Powerplay by Cher Carson Page B

hell of a loss.”
    “It sure would.” He looked at the women seated around the table. “I’m gonna send a car to pick you ladies up in half an hour, okay?”
    “You don’t have to do that,” Tracey said, raising her glass. “We’re fine.”
    Mark rolled his eyes. “Yeah, well, I’d sleep easier knowing you ladies had a designated driver.”
    Callie came up behind him, slipping her arms around his waist as she flattened her cheek to his chest. “Isn’t he the sweetest? If you don’t want him, I’ll take him, Jen.”
    Jen scowled at her friend as she slid off her seat. “Don’t even think about it.” She slipped her hand into Mark’s and looked up at him, her eyes shifting, as though she were having difficulty focusing.
    He leaned over to kiss her cheek. “You okay, baby?”
    She took a deep breath. “Yeah, I think I just need some fresh air.”
    He settled his arm around her waist to support her. “Hey,” he said, looking at the men still standing around the table. “You guys want me to send another car?”
    The guy who had been flirting with Jen reached out to shake his hand. “No, thanks, we’re good, man. I haven’t been drinking. I’ve got to get up early for work in the morning.” He smiled at Jen.
    “In case I didn’t say it earlier, congratulations. I hope you two will be real happy.”
    “Thanks,” Mark said, turning Jen away from the group. He was sure her girlfriends had questions, but he didn’t care what anyone thought of him or their relationship. He loved her, simple as that. Anyone who had a problem with that could take it up with him.
    Jen wrapped her arm around his waist, leaning into him.
    “Where’s your coat?” he asked, when they reached the door.
    She looked back at their table. “Uh, I don’t know. I’ll go and look for it.”
    He shook his head, slipping his leather jacket off and settling it around her shoulders. “Forget it. I’m sure one of your friends will grab it.”
    She tried to take his jacket off, but he held onto it, pulling it tight around her. “But you’ll be cold.” He chuckled, wondering how much she had to drink tonight. It didn’t matter; he was going to be there to take care of her as long as she needed him. “Come on, sweetheart. Let’s get you home.”
    She looked up at him, smiling. “Your place or mine?”
    He recognized the innuendo, but there was no way he was going to take advantage of her, not in her condition. When they made love again, he wanted her to be stone-cold sober and a free woman. 

 
    CHAPTER EIGHT
     
     
    Mark insisted on stopping at a drive-thru to get her a strong black coffee on the way home. He said they needed to talk, and he wanted her to have a clear head for this conversation. If she had her way, she would have proceeded with the night in a blissful, wine-induced fog, picking up where they left in her office. She didn’t want to talk. She wanted to fuck, now. “Pull over,” she said, gripping the interior door handle.
    “Are you okay?” he asked, shooting her a concerned look. “Do you feel sick?”
    She took her seat belt off. “I’m fine.” She pointed to the parking lot of her father’s dental office. “Pull in here.”
    “You wanna stop at your old man’s office? Why? Did he ask you to pick something up for him?”
    “No, please, just do it.” She couldn’t stand it anymore. She had been hot and horny all night, and she was dying for some relief. “Come inside with me.”
    He parked his truck near the front door and asked, “What the hell are we doing here, Jen?”
    “I need you, now.”
    “But…”
    She reached for the door handle. With or without his help, she needed to come.
    He muttered a curse and followed her to the door. “What if someone walks in on us?”
    She fumbled in her purse, trying to find the set of keys her father gave her. Since her parents lived forty-five minutes from the office, she was listed as the contact person if the alarm sounded during the night.
    Her