Fever

Five Degrees of Romance

Fever by

Tori Carrington

CONTENTS Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five

Chapter One (This is the opening paragraph the editors gave to all five authors:) "And the last bachelor up for bids is..." Alex tuned out the auctioneer's voice and wondered for the millionth time how he'd gotten roped into this. A bachelor auction was definitely not his style — even on Valentine's Day. But, he reminded himself, this was for a good cause. Tugging at the collar of his uniform, he shifted uneasily as the auctioneer continued his sales pitch. Should he smile? Pose? He just didn't feel comfortable up on stage with a blinding spotlight shining on him. He hoped he didn't look as nervous as he felt. The auctioneer was driving up the bids — but all Alex could hear was the roar of the crowd as women yelled out numbers and cheered each other on. Squinting into the lights, he tried to make out who was bidding on him, but to no avail. Then, before he knew it, the gavel sounded. He'd been sold! But to who...?

*** Corporate attorney Reese Sherwood blinked, and the wiggly little dog she held yapped, its entire pink compact body shuddering. She didn't…she hadn't…had she just bid on the hottie in the white-and-black hockey uniform on stage? One minute she'd been struggling to hold on to the Chihuahua named Cupid she was pet-sitting for her neighbor, Natalie, the next the spotlight was on her, the announcer was asking

her name, and the hooting women around her were nudging her toward the stage. Reese stumbled forward. Cupid let rip an ear-splitting yelp then catapulted from her arms like a live torpedo. The exasperating dog instantly disappeared among the forest of female legs. Yikes! Natalie would never forgive her if she damaged so much as a whisker on the insufferable pup. Forget that Nat had thrust Cupid on her only that morning with a smile and a wink that this spontaneous trip with the guy she'd been dating for three years was going to be the weekend he finally popped the question. And she wasn't even going to think about the reason she was at the stupid bachelor auction for the Albuquerque Special Athletics Program in the first place, namely because her friend, attorney Marie Bertelli, had thrust the ticket on her a half hour ago and insisted she go in her place. "I'll go, stay for five minutes, make a donation and then leave," she muttered to herself as she crouched on the polished wood gymnasium floor and looked around for Cupid. "How difficult can that be?" Not all that difficult. Unless you were her. Lately it seemed her entire life resembled a really bad subplot in a short-lived soap opera with a low wardrobe budget. Her one-time co-worker Josh Hubbard was coming to look a little too much like a stalker the way he kept coincidentally popping up wherever she went. The corporate case of copyright infringement she was cocounseling with Marie had taken a nosedive two days ago. And her four older sisters wanted to hold one of those awful family meetings where she was afraid the topic of discussion was going to be what they were going to do about Dad and his moving out of the family house three days ago. "Cu?" she whispered, wondering why she was feeling around the gym floor like a half-wit and snatching her hands back. Someone cut her off and she had to shrink back to stop from colliding with the great pair of silk-covered gams. Oh, nice shoes. She briefly salivated over the woman's pair of XOXO red pumps she was too cowardly to wear herself then considered the toilet paper trailing from one of the heels. Interesting… She continued crawling in the direction of the fading Chihuahua barks. There! She reached out to grab Cupid's furry little butt only to find herself having to stand up, namely because someone was picking the dog up in front of her. "Lose something?" "Oh, yeah. Namely my sanity." Reese blinked at the white-and-black hockey uniform with the outline of a scorpion on the front, then her gaze traveled up and up until she was staring into what had to be the naughtiest pair of black eyes she'd ever looked into. A hot thrill zinged through her as she wondered how much she'd paid for a one-night Valentine's date with the guy in front of her. She licked her lips, suspecting he'd be worth a hundred times that amount if his decadent mouth and sexy demeanor were anything to go by. And she had the electrifying feeling that they were. Wow… Reese had never really bought into the concept of one's life flashing before her eyes at the time of death, but with one look into the hockey jock's sexy face, her entire sex life flashed before her. From backseat romps with her high school sweetheart to the latest dating disaster in the form of Paul Podiatrello, whose foot fetish had been cute in the beginning but quickly veered toward the bizarre…. Well, somehow the guy in front of her didn't look like anything she'd ever experienced before. Sure, she might now have the best-looking feet this side of ole Miss, but had she ever dealt one-on-one with a guy of this breath-stealing caliber before? An unabashed smile curved her lips. No, she hadn't. But she sure as hell wanted to give it the old college try.

