Gray, Beth - Cougar Hunting [Modern Cougar] (Siren Publishing Allure)

by Gray, Beth

  Terri had to know. How did everyone know Chad’s name? She studied his face for any new clues—none.

  “Thanks.” Chad found his cell phone and dialed. “I think we need to go on to the next place. We’ll be outside in a few minutes.”

  Chad teased the bouncer with a jab to the gut.

  The bouncer laughed. “Not bad, huh?” He stood firm in front of Chad.

  “Yeah, not bad. How much weight have you lost?”

  “Thanks to your South Beach Mean Ab Machine and the videos, about 120 pounds. You changed my life. Any time you need some help, let me know. I’m there for you, man.”

  “Thanks. We might come back later tonight.” Chad offered a thumb bump and walked along the hall, pulling Terri with him.

  “I didn’t know I was with a celebrity tonight.” Terri squeezed Chad’s hand.

  “A lot of gyms here use my inventions.”

  At the end of the hallway, a side door opened to the outside where the bouncer stopped them. “Stay here a minute and I’ll make sure the coast is clear. What are you driving?”

  “We have a black limo for the night. He should be outside now or very soon.”

  Moments later, he returned. “All is clear.”

  Rushing into the car, Terri isolated LeAnna walking along the curb and being steadied by her husband. “I hope she will be okay.”

  Charlie covered his hands with his face. “I think it is a good time for me to go back to Atlanta for a while.”

  Chad laughed. “I don’t think that is the first time you let your dick get you in trouble.”

  “Funny, real funny.” Charlie glanced out the window. “I think I’ll let you two celebrate the rest of the night if you want to. I’m going to check in with the gallery tomorrow morning and head back to Atlanta.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yeah. I think we have a lot of work to do on this new project, and my time will be spent more productively back in Atlanta.”

  A few minutes later the limo stopped in front of the condo where they were staying. “Good night, Charlie, I’ll take care of Chad from here.”

  “I’m sure you will.” With a wicked smile, Charlie got out of the limo.

  Chad reached around Terri’s neck and pulled her closer to him. “Where to?”

  “Humm, here is fine. We need to talk.”

  “Okay.” Chad turned to stare directly into her face as he stayed close enough for her to feel his warm breaths bathing her face.

  “I know we have some history.” She stopped to check his reaction.

  His eyes drilled into her mind as he said nothing.

  “I know we are going to be working together. I generally have a rule that I don’t get involved with a client sexually.”

  “And?”

  “You’re not making this easy for me.”

  The focus of Chad’s eyes lowered, centering on her lips. His soft eyelashes were much fuller than most girls would dream of owning.

  Terri breathed in deeply and forced her mind to clear. “I’m not ready to commit to any one guy and don’t want problems caused by any misunderstandings.”

  “Understood.”

  Yeah, the only thing she understood was that he wanted his dick satisfied. She wanted him to talk, to be part of this discussion. “What do you think about us?”

  “Ask me when I’m sober.” He leaned over and kissed her lips softly.

  She didn’t kiss back, but enjoyed every second. At his age, she would have been more spontaneous, she thought. Now, she had too much at stake. She hated admitting this, but she knew it was true. What the hell. His kiss resonated on her lips. The first night together never caused any problems. Why should this night be any different? She leaned forward and kissed his lips with the same soft, enduring touch. He didn’t kiss back.

  “It’s still early. What do you want to do?” She needed to get him talking.

  “Okay, I’ll be honest. I want to go dancing, but I don’t think you know how to dance to hip-hop.”

  A wave of indignation flowed over her. Yes, she was older, but not that much. She knew how to dance. Well, maybe not too much hip-hop. “I think I might be able to surprise you.”

  “Okay, you’re on. But if you can’t, you’ll have to spend the rest of the night being my party girl and watching me dance with other girls.” Chad’s face turned cold and serious.

