The Set Up (5 page)

Refocusing on her, I say, “Eve, come on, what would you expect from an encounter like that? True love?”

She waves her hand. “No, and I don’t care about that anymore anyway. We were both young and stupid. Hell, most college kids are.”

I don’t believe her.
“Then what’s this about?”

“Revealing the truth.”

“About what?”

“I already told you. Him.”

I find myself sitting up straighter. “What are you trying to reveal?”

“I think that’s obvious.”

“Not to me.”

She shakes her head. “Just how much of a sleazeball he is.”

Something defensive kicks in. “Eve, there is nothing about him at all that indicates he’s a sleazeball.”

“So player, manwhore, user, whatever term you want to use.”

“You’re focusing on his sex life. We’re here to write about his career. He’s a man who’s not even thirty yet with a huge accomplishment under his belt. That’s what we’re supposed to be focusing on.”

“You focus on what you think is important and I’ll focus on what I think readers want to know.”

“And what would that be, besides the unconfirmed rumors about his sex life?”

“I’m not certain yet, but I know there’s something there. Maybe I’ll include his poor relationship with his mother, for one. I talked to her earlier today and it was obvious their relationship is strained at best.”

My hands start to tremble. “You what?”

“I talked to his mother.”

“Why would you do that?”

Hands on hips, she huffs. “I already told you—for the story.”

“And?”

Her smile is wicked, but she shrugs. “Nothing really. I’m not even sure why she agreed to see me, other than I think she was drunk when she said yes and even drunker when I arrived.”

I say nothing.

“It was a complete waste of my time and aggravated my allergies, too. There was some lingering cigar or cigarette smoke in that house. I had to keep rubbing my nose to keep the scent from permeating into my nostrils. You know what that smoke does to me.”

I don’t, but I nod anyway. “So what happened?” I ask, worried she might have uncovered something about me.

“Aside from the feeling I got that Mrs. Storm doesn’t seem to excited with her son’s aspirations, she didn’t say much worth noting. She did, however, tell me that she thought Jasper was trying to live out his father’s dream for him. Whatever that means. Then, when I asked her about her dead husband, she got a little hostile and shoved me toward the door so hard I tripped on the carpet. I think she’s hiding something. I’m not sure what, but I want to find out. Anyway, read my blog post about that crazy visit later.”

“Your post? Have you written it yet?”

“No, not yet. I have to go through my notes and digest it. And besides, I’ll have more to write.”

“What else? What else will you be posting?” I sound nervous, and I hope she doesn’t hear it in my voice.

“Well, since you asked. Rumor has it that he recently attempted to seduce all the female council members in order to guarantee their vote.”

This time I roll my eyes. “Come on, Eve, just like the orgy, that sounds like a concocted story. You know better than to believe everything you hear.”

Her hands are now on her hips. “You saw him tonight. Clearly he still likes to sleep around.”

“Actually, I didn’t see him except when he was onstage. I left shortly after his speech.” Curiosity gets hold of me and I ask, “But what do you mean?”

“First there was the bartender who kept shooting him looks, and then there was the girl with the blue streaks in her blond hair and obvious implants wearing a bikini. He was all over them both.”

“Come on, Eve. You’re being ridiculous. It’s within his right to flirt. He’s a man and he’s not married.”

Opening one of her many bags, she pulls out her compact. “Forget it, you’ll never see it for what it is. Anyway, did you see the taller, older man who was standing with him and his buddies before the mayor made his speech but then disappeared?”

I nod. “The one in the navy suit with salt-and-pepper hair?”

She snaps her fingers and points to me. “That’s him. Do you know who he is?”

“I think his name is Hank and he owns HH Automotive Parts Plant.”

“Should that mean something to me?”

“Probably not, but it’s the only remaining independent parts plant in town.”

“Interesting. See, you do know more. I wonder what he has to gain, or lose, from all of this.”

“I don’t think anything. I believe he’s a longtime friend of Jasper’s.”

“Friend, right. I tried to talk to him about Jasper’s success and choice of location. He grunted that Jasper could build anywhere, but otherwise seemed uninterested and wouldn’t give me the time of day.”

“He was Jasper’s mentor. I doubt there’s much more to it than he is respecting Jasper’s privacy.”

“Still, I’d like to talk to him again.”

“Honestly, Eve, leave Jasper alone. You’re looking for something that isn’t there.”

Eve glances in the small mirror and then powders her nose. “You’re awfully defensive about him. Is there something about the two of you that maybe I should know?”

My heart starts to pound. She’s just too nosey and I need to shut up.

Reaching for her computer, she slides it into a very expensive-looking orange snakeskin case, and then tidies up her folders and books before she puts everything on the bedside table between both our beds.

“Where are you going?”

Stopping at the mirror again, she pops the top two buttons open on her blouse, allowing her more-than-ample cleavage to show. “To the party in the penthouse.”

There’s no sparkle coming from the side of her nose, and for a moment I wonder why she removed her diamond stud before I refocus. “Eve Hepburn,” I warn. “We’re here on business.”

“Charlotte Lane,” she responds with mock innocence. “I know that, but if you want to succeed in journalism you’ll do whatever it takes.”

I chew on my bottom lip in thought. “What do you mean, ‘whatever it takes’?”

