Stroke of Luck Read online

  His gaze lingered on her lip as her teeth teased over it, pulling on it. His cock twitched, and he took another sip, then set his drink down.

  “Before we make the deal official, I want to ensure that you’ll be sufficiently cooperative.”

  “I told you I would be. Don’t you believe me?”

  “It’s not that. I want to make sure you understand what I mean by cooperative.”

  “You want me to be enthusiastic? Creative?”

  “Yes. And yes. But more than that. I want you to follow orders and treat me with proper respect. For instance, you’ll also call me sir.”

  “Sir? You want me to call you that all the time?”

  He tipped his head as if considering, watching the nervous tremor of her lip.

  “For now, just when I tell you.”

  He poured another drink and held it out to her. She stepped toward him and took it, then tipped it back for a sip.

  He turned on the bar stool until he faced away from the bar.

  “Take another sip, then come stand in front of me.”

  She swallowed another mouthful, then walked to him and deposited the glass beside his.

  “Good. Now take off your dress.”

  Her cheeks flushed a beautiful shade of rose again.

  His eyebrow arched as she hesitated.

  “Is there a problem?” he asked.

  “No. Of course not.” She took a step back, then reached around behind her and tugged down the zipper.

  “This isn’t a big deal, baby,” he said. “I already saw you in a bra and panties when we went swimming.” A sudden thought occurred to him. “Unless you don’t have a bra on under the dress.”

  The very thought sent his already swelling cock twitching.

  “I do,” she said as she slipped the sleeves of the sundress from her shoulders, keeping her gaze averted.

  Then the dress fluttered to the floor, landing in a heap around her feet.

  But his gaze was locked on her body. She did wear a bra and panties, but the superbly cut coral lingerie trimmed with thin black ribbon was incredibly erotic. Not like the simple black set she’d worn in the pool earlier, which had still been the sexiest thing he’d ever seen. Until now.

  The bra lifted her breasts and pressed them together, presenting him with a heart-stopping display. The way the flesh swelled from the lace made his groin ache. The bikini panties were cut high on her legs, making them look sensationally long.

  His focus settled on the small triangle of lace in front, and he longed to tear the garment from her so he could see her sweet, tempting pussy. He hadn’t intended to fuck her right now—that’s why he’d purposely given Austin a short time frame—but at the sight of her like this, he was wavering.

  “Very good. Now come closer.”

  She stepped closer, and he had to stop himself from reaching out and stroking her soft breasts.

  “Kneel down in front of me and say something that will turn me on. And remember to call me sir.”

  She knelt down and tipped her head up. Her wide sapphire eyes looked so innocent.

  “Please, sir. May I take your cock in my mouth?”

  An image of her soft, pink lips wrapping around him, then his cock gliding inside her sweet mouth, made his cock throb.

  He chuckled. “Yes, well, that will do it. But let’s start a little slower.”

  She sucked on her lower lip, then nodded. “Please, sir. I would love to touch you.”

  “Would you?” He smiled. “Then go ahead.”

  Her delicate fingers glided the length of the growing bulge in his pants. Adrenaline surged through him. Then she pulled the zipper down. Her fingers glided inside and stroked over the bulge in his boxers.

  Heat pulsed through him.

  “I like you touching me like that,” he murmured.

  Fuck, it was incredible.

  Her fingers wrapped around him through the cloth.

  “May I look at you, sir?” she asked as she squeezed lightly.

  “Yes,” he nearly hissed as his groin tightened.

  She drew his cock out through the flap. Her gaze locked on his long column.

  The sight of her looking at him, hunger in her eyes, took his breath away.

  “Oh, sir. It’s so massive.”

  “Is it too massive for your small mouth?” he asked. The thought of her taking him inside made his cock ache.

  She licked his tip, sending excruciating need radiating through every part of him.

  “I don’t know, sir. I’ll do my best.”

  When she pressed her lips to his tip, he stifled a groan. She opened and her mouth glided over his crown. Widening. Covering him in warmth.

  He rested his hand on her head, her hair silky under his palm. As she stretched her jaw wider, his cockhead slid all the way into her mouth. She squeezed around him, and if he’d been standing, he was sure his knees would have buckled.

  “That’s right, baby,” he said gruffly. “You’re doing great.”

  She pushed forward, slowly taking his shaft into her mouth, her lips tight around him.

  God, it was like being caressed by an angel.

  She kept going until she was halfway down, then she wrapped her hand snugly around the exposed part.

  Fuck, the warmth from her body felt unbelievable.

  Then she began to move, gliding her head forward and back. Pleasure quivered through him at the sweetness of the sensation. After a few strokes, she slid back and swirled her tongue over his crown, round and round, then dragged it under the ridge. She teased that sensitive spot just under the front, setting his blood boiling.

  When she sucked, deep and hard, he moaned.

  Then she went back to gliding his length.

  His fingers twined through her long hair, and he wound it around his hand. As she moved, he guided her head, setting the rhythm he liked. She followed his lead perfectly. The tension in his groin coiled tighter as pleasure rippled through him. He urged her to move faster.

  “Oh, fuck, baby, I’m so close. Do you want me to come in your mouth?”