"There you are! You wouldn't believe what happened to me. I made the mistake of drinking three grande cappuccinos before coming here, so I had to visit the little girls' room something wicked…. What is that?" Reese slowly became aware that the woman was addressing her. Correction. She wasn't talking to her. The drop-dead gorgeous brunette was speaking to the hockey jock and the Chihuahua he held. Reese took in the other woman, discovering she was Toilet-Paper Heel. The woman clapped a hand over her red-painted mouth. "Oh, no! Don't tell me I missed the auction?" Reese had to give the guy credit. While he might be holding Cupid as if he were afraid he might catch something, the female dog appeared to be enamored with him. And his attention hadn't wandered from Reese, although the woman next to her was at least ten times the woman she was. He cracked a smile then finally looked at the other woman. "I'm afraid so. Laura Goldsmith, I'd like you to meet the woman I'll be spending the night with…." The thrill Reese felt swelled into a full-blown case of lust at the suggestive words. Of course, he didn't mean the entire night. Her mouth went dry. Did he? It finally dawned on her that some sort of response was expected. She introduced herself. The hunk in a hockey uniform told her he was Alex Mackay, and that the woman was Laura Goldsmith, then he held the Chihuahua farther out. "Oh! I'm sorry." Reese quickly retrieved the vexing dog, who had impeccably great taste, deciding that this called for a little treat. Did they make chocolate-flavored doggie goodies? Laura crossed her arms and gave Reese what could be best described as a woman-eating smile. "Well, then, Miss Sherwood will just have to allow me to compensate her for paying for my date…."

Chapter Two

Alex watched Reese gape at Laura as if she'd gone light in the head. Lately he'd begun to wonder the same thing. Oh, he knew Laura's intentions. She'd gone so far as to give him the outline when she'd talked him into offering himself up as so much bachelor beefcake. Laura was to bid on him, they were going to go on the date, and he was going to propose to her. Of course he'd been unable to utter a word for a full two hours after she'd shared her plan. Then in the subsequent days, reality had settled in. They'd been dating exclusively for seven months now. He liked her company. And he was at an age where most of his friends were already way down the marriage road with kids and the whole nine. He'd seen no reason to refuse Laura. She was a damn good doctor. And he knew she'd make a good wife and mother. And if the passion his mother told him to hold out for was missing… Well, since his mother had been married and divorced five times and was working on number six, he didn't think her an expert on the subject. "So what do you say?" Laura rose to the occasion, trying to talk the pretty Miss Reese Sherwood into letting her buy out her bid.

The rat of a dog Reese held yapped at Laura and she jumped. Alex considered Reese. On the short side with barely enough breast to fill a training bra, he rated her as not his type at all. Well, except for that fiery spark in her blue eyes and the enticing, tousled state of her blond hair. Then, of course, there was that tight little bottom, to which the snug wool of her brown slacks clung to perfection. That was a definite plus. The dog growled and he grimaced. The dog, however, was a drawback. Did she sleep with the mongrel? He suddenly felt hot all over. Not at the prospect of sleeping with the Chihuahua. Rather, the idea of causing some friction between the sheets with Miss Sherwood emerged all too tempting, indeed…. He grimaced. Was that a good state for a guy a hairbreadth away from engagement to be in? Laura made a sound of disgust and stared at him. "She won't give it up, Alex. Do something." He hiked an eyebrow. "What would you have me do?" She gestured with her perfectly manicured hands. Hands that didn't do nearly as much for him as Reese's short-nailed fingers as she absently stroked the dog. "I don't know. Something. Anything. Renege on the date." A light bulb nearly appeared above Laura's head like in one of his favorite cartoons. "Yes, that's it! You can pull out, then I can take over, and everything can still go ahead as planned." Alex narrowed his eyes. He'd always prided himself on being a man of his word, and what Laura was proposing appealed to him not at all. Miss Sherwood had won the date. Miss Sherwood would get the date. Then tomorrow morning life would continue on as usual. Laura could find another way for him to propose to her in a manner that would satisfy her need for a good story to tell her friends. He glanced at Reese and his throat tightened. Then again, maybe this date wasn't such a good idea. He felt hot and bothered all over again just looking at her. Maybe he was coming down with something. After all, a strain of Asian flu was making the rounds on the team. Maybe it was his turn. "I won the date," Reese said, looking all too sexily stubborn. "I'm taking the date." Alex got the impression that fairness was a big issue for her. He looked at Laura and shrugged. "She's got a point." Uh-oh. He recognized the wild expression on Laura's face and knew it couldn't mean anything good. "Um, excuse us for a minute, won't you?" He took Laura's arm before she could do or say something inexcusable and steered her away.

