“That wouldn’t hurt me. If anything, it would serve as a welcome distraction. One minute you’ve just met the guy at a convention and the next you’re living together. Spill.”
“Oh my God. I’m obsessed with this man. You’re gonna just die when you hear what happened.”
Judy didn’t just speak with her hands, she spoke with her whole plump body. Sitting there in her sleeveless plaid shirt, cutoff jeans, and bare feet, her pigtails sashayed and danced to a beat only Judy could replicate.
“So, here I was struggling with the slide on a SIG Sauer P226 when that marvelous bass voice rumbled in my ear, ‘Here, let me.’ Then he slid those bulging biceps down my arm, wrapped his hands around mine, and racked the slide. ‘Punch it firmly forward, then let go,’ he said.
“I’m telling you, Loge, I got wet right on the spot. I pretended I didn’t quite get it and made him show me again. Anyway, to make a long story short, by the time we were done, we’d had dinner and dropped by the hotel bar for a drink. We drank and danced, oh man did we dance. I mean hot dawg, that man could dance.”
“Dearest, that doesn’t tell me how you came to be living together.”
“Hold your pants on. I’m getting to it.”
I sighed and sat back reaching for my last strand of patience. You’d think Judy was the romance writer the way she loved to go on.
“Needless to say, we ended up rolling in the hay, so to speak, and man was he good in bed.” An expression of adoration dropped over Judy’s face, and her pigtails were a virtual tornado of activity as she fell back into that night. I wasn’t even sure she remembered I was there.
“No, no, good doesn’t do him justice. He was great… No, a sexual virtuoso. Seriously, Loge, most men don’t satisfy me, never mind leaving me satiated. I mean the man came three times that night, and I lost count of how many times I came. The man is a machine. Have you ever even met a sexual maestro before? I mean have you?”
I couldn’t help but smile at her enthusiasm. “Maybe one,” I admitted, almost ashamed that I could even think of Daniel at a time like this.
Judy stilled and rested her chin on her hands, those vivid brown eyes searching for secrets to sink her hooks into. Embarrassed heat rolled over me in waves.
“Oh God, you’re absolutely purple. This must be good. We sure as hell know it isn’t Greg. Spill, woman.” Judy wiggled her eyebrows in anticipation.
“It’s not all that exciting. It’s just that I think someone I met would be a good lover.” I found the color of my wine particularly fascinating.
“Oh no, you don’t. You’re not leaving this table until you tell me who it is.”
I should have known better than to give Judy even the tiniest bit of wiggle room. When she caught a scent, she was like one of her beloved pugs with a favorite toy; she just wouldn’t let go.
“All right, all right. It’s Daniel.”
Judy’s thick brows knit together. “Daniel? Daniel who?” Just as suddenly her face cleared. “You mean Daniel Masterson? Greg’s partner? Hot damn. So you finally clued in. Girlfriend, you’ve got to jump that man’s bones without delay.”
“Finally clued in to what?”
“To how much that man wants in your pants. Honey, he’s been sniffing after you for years. It was love at first sight. You’ve just been too dense to realize it.”
There’s no such thing as love at first sight. I didn’t know whether to be mortified or accept the compliment. Had Daniel been attracted to me?
“He has not. What makes you think that?”
“I’ve seen the way he looks at you. When you’re around, he has eyes for no one else but you. He wants you bad.”
A jolt of joy shot through me topped off by an enormous mountain of guilt. I squirmed in my chair and took another gulp of wine. Judy’s laser gaze shot right through me.
“I’m not telling you to marry the guy, just fuck him.”
“You really are quite crude, Jude.”
“And you love it. I’m your alter ego. Without me, your life would be downright miserable.”
I couldn’t argue with that. “You’re just making this up to make me feel better. Daniel could have any woman he wants. He wouldn’t want a plain Jane like me. Besides, he’s a pig. He wouldn’t tell me how to get my money.”
“Check it out next time you see him. You’ll see. And speaking of your money, we’d better do something about that. Have you seen a lawyer yet?” Judy’s pigtails started back in action.
