Jayden, page 17
part #5 of Heroes at Heart Series
The anger that had been burning in his gaze slid away, his smile easing through her.
“Oh, baby, how did I ever get so lucky?” he breathed.
She whispered, “I’ve been wondering the same thing.”
His elbows bent, and he lowered himself so that his chest was barely brushing her breasts, kissing her deeply. Whereas before he had tasted of dark wine and chocolate, now was the heady taste of herself on his tongue.
He leaned up and rested his ass on his heels as he rolled on the condom. Settling back on top, he lined his hips between her thighs, maneuvering his cock to her entrance. Sliding the tip through her slick folds, he entered her slowly.
She clung to his shoulders, feeling her sex stretch, fearful of the oncoming pain which she had always felt before. But Jayden pushed in slowly, then pulled back out before moving in again, shallow thrusts allowing her body to gradually adjust.
Her fingers squeezed his muscles, and she closed her eyes as a smile crossed her lips. It doesn’t hurt! She heard him growl, and her eyes jerked open. “Shit, I said that aloud, didn’t I?”
He did not answer her but continued to thrust slowly until he was completely seated deep inside her sex. He held her gaze, and she smiled encouragingly.
“Please, Jayden. I need…I need…”
This time he answered with a grin and said, “I know what you need, baby.” With that, he began thrusting, deeper and harder, creating the friction that she desired.
The coil that she had felt tighten earlier was back in full force, only this time she knew the bliss that awaited when it snapped. Her hands wrapped around his neck and moved up and down his back, feeling the play of muscles with every motion that he made.
It did not take long before her nails dug into his shoulders, and she cried out his name as her body tightened around his cock.
Jayden watched her body shudder as her orgasm washed over her, stunned at the heavy emotion he felt at bringing her pleasure with the joining of their bodies. He was humbled that she had given him such a treasure, and his chest puffed with pride at the idea that he was the first man who had given her an orgasm. He hated that her ex-boyfriend had treated her so shabbily but refused to give any more thought to that asshole, determined to spend the rest of his life proving to her that he was the right man for her.
It had been a few years since he had had a girlfriend, preferring to keep things simple, but watching her face as she gave way to ecstasy, he could not remember the face of any woman he had before her.
Reacting to the feel of her body squeezing around him, he began to thrust faster as her juices lubricated her channel even more. It only took another moment before he felt his balls tighten, and with his fingers fisting the covers by her head, he roared out his orgasm, pumping until the last drop was gone.
He barely caught himself from falling onto her chest, managing to shift to the side. Not ready to lose their connection, he wrapped his arms around her and rolled, allowing her slight weight to rest on top of his.
With her head on his chest, he knew she must have felt the pounding of his heart as he fought to catch his breath. He lost track of time as they lay together, recuperating.
She was so still, other than her breathing, he was not sure she was awake. “And the marvelous rose became crimson, like the rose of the eastern sky. Crimson was the girdle of petals, and crimson as a ruby was the heart.”
She lifted her head from his chest and whispered, “What is that from?”
“After I met you, I remembered a passage that talked about a Crimson Ruby. Unlike Miss Ethel, I couldn’t remember the exact quote, so I did some searching. It’s by Oscar Wilde.” He remained quiet for a moment, before adding, “It’s from his short story The Nightingale and the Rose. When I first read it, I thought it was horribly depressing. A boy, in love with a girl who only wanted a red rose, searched but could not find one. A beautiful nightingale discovered that if she pierced herself with the rose thorn her blood would turn a white rose red. So that’s what the nightingale did, but in the end, she dies, and the girl rejected the boy’s red rose anyway.”
Ruby’s brows lowered in confusion and said, “That is a horrible story.”
Jayden lifted his hands and pushed her hair back from her face, cupping her cheeks and holding her gaze. “I thought so, too, until Miss Ethel explained the meaning. Scholars may spend time analyzing the boy and the girl, but the true moral of the story comes with the love that the nightingale had for the boy and its willingness to die to give him anything he needed. For a skeptic, they would see it as the futility of love. But truly, it tells of the power of love.”
Her breathing deepened, and she blinked several times, but a tear slid down her cheek, to be captured by his thumb. “That’s so beautiful, Jayden,” she whispered.
Slowly, he slid his hand down to palm her perfect ass, the other hand moving up to cup her head, his fingers trailing through her long tresses. “No more beautiful than you are.”
She shifted her body, looking down at him, and smiled.
“Are you okay, babe?” he asked, his eyes searching hers. “I wasn’t too rough, was I?”
“I’ve never felt like that before,” she admitted. “It was as though I could feel every nerve in my body tingling.”
He smiled, his heart soaring at her words, pride that he had given that to her.
“Is it always like that?” she asked.
He shook his head slowly and said, “I don’t know. It’s never been like that for me before.” He watched her eyes widen, and he hastened to say, “I’m being honest. That was different than anything I’ve ever felt. I’ve had sex…but I’ve never truly made love.”
He watched as her smile brightened, her face so beautiful it was almost hard to breathe. A light pink blush rose from her chest over her cheeks, and he lifted his head just enough to give her a soft kiss.