  He knew he could just order her to do it, but … he wanted her to want it.

  Her gaze tipped up to his and she nodded, her head continuing to move. Taking him deep into her warmth. In fact, he realized she’d pressed her hand tightly to his root and was taking him almost all the way in.

  Back. Then forward.

  Fuck, he was all the way inside her now.

  The tight control he was keeping on his body to make this last as long as possible began to fray. She slid back, and he pulled her forward in a quick swoop. All the way again.

  “Ohhh, fuck, baby.”

  Then she started to surge forward and back, taking his full length every time. His breathing was erratic, and he knew he was clinging to the edge.

  She squeezed him with her lips. When she slid back, she paused to suck his cockhead, then slipped off.

  “Please come in my mouth, sir.” Her beautiful blue eyes peered up at him, pleading.

  How did she do that? Look so sincere about giving him pleasure?

  Then she glided deep again, and he lost it.

  The tension in his groin coiled tight, then released. He groaned as pleasure erupted through him, his cock pulsing. Hot liquid filled her mouth, surrounding his cock. He jerked forward, filling her deeper, as the orgasm consumed him.

  Oh, God, the intensity of it blew his mind.

  He slumped back against the bar, sucking in short, deep breaths.

  After a moment, he turned his attention to her, still on her knees in front of him, and met her blue-eyed gaze. His cock still sprouted from her full lips, her hand wrapped firmly around it. Slowly she glided back, swirling her tongue around his shaft as she moved, then over the cockhead. Her tongue lapped over every part of the crown before she finally slipped off the end of him.

  Then she swallowed.

  Fuck, he wanted to pull her into his arms and take that pretty little mouth of hers. To drive h
is tongue inside and taste his essence on her tongue.

  “Thank you, sir,” she said softly, then bowed her head as if awaiting further orders.

  At the sight, a grim melancholy washed over him.

  Now he felt like a total jerk. His first time with the woman he loved had been a cheap, tawdry blow job. For his pleasure only.

  Fuck, he wanted to drag her to the couch and go down on her right now. To rip away the tiny lace panties so he could see her pussy for the first time, then drive his tongue into her so far … to tease her clit so intensely … that she’d scream his name.

  But he pulled the reins tight on that overwhelming desire as he realized what he’d just admitted to himself. Goddamn, he could not allow himself to love her.

  He didn’t love her.

  It was just residual sexual frustration from so many years of wanting her.

  Fuck, he had to get the hell out of this suite.

  “Now go and get ready,” he commanded sharply.

  * * *

  “So what took you two so long?” Austin asked as Quinn and April joined him at the table.

  He’d texted Quinn to meet here so they could have dinner before they started their evening in the casino.

  Austin hoped it was because they’d finally started talking and chipped away at their issues enough to allow themselves to get caught up in the obvious attraction between them. The way April stared down at her folded hands sitting on the table, her cheeks flushing a soft rose, might have convinced him, but Quinn’s expression was solemn.

  “April got some bad news.”

  Austin frowned as he glanced at April. “I’m sorry to hear that, April. I hope it’s not as bad as what’s already happened.”

  April raised her face, and the despair emanating from her was like a punch to the gut.

  Quinn’s gaze locked on his. “It’s worse.”

  “What happened?”

  “Her jerk of an ex had her fired and is ensuring that no one else in that town will hire her. He also arranged to foreclose on her mortgage, so she’s lost her home and the equity she’s built up.”

  Austin’s chest tightened. “The guy is a vindictive bastard. It sounds like going back to that town wasn’t really going to work for you if your ex has that kind of pull. But as for your town house, there’s no way he should be able to get away with that. What’s the address of the property?”

  April raised her gaze. “Why?”

  Austin pulled out his cell phone. “Just humor me.”

  “It’s 1260 Apricot Lane in Lachelle, Massachusetts.”

  Austin tapped in the address and emailed it to his lawyer with a note.

  “If you can pay off the mortgage, they can’t take the town house. They’re betting that you can’t sell it fast enough. So I propose that I buy the town house. Then you have the money to pay off the outstanding amount on the mortgage and you keep your equity.”

  Her gaze turned to his, and he was happy to see hope gleaming in her lovely sapphire eyes.

  “Why would you do that? You don’t even know me.”

  He smiled warmly. “Of course I do. We met earlier today. Remember?” he teased.

  Her cheeks flushed. “Thank you, Austin. It’s very kind of you.”

  He rested his hand on hers and squeezed. “I don’t like to see anyone bullied.”

  Goddamn, touching her had an effect on him he hadn’t anticipated. He meant his attention to be friendly. And a little protective. But there was a need that simmered below the surface. A need that flared when he touched her. It had happened in the pool. Fuck, his cock had lurched to attention when her soft, almost naked body and fallen against his.

  “We should order dinner,” Quinn said, picking up one of the menus from the table.

  Austin released her hand, his gaze darting to Quinn. He’d expected to see jealousy, or suppressed anger, but none of that flickered in Quinn’s eyes.

  The waiter came by and took their orders, and soon they were eating their entrées and making small talk.

