Copyright 2014 © Rosesareforever
Crossing Paths
Chapter 4
Untamable Desire
After she ran away from the gala, Jade headed towards the mansion where their room was located. She decided to take a relaxing bath before changing into her pajamas and crawling into bed. She didn’t expect Sedric to come back for another few hours, seeing it was his brother’s wedding.
She carefully took the hairclip out of her locks and undressed, letting the malachite gown fall to her feet before she stepped into the tub. Warm water touched her skin, kissing her sore muscles as she stretched her legs. She inhaled deeply, closing her eyes as she savored the relaxing feeling, calmness radiating through the room.
The scent of lavender whiffed through the air, filling her nostrils with the heavenly aroma. It was the same body wash she used since she was a kid. Jade had always loved flowers, the wonderful smells, the different textures and conspicuous colors they entailed. In her dreams she would walk on a sand path through a grand garden filled with the most beautiful flowers and plants. She would pick a purple gladiolus, her favorite flower, and inhale the delectable aroma.
At the end of the pathway would be a grassplot with an oak tree in the middle that contained a swing. She would let her slender fingers linger on the thin ropes before sitting down on the wooden stool and bending her knees to stir the swing to action. A gust of wind would caress her features, swaying her honey blonde locks in the air.
A soft giggle would escape her lips at the exhilarating feeling, the little butterflies dancing in her stomach with each sway. She would smile widely as she enjoyed the intense moment of bliss, her eyes closing in utter delight. When her eyelids opened again, there was a small boy in front of her, his smile elucidating his features.
She smiled shyly in return as she stopped the swing from moving and watched the boy in amazement. He would step closer to her and brush a freed lock of hair back behind her ear before telling her how beautiful she looked. Her already pink cheeks would heat thanks to his compliment as she played with the fabric of her emerald dress.
Jade smiled, remembering the dream she used to have as a kid. Every time she would wake up when the boy evaded her fantasy and came into view. She never saw his features, only felt the peaceful feeling he brought to her when he touched her skin. She opened her eyes and breathed in deeply as she sat up in the tub.
The water had turned cold, making her realize her daydream had taken longer than she anticipated. She slowly got out of the bath, the liquid rocking against the side of the tub. She reached out to take a fluffy white towel and dried herself off, the lavender fragrance scenting her skin.
She slipped on a pair of panties and a silk bra, not bothering to search for pajamas. The temperature on the island had turned up a few degrees and she didn’t want to waste extra energy by turning on the air-conditioning. The environment was already suffering enough without the extra pollution. Sedric always got up early in the morning, he would be long gone before she had to crawl out of bed.
After putting her hair into a ponytail, she exited the bathroom, her bare feet touching the cold tiles of the floor. To her relief the room was vacant. She quickly moved towards the queen-sized bed and slipped underneath the covers. The cold sheets caressed her heated skin, cooling her body temperature.
Emitting a quiet sigh, she stretched her muscles and searched for a comfortable position. She curled her legs underneath her body. The bed suddenly looked empty, too big for only one person. Pushing the thought aside, she closed her eyes, but sleep wouldn’t come. The tapping of the wall clock echoed through the room. An annoying sound she vainly tried not to concentrate on.
An hour passed by and Jade was still wide awake, her eyelids refusing to close. The temperature in the room had risen, making little pearls of sweat erupt out of the pores of her skin, trickling down her body agonizingly slowly. She heaved another sigh as she gazed out the window from the bed. Darkness surrounded the building, the only light came from the small stars light years away from them.
A sudden noise startled her and she quickly sat up, the rich laughter of men resounding through the hall downstairs. The sound of steps came closer, the laughter dying in the process as the men quit talking. She listened closely, trying to recognize the pace of the person ascending the stairs and laid back down on the bed.
Less than a minute later the door of the room slid open and a figure stepped inside, careful not to make too much noise. The man untied his cravat, unaware of the eyes that followed his every movement. When he put his tie aside, he slowly started to unbutton his shirt, the popping sound echoing through the air.
