by Mari Carr
Tony glanced at Josie, not moving. She was trapped and she knew it. “One night,” she said softly.
He nodded appreciatively, but there was something in his face that told her he expected to change her mind on the time limit. “Thanks, Josie.”
She regretted giving in the second he walked over the threshold. This was bad. Really bad.
Meanwhile, Tommy was so excited she expected him to start bouncing off the walls. “You can see all my models. Mommy made me a shelf for them.”
Tony followed Tommy up the steps, disappearing around the corner at the top of the stairs.
“Fuck,” she muttered. “Fuck, fuck, fuck.”
She paced around her living room trying to figure out where she’d gone wrong. She needed to get Tony out of here. Tommy’s happy chatter drifted downstairs to her.
He was too young to understand why she didn’t want Tony here. How could she explain it without painting his dad in a bad light?
“Fuck.”
Footsteps sounded and she watched Tony and Tommy descend. “What’s for dinner?” her son asked.
Josie shrugged. “I guess that’s for you and your daddy to figure out. It’s his night, remember? I’m going out.”
“Out?” Tony’s eyes narrowed, but she was in no mood for his jealousy games. He was already pushing her patience to the limit tonight.
“Out.” She refused to give him any more details, happy to let him think whatever twisted thoughts he could conjure. Unfortunately, Tommy spoiled the game.
“Oh yeah. You’re going to Aunt Laura’s for your girl night. I forgot.”
Tony’s face cleared and he grinned. “Girl night?”
Josie picked up her bottle of wine and the bag of chips she’d grabbed from the grocery store on the way home from work. “Don’t wait up.”
She left by the back door, slamming it harder than she intended. So much for keeping her cool. She practically stomped all the way across the commons until she reached Laura’s.
“Damn. Who peed in your cornflakes?” Georgie asked as Josie walked in. Thanks to Tony, she was later than usual. Although, glancing around the room, she noticed Kristen and Zoey still weren’t there either.
“Small crowd tonight?” she asked, handing Laura the bottle of wine she brought.
“Kristen is working late and Zoey may be a no-show. I saw her earlier and she’s having a rotten day. Feeling pretty sick.”
Josie felt guilty for her bad mood when she considered how rough things had been for Zoey lately. Chemo was kicking her friend’s ass. When she put it in perspective, the little problem of an unwelcome houseguest seemed small in comparison. “Oh. Shit. I’ll stop by tomorrow and check on her. Maybe we could all chip in and make her and Rob dinner one night this weekend to give them a break.”
“Sounds like a plan.” Laura handed her a glass. “So why did you look like the hounds of hell were chasing you when you walked in here?”
Josie snickered. “Because I felt like they were. Tony’s at my house right now.”
“Doing what?” Shelly asked.
“Unpacking probably.”
Georgie put her wine glass down. “Whoa. Hold the phone. What?”
“Janice kicked him out.” As far as explanations went, hers sucked. Josie wasn’t sure what else to say. That she was a pushover, an idiot, a weak-willed woman who let her ex-husband walk all over her.
Shelly leaned closer. “So?”
Josie shrugged. “So, he didn’t have anywhere to stay.”
“And naturally your place seemed like the perfect answer.” Laura didn’t look pleased. It proved to Josie just how stupid she’d been to let Tony in.
“I said no, but then Tommy overheard him asking and he got excited, started pulling his daddy’s suitcase in and—”
“Oh, shit.” Shelly grasped her hand and gave it a squeeze. “I see. It’s kind of hard to say no to that little munchkin. He’s so sweet.”
Josie nodded, grateful that Shelly understood her dilemma. “I couldn’t think of a reason to kick the jackass out that Tommy would understand.”
Georgie scowled. “Fucker knew that too. Used your own son against you. I’d like to go over there and kick the shit out of him.”
Josie laughed. “God, I love you girls. Somehow you always know how to make me feel better. I told Tony one night. Tomorrow, I’ll just have to find a way to get him out while Tommy’s at school.”
