“You’re being very pragmatic about this, Alexa. Where’s your romantic soul hiding these days?”
Alexa turned to him. “I’ve lived too long to be completely romantic about everything and everyone. What Ben did to woo Regina, admittedly that was romantic. What you and I did to work out our relationship was practically a war. What Lauren and Jim did torturing each other would make a best selling drama novel, complete with a horrible ex and insensitive mother-in-law. Romance—genuine romance—is damn hard to come by these days.”
“True enough,” Casey replied. “I doubt what I heard coming out of the bedroom was romance either, but it was definitely Jenna’s work boots, jeans, and other clothing strung with Seth’s down the hall.”
Alexa clutched his hand. “Casey—are you serious? You’re sure it was Jenna’s clothes?”
Casey nodded against her, feeling her excitement. “Those work boots look like they’re a hundred years old. She’s needs new ones. Yes. I’m pretty damn sure.”
“Oh, thank God,” Alexa said, breathing a sigh of relief about her daughter’s happiness at last. “That boy is all my daughter wants. She’s just so hard-headed—like her father.”
Casey laughed hard, shaking the bed and Alexa with it. “No, not really. Paul’s a great guy. Jenna’s hard-headed like you,” he corrected.
Alexa snorted at his laughter. “I thought you said I was perfect.”
Casey rolled over on Alexa and raised himself up on his hands to look down into her laughing gaze.
“You are. You’re the perfect woman for me, but I’m sure those other twenty-five guys or so before me caught hell in their day. Of course, you are pretty addictive. Look at Paul—he just went out and found another person exactly like you in Sydney. Still, I kind of feel sorry for Seth having to contend with his version of Ranger perfection. It’s great, but it ain’t easy,” Casey declared, grinning at the fire in her gaze.
Alexa reached around and slapped Casey hard on his rear, the sting lighting his eyes as he called out in pain, the slap echoing in the room.
“Well, that’s new,” Casey commented. “If we’re going to play that way, I want a turn.”
“That’s was punishment, fool, not foreplay,” Alexa said, laughing. “I’m not into pain.”
“Are you sure it wasn’t foreplay? Because I’m turned on now,” Casey told her, sliding down between her legs, and then back up inside her. Her moan of pleasure washed over him.
My woman and my fire, Casey thought. All mine.
“Yep, that sounds exactly like the female moan I heard coming out of the bedroom. Had to be Jenna. She sounds just like you,” Casey confirmed.
“Stop thinking about Seth and Jenna. Damn it. I can’t believe I let a pervert like you inside me. Get out,” Alexa ordered, even as she pressed all ten fingernails into Casey’s backside to hold him in place, the pain making him hiss.
He laughed harshly. “Shut up, woman, and make love with me. I have leverage now. If you don’t do everything I want, I’ll call a reality show and tell them to come interview us. The headlines will announce to the masses how the Carter men bedded the Ranger women. Or I’ll get Kaiser to have it announced on TV. That anchor woman still calls him.”
“Oh dear. Does Regina know the anchor woman is calling Ben?” Alexa said, laughing but biting her lip.
Casey laughed and had to stop moving. He was pressing deeper into the woman he adored, trying to get her attention back on him. It was his own damn fault for talking too much in bed, and now he’d ratted out Kaiser.
“No, she doesn’t know. Ben’s afraid Regina would be convicted for murder if she gets wind of it. He handles it well. Besides, you know there’s no one else for him but one woman. Kaiser’s just like the rest of us.”
“Yes, but you and Seth take that one woman thing to a whole new level,” Alexa said. “It’s very inspiring to be the only one for a Carter man.”
Casey pressed hard and held himself still inside his wife to ask his question. “How inspiring?”
Alexa rolled them over and showed her husband just how inspiring he was.
Chapter 13
The Vanguard fundraiser was black tie formal, so Jenna dressed in a sleek fitting black dress that hugged all curves and donned a pair of strappy black sandals that lifted her several inches to almost Lauren’s height. She was a little worried about towering over Cristo’s head, but the alternative was black ballet flats, and this was just not that kind of dress. Even she knew that much about clothes.
