CHAPTER NINETEEN
JAYESWEPTHERup into his arms and carried her to the bed. It was a good thing he knew his way because their lips were still locked in what had to be the most intimate kiss they’d ever shared. When he placed her on the bed, he joined her there. They were both naked and she made a little protest when their mouths finally separated.
His gaze swept her body and her nipples hardened at the intensity of the desire she saw in his eyes. She knew that he intended to ride her hard, make her come several times and taste her all over. The thought of his plans for her made the area between her thighs throb.
Her gaze swept over him, and she saw how aroused he was and liked the thought that she’d done that. She was the cause of his huge erection and she intended to take care of him like she knew he would do for her.
And then he was back on the bed with her, pulling her into his arms and giving her a long intense kiss that left her panting. He whispered the words, “I want you, Velvet,” as he moved into position over her. She was about to tell him she wanted him, too, but he kissed the words from her lips at the same time she felt him, his hard manhood meeting her womanly folds. She needed him, she wanted him, and this time, nothing was going to stop her from having him.
That one-and-done time hadn’t been enough. How could she have thought it would be? Anticipation was clawing at her, and she felt he wasn’t moving fast enough. She needed the feel of him sliding inside her and her inner muscles clenching him. She wanted him now.
Velvet’s eyes flew open when her clock alarm went off, dousing her with the reality she was in bed alone and she’d only had yet another dream.
“I’MSOCONFUSED, RUTHIE,” Velvet said as she turned over in bed and looked at the alarm clock that had gone off a short while ago. The only reason she’d called Ruthie so early in the morning was because Velvet knew Todd was still out of town and that Ruthie was an early riser.
After Jaye had left and she’d cleaned up the kitchen, she’d taken a shower and gone to bed with thoughts of the meal with Jaye dominating her mind and that parting kiss ruling her body parts. Specifically, those body parts had kept her awake most of the night. And when she’d finally dozed off to sleep, she’d had that dream...
“You’re confused because he kissed you?”
“I’m confused by everything. I told you what he said before we kissed. That he would renege on his position on a sex-only relationship if I wanted him to do so. He would do it for me but not for any other woman. Only for me.”
“What is there to be confused about? Sounds pretty clear to me. You’re the only woman he wants to sleep with. He reneged on that position when the two of you made love a couple of weeks ago, so it wouldn’t surprise me if he were to do it again.”
“Yes, but that time was different.”
“How so? Because you were in a bad way? Ready to jump his bones? Admit it, Velvet, you’re in a bad way now, girlfriend.”
“But that’s just it, Ruthie. I shouldn’t be. That one time with him should have been enough.”
“Evidently it wasn’t.”
Ruthie had said the words Velvet did not want to fess up to. Yes, she wanted him again, but she should not want him. Considering the number of orgasms she’d had that night with Jaye, he should be well out of her system. But every time she saw him, she would remember how it felt to be held by him, to be in his arms in and out of bed, to be kissed all over by him, share orgasms with him. All those memories only intensified her desire for him.
“I told you what I think,” Ruthie said, interrupting her thoughts.
Yes, but Ruthie didn’t know Jaye like she did. “And I told you I don’t agree with your assessment of the situation.”
“Regardless, it’s something you should consider as a possibility, Vel. It’s not helping matters for you to do this, pushing yourself to the edge when you have a perfectly capable man as your neighbor who is willing to take that edge off. But since you’re determined not to go anymore sexual rounds with him, I think you’re doing the right thing by not going jogging with him this morning.”
Velvet lifted her brow. “Why?”
“Because maybe you need to take a step back for a few days and think about everything that has been going on with you since Jaye came to town. I bet that after you do, you’ll reach the same conclusion that I have.”
“What? That for some reason Jaye is changing for me?”
“That, and the fact that you’re falling back in love with him. If you ask me, you never stopped loving him.”
Velvet quickly sat up in bed. “Ruthie, how could you even think that? You know how much I loved Jaye before. You know how much I wanted him to love me back. And you of all people know why I left Phoenix.”
“Yes, I know. I also know how hard Jaye took your leaving. I told you he visited me a few times, trying to get me to tell him where you’d gone. He looked crushed and defeated.”
Crushed and defeated... She did recall Ruthie telling her that. “And I will tell you the same thing now that I told you then. What was crushed and defeated wasn’t his heart, but the fact he’d lost a bed partner. He would have been satisfied with us staying together for another three years with nothing but great sex keeping us satisfied. I deserved more.”
