Ricky smirked proudly, dropping beside Jade, and whispered, 'I'm fucking proud of you for that' in her ears. She blushed once again, which did not go unnoticed by Julia and Nona who teased them jokingly.
'But, what inspired you to stage such an act, Jules?' Ricky asked, opening the covered plates of fruit salad for himself and his partner.
Julia cut her children's pineapples and water melon into smaller sizes as she replied. 'Jack and I took Nona and Grandpa for checkup today, and the inspiration hit me on our way back.' Jack was her husband who was a politician, Ricky whispered to Jade in explanation, both of them watching Julia explain as though she had just achieved something great and was holding an interview on T.V.
'Congratulations then, you succeeded in disrupting a modelling shoot.' Ricky lied in a bid to guilt trip his sister.
Julia shrugged. 'Nothing is more important than family, Ricky. You should learn that, soon you'll marry and
Ricky snorted. 'Jade arrives and even my own grandfather denies me. You won't see me again, or her.' Jade laughed at his childishness. Another side of Ricky, she loved it.'You're only welcome here if you have her on your arm.''Pop, Jade didn't tell you she's a feminist? She would rather walk into a party hall swinging her arms like a match past than hang on to me.' Ricky glanced at her as he spoke, his tone was serious.'Well, that's...'The light of her phone glowed, indicating she was being contacted by someone. She took an excuse, seeing it was her manager, and left.'You make sure you keep her, and keep her well. I like her, and we both know I don't like people easily.' Grandfather said in a low voice as soon as Jade was out of earshot, pushing his seat closer to Ricky's.Ricky let out a deep breath. 'We aren't even dating, pop.' His voice matched Grandfather's own- low and conspiring.He shrugged it off as though it weren't an i
'Yea, me too.' Ricky replied, and with a move as swift as a fly buzz, he tipped her chin and captured her lips in his, softly. It was quick, but the message was conveyed rightly.'Thanks, Jade.' He kissed her again and she stared at him, starstruck.'Why do you look so surprised? I've wanted to do that for a long time, and, it's not the first time we're kissing anyway.' He was rambling and he knew it, but her expression had thrown him off. He hadn't expected her to look this... shocked, confused.Jade blinked, realising herself. 'No, it's not it. It's just that... You've never kissed me like this before.''Like what? Like I'm grateful, like this?' They didn't realise it, but their voices had dropped to low whispers. He placed a soft kiss on her nose and she chuckled lightly.'What is it?' He asked, but chuckled along with her, completing what had become the Mears family ritual to her by
Thinking with her head, that part of her that did not become irrational after meeting Ricky, Jade felt relieved that Ricky had called her joke a joke and stayed away from her room thirty minutes after she got back and didn't hear a knock on her door or the doorbell chime. Not that she was anticipating any anyway, she convinced herself, wishing she could just stop reading meaning to everything he did.She had met his crazy loving family, and so? She wasn't wishing to become one of them....Ughh, could the mere thought of that just leave her stupid brain?It was at that moment, when she was busy scolding her brain while being soaked again in a bathtub that her doorbell did chime.She thought she imagined the first one, and said nothing, only lowering the yet again blues track playing softly. Funny, she was becoming a sucker for romantic music.Three knocks resonated through the room. This time, she was sure she had not imagined it.W
She had closed her eyes, and only nodded, saying nothing. It was better for him, her voice may have thrown him over the edge and embarrassed him into finding his release without any friction.He poured the muscle repair cream into his palms first, rubbing together before applying it on her legs, those soft straight legs that were sexy in heels.He focused on her tense muscles, ignoring her soft whimpers into the pillow which gave him other ideas. He avoided her butt as he went up, giving attention instead to her thighs-fleshy and tanned. Her bronze skin glistened underneath the light, and he remembered nights before when he had explored her body and left marks. Faint lines were still on her back, it gave him a sick satisfaction.'You've washed off the dye?' Ricky had decided then that a conversation might keep the mood cool to an extent. Nothing could cure him of this, but a dialogue to keep his brain busy might keep him sane for some time.
