The Exception Read online

  “And Max? Let’s keep an eye on Jada.”

  “I’m not even going to ask.”

  “Trust me on this one.”

  “I’ll get back with you as soon as I have something to go on.”

  JADA

  “You have a call on line 2.”

  I was immersed in a data gathering mission the next day, my head so focused on the project that I jumped when Alice buzzed into my office.

  “I’ll take it. Thanks, Alice.”

  I rested my hand on the receiver until her light went off, then held it to my ear and pressed the line.

  “Jada Stanley.”

  “Hello, Jada.” Cane’s voice, smooth and rich, was like music to my ears.

  I hated that my stomach felt like butterflies fluttering when I heard his voice, but I couldn’t help it. What I did have to control was that he didn’t find that out.

  “What can I do for you?” I had replayed our kiss in my mind, and imagined it going much, much farther a hundred times over. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized how much I enjoyed it. And that just meant I needed to keep my distance.

  “Have you heard from Simon?” The melody of his voice changed, cooling considerably.

  “No, I haven’t.”

  “That’s good.” Relief was evident in his voice as he blew out a breath. “I need to ask you a question. Did he provide you with pre-qualifications for funding?”

  “Of course. Why?”

  “No reason. I just doubt he is actually going to purchase it.”

  “What makes you say that?”

  “Just a hunch. So don’t waste a lot of time on him, all right?”

  “I’ll remember that.” I absentmindedly brought my fingers to my mouth, remembering the feeling of his lips against mine.

  “Excellent.” He cleared his throat. “It’s almost closing time. Want to meet me for dinner?” He was playful again, almost as if he already knew my answer.

  “I honestly have an entire stack of papers on my desk. I doubt I will be getting out of here any time soon.”

  “That’s not a no,” he pointed out.

  I laughed. “It’s a no, Cane.”

  “If I were to take you to dinner, where would you like to go?”

  I couldn’t help the grin on my face. “What does it matter? It. Isn’t. Going. To. Happen.”

  “Humor me.” I could hear his smile through the phone and imagined him sitting at a large desk, chewing on the end of a pen.

  “I don’t know. I like pizza. I suppose you would, theoretically, take me for pizza,” I sighed.

  He laughed loudly. “You are serious?”

  “What? Pizza’s my favorite!”

  “Pizza it is, then.”

  “Pizza it is, dinner it is not,” I countered. “I am not meeting you for dinner, Cane.”

  “What have I ever done to you?” he asked, a hint of a laugh still in his voice.

  “Nothing and I plan on keeping it that way.”

  “Sounds like an innuendo to me.” I heard him mutter a profanity, following by a honking sound. “You said that like you’ve been thinking about me doing things to you. Now there’s a thought I’d like to explore.”

  “You read way too much into that.” I looked at the clock, back to the stack of papers, and sighed. “I really do need to get this wrapped up if I am ever going to get out of here tonight.”

  “Talk to you soon, Jada.”

  I sat the phone down, forced all thoughts of Cane out of my mind, and worked solidly for the next hour. I only looked up when Alice knocked at the door.

  “Honey, I’m leaving for the evening, but there is a lady here to see you. Should I send her back or send her to the break room?”

  “I’m not expecting anyone,” I said perplexed, my mind racing through possibilities. “Do you know who she is?”

  “She said her name was Lucy and she was from Alexander Industries.”

  “Alexander Industries? Just send her back, I suppose.”

  Why would they send a courier so late? Did I forget to get something signed?

  Alice gave me a huge smile, a nod, and then retreated to the front. A few minutes later, a pretty blonde appeared in the doorway with Alice behind her.

  “Hi! Are you Jada?” She was all smiles and her voice sweet, matching her bright pink dress.

  Couriers don’t usually look like that.

  “Yes. Can I help you?”

  “I have these for you.” She grinned as she held up a bag in each hand. Alice followed behind her with a large pizza.

