Some Like It Hot (25 page)

Six Months Later

Flashbulbs went off as Tyrone and Sydney stepped out of the huge brick church where her parents had gotten married over thirty-five years ago.

Cheers went up from the multitude who had come to see the beautiful bride emerge on the arm of her handsome groom. Sydney glanced up at the man who was now her husband and didn’t think she had ever felt as happy as she did that very moment.

The wedding had been beautiful, and no doubt the society column of tomorrow’s paper would boast of the forty-piece orchestra, all friends of Tyrone, who had performed “Irresistible Attraction,” a special musical piece that the groom had composed and dedicated to his wife.

Tyrone turned to Sydney. Although he hadn’t liked the idea of waiting six months to get married, he had to admit that it had been well worth it. Rosalind Corbain, Sydney’s mother, had gone all out to make sure their wedding day had the perfect fairy-tale ending, including the horse-drawn carriage that awaited them in front of the church.

He leaned down and kissed her as more cheers went up from the crowd. He brushed his fingers against her cheek. “I love you, Mrs. Hardcastle.”

Sydney’s smile was radiant. “And I love you, Mr. Hardcastle.”

His hand tightened on hers as he glanced at the crowd. It seemed the Corbain family was popular in Memphis, because a lot of people had come to see the judge’s beautiful daughter get married. “Are you ready?” he asked her softly.

She nodded as she glanced around at the crowd. “Yes, I’m as ready as I’ll ever be.”

Tyrone nodded. “All right then.” He reached down and tightened his hand around hers. “Hold on tight. We’re going to make a run for it.” Tyrone and Sydney raced down the steps toward the waiting carriage as pelts of rice showered down on them.

Once inside the carriage, he pulled Sydney into his arms and kissed her, thanking God for bringing her into his life and for providing that irresistible attraction that had pulled them together—permanently.

When he slowly and reluctantly removed his mouth from hers, he met a gaze that was glazed with desire. They both knew they had a huge reception to endure before they could finally sneak off to start their honeymoon, a week in Hawaii, compliments of her parents, followed by another week in the Virgin Islands, compliments of his. It seemed that both sets of parents were eager for them to start making babies.

Not able to help himself, Tyrone’s lips sought possession of her mouth once more, and when he heard the soft moan that rose within her throat he was tempted to strip her naked then and there.

Reluctantly he pulled away and blew out a frustrated breath. The wait was killing him.

Sydney’s hand covered his, understanding how he felt. They had agreed to stop being intimate three months before the wedding to make their wedding night extra special. And now the two of them were burning up in anticipation. “Just think, sweetheart, two weeks all alone, together.”

He smiled and looked at her lips with yearning. They were slightly swollen from the enthusiastic kiss he had given her when the minister had proclaimed them man and wife, as well all the kisses that had followed. He shifted his gaze away from her lips to look into her eyes. “No,” he murmured softly. “We have the rest of our lives together.”

Then he pulled her into his arms and kissed her yet again.

For we cannot but speak the things
which we have seen and heard.

—
ACTS
4:20 (
NKJV
)

Hunter Sloan wondered if a man could die from horniness, and if so, he was about to take his last breath.

His sexually intense affair with Mallory Standish had ended six months ago, but still, as he watched her pace back and forth in his office after arriving unexpectedly less than ten minutes ago, he couldn’t help but admit the time he’d spent with her had been unforgettable, which was one of the main reasons for his present sexually deprived state. Since they had split he had not been attracted to any other female.

Mallory was everything a man could want in a woman. She was intelligent, sensitive, witty, and passionate with a capital
P.
The latter is what he remembered the most. It was hard to think about anything else while his gaze took in everything about her. She was too damn good-looking for her own good, not to mention his. Everything about her was a total turn-on, especially her walk…even when she was clearly agitated about something.

At thirty-four he was a man who avoided commitments, and Mallory had decided at some point during their four-month affair that she wanted more. Unfortunately, more was the one thing he could not give her or any other woman. It had been a mutually agreed-upon decision, that since they wanted different things out of the relationship, the best thing to do was to go their separate ways. So they had, and this was the first time they had seen each other since that time.

And he was definitely seeing her.

His gaze scanned her from head to toe, taking in the dark chocolate coloring of her skin, her pert nose, high cheekbones, and bright red lips. Then there were the dark brown spiral curls that crowned her face and bathed her shoulders, giving her a radiant look. And he definitely liked the business suit she was wearing. It was chic, stylish, and fit the curves on her body as if it had been designed just for her.

There wasn’t a time she didn’t look good in anything she’d worn, even jeans…especially jeans. His favorite outfit had been tight jeans with a low-cut top. But he had to admit the outfit she was wearing now was running a close second. The skirt was short, stopping way above her knees and showing off long, gorgeous legs—legs he distinctively remembered having the ability to wrap tightly around him while he thrust in and out of her with quick and deep strokes. Then there were her breasts. He couldn’t help but recall how it felt to caress them, cup their fullness in the palm of his hands, and tease her nipples with the tip of his tongue. There also were those times when he used to lick around her navel before his lips would nuzzle lower to give her an intimate kiss between her…

“Hunter! Are you listening to me?”

