Chapter One (38 page)

brief. Not quite as satisfying as the real thing, but it would have

“You breathe one word of my personal life anywhere to to do for now.

anyone and these pictures will not only be delivered to your Bob thought he had won. But he was wrong. It wasn’t home, but to every other competing law firm and newspaper over. Not by a long shot. He might think he had the last word, and legal publication in town. You take me down, I take you but Jack was a shark in this business too, and he knew a few down.”

things. Things Bob wasn’t aware he knew.

Bob’s face was turning now, going from stark white to All he needed now was proof. In a few days, he’d be an ugly mottled shade of red. “You dirty son of a bitch.”

back in Bob’s office, and this time, the senior partner wouldn’t Jack shrugged. “Hey, I learned from the best, Bob.”

be smiling.

“I’ll have you disbarred for this.”

Bob had just challenged the wrong guy.

Jack laughed. “You aren’t going to do a goddamn thing to me. You leave me alone and I’m going to leave you alone.

One week later Jack was back in Bob’s office, a thick And you leave Callie alone too.” He placed his palms down envelope in his hand. He tossed it on Bob’s desk.

hard on Bob’s desk. So hard in fact that Bob pushed back, fear Bob looked up at him. “What’s this?”

showing on his sweating face.

“You can open it if you’d like, but I’ll tell you right

“If I find out you’ve gone anywhere near her, I will now what’s in it. First is my letter of resignation, effective personally come up here and beat the living shit out of you. I immediately. Second is a packet of pictures of you engaged in grew up on a farm, Bob. Remember my roots? I’m not a lily a little oral sex with your mistress.”

white rich boy. I can get my hands dirty when I need to, and Bob gasped.

don’t you ever forget that. And I know where to hide the

“Oh, yeah, Bob, did you think I didn’t know about you bodies.”

and Janet? I’ve known for a long time about your three times a Bob’s eyes widened, but before he could speak, Jack week trysts with that hot little number. The pictures are nice.

leaned in and said “Don’t you
ever
challenge me again.”

I’m sure your wife would love to know about them. Or, shall He pushed back from Bob’s desk and started to walk we say, her attorney would love to know about these pictures.

out, then stopped, paused and turned around. “Oh, and by the And yes, they’re just copies. I have the originals. Maybe you’d way. I’m opening up my own firm, where I’ll be competing with this so called top notch firm of yours. Get ready for it, 178

Jaci Burton/
Wild, Wicked & Wanton
/Unedited Advance Reading Copy Berkley Heat/May, 2007

Bob, because I’m about to go head to head with you. And Because even though she and Jack had only been frankly, I think I’m better than you.”

together one weekend, they’d been working at this a lot longer.

He turned and walked out, feeling better tonight than he They were destined to be together, and she’d let his asshole had in the past week.

boss dictate that they should break up.

One major project down, one to go.

What was wrong with her anyway? Did she think so It was time to see Callie.

little of herself that she bowed down to the dictates of some bigwig corporate lawyer just because he thought she wasn’t Callie sat out on her front porch and tried to enjoy the good enough for Jack? Why hadn’t she trusted in Jack enough summer breeze that drew in the scent of gardenias from her to at least tell him what that Bob Walters guy had said? Why garden and ruffled the hem of her sundress. But no matter how hadn’t she left it up to Jack to decide if she wasn’t good hard she tried, she couldn’t take any pleasure from the things enough for him?

that used to make her smile.

Why couldn’t she decide if she was good enough for Then again, for the past week she’d taken no pleasure Jack? Where had her backbone gone, the grit and determination from anything at all.

that had withstood the death of Bobby, the startup of her own Since the night she’d thrown Jack out of her house, company? Why hadn’t she stood up to Bob Walters? Why she’d lived like a robot, doing her job during the day and hadn’t she gone toe to toe with him and argued that she
was
coming home at night, wandering listlessly around her house good enough for Jack?

until bedtime, then lying there staring at the ceiling unable to Fuck Bob Walters. Or rather, Bob Walters could go sleep. She didn’t even want to see Abby and Blair, couldn’t fuck himself. That’s what was wrong with her. She’d made the bring herself to tell them what she’d done to Jack.

