by Kay Maree
“I didn’t realize that you were friends, or that she was here tonight, but my invitation to you still stands.”
She must have gasped. “Wow.”
“Look, I explain to all I entertain that I’m not for keeps, even though I’m sure everyone knows that. I’m just for fun. The women in my bed understand that. I thought she understood that as well. We play, orgasms are achieved and then it’s over. I’m never sure why some of them expect more.” Zane was doing his very best to look like the misunderstood playboy. “You stand here, looking at me like I’m the very devil, but this town is small, and I’ve talked to a man or two who thought they could claim the beautifully alluring Tempest Sure.”
“Are you comparing us?” She squinted like she was trying to see into his mind. The problem was she knew that he was, and she knew he was correct, but he wouldn’t hear it from her lips.
“If the trail of broken hearts behind you fit,” he said softly.
“Ms. Sure? Your drinks are here.”
Tempest turned away from Zane and held out her card to the bartender.
“On the house.” Jeremy smiled.
She looked to see if she had a few dollars in her little bag for a tip.
“I don’t want a tip either. Enjoy your night.” Jeremy walked off to answer the calls of other patrons.
Picking up her drinks, she turned and was almost surprised that Zane was still there.
“Can I assist you to your table?” he asked, looking into her eyes.
“Really? You’ll deliver drinks to the table where your conquest waits as you try to get in the pants of her friend?” Tempest’s words were soft and throaty. He really was making her want to give him a taste of his own medicine. He was confident in a way she was trying hard not to admire. His I-don’t-give-a-fuck-ness was at a level she aspired to, but it was almost unbelievable.
“I’m not sure why she’s mad when what we had was spelled out, but I get your point. I’ll not apologize for something I didn’t do.” Zane took a step back and let Tempest walk by. “I have the penthouse for an hour. They let people sign up to see what it’s like and hopefully book it at another time. It doesn’t have to be a tryst. I’m an architect and you’re a designer, there are lots of things to discuss.”
She looked up at him with her best fuck off face until he chuckled and moved further out of her way.
“What an expressive face you have.”
“The better to say fuck you without words, my dear.” Tempest swore she heard laughter as she walked away, but then she realized that she could see her table from the bar, so Ava probably saw that whole exchange.
Sliding the drink to Ava, she sat down in her seat next to her friend and took a sip of her deliciously made martini. It was difficult not to see her friend in her peripheral vision staring at her.
“What did he say?”
Taking another sip of her drink, Tempest wondered if she ignored the question would her friend lose the nerve to ask again. Ava hadn’t moved to look away from her, so Tempest figured she’d have to say something.
“He’s an asshole and so not worth any of your disappointment. You dodged a bullet.” Tempest took a moment to assess her friend and take in how watching the topic of most of their current conversations was affecting her. Her face was calculating, but she wasn’t sure what she was coming up with.
“He came on to you. Didn’t he?” The quizzical tone didn’t hold the heat of anger Tempest had been expecting.
“Yes. He has the penthouse booked and invited me to join him, but he said he was inviting me in more of a ‘look at your work in a new light’ kind of thing.” Tempest was good at reading body language, but her friend wasn’t giving her what she’d been expecting.
“Did you say yes?” Ava’s eyes lit up like sparklers on the Fourth of July.
“Of course not. What kind of friend do you think I am?” Tempest probably shouldn’t have been as pissed as she was about the way her friend thought of her, but damn. She turned away from her friend and looked at the crowd as she spoke. “I like sex, and I adore a man who knows how to turn me on without direction, feed my need and then get the hell out, but I’d never do that with someone a friend had a history with.”
“I’ve hurt your feelings?” Ava placed her hand on her chest, and it looked like she was clutching her pearls.
“I know sometimes it doesn’t seem as if I have any, but I have feelings.” Tempest hated that she said that, but damn… Really? She got that she appeared uncaring, but there were people she cared what they thought of her. Not about her sexual choices or how she fed her sexual nature, but her personality… Maybe she had a few fucks to give for certain people. She sure as hell didn’t want that bit of knowledge to get far.
Ava scooted herself over, so she was closer to Tempest. “I’m sorry. I watched the two of you at the bar, and he’s interested in you. Like really interested. I fought like hell for him to notice me, and I swear he only got with me so I would leave him alone.”
Tempest continued staring into the crowd, almost not wanting to continue this conversation anymore. There were lots of good recruits for her bed. When her stress levels got too high or her bullshit readings were on overload, kissing, biting, sucking and fucking could level her out like nothing else.
“Tempest?” Ava put her hand on her arm. “Did you hear what I said?”
“No.” Taking a big gulp of her martini, feeling the warmth of the alcohol fill her after the chill of the assessment her friend gave her.
“I want you to give him a taste of his own medicine. Fuck him, make him love you like all the other guys you bed do, and then dump his ass on his head.”
Tempest turned to stare at her friend before taking her pina colada and moving it away from her. “I think you’ve had too much to drink. I don’t revenge fuck. I’m not indiscriminate. There is a method to my madness.”
