Feel Like Making Love by Megan Hart (1)

Feel Like Making Love

Megan Hart

Amazon.com Edition.

Copyright 2010 Megan Hart

Amazon.com Edition, License Notes

 

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Amazon.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

 

 

This anthology contains previously published material.

Cover art credit: iStock photos, user lisegagne

 

 

 

LOVE ME TWO TIMES

 

Surprise.

 

Cadence Murphy lifted the extravagantly gift-wrapped box from her pillow and contemplated it for several minutes before opening it. The card on the front had been written in her best friend Marnia's distinctive hand. If the gift came from Marnia, it had to be something interesting, potentially embarrassing, definitely a bit bizarre, and most assuredly sexual.

 

The box fit easily into Cadence's palm, but felt weighty enough to contain something substantial. Jewelry? She shook her head. That didn't fit. She touched the card again, read the cryptic message, then squared her shoulders and lifted the lid. A burst of stifled laughter made her clap a hand to her lips before she let loose and guffawed.

 

Cadence lifted the small, purple butterfly, attached to a complicated-looking series of black straps, in front of her eyes. Vibrating butterfly, guaranteed to send you flying, read the small card inside the box.

 

She flipped the plastic insect over to note the ridged underbelly, the protruding "tongue," presumably meant to stimulate her clit, and the lengthy tail that must be meant to arouse some other parts. Cadence nudged the small button on the butterfly's head and it began to buzz. The noise was low and unobtrusive, but still startled her enough to shut it off.

 

"Leave it to Marnia." Cadence looked around the room, half-expecting to see more of her friend's surprises, but the king-size suite was empty. Luxurious and decadent, but empty. Not even a token houseboy to unpack her suitcases or rub her feet.

 

The cool plastic had already warmed in her hand, and Cadence looked at it more closely. It wasn't what she'd have chosen for herself, but then she'd never claimed to be up on trendy sex-toys. Her hand and a detachable showerhead had been about as kinky as she'd ever gotten with herself. Looking at the object in her hand, Cadence's mind began to whirl with exotic possibilities.

 

A bad breakup had led her to flee to California and La Fleur, the exclusive boutique hotel catering to the famous and the infamous. Movie stars and rock legends had partied here, relationships had formed and broken, men and women of wealth and fame had swum in the pool and leaped from the balconies. Despite all that, La Fleur had never gained the reputation of its sister hotel, the Chateau Marmont. Stars went to the Chateau for the kind of privacy that meant they'd be seen. Guests of La Fleur went there to ensure complete anonymity.

 

Cadence herself had signed in under an assumed name, part of the La Fleur mystique, and she wasn't even a celebrity, just the friend of one. Marnia Disson, Hollywood's hottest new actress and Cadence's best friend since kindergarten, had booked and paid for the room. A special treat--done only the way Marnia could do it--to help Cadence get over the discovery that not only did her boyfriend Charles prefer the company of other women, he'd decided he wanted to be one, himself.

 

Cadence had grown used to daily orgasms beneath Charles' talented fingers and tongue, and though it had always seemed a bit odd he'd preferred giving her oral instead of intercourse, she hadn't complained too much. The man had magic in his mouth.

 

Now, like a junkie denied her fix, Cadence had withdrawal. She'd escaped here to this luxurious hideaway courtesy of Marnia, who claimed all any woman needed was a hot bubble bath and a waterproof vibrator. Cadence didn't quite agree. Masturbation could be fun, or a necessary evil, depending on your outlook, but it couldn't replace good old-fashioned, straight-up screwing.

 

"How about you, little fella?" she asked the purple butterfly. "Are you waterproof?"

 

She didn't think so. The complicated contraption looked more like some kind of mild bondage gadget than a water toy. She thumbed the switch again and another buzzing hum that tickled her palm rewarded her effort.

 

"Worth a try anyway," she murmured. She slid the butterfly between her thighs. It tickled. After another minute, the tickles became tingles.

 

Cadence unbuttoned her blouse with her free hand and shrugged out of it while teasing herself with the butterfly. The sensation was muted through the fabric of her skirt and panties, but she could tell how great it would feel once she took them off. Of course, she was already halfway to coming just from this sensation alone, a sign of her recently deprived sexual state. She tilted her hips against the butterfly's determined buzz, and sighed. This was going to be pretty good after all.

 

She cut the power to the bug so she could slip out of her skirt. Dressed only in a black sheer bra, matching thong panties, garter belt and stockings, Cadence stood for a moment to look at herself in the mirror.

