Long Slow Ride

An Ellora’s Cave Romantica Publication

www.ellorascave.com

Long, Slow Ride ISBN 9781419916083 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Long, Slow Ride Copyright© 2008 Mardi Ballou Edited by Nicholas Conrad. Cover art by Syneca. Electronic book Publication May 2008 With the exception of quotes used in reviews, this book may not be reproduced or used in whole or in part by any means existing without written permission from the publisher, Ellora’s Cave Publishing, Inc.® 1056 Home Avenue, Akron OH 44310-3502. Warning: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000. (http://www.fbi.gov/ipr/) This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the authors’ imagination and used fictitiously.

LONG, SLOW RIDE

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Trademarks Acknowledgement The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of the following wordmarks mentioned in this work of fiction: Coke: The Coca-Cola Company Corporation Lincoln: Ford Motor Company

Long, Slow Ride

Chapter One “Want to dance?” Surprised, Lori Nelson looked up at the hot young guy holding his hand out to her. Jeff, the only other unattached person at her table at the wedding, was doing the polite thing and offering to rescue her from wallflower status. The fact that he was the bride and groom’s chauffeur shouldn’t count against him, right? “Uh, thanks. That’s really nice of you but not necessary.” Even though the deejay was spinning Aretha Franklin’s “Respect,” one of her all-time favorites, and she’d been drumming her fingers on the table and wiggling in her chair, she figured she should act her age—at least a decade older than Jeff—and sit it out. He looked like he was kinda leering at her. “You sure as hell look like you want to dance. I want to dance with you. End of story.” He half dragged her out of her chair. Okay, so he didn’t have to drag too hard. Aretha was hard to resist. So was Jeff. A lot taller—and buffer—than her, Jeff gave Lori a major workout as they boogied. Luckily, she’d been extra conscientious about getting to the gym since the breakup with Charlie. All the extra kickboxing she’d mentally aimed at his pointed head helped her almost keep up with Jeff. The deejay segued from “Respect” to “Yesterday”. That was a low blow. The last thing she wanted to think about was all her yesterdays with that low-life Charlie. Luckily, there was an open bar. Lori thanked Jeff and was about to head there when he drew her back to him. “This one too, pretty lady,” he whispered, giving her goose bumps with the sound of his voice and the expression in his ocean gray eyes. Heck, one slow dance with him would probably be better than the double vodka that had been Plan A. Besides, she could have her drink after the dance. “Okay.” “The pleasure’s all mine,” he murmured, enveloping her in his very strong arms. 5

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Hmm, up close and personal, Jeff’s body was all hard planes and barely contained energy—emphasis on hard. In moments, his erection made its presence known, pressed against her belly. Ah, the pleasures of dancing with a younger man. “How old are you, Jeff?” she whispered in his ear. “Twenty-five.” She swallowed hard. He was even younger than she’d thought. “Sure you know what you’re doing? I’m thirty-six.” “Cool.” He held her even tighter, which she wouldn’t have thought possible. Cool definitely did not describe the way she felt in his arms. A pool of warmth had gathered smack in her groin, spiraling waves of inappropriate but not unwelcome desire from head to toe. Jeff was definitely cute—okay, hot—but he was so not for her. Those spiraling waves had merged into one gigantic tidal burst that threatened to pull her under. “Yesterday” ended. Without breaking stride, they continued dancing to “When I Fall in Love”. Of course, by this point, it didn’t really matter what the deejay played. Jeff and Lori were locked in their embrace, barely moving and just about oblivious to everyone and everything. Too bad she couldn’t allow herself to linger in the delicious haze of being with him. She snapped to alert and mentally smacked herself for what she was thinking, trying— not too hard—to break away. Jeff’s crisp citrus scent invited her to lick his skin and then take a bite. The way he held her, she suspected he wouldn’t mind. Heck, he’d probably lick and bite her right back. She shuddered at the prospect of his full, sensuous lips parting so he could take a taste. Her nipples beaded and she leaned into him even harder because the perverse, bad-girl side of herself wanted him to feel her reaction. His groan expressed approval. So did his growing erection. The proximity to his arousal practically had her whimpering with need. So close but, in reality, way beyond reach. Cripes, she was on a public dance floor with her work

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buddies all around her. They’d gathered for a colleague’s wedding. No matter how much booze had flowed and how dim the lights were, people would notice and talk. “I hate to say this,” he rasped in her ear, arching his hips so she knew they were on the same track, “but duty calls. I’ve got to go now. Trust me, I don’t want to leave.” So they wouldn’t even get to have the last dance together. She pulled herself into polite, professional mode and cleared her throat. “Nice meeting you, Jeff. Thanks for the dance—er, dances.” His eyes devoured her. “Uh-uh, this is not goodbye. I just got the signal from the party planner. I need to bring the limo around to take the bride and groom to Princeton Airport. But I’ll be back as soon as I can to give you a ride home.” “Huh?” He cupped her chin. “I want to get to know you better. How about a ride in my limo?”

***** Jeff Russo hustled to get the car ready. Though he liked driving the Lincoln stretch limo and most clients treated him well, this would probably be one of his last times out as a chauffeur. Now that his carpentry business was getting more calls than he and his partner could handle, he wouldn’t have much more time to help Uncle Vito out with driving. Meeting Lori had been a special bonus. With her long black hair, big green eyes and sexy curves, she looked like a movie star. He couldn’t believe a fox like her would be single, but his luck held there too. Then he’d thought anyone with all that class would be too snooty to dance with the hired help. She’d seemed surprised when he asked her—but more than ready to get out on the floor. Great at it, too. They even fit together just right on the slow dances. His cock tingled with the remembered pleasure of their contact and anticipation of more to come. Heck, now he couldn’t wait to get back to her. Good thing the airport wasn’t far from the reception 7

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site. He stopped to take a deep breath. His uncle would not take it well if he got a speeding ticket or messed up the limo. Once Jeff drove around to the entrance, he sat idling. Typically, the bride and groom had ordered him to get the limo ready—and then dragged their feet leaving their friends and family. Still, he couldn’t complain. Most couples told the chauffeur to cool his heels elsewhere while they partied, which could be really boring and a huge time waster. A driver couldn’t go anywhere far from the site because he was on call. But tonight’s couple invited him in to have a meal and party with them. He supposed they’d had an empty seat and a meal they’d already shelled out for. He just couldn’t have any booze—Uncle Vito’s strict policy and a good idea. Maybe Lori had had a date who hadn’t shown. She sure seemed unattached. No rings. And there’d been a touch of sadness in her expression. She deserved better than a guy who’d leave her high, dry and sad. He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel. Waiting had never been his strong suit.

***** While the bride threw her bouquet—Lori didn’t even try to catch it—she found herself lingering at the reception, making excuses to herself about not hunting down her friends and leaving just yet—even though it was late and tomorrow they’d have a killer sale at the store. Funny, she’d had a much better time than anticipated—even before Jeff asked her to dance. Okay, maybe not until Jeff asked her to dance. After the recent Charlie fiasco, she’d planned to find some convenient excuse to turn down the wedding invitation. She’d even tried to drum up an overlooked family commitment, but nothing would have sounded convincing to people who knew her well. In the end, she figured she owed it to her long-time friends from Starr’s Department Store to show up. Vickie, the bride, managed the upscale women’s department. All the managers from women’s and juniors’ clothes and shoes reported to

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Lori. Being a group manager was nonstop stress. Luckily, Lori loved the constant adrenaline rush. Charlie always claimed she loved the job more than she loved him. Maybe he was right. Damn, why was she depressing herself by thinking about him again? She hated that he was never too far from her thoughts, but she should feel good that she’d come to the wedding and managed to enjoy herself. She reminded herself of this as the number of guests dwindled. A bunch of Starr’s people hung around until the bar closed and the waitstaff bustled around to clear the place. Irrational though it was, Lori figured staying in the ballroom would keep alive the glow of her very slow, sensuous dances with Jeff. Goddess knew that might be all the action she’d get for a long time to come. Aargh, now she was acting sappy. Time to suck it up and return to reality. She’d hitched a ride to the wedding with Mark Soltar and his wife Judy, Lori’s neighbors in their Plainsboro condo complex. Mark ran the electronics department and was always available when Lori had to vent over coffee in the break room. The three of them were headed toward Mark’s car when Jeff sprang up out of nowhere. “Your ride is here, pretty lady.” “She’s got a ride home.” Mark put one hand to the small of her back, steering her along next to Judy. When Jeff looked at Lori, something frozen inside her began to thaw. He’d actually come back for her, just as he’d said he would. These days she tended not to trust anything men she was attracted to said. Still, despite his following through, she sensed she should tell him a polite no-thank-you and just go home with Mark and Judy. The dancing had been fun—heck, more than fun—but the party was definitely over and so was playtime. As a serious grownup, she didn’t have time or space in her life for fooling around. “It’s really nice of you to offer me a limo ride, but I have to get up early. Mark and Judy are my neighbors. It’s just more convenient for them to drop me off than to take you out of your way. Besides, don’t you need to get the limo back?”

