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  AN ALL

  NIGHT MAN

  .

  DON'T MISS THESE FABULOUS ANTHOLOGIES

  FROM ST. MARTIN'S PRESS

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  AN ALL

  NIGHT MAN

  .

  With stories from

  Brenda Jackson

  Joylynn Jossel

  Kayla Perrin

  Tamara Sneed

  ST. MARTIN’S GRIFFIN

  New York

  AN ALL NIGHT MAN.

  “The Hunter” copyright © 2005 by Brenda Streater Jackson

  “Just Wanna Love Ya” copyright © 2005 by Joylynn Jossel

  “Never Satisfied” copy right © 2005 by Kayla Perrin

  "Fantasy Man” copyright © 2005 by Tamara 5need

  All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews. For information, address St. Martin's Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.

  www.stmartins.com

  Design by Kathryn Parise

  ISBN 0-312-32877-X

  LAN 978-0312-32877-1

  10 9 8 7 6 5

  CONTENTS

  .

  “The Hunter” by Brenda Jackson

  “Just Wanna Love Ya” by Joylynn Jossel

  “Never Satisfied” by Kay la Perrin

  “Fantasy Man” by Tamara Sneed

  THE HUNTER

  .

  Brenda Jackson

  So teach us to number our days,

  that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.

  —PSALMS 90:12

  1

  .

  Hunter Sloan wondered if a man could die from horniness, and if so, he was about to take his last breath.

  His sexually intense affair with Mallory Standish had ended six months ago, but still, as he watched her pace back and forth in his office after arriving unexpectedly less than ten minutes ago, he couldn't help but admit the time he'd spent with her had been unforgettable, which was one of the main reasons for his present sexually deprived state. Since they had split he had not been attracted to any other female.

  Mallory was everything a man could want in a woman. She was intelligent, sensitive, witty, and passionate with a capital P. The latter is what he remembered the most. It was hard to think about anything else while his gaze took in everything about her. She was too damn good-looking for her own good, not to mention his. Everything about her was a total turn-on, especially her walk . . . even when she was clearly agitated about something.

  At thirty-four he was a man who avoided commitments and Mallory had decided during some point in their four-month affair, that she had wanted more. Unfortunately, more was the one thing he could not give her or any other woman. It had been a mutually agreed-upon decision, that since they wanted different things out of the relationship, the best thing to do was to go their separate ways. So they had, and this was the first time they had seen each other since that time.

  And he was definitely seeing her.

  His gaze scanned her from head to toe, taking in the dark chocolate coloring of her skin, her pert nose, high cheekbones, and bright red lips. Then there were the dark brown spiral curls that crowned her face and bathed her shoulders, giving her a radiant look. And he definitely liked the business suit she was wearing. It was chic, stylish, and fit the curves on her body as if it had been designed just for her.

  There wasn't a time she didn't look good in anything she'd worn, even jeans . . . especially jeans. His favorite outfit had been tight jeans with a low-cut top. But he had to admit the outfit she was wearing now was running a close second. The skirt was short, stopping way above her knees and showing off long, gorgeous legs—legs he distinctively remembered having the ability to wrap tightly around him while he thrust in and out of her with quick and deep strokes. Then there were her breasts. He couldn't help but recall how it felt to caress them, cup their fullness in the palm of his hands, and tease her nipples with the tip of his tongue. There also were those times when he used to lick around her navel before his lips would nuzzle lower to give her an intimate kiss between her . . .

  "Hunter! Are you listening to me?”

  He quickly met her gaze. She was annoyed with his distraction, but he was glad she was clueless as to why his mind had shifted elsewhere. With tremendous mental as well as a physical effort, Hunter forced his attention back to what Mallory had been saying, and away from the enormous erection that was straining against his zipper. He shifted in the chair he was sitting in behind his desk, grateful that she had no idea as to the torture she was putting him through, and even more grateful that she didn't know that he hadn't slept with another woman since their breakup.

  "Let me get this straight, Mallory,” he said in a somewhat strained voice. “You are accusing your brother-in-law of being unfaithful?”

  Hunter saw her uncertainty when she answered. “Yes and no. All I know is what I saw.”

  Hunter nodded. “How about telling me again what you saw.” He hated admitting it but he hadn't heard a word she'd said. Instead he had been wondering how long it would take to strip her naked, like he had done once before when she'd come to his office unexpectedly. He would never forget how he had taken her on this very desk. “And maybe it will be better if you sit down,” he added, not knowing how much longer he could handle seeing the sway of her hips while she paced back and forth wearing out his carpet, not to mention wearing on his libido.

  Thankfully, she nodded and took the chair across from him. But then he almost groaned when she crossed her legs, which made the already short skirt inch a little higher, showing a better glimpse of her thighs. They were thighs he used to ride, from the front, from the back, right to left, any way and every way he could. Even now he could hear in his mind the sound of flesh slapping against flesh.

