Saving Jay, page 6
part #3 of Breaking Free Series
“Why would I do that?” I asked, smirking as she walked around me to get in the car.
“I don’t know, but at least I’ll die happy.”
We smiled at each other before I closed the door, and then I walked back to my side of the car.
When I got in, Jade asked, “So, was I supposed to dress up or something? You do know, you’re supposed to warn a woman before taking her somewhere fancy, right?”
Looking over at her, I felt my heart rate pick up as our eyes met. Being this close to her, smelling her sweet scent and seeing those hazel eyes up close reminded me why I’d asked her to go out in the first place. I was feeling better already.
“We can go wherever you want. Honestly, I hadn’t even thought about where to go. I just wanted to see you again.”
Her eyes widened, and I noticed her cheeks growing pink.
She turned to look out the windshield, and she smiled. “Wow. You’re good.”
I opened my mouth to ask what she meant, but I realized the answer before I voiced my question. “I see something in you that I like, and I want more of it—plain and simple,” I replied honestly.
She turned to meet my gaze. She studied my face for a few seconds before facing the front of my car again. “Well, I can respect that.” Peering over at me with a playful smile on her lips, she pulled the seat belt over her shoulder.
“Where would you like to go?”
She shrugged. “Surprise me.”
Grinning, I put my car in drive and drove out of the parking lot.
“Have you lived here long?” she asked a few seconds later, watching the buildings go by.
“Yeah, most of my life. How about you?”
“Just a little over a month.” She glanced at me, a coy smile gracing her lips, before she looked away again.
“Why did you move here?”
“I wanted to come to the beach, and since I grew up in Virginia, it seemed like a good idea.”
“Boston wasn’t doing it for you, huh?”
I noticed her body grow stiff, and she looked down at her hands as they sat in her lap. I’d hit a nerve.
“Just ready for a change.”
I was curious what had made Jade leave Boston, especially when she’d had an opportunity to be on television. Most people would have welcomed the chance to become rich and famous.
I pulled my car into the parking lot of my favorite Jamaican restaurant, Highest Heights.
Jade turned to look at me with her eyebrows raised. “Highest Heights? Really?”
“Hey, don’t judge it until you’ve tried it. Their jerk chicken is the best.”
She smiled and held up her hands. “Okay, okay. My bad.” And just as quickly as it had come, the conflict in her eyes was gone.
After parking my car, I got out and made my way to Jade’s door where she waited for me to open it for her. I watched as her long legs came out, and I let my eyes roam over her as she stood up. Her body was beautiful, curvy, real, and covered in tattoos—all things my recent dates had been lacking.
“You look hungry,” she said with a smirk when my eyes finally made it to hers.
“Starving.”
We stood there for a second, watching each other. The sexual tension was so thick that I could feel it all around me. Turning to face the building, I held out my arm for her to hold as we walked inside. She slipped her hand into the crook of my elbow, and I welcomed the warmth of her touch. My body was buzzing from it.
Reggae music was playing in the small dining room that was overly decorated in green, yellow, and black. Framed posters of Bob Marley covered the walls, and the air smelled like a mix of fried plantains and jerk seasoning.
Once we found an empty table, I offered to order Jade’s dinner, and she agreed. After telling the waitress we’d have my favorite—stewed jerk chicken with rice and peas—we sat at our small round table in silence while Jade looked around the room. I could feel the sexual tension building between us like it had before and wondered if she felt it, too. It was like an electric current in the air, an energy that hovered around us.
Taking a sip from her glass of water, Jade set it back down before asking, “Jay…do you mind if I call you Jason because this same-name thing might get confusing? Besides, you look more like a Jason now that you’re dressed in that fancy suit.”
“You can call me anything you want.”
“Okay, Jason. So, what do you do?”
I always had a hard time answering that question, so I tried to keep it simple. “I’m an investor and own a few businesses.”
Her eyebrows rose, and she seemed curious. “Really? A few? Like what?”
“A club, some restaurants, a modeling agency.”
Her eyes widened, and I could feel a grin tugging at my lips. I loved the way she showed her emotions so openly and seemed to carry such an easy excitement for life.
“Wow! That’s awesome. I guess that explains the clothes and the badass car.”
I took a sip from my water instead of responding. My wealth was a touchy subject and one I liked to avoid on dates.
“Speaking of badass cars, is that your Camaro I keep seeing parked at the shop?”
Jade smiled before running her fingers through her long hair, and I noticed something tattooed on one of them.
“Yeah, that’s my baby. I bought her last year.”
When she put her hand back down on the table, I reached out and held it in mine. I felt her get a little tense until she realized what I was doing. Sliding my fingers between hers, I held up her pointer finger where I saw a small black mustache tattooed there. Raising my eyebrow in confusion, I peered up at her, and she laughed. She slipped her hand out of mine and moved her finger over her top lip, putting the mustache in place, and I chuckled as her bright eyes danced between mine.
“Nice.”
She shrugged before putting her hand back on the table. “I don’t like to take life too seriously. You only live once, you know? Why not have fun while you’re here?”
“YOLO,” I said with a straight face, although it was really hard.
