Forever Yours (10 page)

“I jumped to the conclusion you hadn’t really cared about Preston.”

“How could you?” he asked, putting his coffee mug on the table with a thud, some of its contents splashing onto the table.

“The same way you first thought I’d left again.”

Understanding flashed in his eyes and he nodded.

“We both have trust issues,” she said. “And I wonder if they’ll ever go away.”

“Not while I’m married to Caroline,” he said.

“I’m not asking you to divorce her or anything like that.” Jade reached for his hands. “I love you, Charles. I walked into this relationship knowing you were married and wouldn’t get a divorce—”

“You don’t have to.”

“I don’t understand.” She looked at him in confusion.

“I can’t allow Caroline to destroy our happiness. She nearly did once and now this. I thank God that what happened to Preston wasn’t worse,” Charles said, running a hand through his hair.

“What are you telling me?”

“I think it’s time I ask Caroline for a divorce.”

Jade put her coffee cup down. “As much as I’d love for you to do exactly that, what about Stephen? Aren’t you afraid she’ll take him away?”

“He’s old enough to decide which parent he’d like to live with, and since Caroline hasn’t exactly been mother of the year, I think Stephen would want to live with me.”

“Where do Preston and I fit into your scenario?”

“You have to ask?”

Jade looked down at the table and then back up at Charles. “I think I do.”

“We’d all be together, you, me and the boys.”

“Charles, it sounds just perfect—unfortunately, too perfect.”

“Why would you say that?”

“Playing devil’s advocate here, let’s just say that you divorce Caroline and get custody of Stephen. What would you do if he doesn’t accept Preston and me and refuses to live with us?”

“You’ve never met Stephen, but I can assure you that he’s nothing like his mother.”

“And because of Caroline, he may not want to share you with a ready-made family.”

Jade watched as Charles picked up his mug and took a sip. She could tell he was mulling over in his mind what she’d said. Because she believed her theory was a real possibility, she wanted Charles to have all his ducks in a row before he confronted Caroline. If the woman was as vicious and spiteful as she appeared to be, an uncooperative son would be putty in her hands. Charles might be a partner in the law firm, but a knock-down, dragged-out divorce battle could hurt his standing in the firm. Better he should hold as many high cards as possible, before he placed his hand on the table.

“But, Jade, hasn’t Stephen been sharing me all along?”

“Yeah, but have you ever asked him how he felt about it?”

Charles thought about that for a moment. Sighing, he replied, “You’ve got a point. As much as I think I know Stephen, I can’t be certain about how he’d behave. However, I do intend to find out.”

“Divorcing Caroline won’t be pretty or easy. Make certain you do all your preparations first,” Jade said.

Charles raised an eyebrow and then grinned. “Sound advice. I must be rubbing off on you.”

“Don’t forget I have a great deal of free time to think.”

“Rest easy, my love. I’ve been compiling a file on Caroline’s extracurricular activities for some time now. She makes me look like a choirboy.”

“Good.”

“Before I rush in and demand a divorce, I’ll have all my ammunition ready.”

She nodded.

“But that’s not going to stop me from going back to Long Island and reaming her out for touching my cell phone.”

“She deserves it, that’s for sure.”

“Let’s not waste our precious time talking about her,” Charles said, rising from his chair.

Jade got up, as well. “You know I want to be with you more than anything, but I accepted being the other woman then and still do. All I require is your love.”

He took her hand and kissed it fervently. Then he looked at her. Their eyes met and held. Jade practically drowned in his. Her mother was wrong. Charles did love her and her future was with him. There would never be another man who could make her feel so alive and wonderful, she thought, as he took her mouth in a kiss of savage intensity.

There was no way to tell where that kiss ended and the next began until he slid his mouth seductively down to her neck. She threaded her fingers through his hair until his lips claimed her mouth again, his tongue dancing with hers. He backed her toward the kitchen counter and shoved everything there on it to the floor.