Laura didn’t seem overly convinced her plan would work. Hell, Josie wasn’t sure she could move Tony now he’d weaseled his way in. The man was tenacious and conniving and very good at twisting things around to suit him. She’d have to be ready for anything.
Taking the seat next to her, Laura toyed with the stem of her wine glass. “Just be sure you lock your bedroom door tonight, Josie. I really don’t trust that man.”
Josie didn’t need that warning. “Don’t worry. The door will be locked. And you don’t have to trust him. Just me. You can believe me when I say that asshole will never be in my bed again.”
Laura lifted her glass, clinking it to Josie’s. “Good for you.”
Josie stood outside the door to Jake’s apartment. She started to knock, then hesitated. She was still upset by the episode she’d just endured. She’d gotten dressed for her date, then come downstairs. Tony was sitting on the couch with Tommy, watching a movie on TV.
He’d given her no fewer than twenty-three excuses in the last two days about why he wasn’t moving into a hotel. None of them had been good ones, but Tony was very careful never to be alone with Josie. Wherever Tommy was in the townhouse, Tony was. Her ex knew she wouldn’t make a scene in front of their son, so he used Tommy as a shield to protect him from her wrath.
Finally, at her wits’ end this afternoon, she’d retreated upstairs to take a long bath and pamper herself. She’d shaved her legs, straightened her hair, polished the nails on her fingers and toes and dug out a little black dress from her closet. The weather was warmer and she wanted to show off some skin.
Screw Tony. She’d been determined her ex wasn’t going to destroy her happiness at seeing Jake again.
At least she had been until he’d spotted her grabbing her shawl to leave. When he’d asked her where she was going in a voice that couldn’t be described as anything less than jealous, the composure she’d spent hours trying to find had vanished.
“This is your Saturday night with Tommy. I’m going out.”
“You coming home?”
The belligerence in his attitude caused something inside her to snap. “No. I’m not.”
Her answer caught Tommy’s attention. “You’re not sleeping here tonight?”
Dammit. It took all the strength in her body not to cross the room and slap her ex-husband silly for putting her in this position. “I’m not sure, Tommy. I might have a sleepover with a friend.”
“Who?” Tommy asked. “Aunt Shelly?”
She shrugged noncommittally. “Maybe. This is your night with Daddy, remember? I wanted to give you two plenty of time for guys’ night.”
Tommy didn’t look too fussed about spending any more time with his father. She had been blessed with an independent son who enjoyed playing alone. He didn’t need constant companionship or entertainment. She’d talked to other parents and realized this was a lucky thing indeed. Was Tommy already tired of his newly acquired shadow? For some reason that thought pleased her.
Besides, Tommy was extremely bright and she had no doubt he could sense the tension any time she and Tony were in the same room together. While the first night’s sleepover had been fun and new, the novelty had already seemed to wane. Tommy was like her that regard. They were both creatures of habit and very set in their ways. Tony was a fly in the ointment.
Tony pointed to her outfit. “You’re awfully dressed up for a night with Shelly. You sure you’re not going out on a date?”
Josie’s eyes widened at the unmitigated gall of her ex. She ignored Tony because the only other option for her wa
s to walk across the room and kick him in the balls. “Tommy, come here, baby.”
Tommy rose and Josie led him into the kitchen, grateful to have her son all to herself after two long days. She took one look into his worried blue eyes and caved. “I’ll be back later, but you’ll be asleep, so I’ll say good night now.”
Tommy’s face cleared. “Okay. Night, Mommy.” Her son wrapped his arms around her neck and she wondered if she imagined that he squeezed her just a little bit tighter than usual.
She’d given him a kiss on the forehead and driven here with such a weight on her chest it made it hard to breathe.
Though she’d spoken to Jake briefly last night, she hadn’t told him about Tony’s new living arrangements. She wondered what he’d think of it.
“He’ll hate it,” she muttered. Maybe she should just pack it in. Call Jake to beg off and go home. The night was ruined.
