He eased himself into the swivel seat and turned so he could gaze at her. “I know it’s a sad cliché, but what’s a fine-looking sista like you doing in a place like this alone?”
“You ask a lot of questions,” she said.
He tapped the diamond. “Does Mr….?”
She did not fill in the blank, so Jack tapped her ring with his forefinger and continued. “Does he mind your being out with another man?”
“I’m alone,” she said, smiling seductively.
Jack smiled. “Not any longer.” Something intense flared through him. How long had it been since he’d played this game?
Too long.
The bartender placed the drink in front of her and took her empty glass.
She took an experimental sip. “One drink only entitles you to one question. You’re already over your quota. Let me ask you a question.” Her eyes, dreamy eyes, lit on his.
“Shoot.” Jack crossed his arms over his chest and settled in to enjoy himself.
“Why are you still here if the bar is closed?”
Jack leaned back in his seat. “I’m the owner. I can stay as long as I want.”
Her eyes lit up with interest. “You’re the famous Jack Canter I read about in the paper?”
“I don’t know about being famous.”
“I read that you’re married and have two children.”
“And?”
“Is there a problem?” the woman asked.
“I’m done here,” the bartender said, breaking into their conversation. “Can I get you anything else before I go?”
Jack never took his eyes off the woman. “I can handle it from here. Just leave the one light on and lock the doors when you leave.”
Stan raised his eyebrows and gave them a look, then nodded and disappeared without another word.
“My office is more comfortable,” Jack said. “May I take you there?”
“Do you always invite strange women into your office?” Kimberly laughed.
Jack shook his head, enjoying the game. “Never. But you don’t exactly fit that mold. Anyway—” he smiled again “—I’m not forcing you. It’s up to you.” He nodded to the door. “I’ll even walk you to your car, if that’s what you want.”
She gathered up her black, designer purse, took her drink and followed him.
How many times had he fantasized about being with Kimberly like this?
She smiled as he took her arm and led her through the door that lead to a short corridor. There, the stairs led to a set of offices. He watched those sexy legs as he slowed his step so she could walk in front of him. The sway of her hips as she ascended the stairs played havoc with his libido. Upstairs, he opened the door for her.
Pushed against one wall was a sleeper sofa that doubled as a bed when the weather turned foul and he spent the night. There was always fresh linen on it, but he didn’t open it.
He gazed at her closely. He’d like to take his time and make love to her for hours, but he knew their time was limited. They were there for one reason and one reason only. There would be no tomorrow, only tonight. Jack felt wicked, and a burst of excitement quickened his heartbeat.
There was a fridge in his office filled with bottles of wine and beer. He took out a bottle that was recently brewed and opened it, all the while very aware that she was there waiting for him.
“May I get you a glass of wine?” he asked. A delightful shiver of desire ran through him.
“No. I’m fine,” she said.
“You are that,” he agreed and he screwed off the top and took a long swallow.
She blushed and turned to the desk, placing her purse and drink there. She spotted the photos and nodded toward them. “Your wife and kids?”
“Yes.” He nodded.
“Nice family,” Kimberly said with amusement.
“I think so,” he murmured in agreement, still enjoying the game.
“Then why am I here?”
“Because I want you and I hope you want me, too.” He moved the bottle to his lips and took a long drink.
She seemed mesmerized as he swallowed and placed the bottle on the desk, before his gaze landed on her.
She turned her back to him and he eased up behind her. Lifting her heavy hair aside, he kissed her on the neck. With a sweet moan, her neck rolled to the side to give him better access.
He reasoned that they should be getting home, that after this fantasy played out, he and Kimberly had a lot to work through. But none of that’s going to stop me from sampling her, he thought, as he caressed her shoulders and eased the zipper down her long back, hoping he wasn’t moving too fast, knowing he couldn’t stop.
Kimberly didn’t play these kinds of sex games often. The dress slid from her shoulders and he reached around and unhooked the front clasp of her bra and eased the straps down her arms, enjoying the smoothness of her skin.
He wanted to take all night to make love to her, but neither of them had that long. And her moan forced him to move along. She smelled sweet, and he ran his fingers through her soft hair, lifting it to the other side to give him access to her long neck.
His body hardened and he rubbed against her back.
A delicious shudder heated her body, and she reached back, gathering his hard erection in her hand, caressing him through his slacks.
He groaned out loud and turned her in his arms. The heat coming from his eyes was intense with need. He kissed the corner of her mouth, then moved his lips softly across her lips, back and forth. But she ached for more. She slid her hands around his back, enjoying the feel of his muscles against her fingertips. As he kissed her, his hands roamed over her hot, curvy body.
He cupped Kimberly’s behind, massaged her cheeks and drew her close, pressing her breasts against his chest. They moved against him with need. He was taking too long. She pressed her tongue against the seam of his lips and he opened to her immediately, and all but devoured her.
“Damn, baby, you’re ready for me, aren’t you?” he whispered before he captured her mouth in a breath-stealing kiss that wiped her mind of everything but him. He took his time kissing her, until it wasn’t enough.
