PartyStarter Page 5

  The thought stilled her.

  “What is wrong with you?” she said softly. “He’s an idiot, and he’s trying to take your job away from you.” Julia huffed out a breath. “Yeah, okay, he’s so fucking hot you’d do just about anything for him, but that’s no reason for him to take up residence in your brain and turn you into a blathering dummy.”

  But he’s becoming more than that to you, isn’t he? an annoying little voice in her head echoed. All you’ve done is think about him and replay that kiss and the whole motorcycle thing over and over again in your head. Are you still trying to compete against him?

  Julia opened her mouth to retort, but nothing came out.

  “Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck,” she said with a groan. “What am I going to do?”

  “I don’t know about you, but I like that first suggestion you made.” A rough, masculine voice appeared behind her.

  Whipping her head around in surprise, Julia found Jack standing at the office door’s threshold, one hand on the doorknob.

  “Jack? What are you doing?”

  He quirked an eyebrow at her. “I’d have thought that was obvious, Puss. We have a show to put on, don’t we?” He dipped his chin toward the door. “And sorry if I startled you. The door wasn’t latched.”

  Gathering her composure, Julia crossed her arms over her chest. “What, no secret surprise entrances tonight? No tricks up your sleeve?”

  Jack moved fully into the office and gave his shoulders a shrug. He wore a white t-shirt, along with yet another pair of sexy worn jeans. “No room in these sleeves for any tricks, I’m afraid.”

  The sight of Jack’s full frame sent a shiver through Julia’s body. Ignoring the feeling, she made a noncommittal noise and crossed the room to a small mirror that hung on the wall near the door. She turned her attention to her hair in hopes of concealing her reaction from him. With a touch of dismay she realized her nipples had hardened noticeably under the fabric of her dress. It had to be a chill or something. He couldn’t be getting to her, he just couldn’t.

  “Well,” she said, her voice breathier than she would have liked, “at least you’re here on time tonight and we can get started right away.” Business. She was all business.

  Jack appeared behind her, having crossed the floor more quietly than a cat. His fingertips settled onto her shoulders. Julia started, accidentally bumping into him.

  “Wh-what are you doing?” The jolt of electricity at his touch was dizzying.

  His gaze met hers in the mirror. “Getting started. Isn’t that what you wanted to do?” His fingers slid slowly downward, gently caressing her arms.

  “That’s not what I meant.” Julia’s pulse jumped. The heat of Jack’s body radiated against her back, his faint, masculine scent teasing her nose.

  Jack’s hands reached her hips and he lightly grabbed them, his fingers gently pressing into her skin. Leaning in over her, he dropped a kiss on her shoulder. “Well, what did you mean, then?”

  The temperature in the room had to have shot up a dozen degrees. Julia hated how flustered he was making her feel, but she couldn’t bring herself to make him stop. “I…I meant that we had to get started for the show.”

  His fingertips brushed the hem of her skirt, his skin warm against hers. His mouth found a cutout in the dress at her shoulder, and he kissed her there. “If we’re supposed to put on a hot, sexy show, shouldn’t we have a hot, sexy warm up?”

  Oh, yes, oh, yes, Julia’s brain sighed. She settled back against him, even though warning sirens sounded faintly somewhere in the back of her head. This was a bad, bad idea.

  But damn, it felt so good.

  You want it, take it, her brain urged. You know you do. Just this one time. Deal with the fallout later.

  She put her hands atop his, urging him to pull the hem upward. A hiss of need escaped Jack’s mouth when he discovered that she wasn’t wearing anything underneath the outfit.

  “Yes, Jack, maybe we should warm up a little.” She directed one of his hands inward, over her hipbone, and down, to the tiny patch of hair over her pussy. He let out a groan when his fingertips brushed over the tuft.

  “Jesus, you’re so unbelievably hot, Puss.” Jack’s voice was low, rough. He slipped a finger lower, lightly touching her clit. Julia mewled with pleasure. Her gaze sought out and found his in the mirror once more. Jack’s eyes were dark and heated with lust. Her cheeks, slightly pink. His finger pressed harder and Julia jerked, turning her head to meet his. Their mouths crashed together hungrily, desperately, tongues immediately thrusting and meeting.

