A Gentleman in the Street (22 page)

With one fingertip, she edged open the fly of his boxer briefs, reaching inside to release his hard cock from captivity. Fully erect, it jumped into her palm. She inhaled, the scent of hot, aroused male and the perfect shape of his erection making her dizzy with delight. She wished she had more light so she could inspect every inch of his cock, from the engorged veins to the fat mushroom-tip head, wet with his need.

“You’ve been hiding this big cock all these years from me.” It wasn’t an empty compliment. His cock was in proportion to the rest of his body. She ran her palm over the head, slicking it down his shaft. “I don’t know how I’ll fit it in my mouth.”

His hand slid under her hair, gripping her neck. “Try,” he said, obviously beyond all social niceties.

So much for saintliness.

He didn’t shove her face into his lap, merely ran his fingers over her nape in a coaxing motion. When she didn’t immediately go down on him, he shifted, his hips slightly arching, as if to tempt her.

Jacob wooing her into sucking his cock was about the sexiest thing she’d ever experienced. She encircled his shaft, rubbing it against her cheek before licking it up one side and down the next.

“Jesus, Akira.” He gathered her hair in his fist, pushing it back so he could see her face. “Suck me.”

“What’s the magic word?” she teased.

He growled, his fist tightening in her hair, sending a bolt of arousal through her belly. “Now.”

Good enough. She opened her mouth and sucked him in, his salty taste an addiction she would be hard-pressed to deny. There were certain things in life Akira felt she was very good at—sucking a cock was one of them, a point of pride Jacob agreed with, judging from his choked cry when she swallowed most of him down her throat, letting it constrict around him.

She pulled off and did it again, and again, until he was writhing beneath her hands and mouth. She glanced up, but his head was tilted back, his eyes shut, face twisted in almost agony, curses and moans falling from his lips.

She knew when he was about to come by the way his hips rose and fell in a sloppier rhythm. He grasped her hair tighter. “Akira, wait, I’m going…”

She shook her head and sucked him deeper, until the hairs at the base of his cock tickled her nose. He gave a loud, torturous groan and flooded her mouth.

When he was finished, she swallowed and rose from her position. His cock was still semi-erect, lying wet and heavy on his thigh. Her mouth still watered, and her cunt wasn’t much better.

Reality came back to her in a rush.
You’ve had your fun. Now you know what you need to do.
“We’re even,” she choked out. “And now we’re done.”

That should have been the final line of her glorious exit, but a click preceded her trying the door handle. The lock had engaged, a lock that didn’t open even when she clicked the button. She turned a murderous glare on the driver who was casually buttoning up his pants, hiding his glorious dick.

Mind out of his pants, damn it.

“Child locks,” he explained kindly.

Oh no he didn’t. “Open. The. Door.”

“In a second.”

“I will break the window.”

“I don’t doubt you will.”

“Eager to explain that to your insurance company?”

“Eager to explain something to you.” He held up his fingers, the fingers that had been buried in her hair as she sucked him. “That was fabulous.”

She couldn’t resist preening. “I know.”

“Second, we are not done.”

There went the temptation of wallowing in her blowjob skills. “We are.”

“Fine. Tell me why.”

“Because…” Why were words so difficult around this man? “You and I aren’t compatible.”

“I know I’ve been an ass—”

“This isn’t about that.” She shook her head impatiently. “You’re forgiven, okay? We’re fine. We can be done now.”

“I don’t want to be done.”

His wide shoulders were so damned tempting. Why was she being reasonable, again? She could have all of this. Even if it was for a night, they could work themselves out of each other’s systems. That was the simplest route to take.

But as they’d discovered already, for some reason a single orgasm wasn’t quite enough for either of them. No, it would be messy and complicated, and her life was messy and complicated enough. Sex was what she used to escape that mess. Not compound it.

“Dinner’s been fun, and sure, some quick hook-ups in an alley or a car are sexy, but you don’t know me. Not really.”

“Is this the part where you tell me you’re too dirty and bad for me?”

She liked it too much when he said those words. “I make no secret of what I am.”

