What She Wants Tonight

by Jillian Neal

  “Wait,” Meridian huffed, “it wasn’t just a pool for people in legal? It’s for the entire courthouse?”

  Mitch gave her a sorrowful nod. “There isn’t that much to do out here.”

  Jack lowered his head, and Meridian knew he was trying to conceal his laughter. The shake of his shoulders betrayed his efforts. She rolled her eyes. “Okay, well, let Sarah Beth know that we figured our shit out.”

  “I will, and we’re all really glad you did,” Mitch vowed kindly.

  “Thank you for that.” Jack’s grin elicited one from Meridian as well.

  “Of course.” Mitch handed over a stack of file folders and two thumb drives. “The windmill filings.” He shook his head. “I’ve never seen people so determined to prevent progress.”

  Jack nodded his agreement. “People tend to get very determined when they believe the progress is going to stand in the way of their gains. I’ll take care of this.”

  “Congrats, you two. Let me know if you need anything.” Mitch made a quick exit and they were alone again, only they could hear Jack’s phone ringing from Meridian’s office.

  “I guess if we’re going to successfully pull off this working relationship, I have to work instead of kissing you all day, huh?” he said.

  Beaming at him, she nodded. “It seems so, but you could come over to my house for dinner tonight.”

  “Only if I get to stay and make you breakfast tomorrow before work.”

  “I like my eggs over easy.”

  “Your wish is my command as always, princess.” The phone started ringing again. “I guess I better get that.”

  Meridian settled at her desk and tried to sort through life now that she was in a serious relationship…with her boss. Okay, so it was a little unorthodox. Nothing wrong with that. She could have her cake and eat it too. Nothing would stand in her way.

  She would be the most kickass assistant district attorney, and a kickass girlfriend, and a kickass cowgirl. No problem.

  It was only one more role to add to her playbill, and she’d spent the last decade juggling the other roles. The key was to play each role at the right time, and right now she was supposed to be working, even if technically she was still on vacation. She flipped open the Marsden file and started back through it with the knowledge that he had a brother in the Bureau of Land Management.

  Her cell phone buzzed on her desk. Grinning at the caller ID she answered quickly. “Hey, Mama.”

  “Don’t hey mama me,” Leigh huffed, and Meridian cringed. “Sarah Beth McGillicuddy just called to tell me my own daughter is dating Jack Denton and that you’re back in town when you told me you weren’t coming back until this weekend. You shoulda heard her gloating when I didn’t know what she was talking about.”

  “Sorry. I was going to tell you. It’s been crazy. His family is awful, and the wedding we were supposed to go to got called off, and yes, we’re dating officially but I never meant to leave you out. I’m so sorry.”

  Meridian had gotten a fair amount of her spitfire spite from her mother, so she knew she’d likely have to apologize several more times before she gained forgiveness. Unless…. It was a gamble, but she doubted Jack would mind. “Actually,” she forced, “Jack and I were wondering if we could come over for dinner tonight so we could tell you all about it. He wants to impress you and Daddy. He’s so worried you won’t like him.” She could almost hear her mother melting from twenty miles away.

  “Well, isn’t that just the sweetest,” Leigh drawled. Meridian bit her lips together to keep from laughing. “Of course you can come over, and you tell Jack that we already knew he was a good, upstanding man so he has nothing to worry about. Of course, your daddy doesn’t really think anyone is good enough for you, but I’ll work on him between now and then. What kinds of things does Jack like to eat?”

  “He’s not picky. Why don’t you make your famous meatloaf and mashed potatoes?” She knew it was her mother’s favorite meal to prepare and that she loved the gushing praise her potatoes always garnered.

  “I can do that. How about a peach cobbler for dessert?”

  “Perfect.” So far, Meridian was pleased with how the day was turning out, even if she was certain over half the county now knew she and Jack were dating.

  “By the way, I know you’re only doing this so I’ll stop being angry at you,” her mother warned.

  “I really am sorry. Wait until I tell you everything that happened in Kentucky. You won’t believe even half of it.”