Jade’s mouth snapped shut as she looked at me with wide eyes, and I couldn’t help but laugh.
She blew out a breath and covered half her face with her hand. “Oh, thank God you were joking.”
I shook my head before taking a sip from my water. “You should have seen your face.”
“That’s just mean. I thought I was gonna have to fake a headache or something.”
My jaw dropped, and I pretended to be offended. “Are you saying you would leave me here if I liked saying YOLO?”
“Yep,” she replied without hesitation.
That got us laughing again.
Just as we finished, our waitress brought out our food, and I watched Jade as she took it all in. Her eyes lit up, and she inhaled as a smile swept over her face. Her enthusiasm was contagious.
“Thank you so much. This looks amazing,” she said, beaming at the waitress.
Our waitress just looked at me and winked before walking away. It was probably because it was the first time she’d seen me there with someone.
“How did you find this place?” Jade asked as she began collecting food on her fork.
“I grew up here. I know all the good spots.”
Sliding her fork into her mouth, Jade’s eyes closed as she chewed her first bite. A few seconds later, she moaned, and I felt myself grin. I couldn’t help imagining how her other moans would sound.
Her eyes opened wide. “This is delicious!”
I just smiled and took a bite of my own.
“So, Jason, tell me something embarrassing about yourself, something you wouldn’t normally divulge on a first date,” Jade said before taking another bite.
“Is this a first date?”
Jade’s eyes studied me as she chewed her food, and I watched her lips until she swallowed.
“Isn’t it?”
“Well, I hope so. I just wanted to make sure before I bared my soul.”
She laughed and picked up her cup, giving me a pointed look.
“Okay, something embarrassing. You mean, besides the fact that I said YOLO?”
She smirked.
“Like…how I lost my virginity to a stripper?”
Jade almost spit out her water. She quickly covered her mouth with a napkin before asking, “Are you serious?”
I shrugged. “Yeah.”
“Oh, wow. That is embarrassing.”
I smiled, and she started laughing again.
“Your turn.”
“Okay. Okay,” she said, taking a deep breath. “Something embarrassing…let’s see. Well, since you told me how you lost your virginity…I lost mine in the back of a minivan, and the dude’s mom caught us.”
I bit down on my lips and tried to hold back my smile.
“What?”
“Now, that’s embarrassing.”
Her mouth dropped open. “Well, at least I didn’t pay him!”
I chuckled and rubbed my hands over my face before putting them back on the table. “Yeah, I probably shouldn’t have told you that.”
She scoffed, “You think?”
“Hey, it was the only thing I could think of.”
“Well, you must not get embarrassed easily then.”
“Rarely,” I admitted before taking another bite of food.
Jade
A few hours later, the restaurant was closing, and Jay and I had to leave although we both seemed reluctant to end our date.
We’d spent the night getting to know each other. We’d talked about our favorite movies and music. Jay had asked about some of my tattoos, and I’d told him the portrait on my arm was of my mother and how she’d passed away from cancer. He’d told me about his dad having ALS and all the horrible dates his mother had been sending him on. I’d gotten the impression he didn’t share his feelings easily, and I felt honored that he’d trusted me enough to do so. There was a vulnerability that he kept hidden well, but I’d caught a glimpse of it. He was hurting, and I knew just how he felt.
“Well, I had a great time. Thanks for taking me out,” I said after we settled into Jay’s car.
“It was my pleasure.”
Jay and I smiled at each other, and when I saw his dimples, I felt my heart rate double in speed. I loved the deep blue color of his eyes and the strong line of his jaw. He was gorgeous.
“When can I see you again?”
I looked away for a few seconds, trying to fight the fear bubbling in my chest, before meeting his gaze again. “I like you, Jay. I really like you…but I just got out of a serious relationship, and I don’t know if I’m ready to jump into something new just yet. You know?”
Jay’s eyes searched mine, and my hands started sweating as I waited for his response.
The side of his mouth lifted into a grin before he said, “I thought you were calling me Jason.”
My body relaxed, and I laughed. “Oh, yeah. I guess that’s not gonna work.”
“We’ll go as slow as you want, Jade. I have no problem going slow.”
I peered up at him before tucking my hair behind my ear. “Okay.”
“Can I at least have your cell number, so I don’t have to call the shop anymore?”
My lips curled into a small smile. “Sure.”
After exchanging numbers, Jay started his car and asked me where I lived.
“We’re neighbors,” he told me as he pulled his car out of the parking lot.
“Well, that’ll make things easy.” Oh God, why did you say that?
We glanced at each other, and Jay smirked but didn’t respond. My damn filter was failing me again. Biting my bottom lip, I looked out my window.
On the way back to the shop, Jay and I rode in comfortable silence. I was thinking about his blind dates, and as much as I hated the idea of him seeing other women, I needed to make sure we took things slow. I also didn’t want to interfere with Jay’s relationship with his mom. He acted like he didn’t like it, but I could see the love in his eyes when he’d spoken about her.
Turning to face him, I said, “I think you should keep going on your dates.”
He gave me a questioning look.
