by Terri Lane
Already, she was starting to feel better and more in control. She was still exhausted, but she felt that maybe, just maybe, she would be able to manage this evening.
She soaped up nicely, before rinsing everything off her skin and her hair, turning off the shower and stepping out. She wrapped herself up in a towel and twisted her hair into a towel too.
Then, she took the time to slather herself with sweet smelling lotions that made her skin feel amazing. She dabbed on eye cream carefully and moisturized her face. When she glanced in the mirror, the face looking back at her was that of a different person, and Jessica wasn’t even done yet.
Putting on a robe, Jessica wandered into her bedroom, plugged in her hair dryer and began to style her hair. It had been so long since she’d bothered to actually style it, that it took her a while to get into the groove of it. She rubbed in the styling cream, brushing it over the strands, grabbing her brush and beginning to blow dry it so that it had more volume. She grabbed her straightening iron, actually bothering to run it over her hair a few times and adding a few bouncing curls. A quick spritz of hair spray set it all in place.
A glance at the clock told her that she had an hour left. Taking a deep breath, Jessica wandered to her wardrobe and searched through its depths for the pretty little black number that she used to wear when she went to dinners. The cut was flattering, the skirt brushed above her knees, and the neckline as just revealing enough to still be classy.
Jessica set the dress aside, sitting down at the little vanity that she hadn’t used in forever. She dug out her old brushes and make up and went to work. Simple primer and foundation to chase away the exhaustion that colored her skin. A gently dab of concealer around her eyes to ease away the bags. A swipe of blush and mascara. Eyeliner and a simple brush of color. Some face powder to keep all in place without making it seem caked on. A touch of subtle lipstick finished it all off.
It was subtle, which was just how she liked it. She didn’t look like she was caked in make-up, but her skin looked fresher and brighter, her eyes looked bigger and her lips looked far more kissable than usual.
She hadn’t done too bad a job on her hair either. Jessica smiled, stepping into her dress and slipping into a simple pair of heels. She grabbed a coat to protect her from the winter chill.
She wished she had time to do her nails, but they were neat and she still looked put together. A glance at the clock told her that it was almost time to leave. She slipped on a simple necklace and pair of earrings, before she grabbed the notes she had prepared and made her way to the door.
Troy didn’t make her wait. At seven o clock, her doorbell rang and Jessica answered it, ready to go.
Troy paused as she opened the door. He wore a button up shirt that he’d left open at the collar. His signature leather jacket and jeans were still very much in place. Troy’s eyes widened for a moment, before he grinned, the predatory look back in his eyes as he stepped backwards to let her pass, “You took my advice.”
“Are you saying I look nice?” Jessica moved past him and towards where his bike was parked.
“I might be.” He chuckled, eyes lingering over her, “I think ‘fuckable’ is a better term, though.”
Jessica felt the heat move up her cheeks, but for some odd reason, she was pleased instead of offended. What the heck was wrong with her? She shot him a scathing glare, “Not with the way you’re acting, I’m not.”
She twisted her hair back and clipped it behind her head in a practiced motion. She climbed onto the back of his bike, easily adjusting the skirt of her dress, “Helmet?”
“You’re getting forward.” Troy’s eyes flashed dangerously and it sent shivers down Jessica’s spine. So she just shrugged and held out her hand.
He handed her the helmet, leaning in close, “You’re lucky I happen to like you.”
For some reason, Troy’s words warmed Jessica’s heart more than they had any right to. Troy mounted the bike, threw on his helmet and tore out of the drive before Jessica had a chance to say another word.
Then again, she didn’t really need to.
***
Jessica straightened her dress as they stood outside in the hallway. Troy rested a hand on her shoulder and for a moment, she felt comforted. Then he knocked and opened the door.
The room inside was elegantly set and was nothing like what she expected. Ace was sitting at the table, looking relaxed and just as she remembered him. Tingles ran down her spine.
Dinner was a simple affair, and it started by Troy laying out Jessica’s case simply. Jessica followed this up by bringing out the facts and figures that she had prepared, talking about how she could pay them back effectively in a reasonably amount of time.
As they ate and drank, Ace just nodded, listening all the while, confident and in control. Jessica used all the public relations tricks that she had learnt in marketing and business, to try and impress him.
But it wasn’t until she had to use the restroom, that Ace said anything at all. He was waiting outside the meeting room when she returned.
“Jessica... You know I have to make sure the club has their debts paid, don’t you?”
Jessica felt her heart sink, and she nodded, opening her mouth to continue pleading her hopeless case.
Ace interrupted her, “But I like you. We’ll see what I can do.”
And that would have been the end of it, if Jessica hadn’t stepped forward. If Ace hadn’t kissed her.
Kissing Ace felt electric and nothing like kissing Troy. Where Troy was passionate and fiery, Ace just took what he wanted. He grabbed her hair gently, but firmly and kissed her like the world was ending. He tasted of smoke and whisky and it made Jessica’s knees go weak.
Ace took what he wanted, and right now, he wanted Jessica. He pushed her to her knees and Jessica, taken by surprise, let him.