  I put my head into my hands, feeling heat rush to my cheeks.

  “Where would you like these?” Lucy held the bags up in the air.

  “I’m going to take a huge shot in the dark here, but I’m guessing Cane had you deliver this?”

  “Absolutely!” She laughed. “I’m Lucy, by the way. I’m Mr. Alexander’s secretary. He asked that I arrange dinner for you here since you were too busy to go out tonight.”

  She and Alice sat the items on the table beneath the window.

  “I don’t know if you were expecting this or not,” she said, looking at my confused face, “but he just requested this a little while ago. I’m sorry if I interrupted you.”

  “No, thank you. It’s fine. I appreciate your trouble. I just didn’t realize what he was up to.”

  “Mr. Alexander said you may be surprised,” Lucy smiled brightly.

  “That’s a lot of food for one person,” I commented, waiting for the ball to drop.

  It didn’t take long.

  “He should be here any minute,” she said, looking at her watch. “He was stuck in a little traffic in Glendale, but I know he is on his way. I actually have a few errands left to run before I call it a day, so, if you don’t mind—”

  “Go. Please,” I said, feeling sorry that she had to deal with Cane’s shenanigans. “Thank you for going out of your way to do this.”

  “It is no problem at all.” She gave me a big smile and left, Alice following closely behind.

  What am I going to do now?

  CANE

  The older lady in front of me took her glasses off and let them dangle on a chain around her neck. She walked around the side of her desk and eyed me like the fathers used to do when I picked up a girl before a date.

  I gave her my best charming smile. “I appreciate your help this afternoon, Mrs. Jewell.”

  “Alice. Please, call me Alice. And you are very welcome.” She patted me on the shoulder. “Jada has had a rough time of it lately. You better be nice to her, you hear me?”

  “You have nothing to worry about.”

  “I better not. Now, I’m leaving for the day and everyone else is gone. If you don’t mind, make sure she gets out of here safely?”

  “Absolutely.”

  “Take that hallway and her office is the third on the left.”

  I nodded my understanding and made my way down the corridor.

  Jada was standing at a work table beneath a window, her back to the door. I leaned against the doorframe and watched her.

  She was so beautiful, so natural looking. I figured she woke up looking like that, but with her refusal to see me outside of work, I wasn’t sure. Yet.

  Lucky for us, I’m not easily deterred by her antics.

  Her skin was flawless and smooth. Her brown hair was pulled up into a messy pile on the top of her head, pieces falling out and it was sexy as hell. I wanted to wrap it around my hand and pull her head back, watching her face as she came all over me.

  Easy, Alexander.

  A pair of heels was tossed on the floor beside the table and she was standing barefoot. I hadn’t realized how petite she was. I’d bet she was probably a foot shorter than me. But what she lacked in height, she made up for in curves. The orange dress she wore hugged her body, flaunting her shape. I craved the freedom to let my hands roam her, explore her curves, commit them to memory.

  I crammed my hands in my pockets to discourage my
self from reaching out and doing just that.

  I remembered the softness of her lips, the way her body molded against mine the day before. She tasted like heaven, but the last twenty-four hours had been hell. I couldn’t get her out of my mind, couldn’t stop thinking about what it would feel like for her to be beneath me, what it would feel like to explore more than her mouth.

  For fuck’s sake! Get in control. I can’t go in there acting like a damn caveman. That’s not going to work with this one.

  I knew from the start that Jada was different. She didn’t fawn all over me or make overtly sexual suggestions or offers. Not that I minded those, but she wasn’t that kind of girl. Her eyes didn’t light up at my flashy watch or the wad of cash I pulled from my wallet. Hell, I wasn’t even sure she noticed.

  Her standoffish attitude only made her more appealing, more of an enigma to conquer. She honestly didn’t seem to want to spend time with me and, while I didn’t understand that, I found it amusing. I didn’t want to spend time with her, either—just a few hours here and there. It was the only way to go about things, but she even fought me on that.