“I’m not drunk. I’m serious. Go up to the penthouse and give him a taste of his own medicine, not for me, but because you two are combustible. I know how you are, and you don’t play for keeps. Just like him. I think you can beat him at his own game.”
“I don’t think you know what you’re asking me to do.” Tempest took another gulp of her drink because damn… that sounded like an amazing idea. She knew it was just her body talking. She was still trying to shame herself into losing the arousal that remained from the brief verbal sparring with Zane.
“I know what I’m asking, but I don’t want you to do it if you don’t want to. It just came to me while I was watching you that the only way to fight fire is with fire.” Ava reached for her drink and took a sip when it was handed back to her.
“So I’m the fire you want to fight with?” Tempest hated that she loved this idea. “I have no filter and take no shit. I don’t play games. If I go up there and things happen, it’s because I wanted it too.”
“This is one reason I love you and a huge reason I want to be you. He won’t be able to resist you and then BAM.”
“Bam?”
“You’ve got him in your trap, and then you’ll let him freefall like the other jokers.”
Tempest was having a hard time hearing what her friend thought she did to men. It was like she was some Black Widow spider aiming to take men out after they’ve pleased her. That’s not what she did. That’s not who she was. “Ava?”
“I get you don’t like how I’m putting this but know that I really want you to do this. I won’t ask again, but,” Ava took a few sucks from her straw before she completed her sentence. “Pleeease.”
CHAPTER TWO
ZANE
It was official. Fifteen minutes after midnight was when he’d officially lost his mind.
When he’d scheduled his time in the penthouse, he’d really just wanted to see how it looked in full functionality. He’d designed it, oversaw the building and then left when it was complete, but words hadn’t prepared him for what the designer, Tempest Sure, had d
one with it.
He’d seen her work all over town. He’d been introduced to her a time or two, but she always had a crowd around her. She seemed to be more of an observer than a speaker he’d noticed in the times he’d gotten to check her out. That was interesting because he thought of himself the same way. Sure, they’d watched each other across the room, but he’d never made his way to her. It was like a prolonged game of cat and mouse. The problem was he wasn’t sure which he was most of the time.
There were sparkling mini lights as captivating as the night sky and a balcony that overlooked the downtown area. Walking out to take in the sights, Zane took in a deep breath of the night air. He’d come, he’d seen, and he knew it was stupid, but it disappointed him he’d not gotten the visitor he asked to meet up there. There were no hard feelings, but he had really wanted to see her. He turned so that his back was against the mini marble columns that made up the perimeter of the balcony and took another deep breath. He loved the room, but he’d seen enough. His mornings started early, and here he was wishing on stars and waiting for women who weren’t coming.
The door opened in the dim room, and light spilled across the floor. Zane found himself filled with expectation. It probably wasn’t her, but the attendant was told to allow Tempest in if she arrived. The slow cadence of footsteps hit him like a physical caress as they moved closer. It took a few minutes for her to make it to the balcony, and he had to wonder if she walked that slow for dramatic effect. Each strike of her heels against the glossy whisper white mosaic tiles pumped his anticipation up higher. The noise stopped as she got close to the doorway, but the coating on the glass made it impossible for him to see her.
Tempest stepped onto the balcony with a look of amused nonchalance on her face, and it made him want to kiss her until she was as aroused as he felt. She made her way to him, but she didn’t look at him. The night sky drew her attention for a few minutes, and he took in everything that was Tempest. Long dark hair that he knew to be wavy, although now she had it up in an artfully messy bun, was always calling for him to run his hands through it to see if it’s as soft as it looked. Not that he would do that, but he’d wanted to. “I’m glad you took me up on my offer, but I have to say I’m surprised.”
Tempest stood beside him on the balcony but braced her arm on the railing as she turned her body toward him. “Surprised?”
He turned toward her. He’d been watching her from afar every time they were at the same event, so now that he’d gotten them to the place where they were at the same place, he would not waste the moment. “Last I heard you were being bombarded with stories of what an asshole I am. I didn’t think you’d come up here to see me or your beautifully decorated room.”
“Well, I couldn’t resist seeing my creation the way a consumer would, and I wanted to see the notorious Zane Calder in action.”
He took notice of her clear brown eyes and wanted to know what secrets she held behind them. “Are you talking about my reputation for being an outstanding architect?”
“I already know what kind of architect you are. Innovative, demanding, hardworking, and opinionated.” She looked out at the view of the city lit up like a Christmas tree for a few seconds and took in a deep breath of fresh air before expelling it and returning her gaze to him. “Did I leave anything out?”
“It’s your description, so you tell me.” His voice was low and had more bass in it. The rumbling sound skittered across her nerves like they were strings of a guitar.
“I don’t think it’s a complete description, but it works for now.” Tempest walked back into the room, leaving him alone on the balcony. He shook his head, knowing this would be different from how things typically went.
