Satisfaction Guaranteed

by Isabelle Drake

  Driven by the need to do things to her he couldn’t consider in public, he pushed her back into a side hallway and pinned her to the wall with his thigh. She squirmed and rocked into him.

  Excitement raced over his body, he shifted closer. Cupping her bottom with one hand, he slid his hand across the swell of her hips, pressed his throbbing erection into her soft curves. “I’ve been patient all night. I’m done waiting my turn.”

  Then she last the last thing he wanted to hear. “I’ve been thinking—”

  “No more of that. Please.”

  “I’ve been thinking about not thinking,” she replied, a sexy gleam lighting her already bright eyes.

  Pulling her still closer, he said, “That sounds better.”

  He fingered one taut nipple and she trembled and panted, light and soft.

  “You make me crazy, Elizabeth. You make me forget who I am.”

  He nuzzled her neck, drawing a deep breath of her scent. The smell made his blood pound harder. His mind flamed with an emotional need that burned hotter and harder than the physical one to thrust his cock into her, making her his.

  “I want that.”

  “What, babe?” He angled back, looked into her eyes. “Tell me what you want. I’ll do anything.” He meant it. Not because he’d get to be the man who brought her to physical satisfaction but because he wanted to make her feel like the sexy woman she was. In pleasing her, he was certain he’d find the most awesome pleasure of his life.

  “I want to forget who I am,” she whispered, “Just for tonight. This one time.”

  Dazed confusion vibrated around him. “Why would you want that?”

  “I want to do things I’d never do, be someone else, someone who takes what she wants.”

  “You’re sure that’s what you want? What if—”

  She pressed a quick kiss to his lips, then slid her hands under his jacket, her palms leaving a hot trail of want as her tongue flickered across her bottom lip. When she spoke again her voice was potent. “I know you can do that for me, Jack.”

  He nudged her chin up with his thumb. “Tell me, Elizabeth, so I can get it right.”

  Even in the darkness of the corner the intensity of her gaze reached him as she spoke. “I want to feel like we’re the only two people in the world. I want to know what it feels like to-to be connected—to be loved.”

  He swallowed against the thickness in his throat. “You want to make love to me?”

  Never taking her gaze away from his face, she nodded.

  Love.

  One simple word, one that he used to ignore, suddenly made sense.

  “Come home with me.”

  A slow smile spread across her mouth. “I’ll go say goodbye to Kali and Aunt Vicki.”

  “Want me to come with you?”

  “Meet me out front with the truck,” she said, stepping away. “We’ll get out of here that much sooner.”

  He couldn’t argue with that. He hurried through the crowd, digging out his car keys as he went.

  —

  Elizabeth wasn’t going to question her decision to be with Jack. She’d told him the truth. She wanted to feel loved. For one night, she wanted to know what it would be like to be the center of a man’s world. Jack could do that for her.

  She ducked between the interlocked couples on the dance floor, reached Kali and William who were snuggled together in the center of the dance floor.

  Someday that’ll be me. Married to a man who can’t live without me. In the meantime, she’d take what came.

  She couldn’t make finding Mr. Right a goal. Life didn’t work that way. Not even for her. At least now she knew what kind of man turned her on. A man like Jack.

  Elizabeth wrapped her arm around Kali’s shoulders, giving her a gentle squeeze. “Everything was beautiful. You’re beautiful. Thanks for having us.”

  “Take good care of your guy. We’ll see you two after we get back.”

  No. You won’t.

  Elizabeth pushed aside regret and hurried through the rest of her goodbyes.

  Outside, she crossed the circular driveway and slid into the passenger seat. Jack kissed her quickly and hard on the mouth, the taste of him lingering after he moved away.

  Taut, swirling expectation settled around her and she embraced it. This would be her night. The one to remember and come back to, something to hold onto no matter what.

  She expected him to park in an underground garage of one of the huge, glitzy apartment buildings near downtown. Instead, he crossed through town and, after weaving through the tidy residential neighborhood, pulled into a narrow driveway.

