by Raine Miller
How could she ever confess to something like that? How would she be judged? Harshly, of course. How else could a harlot be condemned? At least stoning had gone out of fashion. She opened her eyes as Carolyn pulled toward the gated community.
To get them past the guard, Lexi leaned down and smiled.
“Good afternoon, Miss Ryan.”
“Hello, Gary.”
The lever lifted and Carolyn drove into Lexi’s community and pulled into her driveway. They both stepped out of the car and went inside.
Thankfully, she hadn’t lowered the thermostat, and the coolness prickled her skin. She dropped her purse and suitcase in the foyer, and they went straight to the kitchen. Lexi pulled out a bottle of chilled wine, popped the cork, and poured two glasses.
Carolyn took a sip and said, “I’m sorry Howard married someone else. That has to suck.”
“Yeah, it does. But, it proves he never loved me.”
“Is any of his stuff here?”
“There are a few items upstairs. He left a toothbrush, a couple of shirts, maybe his sneakers.”
Carolyn, with her dyed red hair and false eyelashes, marched up the stairs, and Lexi wondered where her friend got the energy when all she wanted to do was crawl into bed and sleep for a week.
Heavy footsteps tromped down, and Carolyn turned the corner, her arms filled with things belonging to Howard. “Let’s start a bonfire.”
“What?”
Without as much as a misstep, Carolyn walked by the table, grabbed her wine, and headed outside. A frown tugged Lexi’s brows. What could her friend possibly be thinking?
Stepping out of the cool house into the sweltering heat, Lexi squinted and watched in horror as Carolyn lifted the lid to her grill.
“What on earth are you doing?”
Carolyn turned on the propane gas, flicked a lighter wand, and flames shot up. She fueled the fire by placing Howard’s sneakers on the grill. The stench and smoke had Lexi backing away. “You know you’re crazy, right?”
“Maybe. But if he can throw your feelings in the dirt, the least you can do is burn his stuff.”
“Is that even legal?”
Carolyn gave that familiar wicked grin when she was up to no good. “Let’s see if the prick has the balls to press charges. If he does, how successful would he be against you?”
In went the white shirts, a toothbrush, a tube of deodorant, and his watch.
Howard’s watch.
“Oh no, Carolyn, not that. His mother bought him that for his birthday.”
Using the barbecue two-pronged fork, Carolyn poked the watch between the racks and into the hungry flames. “He should have taken better care of it. What dumbass goes off to meet his ex-girlfriend and leaves his prized possession with his current girlfriend? One that deserves what he gets, that’s who.” She skewered the sneakers and tossed them in a planter. Waving the smoke aside, she said, “They stink, maybe melting them is punishment enough.”
“He’s probably going to sue me.”
Carolyn gulped her wine and shrugged. “Let him. Demand an all-female jury and see how he does.”
Her friend put the lid down on the cooker, and they went back inside for a refill. Lexi didn’t feel good about destroying anyone’s property no matter how angry he made her. But, what the hell? Howard was a lying asshole who deserved what he got.
Lexi glanced out the window and saw flames shooting from the planter. “Oh shit, Carolyn, you set the house on fire.”
Her friend looked up. “Don’t just sit there, call the fire department.”
Lexi dashed outside and grabbed the water hose to quickly put out the flames. “Are you crazy? By the time the firemen get here, the whole place could be ablaze.”
A wicked smile covered Carolyn’s face. “Yeah, but we’d have firemen in the house. You get it? Firemen.”
“You’re nuts. And they’d probably arrest you for arson or something.”
“Bet I’d have a good time before they put me behind bars.” Carolyn wiggled her eyebrows.
For the first time all day, Lexi laughed. “Maybe you’re right.”
Back inside, sitting at the kitchen table watching her Master Grill stink up the neighborhood, Lexi continued to smile. While Howard had discarded her in a most brutal way, her night with the stranger managed to cure her not-very broken heart in no time.
