by Kris Eton
He cleared his throat. “Your husband's down at county."
"At county?"
"At the county jail."
"Jail? Why is my husband ... ” She almost gagged on the word. “In jail?"
On the other end of the line, Jack gave an uncomfortable cough. “Um, I picked him up for solicitation this morning."
Kara couldn't believe what he was telling her. “He was arrested because he was caught with a prostitute?” A laugh burst out of her. She couldn't help it. Could this be any more perfect? How had he managed that? How had a complete stranger managed to make her life infinitely better twice in less than twelve hours?
"When I picked him up and saw his I.D., I just had to call you. I hope that's okay.” Did he actually sound nervous? “I don't want you to think that I'm calling because—well, because..."
Throw the guy a lifeline, Kara. “Because of last night?"
"Yeah."
Last night she thought she was the one going to jail. She'd even imagined for one horrible moment the humiliation that would ensue when she had to call Ben to come pick her up.
A flash of other memories from last night took over her mind. Instead of going to jail, she'd had the most satisfying sex of her life with a relative stranger. A relative hot stranger, who managed to arrest her almost-ex for solicitation. She felt giddy with the thought of it.
"Well, isn't that what a gentleman is supposed to do in these cases?” she asked.
"I suppose.” She could hear him smile on the other end of the line.
"So do I have to pick him up right now?"
"No, you don't have to."
"Would it be all right if I let him sit there for, oh...” Kara glanced over at her alarm clock on the nightstand. “Let's say four hours?” She was starting to warm up to the idea that Jack might actually want more from her than sex. Why else would he have taken the time to call her and tell her about Ben?
"I don't see why that would be a problem. When's your court hearing?"
"One."
"I have a feeling you're going to get pretty much everything you want in the settlement."
"I think you're right.” She hung up the phone, and her heart fluttered. She'd never had any man show such concern for her welfare. Although she wanted to give Jack the benefit of the doubt, it was hard to chip away at the years of hurt Ben had piled on her. The feeling that she was less than adequate as a wife and a lover.
But the tenderness Jack had shown her last night said something about his character, didn't it? Could it be that there was something more to the moonlighting cop than a hot body and good skills in the bedroom? Could he be looking for a serious relationship?
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Chapter Eight
Kara sat in the waiting area at the county jail. She had handed over five hundred dollars from their shared checking account to pay Ben's bail. Months ago she had stopped depositing her checks into that account, so it was pretty much Ben's money.
The reinforced door leading from the lockup area swung open. Ben walked out and saw her sitting there. His face grew mottled, like it always did when he was angry.
"What are you doing here?” He ran a hand through his disheveled hair. The wrinkles in his khaki pants proved he had a rough night behind bars. His eyes were red, his face was bloated. He'd never looked worse.
"Just came to bail you out. So now you need a prostitute for sex? Pretty sad, Ben.” She turned on her heel to leave. Women never left Ben. Never. She was glad she got to be the first. “See you in court."
He grabbed her arm. “You think someone else is going to want you? Huh? Yeah, you wear the sexy clothes, you've got a nice rack.” His gaze dipped into her cleavage. “But men don't want a woman who can't perform."
Kara shook off his grip. How could it be possible this guy could still hurt her so much? Why did she care what he said to her anymore? She knew he was a liar. She knew he was no good. But his words still stung. Still felt like a punch to her gut. “Fuck you, bastard."
"There she goes, ladies and gentleman,” he announced to the half empty room. The cop behind the counter looked up at them. “A cocktease. A cold fish. Worst time in bed I've ever had. No wonder we're getting divorced."
She raised her hand to slap him, but he caught her mid swing.
"Watch yourself, Kara.” He glanced over at the cop. “Wouldn't want to get an assault charge filed, would you?"
She yanked her hand out of his grasp. “I can't wait to get you out of my life."
As she walked out the door, the tears started to flow. No matter what happened last night, she still could have her confidence smashed in an instant. What man would want an emotional mess like her? Trust issues, sex issues, it was more than any one man could handle. Even if Jack did want to see her again, the minute he found out about her baggage he would take off. And she wouldn't blame him if he did. Maybe it would be easier to just be on her own ... alone.
She glanced at her watch. She had an hour to pull herself together before she met up with her lawyer at the courthouse. They would divide up the assets, and then it would be over. For good. No more Ben.
At least she had the memory of Jack, his gentle touch, and their one night together to keep her going. It just might be enough to live on that memory for awhile. It would have to be.
