Moonlighting

Moonlighting by Kris Eton

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales, is entirely coincidental. Moonlighting COPYRIGHT © 2008 by Kris Eton All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the author or The Wild Rose Press except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews. Contact Information: [email protected] Cover Art by Angela Anderson The Wild Rose Press PO Box 708 Adams Basin, NY 14410-0706 Visit us at www.thewilderroses.com Publishing History First Scarlet Rose Edition, 2008 Published in the United States of America

Review This is a fantasy come to life for any soon to be divorced woman. Hot sex with a handsome caring stranger and even better revenge on the ex. This is a fun and steamy tale that will make anyone reading it smile and appreciate the ironies of life. How to meet the man of your dreams at the mall but in the hottest, steamiest way possible. ~ Lainey, Coffee Time Romance, 4 cups

Chapter One Jack Darrow strolled the aisles of Smith & Smith’s Department Store. He played his flashlight over the white plastic shoulders of a female mannequin wearing a negligee. With most of the lighting turned off for the night, it was easy to mistake the well-dressed mannequins for real people. Nothing to see here. Moonlighting three times a week had its monetary advantages, but was far from the excitement of his day job for the Phoenix Police Department. Ka-thunk. Jack’s heart raced at the sound. He redirected his flashlight to the corner of the lingerie department. The dressing rooms. Someone was in there. With cat feet, he crept closer. He should call Jim, the other security guard on watch, over the radio. Let him know there was an intruder. The store had closed a halfhour ago. There shouldn’t be anyone here. He took a quick peek around the corner. A brunette in a slinky, sexy gown turned around in front of a full length mirror and snipped off a tag with a small pair of scissors. A shoplifter. She looked easy enough to handle. No reason to notify Jim. He could do this one on his own. Jack stepped out of the shadows. “I’m sorry, miss, you’re going to have to take off that dress.” The brunette jumped and looked at Jack with big blue Bambi eyes. “Excuse me?” Why’d she have to be so drop dead gorgeous? He was just doing his job, minding his own business, and here she was—luscious and lovely with her shoulders bare and a stubborn curl of hair tucked behind one ear. But it shouldn’t matter if she was the most beautiful woman on the face of the earth, she was a shoplifter, and he had to stop her. “The dress. It doesn’t belong to you. I’ll need you to take it off.” 1

Kris Eton “What?” She looked down at the scissors and the cutoff tag in her hand. “Oh my God, it’s not what it looks like. They put the tag so close to the zipper, I couldn’t zip it up, and I think it was the last one on the rack...” The curvy bombshell took a step away from him and moved toward a far stall in the dressing room. “I don’t think you want me to take it off for you.” Although the thought was awfully tempting. It was late, no one was around. If this were a different situation he might have a full-blown hard on by now and the possibility of some incredible sex in the next few minutes. But he was the security guard and she was the thief. Nothing to this scenario but a call to his buddies down at the station and a four-page incident report to fill out. She narrowed her eyes at him, like she was considering her options. Clearly, she figured out she didn’t have many. “All right. All right. Can I have some privacy, please?” He pointed to the door only a few steps behind her. “The last dressing room. Now.” “But my clothes are over—” She started to point but caught herself. She seemed to be keeping the dress in place with only one hand. To keep his eyes off her ample breasts was difficult when they were barely concealed by a tight swatch of silk plastered to her chest. “I don’t care. Just take off that dress now. I’ll see about finding your things.” “This is all a big mistake.” She gave him the biggest, sweetest smile—one that could melt a man’s resistance, including his. “I thought the store was open until nine.” “It’s a holiday, miss. We close early today. Seven o’clock on the nose—and I wasn’t planning on any overtime. Take off the dress. A squad car will be here in a bit to take you downtown.” “What? It’s only...” She looked at her watch. “Seventhirty-six. I made a mistake. That’s all. I’m no shoplifter.” She tugged at the front of the dress with one hand, but it didn’t stop the downward progression of the neckline. In fact, it dipped dangerously low. “I tell you, I was here for the sale. That’s it.” Jack had to look away. His resolve weakened each time the dress slipped a little further and revealed more 2

Moonlighting skin. He pointed up at the speaker in the corner of the room. “Didn’t you hear? They always make an announcement ten minutes before closing, and we do a sweep just before lock up. How did you really get in here?” “The loudspeaker must be broken. I never heard anything. I swear.” She bit her lip. “I’ve been here the whole time. I didn’t sneak in, I walked in, like everyone else. Whoever did the checking must have done a halfassed job.” She was quite the actress. She had panic stricken down pat. “We’ll straighten all this out later…with the police.” Too bad they didn’t meet somewhere else. Might’ve been different. But he had to do his job. No matter how attracted he was to her, she was stealing. When he had decided to take the job, he had thought it would be boring. Boy, had he been wrong. He’d have quite a story to tell on patrol tomorrow with his partner, Mac. “You don’t understand. I can’t go to jail.” She trembled. Her face was as white as a sheet. Was that a hint of fear he heard in her voice? “I can’t stay the night in jail.” “They’ll let you call someone to bail you out.” “I don’t have anyone to call.” Tears welled up in her eyes. He wanted to pull her into his arms, comfort her. But he was the security guard. He had to be hard. Unmoving. No matter what her sob story was. “How could you not have someone to call? Everyone’s got someone to call.” “Jack—that’s your name, right?” She pointed at his nametag. He said nothing. As her luscious lips formed his name, he wondered what it must be like to kiss them… “I’m Kara. Kara Hadley.” “Lovely.” Get it together, Jack! Think of ice water—a tub of ice water. “Nice to meet you, Ms. Hadley.” “You can call me Kara.” He closed his eyes for a moment. Why was she making this harder? Didn’t she know it was all he could do to keep his hands at his sides and off her tempting curves? Yeah, she probably did know. She probably knew he was a sucker for big blue eyes and a sad story, and she 3

