A couple of months ago, all Jack thought about was getting out of that huge firm in Dallas. He’d thought leaving that treadmill life behind would solve all his problems.
If only things were that simple.
He’d ignored all the horror stories of new attorneys scrounging for clients. Now he was one of them. Not that he’d ever go back to that kind of life. Living to bill hours was not his life ambition. Never had been. Pride curled through him. If he were still there, he wouldn’t be able to help people like Mandy Malone.
He smiled into the glass of wine the bartender had just set in front of him. He wouldn’t have had that surprise visit from Elizabeth Sewell either. He checked his watch. Fifteen more minutes.
His gaze drifted to a man seated at the bar. The guy had the chiseled features of a model and a tailored suit. He looked like Elizabeth’s type. Successful, rich, at ease with himself.
An unexpected flicker of jealousy flamed through him at the thought of Elizabeth being with another man.
Realizing he’d been scowling, Jack turned before the guy spotted him. He had another swallow of wine then examined his fingernails, rough from lack of attention. That other guy probably had his buffed once a week. Did women like men like that? Polished until they’re almost pretty?
Seconds crawled by.
A gut-wrenching thought trickled into his brain. Elizabeth hadn’t sent him there to scout for possible men for her, had she?
The sexy silhouette of a woman caught his attention. He checked the mirror stretching across the back of the bar. No big surprise there, she was talking to the guy he’d been scowling at, Mr. Buff and Polish.
Jack could only see her backside—siren red dress molded to her curves. Some kind of fancy pinned-up hairstyle showed off a slender neck.
As Jack was pulling his attention away from the pair, the woman’s voice grew loud enough to reach him. The man’s arm was fastened to her waist and she was trying to step backward, out of his possessive embrace. Jack clenched his jaw, waiting to see if the man would take her not-too-subtle hint to get lost.
Why me?
Why can’t I mind my own business?
He’d been though this sort of thing often enough to know if he got involved, he might end up with a fist flying in his direction. He really didn’t want Elizabeth to arrive and find him either nursing a swollen lip or standing over the body of some guy he’d just knocked out.
When the woman set both her hands on the man’s forearm and wiggled fiercely, Jack set his wineglass on the bar and leapt off his bar stool. He reached the woman’s side in two long strides.
Jack locked gazes with the man, saying, “It seems the lady has somewhere else to go.”
The man’s features darkened. “I think you need to mind your own business.”
Jack glanced pointedly down at the man’s arm. “I’m making this my business.”
Tension crackled between them as the other man sized him up. Jack squared his shoulders and shifted his weight, ready to ward off a blow. As the man lowered his leg from his stool, the woman brushed against Jack snaking her arm around his back.
The shock on the other man’s face was priceless. He dropped his arm, slumping back onto the stool. “You should’ve just said she was your date.”
Jack opened his mouth to protest but stopped when the woman squirmed and rubbed against him. His body reacted instantly and heat built low in his gut. The other man turned away with a string of nasty words and a scowl.
Jack was glad to help but he didn’t want Elizabeth walking in and finding him with some sexpot stuck to him.
“Look, I’m glad I could help but—” The rest of his words vanished when she lifted her face and he found himself staring into familiar brown eyes.
—
Elizabeth waited for Jack to finish his sentence but he didn’t. He just gaped at her, his gaze raking her every inch.
The body-hugging dress and spike heels had been an impulse she hadn’t thought through. On purpose.
She was done overthinking everything. At least for one night, she’d let her instincts guide her.
He held her firmly. “You expected to walk in here, dressed like that, without at least one letch grabbing you?” He leaned closer, his breath caressing her cheek. “If I wasn’t a true gentleman, I would’ve grabbed you myself.”
She settled into the feminine satisfaction that whispered over her, arching her back. “You like what you see?”
He dropped his hand to brush her hip before guiding her into a darkened, secluded corner. “You know I do,” he murmured, pinning her to the wall.
The hard press of his arousal ignited her imagination with hazy and hot images.
“How long do we have to stay here?” he asked, husky and urgent.
She squirmed against him, her nipples peaking. “As long as I want.”
He pulled his attention away from the very visible swells of her breasts, then asked, “What’s this all about anyway?”
“All what?” she asked, enjoying that she had him on edge for once.
“Tonight. This bar.” He bumped against her. “That dress.”
“I’ve been thinking…”
“No.” He chuckled, a wry smile tugging on his mouth. “No more of that, please.”
She ignored his protest and hurried on, “I’ve been so focused on what kind of man I want that I haven’t considered what kind of man might want me.”
All traces of humor dropped off his face. “This kind of man wants you. I want you.”
“That’s not enough.” She set her hand on his chest and tapped the buttons of his shirt. “I want to know if I can please a man.” The heavy rhythm of his heart assured her that she had his attention.
“I want to see if I can turn you on. I want to—”
His throat jerked. “You want to seduce me?”
“That’s right Jack.” She licked her bottom lip, then looked at him from the corner of her eye. “Are you up for it?”
Chapter Eleven
Up for it?
Was she joking?
Jack tightened his grip. “You already know the answer to that.”
