Applying for Passion (Capture, Inc.)
Page 2
But a week ago and out of the blue, the calls had begun once more. At least once a day, she’d hear from him. It was always when she arrived home, as if he were watching her. The thought chilled her. She should have moved out the first time the calls began, but instead, she’d refused to upend her life and tried desperately to continue as if nothing had happened.
But just like yesterday and every day, as soon as she arrived home, he’d been on her voice mail. It was always a soft, sick whisper, repeating her name over and over until she hung up, trembling with disgust and hatred. She was long past terrified and now was just filled with anger. She’d changed her phone number, but somehow the sicko had managed to get the new one. She couldn’t figure out how, since only a few family members and friends had her new contact information.
She was tired, completely tired of this. The cops couldn’t help since the calls were always from an untraceable number. She hated even thinking it, but it was time to move from the place she’d called home for three years.
On weekdays she worked at the bakery, but she took the weekends off and handed off responsibility to a part-time general manager she’d hired.
Tomorrow she’d contact a real estate agent, and maybe look into buying a place this time around versus renting again. Deciding on that made her feel better, and she pushed all other thoughts away, concentrating on the heat of the water flowing over her.
She finished washing up, then turned off the water and reached for the towel. She dried herself and focused on Jack Riley. It had been a month since the wedding reception, and she’d found out who he was three weeks ago with the help of Ariel. Isabel constantly relived how he’d made her feel those few minutes they were together. Her past sexual relationships had never equaled the one encounter she’d had with Jack. It had been that explosive.
And she yearned for so much more with him. It was a craving she felt in the pit of her womb, and every time she thought of the orgasm he’d given her, her clit would start pulsing in need. She was tempted to sate her hunger herself just for a little while, but it would be so much better if she waited for him.
Jack was the new part owner of Capture Inc., and the knowledge intrigued her. John had explained to her that several of his elite navy team had become members of the club, and they were the ones who acted out the woman’s fantasies. John insisted they were all men he trusted and had spent years fighting alongside them.
She’d met two of them the night of the wedding. Cameron Falcon was Capture Inc.’s lawyer, and Mason Romero was a private investigator and part owner of Romero Investigations. After John and Sean had decided to let their former investigator go, John had hired Mason, who now did the background checks for Capture Inc. Mason had offered John a partnership with his investigative firm, and John had taken him up on it. Cameron and Mason were associates of the private club, and John had nothing but high regard for all the men.
Isabel was tempted to contact Jack, but it slightly bothered her he hadn’t tried to call her first. It wasn’t as if he didn’t know who she was, and Jack must have seen how easily he could have reached her through John. But he’d kept his distance for a reason, and she couldn’t figure out what that reason was. She hoped it wasn’t because he was currently involved with anyone. The idea left a hollow feeling in her stomach.
She played around with the idea of using Capture Inc. to contact Jack. What was it about him that caused her to throw caution to the wind? In the past, Isabel had warned Ariel to be careful when using the service. But Isabel could now see from speaking with John how careful Capture Inc. was in selecting their customers. Simply put, did she have the balls to let Jack know exactly what she wanted from him? She smiled at the thought. She definitely had it in her to go after what she wanted.
Tomorrow was a good day to find out exactly what Jack thought of her, and if he even still remembered her. Ariel was throwing a backyard barbecue, and Jack had been invited. Knowing he was going to be there too sent nervous tingles through her body. First, she’d get the ball rolling on her living situation, and then she’d go after Jack.
* * * *
He observed Isabel entering her apartment and then quickly slamming the door behind her. He had to wonder if she knew he was watching her and that he was aware of how frightened she felt. The feeling of her terror washed over him. Empowered him. She was correct to fear him.
But the stupid bitch had the nerve to change her number. Little did she know, he worked for Bell Communications—their local telephone company—and he used that fact to his full advantage. It had taken nothing for him to obtain her new contact information.
But the road to getting it had been a long one. He’d been compelled to slake his desire for Isabel with a coworker. He had followed little, pretty Julie Simms straight to her apartment, a week after he’d gone after Isabel. And Julie had never known he’d been the one to knock her out, carry her off to bed, and take what he wanted all while pretending she was Isabel.
His one mistake had been to trail Julie from work. And that one error had cost him so much time, forcing him to lay low while the cops investigated, interviewed, and patrolled the area.
He’d wait for the right opportunity to take Isabel. And she would soon realize nothing or no one would stop him.
Chapter Two
The early morning sunlight filtered through the sheer curtains as Isabel typed the last sentence of her fantasy. For a little over an hour, she’d carefully filled out Capture Inc.’s application and envisioned the fantasy she craved to have with Jack. Her clit throbbed, and she’d turned herself on to the point where she had to squeeze her thighs for some sort of temporary relief. Anticipating when she would be with him next heightened her arousal.
She made sure to request Jack in her fantasy by clearly stating his name, and her sister had easily obtained his private e-mail address through John.