Their lips didn’t part for even the briefest of moments as he lifted Jade onto the counter. Acting on instinct, she ran her restless hands over his chest and down to his straining erection. Then she lifted her bottom as he pulled off her sweatpants and panties. By the time her clothing hit the floor, she’d freed his penis.

He thrust into her and her breath came in long, surrendering moans. With her arms securely around his neck, he pumped furiously until her body began to vibrate with liquid fire and a moan of ecstasy slipped through her lips. When her last spasm had finished, Charles lifted her off the counter and carried her into the bedroom where he laid her down on the bed.

Jade threw her legs over his shoulders as he began to thrust into her once more. Feeling him deep within her ignited her passion again, but she knew he was close and lifted her bottom higher to allow him even deeper access. She wanted to give him as much pleasure as he’d given her. She smiled when, moments later, Charles surrendered to his own climax. If Jade could save time in a bottle, she’d save that night. The pleasure they shared had been pure and explosive, the kind that was theirs alone.

The next day Charles tried to focus on Windham Bratt’s case and come up with a defense strategy, but his mind kept slipping back to Caroline and the cruel thing she’d done. Knowing her, she’d probably listened to the message before she deleted it and got some kind of perverse pleasure from hearing Jade’s frightened words. He buzzed his administrative assistant, Maggie. She entered his office holding a yellow pad and his appointment book for the day.

“You need me, Charles?”

“What appointments do I have after three today?”

“Surprisingly, none.”

“Good. I need to take care of some business at home so I’ll be leaving early. Hold down the fort for me, okay?”

“Will do.” As she neared the door, Maggie turned back. “Good luck!”

“Thanks. I might need it.”

Charles gathered together the materials he’d been working on and stashed them all in his briefcase. Then he grabbed his coat and left the office. Because he didn’t live in Manhattan, he generally used public transit rather than sit in his car in traffic on the infamous Long Island Expressway. The law firm kept several cars for the partners to use whenever necessary. Since it was early there wouldn’t be too much traffic, so he signed one out.

Though he’d told Jade that he intended to ream Caroline out, he thought coming home with guns blazing might not be the right approach. At best, it would put her on the defensive, which, knowing Caroline, would quickly become the offensive and their discussion would be nothing more than a verbal brawl. He decided to use some finesse in his recital of the riot act. She had to know that he wasn’t going to tolerate any further actions by her where Jade and Preston were concerned.

This was going to require a great deal of self-control on his part, because he still wanted to strangle Caroline for deleting that message. The very fact that she went into his bedroom and touched his personal property made him furious. She knew better. While he was still paying the bills, she should respect his boundaries.

Charles pulled into the driveway and cut the engine. Before getting out of the car, he took several deep breaths, praying he didn’t lose his temper and murder Caroline.

Stephen was in the kitchen having a snack and he looked up at Charles when he entered. He put down the glass of milk and ran to hug his father.

“Hi, sport, where’s your mother?” Charles asked, ruffling his son’s hair.

“Upstairs, I guess. You’re home really early.”

“Yup. I wanted to have a little chat with you.”

“School’s okay, if that’s what you’re wondering.”

“I had a thought. What would you say if I told you we were going to move to Manhattan?”

Stephen’s face crumpled and tears quickly filled his eyes. “Please don’t make me move away from my friends.”

His thirteen-year-old had definitely planted roots. Perhaps Jade had made a valid point when she said he might not want to live with them.

“Stephen, I can’t continue to split my life into two. I want to be a whole family.”

“We are a family. You, me and Mom.”

“Are you happy living with Mom?”

“It’s okay. Half the time I don’t see her—or you.”

That last part made Charles wince. He sighed. It was to be expected. After all, it was the truth.

“I know you know about Jade and your half brother, Preston.”

“Mom doesn’t call him that.”

“Your mother is bitter. That’s one of the reasons we’re not a family anymore. I had hoped you would want to live with me in Manhattan—”

“You’re getting divorced?”

Charles heard the anger in Stephen’s voice and knew he had to tread lightly. “I was thinking about it.”

“So you love Preston more than me?”

