by Mari Carr
“I’m in court all next week, so I probably won’t be in the office much. In fact, I might just set up camp in one of the conference rooms at the courthouse.”
She nodded. “Okay.”
“The week after that I’m driving to New York for that law conference.”
He hadn’t been kidding about distance. He’d already managed to put two weeks between them. Her stomach actually ached at the thought.
“After that, we’ll play it by ear.”
She swallowed heavily, trying to dislodge the lump that had formed there. For some insane reason, she felt the urge to cry. She never cried. God. Maybe it wasn’t Josie with the hormonal issues. Maybe it was her. Perimenopause?
“So I guess this is goodbye for a little while?” She didn’t fail to hear the tightness, the misery, in her own voice.
It wasn’t lost on Jason either. His gaze softened. “It’s just for two weeks, Kris. Then I’ll be back in the office, making you nuts again, playing the music in my office too loud, taking long lunches, flirting with that cute new intern to make you jealous. You know, business as usual.”
She laughed, appreciating his attempts at lightening the heaviness that had settled on her chest. “I knew we should have gone for two guy interns. I was a fool to let you convince me otherwise.”
Jason reached for her and she moved toward him, accepting his hug, loving the extra squeeze he added just before he released her.
“Good night, sunshine.”
“Behave at the conference.”
He winked. “You know I don’t work well with limits.”
“Bye, J.”
She got out and walked slowly to her front door. He hadn’t bothered to start his car. She knew he’d keep an eye on her until she got safely in her house. The problem was once she got inside she’d be alone again.
She thought that loneliness had been insufferable at New Year’s. Apparently she hadn’t known what unbearable was until now.
Chapter Six
In Massachusetts, it’s against the law for women to be on top during sex.
Three weeks had passed since her interlude with Jason in the parking lot outside her house. Three weeks of nonstop work and activities. Kristen had thrown herself into her daily routine with a vengeance, hoping that by constantly moving, by filling every waking hour, she’d be able to block Jason from her mind.
He’d been true to his word, keeping his distance for two full weeks. Then last week, he’d returned to the office, filling the quiet, boring space with his unique brand of lightness and laughter and fun. In the past, she’d found his constant jokes and pranks at work annoying, unprofessional. Now she found herself waiting and wondering what he’d get up to next, looking forward to his silly antics.
She stepped next to Laura, soaking in a deep breath of the sunshine, and handed her friend a beer. They watched Jason tighten a bolt at the bottom of the lifeguard stand. She’d been surprised when he’d stopped by her office yesterday afternoon. Though he’d been around the entire week, he had still attempted to keep some space between them, making sure they were never alone together.
Then he’d popped his head in the doorway and asked if she wanted to be his date for the Buffett concert.
She hadn’t even considered her response. Instead, she’d just said, “Yeah, sure.”
She’d spent most of last night torn between anticipation and the desire to kick her own ass.
“Regretting your back-up plan with Jason?” Laura asked. “I mean it is June. Only one more month until the big four-oh.”
While she had talked to Zoey about Jason, Kristen hadn’t clued Laura or the rest of the wine girls into this sudden attraction to him. She wasn’t sure what was holding her back—typically there wasn’t much she didn’t tell her friends. Was she afraid that if she spoke the words aloud, somehow it would make things real? She couldn’t deal with real and her partner. “There’s no way in hell I’m marrying that man. I never would have made that damn pact with Jason if he hadn’t caught me on a bad night.”
Laura asked for more details regarding the back-up plan. Kristen filled her in, recalling how easy it had been for her to sign that napkin five years earlier.
“I wouldn’t worry too much, Kristen. He’s probably forgotten all about it.”
“That’s just it. He hasn’t. And he’s mentioned it several times in the last few months. I think he intends to hold me to it. Christ, if I didn’t know better, I’d think he wanted to marry me.”
