by Jaci Burton
the screen in front of her and arched a brow.
"He's a prick," she said, handing the cashier her ticket.
"Oh, I'm still a good girl, Chad. A very good girl."
"Give you any trouble?" Mike asked, pocketing the
"I can't believe how you've changed from the sweet sizable amount of bills the cashier handed him.
girl I married."
Abby handed him back the money she'd won in the slot She snorted. "Please. And where did that get me, Chad?
machine, despite Mike's attempts to prevent her from doing so.
I was faithful, I stayed home every night waiting for you.
"No trouble at all. I handled him just fine."
Where were you? Out with another woman, fucking her instead
"I figured you could." He slipped his arm around her of me. Well now I'm fucking other men instead of you." She and walked outside. He'd parked his Navigator at the end of pressed the cash out button, waited for her ticket to print and the parking lot. Isolated, within a semicircle of trees snatched it out of the machine. "And let me tell you, I'm surrounding them, and it was dark. The second they reached his having the best damn sex of my life right now. All those car he whirled her around and pushed her against the door, his wasted years on a minute man like you. If only I'd known what mouth descending on hers.
I was missing."
Her breath left her body as he plunged his tongue She waited for a comeback, but he only stared at her, inside, devouring her lips in a hungry kiss. She reached for his his face turning red. Then she realized he was speechless. For arms, feeling the heat, the lean muscle through his shirt. He the first time in her life, she'd rendered the bastard unable to parted her legs with his knee, insinuating his thigh between speak. Time to zero in for the kill. "All those girls you fucked them.
while we were married--what did they see in you, anyway?"
Her body responded with an instantaneous explosion, He looked like he wanted to strangle her. Triumphant, her pussy moistening, her nipples tightening as they brushed she waved her ticket in front of his face. "I'd love to stay and against his chest. She couldn't help her reaction to him. He was chat with you longer, Chad, but I have a life now that doesn't damned overpowering and she was helpless to do anything but include you."
let her body answer.
Did she want him? Hell yes. But while his hands were roaming her body, caressing her breasts, pinching her nipples, 69
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making her crazed with desire for him, part of her recognized He lifted his head and looked at her, a confused frown what she was experiencing was a pure and simple physical lining his brow.
reaction to him.
And in that moment, she knew exactly why. Because She lusted for Mike. Oh, God did she ever lust for him.
she was panting, her breasts heaving against his chest, her body But that's all she felt. That's all she would ever feel. On shaking all over. And though his cock was hard as he rocked it some elemental level she realized that Mike Nottingham was against her thigh, there was something in his eyes that told her way, way too much for her. That while he was gorgeous and he wasn't as invested in this as she was. A detachment she'd desirable and exciting as hell, he wasn't the kind of man she noticed before.
could ever have a relationship with.
Something that wasn't there when she looked into Not the kind of relationship she craved.
Seth's eyes. With Seth there was sex, but she could look into Not the kind of relationship she wanted.
his eyes and see clear down to his soul. When he was with her Like the kind she wanted with Seth.
he was wholly engaged in the two of them, in the experience.
Oh, God.
Mike felt no emotion in this. It was pure lust and Seth.
nothing more. He and Abby didn't have the emotional Mike moved his mouth from her lips to her neck, connection she and Seth did.
licking her pulse point and making goosebumps pop out all
"What's wrong Abby? You're so damn close I can feel over her skin. He inserted his hand and slipped down the front you trembling."
of her skirt, cupping her pussy. She damn near came.
"I know. God, I know. I'm sorry. I can't do this."
This had to stop. She felt guilty!
"We can go to my place if it bothers you. I wasn't She palmed his chest and pressed against him, subtly at thinking about the lack of privacy here."
first, then a little harder.
She shook her head. "It's not that. I...I don't even know
"Mike, stop."
where to start."
He rocked his palm against her clit, and she fought the Mike blew out a breath and stepped back, putting sensations. She was close, so damn close she almost thought distance between them. He tilted his head to the side and about coming, of tossing aside her convictions and letting it all studied her. "It's Seth."
loose.
Her eyes widened. "How did you know?"
But she couldn't. Goddammit, she couldn't. Damn
"He said as much the same about you last night."
scruples.
"He did?" She couldn't help the smile that crept onto
"Mike, please stop." She grabbed his wrist and pulled her face. She didn't mean to, really. It just appeared. And she his hand out of her skirt.
felt really shitty about it and tried to wipe it off, but she couldn't.
