The Pleasure Principle

by Kimberly Adkins

  She didn’t want to sit. Her hips moved with the rhythm and she felt the music as well as heard it. The wine was sweet, different than she’d had at Damsels, but it lingered on her lips and she relished the taste as she licked them.

  Anderson watched her as he reclined comfortably against his stool. She never saw him signal the waitress, but more glasses of the sweet vintage appeared and she was happy to take care of them. A moment came when everything seemed perfect. The band played a sexy, slow tune, and Alice moved next to Anderson.

  “Dance with me.” She reached out and took his hand, but he didn’t stand. He looked a little embarrassed.

  “I’m not very good, I’m afraid. Believe me, I’m just as happy watching you do it.” Anderson covered her hand and squeezed, but she wasn’t going to give up. She thought she couldn’t dance, too, before tonight. If only he would join her and see how it easy it was to feel the music.

  “Will you try for me, please?” She wanted it badly, to share this moment with him and maybe he could see that in her eyes. He nodded and stood to join her.

  They clasped their hands together between them, at first. Alice needed more and slid inside his arms. She laid her head on his shoulder, breathing in his masculine scent. She could feel his heart hammer in his chest, and it thrilled her. Alice ran her open palms over his well-sculpted back and felt a slow desire build up deep inside her. It wasn’t fast and didn’t overwhelm her like she’d experienced before.

  Anderson responded, wrapping his fingers in her hair, gently pulling as she nuzzled against his neck. His right hand pressed against her back, and when he felt the bare skin there he inhaled sharply, and she felt his pulse quicken.

  “Will you kiss me?” She’d never asked anyone that question before. She never wanted it like she wanted it right now.

  “Are you sure?” he murmured back, holding her closer against him with a firm hand. Anderson seemed so gentle, she was surprised by the strength of his embrace.

  “Please…” Give it to me. All her desires came rushing back as Anderson pulled her hair tight at nape of her neck. Her head tipped back and her lips parted. He covered her mouth with a strong and sure kiss. She thought he might be timid, but he commanded her response with a dominance that sent her senses reeling. He was skilled, far more than she, and it felt as if he tasted every ounce of passion her body had to offer.

  It seemed like all her other senses had to give way to this desire he drew from her, and she wanted to feel him all the way down the length of her body. Alice turned her hip, caressing him with her thighs as the music guided her rhythm. She felt the rumble deep inside his chest before she heard his passionate groan. His arms crushed her roughly against his chest and the beginning of an orgasm tingled between her legs.

  He immediately released her.

  She was disoriented and hadn’t realized how tipsy she’d become. Alice reached out to steady herself on the tabletop while Anderson regarded her with a stunned look. He shook himself out of it and came to her side as she sat on her stool for the first time that night.

  “I’m sorry, Alicia. I didn’t realize…” He frowned and tried again. “The effect you have on me is incredible.”

  “I don’t understand. Do you like me or don’t you?” First Brax turned her down at her apartment, and now this. What was going on? Was this some kind of game?

  “Please, never think that.” He reached out and touched her face. His eyes were truthful and she could tell he was struggling with something.

  “I just want to do everything right with you.” He took both her hands and held them gently on her lap. “This is our first date.”

  So it was a date. He wasn’t rejecting her; he was being proper. God, and she just about humped his leg right in front of everyone at the bar! Alice felt ridiculous. These new urges were powerful and she needed to learn to control them. Sooner, rather than later, would be ideal.

  “Do you have a car parked at the club?” he said, as patrons of the jazz bar were filtering out of the venue and the house lights came on. She hadn’t realized how late it was. If the place was closing, it had to be close to dawn.

  “I never drive to the Quarter. Parking is impossible.” Every time she tried, she either got towed or new dent for her trouble.

  “I’ve got my car at Damsel’s,” Anderson offered half-heartedly. “I don’t feeling like going back there, though. If you like, we can share a taxi?”

  Alice nodded in agreement. She was exhausted. If they caught a cab here she wouldn’t have to walk all the way back to Toulouse. She started toward the door and remembered the rose. Before she could turn around Anderson was there, holding it out to her.

  * * *

  Brax sat on the hood of Anderson’s car and watched the sunrise.

  The last of his guests left an hour ago, and he was alone in the cobbled courtyard. Maybe if he waited a little longer, Anders would return with Alicia and he could relax. He had to trust his friend to keep her safe and to keep his word. But the thought of it ate him up inside. How could he expect Anders to control himself around such an extraordinary woman, when he could barely contain his own desires? Their friendship was strong, it was true. Just how strong…he had a feeling they would soon find out.

  CHAPTER NINE

  Anderson told the taxi driver to drop him off at the front door. The sun had already come up, and though he was exhausted, he had something he needed to do before he went to bed. His focus was so intense he barely noticed his surroundings as he swept through the foyer and entered his office.

  It was time. All his files, all the women he’d tested—that part of his life was over. He thought about his ex-wife for a moment and finally understood. He hadn’t loved her, hadn’t really known what it was. The only emotion he could dredge up for her now was a kind of sadness for the time they’d spent together. She’d done the right thing after all, finding someone who felt for her the way he felt for Alicia.