Kris Eton would try to use them to get out of her predicament. “And why would I want to do that?” “Because I asked you to. Because I hate being called by my last name.” “Nothing wrong with your last name.” Nothing wrong with any part of her, as far as he could see. “It’s not mine. I’m getting rid of it tomorrow.” Her hand gripped the edge of the dress more tightly. “You see, that’s why I can’t be in jail tonight. The only person I can call to come get me in this town is my ex, and I’m not going to call for his help.” She bit her lip again, determination clear in her eyes. “No fucking way.” “That isn’t my problem.” Best if he kept this as professional as possible. “Look, I’m just doing my job. That’s all. I don’t mean to ruin your day, but can’t you see how you’re ruining mine? I had a nice, quiet evening all planned, and then I had to find you trying to steal an evening dress.” Yes, a nice quiet evening that did not entail jacking off in the men’s room to get some relief, which was what he’d end up doing if he didn’t get her out of here and into police custody as quickly as possible. “It’s not an evening dress. It was going to be my last hurrah.” “Excuse me? Your last what?” “My last hurrah. I just got paid on Friday, and I was going to blow it all on the sexiest dress I could find. And I was going to wear it tomorrow to court when my divorce was finalized.” “I thought you said you had an ex.” “Well, an almost ex. I mean, it’s less than twenty-four hours before the court date. Close enough, right? Anyway, I was going to make a grand entrance. Have his tongue hanging on the floor. Make him regret sleeping around behind my back.” He scanned her slowly from her red painted toenails, over her well-rounded curves, to her beautiful face with those large blue eyes and perfect, pouting mouth. “I think you did it.” “Did what?” “Found the right dress.” “You think so?” She turned sideways to look at herself in the long mirror on the wall behind her. 4

Moonlighting God, her ass was as perfect as the rest of her. This was so unfair. He cleared his throat. “Um, yeah.” “I thought so, too, but I think it’s a size too small.” She turned, showing him where the side zipper was undone, her soft skin peeking through the opening. His eyes riveted on that little patch of skin. Sliding his gaze from the open zipper, he took in the sight of her breasts, ready to pop out of the low-cut dress. The air conditioning did wonders for her nipples—at least from his perspective. Their raised points poked against the flimsy material. Why did she have to be the goddamn hottest shoplifter he’d ever encountered? “I think it fits just fine.” Under his gaze, she blushed bright pink. “Anyway, I wanted to try zipping it up first. I don’t think there’s a larger size out on the rack, and this one’s a bargain.” She must have forgotten her left hand was pretty much the only thing holding up her dress because she raised both hands in an expressive gesture, and the unzipped portion flapped open, exposing one rosy, well-formed breast. His cock rose at the sight of her breast with its nipple tightened into a bud. “Oh, God!” She instantly slapped her hand against her bare breast, covering it from his gaze. She looked up at him, her face aflame, and hiked the dress back in place. Damn. His hands itched to touch her—cup that breast and tease the nipple tighter and tighter until she moaned in pleasure. She cleared her throat. “Did I mention my ex is a jackass who cheated on me with my best friend? One other reason I have no one to call from jail.” “Jail?” “You said I was going to jail.” “Um, yeah. That’s right.” His fantasy evaporated. “I gotta call the station.” “Isn’t there any way I can convince you that it’s all a big mistake? I’ve got cash in my purse. Down there.” She nodded her head. “The last changing stall. You can check. I was going to pay for this, I swear it.” Jack looked over his shoulder. The door to the last stall was open. A large black shoulder bag sat on a chair, and on the wall…God, on the wall, hanging on the hooks 5

Kris Eton was a bra and a matching black thong. She was completely naked under that fucking hot dress. Just the thought made his dick harden with a painfully delicious throb. He looked back at her, and she bit her lip. He wanted to fully unzip that tight, more-than-form-fitting dress and slide it down her gorgeous body, inch by inch. And then… What was he thinking? He didn’t have wild fantasies about complete strangers. At least, not since high school when he couldn’t keep his mind off of sex for more than ten seconds. He was thirty now. A man. A man who could keep his dick in his pants even if the most beautiful woman he had ever seen stood half naked in front of him. “You need to get out of that dress,” he whispered, his voice cracking. “Now.” More for the sake of his own sanity than anything else. He imagined that exposed breast with the hardened nipple, and he ached to touch it. Knead it gently and watch her eyes soften with desire. Then, he would take it into his mouth and stroke it with his tongue. Sucking it until she squirmed, until she grew wet for him. Her gaze scanned his face for just a moment, and then lowered to rest on his mouth. He knew that look. His body tensed in anticipation. She was thinking about kissing him.

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Chapter Two “I’ll take off the dress,” Kara said, watching desire fill the attractive security guard’s eyes. “If you get me my clothes.” She couldn’t believe what was happening. All she had wanted to do was stop and buy a dress—a skimpy, sexy dress to make Ben feel like a complete idiot for cheating on her. Now, she found herself with an incredibly hot stranger while she stood half naked in an empty dressing room. This is not something that happened to Kara Hadley, top insurance salesperson in her district. Kara Hadley spent her evenings watching the news, shopping online, or reading the latest statistical analysis report from the head office. She did not spend the evening stuffed into a sexy outfit with no underwear on, contemplating what the security guard’s hard body would feel like pressed up against hers. “How do I know you don’t have a weapon concealed under there?” He jerked his chin toward her. “If you think I could fit a gun or a knife in this dress, you must think I’m Houdini.” She sensed a shift in their conversation. What started out as a serious encounter between guard and possible thief had changed to something else. His voice was teasing, hers was slightly breathless. “I think I should check, just to be sure. I wouldn’t want to find out you’re lying to me. Might make for a painful surprise.” For a moment, she imagined she was a character in one of those soft-core porn flicks they showed late at night on cable. She wanted him to slip his hands beneath the zipper of her dress, slide it down her body, and kiss her everywhere with those sensuous lips. Her knees trembled at the thought. He knew she was naked under the dress. She saw his reaction when he looked back at the dressing 7