“What makes you think I don’t like bad, dirty things too, Akira?”

Her thighs clenched. “Because you’re not that kind of man.”

“Who’s sorting people into types now?” He leaned in, the scent of sex and him forming a heady combination. “The day I don’t want to have sex with you is the day I’m declared dead.”

He looked up at her, the banked fire in his eyes pulling her in. “I can’t take a breath without remembering what your skin smells like, and I’ll never get the image of what you look like when you’re coming, when you’re being fucked, out of my head as long as I live.”

Dear Lord. That was it. That was her hot button.

Because nothing in recent memory had turned her on as much as proper, straight-laced Jacob Campbell using the word
fuck
in that low, even tone.

Her heart beat faster as he shifted closer, creating an intimate bubble around them. “Should I tell you?” he asked with devastating softness. “Should I tell you how I think about those house parties you allegedly throw? Yeah, I’ve heard of them. Should I tell you what I thought when I watched you have sex with another man?”

She was frozen. When had he wrested the control from her? She struggled to speak, to be her sassy self. “At those parties, I don’t limit myself to men,” she managed.

Hot arousal flared in his eyes. Heat poured off his body. For a moment, she despised him for coming back into her life, letting her see the fire running underneath his proper surface. She’d be so cold when he left.

“You should never have to limit yourself.”

Her eyes slitted in pleasure at the frank approval of his words. Oh, but if he only knew how gluttonous her appetites could be, he would never give her free rein.

She breathed in deep, struggling to regain the upper hand. “I don’t think wanting me was ever your problem. Your problem is hating yourself for it.”

“Ask me if I feel disgusted with myself right now. After grinding you to an orgasm in an alley. After coming in your mouth in my car. After imagining taking you up to your bedroom.”

She could barely get the words out. “Do you feel disgusted?”

His smile was so bright it hurt her. The lines around his eyes and mouth deepened. “Not in the slightest.”

“That’s it? Your issues are gone?” She snorted. “Wow. I’m better than a psychiatrist.”

“They aren’t gone. But my desire to be with you is trumping my stupid issues.”

“I thought you didn’t want to be obsessed with me.”

“Yeah, that was a dumb thing to say, huh? Turns out, I don’t know how to be anything but obsessed with you. So, please…let me.”

She’d never found a man pleading sexy, but somehow Jacob pulled it off, so much so she had to look away. “I’m happy this weird aversion therapy has worked for you. But it changes nothing. You don’t want me.”

“Why would you say that?”

“Some people are amazing when you scratch away that first layer.” These words were difficult, a betrayal of the proud, confident woman she portrayed to the world. “Like you. But not me. I’m not better.”

His lips compressed. “You know what, why don’t you let me make that decision?”

“Because somehow I’ve ended up liking you,” she said gently.

His mouth opened. “I…like you too. That’s all the more reason for us to—”

“I like you too much to fuck with you. So, no.” She injected every ounce of finality she could into her voice. “I’m sorry. But no. Please unlock the door.”

He blinked. Looked down at his console and disengaged the lock. “You know what I think?”

There was such coldness in his voice, she paused in opening her door. “I don’t care.”

“I’ll tell you anyway. I believe you’re running scared.’’

She stilled, her back to him, before slowly coming to her feet, hand resting on the door. “I’ve destroyed men who have dared to call me a coward, darling.”

“Yeah? I’d rather you destroy me than shut me out for my own good. We’re not done, Akira.” His smile flashed. She could have frozen him out if it had been a threat, but she was unable to respond to that seductive promise. She closed the door on his final words. “You owe me one more night.”

The black envelope came at noon the next day. Jacob murmured his thanks to the private courier who handed it to him and closed his front door, turning the mysterious card over in his hand.

Made of thick vellum, it was heavy and slick, the paper too glossy to be from anything but a specialty stationery store.

He inserted his finger under the flap and opened it as he walked back to his kitchen. Tossing the envelope on the counter, he peered at the words printed in embossed gold font on the single
-
page invitation.

It stated only today’s date and a time, seven p.m. Certain he was missing something given his bleary, sleep-deprived eyes, Jacob flipped the single page over, but there was nothing else there.