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Jeff blinked in surprise—and disappointment?—at her refusal. “Not until tomorrow morning. I can easily take you home—or any place else you want to go.” Lori wanted to stroke the side of his face and tell him she didn’t mean to sound harsh or dismissive. At the sight of him, her pussy had begun to vibrate and cream, which she knew meant she should run as fast and hard as she could in the opposite direction. She shook her head. “Thanks again.” “You said you’d wait for me. I’m here.” He sure was. Mark stepped in front of her. “The lady said no thank you.” Lori could see Judy’s panicked expression. The abundance of testosterone the two guys were producing filled the atmosphere with a sense of threat. Were they going to get into a fight over her? While on a deep, primal level the idea was almost erotic, she didn’t want to be responsible for Mark getting his nose or teeth busted. She wouldn’t want to see Jeff hurt either, but she figured the younger, buffer Jeff could probably mop up the ground with Mark. Plus she really did want to go with Jeff—and was thrilled he’d come back. What the hell. You only live once, right? Lori put a restraining hand on Mark’s arm. “It’s okay. I did tell Jeff I’d take a ride home with him. I should have told you.” Mark turned a skeptical gaze on her. “You sure? You don’t have to go anywhere with this punk.” Lori cringed. Mark must have been really pissed because she’d never before heard him put anyone down like that. Lori knew that, having been one of Charlie’s buds, Mark felt responsible for Lori—even though he shouldn’t have. Putting on her most convincing negotiating face, Lori persuaded him and Judy that she’d be fine. After making sure her cell had plenty of juice and after Mark tacitly threatened Jeff with dismemberment if she had anything to complain about because of him, they walked off. “It’s good that your friends care that much.” Jeff put his arm around her waist, turning her into one giant goose bump. Though Lori’s inner warning voice fretted she

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might be making a huge mistake, she fully expected that any road to perdition she took with Jeff would be full of pleasure. “I really did mean what I said. Tomorrow’s a big working day for me. I need to get home soon.” Her last feeble attempt to choose wisely. “Tomorrow’s Sunday.” “And we’re kicking off a big sale, which means I’ll have to go in to the store early, work hard and stay late. At your age, you’ve got energy to burn. I need my sleep.” They were standing at the white stretch limo, which gleamed invitingly in the dark night. He paused before opening the door. “Please don’t patronize me.” Right. He was right. At least the darkness masked her blush. “Sorry.” He opened the door and guided her onto the soft leather seat. A smell like mellow pipe tobacco mingled with expensive leather scented the spotless interior. It had been years since she’d been in a limo of any kind and a wave of luxury enveloped her. Jeff got in on the driver’s side and drew her toward him. “I want to hear all about your work, Lori. Hell, I want to know everything about you. I couldn’t wait to get back to you.” “That’s sweet.” Somehow she couldn’t bring herself to tell him how much she’d been waiting for him, how disappointed she’d have been if he hadn’t shown up. No way could she let this man she’d just met become important to her. She’d have to remind herself of this reality as often as necessary, until she’d convinced herself. “You’re the one who’s sweet,” he whispered, lowering his face so his lips could claim hers. All night long she’d wanted to lick him and now she had the chance. He tasted as delicious as she’d expected, a touch of citrus and all man. The kiss started gently, though that soon changed. The sadness inside her began to uncoil as his kiss deepened and grew much more demanding. Though Lori knew she should pull away, she wanted to tarry a bit longer, and then another bit longer. Finally, though, they had to come up for air.

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“I know you want to get home soon, but how about a small detour?” Sensuous heat radiated from Jeff’s skin. More warning bells, but she wasn’t about to start listening to them now. “Detour where?” “I want to share a special place with you, someplace I’ve always wanted to go with a beautiful lady.” Though his low-pitched voice enticed her and made her shiver with sensuous anticipation, her overactive brain flashed to visions of bodies in dark alleys and other urban nastiness. As if he could read her mind, he murmured, “Don’t worry. I swear it’s somewhere you’ll really like. Not too far from here. If you don’t like it, we can leave whenever you want.” Objections whirled in her head, but what the hell. All she had waiting at home was another session with her Battery-Operated Boyfriend—her all-too-frequent post-Charlie companion. On the other hand, she had just put in new batteries, so it could be a hot night. Jeff nuzzled her neck and knocked BOB right out of contention. “Okay. But let’s not take too long.” The streets of Princeton were empty this late at night. In a matter of minutes, Jeff got through the downtown section, drove down a road that meandered through grassy fields and parked. Nighttime silence blanketed the scene and made it easy to believe they were the only people in the world. “Why are we here?” “This is my special place. I want one more dance with you—here.” “You want to dance in a field?” “Humor me. Later, I’ll be happy to help you live your fantasies.” Whoa. Talk about an offer she couldn’t find the breath to refuse. Her heart hammered like a son of a gun as he handed her out of the limo and guided her to stand under a huge tree. Her heels were sinking into the soft earth, so she kicked them off.

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She loved the way the soft grass tickled her stockinged feet. There must have been some rose bushes close by because the slight breeze carried their sweet scent. It was late-night cool and she shivered. Jeff had opened the limo door and put a CD into the player. Then, as the music began, he put his arms around her and drew her close. “Cold?” “Not anymore.” Goddess, she could have buried herself in his arms for a week. “My favorite song in the world is about to start. Did you know I play the bass?” “Not just a limo driver?” He laughed. “I help out my uncle sometimes. That’s what we all do, in my family. For my day job, I’m a carpenter. A buddy and I have our own business, which is really starting to take off. But I’m also a musician. Some of the guys and I get together and play when we can. What do you do when you’re not slaving away at the day job?” Eat and sleep. There had to be something else, right? But she couldn’t come up with anything. With the unanswered question between them, they turned to the music. “What is that song?” Her voice startled her, sounding weird after the beauty of the Celtic harmony. “Want to hear it again first?” “Oh, yes.” Jeff held her to him as the haunting melody reached out to draw them in. They were upright and slightly moving in time to the music, which may have qualified as dancing, or not. She didn’t care. Jeff’s mouth was on hers, his tongue and teeth staking his claim. Their bodies were molded together, no space between them, and she still maneuvered to get closer. Her nipples, now stiff, pressed into his tight, firm pecs—only this time they were blessedly alone and she could give in to all her wanton impulses. She desired to impress herself on him, staking her own claim to the taut power of his

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muscles and his rigid erection. Most of all, she ached to feel him inside her before she let go of this man and this magical night. The song ended, but they stood still, locked together. “I’m going to play it again.” Jeff withdrew, his voice shaky. She gasped at the momentary shock of separation, though she knew it wouldn’t be for long. “What is that song and who’s singing?” Somehow she managed to find her voice. “The group’s from Ireland. They’re called Clannad. And the song is ‘In a Lifetime’.” The gorgeous sound grabbed her heart. Her mind wasn’t working enough for her to understand the words. None of that mattered. Once she was back in his arms, they could have listened to a garbage truck chorus for all she cared. He had one hand on her butt, lightly pressing her to him. The other hand cushioned the back of her head for one of their marathon kisses. Breathing was definitely overrated. “Be right back,” he whispered as the music ended again. Maybe he intended to hit the replay button but she wasn’t about to let him leave her for even that long. She pressed against the hard knob tenting out his pants and he got the message. He scooped her up so she could wind her legs around him. Her skirt rode up above her hips and the night’s coolness clashed with the rising heat of her desire. Wearing thigh-highs, all she had covering her hot, wet cunt was a scrap of a white silk thong. Goddess, he was so strong. With both hands planted firmly on her cheeks, he backed up until he was against the tree. Then he slid her pussy up and down along his huge bulge, rubbing her, creating erotic friction. The stars and the planets moved for her. Her clit was practically clanging, like the clapper of a big old bell. If he kept it up much longer, she’d be coming like gangbusters—before she even managed to get him inside her. She could not believe the sounds she was making. With the little part of her mind that remained rational, she fervently prayed they were as alone in darkness as she’d

