Table of Contents
BARE ESSENTIALS
One
Two
Three
Four
Five
Six
Seven
Eight
Nine
Ten
Eleven
Twelve
Epilogue
TEMPTING FATE
One
Two
Three
Four
Five
Six
Seven
Eight
Nine
Ten
Epilogue
THE PERFECT SEDUCTION
One
Two
Three
Four
Five
Six
Seven
Eight
Nine
Epilogue
SIMPLY WONDERFUL
One
Two
Three
Four
Five
Six
Seven
Eight
Nine
Ten
Eleven
Twelve
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
ALL HE DESIRES
An Imprint of the Madaris Publishing Company
www.madarispublishing.com
LOVE, PASSION AND PROMISE books are published by
The Madaris Publishing Company
P O Box 28267
Jacksonville, FL 32226
All He Desires / Copyright 2012 by Madaris Publishing Company
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the Publisher.
Love, Passion and Promise is a trademark of the Madaris Publishing Company. The Love, Passion and Promise logo is a trademark and registered trademark.
ISBN – 978-0-9799165-4-0
First printing: September 2012
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Printed in the United States of America
AUTHOR BRENDA JACKSON BRINGS YOU FOUR UNFORGETTABLE STORIES UNDER HER
LOVE, PASSION AND PROMISE IMPRINT
ALL HE DESIRES
BARE ESSENTIALS
TEMPTING FATE
THE PERFECT SEDUCTION
SIMPLY WONDERFUL
Dear Readers,
I proudly present to you the fifth book from the Madaris Publishing Company, All He Desires.
This book is special in that it contains stories about women who are beautiful and voluptuous. The first three stories, Bare Essentials, Tempting Fate and The Perfect Seduction were previously included in the Living Large, A Whole Lotta Love and Big Girls Don’t Cry anthologies, respectively, and are being brought back by popular demand.
The fourth story, Simply Wonderful is a brand new - never before published - story. In Tempting Fate and The Perfect Seduction, I introduced you to the Savoys - namely Blake and Tyler. In Simply Wonderful you meet another Savoy - Jamison.
I want to thank you for sending me your emails with your thoughts and ideas on what characters you would like to see in this book. All He Desires is a result of your feedback where you asked for a story on another Savoy, as well as stories about full-figured women.
This is my ninety-second book! If there are characters from any of those books that you would love to see in their own story, please let me know at [email protected].
To visit my website, please click on www.brendajackson.net or you can visit www.madarispublishing.com for additional information on future books.
All the Best,
Brenda Jackson
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Special thanks to the love of my life, Gerald Jackson, Sr. who is my hero.
To my family whose undying support has always been there through thick and thin.
To my sons, Gerald Jr. and Brandon, whom I am very proud of and who challenged me to put into practice what I’ve always told them... “If you can conceive it then you can achieve it.”
And to my Heavenly Father, who loves me and gives me the talent to write and the desire to reach my full potential.
BARE ESSENTIALS
BARE ESSENTIALS is dedicated to every woman who knows that sexy doesn’t have to be a dress size.
"He hath made everything beautiful in his time…"
Ecclesiastes 3:11
One
Dominique Kincaid tried, without very much success, not to stare at the man who had just jogged past her. This was the second time she had seen him this week, and she wondered how much more her heart could take seeing such an impressive display of masculine perfection. He was dressed in running shorts and a sleeveless jersey, his muscles flexing with every foot he placed in front of him, running at a pace he evidently found to his liking.
He had smiled a greeting when he had passed, and she waited until he had gotten a safe distance a head before allowing her gaze to drink in the sight of him. And she had greedily gotten her fill. His butt alone gave him very good marks, because it definitely rated a high five.
Since she had lived in the neighborhood for three years and had been frequenting the park for just that long, she figured he must be someone new to the area. Inhaling a deep breath, she thought the last thing the women who came to Simon Park at six in the morning needed was another fine specimen of a man stimulating their heart rate. At the age of twenty-nine she’d thought she had seen it all, but evidently she hadn’t.
Dominique glanced longingly ahead, disappointed that he was no longer in sight and wondering if she would see him again the next time she came to the park to jog. That very question was on her mind as she slowed her pace, rounded the corner, and headed back toward home.
***
“And you have absolutely no idea who he is?”
Dominique smiled as she met her sister Michelle’s stare. Although only separated in age by two years, they were actually many more years apart in their way of thinking. Michelle was a rebel – always had been and always would be. While growing up she had enjoyed making waves and resisting authority, which had caused their parents many sleepless nights. Owning a travel agency was the best thing, since she would never be able to tolerate having a boss.