  His attention was drawn to the gold ankle bracelet on her right ankle. He had given it to her after they had dated a couple of months. It had been a gift for her twenty-eighth birthday. He was surprised she was still wearing it and a part of him was glad that she was. He would never forget the night he had given it to her and how she hadn't wasted any time thanking him in some of the most provocative ways. It was definitely a pleasant memory.

  He shifted in his chair again and decided it would be safer to concentrate on something that was not pleasant, like the thought of going to dinner at his aunt Judith's house that evening when she would relentlessly remind him that he needed to settle down, get married, and have a lot of babies for her and his mother to spoil. In fact it was his aunt's fault that he had met Mallory in the first place.

  Aunt Judith had convinced him that he needed to hire an event planner for his parents' fortieth wedding anniversary party. He had delegated the task of finding someone to his aunt and would never forget the day she showed up at his office with Mallory in tow. The attraction between them had been quick and immediate and his life hadn't been the same since.

  Hunter sighed as he brought his thoughts back to the present and his gut clenched when Mallory nervously swept her lips with the tip or her tongue. Boy, he used to thoroughly enjoy that tongue. Forcing his mind back to the business at hand, he again prompted her, “Now, what makes you think he's cheating?”

  "Because I saw him yesterday at a hotel. I was there and I saw him.”

  Hunter raised a b
row. The first question that immediately came to his mind was why was she at a hotel? And who had she been there with? His heart began beating like a jackhammer and he forced himself to calm down. He had no right to question what she did and with whom she did it. But still, the possibility that she'd been at a hotel with someone didn't sit too well with him. He, of all people, knew just how passionate she was. He'd had quite a few sizzling nights with her but it was either at her place or his . . . never a hotel. He hoped she hadn't gotten involved with a married man. A part of him refused to believe that. One thing Mallory possessed was a high sense of what was moral and, besides, her father had relentlessly cheated on her mother, so she would never do that to another woman or herself.

  He cleared his throat. “You were at a hotel yesterday?” he asked as casually as he could.

  She leaned back in her chair unaware of the chaos going on in his head. “Yes. I had an appointment at the Hilton on Monroe Street. I'm planning a client's daughter's wedding and we're holding the reception there. I needed to check the location to make sure the banquet room would be adequate.”

  He nodded his head. Relieved. “And while you were there, you saw your brother-in-law?” He had met her sister and brother-in- law only once during their four-month affair. From what he remembered, the man seemed to be a likable guy who was very devoted to Mallory's sister, Barbara. Barbara was two years older than Mallory and if he remembered correctly, she and her husband had been married for five years. He also recalled Mallory once sharing with him the couple's desire to have a child, but the last he'd heard Barbara hadn't gotten pregnant.

  "Yes, I saw Lewis,” Mallory answered, breaking into his thoughts. “I tried to get his attention, but he didn't see me. He was too busy trying to get on the elevator without being seen. I noted it had stopped on the fourth floor before coming back down. I caught it back up to the fourth floor thinking there was probably a conference room on that floor and Lewis was attending some sort of business meeting, but all I saw were rooms. Hotel rooms. That meant he was meeting someone in one of those rooms.”

  "Yes, but that doesn't necessary mean he was doing anything illicit, Mallory,” Hunter pointed out. “People do hold business meetings in their suites at hotels.”

  He watched her nervously chew on her bottom lip before saying, “I know that, Hunter, but I have a funny feeling about this. A few weeks ago Barbara mentioned that she and Lewis were having marital problems. I think it has something to do with the both of them wanting so desperately to have a baby and not being able to have one.”

  He shook his head. There were a lot of things he desperately wanted, but a baby wasn't one of them. Over the years he had learned to turn a deaf ear to his aunt whenever she brought up the subject of babies. She was quick to remind him that he was the last of the Sloans unless he produced a child to carry on the family name.

  When Mallory shifted positions in her seat, Hunter's gaze followed the hem of her skirt and saw even more thigh. “Have they consulted a doctor to see what the problem is?” he asked more because she seemed so concerned about it than of any real interest on his part.

  "Yes, but according to all the tests results, there's nothing wrong with either of them.”

  "Then I'm sure things will happen when it's time.”

  "Yes, that's what I keep telling Barbara but she thinks the problem is with her.”

  Hunter picked up a paperclip off his desk and began fiddling with it. He didn't want to talk about people wanting babies any longer. “What do you want me to do, Mallory? Why are you here?”

  She gave him an exasperated look like it should have been obvious. “I want to hire you, Hunter. I need to know for sure whether or not Lewis is having an affair.”

  "And if he is?”

  "Then Barbara should know about it.'

  "And you're going to tell her?”

  "Of course, she's my sister.”

  He sighed and knowing the Standish family history she had shared with him once, he could see her thinking that way. “But why me, Mallory? There are plenty of private investigators here in San Diego.”