  Jack’s other hand slid upward once more, Julia’s palm pressed atop his, and sought out a breast. Julia whimpered as he squeezed and kneaded, her hands assisting, urging. A hard ridge pressed against her ass, Jack’s cock deliciously firm. Julia broke the kiss, gasping for air, trembling against his body. Her head fell back against his shoulder and Jack’s mouth found her jaw, her ear, her neck. He nipped at her, the tiny bite shocking and thrilling. She pressed the hand against her pussy down even harder. Jack’s finger slid lower, the tip of it slipping into her very wet channel.

  He sucked in a breath, hissing against her shoulder. “Fuck,” he said, drawing the word out on a groan. His finger pumped into her pussy more quickly and Julia squeezed herself around him. Bending one knee, she raised a leg, pressing the sole of her stiletto boot against the mirror, resting her weight against Jack’s body. The new angle allowed Jack even deeper access, and he quickly added a second, then a third finger. His thumb circled her clit and Julia let out a squeak of delight. She opened her eyes and met his gaze in the mirror, glancing downward to watch his intimate touch.

  A wave of lust washed over her at the sight. It was unbelievably erotic watching him thrust into her, and the combination of their hands on her breast and her pussy made the room spin.

  “Oh, Jack,” she said with a breathy gasp. “Yeah, just like that.”

  Jack growled into her ear, nibbling on her earlobe. The fingers of his other hand plucked at her nipple, pinching the hard bud. He tugged at her dress, fumbling with one of the fabric cutouts, shifting the opening over her breast so that the nipple poked through the hole.

  When he palmed the sensitive bare skin Julia cried out wordlessly. The scent of him tempted her nostrils and mingled with the faint scent of her. The room had grown warmer and her arms and legs felt damp with perspiration.

  She wanted him. Now. Damn the consequences.

  Pushing away from his chest, she dropped her foot back to the floor, forcing his fingers out of her. Her dress still bunched around her hips, she turned and reached for Jack’s fly. With shaking fingers, she yanked open the button and pulled down the zipper of his jeans.

  He stood silently watching her, the rapid rise and fall of his chest the only other indication of his arousal. Jack brought his fingers that he’d been thrusting into her to his mouth, licking each one clean.

  “Mmm,” he murmured, “God, you taste good, baby.”

  Julia sank to her knees on the plush carpet, pulling his cock from the opening in his boxers. She ran her hand up and down his engorged length, stroking the velvet skin, running her thumb over the tip. Jack shuddered and Julia felt a flush of satisfaction.

  Oh, yeah.

  She glanced up at him, a wicked smile on her face. “I’ll bet you taste just as good.” She took the tip of him in her mouth, swirling her tongue over him, savoring the saltiness of his pre-come.

  A strangled groan reached her ears and Julia chuckled. Just what she wanted to hear. After the motorcycle incident, a bit of tit for tat was in order. It was her turn to make him forget his own name.

  Relaxing her jaw, she took Jack as deep as she could, rubbing him with her tongue as she slid up and down. She wrapped a hand around the base of his cock, squeezing gently, and felt his legs tremble in response.

  Jack’s hands appeared on her head, his fingers burrowing into her tangled curls. Julia sucked a little harder, moving her hand up and down at the same r
hythm as her mouth, adding a hand job to the blowjob currently in progress. She could hear Jack’s breath huffing in and out of his mouth, the faint groans each time she took him deeper, and she again upped her tempo.

  “Fuck, Julia, I’m getting close, baby,” Jack said, his voice a gravelly growl.

  Julia glanced up at him. Jack’s eyes were squeezed shut, his face slightly contorted in an agonized grimace. She had him in the palm of her hand now, that was for sure. No pun intended, of course. Julia swirled the tip of her tongue over the head of his cock, exploring each tiny bump and groove, her hand sliding rapidly up and down his slick length.

  Opening her jaw again, Julia started to take him as deep as before—

  And a knock sounded at the door.

  “Yo, party people, time to get down—” A heavily muscled bouncer named Tony stood in the doorway. Julia released Jack’s cock with a wet pop and turned her head with lightning speed.

