CHAPTER FIFTEEN
VELVETSLOWLYOPENEDher eyes when she heard the sound of her alarm going off. Then, when she felt a warm hard body pressed against her naked one, she recalled everything about last night and before dawn.
Jaye had stayed the night.
That realization had her pulling herself up in bed to turn off the alarm. She pushed hair back from her face to look down at the man still sleeping. She wasn’t surprised that he’d slept through the alarm. That was a Jaye thing. She’d discovered early in their relationship that he had his own built-in alarm. That’s what he went by and had the ability to tune out any others.
She eased back down, deciding another thirty minutes of snooze time wouldn’t hurt. Turning to face Jaye, she studied his features. No man should look this good while sleeping, and she was convinced the older he got, the more handsome he looked. But then all the Colfax men were totally gorgeous. Even Jaye’s father had a debonair and distinguished look about him.
Velvet’s thoughts shifted to last night. Jaye had said something about getting his fill—well, she’d certainly gotten hers. After the last seven hours, he should be out of her system, and she hoped he was. She recalled once telling Sierra how her hormones had gotten out of whack so bad one night that she’d considered going back to Phoenix for a one-night fling with Jaye just to get a sexual fix and then disappear again.
She wouldn’t need a short-term affair with him, after all. Because of the intensity and frequency of last night’s roll between the sheets, she was confident all her sexual needs and desires were taken care of for another two years. Maybe even more. Jaye had been just that thorough. Now she could begin functioning without her hormones getting the best of her. If that were true, then why was an ache forming between her legs just from laying here, looking at him? And why could she explicitly recall all the times last night when her legs had opened wide and he’d slid inside her, giving her body what it wanted, needed and desired.
While she was staring intently at him, his eyes suddenly opened and her breath caught. She was reminded of other times she had awakened before him and he’d caught her staring. She also recalled what always happened next. He would pull her into his arms, give her a kiss that curled her toes and then make love to her all over again.
“Good morning, Velvet.”
“Good morning, Jaye.”
She didn’t want Jaye to begin thinking that waking up in her bed would become the norm. Last night’s sex marathon had been different. It had been needed, and although she should feel tired, she felt energized and rejuvenated.
“We need to talk, Jaye.”
“First, we need to do this,” he said, pulling her close and taking control of her mouth.
Velvet knew she should say something, but discovered she was unable to say anything—nor did she want to. She rather enjoyed the way Jaye was working his mouth over hers, taking her tongue like he had a right to claim ownership. Because it felt so good, she would let him do it. This one time.
When he released her mouth, they were both panting, and when he reached out for her, to pull her closer into his arms, she regained her senses and pushed back against his chest. “We need to talk, Jaye, and then I need to get ready for work.”
“Okay.”
Okay?When had he ever agreed with her whenever it was about being turned down for sex? And why was he looking at her like that? With a degree of hunger reflected in his gaze that should be outlawed.
“Is something wrong, Velvet?” he asked, taking her hand and lifting it to his lips to kiss her knuckles.
“What make you think something is wrong?”
He shrugged. “You said you wanted to talk but you aren’t saying anything.”
She rubbed her hand down her face. “You’re confusing me, Jaye.”
“I don’t mean to. So, what do you want to talk about?”
“Moving forward, I don’t want you to assume we’ll automatically become bed partners. In fact, last night was it for us. I’m good.”
He smiled, showing those dimples she loved. “Yes, sweetheart, you are good, and I’m glad last night was it for us.”
She frowned. That honestly wasn’t what she’d expected to hear. “Why?”
“Because I’m not into sex-only relationships anymore. Last night, I made you an exception.”
He had to be kidding. “Why aren’t you into sex-only relationships anymore?”
He paused as if collecting his thoughts, so she said, “No need to answer. I already know.”
He lifted a brow. “You do?”
“Yes.”
“And what do you know, Velvet?”
“That some of the people you hang out with, namely those Steele Brothers, are no longer single. So now you figure maybe it’s time to take a social break before moving forward and getting back into the game.”
When he didn’t say anything, she asked, “Well, am I right?”
He frowned. “No, you’re totally wrong. If anything, you should know that I am not influenced by what others are doing. I am happy for the Steeles and think the women they’ve married are worthy of their love, but my decision to end my sex-only relationships is not about that.”
“Then what is it about?”
“It’s about me facing the reasons why I had done it in the first place.”
She’d known the reason, although he’d never shared it with her. She knew it had to do with his mother’s desertion. That had always been one subject he’d made off-limits. Was it something he would share with her now? Maybe not at this second but at some point? “And have you faced the reasons, Jaye?”
“Yes.”
She would have loved to hear the full details, but she knew if he wanted her to know anything more, he would eventually tell her. Deciding to change the subject, she said, “We didn’t finish talking about Webb Crawford.”
“No, we didn’t.”
“Well, just so you know, I went to see him to reiterate my position. I can’t believe he’s going around telling guys that I’m off-limits. Webb is the last man on earth I’d go out with. He’s too full of himself and not worth my time.”