Jade watched enticed by the sight as Sedric’s naked chest came into view, the muscles bulging. Her breath hitched once he unbuttoned his pants and slid them down his legs, revealing an onyx boxer briefs. He still hadn’t noticed the way she had been ogling him, too busy with his task at hand.
She felt like a stalker as she enjoyed taking a look at his perfectly sculptured body. He screamed masculinity, a hint of his aftershave wafted through the air as he moved through the room. Jade quickly closed her eyes as he stepped closer to the bed, the mattress dipping as he laid down beside her.
The heat of his body radiated against her back, making the temperature rise a notch. She tried to stay as still as possible, not wanting to reveal the fact that she was still awake and had been watching him just seconds ago. It was more difficult than she expected, thanks to the ardor spreading in the air.
Sedric watched the beautiful creature beside him, his eyes lingering on the curve of her breast. The sheet had lowered a few inches, revealing a hint of her silk bra. His côck hardened painfully in his boxer briefs as he closed his eyes to abandon the alluring sight. He had been turned on for most of the day, making it harder and harder to keep his out of control hormones at bay.
Jade seemed to keep teasing him with those luscious dresses of hers, making him want to eat her alive. He had dreamed of licking a path down the valley of her breasts more than once as his eyes stayed focused on her bust for a few seconds too long. He couldn’t remember a time he’d felt as hôrny. The need to savor a woman had grown stronger with each passing hour, he didn’t even want to consider the state he would be in by the end of the weekend.
His hand slowly travelled down his body, resting against his crôtch as he squeezed the flesh softly. He released a low moan and caressed the skin. His eyes quickly darted to the unmoving body beside him, making sure Jade was still peacefully asleep as he continued to stroke himself.
Jade bit her lip, tasting the metallic flavor of blood as she tried to keep still. Fate decided to be cruel to her and worsen the state of arousal she had been in all day. Soft groans left Sedric’s lips as he moved behind her, his satisfaction loud and clear. She didn’t need a picture to know exactly what he was doing and her panties slickened with every sound that echoed through the room.
Careful not to move her body, she slid a hand down her chest and pinched her nipples – biting her lip to keep herself from crying out. She was in desperate need of release but simply couldn’t act as if she shot wide awake all of a sudden. She was a terrible actress and Sedric would without doubt figure out she had known what he was doing. It would be embarrassing to admit he’d turned her on.
A few minutes later a loud growl erupted from Sedric’ lips and she knew he was done. To her greater surprise, it was her name that rebounded through the air, making her skin tingle. He became motionless behind her as a calmness settled over his body. A sigh escaped his throat before his breathing evened out.
She waited a few more seconds before slowly turning around and checking if he had fallen asleep. Relief swept through her when she noticed his closed eyes and steady breathing. Careful not to make a sound, she removed the sheets from her body and stepped out of bed. She was on fire and in need of a cold shower.
***
When she opened her eyes the next morning, Sedric was long gone. The bed was cold beside her, leaving no doubt that he had left at an early hour. Jade slowly turned to her side and looked at the bedside table, the clock read eight thirty – way too early to get up. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes as her gaze darted to the window.
In the distance she could see a figure walking down the beach, his pants were rolled up as he strolled across the shoreline, his feet touching the saltwater. A small smile played at her lips when she realized it was Sedric who was mindlessly walking around. He seemed tense, his body language speaking loud volumes.
Letting out a deep sigh, she decided to get out of bed. There was no way she would be falling asleep again after seeing Sedric. She was entirely riled up by simply watching him. After being apart for several years, you would expect her feelings for him to have disappeared, but they clearly hadn’t.
Besides the fact that she could jump his bones every chance she got, it wasn’t just lust she felt towards him. Her feelings for him still ran deeply. He was her first lover. The one and only man she ever gave her heart to. As much as she would love to despise him and claim that she hated him, it was all a big fat lie. She could never hate Sedric, not even after everything he put her through.