“Yes, and maybe he’s finally realized that you deserved more, Velvet. Think about it for a minute. Jaye coming to Catalina Cove and discovering you were there had to have been a real shocker for him. Maybe it shocked him into realizing what he’d lost, and he feels that he’s been given a second chance. Then for the two of you to become neighbors was nothing short of a miracle for him to get it right this time.”
“If what you say is true, then why is he putting limitations on us?”
“He’s not, Velvet. You are. You’re the one who set the rules. He’s merely giving you what you want. Even you said how agreeable he’s become. Maybe there’s a reason for it.”
Velvet heard what Ruthie was saying, but as far as she was concerned, the only thing Jaye had been shocked about was realizing he had lost a good thing when she’d left. However, that still didn’t equate to love. All she’d ever wanted was Jaye’s love. “None of that means anything, Ruthie, without his love.”
“And you know why it isn’t easy for him to love. It has to do with his mother.”
A subject he’d brought up once, the morning after they’d made love. The same morning he’d told her his position on sex-only relationships. She’d hoped that he would bring up the topic of his mother again, but so far he hadn’t. She then told Ruthie as much.
“You know what I’ve discovered from the time I’ve been with Todd is that men aren’t as forthcoming with their inner thoughts and feelings as women are. Jaye’s mother hurt him when she left. Her departure left him devastated. Maybe now he’s healed and realizes that he wants your love.”
Velvet released a deep sigh. “Jaye has always had my love, Ruthie,” she said, knowing she was accepting what her best friend had said earlier about her falling back in love with Jaye. Deep down, she knew she had never stopped loving him.
“Yes, but what if he’s trying to show you something, Vel?”
“Trying to show me what?”
“That now you have his love as well.”
“That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard of.”
“Is it? Take time away from Jaye, like I suggested, to think about it. Then the next time you spend time with him, pay close attention to what he says, how he acts with you and treats you. You’ve even said he’s telling you more stuff now than before. For him, that might be a start.”
“I still don’t agree with your theory, but I do agree that Jaye and I need space between us if for no other reason than to keep me from jumping his bones whenever I see him. I’ve even dreamed of us making out in those blueberry fields.”
Ruthie laughed. “I can see it happening.”
Velvet could see it happening, too...but only in her dreams.
JAYEABSENTLYTOSSEDa paper clip on his desk while leaning back in his chair. Nearly a week had passed since he’d spent time with Velvet. She hadn’t shown up to go jogging with him, but he had seen her leave for work every morning and saw her when she returned in the evenings. As much as he’d been tempted to do so, he hadn’t sought her out but had given her space. Space she felt she needed because things were getting too hot between them and she couldn’t handle the heat.
This past weekend had been the grand opening for the water taxis and he’d seen her there. They’d even been on the same taxi from the cove to New Orleans and back, but she’d hung out with several teachers from her school, intentionally ignoring his presence.
In a way, he wasn’t surprised by her actions since he had a pretty good idea how her mind worked. She thought putting distance between them would solve the problem. It wouldn’t. Just like putting distance between them two years ago hadn’t solved anything, either. If she thought she needed time from him, then he would give it to her...up to a point. He refused to allow her to put distance between them too much longer. Hopefully, sooner rather than later, she would accept what he now knew. They were meant to be together.
Standing from his desk, he felt the need to get out of his office for a minute and breathe in a bit of fresh air. Although Velvet had never set foot in his office, he’d had many thoughts of her in here, and at the moment the intensity of those thoughts was consuming him.
He stopped at Ms. Carter’s desk to let her know he was going to lunch. The moment he stepped outside, he thought the temperature had gone down since that morning. While jogging, he’d worn an extra layer, but forecasters promised it would be a nice weekend.
He headed for the Witherspoon Café. He had a taste for something filling and he’d heard their seafood potpie was pretty good.
The minute he walked into the café, he smiled when he recognized the person in line in front of him. Evans Toussaint. He’d met Evans at Vaughn’s Super Bowl party. Since then, he’d run into Evans around town a few times and at the bank. He knew that, like many others, Evans had been born in Catalina Cove and since moved back to town.
Because of Evans’s strong background in finance management and logistics, Vaughn, who would become CEO of Lacroix when Reid retired later this year, had hired him on and put Evans in charge of handling Reid’s low-interest loans, as well as Lacroix’s new housing development. For that reason, Jaye often met with Evans and found him to be a likable person. He figured Evans was a year or two younger than he was.
“Evans, it’s good seeing you,” he said, shaking his hand.
“Same here. I see we had the same idea for lunch,” Evans said, grinning.
“Yes, appears we did. According to Vaughn, this place has the best shrimp potpie.”
