One Night Forever (The Cinderella Chronicles)

The Cinderella
Chronicles

By Lisa Renee
Jones

Copyright 2012

Smashwords
edition

One night
forever....

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of the text, please contact the author at
[email protected]

All characters in this book
are fiction and figments of the author’s imagination.
www.lisareneejones.com. Cover by www.theauthorsredroom.com Steena
Holmes

Chapter One

“
Red Hot
Secrets.”

Lauren Reynolds never
missed an episode of the over-the-top, overtly sensual, late-night
soap. She taped it with as much ritual as she brushed her teeth
twice a day. The half-hour she devoted to that show each evening
constituted her only true indulgence. And the closest thing to sex
she’d had in about two years. It was her escape from reality. Her
way of getting a little passion in her life, because she couldn’t
risk the distraction of a real relationship.

Her goals were too
important.

Shoving the key into the
lock of her tiny apartment, she pushed open the door, not surprised
to be greeted by darkness. Her mother had developed a Thursday
night bingo habit. Their sixty-something neighbor hosted the event.
Lauren flipped on the light and smiled. The winning pot wasn’t
money. It was clothespins, of all things. For those ladies it
wasn’t about collecting the prize. It was about fun. Lauren’s chest
tightened as she thought of the months of chemotherapy her mother
had endured to survive breast cancer. Seeing her happy, and living
life, was like the answer to Lauren’s prayers.

Depositing her purse on
the entrance table, Lauren looked around the living room, taking in
the sparse, worn furnishings. For once, she did it with hope. Of
escape. She’d known a long time she needed to get her mother out of
this perpetual state of poverty. Lauren walked to the end table and
picked up a picture of her father. She touched the glass, wondering
if things would be different if he was still alive. She wished she
remembered him more clearly, but he’d died when she was only
five.

“
I’m trying to
take care of her, Daddy,” she whispered.

And as of yesterday,
Lauren had taken a huge leap toward a brighter tomorrow. She’d
landed an intern job at a reputable Manhattan advertising firm.
That thought lifted her spirits and brought her back to the
present. She set the picture back down. Eager to get to her show,
Lauren made fast tracks to the bedroom and then straight to the
bathroom. Her skirt slipped to the cracked tile. She wanted a
future without that worn-out floor she hated so much. She’d
scrubbed the surface too many times to count, yet it still looked
dirty. Disposing of the rest of her clothes, her mind focused on
what lay before her. Maybe one day, she’d have a modern floor that
responded to a mop.

She thought of her
favorite character on “Red Hot Secrets“, Tara Ross. She’d gone from
the slums to running her own high-powered cosmetics company. Lauren
intended to do the same and escape the slums. She wasn’t allowing
her mother to end her days in a crummy neighborhood fretting over
the bills.

Of course, Tara had extra
perks in the form of two sexy guys fighting for her affection and
both felt her pleasure was the ticket to success. The heated
lovemaking sizzled and kept Lauren glued to the television. Lauren
made a soft little sound of appreciation. It was quite fun to
watch.

A sigh escaped Lauren’s
lips. Both of Tara’s hunky men had inspired more than one fantasy
probably because it had been far too long since she’d had a man.
Even for just one night. An image flashed in her mind. He’d be
tall, dark, and muscular, with dark eyes, and perfect hands…of
course, she’d never have the courage to do such a thing.

Standing in front of the
mirror, Lauren stared at her image and for the first time in many
years, she actually looked. Her job interview had demanded a good
trim of her long hair and a purchase of fresh makeup. A
highlighting kit had given her brown locks auburn
highlights.

Her eyes drifted downward
to her body. Being too thin had been a curse as a teen. It had made
her the butt of far too many jokes in high school. But since she
hit twenty-five just two years before, she’d actually grown a few
curves. Her breasts were full and high. Not big. Not small. She bit
her bottom lip as a tiny ache began to build deep inside her core.
It had been so very long since she’d had sex. With a slow, upward
slide, her hand followed the curve of her hips, and then cupped her
breasts, trying to remember what it felt like to have a man do the
same. God, how she longed to remember.

And then a thought
occurred. She deserved a reward for years of working two jobs. And
for landing a top-notch job. Long hours and a lot of hard work lie
before her. Yes, she deserved a reward. And she knew what she
wanted—a nice, tight, hard-bodied, one-night stand. With a
frustrated sound, her hands fell to her sides. She was tired of
self-satisfaction. A man felt incredible necessary. A tight laugh
slipped from her lips. Like she had the courage for
that?

She’d have to settle for
“Red Hot Secrets”.

Besides, she wasn’t even
sure she remembered what to do in bed with a naked man. Bending
over the tub, she flipped the stopper in place and then turned on
the water. A generous amount of bubbles followed. A floral-smelling
bath was one of the few luxuries she allowed herself on a regular
basis. And even then she bought the bargain brand rose petal smell
when she really wanted the brand-name version.