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thought. If not, she figured they were breaking several indecent exposure statutes, but right about then, she just plain didn’t give a damn. “How’s that for you, Lori?” His voice sounded husky, deliciously rough. He was asking, and she was more than primed to tell him. “Omigod, fantastic. But I want more. Now.” She panted out the last. “Baby, I’m all yours. Hold on tight.” Lori grasped him with her arms and legs as he freed one of his hands. She heard the wonderful music of a zipper sliding down, and her hand shook with her need to touch him. Next thing she sensed, he’d moved the flimsy crotch of her silk panties aside, exposing her to the night air. The rush of cold air braced her for the heat to come and she was more than ready. With both hands he held her up so that his cock was poised at the very wet opening between her thighs. She closed her eyes and feasted on the sensation of intimate contact. As slick as she was, in moments he’d pulled her down so he was deep inside her. Goddess, he was so much bigger, better, hotter and more delicious than anticipated. Never before had she felt this turned on. His energy flowed between them, unleashing the heat of passion through her. She clenched him tightly with her most intimate sheath, raising the erotic tension that cocooned them. She wanted to be everything to him, to make their lovemaking unforgettable. He groaned and when she snuck a look at his face, the ecstasy she saw lighting up his features warmed her. This wasn’t any more casual for him than it was for her. “Lori, you’re so amazingly beautiful. If I move, I’ll come.” The power of his sincerity moved her heart as it raised her arousal. She understood just what he meant about the excitement of their being together. She didn’t want it all to end yet either. Tonight was definitely a one-shot deal for her, she knew that. Like him, she wanted to make it last, but she also felt on the verge of exploding with pleasure. But they couldn’t not move, not when they each needed so much from the other. She was boiling over with her hunger to feel him everywhere— and her desire to linger. With an aching control that surprised her, she arched her hips 15

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just the teensiest bit. Jeff’s moan was music to her ears, telling her how hard he was trying to hold back. The scent of his arousal turned her on even more. Overwhelming need took control of her, whipping through her unlike any level of desire she’d known before. Heck, she’d never even realized such passion was possible. Now she craved the divine friction of his sliding in and out of her. In and out, in and out. Real simple, real slow. Exquisite. Her whole being focused on her compulsion to satisfy her craving for this man. Jeff stopped kissing her and, head up, gritted his teeth with the effort of postponing the inevitable. She whimpered her protest at the interruption to their sensuous rhythm. “Lori,” he panted the syllables. The night breeze carried the love poem he’d made of her name up to the stars. “Oh god. I can’t…” He plunged deep into her and began to thrust, faster, harder, touching her everywhere she desired. She clutched him for dear life and began to shake with the force of her burgeoning climax just as he cried out with his. They came together in waves of shattering release until neither of them had anything left. Shuddering with the force of what they’d shared, they gazed at each other in awed silence. With him still hard within her, grasping her as if he’d never let go, they both sank down to the ground. He cradled her as they lay side by side. “Oh, Lori,” he crooned, “You’re something else, you know?” “Huh.” Though she was incapable of a more articulate response at that moment, her reality had begun to rear its unwelcome face. She’d started to think about where they were and what they were doing. Amazing as the sex had been, and she wouldn’t— couldn’t—let herself think of it as lovemaking, she needed to pull back and redirect herself back to her real life—which didn’t include outdoor nighttime trysts with gorgeous young men. Jeff stroked her face. “Are you okay? Lori, is there anything you need or want?” Yeah, for this pleasure to go on and on. For the world to go away and let me just float on the cloud we’ve found. She nuzzled close to him. In moments he’d scooped her up and placed 16

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her with great care on the front seat of the limo. While he went to the back for a minute, she tried to get her clothes to rights and patted her hair. She figured she’d be home soon, back in her own bed, trying to get enough sleep to be ready for the coming day. With memories of having been so magnificently fucked, she’d sleep better tonight than any time since Charlie had hit the road. Maybe longer. Jeff apparently had different ideas. He kissed her softly, which definitely snagged her attention. “I bet you didn’t know the seats in the back recline.” He wanted to be with her. Their lovemaking was an appetizer and he was starved for the rest. Hell, the two of them together were like a house on fire, but he didn’t want her to think all he wanted from her was sex. So, right, maybe lying down next to her on the reclining seats might not be the best way to cool things down right about now. On the other hand, maybe he could just lie there with her, holding her, and they could talk. At least for a bit. They’d get to know each other. He wanted to see her again, for way more than sex—though the sex between them positively sizzled. His cock rose, ready for more, and he angled his erection away from Lori so she wouldn’t think sex was all he had in mind for them. Lori stretched out next to him but seemed tense. “Okay, Jeff. Why do you need these reclining seats back here?” He heard her chuckle softly. He squeezed her hand. “Why do you think?” She sighed. “It’s been delightful, really, Jeff. But I need to go home now.” “Just a few more minutes. I want to know about you, your job, the rest of your life.” She chuckled again. “You mean the job I’ll mess up on tomorrow from lack of sleep? Which will screw up my life in ways I don’t want to contemplate.” “I’ll take you home soon. I’m sure you’re not capable of messing up anything.”

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She wished. “Okay, the condensed version. I’m a group manager at Starr’s and I love my job. We’re having a huge sale that will keep me running to put out fires, big and little.” “How’d you get into that line of work?” “That’s a long story.” “I love long stories.” Jeff stroked her cheek. “I’d have to start way earlier than the middle of the night.” “Next time.” She didn’t answer right away.

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Chapter Two Jeff kept surprising her. If she didn’t stay careful, she could be exposing herself to another situation where she’d get hurt big time. Been there, done that and had a wardrobe full of the T-shirts. But heck, she wanted to take a night off from being vigilant—just this once. So though it was late and tomorrow at the store would be insane, she went along with his reclining limo seats bit. After all, stretching out next to Jeff felt more delicious than any dream she could conjure sleeping alone. Despite her very recent orgasm, she was hot for him again. The seats formed a smooth, flat plane. Quality all the way, the leather soft and supple. Lying face-to-face after a short conversation, legs already entwined, she could feel Jeff once again gratifyingly hard and good to go. He was so earnest in his intention for them to talk that he kept trying to shift his erection so it wasn’t so blatant. Everything he did made her want him more, but she tried to behave. She’d given him a brief description of her work. Now he told her about himself. “I’ve been helping Uncle Vito out with the driving since I came back after college.” He had beautiful, long artistic fingers that she wanted to take into her mouth and suck, except she didn’t want him to stop stroking her face. He touched her like she was precious and fragile. Fragile about summed it up since Charlie. She forcibly banished that creep from the limo. “I have to tell you, I’ve dreamed about treating a special lady to one of these limos for lots longer than that.” “You mean I’m the first one you’ve been in the limo like this with?” “Yeah. I’ve had girlfriends, but no one’s ever been the right one for this, you know?” 19

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She didn’t like the sound of that at all because she didn’t want to hurt him any more than she wanted to be hurt. If she could have tonight with him and then give them each an amnesia pill, she would. To keep them both safe, she had to stop Jeff from confiding any more in her or sharing intimacies other than those of their bodies. She felt like the Julia Roberts character in that movie where she and Richard Gere had played a hooker and client falling in love—she’d said he didn’t have to seduce her because sex was a done deal. “It’s okay, Jeff, I’m cool with what we’re doing. You don’t have to sweet-talk me.” Was it her imagination or did a spark of indignation flash in his eyes? Eh, it must have been her weepy disposition these days, which led her to read too much into everything and to imagine him being all sensitive about getting laid. Probably he was just trying out a good line of patter with her. That was okay. Hey, they were both on the same page. She wanted way more of what he was offering sexually and she’d go along for the ride—just for tonight. The romance frills made it all nicer, but that was where she could see herself getting trapped. “I say what I’m thinking and feeling,” he whispered, his breath warm. “What you see is what you get.” “Do I also get what I touch?” she whispered back, running her hand over his growing bulge, shocking herself. Talk about acting out raunchy daydreams. He put his hand over hers and clamped it down. She could feel his cock straining against the limits of his pants. That was easy to fix. She slid down his zipper and voila—what looked like at least eight inches of solid male popped up before her grateful gaze. “Also taste,” she murmured. Then her lips surrounded his engorged cock and she licked him all over, nibbling at the sensitive flesh. Jeff held her head with both hands as she teased him with her tongue and teeth. His moans told her everything she wanted to hear. She licked along his shaft, tonguing him everywhere.