  Life was too short to get involved. Things always ended and they never ended well. I had learned that lesson the hard way.

  I shifted my weight and Jada noticed the movement. She turned around. Spotting me, she narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms.

  Let her make the first move.

  A tickling feeling began in my stomach and my heartbeat increased. Feeling nervous was an odd sensation, something I had little experience with.

  “I have no words for you, Cane Alexander,” she said finally, trying to hide a smile.

  “Words are overrated, anyway,” I replied, not bothering to hide mine. “I’m a man of action, but I’m not going to press my luck with you just yet.”

  I was pretty sure I wasn’t as fucked as I had originally thought. Jada rolled her eyes and my grin grew wider.

  “Are you going to invite me in?”

  “I may as well.” She threw her hands in the air. “You seem to have a way of doing what you want anyway.”

  “I’m glad we’ve established the givens right off.”

  Her shoulders eased, her posture softening, as I strode into the room. She turned her back to me again and finished organizing the table.

  It took every ounce of self-control I could muster not to bend her over the table, pull up that orange dress, and fuck her right there.

  I deserve some sort of award for this shit. Who knew I had this much self-control? You learn something new every day.

  “I think you thought of everything. I’m slightly impressed.”

  “I was going to give credit to Lucy, but if you are impressed, just keep on thinking this was all me.”

  “I said slightly. Since you are here anyway, we may as well go ahead and have dinner.” She winced like she was in pain.

  “You think I did this for me? You said you wouldn’t get dinner tonight. I was being a gentleman!”

  “Uh-huh.” She rolled her eyes. “You are such a gentleman.”

  “I’m taking that at face value,” I said, taking the plate she offered me. I put some pizza on my mine and poured wine in two red disposable cups, shaking my head as I handed her one.

  “What’s so funny?” Jada led me to her desk, which she had already cleared, and we sat down to eat.

  “You would think I had sent Max to the damn store. These things,” I said, lifting up my cup, “are his favorite things in the world. Personally, I like to drink out of a real glass. But Max would use one of these over anything. It’s the country in him or something. But we are stuck with these tonight because someone was hard-headed.”

  “No, someone can’t take no for an answer,” Jada said, taking a bite of the pizza. Her eyes rolled back in her head. “This is so good. I seriously love pizza.”

  I imagined what she would look like coming down from an orgasm, causing my dick to go rock hard. I knew I had to be careful; Jada wasn’t going to just spread her legs like most women. I had to focus, use my “A” game. “Well, kudos to Lucy for knowing where to order, I guess,” I said with a grin.

  Jada sat her pizza down and wiped off her hands. “Cane, I’m sorry. I haven’t been very nice to you and this,” she looked around her office, “is a very nice thing to do.” Her green eyes were filled with sincerity. She was so genuine, so honest—this was a new playing field for me. I really had no experience to go on when dealing with someone like her.

  “Now that we are on the same page—”

  “I didn’t say we were on the same page. I just said thank you,” she said.

  “Why are you so dead set against seeing me outside of work?” Girls begged me to take them to dinner and to fuck them sideways. What am I missing?

  She was quiet for a minute. “Okay, let’s discuss this.”

  “Yes, let’s discuss this.”

  “What do you envision us doing?”

  I gave her my sexiest smile, the one that usually ensured I would get whatever I wanted. “I would lay you down, on this desk would work, and then I would pull your dress up to your waist.”

  “Cane!” she said, giving me a pointed look. “This is my point.”

  I looked around the room, searching for answers. Or a camera. “You are not interested in having sex at all? Or with me? Because I’m kind of a catch, you know.”

  She looked at me unentertained.

  I raised my eyes in mock horror. “You aren’t a lesbian, are you? That must be it! It’s the only logical explanation.”

  Jada tossed her napkin on her desk and laughed. “No. I am not a lesbian, Cane!”

