Pleasure Bound - Complete (79 page)

“I’m glad you came in,” Jenna said quickly. “I was going to call you, Mrs. Hero. About the yellowware set you were enquiring about a few weeks ago.”

“You found a set?” Her eyes twinkled with happiness.

“It’s in the back, if you’d like to take a look at it. I can bring it out as soon as I ring through Sully.”

The elderly lady clasped her hands together with obvious delight. “Oh, I’m so excited.”

“If I’d known you’d get excited over a yellowware dish set, I would have bought you one,” Mr. Hero chuckled, amusement flashed in his eyes.

“You already bought me one shortly after we were married, don’t you remember?” Mrs. Hero frowned with obvious disappointment.

“Oh, yeah, whatever happened to it?”

“I threw the dishes at you that night you came home drunk without a paycheck.”

“I can’t seem to remember that.” He threw Jenna and Sully a quick wink.

“Don’t be fooled by him. He remembers and he never did that again. It was during the Depression. He’d been laid-off for months and just called back to work. It was his first paycheck and he’d gotten drunk and gambled it away.”

“Actually, I gambled it away then got drunk on the last dollar.”

Mrs. Hero grinned at his admission and, to Jenna’s surprise, she wrapped her arms around the tall man and gave him an affectionate hug.

“When he came home and explained what happened, I threw every piece of the yellowware set at him. Broke everything. The way I saw it, if there was no money for food, why bother to have any dishes?”

“I learned how to move really fast that night,” he said, returning her hug. The elderly couple gazed into each other’s eyes, seemingly oblivious of Jenna and Sully watching them. Or at least Jenna had been watching them. When she looked up, she discovered Sully’s hot gaze traveling down the length of her body then drew back to connect with hers, sending a lightning storm of heat zipping through her.

Irritation nibbled at her nerves. She shouldn’t be reacting this way every time he looked at her. She should be immune to his hungry gaze, to his hot, wild kiss, to the erotic way his sensual mouth had just latched onto her nipples only moments earlier in the bedroom.

“They never go to bed mad at each other,” Sully explained. She detected anger beneath his controlled voice. Anger directed at her, no doubt. They’d had many fights when they’d gone out together. She didn’t like the fact he had women friends and he didn’t like the fact she was sexually uptight. He’d wanted more than she’d been willing to give at the time. They’d both been too proud to apologize after their fights, until the need for the fantastic sex they always experienced together had arisen, then they’d always managed to run into each other again and make up.

Unfortunately having great sex didn’t a relationship make…at least it hadn’t worked for them in the past and she doubted things had changed very much between them, especially at the fact of her red-hot anger popping its nasty little head up at seeing him talking with that blonde beauty last evening at his bar.

“On our wedding night we vowed to never go to bed mad at each other, no matter how big the fight,” Mrs. Hero explained.

“We were both too stubborn to break that promise,” her husband chuckled. They were still locked in an affectionate embrace.

“That’s the secret to our long marriage,” she smiled.

“It’s a lovely tradition.” Jenna grinned, feeling the warmth of their happiness sift through her. However, her warmth disintegrated at Sully’s cool voice.

“Too bad more couples don’t adopt that tradition.”

His searing gaze once again traveled over the length of her, leaving her both breathless at the intensity of his scorching look and also insulted at his words. Not to mention she was getting the distinct feeling he thought their final breakup was all her fault.

“I’ve got several errands to run. Can I pick the stuff up afterwards?”
So we can pick up where we left off?
He didn’t need to say it, she could read the lusty message flashing in his eyes. But she was pissed off at his comment about adopting a tradition of not going to bed angry at each other. The dissolution of their relationship hadn’t been all her fault. Besides, she was not in the mood for “making up” and starting the same pattern as they’d done in the past.

Fighting. Having great sex. Fighting. Having great sex.

“You can pay upon delivery. I’ll drop it by the bar tonight,” Jenna told him tightly, suddenly eager to get rid of Sully before her temper exploded and they started rehashing old times in front of his grandparents.

“Okay, I’ll see you at the bar, tonight.” Sully turned to his grandparents and smiled warmly to the elderly couple. “I’ll see both of you later.”

His grandparents didn’t seem the least bit put off at the tension zipping between Jenna and Sully as he bid them goodbye.

