Under His Cover-nook
Read Under His Cover-nook Online
Authors: Lyric James
Under His Cover
by
Lyric James
Under His Cover
Copyroght 2013 Lyric James
Electronic Publication January 2013
http://www.lyricjamesbooks.net
Cover Art by Sasha White of
Gypsy Style
Professional Editing
Services by Leanne Salter
Proofreading Services by
Sharon Muha
Formatting Services by
Ironhorse Formatting
Nook Edition
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.
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Table of Contents
August
The bouquet careened toward her like a harpoon.
“I got it.”
“No, I got it,” the other women around her screamed and laughed.
Did she want it?
Invisible fingers began to claw at her throat. The beat of her heart echoed in her ears. Mouths moved, music played, but the sense of being underwater assailed her. She got shoved in both directions in a haze of silk, satin, and lace.
Hell no
.
Jade Conner thrust backward, flung an elbow to the right and stepped on an instep to the left. For some god-awful reason, fate intervened and dropped the ribbon-wrapped bundle of roses and gardenias directly into her arms.
“Well shit,” she muttered.
The surge of happy faces and warm wishes from the ladies around her became almost deafening.
“Congratulations.”
“Oh man, I knew I should have shoved you out of the way.”
“You know what it means, don’t you?
“You’re next.”
It would be in bad taste if she hurled the bouquet across the room into the trash can. Karyn, the bride, her friend, and her boss, would kill her if she did. She would not spoil Karyn’s wedding day with murder.
“I need a drink,” Jade grumbled. A big one, with lots and lots of alcohol. “Thank you, thank you,” she said, through gritted teeth and maneuvered around the crowd.
“All right, gentlemen, it’s your turn,” the DJ said into the microphone.
Oh joy
. Every unattached male in the place moved toward an exit. Why was it women nearly killed each other to get the bouquet, but men would rather kill themselves than catch the garter?
“Can I have a leg-spreader please?” she asked the bartender and pulled a barstool out to sit on. Although her legs wouldn’t spread for anyone tonight, she wanted the fruity drink.
As she sipped, her gaze wandered over the men standing in the center of the ballroom, and zeroed in on the best man.
Lieutenant Governor Rhys Cunningham.
The custom tailored tuxedo fit his muscular physique to perfection, accentuating his broad shoulders, lean torso, and long legs.
De-lish
.
To say the man was fine-as-hell didn’t quite cover it. She’d seen him, of course, his face plastered in news articles and society page spreads. But up close and personal it had been thoroughly enjoyable.
Engagement parties, rehearsal dinners, wedding rehearsals, dress and tux fittings. It had been too much for her libido. But she only had to last a couple more hours. If she had to spend one more evening with that man, she’d probably jump his bones.
Jade chugged the drink back and asked for another. If her mother had been there, she would have said, “that’s so un-lady-like, Jade,” which made her smile. It had been a couple of months since she’d visited her family in Nashville and made a promise she’d go visit while Karyn was on her honeymoon. Yesterday, Jade had finished her latest case, delivering the photos and other proof a wife needed to divorce her philandering husband. As far as she knew, no new cases awaited them. So, she’d be free to take a break and visit.
Seductive music began to play when the groom, Zechariah, got down on his knees in front of Karyn and slid his hands up her legs. Laughter echoed around the room.
Rhys’ mouth quirked as he crossed his arms over his chest. A nice mouth. Perfect light-brown tan. His burgeoning smile showed straight white teeth, deep dimples, and underneath the tuxedo he wore, hinted at the body of a sex god. She was not the type of woman who took to mooning over a man, but damned if flutters of pleasure didn’t flit around her belly every time she looked in his direction. And that had been a lot since she’d met him a couple of months ago.
She appreciated a good-looking guy as much as the next girl, but what roamed around inside her belly was not simple admiration. It was the sort of behavior that could potentially have her hiding behind bushes, or looking for the man in the
daytime
with a flashlight.
It had stalker tendencies written all over it.
She’d dated good-looking men before and had boyfriends. Few and far between, maybe. She’d had sex. Many times. However, the power that emanated from Rhys Cunningham... He was the type of man who could give her the mind-shattering ecstasy, soul-sucking orgasm all her friends bragged about. The first time she met him she knew every woman who’d had the pleasure of being in his bed left more than satisfied.
A couple of hours later, Jade had consumed two leg-spreaders, two strawberry daiquiris and an amoretto sour. A big grin on her face, she grooved down the soul-train line. In the middle of her dance, the song changed to something mellow and slow.
“May I have this dance?”