Jake opened the door before she made a move to leave. He gave her a confused grin. “Are you familiar with the concept of knocking? It’s the way you let people know you’re standing outside. Should we practice?”
She released a short burst of laughter, then felt tears spring to her eyes. “Shit.”
“Hey.” Jake reached for her hand and dragged her into his apartment, shutting the door. “I was just kidding.”
Josie sniffled and determinedly fought against crying. There was no way she was going to fall apart in front of him. “I’m fine,” she said several times, blinking away the tears. “I swear I am.”
Jake nodded slowly. “Yeah. I can see that. You want to talk about it?”
She shook her head. “No. I really don’t.” She’d started this damn Howl List because she needed an escape from the dreariness of her everyday life. Jake had provided her hour after hour of sheer bliss. Bringing the ugliness of the real world to this would ruin it.
Jake studied her face. “Fair enough. What do you say we order a pizza and watch a movie?”
She hadn’t expected him to let her off so easily. She’d been so emotionally overwrought on the way here—fluctuating between anger and anxiety. Furious with her ex-husband and worried about how she could explain the latest events of her fucked-up life to Jake. God. She wasn’t even sure what to call him. Was he her lover? Her boyfriend? Just a guy she was dating?
“Jesus. Put it all away for a little while, Josie. Too much more thinking and your head will explode. Come on.” He took her hand and led her to the couch. Once she was seated next to him, he pulled her legs up, placing her feet in his lap. He removed her shoes and started rubbing her feet. For several minutes, the room was silent as he gently massaged her toes, then pressed his thumbs into the soles of her feet in a glorious way that made her eyes drift shut and her mind go to mush.
“Better?”
Her eyes flew open when his softly spoken question shattered the quiet. She considered it. “Yeah. Much.”
He lifted one of her feet and placed a quick kiss on the bottom of it. “Good. Trouble with the new job?”
“No.”
“Ah, personal stuff then. Offer still stands if you want an ear.”
She smiled. “Thanks. I think I’d like to forget about all of it for a little while.”
Jake’s hand drifted along her leg, stopping when he reached the top of her upper thigh. She wanted to urge him to keep going. “Then you came to the right place. I’m an expert at helping people forget.”
She narrowed her eyes. “People?”
Jake looked chagrined. “Women.”
She released a long sigh. “I don’t want to know about any other women you’re comforting.”
Jake laughed. “Let’s just say all the conversations would be in past tense. You’re the only girl in my life right now.”
The tightness in Josie’s chest constricted even more. She longed to be able to say those words back to him. But she couldn’t.
The room fell silent for a few moments more, then Jake asked, “Pepperoni or cheese?”
“Can I have pepperoni, mushroom and onion?”
Jake placed his hand on his chest. “A woman after my own heart. Done.”
When Jake stood up to find the number for the pizza place, Josie walked over to the TV cabinet to peruse his video collection, though her mind wasn’t on the task.
Jake hadn’t mentioned the full-moon fantasy once. Did that mean the game was over? Was this supposed to be a normal date? She bit her lower lip, wishing she knew how to handle this. She’d only seriously dated one other man in her entire life. The one who was currently squatting in her house, refusing to leave.
No wonder she was such a nervous wreck. Her romance track record was short and not exactly a winning one.
Jake stood behind her, phone in one hand and a flyer in the other. He paused before dialing. “Man. I shouldn’t have left you alone so long. The smoke is coming out of your ears again.”
“My ex-husband’s girlfriend kicked him out and now he’s at my place.”
Jake reared back for just a second. Then in true fashion, he rebounded fast. “Okay. Is he there because the two of you have reconciled?”
“Jesus Christ, no. He’s a fucking idiot. He cornered me. Asked to stay in front of Tommy and trapped me. Now I can’t get him out.”
“Do you want me to go over and have a little chat with him? Man to man?”
