A Long Time Coming Ch. 03

He chuckled and said, "That's the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me."

"Thank you for not thinking it was dumb."

"It's never dumb when a woman lets a man know she likes being with him," he assured her.

"Well, I like being with you," she said.

Sighing contentedly, Jade placed her hand on his broad chest and kissed his jaw.

"It'll be light soon," she stated feeling the first tentacles of uncertainty.

"Yes," he said as he stroked her firm buttocks, "the beginning of a new day for both of us."

Jade nodded and snuggled closer without another word.

*

Jade woke up in bed alone. On Alex's pillow was a note.

'Feel free to use the shower, I'm making coffee,' it read.

Jade found her panties and bra along with her dress draped over the back of the chair in the alcove. There was also a big tee shirt of Alex's on the arm. The thought of wearing his clothing made her flush with heat. Hurriedly, she took a warm shower and brushed her teeth with an extra toothbrush she found in the vanity drawer. She put on her bra scans her panties which she recalled got pretty soaked with her juices. The tee shirt reached to her knees, so being without panties wouldn't be a problem.

Alex was in the kitchen fixing breakfast. He had on a pair of old faded jeans and a black Grateful Dead tee-shirt.

Upon seeing her, he said, "Good morning, baby. Have a seat," indicating the breakfast bar. "What would you like for breakfast?"

"Good morning, Alex."

Then, checking the time on the kitchen clock, she said ruefully, "Maybe I should pick up Briana."

Jade didn't want to leave Alex so soon, but in the light of day she was having doubts about the wisdom of sleeping with him. It would be hard enough to get him out of her system, but she didn't want Briana to become attached if nothing was to come of their relationship. She was beginning to feel that she'd been selfish and irresponsible.

"Why don't you call your cousin and ask if it's all right to leave Briana with her until noon. Then we both can pick her up and take her to lunch," he said.

Jade nibbled on her bottom lip trying to decide what to do.

Seeing her uncertainty, Alex said, "Remember, you trust me."

Jade blinked at him.

How did he know that she trusted him?

She hadn't said the words out loud, but it was true nonetheless. She trusted Alex; otherwise she would not have spent the night with him.

Going with her instincts, she said, "Ok, I'll call her. Where's the phone?"

Alex pulled his cell phone from his back pocket and gave it to her.

Jade dialed Judy's number and drummed her fingers on the counter while she waited. She hoped her cousin answered; Alex's number wasn't one that she would recognize.

"Hello," Judy answered without checking the caller ID. She was in the middle of making breakfast for the kids and had gotten distracted by Lisa spilling her orange juice.

"Hey Judy, it's Jade," she said. "I'm calling to see if Briana could stay with you until noon. I'll come get her then."

She deliberately didn't say we. She was going to have enough explaining to do with Cheryl and didn't want to get into a discussion with Judy right then.

"Yeah, no problem; you know we love having Briana over. When you drop by I hope you have a story to tell about the handsome man you left the club with. Yeah," she said before Jade could interject, "Cheryl has already called me."

"I can't say that I'm surprised," Jade said resigned to an interrogation. "Anyway, thanks. Oh! Don't give Briana lunch, we're going out to lunch; as for the other, we'll see."

"All right, I'll expect you around noon. I'm family and I'm nosey, so don't think you're going to get away without giving me the lowdown."

"Wouldn't think of it," Jade sighed. "See you later. Bye."

She gave the phone back to Alex, who placed it back into his pocket.

Looking at Jade curiously he asked, "What was the sigh about?"

"Judy was being nosey," she replied without further explanation.

Coming around the breakfast bar, Alex put his arms loosely around Jade from behind. "Having regrets?" he asked.

Leaning into him, Jade admitted, "Only for a minute. I wanted what happened last night. I still want you. I just don't know where it's going and I know just because we had one night together doesn't give me the right to ask. We haven't even dated."

Alex rubbed his chin against the top of her head and said,

"We did put the cart before the horse, but I'm going to fix that. How about you, Briana and I go see a movie next Saturday?"

Jade smiled and declared, "That would be great. Briana would love it."

"What about Briana's Mom?"

"I'd love it too," she whispered.

"Good. By the way, you look sexy in my shirt," he said and kissed her softly on the cheek.

Jade was about to respond when a thought occurred to her. She swiveled around on the chair to face him before voicing it.

"I forgot to ask last night; who was the redhead?"

