Tender Touch (38 page)

“Listen, it’s better to find out these
things early on.” Nick stirred the batter in a large blue mixing
bowl.

“What?” Jade swam up from her deep thoughts
to focus on his words.

“I mean that Damon Knight dude. Him and
Rachelle go back a long ways. She’s his type, if you like shallow
self-centered women who happen to be gorgeous.” Nick shrugged as
though they both knew what he meant.

Jade gave a grunt. “I’ve seen some of your
lady friends, pal. They’re about as deep as a baby’s wading
pool.”

“Unfair. That description doesn’t apply to
you at all.” Nick beamed at her. He turned back to concentrate on
the task of pouring oil in a deep pan. “Look, Rachelle is just
using business as a means to get next to the man. And he’s falling
for it pretty good.”

“Guess she’s got the right plan for him in
more ways than one.” Jade swiped at a spill of milk harder than
necessary.

“Hey, she dangled two things in front of him
he couldn’t resist—making his company more money and sex.”

Jade paused in the act of pushing back her
ceramic canister set after handing him the one with sugar. “Is that
a fact? You know all about it, do you?”

“Rachelle has a natural talent for making
sure things go her way. Hell, once she sets her mind...” Nick’s
voice died. He gave a nervous chuckle. “I mean when I knew her a
long, long time ago.”

Jade grabbed his arm, making batter fly
across the kitchen. “Just coincidence we happened to be at the same
restaurant, was it?” She backed him against the counter. “Just
happen to know all about her plans to use business as an excuse to
get to Damon?” She picked up the large wooden mixing spoon and held
it under his nose.

“Ba-baby, please,” Nick stuttered. “This
violent side of you is so unbecoming.” His expression changed to a
slight leer. “And kind of a turn-on.”

“Really?” Jade brought her knee up to his
crotch with a quick motion.

“No, no,” Nick yelled out. Beads of sweat
budded on his top lip.

“You and Rachelle orchestrated that little
scene,” Jade said through clenched teeth.

“I knew he was no good for you the moment I
saw the guy.” Nick spoke in a rush of words. When Jade stepped back
from him, he blew out a gust of air.

“You slimy, lowdown lying—”

Nick tried to recover some masculine
dignity. He straightened his shirt with care. “Nobody forced him to
grin in her face or put his hands all over her.”

“You know what? I think I’m going to let the
child support folks know just how much money you’re making on this
deal.” Jade nodded at him slowly. “Both mothers of your children
would be quite interested.”

“You know about—” Nick clamped his mouth
shut.

“Have for a long time, Daddy dearest.”

“Now, baby, let’s not be vindictive.” Nick
rubbed his mouth. “That would cut into both our profits.”

“My attorney says it will come out of your
half of the community property.” Jade smiled at him. “Your check,
not mine. Now get out of my apartment.”

“No matter how they got back together,
Rachelle has her hooks in your precious Damon again. And you can’t
pry him loose,” Nick said in a voice heavy with rancor.

“Out!” Jade pointed to the door.

She watched him stroll out then sagged
against the counter. What he said rang true. And she might have
pushed Damon even farther into Rachelle’s arms by overreacting.
Look how easy she’d made it for Rachelle by stepping aside. Three
weeks since that night. Not a phone call from him. Nick was right.
Her pride had prevented her from making the first move. Any chance
they had was gone now. Or was it? The cordless phone seemed to pull
her like a magnet.

* * *

“Rachelle, you didn’t have to come over so
late,” Damon said. “Thanks, Helen.” He suppressed a smile at the
look of disapproval the older woman gave Rachelle.

They were seated at compact round conference
table in a corner of Damon’s large office on the second floor of
his main building. Rachelle had insisted Damon review her firm’s
work so they would know they were on the right track.

“That urgent call you were expecting might
be coming in any minute.” Helen raised her eyebrows and gestured at
him in sign language. “You know the one I mean.”

“Thank you, Helen,” he replied in a stern
tone. “If we want to be out of here by midnight, type up that final
inventory report for tax purposes.” He jerked a thumb at her to
leave.

“Call loud if you need help.” Helen threw
one last hostile glance at Rachelle before leaving.

Rachelle sniffed at the closed door. “Helen
has always been more trouble than she’s worth. I can help you find
a competent administrative assistant, get rid of that old
secretary.”

