by Audra Cole
“I will.” He released my hand and I walked away, fighting off the urge to look back.
***
Hours of consciously ignoring Landon as he played the charming bachelor with his trio of adoring dinner dates proved to be too much and I found myself drowning my sorrows in champagne, watching the rest of the room from an empty hallway that led to the restroom. Overall the night was a smashing success. New couples formed bonds and started heading out of the party—naughty gift bags in hand—when someone stepped up behind me and asked, “Can I have this dance?”
I jolted and cursed as champagne sloshed over the brim of the flute in my hand and the sticky liquid pooled in my cleavage. A small gasp slipped from my lips as I turned and found Landon standing there, inches away from me. He grinned at my wide-eyed expression and stepped in even closer. I flattened my hand on my chest. “You surprised me!”
“I can see that … you saving a little something for me?” he asked, dropping his eyes to the sparkle of champagne bubbles on the swell of my breasts.
Heat scorched my skin and settled in my belly as he took his sweet-ass time raising his eyes back to mine. “I’m sure one of the ladies at your table would be more than happy to let you do a body shot off of them. My money would be on the one in the red dress…”
He chuckled. “How long are you willing to play this game?” he asked, planting a hand on the wall behind me.
“This isn’t a game,” I replied, willing my voice not to quiver along with the rest of me.
Landon’s cologne and body warmth enveloped me, making it impossible to breathe. At some point during the night, he’d stripped off his jacket and revealed that the crisp black shirt underneath his suit was just as well-fitted, the soft fabric molded to the firmness of his chest and flat stomach with heart-stopping results. Being in Landon’s arms was a rush and a release. Like freefalling. His eyes traced the lines of my face, going to my lips and then back to my eyes. His desire was palpable, washing off of him in waves.
The hallway was dimly lit. Beyond that, the banquet room’s lights were low as dinner ended and attention shifted to dancing and mingling. Several couples lingered on the dance floor. Some bumping and grinding like they were at a club and others making awkward little circles like a high school homecoming dance. The dichotomy was jarring and would have been perfect commentary fodder if Georgia was the one standing beside me. Instead, it was Landon, and I couldn’t seem to form complete sentences.
He leaned closer, his lips grazing my earlobe as he growled, “I’m not interested in being your client, Candace. I want to be your darkest desire.”
My heart slammed against my chest as his warm breath brushed against my neck.
“I haven’t been able to get you out of my head. I’m not here for some damn dinner party. I’m here for you.” He pulled away ever so slightly and his eyes met mine. “And I’m not leaving without you.”
I finally managed a breath, ragged and slow. “Landon, I—”
He silenced my objection with his mouth on mine. Which, was likely for the best, as I knew that I didn’t have much of an argument. Landon’s tongue slipped along my trembling lower lip and then slipped past to explore my mouth. My hands rose to his shoulders and he pressed in closer. Every inch of him melded against me and as his hips rocked against mine, a soft moan vibrated up from the back of my throat. He was rock hard. My knees buckled and I sagged against the wall for support. Landon wrapped a hand around me, his huge palm flat against the small of my back before sliding down to cup my ass. His fingertips roved over the curve of my ass cheek and found the bare skin where the hem of my dress met the back of my thighs.
Sensations exploded over every inch of my body and I clung tighter to him for another moment. It was insanity and bliss. The kiss deepened as he moved, making no apologies for the straight-forward, eager exploration of my body. He followed the hem of my dress around and then pushed the tight fabric up higher on my leg as he hitched his hand at my knee and pulled it up against his hip. My panties were already soaking wet and I felt myself contract and release, pulsing with the aching craving for more of Landon’s touch.
Somewhere in the madness of it all, the small voice in the back of my head broke through. “Wait…” I panted. “Not here.”
Landon’s teeth grazed over my neck as his hand tangled in my loose waves. “Yes. Here.”
I pushed at his chest, not hard enough to repel him, but enough that he stopped and met my eyes. “Come on.”