Confused he asked, "What redhead?"

"At the club," Jade said, equally confused now. "The redheaded woman you were dancing with."

"Oh." Alex said as awareness dawned. "I'd forgotten about her. That was Clare Barnes, the Fire Marshall's daughter. And before you ask, she wasn't my date. I went to the club alone."

Jade was surprised that he'd gone to the club alone. She certainly didn't think it was for a lack of a companion.

"I had another woman on my mind," he said stroking a nipple through the tee shirt with his thumb. "Were you jealous?"

Jade's body suffused with warmth and she smiled when she saw the mischief in his eyes. "Well, maybe a little."

Alex caressed the other nipple before seeking her sweet puffy lips in a long sensuous kiss that left no doubt in Jade's mind that she was the sole object of his desire.

Breaking the contact, he asked huskily, "Now, what about breakfast?"

*

The leisurely breakfast with Alex was wonderful.

Afterward they sat on the sofa and talked.

They talked about their families, with Jade sharing the difficulties her parents were having with her brother, Russell, who had gradually changed from an obedient child to one they barely knew.

Alex talked about his law practice and his partnership with his brothers. While they all practice law, they chose different branches. Alex practiced primarily Corporate and Commercial Law, domestically and internationally. But, he was also qualified to practice in several other area.

Jason practiced Professional Liability and Product Liability Law with Cameron specializing in Real Estate and Probate Law. Alex said they'd all become attorneys following in their father's and grandfather's footsteps. As Alex spoke, it became evident that he and his brothers had a great relationship. They were also very close to their parents.

Jade had a great relationship with her parents, but her relationship with Russell was challenging. He was at the age where he thought he knew everything and resented being told what to do. She'd tried to talk to him a few times, but while he listened, it hadn't made a bit of difference in his attitude. At the center or at least circling around his change in behavior were some neighbor boys whom he befriended a year ago.

Alex understood her concern, but he knew that her brother was growing up and he was rebelling against the restraints of authority. Teenagers were sometimes contrary. Even knowing that they'd end up in trouble, some just couldn't resist the will to have everything on their own terms. They were always going to test boundaries.

"I can't tell you not to worry about your brother, Jade," Alex told her. "That's the nature of family, they worry about each other. He's going to make mistakes, we all do. It just differs in the type of mistakes and the severity. Hopefully, he'll get himself turned around soon. He has a good background, but ultimately the direction his life takes is up to him. In any event, if you need to talk to someone or just a shoulder to lean on, I want to be the person that you call."

Jade leaned into his warm comforting body and said, "Thank you, Alex."

"You're welcome, sweetheart."

Then, taking her by surprise, Alex pounced on her and said, "Now I'm going to have my wicked way with you."

"Oh, my!" she giggled.

*

It was eleven o'clock when they left Alex's place. A stop by Jade's apartment was necessary so that she could change clothes before they picked up Briana. Jade dressed in Jeans and a tee shirt, the same as Alex, except she didn't think her jeans hugged her butt nearly as well as his jeans hugged his.

She wasn't complaining; the man had a hot ass.

When Alex pulled up to Judy's house, he could see Briana peeking out of the window. She didn't recognize his car, but when she saw him get out, she was out the door in a flash.

"Alex!" she scream, in the only way that small children could scream, shrilly.

Grinning, Alex held out his arms and gathered her up. As he held her with one arm, he opened the car door for Jade.

"How are you doing, princess?"

"Good," She said, smiling at him. "Are you going to have lunch with us?"

"Yes, I am," he said smiling back at her.

"Well now, I guess I don't matter anymore," Jade teased as she stepped out of the car.

"Yes, you do," Briana said, reaching out to hug her, still perched in Alex's arms. "You're my Mommy. I love you."

By this time Judy, who had been gawking, stepped off the porch. Not waiting for Jade to make the introductions, she held out her hand to Alex.

"Hi. I'm Jade's cousin Judy and you are a sexy surprise," she said, blatantly flirting.

"Oh, my god, Judy," Jade sighed, feeling her face warm with embarrassment.

However, Alex took it in stride.

"Hi, I'm Alex McCord. Good to meet you, Judy."

"My, my," Judy continued, "even his voice is sexy. Are there any more like you at home?"

Seeing the shocked expression on Jade's face, she added, "I have sisters." Although she was happily married she still appreciated a good looking man.