  The fireplace in his study was rarely used, but it was always ready. A quick flame sparked up and caught the dry kindling in a fast and furious spiral. Anderson stepped back as specks of ash floated in the air before they disintegrated. He stacked larger pieces of wood on top and nodded with satisfaction when they caught.

  When the fire steadied, he went to his desk and opened the locked file cabinet. This research wasn’t needed any longer. He thumbed through the tabs, looking at each name on the label. Anderson wanted a clean start. He owed that much to Alicia, and to himself. He sat on the edge of his brown leather couch, feeding the folders into the flame, one by one. It grew warm in the study, and when he’d gotten the last scraps of his past into the fireplace, he sat back to watch them burn. It wasn’t long before he drifted off into a deep sleep.

  * * *

  Alice was glad she didn’t have to wear her contacts today. She’d barely gotten two hours of sleep before it was time to leave for work and her eyes burned painfully. The red polish was off this time and her hair tucked tightly into the cap. She hadn’t liked the way Johnson had looked at her before and she didn’t want to give away her secret. With any luck, he wouldn’t be there.

  She shivered and gripped the steering wheel. Anderson would be, most likely. Ugh, she needed to stay sharp and make sure she called him Dr. Cain if she encountered him. Not talking at all would be best, since he’d had more than enough time last night to get used to the sound of her voice. Going in was risky, but she didn’t have a choice. Just one more day and then she had the weekend. It would give her time to think of something.

  She pulled around to the back of the house and noticed Johnson’s car. So much for that. There were a few other vehicles at the residence, not all of them she recognized, but Anderson had a fairly large staff that changed in and out.

  Dr. Cain, she corrected and slapped her forehead with the palm of her hand. And then she turned off the ringer on her phone. When she was sure she’d covered all her bases, she got out of the car.

  Nothing could possibly go wrong now.
As soon as the thought entered her head she wished it hadn’t. If someone ever compiled a list of famous last words, that phrase would probably be at the top.

  Johnson occupied his usual spot at the kitchen table, but instead of peeking over his paper like usual he laid it down.

  “Do you know where the car is? I came in this morning on schedule but there’s no car.” Wonderful, apparently he wanted to chat. Could her day get any better?

  “I have no idea what’s going on.” She didn’t make direct eye contact with him and hoped her vague answer would get her off the conversation hook. He folded his arms over his chest and to her dismay, continued.

  “You got that right. There’s definitely something going on, if ya get my drift.” He winked at her and nodded in a knowing way.

  Oh God, did he find out about her? Was he letting on? She felt nauseated. The old Alice would have scurried away and worried about his meaning, but that wasn’t her any more. She found she really liked being straightforward and getting answers.

  “Do you want to tell me what you mean?” She frowned and looked at him directly.

  He shifted uncomfortably in his chair, then gave her his usual shrug.

  “All right, all right. No reason to get your panties in a bunch. You’ll see soon enough what I mean. If I were you, I’d get in and get out today.”

  That was just great. Alice turned her back on him and retrieved her cart. The sooner she was out of the kitchen, the better. She started at the back of the house, as far away as she could get from Anderson’s study…Dr. Cain.

  When she finished the bulk of her work she was forced to move to the main room and foyer. The study door was closed, thank God. Alice quietly got out the hardwood floor mop and began to work her way across the room. She noticed a black silk trench coat draped over the back of the couch as she got closer. That was strange. And there was a red handbag on the floor next to the coffee table.

  Her heart dropped into the pit of her stomach and she suddenly became cold. Whose things were these? Her hands went numb and the handle of the mop fell clattering to the floor. Alice didn’t notice. She’d started to pick up the bag when she saw a pair of high heeled shoes at the bottom of the stairs. They looked like they’d been kicked off in a hurry. She walked over to them in a daze and picked one up. Red leather soles, very expensive.

  That was when she saw one thigh high stocking halfway up the carpeted steps. She moved toward it stiffly, one stair at a time. Her mind was screaming at her to get out of there, but her feet took her up to the top of the landing instead. To the door of Dr. Cain’s bedroom.

  Alice placed her hand on the knob but couldn’t make it turn. Her body was on autopilot, and she felt like she was floating outside of herself, witnessing something out of a nightmare. Rational thought was the farthest thing from her mind. She had to know who was in there.

  She turned the knob in silence and cracked the door enough to see inside. The curtains were drawn and it was dim. Her eyes searched the room frantically until she spotted the bed. And the half naked woman lying alone on top of it.

  Alice slapped her hand to her mouth, afraid she would throw up on the carpet. There was no doubt about it—the woman was Beverly. Two champagne glasses sat on the bedside table, one still filled with wine. Oh God, he hadn’t stopped seeing her! The evidence was right there in front of her.

  She backed away without closing the door. Her hands were shaking and she couldn’t stop them. But she and Dr. Cain had an agreement! That was just it, she admitted to herself. An agreement. That’s all she was to him after all. And then, he wasn’t even sure enough about what she could provide that he could let his previous subject go.