  Tony’s face gave no indication of his reaction, other than a single raised eyebrow. “I was gonna say, time to get down and party, but it looks like you two got started early.” He turned back to the hallway. “You’re on.”

  Julia wiped her chin with the back of her hand, rising to her feet. “Thanks, Tony, we’ll be right there.” Her giggle was faintly unstable. She began to turn on wobbly legs to check her reflection in the mirror, and Jack grabbed her, pulling her tight to him. His mouth landed on hers, his lips hungry. Julia tasted a combination of herself and him on his tongue and a rush of moisture appeared between her legs. God, everything smelled and tasted like sex, and now they had to go work.

  Breaking away from the embrace, she exhaled loudly. “We have to get downstairs,” she said softly.

  Jack stared at her for a long moment, his eyes intense, his expression serious. “You know this isn’t over, don’t you, Julia?”

  She nodded, taken slightly aback by his demeanor. “I know,” she whispered.

  He turned away from her then, turning his attention to making himself presentable. Julia watched him for a moment, then looked at the mirror. Her face was flushed, her lipstick smeared. She tugged her dress down over her hips and grabbed a tissue from a nearby box. Her lipstick repaired, she faced Jack again. His expression was unreadable, and suddenly Julia felt extremely self-conscious. She cleared her throat.

  “Jack,” she began, her voice wavering, “we still have a show to put on. You can’t look like you’re about to commit hara kiri.”

  He exhaled a long breath, his expression softening. He gave a brief nod. “You’re right. I’m sorry.” His mouth curved into a slow, sexy grin that didn’t quite reach his eyes, but made Julia’s legs tremble regardless. “Is that better?”

  Julia swallowed the excess saliva that had pooled in her mouth. “Much.” She smiled back at him. “Well. Shall we? May the best person win.”

  Jack inclined his head toward the door. “Ladies first.”

  Terribly off-kilter, Julia headed out the door and down the hall toward the staircase. Butterflies flip-flopped in her stomach and she took a deep breath. How far would things have gone if Tony hadn’t interrupted?

  And why did she feel so much regret about having to stop?

  * * * * *

  Jack watched Julia’s retreating form with a knot the size of his fist in the pit of his stomach. He let out a long, shaky breath and rubbed his chin with the palm of one hand.

  Jesus, Mary and Joseph. She’s gonna kill me. He eyed the swing of her hips as she made her way down the hall and his cock throbbed. Pressing the heels of his hands into his eyes, he took several deep breaths. He didn’t know what it was, precisely, about her, but she ratcheted him up so far that he might never actually come down. Even unfinished, that blowjob had been…spectacular. One of the best ones—no, the best one he’d ever had. And he hadn’t even climaxed.

  Leaning his shoulder against the doorframe, he shoved his hands in his pockets, his slightly bleary gaze drawn back to her. He wanted to lick every inch of that delicious body. Bury himself so deep inside of her that they both forgot themselves. Julia was so responsive, so eager, so uninhibited…

  This isn’t helping you win.

  Jack snorted. This wasn’t about winning anymore. This was about Julia and only about Julia. Yeah, the Sweetham gig would have been nice, but losing it didn’t mean the end of his career. He was pretty sure he wasn’t about to get fired, or anything. He and Ricky got along well, and apparently feedback on him thus far had been extremely positive.

  Julia opened the stairwell door at the end of the hall and turned to look at him.

  “Are you coming, Jack?” Her voice came faintly to him.

  A wry grin quirked the corners of his mouth and he pushed away from the door, heading toward her.

  “I was, until we were so rudely interrupted,” he replied.

  Pink tinged her cheeks and Jack’s eyebrows rose briefly. What was the modest schoolgirl thing all about? Where was the fiery, confident woman he lusted after? The one who’d just been on her knees with his cock in her throat?

  Apparently Julia was experiencing some sort of internal struggle because a number of emotions flitted across her face before she gave a big sigh and looked at him, a hint of naughtiness written across her expression.

  “So was I,” she replied lightly, turning to the stairwell. “Shall we?”