The minute the bell jangled his exit Jenna knew exactly what question was coming.

“Are the two of you back together?” Mrs. Hero asked, hopefulness washing across both their faces. Guilt slammed into her and she almost lied. Almost told them that Sully and she were on friendly terms again, but Sully’s little snap a moment earlier had just bought all the hurt and frustration to the surface. Hurt because it seemed he thought everything had been her fault and frustration because she thought that too. It had taken her four years to realize when a relationship broke up it wasn’t just one person’s fault.

It takes two to tango.
Her best friend Meemee had told her that over and over again every time Jenna broke it off with a local guy—especially after things started to get a little too serious for her comfort.

She forced herself back to the present. Back to reality.

“No, we aren’t back together and don’t expect us to, either.”

Both of them looked devastated. Oh, God, now she felt really bad.

“But at least we’re on speaking terms, that’s a good sign.”

“You’re more than halfway there,” Mrs. Hero burst out.

I wish you were right
, Jenna thought to herself, suddenly wishing she and Sully were together again, but that could never happen, not unless they got a miracle. Sully was obviously still carrying around anger toward her because of the way things ended between them, and she seemed to always sense it in him and became angry herself. It was a no-win situation.

“I’ll go get you that yellowware set so you can take a look at it. Back in a minute.”

Besides, she thought as she hurried toward the back room, she never wanted to experience the searing hurt she’d gone through after their last and final breakup. As far as she was concerned, that fact alone should be enough of a reason never to let Sully Hero back into her heart…or her bed.

Chapter Three

“So? Did you go and see Jenna?” Tony asked as Sully threw himself into the secluded booth of his bar so they could talk.

“And did you find the napkin with her ad?” Meemee asked as she made a mad grab for the frosty beer he’d just brought her.

“Yes, on both counts,” he admitted.

“And?” both of them asked at the same time.

Sully couldn’t help but laugh at the excitement these two shared in helping to get Jenna and himself back together. For good this time.

“Easy, guys. One at a time.”

“Me first,” Meemee said quickly. “Did you get the napkin I left?”

“You left it?”

“Jeez, don’t sound so disappointed.” Meemee threw him her famous pout. Her full, red lips going into a downward spiral. The sight of her doing that consistently seemed to cheer him up. She was always such an outgoing person and even when she tried to pout, the happiness in her just seemed to shine through, giving her an even cuter appearance. He was sure guys she dated loved to tease her just to see that sexy pout.

“No, it’s not that… I…” He had hoped Jenna might have left it for him to find
.
“Yes, I got it.”

“Good, then you know what’s she’s looking for. Now all you have to do is supply it.”

She made it sound so damn easy. She was such a romantic. She’d been an avid fan of Jenna and him getting back together. She’d almost given him a heart attack with her excitement when he’d called her, told her he was coming back for Jenna and wanted the help of the Ménage Club that Tony not only created but also ran out of his beach house.

He’d hurt Jenna terribly by running off the way he had. She was an extremely sensitive woman, especially about her weight and ultra-sensitive in the way he kidded around with his women friends. It wouldn’t be easy to regain Jenna’s trust. But he knew in his heart he wanted her, loved her, and this time around, he was willing to go to extremes to get her and to keep her.

“So? How did your meeting with her go this morning? Did you start phase one of the body seduction?” Tony asked. Sully ignored the way Meemee leaned closer, her eyes wide with expectation. She was also a member of the Club, helping couples through their troubled relationships, but she’d kept her membership a secret from Jenna and him until she’d finally mentioned she was a member in the last letter she’d sent to him.

“Normally, I’m not a guy who kisses and tells,” he said truthfully. “But since the Club’s motto is to be honest at all costs… I had her in the palms of my hands…literally.”

Tony grinned. “You work fast, my young apprentice.”

“I fucked up.”

“How?” Meemee asked.

“When I left her, we were both pissed off. Just like old times. It’s like we can pick up on each other’s moods or something, and then we both act on it.”

Tony nodded. “You two are both on the same level. So in tune with each other. It may not seem like it now, but in the future, as you learn to trust one another, this gift will cement your relationship.”

“Did you speak to her about the Ménage Club?” Meemee asked.

“No, like I said, I got sidetracked and then we got interrupted.”

