allowed. Not ever.
She was an avenger of women. An avenger who provided
well-deserved justice to the world’s bad guys.
Jude was the epitome of the bad guy.
He’d pay the price.
No guilt. No remorse. Just get the job done and get out.
Her cell rang.
“Hey, Av. He’s already here.”
“What?” He’d gone to the party without her? Did he plan to
stand her up? He was a mark. She should be pissed, not hurt.
She was pissed.
And hurt.
“He’s here and schmoozing with Mrs. Yamaguchi. She looks like his
new best friend. Want me to go ahead and take care of him? You really wouldn’t
even have to show.”
She glanced at the time on her laptop’s screen. A little after
seven. Would he stand her up?
She should have Cassidy do him in, but she had to know if he
would show.
“No, let’s see what he does.”
A few moments of silence.
“Isn’t that allowing him to get back in her good graces?”
Cassidy asked. “I thought tonight was about severing that relationship until it
was unrepairable .”
“Let me worry about that.”
“Okay, just thought you’d want to know. Want me to call if he
leaves?”
Avery sighed. She did. “Yes.”
Her eyes caught her reflection in the mirror of her dresser. Jude
was a player. She shouldn’t have forgotten that. Ultimately, he’d always do
what was best for him, not caring who he hurt along the way.
She stared at her image, fought back the fluttery feeling in
her chest.
All ready with perhaps no place to go.
* * *
Jude checked his watch. Seven-fifty-nine. On the dot on time. He
grinned, impressed with his ingenuity. He’d been to the party, wooed Mrs.
Yamaguchi, and still made it to pick up Angela on time. Tonight was going to be
a great night.
He waved at the doorman.
“Where do you think you’re going?” the doorman asked in a
Jamaican accent, with his hand held up.
“Inside.”
“No.” The burly black man who could double for a professional
linebacker shook his head. “Give me a room number, and I’ll buzz whoever down,
man.”
Room number? Angela hadn’t given him a room number. She said
she’d be waiting. He glanced through the double glass doors and his breath
caught. The loveliest sight he’d ever laid eyes on drifted toward him in green
silk that shamed the lushest forest.
Jude placed his hand over his heart and shook his head. “Never
mind.”
She met his eyes long before she exited the building. Intense
green fire burned into him. Her hair hung long and vivacious down her back,
brushing over bare shoulders. He’d never seen her with her hair down. Even last
night, she’d had it clipped up.
Amazing. Her hair. Her eyes. Her smile. Everything about her.
“You are breathtaking,” he told her the second she stepped
through the doors. He raked his gaze over her from head-to-toe, taking in the
exquisite lines of her dress. The silky green material gathered at her breasts,
emphasizing their ripeness, then nipped in to define a tiny waist that he knew
from experience fit between a man’s hands just so. From the waist the material
flared to hug her round hips and wickedly long legs. The dress flowed smooth
with each move she made, as if the material was one with her body. “Beautiful.”
“Thank you.” Her full lips, painted a pale all-too-kissable
pink, curved upward.
He reached for her hand to assist her down the steps.
She turned and waved at the doorman. “Night, Harry.”
“Night, Miss.”
She accepted Jude’s hand.
Electricity zapped him, burning his insides, reminding him that
twenty-four hours ago she grinded against his thigh with the sweetest ass he’d
ever had the pleasure of holding in his hands.
“You make me want to forget about going to the party
altogether,” he admitted, knowing she’d think him a jerk if she could read his
thoughts. Damn, he was a jerk, because he wanted to hike her skirt about her
waist and play in her panties just like she’d accused him of earlier.
She turned, smiled at
She was an avenger of women. An avenger who provided
well-deserved justice to the world’s bad guys.
Jude was the epitome of the bad guy.
He’d pay the price.
No guilt. No remorse. Just get the job done and get out.
Her cell rang.
“Hey, Av. He’s already here.”
“What?” He’d gone to the party without her? Did he plan to
stand her up? He was a mark. She should be pissed, not hurt.
She was pissed.
And hurt.
“He’s here and schmoozing with Mrs. Yamaguchi. She looks like his
new best friend. Want me to go ahead and take care of him? You really wouldn’t
even have to show.”
She glanced at the time on her laptop’s screen. A little after
seven. Would he stand her up?
She should have Cassidy do him in, but she had to know if he
would show.
“No, let’s see what he does.”
A few moments of silence.
“Isn’t that allowing him to get back in her good graces?”
Cassidy asked. “I thought tonight was about severing that relationship until it
was unrepairable .”
“Let me worry about that.”
“Okay, just thought you’d want to know. Want me to call if he
leaves?”
Avery sighed. She did. “Yes.”
Her eyes caught her reflection in the mirror of her dresser. Jude
was a player. She shouldn’t have forgotten that. Ultimately, he’d always do
what was best for him, not caring who he hurt along the way.
She stared at her image, fought back the fluttery feeling in
her chest.
All ready with perhaps no place to go.
* * *
Jude checked his watch. Seven-fifty-nine. On the dot on time. He
grinned, impressed with his ingenuity. He’d been to the party, wooed Mrs.
Yamaguchi, and still made it to pick up Angela on time. Tonight was going to be
a great night.
He waved at the doorman.
“Where do you think you’re going?” the doorman asked in a
Jamaican accent, with his hand held up.
“Inside.”
“No.” The burly black man who could double for a professional
linebacker shook his head. “Give me a room number, and I’ll buzz whoever down,
man.”
Room number? Angela hadn’t given him a room number. She said
she’d be waiting. He glanced through the double glass doors and his breath
caught. The loveliest sight he’d ever laid eyes on drifted toward him in green
silk that shamed the lushest forest.
Jude placed his hand over his heart and shook his head. “Never
mind.”
She met his eyes long before she exited the building. Intense
green fire burned into him. Her hair hung long and vivacious down her back,
brushing over bare shoulders. He’d never seen her with her hair down. Even last
night, she’d had it clipped up.
Amazing. Her hair. Her eyes. Her smile. Everything about her.
“You are breathtaking,” he told her the second she stepped
through the doors. He raked his gaze over her from head-to-toe, taking in the
exquisite lines of her dress. The silky green material gathered at her breasts,
emphasizing their ripeness, then nipped in to define a tiny waist that he knew
from experience fit between a man’s hands just so. From the waist the material
flared to hug her round hips and wickedly long legs. The dress flowed smooth
with each move she made, as if the material was one with her body. “Beautiful.”
“Thank you.” Her full lips, painted a pale all-too-kissable
pink, curved upward.
He reached for her hand to assist her down the steps.
She turned and waved at the doorman. “Night, Harry.”
“Night, Miss.”
She accepted Jude’s hand.
Electricity zapped him, burning his insides, reminding him that
twenty-four hours ago she grinded against his thigh with the sweetest ass he’d
ever had the pleasure of holding in his hands.
“You make me want to forget about going to the party
altogether,” he admitted, knowing she’d think him a jerk if she could read his
thoughts. Damn, he was a jerk, because he wanted to hike her skirt about her
waist and play in her panties just like she’d accused him of earlier.
She turned, smiled at
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