She sighs and her eyes appraise me. “Listen, Charlotte, I know you’re from a small town, but I also know you’re smarter than that. I don’t need to explain. You really should come. When alcohol flows, so does so much more.”

All I can do is look at her in astonishment.

“Do you want me to wait while you change?”

Holding back my irritation with her, knowing there is no way I can show up there in case I’m recognized, I shake my head. “No, I’m not going to a party that I wasn’t invited to in order to flirt with a bunch of men to get information that I don’t think is even relevant.”

Eve shoots me a disgusted look and heads down the hallway. “Well, I am. See you later.”

Then, just like that, she’s gone.

And I’m left worrying what she’s going to uncover.

About me!

REVVED

Jasper

IT ISN’T A
wet dream I’m having.

But that doesn’t mean I’m not hard just thinking about it.

Y E S
.

Y E S
.

Y E S
.

The word is the only thing on my mind as I awake. Light streams through the window and I squint as I open my eyes. I can’t help but smirk when I see the word
Y E S
plastered on different pieces of paper all over the walls of the room. It wasn’t just a dream. It really happened. The City Council really did vote yes to allow the sale of the old Laneworth Automotive Plant out on 8 Mile Road.

I can’t fucking believe it.

And that
yes
means today we are celebrating—having a groundbreaking ceremony before we officially own the land. Like last night’s celebration before the vote, it was Alex’s idea. As mayor, he wants to celebrate, to raise spirits, to show this town change is coming, and I for once have to agree with him—it’s a great fanfuckingtastic idea.

Today is definitely jumping the gun.

I don’t care.

It really doesn’t mean anything.

Again, I don’t care.

Now Monday—that I care about.

On Monday, the property will go up for auction. But from now until then, we need to pray like mad that no one from the Lane or Worth families shows up to lay claim to their long-ago abandoned property before it hits the block. After twenty years, I don’t see that happening, though. All I see happening is the days passing in one big party and then on Monday, the four of us going to the auction to place our bid and the land auctioneer saying, “Sold.”

Music is blaring throughout the suite. “Turn the fucking music down!” I yell. When no one answers, I assume it must be still playing from last night.

It’s not until I roll over that I realize I’m alone.

Where’d they go?

Perhaps the bigger question is
how the hell did I end up with two women in my bed last night?

Let’s see . . .

Blue with the smoking-hot body was flirting with me nonstop. Small, subtle things that were driving me wild—a stroke against my cock when no one was looking, a slide of her hand into that string bikini, a lick of her finger. She was making me insane.

After all the liquor and all the foreplay, I had an erection the size of Texas. I couldn’t take it anymore and even though the night was young, I called dibs on one of the two bedrooms in the suite and led her inside.

Vanilla was not in that girl’s vocabulary. “Take your clothes off,” she ordered before I even closed the door.

I was used to being the one in control, but thought, why not listen to her? I threw the condoms on the dresser that I had in my wallet before I quickly undressed. Then I looked at her and said, “Your turn.”

She undid her bikini top and those lush tits were on full display.

I licked my lips and pointed to her bottoms. “Those too.”

With a smile, she pulled them down and stepped toward me. Shoes still on, she pushed me to the bed and then lifted her foot and pressed her heel against my stomach. Not hard enough to hurt, but enough to get my attention.

The game of control was on and I was all in.

“Suck me,” I ordered.

She was obedient.

Willing.

Eager, in fact.

In no time her mouth was on me, licking me like a lollipop. I closed my eyes and enjoyed being in her mouth. Honestly, though, there’s no such thing as bad fellatio. She was making all kinds of noises. I looked down at her with her mouth full of me and it was super hot. Those full, pouty lips were focusing on my crown, pulling up and down my shaft. There was nothing about that moment I wasn’t digging.

When she started to deep-throat me, I pulled her up. “Not yet, baby. I want to enjoy you,” I said.

She gripped my cock hard and whined a little. “But I wanted to taste you.”

I blinked for a second at how eager she was and then I reached for a condom. “And I want to fuck you.”

While I sheathed myself, she pulled some small white packets out of her shoe. She tossed four on the table and opened one, sprinkling it on her nipple. “Suck me,” she said in a low, raspy voice.

Drugs were a turnoff for me. I’d seen enough of what they did to people growing up. “Get rid of that shit,” I ordered.

“Come on, join in for a little fun.”

“Get rid of it or this will be over before it starts.”

She did, all right. Scooped it into her hand and sniffed it off the dresser. “Your loss,” she said, and then stared at me. “Well, I’m waiting.”

Standing there I had a choice—walk away or stay. If I’d had all my faculties, I would have stuck to my morals and walked away, but I was horny and really needed to get laid. So I flipped her over and fucked her. Fucked her hard. My lips never met hers, but I found myself pulling her hair as she clawed at my thighs. She was an animal even beneath me, and I didn’t hate it.

Just as I had started to come, there was a knock on the door.

“Jasper, the vote is in. Come on out and hear it.” It was Jake.

I hammered my cock into her one last time and felt the adrenaline racing through my veins. It was like I was speeding on the track at 150 miles per hour. I loved that fucking feeling.

“Jasper, now,” Jake said.

I laughed and gritted. “I’m coming.”

It was meant both ways.