Kris Eton room where she had left her things. What was she thinking? She was about to end a bad marriage to a man who cheated on her, and she was lusting after a stranger? A stranger who thought she was a shoplifter? But Jack was gorgeous. He had a lean but tightly muscular body, smoldering brown eyes, and a mouth just made for kissing. Any woman in her position would probably feel the same way. Right? This was pure and utter lust for a man with a hardon that he tried his hardest to conceal. And what was wrong with a little lust? Being faithful to her husband and having a pretty sedate dating history had gotten her nowhere. She’d ended up in a loveless marriage with a jerk who screwed her friend because he said Kara was too cold. A cold fish for a wife. That’s what he had told her the last meeting at the lawyer’s. Cold fish, my ass. “Frisk me all you want, officer.” She emphasized the last word by giving him a smoky look. She’d show Ben. She’d have a fling. A one night stand. With a hot security guard who thought she was a shoplifter. And if he took her to jail, at least she could throw it in Ben’s face when he came to bail her out. Yes, she wanted love bites all over her neck, sex-tousled hair, and the smell of sex all over her when he came to pick her up in the morning. For, of course, Ben would make her wait until morning to get her out of jail. She stepped toward Jack, took a deep breath to rustle up some courage, and let her hands fall to her sides. The neckline of the dress drooped to her waist, but this time, instead of rushing to cover her nakedness, she just stood there. Let’s see if Jack can resist acting on that hard-on now. He sucked in his breath. His first step toward her was hesitant, but then she gave him a look that told him she wanted him just as much as he wanted her. He smiled a slow half-smile there in the darkened dressing room and stepped closer. He slid one hand behind her nape, and the other gently cupped her jaw. Her breath caught in her throat, 8

Moonlighting and she closed her eyes, waiting for the kiss that would come. His lips were as gentle as a feather brushing across hers—teasing, tasting. The tip of his tongue grazed across her lips, seeking entrance. A fire ignited low in her belly, and she opened her mouth to his. When he slipped his tongue into her mouth, her whole body zinged to life. Need coursed through her in an unexpected rush of warmth and wetness to her pussy, and she grabbed at his uniform shirt to pull him closer. Her naked breasts rubbed against the rough material, and he growled into her mouth. The kiss intensified into something primitive. He shoved her up against the wall, grabbed her upper arms, and pinned them down. The heat between them was searing. Like nothing she’d ever experienced with Ben. She didn’t know a kiss could be so all-consuming. As necessary as the air she breathed. Then he broke away from her. Her breathing came in gasps, and an emptiness clawed inside her. Their eyes locked for a moment. She leaned forward to capture his mouth in another kiss, but he had other plans. “Turn around,” he whispered with a dark intensity. She hesitated for a split second. She wanted his mouth on hers. More of the burning and the passion. Her gaze slid to his mouth, and she tipped her head toward his. His mouth descended on hers once more, hot and wet. Another fiery kiss before she would comply. His grip on her arms loosened. The kiss ended gently this time. She gave him a slight smile. “Yes, officer.” She turned to face the full-length mirror on the wall behind her. She studied her reflection, her hair already a mess, her cheeks pink with heat, her breasts exposed with the nipples tightened into points. She was a regular harlot, and she liked it. It felt good to let go, do something wild, and forget all her problems for just one night. “Put your hands on the wall.” His warm breath tickled the back of her neck. Her abdominal muscles clenched at the breathy caress. Her heart sped up, beating as if she were a wild rabbit cornered by a hawk. “Yes, officer.” She wet her lips 9

Kris Eton and put both hands on either side of the mirror in front of her. “Spread your legs.” Her pussy lips, wet with desire, spread just as easily as her legs. She imagined his hard cock, hidden beneath his uniform pants, fucking her. In and out. In and out. Penetrating her slickness. She closed her eyes and waited. His first touch was hesitant, along the right side of her body, still partially covered by the dress. He ran his hand from just under her arm down to her hip, pushing down the fabric. Pausing on her rounded curve, his fingers gripped her for a second then released. His palm glided lightly across her ass, then slid up the other side of her, where the zipper was unzipped. Instead of continuing up the side of her body, his hand stopped in the gap, touching her bare skin. Goosebumps rose up on her flesh. She willed his fingers to cup her tingling breast, to pinch her already hard nipple. His fingers did move forward, under the fabric, to rest just under her breast. He stroked the soft, tender skin he found there. Kara thought she would go mad. Her nipples zinged with need, and cool air drifted up under the skirt of the dress buffeting the wet, engorged flesh of her pussy. She wanted to scream. Just touch me! Touch me! He cupped her breast, squeezed it, and then pinched her hardened nipple. Her pussy quivered. Warmth and wetness surged out of her. She’d never been so wild with desire, so needy for a dick inside her, as she was at this moment. His fingers slid away, and she groaned in frustration. She looked up at him in the mirror and saw brown eyes darkened with lust. Catching her eye, he smiled, a lazy, sexy smile that promised she wouldn’t leave tonight unfulfilled. “Take off the dress, Kara.” Trembling, she slid the dress down to reveal the rest of her body. “Spread your legs wider.” He lifted a wisp of hair off her neck and kissed her there. A tremble went through her at the soft touch of his mouth on her skin. She widened her stance and waited. 10