 

"Not bad at all," she mused, hands on hips, dark chestnut hair mussed and tumbled over her shoulders. "Stupid Charles."

 

As it turned out, he'd preferred what he called earthier ladies--the ones who didn't shave their pits or their legs...on purpose, not just because they didn't feel like it that morning in the shower. The type of girls who wore hemp clothes and vegan shoes, "their only makeup, the blush of the sun, their only perfume their own musky odor." Direct quote.

 

"That so ain't me," Cadence drawled, cocked her hip and tossed her hair over her shoulder.

 

She wished Charles all the best, though she'd miss his loving tongue. He, at least, knew what he wanted to be and do, and had finally found the courage to pursue his dreams.

 

She lifted her breasts and thumbed the nipples until they stood out like rosy buttons beneath the sheer silk. She pinched them lightly, which made her shudder, before sliding her hand down between her legs.

 

The silk rubbed her deliciously as she found the erect nub of her clit with her forefinger. Nice. She stroked herself and watched her eyes grow glazed in the mirror. Her face flushed, the pink traveling down her throat to paint the pale globes of her breasts. She opened her thighs and tilted her hips as she stroked herself through the panties.

 

If she put that butterfly on now, she'd go off like a rocket in seconds. No question. Cadence tilted her head to stare at her sex-drenched reflection. If she was the type to have one-night stands, she'd go down to the bar and find one. As it was, she didn't like the risks involved, and didn't want to take the chance on picking up a stud who'd turn out to be a dud. She needed to come, and could count on herself and Marnia's gift to get her there in a way she couldn't trust a stranger to do.

 

Too bad the butterfly hadn't arrived with a partner. As good as it could make her feel, it wasn't going to replace the feeling of a long, thick cock inside her. Cadence sighed again, her fingers making lazy circles on her clit. When was the last time she'd been fucked? Really fucked, by a man who was really interested in her?

 

"Too damn long." She caught herself before she could frown. She wouldn't think about that now or she'd just get depressed. Marnia had given her this weekend and a nifty sex toy to enjoy. She'd be selfish and stupid not to enjoy it while she could.

 

Whoever had designed this room must've sex in mind, she thought as she crossed to the gigantic bed and sat on the edge, butterfly at her fingertips. There were mirrors everywhere, placed so discreetly it didn't become obvious what they were meant to reflect until you got on the bed. Then it was all too clear what you were supposed to be looking at.

 

She shifted and opened her thighs. One positive thing about being alone. Nobody could block her view.

 

Cadence propped some pillows under her head and put the butterfly back over her clit. She wanted to feel it over her panties just a few moments longer, to tease herself into an explosion that would sate her instead of merely taking the edge off her sexual hunger.

 

She moaned when the little insect began to hum again. Even without it strapped into place, the sensation was exquisite. Slickness coated her, and she dipped a finger inside the edge of her panties to slide inside her tunnel. She slid another finger inside, fucking herself slowly while the butterfly buzzed on her clit. Her breath came faster. She was going to come, oh, yes...right now...

 

The knock on the door startled her upright. The butterfly slid to the bed, where it jumped and jerked against the comforter. Her pussy clenched on her fingers before she pulled them free. The first wave of orgasm stiffened her legs and made her close her eyes. She was caught between holding it off and riding it to its conclusion. For what seemed an eternity Cadence hovered on the verge of climax, her cunt and clit twitching, her thighs shuddering, her nipples as hard as stone.

 

The knock came again, louder this time, accompanied by a muttered, "Room service!"

 

She hadn't ordered anything, and it was extremely difficult to think with her body in such an uproar. Cadence blinked and breathed and stepped back from the edge. To her horror, she heard the distinctive sound of a key in the lock and realized she hadn't turned the deadbolt or hung a "do not disturb" on the handle. She was about to get caught with her pants down...literally.

 

"Just a minute!" She shoved the butterfly beneath a pillow and leaped to her feet.

 

Too late. The door swung open. The young man pushing the large room service cart, covered with a long white cloth and set with a selection of dishes covered by silver domes, didn't even look surprised. His eyes merely slid over her near-naked body and sex-flushed skin without judgment, and he pointed at the cart.

 

"Your order, ma'am."

 

Cadence cleared her throat and tried to act like she answered the door in her scanties every day. "Thanks, but I didn't order anything."

 

This earned a perplexed look from the steward, who glanced at the notepad in his hand. "Cadence Murphy, courtesy of Ms. Attitude?"

 

That would be Marnia. "Yes, I guess that is me. Thank you."

