Chapter Eleven
Jessica
Three months later
“She does love penguins, doesn’t she?”
Jessica chuckled as she watched Cara dance happily toward her grandfather’s house, proudly attired in the penguin T-shirt she’d just gotten at SeaWorld. Fortunately for all of them, Donald hadn’t troubled himself to come out to greet the three of them. Instead, Cecile had come out to collect the little girl, muttering something about a conference call. Cara waved at them before disappearing inside the enormous mansion.
“Let’s get the hell out of here,” Brent said to his driver, “before my father decides to grace us with his presence.”
Jessica thought she saw the faintest smirk on the driver’s face, but he only nodded and said, “Very good, sir.”
The partition rolled up, giving them privacy – which was now the standard operating procedure for whenever the two of them were alone in the limo together – and the enormous car began its stately progress down the long curving driveway, bumping gently as it made its way over the cobblestones. Brent blew out a long breath, which sounded relieved to Jessica’s ears, and put his arm around her shoulders with casual familiarity.
“Thank God my father was busy.”
She giggled. She couldn’t help it. It was, she thought, terrible that Brent and his father didn’t get along – but it certainly wasn’t Brent’s fault. His father was a jerk and a bully, and he didn’t really deserve a son as wonderful as Brent, nor yet a granddaughter as amazing as Cara. He was really quite lucky Brent let him be in their lives at all, considering his terrible attitude.
“He and Cara will have a nice evening together,” she said. And it was true. Cara had a way of melting even Donald’s ice-encrusted old heart. Around her, he was almost human.
Almost.
Brent grinned and pulled her nearer. “And you and I will have a nice evening together,” he said, brushing a kiss over her hair.
She leaned into him, breathing in his clove and cinnamon scent, enjoying the warmth and the strength of him. It was nice that they could find evenings like this to share together, every so often. Between Brent’s overfull work schedule, and the fact that they had to hide their relationship from virtually everyone in their lives, it didn’t happen often. But when it did, it made for a very special night.
She only wished she felt better. She’d been fine at SeaWorld, but for some reason, the motion of the limo had been making her feel nauseated, ever since they’d gotten into the car. The Rolls was as smooth and luxurious as ever… but today her stomach didn’t like it.
Must be that hot dog I ate for lunch, she thought. She let her head rest against his shoulder and breathed deeply, doing her best to settle her uneasy insides. And make sure they stayed inside, where they belonged.
Once they got to his penthouse, and out of the gently swaying vehicle, she felt better. It was, she thought, fortunate for them both that Brent had his own place, a home he could retreat to when being around his father became too much for him.
Or when he wanted to… “entertain”.
His penthouse was located in the tallest building of the Waterfront district, situated forty-two stories above San Diego, blessed with a spectacular view of the bay. She’d been here a few times now, and she’d never failed to admire the jaw-dropping views. The two of them rode up the private elevator, hand in hand, and then Brent poured them both a glass of Chardonnay, and they stepped out onto the balcony. The sun was sinking low in the sky, and the late afternoon sunlight gilded the bay with gold.
“It’s beautiful,” she said softly.
He smiled down at her. “Everything’s beautiful when I’m with you, Jessica.”
Something in his eyes and his voice made her uncomfortable. They’d tried to keep things light over the course of their affair, but more and more often, she thought she heard a serious note in his voice when he spoke of being with her, and it made her nervous. It wasn’t that he was too old – he was, in her opinion, the sexiest man she’d ever known – but she was well aware that the world would probably think that.
And her father would, too. He might admire Brent, think of him as a good man, and consider him a close friend, but for his precious baby girl, he’d never consider a man his age to be an acceptable choice. He’d either murder Brent or have an aneurysm with rage and expire on the spot.
Not to mention Donald and Cara, both of whom would probably be greatly upset by their relationship, if for totally different reasons. She couldn’t ever bring herself to hurt Cara, who’d come to mean so much to her in so short a time. And as for Donald – well, she didn’t care what he thought, but she definitely worried about what an enraged Donald might do to Brent. She couldn’t bear the thought of Brent losing his inheritance, the house he’d grown up in, and all the opportunities wealth and status granted him, just because of her.
No, she thought, for perhaps the hundredth time. She couldn’t let this become serious. She just couldn’t.
Even so, she couldn’t pull away, either. His big hand wrapped around hers, and she tightened her fingers around his like she’d never let him go. The two of them stood there for a long while, watching the sun as it slowly sank toward the shining bay.
At last, the butler discreetly tapped on the glass door, notifying them that dinner was ready. Brent escorted her inside with great ceremony – pulling out a chair and seating her at the small table in the dining area, which overlooked the bay as well. The first course of their dinner was placed before them – miso soup, followed by salad and salmon with spring vegetables. By the time dessert was served – chocolate mousse in crystal glasses – she was starting to feel full.
And, to be perfectly honest, a little ill.
Definitely shouldn’t have had that hot dog, she thought and pushed the Baccarat glass away with regret.
Brent frowned at her. “Are you all right?”
