Jackson tugged her arm. “Remember, they won't necessarily use the campaign. The point is to push the envelope. Be outrageous. Come up with something no one else would.” His cryptic speech over, Jackson closed the door in her face.
Laurie gritted her teeth and growled in frustration. “Arrogant bastard."
Yikes. “Um, Laurie, we have time. We could still be hit with inspiration.” Why was Laurie so angry? And come to think of it, why wasn't she?
"You know as well as I do that at least two of those ideas are perfectly fine. Now we're going to have to be here all night trying to come up with something else."
Jess felt a stab of disappointment. She wouldn't be able to crawl into Damon's bed and answer him. “True. Let's get a cup of coffee and get on it."
Jobs came and went. That was the nature of design work. But there was only one Damon and time was ticking on their arrangement. An arrangement that was coming to mean so much more to her than she'd planned.
* * * *
The dinner hour came and went, and still they had nothing. Well, nothing they felt met Jackson's lofty criteria. Jess's stomach growled for the eighth time and she began to dig through her purse for change for the snack machine.
"I'm hungry too.” Laurie stepped over a pile of stock photo books and produced a scrunchie from her pocket. Her chin-length hair was soon twisted into the world's smallest ponytail on the back of her head.
A knock sounded on the door and both women turned expectantly. “Pizza guy.” Damon peered inside, two pizza boxes balanced on one arm. “Thought you might be getting hungry. Where is everybody?"
Jess floated toward him, hardly feeling the floor beneath her feet. She passed the pizza to Laurie and took Damon's arm. “Working. Or waiting for us to call them. How'd you know we'd be starving?"
"I've met you.” Damon laughed. “I'm gonna get out of your way so you can get finished.” He handed the boxes to Laurie, following them with his eyes as she set them on their worktable. With a nod toward Laurie, he turned back to Jess, lifted her hand, and kissed her knuckles. “I'll see you tonight?"
Jess blushed. “I'll walk you out.” Her arm crooked in his, she walked with Damon to the front door of the building. She was trying to find the right words to bring up what he'd said the night before, but Damon kissed her. The way his tongue tangoed with hers made the bottoms of her feet twinge.
He placed a final kiss on her nose. “If I fall asleep, wake me."
Jess shivered with anticipation. Damon's smooth deep voice melted her spine, especially when he spoke in hushed tones meant only for her. She nodded and watched him go around the corner to the parking deck.
Still high on Damon's surprise visit, she stumbled past three people leaving her office as she entered. Any sign of food in the office brought co-workers who helped themselves without asking, an unwritten assumption of permission among the employees. Jess scowled at the still-chewing vultures and waved away the wafting scent of warm pepperoni. She looked questioningly at Laurie.
Laurie shrugged. “They smelled it. Sorry. There's still about half the second one left."
Sighing, Jess sank into her chair and flipped up the cardboard lid. Her hand stopped inches from what remained of the pie.
"Laurie? Why does our pizza have letters on it?"
"What?” Laurie turned the slices slightly and twisted her mouth. “That does look weird."
Jess stood and snagged the empty box from where it balanced on top of the small trashcan. Empty. “Hm.” She came back to Laurie's side. “Accident?"
"No. Those are definitely letters.” Laurie scratched her front teeth with her pointing finger. ‘Ess, me.’ Well it sure as hell would be easier to read with the rest of the slices, huh?” She trudged out into the hallway.
Jess rubbed one foot with the other while she stared at the cut pepperonis. No doubt about it. Either Damon had meant to send her a message, or the chef at Pizza Palace had flipped his gourd. Who would cut pepperonis into letters, anyway?
Laurie returned, her brows lifted and her hands open. “Sorry. It's long gone.” She rested an elbow on Jess's shoulder. “What do you think?"
Jess sighed. “I think we have too much work to do and too few hours to get it done. And we don't have time to figure this out.” She'd just ask Damon when she got to his house tonight. If they even finished early enough to do more than run home for a shower.
* * * *
At one o'clock, Jess started her car and let the cold from her air conditioner blow full force in her face. “I must be getting old. I can't handle these late nights."
She clicked on the radio and blasted it the whole drive home, trying to keep her eyes open. The last few cups of coffee she'd had at work seemed to make her sleepier rather than helping to wake her up. By the time she pulled into her driveway, her eyes were burning.
Once inside her house, she looked across the yards. Damon's bedroom light shone dimly from behind his curtains. She weighed the options. Climb upstairs and fall into bed. Or cross the grass and climb in beside Damon.
Her head jerked up. The pizza! She'd forgotten the lost message. She told herself that her curiosity would be the only reason she went to him tonight, even though she knew the real reason. She loved Damon, and she couldn't stay away. Like it or not, she'd let him into her heart when she wasn't paying attention. And now she liked having him there.