Deep down, he had a heart of pure gold. He hid it well. After spending the past two days with him, it was clear that he had turned into a shell of his former self. She did not recognize the man he had become. She only hoped that the sweet and loving part of him hadn’t vanished completely.
The screeching sound of her phone brought her back from her deep thoughts and she quickly picked up the ringing device. “Jade speaking,” she mumbled lazily, still exhausted. The cold shower hadn’t helped much last night and she’d been lying awake until the first birds started singing their songs at dawn.
“Good morning, sunshine. I think that’s the first time in five years you’ve answered your phone without that formal greeting of yours,” her sister teased. It was true. Jade never answered her phone that shortly, but the lack of sleep had deprived her of her manners.
“Morning, Alex,” she replied hoarsely, falling back on the bed and closing her eyes for a few seconds. There was no way she was going to survive the day when she felt this tired. Sedric’s constant nagging and Alison’s wary looks were going to trigger her inner bitch and make her lash out. There was only so much she could handle if she was feeling down.
“You sound like shit. I told you to let me handle Sedric Miller instead of going after that bastard yourself,” Alexis said, clearly unhappy. Jade could understand her sister’s worries, but they were unnecessary. She could handle the irritating Sedric. What she couldn’t handle however was a horny, very handsome looking Sedric.
“We’ve talked about this, Lexie. I don’t need your help. I told you I was going to take care of Miller and I will. Don’t beat yourself up,” she retorted. Alexis was her best friend and a great sister, but her anxiety and worries could be a little annoying at times.
“Okay, okay. I’ll quite nagging you about it. Just promise me you’re doing okay on that island,” Alex demanded.
“I’m fine, just a little tired. I couldn’t seem to fall asleep yesterday,” she replied, partly telling the truth. It wasn’t like she could tell her sister how much she had been turned on simply by being around the one person she should want to strangle. She didn’t think Alexis would understand how she could still have feelings for Sedric after everything he put her through in the past.
“Has Sedric been playing dirty? I swear to you, Jade, if he so much as hurts a hair on your body, I am going after him!” Alexis promised, her voice dangerously vile. Her protective side was kicking in and Jade couldn’t blame her for it. If it had been the other way around, she would have been worried about her sister too.
“No need to get your claws out, sis. He hasn’t done anything wrong yet. He’s just being his usual snarky self,” Jade said as she walked towards the window and looked in the direction where Sedric had been earlier. He was nowhere in sight, probably already heading back inside.
“Be careful, Jade. We all know you were the only woman that ever got to him. I don’t want to see you hurting when he turns the tables. He’ll try to get you into his bed, mark my words,” Alexis answered convincingly. He already has me where he wants me. Jade thought somberly, looking over her shoulder at the empty bed. It would be too easy to be seduced by her former lover.
“I’ll talk to you later,” she said before hanging up the phone, not in the mood to finish the conversation she had started with her sister. She didn’t like where things were headed. The topic had suddenly become a little too close to the truth. She needed to keep her raging hormones under control and stay as far away from Sedric as possible.
***
Sedric was lazily strolling down the beach, his toes curling into the soft sand as he stepped through the water. It was a beautiful morning, the sky clear of clouds and painted in a bright color of blue. He had woken up a few hours earlier, with a pulsing hard on in his pants and short of breath. He didn’t need a vivid memory of his dream to know what it had entailed. The sleeping body next to him, the lavender scent that had come off of it, said it all.
He could not comprehend what was so special about Jade that he kept being drawn towards her like a bee to a honey pot. She was constantly on his mind and haunted him when he was asleep. It had been a true torture to get up in the morning and get far away from her – while in reality he wanted nothing more than to crawl closer to her and nestle himself between her luscious thighs.