“We never did work out the details of our arrangement…and…if things go my way, I won’t be able to pay you for this evening.” She pressed a kiss to the warm underside of his jaw. “It wouldn’t be legal.”
The implications of her statement sunk in and the hard drive of Jack’s mind crashed.
They needed boundaries, ASAP. “Don’t leave, Elizabeth. But I don’t know about—”
“Having sex with me?”
He had to slow things down, get control of the situation, so he stalled. “You might change your mind later.”
She shook her head. “I don’t think so. I need this.”
This? Or him?
Scrambling to wrestle the agenda from her, at least until he got his out of the way, he said, “Let’s take things slowly, minute by minute.”
She set her fists on her hips, that thoughtful expression he was beginning to admire but that too often popped up at the wrong times, settling across her face. “This didn’t start out the way I planned.”
“You had a plan?”
She offered him one of her tilted smiles. “Yes, of course.”
She was putting herself on the line and he admired her for it. Why not go along with her for a few minutes?
Appreciative of the privacy their secluded spot afforded, he reached up to caress the welcoming skin between her breasts.
When she sucked in a sharp breath, he cupped one breast in his palm. She swayed toward him. “Tell me your plan, Elizabeth.”
A tiny pout puckered her lips. “For one thing, that guy wasn’t supposed to grab me like that.”
Jack spread his fingers across her rib cage, “What was he supposed to do?”
“Nothing. He should have just sat there, minding his own business.”
“Guess you should’ve told him that.”
“I tried but you interrupt
ed.”
“Funny,” he said, enjoying her cute scowl, “I thought I was rescuing a woman in need.”
“Anyway,” she warmed back up to her the plan, “I wanted to sort of pretend…” Her words drifted off and she fumbled with the collar of his shirt.
He lifted her face and kissed her softly. “Don’t stop now. It’s getting good. Tell me the rest, please.”
Her words came out in a rush. “I wanted to pretend we were strangers. You know—we’d never met.”
He’d never been one for games but he liked the way that sounded. Or rather the way she looked when she said it. Curious but calculating. Studious but sexy.
Elizabeth frowned. “That guy ruined it.”
“I don’t know about that.”
She chuckled. “Look at how things turned out. This was hardly the seduction scene I had in mind.”
“It’s not too late, you know.” As much as he hated to do it, he dropped his hands. “You go to the ladies’ room and, freshen up, or do whatever it is women do in there.” He jerked his head toward one of the private patios. “I’ll go sit outside, wait.”
She pursed her plump lips. “You don’t think it’s too silly?”
“I feel anything but silly right now,” he replied, shifting to splay his legs.
“You sure?”
He took her hand, pulling it toward his burgeoning erection. “Do you want to feel how sure I am?”
She smiled, the first truly relaxed smile he’d seen since she’d gotten there. “That’s okay,” she said, pulling her hand away. “I trust you.”
Trust. He nearly choked on the word.
“Get out of here before I forget about doing things your way and drag you out of here.”
A satisfied smile flickered across her mouth. “Drag me, like at The Runner?”
“Yes, exactly.” He kept his hands to himself but moved closer, brushing against her hip. “If you don’t take control of this scenario quickly, I will.”
She spun and moved away, her walk was filled with suggestive promise.
He groaned.
Did she have any idea what she was putting him through? He seriously doubted it. She had no idea how sexy that scrap of a dress was. Or how her thoughtful expression never failed to intrigue him.
Then again, was it possible he’d misread her all along? Maybe all she really wanted, was what she’d said all along.
Experience. Sex.
Doubtful.
He didn’t like games but somehow he’d gotten himself even further tangled into hers. But damn it felt so good he didn’t want to get out.
He worked his way around the patios until he found a secluded spot outside. A tall shrub blocked the view to the bar and a white trellis provided privacy from the dance floor. Instead of sitting, he propped himself against the trellis.
The whole mess was too tangled and twisted. He’d let her think she was in charge but he’d keep things slow. A few drinks, some dancing…a goodnight kiss.
The truth he’d promised himself he’d deliver…somewhere in there.
He shoved his hands into his pockets and crossed his ankles. The pose belied his true feelings, he was anything but relaxed.
—
Elizabeth slipped her red lipstick out of her slim evening bag and applied a light coat.
She could almost hear the shock in her mother’s voice—her successful daughter dressed like a tart and playing sex games with a stranger. “That’s no way to find a husband.”
She tucked back a stray lock of hair and smoothed her painted-on dress. Jack wasn’t her forever man, she was okay with that.
That day he’d come to her office dressed like a workman, Elizabeth had accepted that their relationship, or whatever it could be called, was anything but typical. She tugged the neckline of her dress so it was just a bit lower.
Lust. They both felt it and she planned to use it to her advantage. She’d willingly stepped off her path to the altar. A detour, that’s all. Time out to learn what she needed to know, then she’d get back on track, focus on her goals.
The plan was foolproof, so why did she still have doubts?
Leaving the cloud of hesitation behind, she pushed the door open. Enough thinking and second-guessing. If she was going to manage her love life effectively, she had to start. As far as Elizabeth was concerned, she’d waited long enough already.