  Tony waited for them at the final landing. The door to the club itself remained closed, but the thump of the bass reverberated through the metal, along with some of the louder screams and cries of the crowd.

  “Yo, my peeps!” The wildly amplified voice of the DJ came clearly through the door. “Prepare to get all hot and bothered for our special guests. Give it up for Kitty Red and Stone Ridge!”

  “Showtime,” Julia murmured. She flashed Jack a sassy grin and a wink that Jack could tell wasn’t entirely genuine.

  “Let’s give ’em what they want, Puss,” he replied, his voice rough.

  “And more,” Julia said as Tony pushed the door open for them.

  Jack’s cock twitched, and he followed her out into the maelstrom.

  The scream that met them was like a sonic boom, instant and ear-shattering. Jack watched as Julia struck one of her signature poses, letting the adoration of the crowd wash over her. His amazement grew as she seemed to transform, the tension falling away from her body, her posture straightening. The crowd was bringing her back, pushing whichever buttons in her that needed pressing.

  The track that was playing was a great one, and Jack exhaled sharply. Time for him to put on his game face, too. Adding a thrust to his hips, he danced up behind Julia, sliding his arms around her, stroking her body with exaggerated motions. He groaned silently at the feel of her under his hands again, his cock almost painfully hard, and was satisfied by the small shudder that rippled through Julia at his touch. She seemed to take it all in stride, reacting to him as Kitty Red, and she began to dance.

  As though they’d choreographed an entire routine, Jack moved with her, completely in sync. He didn’t hold back, giving every bit of himself, wordlessly urging her to do the same. Julia responded with equal energy.

  They moved deeper into the wildly cheering crowd, which lapped up every move the two of them made. The energy of the room spiked, feeding on itself, multiplying and expanding to encompass them all. Bodies crushed closer, the scents of alcohol, cologne, perfume and sex mingling and enveloping them from head to toe.

  Jack followed Julia as she made her way to the edge of the dance floor. A set of stairs led downward half a dozen feet to a sunken second level, already full of bodies, and they joined the crowd. Jack glanced around. Subdued lighting gave the area a diffused, subtle glow, playing over surrounding shapes in a dance of light and shadow. Above, people pressed against a thick metal railing, lit randomly by bright strobe flashes, and he had the sudden impression of dancing at the bottom of a swimming pool.

  The dim light made the room feel closer, even more intimate, and Jack turned Julia to f
ace him. Her face was flushed with exertion—or maybe arousal, he wasn’t entirely sure, but he could certainly hope—and her eyes were dreamy and heavy-lidded.

  Wanting to feel her body pressed against his, Jack pulled Julia close. She slid her arms around his neck and ground her hips against him. He stifled a groan as Julia’s rock-hard nipples rubbed against his chest, firm even through both layers of their clothing. Knowing her bare pussy was so damn close and yet so far was like gasoline igniting in his veins. The thought that he could hike her leg up over his hip and sink his cock balls-deep in her right this very moment made it hard for him to breathe.

  Oh, fuck it. Reason fled, and Jack put a hand under one of Julia’s knees, lifting her leg up, hooking her limb around his hip. Instantly, Julia’s eyelids fluttered shut, her head falling back, her mouth making an ‘o’ shape. Sliding his other hand down over her ass, Jack gripped one buttock, his fingers playing with the hem of her dress. The fabric rose dangerously high, and he dipped a finger under the edge, teasing the skin between her cheeks. Julia responded by squirming furiously against him. He leaned into her, settling his mouth at the hollow of her throat. At the same time, he used the extra leverage to reach lower with his hand, his fingers sliding over the tiny pucker of her ass almost to her pussy. Wetness met his fingertips and he dragged the moisture back toward her buttocks, pausing to tease her ass for a long moment.

  Julia’s cry reached his ears over the chaos of the music, and he kissed his way up her neck to her jaw. She turned her head to meet his mouth and kissed him hungrily, biting at his lips. Jack felt the firecracker in his loins ignite, and straightened, breaking the kiss and gently setting her leg down, his own legs shaking. He was about to fucking cream his jeans, and he hadn’t done that since he was a teenager, for chrissakes.