'That will be all for now. Thank you.' Raquel Anderson addressed the bell boy who had brought up the package delivered to her agent, barely looking at him as she focused on her tablet. As he made to go, she realised herself and dropped a tip of a hundred pounds on the table, motioning to him to pick it up. 'Thank you ma'am.' His voice betrayed as much excitement as his teenage face, he even blushed as he held the money with his both hands. Raquel shook her head at his youthful exuberance, motioning for him to take his leave. 'Oh, sorry.' He muttered as he left, but not before he displayed an embarrassing blush and his eyes wandered a bit to know if he could see the tan skinned woman he had recently started crushing on. He adjusted his name tag as he closed the door behind him, staring at the huge amount of money he had just received and thinking it was good compensation for not seeing her. Standing outside the lift,
'Nothing will get in the way.' She could say nothing else, but at that time, she had never felt Anderson Raquel talk to her about anything personal as she just did. Like a mother who wanted her to succeed. 'Okay then, enjoy yourself, you're in your prime anyway. I'll stop being a bitch about it. He does seem to be serious about you.' And before Jade could respond, she added in a conspiring whisper, very much unlike her personality. 'I saw him doing the walk of shame this morning when I came to wake you up for your exercise.' Again, stunning her, she winked and left. Jade wanted to cry as the door closed in her face. Next she was smiling, and then laughing like a maniac. She was happy, not just because she had cleared the air with the mean woman. No, that couldn't even be the source of her happiness. It was because her own manager, mean old Raquel had admitted that Ricky was looking at her in a serious way. Well, if only they
Jade wished she could teleport and kick the little ass in the shin. 'Baby, bad boys like Tom never say the truth. He was lying okay? You have a dad, and he loves you, very much.' It was bad enough lying to the little girl about her father loving her; the idiot had never wanted anything to do with her or her mother. He probably thought she hadn't been born. 'But I want one to take me to school so I can show off to Tommy! I want a daddy like other children!' Jade scratched her head, feeling helpless. She had known that this was bound to happen, she had just never envisaged it to be this soon. 'It's okay, you'll have one, okay? What should I get you when I'm coming back? Halloween costumes? The first edition of Oliver Twist?'But Esmeralda wasn't a kid that could easily be placated, neither could her mind be easily diverted. 'I want to talk to Yicky my fyend. I want him to be my daddy.' Typical of Esmeralda, making d
'He insulted her about not having a father. Then, she insisted on talking to you, babbling nonsense about wanting to call you daddy. I was coming to apologise beforehand. That was it.' Jade wondered afterwards as she equally took a seat on the bed, how she had managed to say the words without stuttering. Ricky froze internally, feeling his body increase its degree of perspiration. He didn't know what he was feeling and what he wasn't. He felt honoured that the little girl had thought of him, but paired with it was a feeling of fear; fear that he might disappoint her. He didn't even know the kind of disappointment he would probably put her through, all he knew was that he was lacking. Terribly. He wondered what Jade was thinking looking at the beach with his corridor doors open. Was she thinking of how to distance herself away from him since her baby girl was showing signs of getting attached to him? After all, she was intelligent enough to know that he wasn't father ma
She made his emotions a huddle of cacophony, pushing him into that state of euphoria and ecstatic madness and hunger. It was a kiss that expressed the feeling of raw desire which was mutual between them; unquenching thirst for each other driving them both, leading the way, making them mere passengers in the ride to Nirvana. He cuddled her neck, kissing her lips like the drink he had wanted, needed to be alive for a long time. He had missed her, and so had she, and they told this to one another without uttering a word. Their lips were the words, their touches every proof each needed to know how the other felt about them. It was he who broke the kiss, having been reminded by the medicine he inhaled on her neck that she was convalescing. He fought hard not to remember her fall, that traumatising memory being replaced by the reality of her finally being in his arms. He wasn't panting for breath, but his chest was heaving up and down, his pupils dilated wi
Ricky gulped down his second cup of coffee for the night, the bitterness of the strong black coffee making him clench his teeth. It was just as he had requested for it; black, strong. Yet he felt like calling the staff to ask for a change. But it was exactly what he needed at the moment after being awake for a long long time. It was either that or he would sleep all the way to the U.S. without taking care of the urgent issues which awaited him. He checked the time by his watch, wondering why his assistant was delaying with his luggage. Not that he couldn't travel without his bags anyway considering that he could simply buy everything he needed when he got home, but there were documents he needed to sign as well before leaving. Documents like placing a ban on the P.I. in every country of the world for daring to cross him. He would ensure that although the man could live his life however he wanted without being arrested by the police, he would never be