Unlike Michelle, who took defying orders to heart, for Dominique following rules and regulations had been easy. She had been unresisting and manageable, and she strongly believed in and respected authority. Deciding on a career in law had been a natural for her to make.
“No, I have no idea who he is, since we haven’t been introduced. I’ve only seen him while out jogging.”
“Well, he can’t stay in motion forever. He has to come to a standstill at some point in time. And when he does, make sure you’re there and find out everything there is about him.”
“Are you suggesting that I follow him around the park waiting for this grand opportunity?”
Michelle grinned. “Yes, that’s exactly what I’m suggesting, if that’s what it’s going to take. Heaven forbid, but if I got up at six in the morning to go running around some park, I would definitely use my time running behind something worth my while. And from what you’ve told me, this brother is to die for. However, instead of dying I’d much rather you go after a piece of him instead. But you’ll never come close to even claiming a pinch if you don’t make the first move.”
Dominique raised her eyes to the ceiling. Sometimes it was hard to believe that Michelle was the youngest. “And why do I have to make the first move?”
“Because some men don’t know what’s good for them, and it’s up to us to show them.”
“So I’m suppos
ed to come on to him?”
“Yes, I’ve done it several times.”
Dominique didn’t find that hard to believe. Michelle went after whatever it was she wanted, and consequences be damned. “I have to really think about using that approach, Michelle. Whereas it might work for you, it may not work for me.”
“Suit yourself. I’m just trying to help by giving you sound, workable advice. This is the first time you’ve mentioned anything about a man since Kenneth, and that gives me hope. I can’t wait to tell the folks and Gramma and Grampa. They’ll be so thrilled.”
Dominique wished Michelle had not brought up her former fiancé. The last thing she wanted to remember was the man who had confessed – a mere week before their wedding – that another woman was having his baby. Although that had been over a year ago, the pain of his betrayal was still there. And she knew her parents, grandparents, and Michelle had been concerned that she hadn’t dated since then. “Don’t get everyone’s hopes up too high, Michelle. I merely mentioned that I happened to notice this guy.”
“Yeah, but at least you’re back to noticing, and that’s good. I suggest the next time you see him that you do more than just notice him. If I were you I would do something, just about anything, to get his attention and to let him know you’re interested. Some men are too dense to figure these things out on their own. You have to give them a clue.”
Dominique shook her head, smiling. “I‘ll think about it.”
“Do more than think, Dom. This guy might be one you don’t want to get away.”
Dominique inhaled and decided not to tell Michelle she had thought the very same thing about Kenneth when she had first met him and boy had she been wrong. So wrong that she wondered if she would ever get it right again. She glanced at her watch. “Lunch was great, but I have to go. I’m due back in court at one.”
“Then by all means scat, Your Honor. It definitely wouldn’t do to have your humble servants waiting.”
***
“So you saw her again today?”
Jordan Prescott folded his arms across his broad chest and smiled up at the man standing at his desk looking down at him. Royce Parker was someone he had known since his high school days, and was the person instrumental in him relocating to Florida. Tired of doing a little more than shuffling papers and handling miniscule cases the senior attorneys hadn’t wanted to be bothered with, Jordan had taken Royce up on his offer to leave New York and move to Orlando and work for the prestigious law firm of Smith, Hammond and Rowe. So far he had not regretted the move, and after this past week it seemed things were definitely beginning to look even better.
“Yes, I saw her again.”
“And?”
“And she was jogging, which didn’t provide me with any time to hold a conversation.”
“But you did check out her hand?”
Jordan’s smile widened. He decided not to tell Royce that her hand hadn’t been the only thing he had checked out. “Yes, I checked out her hand, and there wasn’t an engagement ring or a wedding band.”
“Good. So now it sounds like the coast is clear and it’s okay to move ahead and plan your next strategy. When do you go jogging again?”
Jordan shook his head. Royce made it sound like meeting the woman was some sort of military maneuver. “I jog every day, but I think she only jogs twice a week.”
“Umm, so chances are you probably won’t be seeing her any more this week.”
“Probably not.”
“But if she’s noticed you like you’ve noticed her, then there’s a possibility she might add an additional day to her jogging schedule.”
“Yes, there is that possibility.” Jordan grinned at the way Royce thought he had everything figured out. And chances were he had. The same age as he was, thirty-five, Royce was a die-hard bachelor and an expert on dating, since he had been doing the dating thing a lot longer than he had. Jordan had gotten out of commission – four years, to be exact – when he had fallen in love with and married another attorney. It might have worked with some folks, but for him marrying another person with the same demanding profession had been a huge mistake, one he would never make again. He didn’t see another marriage in his future, but was interested in meeting someone and entering into a solid and exclusive relationship. The risk of AIDS made the thought of having multiple bed partners a bit scary, to say the least. Besides, he didn’t need several bed partners to keep him happy. All he needed was one really good one. And he had a feeling that the woman who’d caught his eye while he was out jogging was capable of setting his body on fire. He was burning up just thinking about her.