“It does,” Evans quickly agreed. “I’m getting their crab mac and cheese. That’s my favorite and nobody makes it better than Chester Witherspoon.”
At that moment, he and Evans were next in line to be seated. Since the place was crowded, they had no problem sharing a table. Once seated, a waitress quickly came to take their order. Jaye recognized her as one of the single women who’d shown up at his house with a platter of blueberry pastries after he’d moved in. He had thanked her for them and then sent her on her way without letting her cross over his threshold. He’d taken the pastries in to work the next day and they’d been a hit with his staff.
Today, the woman’s huge smile was not for him but for Evans. After she took their orders, she looked at Evans with flirty eyes and said, “Anything for you, Saint.”
After she walked off, Jaye couldn’t help but grin at Evans. “Anything for you, Saint?” Jaye was aware that most people in the cove referred to Evans by his nickname, Saint.
Evans shrugged. “Cindy and I went to school together and nothing has changed over the years. She likes to flirt.”
For the next several minutes, they talked about sports, namely football and what team should have made it to the Super Bowl but hadn’t. Jaye had felt the Arizona Cardinals could have had a better season, and Evans felt likewise about his favorite team, the New Orleans Saints.
Cindy delivered their food, and when Jaye took a bite of his potpie, he knew Vaughn and Evans had been right. It was delicious.
“Are you going to the surprise party that Kaegan and Bryce are giving Vaughn and Sierra Saturday night?” Evans asked.
Jaye looked at him. “Yes, I intend to go. I understand Kaegan lives in the Bayou. I’ve never been out that way before, and I’m hoping I don’t get lost.”
“No problem. You can catch a ride with me. I know my way. The Bayou is beautiful but it’s like a swampy wilderness at night.”
Jaye had thought of using attending the party as a way to catch a ride with Velvet but riding with Evans was even better. Velvet would probably be there early to help Bryce get things ready. Besides, since Velvet hadn’t mentioned anything about the party, chances were she didn’t know he’d been invited. He couldn’t wait until she discovered that he had.
“HEY, VELVET, WAITUP.”
Velvet, who was walking to her car after picking up lunch, recognized the masculine voice and was tempted to keep walking and pretend she hadn’t heard Webb. However, she knew a few people had heard him call out to her and were glancing in their direction. It would have been rude to just keep walking.
She turned and moments later Webb came to a stop in front of her. “Yes, Webb?”
“How about going to the movies with me Saturday night?”
The man had to be kidding. Hadn’t she made it clear—and most recently a few weeks ago—that she wouldn’t go out with him? “I won’t go out with you, Webb.”
Instead of appearing disappointed or annoyed, he gave her a wide smile. It would have been a heart-stopper on the lips of any other man, but when you got Webb, you got the entire conceited package. “Come on, Velvet, you can’t still be mad at me for letting those other guys know where I stand with you.”
She crossed her arms, not caring if anyone seeing them could tell she was annoyed. “And like I told you, Webb, you don’t stand anywhere with me. Why can’t you accept that and move on? There are a lot of other single women living here, and I’m sure one of them will interest you.” She didn’t tack on that whether he interested them was another matter.
“You interest me. I figure sooner or later you’d realize that your teacher’s salary won’t give you all the things you want. I can. Take your car, for instance. It’s nice but wouldn’t you rather have a luxury vehicle? I’d get it for you.”
“No, thank you. I don’t need a man buying anything for me.” If only he knew just how true that was. She looked at her watch. “Look, Webb, I need to be going.”
“What’s the rush? How about joining me for a drink.”
The man just didn’t know when to give up. “I won’t go out on a date with you, Webb.”
He smiled. “No date, just drinks.”
“No, thanks. Like I said, I need to be going.”
“Okay and I hope you know I don’t intend to give up on you, Velvet.”
Velvet tilted her head, gave him a real serious look and said, “I really wish you would.” She turned and walked way, continuing to where her car was parked.
She pushed Webb from her mind, refusing to give him any space in her head. Now, pushing Jaye out of it was another matter. He seemed stuck, and no matter how she tried, he refused to go anywhere. Like those hot dreams she kept having where he always played a major role.
She’d had one every night since she’d intentionally put distance between them. However, she made sure that she was in her kitchen every morning to see him jog by the window, and she would inhale long deep breaths while recalling her dream of the night before. It would really be nice if in one of those dreams they finished what they’d started, but they never did. That only left her even more hot and bothered.
Jaye was usually home when she arrived, but he hadn’t tried to seek her out. All she had to do was glance out her bedroom window to see him in what he’d turned into a workshop, busy on those rocking chairs he was building. Usually, he worked well into the night. She knew the exact moment he would call it a day when that part of the yard would darken. Then she would hold her breath, wondering if he would forego what she’d said and seek her out, anyway. He never did.
