PartyStarter (5 page)

An enthusiastic cry rose from the throng as Stone raised the
kickstand and began maneuvering the bike around, turning it to face the door.
With a rumble and a rev of the engine, he was gone, vanishing into the night.

Julia stood motionless, staring at the rectangle of open
space. She raised a hand to her mouth, her fingers touching her swollen lips.
Emotion flooded her body, confusing and upsetting her.

What the hell was that?

It was Jack winning
, her traitorous logical brain
snarked.

Whatever. But something else just happened there.
Something… I don’t know.

Even though nothing in the room had actually changed, it
seemed to Julia as though the volume suddenly quadrupled. Instantly she was
painfully aware of her surroundings and of more than a few curious glances cast
in her direction.

She needed to get out and not just stand there like a freak
show exhibit. Shocked at the idea, Julia hurried through the throng toward her
exit, most of the partiers so drunk at that point they paid her little heed,
even though she imagined every eye on her. Blinking rapidly, Julia tried in
vain to clear her vision. But a pair of dark, smoldering green eyes were all
she could see.

* * * * *

Julia fumbled with the buttons on her cell phone. Her hands
hadn’t stopped shaking since she’d returned home from the gig. And it wasn’t
just her hands, if she really stopped to think about it. Her knees felt like
gelatin, and even her perception of everything around her was completely
skewed. Colors were dull. Straight lines bowed and curved. Sounds caused her to
jump like a cat on a telephone wire.

With a growl she dropped the BlackBerry onto her sofa and
walked into her narrow galley kitchen. Tea. She’d make a cup of tea and then
try dialing yet again.

With her hands preoccupied, Julia’s mind wandered for the
millionth time back to the party. The images from the previous night were still
so vivid, so clear, that if she closed her eyes she was
right there
.
Doing it all again.

With him.

Damn that man. Julia exhaled loudly. How had he done it?
She’d gone from hunter to prey in exactly the space of a heartbeat.

And you enjoyed every freakin’ minute of it.

That’s beside the point.

He was smart. Too smart. He’d gotten under her skin, found
her buttons and pressed them. Repeatedly. The rational part of her brain was
impressed. He’d been given a challenge and he went in to battle prepared.

She snorted at the thought. Battle?

Well, yeah. She supposed it was. A lot was at stake here.
For her, anyway. Because people who claimed to be partners lied. They cheated
and schemed and did everything they could to control the other half of the
team. Well. Julia wasn’t ever going to get caught in that net again. Nobody was
ever going to try to tell her what to do, and then toss her to the curb when
she refused. Ever.

She was going to show him. No matter how sweet he talked, or
how hot he moved, she wasn’t going to just let him take what was rightfully
hers.

The teakettle’s whistle snapped her out of her reverie, and
she poured boiling water into her mug. Tossing a teabag in to steep, she walked
back to the living room and picked up her phone. The renewed anger in her veins
allowed her to dial the number without a twitch.

“Jordan. It’s Julia. I need some information from you.
What’s the location of the gig on Saturday night?”

Ricky’s assistant’s voice held the slightest tremor. “Julia!
You know I’m not supposed to tell you that until Saturday morning.”

Julia angled the cell away from her mouth and exhaled
loudly. She took a deep breath before returning to the call.

“I know you’re not. But look, Jordan, I just need a couple
of pieces of information. That’s all.” Julia paced the full length of her
living room, a twinge of anxiety in her belly keeping her from standing still.

“But Ricky said—”

“I know what Ricky said, but this is important.” Julia
forced honey into her tone. “You really do have your pulse on what happens in
that office, you know. It’s amazing how you keep Ricky so organized and on the
ball. We all know that you’re the one doing the grunt work, Jordan. I don’t
know where we’d be if we didn’t have you to take care of us the way you do.”

Silence answered her. Julia could feel the scales tipping in
her favor. Time to give the extra nudge.

“Hey, you know, Jordan, Max DJed last night. He asked about
you.”

“He did?” Jordan’s voice grew breathy. “What did he say?”

Bingo. “He just wondered how you were doing and what you
were up to.” Julia paused for a long heartbeat. “I said you were great, and
currently single.”

“You did?” The admin’s voice rose an octave on the last
word.

