Authors: Lynn LaFleur
“It sounds lovely,” Jade said politely.
I don’t care about your new swimming pool, or your remodeled master bedroom, or the 1,968 pairs of shoes you probably own.
“Oh, and the
gazebo
!” Marianne gripped Jade’s wrist. Jade had to catch herself before she winced from those long, manicured fingernails. “Doug had it enlarged. It’s
gorgeous
.”
Is there anything you have that isn’t gorgeous?
“I’m sure you’ll enjoy it.”
How can I get away from you when you’re digging your claws into my skin?
Zach took the problem out of her hands. “Dr. Lassiter, Mrs. Lassiter, would you please excuse us? I see someone I’d like Jade to meet.”
“Of course,” Doug said. “Jade, we’ll see you later. We’re seated at your table.”
She’d forgotten about that. It was incredibly stupid of her to seat Doug and Marianne at the same table as she and Zach.
Jade forced herself to give Doug a bright smile. “Wonderful. We’ll see you at dinner.”
Placing his hand lightly under her left elbow, Zach led her away from the couple. “You owe me for that one.”
Jade chuckled. “Yes, I do. Thank you.”
“Just doing my job.”
His angry tone of voice made her stop and look at him. He returned her look, his eyes cool. “I don’t like that.”
“You don’t like what?”
“That reference to your job.”
“Isn’t that what you wanted? You informed me in the garage I’m nothing but your escort, that you won’t fall for any practiced lines of seduction.”
Her words thrown back at her sounded so cruel. He turned his head, but not before she saw the flash of irritation in his eyes. She didn’t know if she’d hurt him or simply bruised his ego. Either instance warranted an apology.
“I didn’t intentionally mean to be so rude.”
Jade saw his chest rise and fall with a deep breath. His eyes were no longer cool when he looked back at her, but still flat. “Apology accepted.”
“Shall we start over?”
He squeezed her elbow. “An excellent idea.” A hint of warmth returned to his eyes. “Hi, Jade, I’m Zach. I’ll be your escort this evening.”
Jade smiled. She liked this Zach much better.
“Would you like another glass of wine?” he asked.
“Yes, but I’ll go with you to the bar this time.”
“You’re afraid Marianne Lassiter will hunt you down again.”
“You’re right about that.”
“Well, then, my lady, I give you my protection.” He offered her his arm. “Shall we?”
She wrapped her hand around his biceps. “We shall.”
* * * * *
Zach watched Jade work the room. She spoke to everyone who called to her, handled several last-minute problems with someone’s special food order or the seating arrangement. Instead of calling on one of the staff to do it, she personally moved two flower arrangements on the tables because someone was allergic to roses.
She fascinated him.
Leaning back in his chair, Zach took a sip of his iced tea. He didn’t drink when he had to drive, nor on a date. He could better judge what his companion desired when alcohol didn’t make his head fuzzy.
He wanted to be clearheaded so he knew
exactly
what Jade desired.
He’d meant it when he’d told Breanna that it would be up to Jade whether or not the evening ended with him in Jade’s bed. He’d never pushed a woman for sex. He didn’t have to. Women did salivate at the sight of him. That knowledge could easily inflate his ego. Knowing he really wasn’t God’s gift to women helped keep him focused.
He loved sex. That moment when he slid his hard cock inside a woman’s creamy pussy, that instant of resistance before her body accepted him…nothing felt better. He craved sex, and he craved it often. Yet if a woman simply wanted an escort and not sex, no problem. It was completely up to her. It would be the same tonight with Jade.
Despite her adamant refusal to accept him as anything more than an escort, he couldn’t help hoping she would want to make love with him tonight.
She carried herself with confidence…head up, back straight, those luscious breasts thrust forward. She was a woman who knew what she wanted and wouldn’t take anything less. He admired that.
Her ex-husband had to be crazy to let her go.
Zach set his glass on the table. He wanted her. The small amount of time he’d spent with her wasn’t nearly enough. He longed to hold her, touch her, feel her skin sliding against his, hear her breath catch when she came…
The sudden thickening of his cock made him shift in his chair. He hadn’t been with a woman for three weeks, and the part of his anatomy with a mind of its own didn’t hesitate to remind him of that fact. But it wasn’t simply the lack of sex that made him react to Jade. In the past, he’d gone for several weeks without a woman when working on a house took up all his time and zapped his energy. He wanted Jade because of Jade and no other reason.
She turned her head his direction. He dipped his chin to acknowledge her, and she gave him a small smile. Turning back to the people standing with her, she spoke for another moment before walking toward him.
He had time to thoroughly admire her voluptuous body in the clinging emerald gown before she reached her chair. He stood and held the chair for her while she slipped into it, then returned to his own chair, pulling it a bit closer to hers.
“Through schmoozing?” he asked.
“For now.” She waved her hand in front of her face. “Is it warm in here, or is it just me?”
“You’ve been busy.”
“Unfortunately, yes. I’m sorry I’ve been ignoring you.”
“Don’t be. You have a job to do. I understand that. You told me you’d be with me in fifteen minutes.” He pushed back his left cuff and looked at his watch. “Right on time.”
Jade chuckled. “Breanna would be proud of me. She’s always on my case about being late.”
