Touched (7 page)

He stands and looks down at me. “Ok! Let me help you sit up so you can eat.” Nodding, he bends, places his strong hands under my arms and helps as I try to push into a sitting position. He takes the pillow next to me, helps me move forward a little, and then places it behind me and I lean back.

“It feels so good to sit up for a change. Thank you.” He smiles as he brings the tray over, placing it over my lap, takes a napkin from it and lays it neatly across my waist. Then he walks over and picks up a chair setting it down beside the bed and sits.

“I hope you don’t mind but I brought enough for two.” My mouth turns up into a smile, and I nod. He uncovers the plates, and I see there’s enough food actually for four or more. “Ok, so I got a little over zealous as I didn’t know what you’d prefer,” he chuckles.

I pick up my fork and dive into the pancakes coated with butter and syrup. “I’m so gonna pay for this later,” I said with a mouthful. He smiles and winks at me while he takes a bite of eggs and toast. As I’m chewing I begin thinking and after swallowing, I set my fork down on my plate. He stops and looks at me, his eyes showing he’s perplexed. “I never thanked you. You… You saved me last night and I never thanked you. I’m…” I look down. The tears begin forming in my eyes as my chin quivers.

He cups my chin, raising my head and my eyes follow until I’m looking into his. “There’s no need to thank me and you were in pain and incoherent and I… I wanted to kill the bastard for touching you, for…” A tear drop falls onto his hand, and the quivering becomes worse. “I’ll never let anything happen to you again. I swear it.” He leans forward, and his mouth is on mine instantly. My lips part as his tongue seeks entrance and finds mine immediately. His lips pressing against mine hard, and I wince as we move back towards the bed. His hand moves to the back of my neck and pulls me forward, his forehead touching mine as we both breathe heavily. “I’m sorry. I have a hard time controlling myself when I’m near you and I’ve caused you more pain.” He removes his hand and sits back down, his eyes full of lust, but his breathing begins to calm.

“Don’t be sorry for kissing me.” I smile and watch as is frown turns into a grin. I pick up my fork and take another bite, my smile not leaving as I chew.

Both of our heads turn as a knock comes on the door, then it opens without hesitation. As a man stands in the doorway, I recognize him as Knox’s driver from the night he took me to dinner. Knox looks at me. “Jade, this is Ralph.” I nod slightly and keep my eyes on him.

“Excuse me, sir, miss. But there’s an Amber at the front door and she’s most insistent on seeing Miss Morley.” My eyes snap to Knox and see him smiling and trying not to laugh. He looks my way, winks, then turns to Ralph.

“I’m sure she is. Please show her up.” Ralph nods at Knox then takes a step back and closes the door. Knox then shifts on the bed and looks at me, still trying to stifle a laugh.

“How?” I blurt.

“Ah, I apologize but I needed to see if there was someone I should call on your behalf last night and found her in your list of contacts so I called her. She is rather…” He puts his hand over his chin as if he’s trying to find the right words. “She’s very caring of you and a most talkative girl, rather spunky.”

I can’t hold my laughter, causing him to start laughing as well, as he described her to a T. My hand covers my bruised cheek, and my giggling dies down. “Yes, well. Amber is like the little sister I never wanted but got anyway but now, I’m glad I did. She really is very sweet.”

“Yes, yes I am,” Amber’s voice shrills as she walks into the room. She proceeds to walk to the other side of the bed and crawls over by the tray of food, sits and takes a piece of bacon, taking a huge bite.

Knox stands and heads for the door. “I’ll just leave you ladies alone so you can catch up with each other.” He reaches the door, opens it, but turns his head, looking right at me with a gleam in his eyes, but is clearly talking to Amber. “Be a dear and pack a bag for Jade. Ralph will come and pick it up later. She’ll be spending the weekend here.” He steps through the doorway and closed the door.
Huh.

“Ok. Now that the sex God is gone, what happened and how do you feel about spending the night last night with said God, which you never, ever do and spending the weekend here,” she asks until her face begins turning a light shade of red.

“Girl, breathe a little when you talk, ok?” I start to lay back against the pillow when I wince in pain, but she’s quick to take ahold of my arms and helps me until I’m settled.

“That asswipe really did a number on you, didn’t he?” I nod sadly. “Well, at least you didn’t end up in the hospital like when that bastard kept throwing you against the wall, almost breaking your back. Now, spill.”

