by Lynn, Janice
That summed it up. This week’s babe.
That’s really all she was.
No, she wasn’t even that. She was an agent here on assignment to tear Jude’s world apart. Instead, he’d just rocked the foundation of her world.
“Excuse me,” she said and pushed past him. If she’d been smart, she’d have headed toward the ladies room. But thinking left the building somewhere around the time Jude kissed her.
It took a few seconds to spot Randi and Cassidy on the dance floor, each with hunky guys. Courtney was at a booth talking to some guy. Avery strained her eyes. Not some guy. The guy who’d picked Jude up to carry him to the doctor’s office yesterday. His best friend Marcus.
Great.
She headed to the table, determined to grab Courtney and for them to get out of Dodge.
“Let’s go,” she said the moment she stepped up to the booth.
Courtney’s eyes widened. “What happened to you?”
“Nothing. Let’s go.”
“No can do. I’m talking with Marcus and he’s telling me ways we can decrease liability for the temp service.”
Avery wanted to whine her friend’s name, but didn’t know what name Courtney had given to Marcus so she couldn’t. The temp service didn’t need decreased liability. Although the business turned a nice profit, it was mainly just a cover for TGEA. A way to get inside places where they needed an in. Besides, she hadn’t used their temp agency’s name when securing this job. She never did. When she walked away from Jude there would be no way for him to trace her.
She would walk. Like she wanted to walk right at this moment.
Instead she sat down next to Courtney and pouted. At least she figured she was pouting because her arms were crossed and her lower lip felt heavy.
Of course that might be because her nipples still stung with awareness and her mouth was kiss-swollen and, ohmigosh, she’d orgasmed in a bar hallway.
Nah, pouting worked for her.
Courtney and Marcus talked. Avery sat ignored except for the curious looks they kept giving her. Fine, let them look. They couldn’t see her high beams. Not with her arms crossed over them.
Jude stood next to the table. Avery refused to look. Unfortunately his standing at the end of the table put that silver buckle of his right into her peripheral vision and that made her think of what that buckle covered.
She swallowed and hugged her arms tighter over her breasts, afraid at any minute her nipples were going to pop and announce she was horny.
“We need to talk.”
She pretended not to hear him.
“Angel,” he started, but then the woman who’d interrupted them stepped up. What had he called her? Joy? Was she one of his girlfriends? She didn’t look his usual fare, but what did Avery know? Three months ago she’d never heard of Jude Layman.
“My, my, my, isn’t this just a cozy picture?”
Avery might have been focused on her own issues, but she’d have had to be deaf, blind, and mute not to notice the pale man sitting across from her.
“Joy,” Marcus said.
“Joy?” Apparently the name rang a bell with Courtney because she looked at the woman disapprovingly. “This is your ex-wife?”
Marcus nodded, dumbfounded.
Avery’s forehead knotted. How had he just gone from a brilliant conversationalist with Courtney to a tongue-tied, moon-eyed cow at the appearance of his ex?
“I thought you said she was pretty?” Courtney asked, getting a slam in on the woman. Courtney was great at getting in digs. Apparently something Marcus said made Courtney protective of him. Which was pretty rare indeed, because in general, TGEA sided with the woman.
Courtney glared, her hackles definitely up, which could only spell trouble for Joy.
“Who’s she?” the ex asked.
“The woman keeping your old spot in bed warm,” Courtney smugly announced, making everyone at the table glance at her. “Not that it was ever warm to begin with, not from a cold fish like you. Let’s just say the sheets have scorch marks on them these days so you don’t have to worry about Marcus getting chilly at night.”
“I thought you said you were waiting for me?” The woman’s hands went on her bony hips. “That you knew this was just a phase I was going through and that you’d be there for me when I wanted to come back?” she mimicked words Marcus must have told her at some point.
“I am,” Marcus said, looking back and forth between Courtney, who openly bristled, to Joy, who looked pissed.
