BECKY
　　Jack brought her to the brink of insanity and kept her there. He was so playful, yet he had a depth to him. But there was something about him she couldn’t quite figure out.
　　Her mind forcibly expelled the thought as he palmed her breast.
　　She tore at the buttons on his shirt, then pushed it over his shoulders, raking her fingernails down his bare chest, her index finger outlining his rock-hard abs.
　　She surged upward and planted soft kisses on his pecs, as his hand slid up between her legs, tracing circles on her inner thigh. She was certain he could feel the heat emanating from her naked crotch.
　　Just the thought of him keeping her panties as a trophy from their little tryst had kept her clenching her thighs together all afternoon.
　　Jack pulled away long enough to tug her dress over her head, throwing it to the floor. Reaching behind her, he unclasped her bra, letting her breasts fall free. His eyes roamed over her naked body.
　　Becky burned from the heat in his gaze.
　　He lowered his head to one breast, sucking her nipple into his mouth. With one hand, he cupped her other breast.
　　Her breath came out in heavy gasps as he flicked his tongue across her nipple, before trailing kisses down her body. Such was the sensation, that she bucked against his face when his tongue stroked her clit, her need so great, she whimpered. Jack obliged her by increasing the pressure of his licking and sucking.
　　“Fuck, Jack,” she moaned, writhing against him, her fingers tangling in his hair to pull him closer.
　　She couldn’t remember sex ever being this amazing. Perhaps it never had been.
　　Her legs trembled as the first wave of an orgasm washed over her. She cried out. But she wanted, needed, more. Needed him inside her. Pushing his head away from her core, she pulled him up to her.
　　He wore a smug smile. “You like that, baby?”
　　“’Like’ is not an accurate verb.”
　　He chuckled and lowered his mouth to her breast again.
　　She fumbled with his jeans, desperately needing him inside her. Now. She could already feel the stirrings of the second wave.
　　He took a condom out of his pocket and tore the foil with his teeth, kicking his jeans off at the same time. Positioning himself, he sheathed his shaft, never once taking his eyes off her.
　　When their lips touched again, he pushed himself into her opening, gloriously slowly, all the way until he could go no more. She felt full, so gloriously full. He worked up a rhythm, setting a slow and torturous pace.
　　“Faster,” she cried out, latching her mouth to his neck.
　　He grunted and increased the pace, but she decided to take control.
　　Rolling over, she pushed him to the bed, holding him down as she kissed him.
　　He chuckled against her lips.
　　Breaking the kiss, she leaned back into a sitting position, lifted her hips and slammed back down.
　　Jack’s eyes fluttered closed.
　　She raked her nails down his chest as she increased the pace, a moan escaping her lips.
　　“Holy fuck, Becks,” he grunted, his nostrils flaring.
　　Without warning, he rolled her over on to her back and pulled out.
　　Becky was on the verge of protesting when Jack, his grip strong, rolled her over onto her stomach, lifting her ass slightly by her hips. He guided his shaft into her opening again and pummeled into her hard from behind, repeatedly, each pound pushing her closer to the next orgasm.
　　She screamed his name as she came, but he didn’t stop. As she drifted down from her orgasm, Jack stilled, and upon finding his release, let out a long groan.
　　Both chuckled tiredly, completely sated. He collapsed onto her back, kissing her shoulder blade softly, before getting up and disappearing into the bathroom.
　　Silence filled the room.
　　“That was fucking amazing,” he said when he returned, having disposed of the condom.
　　Becky stared unabashedly as he walked back to the bed, not at all self-conscious of his nakedness.
　　He settled in beside her and pulled her into the crook of his arm, where she rested her head on his chest.
　　“It takes two individuals to do something like that. Not just one.”
　　She shifted so she could look up at him.
　　A soft curve tugged at the corners of his lips. His dark blue eyes were intent on hers.
　　“Do you have to leave tonight?”
　　“I do. Zach has a big match tomorrow, and there isn’t an earlier flight. I can’t miss it.”
　　“Zach?”
　　“My son.” She sucked her lips.
　　“How old is he?”
　　“Sixteen.”
　　“Wow, you really are forty.”
　　“I’m starting to feel like my age is a problem for you, Mr. Priestley.”
　　“My brother calls you a cougar.”
　　“He knows?”
　　“He’s the only one who knows. We don’t keep secrets.”
　　“It’s great that you are so close. Mine hate each other, and it shouldn’t be like that.” She turned onto her back and stared at the ceiling.
　　“When you’re here, who stays with them?”
　　“My husband,” she joked, regretting it instantly.
　　Jack’s face fell.
　　“I’m kidding. My assistant, Cassandra. Their father died in a car crash three years ago.” Her tone grew soft. “Sometimes, I wish I were the one who’d died. He understoodthem so well. I have no idea how to get close to them. He was the glue that kept our family together.”