  Terri swallowed once, knowing the challenge he made, but decided to take him on as he suggested. “Fine, but I think you might end up being my little boy toy before the night is over.”

  Chad leaned over closer, holding his lips inches from hers. “I’m sure that has been tried by many before.”

  “Perhaps, but like I said, the night is young.” She closed the gap and grazed his lips, followed by a small lick of her tongue—just enough to indicate she had a wicked side that might come out later. She reached over and knocked on the window to talk to the driver. “I think we need to go to Mansions.”

  She watched Chad ease back with an intriguing smile. She had been there before and knew exactly how to get in and not have to pay for anything. As president of a large advertising firm that hired a fair share of models, the word would spread fast enough inside. The bouncers would also know she would attract models, and this was always good for business.

  Watching him relax only made her want to seduce him right on the spot, but that would play into his hands. She needed to make him want her instead. The low-cut dress allowed him plenty of room to see part of her breasts, but a small shift would make his view much better. She leaned forward and kissed his forehead.

  His hand reached for her leg and gave a slight squeeze. Ahhh… the first signs of weakness. She placed a hand on his shoulder and added a massage action. Not only did he invent exercise equipment, the muscles in his shoulder indicated how much he used them himself.

  Chad moved his hand to between her legs as she felt her heart pound. Her dress had risen to halfway up her leg. He inched it slowly upward. Almost as if he was asking permission to proceed. She kissed his forehead with more pressure. His hand slid further, disappearing slightly under her dress. Her breathing stopped as she waited.

  The whirling sound of the motor lowering the driver’s window shattered the moment as Chad retrieved his hand. It felt like someone had held candy in front of a small child only to tease and not offer. “Mr. Edwards, I’m pulling in front of the entrance now.”

  “Thanks. We’ll call you when we get ready to move on.” The window rose again. Chad kissed her forehead this time as he didn’t hesitate to move his hand up her dress to her crotch. “Yes, before the night is over, we need to talk.”

  He removed his hand after exploring so slightly it left her wanting so much more. However, she knew the door would open soon. She rushed to collect herself. Many people would be watching them exit the limo.

  Chad straightened his tie, which appeared to be all he had to do to look the part of the charming new guy about town. “I didn’t call here for reservations.”

  “Not a problem, this stop will be my treat.”

  He smiled but wrinkled his eyebrows in a teasing manner. “Okay, let’s give it a go.”

  The car door opened, and she stepped out first with Chad following close behind. A large line stretched behind the entrance. They walked along the side toward the entrance. Two large guys stood in front of them. She opened her purse as they approached, retrieving her business card. The limo helped, the fine clothes helped, the card would be the closer—she hoped.

  “Can I help you?” The question had a “who the hell are you” tone.

  “Hi, I’m Teresa Eisenman, president of Eisenman Advertising.” She handed him her card. “We’re in town doing some shooting for the next few days.”

  The two guys looked at the card and exchanged a nod. “Okay.” He turned to one side but held out his hand to his side, indicating he expected to be paid off.

  Chad stepped forward, and the white around the doorman’s pupils widened. “M
r. Edwards. Sorry, I didn’t see you.” He retracted his hand.

  “No problem. How are you?”

  “Big crowd tonight.” He held a phone to his ear. “I need a table in the chic VIP area for Mr. Edwards.”

  Terri felt frustrated as she stood patiently waiting on the doormen to quit fussing over Chad. One of them caught her stare. “I’m sorry. Lacy will take you to your table.” He opened the door.

  The music blasted as they entered, and they rushed in behind a hostess taking them to their table. She needed to make sure she covered the bill tonight. Her pride would not be deflated any more.

  Moving into the chair at the table, she glanced at the hostess. “This is my treat tonight. And I’m in the mood for champagne.” She turned toward Chad, who nodded approval at the hostess.

  People hustled around the club, elbowing if they had to. Many appeared drunk as they filled every corner of the club with laughter. Terri loved the displays of fashions, especially modeled by many beautiful girls flowing around the club.

