Tempted By You

by Stephanie Nicole Norris

  She flipped through the channels, going to the local station only to find a commercial advertisement about remodeling your home.

  “It started at the Superintendent officer headquarters, but smaller protests have broken out since then, and now a crowd of folks have gathered at Mayor Jenkins’ office, and I’ll tell you one thing, he will not hold his position in office if he doesn’t fix this issue and pronto.” Esmerelda whistled. “Poor guy, he must be losing his shit. This couldn’t have come at a worse time.”

  “Oh yeah, poor Mr. Jenkins,” Jasmine said sarcastically.

  Esmerelda snickered. “I’m just saying. He’s probably ranting and raving to his wife about the timing of this incident. He’d be a fool not to bring charges against the officer.”

  “Yeah, well, fool or no fool, it happens all the time, and this could go either way.”

  Just then the news segment returned, but the station went into covering a nightclub that had been newly built downtown. Across the bottom of the screen, a developing story guideline streamed across.

  More protestors are gathering in front of the Superintendent officer headquarters and Incumbent Samuel Mayor Jenkin’s office. Update at six…

  Jasmine flopped down on a chair, unable to take her eyes off the roaming words that were in a continuous loop.

  “Jasmine!”

  “Huh, yeah, what’s up?”

  “I asked what day and time you wanted your hair cut?”

  “Oh, um, let’s do it next week. Wednesday.”

  “Next Wednesday is Valentine’s Day.”

  “Your point?”

  “Most women want their hair done before then, especially if they have a date.”

  “Well I don’t, my valentine will be out of the city.”

  You could hear the frown in Esmeralda’s voice. “Doesn’t sound like much of a valentine.”

  “If you have a date, we can reschedule.”

  “Oh no, honey, I’m always working. You know I’d never miss out on my coins. Besides,” Esmeralda drawled, “my date happens later that night.”

  Jasmine chuckled. “Figured as much.”

  Esmeralda’s line beeped. “Oop, I’d love to chat it up with you more, babe, but I’ve got to get this other line.”

  “You’re good. I’m headed for the shower. I’ve got a date at a law firm.”

  Esmeralda frowned again. “You poor thing.”

  Jasmine chuckled. “Bye.”

  She disconnected the call then dropped the phone and paced back to the bathroom with her thoughts in a swirl of activity. She remained that way through her aromatherapy bath where she soaked for an hour and a half to allow the essential oils to relax her and drain some of the anxiety she was feeling. It seemed to work like a charm, and by the time Luke arrived to reclaim her, Jasmine was feeling as relaxed as a fresh full body massage.

  She’d combed and brushed her hair into a finely tight ponytail that hung from the top center of her head. Her gaze was sultry as her lids relaxed, bringing out the natural upswing in the curve of her lashes. Her lips held a clear shine, and she was comfortable in a pair of jeans that fit her curves delectably, three-inch ankle boots, and a soft, light V-neck sweater.

  As Luke opened her door, he rolled an appreciative eye over her curvy figure, and his orbs tinted as the brown in his irises dimmed.

  “What are you doing waiting on the curb?” he asked.

  Jasmine assessed him just the same. A smile spread on her lips, and her tongue nudged the corner of her mouth.

  “Great minds think alike I see,” she said, referring to the light cashmere sweater that waved over his rocky arms. The blue jeans fit him with an easing precision, and the Timberlands on his feet added to his roguish appearance.

  “Indeed,” he responded, “now back to my question.”

  Jasmine smirked. “I knew you were pulling up at any moment. There wasn’t a need to keep you waiting.”

  “I’ve waited a lifetime for you, girl, a few more minutes wouldn’t have killed me.”

  A simmering pathway of nerves scuttled down her skin, and she lifted on her heels placing a blistering smashing kiss on his lips. They both tingled with hotness, and as the dance of their mouths increased, there was a heavy knock on the fender.

  Jasmine jumped, and she pulled apart, leaving Luke to glower at the invader.