“Now that’s something we both agree on,” Jaye said, swinging his leg over the edge of the bed. He looked back at her. “Ready?”
She lifted a brow. “Ready for what?”
“To go jogging with me.”
She couldn’t hide the shock on her face. “You want me to go jogging with you?”
“Sure. Why not?”
Why not?Was she missing something here? “You’ve never asked me before. In fact, it’s always been understood that jogging is your private time to think, strategize and plan.”
“Not anymore. I want your company.”
“Why?”
“I’d like to know what’s been going on with you since you left Phoenix.”
“You know all you need to know, Jaye.” She stood to grab her robe from the back of the chair. “Besides, we shouldn’t be seen together.”
He chuckled. “And who’s going to see us in the blueberry fields behind our house?”
Probably no one and he knew it. Plus, hadn’t she made a New Year’s resolution to get more physically fit? Granted, teaching that gymnastics class helped, but she wanted to do more. She hadn’t imagined doing it with Jaye.
Velvet thought about what he’d said about using their jogging time to find out what had been going on with her since they parted ways. She wondered if he knew that meant she would inquire into what he’d been doing as well. Jaye never liked sharing anything about his work with her—or anything personal, for that matter. He’d had the position that their time together was about pleasure and not business.
“Velvet?”
She realized he’d been waiting for an answer, one way or the other. “Fine, I’ll start jogging with you, but not today. I want to go shopping for jogging clothes. I’ll start jogging with you tomorrow.”
“Okay.”
She sighed, thinking that this agreeable Jaye was going to take some getting used to. It wasn’t that he’d made it a practice to be disagreeable, but he had liked ruffling her feathers only to take her to the bedroom to unruffle them. Seeing him standing in the middle of her bedroom naked wasn’t helping matters, either.
Finding her voice, she said, “When you get dressed, I’ll walk you to the door.” She moved to walk around him to the bathroom.
He reached out and took hold of her hand and their eyes met. Instantly, heat began radiating between them. She wasn’t sure who made the next move, but they tumbled back on the bed. In no time at all, he’d removed her robe and she was straddling him.
“We shouldn’t be doing this again, Jaye.” She stared down at him.
“No, we shouldn’t.”
There he was being agreeable again. “But we will,” she said, easing down on his ramrod straight erection.
She watched his eyes darken with desire and he replied in a deep throaty voice, “Yes, we will.”
JAYELOOKEDUPfrom studying the pile of documents on his desk when his intercom buzzer sounded. Pressing the button, he said, “Yes, Ms. Carter?”
“Your two o’clock appointment is here.”
“Thanks. Please send Mr. Sullivan in.”
Jaye had been surprised when he looked at his roster of appointments that morning and saw Ray Sullivan’s name. Ray had made national news a few years ago when the man—who everyone believed to be dead—was found living in Catalina Cove with retrograde amnesia. It was his wife who’d found him, when she came to the cove to deal with the grief of losing said husband.
Although Reid Lacroix was the wealthiest man in the cove, very few people knew that Ray was a close second. Before Ray’s memory loss when he’d become the jeans-and-T-shirt-wearing, bearded ship captain of a touring boat business, he’d been Devon Ryan, a Harvard-educated, tailor-made-business-suit-wearing suave wealthy tycoon. Although one and the same, Devon Ryan was the total opposite of Ray, even after his memory had returned. He’d told his family and friends he preferred to be Ray. That might be the case, but he still had the wealthy tycoon instinct of Devon Ryan. In other words, whatever Ray touched turned to gold. Like the water-taxi service that would soon be opening in Catalina Cove.
When the door opened, Jaye stood from behind his desk and Ray Sullivan walked in, smiling. Jaye liked Ray as a businessman and as someone he’d gotten to know as a friend after moving to the cove. “Ray, what brings you here today? Another money-making venture?” he asked, shaking the man’s hand.
“No. Something else altogether,” he said, taking the chair Jaye offered him.
Jaye nodded as he took the seat behind his desk. “And before it slips my mind, I want to say congratulations. I heard the news from Vaughn that you and Ashley are expecting.”
Ray’s smile widened. “Yes, we are, and we’re happy about it. We waited long enough to have kids and now it seems we can’t get enough of the darlings.”
It was obvious that Ray, with his growing family, was a very happy man. That was something else Velvet would see was different about him—he’d always liked kids, but figured he wouldn’t have any since he hadn’t planned on ever marrying. Now, not only did he plan to get married, but he couldn’t wait to see Velvet pregnant with his child.
“I’m here to invite you to a party.”
Ray’s words brought his thoughts back to the present. “A party?”
“Yes. It’s a surprise groom and bridal shower for Vaughn and Sierra. Kaegan is hosting it at his and Bryce’s place on the Bayou and you’re invited.”
