Chapter One (5 page)

we all work so damn hard. This is our chance to party. And

“You’re kidding me, right? How many times do we have to go your chance to shine, to shake off the remnants of Chad and all over this? You’re gorgeous. They’re hot. They both want to that hard work you’ve put yourself through. Go strut your fuck you. Now shut up, or I’ll have Callie stop the car and I’m stuff.” She pushed Abby ahead of her, and she and Blair took coming back there and slapping you.”

up right behind her.

She couldn’t help it. She giggled at the visual of Blair Steeling herself, Abby sucked in a breath and stepped climbing over the center console in her skintight dress and through the doors of the club, feeling the strength of her girls wrestling with her. And once she started giggling, she couldn’t behind her.

stop. Blair started to laugh, then Callie joined in. By the time She could do this. She would. She wanted it and needed they reached the front entrance of the country club, she had at it. If nothing else happened tonight, she was at least going to least relaxed enough to stop hyperventilating.

party her ass off.

But now they were here, and she had to actually get out Silverwood Country Club was the
it
place in town. The of the SUV and walk in there like she knew what she was elite belonged here, and it showed. Elegant, tasteful, yet ritzy doing. Like she was some worldly woman who did this all the as hell, from the marble floors to the crystal chandeliers to the time.

brass handles on the doors and the dark paneling on the walls.

Right. Some worldly woman. She didn’t even date—

Everything spoke of money, money, money.

hadn’t had a date since…Chad.

Abby felt out of place. She knew Chad frequented the

“Why did I agree to this stupid bet?” Abby asked as she club, but this just wasn’t her thing. She wasn’t a party girl. She stepped out of the vehicle.

was a sundress or blue jeans and tank top and no shoes, sit on a

“Because you desperately need to get laid,” Blair swing on the front porch and sip iced tea and watch the stars whispered, wrapping her shawl around her tight red dress.

kind of girl. Not dress up and be someone she wasn’t.

She stopped dead in her tracks and turned around.

20

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

“I can’t do this.”

as she instinctively grabbed for his bicep. The last guy she’d Blair hit her with a determined look. “Yes you can.”

been held against had been Chad, and he didn’t exactly work She shook her head. “I can’t. This isn’t me. You know out. But Seth definitely worked on his body. And for the love me, Blair. This isn’t me.”

of God he smelled so damn good her knees nearly buckled. Not

“Abby. Look at me.”

cologne, either. Just. . .man.

She turned to Callie. “I can’t, Callie. Please. You She really needed sex. If it felt this good just to have a know.”

man wrap one arm around her, she might not live through a Callie nodded. “I know, baby. He hurt you. He made night of really good fucking.

you believe you were worthless, but he was full of shit. You When he pulled back, he gave her a look unlike any wear that dress like you were born to walk a runway in it. And look he’d ever given her at work. “You look…damn, Abby.

you might not feel like yourself in it, but you look like a I’m speechless.”

million bucks.”

She felt the heat rise up her neck at the compliment.

“But it’s not me, Callie. You know it’s not me. I feel

“Thank you. You look great, too.”

like a fraud.”

“Let’s go party. And who are your friends here?” He Callie grabbed her hands, her fingers warm and glanced away and offered up the friendly Seth Jacobs smile to comforting. “You know what? Sometimes it’s okay to play the Blair and Callie.

part of the fairy princess. Just for one night.”

Which meant she had to find her voice. “These are my

“Abby! Just in time!”

best friends, Blair Newcastle and Callie Jameson.”

Oh, God. Seth’s voice. Her heart just about exploded He shook their hands. “I’m so glad you came tonight.

out of her chest. She cast a look of abject panic at Blair and I’m not sure Abby would have come without you two.”

Callie, who grinned. Callie’s fingers slipped away, and she

“Oh, I think she would have,” Callie said.

backed off. Abby had no choice but to turn around.

“Party’s in full swing. Can I escort you lovely ladies Some friends they were, deserting her in her time of into the ballroom?”

need.

