Page 48 of Enough

Chapter Fifteen

When the door to the Palazzo Hotel opened, Claudia’s mouth dropped. She’d stayed at her fair share of luxury hotels, but the upscale opulence of this resort was flawlessly decorated with plush carpet, modern furnishing, and marble bathroom floors.

“This is incredible,” she said. “I don’t know if I brought enough clothes for this trip.” Claudia began to mumble to herself. “Samiyah didn’t say how long we’d be staying or anything, just grab a bag we’re going on a trip,” she mimicked.

Jaden chuckled. “No worries, chérie, we’ll go shopping.”

Claudia’s eyes brightened. When she was in college, her spending was limited on her all girls trip to Vegas. However, now that she co-owned and operated her dream business, Claudia reasoned she had a few thousand she could throw away. She squealed, and Jaden approached her. He laid a warm kiss against her temples.

“I’m going to freshen up, and I’ll be back for our shopping extravaganza.”

“Wait, where are you going,” she asked reaching out for him.

Turning back to her, Jaden slid his hands into his pockets. “To my suite, chérie.”

“Oh, so you’re not staying here with me?”

Jaden smirked, knowing if he stayed they would not make it out of the hotel room. “This suite is yours; however, I’m only next door in the adjoining room if you need me.”

But Claudia didn’t want him to leave. She’d been trying to figure out what it was she said that made him pull back from being sexual with her. And it was becoming increasingly difficult for Claudia to abstain from jumping his bones.

“Oh, okay, I guess.”

Jaden took her chin in his hand. “Whenever you want me, I’m just a knock away.”

Claudia wanted him now, and although she wanted to tell him to stay, she was afraid of what he might say. So instead, she shook her head up and down.

“Okay, I’ll freshen up, too.”

Jaden leaned in and placed another kiss on her forehead before taking his leave. When the door closed behind him, Claudia fell back on the bed with arms wide. Oh my God, I can’t believe I’m here with this man. She rolled into the sheets stuffing her face into the fresh linen’s fragrance. Her legs swung as she kicked with excitement. Calm down girl; you act like you’ve never been out of the city. But Claudia couldn’t calm herself. Her upbringing in the hood of Chicago wasn’t a pleasant experience. Sometimes their family would go hungry on days their mother had to pay the rent and electricity. Now that she had the funds to enjoy herself a little, it never dawned on Claudia to live it up a bit. She was too busy saving every red cent, making sure to secure her future and her mother’s retirement.

Pulling away from the bed, Claudia rummage through her clothes. She had some pretty hot items; one’s that would flaunt her shapely figure, but none that she could just go shopping in. She needed hip hugging destroyed denim jeans and a belly revealing top. As an alternative, Claudia settled on a thigh high one-piece dress and three-inch heels. Sliding into the bathroom, she hummed a little tune while she took a quick shower. The heat and force of the showerhead held her mesmerized for longer than it should have. Turning it off and stepping out, Claudia wiped the bathroom mirror and commenced to applying light foundation on her face.

Though it had been a long day, with work and dear ole Betsy breaking down on her, the four-hour power nap Claudia had on the flight over had given her an extra ounce of energy. She was feeling optimistic about her time with Jaden. Her phone tuned and she recognized the ring as his familiar set tone. Claudia glided to her cell.

“Hey you.”

“Mi Amor, are you ready for me?”

The timbre of his voice sent a thrill of pleasure racing down her spine. Was she ready for him? Claudia’s mind popped with the many ways she could be ready for him. All she needed was five seconds to drop this towel.

Jaden cleared his throat and reversed the question. “What I meant was, are you ready, chérie?”

Claudia imagined him licking those moist lips she’d wanted to stick her tongue between since the night he’d kissed her on their date. Tingles fled down her skin, and she shuddered. Suddenly, her voice was soft and sultry. “I’ll be ready in five minutes.”

“Take ten,” his husky vocals rapped.

All I need is two seconds to drop this towel. Pressing her legs thinly together, Claudia was sure if this man didn’t make love to her before the night was over, she’d be in the bathroom with the shower head between her thighs. Lord have mercy.

After fifteen minutes, Claudia twirled and twisted in the full-length mirror getting a three sixty view of her scantily clad dress. She was outfitted for a night on the town, not for shopping. Maybe they could do that tomorrow. She grabbed her clutch and sauntered to the door. Since Jaden had called her when she wasn’t ready, this time she would be standing on his doorstep waiting for him.

But the action quickly dissipated when Claudia opened the door and found Jaden lying in wait; devastatingly handsome, in an all-black polo shirt that held two buttons, with the first one unhinged and a neatly folded collar. The casual short sleeves paused mid bicep and caressed his broad chest all the way down to his sculpted hips. The black trousers kissed his muscled thighs that rode down to a halt right above his ankles into a pair of loafers. A Rolex adorned his wrist, and sterling silver studs sat in each ear.

Claudia bit down on her lip. The confidence in his posture and the devilish gleam in his eye made her nipples pucker against the thin fabric she wore, setting off a flash of heat that journeyed to her panties. Jaden’s gaze swept the length of Claudia, giving attention to her expresso brown silk legs and peek of her thigh that sprouted just an inch below the sequin dress she wore. When his perusal made it to her puckered breasts, they lingered there and his irises darkened with frank appreciation.

“Shit,” he swore, reaching to gather her against his massive chest. Now with their lips separated by mere inches, Jaden spoke through a thick growl. “What are you trying to do to me in this dress?”

Claudia’s mouth opened then closed, her thoughts shaken by the desire in his eyes. “I didn’t bring anything casual to wear.” Her voice was daunting and seductive.

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