He grabbed her hand and held it there. “Good sex can also help put things into prospective. Too bad we can’t skip the auction and find out right away.”
She laughed. “And miss an auction? Are you kidding?”
“I booked us a room for later. I hope that wasn’t presumptuous of me.”
“If it was, I don’t care.” She brought his hand up to her lips.
A few minutes later, they arrived in front of the hotel. A valet opened her door, and Grant whisked her away.
The evening’s festivities were being held in the Pavilion, on the other side of the pool. As they made their way from the hotel lobby to the other building they had to pass several guests outside on the deck, sneaking a cigarette or enjoying the fresh air.
Her awareness of Grant was so acute, she dared not look at him. Instead she tried to focus on the huge beautifully ornate ballroom. The table settings were stunning, flower arrangements plentiful and luxurious.
His hand was on her bare back, and her blood was humming. Knowing what was in store at the end of the night increased the sexual energy between the two of them. Every glance, every touch magnified the intense attraction.
After weaving through the crowd, they were seated at their pre-assigned table for eight near the center of the room. Grant quickly made the introductions. Jenna smiled pleasantly as the other women at the table eyed her with interest.
They’d arrived towards the end of the dinner, and the clearing of the table, followed by dessert and the auction rambled on for much too long. Finally the beautiful evening was drawing to an end. She walked hand in hand with Grant to the elevators in the main building.
He smiled down at her, pulling her closer to his side. “You ready for some champagne?”
“With strawberries?” she asked.
“Is there any other way?”
Alone in the elevator, Grant backed Jenna into a corner and kissed her. The kiss was hot and eager, and so was she.
When they reached their floor, they tumbled out of the elevator, still arm in arm, and hurried down the corridor to their room. Whipping the card key out of his pocket, he swiped it and unlocked the door.
His arm was around her as she stepped through the doorway. For a second, she paused, wondering what the hell she was getting herself into. Sex with a man like Grant might be more trouble than it was worth. He was not the kind of man that you could love and leave. More likely, he’d rock her world and then rend it asunder.
“Jenna? You all right?”
“Yes.” She laughed. “I had a debate with myself…and lost.” She turned to him. “Now, where were we?” Standing on tiptoe, she took his face into her hands and kissed him.
He gently sidestepped her into the room. When the back of her legs came into contact with the king-sized bed, she let herself be lowered upon it. The maid had already readied the bed and removed the comforter, and they tumbled onto the fresh sheets.
The kissing went on for a long time. Things slowed down some. Jenna explored the texture of his mouth. His tongue swept inside hers, mingling and mating with her own.
Her breathing became ragged. Slowly, inch by inch he unzipped her dress and slid the bodice down.
He stopped kissing her long enough to admire her exposed bosom. “God, you’re beautiful.”
He filled his hands with her breasts, caressing them in a way that profoundly moved her. It was as though she were some prized possession for him to honor and adore.
He licked one of her erect nipples, and she whimpered. He took his time—licking and sucking on one, and then the other. Her fingers were in his hair, and she squirmed under him.
“Take my damn dress off,” she muttered, kicking off her stilettos.
Needing no further prompting, he slid the dress down her hips. She accommodated him by lifting her tush in the air. She lay back on the bed, wearing only silk panties.
Jenna sat up slightly and put her hands behind her head. “Now you undress,” she ordered him.
He’d already removed his bow-tie, now he pulled his half buttoned shirt over his head, whipped off his belt and dropped his trousers.
“Anything else you want?” he asked with a smile.
“You. Get over here.”
He stepped nearer to the side of the bed. She sat up, slid her hands into his jockey shorts and took hold of him.
“Oh, my God, Grant. Are you for real?” She smiled, feeling brazen, powerful, and in control. This was exactly the way she liked it. She pushed his shorts to the floor and took him into her mouth. He stood, allowing her mouth to work wonders on him.
He pulled her head away, sank down on top of her, and took her mouth with his. His cock rubbed against the silk of her panties. A second later, he slipped a finger into her moist center.
