Page 88 of When Glitter Meets Gold

Jack sets down the tablet as he sits on the edge of the bed. “How could he not? You clearly have a gift for design.”

“Because Walter is all numbers and logic. He struggles with creativity.” I roll my eyes, then slide forward, climbing into Jack’s lap. “I swear if he had the choice, he never would have hired a marketing team. He thinks things can run on the same original concept forever.”

Jack pulls my legs around his waist and grips my thighs. “Doesn’t sound too logical to me.” He flips us over so I’m on my back again, and his body is planted between my legs.

His mouth traces the silky material covering my shoulder before he sinks his teeth in, dragging it down my arm.

I sink my fingers into his scalp, tugging at his hair. “You feel like blue balls are on the menu for tonight.” I roll my hips against his, causing him to groan while he peppers my chest in kisses before moving to my breasts. “Since you’re hellbent on being respectful.”

He pushes up from the bed, one arm reaching behind his head to pinch the back of his T-shirt, tugging it off in one pull. Then, he’s wrapping the end of the tie at my waist in his hand, before pulling it from around my middle in a single swipe. The gown instantly parts, exposing my entire body completely bare in front of Jack for the first time. I watch his throat work as his eyes feast over my body. “Not an option for me tonight, I’m afraid.” His chest heaves as his hand reaches between my legs, causing my back to arc up from the bed and my knees to fall apart. “Now where did you put those trashy shoes?”

36

JACK ‘J’

J’s secretary has left him two missed calls since they spoke the other night. He said he’d call her back to discuss the leaked information, but then he’d become distracted with the things Sara had said about not using him. They’d cleared things up, and then he’d become distracted by Sara herself. Lying on her back, knees up, legs parted, perfect little naked body inviting him in. The fact her lips were still pink and swollen from when he’d devoured her in his car, was just another reminder of the things that could happen when they were alone together. Yeah, spending the night with Sara was better than dealing with some jerk-off who thought they could profit from whateverleaked informationthey thought they were in possession of.

He's about to return the call when Sara’s name lights up his phone instead. He feels himself relax, the tension leaving his body entirely the moment he puts the phone to his ear.

“Hey, everything okay?” he asks, a smile working its way onto his face.

“Ugh, no,” Sara whines. “I feel terrible.”

The tension returns with the force of a sledgehammer cracking him over the head.

“What happened?”

“We got something in the mail this morning,” she begins. “Some idiot sent us a letter addressed to you. Walter opened it…” she trails off.

“Walter opened a letter addressed to me?” J sighs.

“I mentioned I feel terrible, right?” Sara says, the disappointment in her voice sending a wave of discomfort shooting through his veins.

“I’m not mad at you baby, Walter’s a prick.” J reassures her quickly before any guilt because of her idiot boss can settle in. “What’s the letter?”

Her sigh is long and tired. “I think you should come by the office. I’m not really sure what to make of it.”

Less than thirty minutes later, J is stepping into the lobby of Sara’s work. As he crosses the gray and white checkerboard floor, he’s confident the letter mailed to Street Bandit, is the same letter his secretary received. He’d called her, asking for the document to be forwarded so he was prepared if the two ended up matching.

He’s several strides from the elevators when an unwelcome, familiar face comes into view. As soon as she spots J, her strides slow down, her body moving toward him with cruel purpose, her face conveying that she means to punish him for not being in touch with her like she’d demanded. Kandi Lovetti.

“I don’t have time for you,” J growls.

“You should definitely make time, I’m getting impatient.”Kandi narrows her eyes. “And you know I tend to get a little reckless when I’m impatient.”

“Yeah? Me too. Drop it, Kandi.” He sidesteps to get away from her, but she steps in front of him, blocking his path.

“Don’t do the whole mean guy act, honestly, you’re so funny, Jack.”

Jack?Since when does she know his old name? She’s clearly been doing some digging.

He’s about to tell her to push her luck one more time and she’d see that it’s not an act, but the moment he opens his mouth, a ray of light in a lilac dress appears.

“Why’s he so funny?” Sara stands between them, staring at Kandi, her eyes cold like J’s never seen them before.

Kandi pulls a smile that doesn’t reach her eyes.

Sara looks at him with an expression he can’t decipher.

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