In Bed With The Devil (8 page)

But none of those words could begin to describe what it felt like to have Jack suck on the most nerve-filled place in her body. How there seemed to be a direct connection between that engorged spot between her legs and the rest of her. How each flick of his tongue made her stomach clench and her heels dig into the bed.

She felt herself getting closer and closer. He moved patiently, slowly, drawing out the experience. Taking her to the edge, then pulling back just enough to keep her from coming.

Again and again she caught sight of her release, only to have it move out of reach.

Then, without warning, he went faster. The quick flicks of his tongue caught her off guard. She had no time to prepare, no way to brace herself for the sudden explosion of pleasure that tore her apart.

Wave after wave of release swept through her. She pressed down, wanting to keep the feelings going. He gentled his touch but didn’t pull away. Not until she experienced the last shudder and was able to finally draw in a breath.

She opened her eyes and found him looking at her. Under any other circumstance, his smug grin would have annoyed her, but considering what he’d just done, she decided he’d earned it.

She grabbed him by his shirt front and urged him to slide up next to her. When he would have spoken, she touched his mouth with her fingers, telling him to be quiet. While she loved a good relationship conversation as much as the next woman, this was a time for silence.

When he was on his back, she unbuttoned his shirt, then kissed her way down his chest to his belly. He was warm and he tasted sexy and faintly sweet. She nipped at his side, which made him both laugh and groan, then she went to work on his jeans.

He was so hard she had trouble with the zipper but finally managed to get it unfastened. He helped her push down his jeans and briefs.

She knelt between his legs, taking in the beauty that was his aroused naked body. His erection called to her. She reached out and touched him, then stroked his length. He put his hand on top of hers.

“I don’t have any protection,” he said.

She smiled. “Come on, Jack. It’s me. When have I not prepared for every contingency?”

She leaned forward and opened his nightstand, then pulled out the condoms she’d put there before she’d started her bath.

Seconds later, the condom in place, she eased herself onto him.

He was big and thick and he filled her, stretching her inside in the most delicious way possible. She braced herself on her hands and knees, settling in for the ride.

His dark gaze met hers. “You really think I’m going to let you be on top?” he asked.

“Uh-huh.”

He reached for her breasts. “You’re right.”

She laughed, then rocked back and forth, easing herself onto him, then off. At the same time, he cupped her breasts, teasing her nipples and providing a heck of a distraction.

She forced herself to concentrate on that place where they joined, but it got more and more difficult as her body got lost in the pleasure. With each stroke, she drove herself closer to another orgasm.

She felt him tense beneath her. She rode him faster, taking them higher and harder, pushing toward their mutual goal.

He abandoned her breasts and grabbed her hips, holding her tightly enough to control the pace. It was just slow enough to make her whimper.

So close, she thought as she concentrated on the feel of him pushing inside of her again and again. So…

And then she was coming. Her release rushed through her, urging her on. Faster and faster until she felt him hold her still as he shuddered beneath her.

On and on their bodies joined, until they were both still.

Jack rolled her onto her side and withdrew. They stared at each other in the soft light of the room. He touched her face.

“I wasn’t going to let you do that,” he murmured.

“I know. You mad?”

“Not at you.”

At himself? Because he’d betrayed his promise to Hunter? Meri started to tell him it didn’t matter when it suddenly occurred to her that maybe it did. To him, at least. That maybe he regretted letting his friend down and that this had been the last promise he’d been able to keep.

Only he hadn’t.

“Jack…” she began.

He shook his head. “Don’t go there. Wherever you’re going, don’t.”

She opened her mouth, then closed it. She didn’t want to apologize. Not exactly. But she felt as if she should say something.

“I should go,” she murmured

“You don’t have to.”

She stared into his dark eyes and knew she wanted to stay. Even if it was just one night, she wanted to spend the time with him.

“I went to a psychic once,” she told him. “She told me that one day I would be in bed with the devil. I always knew she meant you. It’s not your fault you gave in. It was destiny.”

He smiled faintly. “You believe in psychics?”

“I believe in a lot of things. I’m very interesting.”

“Yes, you are.”

She sighed and snuggled close. “Are we going to make love again tonight?”

“Yes.”

“You can be on top this time if you want.”

He chuckled. “You’re not in charge.”

“Of course I am. I’m also totally irresistible. Right now you’re wondering how you resisted me for so long.”

“It’s like you can read my mind.”

She closed her eyes and breathed in the scent of him. Everything about this moment felt right, she thought. As if this was what she’d been waiting for. As if—

Wait a minute. She wasn’t supposed to like having sex with Jack. She was supposed to be getting her revenge and moving on. They weren’t supposed to connect.