“Well, she is a beautiful, curvy woman,” Tony said. “I can see why it would be hard to keep your hands off her, but you must remain focused on our goal. You must remember what you’ve been taught by us. The whole theory behind the Ménage Club is to discover both of your underlying fears and bring them to the surface. To treat these fears in a world of pleasure and affection. That will make each of you vulnerable and open to the other. Then and only then will you both be able to change and ultimately trust each other. In short, capture her body first, her heart will quickly follow and, eventually, you will win her trust.”

“All this ménage stuff is just too unbelievable to work, it just seems all backward. I mean you’re supposed to fall in love first and then have sex, and then maybe a ménage if both parties agree but this…” He shrugged and cursed silently at all the insecurities starting to flood him.

“That’s the old-fashioned side of you talking. You want Jenna, don’t you?” Meemee grinned, knowing what his answer would be.

Frustration grabbed at his gut making him wince. “With every breath of my being. But—”

“No ‘buts’, Sully,” Tony broke in. “As you’ve told us, your old-fashioned ways haven’t worked for you—it’s time to try our techniques. Remember we’ve been one hundred percent successful and we sure as hell aren’t going to let you two be the first to break our record.”

“If the Ménage Club is so successful, then why aren’t the two of you hitched?”

A dark frown of pain flashed between the two of them leaving Sully wishing he hadn’t asked. Both of them had lost the loves of their lives. Meemee’s fiancé had run off with Tony’s fiancée while Tony had been away on his last space assignment.

“That’s why we’re there, Sully,” Tony replied. “Why I gave up NASA and created the Club. To help others get back together. We’ve all lost someone we love in one way or the other, with the barest of chances to get them back. While we train with couples, we learn about relationships ourselves. When we think we are ready, we pursue the partner we wouldn’t have had a chance with otherwise.”

“Enough about us,” Meemee broke in. “We need to figure out another way for you two to meet.”

“She’s making a delivery to the bar tonight with some stuff I bought at her store.”

“Good. Are you ready for her?” he asked.

Sully nodded and fought against the excitement that was quickly building at the thought of his next meeting with Jenna.

He grinned at his two friends. “She won’t know what hit her.”

* * * * *

Despite her earlier sane ideas of not jumping back into bed with Sully, Jenna’s heart picked up a mad speed as she swung her truck into the dark lane that led to the back entrance of Sully’s bar. She’d opted to come this way in order to avoid the crush of people who were sure to be there. All she’d have to do is slip in the back door and find Sully, which should be easy enough. Ever since he’d bought the place and reopened last month, the few times she’d come there she’d seen him flirting with some long-legged woman or another at his bar. A fissure of jealousy slithered through her at the thought of finding him amusing himself with yet another woman. He seemed to do it easily enough, had given her a firsthand look as he’d so efficiently kissed her breathless back at her antiques shop. Before she’d known it, he’d unbuttoned her dress and had had his way with her breasts.

She moaned out loud as she remembered the seductive way his lips had clamped and captured each of her buds, teasing them with his raspy tongue, tormenting her until she was a torrid bundle of need.

Bastard! He was good. So damn good. He’d always known her weakness for sex even when she’d denied it to herself. Truth be known, she craved to be pleasured by Sully.

But not tonight. Tonight she’d be as solid as a stone toward him.

Yeah, right. That’s why she’d changed into a sexy black dress that flattered her generous breasts and made her big butt look just a tad thinner. Not to mention her pussy was trembling with anticipation as she hungered to see his eyes flash with lust the instant he saw her.

Cursing herself for being so damned weak, she parked her truck, hoisted the small box containing his toys into the crook of one arm and got out of her vehicle. Except for the screen door, the back entrance was open. She’d expected to hear rowdy music drifting out, but she heard nothing as she opened the door and let herself inside.

There was also an absence of people talking and she wondered what the hell was going on. The hallway looked ultra-clean and smelled really nice too as she walked farther into the establishment.

“Hello! Delivery from Jenna’s Antiques and Collectibles,” she called out, her voice echoing through the silent hallway.

“Back here, in the kitchen!” came his shout. “Just set it on the bar, I’ll be out in a minute.”

Gosh, he even yelled good. His smooth, rich voice just made her skin tingle wonderfully all over.

She entered the bar area and frowned.

Empty. The dammed place was empty! That meant they would be alone.