He undulated against her hip until she could take no more. “Now, Grant. I want you now.”
He slid out of bed, grabbed a condom from his wallet and slipped it on. She watched his backside with pleasure, and if she weren’t so impatient she’d have been perfectly content to enjoy the view. Not now. She was tingling in places long forgotten, and she needed release.
He turned to her, smiled, and pounced on the bed. Before she could catch her breath, he entered her in one heated rush, and she gasped in pleasure.
Their lovemaking was fast and furious, and even more exciting than she’d been anticipating all evening. She came before him, and he followed soon after.
He held her for a long time afterward. His hands roved over her smooth curves as he kissed her softly.
“This is so nice. I don’t ever want to move,” Jenna said.
“You don’t have to. Stay right where you are. I’ll open the champagne; we’ll have a glass, and then go for round two.”
She raised her head. “You kidding me?”
“You think you can handle that?” He stood up and she observed that every inch of him was magnificent. He had broad shoulders, defined abs, just enough body hair to look manly—and staying power.
She nodded and licked her lips. “I think I can.”
“Good.” He lifted the champagne from the ice bucket, blew the top off, filled two glasses and handed her one.
“To us. May our good times continue.”
“I’ll drink to that.”
Jenna didn’t get much sleep that night, but she enjoyed every waking moment.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Jenna returned home around nine in the morning, waiting until both Kelly and Nick were at school. She didn’t want the kids seeing her sneaking in, dressed in an evening gown.
Earlier that morning, Grant had ordered room service, and they’d enjoyed a pleasant breakfast together. She had hated to leave, but she knew it was time for Cinderella to put away her glass slippers and get back to work.
Amy was particularly fussy that morning—but her mother was worse.
“Tom is being impossible,” Sharon said. “He wants me in Daytona. He’s saying that taking two days off during Biker’s Week was a mistake. Now he could use an extra pair of hands at work. His Harley dealership is always busy, but its nuts around there when the town’s overrun by thousands of recreational bikers. And now he has a lot of catching up to do.”
Jenna poured herself a cup of coffee. “That does make sense.”
“I told him I wasn’t ready to leave yet. You know what he said to that? He was coming here to get me.”
Her mother’s fingers trembled, and she sloshed her coffee on the countertop. “Of all the nerve. I’m a grown woman. He can’t make me do things. This isn’t the Middle East.”
Jenna raised an eyebrow, not sure what the Middle East had to do with Tom’s demands. “You’ve neglected him ever since Cindy’s accident, Mom. Maybe you should go back and help him out. You can always return here when things settle down at the shop.”
“Whose side are you on?” Her mother shot her a look. “You resent me being here, don’t you?”
“Actually…not. You’ve been a tremendous help
.” She meant it. “With you at Cindy’s bedside all day, it allows me time for some computer work and to be here for the kids.”
Her mother’s eyes watered. “Thank you, dear. That’s nice to hear.” She wiped her eyes and gave Jenna a brief smile. “Let’s talk about other things. How was Grant last night? Don’t leave out any juicy details.”
“I’m not going to discuss my sex life with my mother,” Jenna said firmly, trying not to smile. “But the dinner and auction was lovely. You should have seen some of the stuff they auctioned off—a week in a luxurious home on St. Barts; a yacht, with crew, for four days sailing in the Virgin Islands; airline tickets to New York. There was artwork, jewelry, the list went on and on.”
“Very nice. Did you or Grant bid on anything?”
“Actually, I did. There was a two-day cooking class at the Culinary Institute. It was going cheap, so I put a bid in and won. I don’t know when I’ll get an opportunity to use it, but it’s good for a year.”
“That’s marvelous. You love cooking, and you’re quite talented.”
Jenna smiled. “I don’t know about that, but it does relax me.” She stretched and yawned. “I’m going to feed Amy, then put her down for a nap. I need to check in with Plasmic and run some numbers.”
“I’ll be leaving for the hospital soon. If Tom calls, tell him I’ve had a change of heart and will help him out next week.” Sharon gave her leather halter top a tug. “I’m tired of changing husbands. I think I’d like to keep this one a little longer.”