They weren’t, she told herself. She was just emotionally gooey from the afterglow. It was a biological response. Her body’s attempt to bond with a man who was genetically desirable. Come morning, she would be totally over him and this and be ready to walk away. Her plan would go on as scheduled and she would be free to move forward with her life.

“I’m healed,” Meri told Betina the next morning as she poured milk over her cereal. “Seriously, if I had a limp, it would be gone.”

Betina looked her over. “Based on the smirk and the glow, I’m going to guess you and Jack did the wild thing last night.”

Meri sighed with contentment. “We did. It was fabulous. Better than I imagined, which is hard to believe. I feel like a new woman. A new woman with really, really clear skin!”

Betina laughed. “Okay. Good for you.”

“Any progress with Colin?”

“No. I watched a movie and he spent the evening on his computer. Then we went to bed separately.”

Meri felt her fabulous mood fade a little. “That sucks. You need to talk to him.”

“I’m not taking advice from you.”

“Why not? My plan is working perfectly. Jack has had me and now he wants more. But he’s not going to get any more. I’m walking away.”

“Really?”

“Absolutely.”

“And you don’t feel a thing?”

“I’m a little sore,” Meri said with a grin.

Betina slowly shook her head. “Okay. Then I was wrong. I guess you don’t have any feelings for him. If you’re not thinking about being with him again or wanting to hang out with him, then you are healed. Yay you.”

Her friend poured coffee and walked out of the kitchen. Meri stared after her.

She didn’t have feelings for Jack. Okay, sure, he was a friend and, as such, she would always have a soft spot for him. She was also willing to admit that not sleeping with him again might be difficult, but only because it had been so darned good. Not because she felt any kind of emotional connection.

But as she thought the words, she felt a little ping in her heart. One that warned her something might not be right.

“I don’t care about him,” she told herself. “I don’t.”

Which was a good thing, because falling for him would totally ruin her attempts at revenge.

She finished her cereal, rinsed the bowl and put it in the dishwasher. Then she walked into the dining room.

Someone rang the bell at the front door. She frowned. It was too early for the rest of the team, not to mention a delivery. So who on earth…?

She walked to the front of the house and opened the door. Her mind went blank as she stared at the man standing there. The man who swept her into his arms and kissed her.

“Hey, babe,” he said.

She swallowed. “Andrew. This is a surprise.”

Coffee won, mostly because he hadn’t gotten much sleep the previous night. Sharing a bed with Meri had been anything but restful.

He walked out of his bedroom, then paused at the landing to look at the picture he’d mostly avoided since arriving at the house. It showed him and his friends during college. When everything had been easy and they’d called themselves the Seven Samurai.

Hunter laughed into the camera, because he’d always enjoyed whatever he was doing. Luke and Matt—twins who couldn’t be more different—held Ryan in a headlock, while he and Devlin poured beer over the group. He knew that just outside the view of the camera sat a teenage girl on a blanket, her head buried in a book. Because Meri had never quite fit in.

Hunter had worried about her, especially after he’d found out he was dying. That’s when he’d asked Jack to take care of her.

“Hell of a job,” Jack muttered to himself as he turned away from the picture. Sure, Meri was all grown up now, a woman who made her own choices. That was her excuse for what had happened the previous night. What was his?

He’d wanted her. Who wouldn’t? She was smart and funny and pretty as hell. She challenged him the way no one else dared. She was sexy and irreverent and so filled with life and ideas. Hunter would have been proud of her. Then he would have turned on Jack like a rabid dog and beaten the crap out of him. Or at least he would have tried. Knowing it was all his fault, Jack knew he just might have let him.

So now what? Meri had claimed she wanted to seduce him, which she probably thought she had. Did they just move on now? Pretend it hadn’t happened? Because it shouldn’t have, no matter how good it had been. If he could turn back time…

Jack shook his head. No point in lying to himself. If he could turn back time, he would do it all over again. Which made him a pretty big bastard and a sorry sort of friend.

He glanced back at the photo. Now what?

He heard footsteps on the stairs. But instead of a petite blonde with an attitude, he saw Betina climbing toward him.

“Morning,” he said.

She reached the landing and looked at him. There was something in her eyes—something that warned him she was not happy about certain events.

“What?” he asked.

“That would be my question to you.” She drew in a breath. “Look, it’s not my business—”

Great. She was going to get protective. “You’re right. It’s not your business.”

