Tender Touch (40 page)

Damon felt a rush of regret for being so
unyielding. His mother looked lost and despondent. He was in no
position to judge her. How could he know what her life had been
like? She’d spent years trying to win his father’s love and
attention away from a memory. Damon was reeling with the new
knowledge that her cool, elegant exterior had hidden such deep
agony.

“Mother, come here.” He got up and led her
back to sit next to him on the sofa. Marlene rested her head on his
shoulder.

“I’ve done terrible things. But can you
imagine what it’s like to realize that no matter what you do, the
one man you love will never love you back?” Marlene sobbed quietly,
her hand pressed to her mouth.

“I wish there was something I could do.”
Damon didn’t know how to comfort her or know what to say. The only
person who could answer her was his father.

Marlene wiped her eyes one final time. She
sat up with her head held high. “I’m sorry for going to pieces.
This isn’t something you or your brother should be burdened
with.”

“Maybe I could talk to Dad and...”

“We’re the only two people who can fix
what’s broken between us.”

Damon took her hand and kissed it. “Of
course you’re right.”

“Thank you.” Marlene’s eyes pooled again
with tears. She smiled at him with gratitude. “But I want to tell
you how it’s been for us.”

“You don’t have to. Dad told me a little.”
Damon patted her back.

Marlene’s eyes went wide with surprise. “He
told you about Lisette?”

“He blames himself for making you so
unhappy.”

Marlene hugged herself as though for warmth.
She stared off. “She was beautiful, but I suppose he told you that.
And I hated her on sight. From the first time I saw them together,
I knew Oliver was infatuated. I thought it was only because she was
loose. There were girls who did and girls who didn’t. Boys were
expected to chase after girls who did. But they married nice girls
from the right families.”

“Sort of like what you want for Trent and
me,” Damon said in a low voice.

Marlene wore a sad smile. “Yes, it’s how we
were raised. But Oliver loved Lisette in a way he never loved me. I
was glad when her name got dragged through the mud. But even dead,
she has more of Oliver than I’ve ever had.” Several minutes of
silence followed as they both thought about the long-ago events
that seemed to still shape their lives in a dramatic way.

“I think you underestimate how much Dad
loves you.” Damon put his arms around her waist.

“There’s so much I want to say to him. After
all these years, we’ve got to find a way to each other. Before it’s
too late.” Marlene took a deep breath. “And I owe you an
apology.”

“For what?” Damon rubbed her arms in a
comforting way.

“The one lesson I should have learned is how
dreadful life is without the person you truly love. Instead I let
my snobbish attitude, inherited from a long line of fancy-pants
Creoles, rule once again. But at least you stood up to me. Good for
you. I can tell you love Jade Pellerin with all your heart, and I’m
happy for you.” Marlene put a hand on his face in a gesture of
maternal love.

Damon felt the familiar despair creep back.
His mother was right to say he resembled his father. Like Oliver,
he’d left important things unsaid. Instead of facing the problems
between him and Jade head-on, he’d avoided them. Now it was
probably too late.

“Jade and I aren’t seeing each other
anymore. At least not for the past month. We had an argument. Well,
more of a disagreement really. We—”

“About what?” Marlene raised her shapely
eyebrows at him. The elegant sophisticate returned.

“Well, she thought Rachelle and I were
seeing each other again. And we had words.”

“And are you seeing Rachelle?” Marlene gazed
at him.

“Only for business. I hope she has a good
life, but not with me. It’s over,” Damon said with a shake of his
head. He remembered the look of chagrin on Rachelle’s face as she
stood with her jacket open.

“I see.” Marlene bit her bottom lip. “I have
another admission.”

“What?”

Marlene heaved a deep sigh. “Rachelle chased
you down with my encouragement; another misguided attempt to
control your life. I seem to make of mess of things for the people
I love most.”

“It’s okay, Mother.”

Damon knew Rachelle hadn’t needed much
prodding to manipulate her way into his life again. Rachelle had
overestimated her allure. Jade filled up his mind, heart and senses
so completely there was no room for another woman. Jade. How he
missed her. He wanted to savor the rich sweet taste of her on his
tongue.