He quickly met her gaze. She was annoyed with his distraction, but he was glad she was clueless as to why his mind had shifted elsewhere. With tremendous mental as well as a physical effort, Hunter forced his attention back to what Mallory had been saying, and away from the enormous erection that was straining against his zipper. Sitting behind his desk, he shifted in his chair, grateful that she had no idea as to the torture she was putting him through, and even more grateful that she didn’t know that he hadn’t slept with another woman since their breakup.

“Let me get this straight, Mallory,” he said in a somewhat strained voice. “You are accusing your brother-in-law of being unfaithful?”

Hunter saw her uncertainty when she answered. “Yes and no. All I know is what I saw.”

Hunter nodded. “How about telling me again what you saw.” He hated admitting it, but he hadn’t heard a word she’d said. Instead, he had been wondering how long it would take to strip her naked, like he’d done once before when she’d come to his office unexpectedly. He would never forget how he had taken her on this very desk. “And maybe it will be better if you sit down,” he added, not knowing how much longer he could handle seeing the sway of her hips as she paced back and forth wearing out his carpet, not to mention his libido.

Thankfully, she nodded and took the chair across from him. But then he almost groaned when she crossed her legs, which made the already short skirt inch a little higher, showing a better glimpse of her thighs. They were thighs he used to ride, from the front, from the back, right to left, any way and every way he could. Even now he could hear in his mind the sound of flesh slapping against flesh.

His attention was drawn to the gold ankle bracelet on her right ankle. He had given it to her after they had dated a couple of months. It had been a gift for her twenty-eighth birthday. He was surprised she was still wearing it and a part of him was glad that she was. He would never forget the night he had given it to her and how she hadn’t wasted any time thanking him in some of the most provocative ways. It was definitely a pleasant memory.

He shifted in his chair again and decided it would be safer to concentrate on something that was not pleasant, like going to dinner at his aunt Judith’s house that evening, where she would relentlessly remind him that he needed to settle down, get married, and have a lot of babies for her and his mother to spoil. In fact it was his aunt’s fault that he had met Mallory in the first place.

Aunt Judith had convinced him that he needed to hire an event planner for his parents’ fortieth wedding anniversary party. He had delegated the task of finding someone to his aunt and would never forget the day she showed up at his office with Mallory in tow. The attraction between them had been quick and immediate and his life hadn’t been the same since.

Hunter sighed as he brought his thoughts back to the present and his gut clenched when Mallory nervously swept her lips with the tip or her tongue. Boy, he used to thoroughly enjoy that tongue. Forcing his mind back to the business at hand, he again prompted her. “Now, what makes you think he’s cheating?”

“Because I saw him yesterday at a hotel. I was there and I saw him.”

Hunter raised a brow. The first question that immediately came to his mind was why was she at a hotel? And who had she been there with? His heart began beating like a jackhammer and he forced himself to calm down. He had no right to question what she did and with whom she did it. But still, the possibility that she’d been at a hotel with someone didn’t sit too well with him. He, of all people, knew just how passionate she was. He’d had quite a few sizzling nights with her, but it was either at her place or his…never a hotel. He hoped she hadn’t gotten involved with a married man. A part of him refused to believe that. One thing Mallory possessed was a high sense of what was moral, and besides, her father had relentlessly cheated on her mother, so she would never do that to another woman or herself.

He cleared his throat. “You were at a hotel yesterday?” he asked as casually as he could.

She leaned back in her chair unaware of the chaos going on in his head. “Yes. I had an appointment at the Hilton on Monroe Street. I’m planning a client’s daughter’s wedding and we’re holding the reception there. I needed to check the location to make sure the banquet room would be adequate.”

He nodded his head. Relieved. “And while you were there, you saw your brother-in-law?” He had met her sister and brother-in-law only once during their four-month affair. From what he remembered, the man seemed to be a likable guy who was very devoted to Mallory’s sister, Barbara. Barbara was two years older than Mallory and if he remembered correctly, she and her husband had been married for five years. He also recalled Mallory once sharing with him the couple’s desire to have a child, but the last he’d heard Barbara hadn’t gotten pregnant.

“Yes, I saw Lewis,” Mallory answered, breaking into his thoughts. “I tried to get his attention, but he didn’t see me. He was too busy trying to get on the elevator without being seen. I noted it had stopped on the fourth floor before coming back down. I went up to the fourth floor thinking there was probably a conference room on that floor and Lewis was attending some sort of business meeting, but all I saw were rooms. Hotel rooms. That meant he was meeting someone in one of those rooms.”

“Yes, but that doesn’t necessary mean he was doing anything illicit, Mallory,” Hunter pointed out. “People do hold business meetings in their suites at hotels.”