“Yeah. I can set up a meet with him and introduce you, if
you want.”

“You can? Really? That would be—” Jordan’s voice broke off.
“Julia, I know what you’re doing, and it’s not fair. That’s blackmail, you
know.”

Julia made a noncommittal noise. “Jack had to know details
about last night ahead of time, Jordan. It’s the only way he could have
arranged the whole motorcycle thing.” Her voice caught and she cleared her
throat. The memory of last night’s orgasm threatened to rise and Julia pushed
it away. She was trying to have a coherent conversation, dammit. The thought of
that orgasm still made her pussy twitch.

Focus, woman. Focus.

Slightly guilty-sounding silence answered her.

“Don’t think of it as blackmail, Jordan. It’s a favor, pure
and simple. You scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours.”

Jordan grunted. “For the sake of my sex life, you win. It’s
a private party at Slick downtown. The whole bar’s closed to the public for the
night. Johnny Winter’s hosting the event.”

An elated giggle rose from her throat. “Johnny? Fabulous!
Thanks, Jordan. I’ll call you later today with the details of your meet with
Max, okay?”

“You’d better, Julia. And not a word to Ricky about this, or
he’ll have my head.”

“Cross my heart and hope to die. My lips are sealed.”

Julia ended the call and did a little happy dance around her
coffee table. She’d partied for Johnny Winter more than once before and he’d
loved her. And Slick was a perfect venue. Julia’s mind whirled with ideas as
she scrolled through her BlackBerry’s contact list, looking for Winter’s
number. She pushed the button to connect the call.

Stone might have had the upper hand last time, but this time
he was going to be the one knocked on his ass. She was going to blow his mind
if it was the last thing she did. Guaranteed.

Chapter Four

Adrenaline coursed through Julia’s veins, making her just
the slightest bit jumpy. It was show time, and this gig was the one that
mattered. She stopped pacing the length of the private manager’s office where
she waited, and crossed to the floor-to-ceiling window that looked out over the
main club area of Slick. She was unconcerned about being seen, even with the
subtle office lighting; the one-way glass took care of that problem quite
nicely.

She peered out, scanning the crowd in the massive room below
her. Julia didn’t know the reason for the private party, but the guest list was
a large one. She guessed there were a couple hundred people out there. They
seemed to be having a great time, if the line at the bar and the mob in the
dance pit were any indication.

A cocky smile crossed her face. Johnny had been so
accommodating when she’d spoken to him, and had gladly made the arrangements to
put all of her requests in place. It was her turn to bring the surprise, and
Jack wasn’t going to know what hit him.

The elegant brass wall clock indicated that she had
approximately fifteen minutes before showtime, and again, Jack was nowhere to
be seen.

“Figures,” Julia muttered under her breath. Turning away
from the window she meandered aimlessly through the large office, weaving
around the heavy brown leather furniture, finally standing beside the brass
stripper pole that had been permanently mounted in the center of the room.
Taking hold of the pole with one hand, Julia twirled around it, letting out a
naughty chuckle. She wondered idly just how many dirty private parties had been
held here in Johnny’s office. The idea of giving Jack a striptease or lap dance
popped into her head, and Julia nearly stumbled mid-turn. Now that would
definitely be hot.

She spun around the pole again and giggled, quite a bit of
air tickling her skin. The white peekaboo mini dress had so many cutouts that
the material revealed more than it covered, especially when it came to her
breasts, and was so short there was no way she could bend over, let alone sit
down. Of course, she thought, a wicked smirk curving her lips, the dress also
precluded wearing any sort of underwear.

Releasing her grip, Julia ran her palms down her sides and
over her hips, giving a little shimmy. Cool air whispered against her pussy and
she giggled. It’d been a long time since she’d gone commando. She’d almost
forgotten just how fun it was.

She stretched her arms up over her head, feeling the slight
pull in her muscles, and dropped her hands down into her hair. She primped for
a moment, finger-combing the mass of tangled curls, lifting them up and then
dropping the locks, the ends brushing the middle of her back. She moved over to
the window once again to watch the scantily clad crowd, the frenetic energy the
dancers were creating making its way up to her. Idly, she wondered just what
Jack was going to be wearing tonight—if he bothered to show up.

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 rhythm 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?”