“Honey, you can escort me anywhere you’d like.” Blair Seth came toward her dressed in a dark gray suit, light winked and slipped her arm in Seth’s, nodding at Abby to do gray shirt, and midnight-blue silk tie. His eyes widened.

the same on Seth’s other side. She did, and grabbed Callie’s

“Wow,” he said with a wide grin. “You look

hand for support. They walked into the ballroom, which was incredible.”

wildly noisy since a band was playing.

Instead of shaking her hand, he wrapped one strong, And dark. Good thing Seth was leading. Abby was warm arm around her waist and pulled her against him for a having a hard enough time walking on the stupid high heels hug. Oh! He was damn firm, too, his body all chiseled muscle Blair had insisted she wear because they “made her legs look a 21

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

mile long”. Whatever. Her legs wouldn’t look sexy when she hands, her friends had wandered off, mingling with some of the broke one and ended up in a cast.

staff members and laughing their assess off at a joke one of the The ballroom, which doubled as the dining room, was vet techs, Dave, was telling.

packed, individual tables set up for people to enjoy dinner with Ah, yes, Dave, teller of ribald jokes. No wonder they their families and friends. White tablecloths, elegant china, were laughing. She should have known not to worry about her multiple forks. Everything just screamed class and money.

pals. They could find their own amusement.

Abby looked around to see if she knew anyone—okay, she was

“Hungry? There are plenty of hors d’oeuvres.”

looking for Chad. But she didn’t spot him, and she was simply Seth’s voice over her shoulder sent chills down her too awed by her surroundings to keep searching.

spine. “Not really.”

“We’ve got a corner spot set up a little bit apart from all

“Good. Let’s dance.” His hand slipped around her this,” Seth said, pointing to several tables near the double doors waist, and she felt the burn of sensual heat singe straight by the balcony.

through her clothes. He turned her around and reached for her She nodded, smiled, and tried to focus on remembering hand, leading her onto the dance floor.

how to walk in heels.

Don’t fall on your ass, Abby
. Kicking her shoes off in Most of the staff from the clinic had made it, greeting the middle of the dance floor at Silverwood Country Club her with congratulatory hugs. She was really going to miss would probably be unseemly. This wasn’t exactly Whisker’s working with these people. They had helped her more than she Bar, and she wasn’t in jeans.

could ever tell them. She wound her way through the crowd, Seth pulled her close and rested his hand at the small of making sure she stopped to individually talk to and thank every her back, pressing in with an intimate gesture that put her one of them. The one person she didn’t see was Mike.

pelvis in contact with his thigh. Her pussy responded with a

“Where’s Mike?” she asked Seth after she’d finished twitch of recognition. Oh yeah—man. Something she hadn’t visiting with the staff.

been around in far too long. He twirled her around to the

“Doing his hair, probably,” Seth replied with a cocky melody of one of her favorite slow songs. Though other grin.

couples were dancing, she felt as if everyone was watching Abby snorted. She seriously doubted Mike had to do them.

anything other than step out of the shower and look like a god.

“You’re nervous as hell, aren’t you?” he whispered He was probably busy doing something else. Maybe he against her ear.

wouldn’t even come tonight. It’s not like he was required to be She tilted her head back to look at him. “Me? No. Not there. And why was she obsessing over this, anyway?

at all.”

She wondered if Blair and Callie would feel out of

“Bullshit. You’re stiff as a board. Relax, Abby.

place, but by the time Seth had put a glass of champagne in her Nobody’s watching us. This place is packed. Everyone’s here 22

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

for their own party. The staff is drinking and eating up the free pulled her intimately into his embrace, and it was like a food and drink. You’re not on display.”

thousand degrees of heat enveloped her. When he wrapped his She didn’t know why she was so edgy, but Seth was arm around her back, resting his palm against her bare skin, she right. As she scanned the room, she realized no one was paying felt every lick of flame along her nerve endings. Her throat the slightest attention to the two of them. “Sorry. You’re right.”

constricted, her nipples pebbled, and her panties flooded with

“Then lean into me, let me enjoy your company, and moisture. Holy hell, did he fire up her libido in a hurry.

loosen up, babe.”

