Until We Touch (17 page)

Francine was waiting when she left the spa. “Ms. Owens, did you enjoy your time with us?”

“I did. It was magical.”

The older woman smiled. “I’m glad. Now just one more stop.”

They went into what looked like a conference room. Only instead of long tables and plenty of chairs, there was a rack of fancy dresses, boxes filled with shoes and a makeshift dressing room.

“I’ll be right outside,” Francine said. “Come out when you’re done.”

Larissa stared at all the clothes. They were in her size and from designers she’d only ever seen Taryn wear. She reached for one, then pulled back her hand. No way she could wear any of these.

“Oh, good. You’re here.”

A petite brunette walked into the room and smiled at her. “I’m Holly. I’ve brought cocktail attire, along with everything you’ll need to wear with it.” Holly was beautiful and wearing a simple red dress that looked custom-made for her. “Your guy said the trip was impulsive and you didn’t even have a toothbrush.” Holly winked. “He sounds like my kind of man. So what do you like?”

Larissa felt overwhelmed by too much input. “I’m not sure.”

“Reach for one and let’s see what it is.”

Larissa started to bite her lower lip and remembered the lipstick. So she settled on just feeling nervous. She reached for the rack of clothes and chose a simple black dress.

It had a scooped neck, front and back, with a fuller skirt that looked to be about knee length. The fabric was interesting, with a texture, but not too thick.

“Nice,” Holly said. “Oscar de la Renta. A silk cloque cocktail dress. You have good taste. Try it on. Oh, you’ll need these.”

She held out several black bras along with matching pairs of low-cut panties, also in black. Larissa took everything with her and went into the dressing area.

She found the right bra immediately. It added a little something to her modest assets. The dress slipped over her head and when she zipped it, the fit felt perfect. She stepped out and Holly grinned.

“You go, girl. Now try these.”

She held a pair of lace peep-toe pumps with a bow. The heel was only a couple of inches—a good thing considering she didn’t have Taryn’s ability to walk in anything higher.

After slipping on the shoes, she walked to the mirror and stared at herself.

The woman looking back was vaguely familiar. Same face shape, same eyes. But the hair, the clothes, the makeup were all different. While it wasn’t something she would do every day, she was starting to see the value in making a little effort.

“You like?” Holly asked with a grin.

“I do. It’s amazing.”

“Good. I’ll have your clothes delivered to your room. Come on. Francine is waiting.”

Larissa and Francine went to the elevator bank and rode up. Larissa pressed her hand to her stomach and tried to hold in nerves. Because with everything that had been happening, she hadn’t had time to think about what Jack had said.
I’m going to help you get over me.

Did that mean what she thought it meant? It had to. She had told him she wanted to have sex with him in her effort to get over being in love with him. At the time the words had probably made sense, but she was less sure now. He was everything she wanted. The possibility of not loving him seemed impossible.

But that was a problem for another time. Tonight she was going to enjoy everything as it came. She had a fabulous new look and she was going to have dinner with the man of her dreams. That was enough for now.

Francine led her down an elegant hallway. They stopped in front of wide double doors and Francine let her inside.

“Enjoy your stay,” she said.

“Thank you.”

She went inside.

Her first impression was of space. There were sofas and chairs, all done in taupes and beiges. On one side of the room was a baby grand piano, which was so over-the-top, she started to laugh. Through glass doors was a terrace about three times the size of her apartment back home. She could see a private dining room and at the other end of the room was the bedroom.

It was too much, she thought, dazed by all she was seeing. And it was exactly what Jack would do to seduce her.

She heard a sound and turned. The man of the hour stood just outside the bedroom. He wore a dark suit with a white shirt and red tie. He looked good. Better than good. The laughter faded, replaced by a sense of her world being made right. Even nicer was his wide-eyed appreciation as he stared at her.

“Larissa,” he breathed. “You look beautiful.”

“Thank you.”

He started toward her, so tall and strong. Her heart fluttered just a little.

“Great dress,” he told her. “You make it shine.”

