Your Room or Mine?

Two

“I’m having trouble drudging up any sympathy for a woman who’s spending the weekend at the fabulous Casa di Lago,” said Emma Haygood, stabbing at her Caesar salad with a plastic fork.

Madeline Price looked across the small marble-topped table at her best friend. They’d managed to meet for lunch-something they tried to do once a week, but between Madeline’s rotating job assignments and Emma’s crazy schedule at the local television station where she worked as a producer, it wasn’t always possible. But since Java Heaven’s offices were close to both the TV station and the huge food court where they now sat, they’d been able to meet more regularly.

“It would be fabulous if I were going for a round of golf, a tennis match, and a facial,” Madeline grumbled, using her wooden chopsicks to pick up a stir-fried shrimp. “Unfortunately, it’s going to be all work and no play.”

“Surely you’ll have some downtime.”

“I guess. But not much. Maybe I can squeeze in a massage.” Yes, a massage would be great. God knows she’d been tense lately.

Emma leaned closer and said in a low voice, “I think you should squeeze in some S-E-X.”

Madeline laughed. “Oh, sure. Like that’s going to happen at a corporate team building. I know it’s been a long time since I’ve actually had sex, so my memory’s a little fuzzy, but if I recall correctly, one requires a partner. A living, breathing partner, as opposed to a battery-operated one.” Still chuckling, she popped her shrimp into her mouth.

“And that’s what I’m suggesting you find.” Emma waggled her brows. “Just like I did.”

Madeline paused midchew, then swallowed. “What did you find?”

“A living, breathing partner.” Emma heaved out a gushy sigh.

“And I can sum him up in one word: yummy. He was all action, no talk, and just what the doctor ordered. I highly recommend a good old-fashioned one-night stand.”

“When did this happen? Where? How? I thought we were on a man sabbatical.” After suffering through one too many disastrous dates with men who were either boring or arrogant or commitment-phobes interested only in sex, she and Emma had decided to take a break from the singles scene and concentrate on themselves. They’d taken up jogging and signed up for a cooking class, and for a while things had gone well. She’d lost three pounds-which she gained back during the cooking class-but it was such a relief not to have to deal with dating.

Lately, however, relief had morphed into loneliness and she’d been rethinking her decision. Unfortunately, with work so busy, she didn’t have the time right now to devote to a social life.

“We were on a sabbatical,” Emma agreed. “But after six months of celibacy, I was feeling kinda stressed, not to mention horny. I met a man who lit my fire, and whew!” She waved her hand in front of her face. “Let me tell you, he was hot. As for when and where-last night, at the Ritz-Carlton. And as for how”-her lips curved in a slow smile-“Good lord, how didn’t that man please me?”

A fissure of what could only be described as envy rippled through Madeline. “Okay, I’m officially jealous. But I meant how did you meet him?”

Emma waved her fork around. “Right here. In this very food court. Yesterday. The place was packed-not an empty table in sight. Tons of schoolkids. Must have been some mega class trip downtown. There was an empty chair at my table, he asked if could join me, and… there you have it.”

“If he was so fantastic, why was it just a one-nighter? Why not see him again?”

“He lives in New York and was here just for a few days for a conference. He flew home this morning.” Emma forked up another bite of salad. “Which made it perfect-a night of great sex with no expectations, no messy relationship stuff, no awkward date. I feel sooooo much better. You should try it. This weekend. At the resort.”

“Right. Except you’re forgetting I’ve never been good at the one-night stand situation. The few times I’ve made the attempt, it just didn’t work out.”

“You mean you chickened out.”

“I did not. I was just struck with shyness.”

“Uh-huh. Which is secret code for ‘I chickened out.’ ” Emma helpfully demonstrated her point by flapping her arms and making clucking sounds.

Maddie sighed. “Okay, fine. I chickened out.”

“So this time don’t. Be brave. Be bold. Be daring.”

Could she do it? History said no, but she was so tired of being alone. “Well, if I was going to give it a go, who do you propose I have this steaming one-nighter with? Certainly not one of the Java Heaven people. You know I never swim in the company pool.” An image flashed in her mind-of deep blue eyes, dark hair, and a sexy smile-an image she instantly banished. Why in God’s name did that annoying pest Jack Walker always pop into her mind at the most inappropriate moments?

“I know, although I think it’s a gray area since your tenure at any company is finite. But in this case, it’s not necessary to even consider anyone from Java Heaven.” Emma reached into her soft-sided leather briefcase and pulled out the newspaper. She shuffled through several sections, then handed the sports section to Maddie. “Check out the little blurb on the bottom left.”

Maddie quickly scanned the brief article. “There’s a charity golf tournament taking place this weekend at Casa di Lago.” She glanced up. “What does that have to do with me?”