She wondered what he was doing right now. Would he try to find her? She disregarded the idea immediately. While he was truly drop dead gorgeous, she on the other hand, wasn’t so much. But then, they’d both had a lot to drink.
A gallon of champagne couldn’t keep her from recognizing a handsome man when she saw one. To be thirty didn’t mean she was dead. And the sex? No way to describe that other than utterly amazing and then some. If he had a wife, she hoped the woman realized she was truly the luckiest woman on earth.
Oh God, she’d slept with some woman’s husband and now sat here thinking how lucky she was!
Please don’t have a wife.
“Where’s your brain?” Carolyn asked. “Don’t moon over Howard. He’s not worth it. From the beginning, he was a full-fledged jerk.”
“Oh, I thought Howard was a nice enough guy. But now, I realize I never loved him.” She took a sip of wine. “And it’s obvious he didn’t love me.”
“I’m hungry. Want to get dinner? After smelling Howard’s stuff burn, I’m in the mood for Mexican.”
“Let’s call and see if Julie wants to go with us.”
“Girlfriend, it’s Saturday night. She’s probably going out with Derek.”
Lexi found her phone and called. “Before I left, they were arguing about his mother.”
“Oh, that sounds promising.”
Lexi reached Julie on the phone, and her friend agreed to meet them at OTB, their favorite Mexican Cantina.
CHAPTER 4
Finally, Jack got his original surprise. They’d bought tickets to a live Jay Leno show. Normally, it would be quite a treat, but not tonight. The girl in his room took up all his thoughts. He couldn’t shake her image. If birthday wishes were granted, she’d be in his bed right now.
The audience laughed, and he went along, the whole while wishing he was with his little sex imp doing the nasty bang. Roger and Spencer had spent the day trying to cheer him up. They even offered to get him a girl for hire, but he didn’t want that. He wanted the girl in the black satin gloves.
Right now, he wanted to get back to Dallas and find out everything he could about Howard Newman. Odds were he’d lead Jack right to the girl. Jack had called his team earlier and put out the word. They were to get all the information they could on the attorney and have it waiting for him Sunday night when he returned home.
The crowd laughed and so did Jack, but only because he didn’t want to hurt his friends’ feelings, nor did he want them to know he cared so much. They knew he was disappointed, but felt assured he’d get over it. Jack wasn’t so confident. She’d been pretty special.
As they filed out of the studio, Jack caught a glance of Howard and the blonde girl he had with him earlier. Jack came close to going over and shaking the guy down, but he could wait. By Sunday night, Jack would know everything there was to know about Howard and hopefully, his connection with the girl of Jack’s dreams.
They had a late supper, and Jack watched Roger and Spencer get shitfaced again. On the plane tomorrow, those two were not going to be happy. God help them when they showed up to the wife and screaming kids with a hangover.
Roger leaned closer. “I think you need a little tail tonight. Why don’t you let me and Spencer spring for a hot little working girl?”
“Have you ever had a working girl, Roger?”
He shook his head. “Hell no, I’ve been married most of my life.”
Spencer slammed down his empty shot glass. “I’d be too afraid I’d get caught. My wife has supernatural powers when it comes to where my dick has been.”
“You guys make married life sound so bad, b
ut I don’t see either one of you wanting to change anytime soon.”
Roger blinked. “Hell, no, I’m not changing anything. That woman gave birth to my children. I love her.”
“Yeah,” Spencer said. “Just because we bitch doesn’t mean we don’t love our wives. Yeah, I don’t deserve her.” His friend Spencer always got maudlin after a few drinks. He’d be hugging everyone in a few minutes.
“Okay.” Jack held up his hands. “I was just checking.” He slapped Spencer on the back. “I want you two to know I had a great time tonight.”
“Not as good as last night, I bet.”
“You guys don’t know what happened, and I’m not telling, so forget it.”
“But a girl came to your room, and you had sex.”
“That happened, but I’m beginning to think she was simply drunk and somehow managed to lock herself out of her room.”
