Hers for the Evening Read online

  An exclusive and secret agency, for over two hundred years Courtesans has specialized in providing entertainment of a sexual nature. Its clients are rich, powerful, and influential men and women, and one only meets a courtesan through referral from trusted sources. Courtesans facilitates bringing together men and women to satisfy any sexual need imaginable, matching the perfect courtesan with just the right client. The agency prides itself on training its courtesans, male and female, to interpret and fulfill its clients greatest fantasies, even the secret ones no one dares to say aloud. The price is high, but everyone who’s ever had the pleasure of a date with a courtesan will agree, the fantasy is worth every penny.

  Hers for the Evening (Book 2)

  With Courtesans you get more than you pay for…

  In “Three’s a Crowd,” a couple’s steamy ménage à trois fantasy seems destined to tear their marriage apart. So husband Seth plans to fulfill Courtney’s every desire—by giving her his undivided attention. Now all he needs is a little bedroom help from the ever-inventive Courtesans.

  She knows it’s unethical, but CEO Devon Parker’s whole body burns for CFO

  Hunter Nash. So she consults the Courtesans, who figure that sleeping with a

  “Stand In” should suffice. A perfect plan, but for one thing: the real Hunter’s watching.

  In “Surrender to Me,” when Haley’s husband dies in the arms of another woman, she can hardly forgive his business partner, Simon, for keeping the infidelity a secret. For Simon, there is no forgiveness to be had. Until he forms a plan with the Courtesans. And in it, Haley might just lose her inhibitions—and her heart.

  THE BERKLEY PUBLISHING GROUP

  Published by the Penguin Group

  Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

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  Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England This book is an original publication of The Berkley Publishing Group.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.

  Copyright © 2010 by Jennifer Skullestad.

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Purchase only authorized editions. HEAT and the HEAT design are trademarks of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

  PRINTING HISTORY

  Heat trade paperback edition / May 2010

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Haynes, Jasmine.

  Hers for the evening / Jasmine Haynes.—Heat trade paperback ed. p. cm. eISBN : 978-1-101-18742-5

  I. Love stories, American. 2. Erotic stories, American. I. Title. PS3608.A936H47 2010

  813’.6—dc22

  2009053450

  http://us.penguingroup.com

  To Kathy Coatney, for brainstorming me out of the holes I dig myself into

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  Thanks to Jenn Cummings, Terri Schaefer, and Rita Hogan for always being there. To my agent, Lucienne Diver, and my editor, Wendy McCurdy.

  Three’s A Crowd

  THREE’S A CROWD

  7

  Three’s A Crowd

  1

  GOD, SHE NEEDED SEX.

  Seth had been busy with a new product release, and making love had been low on the totem pole for more than a month. She’d been telling herself nothing was wrong, that he wasn’t bored with her. He’d just been so busy. If Seth were game, Courtney would have dragged him into the woods right now, or even to their SUV in the parking lot. She wouldn’t give a damn if anyone at the company barbecue noticed them slipping off.

  It had been years since they’d done something wild and crazy like that. Working, raising the girls, building college funds and nest eggs had kept them both busy. Chelsea would be a sophomore in the fall term and Shannon a senior, graduating from college in another year.

  Though both the girls had now been off at college almost a year, she and Seth had yet to get wild and crazy.

  Courtney O’Brien put her arm through her husband’s and smiled. Anyone else at the July Fourth picnic would believe her to be listening politely to CEO Walter Trousdale, Seth’s boss. Instead, she was thinking deliciously dirty thoughts.

  “O’Brien, your lovely wife is being neglected with all this business talk of ours.” Walter had a big voice and a big laugh that complemented the size of his belly. He played Santa at the Christmas party without requiring any padding, and the children adored him. “She looks like she needs another margarita.”

  Oh, she needed something all right, and another margarita might help get her plans on the way.

  The day was a scorcher, which was usual for July in the San Francisco Bay Area, but the company had rented a redwood grove in a nearby county park, and beneath the trees a nice breeze blew gently over her. The tangy scent of barbecue sauce and grilling meat tantalized her taste buds. Wine, beer, and margaritas flowed. A raucous shout bellowed from the horseshoe pit. Arts and crafts had been organized for the kids. She’d met most of the people, their spouses and children. Seth had been with NTF, Northern Thin Films, for ten years, the last two as vice president of research and development. At forty-eight, three years older than she was, with only a dash of gray in his full head of sandy hair, Seth was as handsome and trim as the day she’d married him twenty-three 8

  Three’s A Crowd

  years ago.

  Courtney fluttered her eyelashes at him. “Yes, honey, I’m parched.” She waggled her plastic cup. Most of the ice had melted. She hoped he noticed the sexy pout on her lips, fair warning of what was on her mind. Seth lowered his sunglasses so she could see his hazel eyes and gave her a look. Oh yeah, he knew. “Your wish is my command, darling.” He slid his hand down her arm, laced his fingers with hers, and squeezed. He was six feet to her five foot five, and the height difference when she was wearing her flats always made her tingly.