She was everything he ever wanted in a woman, smart and witty, yet incredibly beautiful. She was perfect for him in every sense. Too bad she had betrayed him in the worst way possible. She was simply too good to be true. It took all his self-control not to go back to their bedroom and claim her as his. Nothing would satisfy him more than to be buried deep inside of her.
A frustrated growl erupted from his lips as he kicked his feet in the water, little splashes wetting his jeans. He ran his fingers through his dark locks as he pondered a way to stay away from Jade. He never imagined this being so difficult. He expected it to be a piece of cake to get Jade back into his life and kick her out afterwards without a second thought.
“Sedric!” a voice cried out behind him. He quickly turned around to see his younger sister running towards him. He smiled as Kate came closer. He loved his sister to death, no matter how annoying she could be. Their bond had worsened over the years – which was entirely his own fault – and he couldn’t help but wish they were still as close knit as they used to be.
He had always looked after her, taken care of her when one of her dates ditched her at a party. It wasn’t until Michael came into her life, that Sedric finally realized it was time to let her go. Kate was old and wise enough to make her own decisions. She had tried to hold on to him and keep him close, but he had refused. After everything Jade put him through, he had needed time to himself. He pretty much abandoned his siblings, much to his mother’s distaste.
It was one of the reasons why Alison was so dead set on hating Jade for eternity. His mother felt like she had ruined her family and crushed her son. Sedric had never dared to confess that in reality he had been the one to push Jade into the dark by cheating on her. He didn’t have the balls to tell his own freaking mother. Talk about lack of courage. He could be such a loser.
“Damn, you’ve gone far,” Kate gasped as she leaned over, out of breath when she finally came to a halt next to him. He hadn’t realized he had walked almost across half the island. Damn. He had been so deep in thought, he’d totally forgotten about the real world.
“I needed some air,” he replied. Being close to Jade would only trigger his lust for her delicious body. A walk had sounded like a good idea to think some things through.
“You mean you needed to get away from that hot girlfriend of yours to give her some time to recover from all the hot monkey sex you two had last night?” she smirked cheekily. She couldn’t have been more wrong, but he wasn’t about to tell her that. Kate could clearly see the sexual vibe between the two of them, denying her statement would only make her wonder why he wasn’t fucking Jade into oblivion.
“You’ve got me all figured out,” he answered instead, winking at his now blushing sister. Kate often pretended to be outgoing, but deep down she was still a naïve little prude. It was too easy to get her riled up.
“You didn’t forget about the brunch, right? It starts in two hours. I just wanted to make sure Jade and you would be present. Mother wanted the family close together before all of us go separate ways again tomorrow morning,” Kate clarified, quickly changing the subject.
“Yes, we will be there. I just needed to clear my head and release some of my stress. Work has been busy these past months,” he stated, instantly feeling bad about lying to his sister. The reason for his stress was anything but work related.
“You need to get your priorities straight, Sed. It’s not healthy what you’re doing to yourself. To be honest, I don’t really understand how Jade and you reunited. I didn’t even know you had a life besides work,” Kate accused. He had put all his energy into his career after Jade and he separated. The only women in his life were the notorious dates he took to public gatherings to get his name in the tabloids.
He didn’t even sleep with half of them, yet he kept the press in the dark about his activities. They all suspected he was a playboy that slept with anything that had a püssy. True, he had been with a bunch of good-looking models with legs that went on for miles and figures to be jealous off. None of them had stayed longer than one night though. Nothing could compare to the soft and luscious curves of the woman that stole his heart.
“I know I failed you, baby girl. I will always regret not being there for you when you needed me, but I do want to change. I am trying my hardest to make up for the time I let go to waste,” he promised, begging his sister to believe him. God, he had royally messed up in the past. Kate would probably never get over the fact that he missed her wedding.
He admitted, it was a real jerk move, not one of his best moments. Kate hadn’t wanted a big wedding and had begged his mother not to interfere. Michael and she married in a small chapel back at home, the same one where his grandparents married. The only invitees had been a few close family members and some of their friends.