  “Right now, I want to know how Jack finally asked you to be his girlfriend, and I want all the parts including the ones you aren’t gonna tell your daddy.”

  Wrinkling her nose, Meridian tried to solidify the past four days into some kind of tellable tale. “Uh, well, I think it kind of all started when I demanded that he kiss me on his family’s swanky private jet when we were landing on their estate.”

  “Meridian,” her mother huffed. “My word. I don’t even know where to start with that statement.”

  “Hey, you know when I set my heart on something, I don’t take no for an answer.”

  “Fine. So, their family has a jet that lands on their estate?” She blew a low whistle between her teeth. “Goodness, I thought only the Kennedys had such a thing.”

  “It was completely overwhelming, and his parents hate him.”

  Her mother went quiet. Meridian checked her phone to make certain she hadn’t lost the cell signal. “I don’t see how a mama could possibly hate her child,” Leigh finally decreed.

  “Well, he has a brother that’s gay, and they kicked him out of the house.”

  “Where does his brother live? Can he come to dinner with you? You know, we always have extra plates. I’ll peel some extra potatoes, and I bet your Aunt Susannah’s got some extra beans we put up last fall. I’ll call her.”

  Reveling in the moment that her parents were truly the salt of the earth, she let the deep dusty air of the county that had raised her fill her lungs. God, it was good to be home. “He still lives in Louisville, but maybe he’ll come over when he comes out to visit Jack sometime.”

  “Does he need a ticket, because I just saw a commercial about flights being cheaper, so we could get him a few?”

  “He’s doing okay for himself now, but I promise you Jack’s family is really awful.”

  “Why is that?”

  That question took Meridian aback. “What do you mean why? They just are, I guess.”

  “No, honey. People don’t behave like that for no reason.”

  “Then I guess greed.”

  “Mm, the love of money has hurt a lot of people, not that we weren’t warned. Sounds to me like there’s a whole lot of hurt going on out there in Louisville. I have to say I suspected as such. Jack always walks around looking over his shoulder like he expects to be smacked at any moment. Breaks my heart.”

  Meridian considered that. Jack did occasionally look like he expected the sky to fall at any moment. “I figured the Holders could show him how families are supposed to be.”

  That pleased her mother as well. “We will do our best. What time will you be here?”

  “We’ll come straight after work.”

  “You’d better.”

  Meridian told her mother how much she’d missed her and how much she loved her, but then that call was interrupted by a call from Harper. Good grief. The rumor mills were now in full-tilt. She’d be lucky to get off the phone in time to persuade Jack to have dinner at her parents’.

  She fielded calls from three other cousins, Sarah Beth McGillicuddy, her Aunt Sara, her Aunt Susannah, and Erma who ran the BBQ joint on the square.

  It was almost four thirty before she escaped, sans cell phone, to Jack’s office. She closed the door and let her head fall back against it, hoping for a little peace and quiet.

  Jack’s brow furrowed, but he was also on the phone. Meridian refused to go back anywhere near the vicinity of her cell phone, so Jack was just going to have to be okay with her bein
g in his office.

  “Are you okay?” he mouthed. She nodded and sank into one of the chairs in front of his desk. “Yes, Mayor, I’m listening,” he ground out with an accompanying eye roll. “I really don’t think it’s going to be a problem. The accusations that windmills cause any kind of damage to either the earth or to anyone’s health are absolutely preposterous. This case will be another slice of the same pie as the mineral case, and that appeal was struck down.”

  Of course. Mayor Jennings would want to make sure that Jack was on the windmill case, and he’d also want a minimum of an hour of Jack blowing smoke up his ass.

  “I’m sorry,” Jack mouthed this time.

  Meridian waved him off. She just wanted to escape to his vicinity, and wasn’t that telling. She smiled at the thought.

  “You know, I am supposed to still be on vacation,” Jack reminded the mayor rather tersely. Meridian choked back laughter.

  He continued on with his uh-huhs for the next five minutes. An idea suddenly struck Meridian—a delicious, decidedly naughty, and a helluva lot of fun idea.

  She tiptoed to the door and turned the interior lock, then spun back around and gave him a wicked grin.

