Chapter 15
Chapter
15
Zuri stirred languidly and stretched. Her
body felt gloriously used and sore in places, but it was a wonderful
feeling. Her eyes flickered open and blinked at the thin sunlight
streaming through the naked windows.
It took her a few seconds to realize that
he was not lying next to her. Coming fully awake, she turned her head
to see him sitting on the edge of the bed. They had been meeting each
other for a week now and instead of diminishing, the passion was
escalating. Last night he had made love to her three times, the last
time was early this morning, and the tone had had a desperation to it
that had left her dazed and clinging to him.
"Hi."
"I made coffee." He handed her
the cup.
"What time is it?"
"Almost seven. I have to leave but
wanted to talk to you first."
"Uh oh." Taking the cup from him,
she eased up on the pillows. Taking a sip of the excellent brew, she
eyed him over the rim. "It's not a good sign when a man
announces that he wants to talk first thing in the morning."
His eyes narrowed as he stared at her. "How
many men have you had a discussion with first thing in the morning?"
Before she could respond, he shook his head. "Never mind, it's
none of my concern."
Tamping down the naked hurt, she took
another sip of coffee. "You're right, it's not. But for your
information, I have never lived with a man and the only one I ever
spent the entire night with was a man I thought was interested in
marriage."
"You were engaged?"
"No. He led me to believe that he
wanted long term. Are we done?"
Turning away, he put aside his cup and
rose. He had not slept a wink since making love to her the last time
this morning and he had a packed schedule. Things were getting out of
hand, way out of hand. And it had to stop. They were practically
living together. The passion was not sizzling out as he thought. It
was getting hotter and getting to a point where he could not stop
thinking about her.
Even in meetings, he would find his mind
wandering. Several times he would be reaching for the phone, just to
call and hear her voice. He had to distance himself, try to
get back to the man he was before he met her. The man who knew what
the hell he was doing.
Pacing over to the sturdy looking
fireplace, he stood there looking into the empty grate before turning
to face her.
"I am going away for a few days,"
he announced abruptly.
"I see."
Zuri's heart constricted, but she
maintained her composure. "For business?" she asked, trying
to keep her voice steady.
He nodded, avoiding her gaze. "Yes,
for business. I need to clear my head and focus."
She took another sip of coffee, the
bitterness mirroring her emotions. "When will you be back?"
"By the end of the week, I think."
His answer was vague, but she didn't press further. He had spent the
time trying to think of the best way to end things. "Renovation
is going to start back up within the next two weeks."
"Okay." Her heart was beating so
hard, she wondered if he could hear it all the way across the room.
Shoving his hands into the pockets of his
dark blue dress pants, he rocked back on his heels. He felt like a
bloody coward, and it was pissing him off. Going on the defensive, he
glared at her. She had the sheets covering her breast, but he could
still see the outlines of her nipples and it sent heat thundering
through his entire body.
"This is not working out," he
said it swiftly, better to get it out and be done with it. Ignoring
the aching in his heart, he continued. "I already told you
initially that I don't do relationships. We've had a good run and-"
he swallowed the golf ball sized lump in his throat and pressed on.
"We need to step back."
The silence that followed his awkward
statement stretched his nerves tight until it felt like breaking. She
had put her cup away and was gripping the sheets in tight fists. The
hurt on her exquisite face had him hating himself with a virulence
that shook him.
"You're breaking up with me."
Her statement combined with the hurt on her
face had him feeling lower than dirt. "This was never a
relationship-"
"You did tell me that."
He tensed as she shoved the sheets off.
Unselfconsciously, she moved towards the sofa to pick up her clothes.
"I am sorry-"
"Don't!" She whirled on him as
she dragged on her sweater. Running her fingers through her tangle of
curls, she stared at him with flashing eyes. "Don't compound the
situation by apologizing." She fisted her hands on her hips as
she faced him. "You're not only an asshole, but you're also a
coward."
His eyes took on an ominous look, his face
tightening. "Watch it."