He watched her nervously chew on her bottom lip before saying, “I know that, Hunter, but I have a funny feeling about this. A few weeks ago Barbara mentioned that she and Lewis were having marital problems. I think it has something to do with the both of them wanting so desperately to have a baby and not being able to have one.”

He shook his head. There were a lot of things he desperately wanted, but a baby wasn’t one of them. Over the years he had learned to turn a deaf ear to his aunt whenever she brought up the subject of babies. She was quick to remind him that he was the last of the Sloans unless he produced a child to carry on the family name.

When Mallory shifted positions in her seat, Hunter’s gaze followed the hem of her skirt and saw even more thigh. “Have they consulted a doctor to see what the problem is?” he asked more because she seemed so concerned about it than of any real interest on his part.

“Yes, but according to all the tests results, there’s nothing wrong with either of them.”

“Then I’m sure things will happen when it’s time.”

“Yes, that’s what I keep telling Barbara, but she thinks the problem is with her.”

Hunter picked up a paper clip from his desktop and began fiddling with it. He didn’t want to talk about people wanting babies any longer. “What do you want me to do, Mallory? Why are you here?”

She gave him an exasperated look like it should have been obvious. “I want to hire you, Hunter. I need to know for sure whether or not Lewis is having an affair.”

“And if he is?”

“Then Barbara should know about it.”

“And you’re going to tell her?”

“Of course, she’s my sister.”

He sighed. Knowing Standish family history from what she had shared with him once, he could see her thinking that way. “But why me, Mallory? There are plenty of private investigators here in San Diego.”

“Because I want to keep this private, Hunter. I’ll feel a lot better if you’re the investigator handling this for me. Will you do it?”

Hunter stared at her long and hard as he thought of the problems that could arise if he associated himself with Mallory again, even for a business reason. She would always remind him of sharing a bed, enjoying nights of passion and excitement that culminated in orgasms that came back-to-back for hours. No other woman had the ability to do that.

And no other woman had made him imagine going to bed with her every night and waking up beside her every morning on a permanent basis. When those thoughts had begun formulating in his mind he’d known it was time to cut out, and when she’d thrown out the words “a committed relationship,” he hadn’t wasted any time putting distance between them. He didn’t do committed relationships. What she was asking him to do would bring them back in contact again, and a part of him wasn’t sure he could handle that.

He took a shaky breath. Hell, he was about to go bonkers just from the twenty minutes they had spent together already. “I don’t know, Mallory. Considering our history, maybe you should—”

“No, Hunter. There’s no one else I’d trust. If Lewis is cheating on Barbara you’re the only one I’d want to know about it. I really do need your help.”

Hunter knew if he lived a whole lifetime, he would always be drawn in by Mallory’s dark brown eyes, which were now pleading with him. And for the life of him, he couldn’t turn her down.

“Okay, Mallory, I’ll do it.”

Relief spread across her face. “Thanks, Hunter.”

He glanced down at his watch. “There’s some information I need to get from you before I can start, but I have another appointment in a few minutes. Is there any way we can meet again later today?”

He watched as she quickly pulled her PalmPilot out of her leather purse. Less than a minute later, she said, “My last appointment is at five. Do you want me to stop back by here before going home?”

He frowned. He had an appointment on the other side of town that would last until around five, and then he was to join his aunt for dinner at seven, which didn’t give them much time in between. The best solution, although he didn’t want to suggest it, would be for him to drop by her place on the way to his aunt’s house. Bad move if he wanted to keep things strictly business.

Then he thought of another idea. “How about if we met at Rowdy’s at five-thirty? I have dinner plans for later and that way we can talk and I won’t be late for my seven o’clock dinner date.” She didn’t have to know that his dinner date was with his aunt. It might be best for the both of them if she thought he was involved with someone.

The expression on her face indicated that she didn’t care one way or the other. He wasn’t sure if he should be relieved or monumentally pissed. “All right, that’s fine. I’ll be at Rowdy’s at five-thirty,” she said, standing. “And I really do appreciate this.”

He stood and came around his desk to walk her to the door. When they got to the door, he considered locking it and throwing away the key and having his way with her. He knew she liked wearing colorful undies and wondered just what color panties she had on. And he knew that whatever color they were, she was wearing a matching bra.

She reached out her hand to him. “Thanks again, Hunter.”

He took her hand and immediately felt a sexual pull in his groin. For a moment he forgot to breathe. The intense attraction, the sensuous connection was still there, and although she remained expressionless, he knew she had to have felt it as well.

“You’re welcome and I’ll see you later this evening, Mallory.” The words sounded a lot more intimate than he had wanted them to.

She nodded, then opened the door and quickly slipped out. When the door closed behind her, he leaned against it and drew in a deep breath, then let it out slowly. It shouldn’t take long to find out if Lewis Townsend was cheating on his wife. Once that was done Mallory would be out of his life again and he could regain the harmony he had worked so hard to achieve over the past six months, although the horniness was almost killing him. In his present state, if he hung around her too much there was no telling what would happen.