“So.” Roger pointed to him. “You took advantage of a woman who was drunk out of her mind?”
“No, she wasn’t that drunk.”
Spencer propped his elbows on the table and looked up. “Like star struck lovers. Lost to each other forever.”
Roger nudged Spencer on the shoulder, almost knocking him out of the chair. “Have you been reading your wife’s romance books again?”
“No,” Spencer said, holding his hand up for another round. “I just said, he’ll be wondering who she is for the rest of his life.”
“No, he won’t,” Roger insisted. “Men don’t do that. Women don’t even do that. By the time we go to work on Monday, everything will have been forgotten.”
“You two know I’m sitting right here, don’t you?”
The waiter brought three more shots of whiskey, When he walked away, Spencer tried to answer Jack’s question, but he fell out of his chair instead.
Roger and Jack helped Spencer up and moved the glass out of his reach.
“You’re drunk,” Roger accused.
“I am,” Spencer replied. “And damn proud of it. I’m a Texan. Born and raised.”
Jack chuckled. “Spence, I don’t think anyone in here cares.”
Spencer put his arm around Jack. “You’re probably right, but I like being a Texan. Don’t you?”
Roger held up his glass. “Here, here. Three Texan boys are in the bar. So don’t fuck with us.” Roger fell out of his chair. He jumped to his feet, threw up his arms and shouted, “Remember the Alamo and Kinky Friedman.”
Jack decided it was time to help his buddies up to their hotel rooms before someone got pissed, and they ended up in a brawl.
It took him almost half an hour to get Roger and Spencer settled. On the way back to his own bed, he passed Howard’s room and stopped. He could open that door with his own keycard, and no one would know. But what did he think he’d find? Obviously, his sex kitten wasn’t in there, and he doubted there was any proof of her whereabouts.
Jack grinned and continued on the way to his room. He wondered how he could get his hands on Howard’s cell phone. They were always a treasure trove of information. It never ceased to amaze Jack the stuff people put on their phones.
Inside his room with the door secure, Jack removed his jacket and sat in the chair facing the widescreen. Tomorrow, his company jet would take them back to Dallas. His first plan of the day was to find his mystery woman.
The phone on the night stand rang, startling him. If it was work, they’d be on his cell phone. Could he get this damn lucky?
“Hello.”
Silence.
Jack let out a slow breath and waited. If it was her, she’d do one of two things. She’d either answer or hang up. He didn’t take her for the hang up type.
“Did you get home safely?” he asked.
“Yes, thank you. I did.” Her voice washed over his body like a cool drink of water on a hot day.
“I’m Jack Harrison, by the way. And you are?”
“Ah, hmm, I don’t want to say.”
“Married?”
“No.” The single word shot out quickly. “You?”
“No. Single. Never married.”
“I called to tell you that I’m not the kind of girl who…who…”
“Spends the night in a stranger’s room?” Jack couldn’t believe his luck. She’d actually called. Called to clear up her reputation. That meant she cared what he thought of her. If she knew his thoughts, she’d probably punch him in the face.
“Yes. I mean, no. No, I’m not that type of woman.”
“Okay, what type of woman are you?”
“How do you know…” she trailed off, “that I left?”
He could feel her hands on his body, and he reacted to the smooth sound of her voice. Slow, southern, and sexy. Her tongue had licked his dick, her teeth that tugged on his ear. A breath swished in and out of his ear.
“I didn’t find you in the hotel.”
“I see.” She didn’t really. How could she? He’d never admit to snooping. That he learned people’s secrets for a living.
“Would you like to exchange numbers?”
“No, I don’t think that would be wise. But I hope you enjoy the rest of your stay in Las Vegas.” She paused. “Good-bye, Mr. Harrison.”
“Hold on.”
“Yes?”
Jack reached down and picked up her skimpy piece of lingerie. “Where do you want me to send this red and black little piece of sex you left behind?”
He heard her breath intake. “Throw it away.”