"What are you going to do?" She
stepped up, standing toe to toe, fury in her eyes. "Hurt me more
than you're already doing? No one muzzles me, not even you. I am a
woman with feelings, and I love you, you damn jerk." She watched
as he jolted and stepped back. "Yes, damn you. Run. Stay steep
inside your cold cocoon and never letting anyone in. I don't give a
crap how much crap you went through in your life. You're a grown ass
man responsible for his own emotions and life. I am here, warm woman,
flesh and blood, offering myself to you. I am not interested in your
money, just you. God! I love you Jack and for a man who has made
billions, you cannot face that, can you?"
He was breathing hard, his skin felt too
tight, his chest was constricted. And he was running out of air. He
had to leave. He did not want her love. How dare she say that to him!
"I did not ask for this!" He was
so furious; he could barely stand still. "I never asked you to
fall in love with me. That's entirely on you."
Suddenly staring at his beloved face, she
felt the ache spreading and the anger draining. She could not fight
him, not right now. She was going to have to leave and lick her
wounds in private. And give him time.
"You're right," she said quietly,
stepping back. "I hope when you realize that what you're feeling
is love, you won't be pigheaded enough to stay away. Goodbye Jack."
He stood there as if turned to stone and
watched her make her graceful exit. Scooping up her things, she
tossed her tangled curls over her shoulders and left the room. Even
when he heard her descending the stairs, he stood there, hands
clenched into fists.
He had done the right thing. He would have
made her miserable anyway and he was not about to offer her marriage,
which was clearly what she wanted. Over the last week, he had felt
it, felt the silent messages she was sending. The way her kisses
turned potent, the tears rolling down her cheeks whenever they made
love. Her hands gentle on his skin, making him yearn to feel her even
more.
The way she cuddled. And he had not minded
it one bit. In fact, his arms had curved around her slender curves as
if he never wanted to let go. It had to stop. Then why did he feel as
if his heart was being torn from his chest? He wondered viciously.
Walking over to the sofa, he lowered
himself and pressed his shaking fingers to his eyes. It was for the
best, he insisted silently. It would never have worked.
*****
She wasn't going to cry. That's what she
told herself all the way to the bar. Her chest was burning, and her
throat was tight, but she was going to keep her composure. It was her
fault. He never promised her anything and she knew that it would lead
to this. But oh God! It felt as if her heart was being ripped into a
million pieces, and she was bleeding from a thousand cuts.
Pulling around the back, she turned off the
engine. She sat there clenching the steering wheel, fighting back
tears. It was early enough for Zach to still be with Jazmine. She was
happy for them and could see that they truly loved each other.
Letting go of the steering wheel, she
leaned back and closed her eyes, fighting tears. It was Friday, which
meant that she had the bank to deal with and the rest of the day,
which was going to be very busy, to get ready for.
The passenger door opening had her head
whipping around. Stifling a resigned sigh, she waited until her
brother sat and closed the door. Turning to face her, he examined her
face for a few seconds. Bracing herself for a lecture, she angled her
chin and simply broke when he reached for her.
She fought valiantly for a full ten seconds
before bursting into tears.
Zach held her, his hands rubbing up and
down her back, expression grim as he contemplated the many ways he
would like to break Jack Hadley into tiny pieces.
He waited until the tears had abated before
easing her away to tilt her chin up.
"It breaks my heart to see a strong
woman brought to tears." His face was hard with anger. "Where
is he?"
"No." She shook her head and
gulped back more tears. "It's not on him. Dammit, I knew what I
was getting myself into. And it did not matter one bit. I am in love
with him. God! I love him so much that it hurts all over." She
firmed her lips. "It's going to be up to him to make the next
move. I have to step back and get on with my life."
"Think he has the guts to come after
you?" he asked gently.
She shrugged, her heart flipping. "We'll
see." Lifting a hand, she touched his face gently. "Thanks
for the shoulder and not telling me that I am a damn fool."