“I mean, it obviously makes your mom happy, and it gives you guys something to talk about and a reason to spend time together.”
“Oh, I wasn’t planning on stopping. I’m having way too much fun playing the field.”
Jay grinned at me, and I smiled before reaching over and punching his arm.
“Besides, I want to hear more stories about your awful dates.”
“Oh, so now, I’m providing entertainment for both of you?” he asked.
“Yep.” I laughed.
He glanced over at me and watched me for a few seconds before turning to face the road again. “I’ll happily go on more dates if it means I’ll see that again.”
I felt myself blush, and I tried hiding it by looking outside. I’d never met a man like Jay before. He never hesitated to tell me what he was thinking.
When we got back to the shop, Jay parked his car and got out to open my door. He held out his hand to help me, and I peered up at him as I slid my hand into his. I felt that energy between us again.
Our eyes stayed connected as I stood in front of him.
He asked, “Can I kiss you?”
I was nervous. My teeth raked over my bottom lip, and I looked up into his beautiful eyes before nodding.
Jay watched me as he took a step closer, and my breath hitched in my throat when our bodies touched. Reaching up, he let his thumb slide along the edge of my jaw, and I leaned into his touch. His gaze was fixed on my lips that were now parted. His lips were, too. Looking back into my eyes, he slowly leaned down until I felt his breath against my mouth. I could feel the electricity in the air between us, and I was feeding off of it. I loved the anticipation and the need I felt radiating off of us. As he slid his hand into my hair, I closed my eyes and waited until he finally let his lips touch mine.
When Jay had kissed me, I’d felt it down to my bones. It had just been enough to give me a taste of what he was offering, and I had to admit, I’d wanted more. It was obvious he had been holding back. We both had.
After that kiss, I had no doubt Jay would be amazing in bed. He controlled every move, and I loved his confidence. I loved the idea of being submissive and teased during sex even though I’d never really experienced it. I’d only read about it in smutty novels. All my exes were more of the wham-bam-thank-you-ma’am type.
After our kiss, Jay walked me to my car and said he’d call me soon.
I had butterflies in my stomach for the rest of the night. It was funny how just one good date could make me feel hopeful again. I’d never been with anyone like Jay before. He was a total gentleman, but he also had a snarky, sarcastic side that I loved. There was something about seeing him in a suit and knowing what was under that perfectly pressed shirt that totally turned me on. He was rich and successful but not pretentious, and there was a depth to him that made him even sexier.
I definitely had a crush.
I spent the rest of the night working on the sketch for Jay’s tattoo. Seeing our ideas come to life was the best part. I found some good pictures online for inspiration and didn’t finish until four a.m. I just hoped he would love it as much as I did.
I ended up sleeping until eleven before the sun shining in through my windows awoke me. I rolled onto my back and smiled at my ceiling as soon as I thought about Jay. In just a few days, he’d reduced me to teenage schoolgirl status.
The shop was closed on Mondays, so I planned to spend the day catching up on all my other responsibilities. I still had boxes in my apartment that I hadn’t unpacked. I’d asked the guys to meet me at the shop, so we could discuss everything that still needed to be done. I had to look for a new assistant, and I needed to order more supplies. Dustin had made arrangements for our new sign, so at least I could mark that off my list.
After taking a shower, I put on an old pair of jeans, my favorite Ramones T-shirt, and my red Chuck Taylors. I fixed my hair and put on a little makeup, and I was ready to go.
I got into my Camaro and was just about to drive off when my phone started ringing. It was a number I didn’t recognize.
Hitting the Accept button, I put it on speaker and set my phone down on my lap, so I could drive. “Hello?”
A female’s voice came through, “Jade?”
“Yeah?”
“It’s me—Asia!”
I smiled as I pulled my car out of the parking lot. “Holy shit! How are you?”
“I’m great! How are you? I can’t believe you live here now.”
“I can’t believe you’re fucking married! To Marcus Avery, no less! Congratulations, girl.”
She laughed. “Man, I’ve missed you. We need to hang out and catch up sometime.”
“For sure.”
“I saw the tat you gave my brother, by the way. It’s vicious.”
“Thanks. You should come by the shop.”
“Absolutely! I need some more ink. Well, I’m actually on my way to New York with Marcus right now, but we should be back next week. I’ll give you a call, and we can make plans to do something.”
“Sounds good.”
“I’ll talk to you soon then.”
“Okay. Have a safe trip.”
“Thanks. Bye.”
“Later.”
I hit the End button and tossed my phone into the cup holder. Asia and I had only been roommates for a short time, but we’d become instant friends. She was a really cool chick and one of the only females I’d met who seemed to really get me. This move to Virginia was turning out to be one of the best decisions I’d made in a while.
Jay
As I stood in my downtown office on a conference call, I tried to listen to the voices on my phone, but I couldn’t help thinking about Jade and when I’d be able to see her again. She’d been on my mind all morning.
“I’ll have those papers drawn up and sent to your office first thing in the morning, Mr. Clarke.”
I blinked when I heard my name and tried to remember what we were discussing. “Sounds good, Ryan. Megan, any word on the property down in Miami?”