Intense waves of arousal flooded her, leaving her breathless, flushed and confused. She was a good girl, she always had been. She was polite and careful and tried hard to keep her love of bikes and bad boys tucked firmly away.
And yet Ace seemed to see through all of that, cut through all of it like a knife. And he knew it. Blue eyes stared straight into her soul. He never broke her gaze as he undid his belt and unzipped his jeans.
As if under a spell, Jessica didn’t break away, didn’t pull away from him as he pulled his arousal out of his underwear. Jessica felt giddy, and Ace smirked, taking her silence as consent. And if Jessica was honest with herself… he wasn’t wrong.
Ace tangled his fingers in her neatly curled hair and pulled her towards him. Jessica gasped, her lips parting, his thick head pushing against her tongue. She moaned. She didn’t mean to, but he tasted amazing.
Before she knew what was happening, Jessica was sucking him off, on her knees outside of the meeting room, Troy only moments away. Her dress had ridden up a little and she had to brace herself on her hands and knees to properly take his girth. He was so big and Jessica blushed at the heat that was building between her thighs.
Fear of being caught tingled through her, but she couldn’t stop. She didn’t want to stop. Ace’s hand in her hair felt so good, the way he bucked his hips into her, his satisfied sighs made Jessica feel as though she was floating away from all of her problems.
Only when the door swung open, did Jessica feel a thrill of fear shoot down her spine. She tried to pull away, but Ace held her in place, one strong hand keeping her sucking.
She cast her eyes upwards, her heart pounding in her chest. Troy!
She braced herself for his anger, his disappointment, but instead, she heard him laugh, a low rumble as his boots echoed on the floor, “So you got the hint. Good.”
She felt him kneel behind her. She jumped as his strong hands lifted her dress, pulled down the silky underwear that protected her modesty.
“I hope you don’t mind if I join you.” His voice was a whisper against the back of her neck, but since she couldn’t answer, his question fell to Ace.
&nbs
p; “Not at all.” Jessica thrilled at the way Ace’s voice wavered. Her own arousal was fierce, burning between her thighs, and Troy wasted no time.
She felt his impressive girth pressing at her entrance and she parted her thighs willingly to accommodate him. When Troy thrusted into her, Jessica thought she was going to pass out from pleasure. He quickly built up a rhythm, and Ace did the same. It was all Jessica could do to snatch a few shallow breaths of air, everything feeling so good. Her heart beat with wild abandon and pleasure, soaring with freedom, with ecstasy. She never wanted these feelings to end.
And yet she got closer and closer to the burning bliss inside her, the overwhelming need to find release.
And when she did, it was overwhelming. She climaxed hard, shivering and feeling the convulsions pulse through her. Ace and Troy were not far behind and Jessica relished the way she was made to swallow every drop of Ace’s pleasure, his hand never leaving her head while Troy thrusted in deeper and deeper until he too climaxed with a deep groan.
When Ace finally let go of her hair, Jessica was happy to collapse back into Troy’s arms. After a few more moments of catching their breath, Troy helped her to her feet. She straightened her dress hastily, a blush burnt into her cheeks as she neatened her hair and took a deep breath.
Ace was already moving away like nothing had happened, “Let’s continue the meeting, shall we?”
Jessica nodded, not used to this pace, but reassured when Troy smiled and wrapped an arm around her waist. He didn’t seem to mind what had happened, and relief blossomed in Jessica’s heart. She hadn’t realized until now how much she wanted him in her life.
Feeling confident, though still shaky from the wild pleasure she had just felt, Jessica joined Ace in the room again, Troy constant and by her side.
***
Jessica sat alone in her house the next morning. When she heard a knock on the door, she almost didn’t answer it. Her stomach was in knots and she was expecting the worst. They’d be here to start the procedure of selling off her house, and Jessica was out of options. What else could she do, but let it happen?
Ace still hadn’t budged, after everything that had happened last night, and Jessica was left feeling sick and scared and foolish.
Despite that, the previous night still echoed in her mind, the whirl wind of pleasure and passion and freedom that didn’t fit in with the life she was leading now.
And any chance of living that kind of life were long gone, anyway. Even if she paid off the debts to the club through selling her house, she still had many other debtors who needed paying. She would be stuck in this life, this dead end job, until she died, and there was little she could do to change that.
When the knocking on the door became more insistent, Jessica picked herself up, making her way to the door and reluctantly pulling it open, “Yes?”
It was Troy. Jessica’s heart sank, but the butterflies in her stomach refused to be squashed at the sight of his figure in the doorway.
“I need to talk to you.” He walked straight past her, into the house without a second thought, leaving Jessica to shut the door and join him on the couch.
“It’s about your debts.” He was looking serious, but there was a glimmer in his eyes that Jessica couldn’t help but notice, “I talked to Ace last night and I think we’ve found a compromise.”
“What? Really?” The hope that Jessica had thought long dead started to kindle in her chest.
Troy shrugged, “You might not like it, but it’s better than losing your house, I guess.”