She crossed the dewy grass, leaving wet footprints on his deck. Once she'd made it to his bedroom, she took a deep breath before opening the door.
Damon smiled broadly at her and switched off his small television set. He leaned casually against two large pillows, his chest bare and the blankets draped teasingly over his lap. When she didn't speak immediately, his smile faded.
"You tired, baby?"
"I am. But I have to ask you something.” She sat next to him. His hands slid up her sore back to her neck. His strong fingers massaged her muscles and her eyes drifted closed.
His lips touched the skin behind her ear and she shook herself awake. “What was on the pizza?"
Damon drew back and squinted. “Pepperonis?"
"There were words. But by the time we noticed, most of the pizza had been appropriated by the other employees.” She licked her lips. Boy he smelled good. Fresh soap and man. She breathed deeply.
He tugged her backward to lie against his chest and circled her with his arms. “So you didn't see what it said?"
"Tell me.” She shrugged out of her sleeves and moved forward enough to pull off her shirt and shove her slacks down her legs. She rolled to the side and stuck her legs beneath the covers, her smooth skin moving against his hairy legs. She shivered. And not with cold. Suddenly she wasn't feeling quite so sleepy.
Damon was uncharacteristically silent. She reached for his hand, but he swung himself over her and gave her a long hot kiss. He placed kisses on her eyelids and across her jaw line. Jess sank back into the mattress and reveled in the feel of his hard body pressing into hers.
"It said, ‘I love you, Jess. Marry me'."
She kept her eyes closed and her brows pushed together. “Was that from you, or from the pizza man?"
When he didn't answer, she peeked at him. She'd never seen such a serious expression on Damon's face. She knew then that she could break his heart if she weren't careful. He did love her. Her heart pounded in her chest, echoing in her ears.
"I do love you. I—” He cut her off with a kiss and she used two fingers to nudge him back.
"If you love me, Jess, marry me. Let's not waste time. I'm crazy about you. Say you'll be my wife."
When he spoke against her lips that way, she'd do anything he asked of her. Hope surged in her heart. “I will, Damon.” She wrapped her arms around him and squeezed. “I will."
His mouth came down on hers. One hand flipped the clasp on her bra while the other shoved the pesky blankets aside. She smiled and seized his hands. He seemed to understand and rolled onto his back, bringing her on top of himself.
&n
bsp; She straddled his narrow hips with her knees and leaned forward on her hands. He lifted his upper body and held her close to his chest. She eased away from him and stood next to the bed, slowly removing her panties and bra.
Damon reached into his nightstand for a condom, which he passed to Jess. Rather than putting it on him right away, she bent at the waist and took him into her mouth. Damon's abdomen tightened. He grasped her hair, holding it away from her face.
She chuckled against his flesh and drew deep on him before climbing onto the bed.
He took her forearms in his hands and dragged her up his body. “I want you. Now."
She sent him a sloe-eyed smile, tore open the packet, and rolled the condom onto his shaft. Keeping eye contact, she slowly slid him inside her and rocked on her heels.
Ripples of pleasure vibrated through her stomach. She contracted her inner muscles. He growled and took her hips in his hands, encouraging her to move faster, harder. The headiness of knowing she was with the man she loved—a man who loved her—brought tears to her eyes as she felt herself crashing into a thousand pretty rainbow pieces when they came together. Now this was truly heaven.
* * * *
Pounding, rhythmic, and forceful. Smooth, strong breathing. Jess counted paces on her fingertips as she ran. She sped up to work past a stitch in her side. No matter how tired she was, she needed this run. Needed to have a clear mind when she got to work.
If she managed to concentrate at all, she was going to be lucky. She had too much going on in her mind. She could lose her job today. But if she did, she'd be okay.
She and Damon had talked until the early hours. Even if they didn't get married immediately, they decided to sell her house. If she lost her job, the income from the equity would cover her expenses until she found something else.
A well-built middle-aged man ran in the other direction, startling Jess out of her reverie. “Morning."
Jess waved to Hat Guy, a man she'd seen nearly every morning the past two years. She slowed to a halt and ran back to Hat Guy, falling in step with him.
He edged sideways and glanced at her. She'd never made contact with him before.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you.” She studied his face. “This is so rude, but you look completely different today."
Hat Guy laughed. “New running clothes. Same hat."
"Oh,” Jess said, her mind clicking with ideas. “Well, you look great. Keep up the good work."
Cutting her jog short, Jess hurried home and showered fast, not bothering to dry her hair. She jerked it into a bun and raced to her home office.
She hastily sketched out her idea. And smiled.
