by Jaci Burton
wear a dress and wear her hair up, but she'd still be the same Callie looked at Abby and Blair, not sure what to say.
old Callie. And if he didn't take the bait, it wasn't her fault, Jack? She was supposed to fuck Jack? How would she even right? She wouldn't be any worse off than she was now, living introduce the topic? They exchanged pleasantries at the coffee alone in her house and enjoying her fantasies.
shop, and that was it.
Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
Then she remembered his business card and his At least they had a fun night planned for Saturday.
invitation. Maybe there was something there, some interest on Better than staying home and watching television.
137
Jaci Burton/ Wild, Wicked & Wanton/Unedited Advance Reading Copy Berkley Heat/May, 2007
"Thank you, darling," Virginia said, placing her palm Spending Saturday night at a charity ball wasn't exactly over his chest. "You will be saving a few dances for us tonight, Jack's idea of a good time. Nevertheless, it was for a good now won't you?"
cause and it was his duty. He hated wearing a tux, though, Not if he could help it. "Uh, sure."
would much rather be in shorts and a sleeveless shirt, or even
"Are you two already monopolizing Jack?"
better, lounging by the pool outside and enjoying a swim Charlotte Daniels. Great. He felt like he'd just stepped instead of stuck in an air conditioned ballroom with three on a beehive. God save him. Fortunately, they were all so busy hundred other people.
jockeying for position they didn't even notice he wasn't paying Good cause, remember? Money. Auction. Fundraiser.
any attention to them. Which meant he could survey the crowd, That's why he was here. It was only one night, and besides, at think about his next case, sports, whatever.
least there was an open bar. Which was right where he was His gaze caught a group who'd just walked in the door.
headed, for a cold bottle of beer. He smiled at the bartender, Recognition struck when he spotted a dark haired, golden slid a tip in the jar and took a long cold swallow before turning skinned gorgeous woman in a bronze strapless dress that around and surveying the packed ballroom.
showed off the color of her skin to perfection.
And cringed as two women, dressed to the nines, Something was familiar about her, but he couldn't quite slinked their way toward him with perfect smiles plastered on figure it out. Not until she and her group moved closer, under their faces.
the lights.
Kimberly Blaise and Virginia Marquette. Socialites.
And she smiled.
Social-climing-ettes. One brunette, the other blonde, though he Holy shit! It was Callie. Her hair was down around her doubted the hair color was original. Or anything else about shoulders, riotous curls all over the place, framing her beautiful their bodies. They'd wanted in his pants, or more appropriately, face. And her smile lit up the entire room. Her gaze flitted in his wallet, ever since he made partner at the firm. Them and around like she was looking for someone. She was with two several other single women at the club. Membership must other women who seemed to be escorted, but so far she didn't'
come with a list of eligible bachelors and their financial seem to be with anyone. Maybe she was meeting her date here.
statements. He plastered on a polite smile.
Just his luck.
"Evening, ladies."
"Jack? Jack, are you listening to me?"
"Jack," Kimberly purred. "You look good enough to At the whiny pitch of Charlotte's voice, he turned his eat."
attention back to the group of women surrounding him.
Obvious much? "You look lovely tonight, Kim. You Listening to them? Hell no he hadn't been listening to them.
too, Ginny."
He'd been mesmerized the moment smokin' Cinderella had 138
Jaci Burton/ Wild, Wicked & Wanton/Unedited Advance Reading Copy Berkley Heat/May, 2007
walked into the ball. "Uh, please excuse me, ladies. I have complemented her coloring perfectly, bringing out her skin some business to attend to."
tone and making her eyes flash.
Date or no date, he could at least be polite and say Yeah, she looked hot tonight, all right. But next to all hello.
the women here dressed in designer clothes, their bodies
"Jack! Where are you headed in a such a hurry?"
perfect, their hair perfect, their social graces perfect, she felt
"Jack. You haven't even stopped to see me yet."
less than, well, perfect.