"I think it's time for lunch," Jade said feeling like her face would burst into flames at any moment.

Then to Judy with a glare, "I'll talk to you later."

Judy grinned and Alex tried to suppress his smile.

"Lunch time!" Briana declared loudly, making sure no one was going to waste any more time.

Alex opened the car door for Jade. When she was situated, he turned his attention to Briana. He sat her in the car seat, which was retrieved from Jade's car, and fastened the safety belt so that she was restrained securely. As he went around to the driver's side, he heard Judy's, "Uh, Uh, Uh." Jade heard too and responded by giving her cousin a death stare. She knew Judy was watching Alex's ass, the freak.

Judy laughed out loud and went back into the house. She did love teasing her cousin.

Once he was seated, Alex asked Briana where she wanted to go for lunch.

It didn't take long for her to make a choice.

"Duffy's!"

He nodded and started the car. He was sure she was going to say McDonald's. Didn't all kids want to go to McDonald's?

As they drove to the restaurant Briana began humming.

Looking in the review mirror, Alex saw her bouncing and bobbing her head. She really was cute with her pigtails and dressed in a blue and pink romper. She looked like Jade, but instead of Jade's caramel brown eyes and chestnut hair, Briana's eyes were dark brown as was her hair without the red undertones of her mother's.

Lunch at Duffy's was a good choice. The atmosphere and the food were good. It was also an eye opener for Alex. Briana was just an amazing little girl. It was obvious that she spent a lot of time around adults. She was smart, articulate and opinionated and just plain adorable. She often asked her mother's or Alex's opinion about something and she stuck to Alex like glue.

Chief among Briana's questions was whether Alex had any kids. Then she asked about sisters and brothers. After asking about his mother and father, she wanted to know if he had a swimming pool. When he told her that he did indeed have a swimming pool, she replied, "Great."

That was it, "Great."

Jade looked at Alex, smiled and shook her head.

*

The next Morning it was back to the grind for Alex. He was currently working on an antitrust case involving Sims Micro systems. There were some things that he wanted to get out of the way so that he could spend more time with Jade, which was the reason he was working through lunch. He'd previously agreed to have lunch with Jason, but ended up calling to explain the situation.

"Hey, Jason, I'm not going to be able to get away for lunch, but I need to eat. Will you bring me a sandwich?"

"Sure, no problem. What would you like?"

"Roast beef on pumpernickel with mayo, mustard, provolone, lettuce and tomato."

"What's keeping you in today?" Jason asked.

"I'm tied down with the Sims antitrust case. There are some things I want to set in motion to further the investigation. I may even stay late this evening."

Knowing Jason was going to find out at some point, Alex continued. "The other reason I'm tying to tighten this up is because I want to spend some time with Jade tonight."

Stunned, Jason asked, "You're seeing Jade? Mom's assistant Jade?'

"Yes, the very same," Alex confirmed.

"It's about damn time. I thought you were going to let her get away," Jason said.

"I probably would have continued to put off seeing her for a while if I hadn't run into her at The Grove Saturday night," Alex revealed.

"Uh, how did it go?" Jason asked. He usually wasn't one to pry into his brother's personal affairs, but he knew Jade and Alex had been tied up in knots over her long before meeting her.

Sighing, Alex said, "We ended up spending the night together."

"Wow," Jason said, "you didn't waste any time."

"I don't plan to waste any more than I have already," Alex declared. "I had to make sure of my feelings before I approached her. I was half on my way there when I saw her at The Grove and it just seemed like I'd already wasted too much time.

"You're really serious about her," Jason said and it wasn't a question. He knew his brother.

"I wouldn't have gotten involved otherwise, especially since she has a child."

"I know. I'm happy for you, man, really. I've talked with her a few times when I was at the folks. She seems like a great girl."

"She's something special, Jason; Briana is a bonus. She has me practically wrapped around her little finger already," Alex admitted.

"Double damn," Jason said when a laugh. "I'm pulling for you Brother. Mom is going to be over the moon."

"Don't say anything to Mom," Alex cautioned. "I want to tell her when and how I decide."

"All right, I won't say a word, but Mom has a way of sensing things and she won't be shy about asking Jade if she suspects something is up between the two of you," Jason warned.

"I know. She'll just have to figure it out on her own for the time being. I want Jade and I to get to know each other better. We sort of got ahead of ourselves, but I mean for her to understand that I want more."

