Page 62 of Legal

“Yeah, she just has a little smoking habit.” Perry raised her eyebrow, and I shrugged. Okay, it was more like a carton-a-day habit. Combined with a touch of emphysema.

“At any rate, I can’t believe you’re listening to that hairball hacker. Am I the only one who’s sane around here?”

“She’s a very nice person, Perry.”

“I’m sure she is, but isn’t she like on her tenth marriage? You don’t go to a priest when you want to get knocked up.”

I laughed. “It’s her fourth, and I think this one’s going to stick.” I checked the time; I had to run out soon. “And I’m not looking for marriage—or even relationship—advice. I want insight into the older woman/younger man dynamic, and she’s been there. I’m more interested in the best way to end it when we’re finished… being casual.”

Perry threw up her hands. “Iamthe only sane one. It’s confirmed. It’s over when it’s over, Jills. It doesn’t matter if he’s eighteen or a hundred and eighteen.” She flattened her mouth. “Well, that’s not true. I suppose if he’s that old, he’ll probably die before you can break it off.”

I had to get going so I could be back to make my calls. Fortunately, the mall was only ten minutes away from my house. “Listen, I don’t mean to cut you short, but I have to take off for a bit and go to the store. You can wait here if you want.”

She narrowed her eyes at me. “Why can’t I go with you?”

I sighed, dropping my shoulders. “Okay, but you have to promise me you won’t give me a hard time about anything I want to buy.”

Yeah, like that would ever happen.

Iadjusted the neckline for the hundredth time on my double-knit polyester blouse. How the hell did people wear these things? I felt like I was being strangled by a pressure cooker. Even with the air on, I was dying. But even that wasn’t as bad as the matching pants. I pulled at the elastic waistband that came up to my breasts and took a deep breath before snapping them back.

Quit whining, Jillian. I was acting like a baby when I was the one who chose to dress like this. At least my hair was pulled up into a tight bun; that allowed one part of my body to be cool and comfortable.

I quickly downed a glass of ice water and tried to still my frantic heartbeat. I was beyond jittery for all kinds of reasons. I felt and looked idiotic, but I’d stuck to my goal. That was the main thing. Even after Perry told me I was apeshit-crazy loud enough for the entire mall to hear.

At two minutes to eight, Chase pulled into the driveway. For a second, I wondered if I was just shooting myself in my support-hosed foot, but it was too late now. I had to go through with the plan. Whichever way it went, I just hoped I’d get my fix in before he left.

When I opened the front door for him, I was sweating buckets. Partly due to nerves and partly because I was wearing my grandmother’s couch. Damn, he looked good. Really, really good. I couldn’t wait to get started. I frowned. Great. I was probably too gross and would have to waste time by taking a shower first.

Chase gave me a once-over, tilting his head. Then he came up and wrapped his arms around me. Hmm… Before my head could analyze it, my body took over and responded very favorably to the close contact. All the right places were pressing into me. So, so good.

“God, Jillian. I’ve missed you.” He nuzzled against my neck, and I forgot all about my soaked skin. If it didn’t bother him, I wasn’t going to let it bother me. Of course, he was touching one of the few places that weren’t covered, so maybe I’d have to rethink that later.

His kiss deleted some more brain cells, and I resigned to spending the rest of my night as a puddle. He popped open a few buttons on my blouse, enough to slip his hand inside. He paused and gave me a strange look. “What is this?”

“My bra.” I said it like, ‘Of course, what else would it be?’ and he gave me that look again. But he did somehow manage to work his way into the triple-enforced steel enclosure and grasp a nipple. The sensation shot right to my core, and I whispered, “Bedroom. Now.”

He continued to tease my breasts, taunting and rolling the nipples while his lips did their magic on mine. I moaned and writhed into him, colliding with the hardness I adored so much. I was about ready to drag him down the hall by his hair when something dawned on me. He was a freaking boulder.

I pulled back. “This turns you on, doesn’t it? You have an old lady fetish.”

He nibbled my ear. “I have ayoufetish.” He thrust my body closer to his, and my mind see-sawed. What to do? Why did I care?

“But you’re like a rock. Not that you’re not normally, but—”

He placed a finger over my lips. “It’s been four days, Jillian. I’ve missed you. I was hard driving over just thinking about being with you again.”

His fingers lightly stroked the sides of my neck, and I was going to combust. “It didn’t have to be that long,” I said softly. “I invited you over.”

“I was giving you a recovery break.” He gave a low chuckle. “Would you agree you needed it?” I squeezed my thighs together and nodded. I had; I’d been so sore, even if I would have been more than willing to ignore it. “Since it’s my body you want, I wouldn’t have done you any good by coming over and playing board games.”

Okay, he had a point. His touch was dissolving me. I closed my eyes as his fingertips danced over my bare skin. “All recovered now,” I said.

Chase laughed and took my hand, leading me as if it were his bedroom we were going to and not mine. One by one, he undid the rest of my buttons, and if he had anything to say about the Fort Knox brassiere, he didn’t comment. I was so ready to be out of these clothes. As far as I could tell, I hadn’t learned anything from my little experiment. If the mere thought of seeing me really had started to get him excited, then the costume hadn’t affected him one way or the other. He was neither aroused nor turned off by it.

I had to help him remove the bra, and I felt even more ridiculous standing in my rose-colored pants and compression stockings, knowing about the granny panties underneath. Of all the stupid ideas….

He kissed the tops of my shoulders, then trailed his mouth over my collarbone and down my breasts. In no time, he was at the waistband. He tugged them down, only to find more barriers. Shaking his head, he tried peeling off the rest. “Your body’s too beautiful to cover it this much, Jillian.”

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