Christ. Two more of Silverwood's socialites. Was he on She was educated and owned her own business, a radar or something? He glanced around their overly coiffed respected member of the community. She owned a home in a heads to see if he could track Callie, but he'd lost sight of her.
nice neighborhood, paid her taxes and led an ordinary life.
Dammit!
Okay, so she had a few private perversions, but no one knew about those. Other than that, she was normal. Average.
Callie craned her neck around the room, knowing she The people here were all wealthy, from high society, shouldn't be looking for Jack, but unable to help herself. At and didn't run in the same circles as she did. They were the least she wasn't here alone, hadn't been tossed in the front door blue bloods of Silverwood and she was just...average.
by her friends and left to fend for herself. They were here too, That word again. Nothing to make her stand heads along with their men. Abby had brought Seth Jacobs and Blair above the rest of the women.
had brought Rand McKay.
She spotted a group of them circling a man in the center It was so strange seeing her two best friends paired up, of the dance floor.
happy as could be with the men they loved. Satisfying as hell Her heart thudded as she realized who that man was.
to see them both so settled, but still strange.
Jack. Looking spectacular in a tux, as if he'd been born And she was alone. Not that it bothered her. She was to dress so fine. If she thought he'd look edible dressed down, used to it. Okay, maybe she felt a twinge of jealousy that she he was even more so dressed up.
was here alone, but it passed just as fast as it hit her. Especially And surrounded by some of the most beautiful women after Blair and Abby went to all the trouble to take her she'd ever seen. Well endowed, designer clothed, made up to shopping and helped her pick out this incredible dress that she perfection, these women looked like they could step out of a absolutely could not afford, that Blair had insisted on paying limo and onto the red carpet at any awards show and act like for, and Abby had done her hair in this wildly loose curls even they belonged there.
though Callie had vehemently denied having anything but Dayum.
disgusting tight, kinky curls.
Not a chance she'd ever get close to Jack tonight. She She had to admit, when they were finished putting her might look better than she'd ever looked before, but would together, she looked like one hot babe. The bronze dress Jack even notice her? Would she even get to talk to him?
139
Jaci Burton/ Wild, Wicked & Wanton/Unedited Advance Reading Copy Berkley Heat/May, 2007
"This place is packed," she whispered over Blair's
"I feel so used," Rand drawled. "I hope she uses me shoulder as they arrived at their table and grabbed chairs.
again like that."
Blair nodded and turned to her. "You're still the most
"Me too," Seth said. "Nothing like being used as a sex beautiful woman in the room."
object by a gorgeous woman. You ladies should write a book Callie snorted. "Please. You in your red dress and those about it. I'm sure more research will be required."
shoes I wouldn't dare wear. And Abby with that tight, skimpy Callie shook her head. "Honestly."
little black number. Girl, the two of you put me to shame."
"Well now that's an interesting topic."
&nbs
p; "Honey, I'd kill for your skin," Abby said next to her.
Oh, God. Jack. Callie scrunched her eyes closed, not
"That sweet honey color. So perfect. If I wasn't heterosexual sure if she ever wanted to turn around. But she did. She stood I'd be all over you."
and turned, her heart stopping at her first close up look at a tux-Callie tilted her head back and laughed.
clad Jack, who looked utterly delectable in black and white.
Seth leaned across Abby and said, "If you two are His tanned skin against the white collar made her mouth water.
planning some girl-on-girl action, I'm sure Rand and I would
"Jack! What a surprise to see you here."
love to watch."
"I hope I'm not interrupting," he said, taking her hand
"Seth!" Abby said, feigning shock, but was laughing, between both of his. "I thought I spotted you from across the too.
room and wanted to say hello."
Rand leaned past Blair on the other side. "It'll take me
"I'm glad you did. Please, let me introduce you to my less than a half hour to go buy a video camera."
friends."