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Chapter Three Jack looked at Kara in the mirror. She was now almost nude, revealing her sweet, rounded flesh with nipples hard as ripe cherries. As much as he wanted to go back to caressing her breasts, something told him to take his time, drive her wild, make her remember this night. Two strangers in an almost-empty store. Not his style, but he was at the point of no return. He wanted her and wanted her bad. How in the hell did he get so lucky? He stroked his hand down her exposed back, her skin soft to the touch. She shivered, and he leaned forward to kiss her shoulder. Her ragged sigh sent him over the edge. He should be at home watching the game, not here in this store with this sexy, hot woman. Their scorching kiss almost made him come in his pants. And her breasts? They were as soft and supple as satin and the perfect size for his hands. He could spend all night touching and teasing them. She spread her legs even further apart as he had instructed. He could smell the musky scent of her sex, and it drove him to distraction. He imagined how hot, tight her pussy must be. How good it would feel gripping his cock. He took a breath, held it, and tried to slow himself down. If he didn’t, he’d probably orgasm right here. He knelt down, put one hand on each side of her left ankle, and slid his hand up her leg and under her dress. Her skin was like silk, smooth and soft. She sighed softly, and he bit his lip at the sound. His hands crept past her knees, up her thighs, and stopped short of the damp heat he knew waited for him. “Nothing on this side,” he said with a rumble. “How about the other?” He circled his hands around her right ankle, sliding up her leg as before. Kara braced her arms against the wall on either side of the mirror, her breathing rapid and 11

Kris Eton shallow. Everything about her was soft. Delectable. Irresistible. His cock hardened even more, pressing against his pants. As his hands slid up her inner thigh and closer to her heated core, she moaned. “Oh, God. Touch me before I go crazy. I can’t stand it anymore.” Spurred on by her begging, he slipped a hand between her legs and into the molten dampness of her pussy. “Oh, God, are you wet.” She was drenched in moisture, her pussy lips engorged and throbbing against his fingers. It was almost more than he could stand. He stroked her softly. “How does this feel, Kara? Do you want more?” “Oh, yes, yes, yes.” She gyrated. Finding the bud of her clit, he pressed a thumb against it. She groaned and rubbed her pussy against his hand. She felt so good. So hot. He slid the finger of his other hand inside her, stroking the wet, swollen walls. He imagined his dick thrusting in and out of her cunt. Fucking her from behind. He added a second and then a third finger to her vagina. His thumb worked at her clit, the bud growing in size, engorging with blood. The smell of her sex was intoxicating, urging him on. He kissed her perfect buttocks and worked his way downward. When he reached her pussy, he pulled his fingers away and slid his tongue into the moist warmth of her. She groaned at the first touch of his tongue. Licking and laving her clit, he savored the salty tang of her sex. He slipped two fingers back into her vagina. God, she was dripping. All for him, he thought, while continuing to fuck her with his fingers and lick her with his tongue. Never had a woman tasted so good. When the inner muscles of her pussy tightened on his fingers, he knew she was close to orgasm. In a rush, he withdrew. As much as he wanted her to climax, it would be so much better to take her to the brink, back off, and then give her the release she craved. “What? What are you doing?” she cried out. “That felt so good. Don’t stop now.” 12

Moonlighting Oh, my God. Kara had never been so hot for a man in her life. The side of her face was pressed against the mirror glass. It was cool against her heated skin. She was so wet. So ready. And that thing he did with his thumb on her clit—a little bit of pressure and the softest circular rubbing motion. Then, when he licked her, it was almost too much to bear. His tongue on her clit was a staccato beat of pure erotic pleasure. She had been on track for an earth-shattering orgasm when he pulled away. Her body shuddered at the loss of stimulation. Each nerve in her body tingled in anticipation for the sexual release that was sure to come. If he was this good at finger fucking, she could just imagine the real thing. Her knees trembled at the thought. “Turn around.” Jack rubbed his palm across the soft curve of her ass. “I want to see you.” The intensity of his feelings surprised him. It was as if a switch had been flipped on inside him. A switch that had long lay dormant, waiting for the right woman to turn it on. But now that Kara had turned it on, he wasn’t sure if he could ever imagine turning it off. With a sigh, she turned away from the mirror and faced him. He wanted to kiss those full, beautiful lips again, caress those perfect breasts, and feel her wet warmth surround his cock. Most sexual encounters in his life had been very planned, very organized. After the third date was his usual routine, a glass or two of wine back at his apartment, a few minutes of making out on the sofa, and then a move to the bedroom, condoms waiting in the top drawer. This was completely different. Out of the ordinary. But more spectacular than he could have imagined. He hardly knew anything about this woman. Just that she was getting a divorce tomorrow, she more than likely was not a shoplifter, and she was the most beautiful woman on the planet. They were complete strangers who would never meet again. At least, he didn’t think so. With her uptown hairstyle and expensive silk underwear, she didn’t seem like the type who would be comfortable at Barney’s Pub down the street from the station. She looked like the kind 13

Kris Eton of woman who probably dated Ivy League types with high paying jobs and hand-tailored suits. Which was too bad. He looked up at her. “You’re perfect,” he whispered, hardly even aware the words escaped his lips. “I am?” As he stood up, he pulled the dress down her body. Then kissed her thighs, her stomach, each nipple, savoring the sweetness of her skin. “More than perfect.” She sighed under his kisses. “Can someone be ‘more than perfect’?” “Must be.” He unbuttoned his shirt. One of them had on too many clothes. He needed to change that. “Here, let me help you.” She reached for his belt buckle. The feel of her fingers just above his hard-as-a-rock cock was more than he could stand. His pants fell away, and her hand slipped beneath the waistband of his boxers. A tent pole of an erection greeted her. “Well, what have we here?” She curved her fingers around his shaft, and he trembled at the control she had over him. Shirt still half on, he stopped undoing buttons and reached for her. Their mouths met in a volcanic kiss. He devoured her like a long lost lover. The kiss deepened, tongues entwined. He couldn’t get enough of her. The sweet taste of her mouth drove him mad. Her hand let go of his cock, and he made a noise of disappointment. But that allowed him to pull her closer. Naked skin to naked skin. She would be his, and he wasn’t going to let her go. If he had his way, this would be a night neither of them would ever forget. And it wouldn’t be the last.