“Helen has the kind of business sense that
you can’t learn in any MBA program.” Damon brushed aside Rachelle’s
snippy comment. Helen had disliked Rachelle at first sight. And the
feeling was mutual. “Now let’s see what your graphic design artist
came up with for a new logo.”

Rachelle pulled out the large drawing with a
flourish. “Alonzo outdid himself this time.”

“Bold, clean lines.” Damon continued to
study the picture without sitting down. A large dark blue K with
shadow below it was drawn on a soft gray background.

“Like a commercial giant looming on the
horizon. See the shadow effect as though the letter is standing in
sunlight.” Rachelle stood and leaned over him, her arm resting on
his. “Ready to thrust forth.” She pressed her lips to him.

Damon glanced over his shoulder at her and
inched away from her. “Uh, yeah. It really makes an impression.
Let’s see the rest.”

With a knowing laugh, Rachelle sat down
again. For the next fifteen minutes, Damon reviewed sketches for a
complete campaign that included billboards and print
advertising.

“I’m so glad you’re pleased.” Rachelle
pressed her knee against his and put a hand on his thigh.

“I’m more than pleased. Alonzo did a
fantastic job capturing the essence of where I wanted to go with
this.” Damon stood and crossed to his desk to escape the sense of
being crowded. Nothing about Rachelle affected him the way it had
years before.

“Excellent! Let’s celebrate over dinner and
fine wine, sugar.”

“No. I mean, thanks but I’ve got more work
to do.” Damon tapped a stack of forms, hoping Rachelle took the
hint that their meeting was over.

“We don’t have to go out, in case you don’t
want your little friend to see us again.” Rachelle wore a catlike
smile. “We could order in. There’s a new gourmet pizza place that
delivers.”

“Rachelle, I—”

“Jade Pellerin got you on a short leash
these days?” She spoke in a tone designed to needle him.

“Not exactly.” He looked away.

Damon came back to the grim reality of how
much he missed Jade with a solid thud. Sure, he could keep the
demon at bay for sometimes as long as an hour these days; some
progress, if not much. In another decade II should be able to sleep
through the night without... The ache for her body, her kisses was
like an ice pick in his heart. The memory of how she tasted on his
lips—sweet and salty at the same time—was a flame licking at his
groin. Damon had never experienced this kind of desire before in
his life—a craving that left him weak and bathed in sweat in the
middle of the night.

“Damon? Hel-lo.” Rachelle waved a hand in
front of his face. She wore an expression of annoyance. “Goodness.
Little Miss Prissy Pants certainly has whipped.”

“Drop it, Rachelle.” Damon’s jaw muscles
worked.

“We don’t have to talk. I’ve got something
that can still make you forget everything else.” Rachelle opened
her jacket to reveal a low-cut lace bra.

Damon stared at the flawless mounds of flesh
the color of fine teakwood and felt...nothing. Not one twitch, not
one thrill. All he could think of was how to get her to button up
and leave. His thoughts must have been mirrored in his eyes.
Rachelle’s lascivious smile drooped as she continued to gaze at
him.

“Uh, well, you see I’ve got these reports
and—”

“You must have some kind of problem these
days.” Rachelle jerked her jacket together and jammed the button
through the holes. “You can’t perform or something?” She stomped
over to snatch up her leather purse and matching portfolio.

The implication that he was impotent was an
obvious bid to restore her feminine pride. Damon felt guilty about
embarrassing her. Rachelle wasn’t used to rejection from men, and
with good reason. She had a lovely figure, a beautiful face and
charm... to a point.

“Look, Rachelle, it’s just with all this
work and stress I’m preoccupied. Besides, it’s been over between us
for a long time.” Damon tried to be honest yet a gentleman at the
same time. It failed.

Rachelle spun to face him. “You’re welcome
to your little wannabe upper-class cow with the soulful eyes. Tell
her to lose the innocent act. Nobody is fooled.” She had missed a
button on the jacket, making it hang crookedly.

“You didn’t have to go there,” Damon said.
He smothered a laugh at the spectacle of Rachelle’s obvious envy.
He pointed to her clothes. “You need to fix th—”

Enraged at being the butt of humor, Rachelle
squinted at him. “I’d like to have you fixed. Go on. Run back to
what’s-her-name. She’s more your speed.”