“About what?”
“About your legal separation from Greg, you goose. You’d better start the paperwork before he can move your assets.”
“Move them where? I don’t think he’d do that.” I had no idea why I was defending Greg. Maybe it was a remnant of loyalty to what our marriage had once been, although I wasn’t sure just what that was. “I’m not sure what I’m going to do yet. Maybe I should talk to him. It’s not like I’m blameless in this situation.”
I thought Judy was going to explode. She leaped out of her seat, nostrils flaring, and planted her legs wide.
“Now you tell me just what the fuck you did to make Greg bump uglies with his assistants and screw you over for your money.” She dramatically punctuated each word by pointing her index finger at me.
“We don’t know that he’s screwed me over for my money, and if I gave him what he needed, he wouldn’t be unfaithful to me.”
The entire width and breadth of Judy’s forehead raised as she continued to stare down at me. She scratched her head, paced to the sink, grabbed a mug, put it down, and paced back to the table. Taking a huge breath, she said, “And just what is it you aren’t giving him?”
My thoughts skipped to another of the mental doors I tried to keep locked and plunged right in. My shoulders slumped as misery engulfed me.
“I’m frigid.”
“Frigid?” Judy’s voice climbed an octave or three.
“Yes. I’m not sexually responsive no matter what Greg does.” There, my filthy secret was out, finally. I braced myself for the onslaught.
“Let me guess, the bastard told you this, right?” Judy shook her head in disgust and grabbed the cordless handset.
“I know just what you’re going to do before you talk yourself back into believing that bastard is a saint and needs you.” She punched the buttons with determination and purpose. “Hello, Char. Listen, I have a huge favor.” She paused. “Hon, you know I don’t stand on manners when I’m in crisis.”
Snippets of her conversation drifted in and out as I focused on just what my next step would be.
“No, he’d never agree to a legal separation. He’d…”
Maybe I should take Raphael up on his offer and take some time to figure things out. The problem was after twenty years with Greg, my office was the only place where I felt like I had any idea what I was doing. I hadn’t made an independent decision about anything else since the day I’d said my vows. When I wasn’t writing, I didn’t have a faint clue who I was.
“…not physically, but he sure has abused her emotionally, and now he’s taken all her money. She has to beg him for spending money…Um-hum…You know I wouldn’t call you if it weren't serious…Um-hum.”
Judy was right; it was time I got off the fence. I gave my head a shake, trying to find a piece of the grit I’d had so long ago.
“…okay, four o’clock it is. We’ll be there. Thanks loads, Char.” Judy dropped the handset back in its cradle and did a little happy dance. “Girlfriend, before the end of today, you’ll be on your way to being rid of the bastard. Just stick with me, kid.”
“What have you done, Jude?”
“I have gotten you an appointment with Supreme Court Justice Charlotte Bennett this afternoon, and you’re going to file a Summons and Complaint for Judgment of Separation. Before the day’s out, we’ll have Greg served with the papers.” She brushed her hands together, although I couldn’t tell if it was in anticipation or glee. Judy did love a good soap.
�
��Wait a minute. This is going—”
“Don’t you dare back out on this, Loge. You’ve been miserable in this marriage for longer than I can remember. In fact, I’m having trouble remembering when you were happy. Don’t you think it’s time to take action? Now, I’ve got one more thing to do.” She picked up the phone again.
“Jared my man, I need a huge favor.” Pause. An enormous smile lit Judy’s face. “Ah, you’re such a charmer, but even that won’t get you in my pants.” She laughed. “Okay, well while we wait for hell to freeze over, could you deliver a summons to a particularly slimy lawyer later this afternoon?” She crossed her fingers and threw a smile my way. “He’s in the Wall Street district…You will. Oh super, I owe you big time…No, that’s not enough to get you laid, at least not by me. Silly man. Love you. Mwah.”
She did another little happy dance. “There, we’re all set. Grab your purse. We’d better get started if we’re going to make it into the city. We’ll take the train in.