  The music, a current hip-hop song, vibrated off the ceiling and invigorated the patrons gyrating in many different combinations of movements. She had been here before and remembered the various mixings and matchings of everything from house, rock and roll, techno, Latin, and, of course, hip-hop. The cool atmosphere was enhanced by large projector screens hanging above, playing videos of the tracks orchestrated by the DJ’s.

  Terri studied the people dancing on the floor and scattered around the club. All danced by breaking, popping, locking, gliding, ticking, krumping, and vibrating with the music. While she had watched the dancing for years, she preferred other styles. Tonight she would try as best she could. She would definitely be adding her own “flavor” or freestyle to the dance tonight.

  Chad leaned over and pointed to some dancers on the far side. “I can usually find movements in here I see nowhere else in the country. Are you sure you want to try this?”

  Terri saw the girls manipulating their bodies into different shapes, locking one minute and freezing before breaking into more illusions of dislocated joints. She hoped break dancing would not break her body for good, but too late to reconsider—a challenge had been issued. She stood and motioned for Chad to follow her.

  Chad reached for her hand and pulled her behind him, stopping only when he made it to the center of the floor. He dropped her hand and turned in a large circle, freeing space for him to operate. The improvisation of his freestyle techniques pushed the boundaries of normal human limits as he seemed to defy gravity. She remembered him being good. Now he danced like a professional.

  Terri realized she stood watching rather than dancing as the shock set in. She wished she had kept her big mouth closed. Chad attracted the attention of many girls hovering around them. She watched him move and made a motion mimicking it. He smiled and added another. She copied and smiled back.

  One girl on the side noticed her reactions and yelled at Terri, “You go, girl.”

  Chad ran his hands through his hair and went through a series of breaks. Before Terri could reply, another girl rushed beside her, then another on the other side. As if on cue, they all went through the movement together.

  Chad beamed as he surveyed the crowd gathering. A tall, slim black guy jumped in next to him. With a fist lock, they swayed in an endless array of vertebrae convulsions. The crowd cheered before turning to the females.

  More women joined them. Terri stepped forward as the others locked in behind her. Like a long rope, the ripple effect moved from one to the other as she choreographed the same movement the guys produced. A large cheer spread around the crowd.

  Chad nodded his head at Terri.

  She knew he danced much better she hoped to ever, but with the right distractions hoped to make it through the night. She had made it this far.

  Within fifteen minutes, the girls not only answered all moves but created their own to add pressure on the men. The incoming rush of more dancers made the competition come to an end. The tight squeeze of the crowds made any movement impossible. One guy after another pressed up next to her. Hands explored out of nowhere, or some strange guy went into heat behind her. Where did Chad go?

  Terri pressed toward her table, hoping to see Chad somewhere along the way. Halfway across the floor she spotted him working his way toward her. She pushed harder. Another hand reached for her crotch. A quick knee to his nuts and he moved. With only a few more guys to get by, she waited on Chad to do his part.

  Sliding past the last guy, Chad slammed into Terri. “We need to get out of here.”

  “If you can figure out how, let me know.” Terri moved her arms up and over Chad’s shoulders to hug his neck.

  Chad held her in his arms as the crowd melted the two together. His body perfectly toned and hard, but not overly bulky like Charlie’s, reminded her of the dreams she had ever since the first time they met. With urges to have him again racing in her mind, she concentrated on his body, hoping to remember all of the details for future dreams.

  Her head came to rest on his shoulder as she gyrated to the music, which changed to a rock and roll number. She felt him pushing her to one side and through an opening, then another. The change in music opened the floor. She wished he had not found an opening. She enjoyed the closeness. But, like she said earlier, the night was young—or was it?

  Two clubs later and after many drinks, both stumbled back to the limo, with the driver helping Chad help Terri walk. “I think you two definitely had a night of it. What do you think?”