  He caught her expression. “I like being around the families. It reminds me of home.”

  Inside, he locked the door behind them, hung the keys on a hook and led her to a small galley kitchen. The sink sat empty and the counters were bare except for a coffee maker and a toaster dotted with crumbs.

  “I’ve never been one for decorating.” He shifted behind her and wrapped both arms around her waist. The muscles in his arms twitched and pressed into her. Warmth from his hands seeped through her thin dress bringing alive the tingling awareness she’d come to recognize as her body’s reaction to Jack.

  Elizabeth dropped her head back, nervous but determined. “Are you going to take me on a tour? Or do I have to find the bed on my own?”

  He stepped back and took her hand, pulling her from the kitchen into the living room. A wide, black leather couch sat against the wall. A silver chrome table, stacked with magazines and books, stretched in front of it.

  “Black leather and chrome?” She lifted an eyebrow and glanced at him over her shoulder. “Guess I shouldn’t be surprised.”

  His voice dropped. “Hand-me-downs from my cousin.” Gently shoving her forward, he said, “Have a seat and I’ll get us some wine.”

  I don’t want wine.

  I want you.

  But he was gone.

  The couch smelled musky and warm, like Jack. A hardcover Patrick O’Brian novel lay open across a stack of dry looking journals with beige covers.

  Pretty intellectual entertainment considering he earned a living taking out women. She wasn’t surprised though. Jack had never come across as frivolous or uneducated.

  Old-fashioned prints covered the wall across from the couch. The men in the drawings had solemn, long pointed faces. One of the men had a white wig and a black robe. A judge? She couldn’t be sure because the only light in the room was from the kitchen.

  “A gift from my father when I grad—um, moved to Texas.”

  They’d driven home with the windows open and pieces of Jack’s windblown hair swung across his forehead. With his jacket and tie off, he fit the picture of the successful businessman after a long day.

  “Red okay?” He lowered himself onto the couch and handed her a glass. “I’m out of white.”

  “It’s fine,” she replied, taking a sip.

  This slow, hesitant approach was not what she’d been expecting. She stole a glance at him. He was staring into his wineglass. Second thoughts?

  Although things with Jack hadn’t turned out the way she’d planned, she didn’t regret a minute of her time with him. He’d unleashed a side of her that she hadn’t known existed. She could be wild and sexy—with the right man. She could live for the minute.

  This night would prove it.

  Her glass made a tap when she set it on the glass table. After she took his and set it next to hers, she swung one leg across him, wiggling her dress up and settling herself on his lap.

  His gaze dusted her shoulders, then drifted down to where the bare skin of her legs met the hem of her dress. “You sure, Elizabeth?”

  “Don’t I look sure?” She followed her sassy reply with a shift of her hips and even through the fabric of his pants his thick erection rubbed against her welcoming core.

  He lowered one dress strap and tasted her neck. His mouth, hot and wet, glided across her skin, leaving a trail that made her breasts swell
and her nipples tighten dutifully.

  When he tugged the other strap, the material pooled at her waist, exposing the blue strapless push-up bra Mandy had talked her into buying. Jack caressed the swells of her flesh and buried his face between her breasts.

  He shifted, spreading her legs wider so he could put one hand under her dress, his fingers tangling with the scrap of lace underwear. After he jerked it aside, he cupped her mound, wanton dampness spreading across his palm.

  She gasped and pressed her pelvis deeper but paused. She wanted him panting too. He had to shiver with need and ache as she did. Only then would she feel like he truly wanted her.

  Elizabeth slid off his lap, her breasts bouncing as she moved to undo his belt and zipper. His erection burst from his pants, enormous, hard and throbbing for her.

  The straining promise of the velvet tip made her quiver with hungry fever and the dampness of Elizabeth’s core turned hot and hollow. She knew if he merely touched her clit, she’d come.

  But she wanted more than sexual satisfaction. She wanted Jack inside her, bringing them together as one.

  He stopped her when she moved to climb back onto his lap. “The dress, please… I want to see you.”