  Austin had just pushed aside his plate when his cell vibrated in his pocket. He pulled it out for a quick glance, and when he saw there was a message from his lawyer, he opened it.

  “Damn it,” he said when he scanned the message.

  “What is it?” Quinn queried.

  6

  Austin compressed his lips. He hated to be the bearer of bad news, especially after April had already been through so much today.

  “It seems that they’ve already sold your town house.”

  “That’s awfully fast. But isn’t that good news?” April asked, her sweet blue eyes wide as she gazed at him.

  “No, because they essentially sold it to your ex at a rock-bottom price. So low that you make nothing on the deal.”

  “Can they do that?” Quinn asked.

  “April, my lawyer said your ex cosigned the loan.”

  “Yes. I’d just started my job and didn’t have much of a credit history. Maurice pushed me to buy right away, saying it would be better for me in the long run. He negotiated the mortgage so that I didn’t need much of a down payment, and he got me a low interest rate, but the bank required that he cosign.” She frowned. “But I paid the bills. Every month without fail.”

  “It seems he had a clause worked in so that if you defaulted on a payment, or the bank decided to call in the loan, he had the option to buy the property for the amount of the outstanding portion of the loan. It would have been in the small print. He probably had his lawyer go over the contract for you, right?”

  She nodded. The color had drained from her face. “I trusted him.”

  “Can he get away with this?” Quinn asked, anger flaring in his eyes.

  Austin shrugged. “It looks like he did.” He turned back to April and took her hand. “April, I’m sorry I got your hopes up.”

  “It’s okay,” she said. “You tried. Thank you for that.”

  The waiter came and took away their plates, then brought by a cart covered with tempting desserts. April chose a blueberry custard tart, and Austin took a slice of decadent chocolate cake. Quinn chose mocha cheesecake. The waiter poured them each a cup of the restaurant’s special blend of coffee.

  “Let’s do something to lighten the mood,” Austin said.

  “Like what?” Quinn sipped his coffee.

  “Something that will get us in the right frame of mind for the rest of the evening.” Austin nodded toward a table with a couple sitting together. “Do you see that couple?”

  Quinn glanced at the couple who were holding hands and gazing lovingly into each other’s eyes in the secluded booth in a corner of the restaurant.

  “Yeah.”

  “I bet you a hundred bucks they leave separately.”

  Quinn shrugged. “That doesn’t seem likely, since they look like they’re ready to race off to the bedroom together, so sure.”

  They watched as the waiter placed a bill on the couple’s table. The man glanced at it, then dropped a pile of cash on top. He slid his arm around her and kissed her, their lips lingering. Then he stood up and walked out of the restaurant. The woman settled back in her seat and sipped her drink.

  Quinn pulled out his wallet and snagged a hundred-dollar bill from inside, then handed it to Austin.

  “How do you always do that?” Quinn slid his wallet back into his pocket.

  “In this case, research, my friend. I saw that he was wearing a wedding ring, and she wasn’t.”

  Quinn nodded. “Okay, but that’s still luck. They could be staying at the hotel on a clandestine romantic weekend, so they would have gone back to the room together.”

  “True, but I also saw the man at breakfast this morning with his wife. They were sitting at the next table, and I overheard them making plans to meet for a show in”—he glanced at his watch—“about ten minutes from now.”

  Quinn shook his head. “You and your crazy memory and attention to details.”

  Austin chuckled. “Which is one of the thing
s you love about me.”

  Quinn smiled. “So true.”

  “April,” Austin said, “now it’s your turn. I bet you the same amount that—”

  “No, I can’t,” she broke in. “I don’t have any money. Remember?”

  He smiled. “No problem. We don’t both have to wager money.”

  Quinn’s eyebrows arched. “What exactly do you have in mind?”

  Austin’s gaze shifted to Quinn, and he expected to see sparks flaring in his eyes, but instead his friend seemed amused.

  “Nothing untoward, I assure you.” He turned back to April. “Here’s the deal. If you win, I give you a hundred dollars. If you lose, then you…” He shrugged. “I don’t know … how about you answer a question?”

  “Something personal, you mean?”

  “Sure, it wouldn’t be much fun otherwise. But not intimate personal. I’m not going to try to embarrass you. Just something that’ll help us get to know each other better.”

  “That sounds like a great idea,” Quinn said. “I like the idea of you and Austin getting to know each other better.”

  The look Quinn and April exchanged confused Austin, and he wasn’t used to the feeling. Usually, he could read people pretty well.

  April’s cheeks flushed again, which confused him more. If he didn’t know that Quinn had it bad for her, he’d almost think Quinn was trying to push Austin and April together.

  “So what’s the bet?” she asked.

  “How about that the last two digits on our dinner bill—and to be clear, I mean the cents—are thirty-seven?”

  Quinn leaned in close and whispered in her ear, then she gazed at Austin.

  “So if it’s thirty-seven, you win and I lose?” she asked.

  “That’s right.”

  She smiled. “How about I accept the bet, but only if we turn it around? I win if it’s thirty-seven.”

  He kept his expression even. “I don’t know.”

  Just as he’d thought. Quinn had told her that Austin probably knew the amount, since he could do quick calculations in his head. His friend figured he’d set her up to lose.