He took her hand and lightly kissed her knuckles, then led her into the dining room where a bottle of champagne waited in an ice bucket. Next to it were two Tiffany boxes.

“Don’t get too excited,” he told her. “These are on loan.”

“You can do that?”

“I know people.”

She’d bought his goodbye gifts to his various girlfriends for years now and, per his request, always shopped at Tiffany. She knew the beauty of the selection and loved how her favorite associate always made her feel special. She was used to the sparkle, the elegance, the perfect presentation. What she wasn’t used to was seeing a diamond necklace that nearly blinded and was probably worth as much as the GDP of California.

“Oh, my.”

He put it on her, then handed her the matching earrings. The style was simple. A single row of diamonds with a diamond-studded X-shaped clasp. But the size, the clarity, the sheer brilliance was enough to make her rethink her philosophy that she wasn’t the least bit interested in jewelry.

“You’re allowed a night off,” Jack said, turning her so she could see herself in the mirror. His gaze met hers. “There is a second bedroom attached to this suite,” he told her. “I want you to have a good time. But at the end of the night, if you’ve changed your mind, that’s where I’ll sleep.”

“I’ll never change my mind,” she told him as she turned and faced him. A statement that was also a challenge, she thought.

Ever smooth Jack simply smiled. “My kind of woman,” he told her as he handed her a glass of champagne.

They settled on the sofa. Jack pulled out a remote and started the music, then they toasted each other.

“Impressive,” she said after she’d taken a sip. “No wonder you have women lining up to date you.”

He chuckled. “This isn’t what I usually do for a date. I’m more the dinner-and-a-movie type.”

Which meant this was especially for her? She hoped so.

She smoothed the front of her dress. “When we get home, I want to talk to Taryn about her castoffs. I never got the whole designer clothes thing before, but I’m starting to see the appeal. This feels really nice.”

“It looks better than it feels.”

“You can’t know that.”

His smile was slow and sexy. “Yeah, I can. So tell me about the chiweenies.”

The change in topic caught her off guard. “What do you want to know?”

“What are they?”

“A Chihuahua-dachshund mix. So not purebreds. They’re cute and have good characteristics of both breeds. I guess that’s what makes them popular.”

“And a breeding program had gotten out of hand?”

She nodded. “I can see how it would happen. Someone who doesn’t have the experience thinks it might be fun and moves forward. Then a couple of years later, there are too many dogs and not enough buyers.”

“Like the people who think a baby alligator would be fun and then it grows?”

“Right, but I don’t think chiweenies endanger as many chickens.”

“We’re all against chicken death.”

She laughed, then picked up her champagne. “I checked my phone while I was getting my hair done. The dogs are safely in Sacramento. They’ll be evaluated by veterinary staff. The ones that are okay will be treated for parasites, vaccinated, then put out to foster.”

“Which is where you come in.”

She nodded. “I have already checked with a few people to see if they’ll take in a dog or two temporarily.”

“How many am I getting?”

She studied the lines of his face, the way his suit jacket emphasized his broad shoulders.

“Does it bother you that I do that?” she asked. “Do you mind about the owls and dogs and everything else I bring into your life?”

He took the champagne glass from her hand and set it on the coffee table, then leaned in, cupped her face in his large hands and kissed her.

The touch of his mouth against hers was soft and caring, with the slight hint of restrained passion. Tenderness ripped her apart from the inside until she was nothing but a beating heart filled with love.

He drew back and stared into her eyes. “I need you to be exactly who you are, Larissa. Chiweenies and all.”

She thought about how easily her dress undid from the back. The single long zipper would make it easy for anyone to help her out of the dress.

She slipped out of her shoes, then stood. “Come on,” she said quietly as she started for the bedroom.

Jack stayed on the sofa. “Larissa, you need to be sure.”

She smiled at him. “I’m leaving on the diamonds.”

He laughed, then got to his feet and followed her.

The bedroom was large, dominated by the big bed. She got as far as the middle of the room before suddenly losing her courage. It was one thing for Jack to seduce her but quite another for her to take charge. She’d had boyfriends before and it wasn’t as if she was a virgin, but Jack was, well, Jack.