  Impossibly, both raw hunger and tenderness burned in Jack’s gaze. The need for release she expected. The gentleness she didn’t.

  He flattened one hand to her stomach and tugged at the hem with the other. “Take it off.”

  Elizabeth wanted him to see all of her, to have all of her. She stood between his knees, wadded the dress and slipped it over her head. The fabric hit the floor without a sound.

  A forceful hiss came from between his teeth. “You get more beautiful each time I look at you.”

  With exquisite tenderness, he leaned forward and traced the edge of her bra.

  Her breasts were swollen, heavy and ready for his touch. She reached around, unhooked the bright lingerie and posed before him with only the piece of lace between her legs. Even that constricted her too much.

  She pulled at her panties but stopped when she noticed his hot gaze raking over her bare skin, his gaze reflecting passion and awe.

  Feminine power surged within and she lifted her hands to cup her breasts. The sensitive tips strained forward, begging for Jack’s touch. He lurched forward, mouth open but she leaned back, teasing. With slow, smooth motions, she dropped her hands, caressing her stomach and then her thighs before coming back to take her heavy breasts in her hands, holding them for him to lick.

  Knowing what she needed, he rocked forward again, taking one rigid tip into his mouth. He sucked gently, slices of pleasure cut across her skin and hot liquid flowed deep inside her core. Casting aside her goal to weaken his resolve, she moaned, arching her back.

  Jack growled, grabbing for her hips.

  Forgetting about the panties still hugging her hips, she straddled him, reveling in his strength and heat and aching for his steady cock.

  His mouth dropped open and she angled herself closer, stopping when her left breast was a breath away from his mouth. “Taste me again, Jack.”

  The gentle tug of his mouth delivered sharp pricks of need. Her muscles clenched as he spread his tongue wide and slowly, circled her nipple.

  Undisciplined need flowed through her, making her hollow pussy ache to be filled. “Jack—now—I…” She barely recognized that rasp as her voice.

  “What about… Are you…?”

  She bucked against him, instinctively scooting closer, seeking release. “It’s okay. I took care of it.”

  His leaned forward to take her mouth with his. When he slid his tongue into her mouth, she grabbed his shoulders and wiggled against him until the tip of his penis pressed against her clitoris. Realizing the lace was still in the way, she wiggled, angling her body so his rock-hard cock could slide beneath the thin material.

  He eased away, whispered into her neck. “Elizabeth, I don’t deserve you.”

  Arching, she rubbed against him murmuring his name and whimpering as she tried to sheath him with her hot core. Jack squeezed her bottom, guiding her against him.

  The tip of his penis slid into her pussy but the band of the panties wasn’t wide enough to accommodate his throbbing shaft. Jack snapped the delicate fabric, growling, “I’ll buy you another pair.”

  Scrambling, she pushed the torn panties down to her mid-thigh and then thrust down, taking all of him, feeling the possessive pressure of his solid shaft. The thick, full hardness of him over-filled her soft insides and she panted, adjusting to the impossible fullness.

  Incredibly, with each slight movement, he filled her more. Rocking against him, she accepted him. The rhythm of their bodies brought them together, joined them as one.

  The first rush of hot, senseless pleasure came too soon, she hadn’t gotten enough of him. The pulses of her orgasm ran into Jack’s. He panted and groaned as he thrust firmly into her, holding her ass firmly and murmuring her name as he squeezed her smooth flesh and pounded into her with strong, purposeful strokes.

  With her muscles weak and spent, she fell against his chest and listened to the reassuring thump of his heart. The buttons of his shirt rubbed against her cheek.

  As her breathing retuned to normal, clouds of doubt drifted into her mind. How was she ever going to walk away from this? She shifted over to sit beside Jack, pulling the remnants of her panties off.

  “Sorry about that,” he said, eyeing the torn lace.

  “It’s okay,” she said, avoiding his gaze and reaching for her dress.