wrong damn decision. She’d let someone else decide for her, God, she missed him so much, mourned him like she’d and it wasn’t the right decision. She owed it to Jack to tell him mourned Bobby. Oh, she knew it wasn’t the same. Bobby had the truth.

died. He’d been her husband, her soulmate, the man she’d lived And then she owed it to him to tell him how she felt with for years. Jack had been a fling, a weekend thing, and about him. If he walked away after that, then at least she’d nothing more. He still lived, and her life should just go on. It know it was honest.

was an experiment, a bet, a dalliance that simply hadn’t worked She stood and went inside to grab her phone, hesitating out.

for only a second before dialing Jack’s cell phone number. He So why did it hurt so damn much? Why did she feel picked it up on the first ring.

like there was a hole in her stomach, a gnawing ache that

“Jack?”

wouldn’t go away?

“Callie?”

179

Jaci Burton/
Wild, Wicked & Wanton
/Unedited Advance Reading Copy Berkley Heat/May, 2007

Her heart slammed against her ribs at the sound of his perverted and you continuing to see me could jeopardize your voice. Would he even want to talk to her? “I need to see you.”

future with the firm.”

“Is that right?”

“I know.”

“Yes. I need to explain about the other night. The things

“Then he said—you know?”

I said to you…the reasons for them…oh, this is so hard to say

“I figured it out after I went to talk to Blair and Abby.”

by phone.”

“You talked to Blair and Abby?”

“Then why don’t you say them in person?”

“After you threw me out. I knew something wasn’t She whirled around, nearly jumping out of her skin at right. That’s just not you, Callie. You don’t act that way.”

the sight of him standing in her doorway with the phone at his He knew her. He really did know her. Tears welled in ear. She hung up her phone. “You’re here.”

her eyes and she blinked them back. “I’m sorry, Jack. I’m so He smiled and pocketed his phone. “Was on my way to sorry I said all those hateful things to you. They hurt me as see you, actually.”

much as they hurt you.”

“You were?” She smoothed her sweaty palms down the He cupped her cheek and she nearly died at the warmth side of her sundress.

and love she felt in his touch. “I know they hurt you, baby. I

“Yeah.”

know he hurt you, too. But that son of a bitch isn’t going to

“Why?”

come anywhere near you, or me, again.”

“Because I have a lot of things to tell you.” He stepped Her eyes widened. “What did you do?”

into her house and closed the door.

“I quit the firm.”

She moved toward him. “I have things to tell you, too.”

“What?” She grasped his hand. “Why?”

“You do?”

“Because I won’t be blackmailed. Besides, what we do

“Yes. About the night I threw you out of my house. I isn’t perverted, Callie. It’s our business and no one else’s. It lied.”

doesn’t hurt anyone and it sure as hell doesn’t affect my work They were only inches apart now. She inhaled his scent, performance. Besides, Bob Walters has been boinking his nearly crying because she missed his smell. She wanted to secretary for the past five years.”

reach out for him, to jump into his arms and wrap her legs

“No!”

around him and just breathe him in.

Jack nodded. “Yeah, and I got the pictures to prove it.

“You did?”

Dumped those on his desk tonight after he threatened to go

“Yes. One of your senior partners came to see me and public with
my
so called perversions if I didn’t toe the line and told me I shouldn’t see you anymore. He was in the movie do exactly what he said.”

theater the night you and I were there. He saw us, said we were 180

Jaci Burton/
Wild, Wicked & Wanton
/Unedited Advance Reading Copy Berkley Heat/May, 2007

Callie’s legs were shaking. “I can’t believe he airy, it was small, with an open reception area and three threatened you like that.” She looked up at him. “You got offices.

pictures of him with his secretary?”

“I’m going to start small but I expect to grow really He grinned. “Sure did. He won’t be bothering us again.

fast.”

Ever. Not if he wants to hold onto all his money and doesn’t

“You started your own company.”

want a messy, expensive divorce.”

