Twenty Times Tempted: A Sexy Contemporary Romance Collection

by Petrova, Em

  “Definitely.” Heading to the door, he opened it. “I mean, we can’t go back now.” He winked. “We’re committed.”

  Once in the elevator, he took her hand in his, surprising Jordana at the intimate gesture. “We should come up with a story of how we met. Just in case.”

  He snapped his fingers. “Good call. Let’s go with something safe, like through mutual friends or at a party. Boring, but realistic.”

  “Or something romantic like we were the last two people on a ferry to Tiburon.”

  He sent her smile as the elevator descended. “Cute, but there’s no way there’d only be two people on that ferry.”

  “Hey, it’s our story, we can tell them whatever we want.” As they stepped out, she added, “Oh, and I found a ring in my jewelry case to use.” She held up her left hand to show the thin gold band. “You know, to make our story more authentic. My engagement ring is being cleaned, and you can be one of those husbands who doesn’t wear one because you lost it while we were scuba diving in Hawaii or something.”

  “I didn’t even think of the rings. Man, you’re good.”

  The Redgraves exclaimed in joy when they met them at the entrance to the ballroom, the party already in full swing. Marlena looked gorgeous in a tight, strapless black gown, dripping in a waterfall of diamonds. She hugged Jordana as if they were old friends and spoke very fast Italian, in which Jordana guessed she was complimenting her on the dress.

  “Don’t mind Marlena, she forgets to speak English when she’s had too much wine,” Oliver said, and she laughed.

  Jordana couldn’t have imagined a more spectacular party.

  The works, indeed. The theme was very old Vegas glamour. An abundance of gold- and red-detailed flower arrangements were set as centerpieces, towering matching tapestries flanked the entrance, and servers smartly dressed in tuxedo jackets with tails and white gloves walked around with champagne to the upbeat big band music. Logan also happened to be familiar with the company the party was for, Stone and McAvoy.

  He pulled her around the ballroom to look at everything. She was barely able to snare a piece of cheese from a passing waiter before champagne was thrust into her hand for a toast. The spirit and jubilance of the room made it impossible to sit still, though they tried to eat a few bites before both were coaxed on the dance floor.

  First, she danced with Oliver while Marlena danced with Logan. Jordana laughed heartily as the older man dipped her in exaggeration, swinging her around until she was nearly dizzy. The next song and she was propelled into Logan’s arms.

  The only place she wanted to be.

  ***

  Most of the women he accompanied to parties were a bore. Too concerned with other people’s opinions, too busy judging other’s clothing, relationships, mannerisms. Or too caught up in looking perfect to let their hair down and have a real drink, a real dance, or start a real good time.

  Jordana was the complete opposite, and damn, did Logan find that a refreshing change of pace. She kept surprising him, and his adoration for her grew every hour. One minute she’d give a quick-witted rejoinder to his sarcastic remarks, the next she did a dead-on impression of Marilyn Monroe, making everyone laugh. Men were enchanted by her and she didn’t even know it.

  He never let her out of his sight, feeling a strong, unusual possession take hold. It wasn’t simply because she was beautiful— though, by God, she really was—he just felt she was truly his and his alone now. Throughout the night, he would surprise himself by asserting she was his wife, when it was unnecessary to do so. And probably unwise. Marlena and Oliver were supposed to be the only ones who thought they were married.

  They were standing by the Redgraves’ table, taking a break from the dancing, when she looked up at him and smiled. So genuine and artless, and the knowledge he had made her happy pleased him. Wrapping an arm around her waist, he pulled her to his side, a slow grin spreading his mouth.

  A photographer unexpectedly snapped a picture, catching them both off guard. The young, curly-haired man handed him a card. “Give me your email and I’ll send the photo to you, free of charge.”

  “Sure.” Logan wrote down his email and the photographer thanked him.

  “Forward the pic to me,” Jordana said. “At least I’ll have one picture in this dress.”

  “You’ll wear it again. Remember all those galas I need you for.”

  She smiled. “Oh, that’s right.”

  The Redgraves glided from the crowd, approaching them with grins as another couple came with them. “There you two are!” Marlena cried.

