Love, Lies & The D.A. (43 page)

What’s
this? Why would the Bar Association be sending me a letter?

I read
the letter, but it’s only afterwards I notice it has an invitation attached to
the back. Both addressed to Jonathan. He must have accidentally placed it in my
pile of paperwork.

He’s
watching old reruns of L.A. Law in the great room. I have no idea where he
finds these old shows to watch.

“Babe,”
I call out, walking into the room.

“Yeah.”

“What’s
this from the Bar Association?”

He
looks stunned. “You read my mail?”

“Well,
I fou—”

“How
dare you go through those files, Jada! Those are private and confidential.”

His
temple is twitching.

“I
didn’t go through your files,” I reply calmly.

“Of
course you did. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have found that letter.”

“You’re
calling me a liar?” Now I’m getting pissed off. “You know what? Next time you
use my office, watch where you put your blasted paperwork. You’re angry with me
for reading a letter that
you
put in my files?”

He’s
flabbergasted.

“Jada—”

I slam
the paper on the glass coffee table in front of him.

“Don’t
bloody Jada me. I’d advise you to stay away from me right now,” I respond
curtly, returning to the office.

 I
take all his files and neatly stack them on the credenza behind my desk. For
the life of me, I can’t understand why he would possibly be so upset about me
reading that letter. Forget the fact that he put it in my files. It’s just an
invitation from the Bar Association. What’s the big deal?

Then
it dawns on me. The invitation was addressed to Jonathan Kole and guest.
Perhaps he didn’t want me to see that invitation because he never intended to
invite me… And if I didn’t know, he wouldn’t have to hurt my feelings. Is he
embarrassed to be seen with me?

I
shove my chair away from the desk and storm back into the great room. He’s now
in the kitchen.

“You
know something, why the hell are you here? If you’re embarrassed to be seen
with me around your peers, why are you in my life?”

He
sighs then rakes his hand through his hair.

“Jada,
I’m not embarrassed to be seen with you. I’d be proud to have you by my side.”

“Really,”
I reply sarcastically.

“I’m
sorry. This is one big misunderstanding.”

“Right.
Jonathan, I don’t want to talk about this right now. I’m tired. I’m going to
bed,” I say, turning on my heels to my bedroom.

“You’re
wrong about this,” he says, following me.

“Am I?
Then why were you so defensive? Jonathan, you attacked me and accused me of
being a liar over an invitation.”

“I
screwed up. I’m sorry. When I got the invitation, I wanted you to come with me.
I was nervous about asking you. I wasn’t sure you’d be willing to attend such a
prominent public event with me. On top of that, I wasn’t one hundred percent
certain about attending. I only made up my mind this evening, after talking to Mom
about it.”

“Why
does it seem like you’re always walking on eggshells around me? Why couldn’t
you talk to me about it?”

“Honestly,
sometimes I do feel that way.”

“Why?
You shouldn’t have to.”

“Because
I don’t want to lose you.”

“Talking
to me about an invitation would send me running? Do you know how ridiculous
that sounds?”

“Actually,
now that you say it out loud, it does.”

“I
hope you realize that every time you avoid asking me questions directly, this
sort of thing happens. You could have saved yourself the stress had you just
spoken to me about this. Look, I know that I’ve been hurt and I’ve had my heart
broken, but those were major issues. I’m not going to go running scared because
something may be daunting.”

“I
underestimated you.”

“Do I
really seem that pathetic?”

“You
don’t… Will you come with me?”

“I’m
sorry. I don’t think so.”

“Please?”

“No.
The only reason I won’t is because I care about your career and your
reputation. You and I might know that I’m not guilty of this murder, but the
rest of the world doesn’t. This is a night where the focus should be on you and
your father’s legacy. Having me there would only turn it into a spectacle for
the media and gossip columnists.”

“Jada,
you’re an important part of my life. I want you there. This is an important
event… I want you to come with me.”

I feel
completely torn. I want to be there to support him, but I know what my presence
there will do. The next day, none of the papers would be talking about whatever
important message Jonathan or Charles Kole wanted to share. They’ll be talking
about the fact that the keynote speaker at the event chose to show up with the
suspect in a murder case.

I have
to admit it hurts, because I’d love to be there. But because of the fact that I
have so much respect for him and his father, I can’t. I could never intrude on
such an important occasion that way.

“Sweetheart,
I’m sorry. When this is over and the whole world knows I’ve been exonerated, I’ll
be more than happy to escort you to all the important events that you have to
attend. But this is too important. My attendance would just ruin it for you.”

“You
not being there would ruin it.”

“It
won’t. Trust me. Take your mom and your siblings and share that special moment
with your family.”

“Jada,
you are my family.” He gazes into my eyes, and I feel his disappointment. It
hurts me too. This is yet another thing that this situation with Richard has
taken away from me.

“Johnny,
I’m sorry. I could never do that with a clear conscience.”

“Please…
think about it.”

“I’ve
made up my mind.” I kiss him gently on his cheek and climb into bed.

He
stares at me for a moment then quietly leaves, softly closing the door behind
him.

I’d
like to pretend that it didn’t hurt to do this, but right now, my heart is
breaking. I hate that I’ve disappointed him. I hate that I won’t be there, and
I hate the trauma that this situation is causing in my life. I feel
overwhelmingly guilty. I know this hurt him. I know it was a big deal to him or
he wouldn’t have spent all his energy and time trying to ensure that he spoke
to me about it at precisely the right moment.

I
climb out of bed in search of him. He’s sitting on the sofa, his head leaning
back, his eyes closed. The TV is now off but the fireplace crackles.