"Ok, mums the word," Jason said. "I'll pick up that sandwich for you and bring it by your office about one o'clock. Is that ok?"

"That's fine," Alex agreed. "I'll see you later."

Before he got back to the lawsuit, Alex decided to call Jade to confirm that she was available tonight. Just because they slept together, he wasn't going to assume anything. He rang Jade's direct number at the office.

"The McCord Foundation, this is Jade Harris, how may I help you?"

"I'm in the mood for a steaming cup of hot chocolate," Alex murmured.

"Alex!" Jade screeched, cupping her hand round the phone's receiver. "Why are you calling here?" The last thing she wanted was for Mrs. McCord to know that she's seeing her son. Not that the phrase 'seeing him' covered the half of it.

With a smile in his voice, Alex said, "I missed you and I wanted to see if you were busy tonight. I thought I'd come over and bring dinner."

"Alex, are you sure about this?" she asked, still needing assurance.

"Yes, I'm sure, sweetheart. Everything is going to be fine. You trust me, remember?"

"Yes, I do trust you, Alex. It's just been a long time since I've dated. This takes some getting use to, you know?"

"I know. However, let's get this straight; we're not dating; we're in a relationship. I'm your man and you're my woman, period. Understand?"

Feeling her heart skip a beat, Jade said, "Yes, I understand and yes, tonight will be fine. What time should I expect you?

"I'll be there about 6:30," he said. "Do you and Briana like Italian?"

"Yes, we love it."

"Ok, I'll see you tonight. I have a shitload of stuff to get through before then. Bye, sweetheart."

"Goodbye, Alex."

_

Although there was a lot to do, the day went better than Alex originally anticipated. He went home and changed into a pair of dark slacks and a fitted pullover then he stopped by Baggetta's to pick up dinner.

He was eager to see Jade and Briana.

*

Jade picked Briana up at her parents' after work and got waylaid. Her Mom wanted to know who this Alex was that Briana has been talking about.

"Alex and I are dating, Mom. We've only been seeing each other a few days," she said thinking at twenty six she shouldn't have to explain her love life. Dating was hardly the word for it, but she wasn't going to tell her mother more than was necessary. It probably took her some time to work up to confronting her about Alex in he first place.

"A few days, that's all? This isn't the first time Briana has mention him. The way she goes on about the man I thought you knew him for a while. He must be something to make an impression on her, especially with her slacker father," Juliette said.

"Mom!" Jade protested.

She looked around to see if her daughter was within ear shot. She knew her mother wouldn't say anything negative around Briana, but kids had a way of hearing things when you think they're not around.

"You know what I mean, Jade. Briana doesn't just take to anyone," she elaborated.

"I know. She's already crazy about Alex," Jade stated.

"When are your father and I going to get to meet him?" her mother asked more casually than she felt. It wasn't lost on her that this is the first man Jade had been interested in since Jackson.

"I don't know," Jade answered. "We'll have to work something out. He's an attorney and has some high profile cases he's working on and I'm busy with my job at Mrs. McCord's. I'm going to tell you this now, rather than explain later why I didn't tell you. Alex is Mrs. McCord's son."

"You're dating your boss's son? Does she know?" Juliette asked with a mother's concern.

"Not yet, it's only been a few days as I said," Jade reminded her.

"Be careful, Jade. I don't want you or Briana to get hurt," her mother said, reaching out to hug her.

"I know Mom. Alex is really a great guy."

"Uh, huh," Juliette grunted, but added nothing further.

"Well, I need to get Briana and get going. Alex is bringing dinner tonight."

*

When there was a knock at the door, Briana was the one to let Alex in with Jade close behind her.

"Damn, she's pretty," he thought looking at Jade.

"Hi, Alex," Briana said, then threw her arms around him.

Looking down, smiling, Alex said, "Hi, sweetheart. Did you have a good day today?"

"Yep," Briana said, nodding.

Before Alex could say any more, Jade interjected, "Let him go, baby, so that he can put dinner on the table."

"Oh. Ok, Mommy," Briana responded, stepping back to give Alex room.

Alex walked to the dining table and set the packages down. After which, he pulled Jade into his arms giving her a long sweet kiss. She wiggled out of his embrace and looked worriedly at Briana who was watching.

Drawing her back into his arms, Alex whispered, "She has to get use to us showing each other affection sooner or later. I'm all for sooner."