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Chapter Four When Jack dropped his pants and Kara fisted his cock in her hand, she imagined its rigid length impaling her again and again. Her tongue mimicked the act, stabbing playfully into his mouth over and over again. But since he was so much into teasing… She pulled her mouth off his and stared into those goddamn sexy eyes. In the dim light of the dressing room, they were almost black. “What?” he asked her in a whisper rumbling with desire. “Just stay there.” Gently, she poked him in the chest with her index finger and then gave him a quick kiss on the lips. She knelt on the floor in front of him, her mouth at eye level with his rock hard cock. A drop of pre-cum glistened on the tip. She wanted to take him to the brink, just like he had taken her. This was something she never would have done with Ben. He always had made her feel less than adequate in the bedroom. But today, she was reborn. Every nerve ending was alive. She felt beautiful, desired, sexy. Her mouth enveloped the hot length of his penis. “Oh, God, what are you doing to me?” he cried out. He rested his hands on her head. To hear those words made her feel powerful. Jack was a strong, muscular guy, and she brought him under her control just with her mouth on his cock. The need to increase his pleasure grew stronger. She swirled her tongue around the head of his penis and then sucked, bringing him deeper into her mouth. Encouraged by his groans, she gripped his bare ass and deep throated him. His buttocks tensed. Picking up the pace, she slid him in and out of her mouth. “I’m going to come,” Jack moaned. “Oh, God! Oh, God!” 15

Kris Eton She sensed a rigidity in his body. He was almost there. She sucked hard on his erection, enjoying each moan, each animal thrust. He let out a final cry, and a hot jet of ejaculate shot down her throat. Salty and tasting of him. He grunted and then let out a huge breath. “Fuck! What are you doing to me?” His hands fisted in her hair. She released him from her mouth and greedily licked the remaining drops of cum from the tip of his penis. A burst of sexual energy erupted from her. She had never felt more beautiful or more powerful in her life. She grabbed him by the hand and pulled him with her to the floor of the dressing room. She spread her legs wide for him, and he nestled himself between them. Their mouths met in a hard, burning kiss. His dick grew hard again—a solid heat against her thigh. He grabbed her hair in one hand and twisted it in his fingers. His other hand tweaked a nipple. “Tell me you have a condom,” she whispered when she broke off their kiss. Shit! Jack had almost forgotten. He’d never had a woman get him so hot, so fast that he would forget something like that. Fumbling for his discarded uniform pants, he pulled out his wallet. Her cunt pressed against his dick, and he tried to think of something else— anything else—besides her open legs and the invitation to fuck her senseless. Please let there be one in here. Please. He fiddled with the flaps of his wallet, tossing credit cards and business cards to the floor. His fingers touched the familiar shape of a condom wrapper, and he sighed in relief. “Got it!” He put the wrapper between his teeth and ripped it open with one hand. The other hand kept him inches above her prone, naked form. “Way to be prepared, officer,” she said, her voice a sensual whisper. He knelt back from her body, slipped the condom over his painfully erect penis, and then pressed himself against her. He captured her lips for another deep kiss, their tongues dueling. Her moans and heavy breathing drove 16

Moonlighting him wild. Lifting his hips slightly, he touched the tip of his cock to her dripping vagina. One roll of her hips, and he plunged into her. It was like coming home. His cock, encased in heat and slickness, made him fall into an animal rhythm. He pumped into her, his thrusts deep and long. Her satisfied sighs pushed him over the edge, and his buttocks tensed as his desire ran out of control. “Yes, yes,” Kara moaned, her fingers grabbing his biceps. “God, that feels so good. Don’t stop. Don’t stop.” Her words kept him on track, and he held back the orgasm that threatened to overtake him. One last moan rose out of her perfect, pink lips. Then, it turned from a moan into a scream. “Oh, God!” Her hips bucked beneath him, and he knew she had climaxed. A few more deep thrusts, and he was lost in his own sexual release. The most fucking amazing orgasm of his life. He collapsed on top of her, and then rolled to one side, pulling her soft body up next to him. He wished they were back at his apartment, not here on the dressing room floor. A thought as cold as ice water jolted him back to reality. How would she ever believe this was not his usual M.O. when it came to women? He’d never done something like this in his life. He finally found a woman worth keeping, and they’d fucked on the floor in the middle of a department store. Not exactly the best way to woo a girl. He couldn’t let her slip through his fingers.

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Chapter Five “I can’t believe I did that,” Kara said, breathless. The floor of the dressing room suddenly felt as hard as rock. She shifted under his weight. Although her body was loose and relaxed, her mind was going a million miles a minute. What had she been thinking? She didn’t know this guy from Adam. How could she have let herself lose control so easily? “I’m glad you did.” Jack smiled down at her. He traced a finger around the edges of her mouth, and then kissed her lightly. “That husband of yours was crazy for cheating on you.” When Jack mentioned her soon-to-be ex, the full impact of what she had done dawned on her. When Ben cheated on her, she’d vowed to keep men out of her life for good. They were nothing but sex-crazed beings who treated women like crap. Just because she just had her first orgasm in years didn’t mean Jack, a virtual stranger, was any different than Ben. How could she have been so stupid to let herself get so carried away? Pulling away from him, she sat up. “I have to go. I can’t stay. You—we—this isn’t me. This isn’t the kind of person I am.” Grabbing the crumpled dress lying the on the floor next to her, she covered her naked torso. “Wait,” he said, reaching for her. She slipped out from underneath his body. His hand touched her arm, like he wanted her to stay there, but she just couldn’t. “Am I still going to jail?” “What?” He shook his head at her. “It was a misunderstanding. You didn’t do anything wrong. I get that. Of course I’m not arresting you.” “I need my clothes.” Kara stood up and rubbed her arms. The air conditioning was too cool on her naked body. “Could you turn around?” “Hey, slow down.” Jack was on his knees now, putting on his uniform shirt. “Let’s talk for a minute. 18