“No, it’s not okay. I cost you the woman you
love.” Marlene put her head to one side. “But that can be
remedied.”

“I’m sorry, Mother. What did you say?” Damon
was awash in memories of being wrapped up in Jade’s silken arms and
legs. He blinked with embarrassment, sure that his mother could
tell what he was daydreaming by his face.

“I said, get off your butt and go find Jade.
Tell her you were wrong. Tell her she’s the air you breathe, she’s
what makes getting up each morning a joy, tell her—”

“I get the message, Mother. But what if she
won’t see me?” Damon wavered in the face of rejection. Jade could
well be angry or worse, indifferent and in love with another
man.

“Oh, she’ll see you. Of that I’m sure.”
Marlene smiled with the supreme confidence of a woman used to
getting her way. “Now get out of my house.”

“What?” Damon stared at her bewildered. “I
thought we could spend a little time together.”

“Don’t think you’re going to hide out over
here to avoid facing her. Get out and don’t come back without Jade
on your arm.” Marlene tugged him to his feet and shoved him toward
the door. “I mean it, Damon.”

Damon laughed “Okay, okay. You have a unique
approach to matchmaking.”

“And don’t it screw up.” Marlene shook a
finger under his nose. Her expression softened. “I love you, my
baby.”

Damon hugged her to him. “I love you,
too.”

* * *

“As your best friend I have to tell you
this. You’re nuts.” Shaena stood in Jade’s living room with her
fists on her hips.

“Thanks for the pep talk,” Jade retorted.
“Now sit down and eat. Shoot, they didn’t put in the egg rolls.”
She pointed to the cartons of take-out Chinese food.

Shaena did not move. “So she was at his
office yesterday. So what?”

“So they’re seeing each other.” Jade gazed
up at her. “Now will you sit down? I’m getting a pain in the neck
looking up at you.”

“Umph! You’re giving me a pain in the ass by
being so hardheaded.” Shaena plopped down on the chair that matched
Jade’s sofa. “She was at his office conducting business, which is
what he told you. Hel-lo?”

“Maybe but...” Jade wanted to believe that
more than anything. But uncertainty kept rearing its ugly head.

“No maybe, no but. Grr...” Shaena dug into
her lemon chicken. “For a smart woman you can be so dense
sometimes.” A glob of sauce plopped on her blouse. “Oh, no, not my
new outfit!” She dabbed at it.

Jade got up. “You need a bib. I’ll get more
napkins.

“Don’t change the subject,” Shaena yelled.
She started at the sound of the doorbell.

“That must be the delivery guy with our egg
rolls. At least I don’t have to call them. Get the door,” Jade
called from the kitchen. “Great, the napkins wanna play hide and
seek. Dang, girl, I need to clean out some of this crap,” she
complained.

Jade stretched to reach the top of her
pantry shelf for the package of napkins. She pushed aside glasses
and other items, mumbling with annoyance at her lack of
organization. A solid feeling of warmth was suddenly at her
back.

“Let me help,” Damon said. He moved his body
close to hers and reached up to easily retrieve the napkins. “Here
you go.”

“How...?” Jade turned to find herself within
inches of his broad chest. She stood immobilized by the sensation
of being near him. His ebony eyes were the most beautiful and
welcome sight she’d seen in weeks.

“Shaena says she’ll see you at work
tomorrow.” Damon gazed at her.

“She’s gone?” Jade murmured.

“Yes. We’re alone. Jade, I’m sorry.” Damon
put his arms around her.

“Sorry?”

Jade tried to focus. Feeling the hard
muscles of his biceps pressed to her was wonderful. She had sorely
missed his touch. Yet the thought that he had something to be sorry
about brought a stab of anxiety. He had a reason to apologize which
could mean only one thing.

“You and Rachelle.” She looked away from his
gaze.

Damon put a finger under her chin to lift
her head back up.

“No way,” he said in a firm voice. “I’m
sorry tracking you down sooner to make you believe me. The only
reason I met with my ex-wife was because of business. My father has
done business with her family for years.”

“I see.” Jade did see. She saw the truth in
his eyes and heard it in his voice.