A threesome was something she’d always been curious about, and she’d never found the man she’d wanted to experience that with, until now. She knew little of Jack. As silly as it sounded, all she had to go on was their explosive chemistry, and she acknowledged if many knew what she’d typed and was about to send in, she’d be called crazy. Though she didn’t care what anyone else’s opinions of her were. She owed Ariel an apology about giving her such a hard time last year when she’d applied to Capture Inc.
She leaned back in her office chair as she took a deep breath and reread her fantasy.
I walk into my living room, pleasantly surprised at the scented candles that light up my foyer. But the candles are set on purpose—a sign that Jack and his friend are waiting for me inside my bedroom. The threesome I secretly wanted is about to happen, and I’m nervous.
I enter the bedroom, and there is Jack—naked, hot, hard. He’s stroking his cock in a back-and-forth slide while staring at me like I’m the center of the universe. I lick my lips, my throat suddenly dry for the taste of him. There is another man to the side of the room, but though his shirt is off, he’s still wearing his jeans as he watches me.
“Take it off,” Jack whispers in a low tone that seems to rush through me.
I feel the arousal from both men, and I strip the clothing from my body. I keep my heels on and walk over to Jack. He meets me halfway and pulls me toward him. He tells me how hot I look, how much he craves being with me, before taking my mouth in a sizzling, wet, demanding kiss. His tongue slides against mine, and I imagine how it will feel gliding against my pussy. I reach down and wrap my hand around his cock as the second man in the room steps behind me. Lost in Jack’s kiss, I rub my thumb on the head of Jack’s dick and moan at the feel of his precum erupting from the slit.
The man behind me rips my thong from my body as Jack breaks the kiss. Jack strips my bra from me, then bends his head and takes my nipple into his mouth. I moan as the man behind me grabs my ass in a tight squeeze.
The ringing of her phone broke through her concentration. Her gaze fell on the caller ID, and it was a number she didn’t recogni
ze. But she immediately noticed it wasn’t blocked. She swallowed against the tightness in her throat as her heart beat fast, and then answered.
“Hello?”
“Isabel? It’s Jack Riley.”
Isabel quickly composed herself, shocked at the sound of his voice. She felt the heat of a blush slowly creep to her face as she once again thought of the orgasm he’d given her. “Jack, it’s so nice to hear from you. How did you get my phone number?”
“I called John up. He was kind enough to pass it along to me. I hope you don’t mind.” His voice was just as she’d remembered, deep and rich, sending shivers through her body.
Jack was a close friend of John’s, and Isabel knew he would never give out her information to someone he didn’t trust. “Of course not. How are you?”
“I’ve been doing well, thanks. Ariel and John invited me to their barbecue. I’ll be attending, but I was hoping we could go out for a drink afterward. You’ve been on my mind quite a lot lately.”
He was making the first move, just when she was about to send him her fantasy in an e-mail. Not how she’d planned it, but she wanted to get to know him. Still, before her bravado left her, Isabel skipped the rest of her proofreading, did one final spell check while on the phone with him, and clicked Send before she could change her mind.
“Yes, I’d really like that.” She sounded breathless to her own ears and was sure he’d heard it too.
“Good. I have a few errands to run, but I’ll be seeing you later this afternoon.”
“Bye,” she replied and then closed the cell.
Wow! His call had been unexpected, but still a wonderful surprise. And on the heels of that thought, she realized he could be reading her e-mail at this very moment. She wouldn’t regret sending it, but she was surprised at how jittery she was. She pushed her nervousness aside and concentrated on what she would wear.
She intended to surprise Jack and show him just how explosive they’d be together.
* * * *
Garbage bag in hand, he exited his apartment at the same time Isabel left hers. He timed it perfectly by staring an excruciating thirty minutes through the peephole, and as he shuffled to the incinerator room as quietly as possible, Isabel looked up in surprise. He got really close to her and in fact stood just inches away. He cleared his throat. “Good morning.”
“Hi.”
“Where you headed off to?”
She shrugged. “Just running off to tend to a few things. I’ll see you later.”
“But…” He watched as she walked away quickly. Fuck! What the hell was wrong with her? She never allowed him to speak with her, and it always seemed as if she was running away from him. Why couldn’t she ever see they were a perfect match? He was sick of his life, and fuck her for not realizing what they could be together. It was time to take this to the final step.
Chapter Three
The strongest surge of lust Jack had ever known assaulted him, and he wanted nothing more than to take out his dick to stroke it and relieve the pressure building within him as he read Isabel’s fantasy. Never in a million years did Jack think she would be sending him her personal fantasy. And just his perfect luck, it seemed she craved him with a fierce hunger, just as he did her. He admired her; the surety in stating what she wanted was a pleasant surprise. And he found the trait to be utterly sexy. He couldn’t remember any of his past girlfriends that set him ablaze like she did, and he hadn’t even taken her out on a date yet.
He sure as hell didn’t miss the fact Isabel had contacted him directly and had named him in her fantasy. The realization she wanted a threesome didn’t deter his desire for her. Already his mind was forming ways of giving her what she truly craved. He’d be there, all right, and the second male to their ménage would be taking directions from his lead. But it would be a night she’d never forget. It would take careful planning, and it wasn’t something he could pull off right now even if he wanted to. Their date this evening would be just the two of them, and Jack had every intention of letting her know how hot she made him.