"That's besides the point." He
wiped away the moisture with his thumbs. "We do not have a say
with who we fall in love with."
She smiled at him wistfully. "I want
to hear about wedding plans. When?"
"When I get the courage to ask her.
Jazmine is a classy lady."
"Jazmine is very fortunate to have
you," she retorted. Leaning in, she kissed his cheek. "Now,
let me get inside and get cleaned up. I have work to do."
"You can take the morning off."
"No." She shook her head. "I
have to keep busy."
*****
The meetings went over his head. For the
life of him, he could not concentrate on anything. In fact, he was
called out several times because his mind was wandering. He blamed
her for his lack of focus and the fact that he could not get the hurt
and pain on her face out of his head. He kept seeing her in front of
him. Not to mention the ache that accompanied his wandering mind.
"Would you like something from the
kitchen, sir?"
"What?" He looked up with a frown
as his assistant stood just inside the doorway as if afraid to come
further inside the room. He could not very well blame her, he thought
bitterly. He had not been easy to deal with since he walked in this
morning.
"Lunch?"
"No. Cancel the rest of my
appointments for today. I am heading to the club for the weekend."
"You have that trip scheduled-"
"I will leave straight from the club."
He rose, sweeping the contracts and reports from the various
departments into his briefcase.
"Would you like me to have someone
pack your bags?" she asked politely.
"No." He shook his head as he
snapped his briefcase shut. "I have to make a stop at the manor
anyway." He looked up. "That will be all. Schedule the
conference call and forward it to my mobile."
With a jerky nod, he dismissed her.
Picking up the phone, he stared at it and
considered calling her. With a shake of his head, he grabbed his case
and jacket and left.
*****
"I thought you weren't leaving until
next week." Millicent hurried after him as he made his way into
his den. He had called ahead and had them pack a bag for him. He just
needed to check some emails and conclude the call that had started
while he was on his way home.
"I changed my mind." Getting
behind the desk, he sifted through some papers, before looking up at
her. "Why?"
"Jason has his debate this afternoon.
You promised to be there."
"I can't." Sighing harshly at the
look of reproach on her face, he wondered where the calm and
controlled area of his life had gone to. "Give him my apologies
and tell him I will be there next time."
"Darling-"
"No." He shook his head, feeling
the tension spreading. "I don't have time for this right now. I
don't need you telling me that I am shirking my responsibilities. I
am trying all right? I am doing the damn best I can with what I have.
I am not father or husband material and it's time everyone realize
that." He stopped, taking a deep breath as he felt the
frustration building. "And I am done with this conversation. I
have a phone call to make and afterwards, I am leaving. Close the
doors, please."
He withstood her gaze for a few minutes
before she withdrew. Sinking down in the chair, he sat there fighting
to regain his composure.
*****
She kept busy. Filling every minute was not
difficult, considering the workload. She tackled the paperwork as if
it was her favorite pastime and within a few hours, she had cleared
her small desk. Her filing was up to date, and she had made a quick
trip to the bank to sort out the accounts. Payroll was done and the
orders had been dealt with.
She intercepted several anxious looks from
her brother but was determined not to dwell on them. She accompanied
Jazmine to the store to purchase linens and curtains and told her
firmly that Jack Hadley was off limits.
"We talk about anything else. The
weather, the ball game, economy, but not that. Please."
Her friend had honored her wish.
She was dealing with a habitual drunk when
she heard her phone pinging. Taking it out of the pocket of her denim
jacket, she felt her heart doing a flip when she realized who it was.
The temptation to ignore the call was so strong, she had to take a
few seconds.
Then taking a deep breath and handing the
stumbling man to Gary, she went to an empty table to answer.
"Jason, is everything okay?"
"Yes. I'm sorry to bother you, but I
was hoping you would come to my debate. It's this afternoon and dad
promised, but he is going away."
Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes
briefly. "What about your grandmother?"
"She will be here, but I would really
like you to come."