The woman snorted. “Sure looks it.”
Randi chose that moment to walk up, probably to see what all the commotion was about. Always one to take charge of a situation and make it go from explosive to kaboom, she sidled up to where Marcus sat, grabbed hold of his shirt collar and tugged him to his feet before he could sound a single protest.
“Dance with me, loverboy,” she stage whispered, then jerked him to her and planted a wet one on his lips. Avery gave her friend credit, Randi made the kiss look good.
She also reminded that Avery had been swapping spit with Jude not five minutes before. What had she been thinking?
“Patrice,” Marcus sputtered, pulling back from her. “What are you doing?”
Randi smiled, cat-like. “Ah, honey. I know that’s not where you like my mouth, but you’ll have to wait until later for that.”
Every non-TGEA mouth fell open, Joy Long’s included.
“Ooh, I wanna play, too,” Courtney added, looking as if she’d like to slurp Marcus up in one bite.
“Agh,” Joy huffed and stormed away. Not without looking over her shoulder at Marcus several times. Looking with an odd light. As if she was seeing him for the first time in months.
“What was that all about?” Marcus asked, stunned and falling back into the booth seat with a dazed expression.
“You can thank me later,” Randi said, shooting darts at the departing ex. “It’s women like her who give the whole sex a bad rep. You really should just move on.”
Jude groaned. “You told them about Joy?”
Randi rolled her eyes. “Not that you hadn’t already all but filled us in, but he talked about nothing else but the little witch. I had to escape for a dance.”
“You called Joy a little witch?”
Marcus shook his head.
“No, that was pure Patrice.” Randi grinned. “Now, scoot over, sugar bottoms, and buy me a drink in thanks for making your ex wet her panties.”
Jude attempted to pull Avery away from the table, but she resisted, hugging up against Courtney to keep him from succeeding.
“No,” she denied. She wasn’t going away from the safety of numbers. Not until she figured out just how she’d lost control. She needed Jude to fall for her. Her falling to pieces wasn’t part of that plan.
Jude sighed and slid into the booth beside her. Courtney refused to budge so Avery had no choice but to have Jude’s hard thigh pressed against her. His sexy “squeeze me” butt pressed against her. His arm brushed against her.
“So, where did you two disappear off to?” Randi asked, with a sly look on her face. Had her friend followed them into the hallway and partook in voyeurism? Probably.
Avery held Randi’s gaze. “I had to go to the bathroom.”
“He hold your hand?”
She shook her head, glad the waitress showed up to take fresh drink orders.
“I’m not through with you,” Jude growled low in her ear, while the waitress had the others’ attention.
“Too bad because I’m through with you,” she said not quite as softly as she’d meant to as Randi shot her a knowing grin.
When the waitress left, Randi thankfully let the subject of where they’d been drop and started in on Marcus. “So, why is it that you’re still hanging on to thoughts of reconciliation with an ex who clearly ran around on you and used you as something to wipe her gnarly feet on?”
Jude’s body tensed next to her, but he remained quiet, watching to see how his friend wo
uld respond. However, he didn’t remain still. His hand slipped onto Avery’s thigh and traced its way upward over her jeans.
Avery wanted to jerk away, but to do that would draw Courtney’s attention to Jude’s wandering hand. She didn’t want to explain why Jude had his fingers between her legs. Not tonight. Not when she didn’t understand it herself.
Conversation went on around her, but she couldn’t focus on words. All her attention was down South. Jude’s fingers found their way to where her jeans still rubbed. His knuckle grazed the denim. Back and forth. Back and forth. There was no wiggle room as she was wedged between Jude and Courtney. If she so much as flinched, Courtney would feel. Would look.
Then Jude might stop.
Which was so not the reason she didn’t move. Well, maybe…
The urge to buck against his torturous strokes beckoned. She picked up a long neck and took a sip of the lukewarm liquid, realizing only after she’d done so that the beer wasn’t hers and that she’d exposed her high beams in the process.