  “How sweet,” Walter’s wife, Irene, remarked, with a hint of jealousy. Her lips pinched, something she did often if the lines crimping her mouth were any indication. Courtney felt sorry for Walter. He was such a jovial guy, he deserved a fat and happy Mrs. Claus.

  Courtney jiggled her remaining ice cubes in farewell as Seth dragged her off. He put his mouth against her hair and blew in her ear. “Do not get naughty in front of my boss or I will make you pay big-time later.”

  Shivery from the minty warmth of his breath, she tipped down her sunglasses in imitation of his earlier look. “Promises, promises. Besides, I didn’t do anything naughty.”

>   His mouth flirted with a smile. “You were thinking dirty, I could tell.”

  “You’re right,” she leaned in to whisper. “Do me, baby.”

  This time he laughed outright, then pulled her close. “Slut.”

  She loved the sexy banter, the naughty name-calling. They hadn’t indulged in ages, and she’d missed it. They were quiet, no one could hear, and that made it all the more titillating. Her motor was certainly running. The drink table was do-it-yourself. Seth plopped in more ice cubes, poured the margarita, then grabbed a soda for himself since he was driving.

  “Hi, Seth.” The sultry feminine voice came from right behind Courtney. In the midst of popping the can top, Seth glanced up. “Hey, Amanda.”

  There was something in his tone that had Courtney turning. A hint of annoyance perhaps?

  In her late thirties, Amanda was petite, pretty, and dark-haired, with Catherine Zeta-Jones curves, and an enormous chest no one could ignore. She stuck out her hand. “You must be Courtney.”

  “Why, yes, I am.”

  9

  Three’s A Crowd

  “Seth’s always talking about you.” She smiled. Courtney didn’t believe her friendliness for a second.

  “Amanda is Walter’s new admin,” Seth supplied. Amanda shrugged. “Not exactly new. I’ve been with the company six months. Seth has been so good at helping me understand all the nuances.” She beamed at him.

  Courtney glanced at the woman’s hand. Wedding ring and an enormous diamond. “He’s such a helpful man.” She ran her fingers down her husband’s arm, beaming in a cheeky imitation of Amanda. “What would we women do without him?”

  Seth closed his fingers around Courtney’s. “Looks like the food’s ready, honey. We’d better get in line. Nice talking to you, Amanda.” He pulled Courtney away.

  “The food is not ready,” Courtney murmured when they were out of earshot.

  “And that woman is hot for you.”

  Seth propped himself against the end of an empty picnic table. When the barbecue was set out, they’d darn near be first in line since everyone else was under the shade trees avoiding the sun. Or watching the kids.

  “She’s a pest,” he said.

  Courtney moved in front him, leaving enough room to hold her drink against her chest. “A very pretty pest.” She wiggled her eyebrows.

  “I hadn’t noticed.”

  She took off his sunglasses, folded them, and patted them into the pocket of his polo shirt. “Liar. How could you miss those breasts?”

  He squinted his hazel eyes against the sun. “All right, she’s pretty. She’s also married and a pain in the ass.”

  “Men don’t mind screwing a pain in the ass as long as she’s pretty. I don’t see her husband in tow today, do you?” She leaned in close to lick the lobe of his ear. “Bet she was hoping you’d be here all on your lonesome.”

  From time to time, they’d added fantasy play to their sex life. They might see a sharp man at the movies, and Seth would tease her. Or a sexy woman at the mall, and Courtney would ask him all the nasty things he thought the lady might be capable of doing.

  Seth had a very naughty imagination. So did Courtney. They’d had some very hot sex over it.

  10

  Three’s A Crowd

  Of course, she’d never told anyone the things they’d fantasized about. Her friends would think she was crazy, inviting infidelity. She didn’t feel that way. To her, it was merely fantasy.

  “What’s the sexiest thing she’s ever worn?” Amanda looked sexy in a pair of low-waisted shorts Courtney wouldn’t have the courage to wear. She was selfconscious about her baby belly. She’d loved what pregnancy did for her breasts, but she’d never been able to lose those last few pounds after Chelsea was born. Seth turned his head, glancing past her in the direction Amanda had headed. To the horseshoe pits. Then he plucked his sunglasses back out of his pocket, propped them on his nose, and settled his hand on her hip. “Tight sweater. Headlights.”

  “No bra?” With those breasts? Ohmigod.

  “I didn’t look long enough to figure it out.”

  She snorted. “Right. Afraid of sexual harassment?”

  He laughed. “I got the distinct impression she wanted men to look.”

  “Slut,” she whispered.

  Squeezing her hip, he splayed a thumb along the join of her leg, then slipped away in case anyone was watching. “Not as good a slut as you, baby.”

  Courtney raised an eyebrow. “I bet she swallows.”

  He guffawed before he could stop himself, and Courtney noticed several eyes turn their way. The crowd was starting to drift closer as the scent of meat and sauce perfumed the air.

  “Because you love to swallow, you think every woman does.”