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Delicious as this play was, though, she wanted him out of his pants, pronto. She wanted to touch his balls and his ass, to gorge on his musky male scent and to experience fully all the sensuous pleasure of being with him, which she actually told him—only her words came out as grunts and whimpers as she squeezed him. Her lack of articulation didn’t seem to matter. In moments they’d managed to get him bare from the waist down. She wanted to see all of him, but that would have to wait. A very large cock was pointing at her, reminding her to pick up where she’d left off. Before she took him back in her mouth, she wanted to explore the territory. Jeff had long, muscular legs, a tight, sexy ass and big, tempting balls. She always had a weakness for a guy’s thighs. Just touching the sensitive insides had Jeff writhing with obvious desire that matched her own. Her pussy throbbed with a hunger she would not ignore for long. When she licked the fold between his thigh and groin, she thought he’d catapult through the roof of the limo—except she intended to hang on. His pleasure resonated through her like shockwaves. She ringed the head of his cock with her tongue and nibbled and stroked along the length of his very upright rod. Lori was about to take him fully in her mouth again when Jeff grabbed her with a caveman grunt and seized control. In one swift movement he tore her panties off and had her perched on top of him, straddling his throbbing erection. Oh, goddess, he was beyond delicious with his rhythmic thrusts. Her clit fairly sang with ecstasy at each stroke. Rotating her hips with him locked deep and tight inside her, she began to circle his cock. His eyelids fluttered as he began to massage her cheeks and the crack between them. Then she leaned back, opening herself to him. “Oh, lady, what you’re doing to me,” he muttered. “What am I doing to you, Sir Jeffrey?” She knew what he was doing to her and she wanted to know she had the same magical power over him.

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“You’re sending me to the moon, Lady Lori, and to Mars and some other planets no one’s heard of yet.” He made a sound somewhere between a gasp and a groan. “Take me to those planets with you,” she whispered. To her complete astonishment, Jeff grew bigger and harder inside her, pressing every intimate nerve ending as they rocked together. He clamped his hands on the backs of her thighs in order to put a temporary halt to her wild dance. “Lori,” he moaned, “you’re killing me. I want to savor you, just like that—staying absolutely still.” She was as up for a challenge as the next gal, so she bet him she could hold still longer than he could. “You’re on,” he said. “I certainly am.” She tightened the muscles of her pussy sheath and he protested. “Hey, that doesn’t really count as moving,” she purred. “Neither does this,” he hissed as he plunged deeper into her and squeezed her breast. “Talk about cheating,” she huffed when she’d regained enough breath. Sensitized as she was now, she could have come just from his touch on her engorged nipples, but she figured that for the honor of womankind, she had to prove her superior control and last. Right—for about half a minute. Add the nipple play to his horizontal mambo and the way he fingered her ass, and he had her to the moon and over it faster than she could say, “I’m coming!” With a cry of triumph he followed her lead, loudly and enthusiastically pumping his essence into her very willing self. Lori gritted her teeth to keep from falling completely apart as the power of their orgasms rocked her. If only the extreme ecstasy didn’t lead to the immediate agony of knowing this couldn’t last. He’d come twice. Of course, so had she. But all good things must come to an end. It’s only the crap that lasts. She figured Jeff’s Don–Juan-pleases-the-lonely-ladies act had

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to have exceeded its natural limit. Now he’d probably turn his focus to trying to figure out how to extricate himself from her arms. She steeled herself for a quick ride back to her condo, but he continued to surprise her. Once his breathing returned to normal, he turned his attention to snuggling with her, there in the limo. Not to diminish the sex, but this part blew her away even more. This super sexy, big, strong guy could be tender. Who’d have thought lying in a limo could feel so amazing? Of course being in a state of provocative undress with a guy who could have modeled for statues of the Greek gods helped, but there was more. Feeling far too vulnerable, Lori savored the refuge of his arms and tried to keep remembering this would not, could not last. All she had, all they had together, was the quickly passing moment. Soon she had to admit she could no more turn off her mind than she could stop the tide of time. Morning and her work responsibilities would arrive far too quickly. “You asleep?” she asked. “You kidding? No way. Do you think I’d waste my time sleeping with you here?” She loved the low growl of his voice. Still, the time had come. “I need to get home.” He kissed her. “I promised I’d take you there and I do keep my promises.” “Right.” His comment reminded her of other promises made to her, promises broken. Thoughts of Charlie slammed her like a bucket of ice water. “I guess we’d both better get dressed.” She could just imagine being pulled over by the cops if they tried the drive home in less than pristine, fully-clothed shape. They scrambled to put themselves back together. Her panties were hopeless, but the sacrifice had not been in vain. Maybe she’d paste them into her scrapbook of intimate memories, to be taken out and wept over on cold, lonely nights. Right. All she needed now was to depress herself. She sighed. It was past time to focus on moving on—tonight and in her life in general. Luckily, she didn’t live far from the park. Jeff would have her home in no time, especially since there’d be no traffic to

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contend with at this hour. Make that unluckily. But she’d known all night that the party would have be over at some point. When they got to her condo, Jeff turned off the car’s engine. “I like your place, at least the outside. Can I come in?” Holy double entendre. She fanned herself to show she got the joke. Of course she should have sent him on his way, but she found it really hard to say no to him tonight. So she actually said yes. A few minutes more couldn’t hurt, right? She wasn’t totally clear on how they ended up in her bed within a very short time, but somehow they did. Both naked. Though this was absolutely not what she’d intended, her objections evaporated before she expressed them. He’d mentioned something about being in a comfortable space with her, comparing it with heaven. How could she resist? Besides, ever afterward she’d have the memory of him in her bed. Until she did the laundry again, her sheets would smell of his scent. Of course, she might never again bother with changing them. It must have been three a.m. by now and she’d have to be in the store by nine. Six measly hours. Though they both said they were sleepy, an erection is a terrible thing to waste. Jeff was spooning her from behind. Next thing she knew, he was licking the back of her neck and then covering that hypersensitive bit of skin with little nibbles and bites. He had his hands on her breasts, teasing the nipples so they budded into hard little peaks. She pressed her breasts into the palms of his hands and, in a moment of supreme coordination, tightened her butt against his hard-on. Though she’d never taken it in the ass before, with Jeff she wanted to say yes to trying everything. She wiggled her ass against him in a slow, sensuous slide. “You want it back here?” he whispered. He sounded amazed and, she couldn’t help hoping, also pleased. As to whether she wanted him there—she did and she didn’t. Jeff was big. She could stretch to take him in front, but she figured she had to be much smaller in back.

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On the other hand, she wanted him to think she was sophisticated and knew it all. More, she just wanted him. “Yeah. Give it to me.” “Your wish is my command.” He chuckled, then moved one hand from her breast and began to play with her clit and rub her pussy while he pressed his cock between her cheeks. “I think,” she added several beats later. While he felt amazing between her cheeks, he’d grown from big to huge. He stopped in mid-stroke. “Are you sure you’re up for this, Lori?” So much for pretending to be a woman of the world. She sensed that with Jeff, she didn’t really want to hold anything back anything, including the truth. Besides which, he’d probably be able to tell when she moved all wrong. “Yeah.” Her face burned with a fierce blush. “I like to be gentle and slow. Tell me how you like it.” “Gentle and slow is good.” “Any time you want me to do something, even stop, I will. We don’t have to do anything you don’t want a hundred percent.” “Ditto.” “Baby, there’s nothing I wouldn’t do if you’ll get off on it. You’re totally beautiful to me, everywhere. I want to get to know every inch of your body as well as everything about you.” Focused on what he was doing, Lori had an attack of nerves, which made her tighten everywhere. He stopped abruptly. “Hey, now. We really don’t have to do it this way.” Yeah, so she was stubborn. She’d started it, and she’d see it through. “I want it.” “Okay, but then you’ve gotta relax. I’ll help you with that.” And then he began to massage her with his big, strong hands. “I never want to hurt you in any way.” Her

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heart warmed at his thoughtfulness, so unlike Charlie’s selfish, narcissistic attitude. Yuck, him again. Jeff’s fingers were calloused, no doubt from his work as a carpenter and playing the bass. She loved their rough feel as he touched her with a tenderness that made her forget her pain and tremble with joy. She wanted him to touch her everywhere, and, when he did, her pussy creamed like mad. “I want to taste you there, later,” he whispered, and she wished he could lick her clit now, but he was otherwise occupied. With one hand he slid his lovely, long fingers in and out of her wetness while he used the other to play with the crack between her cheeks. She was so wet and slick, she could hear his fingers moving along her slit and inside her. He nibbled the skin behind her ear and she shivered despite the heat rising within her core. “Oh, Jeff,” she whimpered when he massaged her back hole with her own cream. Pleasure radiated through her as she shoved herself against him to feel more. He groaned and continued doing what he did so well. To her surprise, he had his finger deep inside her ass. She wanted more, much more, and she told him exactly that. He slowly withdrew his finger, leaving her aroused and poised for more. In moments, he had his cock pressed next to her opening. She shuddered with anticipation and a touch of nerves. Still massaging her anus and kissing the back of her neck, he dipped the tip of his penis into her. Such a little bit, it felt like a tease. “Okay so far?” he asked. “Not far enough.” “We can fix that. But I meant what I said. I’m going slow. I’ll stop any time you say the word.” “Go already.” Her words were braver than she was. Overwhelmed with pleasure and the delight of being with him, she could feel her inhibitions melt away. Totally out of character for her, Lori found that she completely trusted this man so new to her life.