Oh dear.

Insecurities pushed away the confidence she’d had building throughout the day. Maybe she should get out of there? Maybe she really wasn’t prepared to be alone with him again?

“Gone out of business already?” she teased and settled the box on to the counter. “I’ll just leave it on the bar. You can catch me with the money another time.”

The faster she got out of there, the safer her heart would be.

Before she could spin around and leave, he appeared in a nearby doorway, totally shirtless.

Oh, double dear.

His gorgeous shoulder muscles rippled as he dried his hands on a towel and her attention immediately drew to his chest, to the soft dusting of curly hair and the smooth bunch of muscles swelling there.

“My cook just quit on me and the water main broke. No water. Had to close the bar.”

“Oh.”

Talk about a wonderfully sculpted chest. Was that soft-looking, downy chest hair still as soft and silky as she remembered?

“Thanks for bringing the toys, Jenna.”

He smiled as he walked toward her. The smile didn’t reach his eyes. Instead, raw, burning lust burned there. Lust and affection and appreciation.

“You look really hot in black, Jenna.”

She did? She pushed aside her self-doubts. Of course she did! That’s why she’d picked this dress.

“Thank you for noticing,” she whispered, eagerly and stupidly accepting his compliment.

Whew! He looked hot in the way he moved. Sexy. Sensual. A man on a mission of seduction perhaps?

Her pulse fluttered.

He popped open the box containing the erotic toys and he examined each one. His large hands handled the items gently, intimately.

“I put a cabinet in the corner for these toys,” he said softly, and pointed to the secluded corner near the jukebox.

Anyone using the music machine would certainly get an eyeful when they passed the glass-enclosed cabinet.

“Want to help me arrange them? I could use a woman’s touch.”

She bet he could.

He was topless, wearing a scorching gaze—not to mention they were totally alone—and he was asking her to stay.

God, she wanted to stay. To see where things would lead. To have some red-hot maintenance sex with him and then simply walk away, but she could see herself falling head over heels for him again.

“Jenna? Are you okay? It looks like you zoned out on me for a second.”

“I’m fine, just fine.” She plastered on a fake smile, although she could feel a hand squeezing her heart for what could have been between them.

“You sure?”

Damn him. He’d always been so in tune to her feelings.

“I should leave.”

“Meaning you don’t really want to.”

Bold son of a bitch, wasn’t he?

“C’mon, let’s set the toys up.”

To her surprise, his fingers intertwined with hers.

Hot
was her first thought as his grip tightened around her hand. He picked up the box she’d just delivered and pulled her toward the cabinet.
Desperate
was her second thought as she noticed the delicious bulge pressed boldly against the prison restraint of his pants.

Whew!
Warm in here, isn’t it?

He let her go and tilted the box on the jukebox. Cupping the Victorian-era butt plug, he lifted it out of the tissue paper.

“Top, middle or bottom shelf?”

“Middle shelf. Most people probably wouldn’t know what it is, so it’s best to put something more recognizable at eye level on the top shelf.”

“Oh, yes, I forgot to tell you. They’ll know what these antique items are and where I got them.” He reached into his back pocket and produced some of her fancy little business cards. She hadn’t noticed he’d picked some up. There were some index cards too.

“You remembered everything I told you,” she laughed as she read each of the cards stating the information she’d told him about the European doctor’s butt plug and the other items he’d purchased.

He grinned as he positioned the items on the shelf where she suggested and she placed the appropriate card with the item.

“I’ll have to come over for more sex toys,” he said softly after he was finished. Now why did she get the feeling he wasn’t talking about her antique sex toys but her personal toys?

She inhaled sharply at that thought and smelled his masculine scent.

Strong. Powerful. Sensual. Her body clenched erotically, heat gripped her veins, preparing her.

“Maybe you’ve got some anal beads or a vibrator lying around in that store of yours?”

He’d come closer. When had he come so close? They were practically touching each other.

Lusty sensations swept around her. Her breathing quickened. His eyes darkened with need. Dilated with desire.

Oh, sweet heavens, help her. She didn’t want to be swept away with this need of being in his arms again, didn’t want her nipples tightening with the delicious craving of having his hot, succulent mouth on her breasts again, his thick, hard cock penetrating her, her self-control vanishing…