*** Well, that went well, didn't it? Reese looked down at the trembling dog in her arms at the same time she looked up at her. "It's one night, Laura," he heard Alex say to the other woman before they moved out of earshot. Oh, hell, what was she thinking? By all rights, she should have given the date up with a smile and a thank-you. After all, she hadn't really meant to bid on the hottie in the hockey uniform. She wasn't looking for a date with anyone right now. And, besides, while she had planned to make a donation to the program, one this big would put a huge strain on her budget now that she had left the big firm she'd worked for and was flying solo.

"Six-thirty all right by you?" Reese blinked at Alex. He looked harried and alarmed and so very, very sexy. Then he grinned, multiplying the sexy part by ten. "I have to go." Reese looked behind him at where Laura was descending with blood in her eyes. Then he was gone, practically dragging the other woman out with him.

*** Later that night, Alex looked at his watch for the third time, questioning the sanity behind his decision to push ahead with the date. Oh, sure, there was the principle of the thing. But now that Reese was a good twenty minutes late…well, it made him wonder if the strain on his relationship with Laura was worth it. "Sorry I'm late." Alex moved his napkin aside and started to get up. He had but to hear Reese's breathy, thick voice and he was hot all over again. Strange… Then his ankle felt cold. Stranger still… "Get back here!" Alex finally looked up only to find Reese nowhere in sight. The table jumped. He raised a brow and leaned back in his chair, watching familiar hands wrap themselves around a familiar Chihuahua where it was sniffing his pants hem. A yelp, then the dog was stuffed into a large tapestry bag and Reese was sitting across from him trying to smooth out her hair. "Hello again," Alex said, unable to help his grin. Her answering smile notched his already high temperature level up a couple more degrees. "Oh, is it still the same day? I could have sworn at least a week passed since this morning." She might have felt that way, but to Alex she looked like she'd just climbed out of a perfectly warm bed made especially for two. Her hair was tangled, her skin flushed, and her smile was decidedly…provocative. Was she coming on to him? The possibility had its upside…and downside. She picked up her napkin, appeared unsure what to do with it, then put it next to her plate. One moment, all sex and suggestion; the next, she looked ready to jump out of her skin. The juxtaposition was all too intriguing and attractive. "I…" she bit on her lip, appearing to spot someone she knew. "I've got to go to the ladies' room." Alex took a long sip of water to moisten his throat, noting a man standing near the bar who had eyes only for Reese. She fidgeted. "Could you use some help?" Alex asked. "Help? Oh, help!" Her confusion melted into amusement. "Actually, yes, I could."

Alex's throat would never be right again. "With Cupid. You know, the dog." She shifted the bag under the table until it rested against his ankle. "You don't mind, do you?" Alex shook his head, incapable of speech just then. He watched the sexy sway of her hips under black silk as she walked away, then tugged at his tie. Oh, boy. What had he let himself open for? The bag against his leg moved. He looked down to catch Cupid — was its name really Cupid? — leaping out of the bag and darting across the floor….