He had gotten the invite three weeks before the actual wedding, yet he hadn’t been present when he needed to be. The night before he had gotten drunk with a few guys at work and he spent the night at some blonde’s place. By the time he was awake and realized it was the day of his sister’s wedding he’d already been too late.
He drove straight to the church, but the place had been vacant. When he arrived at the restaurant where they were supposed to have dinner, Kate refused to let him join and told him she hated his guts. They hadn’t talked after that for weeks, not until recently. He knew she was still mad about the fact that he let her down on the most important day of her life. She had every reason to be pissed.
“I wish I could believe you, Sed. I really do, but after everything that has happened… I don’t think I can. Someday I’ll be able to forgive you for not being there for me, but I don’t think I can ever forget. You hurt me deeply that day, Sed. The one time I desperately needed you, you didn’t even bother to show up.” Her accusations were entirely correct, which pained him even more. There was no excuse for what he did.
“I love you, baby girl. Please remember that. No matter how much of an asshöle I am, I will always love you,” he whispered as he pulled Kate into a hug. She immediately responded and wrapped her arms around his rigid posture to hold on tight.
“I know. As much as I would love to hate you for ruining the day that was supposed to be all about me, I still love you, you jerk,” she muttered as she hit his chest after releasing him from the hug.
Laughter rumbled from his chest as he kissed Kate’s temple lovingly. “You’re truly one of a kind, baby girl,” he said, his voice filled with adoration and love.
“You better know it,” she smiled before taking a step back and turning around. “Don’t be late or mother will chop off your balls,” she called out over her shoulder as she made her way back to the mansion.
***
“Are you ready to go?” Sedric questioned as he stepped into the suite Jade and he shared. She was currently standing in front of the ceiling to floor mirror adjusting her makeup. It was the first time he laid eyes on her today and his breath almost caught in his throat when he saw her appearance. She looked drop death gorgeous, her wavy blonde hair curled to perfection and her curves standing out in that clingy black dress of hers.
He had to swallow thickly. His mouth had gone dry as he watched her move through the room gracefully. “Just one more minute,” she replied as she took a pair of earrings out of her handbag. He took a few steps closer until he was standing directly behind her, their figures reflected in the mirror.
“You look gorgeous,” he purred in her ear, delighted by the soft shiver that went through her body. He was walking on dangerous territory standing so close to her, but he couldn’t help himself. He had been born a predator and would eternally chase his prey.
Jade closed her eyes to compose herself, but couldn’t help the soft blush that covered her cheeks. She was immensely turned on, her nerves on high alert thanks to Sedric’s close proximity. Her lungs were begging for more oxygen, forcing her to take a deep breath.
She could finally exhale once Sedric took a step back and walked towards the bedside table to pick up his Rolex that he’d forgotten to put on in the morning. Taking another shaky breathe, she opened her closet and inspected the five pairs of heels she brought on the trip.
“The black strappy heels,” Sedric commented from behind her. She hadn’t even noticed he’d come closer. The tiny hairs on her neck stood upright as he bent forward ever so slowly and took the pair of shoes out of her closet, his breath tickling the column of her throat.
“They look incredibly sexy underneath that dress and make your legs look miles long,” he stated as he knelt down in front of her and helped her slide each foot into her shoes. For a moment she felt like Cinderella, though the feeling passed as soon as Sedric’ fingers came into contact with her skin. Shots of liquid fire went through her at his touch and she internally shuddered.
Once he was done, he got back up and inspected his work. “Perfect,” he smirked. “We’re ready to go,” he added as he held out his arm. She was at a loss for words and decided just to go with the flow. Only 24 hours left and she’d be long gone, forever freed from Sedric Miller. He might have captured and broken her heart in the past, but she wasn’t going to give him a second chance to shatter it further.
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