He was dressed in a black suit, white shirt, and silver God, he was sexy. His voice was soft and gentle, tie, his blue eyes a stark contrast to his tanned skin. She’d coaxing the tension right out of her. His hand on her back never been this close to him before other than passing molded to her skin like a warm blanket, and she let him guide instruments and files back and forth at work. He smelled like her across the dance floor as she stared into his chocolate-thunderstorms and spring rain. She wanted to lick him all over.

brown eyes. She always felt so comfortable with Seth.

“Sorry I’m late. We had a complication from a surgery

“Better. Your muscles aren’t so tight now.”

today, and I was dealing with that.”

“Thanks. I feel stupid for acting so skittish.”

She struggled to find something remotely coherent to

“Don’t be. It’s a little nerve-wracking to be here the say. “Everything all right?”

first time. Though isn’t your ex-husband a member?”

“It is now. I’m just glad I made it in time. I wouldn’t She nodded. “He never brought me here, though.”

have wanted to miss tonight.”

Seth shook his head. “Asshole.”

She looked away, searching for Seth. He was over She grinned. “An adequate description.” She liked Seth keeping Blair and Callie company, standing in between them, even more now. The way he held her close, but not too close, laughing. Of course Blair could capture any man’s attention was nonthreatening, nothing untoward, not pushy at all. And and hold it for hours. Possibly days. And Callie was so their bodies fit together perfectly. He was tall, built like a piece gorgeous she could hold a man enraptured forever. And Seth of solid rock. Her nipples hardened, imagining what it would was fabulous for making sure her friends didn’t feel left out.

be like to be pressed naked against that wall of muscle, to be

“I make you nervous, don’t I?” Mike asked.

able to rub against him, run her hands over his body…

She tore her gaze away from Seth and turned it back on

“Okay, you’ve had her long enough. My turn.”

Mike. “Pretty much everything tonight is making me nervous.

Abby’s head shot up to see Mike holding out his hand.

I’m a little out of my element here.”

She looked to Seth, who smiled. “If I have to.” Seth kissed her

“Quit worrying about Seth when you’re with me. And hand and delivered her into Mike’s arms with a “Later, Abby.”

don’t worry about me when you’re with Seth. We’re grown-

“Later, Seth.” She stepped into Mike’s arms, and it was ups. We’ll figure this out.”

completely different. Gone was the respectable distance. Mike

“Whatever ‘this’ is.”

23

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

“This is whatever you want it to be, Abby. Nothing is going to happen tonight that you don’t want to happen. Just relax and have fun. It’s a party with the staff and your friends, if more comes of it, so be it.” He twirled her toward the open balcony doors and straight through them, then tucked her arm in his and walked her toward the balustrade. The moon was full, the stars out en masse, the summer night achingly beautiful. Sweetly scented gardenias overflowed their containers beneath her feet. She couldn’t have asked for a more perfect setting.

She wanted to freeze this moment in time and not move either forward or backward. But Mike turned to her, and she knew she had to respond in kind by giving him her attention.

Something was going to happen out here. She could feel the anticipation humming through her like a vibration.

Threading his hand through her hair, Mike held her mesmerized. “If tonight turns out to be something more than a simple party, then we’ll take it one step at a time.”

When he leaned in, she stopped breathing.

“Okay?” he whispered, his lips hovering a fraction of an inch from hers.

“Okay.”

He pressed his lips to hers, then deepened the kiss, and she damn near fell off her stiletto heels.

24

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

But he lifted her upright and pulled his mouth from hers, breaking the spell. She was dizzy, disoriented, and damned turned on.

“Sorry,” he said, his voice thick with desire. “Lost control for a second. We’d better stop before I end up with my fingers inside you.”

She shuddered and let her eyes drift closed for a second, wrapping herself around the visual. And that would be When Mike leaned her over his arm, she felt like the a bad thing? Reality had been stripped away, and she was in a heroine in a romance movie, and Abby finally understood what fantasy land right now. Of course, he would have to be the one the word
swoon
meant. Holy shit, this was romantic as hell.