“She’s a lovely young lady.”
“Thank you. I could brag about her for hours, but I don’t want to bore you.”
“Listening to a mother talk about the daughter she loves would never be boring.”
He watched Jade’s gaze travel over his face, as if trying to decide whether or not to believe him. “Do you always know the right thing to say?”
Zach could pop off a practiced answer. He knew enough of them to spout them all evening. With Jade, he wanted only honesty. “No,” he said softly, “I don’t always know the right thing to say.”
“You seem to.”
“Is that a polite way of implying I have a dictionary of phrases in my head?”
A couple slid into their chairs directly across the table before Jade said anything else. Zach muttered a curse at the interruption. It bothered him to think Jade might believe him to be nothing more than a professional charmer with a dick for hire.
Isn’t that what you are, Cooper?
Telling the voice in his head to mind its own business, Zach smiled politely at the couple just seated before facing Jade again. “Would you like another glass of wine?”
She glanced at his iced tea. “Actually, I was thinking of stealing your tea.”
Zach picked up his glass and presented it to Jade. “Help yourself. I’ll get another one when the waiter comes by.”
She hesitated a moment, then accepted his glass. He watched her take a long sip.
Directly on the spot where his lips had been.
His cock surged to life. Any little sign, Breanna had said. Any little sign that showed him Jade wanted to be intimate. He could take that as a sign, or he could realize she didn’t know she’d drunk from the same spot as he.
Her gaze met his as she drank again.
She knows
, Zach thought.
She knows
exactly
what she’s doing
.
Zach smiled to himself.
Why, you little temptress
. Leaning back in his chair, he laid his left arm on the back of Jade’s chair. He touched the bare skin above her gown with his thumb. He watched her face as he circled his thumb over her satiny skin. She closed her eyes briefly before looking at him again. Desire clearly showed in her eyes.
She wants me as much as I want her.
He’d love to grab her hand, yank her from her chair, and drag her to some dark corner where no one would see them. He’d pull up her gown to her waist, free his aching cock, and drive inside that sweet pussy. Over and over, he’d pound into her while she clutched his shoulders and moaned into his ear. Once wouldn’t be enough. As soon as she came, he’d start fucking her again…and again…and again…
“Hello again, Jade.”
Doug Lassiter slid into the chair next to Jade, putting an end to Zach’s fantasy. Jade released a breath and turned to the man sitting at her left. “Hello.”
Marianne joined her husband. “I
do
hope the
food
is good. I’m absolutely
famished
.”
Zach sensed the tension in Jade’s body. She was in charge of this entire gala, which meant she’d decided on the menu. Marianne’s implication that the food might not be good had to be a direct dig to Jade. He started to say something to take up for her, but Jade beat him to it.
“The chefs here are excellent, Marianne. I’m sure you’ll find the food delicious.”
“It isn’t
chicken
, is it? Every time we
attend
one of these
things
, they serve us
chicken
.”
“No, it isn’t chicken. We’re having prime rib.”
“Oh.
Oh
! Well, that
does
sound delicious, and a
welcome
change.”
Zach cleared his throat to hide his chuckle. He wondered if Marianne Lassiter always emphasized every other word she spoke.
His little temptress had claws. He liked that.
Jade leaned toward him. Zach moved closer and lowered his head so she could speak without being heard. “Stop that,” she whispered into his ear.
“Stop what?” he whispered back.
“Stop touching me.”
He tilted his head so he could see her face, a mere six inches from his own. “Why?”
“Because it makes me
crazy
.”
Zach grinned. “Good crazy or bad crazy?”
“All right, you two, knock it off,” Doug said playfully. “No flirting at the table.”
“I think it’s sweet,” Marianne said. She propped her elbows on the table and laced her fingers together beneath her chin. “Although I can’t help wondering why we haven’t met you before tonight, Zach. Where has Jade been
hiding
you?”
Not exactly subtle, are you, Mrs. Lassiter?
Zach leaned back in his chair again. That eager look in Marianne’s eyes told him she wanted all the dirt on Jade’s new beau. He could tell her the truth, without telling her the
whole
truth. “We haven’t known each other very long.”
“What do you do for a living?”
“I build houses.”
If he hadn’t still been touching Jade, he wouldn’t have noticed her slight jump of surprise. She knew nothing of his other job for he hadn’t had the chance to tell her yet.
“You’re in construction?” Doug asked.
Zach nodded. “My uncle owns a construction firm here in Fort Worth. I help him off and on, whenever he’s short a worker. Right now, I’m working on my own, building my house.”
“You’re very…
young
to be building a house all by yourself.”
Marianne didn’t fool him for a moment. He knew she meant he was too young for Jade. Her implication made Zach see red. Outwardly, he remained calm and polite. “Age has nothing to do with talent, don’t you agree?”
He purposely wrapped his hand around Jade’s nape so Marianne could see it. Her eyes narrowed as she followed the track of his fingers caressing Jade’s neck.
“Well, yes,” she said. “I suppose you’re right. Still—”
“Marianne, leave them alone.” Doug’s voice sounded controlled, yet Zach heard the steel beneath the words. He faced them and smiled. “My wife has to know everything about everyone she meets.”