No one seemed to notice. Courtney, Randi, and Marcus were in a heated discussion over the merits of trying to make a marriage work no matter what. Jude would occasionally throw in a comment, like that the beer she’d drunk from was his and he’d be glad to quench all her thirsts. Avery was speechless.
And wet.
She was so wet.
And turned on.
She was so turned on.
And panicky.
She was so panicked.
Panicked because that marvelous heat was building in her thighs again. The heat that radiated outward and made her want to throw her head back and grind her body against Jude.
She had to remain still. Completely still.
A spiral of smoke curled in her belly, winding its way outward, upwards, overpowering her body, making her toes dig into her boots. Back and forth his knuckles rubbed. Back and forth. Faster. Harder.
Avery grabbed the beer and squeezed the bottle. She closed her eyes to keep them from rolling back in her head and gave in to the sweet heat flooding through her, all without moving.
“Oh wow,” she groaned, then was struck by reality.
She had spoken out loud.
And moved.
She opened her eyes.
Three stunned and one smug pairs stared back at her.
Chapter Six
“I can not believe you let him get you off under the table.” Cassidy’s eyes were huge and accusing. “Nor that I missed it. Why didn’t you tell me?”
Avery cringed the moment she came out of her bedroom. She’d hoped no one else would be out of bed this morning. She should have known better.
All three women sat at the table, waiting to pounce on her with the enthusiasm Payback Puss leaped upon an unsuspecting mouse.
She did not want to discuss what happened at the pub last night.
Damn Jude for putting her in this position.
When had she ever not wanted to share her life with her friends? What was he doing to her?
Making a laughing stock of her, that’s what, and she’d had enough.
Today, she’d take control and make his life a living hell.
“Why should I when I have my two bestest friends to blabber that Jude got me off at the table with the whole world as witnesses.”
Cassidy frowned.
“Well, almost the whole world,” Avery corrected.
“I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I think you like him.” Randi eyed her over the rim of her coffee cup.
“You don’t?”
“I’d do him,” Randi admitted. “His friend, too.”
Avery swallowed the bile in her throat. “Stay away from Jude.”
“Because?”
“He’s mine.”
At the three women’s expressions, Avery felt the need to clarify. “My mark.”
“Right.” Randi dragged the word out. “Tell me, is having his hands between your legs part of the plan?”
“Oh, get off it, Randi,” Avery snapped. “It’s not like you haven’t slept with a mark before.”
“You’re planning to sleep with him?” If Cassidy’s eyes had been large before, they were saucers now.
“I might,” Avery admitted. Goodness knew she hadn’t been able to think of anything else during the night. Even when sleep had finally come, so had Jude. Into her dreams and into her body. She wanted to know what it would feel like to have him inside her. For real.
What would having sex with Jude hurt? By the weekend she’d be gone and never see him again. Why not enjoy the magic he wrought within her?
“Oh my gawd.” Courtney fanned her face. “I don’t believe this. Avery is gonna do a mark.”
Avery rolled her eyes.
“You know,” Randi’s eyes took on a gleam, “this calls for some shopping.”
Avery shook her head. “I can’t go shopping. I’m on assignment working as Jude’s assistant, you know that. Speaking of which, have we heard how Mrs. Sedwick is doing?”
“Having an absolute blast, and you are not changing the subject,” Randi warned. “If you can’t go, then we’ll go for you.”
“No.”
“Yes,” all three said simultaneously.
“Anything I might need is already hanging in my closet.”
“Honey, lingerie isn’t about what you need. It’s about what you want, what makes you feel sexy, what makes him want you.”
“From the sound of it, Avery already has that one covered,” Cassidy piped up.
“Ha ha, very funny.”
“I thought so.” Cassidy grinned and popped a chunk of fruit into her mouth.
“Don’t you three have work you should be doing?”