Laura gave her a curious glance and started to say more, but Jason looked over his shoulder at them and grinned. “You ladies want to be the first to try out the stand? Only rule is once you’re up there you have to flash us.” Jason wiggled his eyebrows, accepting the beer Laura’s boyfriend, Bryan, offered him with a quick thanks.
Kristen was grateful for his timely interruption. She’d said way more to Laura than she’d intended, so she walked over to look at the structure. It stood nearly eight feet high and was painted in vivid colors with a spray-painted sign that did indeed declare it was a Topless Lifeguard Stand. She questioned whether it was safe and Jason assured her it was. Then he encouraged the other men in their group to grab a seat for the show.
Kristen shook her head. “You are king of the male chauvinist pigs.”
“Have another beer, Kris. Might help you lighten up.” Jason held out his hands as if he’d just delivered them all to paradise. “After all, it’s Buffett. Anything can happen.”
Anything. That was exactly what she was afraid of.
Georgie and Nick joined them as they circled their lawn chairs around the small encampment, passing around bags of chips and drinking beer. Bryan had arranged for his daughter and a couple of friends to arrive after the concert to serve as their DDs.
The music, laughter and time with good friends were just what the doctor ordered. Kristen had been running herself ragged, trying to refocus her goals, to plant her feet firmly on the right path once more. She’d spent more and more time with Matthew, fully determined that eventually her common sense would rebound and she’d realize he was the perfect guy for her.
Laura leaned over to her after an hour or so and asked how things were going with Matthew.
Jason was sitting across the circle, joking around with Nick and Bryan. She didn’t think he’d heard the question, but even so, she kept her voice quiet as she responded.
“They’re going great.”
“I’ve noticed he’s spending a lot of time at your townhouse lately. Have you met his daughters yet?”
Kristen nodded. “Yeah. Just last night actually. It’s his weekend with the kids, so we took them out for dinner. They’re really sweet girls. So well-behaved and polite.”
“Must be getting serious if he’s introduced you to his kids.”
Kristen wasn’t sure how to reply to that. She’d sort of had the same thought—fear, actually—herself, but she’d agreed to the dinner because it made sense. She’d set the parameters for her ideal man at New Year’s and Matthew fit the bill one hundred percent. They had a fantastic time together. He was charming and kind. They had similar personalities, the same work ethics and interests. It was no hardship spending time with him and she’d actually been grateful for his presence the past few weeks because he helped take her mind off Jason.
She glanced over at Jason, glad to see he wasn’t eavesdropping on her conversation. At some point, she needed to make him understand that whatever this was between them wasn’t sensible.
Unfortunately she couldn’t say those words until she believed them herself.
Laura leaned closer. “I have to admit I didn’t think you’d be able to find a serious husband candidate by your birthday, but it looks like, in typical super-successful Kristen fashion, you’ve done just that. Well done, you.”
Kristen forced herself to smile, though she wasn’t feeling very clever right now. Laura excused herself when Bryan asked if she wanted a sandwich from the cooler. Kristen watched her friend
walk over to her new boyfriend, pleased that at least one of them appeared to be finding their second chance at happiness.
Jason stood and claimed Laura’s empty chair when Nick and Georgie decided to walk around the parking lot to check out the other wild tailgating set-ups.
“So you met the kids last night? Things must be getting pretty hot and heavy between you and Tom Selleck.”
Kristen gave him a dirty look. How the hell had he heard that while carrying on his own conversation?
He’d taken to calling Matthew Tom Selleck shortly after she and the doctor started going out more frequently. The nickname was apt and funny—and not at all insulting because Tom Selleck was way sexy in her mind—but she pretended to be annoyed about it anyway.
She didn’t want to talk to Jason about Matthew, so she tried to change the subject. “Oh yeah. Hot and heavy, that’s us. Hey. I thought Monica was coming to this concert with you.”
He shrugged. “Don’t think Monica and I are going to work out.”