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"You're people who fall in love. It's sickening the way Which kind of annoyed him. Okay, it really hurt, it's written all over your face."
goddammit. And he hadn't gone into this to get hurt again. But He was teasing her. She saw it in the half curve of his didn't it just figure it had happened anyway? He'd closed his lips, the way he tilted his head a certain way.
heart to loving a woman after his ex had stomped all over it
"I'm sorry, Mike."
and left a withered, dried out stump in her wake. After that, he
"Don't be." He pulled her to him and hugged her, used women for sex and nothing more.
pressing a kiss to the top of her head. He paused for a few He'd done a pretty damn good job of it, too. Mike was a seconds, then whispered, "I envy your ability to love."
good teacher in that area, and he'd watched and learned from She was going to ask him what he meant, but he pushed the master.
her back and grinned. "I'm going to drop you off at Seth's. I But somewhere along the way, he'd left the door open.
might have mentioned to him that you and I had a date tonight, And over the past year, Abby had crept in.
and he's probably tearing his house apart in jealousy right Now he'd have to close it again.
now."
Maybe he'd have that second drink after all.
"You didn't."
When the doorbell rang, he frowned. Shit. Who the hell Mike shrugged. "Hey, I'm a prick. Everyone knows would come over this time of night? He went to the door and that."
looked out the peephole, shocked as hell to see Abby. He unopened the door, regarding her warily.
Seth paced his living room, downing the last of the rum
"Hey," she said, a wash of color covering her cheeks.
and staring down the wet bar, contemplating another drink.
"Hey yourself. I thought you were out with Mike Bad idea. He had surgery early in the morning. Besides, tonight."
the alcohol hadn't even touched the irritation burning inside That color on her cheeks deepened. "I know. He told him all night. Screw all night--try ever since earlier today, me that you knew. He just dropped me off."
when Mike had casually mentioned on his way out of the clinic
"Why?"
that he was picking up Abby tonight.
"Can I come in or do you want to do this ou
t here?"
Which meant she'd no more left his place last night, left
"Oh. Sorry." He moved aside to let her in. Damn, she his bed last night, than she'd gone home and agreed to a date looked hot in a tight black skirt and skimpy little halter. Her with Mike tonight. Maybe she'd even called Mike when she'd hair was partially up with little blonde tendrils escaping a gotten home.
jeweled clip. He clenched his fingers into a fist to keep from Either way, he knew what it meant. She didn't care reaching out and touching her. "Have a seat. Would you like a about him.
drink?"
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"No. Thanks." She sat on the sofa in the living room.
She swallowed and he watched the movement of her Balanced precariously on the edge like she might fall off any creamy throat. "I said I'm love with you."
second was more like it.
That wasn't at all what he'd prepared himself to hear.
And she looked profoundly uncomfortable.
Not at all.
Which meant only one thing. She had come here to tell Holy fucking shit!
him she didn't want to see him anymore.
How nice of Mike to let her do this alone. Then again, Abby watched the play of emotions crossing Seth's maybe she'd wanted to do it without him being here. That face, resisting the urge to grin. She gathered he had been would be Abby's way. She wouldn't want Mike to stand prepared for her to say something else entirely.
around smiling victoriously while she let Seth down.
"You love me."
"Why are you here, Abby?"
"Yes."
Her head shot up, her eyes wide with something akin to
"Goddamn." He blinked, then jammed his fingers abject terror. "I...I need to tell you something."
through his hair and looked up at her again. "You love me."
He supposed he could be a gentleman and make it
"Yes," she said, this time laughing. "I love you."
easier for her, but he wasn't feeling particularly chivalrous at He stood and took the two steps toward her, then the moment. Instead, he took a seat on the sofa across from grabbed her hands and pulled her up.
hers. "Sure. Shoot."
"You love me."
He stretched his legs out, resting his arms on the back She nodded.
of the sofa. No fucking way was he going to clue her in that her He shook his head. "I thought...fuck it. It doesn't dismissal bothered him. When she told him, he'd just brush it matter what I thought." He bent and pressed his lips to hers.
off as no big deal and send her on her way. Mike was probably His kiss was achingly tender, filled with so much emotion and waiting outside in the car.
heart it brought tears to her eyes. His fingers splayed over the Just say it and get it over with, Abby.
bare skin of her back, drawing her closer.
"You have something to say?"
She wanted to crawl right inside him.
"I'm in love with you, Seth."
He pulled away, his gaze dark, filled with emotions she He drummed his fingers on the top of the sofa, looking couldn't name.
bored. "So?"
"I've been falling in love with you every day since you She arched a brow. "So?"
first came to the clinic, Abby. I didn't want to fall in love. I But as her words sank in, his fingers stilled and he swore I wouldn't. And after this weekend with you and me and leaned forward. "What did you just say?"
Mike, I wasn't sure what you wanted, but I sure as hell knew 72
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what I wanted. I wanted you. Not to share you. Never, ever to shrieked and gripped the couch cushions. He lapped her cream, share you again."
his tongue snaking up to encircle her clit.
Her heart soared with every word. "I'm a one man The man was a marvel with his tongue, and a constant woman. This weekend was the experience of a lifetime, a sexual surprise. He reached between her legs with his fingers to fantasy come true. I won't deny that I enjoyed the hell out of it.
stroke her pussy, tugging her clit until she was writhing against But I don't ever want to repeat it."
his hand.