Jenna drew on a heavy gold jacket that brought out the highlights in her blonde brown hair that was many shades lighter than her mother’s, but just as lush. She looked at the clock on the wall and headed to the entry of her building.
The taxi she’d called was just pulling up as she got outside.
“Where to, miss?” the driver asked.
Jenna gave him the address and settled in for the ride. Her mind drifted to wondering what Seth was doing tonight, but she refused to dwell on it. She’d gotten her fix last night, several times in fact. It had been two in the morning before she’d gotten home, and nine before she’d made it to the job site. Seth had been in a strange mood, and she’d actually snuck out after he’d fallen asleep wrapped around her.
No more thinking about Seth, she told herself.
Tonight she was having a real date. The good-looking, very polite Cristo would be waiting for her at the end of her taxi ride. She’d dance and smile and enjoy his attention as she always did. The man had a way of looking at her like she was the only person in the world. It was flattering and soothed her ego. And he kissed well too—not that she’d be doing much of that tonight. It wasn’t fair to kiss a man when your mind was on kissing someone else.
Jenna paid the taxi driver and thanked him, and then walked quickly up the steps of the majestic building where the dance was being held. With the fundraiser fully underway, the crowd of people was thick and the music loud. Jenna scanned the room and spotted her boss and his wife dancing intimately.
To her surprise, she also saw Jim and Lauren. They were standing at the food table, which was not a surprise, given Lauren’s appetite. Seeing them laughing and talking brought a smile to Jenna’s face, which faded into need curling in her belly when she smelled the distinct and alluring cologne that had become part of her recent addiction. She turned and saw the man she craved most in the world standing two feet away from her.
“Seth—what—what are you doing here?” Jenna asked, stammering out the question.
Seth shrugged. “Helping to sponsor a good cause. My company’s on the list with yours.”
“Oh, I—I didn’t know that,” Jenna said, her breath catching.
“Where’s your date?” Seth asked softly, keeping his voice as neutral as possible, not giving away his true feelings on the matter.
“I don’t know. I just got here,” Jenna said. “Working late on the house again. I finally made everyone go home early. I didn’t want them there without me.”
Seth laughed. “Well, at least you’re a beautiful control freak. I’m sure no one minded going home early after all the late hours they’ve been putting in on that job.”
“Yeah, I’m sure. I’ve become so possessive about the house. It’s awful. When I have to turn it over the owner, it’s going to hurt a lot. I’m hoping he’ll let me come visit now and again,” she said, laughing softly. “I can’t seem to help my attachment.”
“Understandable I think, given the amount of sweat equity you’re putting into it,” Seth told her. “Want to dance while you wait on your date?”
Jenna looked around the room again, but saw no Spanish weight-lifter. Cristo was distinctively handsome. He would have stood out in this crowd.
“Sure. I guess so,” she said, letting Seth lead her to the dance floor by the hand.
*** *** ***
“Lauren. I think Seth and Jenna are here together. Are they dating?” Jim asked.
Lauren narrowed her eyes and sought out th
e couple weaving close together on the dance floor. Seth’s hand slid smoothly down the back of Jenna’s dress and then even further to pull her hips closer to his. Lauren gasped in surprise and pleasure. That was a practiced move if she ever saw one.
“It sure looks that way. I’m also getting turned on just watching them,” she said.
“Don’t get too carried away. We are not sneaking off to a broom closet tonight. You’re just going to have to wait until we get home,” Jim told her, laughing.
“If I did something I needed to apologize for, would it change your mind about the broom closet?” Lauren asked.
“Not even then,” Jim told her. “But I like how you’re thinking.”
“I knew something was happening. I just knew it. I wonder why they haven’t said anything,” Lauren said, picking up a canapé to pop it into her mouth.
“Oh—well we might be wrong. Look,” Jim said, motioning discreetly with his shoulder.
Lauren’s heart fell as she watched a very good-looking man butt in and Seth walk off with his hands in his pockets. Probably keeping them there to keep from strangling the man who had broken in on his dance with Jenna, Lauren thought.
