A Little Bit Cupid: A Collection of Short Stories

by Lady Boss Press

  At least during the trial, they had behaved themselves. Although, each of them looked like they were ready to murder Doug.

  “Did Adam file the papers?” Logan pulled into Jack’s driveway and punched in the key code. “I know you’re eager to be rid of that man.”

  Logan stopped in front of the house for her to get out before driving around back. Jack ran his business from his own property. He claimed it was the only way he could ensure the security he wanted. Nadine thought it had more to do with the fact that the man hated morning traffic.

  “Mind if I go with you to the office?” She tried to flutter her eyes at her brother. “I’ve never really seen what you guys do.”

  Logan continued driving around the property. “It’s not all that exciting. Mostly we do a lot of talking and theorizing.”

  “Still, it’s all so secretive.” The car stopped and Nadine undid her seatbelt. “I’ve seen everyone else at work, except you.”

  “You sure that’s what it is?” Her brother smiled at her. “Don’t think I haven’t noticed Jack taking more time off these last few months. How he comes in late. Or does the paperwork from the house instead of staying later here.”

  “Are you fishing for information?”

  “Interrogation is not my strength.” He walked around the car and led the way to the office. “Usually, the information I’m looking for can be found with a few clicks on a trackpad.”

  Nadine narrowed her eyes at him. “What?”

  He rolled his eyes. “The mouse on a laptop.”

  Logan entered another key-code and let them both into the office of Jack Ward’s Security Agency.

  Of all the things she expected, she wasn’t expecting a wall full of head and shoulders shots of women. All women who have gone missing. Some had notes underneath that read found. And even more writing that she couldn’t quite make out.

  “Nadine?” Jack walked over and automatically she fell into his embrace. “I heard about the verdict, I know it’s not enough but at least he is off the street.”

  She stepped away and looked around. “So this is where the masterminds work all day.”

  “Pretty much.” His hand rested on her back. “Though we don’t feel like masterminds right now. He pointed around the room.” “That’s Tariq, Drew, Zola, Sienna, and Ben. And of course you know Logan.”

  “And those photographs are of women who…” She knew what they were. She could read. “Are you trying to find them?”

  Jack shook his head. “Some of them have been found; we’re looking to find the monsters who have taken them.”

  “Can I watch?”

  He raised a brow. “Us working? I suppose. But it’s boring as fuck.”

  Logan stepped further into the room, taking a seat at the large round table. “Do we have anything new?”

  Tariq looked over at Logan. “Not really. The best I have is a conversation made about travel arrangements at one of your brother’s benefits galas. I do recognize the voice, but I cannot put a face to it yet.”

  Nadine took a seat on the chair in the corner. On the surface, Jack's team looked pretty ordinary. Physical fitness aside, of course. No one would stand out really. But as a team, working together and feeding off each other, she could see how effective they could be. They back and forthed ideas, teased each other and even insulted each other’s stupidity.

  “Maybe we’re thinking about this all wrong.” Sienna was a tall blonde who wouldn’t be out of place next to Nadine on the runway. “We keep saying we need to think like criminals.”

  Jack narrowed his brows. “I’m listening.”

  Nadine sat forward in her seat a little. If Jack thought the idea had merit, she definitely wanted to hear it.

  “We can’t catch them, because they’re staying under our radar. Look at this room. We know how to stay under the radar. We need to assume they’re thinking like us. Not try to think like them.”

  Jack paced around the room. “They’ll need people who have been disgraced or disgruntled in the past. People who are looking to regain some of their former power or glory. And mostly, people who have a history or disposition for this kind of thing.”

  Tariq shook his head. “You mean we basically have to throw out every theory we have so far.”

  “Back to the drawing board, guys.” Jack walked over to Nadine. “I’m going to take Nadine back to the house and help her pack. Let’s see what you can come up with while I’m gone.”

  He took Nadine’s hand and lead her out of the office.

  She turned to him. “That was fascinating. The way you all work together. I’ve never been part of a team.”

  He gestured for her to walk ahead of him. “Working as a team is the best part of this job. We wouldn’t be nearly as successful as we are, trying to work alone or in partnerships.”

  The walk back to the house was quick, less than two minutes. The brick path grated under her ballet flats and she was all too aware of him behind her.

  She used her key to unlock the front door before Jack deactivated the alarm. He closed the door and she turned to him. “Jack I want to thank you. For opening your home to me and keeping me safe.”

  “You don’t have to thank me.”

  “Yes, I do.” She kept her distance, afraid that she may not be able to keep her distance for much longer. “You never made things awkward or uncomfortable despite being aware of my little crush on you.”

  It was more than that, but she wasn’t prepared to give that much away.

  “Is that what you think is brewing between us?” He stepped closer. “A little crush?”

  She smiled at him and stepped closer. “That’s all it can be. You’ve made it quite clear that you’re not interested.”

  Jack took the final step toward her. He pulled her close, his body hard against hers. So very hard. “Does that feel like I’m not interested?”