He grinned. "I enjoyed it too. But I can fulfill your
"Come for me, baby," he urged, coaxing an orgasm fantasies in a lot of different ways."
from her as easily as if he'd asked her to pass the salt. She Her brows lifted. "I'll just bet you can."
tensed and cried out, shuddering against his probing tongue and
"And I'll wager you have some really wild fantasies."
fingers.
Somehow she knew he'd be open to exploring every God, she'd been so primed for an orgasm, so pumped single one of them with her. She couldn't wait. "As a matter of up and sexually charged from Mike earlier, that Seth took her fact, I do."
over the edge in seconds. She panted, her eyes closed, thinking His fingers blazed a slow, sensual trail along her spine, she should feel guilty that one man had finished what another sliding into her skirt and stopping just short of the crack of her had started.
ass. "Tell me one right now."
No. The right man had finished what the wrong man She looked around, then smiled. "I've always had this had started. And that she wouldn't feel guilty about.
fantasy about being bent over the sofa, with my skirt hiked She was still trembling when he stood, parted her legs up..."
with his thighs and entered her with a solid thrust, driving her His smile was devastating to her senses. Dark and filled against the back of the couch. She held on as he pounded her with promise.
hard, giving her exactly what she'd asked for, fulfilling yet
"I think we can accommodate you." He moved behind another of her deep, dark fantasies.
the sofa, then bent her over it.
He fucked her relentlessly, giving her no time to even She wiggled her ass for him, then spread her legs.
catch her breath as he pistoned his cock upward, rocking her
"Oh yeah. I like this fantasy of yours, Abby."
clit against the couch until her pussy gripped him so hard he He hadn't even touched her yet and she was soaking yelled her name, grabbed her hips in a punishing grip and came wet. She felt his hands at the hem of her skirt, his knuckles in a torrent of shuddering gasps. He fell against her back, his brushing the skin of her thighs. He raised her skirt so slowly heartbeat hammering against her.
she wanted to scream, her clit throbbing in anticipation.
When he withdrew, he turned her around and lifted her What she hadn't expected was for him to pull her legs to wrap them around him. He kissed her--he seemed to panties aside and slide his hot tongue right into her pussy. She love kissing her, thank God, once again tenderly, taking the 73
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clip out of her hair so he could thread his fingers through the tendrils.
She loved how he touched her.
He carried her this way to his bedroom, his pants nearly halfway down, both of them laughing as he almost tripped several times. They fell onto the bed and lay there, looking at each other.
"You love me," he said again, a silly smile on his face that she was certain mirrored her own.
"Yes. And you love me."
"I sure as hell do."
"So now what?"
He leaned up on an elbow and untied the strings of her halter. "Now we fuck again."
Laughing, she said, "I know that. I mean with us."
As he pulled the fabric down, exposing her breasts, he said, "We take it a day at a time. You have a career to start, and a life to begin. I won't stand in the way of that."
And that was one of the things she loved most about him. He recognized her need to be independent, even without her saying it. Falling in
love had been the wildest part of her weekend. Unexpected, but certainly not unwanted.
She'd gotten way more out of this bet than she had planned.
She couldn't wait to tell Blair and Callie when she saw them again. But right now there was an incredibly sexy man undressing her. She reached for the buttons of his shirt and began undoing them.
"So, Seth, we've delved a lot into my fantasies. Let's talk about yours..."
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Newcastle. It means pull over and get out of the damn car.
Wicked
Now."
Blair
Miss Newcastle. Whatever. She'd known Rand McKay since elementary school and long before he became sheriff of Silverwood. And he only called her Miss Newcastle when he wanted to piss her off.
It worked. She was good and angry. She pulled off her Chapter One
sunglasses and stared him down, refusing to even unbuckle her seat belt. "Mail me a ticket. You know my address."
"Step out of the vehicle and spread your legs."
He bent over and leaned well muscled, tanned forearms Blair tapped her long, just-manicured fingernails on the on the door. "Get out of the goddamned car now, Blair. Or I'll leather steering wheel and stared straight ahead, counting come in there and get you. And if I have to come in there and slowly to ten before she even looked out the window to get you, I'll strip search you right here on the road."
acknowledge Rand McKay's existence. And there was no way
"You wouldn't dare."
in hell she'd obey his ridiculous order. It was bad enough he'd
"Try me."
pulled her over on this deserted stretch of road, sirens blaring, With a disgusted sigh, she punched the button to release when she was already late for lunch with Abby and Callie. But her seatbelt, then flung the door open, hoping she'd toss Rand to tell her to get out of her car and spread her legs like a on his ass in the process. But he simply backed up with fluid common criminal?
ease and waited for her to exit her Mercedes. With a hard slam He could kiss her ass.
she shut the car door and crossed her arms in front of her.
No, wait. He'd probably enjoy that. And Blair wasn't
"What the hell is your problem?" she asked, tapping her about to do anything Rand might enjoy.