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He worked his way into her tightness. At first, having him move into her back there seemed strange and very different. She wasn’t at all sure that it would feel good once he went further. Then she began to relax. Very soon she started to groove on the wonderful heat of having him awaken her in this new place. He moved so slowly, almost as if they were both swimming through clouds in a shared reverie. On the other hand, she could really sense every new thrust and bob he made. His balls pressed up against her bottom and tickled her when he moved. She wanted to caress them with her fingers, but she couldn’t figure out how. Luckily he had no problem touching the soft folds of her pussy while he slowly probed deeper and deeper inside her. She quickly abandoned her initial caution and rode his fingers while he fucked her from behind and licked and nibbled at her back and her neck with his avid mouth. Being with him like this felt like having two lovers totally focused on her—the fulfillment of another deep fantasy. This seemed to be the night for them. In moments she found her enjoyment of this new position growing. Jeff was really getting into it, whispering pet words and telling her again and again how beautiful she was. A girl could get used to being spoiled like that. Despite all her usual cautions and her complete awareness of how fast this night was passing, she let down what was left of her guard and allowed herself to glory in the total experience of being with Jeff. Now his arousal increased as his movements grew faster, harder and wilder. But then, just like that, he stopped, snapping her out of her daze. “What’s up?” she asked. “Am I doing something wrong?” “Never. I need to slow things down. Lori, I want you to come for me. Before I come.” He teased her clit with the tip of his thumb. “Do you think you can give me that?” “Think? I stopped thinking hours ago, Jeff. After coming so much tonight, I’m pretty sure I’m past my quota. So go ahead. I’m fine.” 27

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He pressed himself even closer. “A quota for coming? I don’t think so. No limits, that’s my motto.” She chuckled at the realization that he viewed taking her past her usual limits as a kind of challenge. Men. Sometimes the macho bit could really work well for a girl. Heck, she’d never come more than once in a night. Most of the time, even coming once was a rare, special treat. He’d broken all her previous records and turned the truths she thought she knew about herself upside down. She started to tell him that when, to her surprise and disappointment, he withdrew his cock. “What—” Next thing she knew, he had her on her back and he’d buried his tongue in her pussy. Oh, goddess. His mouth surpassed his fingers when it came to turning her on and lifting her into the far reaches of outer space. In moments she was at a fever pitch, writhing shamelessly as his mouth feasted on her most intimate places. His rock-hard cock throbbed against her leg, reminding her again of all he had to offer. Limits on climaxes? Not when he performed his magic on her. How could she possibly resist his greedy lips, his teeth and, oh, his talented tongue. In moments he had his way with her again and she was shrieking out a come for the ages. “I knew you had it in you,” he crowed. Then, wet from all her juices, he kissed her full on the lips before sliding behind her and kissing her between the cheeks. Goddess, she wanted him to touch all the places in her and he apparently had the same desire. In moments his cock slipped back inside her ass. “Now I really have it in me,” she announced. They both quaked with laughter as he once again fingered her pussy and they fell into a rhythm of pleasure on both ends. She was close to the edge again when he climaxed inside her like he was staking his claim in yet another place. She was completely his—no way she could deny that. At least for tonight, or this morning—a special time as unlike the rest of her life as space travel was from a trip on a Greyhound bus.

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Afterward, they lay cocooned, with him nestled behind her. She loved the feel of his penis against the backs of her thighs. Even in repose, his penis felt powerful to her. The musky scent of their sex together surrounded them. Heck, everything about this man struck her exactly right. Her arms and legs entwined in his, she managed to drift off to sleep.

Sleep? Jeff wasn’t about to waste a moment of this incredible night by closing his eyes—not when he could spend the time watching her. Falling into bed with a woman he’d just met wasn’t his usual style and he sensed it wasn’t Lori’s either. He’d picked up on her sadness earlier at the wedding, and when they first made love, he figured she was working out something that had happened with another guy. Unless he read her really wrong, before too long she’d been really with him—and she’d forgotten the creep who’d hurt her. Jeff lightly traced Lori’s shoulder, backing off when she appeared to respond because he wanted to let her sleep. Being rebound guy was okay for now, but Jeff wanted more of a future with Lori than a transitional lover usually got. The sex was great, better than fantastic. Still, he’d have to come up with more for them to share or he might be a one-night stand in this lady’s life. No way he was going to let that happen.

The alarm went off far too soon, shocking them both out of their deep, dreamy rest. To her amazement, Jeff had a morning hard-on that had her horny again. But much as she wanted him in her, reality had struck with a vengeance. She had to get up and pull herself together to go into work. Challenge that it was, she had to boot him out of her bed.

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Chapter Three “Not even time for a quickie?” He looked adorable in the morning. Even bed hair looked good on him. Dedicated career woman that she was, Lori had to be strong. “I have a feeling we couldn’t stop at just one, could we?” “I don’t know. Why don’t we give it a shot?” Talk about con artists. “Cute. But I meant what I told you last night. I’ve got to get to work, which means you have to get out of here. Don’t you have a limo to return to your uncle? Some poor businessman with a plane to catch might be stranded waiting for his ride.” “Worshipping my beautiful love goddess comes first.” He grinned as he emerged from her wrecked bed, his erection leading the way. She swallowed hard in view of his physical perfection. Despite her best intentions, she had to give in to temptation and run her fingers down across his chest, licking her lips as his tight brown nipples stood up too. He took her wandering hand in his and raised it to his lips. Smooth. If she didn’t pull herself away, she’d be in his arms—and late, albeit deliciously so. Couldn’t do it today of all days. Summoning up her strength, she pushed him away. “You do have to get the limo back, right? Or did I misunderstand?” “Well, yeah, but there’s no rush. It’s family after all.” His eyes lit up. “How about I take you to work?” Wouldn’t that go over big with her colleagues? “I think not. Besides, how would I get home tonight? I don’t want to rely on a cab.”

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“Hey, I’ll pick you up. I won’t have the limo, but if you don’t mind a ride in my van, it’s yours. Some friends have a gig in a local club tonight. You’d enjoy hearing them. How about it? You can relax after your hard day at the sale.” That came from left field. She’d figured her time with him for a one-night stand, but it sounded like Jeff had something else in mind—something much more regular. Or at least once more. Tempting as the prospect of spending more time with him was, leading him on would not be intelligent or kind. “That’s really nice, but…” ‘You have other plans tonight?” She hated to lie to him, but right now she had to move it and didn’t have the time or energy to get involved in a long conversation. “Yeah, I do.” No need to elaborate. “Some other time then. One thing, I want to give you a copy of the Clannad CD. You enjoyed the music so much last night.” He looked as eager as a puppy dog. Truth be told, she’d already planned to get a download of the Clannad song they’d danced to. She figured she’d be able to listen to it when she needed something to remind her of her beautiful, romantic night with a gorgeous younger guy—or when she wept over her scrapbook of intimate moments. “That’s very nice of you, Jeff. But you don’t need to make a special trip. You can just mail it to me. Better if you send it to the store. I’m there most of the time. Now you’ve go to go. If I’m not in the shower in a half a minute, I’ll be hopelessly late.” “You want me to leave here without a shower?” Much as she liked him, she wasn’t about to let him hang around her place after she left. After all, she really didn’t know him. There wasn’t enough time for him to shower before her, which only left one option… “I’ll soap your back.” Talk about an offer she didn’t want to refuse, though she should have. She didn’t even have time to argue. “All right. But we have to be fast—no funny business. Got it?” He mock saluted. “I live to serve.”

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The shower stall was a generous size for one person, but a bit of squeeze for two. Especially in there, Jeff was bigger than life—almost as if a movie star had climbed down from the giant screen and stepped into her reality. She needed to be strong, disciplined and completely determined or he’d seduce her into spending way too long with him. Being totally dedicated to her career and very serious about not letting anything intrude, she had to focus on the day’s goals to get the necessary distance. Figuring he wouldn’t appreciate her lavender and rose shampoo and liquid soap, she handed him the manly pine-scented soap and shampoo she’d always kept on hand for Charlie. “Who do these belong to?” he asked with an arched brow before rubbing the shampoo into his thick black hair. “They were the kind my ex preferred.” “Your ex?” She waved away the question. “I don’t want to talk about him. I figure they’d suit you better than mine.” He nodded. “Okay. But I want to hear sometime. Were you and he involved recently?” She turned on the water, a perfect-temperature torrent, and poured shampoo on her head. “No questions. I meant what I said.” “I hope it’s him and not me you’re washing out of your hair.” That brought a smile. “I always think about that song when I wash my hair. And, yeah, he’s the one I’m washing out—along with the other debris of the day.” “Why don’t you let me do that?” His strong fingers massaged her scalp. She wished he could have continued all day. The scent of her shampoo, the feel of his fingers and the sultry stream of water lulled her into a dreamy state. She leaned back against him, feeling his erection press up against her butt.

