This tall drink of water is Christmas come early, just what I need to distract myself. With jet black hair, deep blue eyes, and a lust-worthy physique, the man at the bar is a welcome distraction from the everyday.

Right now, I have the kind of thirst born from anxiety. I need something to calm me down. Liquor won’t get the job done.

The meeting ahead of me tonight is one of the biggest opportunities of my entrepreneurial life. Maybe the greatest. I’m prepared, but as the stakes are so high, I’m wound up and ready to pounce. I need to find some way to keep the excitement in check so I don’t end up seeming too eager. That’s the last thing a company like Tapped would want. They seek out startups that don’t need them. For this meeting with Gerome Forer, I have to at least act like I don’t give a crap whether they work with me or not. That’s going to take guts.

Luckily, I seem to have found just the thing to strengthen my core—from the inside out.

“My room?” I ask, throwing it out there as a question, but honestly, that’s the only way I’ll have a one-time thing—in familiar territory, and close to the Ruger LC9s I like to take on my travels.

Nick doesn’t skip a beat. “Sure.”

My heart pounds. I’ve picked up a few men in my day, but never this fast. I swallow hard and focus on why I need this. It’s a random hookup with purpose. I’m nervous now, but will have the edge off later. Which is good, because excitement nudges out anxiety. One more turn in the hall and we’ll be in my room.

I unlock the door, taking my time to step inside the dark, unlit room, made darker with the closed blackout blinds at the window. Nick suddenly grabs me by the waist, making me gasp. He spins me around and slams the door shut behind us.

His hands move up my waist and over my shoulders before brushing my cheek. “You’re so fucking sexy.”

The lust in his voice ignites a fire in me. I can’t only rationalize that our impending hookup is all about letting off steam. It’s also driven by real desire.

Nick presses his soft lips against mine. The touch travels through my mouth and down my body, melting any other hesitation. Two seconds of the kiss and I’m putty in his hands. His lips move down to my throat, kissing and nipping the skin, causing my head to roll back.

I slip my hands under his suit jacket and tug his shirt out of his pants. His skin is hot, and all these toned, bulky muscles only serve to ramp up my need. He grabs my ass cheeks, and slowly, his hands move to the front of my pants. Gripping the waistband, he lowers the zipper and pushes my pants down past my hips.

I’m drenched between my legs by the time Nick returns his mouth to my lips. Our tongues hungrily taste and tease each other, driven both by lust and the urgency of the situation. At any second, one of us can come to our senses and realize how reckless we’re being. At any moment, logic can take hold. The idea of stopping before we start makes me crave him more. Wetness drips from me and soaks my panties.

Nick must read my mind. He grabs at them and pulls them off, leaving me naked below the waist, except for my stiletto pumps—my Louboutin power shoes that somehow makes casual sex seem much more exotic. A warm finger pushes into me. Nick makes a satisfied noise against my mouth. He fumbles at his pants, his belt clinking around. There’s a familiar crinkling and the ripping of a condom wrapper. I’d like to get an idea of what I have to work with before he wraps it up. Unwilling to wait, I reach down and slide my fingers under the waistband of this boxers.

Nice.

Long, thick, already pulsing in my hand.

The image of me getting on my knees and tasting him, comes to the forefront. But a blow job is not on Nick’s agenda right now. Maybe he’s hoping I don’t change my mind. Maybe he knows how badly I need a good fuck right now.

Nick picks me up off the floor, wrapping my legs around his waist right there at the door. He grabs my ass and lifts me up a bit. I hardly flinch as he slams my back against the wall. Good. A man who isn’t afraid to take control right out the gate. With a smooth thrust of his hips, he enters me just a little. I close my eyes and moan from his thickness parting my throbbing lips, slowly breaching my opening, torturing me inch by inch. Needing something to hold on to, I press my palms against his shoulders. His hands lift me up then, and lowers me down on his cock again.

Nick’s got me pinned against the wall. I squirm with pained pleasure. The sensation is almost too much to handle as he slides into me all the way, then drives in more quickly. And again. He sinks into me. Every strike bumps me against the wall. My shoulder blades scrape the harsh surface and his nails prick my bare ass, but pleasure builds deep inside me.

His mouth covers mine again, clashing our teeth together. I needed this so badly that all it takes to get me to the edge is Nick sliding a finger past my asshole as he fucks me hard. My pleasure erupts. My legs quake as the euphoric rush washes over me, stretching on as he continues to bury himself as far as my pulsing womb will allow. I begin to think this orgasm will stretch on forever, and Nick seems to want that too.

He does what he came here for. Nail me. Make me come. And hopefully, blow his load before I ask him to leave. I press my teeth against his earlobe, just to help him along a bit.

“I like the way you fuck me,” I moan, and he tenses against me, grunting and gasping for air as he erupts so deep inside of me.

“Fuck,” he groans low, his breath scraping my neck.

He slowly sets me back down on the floor. I’m pretty satisfied with myself. The edge is off, my leg muscles ache in a good way, and I even enjoy bending over to find my underwear and pants in the darkness. The only downside is that I keep wondering how much better he’d be if I gave him more time. Can the next orgasm he causes end up driving me out of my head? How good is he at muff diving? What will it feel like to ride him? What about if we try it on a bed next time?

I remind myself that there’s no place for stupid questions like that. One time is one time. I’ve got a shower to take and a meeting to get to.

I pull my clothes on and feel for the door, smoothing my shirt as I turn to look at him.

“Nice meeting you, Nick.”

“Same here,” Nick rumbles.

New desire flows through me. If I didn’t have somewhere to be I would probably let him, throw him back on my bed and get the answer to a few questions right now. Opening the door, I let Nick slip out into the quiet hallway.

“Maybe I’ll catch you after your meeting,” he offers.

“At the bar?”

I hear myself answer, and immediately want to kick myself for acknowledging that I want round two. There are no round two’s in one-time fucks. I’m breaking a rule that’s probably written on a bathroom wall somewhere. I came to Oak Resort with a very specific purpose, to lock down a deal. I can’t afford to get distracted. Also, as hot as Nick is, one random hookup is enough. Two would leave me wanting a third.

Then again…

“Room two-seventeen,” he tells me. “I should be there by seven.”

Why not? It’s close to Christmas. My early dinner meeting will be over. The deal will be sealed. I’ll have a reason to celebrate.

And then I’ll never have to see Nick again.