  “Can I get you to pull up please?” the valet said.

  Jasmine eased inside, and Luke shut her door then rounded to the driver’s seat. Without a word, Luke got inside then leaned toward Jasmine and reached for her seatbelt where he snapped the buckle together.

  He tossed a hand at the valet and drove away from the building, headed for the law offices of Rose and Garnett LLC.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Jasmine didn’t know how she failed to catch the buzz of activity circling Rose and Garnett LLC on the morning news. Camera crews from local news stations all over Chicago were positioned outside the firm waiting to storm the attorneys with questions about their newly acquired client Darren King. In the midst of checking the current conditions of the protests that were gathering, Jasmine let this tidbit of information eluded her. She glanced at Luke and wondered if he knew, and with no surprise registered on his face, she had her answer.

  “You knew,” she said, staring at his handsome features.

  Luke glanced at her and turned the steering wheel, coasting the car to the front entrance.

  “Of course. I said as much back at the lakeshore house.”

  “When?”

  “When I said you have two top of the line lawyers in your family, and Darren King would most likely need representation.” He parked. “Don’t you remember me saying they would most likely take this case on pro bono?”

  Jasmine nodded. “Yeaaah,” she sang, “I do now that you mention it again.”

  Luke cracked a smile.

  “I’m sorry, I’ve been in a fog since hearing about all of this.”

  “I know. You’re good. Are you ready to take on this crowd though?”

  Jasmine arched a brow. “Ready as ever.”

  He covered her hand with his then lifted her fingers to his lips. He watched her as she watched him place a warm kiss against the back of her hand. She shivered, and Luke held on to the growl that threatened to trek from his throat.

  “Let’s go,” his baritone voice said.

  They left the confines of his car, Luke meeting her halfway to cover her from the force of the media that threw questions at them. Running through the rotating doors, they shuffled past the guards to the elevators then took the crane to the fifth floor. Inside the law office, associates were milling about, with most of them dressed in suits with only the occasional person here and there in semi-formal wear.

  “Mr. Steele, Miss Rose,” the receptionist greeted them as they strolled to the counter.

  “Good afternoon, Miss Strayon,” Luke said. “We have a three o’clock with Jordan and Phoebe.”

  She nodded as if already aware of the appointment. “They should be out to grab you in just a moment. They’re coming out of another—oh, here they are now.”

  Jordan and Phoebe were a dynamic duo, strolling around the corner like a brother and sister pair to be reckoned with. While Jordan was fitted in a custom-tailored suit like 007, Phoebe’s custom pinstripe skirt suit was equally as sharp, curving over her with just enough flair to raise the eye and leave room for the imagination simultaneously.

  “You all are just in time,” Jordan said. “Follow us, we’re headed to Lagordian B.”

  The foursome walked the stretch of the hallway, gaining the attention of every associate they passed. While they were admired from afar, the only thing on the minds of the group was the outcome of Darren King’s case. They entered through a tall cherry wood stained door into a newly renovated conference room. No sooner than they were inside, Jordan closed the door behind them and got right to the point.

  “Usually, we could’ve had this conversation over the pho
ne, but because of the sensitivity of this case, I felt it best to inform you here.”

  He gave Jasmine his attention. “No charges have been brought against the officer in this case, had there been you would’ve known by now. But,” he paused, “you know I can’t talk too much about specifics, however, as you may have noticed from the gang of media outside, we have decided to represent Darren King. We were not the only ones that reached out to him for this case. Others have as well—”

  “Who?” Jasmine interrupted.

  Jordan glanced at Phoebe.

  “Jemison and Sons.”

  Jasmine scoffed. “They couldn’t tie their shoelaces together properly let alone handle a case of this nature!”

  “Still, it was up to Mr. King to decide.”

  “I thought he was in ICU?”

  “He is, but his power of attorney—”

  “Who the hell is his power of attorney?” Jasmine interrupted again.