Chief Justice Charlotte Bennett was a short, squat package of intensity who could turn your bowels to water with one flinty stare. She’d wasted no time as she ushered us into her office, sermonized me about the abuse victim syndrome, advised me to get a good divorce lawyer, and packaged me off with her assistant to complete the Temporary Order for Protection, Request for Temporary Relief, and Complaint for Divorce and Summons. Judge Charlotte signed off on the mountain of paperwork just as Jared arrived to collect the Complaint. He would serve Greg with the papers within the hour.
As we left the courthouse, Judy slipped her arm through the crook of my elbow. She dragged me down the street to a gourmet coffee shop and ordered us both a café mocha topped with an absolute mountain of whipped cream.
“There, doesn’t that feel better?”
Adrenaline shot through my veins like an arrow locked onto prey. I wanted to find a cave—a luxuriously appointed cave—and crawl in for a month or two. What on earth would I do? What did I want to do? Someone else had always been eager to inform me of exactly who, what, when, and how.
A thought tickled the hairs the back of my neck. You don’t dare. Hope radiated through me as the load of living a lie rolled from my shoulders, and I turned to embrace my future.
“And we’ll decorate your bedroom—”
“I’m not staying, Jude, but I appreciate your generosity.”
“What do you mean, you’re not staying?” I could have sworn Judy’s pigtails stood on end like a cat facing down a mortal enemy.
“I’m thinking of going away for a while. To take some time alone and figure things out.”
“What do you mean, away? You mean like a cruise or something? Hot Dawg.” Judy bristled with excitement as she shook the arm she held. “Want company?”
“Jude, you’re my dearest friend in the world, so don’t take this the wrong way. Right now I need time alone. Besides, I’m not going that far.”
“That sounds like you’ve already made up your mind. Where?”
“You’ve got to swear you won’t tell Greg or anyone for that matter.”
“Loge—”
“Swear, or I’m not saying another word.” My internal bitchiness did a little dance. I wasn’t sure how it escaped, but it seemed determined to stay out and play.
Judy heaved a massive sigh. “Pinkie swear.” She hooked my pinkie with hers and shook. “Now spill.”
“I haven’t told you yet, but I found this amazing house this morning, and the caretaker invited me to stay there. He’s this neat old guy named Raphael.”
Judy sipped and licked her way through her drink while I told her all about my visit with Raphael.
“So if I hear you properly, you met some crazy old coot at some weird mansion, and now you’re going to stay there just like that. Have you lost your mind? The guy could be a serial killer hiding bodies in the basement. Just where is this mystery mansion?”
“It’s in Watchung.”
“New Jersey?” Judy’s eyebrows rose with the octave in her tone. “Who the hell would build a mansion in Watchung? That’s an Indian Reservation for God’s sake. Those woods are haunted. There’s no house there.”
“Yes, there is, I swear.”
“Okay, show me.”
During the train ride back to Westfield, Judy regaled me with stories about angry Indian spirits teamed with devilish Druids haunting the Watchung woods and carrying me away never to be seen or heard from again. We retrieved her car from the parking lot and headed toward US 22 West. As we headed north on Somerset Street, Judy asked, “Where to now?”
I directed her to go north on Watchung Circle and make a quick right onto Hillcrest Blvd. “Turn left here.” I pointed to Spencer Lane. “The sign should be right around here.”
“What sign?”
“The one that says Turn Here Blackstone Manor. It’s got to be here.”
We drove up and down hunting for the sign. Judy pulled over, put the car in park, and turned to look at me. She took a deep breath.
“Look, Loge, I know it’s been a stressful time for you—”
“I know where you’re going with this, but I didn’t imagine it. Do you think I’ve lost that much touch with reality that I’d imagine an entire conversation with some mythical person?”
Judy studied me intently for a few minutes before shaking her head.
“You’re right, you’re the most stable person I know. But you’ve got to admit it boggles the mind.”
We got out of the car and walked. “I don’t get it,” I said. “It should be right here.”
“Well, it sure is beautiful. Now what?” Judy asked.
I snapped my fingers. “I’ve got it. I must need my ticket. That’s what it is.”
