Sweet Obsession: Windy City Kink, Book 1 (17 page)

He’d been with a lot of women, done dirty, kinky things with models, actresses, socialites. They wore crazy ass expensive clothes and shoes, and drove outrageous cars and had high-priced toys. But at that moment, he felt like eighteen-year-old Jack in awe of Sasha’s parents’ Barrington mansion with their four cars and swimming pool and housekeeper and gardener—totally unworthy.

“You look amazing,” he said, his voice coming out rough. He cleared his throat, resisting the urge to once more tug at his tie.

“Thank you.” Her voice was a little husky too and now he noticed how her pupils had dilated, turning sky blue eyes dark. He studied her face. She usually didn’t wear much makeup, or if she did, it wasn’t noticeable, but tonight her eyes were smoky and her lips glossy. “I just need to get my shoes and my purse. Come in.”

She led the way into the living room where Kevin sat on the couch. He too appeared to be dressed to go out somewhere. He rose and moved toward Jack to shake his hand.

“Jack. How’s it going?”

“Good. You?”

They sized each other up, while Sasha disappeared up the stairs in her bare feet.

Jack sensed some weird vibes from Kevin as the other man studied him, eyes narrowed, mouth firm.

“You still into kinky shit?” Kevin asked him.

Taken aback, Jack blinked. “Uh…what do you mean by that?”

Kevin lifted his chin. “Sasha told me what happened between you two. Way back.”

“Ah. Okay.”

“Don’t mess her up.”

Jack frowned. “Mess her up? What the fuck, man?”

“You know what I’m talking about.”

“No, I don’t fucking know. And you don’t fucking know me.”

They faced off. Then the sound of Sasha’s light footsteps running down the stairs had them turning to face her. She carried a pair of shoes in one hand and a tiny purse in the other. She sat in an armchair and crossed her legs to put on her shoes, and once more Jack’s jaw slackened at the sight of her long smooth legs and the sexy shiny black heels she slipped on.

Still irritated by Kevin’s enigmatic comments, he shot the guy a black look. “Is this your coat?” he asked Sasha, picking up the coat lying over the back of the chair.

“Yes.” She rose, and in her heels she was almost at his eye level. She turned and he helped her into the leopard print coat. “Thanks. Okay.” She looked at Kevin, and then frowned. She looked at Jack. “What’s going on?”

“Nothing.” Kevin answered but Jack had been about to say the same thing.

“Kevin!” She set her hands on her hips and jutted her chin out. Sparks flew from her eyes and Jack grinned.

Kevin held up his hands. “We were just having a talk.”

“Oh yeah, another one of your talks. What’s gotten into you lately? I am
fine
.”

Jack looked closer at Kevin. That was an interesting question Sasha had just asked. Sure, she said they were roommates, but maybe there was more to it on Kevin’s part.

“I know you are,” Kevin said. “This isn’t about you.” And he shot Jack another pointed look.

“Oh for the love of goats,” Sasha grumbled. “Let’s go.”

“I’m on my way too,” Kevin said, following them, picking up a set of car keys from a table near the door. “Just wanted to see you off.”

Bullshit. He’d wanted to warn Jack off. But why?

Chris emerged from the vehicle to open the rear door for them and Jack introduced him to Sasha. Once in the back of the town car, Sasha smoothed her animal print coat over her bare knees. “What did Kevin say to you?” she asked in a hushed tone.

“He told me not to mess you up.”

Her head whipped up. “What?”

“Is he in love with you, Sasha?”

Her eyebrows snapped together. “Of course not!”

“Are you sure about that?”

“Well…yeah.” The perplexed crease between her brows remained. “I’m sure. Absolutely. He’s just…for some reason, protective lately.” She rolled her eyes and turned away from him to look out the window. “I can’t seem to get away from overprotective men. You’d think I’m some kind of helpless little girl or something.”