  “His sister, Rebekah King,” Phoebe answered.

  Jasmine glanced from Jordan to Phoebe.

  “Okay, what is it you’re not telling me?”

  Rebekah King is longtime best friends with Lance…” he paused, “Valentine.”

  Jasmine’s eye closed, and she cursed as her head fell back.

  “This is not the time for this stupid rivalry.”

  “This... stupid… rivalry, as you put it, was birthed by them, and regardless of whether you like it or not, it remains,” Jordan said firmly. “We’ve done our part. Now it’s up to Rebekah King to decide if she wants a team that will fight for her brother to the fullest extent of the law or not.”

  Jasmine spun around on her heels and stalked to the wall of windows where she planted her hands on her waist and bit her bottom lip.

  “We’ve reached out to Lance,” Phoebe added. “Well, I’ve reached out to him. He knows it’s best for us to represent Darren. At the same time, they could very well hire their team of lawyers to handle the case.”

  “And what did Lance say?” she asked, feeling like this wasn’t coming to a reasonable conclusion.

  “We’ll know by the week’s end.”

  The room quieted as everyone’s mind churned.

  “Why does the media think you already represent Mr. King?” Luke asked.

  Both Phoebe and Jordan shook their head.

  “It wasn’t us. It could’ve been Rebekah,” Phoebe said.

  “Or Lance,” Jasmine added.

  The room quieted again, and Jasmine couldn’t take much more of the silence.

  “Well,” she spun back around and tossed her hands up, “I guess that’s it then. I’ll let you get back to it.”

  She headed for the door and exited without another world.

  “Keep us posted,” Luke added before heading in a jog after her.

  “Stay with me tonight.”

  They’d been sitting outside of Jasmine’s condominium for an hour, both considering their own musings.

  “I want you with me.” Luke reached for her hands, and the frustration waving off of her seemed to fizzle with the warmth of his touch.

  “Luke, I never got the chance to tell you how much of a good time I had with you over the weekend.” She paused. “It was better than good.” Her face softened, and her smile spread. “Just when I thought I’d never volunteer to get kidnapped, you come along.”

  They chuckled together.

  “So, come with me now. Just because we both have to go back to the real world tomorrow doesn’t mean we can’t prolong our time together. I for one could use a roommate.”

  Her smile stretched further. “Shut up.” She beamed, waving him off. Just the thought of living with Luke, waking up each day together, maybe even breakfast in bed made Jasmine shiver right down to her bones while her belly did a flop.

  “I’d love to, but—”

  “Don’t answer the question now. Just think about it.”

  Jasmine paused. “I meant staying the night with you, what were you talking about?”

  “You know.”

  They shared a slow processing look between one another.

  “But for tonight… stay with me.”

  Luke lifted her hand to his mouth, pushing his warm lips against her soft skin. “Don’t make me beg because I will.”

  He’d shaken her. “Give me thirty minutes,” she said, dashing to her apartment to get a few things. Though this officially ended their weekend, Luke was right, their time together could continue as long as they both wanted it to.

  Jasmine was proud of herself. It only took twenty-five minutes for her to round up a few things. Even still when she shot back out the front door, running into a bounty of muscle was the last thing she expected. Her arms glided up the ridged peaks of his chest, and her eyes widened.

  “Luke!” she breathed out a shocked breath. “I was just on my way back.” A small smile cornered her lips. “Couldn’t wait a moment longer, huh?”

  A mischievous grin lingered on Luke’s mouth.

  “I’ve been waiting since you went in.”

  “In the hallway?”

  “Yes.”

  “Why?”

  “Well, when you don’t have your men in black around to protect you, then it’s my duty to.”

  Though his little “men in black” reference was a direct jab, the overall sentiment of his response warmed her heart. She slipped her arm around his, enfolding them together.

  “Then get me safely to your home, Mr. Steele, and I don’t want to be interrupted by paparazzi, so make sure you do your job well,” she pronounced playfully as they took the elevator back to the first floor and got comfortable in his car.