 

"My pleasure." Incredibly, he gave a half-bow. "And the gratuity has already been generously taken care of. Will there be anything else?"

 

For one semi-hysterical moment, Cadence snuck a peek at the room steward's firm, round ass and thought about asking him if he wanted to jump into bed with her. Common sense and the tell-tale rainbow bracelet with the dangling male/male charm allowed her to keep her dignity. "That's all, thanks."

 

With another nod, the steward exited, leaving Cadence to stare at the elaborately set tray. She gave a burst of nervous laughter and shook herself. She'd had more embarrassing moments, but she'd have been hard-pressed to think of one at the moment.

 

"Ms. Attitude, what did you send me?" Cadence lifted the first silver dome to reveal a plate set with assorted petite fours and chocolate-dipped fruit. Another dish held interestingly shaped chocolates, which, upon closer inspection, turned out to be detailed penises, vaginas, butts and breasts. Cadence laughed and stuck a chocolate penis into her mouth. It seemed the only way she was going to get to suck one.

 

A note had fallen to one side, but now she saw it and lifted the creamy paper from the envelope...

 

 

 

Surprise. Thought you could use this. I can highly recommend everything on this cart. Don't be afraid to take a chance, make your wish and satisfy all your urges! M.

 

 

 

Cadence peeked under the third dish, which proved to be some sort of exotic fruit pastry topped with whipped cream. She stuck a finger into the sweetness and licked it off.

 

"You don't have to ask me twice," she said. "Come to Mama."

 

Then she screamed at the top of her lungs because the white cloth lifted and a man stepped out from under the cart.

 

Cadence stumbled back, heart pounding, legs weak. She'd have fallen but for the man's long reach and strong hands, which reached to grab her and keep her upright. She had time to notice the pads of his fingers were rough and callused before her backward momentum threw them both off balance.

 

Luckily, the bed was close enough behind them to catch their fall. He landed on her, his belt buckle a cold weight on her clit. His chest crushed hers. His dark hair came loose from its band and fell forward to tickle her cheeks.

 

"Hello," the man said. "That wasn't quite the greeting I expected."

 

They both noticed the faint buzzing at the same time. Cadence glanced toward the pillow as heat moved over her entire body. The man slid a hand beneath the pillow and pulled out the butterfly.

 

Cadence put her hand over her eyes. "Oh, damn."

 

The man rolled to one side, one hand resting on her belly, the other grabbing the butterfly. The buzzing stopped. "Wow. Um. I've never seen one of these."

 

Cadence peeked between her fingers. All at once, Marnia's note became clear. Her friend had done more than send her a battery-powered sex-toy and some calorie-laden sweets. She'd sent Cadence what she really needed.

 

A man.

 

Though Marnia swore by the services of paid escorts, who, she said, could be counted on to give a great lay and leave before morning, Cadence had never tried such a service herself.

 

The man was staring at her intently, still looking puzzled. Cadence rolled her body toward him to look into his eyes. He smelled incredible, and her pussy twitched again.

 

"I am incredibly horny," she said matter-of-factly. "And honestly, I have never, ever done this before, but you come highly recommended by a friend of mine. So even though this is not my usual style, I'd very much like it if you could fuck me. Um...please."

 

He blinked rapidly. Was that a blush spreading from his throat up to the impossibly high cheekbones? What kind of escort blushed?

 

"Highly recommended?" The man's deep voice dipped a little lower. Scratchy and breathy. Damn-fine sexy, and somehow familiar, but Cadence didn't have time to ponder where she might have heard it before because he was continuing, "Wow."

 

Her blush must have rivaled his, judging by the way her cheeks felt. Cadence struggled to sit, but the soft bed and his weight hindered her. Then his hand on her hip stopped her. Following an instinct she didn't understand, Cadence met his eyes.

 

He didn't ruin the moment by speaking. He kissed her. Not a soft, tentative, let's-get-to-know-each-other kiss...hell, no. This man captured her mouth and kissed her like he meant it. Like he couldn't control himself. His tongue slid between her lips and stroked hers. He tilted her head back, forcing her to open even more beneath him. He kissed her breathless, drew away, then dove in again to kiss her some more.

 

And Cadence was all over it. She wanted more. She let him have his way with her and loved every second of it, not caring she'd probably have bruised lips tomorrow. The man was as fantastic as she'd hoped. Better, even. He kissed like she was the only damn thing in the world, like there was nothing else he ever had to do again.