"Asshole," Blair said, shaking her head. But her lips She made the introductions, then invited Jack to sit with curled upward. "Men are such pigs."
them, certain he'd beg off so he could hang with the collection
"That's why you love us," Rand said, kissing her neck.
of beauties currently shooting daggers in her direction. Much to Blair giggled.
her surprise, he pulled up the chair Blair vacated by scooting Callie was so damn happy for both her friends.
over.
Someday she'd find that kind of happiness again.
"I'd love to join you," he said, sliding his beer onto the Maybe.
white clothed table.
"So, where's the hot guy you're supposed to meet up
"Are you sure? It looks like there's a horde of angry with tonight?" Rand asked. "Hope you get as lucky in your bet women over there."
as Blair did with hers."
Jack looked over his shoulder. "Oh. Them. They're just Callie gasped. "You told him?"
interested in marrying my wallet. The single Silverwood Blair shrugged. "Of course I did. Abby told Seth."
socialites are out in force tonight and looking for any eligible bachelor."
140
Jaci Burton/ Wild, Wicked & Wanton/Unedited Advance Reading Copy Berkley Heat/May, 2007
Callie smiled. "Well, that would be you, wouldn't it?"
of Oklahoma and in Texas, Denver, Kansas and we're
"Yeah, but I'm not interested in them. You look branching out into Louisiana, Missouri and Illinois."
gorgeous."
She raised her brows. "Impressive. So, you're How could he not be interested in them? But she growing."
beamed under his praise. "Thank you. A lot more made up than He nodded. "Yeah, opening up a few branch offices in my typical coffee shop look."
some of the other states."
"I don't know. You look beautiful there, too."
"Any chance you'll be relocating?" She hoped not.
Holy shit, he was good at this complimenting thing. She
"No way. I'm firmly entrenched here."
hadn't had a man pay attention to her in far too long. And such
"Good." Dammit, why did she say that.
a fine looking man like Jack, too. Was she drooling? This was
"Well, thanks for the compliment, darlin'. I'd miss just unreal. He was sitting at their table, signaling the waiter to seeing you every morning, too."
bring a bottle of champagne, chatting away with Rand and
"You'd just miss my coffee."
Seth as if they were old friends and charming the panties right
"I don't go there for the coffee, Callie."
off Blair and Abby.
He'd casually rested his arm over the back of her chair, He'd already charmed her panties off. Had been doing the heat from his body transferring to hers, warming her from that daily for the past year and a half, even though they'd never her toes to the top of her head.
had a deep discussion about...well, anything, actually. She
"You don't?"
knew virtually nothing about this man, other than he was tan,
"No. I go there to see you."
with blue eyes and had the chiseled features of an aristocrat. He
"You do?" Brilliant conversationalist, Cal.
was tall, athletic, with broad shoulders that she longed to run
"Yeah. I do. Thought you'd figured that out by now."
her hands over, and she'd wager he was solid muscle Well color her utterly clueless. She had no idea. What underneath that luxurious tux.
planet had she been living on?
She knew where he worked and that he was a partner in
"So am I seeing things one sided? Should I go back a law firm, but she didn't even know what type of legal field he where I came from and leave you alone?"
worked in.
"Oh, God no!" she blurted, then felt the heat rise to her
"What kind of law do you practice?" she asked. They cheeks. "I mean, I'm flattered. Damn, Jack, I'm embarrassed as were alone at the table, since Abby and Seth were off mingling hell. I had no idea."
and Blair and Rand were raiding the hors d'oeuvres table.
"Why?" He raised his hand and toyed with her hair,
"Corporate, mainly. Our clients are some of the biggest winding his fingers in the wild curls. Her skin tingled all over.
companies here in Silverwood, as well as throughout the state
"Is it such a big surprise that I find you attractive?"
Um, hell yes. "We don't exactly...mesh, you know."
141
Jaci Burton/ Wild, Wicked & Wanton/Unedited Advance Reading Copy Berkley Heat/May, 2007
His half smile melted her. "We don't?"
"No."
