BumpnGrind (2 page)

Chapter Two

Bliss hung on Felicia’s arm, nearly dragging her down to the
ground. The woman was about three martinis past coherent and Felicia was
determined to drive her home. Bliss had her car keys in her hand and was
insisting—very loudly—that she was, “Purefactlee culpable to drive my own
dammmmm cure home!”

Felicia patted her friend’s shoulder. “I know you’re
perfectly capable, Blissy girl, but I’d like the company. We’ll come back in
the morning and get your car.”

Bliss snorted in disgust. “Nishe try, booby. I’m drivin’ my
nown cure.”

“Need some help?”

Felicia stumbled and almost dropped her friend. A strong
pair of arms, covered in soft, worn fleece, wrapped around Bliss’ waist and
pulled her gently upright.

Bliss turned her head and leered drunkenly at Felicia’s
young dancer. “H-hey, hansome! I’ll let you take me home!”

Irrational anger swamped Felicia as her friend flirted with
the gorgeous young man. “He’s not driving you home, Bliss. He’s going to help
me get you into my car so I can take you home.” She glared at him, daring him
to disagree with this plan.

He just grinned back. “Which car is yours?”

She turned and walked toward a creamy-white Lincoln MKX.
Garrett Holcomb licked his lips as she stalked angrily toward the fancy car.
Her tight little behind swayed sexily beneath the dress she wore, the clingy
fabric dancing gently just over a pair of truly cute knees. She had long
dark-brown hair with sexy red and gold highlights that had sparkled in the
flashing lights of the club when he was dancing with her. Her body was lithe
and she moved with a confidence only a woman who’d experienced life could
enjoy. She was beautiful.

Garrett had always been drawn to older women. They had many
things going for them, including knowing how to make a man feel really good in
bed. He also appreciated the fact that they rarely wanted a relationship. They
unabashedly pursued him just for the sex.

Garrett was okay with that…usually. But something about this
particular woman pulled at him. He hadn’t felt this type of connection to a
woman since…

He shook his head to dispel the thought.

The woman in his arms sagged suddenly and he realized she’d
passed out. Reaching down, he scooped her up and started toward the Lincoln
with her. The birthday girl held the passenger-side door open for him, her face
still clouded with anger.

He settled her friend inside the car and closed the door. He
pulled his keys from his jeans pocket. “I’ll follow you home.”

Birthday girl jumped in surprise. “What? No! I mean…why?”

Garrett glanced at the woman in the car. She had fallen
sideways and her full, lush mouth was smashed against the glass. She looked
like a large, brown suckerfish. “You’ll need help getting her into the house.”

Some of the panic left Felicia’s eyes. “Oh, you meant her
house. Okay.”

Garrett chuckled as she realized how bad that sounded and
her face took on a horrified look. “I mean…not that I want you to know where
she
lives either! Umm…that is…I don’t think you’re a lecher or anything…” Her voice
trailed off and she bit her lip, lost in a maze of her own making.

He shook his head and turned toward his car. “No worries.
Just make sure you don’t leave me at a light or something.”

Felicia found herself staring at his yummy backside and
broad shoulders as he sauntered away from her toward a black Jeep parked at the
far edge of the parking lot. She swallowed the saliva that had pooled in her
mouth and ran her tongue over her lips. She’d never felt an attraction like the
one she felt for the young, gorgeous dancer. She’d have to be seriously on her
guard with him.

Or she’d embarrass herself.

Big time.

* * * * *

He settled Bliss onto her bed with little apparent effort.
Felicia slid her friend’s shoes off and covered her with the throw she kept at
the foot of her king-sized bed. When she turned away she was standing way too
close to him. Mere inches. His breath bathed her face in sweet warmth.

He smelled like mint with an underlying scent of beer.

“Thank you so much for helping me get her home. Her
boyfriend is away on business, or he would have helped. I could have gotten her
home, eventually, but it was nice to have some help. I don’t mean nice as in…”
The words clenched in her throat and came out as a breathless whisper. She
sounded like the worst kind of tease. Sighing, Felicia just shrugged, grinning
stupidly.

He reached toward her and slid an errant dark curl from her
face. “It was my pleasure.”

Felicia sucked air and tried to take a step back, but Bliss’
damn island-sized bed was in the way.

He moved an inch closer.

She could smell his heat, taste his scent. Her mouth
watered.

“You’re a very beautiful woman.”

“I’m too old for you.”

He smiled. “Not a chance.” He reached up to slide a ribbon
of hair off her cheek. His touch was warm and slightly rough against her skin.
Felicia stopped breathing, her body going on sensual alert.

“I really enjoyed our dance tonight.” He bent his head and
branded the spot he’d touched on her cheek with a soft kiss. So soft, if she
hadn’t felt the heat of his breath against her skin she might have thought
she’d imagined it.

Her nipples were rigid and tender against the fabric of her
tight dress.

Felicia stepped sideways. “You should leave now.”

His smile slid away. “You’re right. I absolutely should.” He
lifted one hand in a wave and turned away, striding quickly from the room.

All of the air left the room with him Felicia sucked in a
breath, fighting a nearly irrepressible urge to go after him. In fact she took
a step toward the door. But she stopped herself before she could start running.

Her body clenched with sudden need and she sat down hard on
the edge of the bed. Her lungs were tight and she couldn’t breathe. Her palms
were sweating. She hadn’t had this type of reaction to a guy for decades. Maybe
never.

Felicia Jeffries, you are a shameless hussy!

Felicia grinned. She hadn’t heard her grandma’s voice in her
head for years. Not since she’d stopped taking chances and risks and become the
good little wife and mother.

It was kind of nice to have her back.