“You’re the woman I want, Jade. Forever,”
Damon whispered as he lowered his mouth to hers. He ran his tongue
along her lips. His hands pulled her to him in a tight embrace.
“Say you believe. Please.”

“I do, Damon. I do.” Jade gave herself
surrendered to the yearning to feel his kiss. She melted inside
when he pressed against her, his erection fanning a flame that
spread through her. “Let’s get out of this closet before we have
all my dry goods on the floor,” she said with soft giggle.

“Good idea.” Damon grinned at her. Still he
pulled back from her with great reluctance. “As long as you promise
to save my place.”

“It’s a deal.” Jade led him by the hand to
her living room. Once they were seated on the sofa, she snuggled
against him. “I’m sorry, too, Damon. I shouldn’t have been so quick
to assume the worst about you.”

“Well, aren’t we something? So worried about
getting hurt again, we backed away from each other.” Damon rested
his chin on the top of her head.

“Is that what we did?”

“At the first sign of trouble, we let the
past influence how we reacted.” Damon caressed her arms with
tenderness. “At least that’s what I did. Men always complain about
women treating them like all the men who mistreated before. Well I
did the same thing. I judged you based on Rachelle.”

“Sometimes it’s hard to forget the past. But
things aren’t always what they seem.” Jade was thinking not only of
her failed marriage, but her family. “I’m learning that more and
more.”

Damon held her for a few moments in deep
thought. “I know what you mean.”

“Damon, so much has happened in the last
three weeks or so. It’s made me realize how important it is to hold
on to those we love.”

Jade told him about Lanessa. Fears and guilt
she had held in, even from herself, flowed out. Yet with his strong
arms around her, she knew it would be all right. She could face all
the problems with hope.

“I’m so sorry, Jade. I should have been here
for you.” Damon cradled her gently in his embrace.

“You couldn’t have known. Thank goodness it
wasn’t in the papers. We’ve been trying to pick up the pieces. Now
I know how Humpty-Dumpty felt.” Jade rested her cheek against his
chest. The hard muscles were reassuring.

“You can do it, baby. And I’ll be right
there by your side.” Damon trailed kisses down the side of her face
until their lips met.

Without another word, only sighs and moans,
they undressed each other slowly. They paused only to explore each
area of newly exposed flesh with their hands and tongues. And for
hours their bodies moved in perfect harmony. Long languorous
moments of teasing each other to new heights of pleasure were
interspersed with bone-shaking ecstasy that left them both
breathless. They moved from the living room sofa to Jade’s bed
somewhere in-between.

“Umm, that feels wonderful,” Jade said in a
husky voice.

Damon was on top once again, his turn in a
delicious game of tit for tat. She arched beneath him. The feeling
of him inside her was too delicious.

“More, faster.” Jade clung to him.

His hardness thrust deep inside, causing
ripples of delight that spread with mind-bending intensity through
the rest of her. She let out a long shuddering sigh. Damon cried
out her name in response as his own orgasm took control of him. He
kept calling her between ragged breaths. After an eternity, they
sagged together still clutching each other tightly. Damon shifted
his weight, and then rolled off her.

“Woman, you’re going to kill me. But if I’m
going to die young, this is how I want to go.” Damon lay flat on
his back and pulled her to him.

“Like I told you before, I’m going to see to
it that you stay nice and healthy,” Jade murmured. “Now get some
rest. You’ve got a big morning ahead of you.”

“Yeah, I have a meeting. But how did you
know?” Damon was enjoying the way her hair fell between his
fingers. He closed his eyes and drifted into sleep.

“I’m talking about before you leave here.”
Jade chuckled softly. She placed her thigh across his legs.

“Have mercy,” he murmured.

Chapter 17

“Sit down, Jade.” Bill gestured to one of
the two leather chairs facing his desk.

Jade stood with a pad in her hand. Most of
the staff had left after a hectic eight hours of ringing phones.
Everyone walked around on edge, not knowing when the next bomb
would drop. She was about to leave when Bill called her. It was a
struggle not to betray her feelings of suspicion and distrust when
they worked so closely. Jade had been sure she was successful.
Until now. This request to see her without a reason made her
uneasy.