Damon stopped smiling as a notion popped
into his head. “Rachelle, you said something about me not wanting
Jade to see us again. How did you know that she’d seen us
together?”

“You must have mentioned it when I saw you
last time.” Rachelle tossed her hair back in defiance. “What does
it matter?”

“I didn’t mention anything about Jade to
you. Wait a minute.” He snapped his fingers. “Nick Guillory and you
know each other.”

“I know a lot of people,” she snapped. “Go
sniff after Jade Pellerin if that’s what you want. That is if Nick
hasn’t got her legs in the air by now.” Rachelle’s mouth twisted in
a spiteful curve.

“Dumb. So dumb of me not to have figured it
out by now.” Damon glowered at her. “You arranged it so carefully,
didn’t you? Covered your tracks well, as usual.”

“What are you talking about?” Rachelle
lifted her nose in the air.

“Just like you managed to hide your affair
with Ivory Carrington.” Damon nodded slowly at her. “Yes, I
eventually found out.”

What he did not say was that by the time he
knew of the affair, it no longer mattered to him. He had already
decided to leave her. Rachelle’s selfishness and deceit had killed
whatever feelings he’d had for her.

She stood staring at him for a few seconds
before she recovered. Damon could almost hear the wheels turning as
Rachelle calculated what response would best serve her. It seemed
denial and outrage won.

“You’re imagining things. Don’t come
scratching at my door when you realize she’s back with Nick. He’s
got a certain way with women, and she was stone cold crazy for
him.”

Damon felt a wave of revulsion for this
woman. How could he have ever thought he’d loved her? “Goodbye,
Rachelle. I’ll deal directly with your uncle from now on.”

“Kiss my alimony.” Rachelle snatched up her
leather briefcase and strode from his office.

Seconds later Helen came into his office
wearing a delighted grin. “Whoa! Miss Thang flew outta here like a
cat with a fire cracker on its tail. Please tell me you got her
told.”

“We had words, yes.” Damon could think only
of how to undo the damage she’d done. He had a lot to apologize for
as well. But what if Rachelle was right about Jade and Nick? He’d
been stupid enough to clear the way for Nick to step back into her
life. Now it was probably too late to do anything about it.

“Well if you ask me, which you didn’t, you
won’t know until you call her, boss.” Helen broke through his
musing.

Damon started at her words. “Are you
psychic?”

“Don’t need a crystal ball to know something
went wrong with you and the new lady. Not the way you’ve been
brooding.” Helen pulled a long face in obvious imitation of him.
“Now call so I don’t have to keep looking at this all day.” She
gave a nod of approval when he picked up the phone then left.

After several seconds of hesitation, Damon
punched in the numbers. He anticipated the musical sound of her
voice with a mixture of excitement and anxiety. The phone rang six
times then picked up. He heard her voice.

“Damn!” Damon groaned in frustration as the
recording told him to leave a message at the tone. A cold knot
formed in his stomach at the thought that Jade was with Nick. He
put down the receiver.

* * *

Jade sat in the car, feeling numb. She’d
hung up without leaving a message on Damon’s voice mail and made a
bold decision. She knew he was more than likely at his office,
working late what with the new business. His car in the building’s
parking lot was a welcome sight. After parallel parking on the
street directly across from the entrance, she started to get out
when Rachelle emerged. With a toss of her hair, she disabled the
car alarm on her Mercedes. Jade watched her slam the car door hard
and drive away. Now she sat second guessing her boldness. Would it
make a difference since Rachelle was obviously back in his life?
Her own angry words from that last night came back to her. In a
haze of gloom, she started the car with mechanical movements. No
reason to stay here.

Chapter 16

“Can you believe this zoo?” Shaena gazed
around at the packed hearing room.

Jade and Shaena were seated in the row right
behind the table where those giving comments sat. The chairs were
empty for now. A microphone was poised for those who would speak.
Some yards away directly facing these tables and the audience was a
raised dais. A long table in the shape of a half-moon, with
microphones dotting its surface, was for the state senators. Soon
all seven members of the Health and Welfare Committee had bustled
in. Dressed alike in varying shades of gray, brown and blue suits,
they all strove to look like serious statesmen on a mission.