  “We can’t keep up with you guys,” Logan told them, hand at Jordana’s back.

  “It’s not an easy thing to do. Takes practice,” Oliver said with a chuckle. “We’d like you to meet our good friends. Marie, Howard, this is Logan and Jordana Savant.”

  Guilt filled him that his “harmless” lie had now been shared with multiple people and that Jordana had been roped into it. Next time, if there ever was one, he would correct someone who assumed they were a married couple. Less anxiety in the end.

  Marlena grabbed Jordana’s hand. “Sarah had to see your necklace up close. It shines from across the room! Come, we go to the ladies’ for a nose powder. And to talk about the men behind their backs.”

  Jordana gave a soft laugh as Marlena looped her arm in hers.

  Logan watched, smiling at Jordana when she sent him a sexy glance over her shoulder.

  “Ah, the look of love,” Oliver mused beside him.

  Logan wanted to frown but knew Oliver would question it. Love? Second time today. The word made him cold. There were reasons why he swore off serious relationships, countless reasons. No time. He liked his freedom. He hated the fallout. And there was always a fallout. His last ex-girlfriend had lasted maybe three months…well, more like twelve days when he added up the hours he actually spent with her. He knew it was mostly his fault, keeping his distance, keeping his fingers in a proverbial cross from taking things to the commitment level. And because they had run out of things to say to each other. The passion faded pretty fast with that one.

  “How did you two meet?” Oliver asked, interrupting his thoughts.

  The truth would work. “At a charity. A friend of mine had misquoted some line in a play and she corrected him. She was wearing that necklace, and I couldn’t take my eyes off her.” He finally snapped out of it, sending the man a wry smile. “From that moment on, I just had to have her.”

  Oliver smiled, tucking his hands in his pockets. “I know the feeling. When a man wants something, he’ll do anything. Right?”

  A hard tapping on his shoulder had Logan turning around.

  “Logan! Yoo-hoo! My boy, it is you!” the woman exclaimed.

  It was Libby Devaney, a close friend of his mother’s, who was dressed in her typical outrageous fashion, a brightly colored, abstract-patterned dress with a huge matching bow in her hair. He considered her a crazy pseudo aunt.

  He smiled and bent down to brush a kiss on her cheek. “Libby, what a surprise. You look lovely as ever. What are you doing here?” Out of all the soirees in Vegas, she had to be at this one.

  “Oh, Ernest had a hand in the merger, so they invited us to the celebration. What about you?” She squeezed his hand.

  “Er, well—”

  “It’s been far too long since you’ve sat at my table for one of my famous roasts.”

  She could never stay on topic. “Keep sending me invites. You never know when I’ll show up.”

  “I hope you do! Especially since your mom has kept me out of the loop where you’re concerned.”

  “Libby! We have to go!” said an impatient woman behind her.

  “Where’s Ernest?” he asked.

  “Waiting for me in the car. We’re too old to be whooping it up like you young things.” She quickly kissed his cheek. “Must go! You and your mother have a lot of explaining to do. Oh, yes, you do! We’ll be having a serious chat when you get home.”

  Wha
tever that meant. Unless she’d heard him being introduced as Jordana’s husband… “Libby, wait.”

  But his pseudo aunt rushed away. Shrugging, he rejoined Oliver and Howard in conversation until the women returned. Having missed her more than he cared to admit in those few minutes, he took Jordana to the dance floor. The band had begun playing a sexy, romantic tune.

  “Did you have fun talking about me in the ladies’ room?” he asked as he brought her close in his arms.

  A brow lifted with a curving smile. “You wouldn’t believe some of the things women say in there.”

  He chuckled. “I’m beginning to realize it’s a sacred place now. You have been privy to a lot in the powder room. Last month if you hadn’t heard one particular conversation, I would probably be handed a pregnancy test right now.”

  She shook her head. “I still can’t believe that really happened. That I interfered like that.”

  Staring into her eyes, he told her with sincerity, “I can believe it. I wish I had more people like you around, Jordana. God knows my life would be better for it.”

  Seemingly taken aback by his comment, she came up and kissed his cheek. “That’s the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me.”