“It has nothing to do with being helpless,” he said, sliding his hand beneath her hair to find the warm, soft nape of her neck. She turned back to face him. Lights from passing cars and streetlights flared and faded, flared and faded. “You are far from helpless. You’re strong and smart and beautiful. If people want to protect you, it’s only because they care about you.”

She stared back at him, her eyes big and shadowy. Her bottom lip quivered. “Jack. Thank you.” She sighed and then sucked briefly on her bottom lip. “I may be a little…uh…naïve. Kevin kindly filled me in on exactly how uninformed I am about some things. But it doesn’t mean I’m stupid. And it doesn’t mean I don’t know anything about sex.”

Jack choked. “What exactly did he inform you about?”

“Bondage. Spanking.”

Jack’s throat squeezed again. “Ah.”

Her forehead wrinkled and she rubbed her chin. “I’m still thinking about all that.”

Holy fuck. He stared at her. “I don’t even know what to say to that.”

So he bent his head to kiss her, soft and lingering, his tongue just brushing over her bottom lip as he pulled away. She tasted like berries. His thumb rubbed the side of her neck. “Christ, you’re beautiful.”

Her breath hitched, her lips parted. And the air thickened and heated around them.

“Kevin was right to be worried about me,” he murmured. “My intentions toward you are definitely…dirty.”

“How dirty?” she whispered.

Fiery need jolted straight to his groin. He leaned closer to speak right into her ear. “Very. I want to strip you naked and lick you all over. I want to taste you…everywhere. I want to feed you my cock and feel your teeth on me, and then I want to fuck you blind.”

Her eyelids drooped, her mouth went soft, and more heat built between them as they stared at each other. His other hand found her knee and slipped over silky skin to the inside of her thigh beneath her coat.

“That’s pretty dirty,” she agreed breathlessly.

His fingers teased sensitive skin at her leg and at her neck, and he leaned forward to kiss the corner of her mouth again. “That’s only the beginning.” He rubbed his nose against her cheek.

She licked her lips and he felt her shiver. “Promises, promises,” she said. “I thought that’s where things were headed last time…”

He huffed out a laugh. “I was trying to be a gentleman. But if you prefer, I can definitely be a perv.”

She touched her fingers to his cheek. “I think you might be both actually.” But she smiled as she said it, even if the smile did hold a hint of worry.

The car dropped them near the Grand Ballroom where the gala was being held.

“Are you going to be able to walk in those heels?” Jack asked, looking at her sexy shoes.

“Of course. Not sure how long I’ll keep the heels on though. I have my flats in my purse.”

He eyed the little bag skeptically. “You have shoes in there?”

She grinned. “Yep.”

He took her arm as they headed into the ballroom. The breeze off the lake cooled the heat he felt and fluttered Sasha’s coat around her knees. Christ, he couldn’t wait for the drive home to get his hands on her sexy bare legs again.

“So this show’s a big thing?” he said.

She nodded. “I did it last year for the first time and it brought in quite a bit of new business. Oh, hey, that reminds me…I got a call last week from a woman who said her husband got my name from you as a possible designer for the yard in their new home.”

He shrugged. “I’ve given your name to a few people. Lots of folks are interested in what I’m doing with the patio.”

“You don’t even know how it’s going to turn out.”

“I told you before, Sasha. I have every confidence in your abilities. It will turn out fantastic.”

“Well. Thank you. I appreciate the referrals.”

“I want to have a party,” he said. “When it’s all done. Sort of like a housewarming party.”

“That would be fun.”

“I thought so. And it would be a good way to show off your work. Make sure you bring business cards.” Because of course she’d be at the party. “So do you have a booth at this garden show?”

“Yes. Some big companies set up huge displays, creating whole fake backyards there, with furniture and plants. I can’t really do that, but I do have a nice booth and I have a slideshow playing of images from my portfolio and I make it look nice with plants and stuff too. We get a preview of the show tonight, just for invited guests.”