Moonlighting Where are you going?” “Slow down? If you’re not arresting me, I just want to get dressed and go home.” Though the words came out of her mouth, she could hardly believe how callous she sounded. “Isn’t that how it usually works—quid pro quo?” “Quid pro what? Do you think I’m some kind of jerk? You think I just was looking for a piece of ass?” “Yes.” She pushed past him and slipped into the dressing room where she left her clothes. “Well, you’re wrong,” he called after her. “I’m not that kind of guy. In fact, nothing like this has ever happened to me before. It was just that you were…I couldn’t help myself. There was that dress, and you’re so beautiful…” She snorted. “Isn’t that what you all say?” Of course, she was somehow special. Yeah, baby, she made me so hot, Ben had said about Kathy, her best friend and his new lover. Kathy came on to me. She had this tight little dress on, I couldn’t help myself. What a liar Ben had been, and now Jack was using the same words on her. Men were all the same. “What? What are you talking about?” “I should have just let you take me to jail.” She thrust her head into the neck of her sweater and pulled it down with a jerk. “Hold on a second.” She could hear him right behind the closed door of the dressing room. Underneath it, she saw his feet and the cuffed edges of his uniform pants. At least he was dressed. “I want to see you again.” “I’ll bet you do.” With regret coursing through her, she stepped into her jeans and jammed her feet into her boots. She caught a glance at herself in the mirror. Her hair was a tangled mess, her lipstick smeared on one side of her mouth, but there was an unmistakable deep satisfaction in her eyes. When had she last looked like that? She might regret the sex that just took place between them, but it sure did wonders for eradicating all the stress that had taken over her life recently. “Kara,” he began, his voice quieter now. “Kara, please don’t think I’m some kind of jerk. Please.” The sound of radio static broke the quiet. “Jack? Where are you? You should have finished your rounds ten minutes ago. Everything okay?” 19

Kris Eton Jack swore under his breath. There was a click. “Everything’s fine, Jim. I have to escort a customer out.” “What?” the voice asked. “A customer. I have to escort her out. She got stuck in here by accident.” The man on the other end of the radio gave a guffaw. “It’s not one of those old ladies from the nursing home, is it? God, you’d think they’d keep a better eye on them when they bring ‘em to the mall.” “Yeah, a lady from the nursing home.” “You want me to call ‘em? Never had one stay past closing, but we’ve dealt with these guys before.” “Nah, you don’t need to call. I got it.” “All right, partner.” “Now I’m an old lady?” Kara fumed. She ran her fingers through her tousled brown curls. How did she go from a quick shopping trip at the mall to this? It had never been her intention to get into a relationship so soon after her break with Ben, and now she was tangled up in some strange one-night stand. It was a nightmare she wished she could wake up from. “What did you want me to tell him?” “I don’t know. Oh, forget it. I just want to get out of here.” She pulled open the dressing room door. Jack stood right in front of her. It was hard not to react to those deep brown eyes—the eyes that only a few minutes ago burned with desire for her. “Don’t look at me like that,” she said. A shiver ran down her back at the memory of his cock inside of her, pounding into her with such force, giving her the most incredible orgasm of her life. “Like what?” He tucked his shirt into his pants, pulling the fabric taut against his muscular chest. “Just don’t look at me, okay?” The smell of sex still hung heavy in the air. Her body reacted involuntarily to the odor and the sight of him. There was a low, slow throbbing in her clit. She squeezed her thighs together. Dammit, she didn’t want to be so turned on by him. Men couldn’t commit. Men couldn’t be faithful. Her mother had warned her. Kara’s father had been just like Ben. Why didn’t she listen? “All right.” 20

Moonlighting “How do I get out of this place?” The sooner she was away from him, the sooner she could forget her attraction for this man. “I’ll have to take you to the employee entrance in the back of the store.” “Oh, no, you’re not taking me anywhere.” She clutched her purse close to her side, as if that would protect her from further contact with him. “I have to. I’m the one who has the keys, remember?” He held up a large metal ring filled with keys of all shapes and sizes. “Fine.” At least Jack was respecting her need for some distance. She could give him that much. “Can we go, please?” “Follow me.” He led her through the women’s department back toward the customer service desk. She couldn’t help but watch his well-formed backside as they made their way through the darkened store. Why did he have to have such a fine ass? “So what are you going to wear tomorrow instead?” “What?” She was so distracted by his rear, she tuned him out. “Tomorrow, for the court hearing. You said you were here to buy a dress.” “Guess I’ll just have to find something in my closet.” “I think he probably regrets it.” “Who regrets what?” “Your soon-to-be-ex,” he said. “I think he regrets fooling around with your friend.” “Why would you say that?” She was nothing more than a good fuck. She’d be gone in minutes. Why couldn’t he just stop talking, stop pretending he cared. “You don’t know anything about him…or about me.” “You seem pretty honest. Sounds like you took your marriage vows seriously. He really betrayed your trust.” He cleared his throat and then asked quietly, “If he asked, do you think you could forgive him?” “I don’t want him back, if that’s what you’re asking.” Of course another guy would ask a question like that. Jack probably wondered why it was so terrible for Ben to sleep around. He’d use that same excuse of Ben’s—men 21