Her hands trembled and her heart broke as
she realized that she was going to have to say no. "We have a
group coming in from out of town this afternoon. It's going to be
crazy until we close tonight. I'm sorry Jason, I won't be able to
make it. But I have every confidence that you're going to rock it."
"Okay." His voice sounded so
disconsolate that she almost changed her mind. But she had to take a
step all the way back. Seeing the boy would remind her that she was
hopelessly in love with the father. And she needed space. "Bye."
Hanging up the phone, she almost gave into
the temptation of just burying her head in her arms and weeping.
Firming her lips, she shoved away from the table and went about her
duties.
*****
The swim had not cleared his head or
emptied his mind of the things that were troubling him. The Elite
Club was at its best for the spring. The lawns were manicured and the
scent of freshly cut grass vied with the flowers blooming in the
various gardens that were everywhere.
The stately building that had been around
for more than two hundred years stood proud and white, like a new
bride, on the crest of a hill overlooking the several thousand acres
surrounding it. The amenities included with the membership were many
and varied. Just like its members.
It was not too long ago that one could not
become a member unless it was through blood and there were no blacks
allowed. Things had gradually changed since then, allowing men with
enough money to buy memberships. The only thing that had remained
constant was the refusal to have women become members.
Which did not bother the wives of prominent
members so much. The "wives," as they were referred to,
were interactive and successful women who were making waves. All
throughout the year, these women were busy planning and implementing
charity events.
He was taking a sip from the rum and coke
that had been placed next to him on the table when a shadow fell over
him. Tamping down the irritation at his privacy being invaded,
he looked up into the sparkling blue eyes of action movie star, Bryce
Whitlock.
"This seat taken?" Without
waiting for an invitation, he lowered himself onto the chaise and
settled back. Turning his head, he appraised his friend with an
amused look. "Flying solo today?"
"I wanted to be alone," he
murmured pointedly.
"Then you should have stayed inside
your room."
"I will certainly consider that for
the next time," Jack muttered as he reached for his drink.
"Aren't you supposed to be in that tiny town you've made your
home?"
Bryce grinned at the scathing tone. "Zahra
and I are in town for some business. I have a new movie coming out in
December. And the invitation to come for a visit is still valid."
"I don't do small towns. They give me
the willies. Too few people and they're always smiling as if they
lack problems. It's not normal."
"I used to think that myself,"
Bryce acknowledged easily. Stretching his long legs out, he shook
water from his thick dark hair. "I have since changed my mind.
Flower Hills is an enchanting place
and in need of a new shopping mall. Your kind of artistry would be
highly appreciated."
"I thought you would be rallying
against outsiders stepping in."
"You're not an outsider. You're a
friend and you happen to have a vision. Your shopping malls are top
of the line. Think about it."
Jack shrugged. For the first time he was
not interested in talking shop. He was not interested in anything.
And he could not sleep. He was bone weary and after going to his
suite, he had the idea that he could take a nap, but as soon as he
got in bed and closed his eyes, her face came up. She was haunting
him, and he hated her for it. He was aching for her. And could not
stop thinking about her.
"Hey."
Shaking his head, he turned his attention
to his friend, who was staring at him with a frown. "You all
right? You look pale and come to think of it, there are shadows under
your eyes. When was the last time you slept?"
Trying to appear unconcerned, Jack picked
up his glass and took a deep gulp. "You sound like my mother or
God forbid, a damn wife. I'm fine," he added gruffly.
"You don't look fine."
The tight hold he had on his temper snapped
cleanly. Surging to his feet, he finished his drink and slammed the
glass down, almost smashing the heavy crystal. "That's none of
your damn concern, is it? Now if it's okay with you, I am going for
another swim and when I get back, I expect to be alone." With
that, he turned on his heel and went to the edge of the pool where he
dove in with a precise movement.
Unaffected by the man's harsh manner, Bryce
leaned back and continued to sip his drink as he watched Jack cleave
the water as if demons from hell were snapping at his heels. And he
realized that for the first time, the man was not his usual cool and
collected, icy self. Interesting. Very interesting.