Courtney nodded. “Actually, I’m out on the shopping. I’m flying to Boston later this morning. Going to take care of that cheating bastard down there.”
“Bet you’re not planning to sleep with your mark,” Randi teased.
“Nope.”
“She better stay away from a certain P.I., too,” Avery reminded.
“Yeah, yeah, I know. Mom has spoken.”
“You better believe it.”
Courtney giggled. “Of course, it’s kinda hard to take you serious, Mom, when I sat next to you getting fingered last night.”
Avery pursed her lips. “I was fully dressed, thank you very much.”
“That didn’t seem to present a problem,” Courtney reminded.
“If you could have seen your face, Av,” Randi said, quite amused.
She was glad she couldn’t. Was glad she couldn’t at the moment because she knew her cheeks flamed beet red.
“Time to run. See you ladies later.” Avery bent over and gave Courtney a hug. “Be careful. You need someone to go with you?”
Courtney shook her head. “Nope. This trip to Boston’s another quickie. I’ll be home in Tennessee tomorrow evening. The day after at the latest.”
Avery nodded, waved bye and headed for Playhouse Magazine to face a man she’d had wild dream sex with all night.
* * *
“How the hell do you even know anything about Mrs. Yamaguchi being pissed at me?” Jude asked his boss. His boss and the owner of Playhouse Magazine.
Jude liked Simon Sims. Despite his lady’s man image, the man was someone Jude admired a great deal. Most of the time.
“She called me.” Simon, who looked like a greased up Sean Connery, laughed as if memory of the phone call amused him. “She said you insulted her then ran out during your meeting.”
“I went to the doctor with food poisoning.” Of course, it could have been Mrs. Yamaguchi’s special blend of perfume. The stuff definitely had been potent enough to turn one’s stomach. “Besides, I’ve repeatedly called and even went to the trouble of sending her flowers and a hand-written apology.”
“Which apparently impressed her enough to insist you attend her daughter’s big birthday bash tonight.”
“Tonight?” He’d had hopes of having other plans f
or tonight. Like spending the evening with Angela. Without intercourse, unless he figured out a way to get Marcus lucky—-which his friend didn’t seem to want to happen.
Still, intercourse or no, he wanted to spend every second he could with his angel. Odd, that.
“Yes,” Simon said, “and you will be there because this account is important.”
He couldn’t argue that point. Mrs. Yamaguchi spent millions of dollars with the magazine. If he had to do a little perfume-gagging to keep the woman happy, it was a small price to pay.
“I’ll be there.”
Simon stood, patted Jude on the shoulder. “You know, I’d hoped you and Mandy would patch things up.”
Jude grimaced. “Sorry, Sir, but that’s not going to happen.”
“She’d make you a good wife.”
Jude knew what Simon was getting at. What Simon had pointed out numerous times. If Jude married his daughter, he’d someday own the magazine. As much as Jude would like to have that control, not at the cost of tying himself to Mandy till death do they part. Death would have been a welcome reprieve if he’d had to spend every day of his life with her spoilt whining.
Simon should have taken the girl over his knees a few times and spanked some sense and morals into her. Had Mandy really thought tricking him into letting her pose as Miss December would win any brownie points? It hadn’t, and he’d had to think damn fast to smooth things over with Simon.
She’d been beautiful enough, probably thanks to the nip and tuck procedures daddy’s money paid for. But after just a couple of weeks, Jude knew that even if he would like the benefits of being Simon’s son-in-law, not when those benefits meant being married to Simon’s only daughter. No thanks. Jude preferred being single, always had, end of story.
“I figured you’d still feel that way.” Simon sighed. “You should give her another chance. She’ll grow up someday, and you’re just the right man to guide her in that direction.”
Jude took his chances. “There’s someone else.”
The man’s bushy silver brows rose. “Anyone I should know about?”
“Not yet, Sir, but if anything changes on that score, you’ll be the first to know.”
“After the little lady, of course.”