She glared at him. “Meredith is my friend. I care about her. I don’t want her to get hurt.”

“What makes you think that’s going to happen?”

“It’s in your nature. You’re the kind of man who is used to getting what he wants and walking away.”

True enough, he thought, not sure what that had to do with anything. “Meri’s not in this for the long term,” he said.

“That’s what she keeps telling me, but I’m not so sure. I think she’s in a position where she could get her heart broken.”

“Not by me.”

Betina rolled her eyes. “Are all men stupid about women or is it just the ones in this house?”

“You expect me to answer that?”

“No. I expect you to respect someone you’re supposed to care about. You’ve known Meri a long time. She’s not like the rest of us. She didn’t grow up with a chance at being normal. She managed to fit in all on her own.”

“I heard you had a part in making that happen.”

Betina shrugged. “I gave her direction. She did the work. But she’s not as tough as she thinks. What she had planned for you was crazy—and I told her that, but she wouldn’t listen.”

“Typical.”

“I know. My point is I don’t want anything bad to happen to her. If you hurt her, I’ll hunt you down like the dog you are and make you pay.”

He gave her a half smile. “Going to hire someone to beat me up?”

“No, Jack. I’m going to tell you exactly how much she’s suffering. I’m going to point out that you were her brother’s best friend and that he asked only one thing of you and you couldn’t seem to do it. Not then and not now. I’m going to be the voice in your head—the ugly one that never lets you rest.”

He met her steady gaze with one of his own. “You’re good.”

“I care about her. She’s part of my family. She deserves someone who loves her. Are you that guy?”

He didn’t have to think about that. “No.” He’d never loved anyone. He refused to care. It cost too much.

“Then leave her alone. Give her a chance with someone else.”

“Someone like Andrew?” Jack had a bad feeling about him. He would get his report soon enough and then figure out what to do.

“Funny you should mention him,” Betina said, looking amused. “I guess you don’t know.”

“Know what?”

“He’s here.”

Meri pulled back, stood in front of the open door and wondered if she looked as guilty as she felt. While she and Andrew had agreed that they were on a relationship hiatus, saying the words and having him show up less than four hours after she and Jack had made love for the third time of the night was a little disconcerting.

“You’re here,” she said, feeling stupid and awkward and really, really guilty.

“I missed you.” He smiled that easy Andrew smile—the one that had first drawn her to him. The one that told the world he was pleasant, charming and curious about everything. “Did you miss me?”

She’d spent five months working on her plan to seduce Jack Howington III and nearly a week putting that plan into action. In her free time she’d been consulting for two different defense contractors and working on her solid-rocket-fuel project. Who had time to miss anyone?

“Of course,” she said, resisting the urge to fold her arms over her chest and shuffle her feet.

“Good.” He stepped into the house and put his arm around her. “So this is where you’ve been hanging out.”

“I’ve actually been down in Los Angeles a lot. Remember? The consulting.”

“I know. Is your team here?”

“They’ll arrive in an hour or so.”

“How fortunate.” He pulled her close again. “So we have time to get reacquainted.”

Ick and double ick. She couldn’t get “reacquainted” with Andrew right after having seduced Jack. It was wrong on many, many levels.

She stepped away and looked at him. Andrew was tall like Jack but not as muscular or lean. His brown hair was longer, his blue eyes lighter. Jack was a sexy version of the devil come to life. He played every hand close and gave nothing away. Andrew was open and friendly. He assumed the world liked him—and most of the time it did.

Which didn’t matter, she told herself. There was no need for comparisons. She had a relationship with Andrew and she had nothing with Jack. They’d been friends once, she’d proved her point and now she was moving on. She should be happy Andrew was here. He was part of the moving-on bit, wasn’t he?

Andrew’s blue eyes clouded. “What’s wrong, Meredith? Aren’t you happy to see me? It’s been weeks since we met at The Symposium in Chicago. I’ve missed you. You said you wanted time for us both to be sure about our feelings. I’m still sure. Are you?”

Life was all about timing, Meredith thought happily as Colin walked into the room, saw Andrew and grimaced.

“Oh. You’re here,” he grumbled. Colin had never been a fan.

It wasn’t anyone’s fault, Meri told herself. Andrew was inherently athletic and Colin…wasn’t. She wasn’t either, but she tried and she always forced her team to attempt something new a couple of times a year. She ignored the complaints and reminded them it was good for them.

“Colin!” Andrew said cheerfully, ignoring the other man’s obvious irritation at his presence. “Haven’t seen you in a long time. How’s it hanging?”