“Jenna needs her head examined,” Lauren said fiercely. “Sure the dark muscle guy looks great, but Seth is the one for her. It’s so obvious.”
Jim laughed. “So you think the new guy looks great?”
Lauren shrugged. “I suppose. Jenna doesn’t date ugly men. I mean—with a father like hers, she’s going to be drawn to the good-looking men every time.”
“She didn’t keep that Stedman fellow. Isn’t he the ultimate female fantasy? Muscles, permanent tan, even white teeth, and lots of charm?” Jim asked.
Lauren looked at Jim in his new SydneyB suit, every inch the successful business man he was. Her husband was smiling at her and her growing body with enough pride to satisfy the most demanding female ego.
“Stedman never did much for me,” Lauren told him sincerely. “I married my fantasy. I don’t know what other women want.”
Jim put his plate down and pulled his wife into his arms for a kiss.
“Stay here by the food while I look for a broom closet. I need to apologize for turning you down earlier,” Jim whispered seductively to his laughing wife.
*** *** ***
Jenna swung around the floor in the arms of a handsome man who drew the admiring gazes of most of the women passing by them. She had lost sight of Seth after he’d surrendered her to Cristo.
Seth had certainly not looked happy when he walked away. His reaction made perfect sense to her because Jenna was not happy now either. She couldn’t even enjoy the company of her date.
It was the dancing, Jenna thought. She’d let Seth touch her, stroke her, and now she could think only of him and what she knew he could do to her.
Misinterpreting the frown on her face, Cristo assumed Jenna was tired and suggested they get something to eat and drink. She was more than happy to get off the dance floor and out of Cristo’s arms, so Jenna meekly let him lead her away.
Seth watched Jenna frown and walk off the dance floor with her head bowed as she trailed behind the man who had claimed her away from him. He didn’t know which bothered him more, the existence of yet another good-looking man in her life or Jenna’s meek behavior with him.
He took out his cell and typed furiously.
Does your date know you like to scream during sex? Want me to tell him how to make you? I could give him some friendly advice.
He pressed send and waited. From a distance, Seth watched Jenna pull out her cell and read his message. He laughed when she clasped the cell phone to her chest to hide the message when the man asked if everything was okay.
The hold he had on Jenna Ranger wasn’t love yet, but Seth knew how to push the right buttons in some ways.
“We’ll see which one of us she climbs into bed with tonight, you Spanish bastard. It’s for damn sure not going to be you,” Seth said under his breath.
“Why don’t you dance with me and make her jealous?” a voice suggested near his elbow.
Seth turned to see a tall, gorgeous blonde smiling at him as she sipped a glass of champagne.
“Sorry,” Seth said, apologizing. “Ex-girlfriend. I didn’t mean anyone to hear that.”
“Didn’t look like ex-anything when you were dancing with her earlier,” the woman said with a laugh. She put out a hand for him to shake. “My name is Linda Warren. My husband Todd is Jenna’s boss. He sent me over here to dance with you and find out who you are. He thinks you’re the one who’s got Jenna smiling and being nice now at the office. Is that true?”
Now Seth laughed as he shook her hand. “I’m Seth Carter. If Jenna’s being nice, you couldn’t prove it by me. I only have part of her affections right now, but I’m damn possessive about my part. I don’t like to share her attention with her—dates.”
“My kind of man,” Linda said, grinning and setting her champagne on a nearby table before taking his hand in hers again. “Jenna actually introduced me to Todd. I used to model for Alexa when I was younger. Jenna and I have always been good friends even though I’m a decade older. Once I got married, she ditched me to hang out with her single friends. Come on, let’s dance.”
Seth tucked his phone back into his pocket as they walked to the dance floor. “Are you sure your husband isn’t going to come after me if I dance with you?”
“Only if you run your hand over my rear like you did Jenna earlier,” Linda said, laughing when he blushed. “Look at you blushing, Seth Carter. You are the sweetest thing. Todd and I were looking hard. That’s the only reason we noticed.”