Emma rolled her eyes. “Did you not notice who’s taking part in this golf tournament? Firemen. Lots of firemen. Hot, sexy, muscular, sexy, delicious-did I mention sexy?-firemen. At least one of whom I’m sure would be very willing and able to end your sexual drought. You’d have a great weekend, let off some steam, then never have to see him again. Take it from me-it’s a perfect opportunity.”

The thought of a no-holds-barred, no-commitment-required, liberating night of wild sex rushed heat through Maddie’s entire body. “That sounds good,” she admitted.

“Of course it does. Just a little something to take the edge off.”

“Right. ’Til the real thing comes along.”

“Exactly. Good grief, Maddie, you’re twenty-eight years old. It’s time you indulged in a one-nighter. Don’t be so serious all the time.”

“I’m not serious all the time.” Yet even as she said the words, she realized that over the last few months she had been. She’d forgotten how to have fun. She’d moved into her dateless cave where aggravating men didn’t exist, but neither did any potentially good men-and they had to be out there somewhere. Didn’t they? Just because she didn’t currently know any didn’t mean they were merely urban myths.

Although one-night stands had never been her style, she clearly needed a change. Something to jolt her out of her cave. A night of hot sex would certainly do that.

“So-what are you going to do?”

Maddie grabbed a pea pod with her chopsticks. “Pack my sexiest lingerie and find a fireman to put out this damn inferno inside me.”

Emma grinned. “ ’Atta girl. And don’t you dare chicken out. I’ll expect a full report Monday. Let’s meet here for lunch.”

“Fine. Hopefully I’ll have something interesting to tell you…” Her words trailed off into a low groan and she scooted low in her seat. “Damn. What’s he doing here?”

“Who?” Emma whispered, leaning close and looking around furtively.

“Jack Walker.”

Emma’s blue eyes widened. “The Demon CFO of Java Heaven? Mr. Misery?”

“And Olympic gold medalist for Pain in the Ass. The very same. What are the chances he’d be here?”

“Actually, since the office is only three blocks away, pretty good.” Emma leaned a bit closer. “Which one is he?”

Maddie’s gaze flicked over Emma’s shoulder. “Tall, dark hair, charcoal gray suit, standing in line at the pizza place.”

Emma gave a surreptitious glance over her shoulder, one that turned into a double take. When she looked back at Maddie her mouth was hanging open. “That’s the guy you’ve been calling repulsive?” Emma took another peek, and even though Maddie didn’t want to look at him again, she found herself doing so. Jack was paying for his lunch, smiling at the cashier, then he laughed at something she said. He picked up his tray and found a table on the other side of the food court.

Jack Walker. Java Heaven CFO.

And currently the bane of her existence.

It was clear from her first day on the Java Heaven job a month ago that the new CFO wasn’t happy she was there. Not that she cared-she was accustomed to employees giving her the stink eye. Coming on board at Java Heaven certainly wasn’t the first time she’d been viewed as an interloper, a sentiment she could actually sympathize with. It was simply human nature that most people were initially resistant to change and to outsiders. She took pride in her role of helping companies run more efficiently, and early on in her career had developed a thick skin. She wasn’t at Java Heaven to win any popularity contests. And besides, she certainly didn’t care what Jack Walker thought of her.

“Honey, if you think that man is repulsive, you need new glasses. Stat.”

Emma’s voice yanked Maddie’s attention back to her friend. “I didn’t mean he’s physically repulsive.” Although she wished he was. It simply wasn’t fair that such a pain in the butt was so extremely attractive. “But we both know the type-good-looking guy who clearly knows it.”

Emma nodded. “The better looking they are, the worse they are.” “Exactly.”

“Which means he must be really, really bad. ’Cause looks-wise, he’s really, really good. How old is he?”

“Office scuttlebutt is that he’s thirty-two.”

“Perfect. Not too young, not too old, although on the young side for a CFO. He must be very smart.”

“Yes. And in his case, with great intelligence comes great annoyance.”

Emma laughed. “You sure he’s not taken?”

“He’s not married, or engaged,” Maddie said, “but he’s definitely a player.” She’d observed a number of female employees giving Jack Walker the once-over-more than once. Although she had to grudgingly admit she couldn’t blame them, nor had she seen him catch any of the ogling passes tossed his way. Still, she knew a player when she saw one. “He takes long lunches every Wednesday, often returning to the office with his tie askew. Yeah, like it isn’t obvious what he’d been up to. Yesterday he came back from his Wednesday lunch with red on his collar. As if I don’t know lipstick when I see it. He probably has more notches on his bedpost than an entire college fraternity. No doubt the sidewalk outside his house is littered with broken hearts.”

“Well, based on looks alone, he’d be an easy man to say yes to.” A gleam entered Emma’s eyes and she leaned forward. “Hey-if you can’t find a fireman to warm you up, why not give Mr. Gorgeous a chance?”