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“God, you’re delicious,” he whispered. He rubbed his cock up and down her cheeks in invitation. “See what you do to me? Around you, I’m like a walking, talking hardon.” A visual of an erect prick with a mouth and feet cracked her up. “What’s the joke?” he whispered. I’m the joke, me here with you. “Trust me, you’re much more than a hard-on.” “You reduce me to my essential nature.” She shook her head. “Guys your age, you’re all about sex, sex, sex—24/7.” His laugh echoed in the stall. “Around you, any guy who’s still living and breathing would be the same.” Not. But she couldn’t help feeling flattered. By now they’d managed to rinse the shampoo from her hair and she’d poured on some conditioner, which he also massaged in. Who’d have thought shampooing her hair could be one of the most erotic moments of her day? He got on his knees so she could return the favor and shampoo his hair. This put him in perfect position to suck her breasts while she tended to his scalp. Having never before washed her hair with her nipples so close to bursting as an Adonis licked them, she amazed herself at her new skill. Somehow, they managed to make Jeff’s hair come out clean. Goddess, she wanted him again, but she had to get going. Then they began to soap each other and she got a whole new perspective on cleanliness. She’d thought Jeff was amazingly gorgeous the night before, but here, in the bright morning light streaming in through her skylight she could really get an eyeful. Mamma mia, this guy was friggin’ gorgeous. She wanted to touch him all over and keep the imprint of his beautiful body on her awakened nerve endings. She wanted to be a sculptor and make a statue she could rub up against at will. Waves of sensuality vibrated, filling the air with a sultriness she could taste.

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Under the tender ministrations of her fingers, his cock grew to near explosion point. No way could any red-blooded girl turn away from that hunka hunka burnin’ love and, by this point, her blood was positively scarlet. Practically whimpering with desire, she leaned him against the back of the stall and took his cock in hand. She knelt before her magnificent lover and, after a quick rinse, started on the breakfast of the goddesses. Jeff moaned his approval. With the water streaming down, she ran her tongue around his head and up and down his long, hard shaft. Jeff responded to each nibble and lick, stroking his hands through her soaking hair. Her pussy ached for him, but she didn’t want to move off. She squeezed his balls. He gasped and whispered, “Didn’t your mama ever tell you not to play with your food?” Lori cracked up. With her mouth wide open for the laugh, she couldn’t resist it when Jeff withdrew and pulled her to her feet. In moments he had his hands under her ass to lift her up. Her legs wound around him and he plunged his huge cock right up into her. She sucked him deep inside her, grabbing hold of him as if she fully intended never to let go. She loved how strong he was, loved how he kissed her so deeply as he fucked her. She loved how her breasts flattened against his hard chest, loved how his heart was hammering in faster, harder rhythm than hers and how hot his skin felt despite their shower. Just for now, Lori allowed herself to feel the “l” word for him. She knew it really wouldn’t be smart to go there, not for long, but while he thrust himself into her in deep, deep intimacy, she allowed herself to feel everything for him. It wouldn’t last. It couldn’t. “Oh, baby,” he groaned. “You are too much.” No, he was. With a whimper, she surrendered fully to him. Even if she’d wanted to, she could hold nothing back in face of the pleasure of having him in her. “Oh, goddess,” she sighed, again and again, as she climaxed. 34

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In moments, he was there with her, exploding with his orgasm as he thrust into her and cried out his ecstasy. Afterward, they both quaked together and it wasn’t just because the water had definitely cooled off. Reality time. She could have stayed in the shower with him all day. No, she couldn’t have. She had a job and some components of a life demanding her presence. “Jeff, that was amazing. But you’ve got to go, and so do I.” This time they both cleaned up briskly. They got out of the shower and decided that, if they really intended to get going, toweling each other off might not be a great idea. “I want to see you again, Lori. If not tonight then tomorrow.” So how was she supposed to back off from the guy when they both barely had towels covering their naked bodies? For Pete’s sake, they’d both just come. She made a noncommittal shrug and noise, neither of which were intended to actually communicate anything. “I’ve got a pretty full schedule today and in the days to come. I expect I’ll be working really late every night. You know how it is.” From the look in his eyes, he didn’t know at all. Or if he did, he refused to take no for an answer. He didn’t seem to catch her lack of enthusiasm, maybe because he had enough for both of them. “There’s more to life than work.” She nearly sputtered out a denial when she heard that, but there was no sense getting into any discussion with him. Instead she kept her towel tightly around her, walked out of the bathroom still steamy with the scent of sex and went to the closet for her clothes. She dropped her towel. It wasn’t exactly that she was an exhibitionist type, but she got off on knowing that he was drinking her up with his eyes. Aah, she really couldn’t linger there. It was past time for her to go into businesswoman mode. She figured once she dressed in a take-me-seriously tailored suit, he’d have to realize the party was over and leave—and so would she. Fortunately, 35

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she’d be so busy for the foreseeable future, she wouldn’t have time to think about the boy toy with the amazing hands and the body that had brought her to new levels of pleasure. She’d drown out the memories of intimacy. He loomed before her with the towel wrapped around his waist. Even covered up, he looked so potent, she had to avert her eyes or she’d never manage to leave. “The gig tonight goes pretty late. You can come after work, after your other commitments. They’ll still be playing and I’ll be there ‘til closing.” She shrugged in an effort to defuse everything that lay between them. “I can’t make any promises. Where is it?” He told her the name of the club and the address. “Tell Tony you’re my girl. He’ll take you to me and give you a free drink.” Jeff grinned. His girl? Talk about too much too soon. She needed to nip this one before it went any further. By the time she was dressed and made up, Jeff had long since thrown on his clothes from the night before and looked deliciously rumpled. “See you later,” he called out right before he stepped out the door. The condo felt curiously empty as soon as he left, as if he’d more than filled her home with his exuberant energy. With a brisk nod of determination, she locked up and headed to her car. That night, she’d come directly home. Or maybe she’d grab a late dinner with friends from the store. One thing she wouldn’t do was go to the club where Jeff would be. She was back to business as usual. So what if it felt like crap?

***** Jeff didn’t usually work on Sundays, but he had lots to do today to get ready for a major job he was scheduled to start Monday—plus he had to get the limo back. First he’d need to clean the limo up or Uncle Vito would string him up by the balls, family or no. Jeff winced at the image.

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Then tonight he’d see Lori again—he was certain she’d come to the club. He couldn’t wait to be with her again, not to mention how great it would be to show her off to his buddies. He got into the limo to drive down to the carwash Uncle Vito always used. He turned on a CD and drummed his fingers on the steering wheel in rhythm with the Rolling Stones. Unlike the singer, he’d just gotten lots of satisfaction. A glow of heat and desire spread through him as he thought about Lori and their amazing night. Yeah, she was busy with her high-pressure job so they couldn’t spend this gorgeous Sunday together. The way he felt right now, he didn’t even want to have to wait until tonight to see her again. He wouldn’t. Heck, he knew where she worked. How about if he drummed up a surprise gift and hand-delivered it to her at work? Jeff smiled and began to make plans.