“Oh,” Kristen feigned disappointment, though his admission had her stomach doing flip-flops of joy. She didn’t want to acknowledge what that meant. While Jason and her trainer hadn’t started seriously dating, they had gone out on occasion, either for dinner or hiking. Every time Monica told her about their dates, Kristen had to beat down the uncharacteristic jealousy that crept in. “That’s a shame. I thought the two of you were well-suited.”
“She doesn’t like Buffett. Said all his songs sound the same.”
Kristen laughed. “You didn’t break things off with her over Jimmy Buffett, did you?”
He shook his head. “No. Actually, she was the one who suggested we call it quits.”
Kristen was surprised. “Really? I thought she liked you.”
He lifted one shoulder casually. “Yeah. I think that was the problem. She said it didn’t make sense for her to fall for a guy who was pretty obviously into someone else.”
His words ran over Kristen like a two-ton truck. “Someone else?”
He gave her a crooked grin. “Guess I’m not as good at hiding my feelings as you are.”
She studied his expression. Though his words were spoken lightly, there was definite pain in his eyes. Crap. Had she done that? “I haven’t slept with Matthew.”
She had no idea where those words had come from, but she hated thinking she’d hurt Jason even for a second. She wasn’t the type of woman to use one man to make another jealous and she’d never meant to put Matthew and Jason in competition for her affections. Suddenly she was feeling cold and cruel.
“Why not?”
She struggled for an explanation, but once again, her gift for words fell short. “He’s a nice guy.”
“And that’s a non-answer. Why aren’t you sleeping with him, Kris?”
Jason was the only person in the world who’d ever called her Kris. The nickname had never seemed to occur to anyone before him. She supposed people didn’t view her that way. Kristen was professional, older, more mature. Kris always made her feel like a young girl, someone who’d toss pom poms in the air and dirty dance with her boyfriend at a field party.
“Because…” She bit her lip. There was an obvious reply, but she wasn’t sure she should say it. “Because I’m not attracted to him like that.”
Because I want you and only you.
“Then I guess it’s a good thing hot sex wasn’t part of your requirements for a suitable husband.”
She nodded slowly, feeling like the world’s biggest idiot. How could she admit she’d changed her mind about that? Cocky Jason would love to hear she’d been wrong about sex. And he’d know exactly who’d taught her that lesson. “Guess so,” she murmured.
He grinned, then placed his arm across the back of her chair, his fingers lightly touching the nape of her neck. One soft touch after three weeks of nothing and her body was ready to go off like a firecracker. “I’ve missed you the past few weeks. Didn’t get chastised for my bad behavior once. It was almost boring.”
She rolled her eyes. “At your age, you really should learn to use your own conscience. How was the law conference? Any late-night hotel room hook-ups?” He’d certainly found willing colleagues in previous years. And he’d always been sure to share the dirty details with her.
“Are you sure you want to know?”
She scowled, her temper rising. Motherfucker. If he had so much as even looked at another woman…
Jason raised his hands in quick surrender. “I was good as gold, Kris. Spent every night alone. Just me and my hand.”
This conversation kept going from bad to worse. She was throwing out so many mixed messages even she couldn’t keep up. She forced herself to take a deep breath and calm down. “I shouldn’t have asked. It’s none of my business.”
He snorted. “Yeah right.”
God. How sad was it that Jason was the sane one in this whole messed-up affair? He had no problem calling her out for her constant hedging or accepting that despite the insanity of it, things had definitely changed between them.
“I need another beer.”
He laughed as he stood and grabbed a couple of cold ones from the cooler. “You think drinking will help?”
She shrugged. “I have no idea, but at this point, I’m willing to try anything.”
“You know, if you change your mind and decide to add amazing sex to your future, I’m perfectly willing to enact the back-up plan now.”
“My, my, my. Someone certainly has a high opinion of their bedroom abilities.”
“If you’d stop playing hard to get, I’d put my money where my mouth is.”