He fixed her with a stare, “Your background in public relations might be helpful to us.” He leaned back in the chair, “We’ve had some undue publicity lately, and we think it might be helpful to have someone with your… people skills… on our side, just to smooth things out”
He leaned forward, “So the deal is, you work for us, we write off your debts. Long-term contract, obviously.”
For a moment, Jessica wasn’t sure that she had heard him right. Then elation broke through, blossoming in her chest. The freedom she wanted, the chance to be with Troy, to quit the office job she hated… it was all in her reach. There was only one problem…
“What about my other debts?”
Troy shrugged, “You’ll have to figure that one out.” He pushed himself to his feet, smirking, “But your house is worth a lot, sweetheart, and you don’t really need one when you’re living on the road.”
He turned to head to the door, “Your choice. Let me know when you’ve made your decision, and I’ll pass on the message to Ace.”
“I’ll do it.” The words left Jessica in a rush, but even as she said them, she realized how much she meant them.
There was nothing left for her in this life, this house of broken promises, and a job that was going nowhere and a life with few friends. Troy was promising her a life free of the debts that had chained her, a life of freedom on the road, of excitement, passion and no responsibilities.
Having her house taken from her was one thing. Selling it willingly to pursue a life she loved, well… that was a different story entirely.
Troy turned back with a smug grin on his face, “Thought you’d say that.”
Jessica closed the distance between them with a few, quick steps, wrapping her arms around his neck. She felt the warmth of him through the leather, the scent of leather and bikes that smelt like home to her.
She felt the possibilities that now stretched out before her, that would never have seemed possible if Troy had not opened her eyes, given her a taste of what she could have.
And when her lips met his, Jessica knew that she had made the right choice.
She was right where she belonged.
THE END
= Bonus Book 15 of 20 =
The Dragon Twins
Lara Fox sat waiting for the basket to make its way back around the long, cafeteria-style table, at which she sat at the head. The room was stuffy, the smell of their pizza from lunch still clinging to the air. Lara closed her eyes, pinching the bridge of her nose and trying to make the headache that had been creeping in on her go away.
It was almost dinnertime, and after being stuck in this room for the past week at the end of a month-long trial, Lara was hoping that she would never get summoned for jury duty again.
The basket finally reached her, and with a trembling hand, she opened up the first secret ballot and laid it on the table.
“Guilty,” she said, afraid to get her hopes up.
This was only about the millionth time they’d voted on the verdict, and she was afraid it was going to go the way it had gone every other time. How they were still at this point after deliberating for so long, she had no idea, but she continued going through the folded papers in the basket, the “guilty” pile getting bigger with each passing moment.
She was six ballots in when it happened. She opened up the paper carefully, looking at the words in the neat script and sighing heavily.
“Not guilty,” she said, her voice dropping off, the urge to let her head drop to the table strong.
There was a collective groan in the room, the single holdout vote apparently groaning with the rest of the jurors so that no one knew who he was. She sighed, looking around at the eleven men in the room and wondering who it was that honestly thought that the mobster on the stand was innocent of murdering a family of three.
It was baffling to her. They had all listened to all the same testimony, yet somehow, someone in the room didn’t believe that the man was guilty despite the evidence.
There was a knock on the door, and the bailiff poked his head in.
“The judge said you have five minutes to make a decision. There is no more time to deliberate. The defendant's lawyer is already huffing about a mistrial.”
Lara shook her head in disgust.
“Same answer, different vote.”
The bailiff looked visibly disappointed.
“Whatever your verdict is, the judge is ready now. Let’s go.”
The jurors stood almost as one, filing out the door single file and following the bailiff down the hall and into the room that held the door to the jury box and the courtroom.
Lara went in last, taking her seat as jury foreman and looking at the judge.
“Has the jury come to a decision?” the judge asked, looking at Lara.
Lara stood, looking straight at the judge, knowing that the news wouldn’t be well-received and afraid to look at the audience seated quietly in the gallery.
She cleared her throat, licking lips that had suddenly gone dry. She thought of her cozy little cottage in the tiny suburb outside of Fort Worth. Lara would have given anything to be there instead of in the jury box, all eyes on her, waiting for a verdict that was going to make an awful lot of people very angry.
“Did the jury reach a unanimous verdict?” the judge pressed.
She swallowed, breathing deeply and sighing.
“We did not, Your Honor.”
There was a collective gasp and several angry shouts of incredulity. Lara wanted to melt into the uncomfortable chair behind her, but she knew that wasn’t possible. She was stuck, and there would be no leaving until the court was dismissed for the day.
The judge banged his gavel, looking over at the jury box with a disapproving stare. Lara wanted to shrink even more, even though she knew that his disapproval wasn’t directed at her.
“I have no choice but to call a mistrial,” the judge said, looking at the mobster over the rim of his glasses. “Another trial will be set, and you will be notified.”
“What about bail?” the defense attorney asked before the judge could lower his gavel.
“No bail.”
The defense attorney said, “This man has been in custody for a year with no bail. You are infringing on his constitutional rights. A retrial could be another year or two down the road.”