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Chapter Four Being a Sunday morning, the traffic was practically nil. Lori parked close to the store. Mark had pulled in next to her and they walked to the employee entrance together. They had to show ID to the guard at the door as they walked into the mall before the official opening hour. Just as they got to the office suite, Mark cleared his throat. Uh-oh. Lori braced herself. “So Judy and I were talking. We know things have been rough since Charlie… If this isn’t any of our business, tell me, and I give you my word that I’ll shut up. But I wouldn’t feel right if I didn’t say something about what happened at the wedding last night.” Lori cringed. Mark and Judy were really good friends, but Lori wasn’t in the mood to discuss anything about Jeff with either of them. She probably never would be, and since she had no intention of ever seeing Jeff again, there was really no need. Still, she didn’t want to be rude. “You and Judy are good people and I appreciate that you’re trying to take care of me. Thanks. Trust me, there’s nothing to worry about.” “That kid you left with—” Her heart tugged at the mention of Jeff, but she wasn’t about to share any details. Maybe in a decade or so, but not now when all her feelings were far too raw for exposure. “Thanks, Mark. Let’s leave it alone.” He looked like he wanted to say more, but he’d promised. In no time she and Mark were in their places, fielding phone calls and getting busy with the myriad details of a big sale day. Thank goodness, the morning seemed to evaporate. The store manager brought in pots of coffee and boxes of bagels to energize them. By one she realized she’d had nothing other than the office coffee since the night 38

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before. Her mind skittered over the details of her shower with Jeff, how his hard penis had felt in her mouth. Right. Woman couldn’t live by cock alone. Store-supplied boxes of pizza and bottles of Coke ensured that no one would have to take a real lunch break. She’d just taken a huge bite of veggie pizza and was going to chug some Coke when Charlie showed up. Talk about an appetite supressant. She swallowed hard and tried not to choke. Right after he’d dumped her, Charlie had gotten a promotion and been transferred to the new store opening in Maryland. Thank the goddess for large favors. Demotion would have been better for Lori’s ego, but she took what she could get. Out of sight had helped put him out of mind, at least sometimes. She certainly hadn’t expected him to show up today. Seeing him was the last thing she needed. Unfortunately, the bastard, wearing a designer suit and resembling a rising exec, looked far too refreshed. He’d had his chestnut hair styled and his nails buffed. “How ya doin’, Lori? Good sale day?” He smiled as if they didn’t have years of history together. “Charlie, why are you here?” So much for putting on a gracious façade. Maybe she’d be there in a decade or so. “Part of my assignment is to go around and make sure everyone’s got their sales set up right. I figured I’d check in first with old friends.” Right. She wondered who he meant to include in that description. He gestured to a pizza box. “I’m up for some lunch. You got some extra for me?” It was too late to sprinkle ipecac on the pepperoni. She shrugged and indicated he could help himself. Heck, he could finish the piece she’d started. She wasn’t going to eat any more of it with him around. “Sit down, Lori.” He picked up the biggest slice in the box and sank his teeth into it. “I was about to check the sales floor.” “It’s fine. I checked on my way in. Take a break. You deserve it.”

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She’d have preferred to break him. On the other hand, she didn’t want him to see that he could still get to her. She sat down and forced herself to eat and drink more just to show him how cool she was. “So I hear you’re robbing the cradle.” “What!” She jumped up and almost spilled the Coke in his lap. Too bad about the almost. Damn him for startling her. He gave her a once-over leer that made her feel dirty. “I heard you went home from Vickie’s wedding with the chauffeur. The teeny-bopper chauffeur.” He tsked. “I thought you had more style than that.” Why was he trying to get to her? She couldn’t let him get away with that crap any more. “We can talk about business. But my personal life is not the topic du jour.” She took a deep breath and tried to convince herself she could handle whatever crap he tried to fling her way. He laughed. “Tell that to the store grapevine. Evidently you and your boy toy are getting more talk time than the bride and groom.” Shit. She certainly knew all about the store grapevine. Busy as they all were, somehow gossip made the rounds faster than the latest markdowns on designer shoes. “This is so not your business. I’m out of here.” She stood up to leave, but he stood too and clamped his hand on hers to make her stay. His touch made her feel sick. He’d contorted his facial features into a look of mock concern. “Lori, you’ve changed. This boy toy must be making you soft in the head or something. So what’s with you two? If I have it wrong, tell me. I’ll set the gossips straight.” She wanted to smack the smirk off his face, but she knew better. The last thing she wanted to do was talk about Jeff with Charlie, but she wanted to chop down the grapevine and defuse the gossip. “There’s nothing to talk about.”

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His eyes grew wide with surprise. “You mean I got the story wrong? You didn’t leave the wedding with some chauffeur who’s barely even old enough to have a license to drive a limo?” She squirmed, hating how dirty she felt when Charlie talked about Jeff. But she might as well bite the bullet now, admit the least facts necessary and get Charlie to move on. “It’s not your business. Yes, I left the wedding with the chauffeur. Definitely not a boy, just a very nice young man. A real gentleman. Great to be with, unlike the present company. We had some laughs together, nothing else. No big deal. Now I’m outta here.” “More than laughs. Lots more, Lori.” Jeff stood no more than three feet away from Charlie and her. Goddess. When the heck had Jeff come into the office suite? And why? The pain in his eyes almost knocked Lori off her feet. “This must be the boy toy in person.” Charlie, who still had one hand over hers on the desk, reached his other out to Jeff, who held a package in one hand and kept the other at his side. “Jeff.” She tried to imbue his name with her apology while still shielding what they’d shared together from Charlie’s gaze. She didn’t want to hurt Jeff. “I promised you this CD of Clannad. And I wanted to bring you something else, something I made.” “You really didn’t have to.” Her words sounded weaselly to her ears. “I didn’t have to do anything. I wanted to give you the music and this heart I carved from cherry wood.” She winced at his thoughtfulness and at the nakedness of his emotions. Wanting to cut this encounter short, she reached to take the gifts. Then she figured she could tell Jeff she was busy with work. Right. He could see how busy she was.

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Charlie put a possessive arm around her waist. “Aren’t you going to introduce me to your friend?” He smirked. She wriggled out of Charlie’s hold and fought her impulse to smack him. “Just leave, why don’t you?” He looked mock surprised. “I’m here to work.” Right. “I’m going out on the floor.” She looked beseechingly at Jeff. “Please walk with me.” He glared at Charlie, then walked together in silence with Lori until they’d closed the office door. Shoppers and staff jammed the sales floor. Lori’s departments were on the upper level, so she’d have to fight her way onto the escalator. “I’m really sorry, Jeff. You’ve been kind and Charlie’s an idiot. I’m sorry if what he said—what we both said—hurt you.” “You didn’t intend to come to the gig or see me again, did you?” He spoke so softly she had to strain to hear him in the noisy department store. She couldn’t lie to him, not any more. “Jeff. We had a very special night, but we don’t belong in each other’s lives. I think that’s clear.” “I disagree. I thought we had the start of something special. I still do. I guess that makes one of us.” She shook her head. Of all the damn times in her life for things to get complicated. Maybe it was better that she was so busy. Though she wanted to hug him, somehow she figured that would be the wrong thing to do here in the store—or for them at all. Heck, she’d fed the grapevine enough. “I’m sorry, Jeff. I have to go. Goodbye.” Then she used all her energy to work her way through the crowd and up to the next level. She kept facing forward so Jeff would not see her sudden, unwelcome, totally inappropriate tears.

“She’s way out of your league.”

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Jeff turned around to face the smirking Charlie. Before he could think twice, Jeff raised his fist to punch the jerk’s face in. Charlie had good reflexes, or maybe he had to duck a lot of punches. He jumped back and avoided getting what he deserved. Jeff raised his fist again. “You don’t want to do that here,” Charlie muttered. “Yeah, I do.” Disgusted that he’d missed and the chance was gone, Jeff turned and made his way out of the crowded store. He needed to be outside in the fresh air so he could think. The sunlight didn’t help. He couldn’t believe how easy it was for Lori to turn her back on what had happened between them and walk away. Could he have been that far off base about her? He got into his van to take off, then turned off the engine. It wasn’t right to leave without at least talking to her. Jeff headed back to the suite of managers’ offices. He figured he’d wait for her there. But when he opened the door, a security guard stepped in front of him to block his way. “You can’t come in here, bud.” “What? This area is open to the public.” He wasn’t about to let some rent-a-cop keep him away from Lori. “Not anymore.” Jeff could see Charlie standing a few feet back with his arms crossed in front of him and a big smirk on his ugly face. The creep now waved to Jeff with a taunt. Jeff’s fists clenched. Next time, he wouldn’t miss. He started to move past the guard, who stuck an arm out to hold him back. “I wouldn’t do that, bud. Not unless you want to be charged with trespass.” “You’re kidding.” The guard glared. “The lady doesn’t want you bothering her anymore.” Even more disgusted than before with himself, Lori and the world, Jeff turned on his heel and left.

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Lori was just calming a hysterical customer down when her pager went off with an emergency summons back to the executive office. After turning the customer over to the department manager, Lori rushed down to the office. What the heck could be happening now? Looking smug, Charlie stood at her desk. “Did you page me?” she asked, huffing to catch her breath. “Yeah. I thought you’d never come back to the office.” She glared at him. “There’s no emergency, is there?” He sighed. “I want to talk to you and I’ve got to leave.” Knowing there was no point in telling him off for dragging her back to the office under false pretenses, she sat down at the edge of her desk and folded her arms in front of her. “Talk. You have two minutes.” He put a hand on her shoulder. “I got rid of the kid for you.” She sprang to her feet. “What?” “Just doing you a favor. I know what a soft touch you can be.” “I don’t need you doing me any favors. All I need is for you to leave. Now.” “I’m going just as soon as I tell you—” He looked strange. “Tell me what? Cripes, Charlie, are you sick or something?” “No. Look, I’m sorry for the way I left. You didn’t deserve that.” Charlie apologizing? Had she just stepped into a hallucination? “What? Why?” “Shit, Lori, this is so damn hard for me. It took all my guts to be able to come up here today. I’m sorry I acted like such an ass about the kid, but I couldn’t tell you my piece with him here.” "He’s not a kid, Charlie, he’s a man. What I’m sorry about is that I didn’t realize that sooner.” He looked her in the eye for a long moment. “Looks like I waited too long, huh?”

