back to the front door and got her luggage. She dragged it up the stairs and into Jason's bedroom. They hadn't spoken about closets, so she opened his closet to see if her clothes might fit.

Her mouth dropped open. His closet was like another room. It was filled with custom-made or designer suits in all different colors. His shirts were crisp and clean and hanging up in one section of the closet, and his shoes were all lined up in custom-made shelves. Everything was so neat and seemed to be in its rightful place that she didn't know where to put her stuff.

If she was going to stay here, she would need her own closet space. Another thing about marriage: people had to learn how to share. So today, Jason would learn how to share his closet. Besides, she was hoping that this arrangement would become permanent.

Amber sent Jason a text and it read,
I'm back at your place. I'm rearranging your closet. Please say it's okay because if it isn't too bad
. She added two smiley faces.

Jason text her back right away.
You can have the left side of the closet. Just please keep my stuff in some order.

She responded by typing
Will do
with several smiley faces and a heart.

He responded with a heart.

Amber smiled.

It took her over an hour to get the closet the way she wanted. She was able to keep his clothes organized the way he wanted. She chose to just use the first half of the closet on the left side and left him the rest. However, if she did move in permanently, the closet would have to be rearranged again.

Amber heard a loud thump coming from downstairs. It sounded as if something had fallen. Amber thought she had locked the front door but wasn't too sure now. She looked around to see if she could grab anything. There was nothing. She recalled seeing some golf clubs in one of the closets in the hallway. She opened the bedroom door and peeked out. She didn't see anything. She rushed to the hallway closet and pulled out a golf club. She tiptoed down the stairway.

She almost tripped on the last step when she came face-to-face with a woman. They both screamed at the same time.

“Who are you?” the woman in a maid's uniform asked.

Amber calmed down. She recalled Jason mentioning someone was to stop by to clean up. “I'm Amber.” She extended her hand to the woman.

The woman didn't move. “Mr. Lewis didn't tell me you were going to be here.”

“He probably forgot.”

“I'm going to have to call the police because no one is supposed to be here,” the lady said.

Amber reached forward. “No, please. It's just a misunderstanding.”

The lady screamed. “Get away.”

“Wait. Wait right here. Call Mr. Lewis. He'll clear it all up.”

“I'm calling him, and if he doesn't verify that you're supposed to be here, I'm calling the police.”

The maid dialed Jason's number and put it on speaker.

“Hi, Helen, everything okay?” Jason asked.

“No. There's a woman here in your house. You didn't tell me you had company,” Helen said.

“I'm sorry, Helen. I forgot. Amber's my wife. It's okay if she's there.”

“
Wife
? Mr. Lewis, I didn't know you were dating.”

“Helen, I don't have time to go into details with you, but please make sure she has everything she needs, okay?”

“Yes, Mr. Lewis.” Helen hung up the phone.

Amber stood with her arms folded. “Now, let's start over. I'm Amber.”

“I'm so sorry, Mrs. Lewis. I didn't know.” Helen kept apologizing.

“I understand. You were just looking out for Jason. And please. Call me Amber.”

“We're not supposed to call our customers by their first names, ma'am.”

“I am the customer, and I insist that you call me Amber.”

“Okay, Mrs. Lewis. I mean, Amber. Is there anything you need for me to do?”

“Nothing special. I was about to start cooking dinner.”

“I probably shouldn't say this, but how long have you known Mr. Lewis?”

“Long enough to get married.” Amber smiled.

“That's what I get for being nosy.”

Amber laughed. “I would have asked too.”

Chapter Nineteen

The smell of roasted garlic filled Jason's nostrils the moment he opened his front door.

“Honey, I'm home,” Jason yelled.
I've always wanted to say that
, he said to himself and chuckled.

Amber yelled, “I'm in the kitchen.”

“I'll be there in a minute.” Jason placed the mail he'd been holding in one hand on the mantel and his iPad case holding his iPad and notepad right next to it. He hung his jacket up on the nearby coatrack.

“You got it smelling so good up in here,” Jason said as he walked near Amber and planted a kiss on her cheek.

“I wasn't sure what time to expect you, but the food is almost done.”

“Let me freshen up a little and I'll be back downstairs,” Jason said.