She wished he hadn’t mentioned his mouth. It drew her attention to his lips. Lips he’d suggested placing on various parts of her anatomy. “Can we maybe call a truce today? Put the brakes on the sexual innuendoes and just enjoy the show?”
Jason stroked the back of her neck, his fingers still cool from the beer. At least that’s what she told herself when his touch caused her to shiver. “Or we could enjoy the show…and each other.”
“I’m not into sex in public.”
“Neither am I.”
She frowned, confused.
“You’re surprisingly innocent for a forty-year-old woman.”
“I’m not forty.”
He leaned closer, his breath hot on her cheek. “Stop thinking so hard, Kris. Do me a favor. For the rest of the day, just go with the flow.”
If she hadn’t been totally turned on by how close his face was to hers, she probably would have called him to task for trying to tell her what to do, for his impractical habit of strolling through life with no limits, no self-control. But his lips were right there, so close her mouth actually watered for a taste. So instead, she nodded.
He placed a quick and far-too-platonic kiss on her cheek and pulled away. “Good.”
Then Jason spent the rest of the day showing her exactly how much fun a person could have when they let go of all their inhibitions. Kristen drank a little too much, ate way too much and danced the night away under the stars as Jimmy Buffett performed. By the end of the evening, she was hoarse from singing and her face hurt from laughing.
Through it all, Jason had driven her insane, pushing her arousal higher as the hours passed, with nothing more than light touches and suggestive comments whispered in her ear. She’d spent hour after hour in a constant haze of horniness that left her pussy wet and aching. As they walked to the parking lot from the concert, he placed his hand on her lower back, allowing it to slip under her shirt to find bare skin.
Bryan’s daughter, Trina, was waiting for them, so she and Jason climbed in the backseat along with Laura, while Bryan rode shotgun. Nick and Georgie rode home in another car. Laura fell asleep the second the car hit the highway, succumbing to too much beer and fun.
Midnight had come and gone. A moonless night covered the car in a blanket of darkness. Jason took advantage of the lack of light, resting his hand on Kristen’s knee, his thumb sliding along the edg
e of her shorts. She didn’t push it away, nor did she refuse when he leaned close to whisper in her ear.
“I’m coming home with you tonight.”
She closed her eyes, wishing she had the strength to say no, but knowing she didn’t. She twisted to look at him. Jason must have taken her quick turn as a sign she would reject him because he pulled her face to his quickly, wiping away any response she might have made with a deep, quiet kiss.
When they pulled apart, she whispered, “Okay.”
The rest of the ride home was a test of wills as Jason upped the ante, pushing the bar higher. His fingers slipped beneath her shorts and burrowed under her panties, playing with her clit, driving her to madness. Kristen fought to remain silent as Bryan and Trina quietly chatted in the front seat about the concert.
She’d never engaged in anything so scandalous, limiting her sex play to the bedroom. Now she was in the backseat of a car, trying to be quiet as Jason pushed her closer and closer to an orgasm. She bit her lip so hard to hold back her moans she actually tasted blood.
Of course, she was a firm believer in tit for tat, so she casually rested her hand on his crotch. As he ratcheted up the heat, she applied a bit of her own, adding pressure, squeezing his erection roughly, making sure he was as primed and ready as she was.
Tonight was inevitable. Jason had said as much. So she’d pay the piper tomorrow and make damn sure it was worth the price.
Finally, Trina pulled into the parking lot of her complex.
Bryan got out of the car and came around the vehicle to help Laura. “Looks like this one needs some tucking in. You okay to get home on your own, Trina?”
Bryan’s daughter was a sophomore at the local university. She grinned. “Yeah. I’m actually meeting up with a few girlfriends to watch a couple movies. Chick-flick marathon night—Bridesmaids and Pitch Perfect.”
Bryan laughed. “Oh to be young again. Thanks for the ride, kiddo. I owe you one.” He pressed a quick kiss on his daughter’s cheek and lifted Laura out of the car. “Jason, you need Trina to drop you by your place?”