“You taste sweet,” he said and she moaned again. His arousal was pressed hard against her stomach, but she didn’t seem to notice as her hands clawed at his back, lifting the shirt up to touch his bare skin.
“Oh, baby, you’re driving me crazy,” he said, pushing the dress aside and kissing her on the shoulder, smoothing kisses across the top of her breasts, before he gathered those full orbs in his hands and lightly massaged them. “A lovely handful. So smooth. So soft. So beautiful,” he whispered, his voice thick with need. He worked her nipple with his lips, then tugged lightly with his teeth until she was begging for more.
Her hands played his body like an instrument, striking all the right notes.
He pushed her back on the couch, pushed her legs open wide and kneeled before…and his startled eyes looked at her.
She wore no panties or thong. He kissed her inner thigh, teasing her with nipping little kisses, as if he could feast there the entire meal, nearing her center but not quite there.
“You’re driving me crazy,” she said in that sexy, husky, needful voice.
“I want you crazy for me,” he said, in such a low and sexy voice it felt like a cool stroke down her spine.
And then he touched the heat of her desire and she cried out in pleasure, her butt jerking off the sofa.
“Oh, Jack…that feels so good,” she cried out, digging her fingers into his shoulders.
“Oh, baby. So sweet. So beautiful.”
She whimpered senseless words of encouragement, of need, as he played her like a skilled musician, tearing cries of pleasure from her. Her thoughts fragmented as his hands and lips continued their hungry exploration of her body, until she began to vibrate with liquid fire. A tremor heated her until great gulps of desire shook her. And then the orgasm rocked through her, sending pleasure to every point of her body.
/> Jack’s erection was thick and heavy when he adjusted her hips and entered her, until she was stretched and filled.
“It’s been too damn long,” he said in a ragged breath.
She wrapped her legs tightly around him, kissed him on the chest and he slid into her even deeper. He grabbed her butt cheeks and they moved to their own sweet rhythm.
The connection was tight and exquisite. Her heartbeat pounded in her chest. She was gasping for breath.
The tension increased until an orgasm hit her again and spread out, enveloping her whole body. Close behind, his guttural voice rang out in a husky, hoarse shout.
He stayed in that position until their breathing slowly subsided and he shifted his weight to the side, spooning her beside him, waiting for their heartbeats to calm. He made lazy circles on her breasts and stomach.
“Do you have to get home now?” he asked, placing a sweet kiss behind her ear as desire began to stir again.
“No. April is at a sleepover.”
“Umm.”
He nuzzled her neck, bit lightly on her earlobe. “So when the kids are away, hubby lets you out to play?”
She groaned as his tongue played out patterns on her neck. “Yes…”
“How generous of him. If you were my wife, I’d keep you in bed until they returned.”
She laughed a full-throated sound, then groaned in delight as his fingers stroked her pleasure points.
“What century did you come from?”
“Does it matter?” he asked, sliding his hand down her thigh.
Desire curled in her center. “Not when you’re making moves like that.”
“Lots of women could take lessons from you.”
“Is that right?”
“Maybe we should go. I’m hungry.”
“Then you can heat up leftovers when we get home.” The amiable tone of her voice was clearly gone.
He realized that her being here tonight was her way of trying to move past their argument, but that she was still sensitive about it. Better to keep this fragile closeness they had found.
He groaned, sliding his hands to her breasts, stroking her nipples. “I’m sorry, baby. I was in a bad mood yesterday. I’d gladly eat leftovers.”
He turned her in his arms. “Let’s kiss and make up.”
Before they could move they heard footfalls on the stairs. “Shit,” Jack said and hopped off her to grab his pants and pull them on. They’d left the door wide-open. He shut and locked it just before the intruder made it to the top.
“Jack? Are you in there?” Lauren’s hesitant voice asked from the head of the stairs.
“Yeah, give me a moment,” he said. “I’ll be right out.”
“What is she doing here this time of night?” Kimberly asked suspiciously.
Jack shrugged. “I don’t know. She worked at the pub in D.C. tonight.”
Kimberly ran a hand across her face. Their fantasy had been nice, for as long as it lasted. It was time to get back to reality.
Jack had already shrugged into his shirt and was zipping up his pants.
“We better get home,” Kimberly said. She didn’t want to act the suspicious wife, but Lauren’s presence worried her. “So why do you think Lauren’s here?”
“Beats me. I’ll find out.” Jack leaned down, kissed her sweetly on the lips. “Thanks for the present,” he said. “When we get home, we’ll pick up where we left off.”
“I’m looking forward to it,” she responded, forcing herself not to take the time to run her hands over his hard body.
“By the way—the message I left for you today…? We’ve got an anniversary coming up. Can you schedule a couple of days off? We can spend it on the island.” They always called Canter Island, the island they owned with his brothers and sisters, “the island.”
“I’d love to,” she said excitedly, dragging his head down for a long kiss before she disappeared into his private bath. He still took her breath away, just as he had in college, when they’d first met—and before the year was up, she’d gotten pregnant. He was the only man she’d ever slept with, but she often wondered if he regretted having to marry her.