  And he meant it. By God, he really meant it.

  “It’s past midnight,” he said quietly, looking into her eyes. “Are you tired?”

  She bit her bottom lip, gazing up at him with desire clouding her brownish green eyes. “Not at all.”

  Coming closer to her mouth, he lowered his lashes and stared at her lips, almost shaking with the need to taste them again. It had been hours. “What do you want to do? Gamble? Get a late-night meal? We can do anything you want…Mrs. Savant,” he added with a slanting smile.

  She chuckled as she slipped her arms around his neck, their lips grazing. It took everything he had not to devour her mouth like a madman.

  “I want you to make love to me,” she breathed against his mouth. “Like it’s our first time.”

  Matching her grin, Logan cupped the back of her neck and kissed her. At first with soft intention, but when he heard the small sound she made, he pressed harder, his torrid hunger scrambling to the surface to break free and breathe. She trembled against him, drawing back for a moment of air before meeting his mouth again.

  The party faded to a hum, and he felt nothing but her heat against his body, heard nothing but the thunder of his pulse. Desperate for more, he vaguely wondered if it would feel like this every time he kissed her, because so far, it never failed to.

  She broke off. “We should—”

  “Go upstairs,” he rasped.

  She softly laughed. “Yes, I agree.”

  He pulled her away from the dance floor, his vision narrowing to the exit. They barely said good-bye to Oliver and Marlena before Logan pulled her away midsentence.

  Mr. Redgrave gave an amused look as he waved farewell.

  In Logan’s bedroom, Jordana stood by the door, waiting. From the corner of her eye, she watched him toss his jacket onto a chair and turn off his cell phone before stalking in. Somewhere in the suite, soft, seductive music was playing, though she could barely hear it over her pounding heart.

  Nothing would disturb them now.

  Heaven help her, he was so sexy in his half-buttoned dress shirt, hands at his sides as he came toward her. Downstairs, they’d been in such a hurry, feverish for one another, but up here, something had changed, the energy between them had shifted to a breathless suspense.

  Or maybe it was just her.

  She was falling for him, and now she could physically express her feelings. As he studied her, his blue eyes darker in the dimness of the room but no less intense, she quivered.

  “Undress for me?” he asked, his tone tender.

  As long as he looked at her like that, she’d do anything. Reaching for the side zipper, she pulled it down. The dress loosened and she maneuvered out of it, tugging it down to let it fall to the floor.

  His jaw clenched as he stared at her naked breasts.

  She swallowed, self-conscious as his gaze traveled over her body as though memorizing every inch, taking his time. She was no willowy supermodel; she did not have the body women envied. Despite her self-criticism, Logan’s deep breaths and hot gaze made her feel as though she had no flaws.

  When he started forward, Jordana swore her knees would fail once he laid his hands on her. As Logan’s fingers grazed underneath her jaw, a fire struck inside, and she tilted her head, running her palms up his chest.

  “You’re a very special woman, Jordana,” he whispered. “You know that, don’t you?”

  She blinked up at him, drawing in an unsteady breath.

  He grazed the pads of his thumbs along the edge of her jaw. “You’re shaking,” he remarked.

  That she was. Not exactly a sultry siren, am I? No doubt, he was accustomed to women who were confident in their seductive allure. Provocative. Come-hither. “I’m…I’m a little nervous,” she confessed.

  His mouth lifted at one corner as he took her hand in his and placed it over his chest. His heart pounded like a drum. “You’re not the only one,” he admitted. The gentleness in his voice, and the fact he cared to share his own nervousness, touched her deeply.

  He stepped back and unbuttoned his shirt. She marveled at his fine physique, the wide chest and sculpted shoulders, the flat abdomen. The man was beautiful. But she’d never say such a thing to him out loud. Men like him didn’t associate themselves with those descriptions, but it was utterly true. The lyrics to a song came to mind…how the beautiful ones, they hurt you every time…

  Before the hurt, however, there was the pleasure.

  She linked her arms around his neck and feathered her lips over his, opening her mouth to receive his warm tongue. A taste so unique, she fairly thought she could become addicted to it. Strong arms wrapped around her, locking her tightly against him.