  "Because I want to keep this private, Hunter. I'll feel a lot better if you're the investigator handling this for me. Will you do it?”

  Hunter stared at her long and hard as he thought of the problems that could arise if he associated himself with Mallory again, even for a business reason. She would always remind him of sharing a bed, enjoying nights of passion and excitement that culminated in orgasms that came back-to-back for hours. No other woman had the ability to do that.

  And no other woman had made him imagine going to bed with her every night and waking up beside her every morning on a permanent basis. When those thoughts had begun formulating in his mind he'd known it was time to cut out, and when she'd thrown out the words “a committed relationship,” he hadn't wasted any time putting distance between them. He didn't do committed relationships. What she was asking him to do would bring them back in contact again and a part of him wasn't sure he could handle that.

  He took a shaky breath. Hell, he was about to go bonkers just from the twenty minutes they had spent together already. “I don't know, Mallory Considering our history, maybe you should—”

  "No, Hunter. There's no one else I'd trust. If Lewis is cheating on Barbara you're the only one I'd want to know about it. I really do need your help.”

  Hunter knew if he lived a whole lifetime, he would always be drawn in by Mallory's dark brown eyes that were pleading with him now. And for the life of him, he couldn't turn her down.

  "Okay, Mallory, I'll do it.”

  Relief spread across her face. “Thanks, Hunter.”

  He glanced down at his watch. “There's some information I'll need to get from you before I can start, but I have another appointment in a few minutes. Is there any way we can meet again later today?”

  He watched as she quickly pulled her palm-pilot out of her leather purse. Less than a minute later, she said, “My last appointment is at five. Do you want me to stop back by here before going home?”

  He frowned. He had an appointment on the other side of town that would last until around five and then he was to join his aunt for dinner at seven, which didn't give them much time in between. The best solution, although he didn't want to suggest it, would be for him to drop by her place on the way to his aunt's house. Bad move if he wanted to keep things strictly business.

  Then he thought of another idea. “How about if we met at Rowdy's at five-thirty? I have dinner plans for later and that way we can talk and I won't be late for my seven o'clock dinner date.” She didn't have to know that his dinner date was with his aunt. It might be best for the both of them if she thought he was involved with someone.

  The expression on her face indicated she didn't care one way or the other. He wasn't sure if he should be relieved or monumentally pissed. “All right, that's fine. I'll be at Rowdy's at five- thirty,” she said, standing. “And I really do appreciate this.”

  He stood and came around his desk to walk her to the door. When they got to the door, he considered locking it and throwing away the key and having his way with her. He knew she liked wearing colorful undies and wondered just what color panties she had on. And he knew that whatever color they were, she was wearing a matching bra.

  She reached out her hand to him. “Thanks again, Hunter.”

  He took her hand and immediately felt a sexual pull in his groin. For a moment he forgot to breathe. The intense attraction, the sensuous connection was still there and although she remained expressionless, he knew she had to have felt it as well.

  "You're welcome and I'll see you later this evening, Mallory.” The words sounded a lot more intimate than he had wanted them to.

  She nodded, then opened the door and quickly slipped out. When the door closed behind her, he leaned against it and drew in a deep breath, then let it out slowly. It shouldn't take long to find out if Lewis Townsend was cheating on his wife. Once that was done Mallory would be out
of his life again and he could regain the harmony he had worked so hard to achieve over the past six months, although the horniness was almost killing him. In his present state, if he hung around her too much there was no telling what would happen.

  Engaging in another passionate and thrilling affair with Mallory Standish was definitely out of the question.

  2

  .

  Mallory Standish stepped onto the elevator and was grateful it was empty. After the doors closed behind her, she pushed the button that would take her down to the first floor and expelled the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding.

  It had been hard seeing Hunter again and if it weren't for Barbara she would not have come. But her sister was all the family she had and she was determined to find out the truth one way or another, and like she had told Hunter, she trusted only him to find out.

  Hunter.

  He was still the tall, dark, and handsome predator. His name suited him well. That had been her first thought when they had first met. She had walked into his office with his aunt and the moment their gazes connected, she had discovered there was such a phenomena as instant attraction.

  One of the first things she had noticed about him when they had first met was just how tall he was, way over six feet, with powerfully built shoulders, tapered thighs, and muscular legs. He had returned to the office after playing a game of tennis with a business associate and hadn't yet showered and changed back into his suit. He'd possessed a physique that left her inside tingling and she had quickly reached the conclusion that no man should have been blessed to have it good in both the looks and the body departments.

  His dark brown hair was cut low and neatly trimmed, and his face, the color of semi-sweet chocolate, had the most arresting features of any man she had ever met. He was so startlingly handsome that it was both a sin and a shame. The eyes that had locked with hers were stark black, intense and predatory. Since he'd been intent on giving her the same thorough once-over she had given him, it had taken a full two minutes after his aunt had made the introductions before either of them spoke.