  Some of her friends thought it was gross. Courtney never revealed that Seth’s come was ambrosia. She’d never been one to talk about her sex life, but she had a prurient curiosity when it came to some of the things her friends revealed. Like Devon Parker. Divorced, she swore men were too much trouble, and she hired gigolos to take care of her needs; male courtesans, she called them. Courtney found the idea titillating, and she loved Devon’s stories.

  “Bet Amanda likes it doggy,” she went on teasing Seth. He loved doggy. Courtney had a fondness for it, too. She got very loud while expressing her fondness.

  That position had always been saved for the times the girls had sleepovers at a friend’s house.

  “I believe she’s doing Drummond,” Seth said.

  11

  Three’s A Crowd

  “You’re kidding.” Drummond was vice president of sales. Not bad looking, but kind of slimy, like a used car dealer passing clunkers off on unsuspecting buyers. He wasn’t in attendance today, thank you very much. He liked to cop a feel if he could. Not a breast or a butt cheek, but a shoulder or a forearm, a caress. It wasn’t over the top, just . . . creepy. “You’re trying to sidetrack me.” She moved in on him, put her arms around his shoulders. “How would you do her? Doggy?

  Ride ’em cowgirl?”

  “Blindfolded, tied up, and gagged. She talks too much.”

  She giggled and realized the margaritas were starting to get to her in the hot sun. Thank goodness they were starting to take the meat off the barbecues and setting out the salads and other fixings. “You’re protesting too much.”

  He smirked. “It would be much more fun to watch you do Lee.”

  “Ooh. Where is he?”

  “Don’t turn around, but he’s eyeing your ass right now.”

  Lee worked in Accounting. He was young, maybe thirty-five, with blond surfer good looks. She snuggled closer to Seth, spreading her legs slightly over his to encompass him. “What would you want me to do to him?”

  “Get down on your knees, wrap your luscious lips around his cock, and deep throat him.”

  A thrill zinged straight through her.

  “I’d rather watch Amanda”—Courtney elongated the name and dropped her voice to a seductive pitch—“take your massive tool in her mouth while I’m kissing you.” She gasped. “Ooh, what about the two of us sucking you? She holds your cock for me, I hold it for her, two tongues. What do you think, honey?”

  Seth almost groaned. Right when he started taking Courtney for granted, she’d pull a sexy stunt like this, getting him rock hard in the middle of a company picnic. He’d always loved her dirty mind, her playful attitude toward sex, but he wasn’t as young as he used to be, and work was starting to beat the tar out of him. He’d never wanted to be CEO; he liked getting his hands dirty in the trenches. Courting the board and investors all the time wasn’t for him. He loved R&D, creating products, improving existing lines, developing exciting ideas, but when a new release got off-track, as had happened now, the job sucked him dry. And not in a good way. He’d been neglecting Courtney. She needed attention, but he didn’t have that much to give these days. When Courtney was 12

  Three’s A Crowd

  in this kind of mood, he wasn�
��t sure he could keep up with her.

  “You,” he emphasized, “are going to have to get two plates, because I can’t stand in line with this.” He glanced down. Her gaze followed.

  “Ooh,” she whispered, taking in his bulging shorts. People were heading to the buffet line. He eased away from her, slid down onto the picnic table’s seat, and leaned forward to bracket his Coke with his hands. “A chicken breast, salad, and corn bread, please.”

  “Yes, sir.” She saluted, then eyed him. “A breast man today. Amanda will love that.” She was off with a saucy wink and a sweet little wiggle to her ass. At the buffet, Lee fell in behind her, saying something that made her laugh. A twinge of jealousy tweaked Seth’s gut. Her fantasy games excited him, but he didn’t take them as a reality, and would never share her with another man. He wasn’t built that way. Not that he figured she wanted to make them real. Courtney simply got off better with a hot fantasy going between them. Seth remembered when she had to watch every Hugh Jackman movie ever made, then made him talk like Wolverine and do her doggy. Amanda had nothing on his wife. At forty-five, Courtney’s gorgeous shoulder-length auburn hair didn’t show even a hint of gray. With her fair skin, full lush breasts, and soft curves, he got hard thinking about doing her right now. Maybe on the picnic table in front of a crowd . . .

  “Aren’t you hungry, Seth?” Amanda slid onto the seat beside him, taking Courtney’s spot.

  Christ. Courtney was right. The woman was after him. She always had some little question, something she had to lean over and show him on the computer. She was sexy, he’d give her that, but he’d never cheated, and he never would. His marriage was worth so much more than a fuck, even a good one. Despite all her games, he was sure Courtney didn’t want to give him to another woman.

  “Courtney’s getting me a plate.” He leaned closer to the table. His cock was still hard as a diamond drill, and he didn’t want Amanda entertaining any ideas that it had something to do with her. Courtney had gotten him going with the image of two tongues on his cock, not Amanda’s per se. Besides, the woman was needy, not looking so much for a fling as a knight in shining armor to rescue her from her ogre of a husband. Oh yeah, she’d managed to reveal that tidbit almost her first day. For the most part, he was able to avoid her, but sometimes Walter sent her on an errand.