* * * *
Jackson wasn't alone at the ten o'clock meeting. Mr. Rosetti and two men Jess didn't recognize sat at the long table. Jess and Laurie presented their preliminary ideas, then settled in for their last pitch.
"I don't work out in a gym,” Jess began. “I run in the mornings.” She placed a sketch on the easel. “Two years ago, when I began running in my neighborhood, I noticed someone else who jogged. A middle-aged man. He was pretty heavy. Out of shape."
Laurie changed the sketch for her and winked at Jackson. Jess's eyes flew wide at the look of lust Jackson sent toward Laurie when she turned her back. Jess choked and helped herself to a sip of water before continuing.
"Today, that same man is fit. His body would rival that of a younger man. He's no longer that fat, middle-aged guy.” She stood next to the easel and presented the last sketch. “That gave us,” she nodded at Laurie, “this idea. If your target is to bring in women who work out, but not necessarily in a gym, here's the perfect reason.” She pointed to the board.
It read, “Ladies, if he's not hot now—he will be."
Jess exhaled quietly. Laurie sidled over and together they waited for the reaction from Rosetti and Jackson.
Jackson smiled. The rest of the men laughed.
Mr. Rosetti choked back his laughter and mopped his flyaway comb-over with a wrinkled handkerchief. “Ladies, that was wonderful. Great final contribution to the company. But I'm sorry. We just don't need you on staff anymore. I'll have your severance sent to your home addresses."
Fury welled up in Jess's chest. Those jerks had this planned the whole time? She bit the inside of her cheek. Best not to speak. If you can't say something nice....
Laurie, however, looked ready to spit fire. Jess tugged her arm. Laurie switched her knife-like gaze from the big boss to Jackson. He kept his head down.
Jess pulled her harder until they reached the hall. Building security waited for them just outside the door and escorted them from the premises.
Jess's only comfort, as she drove from the parking garage, was seeing Jackson Charles storming from the building, papers hanging from his poorly closed briefcase. Unfortunately, as comforts went, it really didn't feel that good.
* * * *
Damon was happy to oblige Jess when she called him at work and asked if they could spend the afternoon in bed. He'd met her at her house, and she hadn't spoken a word in ninety minutes.
He licked the perspiration from her shoulder. She pressed the button on the remote for the ceiling fan and sighed loudly.
"They fired me."
Damon listened, determined not to interrupt.
"Okay, they didn't call it ‘firing,’ they called it ‘managing out.’ I was ‘managed out.’ Do you see a difference?” She tucked a pillow under her neck and piled her hair on top of her head.
"I called a real estate agent on the way home. She'll be over tomorrow to look at the house.” Jess laughed. “I hope you haven't changed your mind about me moving in here."
"Nope.” Damon turned sideways and rested his cheek on her thigh. “You worried?"
When a smile spread slowly across her rosy face, Damon's heart thudded in his chest. Every time she smiled at him, he felt like the luckiest man in the world. He was relieved to see her contentment reflected in her face.
"No. I'm not worried at all. I've got you. And I know I can get a better job. Laurie said she had a lead on a colleague who recently decided to start his own firm."
She touched her hand to her forehead. Her eyes widened. “You know, I haven't had a headache in days? I'm willing to bet you had something to do with that.” She lifted her thigh, bringing him closer and placing her hand on his face. “Thank you, Damon, for saying yes to my proposition. And for loving me."
Damon crawled to her side, allowing her to push him onto his back. He'd loved her for so long, he couldn't remember what his life was like before she moved into the neighborhood. He brought his arms up to put them beneath his head, but Jess snagged one hand and draped a velvet loop over his wrist.
She grinned, mischief showing in her gray eyes. “And did I mention what else I wanted to thank you for?"
He watched her fasten his other wrist, his cock springing to life as her breasts brushed his chest. “Actually, Jess, I wanted to ask a favor.” He grinned. “I need you to do something for me, just for seven days. I have this little problem. I think I might not be very good at—"
His eyes rolled back into his head as she took him into her mouth with a sexy laugh.
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About the author:
When Catherine Berlin took an aptitude test in high school, the results said she should become a writer or a lawyer. Though her grandmother claims Catherine would argue with a fencepost, Catherine would much rather write about an argument than actually take part in one, so the writer in her thrived.
Though she would have preferred to be a pop star, Catherine attended college, earning degrees in three languages, as well as a minor in anthropology. The pop star thing did come in handy, however, because singing in a band helped pay for her education. Catherine met her handsome husband when he auditioned to be the drummer! Needless to say, he won the job and her heart, and years later she still loves him madly. Feel free to drop her a note at [email protected].
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Craving Jess Page 7