* * * *
Jack waited outside the courtroom, a nervous wreck. The corridor was devoid of people, only the occasional clerk swept by as he sat on one of the hard wooden benches that lined the wall.
Would she be glad to see him there? He wanted to tell her when they were on the phone he would be waiting for her, but he didn't know if that would scare her off. She seemed so jumpy last night after everything. Scared. Although she'd warmed up to him earlier when he called, she might have been friendly just because she had been grateful for the news. He hoped to God she would listen to what he had to say.
Since he was on duty tonight, he had to get some sleep before his shift started at six. He meant to be at the courthouse before her hearing, but he'd missed it by ten minutes. So now he waited anxiously for her to come out.
The heavy oak door of the courtroom swung open. A few people filtered out into the hall. No Kara.
Ben Hadley exited. His face was still mottled and red from the pepper spray, but he wore a suit and tie. A buxom blonde hung on his arm, a classier version of the woman Jack caught him with that morning. He wasn't smiling and neither was she.
A few more people came out of the courtroom. Then, he saw her.
Kara pushed through the door wearing a form fitting black dress. He wanted to lose himself in those blue Bambi eyes. When their eyes locked, he thought he saw a little bit of fear in them. If only he could prove to her that she had nothing to fear from him. He only wanted to hold her, kiss her, make her feel beautiful.
"You're here.” There was a nervous hitch to her voice.
"I hope you don't mind.” He got up from the bench. “I thought you could use some support."
"You did?"
He lightly grasped her hand. He felt a spark when their fingers touched. “Come on, let's go."
"Go? Go where?"
"I'm taking you to the mall. I'm going to buy you that dress."
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Chapter Nine
Kara and Jack lay on her bed, surrounded by shopping bags. After leaving the courthouse, they had spent several hours using Jack's department store discount to buy not one, but several sexy dresses. He had picked them out and bought them for her.
"This is the one I want you to try on first,” he said, pulling a dark blue strapless one out of a bag. “With the spike heels."
They had laughed and kissed their way through the women's department, and she wondered how far things would go now that they were back at her place.
"So, should I change right here?” She giggled, got up from the bed, and unzipped her dress. When she kicked off her shoes and let her dress slide down suggestively, Jack's eyes
darkened. Her nipples tightened in anticipation of what was to come.
Jack moved further up on the bed and propped a pillow behind his back. “By all means, don't let me stop you.” He scanned her body from top to bottom.
Warmth flooded her. She let the dress drop to the floor and kicked it aside. She stood in the middle of the room in matching bra and panties. She eyed the strapless dress, and a surge of confidence filled her. “Don't think I'll be needing this.” She unhooked her bra and tossed it aside. Her nipples hardened further.
She heard a sharp intake of breath. Jack rubbed his hand across his crotch. “No, I don't think that will be necessary.” He unbuttoned his shirt.
With a smile, she picked up the dress and pulled it down over her head. The material fit snugly around her. She zipped up the side zipper, and her breasts formed a healthy amount of cleavage. “Hmm, I think this one might be too tight. What do you think?"
She twirled around, letting the skirt spin out and expose her naked thighs.
When she finished her twirl, she looked up to see Jack shirtless, each muscle well-defined and sculpted. She wanted to slide her hands over the hard planes of his chest and feel the heat of his body. For a moment she didn't breathe.
He patted the bed next to him. “I think you need to come over here and let me help you out of that."
"Is that so?” Kara perched on the edge of the bed and rubbed his leg.
Jack leaned forward and unzipped the dress. Then he slipped a hand into the bodice and kneaded her breast. Her nipple, tight and sensitive, flamed to life at his touch. A low centered heat grew inside her.
"Don't forget the other one.” Her back arched slightly.
"Oh, no, wouldn't want to leave that one out.” Jack tucked both hands into the front of the dress. His hands on her breasts created a growing need inside her. A need to be closer to him. A need to be naked against the hardness of his chest. She leaned toward him, and their mouths met in a burning kiss.
In a matter of seconds, the dress was on the floor, and she was straddling him in just her panties. Her clit pulsed against the hardness of his erection. She leaned forward on her hands, and her breasts hung down like ripe fruit for him to suckle. First one nipple, then the other. Nibbling, biting, teasing. Wetness grew in her pussy. She wanted his cock inside her.
"You need to get these off,” she said, tugging at his pants.
He licked the tip of her nipple. In response, Kara clenched her thighs around his middle.
"God,” she moaned. “You've got to stop that. I can't think straight."
"Oh really?” He ran his tongue over her nipple once more. “Should I stop?” He sucked the hardened flesh into his mouth.