The hall had been transformed into a garden paradise, the air full of the scent of fresh flowers and greenery. After checking Sasha’s coat, they accepted cocktails offered by servers carrying trays among the guests, and meandered down one aisle.

“I’ll show you my spot first,” she said. “Then we can eat and mingle a bit.”

He followed her to her small booth not far from the entrance, a nice corner location. As she’d said, she’d set out two wicker chairs and a small table where she had a portfolio of photographs of her work along with business cards and pamphlets. She’d arranged various pots of flowers and two big palms around the furniture and had a small water fountain that was right now silent. She plugged it in and the water began to trickle in a soothing tinkle. She turned on some spotlights that illuminated the plants and flowers, and started the computer and projector that shone more images onto the back of the booth.

“Looks great,” he said, admiring the display. “Small but classy.”

“Thanks.” She adjusted a few things, moving a plant, tugging off a dead blossom. “I’ll spend all day tomorrow and Sunday afternoon here. Okay, let’s find the food. I’m starving.”

He again set his hand on the small of her back as they moved back into the aisle. Sasha stopped a server and helped herself to a napkin and a selection of hors d’oeuvres, and he did the same.

“Mmm. Great shrimp.”

“They are good. There are a few restaurants that sponsor the show and provide the food for the party.”

“I think we should just get one of those trays and sit down with it,” Jack suggested. “Eating these one at a time just isn’t enough.”

She laughed. “Yes! I know what you mean. I’m waiting for the dessert ones.”

“Of course you are.”

Their eyes met and electricity sizzled.

“Sasha! Hi!”

They both turned to see the man who’d greeted her. She introduced Jack to Steve Danford, the owner of a large stone and paving company. Then it was Jack’s turn to run into someone he knew, a new client, owner of a chain of restaurants.

They spent the next couple of hours nibbling on appetizers and talking to people. For a guy who was new back in town, Jack found he knew quite a few people there and he was enjoying meeting those Sasha introduced him to. Some were people she knew through her business, a few were clients, others were friends of her parents, or people she’d gone to college with.

Models strolled around dressed in outfits that portrayed the garden theme, most of them flowery dresses or dresses with floral accessories. Sasha admired a pair of flowered shoes one of the models wore, with crazy five-inch heels and a platform sole.

“I saw you looking at her legs,” she murmured to him as they moved away.

His head snapped around. “I was not.”

“Sure you were. And…she was blonde. You said you like blondes.”

He studied her face, the glint in her eye and the curve of her lips that told him she was giving him grief. “That’s true.” He nodded. His eyes moved over her honey-gold hair. “Living in California, there was no shortage of blondes.” Her eyes flashed, and he grinned and leaned closer to murmur in her ear, “But none of them were you.”

“Oh.” Her cheeks went pink.

“I told you before I’ve had a thing for blondes ever since high school.”

She dropped her gaze. “Right.”

“Truth, Sasha.” He kissed her cheek.

Servers brought out trays of tiny desserts, and Sasha selected a small square of something.

“Salted caramel cheesecake squares,” the server told her.

She popped it into her mouth. Chewing slowly, she closed her eyes and moaned. “Oh my God. This is unbelievable.”

His dick twitched. “Christ, Sasha,” he muttered. “We’re in public.”

Her eyes flew open. “What?”

“You sounded like you were having an orgasm.”

“Oh.” More color flooded her cheeks. “Um. Sorry.”

Once more he bent his head to speak into her ear. “Just wish I could hear that for real.”

Her mouth fell open.

He smiled and stepped back. “Another dessert?”

“Hey, Sasha!”

The male voice calling her name from behind her barely penetrated the heat that surrounded her at Jack’s erotic comment. Blinking, she turned. “Jeff! Hi!”

She’d dated Jeff for a while until he’d moved to New York for a controller job with his father’s big chain of hardware stores. She’d never been all that serious about him, but he was a nice guy and had been a good companion to go out with. He hadn’t been happy about leaving her, but he’d moved away about six months ago.