  He stopped her and took her face in his hands. “Don’t go getting shy or embarrassed. I’m not done with you yet, Elizabeth.”

  A grin angled across her mouth as she clutched the dress to her bare skin. “You did promise to show me what it was like to be wanted.”

  “All I’ve shown you is how crazy you make me. I still intend to make you feel loved.”

  He tugged up his pants, then took her hand, pulling her from the couch. “Come on. We’re going to my bedroom to do this the right way.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  Elizabeth woke up, stretched. The ceiling was wrong. Slices of sunlight glowed on a bedside table that wasn’t hers.

  But no Jack.

  The vague, sleepy memory of him saying something about him taking a cab somewhere filtered into her mind. He had somewhere to be…he left the keys to his truck on the kitchen counter…promised to get the keys and her, later.

  Was it right before she fell asleep, or somewhere else during the night he promised more nights like that and insisted she do the same? She rolled over.

  There would be no later.

  The clock on the nightstand blinked six-fifty. Two hours and ten minutes to get behind her desk. No problem.

  Her languid ease was disrupted by the distant ringing of her phone.

  It couldn’t be her mother. Not at that hour.

  Mandy? Her court appointment was only hours away.

  Elizabeth shot out of bed, heedless of her naked state. She missed the call but got the voice message.

  “What’s wrong? Mandy okay?”

  “She’s okay,” Thomas reassured her, “but I can’t go to court with her. Some bigwig from corporate showed up last night. I have to stay and show him how to run the new machines. Mandy asked me to call and ask if you could meet her at court. Eight-fifteen.”

  “Of course. Can you call her back and tell her I’ll be there?”

  After he agreed, she clicked off. She eyed Jack’s keys on the counter but dialed the number for Metro taxi.

  The dispatcher’s chipper voice snapped across the lines. “Where’re you now, hun?”

  Crap.

  She slid open the kitchen drawers until she found one crammed with junk mail. Finally, she found a mailer from a pizza place and gave the street address to the woman.

  “He’ll be there faster than you can say Pecan Patty’s.”

  “Thanks. I’ll be out front.”

  After she hung up, she called Har
rison’s to leave a message with human resources that she’d be late. After washing her face, she scurried around, grabbing her clothes and tugging them on. Without the hair and makeup the dress didn’t quite work but cab drivers were probably used to that sort of thing.

  Elizabeth jumped at the horn from outside. She snatched her purse from the kitchen counter and dashed out to the curb.

  —

  Just over an hour later, Elizabeth scurried up the courthouse steps. Mandy hovered in the hallway with her fingertips shoved in her mouth.

  Elizabeth grabbed her friend’s hand. “He’s not worth ruining your nails for.”

  “Don’t I know it.” Mandy wrapped her hands around the strap of her purse. “Thanks for coming.”

  Elizabeth noticed the dark circles under her friend’s eyes and felt a stab of guilt. She’d been having the hottest night of her life while her friend was having the most miserable.

  “My attorney wants to meet upstairs,” Mandy continued. “Then we’ll move into an adjoining conference room to meet with the Harrison attorney. The mediation will be in Room 206 and we’re supposed to meet him in room…” She pulled a tattered letter from her purse. “206A.”

  “You ready to go up?”

  “Yeah,” she stuffed the letter back into her purse and lifted her chin. “I mean, yes. I am,” she said, pinning her shoulders back as she headed for the wide marble steps in the center of the building.

  The old Mandy would’ve crept toward the confrontation. This new, take-charge woman didn’t appear to have a single doubt in herself.

  Elizabeth didn’t catch up with her until they reached the top landing. The second floor hallway was a blur of navy suits and briefcases.

  Mandy pointed to a sign, then motioned for Elizabeth to follow her to the right. Out of the corner of her eye, Elizabeth saw a man who, for a split second, thought might be Jack.

  But that was crazy. What would he be doing at the courthouse?

  “Even a few minutes to spare.” Mandy paused outside a dark wood door, waiting for Elizabeth to catch up. Inside, a scarred oak table dominated the center of the room.