  “Jack, don’t tease me.” She shifted against the erection prodding at her stomach. “I don’t think—”

  Jack cupped both his hands on her cheeks and lowered his mouth to hers. The moment his lips touched hers, she melted onto him. Unlike the kiss so many months ago, the kiss was deliberate and intense and filled with promise.

  The promise of what, she wasn’t sure. She groaned and he slipped his tongue into her mouth. He tasted like mint. Like a fresh start and all her fantasies rolled into one. Her fingers tangled into the hair at the back of his neck and groaned as he lifted her, his hands cupping her ass. “Nadine, if you want this to stop, you’ll need to do it now.”

  “I don’t want it to stop,” she said as she swung her legs around his waist. “I want you, Jack.”

  Her words seemed to fuel him as he walked her to his bedroom. She pulled his shirt from his pants and lifted it over his head. The sensations flowing through her were heady and intoxicating. She never thought it could be like that. And they hadn’t even got to the good stuff. Not that the kissing wasn’t good. Kissing Jack Ward was better than any sex she’d ever had. She hadn’t even realized that he’d gotten her top off until she felt the heat of skin against hers. Arousal shot through her and she arched into him, grinding harder against his cock.

  “Lay back,” he said as her set her down on the bed.

  She scooted back and rested her head on a pillow. Jack crawled on top of her, kissing her deeply. He reached a hand behind her to unclasp her bra. “Jack, you’re wearing too many clothes.”

  “Let’s solve that.” He stood and removed his jeans and boxers, while she removed her skirt and panties. Jack stared at her body with such reverence, she couldn’t help but feel sexy. “God, you’re exquisite.”

  He reached over to his bedside drawer and removed a condom before laying his body over hers. His hands roamed over her body while he moved his kisses from her lips to her neck then to her chest. He took one taut nipple into his mouth while his finger lightly brushed over her pussy.

  She lifted her hips, looking for more contact. “You’re teasing me again.”<
br />
  Her chuckled and the sensation ran from her breast all the way down. He inserted one finger inside her while circling her clit with his thumb. She threw back her head, her body just on the edge of release. “More, Jack. Please.”

  A second finger did it. Pushing in and out of her while his thumb exerted even more pressure on her clit. She wrapped her hands around the comforter as the world disappeared around her. She was barely aware of screaming his name as she fell over the edge.

  When she finally opened her eyes, he was already rolling on the condom. “That was the most beautiful thing I have ever witnessed.”

  Lying back over her, he rested his weight on his elbows. He positioned himself at her entrance and slowly pushed in. The sensations as he filled her were almost too much to bear. The emotions were certainly too much to handle. She pushed them aside and grabbed his ass. She bucked her body as he filled her all the way. He groaned and continued to stare at her, not moving.

  “Jack, you need to move.”

  It was all the impetus he needed. His body found a rhythm. Her feet rested on his ass, urging him to go faster, harder. He didn’t hesitate, hitting just the right spot inside her.

  Her nails dug into his shoulders as she clenched around, spurring on his release. The world went white, she screamed his name, he chanted hers. It was beautiful and dirty all rolled into one.

  As they both came down he collapsed next to her. “That was fucking amazing.”

  She smiled and rested her head on his arm. “That’s an understatement.”

  Nadine wasn’t sure how long they lay there coming down from their high. All she knew was the moment tension filled the air around them. “Jack? Do you regret what just happened.”

  He rested his hand on his forearm. “Not at all.” He lifted his hand to her chin, tilting her head up. “If we’re going to stand any kind of chance, you need to be divorced. Free.”

  She smiled. “Well, now that we know what to look forward to, it will make the wait so much sweeter.”

  “Or agonizing.”

  Yeah, he had a point. Waiting through the next ninety days before her divorce was final would be the sweetest form of torture. But she was so sure he would be worth the wait.

  About the Author

  2019 Debut Author, Bailie Hantam, hails from sunny South Africa. She has been writing stories from as early as she can remember. After deciding to take it seriously six years ago she finally hit publish in March 2019. She writes both Contemporary and Paranormal Romance.

  She is blessed to have a very supportive family, who have encouraged her every step of the way. She's a series binger (of both books and screen); a stationary hoarder and an avid reader. When she's not writing you can usually find her curled up next to her two border collies either reading or writing in her journal.

  More Information

  For the latest news, release updates, and character tidbits, subscribe to my Newsletter

  Or join my reader group on Facebook

  You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, or Bookbub

  The Perfect Proposal

  The Perfect Proposal

  by Tracey Jerald

  The Perfect Proposal

  Copyright © 2020 Tracey Jerald

  All Rights Reserved. This book may not be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission from the author. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. All characters and storylines are the property of the author and your support and respect is appreciated. The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

  Chapter One

  David

  New York City pulses with an energy unlike anyplace else I’ve ever experienced. And in the last three years, I feed off the energy. It’s a thrum of electricity that hums through my system from the moment I step outside the door of the Upper West Side condo until the moment I finally close my eyes with the one person I can’t live without in this world cradled at my side. Swinging my leather satchel-like briefcase over my shoulder, I begin enjoying the fourteen minutes from our condo on Seventy-Fourth Street to the New York offices of LLF LLC, despite the cold that’s descended on the city like an arctic blanket in the last several days.

