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TWO
I don’t have to wait long before someone catches my eye. He’s just walked into the bar; his tall, wide frame takes up most of the entrance. He’s dressed sharp in a three-piece suit, the dark color difficult to discern in the dim lighting. I’d guess black, but my gut says navy. His jacket hangs open, his colorful purple patterned tie is askew, popping out against the white shirt beneath. His hair, a gorgeous salt and pepper, is mussed, as if he’s been running his hands through it.
He looks stressed, as if he’s just come off a hard day’s work and is looking to blow off some steam.
He and I both, I think wickedly. This could be the one, the guy I’ve been waiting to find all night. All week. Hell, all month. I’ve been planning this for a while, and even though my stomach is a mess of butterflies in flight, it’s not all nerves. There’s a healthy dose of anticipation mixed in there too.
I bring my glass of Chardonnay to my lips and sip it as I peer over the rim, casually inspecting him. His graying hair suggests he’s got at least twenty years on my thirty-five, but the toned, sun-kissed skin coupled with the apex predator way in which he strides toward the bar—smooth, long, confident, and predatory—place him right in my ballpark.
I try to play it cool and easy when he stops a few feet away and leans one elbow onto the bar. He orders a vodka neat, which surprises me for some reason. I had him pegged as a whiskey man. This close, he’s even more handsome than I’d realized. A hint of a beard covering a strong jaw, firm, full, kissable lips, and a strong neck that begs to be licked.
He must feel me staring. Shifting his attention my way, our gazes clash and I’m pretty sure my heart flatlines for the span of a few seconds.
Eyes that remind me of the green sand of Papakolea Beach where Bradley and I honeymooned stare back at me. I’ve never seen such a vivid color on a person before, and the effect against his fair hair and darker complexion creates a stunning effect.
If I weren’t already a married woman, it’d be love at first sight.
The skin around the corners of his eyes crinkles as he smiles and sidles closer, and I realize I must look like a deer in the headlights—I’m staring so hard.
I feel the flush of heat rise into my cheeks as he extends his hand. “Hi. I’m Will.”
My hand slides against his rough, calloused one. Goose bumps erupt across every inch of my skin at the contact. It’s electrifying. I’ve always loved the way a man looks in a suit, but I find one that works with his hands and doesn’t mind getting dirty in the process is what really gets me going.
Something in this man’s twinkling eyes tells me that, outside the office, he’s exactly the kind of man I’m looking for—free, easy, and ready for action.
“Hi, I’m…” My thoughts freeze up. Shit! I forgot to settle on an alias! I’ve considered so many, but on the spot as I am now, I can’t think of a single one. Meanwhile, he’s waiting for an answer to what should be the easiest question in the world. The longer I wait, the more suspicious I become. Under pressure, I almost consider giving him my real name—what are the chances we’ll ever run into each other again?—when I remember an old porn star name game my friends and I used to play in college.
Pairing the name of the street I grew up on with the name of my first pet, I tell him, “Jasmine…” At the last minute I decide to hold back on the fake last name. He didn’t give me his, so we’re on a first name basis until he tells me otherwise. No sense in handing out too much information. The less I know about him and he knows about me the better.
His lips twitch. “Jasmine. I like it. Although it would have been more convincing without the awkward pause. And the wedding band.”
Instantly, my gaze shoots down and I see my ring shining back at me. Guilt reaches up and slaps me in the face, but not for the reason one might think. I don’t feel guilty for being here, with this man. This whole experiment is, after all, going to return the spark to my marriage. No, the guilt comes from trying and failing to deceive this man.
I should have taken the ring off. Now, my job is that much harder. There’s a good chance that this man, my first prospect, will consider me too much of a challenge and I’ll be back to square one. Then again, he is a man, and what’s more exciting than free sex with an element of danger?
Just thinking about it revs my engine, and I have to drink more wine in order to cool off. If anything, though, it has the opposite effect. The more I drink, the hotter I get, and the hotter I get, the more I want to take my clothes off.
I wonder how long it will take for me to talk this guy upstairs to the room I’ve rented out for the evening. I refuse to entertain the idea that he won’t. I only have a few hours to pull off what has taken me months to set up. I’ve been smart, saving up cash so there’s no paper trail, nothing to explain. As long as I get home before Bradley, that is; then, all anyone will ever know is that I went out for some fun with the girls.
“Are you drinking alone tonight?”
I look up into Will’s mesmerizing eyes and, tracing the tip of my finger around the rim of my wine glass, I say, “Unfortunately.”
The way he smiles and his eyes linger let me know that he’s already hooked. “Mind if I keep you company?”
My smile is wide and eager. “Not at all.”
He slips into the seat beside me with fluid grace. It’s impressive that a man his size can do that when I haven’t even mastered walking upstairs without tripping over my own feet.
He sips his drink and I do the same, exchanging casual glances combined with coy smiles until our glasses come up empty. Will orders another round for both of us, and we dissolve into idle chitchat, asking where each other is from, what we do for a living. Covering the basics is just a tease, a game of cat and mouse, because we both know where this is heading.
By the time we’ve drained the last of the third round of drinks, Will stands from his stool and, wearing a crooked half-smile that’s full of expectation, asks, “Care to join me upstairs for a nightcap?”
I hold back the wide smile that aches to be revealed and instead push my glass away as I stand to join him. “I have a better idea. How about you join me?”
He looks surprised. “You have a room here?”
I step in front of him, enjoying the heat of his large hand pressing against the small of my back as I lead the way. “I believe in coming prepared.”