“Fine,” she answered, though she wasn’t quite. “I’m just full. Too much junk food at SeaWorld, I guess.”
He smiled at that, and pushed his own dessert aside, half-eaten.
“I had fun today,” he said softly. “So did Cara.”
“Me too. My feet will be sore tomorrow, but it was worth it.”
She spoke lightly, but he answered with perfect seriousness. “I mean it, Jessica. You’re the only person that’s ever encouraged her to be who she is. I mean, other than me, but I’m always so busy. You’ve made a huge difference in her life.”
To her surprise, tears sprang to her eyes. Which was ridiculous. She never got teary, except right around her period. Must be that time, she thought. Hormones, ugh. She tried to calculate if her period was likely to make its unwelcome appearance tonight – which would be inconvenient, all things considered – and couldn’t quite recall the last time she’d had it.
“She’s made a huge difference in mine,” she admitted. “So have you, Brent.”
“I want you to know,” he said, looking at her with the charming earnestness that made him look so much younger, “how much you mean to us. And to me. I know things between us are complicated, but… I need you to know that this is more than just a fling, at least as far as I’m concerned. I’m falling for you, Jessica. Falling hard.”
A sudden sensation of panic caught her by the throat, choking her. For a moment, she couldn’t speak at all. The panic only intensified when he took a velvet box from his pocket and opened it, displaying a lovely pendant in the shape of a dolphin, its soft gold surface studded with glittering diamonds.
“I can’t—” she blurted, or tried to. But her throat was still not cooperating, and he didn’t seem to notice her objections. He rose to his feet, came around the table, and fastened it around her neck.
“It looks beautiful on you,” he murmured. “But then, most things do.”
Driven by her growing panic, Jessica suddenly found her voice. She rose to her feet and faced him, looking straight up into the brilliant blue eyes.
“I’ve had fun this summer,” she said, somehow managing to keep her voice steady even as her aching heart shriveled inside her chest. “But this can’t be serious, Brent. I’m going back to college soon. Senior year, remember?”
“I know,” he answered, his voice low, but brimming with sincerity. “I know how much it means to you to earn your bachelor’s degree and your doctorate, not to mention your upcoming internship. I understand, Jessica, and I’m willing to wait for you. For as long as it takes.”
She lifted her chin and spoke as coolly as she could manage.
“I don’t think you understand, Brent. This thing between us – it’s not forever. I’m just a college student, and you’re – you’re a Sanderson. You have a daughter to think about. And besides, my father is your close friend. The two of us can never have… whatever it is you’re thinking. I’m too young, and it’s just too complicated.”
She reached up to take off the pendant, but his big hands captured hers, stilling them.
“Where we go from here,” he said, looking down into her eyes, “is up to you. If you don’t want…” Me, she could almost hear him say. “… a long-term relationship, that’s your decision. But keep the pendant. Please. As a token of my feelings, and a reminder of this summer. Okay?”
She swallowed and blinked, fighting back the tears.
“Okay,” she agreed.
He bent to kiss her, but she looked guiltily toward the kitchen. “Your staff—”
“All left after the dessert was served, just as they were told to do. We have complete privacy, Jessica. For what I have in mind, we’re going to need it.”
The corners of his eyes crinkled, and she couldn’t help but smile back at him.
“What exactly did you have in mind?”
“You know what I am thinking,” Brent said, licking his lips before her.
Standing up, he took her hand and led her to his bedroom, to his special corner of the penthouse. The massive king-size bed was decked out with sumptuous black silk sheets. He’d obviously been planning everything for a while, as he had candles set up on his nightstand, casting the walls of the room in the brilliant orange of a flickering flame. There were rose petals scattered at the foot of the bed, and Jessica was overwhelmed with the whole scene. She’d slipped the gorgeous gold and diamond dolphin around her neck, but it felt heavy.
A bit like an albatross.
She cared so much about Brent. If they were any other two people in different circumstances, she’d definitely admit she’d fallen in love with him. But they weren’t different. She couldn’t let herself fall, no matter how her heart pounded in his presence. She was still the daughter of his close friend and business partner, and he still had a father who despised her and a little girl who might be hurt by everything coming to light.
It was nothing more than a summer fling.
But tonight said that Brent felt it was anything but.
She sighed and smiled. School was starting back soon, and her blissful summer would end, the love and affection between them would end forever. Jessica might not have Brent for much longer, but she could have tonight.
Brent stood along the far wall of his bedroom – a room that could easily fit her whole damn apartment in it – and unbuttoned his shirt slowly. She bit her lip and felt her belly flush with heat at the sight. Brent was quite the specimen to behold; exercise was his way to combat stress, and he was quite the gym rat before work she’d found. He was definitely one of those annoying morning people. But it had done his body good. As the blue button-up slid from his shoulders, Jessica couldn’t help but intake a sharp breath at the vision before her. Moonlight played over the planes of his body and the ridges of his abs, a tight six-pack that would make any woman desperate for him and most men jealous.
He was gorgeous, and Brent was all hers.