  Chapter Forty-Five

  Keeping her eyes locked on Jack, she sank slowly back down in the chair with her legs open. His chest lifted with a few rapid breaths. His eyes darkened as they moved up her body.

  Meridian slowly dragged her fingers under the hem of her skirt, sliding the fabric up her thighs. His mouth opened like he might encourage her if he’d been able. Heat bloomed between her legs. Her heart beat against the cage of her ribs, as if it were seeking his hands. She craved him.

  Her fingertips trailed up the front of her thighs until she reached the lacy elastic edge of her panties.

  Jack managed to turn a greedy moan into something of a cough. She closed her eyes and imagined his long, nimble fingers stroking her slit over the satin.

  “I…uh,” he stumbled over whatever he was trying to tell Mayor Jennings, “I don’t think…that’s necessary.”

  She let her eyes drift open and found his gaze locked between her thighs. He pierced her with a desperate, needy look. No one had ever made her feel so exquisitely sexy. She imagined his hands gripping her hips as he pounded into her.

  With her own fingers, she traced along her slit and bit her bottom lip to quell her own moan. She moved her fingers faster until the satin was soaked and she needed more.

  Jack worked the buckle of his belt and opened his slacks with one hand.

  Easing the crotch of her panties aside, she spread the wet warmth up to her clit, and Jack growled out, “I’ll have to call you back.” He ended the call and dropped the receiver. “It looks like you need something, princess. Come here to me. Let me make it feel better.”

  Her body pulsed to the sound of his order. She was so close, and yet this wasn’t for her. This was for him. She wiped the dew of her need between her legs and made her way to his desk. He reached for her, but she was quicker. She dropped to her knees and licked her lips.

  “Fuck, yes.” His head fell back as she revealed his dick, already dripping for her. She wrapped her hand around his thick shaft and spun her tongue over his head, tasting him. Releasing her hand for a split second, she licked down the throbbing veins and then back up for another taste of his salty, earthy flavors.

  “Suck me, cowgirl,” he growled. “Suck me hard.”

  She obeyed readily, the only man she’d ever take orders from because he was the man who loved every side of her. She pulled him deep into her mouth and moved in rhythm with her hand.

  He gripped her hair, guiding her. With her free hand, Meridian traced over his sac as it drew tight.

  “Jesus,” choked from him. “Don’t make me come, honey. Not yet. Not until I’m deep in that naughty little pussy.”

  A breathy moan escaped her mouth, breaking the suction she had on him. He used the moment to pull her head away. “On your feet,” he ordered. “Put that ass up in the air for me.”

  Having a pretty good idea where this was going, she climbed to her feet. He stood, turned her, and leaned her over his desk in one fluid movement. He yanked her panties down and used them to keep her from fully spreading her legs.

  “Did you really think you could come in my office and tempt me like that and you wouldn’t be punished?” He spun two fingers deep in her channel. “My tight, naughty little princess.” She saw him toss the condom wrapper in the trash can, and the next moment he gripped her hips and thrust deep and hard, tearing the air from her lungs.

  A feral growl filled her ear as he leaned over her. “You look so fucking beautiful rubbing your cream all over yourself. What else was I supposed to do but give you what you need?” He thrust harder, driving her against his desk. Her fingernails dug into the leather inlay as she tried to cling to any available anchor. Another moan pressed from her lungs. “Be quiet, honey. Or everyone in this office will know what a bad girl you are for me.”

  That was precisely what he wanted. She knew.

  “Tomorrow when you’re sore, I want you to remember what you did to earn this. You need to remember who this pussy belongs to.”

  And that was precisely what she craved.

  “Yes,” washed from her lungs as she tensed around him. He trailed biting nips and kisses along her shoulders and then stood to pound harder. “Oh shit,” she finally whimpered. “Don’t stop.” One more stroke, maybe two. Frantic need pulsed up her spine. The leather pressed against her heated skin. His rock-hard body pinned her in place. She had nowhere to go but over the cliff of ecstasy he pushed her constantly toward.

