"Sir, should I wake her up for lunch?" The tall slender hostess asked Ricky, her green eyes glittering beautifully against pale skin, her perfect dentition glowing against full lips which had been coated with Matte red lipstick. She was stunning, and had more than twice during every trip he had gone on given him the looks.
Perhaps if he didn't have the don't-fuck-the-employee policy, he might have considered having it out with her in the past. But now, nothing else attracted him apart from the woman who had been sleeping across him since the past two hours. He stared at her again put of habit since she had boarded his jet, a smile creeping slowly to his lips.
She made him happy.
Her mere presence brought him satisfaction, and he wanted no one and nothing else.
"No." He replied curtly, eager for the hostess whose name he couldn't recall, nor did he bother knowing to be away from his presence. He needed to be alone with Jade without being interrupted every
As soon as Jade woke up, she knew that she had slept for a really long time. It was just the well-rested feeling which embraced her mind and body that gave it away. Yawning, she adjusted her eyes to the light, stretching her arms."You're finally awake."Oh boy! Could she wake up everyday to this husky sexy voice?Jade focused her eyes on him, that vision of tanned flesh clad in designers' suit whose mere presence brought comfort, happiness to her.For some reason she couldn't fathom, she felt less burdened knowing he was here with her."Yeah. Seems I slept for a while." She forced herself to say, swallowing the words that threatened to spill out of her lips. Words like "You look so yummy and may I have a taste...?"Jade chided herself inwardly. There was her daughter lying in the E.R. while she was busy fantasising about Mears Ricky. Scrape the fact that the man was so distracting that anyone would have felt the same way.With
The signature smell of antiseptics and drugs infiltrated through the entire hospital, welcoming the two CEO's even before the receptionist officially welcomed them. Or rather, decided to turn the supposed welcome into a meet and greet where she expressed her excitement to have finally met Ricky whom she had often admired for three whole minutes. Well, Jade hadn't let the fiery red-haired succeed in making it into a meet and greet, but had quickly pulled out her ID card, briskly requesting for Esmeralda's room number. Perhaps if circumstances had been less serious, she would have played the jealous girlfriend card and sent the opportunist running using a single attitude. But her entire mind and heart were focused on her daughter, and she prayed again that her condition wouldn't be serious. When the receptionist grudgingly turned the laptop to their direction, handing the light pen over to them to sign the visitors' form and have their identities checked
Ricky stiffened, not out of fear of the anger in her voice, but in shock, and fear for her. He had been aware that there was some feud between her and her father, owing to her overtaking him as CEO after gathering shares behind his back and taking him unawares. But he had never imagined that it ran this deep, nor was he able to immediately decipher what she meant, because what was the connection between her father and Esmeralda lying in a hospital bed.... Unless... He didn't want to explore that dark thought that led him into thinking of the possibility that her father was the reason that Esmeralda was in that condition. No; it couldn't be. He was conversant with assholish parents, his parents' marriage being one of the models he'd had that had led into being a non-advocator for marriages. But no fucking asshole would be disgusting enough to do that to a child, let alone their own grandchild. Recovering himself, he looked dow
The second time that Ricky was sent to a voicemail, the urge to smash his phone against the wall filled his mind, and paying no heed to the security officers by the doors and hallway who kept looking at him, obviously wondering who this strange-acting person was, Ricky cursed again, raking his fingers through his hair in frustration. Relying solely on hope, he dialed again, his heart pounding at an alarming rate, his fingers shaking uncontrollably as he kept pressing his phone. "Damn it Jade! Pick the goddamn call!" Ricky cursed, wishing she could somehow hear him and pick her call. He needed like a drug to confirm that she was alright, because he was going the hell out of his mind with worry, and again felt so powerless for not knowing what to do about it. He dialed Annabelle's line, making no attempt to hide his emotions the moment she picked up on the first ring. "Ms. Annabelle, try con
"What the fuck do you mean by a dead end? I don't pay you to return to me with such bullshit story! Fucking find her or You're fired." It was 9:30 p.m., four hours after Jade's disappearance and he had got no lead from his private investigator. Annabelle had been unsuccessful on her end as well; Jade hadn't dropped by, and every attempt to call her had been directed to a voicemail. Ricky raked his fingers through his already disheveled hair, his fingers shaking as he poured red wine into a glass. He took it down his throat in one gulp, his eyes bloodshot as he stared into space. The rain was still pouring as though the skies and the earth were quarrelling, and he felt as though he were crippled; unable to do anything other than rely on a huge private investigation firm that couldn't even do as much as find one woman. Although Jade was qui
Ricky said nothing, his lips parted, his brain rendered into nothingness. Jade misread his reaction, because she quickly added, her voice dropping. "Unless you don't want me." Ricky gripped hold of her jaw, drowning in the brownness of her eyes. He thought of proving himself with his words, but deciding that action always did it better, he leant forward and captured her bottom lip in between his teeth, biting it gently, his eyes never leaving hers. And in his eyes were desire; raw and passionate lust. "You must give me lots of credit if you think I have as much as a thread of restraint around you." He spoke against her lips, his palm cupping and gripping her arm possessively, the sudden action making her gasp involuntarily. "Then...why not?" Even as she asked the question, she was gritting her teeth, shivering from the cold.
Ricky climbed the bed, crawling on all fours as he moved seductively towards her. His eyes were focused on her body, every other thing completely ceasing to exist at that point. Her tanned skin still glistening from the shower, he let his palms run through her body, gathering the fast drying wetness of the water. With his eyes staring into hers, laying bare every emotion of his, he pushed the wet finger into her womanhood, watching her break eye contact to throw her head backwards. He dipped his fingers into her slit opening of her beautiful flower, rubbing his them slowly on the surface. She whimpered, tightening her legs around him in a bid to increase the friction. Ricky's chest heaved up and down, his arousal which had sprung proud and regal from the slacks so hard it ached. But there was no lack of satisfaction whatsoever to be felt. He already had his mental desire fulfilled in watching her nipple
The novelty experience of waking up in the arms of the only woman he wanted to be with pushed Ricky's lips into a smile the next morning. He held tightly to the feminine body beside him, listening to her soft breaths, not wanting to open his eyes yet. He had joined her in eating the lasagna he had heated up the night before, having worked up a serious appetite. It was even then that he came to the realisation that he hadn't eaten anything but had kept donning glass after glass of wine, worried about her. It was awkward at first, before he felt as though he had been laid bare with all the emotions she evoked in him. But it had all but taken one joke from her and they had been back to being free with each other. He hadn't been satiated after the meal; there had been another hunger in him that demanded to be tended to. And so he had cleared the table with a sweep of his palm, pushing down plates and laying her on the
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