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  The smile highlighted her face with a toss of her head, and she and Luke kept their arms linked, and fingers crossed all the way to his townhome.

  Inside, they happily trotted down the hardwood floors to the bedroom where they took their second shower of the day but together.

  Jasmine had never felt so relaxed. The pure ecstasy of having the hard spray of water thread her skin while Luke’s solid grip fingerprinted her hips as he crashed into her pussy over and over, sliding, slipping, and pressing into her womb with pure savagery made her come inexplicably hard. Her cries were cut when his mouth covered the arch in her throat, and his teeth sank into the flesh of her neck. Her body responded with a vibrant rattling that shot another riptide of crème down his connecting shaft, and her pussy pulsated like the beat of a drum. She couldn’t endure much more. How much bliss could be covered in one situation? It didn’t take her long to find out. They hadn’t moved from the shower stall when Luke emptied her womb and fell to a crouch behind her. She pivoted slowly, her eyes enlarging.

  “What are you—oh!”

  His mouth covered her protruding clitoris, sucking her in with a hurried greedy need to feast on her skin.

  “Luke!” she cried, her hand clutched his head and her back was thrown into the wall as she lost her bearing, unable to hold one hundred and forty-eight pounds up on the solidarity of her soles.

  He wrapped her thighs around his neck as his tongue pressurized her nub then drove down her labia and entered her with a raucous sucking before driving back to stab at her clit some more.

  She cried out to God, asking for reprieve, sanity, and other things that couldn’t be interpreted with the English dialect. Her eyes rolled, body went rigid, and she screamed with a wail as another significant orgasm was driven from her, taken in by the expertise of his mouth. Her heart slammed in her chest, and she completely relied on his strength to gain any traction from the still hot shower.

  Luke lifted her in his arms, sliding her thighs down his chest to his carved hipline to washed her off, then he carried her to his bed where they spooned for the entire night. Jasmine didn’t know when she fell asleep, but the shriek of her alarm was what awakened her.

  When her eyes opened, the feathering of prickly bearded hair was settled against her jaw. It felt deliciously blissful
to be glued to his warm skin and tucked between a tight-knit within his arms. Her legs moved, and for a moment, fear of her limbs being unworkable clouded her judgment. Then a tiny smile stretched her lips to spread into a huge grin.

  “Good morning,” his thick baritone voice drummed.

  “What a good morning it is,” she responded.

  Luke kissed her cheek then nibbled her ear, sending a string of splattering chills down her neck.

  She giggled. “I’m going to be late messing with you, and I’m never late, so unhand me, you savage.”

  Luke’s grizzly chuckle sent a riveting ripple down her spine.

  “That would make two of us.”

  “Now how could we ever live together if we can’t even pull apart long enough to handle our business, hmm?”

  Luke lifted his head and stared down at her.

  “Are you considering moving in with me?”

  The gleam in his eyes was hopeful, and Jasmine bit down on her bottom lip.

  “I was speaking figuratively.”

  His hope dampened. “Well, speaking literally, we would make it work.” He paused. “It would be the best thing that ever happened to us.”

  “You think so?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Hmmm.” Jasmine arched her back, her butt sifting into Luke’s groin.

  “You must want morning wood,” he said.

  Jasmine pealed with laughter, and she sprang forth in a fight to get away from him. Her laugh penetrated the walls as he scooped her up in his arms and tickled her to death.

  They finally made it out of his house after he’d punished her for good measure with her bent over the bedroom chaise lounge for teasing him. Jasmine had never had a quickie feel so fulfilling, but with Luke came all types of firsts.

  “I’m taking you to dinner tonight,” he informed her while sitting outside of Raven Studios.

  “You’re so demanding these days, that’s new,” she said.

  “I’ve been like this, but you were too busy running to notice.”

  “Hmmm.” She reached over and kissed his warm mouth.

  “Call me when you get a chance,” he said.

  “Definitely.”