He growled his agreement and we broke apart long enough to scurry around the corner to the supply closet we had set up as an overflow coat check. We collapsed through the door, already tangled together, and Landon pulled the door shut tight behind us. It was pitch black and I let the darkness swallow all of my inhibitions as soon as Landon reached for me.
Within seconds, his lips were on my neck, ravaging me as his hands slipped up the front of my dress. I swore into his shoulder as his finger brushed over the center of my sopping panties. “Fuck, I’m so damn wet.”
Landon chuckled and pushed past the ruined fabric. His fingertip slipped up and down my slit. “I tend to have that effect…”
“I think it was more the mask,” I retorted through a gasp.
Landon didn’t object and all words vanished once he plunged inside of me. He pumped his thick fingers in and out of me until I was whimpering and clinging to him. He circled my engorged clit with his thumb and had me surging to the peak of pleasure within seconds. Stars danced behind my eyes as I came undone in his arms. After another deep kiss, he slipped from me, granting a moment of recovery. I heard the sound of a foil packet tearing open and my desire unfolded all over again.
If Landon looked good, he felt even better. Every. Single. Inch.
Almost from the moment he entered me, thick and pulsing, I was ready to fall apart again. My thighs clung to his hips for dear, sweet life as I arched back against the wall. Every powerful thrust made stars dance behind my tightly closed eyes. I moaned as loudly as I dared and as he moved faster, plunged deeper, I muffled myself against his chest. He palmed my breasts, teasing my hard nipples through the fabric of my dress and when he released, his thick cock pulsing inside me, he pinched my nipples, sending an infusion of pain into my pleasure. I cried out as every muscle seized and then released with jagged waves of pleasure as I came for the second time.
Landon held onto me for a moment, catching his breath, and then he took a step back and my feet found shaky purchase on the floor. “Holy shit,” I breathed, raking my fingers through my hair.
Landon chuckled softly and then dropped another hot kiss to my lips before sliding his face down to lap the remnant of the spilled champagne from between my breasts. I sucked in a sharp breath as his tongue lapped against my flushed skin.
Landon backed up and I heard the rustling of his suit as he adjusted himself.
I raked my fingers through my hair, wondering what on earth had just happened, when the sound of the doorknob jiggling broke the punctuated silence between our heavy breathing.
“Shit,” I hissed.
The jiggling stopped and footsteps sounded on the other side.
“They’re probably looking for me,” I said softly. “I should go…”
“When can you leave?”
“I can’t...” I kept my mouth shut and hurried to make sure my dress was smoothed out. “Landon–”
“Meet me later tonight.”
My heart slammed against my ribs and I started to shake my head. In the dark, he couldn’t see me protesting.
Landon snagged my hand and raised it to his mouth. He applied a soft kiss to the back of my knuckles and then slipped from the coat closet, leaving me panting and trying to find some shred of strength in my legs that felt like they were made of Jell-O pudding.
Almost as soon as he was gone, my body was begging for more. The reality of being with Landon was even hotter than my naughtiest fantasy, so why didn’t I feel satisfied?
Chapter Eight
&nb
sp; “There you are!”
I nearly jumped out of my skin as I rounded the corner, still wobbly-legged and dazed, and found Leticia barreling towards me. At least she was smiling. “Candace! Where on earth have you been? We need to round up the stragglers and make sure they go home happy. Now, I’ve got Georgia working on table three, there’s a shy blonde who would be just divine with Mr. Roux, but he’s got his eye on the busty redhead in that horrible Gucci knockoff…”
She steered me back into the main banquet space and my eyes flitted from end to end, wondering if Landon had really left for the night. Leticia rambled, subtly pointing out the couples she’d decided belonged together, and then she was gone, leaving me to my mission.
Georgia was working her magic on the other side of the room, whispering in Mr. Roux’s ear. He was a longtime client, hopelessly picky, but deep down a really good guy. I caught her eye and she arched an eyebrow. I knew she was going to demand all the dirty details as soon as we got the last clients out the door. The problem was that I wasn’t entirely sure what to tell her. My body was still humming in the aftermath of the two explosive orgasms and aching for more of Landon’s touch. But he was gone. If I had a chance of signing him as a client and securing the Seattle office, it had flown out the window the moment I led him to that supply closet. There was no way I could work with him now. At least not in the capacity necessary for a successful matchmaker and client relationship to form.