  Chad raised his head. “Almost. I’m hungry. See if you can find us something to eat and a place on the beach to watch the sun come up.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes, I still have a little life in me.”

  Terri fell over against his shoulder. Her head spun, and her vision blurred. She fought to gain clarity. How much did she drink? She felt sick, and he wanted to eat.

  The limo drove along Beach Drive as Chad pulled on her hand. “Here, this will make you feel better.” She heard the sound of an electric motor. A cool wind floated across her. Her eyes opened momentarily to see the roof opening.

  “What?”

  Chad tugged on her to stand and pushed her head through the opening. The wind slapped her face as the lights of the traffic whipped by her, adding a sobering effect. His arm around her stabilized her. She had never done this before. The feeling made her think of crazy kids. Yes, crazy, crazy, crazy—this was all so crazy.

  The limo pulled into a side street, and the driver open the window. “Hey, you need to come down from there while I go inside and get you something. What exactly do you want?”

  Chad weaved. “Some kind of sandwich. Anything, really…and, oh yes, coffee.” Chad lowered Terri back through the opening and fell across her on the seat.

  Terri forced her head to clear. Was tonight to be another repeat performance of their first time together? She had to think of the future. Chad would be hard to walk away from, and unlike other guys she had known. And, of course, he could be a new client soon. It was time to get her act together. What was she thinking? She would think of something by the time they had some coffee. She slid over on Chad’s shoulder and closed her eyes to think.

  * * * *

  Chad rubbed his eyes. He had to get up to pee. What time was it? He rubbed his eyes again to attempt to focus his eyes on the clock beside the bed—two o’clock. He rolled to the other side and bumped into something. His hands explored. Realization of the last minutes of the night before flashed. It was Terri.

  His eyes studied the room. He remembered the layout of the condo he rented. As his mind cleared, he realized he was fully dressed. He glanced at Terri, also fully dressed. They must have fallen on the bed as soon as they entered the bedroom.

  This complicated things. What was he to do now? He decided to take a shower and hope his head would clear. Thirty minutes later the water turned cold, and he had to get out. Still, he had no clue on what to say or how to end t
his. Part of him wanted to talk to her this morning. The other part sent him into flight mode. He usually had no problem screwing older women and leaving them. In this case, he wasn’t sure they ever had sex. He also realized he liked her. She stayed up with him all night and danced much better than he thought she could ever dance. He knew they had to see each other on his new project. He also knew he had to talk to her to explain things. Surely she would understand.

  Yes, he would order some food and calmly talk to her. He had no intentions of being with one woman, especially a woman that couldn’t keep up with his lifestyle. A smile stretched out of one side of his mouth. Okay, maybe she did last night, but that had to be an exception. He opened the door. She was gone.

  Chapter 10

  Chad had rented the condo for one more day, but thought about taking a late flight back to Atlanta tonight. The two calls to Terri’s cell phone remained unanswered. With both of them still wearing clothes when they woke up, he knew they had not had sex. However, he remembered kissing and fondling. He worried about her and needed to know if she was okay before he left his condo. He decided to call her office to see if they have heard from her.

  He lifted the phone and called the number on her card. A girl answered the phone on the first ring. “Hello, my name is Chad. Is Jessica there?”

  He heard Jessica pick up. “Hello, Chad, I heard you had one hell of a night last night.”

  Good, apparently Terri had talked to her. “You could say that. You must have talked to Terri.”

  “Oh yes. She has one wicked headache. Where all did you two go?”

  “Just the normal places. I’ve been trying to call her.”

  “She’s on her way back to Atlanta. She booked the next flight she could get this morning. That is probably why you can’t reach her.”

  “I see. She left this morning without saying a word.”

  “That sounds like Terri. She has a very hard time handling commitment. When you get back to Atlanta, it might be good for me to talk to you about Terri. Don’t get me wrong, I love her to death, but it might be good for you to know some things.”