She gets settled on the bed and starts eating what’s left of our breakfast. “Well, a dude came in and when we got to my private room he locked the door before I knew what he was doing and then attacked me. He whipped my left thigh and bottom with his belt, bit down over my breasts, leaving huge bite marks and when I struggled he cold cocked me on my face. Fucking asshole. Now, Knox wants to take care of me and pretty much has forbidden me from going back to the club. Like he can tell me what to do. And as far as last night? I don’t really remember much since I was out from the pain meds.” She’s nodding the entire time I’m talking.

“Well, I agree with Knox on not going back to the club and I love that he wants to take care of you. If you’ll only let him.” My head starts shaking as she speaks. “Oh, come on, Jade! Why not let someone take care of you? I know you’re an independent woman, wanting to make her own decisions and I know you can more than take care of yourself but wouldn’t it be nice to have a strong sexy God take care of you for once?”
She has a point.

“Amber, I…”
Fuck! I want to tell her how I feel about him, but I’m afraid it will be in the papers.
I start biting on my fingernail as the nervousness washes through me. I would love to be able to confide in her, especially since she’s really my only friend, and I do trust her, mostly.

She gives me her famous smirk and then laughs. “Oh, my God! You can tell me. I promise my lips are sealed! Come on! We’re best friends!”
Damn, she has another point.

Against my better judgment, I decide to spill. Lord help me. “Ok, but if you tell anyone I swear to all that’s holy I will never speak to you again.” Her hand swipes across her heart, brings her hand out to me with her pinky extended, and I wrap my pinky around it, and we shake. I take a deep breath and open my mouth to release it blowing some of my long hair away from my face. “You’re sworn to secrecy now, no backing out. I’ve never felt this way before. I’m confused, happy, sad, excited, but I dunno. I don’t know if I can let go of my independence enough to let him in or stop my stubborn ways and this weekend? I’ve never spent the night with a man before and last night doesn’t count because I don’t remember it. What am I gonna do?”

She reaches over, taking my hands in hers and smiles. “You’re gonna woman up and let him take care of you. You’re going to relax and enjoy being pampered and being here with him. You don’t want to be alone for the rest of your life and I can tell you’re falling for him fast and hard. Give in a little, live for once in your pig headed life and let yourself fall in love. You deserve it, Jade. But most of all? Don’t think about anything while you’re here, just feel.” Releasing one of my hands, she wipes away a tear on my bruised cheek, gently.

“How’d you get so smart anyway?” I ask as I start sniffling.

“Oh, I dunno. A year of experience with this sexy lady has made my smartness grow very quickly.” A laugh escapes my mouth and after we both laugh to ease the tension, we end up finishing what’s left of the food on the tray.

§ § § §

I left the girls alone to talk, but now I’m wondering if that was a mistake as I wouldn’t be there to defend myself. I don’t know why I’m so worried. I’m not a bad guy. I’m just a demanding man who has needs to be fulfilled and ok, so I’m not a one woman kind of man, but I’m trying desperately to change that. For Jade. I don’t know what it is about her, but I want her, need her, and I’ll do anything to get her to see that. I know she has a past. I’ve done my homework, so I know why she’s the way she is. Hell, I have a past and as far as I’m concerned, she doesn’t need to know about it, well not all of it anyway. There are some things I’d rather not dredge up or ever think about again.

Amber finally left two hours later, and I got a lot of paperwork done in my office. When I went to check on Jade, I found her asleep, the covers thrown off her and the breakfast tray sitting on the floor next to the bed. Carefully, I pull the covers up to her shoulders and take the tray to the kitchen.

Sitting at the table drinking a bottled water I’m lost in my thoughts. I don’t know what to do with myself. This hasn’t happened before. I feel antsy and with nothing to bide my time. I make a decision, walk quickly into the bedroom, into my walk-in closet and change my clothes. After checking on her one last time I head out the front door, take the elevator to the first floor, out of the building and begin jogging down the sidewalk. Running was always a great deterrent when I’ve felt lost, alone or just the need to release some energy. Today, I’m feeling a little bit of all those emotions. My body’s sweating after running for two miles, and I stop in the park, cross the grass and lean my back against a tree to get some shade. Pulling my bottled water from my side pouch, I guzzle about half of it, screw the lid back on tight and put it away.

