when her convulsions ebbed. She sagged against the leather booth. She watched him, made mute with disbelief and wonder as he reached between her thighs and brought her hand to his face. He inserted her forefinger into his mouth. He closed his eyes and suckled her juices from her skin. A muscle jumped in his cheek. He slid her finger from his warm, wet mouth.
“Now I’ve seen you undone. I’m glad.”
“Why? Was this a sort of payback for what happened at the studio?”
“No,” he said, his expression grim. He smoothed the fabric of her dress over her thighs, letting it fall until it reached the top of her feet. He slid his fingers beneath her bodice and carefully drew it over her breasts. Her nipples ached dully next to the smooth cloth.
“Everett?” she prompted when he didn’t offer any further explanation for his statement, just tied the straps at her left shoulder.
He lowered his hands and glanced into her face.
“I’m glad because I wanted you to know how I felt that afternoon at the studio. I don’t know if I completely succeeded,” he admitted as he slid the table closer to their seat. “But I think maybe now you have some idea.”
Understanding trickled into her lust-dulled brain slowly. He hadn’t been paying her back, tit for tat. He’d wanted her to know that the way she felt right at this moment—turned inside out, stunned by her own actions—had been how he’d felt.
Someone directly outside the curtain cleared his throat. Everett glanced around calmly when the waiter parted the thick curtains. The man’s gaze ran first over her, and then Everett. Joy sat up self-consciously and brushed back her short hair. There was no way she could disguise her recent arousal. She suspected the skin around her mouth was reddened from whisker burn. Her cheeks must be tellingly pink.
“Would you like me to bring your entrées now, Mr. Hughes?” the waiter asked.
“We’ve had a change of plan. Would you mind packing up our food to go?” He glanced at Joy, his eyebrows raised. “If that’s all right with you?”
“Yes, I’m not very hungry anyway,” she murmured. She busied herself with unfolding her wrap, keeping her flushed face averted from the waiter. Seeing a total stranger standing there, just feet away from where she’d just been sitting with her breasts exposed, bringing herself to climax, brought it all home to her.
What other shocking things could Everett encourage her to do? She recognized that the answer was
a
lot
.
And what does it matter?
she asked herself as she took Everett’s hand a moment later and he led her out of one of the rear doors of the restaurant. He could be with any woman on the planet, but he chose to be with her—if only for this brief moment of time.
Joy was a realist, that much could be said about her. Life had taught her again and again that escape from an often harsh world was not a possibility. But life could be beautiful, too, and exciting, even if those moments were ephemeral.
She followed Everett into a warm summer night. The long, black limousine glided up to the curb like a magical carriage. Everett glanced back at her. A lock of hair had fallen onto his forehead. He smiled, and she smiled back.
She might as well enjoy the fantasy while it lasted.
Six
“Would you like to eat together, or would you rather just call it a night?” Everett asked when Kenny brought the limousine to a halt in front of her apartment. He’d had his arm around her the entire ride home. She’d been a little stiff at first—did she imagine he was going to try to screw her in the back of the limo? After what he’d done at the restaurant, that may have been precisely what she’d thought.
Still, he couldn’t regret it. Seeing Joy so aroused that she’d forgotten caution and wisdom and taken a risk had been important to him for some reason. Only when they were a few blocks away from her brownstone did she lower her head and snuggle against his chest.
She lifted
“Now I’ve seen you undone. I’m glad.”
“Why? Was this a sort of payback for what happened at the studio?”
“No,” he said, his expression grim. He smoothed the fabric of her dress over her thighs, letting it fall until it reached the top of her feet. He slid his fingers beneath her bodice and carefully drew it over her breasts. Her nipples ached dully next to the smooth cloth.
“Everett?” she prompted when he didn’t offer any further explanation for his statement, just tied the straps at her left shoulder.
He lowered his hands and glanced into her face.
“I’m glad because I wanted you to know how I felt that afternoon at the studio. I don’t know if I completely succeeded,” he admitted as he slid the table closer to their seat. “But I think maybe now you have some idea.”
Understanding trickled into her lust-dulled brain slowly. He hadn’t been paying her back, tit for tat. He’d wanted her to know that the way she felt right at this moment—turned inside out, stunned by her own actions—had been how he’d felt.
Someone directly outside the curtain cleared his throat. Everett glanced around calmly when the waiter parted the thick curtains. The man’s gaze ran first over her, and then Everett. Joy sat up self-consciously and brushed back her short hair. There was no way she could disguise her recent arousal. She suspected the skin around her mouth was reddened from whisker burn. Her cheeks must be tellingly pink.
“Would you like me to bring your entrées now, Mr. Hughes?” the waiter asked.
“We’ve had a change of plan. Would you mind packing up our food to go?” He glanced at Joy, his eyebrows raised. “If that’s all right with you?”
“Yes, I’m not very hungry anyway,” she murmured. She busied herself with unfolding her wrap, keeping her flushed face averted from the waiter. Seeing a total stranger standing there, just feet away from where she’d just been sitting with her breasts exposed, bringing herself to climax, brought it all home to her.
What other shocking things could Everett encourage her to do? She recognized that the answer was
a
lot
.
And what does it matter?
she asked herself as she took Everett’s hand a moment later and he led her out of one of the rear doors of the restaurant. He could be with any woman on the planet, but he chose to be with her—if only for this brief moment of time.
Joy was a realist, that much could be said about her. Life had taught her again and again that escape from an often harsh world was not a possibility. But life could be beautiful, too, and exciting, even if those moments were ephemeral.
She followed Everett into a warm summer night. The long, black limousine glided up to the curb like a magical carriage. Everett glanced back at her. A lock of hair had fallen onto his forehead. He smiled, and she smiled back.
She might as well enjoy the fantasy while it lasted.
Six
“Would you like to eat together, or would you rather just call it a night?” Everett asked when Kenny brought the limousine to a halt in front of her apartment. He’d had his arm around her the entire ride home. She’d been a little stiff at first—did she imagine he was going to try to screw her in the back of the limo? After what he’d done at the restaurant, that may have been precisely what she’d thought.
Still, he couldn’t regret it. Seeing Joy so aroused that she’d forgotten caution and wisdom and taken a risk had been important to him for some reason. Only when they were a few blocks away from her brownstone did she lower her head and snuggle against his chest.
She lifted
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