There could only be one person behind this. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and dialed a number he had stolen off his sister’s phone weeks ago.

It was answered on the first ring. “Yes.”

Tenderness, irritation, and annoyance warred within him at the sound of her voice. Since she hadn’t bothered with pleasantries, he didn’t either. “What is this?”

A pause. “What is what?”

He didn’t buy her light response. “This card I got. What is it?”

“How did you know I sent it?”

Because it was very much in her style. Bold. Dramatic.

Confusing as hell. “Kati likes to tell me I don’t have many friends. The list of potential senders wasn’t long.”

“Hmm. Maybe you should try being more charming.”

He resisted amusement. “What is it, Akira?”

She paused, as if gauging his tone. “It’s an invitation.”

“An invitation to what?”

Another pause before she spoke, the words uttered in a soft purr which reached through the phone and stroked up his spine. “You said you’ve heard of my house parties.”

He almost bit his tongue. His heart stopped before starting up again, clipping away at a too-fast rate. “I have.”

“Then you have your explanation.”

He stared at the date on the thick stock paper. “Tonight?”

“That’s what the date says.”

He hesitated. “The things I’ve heard…are they accurate?”

“What have you heard, Jacob?”

He glanced around, but the house was silent. He was alone. They were alone. “That you sponsor orgies.”

“Sponsor,” she repeated slowly. “Like one sponsors a marathon runner. Or a starving child.”

“Host, then.”

“Yes, Jacob. This is one of the orgies I host.”

She was cool and calm, but he had seen so many of her moods over the past week and a half, he couldn’t quite buy the act. He tapped the invitation on the counter. “What changed your mind?”

“Maybe you’re not the only one who’s obsessed.” Before he could process that bombshell, she continued. “You wanted your last night. You’re getting it.” She paused, and he could picture the smirk on her face. “You can come tonight or not at all.”

A power play. If he didn’t go, he would sacrifice his last night with her. If he did go, he would be throwing himself into the deep end of the pool, as Ben had called it
.

She didn’t play around.

He smiled, and he didn’t need a mirror to know it wasn’t a friendly one. Well, hell. Neither did he. “Is this a test? You think I won’t call your bluff?”

“I’m hoping you will.”

Maybe she was. She probably thought he would…what? See something kinky and slink away so he could go nurse his hang
-
ups?

He allowed himself to imagine being there, with her. Heat rushed through him. Nope. No shame. No guilt. Those emotions had left him paralyzed for far too long. It was time to fucking live his life.

But that didn’t mean he could forget the people who depended on him. “Hang on one second.”

Switching lines, he called Ben. His brother picked up on the second ring. “Manscapers.”

Jacob’s eye twitched. God, he hated the name of their business. “I need you to stay with Kati tonight.” His words tumbled over each other.

“Uh…why?”

“You know how you and Connor were talking about clearing my plate for me? I need you to do that. Come over and spend the night. One of you. Both of you. I don’t care.”

“Okay,” Ben said slowly. “Sure. No problem.”

“Great. I have to leave at six. Kati and her boyfriend will be here about eight. Her bedroom door needs to be open
,
and don’t let the boy stay past her curfew. Lights out at eleven
.
”

“Wait, what boyfrie—?”

“Bye.” Jacob switched lines. “Hey.”

“Generally when I invite guests to orgies, they don’t put me on hold.”

“Generally when you invite guests to orgies, they probably don’t need to procure a babysitter for the night.”

She clucked her tongue, suddenly sounding more like the woman who had sat across from him in her office for the past couple of weeks, and less the femme fatale. “You’re getting a seventeen-year
-
old a babysitter? Ugh. Give that kid a break.”

“Her new boyfriend’s coming over to study. There’s a reasonable amount of freedom, and then there’s being a wholly irresponsible guardian, and I’m not the latter.” A swell of relief sank over him at the accuracy of the words, the truth in them. “I’m not.”

She was silent for a moment, her words quiet when she spoke. “No, you’re not.”

Jacob took a deep breath. “And to answer your question, yes. I’ll be there tonight.”