Chapter Three

What was Josh doing here? Reese wasn't big on coincidences. She cut a wide arc toward the restrooms past the bar and said out of the corner of her mouth, "I'm going to the ladies' room. When I come back through here, you'd better be gone." Josh's quiet chuckle grated rather than excited…unlike the way Alex's laugh affected her. "Imagine running into you here," Josh said. "Who's the brainless jock?" For all intents and purposes, on the looks scale Josh rated a high nine on a scale of one to ten. The fact that he was an attorney also didn't hurt matters. If only he didn't remind her of the brother she'd never had and his interest in her — as he'd told her a few months ago — didn't stem strictly from the fact that she reminded him so much of his late mother. Reese shuddered. "Five minutes. That's it. Then you're out of here." "Is that any way to treat an old colleague?" "Actually 'stalker' is hitting closer to the mark lately." She pointed a finger at him. "Five minutes." She hurried toward the ladies' room, hoping Alex hadn't seen her. Then she questioned why she cared. Only she already knew why. She was attracted to the sexy athlete on such an acute level her very skin seemed to vibrate when he looked at her with those dark, dark eyes. She wanted this night to play out to its natural conclusion. Without interference from Josh. Without mention of Laura. And with as little trouble from Cupid, both in reality and mythological form. She smiled at a woman coming out of the rose-and-gold bathroom then stepped inside to find the room empty. She gasped when she caught sight of her matted hair in the mirror. Oh, yeah, that probably earned her points with Alex. She twisted her lips after she reapplied lipstick. Hmm…how many points would it take, exactly, to entice him into her bed?

***

Alex caught sight of a Cornish hen on a fellow diner's plate, absently wondering what Cupid would look like prepared for dinner. He grinned and tried to play like he wasn't chasing a Chihuahua around the dining room of the exclusive restaurant. Posture relaxed, gait controlled. The instant he reached the hall leading to the restrooms, however, all bets were off and he broke into a run. Cupid starting barking, her skinny little legs moving faster than Alex would have ever thought possible. A man stepped out of the men's room as Alex made a grab for the Chihuahua. Cupid growled then nipped at the other man's ankle, causing the diner to rush in the other direction. "Demon seed," Alex muttered, giving up and leaning on the wall outside the ladies' room. He idly listened. When he didn't hear anything, he pushed open the door. Cupid dashed inside like a mutt hell-bent on a mission. Alex followed her in, then stopped dead when he caught sight of Reese with the side of her skirt hiked up to hip level as she smoothed out sheer stockings attached to a sinful black-and-red-lace garter belt. "Cu!" she gasped as the dog wound around and around her ankles then barked at her as if offended she'd left her behind. "Um, you always wear those?" Reese jumped when she spotted him just inside the door. She allowed the material of her skirt to slink slowly back down her leg. "Only on special occasions," she said with a sexy smile. Alex's temperature gauge shot way past danger range as he held her provocative gaze. Whoa. The saying Dynamite comes in small packages definitely applied to the sexy woman in front of him. The door smacked him in the back. Reese's eyes widened as she quickly scooped up the dog, grabbed him by the front of his shirt, then shoved him into an empty stall, following thereafter and closing the door. The bony, shivering dog aside, Alex liked this new position. A lot. In order to fit in the small space, Reese was flush up against him, her head coming to shoulder level, the scent of…was that peaches? Yes, it definitely was, and it was as intoxicating as the feel of the woman herself. "Miss Sherwood?" Alex's eyes snapped open where he'd had them closed, enjoying merely smelling the woman in his arms. Laura. If ever Alex needed reminding why he shouldn't be lusting after Reese, he'd just gotten it in spades. Reese scooted a little closer even as Alex verified that the stall walls and door swept from floor to ceiling, making it impossible for anyone to get a look under or over. He absently rubbed his neck, not liking the image of Laura crawling on top of the neighboring commode to get a gander at him and Reese. "I don't know if you're in here, but if you are…well, I just wanted to tell you that Alex and I are going to get married. This was the night he was to propose." Reese tried to lift her head to look at him. Alex planted his chin in her hair so she couldn't. "I bought the ring and everything." Alex grimaced. Laura had bought the ring?

