PartyStarter Page 8

  He pulled on her mane, riding her hard, and Julia’s squeals devolved into wordless keening. The repeated slap of Jack’s balls against her flesh echoed loudly in the room, and Julia squeezed her pussy around him.

  Jack’s free hand kneaded her cheek, dropping a smart smack on her flesh, and Julia gasped with excitement.

  “Like that, huh?” Jack whispered.

  “Oh, yeah, Jack,” she replied.

  He spanked her again, then slid his fingers along her crack, dragging moisture from her pussy to her ass. Julia let out a squeak as a finger circled her ass, spiraling around the tiny hole before pressing the tip gently in.

  “Fuck, yeah!” The second orgasm came with incendiary instantaneousness, sending violent tremors through her limbs. Jack grabbed her hips, shoving roughly into her several more times before letting out a howl. Hot seed filled her insides and Julia slumped onto the desk, unable to hold herself up any longer. Jack leaned over her, dropping kisses between her shoulder blades, his rapid exhalations hot against her skin. They remained there for many long heartbeats, sated, content. Julia sighed softly, thoroughly and completely satisfied.

  “Julia. What have you done to me?” Jack breathed against her skin between her shoulder blades, his lips warm.

  Julia froze. The sentiment coming from Jack felt like more than pillow talk. Emotion colored his voice, and something indefinable rippled through the words, something Julia wasn’t sure if she even wanted to hear.

  “Excuse me for a minute, Jack.” Julia extricated herself gently from his embrace and crossed the room to the office’s ensuite bathroom, stopping only to pick up her dress and towel along the way.

  The burning sting of tears threatened before she even finished closing the door, and she flipped on the ceiling fan along with the overhead light to camouflage her gasping breaths. Julia stared at herself in the large vanity mirror. Her hair was a tangled mess, and the delicate skin around her mouth was pink from the friction of Jack’s stubble. Faint reddish marks marred her breasts where Jack’s fingers had clutched at her, and her skin gleamed with perspiration.

  None of that was a surprise, really. She’d just been well and thoroughly fucked by an unbelievably amazing man. Of course she would look like she’d been ridden hard. That wasn’t the problem.

  It was her eyes that made Julia pause. Bright with unshed tears, her eyes were saucer-like, larger and wider than she’d seen them in recent memory. Anxiety emanated openly from her gaze, stark and obvious. What in the hell was going on? She’d never felt like this…never. Her brain screamed at her to run, go, get out, yet even as it did so, she desperately wanted to return to the office and straight into the warmth and strength of Jack’s arms. She’d been discarded once by someone she thought had cared. Why in hell would she want to go through that again? She’d gotten used to being alone. That was how she liked it.

  Julia’s reflection stared accusingly back at her.

  “Oh, shut up,” she muttered, frowning, “you don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  And you do? Mirror-Julia replied coolly.

  “I’m not going to stand here and have a conversation with myself in the bathroom mirror,” she whispered. “That’s crazy.”

  That’s not crazy. Ignoring your feelings is crazy. You want to be with him, so go back in there.

  “But he’s only doing this because of the damned contest. He doesn’t care.”

  Ha. Go ahead and look me in the eye and say that. He has feelings for you. You can tell. And I think you’re starting to develop feelings for him.

  Panic clenched her throat closed. No. She shook her head. “I work alone,” she said stubbornly.

  Who said anything about working? I’m talking about someone to share your bed on a regular basis. And even maybe your whole life. Guys like him don’t happen by on a daily basis, you know.

  An image of herself and Jack snuggled together on her sofa flitted into her head. Romantic. Sweet, yet sexy.

  A powerful yearning flared in Julia’s chest, a desire so strong that she couldn’t even stem the sudden flow of tears.

  “It’s Jeremy all over again. All of that bullshit, all of those lies. Nothing but broken promises.”

  Who said Jack is like that? Has he lied to you yet? You won’t know anything until you give him a chance.

  “What if he breaks my heart, too?”

  What if he doesn’t?