His attempt at taking a sneak peek into one of the pots on the stove was met with a hand slap.

“Ouch.”

“No peeking,” Amber said.

“Fine. I'll be back.”

Jason picked up the mail on his way upstairs. He removed his suit and tie. His phone rang.

“Jason, dude, what happened to you?” Jasper Nelson, a music executive Jason worked out with at one of the local gyms, asked.

“I woke up late this morning and barely made it to the office on time.”

“I told Allen you weren't going to be there. I won the bet,” Jasper said.

Allen Bates was not only a friend of Jasper's but a good friend of Charlotte's. He was also the entertainment attorney Jason's firm used to handle their legal work.

“I'm sure you heard by now that I'm married.”

“Yes. I'm mad because you didn't give us a chance to throw you a bachelor party. With me being all tied down, I look forward to men events.”

“Don't let Isis hear you say that,” Jason said.

“Speaking of Isis, she wants us to do a reality show.”

“Don't do it. I've seen reality shows break up plenty of relationships.”

“That's exactly what I said.”

“Dinner's ready,” Amber shouted from the bottom of the stairway.

“Tell Allen I'll see you both later this week. My wife's calling for me, so I've got to go.”

Jason hung up and went directly to the bathroom to wash his hands before heading downstairs to the dining room.

Ten minutes later, Jason's mouth watered as he looked at the food on his plate. The tender roast was surrounded by roasted garlic potatoes, fresh-cut green beans, and garlic bread. To wash it down, Amber filled his glass with lemon iced tea.

“I just got off the phone with a guy I work out with at the gym. I might need to add an extra hour if you keep cooking like this.”

Amber smiled. “I take it that you like it.”

“Can you say love? The roast is so tender it practically glides down my throat.” He lifted the fork of food into his mouth.

“Tomorrow, I'll cook my mom's favorite recipe—meatloaf.”

“She cooks. She's as sexy as a video vixen and she's as sweet as pie. I couldn't ask for anything more.”

Jason was seriously hooked on Amber.

* * * * *

After they ate, Amber cleaned up the kitchen. She found Jason working in his home office. She stood behind him and wrapped her arm around his neck.

“You put in over forty hours at the office and then you come home and work. No wonder you don't have a woman,” Amber said.

“I didn't have a woman because I was waiting on you.”

Amber walked around him and picked up his cell phone. “When does Jason Lewis, the manager to the stars, turn off, and when does Jason Lewis, the man who can make me scream, turn on?”

Jason took the cell phone from her and placed it on the desk. He pulled her onto his lap. “That should answer your question. No doubt that I'm turned on.”

Jason pulled her head down and kissed her lips.

The air conditioner was set at sixty-five degrees, but Amber felt like her body was over a hundred degrees. She unbuttoned Jason's shirt, kissed his chest. She stood, and without taking her eyes off him, she unbuckled his belt. She threw the belt to the floor. She unfastened his pants and eased them down his legs along with his boxers.

Her eyes keyed in on his long, hard, thick member standing straight at attention. She licked her lips. She kneeled and took the head in her mouth while using one of her hands to stroke it.

“Ooh, yes,” Jason moaned.

The more Jason moaned, the more it excited Amber. She took him into her mouth inch by inch until her mouth was filled with him. Her full lips became a suction cup as she devoured him. She sucked until she saw his eyes roll to the back of his head.

He placed his hand on her head, not wanting her to move from that position.

Amber felt his body moving rapidly beneath her. She knew it wouldn't be long before he exploded in her mouth, and with one stroke of her tongue, he let go of his release.

She swallowed, wiping the remnants of his love from the corners of her mouth with her hand.

He beckoned for her to sit on top of him. She did as commanded. The chair squeaked as she rode him into oblivion. The more she bounced up and down on him, the louder his moans got. The louder her moans got.

The intensity of their lovemaking increased with each thrust of her hips. She felt dizzy. She felt as if her entire body was going to shatter into tiny pieces as the orgasm swept through her entire body.

“Just hold me,” she whispered as her head fell on Jason's chest after the earth-shattering experience.

Jason couldn't move and neither could she. They held on to each other in the same position until Jason gathered up enough strength to move. She stood on wobbly legs as he led her to the bedroom.