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She blew out a breath. “Charlie, what’s been broken for a long time can’t be fixed now. I’ve moved on.” “Lori…” Charlie looked like he wanted to say more but instead, he just ended with, “Be happy. You deserve it.” If only it wasn’t too late.

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Chapter Five By the time Lori left the store, it was close to midnight. She really didn’t deserve the atrocious headache pounding above her eyes, did she? Was this her reward for working her butt off to make the sale great and refusing to let Jeff think she wanted more than she did? Wasn’t there any justice? She couldn’t get over Charlie’s bombshell apology. Amazed as she was at the change in him, the timing of his big announcement sucked. But she couldn’t blame Charlie completely for the way she’d screwed up with Jeff. He’d caught her off guard, showing up at the worst possible time. Still, she was a grownup. She could have handled things better. Not to mention, she ached with missing him. Late as it was, she had hours to dwell on her regret and all the ways she’d messed up. And she had the rest of her life to miss him. Once she got home, she changed into a nightshirt. Before going to bed, Lori allowed herself to play the Clannad CD once. She gazed at the beautiful heart Jeff had given her and ran her fingers over the smooth surface. He’d even made the boyish gesture of carving their initials in the center, which made her weep. She turned off the CD and put the heart into a drawer, wishing she could do the same with her emotions. It was close to one. She should get to bed and try to sleep. It was way too late to go to the gig Jeff had invited her to, wasn’t it? Who in their right mind would go out this late—especially after having ruined everything with him? He’d said she could come late, even really late. The band would be playing ‘til two. Ah heck. She’d go, to apologize for the way she acted at the store, to say thank you for the gifts and tell him he was special to her, too. Maybe they could be friends. Considering how her pussy creamed at the thought of him, maybe friendship wasn’t a realistic possibility, but he certainly deserved better than to have been insulted. 46

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Maybe he’d tell her to get lost. He should. She threw on the first clothes she stumbled on, designer jeans and a white silk cami. Hands trembling on the steering wheel, Lori drove to the club. The music rocked the night as she approached the heavy door. Lori peered into the darkened interior of the club, replete with the smells of beer and other booze, for Jeff. A well-dressed guy ushered her in and introduced himself as Tony. She remembered Jeff’s instructions and told Tony who she’d come to see. Smiling, he steered her to where Jeff sat with friends. She steeled herself. As soon as she stepped to the table, Jeff turned and caught sight of her. The band wound up their number in another moment, bringing welcome silence. He eyed her warily. His friends, evidently sensing something was up, moved to make a space for her. “Jeff.” “You came. Sit down. Is Tony bringing you a drink?” “I don’t want anything. Look, I’m sorry.” “No need.” Jeff shrugged. “This Charlie dude’s not quite out of your life, is he? Should’ve told me about him.” Pain flashed in his eyes. She shook her head. “Goddess no. We were together for a long time and now we’re not. He’s changed, but that doesn’t make any difference. He and I are history.” Jeff snorted. “Lucky for you. Did he tell you he sicced security on me? I wanted to get things straight with you and I couldn’t.” She winced. “I’m sorry.” “Yeah, you keep saying that.” He looked around. “I got the message, Lori.” “Jeff, please. Look, can we talk?” “It’s going to get really noisy here after the guys are done with their break. You want to go somewhere quiet? If all you’re saying is sayonara, consider it said.” His jaw jutted out. 47

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For once, she didn’t know what to do. There was nothing she wanted more than to be alone with him—but she knew where that led. She’d come to end things between them. “I won’t take long. I’m sor—“ “Ry. You’re turning into a one-note band. Besides being sorry, why’d you come?” Good question. “I just wanted to say a proper goodbye, I guess.” Yuck. What was wrong with her? That wasn’t true. Seeing him, being so near him, she knew what she wanted was far different. His eyes bored into hers. “Proper, huh? That word seems like a big deal to you. Okay. You’ve got it. Goodbye, Lori.” He was letting her go, just like that. That was what she wanted, so why did she feel on the verge of frostbite? Things were clear. She should leave. One foot in front of the other, she willed herself to stand. Jeff rose too. “Sometimes people get rowdy this late at night. I’ll walk you out to your car.” His voice still had a hard edge. “It’s okay, you don’t have to. I can take care of myself.” Might as well start. He put his hand to her back and steered her outside. They walked in silence to her car and he watched her unlock the door and get in. “Thanks, Jeff.” He nodded and turned to go back. And that was when clarity struck. She knew that letting him walk away now would be the biggest mistake of her life. “Wait.” He kept walking. Maybe it was too late already. She leapt out of the car. “Wait,” she called again, louder. Jeff turned. “Something wrong?” “No. Yes. Jeff, I’m not going to say the ‘s’ word again. But please don’t walk away.” After a moment’s hesitation, he came back. She wanted him to touch her, but he kept his hands at his side. “I’m listening.” “I can’t let you go, not like this.”

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“Okay, you’ve got my attention.” Her heart was racing as if she’d run a marathon and her mind felt scrambled. “I want you in my life. I want to be with you.” She put her hand on his arm, but he shrugged her off. Her mouth went dry. “You mean it’s okay for us to be together alone, but you don’t want to explain me to other people.” His words hit her like a slap. “No, oh no. Jeff, I’d be proud to be with you— anywhere, any time.” “But actions speak louder than words and all that.” Lori’s face grew hot with a blush she hoped he couldn’t see in the dark. “Today was weird. Charlie showed up out of the blue, which messed with my head when I was so busy dealing with the sale. Then you showed up.” “The last straw.” “No. I was happy to see you.” “You have a weird way of showing it.” She took a deep breath. “I don’t blame you for being angry. Oh, hell. Then the day got really weird. Charlie actually apologized.” “So what happens between you guys now?” “Oh, it’s too late for us and even he knew that. Now I have to hope the same isn’t true for us.” He drew her to him in a hug. Lori felt the tears coming. Really not wanting to go into a crying jag, she sniffed. “You know the old saying about something being too good to be true? That’s what I thought about you. I was wrong not to trust…” Her lips were trembling too much for her to finish. “Apology accepted.” He cupped her chin to tilt her face up for the kiss she’d been dying for. “Jeff,” she moaned when they came up for air, “I want to be with you.” 49

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“I want to be with you, too,” he whispered. “Everywhere. With your friends, at your job. At mine.” He gently wiped away the tears she couldn’t hold back any longer. “Everywhere,” she hiccupped. “With everyone.” He scooped her up in his arms for a long, lingering kiss. Lori melted into his arms. “But right now, I’m all about being alone with you,” he murmured, just before they kissed again. “I want that too.” He took her hand and glanced back toward the club, then turned toward her. “So, how about a ride in my van?”

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About the Author Exploring the erotic side of romance keeps Mardi Ballou chained to her computer— and inspires some amazing research. Mardi’s a Jersey girl, now living in Northern California with her hero husband—the love of her life—who’s also her tech maven and first reader. Her days and nights are filled with books to read and write, chocolate, and the pursuit of romantic dreams. A Scorpio by birth and temperament, Mardi believes in living life with Passion, Intensity, and Lots of Laughs (this last from her moon in Sagittarius). Published in different genres under different names, Mardi is thrilled to be part of the Ellora’s Cave Team Romantica.

Mardi welcomes comments from readers. You can find her website and email address on her author bio page at www.ellorascave.com.

Tell Us What You Think We appreciate hearing reader opinions about our books. You can email us at [email protected].

Also by Mardi Ballou Down and Dirty anthology Nibbles ‘n’ Bits anthology Pantasia 1:Hook, Wine and Tinker Pantasia 2: For Pete’s Sake Pantasia 3: Forever On the Isle of Never Photo Finish Reunions Dangereuses Tingle Bells Triple Booked Young Vampires in France Young Vampires In Love

Discover for yourself why readers can’t get enough of the multiple award-winning publisher Ellora’s Cave. Whether you prefer e-books or paperbacks, be sure to visit EC on the web at www.ellorascave.com for an erotic reading experience that will leave you breathless.

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