With a sigh of pure pleasure, she tugged down his pants just enough for her to free his erect penis. She slid her hand over its length. Jack was thicker and longer than Ben. Much thicker. No wonder his dick felt so good when it pounded inside her.
He let go of her breast and moaned, “Okay, you win.” His voice was tight.
She gripped his erection more firmly.
He bucked underneath her. “Take them off, or I'll rip them off.” His hand grabbed at her panties.
"Go for it."
The panties fell apart with one good tug. She lifted herself up, lined up his penis with her ripened cunt, and pushed down. The hard slide of his dick into her sensitized opening made sparks run riot over her skin. She'd never been on top before, and the control of the position made her feel more sexually powerful than ever before. She leaned forward again on her hands, suspending her breasts above him, and rocked her body forward and back. The friction of his penis against the inner walls of her vagina felt so good, she didn't want it to stop.
She rotated her hips, trying out different angles, different movements. Slow, then fast. All the while heading toward the climax she knew was coming. She sat up, impaled on his dick, and palmed her tits in her hands, pinching the nipples. Each time coming one step closer to release.
He moaned and met her movements with his own. His gaze was dark and fevered.
She pushed down hard. The tip of his penis pressed against her cervix. She held herself there, rocked back and forth, and continued to pinch her nipples. She was almost there. Almost.
"That's it, baby,” Jack whispered. “I want to hear you come.” He gripped her hips.
"It feels so good. I don't want to stop.” Her cunt felt wide open, hot, wet. Just made to fuck. “It feels so good, Jack."
"You are so tight,” he groaned, “so tight."
With one last grind of the hips, an orgasm radiated from deep within. She rocked harder to extend the sensation. Her fingers pinched down like clamps on her distended nipples.
An animal sound wrenched out of her. The release was like an explosion from her cunt all the way to the tips of her fingers. Her inner walls gripped his dick and then released.
As she came down off of the orgasm, Jack grabbed her by the hips and rolled her over. “You are so beautiful, Kara. Let me ... just let me...” He drove into her with a few hard thrusts, and then groaned when he came.
They lay there together, tangled in the sheets. His cock still inside of her. Their faces just inches apart.
She looked into his eyes, uncertain for a moment. Although he had given her full control of her orgasm, she still wasn't sure if he was really going to stick around. Did this mean anything to him beyond another roll in the hay?
"Can I say something?” she asked.
"Go for it.” He kissed the tip of her nose.
She pulled back. “This is really hard for me."
His brown eyes grew serious.
She took a deep breath. “This morning, when I went to bail out Ben, he said some things to me. Some really horrible things...” Even thinking about her ex gave her the chills. It was hard to believe she had ever thought she was in love with him. He only wanted to own a woman, control her.
"He's a dick.” His bicep flexed under her fingers, and a shadow of anger clouded his face.
She sensed the raw power in him, the strength in all those cut muscles. It made her feel safe, able to open up to him. “For a long time now I thought there was something wrong with me. Some reason I couldn't seem to give Ben what he needed. And when he cheated on me, well, I thought it was my fault.” She couldn't look him in the eye. “I wanted to give up on men. Give up on love. I thought there wasn't such a thing. And I almost did."
Jack tipped up her chin so she would meet his gaze. The tenderness she saw there overwhelmed her. Tears threatened to spill from her eyes.
"I thought last night was a fluke.” She leaned her head against his solid shoulder. “I thought that if you stuck around and found out what a mess I was, you'd take off. Just like every man in my life. But now...” He cuddled her closer. “Now, I'm starting to wonder if there isn't such a thing as love after all."
"Kara, I would never do anything to hurt you. I hope you know that."
"Yes, I think I do."
He brushed a strand of hair away from her face. “Now I need to tell you something."
Scared to hear what was on his mind after her confession, she could only nod.
"Promise me you won't freak out."
"I promise,” she said, even though inside her chest her heart pounded in fear. Freak out about what?
"I think I love you, Kara. Is that okay?"
Giddiness washed over her. She lay there for a moment, then looked up and scanned his face for some clue, some sign that this was real. That he wouldn't go away. That he really did love her.
Then she did the only thing she could think of. She kissed him. In that kiss, she put all the emotions, all the worries, all the fears that had been running through her since yesterday.
She broke it off and asked, “Does that mean I should try on another dress?"
Jack smiled, slapped her on her bare bottom. “As long as I'm the only one who gets to take it off."
"Only you, Jack.” She got up from the bed and pulled anoth
er dress out of a bag. “Only you."
* * *
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