Damn it, Candace. I shook my head and pushed aside thoughts of Landon. I had a job to do and I was going to get it done. I’d deal with the Landon problem next week.
I plastered on a smile and hurried to get to work. By the time the DJ was packing up his equipment—and slipping Georgia his number—the last couple was headed out the door, a little tipsy, and giggling together as they riffled through the contents of the gift bags.
“I trust that Mr. Jeffers left satisfied?”
I bristled. Did she know? I glanced at Leticia from the corner of my eye. “I think he had a good time.”
Leticia patted me on the shoulder. “Nice work, Candace. I’m very impressed.”
“Thank you, Leticia.” Guilt washed over me.
Georgia sidled up to us, still eying the DJ as he finished packing. “It was one hell of a night, wasn’t it?” she asked, flashing me a knowing smile.
What the hell? Do I have a sign on my forehead: I fucked Landon Jeffers in the coat closet.
“I guess we’ll know when we go through the mingle survey cards Monday morning,” I said, ignoring Georgia.
“Excellent. I’m looking forward to it.” Leticia’s grin went wide as her eyes narrowed. I followed her intent, almost predatory stare, and found a cater-waiter, half her age, with his sleeves cuffed up to show off a smattering of dark whorls of ink up both forearms. “In the meantime...”
“Get it, boss lady!” Georgia cat-called as Leticia stalked off like a proud lioness in search of her next meal. “Guess she won’t be needing that Sparklestick after all.”
I rolled my eyes. “You’re not gonna let that go, huh?”
Georgia leaned in closer and bumped me with her hip. “A little birdy told me that you won’t be needing one either.”
I felt my eyes go wide. “What the—”
“Coat check girl told me she saw you and a tall hottie going at it in the hallway and later she heard two people going at it in the closet. Safe to say you’ve got your groove back?”
“Shit,” I breathed, my eyes squeezing shut.
Georgia bumped me with her hip. “Don’t worry. Secret’s safe with me. No one else knows. But can I at least get a ‘you were right’ in exchange for my silence?”
I scowled at her. “You’re really having way too much fun with this.”
She pursed her lips.
“All right, fine!” I heaved a sigh. “You were right. Landon wasn’t exactly here to find his soulmate—”
“Or, maybe he was.”
I laughed. “Yeah, a hook-up in the overflow coat closet is a sure sign of forever.”
“You never know.” Georgia shrugged. The DJ breezed past, eye-fucking the hell out of her as he went. Georgia gave a contented sigh once he was around the corner. She leaned over to press a quick kiss on my cheek. “See you later, doll. Time for me to go get hot and nasty.”
“TMI, Georgia.”
She laughed and then hustled out in pursuit of her target.
When she was gone, I surveyed the room. The caterer and restaurant staff would handle the cleanup. There was no real reason for me to stick around. My eyes snagged on the few remaining gift bags on the table by the door. I sighed as I stalked over, grabbed a bag, and headed out.
“This thing better be damn good,” I muttered to myself, peeking into the bag at the giant vibrator.
***
My phone rang at eleven thirty, just as I was rummaging through the back of my fridge for my drug of choice—chocolate. Tonight, in the form of a dark chocolate pudding with brownie chunks thrown in. Ya know, cause chocolate soup isn’t quite sweet enough on its own. I grabbed the bowl from the fridge, retrieved a spoon, slammed the drawer closed with my hip, and went back into the living room where my phone was buzzing against the glass top of my coffee table.
I damn near dropped everything in my hands at the sight of Landon’s name on the screen.
“What the fuck!”
I stared at the phone, chewing my lip. I had two more rings and it would kick his ass to voicemail. Should I…
Screw it! I snapped up the phone. “Hello?”