  Butterflies fluttered frantically in her belly. Out. She had to get out now. Get to her home, her sanctuary. Her hands shaking uncontrollably, Julia fumbled with her damp dress, yanking the garment over her head. Leaving the towel on the counter, she flung open the bathroom door, making a beeline for the exit.

  Her eyes immediately went to Jack, who stood silhouetted at the window, looking down at the club level. She skimmed her gaze over the long lines of his body, the curve of muscle and sinew, saliva pooling in her mouth. Her footsteps faltered, the urge to go to him unbelievably strong.

  “Julia?” Jack turned to face her. His expression was cloaked in shadow, but confusion colored his voice. “What’s wrong?”

  “I’m sorry, Jack. I…I just have to go.” Her voice held only the tiniest tremor, and she hoped he didn’t notice. She fumbled with the lock, but managed to get the door open. The light from the hallway was blinding compared to the dark cocoon of the office.

  “Julia, wait! Don’t leave. Talk to me, please?” Jack hurried toward her, snatching his jeans from the floor, but she held up a hand, signaling to him to stop.

  “I can’t, Jack. Please believe me. I…goodbye.” She choked on the final word and hurriedly stepped into the hall, pulling the door closed behind her. She knew he’d follow once he’d dressed and she scurried to the stairwell, hoping he’d be delayed by the wet denim.

  She made it to the stairs without hearing sounds of pursuit from Jack, and clattered down the cement steps as quickly as her spike-heeled boots would allow. A random thought pushed her suddenly off-balance, and she paused, clutching the handrail to keep from tumbling down the stairs.

  Jack. Jack. When the hell had she stopped thinking of him as Stone and started thinking of him as Jack? The true man, not the obnoxious, smartass pretend one?

  When he kissed you and made everything suddenly become real, that’s when.

  Oh, God.

  * * * * *

  The tiny chime that heralded the arrival of a new text message broke the silence of the room. Jack rose to his knees from where he’d fallen, sabotaged in his attempt to follow Julia by his damned soggy Levis. Kicking his feet free, he stood and crossed to where his phone lay on the corner of the desk.

  For a very long moment, he studied the message on the cell phone’s tiny screen.

  You’ve won. Ricky will call with details of Sweetham party. J.

  He frowned, disappointment filling his gut. He didn’t want to be the winner, hadn’t wanted it for some time now. In truth, he knew the deal belonged to Julia. It had really been hers all along. She was the true star, here. The way she lit up when the music started to play, and the way she and the crowd always seemed to smother each other in mutual admiration. It was like Ricky had said—the two of them had come up with this concept themselves, building the idea from the ground up. It was her baby. She was the original party starter, and he was just a poor imitation.

  The worst thing was that she was no longer just a name, an unknown competitor. He’d felt her heart beat beneath him. Shared her breaths. Stared deep into eyes that looked right back into his soul. She wasn’t just wild party girl Kitty Red to him any longer. Now she was also the smart and sexy Julia Redmond. And she was someone he wanted to get to know a lot better.

  He glanced at the office door, halfheartedly hoping that wishing she’d come back would work. But she wasn’t. She’d made that painfully clear in her jackrabbit dash to get out. Not surprisingly, a knot formed deep in his belly. Regret. Loss. Need. An ache of want that rocked him to his very center, and made him blink slightly. His worl
d was messed up, all right, and it was time to fix things. Taking a deep breath he began tapping the keypad, composing a reply to send to Jordan.

  Chapter Six

  “Well, you did it, sweet pea,” Ricky’s voice flowed like honey over the cell phone connection. “You won the competition. The Sweetham party is yours.”

  A bubble of elation rose partway up Julia’s chest before popping with a sudden, small pain.

  “Julia, honey? Are you still there?”

  She cleared the lump from her throat. “Yes, Ricky. I’m here. That’s…that’s great news. Thanks.”

  “Huh. Why is it that you were so all-fired-up about this party before that you were ready to spit nails, and now you’re acting like your momma just died? What is it, sweet pea?”

  Julia opened her mouth to reply, then froze, biting the words back down. The star solo performer missing her one-time partner? Feeling like half of herself was missing? That was all a bunch of bullshit.