  While he grazed his fingertips from her shoulders down to her waist, goose bumps rose on her skin. He continued over her butt, toying with the edges of her panties. Her whole being seemed to be vibrating with waiting as he took his time exploring her body.

  “Logan.”

  “Hmm?”

  “Kiss me.”

  He smiled, dipping his head and complying with her command, before sweeping her up in his arms.

  He set her down on the bed, looking over her seductively. She pushed the sheets away, a sense of frenetic urgency coming over her.

  Between her legs, he eased down and captured her mouth with another soul-stealing kiss. Gently cupping her breast, he moved his lips down her face, her jaw. She whimpered, clenching her fingers in his hair as he drew her nipple into his mouth. As he ventured lower, he began to pull her panties off.

  Spreading her open, he dipped his mouth on her, slowly licking her pussy. She gasped, eyes wide. Holy… She gripped the sheets and bowed her back, digging her heels into the mattress while he moved his lips on her sensitive clit. Biting her lip to keep from screaming out, the delicious throb became too much, and she was unable to stop a cry of ecstasy.

  “Yes, Jordana. Come for me,” he whispered.

  The man knew what he was doing, flicking his tongue and teasing her center, inserting his finger inside her in a rhythm that made her wild. Clawing at the sheets, she panted and panted as the heat and pressure began to build. Electric pulses shot through her as an orgasm stole the oxygen from the room.

  Reaching for the condom she’d put next to the bed, she tore it open and gave it to him. He rolled it on and climbed back to hover over her, meeting her gaze. Oh, those eyes. He radiated a vitality, a sexuality like no other, and she wanted to get lost in it. Wrapping her palm around his cock, she rubbed the head of him on her wet center. A moan came from his throat before he kissed her, slowly pushing inside her.

  Oh God, he was big. And she hadn’t had sex in a long time, tight and untouched. Squeezing her eyes shut, she bit her bottom lip, getting accustomed to him.

  Log
an was patient, taking his time, pressing soft kisses, whispering his desire. And then, with slow, erotic thrusts, he worshiped her body, bringing her higher and higher. Close to his ear, she parted her lips in breathless awe, meeting his thrusts while waves of passion crashed through her. Panting, she tried to hold herself there, on the edge of a stunning and unequaled precipice, savoring the suspension before the plunge.

  Logan’s hold tightened as he drove faster with his hips. A nameless power surged through her to meet his thrusts. More. Much more. She dug her fingers into the hard slopes of his shoulders, feeling the motion of his back muscles as he rocked inside her.

  The way he moved with her, every ragged breath and deep moan of him fired fresh desire in her limbs, her mind. Such consuming passion took her to a void, but in the sweetest way because she was not alone. Logan was with her.

  He drew back, and their gazes locked. As their thrusts slowed, she grasped the back of his damp, corded neck, spellbound. While her breath mingled with his, she knew nothing could compare to these few unreal moments. Brushing her parted lips over his, she whimpered, needing to taste him again, coaxing him to capture her mouth. A low groan from his throat, but no kiss. Using her tongue, she made a brief, sensual play on his lips, tracing his mouth.

  It worked.

  With a moan, he swooped down and stole her breath, her lips prisoner to his. As he slid his delicious tongue inside, she opened her mouth wider, and their kiss deepened with visceral hunger. He rolled, never breaking from her, banding his forearms around her back.

  He gripped her skull, forcing her to lift her mouth from his.

  “Let me see you,” he rasped.

  Jordana granted his request, biting her lip as she sat up. From this vantage point, she could see every expression on his face, admire and explore the wide chest under her hands. He held her hips as she rode him languidly, another orgasm teasing her pussy.

  “Yes,” she heard Logan groan. “Again.”

  She pumped faster, slick heat burning between her legs. “Yes, yes…”

  Logan moaned her name and pushed up to a sitting position, locking his hands on her shoulders as he hungrily took to her breast. As he suckled, she held his head to her chest and hooked her ankles behind him. Between him tonguing her tender nipple, lightly scraping with his teeth, then suckling, she rode him even faster, reaching another unbelievable orgasm.