Kris Eton were built for cheating. They were wired differently than women. They couldn’t help but have sex with any willing woman who crossed their path, vows and commitments be damned. “How could you even ask me that?” Outrage grew inside her like a cancer. “You know how long this has been going on? This humiliation? I thought, at first, we could work through it. I begged him to go into counseling with me. But you know what he did? He showed up for the first appointment drunk and smelling like her.” “I never said you wanted him back. He doesn’t deserve you. But I just wanted to know if you’ve forgiven him.” She stopped in her tracks. They were a few feet from the employee entrance. He turned to look at her, and there was something in those brown eyes of his. Concern? She thought back to that moment in the dressing room, when he caressed her so gently. How he brought her to climax, not because she asked, but because he had seemed to enjoy her satisfaction. Just like she had enjoyed hearing him come. But that couldn’t be… “Why do you care? What does it matter to you?” It was easier to push him away than to deal with the new and frightening emotions inside her. To think that this stranger could care for her more than her own husband had. “You got what you wanted—a good fuck. So why can’t you just drop this…this whole caring routine. You don’t have to be nice to me just to make yourself feel better about what happened back there.” “I’m not just being nice.” He reached out a hand to tuck a loose curl of hair behind her ear. She pulled away from his touch. She didn’t want to be drawn into him again, to lose control again. “I’m sorry you think I only was interested in sex. Yeah, I’ll admit, that was the hottest…” He trailed off, probably because he saw the discomfort it caused her to talk about it. “It’s not just about the sex, Kara. Your ex, your past, I kinda wanted to show you how wrong he was for letting you go. He shouldn’t have hurt you like that. Not all men are pigs.” There was a long moment of silence. She didn’t know what to say. A stranger cared more for her feelings than 22

Moonlighting her own husband had. It was so tempting to let him inside, to tell him how hurt she had been for so long, and how good he had made her feel. Even if it was only going to be this one time. “So, do you have the key for this thing or what?” She pointed at the door behind him. What a wimp she was. He was standing there, handing her a chance at his heart, and she couldn’t reach out and take it. The look in his eyes said, take a chance on me, trust me. But she just couldn’t… He sighed. “Right here.” He held up the key and turned to unlock the door. The minute the door opened, she brushed past him and made her way into the parking lot. “It was—well, it was what it was, right?” She stretched out her hand to him, wanting to end things in a pleasant way. He looked down at her hand and then put his hands in his pockets. An injured look passed across his face. “Can I walk you to your car?” “I think it’s better if I just go, don’t you?” She pulled her hand away. “If that’s what you want—” “It is.” She nodded her head at him and turned to leave, feeling a tug of loss. “My name’s Jack Darrow. My number’s in the book. If you ever need anything, just call.” She fished blindly in her purse for her keys, the tears starting to flow. To turn around now and let him see how much it hurt to walk away would solve nothing. She needed to learn how to stand on her own two feet. How to take control of her life and depend only on herself. Not ask for a stranger’s sympathies. The familiar beep of her car’s security system cleared her head. It was time to go home, get some sleep, and figure out a way to forget Jack. Tomorrow was a big day for her. The day she would be free from Ben. She didn’t need to be distracted by a mistake. But as she pulled out of the parking lot, her mind wandered to his fingers playing with her pussy, bringing her to climax, and making her feel like a desirable woman again. 23

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Chapter Six After Jack watched Kara drive away, he let the door to the employee entrance bang shut behind him. What the hell was he thinking? Every word out of his mouth only seemed to hurt her more, drive her further away. He wished he could start over, go back to that first moment he found her in the dressing room. Everything had gotten so heated so quickly, there had just been no time to think. No time to consider the consequences. Of course she wouldn’t trust him. When did sex do anything but complicate things? But, God, she’d been so hot for him. So wild. His dick started to harden at the recent memory of her soft wetness caressing him. “Stop it, Jack.” He slammed the flat of his hand against the wall and wished he could take a cold shower. He’d screwed it up good. It’s not like he had a chance in hell to be with her again. He reflected on what she told him about her husband. What a jerk he had been to her. How could anyone treat a woman like that, much less a woman like Kara? No wonder she didn’t believe anything he told her. “Hey, Jack, you there?” The radio crackled to life on his hip. He slid it out of the holster. “Yeah.” He leaned against the wall next to the door feeling defeated. “Didja get that lady out of here?” Jack’s mind flashed to the last image he had of Kara as she crossed through the well-lit parking lot to her car. “Yeah, she’s gone.” “I made a fresh pot while you were dicking around. Want some?” He headed toward the security office at the other end of the building. “Heck yeah. Hope you made it stronger this time.” “What am I? Your maid, Darrow?” Jim laughed at his 24

Moonlighting own dumb joke. “You can make your own fucking coffee next time.” “I’ll be there in five.” Jack slipped the radio back into its holster. It was going to be a long night. Lots of time to reflect on where he went wrong. Too much time. **** Jack wheeled his sedan around the speed bumps in the mall parking lot. Although his shift ended at 6 a.m., he always took a last drive around before heading home. A black SUV was parked under the low branches of a willow tree. One dainty foot in a red stiletto pressed against the driver’s side window. “Looks like I caught you red-handed, buddy.” The cop in him knew this was a popular spot for randy teenagers and paying johns alike, and this looked like it was a business transaction. Not many high school girls wore shoes like that. At least not when he went to high school. He pulled his car behind the SUV, grabbed the flashlight from his glove compartment, and approached the driver’s side door. Flicking the light on at the last minute, he caught the two occupants by surprise. The blonde woman wearing the red heels was completely nude, and she now sat astride a thirtysomething man who lay back on the passenger’s seat, his pants pushed down around his ankles. Jack tapped the flashlight on the glass. “Would you step outside the vehicle, please?” “Fuckin’ shit!” the half-naked guy barked when he caught sight of Jack. He shoved the woman off of his lap and yanked up his pants. “What the hell is this?” The woman pulled a cheap-looking sequined tank top up over her double D breasts. “Shit. I just got off parole last week.” She didn’t seem to care that her lower half was still exposed. Sure sign of a professional. “Would you please step out of the vehicle?” Jack repeated. The guy in the car smirked at him. “Don’t worry, honey. He’s a rent-a-cop. Mall security.” The hooker pushed her teased blonde hair out of her eyes and peered through the glass at Jack. “Does this 25