  “So, are you going to lie to me and tell me that you didn’t enjoy kissing me?” I held her gaze, challenging her to dispute what I knew to be true.

  “I think it would be pointless for me to say I didn’t,” she said, looking away.

  And the truth shall set you free …

  “So you enjoyed our kiss, which I already knew—just so you know. And you aren’t a lesbian—which I also already knew. Although I would have no problems with that, for the record. But another thing I know is that you want me, Jada. I see it in the way you undress me with your eyes. The way your cheeks heat when I look at you, the way your mouth moved against mine, the way your body responds to me.”

  I leaned a little across the desk, closing the distance between us. Her breath hitched as I took over her personal space, her eyes growing wide.

  That’s so fucking sexy.

  “The way you get nervous when we are talking and you twirl that ring or play with your hair. You want it, Jada. And I’m totally up for giving it to you.”

  She looked down and realized that she was twirling the ring. When she looked up, I was looking at her knowingly. “See what I mean?” I leaned back in my chair, my point made.

  “That’s a coincidence,” she scoffed, trying to make light of my observation.

  “No, it isn’t. It’s the truth. And I’m going to tell you another truth right now. A woman knows, within a minute or two of meeting a guy, whether or not she is going to fuck. It is really that simple.”

  Jada’s mouth opened and shut quickly, flabbergasted at my statement.

  I stood up and leaned against the table, looking directly into her green eyes. I loosened my tie, stretching my neck at the sudden freedom. Her eyes widened farther and I watched her force a swallow.

  Game. On.

  “It all comes down to what a woman needs to hear to go forward with her decision. Some girls want to hear how beautiful they are. Some want to feel needed or smart—witty even. And then there are those that just want a little positive reinforcement that the guy won’t think she’s a whore.”

  I watched her for a moment as she tried to process what I had just said. “And there are some that just want to have a good time and just want to hear ‘go’.”

  Jada sat absolutely still, her breath labored and lips parted slightly. I knew what she was thinking, what she wa
s considering, and it turned me on to watch those thoughts run so obviously through her mind. She adjusted in her seat, the sexual tension getting the best of her.

  “So, the question is, baby—what is it you want to hear?”

  “I don’t want to hear anything,” she nearly whispered, her voice so soft I almost couldn’t hear it. Some internal battle played out across her beautiful features and I was interested to see what side would win. It was a few moments before she seemed resolute, squared her shoulders, and began to talk.

  “I was married. I’ve been separated a little over a year.” She paused, hoping for some cue that I had heard enough. But I wasn’t about to give her that; I wanted information. I wanted to know what made this girl tick.

  I walked back to my chair and sat back down, waiting for her to continue.

  “I married Decker after dating for about a year. He was my first love and when he proposed, I disregarded everything everyone said and married him anyway. We had a quick little wedding and then moved to Boston.” She took a sip of her wine and looked across the desk at me.

  We are finally getting somewhere.

  “I was always the little girl that dreamed of the happily-ever-after. I wanted to be like my mom, baking the day away in a little house with a white picket fence for my family. My husband would come home from work and kiss me and it would just be so … happy. And I thought I would have that with Decker. I thought I would have it all. I thought I could make it everything I wanted, anyway. So when I walked in on him and our neighbor, it was kind of traumatic.” Her voice broke at the end and it caused something to stir inside me.

  I leaned across the desk and gently gripped her chin, pulling it up so she was looking me in the eye.

  “I don’t know him, Jada, but I can tell you that it was his loss. I know people say that stupid shit all the time and I know I’ve known you like two whole fucking minutes, but I know he was a lucky son-of-a-bitch.” I held her in place until I was sure she wouldn’t look down again before I let her go.

  Her husband cheated on her? How is that possible?

  “I should’ve known it was coming,” she said, her voice stronger. “Looking back, I think he was messing around on me the entire time. I should have left him long before I did. Between the cheating and the other stuff …”