She was sure there was more self-doubt on the way, but before she could form it into coherent thought, he walked up to her and pulled her close. She went into his embrace, reveling in the feel of his body against hers.

She reached up as he lowered his head and they met in an openmouthed kiss that started her body humming. His tongue tangled with hers, his hands roamed her from shoulders to hips. She wrapped her arms around him and hung on for all she was worth.

This was what she’d wanted for so long, she thought. Him and them. At last.

He moved his mouth over hers, even as he kissed her deeply. She found herself wanting to move in the same rhythm as the kisses, rubbing her body against him. But there were too many layers, too many clothes. She’d seen Jack naked a thousand times, but never like this. Never in an intimate setting. She wanted to be free to study and touch and explore without the constraints of work or professional conduct.

She tugged at his suit jacket. He drew back and smiled at her. “Impatient?”

“You have no idea.”

“Then let me help.”

He shrugged out of his jacket and tossed it onto a chair. While he toed off his shoes, he unfastened his tie and slid it through the collar.

She’d planned on undoing her dress so it could be out of the way, but found herself mesmerized by what he was doing. Because while she regularly saw Jack without clothes, she’d never once seen him take them off.

There was something erotic about watching his big hands move gracefully on the buttons at his cuffs and then down the front of his shirt. When he pulled away the white cotton, she saw strong muscles and the scars from his various surgeries.

He pulled off his socks, then reached for the buckle of his belt. She felt both shy and eager.

Seconds later he was naked and standing in front of her. Six feet two inches of honed, aroused male. Passion darkened his eyes. His breathing was a little fast, and when he reached for her, she knew that for the rest of her life, there was nowhere else she wanted to be.

“Now it’s your turn,” he said as he tugged on the zipper. “This is going to be good.”

The dress drifted to the ground. She stood in front of him wearing a black push-up bra and ridiculously tiny panties. His breathing hitched slightly.

“Damn.”

She smiled. “Oh, please. You’ve been with some of the most beautiful women in the world.”

“Not one of them is anything like you.”

Exactly the right thing to say, she thought happily. She stepped closer and he wrapped his arms around her. They kissed again. She leaned into him, letting him take her weight, wanting to surrender as much as possible. He stroked her arms, then her back. His fingers were warm and sure as he unfastened her bra.

The scrap of lace dropped away and then his hands were cupping her breasts. As his fingers moved against her tight nipples, he kissed his way from her mouth to her jaw. He nibbled and licked until he reached her ear. He sucked on the lobe before biting down.

Shivers rippled through her. There were too many sensations. She didn’t know what to focus on. The way he rubbed her breasts or the feel of his fingers dancing against her nipples? The hot breath on her neck or the pattern traced by his tongue? The heat of his body or the surge of his erection against her belly?

He shifted slightly, then sat on the bed. He pulled her between his parted legs and settled his mouth on her right breast. The hot, wet heat caressed her sensitive skin. He sucked her in, then flicked her nipple with his tongue. At the same time, he drew her panties down and she stepped out of them.

He shifted to her other breast, giving it the same attention. Something heavy and delicious connected her breasts to the very core of her and with each stroke, each suck, each second that passed, she felt herself readying for him more and more.

She stroked his hair and his shoulders. The ache between her thighs intensified. He needed to touch her there, she thought. Only what he was doing with her breasts was too good. She didn’t want that to stop, either.

He put his hands on her thighs and slid them up slowly. His thumbs moved closer and closer to the very core of her but didn’t touch. He moved against her labia, the very outside, lightly touching. Playing, she thought, arching her hips toward him in what she hoped was an unmistakable invitation. He ignored her.

He ran his fingers along the outside, just touching the seam, but not parting her or going deeper. He explored the crease where her thighs met her body and lightly stroked her butt. Fingers slipped between her thighs again, but still didn’t go deep enough to get to anything good—all the while he sucked and licked and caressed her breasts.