She bit her lip, then asked, “I’ve never made love either. And I’m so glad that the first time I did, it was with you.”
“Same here, sweet Ruby,” he said.
They kissed, long and slow, as their bodies cooled. She finally separated slightly and sighed. “As much as I would love to keep laying here with you, I need to go home.”
“I know you do,” he said, reluctantly letting her go so that he could take care of the condom.
She followed him out of the bed, and they got dressed, then walked hand-in-hand out to his truck. They sat in her driveway for a few minutes, the desire to continue to kiss too overwhelming to ignore.
“Granny is getting stronger,” Ruby said. “When I feel like she’s completely safe, then I’d love to spend the night with you.”
He kissed the end of her nose and said, “I can’t wait to hold you all night and wake up with you the next morning. But I get it. For now, you’re needed here, and I’ll just be satisfied with every moment that I can have of you.”
They made their way to the front porch, where they continued to kiss for several long minutes, before he finally forced himself to separate from her, listening for the click of the lock as she was safely inside.
Driving away, his smile was wide and his heart was light as he began planning their next date. As he drove out of her neighborhood, he missed seeing the car that was parked down the street from her house, the lone figure sitting inside.
22
Ruby practically danced her way through the large house, making sure everything was perfect. Her mind was filled with the last weeks and the tight band of anxiety that had become second nature to her finally loosening.
Granny was becoming more independent every day, moving about the house easily, even forgoing the walker for a sturdy cane.
She and Jayden had been spending every moment together that they could, including the evenings she did not work at Grimm’s, and daytimes on Saturdays and Sundays. Sex with Jayden, amazing the first time, only got better as she was finally able to let go of past insecurities.
Taking a final look at the kitchen she had just finished cleaning, she picked up the check the owner had left on the table, seeing a note paperclipped to the back. Carefully placing the check into her purse, she read the note. The owner thanked her for her diligence, but since they were taking an extended vacation, they would not need her services until further notice.
Sighing, her steps now heavy, she walked toward the front door. Cleaning houses was never a job she aspired to, but it brought in much-needed money, and she knew she was good at it. The problem was never having a steady source of income with her houses changing and always needing to find a new client. Of course, being a server was also not her dream job, but working at Grimm’s was fun, and she enjoyed getting to know Zander, Zeke, Rosalie, Lynn, and the others who worked there.
Securely locking the door behind her, she walked to her car, forcing her thoughts to how her life had changed so much in the past month. Thinking of Jayden always made her feel better. I’ll focus on finding another house to clean tomorrow.
Her phone vibrated a message, and her grin widened. In the last several weeks, she often heard from Morgan or one of the other women. Miss Ethel did not text but occasionally called, and she relished the older woman’s presence in her life, almost as much as Granny’s.
Once in her car, she dug out her phone and looked down at the ID. It only listed a number, not a name, but her stomach clenched as she saw that it was from Kevin.
Just wanted to say I’m sorry. Hope you are well. Would love to talk to you sometime, just to catch up and apologize in person. Kevin
She sat, not moving, staring at the message on her phone, wondering what to do. She had worked hard, with Jayden’s help, to close the door on that part of her life and was not eager to open it again.
On the other hand, she had always been taught to accept someone’s apology when it was offered. Her finger hovered over her phone but found that she could not hit delete. Instead, she simply shoved her phone back into her purse and drove away. The house she had just cleaned was the last one for the day, and she had an evening off from Grimm’s.
Deciding that she really wanted to see Jayden, even if only for a moment, she drove to his shop. Parking in the lot, she walked toward the office but did not see anyone there. Just as she was ready to turn away, Cas called out.
“Hey, Ruby. You lookin’ for Jayden, or somethin’ going on with your car?”
She smiled her greeting and shook her head. “I was just stopping by to say hello to him. Is he around?”
Shaking his head, Cas said, “He ran to an auto parts dealer to get some things that we needed.” Laughing, he continued, “He forgot some things on our last order.”
Shaking her head, she said, “I’m not surprised, the way that office looks!”
“Well, if you can find a chair in there, go ahead and wait. He should be back soon.”
Taking him up on his offer, she climbed the two steps from the garage into the office and looked around in dismay. It’s even messier than the last time I saw it!
She sat in the plain, utilitarian metal chair for a moment, then curiosity took over, and she moved to his desk. While she did not understand all of the automobile lingo that was on the order forms, invoices, and the plethora of other papers scattered around, she found that she could not sit idle.
She began going through the papers on his desk and organizing them into piles. One for invoices which she stacked according to their date. One for order forms, again which she stacked according to the date at the top.
Anything to do with payroll went into another stack. Same for the paperwork that pertained to taxes. Spying a filing cabinet in the corner, she opened the top drawer and glanced inside. Torn between the desire to help and fear that she was interfering, she shut the drawer quickly.
Hearing a noise outside, she turned to see Jayden walking back into the garage, a large box in his arms. He was handing it to Cas before looking up toward the office. She waved at him, and he grinned widely. A moment later, he stepped inside, immediately moving to her.