"I know I really messed things up at the auction, but, you know, it's not too late to set things right. Name your price. I'll meet it." Laura's voice dropped. "Tonight was supposed to be the story I shared with our grandchildren." Alex swallowed hard even as his body reacted to Reese's closeness. No, he didn't think Laura wanted to know what the real story was. Namely that he was so attracted to the woman currently in his arms that not even Laura's voice could quell his reaction. A sigh sounded, then the rest room door opened and closed again, signaling Laura's departure. Alex stood stock-still for long moments, trying to make sense out of what had just happened…and struggling to get a grip on himself. Finally, Reese shifted. She opened the door, peeked outside, then moved to step out. Alex caught her arm. The somber expression on her face made his gut hurt…and made him want to kiss her more now than he had five minutes ago. "Reese, I'm…" "Shh," she said, pressing the pad of her index finger against his lips. She dropped her hand. "Do you ever think that sometimes things happen for a reason?" He stared at her. "Of course you don't. You're a man. But I'm starting to think so. Five minutes ago I wanted you so badly that I was willing to do whatever it took to get you between the sheets." Alex squinted at her, thinking she had to be the sexiest damn woman he'd ever laid eyes on. "And now?" "Now I feel like gravel grit knowing that if I do what I want, someone will be hurt." Her gaze flitted to his mouth. Alex went into instant meltdown. "But, if you wouldn't mind, I would like to see if you kiss as good as I think you will. How much harm can a kiss do…?"

Chapter Four

Having a conscience really sucked sometimes. That's what Reese caught herself thinking more times than she could count during the intimate dinner for two that had turned into a table for four and included not only Laura but Josh. She'd also caught herself touching her lips frequently as if to reassure herself that she had, indeed, kissed Alex. And that the lingering meeting of mouths had really stirred her the way she remembered. In fact, now that she thought about it, neither she nor Alex had done a lot of talking throughout the excruciatingly long five-course meal. Rather, Josh and Laura had chatted nonstop, more often with each other, while Cupid had sat in her bag staring at Reese as if she had committed some unforgivable sin. What? she'd wanted to ask the dog. I only asked for a kiss. Surely that wasn't a prosecutable offense. No, the act wasn't. But still wanting Alex…well, that had to rate as burn-in-hell-for-all-eternity material, didn't it?

"So I guess this is goodnight." Alex walked Reese to her apartment door on the third floor of a new building near Old Town Albuquerque. Laura and Josh had appeared reasonably convinced that they'd thwarted any romantic attentions between them and hadn't blinked when Alex had offered to see Reese home. The other couple had stayed at the restaurant to finish off the last bottle of wine. "Yeah. I guess it is," she said quietly. Man, but she looked good, Alex thought. Better than any one woman had a right to. And that she wasn't trying to appeal to him made her sexier still. Her blue eyes sparkled as she kept her gaze averted. Her cheeks were rosy red. And her mouth emerged so utterly kissable that… He kissed it. Again. A small voice in the back of his mind asked him what the hell he was doing. Told him there was another woman waiting for him back at the restaurant and that Reese didn't want this any more than he did. But he couldn't seem to stop himself. Then Reese began kissing him back, and he knew he was toast. Alex couldn't remember a time when he'd been more entranced with a woman. One minute he was completely coherent, intent on saying goodbye with no chance of their paths crossing again; the next he was touching her in a hungry way that left him mindless with pure, selfish lust. His fingers slid through the silken strands of her blond hair even as he slanted his head for a better meeting. She tasted of peaches and wine and was hotter than hot. Cupid yapped. Alex slowly realized they had the dog sandwiched between them. Reese laughed quietly then cleared her throat. "Was that a part of the auction contract?" Auction? Contract? Alex slowly removed his hands from where they rested on either side of her neck. Of course. The auction…Laura and Josh. He grimaced. Just what did Josh mean to Reese? An unfair question given his own connection to Laura. But that didn't stop him from wanting to know. Reese opened the door to her apartment and stepped inside. Cupid immediately leaped from her arms and began running circles around her ankles. Not that Reese noticed. She'd turned back toward Alex and was looking at him with those wet blue eyes. Her tongue darted out to moisten her swollen lips, then she thrust her hand toward him. "It was nice to meet you, Alex. Thanks for sharing Valentine's Day with me." He stared at her fingers as if they belonged to someone else. Alex squinted at her as he slowly accepted her handshake. He heard her swallow thickly. "Another time…another place…maybe…" Maybe, hell. He wanted her now. Everything and everyone else be damned…. Reese gasped as Alex used their joined hands to back her into her apartment. She was barely aware of the door closing as his hard male heat covered her front, his large, possessive hands claiming her from behind. Her heart hammered in her chest as he kissed her in a way that left no doubt of his intent. She tried to tell herself that what they were doing was selfish. That Laura was worried sick she was losing the man of her dreams. And that Josh was probably reworking out his campaign to win her over. But even as