Yes, he wanted her to quit her job or work fewer hours, but she didn’t want to give up her job completely. She felt that despite her love for her family, she still needed something that was completely hers. She worried that she’d lose herself if she didn’t. The kids would be out of the house much too soon, and Jack was really dissatisfied with their marriage. Although she’d enjoyed their lovemaking, Kimberly knew great sex didn’t cure anything.
From the moment she met Jack, she’d fallen in love with him hard, and today she loved him even more; there was no question about that. She just didn’t know if he felt the same way about her. And she didn’t know that giving up her own career for his was the right solution.
She wasn’t suspicious by nature, nor a weak-minded woman who needed constant affirmation. But she needed to know he loved her and wanted to be with her. She heard lowered voices in the hallway and footsteps moving away from the door.
Jack scoffed whenever Kimberly mentioned that his new assistant was infatuated with him—even accused her of being paranoid and jealous. Kimberly wasn’t blind. Jack was a very attractive and wealthy man. He wasn’t when they married, but they’d done well over the years. It wouldn’t be the first time one of his female employees would have attempted to work her way up in the company by trying to seduce Jack. They’d gotten fired for their efforts, but she worried that there was always a first time.
Kimberly viewed their upcoming trip as encouragement.
And in the meantime, she was going to keep an eye on Lauren.
Chapter 2
“Where did you say you were going?” Jonas Sherwood, Kimberly’s producer, asked Wednesday morning with a puzzled look on his face. A very attractive, dark-complexioned man who stood at five-ten, he always appeared a little too neat. He reminded her of Felix in The Odd Couple sometimes, the way he was always obsessive about ensuring that everything was on schedule and in place. He’d moved from San Francisco to begin working at their station two months ago.
Kimberly glanced up from the screen. “Canter Island, a private island in the Caribbean. Why?”
“There’s some movement in the Atlantic,” one of the other forecasters said, “but for now, it’s not coming anywhere near where you’ll be.”
Kimberly studied the readout. “I saw it. Hurricane Brighton is so far out that it might peter out. And if it doesn’t, more than likely, I’ll be back here before it nears the island,” she said, studying the screen. It was mid-May and the hurricanes were starting early this year. They came in cycles, and they were going through a bad cycle right now.
Kimberly finished her observations and prepared her forecast, along with what she was going to say before she recorded a weather announcement for a local radio station.
She listened to her tape and the producer pronounced it ready. How she loved her job, she thought, as she positioned herself for the first forecast of the morning.
“We have a sixty percent chance of rain later this afternoon,” she began. “Potentially after rush hour.” She stood in front of what appeared to the viewers to be a map, but was actually a blank wall. “Currently it’s fifty-seven degrees at Reagan National Airport. The temperature will reach a comfortable seventy-two degrees this afternoon.” She pointed out the different temperatures in the surrounding areas. “Down the road to the south…” Kimberly continued, warming up to her topic.
Between her regular broadcasts, live radio weather reports and constant checks on weather conditions, the morning passed quickly, and before she knew it, she was on her way out the door.
“I have your cell number, if anything turns up,” Jonas said. “Have a wonderful vacation. See you Monday.” He focused on the screen again.
Kimberly had just enough time to get her hair done before she picked up April. She and Jack were taking the six-thirty flight out, but Kimberly still ha
d a thousand chores before then. On her way to the hairdresser’s, her mother called.
“I wanted to wish you a happy anniversary before you left,” Nona Boswell said in her usual, chipper voice.
“Thank you. I’m looking forward to getting away.”
“How is Jack?”
“He’s fine.”
“Are you sure?” her mother inquired. “I’ve heard you all are fighting quite a bit.”
April. Kimberly was going to muzzle her daughter. “We’re fine. Jack’s on a tear because I’m working full-time and we rarely see each other.”
“Honey, most women work full-time.”
“I know.”
“I believe husbands and wives should work together to solve their differences. You’re an intelligent woman. You know what to do to protect yourself and not be blindsided the way I was. Listen to your gut feelings. I was glad I was well established in my career when your dad left me. At least I could support myself, had good benefits and had built up my leave. Don’t get me wrong. I like Jack a lot. But God gave women a brain for a reason.”
“We aren’t talking divorce, Mom.”
“I know,” Nona soothed. “But women have to protect themselves.”
Kimberly doubted her mother dated very much since her father left sixteen years ago. The monumental problem was that it was so hard for women to find suitable dates.
“You should consider moving to this area, now that you’re retired,” Kimberly said.
“My supervisor has asked me to come back and work part-time. They’ve had to hire two people to do my job and they’re still understaffed. I know my job, and I can fill in for many of the others.”
“Are you considering it?” Kimberly asked. “If you need extra money…”
“Honey, I can support myself. Why do you think I worked all those years? A couple days a week isn’t bad, and it would keep me active. I hate sitting around,” she said. “It’s true there are lots of volunteer projects I could get involved with, but the extra income will help. I told them I’ll start in October.”
“They’ll wait that long?”
“Yes. I’m going to travel this summer.”
Loving Spoonful Page 3