  Then why was her chest aching, somewhere in the vicinity of her heart?

  “Nothing, Ricky. Just not feeling so great today. I think a hot bath and an early bedtime are in order.”

  “Well, all right. That sounds like a good idea. You’ve gotta take care of yourself, make sure you’re prepped for Saturday night. Do you have something to write with, darlin’? I’ll give you the details for Mick’s party.”

  Julia nodded, then belatedly realized the Ricky couldn’t see her. “Uh, yes, I’ve got a pen.”

  Her agent rattled off a street address and a contact phone number. “The number’s for Mick’s head of staff. If you have a problem getting there, or you’re going to be late, that’s the person to call. Security at the gate will be notified of your arrival and will be instructed to let you in. Also, when you get there he’ll be the one to meet you in the drive out front of the house and escort you in via a more discreet entrance. That way it’s less likely anyone will see you pull in and have the surprise spoiled.”

  Ricky continued on, giving suggestions and information, but Julia found herself only half listening.

  Jack wasn’t going to be there. The thought made her stomach clench. What in hell was she going to do without him?

  Stop that, her mind admonished. You did dozens—hundreds!—of parties on your own before Jack was anywhere near the picture, let alone in it, and everything was just fine. You’re going to go do your job on Saturday night and enjoy yourself, and then use that twenty grand and take a little vacation and a break from work.

  “But what if I don’t want to?” Julia murmured aloud.

  “What’s that, sweet pea?” Ricky’s voice responded.

  Julia blinked, realizing she was still on the phone. “Um, nothing, Ricky. Thanks for the information. I’ll report back in after the party.” She hesitated for a moment. “And Ricky? I want to take a short break after Sweetham’s. I’m going to take a little vacation.”

  Concern colored her agent’s voice. “Shee-it, of course you can. I’ll double-check with Jordan, but I believe your schedule after that is open for about ten days, give or take. I’ll make sure he blocks off that time to keep it free. And if you really need to, we can cancel one or two of your bookings.” There was silence on the other end of the line for a moment. “You sure you’re okay, sweet pea?”

  “Yea—” Julia’s voice broke, and she quickly cleared her throat. “Yeah. I’m fine. Just a bit tired, that’s all.”

  “All right. Well, you call me if you need anything. You know I’ll do whatever you need me to.”

  Can you bring Jack back?

  Julia’s throat tightened, and she hurriedly ended the call before she lost it completely and Ricky learned the truth.

  Picking up her glass of wine from the kitchen counter, Julia headed for her bathroom and her large soaker tub. It was time for a long, hot bubble bath and a juicy romance novel. Her steps faltered at the thought. No, not a romance novel. Maybe a thriller or some science fiction. No romance. Not tonight.

  Reading about happy couples having sex would just make her think about Jack. And she didn’t want to think about him anymore. He was gone, their time together over. She should be relieved.

  Then why did she feel like absolute shit?

  * * * * *

  Julia brought her car to a stop in front of the most mind-blowing home she’d ever seen. A perfectly manicured lawn led up to a sprawling three-story mansion complete with Greek columns and a circular fountain, all lit brilliantly with white spotlights. Mick Sweetham’s party appeared to be in full swing. Flashes of light illuminated the curtains of all the main floor windows, and a dull, thudding noise promised an earsplitting noise level. A tall, lean man dressed head-to-toe in black stood on the steps leading to the double front doors. As she shifted into Park he descended the steps and rounded the nose of the car, coming to her window.

  Lowering her window Julia smiled at the man. “Hello. I’m Kit—”

  He interrupted her with a wave of his hand and a grin. “Oh, I know you’re Kitty Red, sweetheart. I would have recognized you anywhere. My name is Nelson and I’m Mr. Sweetham’s head of staff.” He pointed farther down the car-lined drive toward the corner of the house. “Follow the drive that way until it divides. Take the right-hand lane around the corner of the house to where you’ll see a couple of other cars parked in front of a door. Put the Lexus there and I’ll meet you at that entrance. You won’t be able to miss it.”

  Julia nodded. “Okay, sounds great. Thanks.”