Memories hit me like a ton of bricks and I lower my head, my eyebrows creasing as they appear in my mind.
“You’ll never amount to anything, you spoiled brat. I don’t know why your father lets you get away with what you do. Don’t ever let me catch you doing that again! Do you hear me?” My stepmother continues to beat me with my father’s belt until I feel the blood dripping down my back. At the age of eight, I wasn’t strong enough to stop her, and she’d threaten to take it out on Tabbie if I told my father any time she beats me. I couldn’t let her hurt the only one in my family that actually loved me, and that I loved. She can beat me until I’m dead, but I won’t let her hurt Tabbie.

The sound of children playing brings me back from my horrible past, and I look up to see a young girl and boy rising from a sandbox then chasing each other across the grass, their apparent parents standing a little ways from them laughing and smiling.
A sandbox, a little girl and boy. Why does that seem so familiar?
That’s the way a family should be. That’s what I wish I would have had and now that’s what I want for my future, to find the right woman to settle down with and have a family. My phone rings in my pocket. I take it out and see its Ralph calling. “Ralph?”

“Sir, sorry to interrupt but you left without taking protection. We’ve spoken about this before,” he says with no sympathy.

“I know, Ralph. But I just needed to run. You know I hate having Emerson around me all the time and you couldn’t come because I don’t want Jade left alone.” Damn, he catches me every time, I swear.

“Very well, but don’t do it again.” He sounds exasperated. “Speaking of Miss Morley. She’s asking for you.” My eyes widen, my heart beating a little faster, knowing she’s awake and asking for me.

“On my way.” I swipe ‘end’ and put away my phone and take off at a full run.

It doesn’t take me near as long to get home as it did to run the first two miles, my anxiousness from boredom now replaced with seeing Jade. I hope she’s not in too much pain, but I left the medicine on her night table. Finally, I walk through the front door, but stop suddenly when I look into the living room and see her sitting on the couch looking at a magazine. Her head rises when she hears me. A lovely smile gracing her beautiful face and I can’t help but smile back.

“Should you be out of bed? Are you in much pain?” I walk into the living room and sit next to her on the couch. She lays the magazine down on the coffee table, picks up her drink and slowly moves back and against the couch.

“Yes, I should be out of bed. I couldn’t take laying around there anymore. The pain has lessened, some.” I watch as she raises her glass, her lips cover the edge of the rim and the liquid moving into her mouth. It feels like it’s getting a little warm in here.

I clear my throat. “Well, that’s good then but you do need to get rest and give yourself time to heal. I know how you feel though. After finishing all my paperwork I was going stir crazy with nothing to do so I went for a run. I’m afraid I probably stink and need a shower.”

She gives me a sexy look and licks her lips. “You smell great, actually, and look very…” Her eyes roam over my sweaty chest down to my abs, my belly button and then over my stomach and slowly move back up again until she reaches my eyes. “Nice.”

Shifting in my seat and feeling the temperature in the room escalate to a higher degree I stand and start to walk out of the room, turning my head to her with a smirky grin. “Thanks, now I need a very, very cold shower.” She laughs as I wink at her and head towards the bathroom. I let the water get a little warmer then step into the shower. My hand is instantly pressing against the cold tile in front of me. The water is cascading down my head pouring over my body while my other hand grips my cock and begins stroking up and down. Fuck! My eyes close, my head leans back as the sensations hit me and my mind pictures Jade. Arms grasp my upper arms, and I turn around, her lips pressing against my mouth and my tongue immediately plunges into hers. I squeeze her uninjured breast, my thumb rolling over the nipple as she releases the sexiest moan. I let her pull me towards the built in seat and lean into her, continuing our kiss, as she sits down. I feel her hands leave my arm and take ahold of my hard cock. My moan is engulfed in her mouth as she strokes, squeezes, pulls and tugs, her thumb swiping the head and then her other hand begins fondling and rolling my balls. I’m about to lose it when her mouth leaves mine, and I open my eyes slowly but close them again quickly when her mouth replaces her hand. The feel of her luscious lips covering my pulsing cock, the sucking sound mixing with the water and her hand kneading and pulling on my balls takes me over the edge, my moan echoing off the shower tiles.
Damn her mouth and hands have magical powers. I’ve never climaxed that fast in my life.