  “Beg me,” he demanded. “Or I will stop. I’ll pull out, put you back on your knees, and come down your throat instead.”

  “Please, please,” she begged readily, far too desperate to feel any shame.

  “That’s a good girl.” He gave her another deep, ragged thrust. His balls slapped at her inner thighs. The leather pressed constantly against her clit. Her mind spun. And he filled her past full. She spiraled over with a husky cry of his name. The spasms of her pussy had him tensing and cursing a few seconds later.

  Several minutes later, he was cradling her in his lap and brushing kisses on her temple. “I love you,” he whispered.

  A sizzle of pure bliss cascaded outward from her chest. “I love you too. I’m glad we got our shit together.”

  Laughing, he nodded against her. “Me too.”

  “We’re about ten minutes late for dinner with my parents.”

  “What?” He sat up, almost dumping her on the floor, but he managed to keep her in his arms.

  “Sorry. Mama was upset that Sarah Beth knew about us before she did. I was trying to make it up to her by promising we’d come eat with them and tell them all about us.”

  She felt Jack’s jaw tense against her head. “I almost wish you’d mentioned this before you started masturbating in front of me…almost.”

  “It’s fine. We’ll just tell them the mayor wouldn’t shut up.”

  “I’d prefer not to be late when I’m going to beg your father to let me date you.”

  Meridian climbed out of his lap and tried to smooth the wrinkles out of her skirt. “My father does not get to decide who I date.”

  “Still.” He quickly tucked in his shirt and re-buckled his belt. “Should I…get them a gift? I probably have some Denton Small Batch at my house somewhere.”

  It was sweet that he was so worried, but it was also completely unnecessary. “It’s fine. They already like you.”

  “I hold that they like me as the DA, not necessarily as the man sleeping with their one and only daughter.”

  “Let’s maybe not refer to you as the guy sleeping with their daughter.” She ran her fingers through her hair and wondered just how sexed she might look.

  “What should we call me? Is boyfriend okay with you?”

  “I told you last night that I wanted to be engaged to you, so yeah, boyfriend isn’t an ov
erstep.”

  “I’m sorry. I just…don’t want to mess this up.”

  Meridian brushed a tender kiss on his jaw. “You’re not going to. If Daddy makes some huffy remark about you not being a cowboy, just let me take care of it.”

  “We could go by Prairie Outfitters and I could pick up a hat if that would help.”

  Shaking her head at him, she was overwhelmed with how much it meant to her that he wanted to impress her parents this much. “You do not need a cowboy hat. That would be disingenuous. Besides, you don’t just go buy a hat. It’s a process and not a fast one.”

  “All right. Then let’s go so we don’t make them wait any longer.” He paced after her while she raced back to her office to gather her bags.

  “Jack,” Meridian stopped him by the door. “They already like you. That isn’t going to change. The whole world isn’t like your family. You’re not a commodity to the Holders. You’re a person.”

  Chapter Forty-Six

  Jack’s mouth was dry enough for tumbleweeds to take root as he stepped inside Leigh Holder’s small but warm kitchen. She grinned at him. “Well, hey there, Jack. Y’all come on in.”

  Meridian brushed a kiss on her mother’s cheek. “Sorry we’re late. The mayor called Jack and wouldn’t shut up.”

  “Ever since that man got elected he’s been of the opinion that he’s getting paid by the word.” Leigh rolled her eyes. “I’m sorry you got stuck on the phone with him.”

  Guilt thudded in Jack’s empty stomach. He hated to lie to her, but telling the Holders that they were late because he’d had their daughter bent over his desk begging was definitely not an option.

  Jack stiffened when Gentry and Maddox walked into the kitchen.

  “Hey, Daddy.” Meridian threw her arms around her father, and Jack watched as he swayed his daughter back and forth, closing his eyes in reverence of the moment.

  “Hey, pumpkin,” he soothed.

  Jack grinned. “Pumpkin?” he whispered when she came back to stand beside him.

  She gave him a mocking glare as a fresh round of heat flooded her cheeks. “When I was born, my head was kind of oval-shaped and my hair was orange.”