A wave of heat that had nothing to do with her spicy shrimp stir-fry suffused Maddie. Get naked with Jack Walker? That sounded…

Absolutely terrible, screamed her common sense.

Absolutely freakin’ fantastic, shouted her suddenly awake libido.

She stared across the table at Emma. “Clearly his good looks have addled your brain. Are you nuts? There are so many things wrong with that suggestion I don’t even know where to begin.”

“Name one.”

“We work together.”

Emma waved her lettuce-laden fork in a dismissive gesture. “But that’s the gray area. You’ll only be working together for another month.”

“Yes. A month that is going to be difficult enough without adding sex into the mix. Jack already sees me as an interloper, a troublemaker, and a spy for the CEO. It does not make for a pleasant work environment.”

Emma shot her a wink. “A few orgasms might change that.”

Maddie’s gaze involuntarily drifted to Jack, who was taking a huge bite of what looked like pepperoni pizza. He didn’t carry an ounce of fat on what was obviously a very fit physique-just one more thing to dislike about him. He could eat fattening, cheesy pizza without it adhering to his ass for eight months. Damn, he even looked good when he chewed.

Just then his gaze connected with hers. And like it did every time he looked at her, for several seconds she seemed to freeze and heat at the same time-like a deer caught in the headlights while surrounded by a ring of fire. For the space of a heartbeat he seemed to still as well. The image of them, together, sharing a few orgasms, seared through her mind, stunning her. He gave her a curt nod then looked down at the book resting open on his table.

“You okay?”

Emma’s voice jerked her back. “Huh?”

“You look flushed. Are you hot?”

On fire. And it was all that annoying man’s fault. If she was having sexual fantasies about a man she didn’t even like, it was definitely time to end her sexual drought.

“It’s warm in here,” Maddie said. “What were we talking about?”

“Jack Gorgeous Walker.”

“Right. But you’re forgetting he’s also Jack Pain in the Ass Walker. Besides, the fact that he’s gorgeous is half the problem. Thanks to Danny I know all too well that handsome on the outside doesn’t always equal handsome on the inside.” She shoved aside all thoughts of her last steady boyfriend and heaved a sigh. “Why is it that where men are concerned, there seems to be an inverse proportion of good looks to integrity: The better looking he is, the greater the chance he’s an asshole?”

“Don’t know,” Emma said, “but it should probably be some scientific law. Like relativity or gravity.”

“I suppose I have to admit-grudgingly-that Jack’s intelligent and doing a good job in a difficult situation, but that doesn’t mean he couldn’t use some outside help. Of course, he’s too arrogant to see that. Oh, sure, he’ll sit across from me at a conference table and hear out my suggestions, but it’s clear from his excruciatingly polite expression and the way he seems to look through me rather than at me that he’s merely humoring me.”

“I hate it when men do that,” Emma agreed, stabbing a crouton with her fork.

“Outright hostility I can deal with, but Jack’s method of hearing me but not listening to me, of looking at me but not seeing me, is so annoying.”

“He’s scum.” Emma blew out a regretful-sounding sigh. “But damn, he is hot scum.”

Much as she wanted to, Maddie couldn’t deny it. “But in my book, annoying trumps hot every time. Plus, not only is he annoying, I simply don’t understand him. Most of the executive types I’ve met are driven, to the point of working seventy or eighty hours a week. Jack doesn’t put in a minute of overtime on Fridays.”

“Probably wants to get an early start on the weekend,” Emma said, crunching on her crouton.

“Oh, yeah. I pegged him as the boff-a-babe-at-lunchtime, love-and-leave-’em sort I can’t stand the day I met him. Not that it matters. I only need to deal with him for another month and then I’ll be gone from Java Heaven and on to my next assignment. And I’ll never have to see Jack Walker again.”

Emma stole another peek over her shoulder. “It is so unfair that all that lovely male pulchritude is wasted on someone so undeserving.”

“Agreed.” Because if he were a nice guy, she’d jump him in a heartbeat.

Yeah, her and every other woman in Atlanta. Yet clearly his annoying traits weren’t hindering his success with women. Not that she was envious of his obviously active social life. Heck no. She had no desire to sleep with a bunch of different men-a preference that had led to her current sexual drought. Of course, sleeping with one man-a man who mattered-would be nice. But finding a man who mattered-one with integrity, and intelligence, a sense of humor, and a liking for monogamy-had proven as difficult as locating a single pearl on a fifty-mile stretch of beach.

Dating in Atlanta was brutal. While in theory a one-night stand might be good for what ailed her-and she’d definitely been tense lately-finding a man she wanted to get naked with was proving a challenge. Although the city was littered with attractive men, it unfortunately took more than looks to interest her. Still, for the purposes of a one-night stand with a sexy, golfing fireman, handsome was enough. Emma was right. She’d chickened out in the past but she wouldn’t this time. After all, this weekend she was just looking for one night-not for forever.