Chapter One
I have found the perfect match for you.
Gabriel Walker lounged back on the couch, feet propped on the coffee table, and stared at the screen on his laptop. And it stared right back at him. Yup, still there.
Her name is Maggie Fitzgerald, he read on. All of her specifics are listed in the attached document. I’ve included two photos of her as well, as you requested. All the arrangements are ready, waiting only for your confirmation. If all is acceptable, please reply to this message and I will make the appropriate arrangements at the Castillo San Antonio. Madame Evangeline.
Gabe ran a hand over his stubbled jaw. Who’d believe that an alpha SEAL Team leader needed to apply to an online dating service? SEALs were supposed to have their pick of women.
Yeah, sure. But my problem is, no matter which woman I pick, my interest fades before I even get my pants off.
He looked at the header on the email. 1Night Stand. Well, he’d sure had plenty of those in his lifetime. So why had he felt it necessary to arrange one so formally?
He’d stumbled on the site late one night while bored and surfing the Internet, and it had piqued his interest. Oh, what the hell. On extended leave after four back-to-back missions in the Middle East and bored out of his skull with inactivity, playing games the women he knew found so fascinating no longer appealed to him. SEALs weren’t trained to be idle, so a little harmless exploration of the 1NS web site didn’t seem too out of line. He’d even had a good laugh while he filled out the application form, specifying what he wanted in his desired companion.
At least forty. Someone with a brain who was also at the peak of her sexual desire.
Likes inventive sex. A definite must.
Prefers bourbon to wine.
As he added a few more things, he told himself there was no way in a million years Madame Evangeline could find the woman he wanted.
He clicked on the attached document and up came the woman of his dreams. Right on his computer.
Maggie Fitzgerald.
Five feet four inches, one hundred thirty pounds.
Age: forty-two. Exactly ten years older than him. Perfect. For the last couple of years, the star of every one of his erotic fantasies had been a hot cougar. Older was definitely better.
Prefers Jack Daniel’s Black Label.
Seeking a man who likes creative sex and has great stamina.
Creative? Shit, I can do creative with my eyes closed. Not to mention staying power is never in question.
Prefers a Texan.
His eyes popped at that one. Texas born and bred, he came from a long line of natives of the Lone Star State. Had it been possible to find a woman with everything he’d asked for and one who hailed from Texas?
He read on. An architect, head of her own firm. Never married.
Good. Probably isn’t looking for it.
Next, he pulled up the headshot and his cock hardened to the point of pain, tenting the soft fabric of his sweat pants.
Jesus! Talk about hot.
Dark red hair tumbled in short curls and framed a face with high cheekbones, emerald green eyes, and thick lashes. Tiny lines at the corners of her eyes and a defined laugh line were the only indications this woman had passed her thirtieth birthday.
Wait. Is that a hint of a dimple in one cheek? Damn! Dimples just did it for him.
Finally, he opened the full-length photo and his hand automatically grabbed his shaft to ease the sudden, intense throbbing.
Holy shit! This is no skinny broad at all!
He stared at the picture of a mature woman with a ripe body and lush curves. His mouth went dry and his palms itched to cup her full breasts. Smooth down over those very tempting curves. And he bet her ass would make his mouth water. He could already visualize her naked, writhing beneath him in pleasure, his cock buried deep inside her. His tongue in her hot mouth.
Jesus!
His balls ached as if gripped in a vise and he’d bet if he looked, he’d see moisture on the head of his dick. Finally, finally a real woman he could let himself go with. Yeah, he could definitely get with the creative sex part.
Well, soldier, this is one damn fine one-night stand Madame Eve picked out for you. So what are you waiting for? Tell her it’s a go.
Licking his lips, he moved the cursor and clicked on Reply.
***
Maggie hadn’t expected an email back from 1Night Stand so quickly and it stunned her to open her computer and find it waiting for her
I have the perfect match for you and am delighted to produce results so quickly. I’m confident Gabriel Walker is exactly what you’re looking for. Like you, he seeks only one night of pleasure and his tastes mesh perfectly with yours. Here are his photos and his profile. If he is acceptable to you, simply reply to this email, confirming the date, and arrangements will be made. It’s a pleasure to serve you. Madame Evangeline.
Maggie had heard of 1Night Stand from two of her girlfriends, women fresh from the divorce mill who wanted one night with a man who could help them rebuild their shattered egos. Her ego was fine. She wanted something different. The men she dated were the problem. They were all older than her and had long since lost interest in experimentation in bed. Their major focus turned out to be the eleven o’clock news and the stock market report. But now, in the prime of her sexuality, Maggie wanted one night with a man who had a sex drive strong enough to match her own desires.
He couldn’t be some young stud, either. She wanted an educated man with a sharp mind who could engage in smart pillow talk.
She pulled up the info sheet on Gabriel Walker first and scanned the details on it. She could scarcely believe her luck as she read the specifics.
Six feet four inches, two hundred twenty pounds.