He laughed and buried his nose in the fabric. “I don’t think I can do that. It smells pretty erotic. Makes all kinds of raunchy thoughts run through my head.”
Her breathing hitched up a little. “I think you’re quite the tease, Mr. Harrison.”
“Really? I think it’s unfair you know so much about me, and I don’t even know your name.”
“Seriously.” She sounded annoyed. “I just called and asked for your room number. The operator told me your name.”
“Then why wouldn’t they tell me your name?”
“Oh, you asked?” He heard her grit her teeth then inhale softly. “That’s not nice.”
“You and I both know that neither one of us is nice.”
“I have to go. Good-bye, Mr. Harrison.”
“Good-bye. And if you decide to get in touch, you can Google me. I’m not hard to find.”
The line went dead, and Jack slowly replaced the receiver. It would be hard for the hotel to monitor incoming calls.
A deep sense of loneliness came over him, and sadness settled low in his belly like a lead basketball. He’d always considered he lived the life other men dreamed of. He had money, women, a penthouse, and was fairly good-looking. One might assume he had it all.
A glimpse of another life drifted through his thoughts. Those visions had never crossed his mind before.
***
Lexi had finally found the courage to call the man she’d spent the night with, having unbelievable sex.
What the hell had she been thinking?
Did she actually think there could be something between her and Jack Harrison besides sex? She laughed. Stepping into the shower, she shook her head and turned on the water.
This was all craziness.
Insane.
And a one way street. Sure, the guy wanted her name. What guy wouldn’t after the night they had? The hot water poured over her, jolting every nerve in her body, making her want things she couldn’t have. Heat rose from her toes to between her legs.
After turning off the water, she stepped from the shower and grabbed the towel. A quick dry off had her in a tee shirt and off to bed. She refused to think of Jack Harrison another minute. And she wasn’t about to Google the man.
She refused to relive their night together again. They’d had sex and that was all. Funny how her body didn’t accept that.
Tomorrow would be a long day, and she had no time to mess with thoughts of Las Vegas. What would her staff think? Her mother? Worse, her younger sister?
Oh, who was she kidding? The whole state would be shocked at her night in Vegas.
She rolled over and buried her face in the pillow. No matter what she had to do she’d get this man out of her head.
Her phone rang. She sat up and blinked. Her heart raced. Did Jack somehow learn her number? Panic danced round in her stomach, making her queasy.
She turned on the light, took her phone off the charger, and saw Howard’s name. Kicking the covers aside, she groaned. Now wasn’t the time to deal with stupid Howard.
“Hello.”
“Alexis, I wanted to explain to you that Sandy and me getting married has no reflection on our relationship.”
The guy was a royal dumbtard; plus, she didn’t care.
“Howard, go to hell. I don’t care about you or Sandy. It’s late and I’m tired. Do the world a favor and drop dead.”
“You’re angry.”
“Yes, I am. But really, from you, Howard, I expected no less. You lied and cheated. Now what? Are you trying to ease your conscience?”
“Of course not.”
“Then get off the damn phone and don’t bother me again.”
“I wanted to let you know I’ll come by tomorrow and pick up my personal things.”
“I burned them.”
“Everything? My watch?” The shock in his voice pleased her more than words could ever come close to explaining.
“Yeah, along with your toothbrush, your new running shoes, and your clothes. Maybe your new wife will replace the watch you loved so much.”
Shock turned to indignation. “You destroyed my property.”
“Sue me.” She hung up the phone, and her head fell onto the pillow. Strange how getting rid of Howard left no pain or regret behind. Actually, relief spilled out of her chest and filled her whole body.
She’d never loved him. Why had she settled for him? He offered nothing in or out of bed. She’d done the worst thing a woman could do. She’d settled for Mr. Okay.
Now, Jack Harrison was an entirely different matter.
***
Lexi hurried through her morning routine and managed to get to the office with coffee in hand before anyone else clocked in. She needed this quiet time after the night she’d spent living the life of an insomniac.