Did she? She had to admit the idea had merit. It would be lovely to let someone else take care of this problem for her since she was definitely striking out on her own. Unfortunately Tommy didn’t even know Jake existed—an oversight Josie needed to correct somehow. The last thing she needed was the appearance of a stranger getting into a fight with Tony. God. Tommy would freak out.
“No,” she said at last. “I don’t think that would help.”
“Then I guess I’ll just have to punish you.”
She wondered if she’d heard him correctly. “What?”
“You’ve been a very bad girl, Josie. You let another man move into your house when you’re supposed to be my full-moon lady.”
He hadn’t forgotten her fantasy at all. Tonight’s full moon was spanking. She didn’t know why she’d included it on the list. She wasn’t even sure it was something she really wanted.
“So you’re angry?” She didn’t think he was, but she couldn’t be sure. Her relationship with this man was too new and she felt like she was flying blind.
“I would never strike a woman in anger, Josie. But if she needed me to spank her, then make love to her for hours on end as a way of cheering her up or as stress relief, I would.”
It was all she had to hear. She’d spent five nights with this man and yet she trusted him more than she’d ever trusted anyone. And while he was definitely offering her escape and happiness and taking away all her anxieties, it also felt like more than that. Much more. But it was far too soon to start talking about feelings. She didn’t want to scare Jake away.
She recalled his response to the news she was living with her ex. God, he was amazing, self-possessed, calm. And he was offering her a retreat from the hell that was currently her life. Giving her a chance to get away from reality. It was a beautiful gift and there was no way she was rejecting it.
“Even so,” she teased, getting into the spirit of the fantasy, “I have been a very naughty girl.”
Jake’s friendly smile faded as he assumed his role with ease, suddenly adopting a stern face. “Bedroom. Now.”
Josie led the way, ignoring Jake’s quiet chuckle as she all but ran to his room. When they crossed the threshold, he gripped her upper arm and turned her to face him.
“If this gets to be too much or if you don’t like it—”
He didn’t have to finish his comment. Josie knew him. “I’ll ask you to stop.”
He nodded. “And I will.”
She rose up on her tiptoes and kissed him. The action had nothing to do with the fantasy. She wanted to show him how much his words, how much he meant to her.
Jake accepted the k
iss, then deepened it. His hands flew to her hair, cupping her head, turning it this way and that as his lips pressed harder to hers. She loved his kisses, loved the way he took control of the moment and turned special into sheer magic.
When they parted, they were both flushed from the heat and panting softly.
“Go to the bed. Take off your panties. Lift up the back of that sexy fucking dress and bend over the mattress.”
Josie moved instantly. Every thought, every worry drifted away as she threw herself into this moment…and Jake’s very capable hands.
Once she was panty-less and in position, Jake crossed the room. She could sense him standing right behind her. He didn’t touch her right away, so she started to look over her shoulder to see what he was doing.
“Eyes forward.” His voice had deepened, hardened.
Josie couldn’t ignore what it did to her body as she jerked her gaze away from him. There was something very exciting about not knowing what was coming and Jake was a master at drawing out the anticipation. He let her squirm for several moments, the silence in the room almost deafening as she longed for him to touch her, spank her—hell, she’d settle for having him pinch her ass. Anything.
Juices gathered at the juncture of her legs and her nipples budded. She wished he had commanded her to undress completely. Her breasts felt constricted by her bra, her skin suddenly sensitive to the lace.
Finally, unable to wait any longer, she whispered his name.
Jake responded instantly, placing a firm slap to her ass cheek. It caught her unaware. And it hurt.
“Ouch.”
“You’re not to speak unless I give you permission.” He backed up that proclamation with a slap to the other cheek.
Josie groaned. While the initial contact stung, the flesh soon heated, driving her arousal higher. This was unexpected. And fucking hot.
The room fell silent again, only the sounds of Jake’s spanking permeating the dark. He hadn’t turned on the bedside lamp this time. The only light was provided by the streetlamp outside. It cast the room in shadows, heightening the suspense, the dark beauty of the experience.