“Absolutely not. How could you even think that? I love you with all my heart. You’re the reason I didn’t leave your mother years ago. I just want to be a family again, but with you and Preston. I love Jade and want you to meet her. You’ll like her.”

Stephen shook his head. “I don’t want to move. I told you I have friends here.”

“You’ll make new friends in Manhattan.”

Tears began to stream down Stephen’s face. “Don’t make me go, Dad! Please!”

“Make him go where, Charles?” Caroline asked, entering the kitchen.

“Dad wants to divorce you!”

Well, that blew all his planned finessing to smithereens, Charles thought as his heart began to feel heavy in his chest.

Caroline narrowed her eyes. Like twin laser beams they bore into Charles. “What’s this all about?”

Stephen rushed out of the kitchen, probably to take refuge in his room. Several moments later Charles heard a door close above him.

“I was talking to you, Charles. Is it true you want a divorce?”

“Yes. After what you did, I feel I have no choice. And if the kid had died, how would you have felt?”

She shrugged. “Why should I care? I have no ties to them.”

His jaw clenched as his eyes narrowed. “Your viciousness has reached new heights. It’s time we started divorce proceedings.”

“Stephen won’t go with you. He likes it here,” Caroline said quickly.

“That’s because you’re never home.”

“Like you should talk,” she said, hands on her slender hips.

“Let’s face it—our marriage has been over for years. Don’t fight me on this, Caroline.”

“Give me what I want and you can have your stinking divorce so you can marry your little whore.”

Indigestion stabbed Charles’s gut, preventing him from acting on his desire to grab her by the throat and strangle her.

“Fine. See you in court,” Charles replied.

“Stephen remains here.”

“As long as I possess visitation rights, I’ll agree to that.”

“Aren’t you afraid that I’ll run off with him?”

“Don’t even think it. After all, you’re the one into kinky things.”

“Are you threatening me?”

“No, Caroline. Only reminding you that I have the services of a topnotch team of investigators.”

“Bastard!”

He shook his head. “Only a concerned father.”

Charles went upstairs to say goodbye to Stephen. He found his son in front of his computer with his headphones on. Not wanting to startle him, Charles moved into Stephen's line of vision and motioned for him to remove his headphones. Charles could see that his son had been crying. He wanted to reassure Stephen that his love for him would never change.

“Everything is going to be all right, I promise you, son.”

“I don't want to move, Dad.”

“I understand that and I won't force you to. Eventually, though, you will be spending weekends with me—”

“And them?”

“Yes. Contrary to whatever your mother has told you, Jade is a wonderful person and you're going to love her. As for Preston, he's very young and impressionable. He's going to need a big brother to look up to and help him learn the ropes. By the way, did you know he looks a lot like you?”

“Yeah?”

“Uh-huh. Here take a look.”

Charles removed a picture from his wallet and handed it to Stephen. His son’s eyes grew large and a smile appeared on his face, nearly causing Charles to heave a sigh of relief.

“He does! You know, Dad, when I was little, I always wanted a younger brother.”

“Well you’ve got one now and I know you’re going to love him.”

Stephen pressed his lips together and nodded.

“If you need me, call,” Charles said. “I’m not that far away.”

When Stephen looked up at his father again, he had tears in his eyes. Charles pulled him up out of his chair and hugged him. “I love you with all my heart, Stephen, and always will.”

“I love you too, Dad,” Stephen replied between sniffles.

“You’ll be okay?” Charles asked him.

“Yeah.”

“Good. Remember, call if you need me,” Charles said holding his thumb and pinky to his ear.

He left his son's room with a heavy heart and went into his own to pack several suitcases. When he had finished, he brought them down to the hall. Caroline sat in the living room drinking what looked like a martini. She didn't say a word, just sat there watching him. He went back upstairs for the last bag and then took them all out to the car. Caroline closed the front door behind him.

As he drove back to the city, Charles thought about Caroline and the life he once had with her. There had been a time when they loved each other. He wondered what happened to that love and where it had gone.

Charles walked into the apartment and found Jade folding towels. She looked up at him questioningly.