Kris Eton mean I get to keep the forty bucks?” “Step out of the vehicle, ma’am.” “I don’t fuckin’ think so, dickwad.” The john, now fully dressed, opened the passenger’s side door. The blonde grabbed her companion’s arm. “Wait. Get back inside. I know a place we can go. Just up the block.” The john shook off her hand. “Leave me alone, bitch. I got some business to attend to first.” This guy was a real jackass. Jack looked forward to giving him his due. “Get down on the ground! Put your hands on your head. Now!” He might not have his service weapon on him, since he was off-duty, but there were other ways to make someone comply. The man came at him from behind the SUV, his fist raised, ready to strike. Jack pulled his pepper spray off his belt and squirted the man’s face. “I said, get down on the ground!” In agony, the man clawed at his eyes as tears streamed down his face. “What the fuck?” He fell to his knees. “I’m a cop, dickwad,” Jack said. He pulled a pair of plastic restraining ties out of his pocket. Stepping behind the blinded man, he grabbed one wrist and slipped the tie on, tightening it quickly. “Shit.” The man’s face was a reddened, sodden mess. When Jack had both wrists cinched, the man tried to wipe his eyes by rubbing them on his shoulder. “You’re under arrest for public indecency and solicitation.” “You’ve gotta be kidding me.” The perp’s eyes were swollen shut and bright red, his nose running and dripping. Jack plucked the man’s wallet out of his back pocket, flipped it open, and a picture of a smiling Kara Hadley fell to the pavement.

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Chapter Seven Jack picked up the small photo from the pavement. What was Kara’s picture doing in this creep’s wallet? He glanced over at the perp who still knelt on the ground, hands secured behind him. Then, he looked at the man’s driver’s license. Benjamin Hadley. It couldn’t be. He shuffled through the wallet, unsure what he was looking for. Another picture? Something else that could connect sweet, beautiful Kara to this low-life? There was nothing but some credit cards, a hundred bucks in cash, and a few receipts. Tucking everything back into the wallet, he shoved it in his front pants pocket. But he couldn’t stand putting Kara’s picture back in there. He unbuttoned his shirt pocket and slipped her photo into it. “Shut up and sit tight,” he growled at his prisoner. Leaving the man kneeling and swearing on the pavement, Jack turned his attentions on the half-naked woman inside the SUV. “You’ve been through this before, I’m sure. Step out of the vehicle and put your hands on the hood.” By now, she had managed to put the sequined top back on. Lucky for him, it was actually a mini dress and managed to cover enough of her to be considered decent. “Do I still get my money?” “No, but you get a nice trip to a holding cell.” The blonde seemed more annoyed by his retort than angry. Clearly, she’d been in this situation enough times to know the routine. “I can’t go to fucking jail,” Ben Hadley sputtered and coughed, still in the grip of the pepper spray. “Oh, don’t worry, you’ll get a phone call. I think I’ll save you the trouble, though, and call your wife myself.” If only Ben knew how happy he was to have a reason to call 27

Kris Eton Kara. “Don’t you dare, you son of a bitch.” Jack ignored him. He cuffed the girl’s hands behind her back with another set of plastic tie restraints, and led her to the back seat of his car. “Sit tight, sweetheart. I’m gonna call this in and get someone else down here to take you in.” Grabbing his cell phone out of his car, he headed back for Hadley. If he had messed up with Kara, this might be his chance to at least give her some payback for all the heartache this jerk cost her. And it was worse than she thought. Who knew how many times this guy paid for sex? The good news was Jack noticed half a dozen opened condom wrappers on the floor of the SUV. At least the guy wore some protection when he was slumming it. He clenched his fists, trying to maintain control over his growing rage. He wanted to bury his fist in Hadley’s face. Punch the life out of him and mark him up for all the grief he caused Kara. But this might be better… After sitting Hadley down against the back wheel of his car, he took the driver’s license out of his pocket. He flipped open his cell phone and dialed the station one more time. “I need you to do me a favor, Clyde. Can you get me the phone number for this address?” **** “Who is this?” Kara said, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. She wasn’t used to being woken at 6:30 in the morning by the insistent ring of her phone. “It’s Jack. Jack Darrow. From last night.” Kara was instantly awake. She blushed at the memory of their two naked bodies entwined on the floor of the dressing room. “How did you get my number?” “We didn’t have much time to talk. But I’m a cop.” “You’re a what?” “A cop. A police officer. You know, protect and serve and all that jazz.” “A cop who works at a shopping mall?” “It’s called moonlighting. I needed some extra cash, and…” 28

Moonlighting “Okay, I get it. Why are you calling me?” All her uncertainty from last night came flooding back. Maybe he really did care about her, if he tracked her down. Maybe he wasn’t anything like her ex or her father. “How did you get this number?” 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 almostex 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.” 29

Kris Eton “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 Seven 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?” 31

Kris Eton 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 32

Moonlighting 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 Eight 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. 34

Moonlighting 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.” 35

Kris Eton 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. 36

Moonlighting 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.” 37

Kris Eton “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 another dress out of a bag. “Only you.”

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