“Well, I’d better get back to work. I have a date with Kincaid this week, and I’d best be prepared.”
“Who?”
“Judge Kincaid. She’s the sistah I was telling you about who found favor in the governor’s eyes, and was appointed to fill the spot of an older judge who retired early due to health reasons.”
“Oh, yeah.” Jordan remembered how Royce had sung the woman’s praises by saying she was tough but fair. She also expected a lawyer to have his stuff together when he entered her courtroom. And, according to Royce, the way she had handled the more experienced good-old boy attorneys as well as the up and coming, wanna-make-a-name-for-themselves hot-shots had earned most people’s respect. Being the youngest woman on the bench – and an African-American too – definitely had not been easy for her. But now, three years and a landslide victory later, she was doing the job the tax payers had elected her to do.
“You’ll have your day in court with her, Prescott,” Royce was saying. “If I’m not mistaken, she’s the one who’ll be hearing the Masons’ case.”
When Royce walked off, Jordan was left alone with his thoughts. They moved away from Judge Kincaid and immediately went back to the woman who’d been jogging. Would she modify her schedule and show up another day this week, as Royce thought she would? The thought of seeing her again sent a surge of adrenaline flowing through him. He shook his head. Over the years he had seen his share of beautiful women, and it surprised him that any woman could have that much of an effect on him. Especially a woman whose name he didn’t even know. But the one thing he did know was that there was something about her that had given him a voracious sexual appetite. The very thought appalled him, because until now he’d never known such a need could exist. He tried convincing himself that the reason he was in such a state was because he hadn’t slept with a woman in over six months. But a certain part of him throbbed against such a notion. He knew exactly what had him in such a bad way, and could not place the blame on anything or anyone else.
He looked forward to going jogging in the morning and hoped that his sexy mystery lady didn’t disappoint him.
Two
Dominique leaned over to tighten the strings on her shoes, appalled that she was actually taking Michelle’s advice and running behind a man. She checked her watch. She was a little early, but already other joggers had begun arriving. She tried not to look nervous or anxious as she began doing her stretches.
What if he doesn’t show up today? What if …. Before that second thought could formulate in her mind she caught a movement out of the corner of her eye, and when she turned, she saw him. He seemed to suddenly emerge out of the shadows of the predawn morning. At one point she could see him clearly; then, when sensual heat drifted over her, her vision became somewhat hazy. Even from a distance of thirty or more feet he was eliciting an extreme reaction from her.
She thought it would be best to try and ignore him for now. Not feeling capable of standing on wobbly legs any longer, she eased her body down to the thick, grassy surface to do some additional stretches. Sitting on her bottom and bending her body to touch her toes, she tried dismissing him from her mind and found she couldn’t. Especially when he was the main reason she had gotten out of bed to be here at this hour. She loved coming to the park and did so often, walking around, feeding the pigeons, sitting on a bench to appreciate the things around
her and to stay connected with the normal side of life that she didn’t often find in her courtroom. Tuesday and Thursday mornings were her normal days to jog. She had never jogged on a Friday morning before. Instead she much preferred taking advantage of getting a little extra sleep before going to work. She made it a point never to schedule her first case on Fridays before ten.
As she continued to do her stretches, her body got tense instead of relaxed. She inhaled and then exhaled but didn’t have a chance against the pulsating heat throbbing fast and furious through every part of her body.
Jordan sucked in a deep rush of mid-September air when primal recognition made his breath catch. Royce had been right: It seemed his mystery lady had modified her schedule. He had spent a good majority of the night and that morning thinking about her and hoping that he would see her today. And now she was here and wasn’t in motion, which gave him a chance to make his move before she got on her feet and took off jogging.
He walked toward her with determination, hoping she would be receptive to getting to know him the way he wanted to get to know her. Although his movement toward her had been quiet, when he got within five feet of her she turned and looked his way. Their gazes caught, locked, and held with an incredible force. He could have gotten hit by a bolt of lightning and doubted he would have felt it. The only thing he felt was desire, so deep within his body it was almost painful. He halted for an earthshaking moment and shook his head to clear it. And when he started walking again, closing the remaining distance separating them, his breath froze in his lungs and every muscle in his body tightened. When he discovered he could breathe again, he took in a deep gulp of air and came to a stop in front of her. Her scent – sweet, warm, and sensual – surrounded him in the early morning air, causing his nostrils to flare in deep male regard.
ALL HE DESIRES (Voluptuous Woman Series) Page 1