“Where are you?”
“Home.” I arched my eyebrow. “Why?”
“I want to see you again.” The soft rumble in his voice shivered over my skin and settled between my thighs. I lowered to the couch and sat the bowl of pudding on the table. “I’ll send a car.”
I laughed. “What, no helicopter?”
Landon chuckled. “That could be arranged. Although, I’ll admit, it might take me a little longer.”
I smiled and flopped back against the tufted couch. “Now that’s just disappointing. What fun is there in being some zillionaire if you don’t have a helicopter at your beck and call?”
“I don’t really know. I guess I should have read that contract a lot more carefully.” The smile in his voice only made me ache even more. He had no idea the effect he had on me. Then again … maybe he did. “What do you say, gorgeous? You up for a little adventure?”
I glanced down at my slipper-clad feet and the giant bowl of pudding. I’d painstakingly scrubbed away my makeup, washed out the layers of hairspray, and changed into a threadbare pair of yoga pants and an oversize sweatshirt. I hadn’t yet slapped on the cold cream, but it still wasn’t a pretty picture.
“Hate to break it to you, but I’m gonna have to pass on the offer for random, middle-of-the-night adventures.”
“Middle of the night? Check your clock, gorgeous. It’s only eleven.”
I grinned. “Tell you what, you try wearing heels for ten straight hours, herd around a hundred-plus horny singles, and keep a cat-fight from breaking out over an investment banker with a receding hairline. Then you’ll understand.”
Landon chuckled, the sound deep and rich, and almost enough to make me reconsider. If only to see the shape of his lips as he smiled. “Fair enough, pretty girl. Can’t blame me for trying.”
I sat forward, expecting to wrap the call and dive headfirst into the vat of pudding. But Landon continued, “So, tell me something about you. All I know at this point is that you’re a matchmaker, have a killer smile and an even better ass, and you smell like vanilla and roses.”
Surprised, I laughed and sat back again. “I think I’ve told you more than that.”
“All right, you caught me, I was distracted during our dinner date.”
I didn’t bother correcting him that it wasn’t a date. “Fair enough. I did kind of sideswipe you.”
“So, come on. Tell me something.”
I chewed my lowe
r lip, debating whether or not it was wise to keep him on the hook. I’d be lying if I said the attention wasn’t flattering. Hell, it was downright unbelievable. It wasn’t that I didn’t think I was pretty. I had high cheekbones, wide eyes, and knew how to dress to flatter my curves. But Landon … well, he was on another level. Rich, powerful, hot as hell. He could get any woman he wanted with one crook of his finger or dark smile. The fact that I currently had all of his attention was nerve-wracking and somehow added a layer to the fantasy.
“I’m originally from Arizona. A small town with nothing to do. I was a total book nerd my entire life. Still am,” I added with a smile at my large bookshelf beside the TV console. “I went to college in San Diego and then did my internship with Matched. Leticia Morgan, you met her tonight, she was impressed with my eye for a match and offered me a job right out of school. I moved to Santa Monica and haven’t looked back.”
“What do your parents think about your career?”
“They’re very supportive. We’re really close. I go home at the holidays and for a weekend here and there. They’re still in Arizona along with my sister and her family.”
“Aha. And what do you suppose they’d say if you showed up with me?”
My heart fluttered. Was that really where his head was? “I—uh—I don’t know. I’ve only taken one guy home to meet them and we’d been together for a long time. They weren’t … well, they didn’t approve.”
“Why not?”
I frowned. “It’s a long story.”
“I got all night.”
“This is really what you want to talk about?”
“I want to get to know you. That’s my only goal here. If you want to talk about something else, go for it, but I reserve the right to ask you again later.”
“What about you? Who was your last ex? Are you one of these bar guys who goes home with a different woman each night?”
“You tell me. You’re the love expert.” He wasn’t combative. More curious, like he wanted to know what my assessment of him was. Almost vulnerable.
I licked my lips. “Honestly? I don’t know. I haven’t pinned you down yet.”