A few minutes later, she
reached in her purse and grabbed her phone, expecting a call from
her best friend, Catherine “Cat” Maxwell. She placed her cell on
the edge of the tub, and stepped inside. Immersing herself in the
water, she sank back. The soothing warmth did nothing to ease the
dull throb of her body. A one-night stand was a great fantasy but
it wasn’t her style. A long-term man would only be a distraction.
So where did that leave her?

Beside her, the phone
rang. Lauren sat up, wiped her hand on a towel and reached for it.
“How’s the new advertising exec feeling?” Cat asked.

Lauren smiled into the
phone and leaned back once more. “I’m only an intern. Very low on
the totem pole.”

“
You’ll be an
exec in no time. You’ve worked two jobs for years. With one you’ll
shine. So, let’s celebrate in style and go to the Red Apple
Club.”

“
What is the
Red Apple Club and why do I know it will cost way more money than I
have?”

“
I have this
contact that told me this is the ‘it’ place for advertising people,
which means it’s where you should be.”

That Lauren
had a contact wasn’t a surprise. As a reporter of
The New York Times
she was well connected. She was also
rich. Something that despite their friendship often made Lauren
uncomfortable.

“
Like I said,
sounds like money I don’t have. No. I don’t think so.”

“
Don’t get on
the money kick again. This is on me and I won’t argue with you
about it. And before you say you have nothing to wear, borrow from
me. You’re already raiding my work wardrobe. Grab something fun and
sexy while you’re at it.”

“
Cat—”

“
Stop Lauren.
Do as I say. You have a key to my place and use it. We’re going
out. Besides, I hear the Red Apple is packed with prime men. Lord
knows you need one.”

“
I do
not
need
a man,” she lied.

“
Okay, sex.
You need sex, and don’t lie.”

“
There is a
difference between want and need,” Lauren said, but she wasn’t sure
if she was trying to convince Cat or herself.

“
Not when it’s
been as long as it has for you,” Cat retorted. “You’re damn near a
medical emergency.”

“
Enough about
my sex life—”

“
You mean lack
of,” Cat said, cutting her off.

Lauren rolled her eyes.
“Stop already. I’m in the bath and my water is getting
cold.”

“
Say yes to
tomorrow night and I’ll hang up.”

“
Fine.
Yes.”

Cat laughed. “Talk to you
tomorrow. Love ya, sweetie.”

And then the line went
dead. Lauren frowned at her phone as she disposed of it on the edge
of the tub. Why had she just agreed to a night out? The question
and possible answers ran through her mind for the next thirty
minutes. Finally, dressed in her boxers and t-shirt, she sat on the
edge of the bed, and hit the play button on her VCR remote
control.

The first thing she heard
was, “I want you, Tara.”

For the next ten minutes,
Lauren stared at the television as one of Tara’s admirers did a
delicious job of stripping her naked. Lauren pulsed with desire.
Her nipples tingled and she could feel the dampness of arousal
between her legs.

And she knew, she had to
do something about this burn her body had created. She needed her
own red-hot secret.

Chapter Two

A hint of a smile played
on Lauren’s lips as she walked down the sidewalk in the midst of
the Fifth Street hustle and bustle. She wasn’t immune to the heads
she turned. In fact, she reveled in the aftermath of each glance.
When had she ever felt this amazing? Dressed in one of Cat’s sexy
little numbers, a light blue figure-hugging skirt and matching
skintight, silk tank she felt more woman than she had in, well,
maybe her entire life.

A night on the town
pretending to have no obligations felt incredibly, marvelously
liberating. Bubbling with energy, her feet felt no pain from the
slightly too-high, incredibly sexy sandals gracing her almost
perfectly manicured feet. She had never been great at painting
between the lines, but her efforts had resulted in the bright pink
toenail with a hint of sparkle.

Stepping into the lobby
of the high-rise hotel that housed The Red Apple, the cool air
soothed her warm skin, enticing a sigh of relief from her mouth.
The height of summer, the temperature outside had reached the one
hundred degree mark. Just inside the entrance, Lauren eyed her
surroundings with interest, and blew a long strand of hair out of
her eyes. An elegant chandelier hung up above, and marbled tile
literally shined beneath her feet. She glanced at her dainty silver
watch, a graduation gift from her mother, and noted the time.
Exactly eight. Cat should be here already or arriving any
minute.

In front of her, a
winding staircase complete with a red carpet drew her attention.
Beside it stood a sign indicating the The Red Apple’s entrance.
Lauren smiled. The idea of walking up those stairs made her stomach
flip-flop. It was silly but she felt a bit like Cinderella. Dressed
to kill in clothes she couldn’t afford, inside a fancy hotel…it was
very fitting of a fairy tale celebration. And once she’d decided to
go forward with this little event, she’d gotten anxious. Now, she
was more than a little eager to get this girl’s night out under
way. Actually she was quite impatient.