Their lovemaking session wasn't over. Jason was relentless. She lost count of how many orgasms she had that night. Her body shook from just the touch of Jason's hand as she lay next to him in bed.

Amber loved how attentive Jason was to her needs. For the first time, she felt at ease being herself in a relationship. She frowned at the thought of going back to her life before Jason.

Chapter Twenty

Jason woke up a few minutes before the alarm.
She's so cute when she sleeps,
Jason thought as he watched Amber.

He didn't want to wake her, so he quietly slipped out of the bed. He grabbed his phone and went directly to the bathroom. Once he was inside, he turned the alarm off.

He went about his normal morning routine. Since he had missed going to the gym yesterday, he would make up for it this morning. He washed his face and brushed his teeth. He put on his workout gear. He would take a shower and get dressed for work after his workout.

He was shaving when he felt eyes on him. He looked up.

Sleepy and sexy, Amber stood in the doorway, wearing nothing but her robe. The robe slid open, and his eyes took her all in from head to toe.

“Baby, it's early. Go back to bed.”

She rubbed her eyes. “I'd planned on cooking you breakfast.”

“That's okay. I'll grab some of that fruit you bought. I'm about to head to the gym. I'll get dressed for work after I work out.”

Jason leaned over to kiss Amber, but she blocked him with her hand. “Morning breath,” she said.

“I don't care.” Jason moved her hand and kissed her anyway. “Get back in the bed.” Jason kissed Amber on the forehead. She said goodbye to him barely above a whisper and went back to sleep.

* * * * *

Amber woke up dazed and confused. “Where am I?” she asked aloud.

It took a few seconds for her brain to register her location.

She glanced at the clock. It displayed in big numbers
9:15
. Amber normally woke up at seven thirty. She couldn't believe she'd slept that long. She'd never experienced as many orgasms as she had the night before either, so that might have been the reason why she slept in. Her body needed the extra sleep to recover. She vaguely remembered Jason leaving for work this morning before she went back to the bed.

Her phone light flashed. She'd received voice and text messages from several people. She sent Jason a quick text saying good morning, and got up to wash her face and brush her teeth.

Once she decided what she wanted to wear, she took a shower.

She needed to work on her novel, but she'd gotten an email from a studio wanting to hire her to write a script.

She hated dealing with the business side of things; that's why she' hired C & J Management. She called Jason.

“Hey baby, how are you?”

“I'm fine. Can you squeeze me in this afternoon? I really need to see you.”

“We can talk now, if you like.”

“It's business,” Amber responded.

“Why don't you meet me for lunch? We can discuss it then,” Jason suggested.

“Where?” she asked.

“Meet me in Beverly Hills at the Bistro around twelve thirty.”

“It's the first place you took me to lunch.”

“You remembered?” Jason asked.

“It wasn't a date, but I was just as nervous as if we were on one.”

“Charlotte was there too.”

“Oh, yeah. How could I forget?” Amber laughed. “Well, let me let you go. See you soon.”

Amber removed the jeans and T-shirt she had on and changed into a pink-and-green pantsuit. Pink was not only her sorority color but happened to be one of her favorite colors. She sifted through one of her suitcases and located her flat iron. She styled her hair and decided at the last minute to put on some makeup. She looked in the mirror at her reflection. Although she didn't wear makeup on a regular basis, Amber knew how to apply it. She came by it naturally. Her mom was an international model who had taught Amber her beauty secrets.

As Amber thought about it, her mom had taught her many life skills. She didn't always use them, but they came in handy whenever she needed them.

Amber looked at the time. She didn't want to rush. If she got there early, she would work on her book. It took her longer than she expected to figure out how to synchronize his printer to her iPad. Once she did, she printed out the contract and left to meet Jason at the Bistro.

When she arrived, she decided to utilize the restaurant's valet service since she wore heels with her pink-and-green pantsuit.

“How are you today?” the valet attendant asked as she exited her car.

“Great.”

“Here's your ticket.” He handed her the ticket and got in the driver's seat.

Amber removed her sunglasses and walked into the restaurant.

She located a table near the back and near a window so she could see who was driving up. She sent Jason a text, alerting him of her location. She pulled out her iPad and wireless keyboard, tuned out the noise around her, and began to type.