Jade stumbled when she heard the deep timbre of his voice whisper over her ear. A secret thrill shimmied up her spine as wetness crept into her panties. She turned. “Yes.”
He folded her into his arms, and she nearly melted.
Wow
. He asked her to dance.
If she were sober, she probably would’ve told him thanks, but no thanks. Men like Rhys Cunningham were way out of her league. A rich playboy with a different woman on his arm every night, and she was sure he held the title of lieutenant governor in nothing but name only. She doubted he cared about anything or anyone but himself.
Inebriated Jade decided to thoroughly enjoy the moment. Plus, she couldn’t deny she’d been slyly casting side-long glances at the man all night.
Each melody in the song brought him closer and closer to her until no personal space stood between them. Their bodies seemed to meld together. Her nipples beaded through the thin fabric of the bridesmaid dress. Warmth and pleasure sluiced over her, and the thud of her heartbeat climbed to the base of her throat. She lifted her gaze to meet his. Her senses caught a hint of soap and shampoo. It reminded her of the beat up leather jacket her grandfather used to wear, and the tangerines he would peal and share with her when she was a child.
Underneath the tux his shoulders were broad, his stomach was hard and flat, and the muscles of his arms and legs were hard and rounded. He looked down at her from beneath a sweep of black lashes and charcoal grey eyes.
Purely erotic thoughts formed in the back of her mind.
Finally
, Rhys thought. He’d been waiting to ask Jade to dance all night, but every time a slow song came on, she’d disappear into the crowd. He’d gone to the DJ during the last song, requested something mellow and situated himself in a spot just off the dance floor and close to her so he could catch her before she ran off.
“Jade, isn’t it?”
“Yes,” she said and smiled up at him.
“I’m Rhys”
“Oh, I know who you are.”
He tilted his head. “Is that good or bad?”
A smile curved her lips. “I don’t know yet.”
Rhys had to admit he’d been living in a state of constant excruciating arousal since he’d met her. It didn’t matter that at any time he could pick up the phone, dial a number and a woman of his choice would have shown up at his door.
But he didn’t want just
any
woman.
What the hell was wrong with him?
What
something
drew him to this woman? This caramel-skinned goddess who’d begun to torture him in his dreams every night since he met her.
Today, when she walked through the sanctuary doors, his gaze had followed her down the aisle, and the way her body slid beneath the purple silk as it flowed and cascaded around her legs made him hard and hungry. All evening he’d been mesmerized by the sway of her hips, the curve of her ass. Everything primal and animalistic inside him roared to life.
He wanted to fuck her. It was that simple. Tonight, if he could seduce her in to it. Rhys loved women. But due to the position he held, he needed to be selective. He was discreet, cautious, and always chose bedmates who didn’t want anything more from him than sex. He made sure they understood exactly what he was interested in from the get go. No games. No charades. Let’s have a little fun, flirt, go on a few casual dates and have a lot of casual sex. If the woman didn’t agree to that, he didn’t bother.
Rhys let his gaze drift over her face. She looked away as heat suffused her cheeks.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” she asked.
“When I find something I like to look at, I try to memorize every detail.”
She bit her lip, and he couldn’t tear his gaze from the contrast of white teeth against gold-sparkled lips. The woman had a mouth meant to wrap around a cock.
“And you like me?” she asked, her voice soft as a caress.
The soft flowery scent she’d spritzed on her skin wrapped around him. Rhys wanted to pull her in a corner, lift her skirt and bury himself inside her. A hesitant smile curved her lips, and in that moment there wasn’t a thing she could ask that he wouldn’t do for her.
Fuck
.
What was this woman doing to him?
Her hand smoothed over his shoulder and down his arm, sending ripples of awareness through him. “Why is it I think you say that to all the girls?”
“That doesn’t make it any less true, does it?”
She laughed, the sound trickled up his spine and filled him with warmth and lust and something else he couldn’t quite define.
“Lieutenant Governor Rhys Cunningham,” she said with a Mae West dripped southern drawl. “Why, you’re nothing but a big flirt.”
He couldn’t resist it anymore. If she responded by slapping him, well, at least he’d had one taste. Rhys leaned down and captured her bottom lip between his teeth, and when she leaned into him, he licked her. The act sent adrenaline and desire shooting right through his dick. “Oh, I’m a lot more.”
Her eyes widened. “Is that right?” She smoothed her hand under the lapels of his jacket and over his chest. Rhys closed his eyes and stilled. Her hand moved in small circles over each pec and along his torso until it stopped at the rim of his pants before moving back up and around his neck. “You’re not the only one with hidden talents.”