"In what way don't we mesh?"
"You're a corporate lawyer. I own a coffee shop."
"So? You could be a client of mine."
She snorted, then covered her mouth. "Sorry. That's just too damn funny."
He rolled his eyes. "You're not taking this seriously."
"No, Jack, you're not taking this seriously." She half turned in her chair to face him. "We don't travel in the same social circles. You live here at the club. I live across town in middle-classsville. I'm biracial, you're whiter than a whiteout in a Denver snowstorm. I'm mortgaged to the hilt between my home and my business and you probably make more money in a year than I'll earn in my entire lifetime. So don't tell me we mesh."
"Do you find me attractive, Callie?"
"What?"
"Answer the question. Are you attracted to me?"
Such an unfair question. "Well, yes."
"Good. Because I'm sure as hell attracted to you. Your litany of excuses don't mean a damn thing to me. Now let's dance."
142
Jaci Burton/ Wild, Wicked & Wanton/Unedited Advance Reading Copy Berkley Heat/May, 2007
"What are you thinking about?" he asked, wrapping his arm around her back and tugging her closer against his solid chest.
Yeah, he was a hardbody all right. Just as she'd suspected.
"I was thinking that I was worrying about stupid things Chapter Three
instead of just enjoying myself with one very hot looking man," she replied, deciding to cast aside all her worries and Callie gaped at Jack, open-mouthed and honest-to-God carry out the terms of the bet, while also fulfilling herself in a in shock. He pushed back his chair and stood, holding his hand very satisfying way. She rested her hand on his shoulder, then out. She stared at his hand for a moment, then slid her palm smoothed it down his back just a little, loving the feel of his against his, feeling the light tingle of electricity pass between body under her questing palm and wishing the tux jacket them.
wasn't in her way.
> Oh yeah. Chemistry. Undeniably charged and
He glided her around the dance floor to the strains of a elemental, there was no doubt about it. They had it and it was slow melody, his body so easy to follow. He moved with the strong. Did that really mean the rest of it didn't matter? How grace of a man comfortable in his own skin. "You dance pretty could it not, when there were so many barriers between them?
good."
Then again, it was only the bet. And only this weekend.
"For a white guy?" he teased.
Why the hell did she care if there were barriers? It wasn't like She snickered. "Wasn't even going to go there."
she was looking for a relationship with him. She was supposed
"You didn't have to. I knew what you were thinking."
to fuck him. And judging from the spark between them and the If he knew what she was thinking, they wouldn't be way he was looking at her right now, she could virtually dancing. What she was thinking was how he'd look stripped guarantee that was going to happen.
out of that tux and naked, his cock hard and him coming after So quit worrying about all those things you have no her. She was ready to spread her legs. Her pussy was damp, her business worrying about, and start flirting your ass off woman.
nipples tingling and she thanked the style of the dress for She was hot for some good fucking, and for the love of God, allowing her to be turned on without him knowing it.
she knew Jack would be the one to give it to her. One
"Hungry?" he asked.
absolutely insane weekend where she could act the part of the She damn near choked. Yeah, she was hungry. "Not wanton, free spirited woman and fuck her brains out. Oh, it had really. You?"
been so, so long. She needed this.
"Not at all. But this place is packed. How about some fresh air?"
143
Jaci Burton/ Wild, Wicked & Wanton/Unedited Advance Reading Copy Berkley Heat/May, 2007
"I'd love to get away from this crowd."
"Me either. I hate these events. Only reason I go is
"Good. Let's take a walk outside. I'll show you the because I'm on the board and required to be here."
grounds." He tucked her hand in the crook of his arm and led Walking with him, her arm in his, was so easy. She her through the throng of dancers and onto the carpet.
thought it would be uncomfortable, but it wasn't. They strolled They were met with a wall of gorgeous women, arms through the gardens and Jack led them to a secluded bench in crossed, breasts nearly spilling over the tops of their designer front of a flowing fountain.