Felicia stood up and left Bliss’ bedroom, moving quickly
toward the door. She made sure his car was gone before she stepped out of the
house, locking the door behind her.

She climbed into her car and headed home. Thank heavens her
birthday celebration was over! For the last several years, birthdays had only
served to make her feel old and out of touch. She’d approached this one
thinking that it would give her those feelings in spades, but somehow it
hadn’t.

Felicia’s body was thrumming. She felt as if every cell had
been infused with sexual energy. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt
so alive.

Being a shameless hussy was energizing. Laughing, Felicia
decided she’d have to let her hussy side out to play more often.

She’d just have to keep it away from gorgeous dancer types
who were much too young for her. That would only lead to disaster.

* * * * *

Felicia picked at her salad and fought a yawn. She was on
her second real date with Dave Foust, a longtime acquaintance. Dave had been a
friend of her husband’s. He was ten years older than Felicia and, as a tort
lawyer, was rolling in money. He was tall and slim and reasonably good-looking.
Although he’d been in love with her for years, he’d kept his feelings more or
less to himself when she was married.

Since her divorce, he’d stepped up his pursuit of her, to
the point where she’d finally given in and agreed to go out with him. That
first date had been long and unexciting. The second one was turning out to be
endless and downright boring.

Dave liked to talk about himself.

Occasionally he’d ask her something about herself or her
life, but then he’d interrupt her and go off on a topic of far more interest to
him…Dave Foust.

Felicia promised herself there would be no third date.

“I can’t even believe this food,” Dave informed her.

Felicia moved her fork around some more, hoping he didn’t
notice that she’d barely touched hers. There was nothing at all wrong with the
food, she just couldn’t concentrate on eating.

Her traitorous slutty mind just kept comparing Dave to her
gorgeous young dancer. It was an ugly comparison.

Dave lifted a hand and called the waiter over. “I’d like to
speak with the chef.”

Felicia barely stopped herself from groaning. He did this
every time they were together. He’d done it even before her divorce, when she
and Philip and he and his now ex-wife, Astrid, had gone out together. Dave
liked to draw attention to himself. She only hoped he would praise the chef
this time, rather than berate him as he usually did.

Felicia bent over her plate and picked up a roll. She stared
at it to avoid looking at the unfortunate soul who was about to have his skills
called into question by a boring, overconfident lawyer.

“You asked to speak with me, sir?”

“Yes. I wanted to ask you if you got your training at a
McDonalds.”

Felicia’s gaze swung desperately around the room, looking
for something to concentrate on rather than the poor chef’s crestfallen face.
Just then a couple at a table across the room stood up and started toward them.
The woman was young, gorgeous, and draped all over her date. The man with her
was Felicia’s dancer, from the club.

Felicia sucked a minute particle of roll into her windpipe
and choked. She bent, red-faced over the table, covering her mouth with one
hand and wishing she could climb under the linen-covered table and disappear.

Alas, it wasn’t to be.

She barely heard the poor chef trying to hold his temper in
check as Dave continued to berate him.

As she choked and sputtered, earning only a glare from her
“date” before he returned to abusing the chef, Felicia wished she could run to
the bathroom. But she couldn’t get out of that chair and risk coming
face-to-face with her sexy dancer. He was moving directly toward her.

A moment later the situation was taken out of her hands when
a firm hand clapped her on the back and a deep, concerned voice inquired, “Are
you okay, miss? Maybe you should drink some water?”

Felicia lowered her head and tried to shake off the warm
hand on her back. She thought if she didn’t look up he might not recognize her.
But the hand on her back slid upward, squeezing the back of her neck before
dropping away.

Dave frowned at her. He really didn’t like scenes, unless he
was the one making them. “Maybe you should go to the ladies’ room, Felicia, and
get yourself under control.”

Felicia stood up, hurrying toward the elegant restrooms at
the back of the restaurant. Still coughing violently, she nearly dived into the
ladies’ room and dropped onto one of the elegant couches in the outer room.

She laid her head on her knees and sucked in a breath as the
coughing began to subside. The door opened again but she didn’t look up.

“So your name is Felicia.”

Felicia’s head flew up and she gasped. He was just standing
there. Her beautiful dancer. Wearing fashionably faded jeans and a crisp white
dress shirt…and he looked amazing.

She gave him an embarrassed smile. “We have to stop meeting
like this. I mean…really.”

“Why?” His eyes sparkled with humor.

Felicia dragged the linen napkin she’d carried into the
bathroom under her eyes and stood. She took a deep, shuddering breath, trying
to regain some speck of dignity after she’d nearly coughed out a spleen just
from seeing him across the room. “I’m sorry. Don’t let me interrupt your date.
I’m fine now.”

“It’s okay. I wanted to talk to you.”

Felicia cocked her head in surprise. “You did? Why?”

He moved a step closer. “I can’t stop thinking about you.”

Felicia laughed.

“It’s true.”

She stopped laughing. She was at a loss. What could she say
to him that wouldn’t sound rude? When she finally managed to form some words
they came out all wrong. “You’re so young.”

He frowned and so did she. She’d meant to say she was too
old for him. Now she’d just insulted him.

“Trust me, I’m plenty old enough.”

Felicia blinked and he closed the distance between them
before she could backtrack.

Suddenly she was in his arms, his lips mere inches from her
own. “And I still think you’re damn sexy.”

Felicia made a little mewling sound but didn’t try to stop
him when he kissed her. Instead she dragged him closer, wrapping her arms
around his neck and returning the kiss hungrily. Self-respect be damned. The
man was offering her everything she wanted on a silver platter.

After spending two hours with a man society would expect her
to choose, she was more than ready to go after what she really wanted.

And she really wanted this man. Felicia pulled her lips away
from his. “What about your date?”