　　His lips touched her shoulder. “I’m sorry he’s gone, but you shouldn’t feel that way. If you were gone, I’d be in this bed with your husband. Not exactly my fantasy.”
　　She laughed.
　　Jack smiled, glad he was able to lighten her mood.
　　She turned back onto her side to look at him.
　　“Are there guys in any other states I need to know about?”
　　“What? You think I have a lover in every state? I wish.”
　　He gasped, mock hurt playing across his face.
　　“I’m joking. No, I’m way too busy. Besides, something tells me you’ll be enough.”
　　“I’d better be. I’m the jealous type, Becks.”
　　She smiled. “No, you’re not.”
　　He cleared his throat. “Oh, I can be. Unless you give me an incentive not to be.”
　　She let out a throaty laugh. “I think I can think of some incentive.” She kissed him, nipping his bottom lip hard.
　　Their next…session…took place in the shower.
　　She hated that their two hours were almost up. Standing on tiptoes, she gave Jack a last searing kiss before she got out of the shower. She wrapped one towel around her body, and used another to dry her hair.
　　Tackling her hair, she grabbed her comb and watched herself in the mirror as she pulled the comb through it.
　　The thought of leaving had her torn, but she’d promised she would attend Zach’s last match. He was talented in the water, and probably why he loved water polo. Not being there wasn’t an option.
　　She missed her kids, too. Plus, there was that tiny, yet insistent, voice that kept saying she was a failure as a mother.
　　When Jack stepped out of the shower, she gave him a smile. He was a giant compared to her. His wet hair and perfectly sculpted body were—no, she couldn’t risk looking at him. They’d just end up seducing each other again, and then she’d miss her flight.
　　And she couldn’t miss her flight. Even if she wanted to.
　　He sidled up behind her and met her eyes in the mirror.
　　“Jack, I need to finish. Mervyn and Mona will be here any minute.”
　　“To hell with them.”
　　He spun her around and planted his arms on the counter either side of her, caging her in.
　　She chuckled.
　　Jack kissed her, swallowing her laugh. “When am I going to see you again?”
　　“I’ll make a plan, I promise,” she replied, studying him seriously. “What is this toyou, Jack? Do you really want to see me again?”
　　He narrowed his eyes. “Of course I do, or I wouldn’t have asked. I really like you, Becky. At the very least, we should see where this goes.”
　　“You do realize…anything that happens between us will eventually leak to the media, right? You’ve been completely clear that you do not want a life of fame. I’ll try my best to hide your identity. I’ve done it with my kids as best I can. But it’s not easy. I’m afraid it won’t end well when all of this goes up in flames.”
　　“We’ll cross that bridge when we get there. I don’t care about your name, or how big you are. We don’t need to be seen in public. If we only see each other in private… Frankly, I can’t see how it won’t work.”
　　It wouldn’t work, she knew it. It would come out. It always did. His life would change, and he’d hate her for it. But she wouldn’t ruin their last moment together by vocalizing that.
　　“Okay,” she said, instead. “We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.”
　　“That’s my girl.”
　　She kissed him again, but slapped his hand away when he tried to unwind her towel. “Jack, no. I have to get ready.”
　　“Fine,” he mumbled, still kissing her neck.
　　Having no choice, she pushed him out the bathroom, closed the door, and got dressed.
　　Once fully dressed, she walked out into the ridiculously huge living area, where she heard Mona and Mervyn coming out of the elevator.
　　Jack grabbed his keys and walked up to her. He cupped her face gently in his hands and kissed her on the lips.
　　“Interview’s over,” he mumbled. “I’ll think about your terms and let you know.”
　　“You’re not coming to the airport with me?”
　　“Heck, no. There’ll be too many Rebecca crazies hanging around. Call me when you land.” He planted a kiss on her head and made his way to the elevator, nodding a greeting at Mona and Mervyn.
　　They waved at him as the doors closed.
　　“Are you ready, honey?” Mona asked.
　　Becky felt at once hot and cold. She crossed her arms over her chest. “Yes, and no. How am I going to do this?”
　　Mervyn frowned. “But he just said to call him…”
　　“Mervyn, he is not going anywhere. We must protect him from the press. I don’t know if we’ll succeed, but we have to try. I really like him. Please, help me with this. We needto keep him off the radar, at least until I know where this is heading.”
　　Mervyn nodded, for once without a joke, his face serious. “I’ll do whatever I can. We can stick with the bodyguard ruse for a while, though that won’t last long. I’ll thinkon it. We should go, babe. You don’t want to miss your flight, and we don’t know what the situation at the airport is going to be like.”