“I have little self-control where Jenna Ranger is concerned,” Seth said contritely, “but I didn’t mean to do anything to embarrass her in front of her boss.”
“Like Jenna would care. Besides, you can’t embarrass Todd. Not even on a good day. The man is outrageous. That’s why I married him. He and Jenna get along great, and he’s says you’re the best thing to ever happen to her,” Linda said, smiling up into his face. “I mean, that is—if you are the one happening to her. Todd says she’s being very discreet about her love life. No bragging at all. He says she just smiles a lot.”
Seth smiled at the thought of Jenna being happy because of him, and then laughed because there was no other choice in the face of Linda Warren’s enthusiastic teasing. He wanted the whole world to know how he felt about Jenna. He certainly had no problems with her boss knowing. “Okay. I admit it. I’m the one—even if Jenna hasn’t accepted it yet.”
“Jenna is stubborn, but she’s loyal, smart as hell, and has a heart of pure gold too. I wouldn’t have married Todd if it hadn’t been for her lecturing me on how he was the perfect man and that it was stupid to let our seven-year age difference be a factor,” Linda said. “That’s why I couldn’t believe Jenna gave Alexa such grief over Casey. Hey, you’re Casey’s cousin, aren’t you? No wonder you’re such a nice guy. Casey is a great guy.”
“Well, if you say anything nice about me to Jenna, you’ll just make her more resistant,” Seth warned. “I’m wearing her down. It’s just taking a while.”
And because he was smiling at the top of her head, Linda knew Seth didn’t see the woman they were discussing glaring at them from across the room, but she did.
It made her laugh to know at her age someone as young and beautiful as Jenna could be so jealous of her.
Across the room, Jenna glared at Seth dancing with the lovely older woman. Not only was Linda lovely, but she was charming and funny as well. Todd adored her and usually never let other guys be around her for long. Jenna wondered what the man was thinking letting Linda dance with Seth.
“Cristo, will you excuse me a moment. I need to go say hello to my boss. Why don’t you ask one of these pretty women to dance with you until I get back?” Jenna said, patting him on the arm and pushing him lightly in the direction of a smiling brunette giving him the eye.
Jenna stalked in her strapp
y sandals over to talk to Todd.
“Why is Linda dancing with Seth Carter?” she demanded.
“Who? Oh, is that his name?” Todd asked, keeping his face composed when he wanted to laugh outright at Jenna’s jealousy. “I was just wondering who he was. Carter. Carter. Is he related to your stepfather?”
“Yes. Don’t just stand there watching them, Todd. Go do something about it. Cut in and stop them,” Jenna demanded.
“Why?” Todd asked, fascinated with the fury on Jenna’s face. He’d never seen her this animated about anything but work, certainly not about a guy. “Linda is just dancing with the man. I’ve got an eye on them. The man seems to be keeping his hands where they belong.”
“They’re smiling and laughing, Todd,” Jenna said furiously. “Don’t you think they’re being a little too friendly?”
“I trust my wife completely, Jenna. Besides, I saw you dancing with that man earlier. He seemed nice enough with you,” Todd said, narrowing his gaze on her. “What’s wrong with him? Isn’t he your date?”
“Nothing’s wrong with him. And no, he’s not my date. I’m here with the dark sexy guy dancing with the short brunette over there by the window,” Jenna said tightly.
“Really? That’s your date? Well, you don’t seem worried about him dancing with another woman. The blonde guy is the one you seem concerned about right now. What’s the deal, Jenna? Why are you so upset about the Carter guy dancing with Linda?” Todd commented, sipping his soda and watching Jenna fume over the rim of his glass.
“I’m not upset. I’m just—” Jenna stopped, not knowing what to say. She watched Todd’s wife smile and laugh at something Seth said. There was no reason for the situation to bother her. Really. She was overreacting. But did they have to dance so damn close together?
“Jenna, whoever that man is—the one that’s not your date—he seems to really care about you,” Todd stated. “It was obvious when you were dancing with him. You could see it in the way he looked at you and from the way he held you in his arms.”
Dating A Metro Man Page 13