Zane followed her and watched her dial-up the dimmer. The room brightened, and it allowed him to see the woman who lived up to her name. She was beautiful from the neck up, but below that was what her name implied. Tempest – A violent storm or to disturb violently. Her full breasts, trimmed waist, and ample hips created a silhouette that spoke to him on a very primal level. She wore clothing that accentuated all of her positives. Her sweetheart top exposed enough to keep him wondering if everything was held up by those moderate straps or did she have something that helped push the creamy cleavage to such a provocative advantage. The skirt made him jealous of the fabric that clung to her skin. The 3-inch, shiny black heels were the pièce de résistance.
“Are you done taking inventory?”
He couldn’t even think of what to say to get out of checking her out, so he wouldn’t. “Not really. I feel like there is more to see.”
There was a smirk on her face that was naughty, dirty, and wild. It made the hairs on the back of his neck stand just as straight as his cock. He adjusted himself as he watched her move to a marble table meeting the perfect height of her hips. Tempest hitched the skirt up painfully slow, revealing that her stockings were thigh highs, and they were being held by a garter belt. She didn’t stop there. Zane’s gaze didn’t waver from the skin she was revealing with each movement of the material. Until he knew the answer to the question: does Tempest ever go commando? He didn’t even think of that question before. Now he was consumed thinking about all the times he’d seen her.
Hopping up on the table with her pretty pussy exposed, she crooked her finger. “Come, take a closer look,” she said in a throaty tone that shook him a little.
This would be a fuck like no other. He knew it before it had started. He knew it the first time he’d seen her they would get together. Zane hadn’t known when, where, or the reason, but he’d known it would happen.
Her eyes narrowed as he moved closer to her, and he wondered about it, but he wasn’t sure he wanted to find out why. Fuck it.
“What made you come up here when the last time we spoke I was the spawn of Satan for things that were only true in the mind of your friend?” He reached the table and the heady aroma of Tempest’s truest form made him want to slap himself for asking a question. He was so close to finding out if she tasted as amazing as she smelled.
“We decided that I’d give you a taste of your own medicine.” Her eyebrow cocked up, giving her a sultry but playful appearance.
His voice deepened when he answered. “You think this pussy will make me fall in love with you?”
“I don’t know, but I guess we’ll find out.” She leaned back slightly, and he fell on his knees before the table.
She was neatly groomed but not overly so. There was no landing strip, arrow, or heart made of her pubes. Just enough to let him know she tended the area. Meeting her gaze, he thought to find her still smug, but she wasn’t. Tempest moved her hand toward his face. Then smoothed her pointer finger across his bottom lip. He caught her hand, kissed the finger she’d placed on him, and guided it to the pretty pussy in front of him.
Zane felt out of his element, which was ridiculous. This was his element. There were times he could get a sense of what a woman wanted just by paying attention to their cues, but it was never like this. This was like a dance they’d rehearsed.
Her arousal was practically palpable, but that wasn’t abnormal. It was his response that was the wild card. He kissed the inside of her thigh as he watched her lightly stroke her clit. Torn between watching her expression and the live-action going on with her fingers, he was happy just being a spectator.
When Tempest moved her hand, so the hardening bud of her sex was between her pointer and middle fingers, the gasp that filled the room was his. She squeezed her clit before sliding her fingers down to slip into her pussy. He watched her fuck herself a few times before he grabbed her hand and brought her fingers to his mouth. Her gasp that filled the room then.
“What are you doing?” Zane asked after he removed her fingers from his mouth. “That’s my job.”
“Watching you on your knees turns me on. I thought I’d return the favor.” Tempest was matter of fact in her speech and damned if he knew why that was so hot.
Moving clos
er to the apex of her thighs, he let her hand go and draped her legs over his shoulders. He took a few deep breaths in to calm himself, but the location didn’t leave him much space to calm down. He kissed the lips of her pussy softly like he was trying to get both of them acquainted with his touch. However, her sweet skin was dewy and fragrant, and he couldn’t wait another second to fill his senses with her scent.
He licked her with a broad swipe of his tongue and was rewarded by a slight whimper as Tempest’s hand lightly on his head. Smiling against her pussy, he felt more in control. Not much, but he’d take whatever he could get. Using his two fingers, he spread her lips open and licked the bud that had teased him when she was playing with herself. Tempest’s hips rotated slightly like she wanted to move but was trying to hold back. The soft, hungry moan that filled the space was like a key to his lock that released the wall restraint usually in place.
Zane moved his hands to support her back as he brought his face down to lick, nip and suck her clit and pussy. Looking up at her just added to the heaviness of his cock. She looked beautiful and wild as she tortured her lip with her teeth. He wanted her to come so badly and not just so he could too, which was a change.
Upping his game, he ran the stubble of his upper lip against her hard clit, inserted two fingers into her pussy with one hand and squeezed her breast through her clothes. Combined, it had her telling him and anyone nearby that she was coming.
The fact she orgasmed like she lived her life should have amused him, but he was just disappointed that he wasn’t balls deep inside her to share that experience.
He didn’t stop as soon as she left the pinnacle of her climax but helped her through the aftershocks with closed mouth kisses and nuzzles until she let out a big sigh.
Zane stood up and looked for a sink to get her cleaned up, but there was a knock on the door that made her hop off the table and tug her dress down.