  Alice felt like a fool. She had really believed he cared about her. She gathered her cart and rushed to the kitchen. It didn’t matter anymore if the rest of the house wasn’t finished. She never wanted to come back there again, no matter what it meant.

  * * *

  Anderson didn’t realize where he was for a moment as he rubbed his blurry eyes. The smoke and ash irritated them, but he’d been too focused to care the night before. His neck hurt from the angle he’d slept in on the couch.

  Tires squealed from the parking lot behind the house, and he instinctively whipped his head around in their direction. He cringed and stood, curious about what was happening out back. Johnson was on the schedule today and he was probably wondering where the car was. He’d send him over to get it while he had a shower and something to eat.

  He stretched his legs as he walked to the door of his study. The morning was perfect. He could hear the birds singing in the trees; the sun through the window was extra bright. His evening with Alicia was everything he could have hoped for. In all honesty, it was more. Just spending that small amount of time with her, he was able to see how intelligent she was, how down-to-earth. He found himself more attracted to her than he had been by just her beauty. The future was waiting, and he would dance with her every single day for the rest of her life if she let him.

  The song from last night was stuck in his head, and he hummed it as he went out the door. He’d have to go back to that bar and see if he could get a copy of the band’s CD for her. For both of them. Anderson’s head was in the clouds, and he tripped over the handle of a mop lying in the middle of the floor.

  What was this? He suspected his cleaning woman had been trying to kill him lately, leaving her cart and brooms all over the place after she’d left for the day. He realized he didn’t even care about that, in the grand scheme of things. Anderson felt far too wonderful to harbor anything negative this morning.

  A black trench coat was draped over the back of the coach. That was strange. And a red handbag lay next to the coffee table. He didn’t know his cleaning lady, Alice, very well, but he was pretty sure she didn’t carry a red, silk evening purse. It was actually pretty messy in the living room. Had she not finished her cleaning routine today? The mop had to have come from somewhere.

  Stiletto heels lay in a heap at the bottom of the stairs. Oh God, now what? Someone had been here, was probably still here! A sinking feeling came over him. That coat looked vaguely familiar. Anderson leaped up the stairs two at a time until he came to his bedroom door. It was ajar, and he peeked inside with dread.

  “What the hell are you doing here?” He belted out the words before his mind could refine them. His emotions were all over the place. It wasn’t like him to be so rash and unpolished.

  Beverly gasped and sat straight up, her full breasts bouncing as she rose to her knees in a pleading gesture.

  “Please, don’t be angry. I just wanted you to give me one more chance. All the things we’ve done together, but we never made love one time. If you could see what it was like with me, I know you would love me the way I love you.”

  She knelt on the bed in front of him in tiny black lace panties and a garter belt. She was beautiful, there was no doubt about that, but he felt nothing but horror as he looked at her. God, what if he’d brought Alicia home with him last night and she’d witnessed this very same scene? It might have ruined everything.

  Beverly saw his reaction and fell apart. She sobbed with heart-wrenching dismay and clumsily tried to cover herself with his satin sheets. Anderson felt terrible. He finally knew what it could be like to feel the way she did. Compassion welled up for her as he regarded her heaving, collapsed form. He needed to do something, but he wasn’t going to touch her. He wouldn’t risk anything Alicia might disapprove of.

  Despite what she’d done, Beverly deserved to be treated with respect in this situation. There must be something he could do to ease her emotional state without crossing any lines. Finally, Anderson decided to be honest.

  “You are a beautiful woman, Beverly. Intelligent and accomplished—any man would be lucky to have you in his life.” He meant every word he said, and her sobs reduced to a sniffle as she listened. “If I didn’t have feelings for someone else, I’d be honored by your attention. This is why I’ve always kept things strictl
y business between us.”

  The explanation was the best he could do. Anderson really wasn’t sure how she was going to take it, and he felt inadequate to handle anything further. To his relief, she stopped crying and looked at him with dawning comprehension.

  “So, it really was just a study? There’s nothing wrong with me?” Beverly wiped her eyes and dark makeup smeared across her cheeks. He nodded to her. It was the truth.

  “Is it someone I know? Is she prettier than me?” She wrapped the sheet tightly around her body, suddenly self-conscious. “No, crap—don’t tell me. Listen, if it doesn’t work out between you and her, promise me you’ll at least consider giving me another chance? I know you’ll keep your word if you promise. And I swear to God I won’t stalk you anymore, either, until I hear from you.”

  He thought a moment before he nodded to her in agreement. After all, she hadn’t done any real harm. She was right. He would keep his word, but he hoped it wouldn’t ever come to that. Alicia was none the wiser on the other side of town where he’d dropped her last night, safe and sound…and hopefully dreaming about him.

  CHAPTER TEN

  Brax knew he was wasting his time, but it was his to piss away if he wanted to.

  Still, no matter how long he watched the front door to Damsels, Alicia didn’t walk through it. As a man who was constantly in control of everything, the vague feeling of helplessness lingering in his chest wasn’t acceptable. He hadn’t even gone home the night before because his house was too far away from the club. And he’d be damned if he called Anders for an update. His friend hadn’t even come for his own car, like he’d hoped. He sent Johnson to get it, as usual.