His arms banded around her, and she lifted on her toes to meet his kiss. He swept the inside of her mouth with his tongue, nipping at her bottom lip.
“What a nice surprise, babe,” he said.
Before she had a chance to say anything, his eyes dropped to his desk. “Holy shit, did you do this?”
Following his gaze toward the neat stacks on his desk, she jerked her head back around toward his. “I’m sorry, I know I shouldn’t have touched anything.”
“No, no, Ruby,” he assured, his eyes back on her. “I don’t have a problem with you being in the shop or the office. I just don’t want you to feel like you have to straighten things here. I keep thinking that I need to hire someone to take over the office management. But I kinda know where everything is, at least enough to get things to the accountant when I need to. Other than that, though, I prefer my time to be spent in the garage working on the cars.”
She shrugged her thin shoulders and said, “I like organizing. Cleaning houses isn’t my favorite job, but my clients say that I do it really well. I guess I just like things to be in their place.”
He dipped his head so that their faces were closer and asked, “What would you like to do as a job?”
Shaking her head, she said, “It’s been so long since I really thought about it, I don’t know.”
“I don’t believe that,” he said gently, giving her a little squeeze.
She shot a glare up toward him, but before she had a chance to retort he continued.
“Honey, I know you’ve had to work since you were a teenager. And you’ve got no idea how much I admire you for that. Shit, you put me to shame. Miss Ethel always told us that our job in high school was to work hard in our classes. We certainly had chores that we had to do around the house, and most of us did get part-time jobs in high school. But that was just for spending money, not necessities.” Continuing to hold her gaze, his eyes penetrating, he re-asked, “What would you like to do?”
Biting her lip, she thought for a moment and then replied, “As much as I enjoy working for Zander at Grimm’s and am so thankful that he gave me the opportunity, I know it’s only until his other server comes back. And that’s fine because while the tips are good, I hate never knowing what my actual pay will be. Cleaning houses is something that I’m good at because I like to keep things organized, and it’s kind of cool to work for myself. But not having health insurance is terrifying. And,” she sighed, “I just had one of my clients cancel on me so now I have to find a new one to take her place. It’s a pain never knowing from one week to the next what I’ll have.”
“So far, you’ve told me what you don’t want to do,” he observed out loud.
Shooting him a playful glare, she said, “Hey, I’m getting around to that.” She thought for another moment and then said, “I’m not really all that picky. I like the idea of business. I was good at math in high school and like working with numbers. I like organizing things, and I’m good with computers. Throw in that I’d like to be working full-time so that I know what my paycheck will be, and benefits.” Looking back up at him, she shrugged again and said, “Now that Granny is getting better, I might start looking to see what jobs are out there for someone with only a high school diploma.”
Tilting his head to the side, he asked, “Do you want to take college classes?”
Shaking her head, she said, “I don’t think that’s in the cards for me. At least not for a long time. With most of Granny’s medical bills almost paid off, I’m not about to go into debt again.”
Just then, Cas stepped into the office and said, “Sorry to interrupt, Jayden, but when you get a chance, I need you to take a look at this exhaust system.”
Startling, Ruby said, “Oh, my goodness. I never meant to take up this much of your time.”
“Babe, I’ve always got time for you.”
Smiling as he swooped in for another kiss, she said, “See you tonight?”
“Absolutely.”
Watching Jayden jog over to Cas, she walked back to her car, her mind filled with the idea of her perfect job. Working for Jayden in his office. Sighing, she drove away, tucking that thought away, along with so many other unrealized dreams.
Jayden and Cas stood underneath the car Cas had been working on. As they worked together, Cas commented, “Ruby’s a real nice girl. I’m happy for you, Jayden.”
Shooting him a grin, he replied, “Thanks. I think she is, also.”
“You ever think about hiring her to work in your office?”
“Huh?” Jayden questioned, fumbling with the wrench in his hand, halting his progress on the car. Turning to stare at Cas, he asked “Hire Ruby? To work here?”
Nodding, Cas replied, “Sure. You keep saying you need to hire someone to keep the office straight. Every time you have to do taxes you grumble. Hell, even ordering parts drives you crazy. Don’t even get me started on bills, invoices, and payroll—”
“Okay, okay, I get it. I know I’ve been thinking about trying to get somebody, but Ruby?” As soon as those words left his mouth, it dawned on him how right Cas was. “She’d be great, but I don’t know that it would be a job she’d want to have.”
“You won’t know until you ask her.”
They continued to work side-by-side for several more minutes, but Jayden’s thoughts were no longer on the car. Man, I don’t want to fuck this up. “I’m gonna let you keep working on this. Now that I’m thinking about what I need to do for my office, I’m afraid I’m going to make a mistake.”
Eyebrows lifted, Cas said, “Sorry, Jayden. I didn’t mean to mess things up.”
Clapping him on the shoulder, Jayden shook his head. “No worries. It’s not you. It’s just now that you brought it up, I can’t seem to keep from thinking about having Ruby working in the office. I’d love to have her here, and I think she’d like to have the full-time work.”