She followed suit, slipping out from her sundress. Knowing they were having an intimate date that night when she’d dressed for dinner, Jessica hadn’t worn underwear. It was a bit of her daring side coming out, the side that had been growing since Brent had come into her life. She was also braless because the dress would never accommodate such a look. She knew that when she’d picked it, knew it would drive Brent wild.
He rumbled low in his throat and smiled. “You’re beautiful, sweetheart, just like I’ve always said.”
She blushed. “You’re not so bad yourself.”
Brent unhooked his belt and then undid his pants. Tonight, he’d matched her for spirit and daring. He’d promised her before that he sometimes went commando, and tonight was no exception. Already strong and thick, his impressive erection was springing free for her. His shaft stood at attention, a mast among a thatch of dark gold curls. Her mouth watered just seeing it.
“But you’re better,” he replied. “I want you.”
She winked, playing into everything. “Of course you do.”
“I had planned this out to be romantic. I always felt bad the first time wasn’t in a setup like this.”
She eyed the dresser and the myriad of honest to God candelabras laid out over it. “I know, and it’s gorgeous.”
“But,” he said, stepping forward and running a finger down her cheek, “seeing you there, I can’t help but want to ravish you right now.”
Jessica laughed, her heart feeling lighter than it had since the gift. “I want to do anything you do. I’ve never wanted anything else. Besides, I’m going to admit that seeing you like this, I can hardly wait.”
“Good. Because I have a few ideas.”
“Show me.” Jessica flipped her long, dark hair behind her back. “Show me anything.”
Brent surged forward and surprised her by picking her up in his arms. She wrapped her legs around him eagerly, already feeling his rod poking up against the round globe of her ass. Her core grew wet with need, and the heat building through her belly flared up her limbs, down to her fingers and toes.
He leaned close, and that amazing scent of cloves and cinnamon tickled her nose. The stubble of his five o’clock shadow scraped enticingly at her chin as he leaned up to whisper in her ear. His voice was like thick honey, something she could get caught and lost in forever. “I want to fuck you up against this wall. Is that something you’d like to try with me, babe?”
Jessica felt so risqué doing this, even though later she knew they’d make quiet love among the layers of soft sheets on the bed. With Brent, everything at least in the bedroom was possible, and she loved learning under his tutelage. Nodding, she looked up at him, her eyes meeting his Arctic blue ones.
“I’ll do anything you want.”
“Don’t say what you don’t mean,” he offered.
“I’ll try up against a wall with you.” Her fingers came to rest on the dolphin of her own accord. She could try anything sexual with him, but somehow she couldn’t risk her heart. It was probably selfish of her, but her body for right now was all she could give. “I trust you.”
His smile tightened for just a moment, then felt genuine again. “Good, babe, because I’m going to rock your world.”
He hefted her up and slid his length into her core, his penis sliding inch by heated inch into her channel. It was so large that sometimes she marveled at being able to accommodate him. His girth stretched her out, made her feel full in ways she’d never imagined before, and it always felt like a mix of security and coming home to have him buried deep inside of her. He rocked his hips, and she rolled with the motion, using the strength of her legs to lift herself up and down on his massive length.
Brent moved toward the wall, and she felt the light coolness of the wood against her back. Brent thrust again, this time claiming her with his mouth as he did so. His tongue tangled with hers and the taste of chocolate and Scotch was on her taste buds, teasing her. Brent’s pace increased, and her clit started to pulse with need and the hint of pleasure tickling her nerves.
She broke away from his kisses to throw her head back and moan. “More, I need so much more.”
“On it, sweetheart,” he said, his voice that same low rumble that drove her mad.
His pace quickened, and his mouth moved to the tip of her left breast. His tongue flicked and played over the hardened peak of her nipples and, by then, her clit was alight with pleasure, with the power of an orgasm beginning to build. Brent angled his hips just so, pumping deeper into her, and his change hit that spot deep within her body, the one that sent her nerves screaming with delight.
It was then Brent’s pace increased, his hips pistoning against her as her heels dug into this ass to keep herself upright. Her breath came in ragged gasps, the room was filled with the sound of her breathing and his, the only noise accompanying them. Her perfume mingled with his cinnamon scent and their own musks – a mix of sex around them – were all roiling through her nose. The pressure of the wall against her back somehow made the movements of his cock deep inside her that much more intense.
That much better.
She closed her eyes and gave into sensation, gave into the need driving her.
Jessica came in a flash, as if she’d detonated around him and then slowly pieced herself back together even as he climaxed and shot his seed deep inside of her.
Thank God for birth control.
She was mostly incoherent as the final bits of orgasm-induced haze lifted from her. Setting her forehead against his shoulder, she let him prop her up on his bed. But, to her surprise, Brent didn’t immediately join her on the other side. Instead, he leaned low and traced his finger over the gold dolphin at the hollow her throat.
“I know there’s so much to discuss, so much to do to make you see it, sweetheart. But you’re mine. You belong to me, and we fit together. We just can’t let this go.”
She smiled and clasped his hand in hers. Offering him a tight smile, she gave him the only answer she could: “We’ll see, love. We’ll see.”