“What ticket?”
“Raphael gave me a ticket so I could find my way back. He called it my ticket to temptation. I left it at your place.”
“Do you know how crazy this sounds, Logan?”
Chapter 8
Daniel
Logan’s hands were bound high above her head with a braided cord that matched the black silk blindfold covering her eyes. My breath caught as I gazed at her naked beauty. I was completely in love with the splendor of her curves, the soft folds just inviting me to lose myself in the rapture of her arousal. I stretched out beside her, tracing my fingers around the curve of her neck, leaning over to kiss the slight dip at the bottom of her neck. My cock stiffened as she trembled in anticipation, and a deep-rose blush highlighted her tanned skin. I ignored its insistence, intent on enjoying every second basking in her arousal.
I traced a line from the base of her neck to her right nipple. I flicked the engorged bud with my tongue, alternating with a slow circling of her areola. I hefted the generous globe in my hand, and her nipple stiffened in its cry for my attention. I answered the call, sucking the fullness of its nub deep into my mouth. She whimpered and arched her back. I relaxed the suction until she fell back on the bed. I planned on taking all the time in the world with my Logan. Now that I finally had her in my bed, I intended to make her mine forever.
I worshiped each breast, each temple of temptation. Logan cried for more, rolling and moaning in her urge to have me move to the epicenter of her desire. I felt her struggle, confident that if her hands were free, she’d be pushing my hand to the well of wetness hiding between her thighs. I trailed a finger down the soft, smooth skin of her abdomen, content that I’d made the right choice in binding her wrists to the headboard. I was the teacher; she was the pupil. I’d give her love like she’d never experienced before.
I could smell the perfume of her arousal as she writhed and begged for more. Using fingers and tongue, I paid homage to each part of her perfection—the dip of her cute little belly button, the gentle slope of her stomach, the curve of her waist. I inched my way down to her mound of Venus. I paused. Everything about her filled me with longing. I thanked the gods for offering me such a gift. For a split second, I wondered how Greg could criticize one square inch of this woma
n who the universe so obviously made for pleasure. The man was a fool.
I slid my finger over her mons into the slick folds of her labia. The head of her clitoris stood at attention, begging for release. She widened her legs, unleashing the beautiful fragrant musk that was distinctly her own. I inhaled deeply, certain I’ve never smelled anything so enticing, so fresh, so feminine. I gently parted her full brown lips and gazed, stupefied, at her sweet cleft. Again, I was awestruck at the beauty of this woman who opened herself before me. I leaned down and blew gently on her button of bliss. She reared up as if hit by another surge of electricity. I closed my lips around the dark pink clit. A low, deep moan escaped her as she went perfectly still.
As I tormented, tantalized, and teased her with my tongue, her muscles started to vibrate with pent-up tension. Relentless in my enjoyment of her hunger, I took her to the edge of the cliff then brought her back. There. Back. There. Back. I lost track of how many waves I made her ride. I took her there until she writhed, and moaned, and groaned, and I know there was nothing else in her world except for me and the sensations I pulled from her. I clamped down and sucked with deep, long pulls, reveling in the taste of her exquisite nectar. She screamed as release jolted through her and sank, shuddering, onto the bed.
I stood, rubbing my fingers along the hard thickness of my shaft, giving myself one last beat before I submitted to this moment I’d waited for so very long. I bent and took one more long pull on each nipple, releasing another set of post-orgasmic tremors in her. Desire swept through me like a river rushing toward white water rapids, and my cock grew ever harder as it screamed for attention. I plunged into her tight channel. My balls and anus tightened as the first familiar pulsing hit the base of my member. I stilled and clamped down hard. I would make this last.
After a very long moment of sheer will, I got myself back under control. I inched my big man out to the surface, then slowly submerged. In. Out. In. Out. Nothing had ever felt better in my life, nothing. I grabbed a handful of ass to help distract me from the pulsing demands my cock made as it begged for its due. Logan rocked her hips, matching my thrust as her sheath tightened rhythmically around my singing shaft.
Ticket to Temptation Page 6