her conscience whispered into her mental ear, sizzling sensation slinked over her body, silencing the voice with the ragged sound of her own breathing. Never, ever had she wanted a man like she wanted Alex right then. He represented everything she'd never had and everything that she'd always crave. She didn't want to think beyond what might happen in the next few moments. Alex's hands slid down to her bottom and he hauled her against his thick, hard arousal, chasing even that thought from her mind as she surrendered to pure, hot pleasure. Throughout dinner, she'd learned that they shared absolutely nothing in common. While she came from a large family whose parents had stayed married for the past thirty-five years — no matter how questionable the bonds might be right now — Alex was an only child who barely knew his father, and his mother made J.Lo look like an amateur in the marry 'em then leave 'em department. Where she valued education and was always taking an accredited course of some sort in the hopes of someday earning her Ph.D., Alex leaned more toward sports. Even when he eventually retired from playing hockey, he wanted to coach it, report on it, in some way be a part of it. But while they emerged complete opposites in personality and interests, what was passing between them now called attention to the way they clicked. Hungry mouths kissed and pulled and sucke;, hands sought and kneaded and squeezed. Before Reese knew it, she was stepping out of her skirt even as she pushed back Alex's shirt far enough to gain access to his amazing shoulders. She reached down to release her garters. Alex caught her hand. "Leave 'em," he rasped. His words left her even hotter than she was before. So incredibly hot she was surprised she didn't spontaneously combust on the spot. She began backing up, leading him toward her bedroom, but there wasn't enough time for that. Instead, they fell to her mission-style couch, her thighs being parted by Alex's knee, the sound of a condom being opened and put on, then… Every molecule of air exited Reese's mouth as Alex entered her to the hilt, filling her not only physically but seeming to permeate every cell of her body, her mind, her soul. She clutched to him, her fingers digging deeply into the hard flesh of his back even as she wondered how she was ever going to let him go….

Chapter Five

Wow. That was the singular word that echoed through Alex's mind again and again as he jogged through the streets near his condo in the predawn hours, the Sandia Mountains looming like large shadows in the distance. He'd reluctantly left Reese's warm bed and hot body what seemed like a lifetime ago, but the clarity he hoped would come with his departure refused to materialize. What, if anything, did this sensation of…detachment from everything that had once seemed familiar to him mean? His breathing exited in a white cloud through his mouth as sweat trickled down his back. Before he knew

that's where he was heading, he'd jogged the three miles from his place to Laura's, then stopped dead cold on the corner opposite her apartment building. A light burned in the window, but he couldn't be sure if that meant she was up or whether she'd left it on when she'd finally given up waiting for a response to the message she'd left on his machine the night before. Alex absently rubbed his arm as he forced himself to do what needed to be done. While things were too complicated for him to ever consider returning to Reese's, he owed it to Laura to tell her what he did know. Namely, that he couldn't push forward with their relationship without the passion required to bind them irrevocably together. He took the steps to the third floor two at a time then stood outside the door. He raised his hand to knock, but before his knuckles met the wood, it opened inward. She must have been waiting for him was his first thought. Then he saw Josh buttoning up his shirt, with a clingy Laura holding him from behind. It seemed he and Reese weren't the only ones being bad last night. "Alex!" Laura's surprised response pretty much summed up how they all felt. For long moments they stood and stared at each other. Then by agreement, Josh went back into the apartment while Laura stepped out into the hall. Alex took her in, unable to remember if she had ever looked that way with him. No, he decided. She never had. And the atmosphere that now existed between them told him they both knew that. "Funny how things work out, huh?" he finally said. Laura gave a small laugh devoid of humor. "Yeah." Alex smiled at her then hooked his arm around her neck, pulled her to his side and kissed her temple. "You're a great kid, Laura." "You're not so bad yourself, Alex." He released her, walked to the stairs, then paused briefly before leaving her and her apartment house behind for good.