Age: thirty-two. Excellent. The strength of his sex drive should match hers.
Native Texan. Ohmigod! Be still, my heart!
College graduate.
Ten years in the SEALs, six as a team leader. An additional note said he used the logistics he’d studied for his business degree to plan his team’s missions with precision, a skill that had earned him two promotions in rank.
Prefers bourbon, although enjoys an occasional beer.
Thrives on imaginative sex. Has incredible staying power.
All sounding good.
Well, Mags, let’s see what he looks like.
She clicked on the head shot first and nearly fainted. Strong face with a square jaw and stormy grey eyes. Full, sensual lips. She wondered for a moment about the thick, jet black hair, longer than the usual military buzz cut, until she recalled SEALs weren’t required to follow the military dress code since they often needed to blend into their surroundings on missions in foreign countries.
But the other photo caused every nerve in her body to quiver, her breasts to ache, and cream from her overheated pussy to flood her thong. She picked up a folder from her desk and fanned herself.
She could think of only one description for his body—totally ripped. Broad shoulders and a wide chest tapered to a narrow waist and lean hips. Even his muscles had muscles. Maggie had to stop herself from reaching out to run her hand over the computer screen. Imaginative sex! Already she imagined their sweaty bodies tangled on the sheets, satisfying each other in ways the men she dated couldn’t even comprehend.
One night. One glorious night. That’s what she wanted. No ties. No strings. Then she could go back to her everyday existence knowing that at least once in her life she’d had her full-bodied younger man experience. Wild sex with a man who could keep up with her desires. And under the absolute best of conditions.
She wanted to leap up, pump her fist in the air, and shout Yes! Yes! Yes!
***
Madame Evangeline read the two emails and smiled in satisfaction. She worked diligently to make sure all of the couples she paired together matched the requested specifications and stated needs. And those had covered the full spectrum of human desires. But something about these two struck a chord with her. Maybe because they were both native Texans, a description that spoke as much to the colorful spirit of the people as to their birth.
She tapped her pen against the edge of her desk, thoughts swirling in her mind before she picked up the phone. The first call she made, to the Castillo San Antonio resort, didn’t give her the results she wanted.
“I’d love to accommodate you,” the manager told her, “but only orders from above could do that.”
Orders from above? Alright. No problem.
Working from memory, she quickly dialed a direct number that few people had. In moments, a deep male voice answered. Jackson Castillo, the CEO of the vast Castillo Hotels and Resorts, and a walking advertisement for her skills as a matchmaker.
“Ah. Madame Eve. Always a pleasure to hear from you.”
“Good morning. How are you and that lovely wife of yours?”
Jack’s full laugh echoed through the connection. “I’m fine. We’re both fine. But I know when you call me personally, you want something from me. What is it that my staff apparently can’t handle for you?”
“You know me so well.” She placed the pen on her desk precisely with the folder in front of her. “Well. I could use your considerable influence with your manager at Castillo San Antonio.” The company’s brochures listed the facility as one of the newest jewels in the Castillo crown.
“With Marcus?” Eve heard the surprise in his voice. “He’s very good. We brought him in from our facility in Las Vegas because of his expertise with multifaceted resorts. I’ve never had a complaint about him.”
“This isn’t a complaint, exactly,” she soothed. “And he handled the call with the utmost courtesy.”
“But?” Jackson prodded.
“But, I truly need the Republic of Texas suite for a very special night. I have new clients who just confirmed with me, and when I went to finalize the date, he told me, very graciously I might add, that what I need is not available and I would need an alternate selection. Jackson, you of all people should know how important the right surroundings can be.”
Besides being the CEO of an international hotel and resort chain, Jackson Castillo had been coaxed into a one-night stand with one of Eve’s clients. He and Leah were now very happily married.
“I agree,” he laughed. “So what do you need?”
”One of the clients is a sixth generation Texan and a SEAL just back from an extended deployment in Afghanistan. I want to make this extra special for him. And Marcus seems to have a hold on it per your instructions.”
“Oh? For what date?”
When she told him, Jack Castillo chuckled. “It’s nice to know my managers stick so closely to my orders, but this is one I can easily fix. Leah and I are coming to San Antonio for a few days to sort of test out the place, it being so new and all. I thought she’d get a kick out of staying in that suite decorated with all the iconic symbols of Texas history”
“But—” Eve began.
“But,” Jack went on smoothly, “our plans are fluid. I’ll call Marcus and tell him to make it available for you. He’ll call you himself.”
“Thank you. I appreciate it.”
“Eve.” His voice softened. “I owe you a debt of gratitude I’ll never be able to repay. If not for you, Leah and I wouldn’t be married.”
“Jackson, access to your resorts for my clients is payment in itself.”
“You know, though, that anything I can do, you just have to ask.”
“I know. And thank you.”
Smiling to herself, Eve turned back to her computer and prepared the email for Gabe Walker and Maggie Fitzgerald.
Yes, this match will definitely be spectacular.