VELVETHADJUSTfinished teaching the last class for the week. She was looking forward to the weekend, which included the surprise party for Vaughn and Sierra. Velvet smiled at the thought that her friend didn’t have a clue. Vaughn’s sister, Zara, had arrived in town that morning and Sierra’s sister, Dani, had arrived last night. Both were staying on the outskirts of town at the lake house owned by Sierra and Dani’s parents. Vaughn and Sierra wouldn’t know their siblings were in town until they saw them at the party.
Velvet began packing up to leave. She wished there were somewhere else she could go instead of straight home. But then it would be just her luck to run into Webb Crawford again, and there was only so much of him she could take. She thought about going to the Green Fig to dine in, but if Sierra saw her, she might want to join her, and the last thing Velvet wanted was to let something slip out about the surprise party.
A few minutes later, she had called the Witherspoon Cafe for takeout. Tonight’s special was their mouthwatering pork chops, Cajun rice and lima beans. She was about to put her phone back in her purse when she thought about calling Jaye to see if he wanted her to bring him dinner as well. That would be the neighborly thing to do. Besides, he had brought dinner to her last week. But would he expect them to share the meal together like they had then? If he did, that would only be asking for trouble.
She released a deep sigh. It had been well over a week and a part of her wanted to connect with him in some way, even if it was with a text. She came up with a good reason to do so and began texting.
Jaye, the color I’ve chosen for the rocking chairs is blue.
Moments later he texted back. Blue? Not red?
She couldn’t help smiling at his response. He knew red was her favorite color. Blue blends in better with the house’s exterior.
Gotcha.
She waited to see if he would text anything else, and when he didn’t, she tucked her phone into her purse. Did she expect him to engage in any kind of conversation with her, even via text, when she’d told him that things were getting too hot where they were concerned, and that she couldn’t handle the heat and needed space?
Velvet finished gathering up her things when she noticed a writing pad on the floor by a desk. Evidently, one of her students had dropped it. Crossing the room, she saw it was an artist sketch pad with no identifying information on the front or back. She opened it up to see if there was possibly a name on the inside and was immediately amazed at the drawing she saw of what she knew was the statue of Jean LaFitte that was in LaFitte Square in the middle of town. She flipped through and saw other sketches that were just as impressive. She wasn’t sure which one of her students had done the sketches, but they’d done a great job. This person definitely had an eye for detail and—
“That’s mine!”
Velvet looked up and stared at Lenny Bordeaux. “Lenny. You must have dropped it. I was just trying to figure out which of my students it belonged to. The sketches in here are great.”
She saw the surprised look in his eyes. “You think so?” he asked in an uncertain voice.
“Yes, I think so.” She handed the sketch pad to him. “You are very gifted.”
“Thank you,” he said, stuffing the pad in his backpack.
Curiosity made her ask, “Are you taking any art or drafting classes?”
She heard the words I wish muttered under his breath before he said, “No.”
She tilted her head to look at him. “May I ask why not?”
He shifted his feet and peered down at them a few times before looking back up at her. “My dad is depending on me playing professional baseball.”
It was on the tip of her tongue to ask him if that’s what he wanted to do. She had a feeling that although he might enjoy playing baseball, art was another one of his passions. It showed in his sketches.
“Maybe if you let your father know which you prefer, then—”
“It won’t matter, Ms. Spencer. I am the last hope to restore honor to my family’s name.”
Honor to his family’s name?Again, curiosity made her ask. “How will you playing baseball restore honor to your family’s name?”
He hesitated a moment, and then said, “My dad was supposed to play for the Dodgers. He got hurt and now it’s all up to me. He says it was meant for a Bordeaux to play professional baseball.”
Velvet noticed the slumping of his shoulders. Shoulders that were carrying a lot of unjustified weight. Allen Bordeaux had missed out fulfilling his dream and now he was forcing that dream on his son instead of letting Lenny pursue his own passion.
“Ms. Spencer, promise you won’t tell my dad anything? I don’t want him disappointed in me.”
Velvet heard the despair in Lenny’s voice. It wasn’t fair; his father was placing a lot on him. That was why she appreciated her parents so much. They never forced her to enter the family business and let her pursue her dream of teaching.
“Please promise me, Ms. Spencer.”
She sighed. “Okay, Lenny, I won’t say anything to him but maybe you need to consider telling him yourself.”
“I can’t.” And then without saying anything else, Lenny quickly turned and rushed out of the classroom.