Page 4 of Enough

Where she shouldn’t have been surprised by his question, it had still taken her back.

“Um, well,” she stumbled, “No, not really.”

“Not really?” Christopher’s smile turned into a questionable frown.

“Well I mean, no. I have a few prospects but nothing promising.”

“I see.” Christopher twirled her out from him than back in. “If none of those prospects are a part of this family, then you should just forget ‘em.”

Claudia openly gawked. “And why is that Mr. Rose?” Humor laced her voice.

“There are plenty of single men raised well here. No need to waste time with anyone else.”

“Would that please you, Mr. Rose?”

Christopher’s smile returned. “It would indeed. More grandbabies.” He wiggled his brows and Claudia fell into a heap of laughter.

When her chuckles resided, she said, “Well, we can pretend for now can’t we?”

“There may not be a need to pretend when you’ve already caught my son’s eye.”

Claudia’s brows shot up. “Wha- what’re you talking about?”

Christopher twirled Claudia again stopping her mid twirl. From across the room, dark eyes met hers and that intense heat wave that always overcame her soaked Claudia. She was certain she shivered under his heavy observation.

“Jesus,” she whispered.

Octavia Davenport glided up to Jaden pulling his attention away. It was the escape Claudia needed. She turned quickly but was stuck with Christopher’s knowing look.

“See, now someone else has his eye,” Claudia stated.

“It’s okay,” Christopher said, “You can fight it for now, but if I know my son, and I think I do, it won’t be long.”

What was with the men in this family? Claudia thought. What was this thing she was supposedly fighting? But, Claudia knew, even though she’d never admit it.

Watching her from what felt like light years away, Jaden was a statue. Why he was so taken by Claudia Steven’s was yet to be determined, but it was his undertaking to find out. Since the moment they’d met at the March of Dimes gala, Jaden knew there was something there. But even then, he hadn’t understood it.

The powerful attraction to her was much more than it had been with any other woman in his life. It was magnetic, unrestrained and destabilizing. The more times he saw her, the more intense those feelings became. There had been many nights of conversations about her mother’s care and the toll it had taken on Claudia to be deserted by her sister. Claudia never spoke about the rift between them, but he wanted her to release that when she was ready.

Their conversations delved into her partnership with Samiyah Manhattan at S & M Financial Advisory, and how they’d started their small business. Jaden let her speak about anything she was willing to discuss, revealing little about himself.

When Jaden asked her about her relationship with men, Claudia responded, “What would you like to know?”

“Why are you single, Claudia?”

She’d sighed. “I always found it interesting when men ask me that. How should I know? No one wants me I guess.” She’d chuckled it off, but Jaden hadn’t found the comment, whimsical. When his silence continued, Claudia spoke again. “Maybe I’m damaged goods, and at this time in my life, I don’t want someone unstable or only searching for a good time.”

Jaden had laid on his back that night with an arm behind his head and the phone to his ear listening to her words. He’d decided to keep his distance after that, not wanting to rush anything with her. Mostly because he wasn’t sure which category he fell in. When it came to his business life, he was everything but unstable. But when it came to his personal life, Jaden was in no hurry to settle down. So in retrospect, Claudia was speaking directly to him, and Jaden knew she deserved better.

That was four months ago, and now he couldn’t seem to stop the protuberant thoughts of her. His father twirled her as they moved on the dance floor. Jaden wondered about their conversation, but kept his eyes on Claudia’s movements. Her bodacious hips rotated with smooth conversion and the smile on her face widened at something his father said. The body hugging dress pushed her breasts forward just enough to tease but not spill over. Her brown legs stretched to the floor into a pair of ‘fuck me now’ heels. Jaden was becoming a furnace as he watched her move.

Just when Jaden thought he could get away with undressing her with his eyes, his father twirled her again, and their eyes met. The moment was endless with a seductive gaze falling over Claudia’s face. Jaden reached to loosen his tie when he realized he wasn’t wearing one. Shit, she was flustering him. Their connection seemed to go on forever until Octavia Davenport called his name.

“Jaden, right?”

Jaden almost ignored her; unwilling to take his vision from Claudia. “Yes, and you’re Octavia, right?” Finally, he turned his attention to Octavia.

“Yes, Claudia and Samiyah’s employee.”

---