***

What a difference a month made, Reese thought ruefully. Well, at least for everyone but her. Her neighbor and friend Natalie had gotten the proposal she'd wanted. Her parents had reconciled and were even now on a second honeymoon in Hawaii. And Josh and Laura had just announced their own engagement in the Albuquerque Tribune last weekend. Local doctor to wed lawyer in coming nuptials, the headline had read. Bully for them. Reese left legal briefs and depositions littering the top of her kitchen table and got down on her hands and knees to scrub the floor, needing some kind of physical release from her thoughts. It seemed that life was

going on as planned for everyone but her. Of course, it would help if she knew exactly what it was she wanted. Well, beyond a phone call from Alex, whom she hadn't heard from since that one unforgettable night four weeks and two days ago. An hour and a half later her floor gleamed like it had never gleamed before…and she was just as restless as she was before she'd started…and looked twice as bad. She sat back on her heels and thought about what else she could possibly do to exorcise the demons haunting her from within and wished like hell that it was Monday instead of Sunday so at least work could occupy her mind. She just didn't get it. Why hadn't Alex called? She'd found out fairly quickly from a love-bitten Josh that Laura wasn't a part of the picture anymore. And considering what had passed between her and Alex that mind-blowing night… She tossed the scrub brush into the bucket, wincing when dirty water splashed across the front of her sweatshirt. Of course, she could always call him…. She made a face. Why would she do that? It was obvious that he viewed what had happened as a one-night stand. Or even worse yet, a lapse in good judgment. She'd only look like a bigger fool if she turned up on his doorstep asking if he wanted to have another run at it only to suffer rejection a second time. A knock on her apartment door. She rolled her eyes to stare at the ceiling. She didn't think she could take another wistful gush of Nat's. First pink then teal for the bridesmaid's dresses. A honeymoon in the Bahamas. A house in Santa Fe. She was happy for her friend. Really, she was. But right about now she could only take so much of everyone else's happiness. Another insistent knock. Lethargically lifting to her feet, she brushed ineffectually at the water stains on the front of her shirt then finally pulled her apartment door open. Only, Natalie wasn't there. A sharp bark. She looked down to find Cupid running back and forth in front of the door, her tiny pink tongue lolling out, her skinny legs a blur. Reese looked up and down the hall then scooped the little troublemaker up. "What, did Mama get tired of waiting for me to answer and leave you behind?" She closed the door and patted the little beast, something hitting her hand as she did so. "What's this?" She fingered the small red-wrapped box attached to the Chihuahua's collar. Cupid gave another sharp yap. "For Reese" was written on a small card on top. "Happy Valentine's Day." She freed the box from Cupid's collar then put the dog down. Who could have…? She caught her breath at the simple silver heart on a chain nestled in red velvet. There had to be a mistake. This had to be Natalie's. It only made sense since it was on Cupid's collar. Besides, Valentine's Day was a good month in the past. Cupid kicked up a fuss near the door. Reese absently watched as the little dog started digging as if seeking escape. "All right, all right, let's take you back home." She opened the door again to find that someone was now standing there. Only, it wasn't Nat. It was Alex.

And she knew immediately that he was behind the gift and the way it was given. Was it her or had all the air just been sucked out of the apartment complex? She barely registered how incredibly good he looked and smelled. Couldn't begin to fathom what his grin or his being there meant. She could concentrate on little more than the thick beating of her heart. "I, um, never got a chance to give you a Valentine's Day gift," he said quietly. "Happy Valentine's Day." She opened her mouth several times, like a windsock caught in a gusty wind. "You never called." "I know." He slid his hands into the pockets of his jeans. "And I'm sorry for that. But after everything that happened…well, I didn't think it would be a good idea." He cocked a half grin at her. "You know, it's not every day that a guy gets blindsided the way you blindsided me. One minute I was ready to get down on one knee and propose to Laura — the next I wanted to get down on both knees and do some very decadent things to you." He slowly shrugged his shoulders. "The problem is that the more I try to talk myself into believing that what happened between us was a case of temporary lust…well, the more I can't stop thinking about you, period. And I…well, I…" Reese was completely incapable of speech. "Will you…" Alex finally continued, devouring her with his dark, dark eyes. "Will you do me the honor of having dinner with me tonight?" he asked. She watched as Natalie let Cupid inside the apartment down the hall, giving her a little wink. "Get in here." Reese hauled Alex inside and slammed the door. Oh, there were several things on Reese's agenda right now. And while none of them included food, there were all those decadent things Alex talked about. And she figured the next fifty years or so should be enough time to do them all. Happy Valentine's Day, indeed.…

The End