*     *     *

I know
she didn’t intend to, and in many ways, I know she’s right, but I’m extremely
disappointed. I badly want her to share this with me. I do realize, however,
that the night is about Dad and our family, and I know that we will all be
honored and proud to be a part of this event. However, I can’t get over the
fact that the woman I’ve fallen for won’t be there.

I don’t
think I can deny it any longer. I’ve fallen deeply in love with her. I don’t
know if she feels remotely close to how I feel about her, but this is where I
know I will need to be patient with her. I sense her presence behind me, and as
I turn to look, her slender arms surround my bare shoulders from behind. She
leans over and kisses me softly on my neck.

“I’m
sorry,” she whispers. “Please tell me you understand?”

I look
into her beautiful hazel eyes, and I realize that this has been difficult for
her too. Her eyes are glassy and filled with turmoil. Life has dealt her a hard
blow, and I know it can’t be easy for her to have to make decisions like this
either.

“Please,
tell me you do?” she murmurs.

Eventually,
the words exit my mouth.

“I
do.” I tilt my head up and capture her lips. I want her—all of her, her body,
mind, and soul. She stands behind the sofa. I slip my hands behind me and
caress her.

*     *     *

I exhale
at the sound of his words. I am consumed with pure emotion. I feel the need to
be close to him. My lips meet his. Slowly, passionately, and deliberately, he
gently occupies my mouth.

He reaches
back to meet my body, where he continues his gentle caress. His hands travel
from my ass then he slips his fingers between my thighs, nudging them apart. I
raise one of my legs, placing it onto the back of the sofa, so I am now
standing on one leg. His head is now directly at the apex of my thighs. With
his palms, he caresses me, then he inhales deeply, taking in my scent.

He
kisses me softly, the navy lace fabric the only thing that lies between my
flesh and his lips. He softly massages me then pushes the thong I’m wearing
aside, enabling him to access my core.

I so
badly want this. I need this. I assist him, pulling the fabric of my thong
aside as he strokes me with his tongue and his hand and touches my backside. I
am completely aroused as he continues to lambaste my swollen clit with his
tongue and lips. I brace my body with my hands to the back of the sofa. As he
continues to pleasure me, my swinging hips match his intense strokes.

He
teases me with his hands once more, and then I lean over and kiss him. He pulls
me over the back of the sofa into his arms. I then straddle him. Pleasuring his
lips with mine, I taste myself.

His
erection centers perfectly between my thighs. As we kiss, I gyrate my body over
his. I lean back, supporting my body with my palms latched onto his knees while
I slowly knead my crotch into his.

He
slips both his palms under the elastic of my thong. Grabbing it tightly, he
pushes it aside with one hand then caresses my clit with the other. While I
continue to move, I lean over, occupying his lips once more. His hands roam
over my body. At times, he lovingly gropes my ass and my breasts, and then
slowly, he slides my short silk slip over my head, revealing my breasts.

Cupping
my breasts in his hands, he kisses them gently. He continuously strokes me.

I
tenderly push his body back, so he relaxes into the sofa. I am eager to get to
know him better—the feel of him in my mouth, the taste of him against my lips.
I want to show him how I feel about him. I want to make love to every inch of
his body. I slip from over him to between his muscular thighs, leaving a trail
of kisses that lead to the bulge between his legs.

I
caress him then gently pull away the trunks that come between me and tasting
him for the first time. I kiss his tip gently then run my tongue along his
extraordinary length. I trace his head with my tongue then my lips, and finally,
I take him in his entire splendor into my mouth. I’m surprised it all fits
inside me. He gasps as I take him in. Thankfully, I am able to use my left hand
and I hold him firmly in place as I first lick, then suck, his tip. Both his
hands sink into my hair as I enclose and stroke him between my fingers and
plummet him into my mouth. The deeper I throw him, the heavier his breathing
gets, and I realize he’s still growing in my palms.

I
focus on his tip, licking the backside of his shaft, sucking him harder, and
quickly, I begin to taste him.

“Baby,
that feels amazing…” The words come off his lips, and I continue to give him
what he pleasures. He is sweet, and I am further aroused every second more that
I caress him. I take his orbs into my mouth, still gliding my hands over him.
His hips move into me as the resonances of our sexual pleasure fills the room.

I am
surprised when he suddenly sits up and pulls me back onto the sofa. He pulls my
ass to face him. I am on my knees, bent over above him. He finally rips away
the thong that I’m wearing. Circling my hips with his arms, he buries his head
between my thighs from behind, and he unleashes his tongue inside my core. I
lean forward. As he works between my thighs, I work on his. I am in pure
ecstasy. Intense pleasure reverberates within me.

We
change positions. I straddle him and he surrounds me in his arms, sinks his
fingers in my hair, and pulls me towards him as he devours my lips. He is not
inside me, but as we kiss, our hips move, creating intense friction in all the
right places.

He
circles his arms around my hips, gliding me back and forth against his
erection, his tip rubbing against my clit with each movement. My juices run
over his thighs and his extremely firm arousal. I am at the brink of my
release.

As he
pulls me forward, my forehead leans against his. My breathing, intense and
labored. He trails soft kisses along my throat, cheeks, and neck and finally,
he regains control of my mouth.

I lean
over slightly to the side. He takes my cue and massages me lightly with his
head before he aims inside me. I gladly accept him, welcoming him in. Allowing
him to fill me. I move over him in long, slow movements. One of his palms is
plastered onto my breast, the other onto my ass as I move over him, and then I
bury him entirely inside me repeatedly.