He nodded, grinning. “Already have two clients that

“Oh, my.” Still, she somehow felt responsible for all have jumped firms to follow me. Hired a secretary and have an this. “You quit your job because of me.”

associate coming on board Monday. I’ll work from home until

“No, Callie. I quit my job because the senior partner is the offices are done, but I’m up and running officially.”

an asshole. It has nothing to do with you.”

She squeezed his hand. “I’m so proud of you, Jack.”

“Yes it does. It’s because of me, because of what we

“Hey, this was the kick in the ass I needed. I don’t did, what we do.”

really think I was ever meant to be anyone’s flunky. I’ve had

“Hey.” He pulled her against him, winding his arms adrenaline pumping ever since I made the decision to quit the around her back. “What we do is fun and doesn’t hurt anyone.

firm and start my own business. Now I can do things my way.

It’s thrilling, sexually stimulating and hotter than hell. There’s The right way.”

not a damn thing wrong with it so don’t you feel ashamed or

“And you’ll be a huge success at it.”

embarrassed. What Bob is doing with his secretary is depraved.

“Just like you’ve been a huge success at starting your What two consenting single adults do with each other is own business from scratch.”

perfectly acceptable.”

She beamed at his praise. “Thank you. I’d like to think She nodded. “You’re right. Still, I hate that you lost so.”

your job over this.”

“I know so. Now, would you like to help me christen

“I’m not. Come with me. I have something to show my new office space?”

you.”

The breeze flapped the plastic wall barriers against the He drove her downtown and parked on the street, then wood and Callie shook her head.

walked a short distance, entering a building under construction.

“Here?”

A modest four story office complex, it was a short walk from

“Hell yeah. My dick’s getting hard just thinking about her shop.

fucking you here.”

“Where are we going?” she asked.

Her nipples tightened. She’d missed him, missed the

“My new office.”

excitement of having him in her life. Without him, she felt She wrinkled her nose under the smell of sawdust and empty. With him, every day was an adventure. “Where?”

paint as they walked the floor plan of his new space. Bright and 181

Jaci Burton/
Wild, Wicked & Wanton
/Unedited Advance Reading Copy Berkley Heat/May, 2007

He looked around, then took her hand and headed to the over to kiss her. She licked her juices from his lips, sucking on corner office. “My office. Let’s look out on downtown while I his tongue as he entered her from behind.

fuck you.”

He grasped her wrists and pounded her while she There was a worktable right in the corner and some looked out at all the office buildings downtown, wondering if clean paint drapes. Jack opened up the drapes and spread them anyone was in their office looking out their window at them.

across the table, then palmed his cock through his jeans. “I’m She creamed just thinking about being watched.

already hard for you, Callie. I need my cock inside you now.”

“Fuck me harder, Jack.”

His sense of urgency spurred her desire, the breeze He powered deep, so hard the workbench scooted blowing in and flipping up her dress. She moved to the table across the floor. His balls slapped against her clit, driving her and lay, belly down over it, turning her head to look at him.

closer and closer to a climax.

“Fuck me, Jack.”

“Come for me, Callie,” he said, his voice gritty and She turned away and looked out over the scenic dark against her ear. “Come on my cock.”

downtown, anticipation moistening her as she felt Jack step He ground against her and reached down to massage behind her, heard the rasp of his zipper. He reached under her her clit. That sent her over the edge. She dug her nails into the dress and flipped it over her back, then she felt warm lips on her palms and let out a cry as she came, bucking hard against the skin of her lower back.

him and sending him into his own orgasm. He flooded her

“Such beautiful skin, Callie,” he said. “Like the softest pussy with come and shoved deep, groaning against her neck honey, you just melt under my hand.”

and sinking his teeth into her nape. She shuddered at the He cupped her pussy. She moaned and did just as he intimacy of him marking her that way.

said, melting all over his hand right through her panties. He They were both sweating. And panting. When Jack reached for the strings at her hips and drew the panties down raised up, the cool breeze from outside wafted over her damp and off, baring her cunt, then kissed his way down between her skin. He pulled her upright and turned her around, planting his legs, burying his mouth there and sliding his tongue into her mouth on hers to kiss her. Rather than a kiss filled with pussy.