After her mother left, Jenna got down to work. She had a dozen e-mails to answer, and this quarter’s sales figures to look over. She worked steadily for two hours.
Amy woke up from her nap, all smiles. She polished off a bottle, and Jenna let her hang out in the swing. Jenna only had a couple of hours before the older kids returned from school. She longed for a nap, but it was not going to happen.
Kelly’s first semi-final school dance was that evening. Jenna wanted to do something special for her. After much consideration, she called a limo company and arranged to have Kelly and her friend driven to the affair.
Hopefully, Rob would want to pick her up, so she’d only need the limo one way. Jenna would bring the girls home, if Rob didn’t.
The normal chaos ensued when the kids returned from school after a quick visit with their mom. The big event was getting Kelly ready for her the Spring Fling.
During all this, Grant called Jenna and asked to see her.
“I’d love to, but Kelly has a big dance at her school, and I’ve got to help her get ready.” She got a lump in her throat, thinking of Cindy. “I’m filling in for her mom. I just wish I had a camera.”
“Of course. This is a big moment, and you’ve got to be there for her.”
“Thanks for being so understanding.” Her shoulders relaxed a little. “You’re such a nice man.”
“Not that nice. I’m still trying to figure out a way to see you.” He chuckled. “Is her father dropping her off, or are you?”
“Rob’s not home yet. I hope he gets here before she leaves, but I’m not counting on it.” Jenna sighed. “I know he’s dealing the best way he can, but he’s not alone in this. He needs to buck up and be here for his kids.”
“So you’re taking her?”
“No,” Jenna said, and explained the hired limo.
“I have an idea,” Grant said, sounding pleased with himself. “If you don’t have a camera, I could fill in as a photographer. I’ll come over for an hour and take photos of Kelly and the limo. I mean, if her dad’s not going to be around to do it.”
“That would be nice.”
“Good. I’ll see you soon.”
In the bedroom, she looked in a mirror and cringed. Now that Grant was coming over, she needed to wash her hair, and get out of her shorts and T-shirt that had two day’s worth of Amy’s spit-up on the shoulder.
Nick poked his head into the room she shared with Amy. “Hey. When’s dinner going to be ready? I’m starved.”
“Uh, just give me a moment. I’ll be down in a sec and get it started.”
“If it’s too much bother, I could always go out.”
She laughed. “Good try. Your dad told me your curfew is ten on school nights, so you’ve got a lot of making up to do around here.”
Kelly burst through the door, shoving her brother aside. “Aunt Jenna, I ran my hose. Do you have a pair I can wear?”
“Only black, but you can’t wear that with your flowered dress. Go without. You don’t really need stockings, do you?”
“This is a dressy dance. Yes, I do.” Tears filled her eyes. “And look at my hair. I used a different shampoo and conditioner, and it looks like crap.”
“Was that my special blue rinse?” Sharon called. She strolled into the room. “It keeps my hair from becoming brassy.”
The doorbell rang, and everyone looked at each other. “Who the heck is that?” Jenna shook her head. Beets was barking and jumping around the door, creating even more chaos. “Nick, can you answer it?”
He ran down the stairs, flung the door open, and stepped back. Tom walked in, carrying flowers that looked somewhat the worse for wear. “Hi, everybody,” he grinned, and his one gold tooth flashed. “Where’s that gorgeous gal of mine?”
Sharon ran down the stairs. “Darling, you came.” She flung herself into his arms. “I’m sorry I was mean to you.”
He gave her a big kiss, not caring that he had an audience. “I brought you flowers, but they didn’t take to the wind too well.”
“You came on the bike?” Sharon asked.
“Is there any other way?” Roping an arm around her shoulder, he said, “Come on, babe. Let’s go watch the sunset on the beach and give Jenna a chance to get dinner ready.”
“But I want to see Kelly all dressed up for her first dance.” Sharon smacked her husband’s roving hand. “Take Nick.”