"But before I say anything, I request that we watch the Homestead news first." Ricky added, and then reclined against the seat while the news anchor switched the TV on.Annabelle who was holding the remote, her heart in her chest switched channels, and they watched as another presenter came into view."We are here with information regarding Mr. Patrick Raymonds, whose offences of using the company as a font for his illegal activities recently went viral."Jade inhaled a deep breath, licking her lips nervously. At this point, the world had already got to know about what she had tried to protect for years, and so emphasising it in a TV didn't ache her anymore as much as she had thought it would."Based on the evidence we have gathered so far, it has been confirmed that Mr. Raymonds forced his wife, the late Prima Donna to sign the company rights over to him, and then started using the company to aid drug traffickers in their activities."The presente
She rubbed her stomach for the umpteenth time, that completely flat abdomen of hers that had served as a habitant for food and drinks...Now carried a child, one created from her and Ricky.She now had responsibility for two; whatever she did would affect the tiny foetus probably struggling to mature into a baby.She wanted to cry, again."Say ahh, Jade."She forced her mouth open, accepting the porridge oats that Chloe held out to her. Now, she couldn't refuse to eat anymore, because one other tiny human would be affected as well.Chloe reached out to wipe the corner of her mouth which the oat had spilled on, and then scooped another spoonful of the porridge.For the past three days since she had woken up, Chloe had been taking care of her during the day, while Annabelle stayed with her at night, during which her sister returned to spend the night with Esmeralda.It had felt strange at first, being at the receiving end o
The last time he had got drunk, and drowned himself in a pool of alcohol because he needed to forget everything that had to do with reality, it had been the night he'd seen Jade with Rafferty at the restaurant, the night he had made the mistake of sending the red haired Kimberly to the floors and Jade had looked at him with those hard eyes.Tonight, he was here because his girlfriend and mother of his child hated him; because he had made another mistake of causing her reputation to be ruined, and killing the trust she had in him.."One more round, sir?" The bartender asked, staring at the empty glasses that Ricky had drained down his throat with skepticism."Yeah, fill everything up.""Just two glasses will do, Robert." Another voice intervened, that familiar teasing voice that Ricky had grown up having beside him."Okay, sir." The bartender replied, without making any pretence of feeling confused about whose order to take. When the owner of the ba
'Some time' became interpreted from hours to days, during which Ricky never left her side. It didn't matter how many times he received calls that the scandal was affecting his stocks as well because he and Jade had openly declared their relationship. Neither did it matter that in the expansive VIP room, Annabelle, Chloe who arrived the morning after the accident and Kiara took turns there as well, and urged him to go home even if it was for a day. He cleaned her every morning and night, his palm lingering on her stomach which was still so flat he still felt it was a dream that his baby was growing there. Outside, security was tightened both in front of her room and the entire hospital as well. Because the media was still outside, camping like locusts and waiting for either him or Jade to come out and give an interview. They had continued writing shit of course, stating that she must have hidden in the hospital room to avoid being prosecuted. B
"You didn't know she's pregnant?" Those were the doctor's first words when he announced after the first examination and scan that mother and child were safe. It had been followed by silence, throwing open of lips like a box of cookies and the question, 'Pregnant?' "No, no..." He muttered, shock gripping him whole. With the help of Kiara, he had carried her to the back of his home where Jade's chauffer had been waiting. Well, waiting for a healthy boss walking with her both legs and seething in anger, not being carried to the car by a crying man soaked in a flood of her blood. She had been admitted into the VIP floor immediately, and sent to the ER where she had been examined and scanned. Now, the good family doctor of his who was attending to her stood in front of him. "It's okay, Ricky. She'll be fine okay? Just get a change of clothes while we prepare for surgery, there's nothing you can do here anyway." The fuck he would have the co
After a while, she excused herself slid off the bed, her actions so calm it scared him so much. More than he could ever explain. He watched her pick up her phone and type some messages, before wiping the tears in her cheeks as though they encompassed a salty liquid of annoying flies rather than evidence of her pains. Then she walked to the closet, and pulled out her office wear. "Babe... Babe please, where are you going? The reporters must be outside." He dared to ask, standing and walking towards her as well. "I already asked my assistant to send for my chauffer. He will pick me up through the back gate. Is that okay by you?" "Fuck" he cursed beneath his breath, it was the tone of sheer politeness and emptiness, worse than the one she had used when they had first met. In desperation, he rushed towards her and wrapped his arms around her from the back, burying his head in her neck. "Jade please, I'm sorry. I'm sorry for l
She went deathly pale, green veins popping up visibly on her forehead, and spreading across her shaky palms; teeth clenched tightly together; lips quavering as her eyes failed to focus on a particular object. Seeing that she wasn't going to tell him anything, and that she kept hanging up on callers, Ricky took the phone from her, his heart skipping when his palms made contact with hers. Hers had gone cold like those of a person who had ceased to breathe and function normally. He read the information online as quickly as he could; it had exposed every damn thing about her family and business from Esmeralda's parentage, Chloe and the sleazy bastard who had denied the pregnancy, all the way to her father's crimes while in power as the CEO of the Raymonds corporation. He had committed all sorts of atrocities; using the company as a font for his illegal drug trafficking activities and their warehouses to aid female trafficking. And Jade was being accused o