  And I don’t just mean the weather. Frowning, I tuck my head down and plod amid other commuters to get to work on time.

  Three years ago, when working for Wildcard Records, I never would have thought my career would have taken such a drastic turn when the lawyer I worked for resigned from the music giant. I mean, this is the label that signed groups like Small Town Nights and Brendan Blake. Tightening my cashmere scarf to ward off the cold, I remember asking, “Why leave?”

  My boss’s response froze me in place. “The question you should be asking me is whether or not you want to come with me.”

  Tingles of awareness crawled up the back of my neck as if Burke’s nails had just scored my neck. I swallowed with some difficulty. “Do you want me to?” I finally managed to get out.

  With a negligent shrug, as if it ultimately didn’t matter what I decided, Burke dismissed me by turning back to a contract on the desk. “You have two weeks to decide, otherwise I’ll need to post the position to someone else.”

  Even though I kept doing the job I was hired to do for Wildcard and Burke, I was a seething cauldron of emotion. As a senior paralegal with a specialty in rights and clearances, I knew I had a commodity that was difficulty to replicate in my chosen field. I graduated from UCLA with a dual degree in cinematography and fine arts and held a master’s degree in legal studies from Perdue. The more I thought about it, the more infuriated by it I became.

  Turning the corner, I walk down toward our offices near Rockefeller Center. It was late one night, when we were working on a new deal for Elfinie Bischoff that my temper boiled over. Fortunately, we were the last two in our division working when I exploded and set off a chain of events that led to our now.

  Incensed, I yelled, “I drafted sections of those damn contracts, Burke.”

  All I got in return was an arch of her perfectly curved brow and a twitch of amused lips. “And?”

  “And, I think it’s high time you show me some damn appreciation for what I do for you other than a pat on the back,” I demanded hotly. “I deserve some recognition.”

  Slowly, she nodded. “I understand.”

  “Well then?”

  “Meet me downstairs for dinner in thirty minutes. We’ll discuss it then. Right now, I have to finish this contract before they’re ready to finish my exit interview and escort me from the building.”

  Like a slap across the face, I realized it was Burke’s last day and no one did a damn thing to show their appreciation.

  Not even me.

  Feeling selfish and foolish, I started to turn away when Burke’s voice calling out my name stopped me. “Yes?” I answered.

  “Maybe I never said it enough, showed it enough, but I couldn’t do this without you.”

  Such simple words, and they meant everything to me. “Can I turn back the clock on the last few weeks?” I asked quietly.

  My heart shriveled in my chest when she said quietly, “No, but you can meet me downstairs for dinner if you don’t already have plans. Then we’ll talk.”

  The breeze between the skyscrapers picks up, lifting the ends of my scarf off my coat. Turning the corner, I spy the building that houses our office near Rockefeller Plaza. Picking up my pace, I remember the nervous anxiety pulsing through me as I paced the lobby until I heard the sound of footsteps on the polished marble entryway. Burke’s lips were curved as one of the evening security guards walked next to her—likely telling her all about his grandkids, I think with a touch of amusement. For all her sharp, demanding, take-no-prisoner attorney exterior, beneath it is a heart of pure gold that draws people in.

  Like the way she�
��s had my devotion since the day we met because that’s all I could give her while I worked for her at Wildcard. I didn’t know how I was going to handle not having the chance to be near her every day. It was a proverbial punch to the gut that sent bile swirling in my mouth.

  As she slipped her badge over her head—the final act of her employment at Wildcard—I realized I was gutted on every molecular level. And it was made worse when I realized the tiny little sprite was carrying her own carton of personal possessions.

  I approached slowly as they shook hands. As the guard departed, he called over his shoulder, “Come back to see us soon!”

  “I will, Otto!” she called back before she almost rammed into my stomach with the banker’s box. “Umph!”

  Snatching it away, I said heatedly, “Where are you parked?”

  “The garage, but you don’t have to…”

  “Let’s go,” I said brusquely. “Then you can take me to dinner.”

  We ended up at this incredible restaurant with the most decadent desserts I’d ever tasted. I vehemently protested when I wasn’t allowed to pick up the tab. But Burke merely smiled when she handed our server the billfold. “Let me do this for you, David. I was never able to before. Company rules and whatnot.”

  And then I saw it.

  Felt it.

  Fuck, had it been there the whole time buried beneath corporate bureaucracy and HR policies? As Burke’s—Carys’s—delicate fingers moved to pull back, I reacted without a sense of logic. Before I could understand how, they were trapped beneath my own. “How long?” I asked quietly.