Jenna glared at her mother. “No way. Nick isn’t allowed on motorcycles. Sheesh, that’s all we need.” She threw up her hands. “Will everybody please settle down and not do anything foolish? Grant’s coming here to take pictures of Kelly, and I need to change.”
Sharon grinned. “Oh, wow, Grant’s coming over, is he? You better pretty yourself up. You are a mess.”
“Thanks, Mother.”
“I’m starving,” Nick yelled from the kitchen. “Is anybody going to cook tonight?”
“Yes—you,” Jenna yelled back. “Take the meat sauce out of the freezer and nuke it.”
She had about twenty minutes to herself. Dashing into the shower, she gave her hair a quick wash, and was out in two minutes. She dressed in white Capri’s, put on a sexy red halter top. Dabbing some mascara on her lashes and blush over her cheeks, she added some lip gloss. Still rushing, she blew out most of the moisture from her hair, leaving the rest to dry naturally.
The doorbell rang, and Beets started up again.
It was Lisa, Kelly’s friend. She walked in and said, “Do you guys know that there’s a white stretch limo outside the house? Somebody getting married or something?”
Kelly peeked out from the bedroom. She was dressed, but her hair was still in hot curlers. “Hi, Lisa. What’s going on?”
Lisa told her about the limo, and Kelly flew down the staircase, two steps at a time. She flung the door wide. “Oh, my gosh. Is that for us?”
Jenna nodded. “Yes. You deserve it, sweetheart.”
Kelly threw her arms around Jenna. “You’re the best, Aunt Jenna. Thank you.”
Everyone piled out of the house to see the limousine, and Tom and Sharon climbed inside. “We’ll have a ride around the neighborhood until you get ready,” Tom told Kelly.
“Take your time,” Sharon told her granddaughter.
“But…but…” Kelly looked at Jenna for help. “It’s my limo.”
“Oh, honey.” Jenna put an arm around her. “They’ll only be a minute, and it’ll be easier to get you ready without the two of them around.” She went to
the front of the limo and spoke to the driver. “Do you mind taking the grandparents for a spin? But please be back in ten minutes. We need to take pictures.”
As they watched the limo drive away, Jenna could see Tom and her mom making out in the back seat. She turned to Kelly. “Okay. You have five minutes to get ready. Want my help, or will Lisa do?”
“I’ll help with the makeup,” Lisa said. “I did my own.”
Jenna didn’t say anything, but she couldn’t help but notice that Lisa had applied her makeup with a heavy hand. She hoped Kelly had better sense.
When the doorbell rang again, Jenna opened it before Beets could get into full barking mode. She sighed with relief when she saw Grant.
“Come on in.” She gave him a quick kiss. “Mom and Tom are touring the neighborhood in the limo, and Kelly and her friend are finishing up in the bedroom.”
“I passed the limo, and I was afraid that I was late.”
Jenna laughed. “You haven’t missed a thing. The chaos is in full swing.” She slipped an arm through his, bringing him into the kitchen. “I’m glad you’re here.”
“What’s that smell?” He sniffed the air. “Smells like something burning.”
No one was cooking anything, Jenna thought. The oven was off, nothing was on the stove—but the microwave… Something was spattered all over the inside of the door. She walked over and saw the jar of meat sauce had boiled over. When she opened the door, sauce gushed out like the Red Sea, with brown chunks floating in it.
She jumped back. “Nick,” she yelled. “Come here, please.”
Nick entered the room. “What’s the prob?”
She pointed to the sauce flowing from the microwave to the counter, and from there to the floor. “This is the problem.”
He shrugged. “You told me to nuke it.”
“I didn’t tell you to turn it into nuclear waste.”
He stuck a finger into the sauce to taste it and made a face. “Can I order a pizza?”
“Yes, please.” She was already cleaning up, and Grant was grabbing a bottle of wine from the refrigerator. The man was a mind reader.
She could hear Kelly and her friend giggling as they came down the stairs. “We’re ready. Is the limo back?”
ESCAPE INTO ROMANCE- 4 Book Bundle Page 34