  Nelson stepped away from the vehicle and Julia shifted into drive, crawling past a lineup of indecently expensive luxury automobiles. She found the place to park easily enough and stowed her cell and wallet in the glove box. Exiting the car, she locked it and turned to see Nelson waiting at the door.

  “Perfect,” he said, indicating her parking spot. “That’s great. Now I’ll take you upstairs to a guest room that’s been reserved for you.” He glanced at his watch as they headed through a narrow hallway, through what had to be the staff quarters of the house. “You’ve got about half an hour before show time. Can I get you anything? A drink? Something to eat? A massage?” At her surprised expression, Nelson shot her an unnaturally white grin. “Hey, anything you want, we can get. The perks of working for someone like Sweetham. Who, by the way, is so unbelievably pumped that you’re going to be performing tonight. He’s been talking up his ‘big surprise’ all evening.”

  Julia gave a soft laugh. “Wow. No pressure at all, there.”

  Nelson shrugged and chuckled. “Nope. No pressure whatsoever. Hey, you could stand there like a tree and they’d all be ecstatic about it. Not to worry. Besides, we heard a lot about your last gig, the one for Johnny Winter. People are talking about how they would have done anything to be there. So you’ve already got ’em eating out of the palm of your hand.”

  The reminder of that night with Jack made the lump that had taken up residence in her stomach clench. She gave her head a slight shake to send those images away and forced a smile to her face. “Right. Well, it was a pretty good night. Ah, do you think I could get a mineral water with lime?” The last thing she wanted to do tonight was talk about that party and remember the way Jack made her feel.

  Nelson paused outside of a closed door. “Oh, absolutely.” He turned the knob and pushed the door inward, then glanced quickly at his watch. “This is you. I’ll be here in less than half an hour to collect you, but if you need anything in the meantime just pick up the telephone there and dial 7-7-7, which will ring straight to my cell phone. If you need to get to an outside line, dial 8 first.”

  Julia crossed the threshold and turned to face the young man. “Thanks. Much appreciated.”

  “You’re welcome. Make yourself comfortable and someone will be here shortly with your drink.” He closed the door, and the insistent thump of the music diminished dramatically.

  “Now that’s good soundproofing,” Julia muttered softly, removing her trench coat and hanging it from a hook on the back of the d
oor. She supposed that if one were a rock star that partied and performed through all hours of the day and night, then one’s guests might want quiet places in which to escape and sleep. The room was certainly plush and cozy enough. Thick, dark carpeting eliminated the sound of her footfalls, and sumptuous fabrics covered each piece of furniture. A queen-sized bed sat in one corner of the room, fully made up, and a small seating area with a loveseat, chair and coffee table took up the center of the room. Discreet lighting cast pools of warmth, and a trio of fat pillar candles burned atop a luxurious mahogany dresser. Julia wandered aimlessly through the suite, pausing now and again to admire something in particular that caught her eye. A vase filled with fresh-cut flowers drew her attention and she leaned in to sample the scent. A small cut-glass bowl sat next to the bouquet and Julia gave a small snort of laughter when she realized the dish contained a dozen or so brightly colored condom packages.

  “Never hurts to be prepared, huh, Mick?” she said to the room. She wondered briefly just how many people had used this room for naughty purposes and then decided she probably didn’t really want to know.

  Plopping herself ungracefully in the armchair, Julia let out a long sigh. Thinking about people having sex automatically brought Jack to the forefront of her thoughts. She glanced at the massive bed, her imagination immediately running wild. Her mouth dried as she pictured Jack’s strong, muscled frame above her, his cock pumping deftly in and out of her pussy.

  Her eyes shifted to the loveseat. There. She’d climb onto his lap and ride him like a cowgirl, take him deep inside, give his hands free rein to play with her nipples, her clit.

  A droplet of moisture wet the very tops of her thighs and Julia crossed her legs, squirming in her chair. The seam of her ultra-short spandex shorts pressed against her pussy, doing nothing to relieve the ache at her very core. She crossed her arms over her chest only to discover her nipples were rock hard and pressing through the thin lace tank top.