Colin looked Andrew over with the same enthusiasm one would use when seeing a cockroach in one’s salad. “It’s hanging just fine.”

Colin poured his coffee and left.

“I think he’s starting to like me,” Andrew said in a mock whisper. “We’re really communicating.”

Despite everything, Meri laughed. “You’re an optimist.”

“Hey, you like Colin and I like you. Therefore I must like Colin. Isn’t that some kind of math logic? You should appreciate that.”

She should, and she mostly did. She appreciated that Andrew was never tense or intense. She enjoyed his humor, his spontaneity and how he seemed to live a charmed life. According to every women’s-magazine survey she’d ever taken, Andrew was perfect for her.

So how had she been able to be apart from him for six months only seeing him for a few days at a time and not really mind?

Before she could figure out the answer, she heard more footsteps on the stairs. She turned, expecting to see Betina, who would be a great distraction. Instead Jack walked into the kitchen.

The room got so quiet Meri could actually hear her heart pumping blood through her body. She felt herself flush as she tried to figure out what on earth she was supposed to say.

Andrew stepped forward, held out his hand and smiled. “Andrew Layman. I’m Meredith’s boyfriend.”

Jack looked him over. “Jack Howington the third. Friend of the family.”

Meri stared in surprise. Jack had used his full name, including the number. Why? He never did that.

The two men shook hands. When they separated, it seemed that they were both crowding her a little.

“So you know Meredith’s dad?” Andrew asked. “You mentioned you were a friend of the family, but she hasn’t mentioned you before.”

“I knew her brother. Meri and I were friends in college. We go way back.”

“Interesting. You never came to D.C.,” Andrew said easily. “I know all of Meredith’s friends there.”

“Sounds like you keep a close watch on her.”

“I care about her.”

“Apparently not enough that you mind a six-month absence,” Jack told him. “You haven’t met all of Meri’s friends here.”

“I already know them.”

“You don’t know me.”

“You’re the past.”

Jack’s gaze was steady. “Not as much as you might think. Meri and I have a history together.”

Meri rolled her eyes. It was as though they were a couple of dogs and she were the favorite tree they both wanted to pee on. While she was sure Jack was more than capable of winning the contest, she was surprised he would bother to play. She also hadn’t expected Andrew to get drawn in. Since when had he become competitive?

“There’s a little too much testosterone in here for me,” she said as she stepped back. “You two boys have fun.”

Meri made her way to Betina’s room and found her friend typing on her laptop.

“Girl emergency,” Meri said as she closed the bedroom door and sat on the edge of the bed. “How could he be here?”

“Andrew?”

Meri nodded. “I had no idea. We’ve been staying in touch via e-mail and we’ve talked a little on the phone, but there was no warning. He just showed up. How could he do that?”

“He got on a plane and flew here. It’s romantic. Does it feel romantic to you?”

“I don’t know,” Meri admitted, still unclear how she felt. “It’s been weeks and weeks. I thought he was going to propose and I thought maybe I would say yes. Shouldn’t I be excited that he’s here? Shouldn’t I be dancing in the streets?”

“We don’t have much in the way of streets, but maybe if you danced in the driveway, it would be enough.”

Meri started to laugh, then sucked in a breath as she suddenly fought tears. “I’m so confused.”

“You slept with Jack. That was bound to change things.”

“It was supposed to make them more clear. I was supposed to be healed.”

“Maybe the problem is you were never broken.”

Meri nodded slowly. Maybe that was the problem. She’d always thought there was something wrong with her and that it could be traced back to Jack’s painful rejection. But what if that had just been a normal part of growing up and, because of her freakishness, she hadn’t been able to see it? What if she’d made it too big a deal?

“You don’t think I needed closure with Jack?” Meri asked. “You don’t think getting revenge on him will move me to a higher plane?”

Betina sighed. “I don’t think anything negative like revenge is ever healthy. You’ve felt emotionally stalled and unable to commit. Was that about what Jack did or was it simply that you needed more time to integrate who you were with who you wanted to be? Being book-smart doesn’t help you grow up any faster or better. Sometimes it just gets in the way.”

“I figured that out a while ago,” Meri grumbled. “You’d think I could deal with it by now.” She drew in a deep breath. “I was so sure that revenge was the right way to go. I knew that if I could just make him want me, then walk away, I’d be happy forever.”

“Maybe that’s still true.”

Meri wasn’t sure. “Like you said—it’s not healthy to be so negative.”

“But it is done,” Betina reminded her. “Deal with what you have now. Closure. So on to Andrew—if that’s where you want to go.”