It wouldn’t be the first ménage for him, but it would be the most memorable. He was sure of it. He already had the person in mind for their threesome. It was someone he trusted and a member of the club. Jack dialed Mason’s number.
Mason picked up on the second ring. “So how’s the partnership going?”
Jack leaned back in his chair. “It’s all going well, and everything has transitioned smoothly. Thanks for asking, but I’m calling for a personal favor.”
Mason laughed. “I owe you quite a few favors, bud. So let’s hear it.”
Jack knew Mason spoke of the time he’d saved his life in Iraq. “Any person in our team could have been in the same position, and we would have done everything in our power to save each other.”
“That may be so, but it was still you who reached me first.”
Jack could have argued the fact, but Mason was a stubborn son of a bitch. The conversation would take longer than he had at the moment. He still had to run home, shower, and change before he headed to the barbecue. “I’m on a time crunch here, so I’ll make it quick. I need you to be the third in a threesome.”
“Who’s the lady?”
“Isabel Lancaster.” Just saying her name had Jack’s dick growing hard.
“Ah, the maid of honor at the wedding we attended. She’s very beautiful.”
And she was his. Jack reined in his surprise at that thought. Where the hell did that idea come from? “Are you in?”
“Of course I am.”
“I’ll e-mail you later with all the details.”
“I’ll wait to hear from you,” Mason replied before hanging up.
Excitement thrummed through Jack as he contemplated the evening ahead. There was no question he was drawn to Isabel. But Jack had to wonder if it was more than a powerful attraction. He intended to find out.
* * * *
Isabel gave herself one more look in the car mirror. She’d opted to leave her hair loose and had decided on wedge sandals, a white sleeveless buttoned summer shirt, and a red miniskirt. She’d taken extra time in preparing herself.
After having spent the morning looking at a few homes, Isabel had headed over to a spa. She’d gotten a Brazilian wax, a manicure, and a pedicure. And she sure hoped Jack noticed. She’d even put on a little surprise beneath her skirt, a pair of crotchless panties. God, she was a complete and utter slut when it came to him. She was already wet and aching. What she’d done with him in the ladies’ room was just foreplay, and she silently moaned as she imagined how powerful the real thing would be.
Isabel turned off the car, then stepped out. She closed the door and pressed the alarm on. The night air was warm but not humid. She made her way to the backyard of John and Ariel’s home, where the volume of music was just right. There were people already there drinking, while others were dancing about. Isabel spotted Ariel and made her way to her, just as Ariel glanced up.
“Hi, sis.” Ariel hugged her. “We need to talk.”
“Okay, but is there anything I can help you with first?”
Ariel shook her head. “No. Everything’s taken care of. Come with me,” Ariel replied before taking her hand. She dragged Isabel through the house and didn’t release her until they were in John’s office.
Ariel whirled around. “What’s going on with you and Jack? You haven’t mentioned anything else, other than what you told me occurred at the reception.”
Isabel smiled. “I haven’t seen him since, but I did get a call from him today. He asked me out for drinks later this evening.”
“Jack called John for your telephone number. John considers him family, and that’s the only reason he gave it to him. It seems Jack’s really interested, and John’s vouched for him. By the way, he’s really hot.”
Isabel laughed. “Don’t let John hear you say that.”
“Oh, please. I’m married, not dead. Changing the subject, I’ve been really worried about you, especially with
the calls having begun again.”
Isabel cringed inwardly. “I did see a Realtor today. He’ll be showing me apartments tomorrow, and I expressed how urgently I needed to move. I should have done it a while ago. It was beyond foolish of me to remain home when this person knows my address. I’m almost certain the guy who mugged me is the same one who has been scaring the hell out of me. But the cops haven’t been able to trace him. Hopefully, I can pick a place out quickly and get this part of my life behind me. I just hate that I have to move from my home because of him, and it pisses me the hell off.”
“It’s the safest thing for you. If you’d like, you could stay here for as long as you want.”
“Thanks, but I’m pretty sure I’ll find a place soon.”
“Isabel, I hate the idea of you being so unsafe.”
“And why the hell would you be unsafe?”
Every muscle in Isabel’s body seemed to freeze at the sound of Jack’s voice. She caught the shocked look on Ariel’s face before Isabel whirled around.
Jack stood beside John, his face a mask of rage. The anger in him surprised her. It wasn’t because she thought he would hurt her. She instinctively knew he wouldn’t. But she had the feeling the rage was directed at anyone who would dare harm her. The idea that Jack cared enough was endearing and a bit nerve-racking. Isabel struggled to find her voice. How long had he been standing there? And how much had he heard?
Isabel shifted her gaze, taking in the black jeans he wore, the sleeveless tee that exposed the muscles on his arms, and the boots on his feet. He looked every bit as delicious as when she’d first seen him. His hair was tied back, and Isabel found herself wanting to loosen it and touch the strands.
John was the first to speak. “Maybe you ladies can clarify something for us. Isabel, why the hell didn’t you let me know you’re in danger? And while you’re thinking on how to answer that, Ariel can tell me why she kept it a secret.”