She paused at the end of the hallway, scanning the main room. No sign of Jack, he must have gone to the patio. Thankfully, there was no sign of that glossy man, either. Elizabeth stepped up to the bar.
Some man swung over. “Come back to cause more trouble?” he asked with a leer.
Elizabeth’s turned her shoulder, averting her gaze. “I didn’t mean to cause trouble.”
He loomed closer. “That’s a shame.”
Yuck. She angled away and called to the bartender. “Could I have a bottle of Moet and two glasses please?”
“Want to start a tab?”
She shook her head, handed over her credit card.
After he took the card, she pivoted. The creep had gotten the message and moved on. The room was fuller than it had been when she arrived and the dance floor was nearly covered by couples.
“Want me to open it for you?”
She turned back. “No thanks.” After she signed the slip and tucked the card back into her purse, she took the glasses in one hand and the chilled bottle in the other.
Everyone was paired up so nobody paid much attention to her as she wound her way through the room. As subtly as possible, she peered out each patio opening. She passed several before stopping at the one on the very end.
A man, half hidden in darkness. With only the hazy glow of a distant street lamp and the tiny flicker of the candle on the table, he could’ve been a dream, a fantasy her mind created. Her heart thumped. Fantasy or not, she’d make him hers for the night.
—
Forbidden, yet accessible. Strong.
But even strength had its limits. And she hoped to push those boundaries with sheer determination.
Not willing to waste another minute on thought, she pushed her shoulders back and walked straight up to him. “You look like you could use a drink,” she drawled.
He lowered his eyes, slowly caressing each inch of her with his gaze. His slow study, which lingered lazily, left Elizabeth’s heart hammering. After he looked his fill, he grinned and held out his hand. “I do need to cool off.”
She handed him the bottle, admiring his hands as he peeled off the foil. After he tossed it onto the small wrought iron table in front of them, he wrapped one hand around the cork, twisting the bottle with the other.
The sight of his masculine fingers curved around the glistening bottle ignited feminine heat that spread across her whole body and pooled heavily between her legs.
The cork came free with a loud pop.
He glanced her way. “So what’s all this about?”
She lifted one shoulder, held the flutes for him. “Does it have to be about something?”
“A sexy woman in a red dress brings a bottle of champagne over to me and asks me to drink it with her.” He took one of the glasses, lifting it in a toast. “Seems to me something’s going on.”
She followed his gesture, smiling over the rim. “Nothing’s going on.” She took a tiny sip then ran her tongue across her top lip, enjoying the delightful fizz. “Not yet anyway.”
He seemed to be fighting a grin. Leave it to Jack to be serious one minute and laughing the next. She tried to appear miffed. “Don’t laugh at me.”
“I’m laughing at myself for letting you talk me into this.”
“You haven’t let me talk you into anything. Yet.” She set down her glass and slid close enough for her knee to rub against the inside of his solid thigh. “Not that I haven’t been thinking of ways to convince you.”
He didn’t look at her, instead he twirled the glass, watching the golden liquid spin.
Elizabeth wiggled and leaned into
him. With her heels on she didn’t have to stretch far to reach his mouth, only an inch or two.
She nibbled gently on the corner of his mouth. His shoulders tensed, the hardness of his erection pressing through the glossy fabric of her dress.
Deep inside a well of feminine strength, a source of power she’d never known she’d had, flowed free. She had the power to make him want her. She had the power to turn him on.
But could she make him lose control?
She rubbed against his shaft, enjoying the rough contact of his pants against the smooth fabric of her dress. “Tell me what you like best.”
Struggle gathered in the depths of his eyes but she didn’t let up. She wanted her fantasy, she wanted Jack. She caressed his chest, trailing her fingertips drown the front of his shirt.
When he spoke, his voice was hoarse. “I don’t think we should…Elizabeth…”
She slipped her hands inside his jacket, arched her back and smiled innocently at him. “Do I know you?”
He spoke again, his voice a strangled whisper. “Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea.”
She pouted. “If you won’t tell me what you like…” She dipped the tip of her right ring finger into her champagne, then traced the outline of his bottom lip. The trail of moisture shimmered in the dim lighting of the bar.
After glancing into his eyes, she leaned forward to lick the wine from his mouth. As she pulled back, his warm breath came out in a rush and he grabbed her elbows, yanking her firmly against his chest.
He caressed her mouth with his lips, seducing her with a kiss. She moaned helplessly, wanting to explore the curves of his chest with her palms, or to fit her hands to the strength of his back but when she tried to free her hands he held her.
He angled his head and deepened the kiss. She responded by parting her lips, begging him to take whatever he wanted. Tasting the firm curves of his mouth, she longed to explore the rest of his powerful body. Would his skin smell musky and deep? Fresh like soap? Or a heady combination of the two?
She pulled her mouth from his to run her lips down the taut column of his neck. His hold tightened.
She nibbled her way back up his throat, then whispered, “Let go of me. I want to touch you.” And I want you to touch me too.
Satisfaction Guaranteed Page 11