Kaegan Chambray, who owned a seafood shipping company, was another guy Jaye had met since living in Catalina Cove. He’d heard about Kaegan’s parties and all the good food that was served. The man liked to entertain and usually held an annual party for his employees, and during the year he held others for his friends. Jaye felt honored to be invited. And what made it doubly nice was that he knew Velvet was part of the wedding party, so chances were she would be there, too.
“Thanks for the invite, Ray, and I’d love to attend.”
“Good.”
After Ray left, Jaye leaned back in the chair, knowing he needed to get back to work but he’d rather just sit there and let memories of last night and this morning consume him. He had needed Velvet as much as she had needed him and all that need had been fiery and, at times, out of control. He didn’t want to think about all they’d done, how many sexual positions they had enjoyed and how many orgasms they’d shared. Just thinking about it was making him aroused again.
He stood and walked to the window to look out at the water. Now, this was something he could definitely appreciate, the view of the gulf from this window. Another thing he could appreciate was being in Velvet’s bed again. Although she’d let him know not to assume anything, that was fine with him. The one thing he needed for her to see was—just like he’d told her—he was no longer into sex-only relationships.
Now, it was time he told her the reason. The subject of his mother had always been difficult for him. The only people who knew how deeply her desertion had affected him were his father, brothers, Mercury and the other Steele brothers. He figured no one else needed to know. He’d been wrong, because Velvet had needed to know. Hopefully, when he explained things to her, she would understand why he’d built that wall around his heart. A wall she had eventually torn down.
Jaye checked his watched. Since he’d worked through lunch, he might as well go grab something now. He smiled at the thought that Velvet had agreed to go jogging with him and was even buying outfits to do so. She was right when she’d said jogging had always been his private time to think, strategize and plan. Little did she know all those efforts were now centered around one thing, more specifically, one person: her.
VELVETLOVEDSHOPPINGat the stores on Main Street, which was a stone’s throw away from the pier. Today had turned out to be a nice day. That was the one thing she loved about Catalina Cove’s weather in mid-February. It was always comfortably cool. However, since she was close to the pier, it was a little cooler.
She had found the jogging gear she wanted and was excited about it—although a part of her knew she shouldn’t be. Just because Jaye had invited her jogging with him, it meant nothing. Still, she couldn’t get over the fact that he had. Nor could she dismiss the other thing he’d said, namely, that he was no longer interested in sex-only affairs. She’d left him because she’d given up on that ever happening.
“Velvet!”
She turned and smiled when four women with strollers walked toward her. Ashley had her twins, Bryce had little K-Gee, Donna had her son Ike and Vashti’s two kids, Cutter and Shelby, were in a two-seater that resembled a police cruiser. Velvet laughed, thinking it was the cutest thing since the toddlers’ daddy was the sheriff. She walked over to meet the group. “Well, hello, everyone. What’s up?”
“Nothing much,” Donna said, grinning. “Looks like you’ve been shopping.”
“Yes, I needed more athletic wear,” she said, deciding not to be more specific than that.
“Daddy’s there!” One of Ashley’s twins pointed at the sparkling blue water of the gulf.
Velvet followed the little boy’s finger and saw what he was talking about. Tugboats were delivering the first of Ray Sullivan’s water taxis. They were large, spacious and elegant, which was different from what Velvet had imagined. She’d thought they would resemble a ferryboat, but she should have known better since she’d heard Ray had personally designed them.
“They’re beautiful,” she said, and noticed a crowd had gathered on the pier to look at the water-taxi boats as well.
There was a buzz of excitement in the air as people were finally seeing what Ray’s dream of a water taxi would look like. Velvet noticed Ashley watching her husband in the distance as he talked to the men who’d delivered the boats. It was obvious that Ashley was proud of her husband’s accomplishments and was happy for the man she loved.
“How many will there be?” Velvet asked.
“Two for now, but another is under construction. We’re planning an open house to kick off the first one that will provide service during Mardi Gras.”
“That’s perfect timing,” Vashti said, lifting her daughter out of the stroller to hold in her arms. Velvet agreed that having a water-taxi service from the cove to New Orleans during Mardi Gras would be perfect timing.
A short while later, she’d declined the women’s invitation to join them at the Witherspoon Café. After all the sleep she’d lost last night by being with Jaye, she intended to get to bed early tonight.
Less than an hour later—after stopping at the Green Fig to grab a take-out order of soup—she was pulling into her driveway. The first thing she noticed was Jaye’s car already there, which meant he was home. Would he come out to greet her? Why should he when she’d made it clear that what had happened last night was a one-time deal. He’d let her know he had no problem abiding by her wishes, because they were his as well. She should be pleased by that, but for some reason, she wasn’t.
That thought was still on her mind hours later when she’d gotten in bed. Regardless of what he had told her, she honestly had expected Jaye to knock on her door tonight, sweep her into his arms and head for her bedroom. He hadn’t and was clearly playing by the rules she’d established. When had Jaye ever done that? Especially when it came to their time in the bedroom. Probably because she’d never established any such rules before.
Shifting positions in bed, she knew they would at least spend time together tomorrow when they went jogging. That thought made her smile as she drifted to sleep.