 

The heat of his hand between her legs made her cry out, and he stifled the noise with his mouth. His finger went unerringly to her clit, but he didn't stroke her with the same force he was kissing her. His finger rolled in tiny circles over her arousal, fast but perfect, in just the right rhythm to get her off.

 

She'd never had a man like this, one who knew just where and how to touch her, how much strength to use tempered with tenderness. She didn't even have to wiggle her hips to tell him what she wanted. He just knew.

 

His hand left her clit and she whimpered, but, in the next moment, he'd left her mouth to slide his tongue down her neck, through the valley of her breasts, over her belly and finally, to rest exactly where she wanted him. Right on her clit. He licked the silk of her panties and she arched her back, overcome with pleasure. He licked her again, his tongue making small, circular jabs. He put his hands on the ties at the sides of her panties and pulled them away. She was bare beneath him. He found her clit with his tongue and lips and--oh, holy mother of pearl--his teeth. He nibbled at her swollen flesh as he slid two fingers into her all the way to the base without preamble, without warning, and just started fucking her with them. Then she was coming, all the way up, over the top, riding that wave of ecstasy.

 

He withdrew, pressed the heel of his hand to her crotch, but didn't move it. She couldn't breathe. Her orgasm stuttered, a sensation that under any other circumstances would have made her curse out loud, but Cadence didn't have the breath to speak. The roller coaster had stopped at the top of the hill with everyone onboard screaming in anticipation of the drop, only to discover when they looked ahead there was only a small dip and a bigger, steeper climb just ahead.

 

And Cadence rode it. Up and up, higher than she'd ever been, the stop and go stutter of her climax building until she thought she might die. Actually die, stop her heart, burst open the pleasure centers of her brain, but damn, she'd die with a smile on her face.

 

"You are absolutely beautiful." She came back to earth long enough to hear him say, with something like awe in his voice. "Like you're on fire."

 

"I am on fire," she tried to answer, but all that came out was a breathy moan.

 

She became aware of his erection pressing against her thigh. She wanted it inside her. The thought of it, his hard length deep in her core, made orgasm ripple through her again, but again she hovered at the top without quite going over.

 

She wasn't quite sure how it happened--only that their eyes met and then he was grappling at his belt buckle while she tore his shirt over his head. They wrestled, each striving toward the common goal of getting him naked. He fumbled with the waistband of his boxer briefs and she helped to push them over his muscular thighs.

 

They'd become a tangle of limbs, a writhing, struggling mass of lust and desire, and the picture they made caused Cadence to laugh, even as her body strained toward climax. Her lover joined her, shaking his head, his chuckle interspersed with short, brief gasps Cadence found incredibly sexy.

 

He rolled on top of her, his cock a stiff, hot branch between her knees and paused.

 

"Oh. Ummm," Cadence said, thinking fast. Please, Marnia, let your surprise come with all the accessories. "In the box?"

 

The larger box that had once contained the butterfly in its packaging still rested on the bed above her head. The man snagged it with a forefinger, his movement bringing his chest deliciously close to her mouth. Cadence took full advantage of it. Yum. Salt and musk, with a hint of something sweet.

 

Her kiss and the accompanying nibble made him groan. He pulled the box toward them and dumped it out at their sides.

 

"Thank you, Ms. Attitude," Cadence murmured at the sight of the dozen or so silver foil packets scattered on the comforter.

 

The man snapped one up, moved off her just enough to tear open the wrapper and slide the thin latex over his erection. His hands were shaking, and despite her super-aroused state, Cadence had the time to find that tiny touch of nervousness endearing. She reached to help him smooth the condom, then kept up the caress to cup his balls. He bit his lip, face twisting into a grimace as she ran her finger along his sweet spot.

 

"I have to ask," he said, his deep and somehow familiar voice shaking a little, just like his hand. "If you're sure...."

 

Marnia had told her how the escorts always made very, very certain to get explicit permission before making any moves.

 

"Hell, yes!"

 

He didn't ask again. The man slid into her with a shift of his hips assisted by his hand. He filled her completely. His pubic bone pressed on her clit and he rolled inside her, thrusting just enough to move without breaking the contact.

 

She probably muttered something incomprehensible, but all the words seemed stuck in her throat. She came. Hard. Like flying, like falling. Like cannon fire. Her pleasure erupted inside her, centered in her clit, and tore its way through her entire body from toes to top, so fierce she wanted to, tried to scream, but couldn't.

 

He ducked his head into the curve of her neck, making his shoulder a too-tempting target for her teeth. She bit him harder than she meant to, then sucked the wound when he yelped and thrust harder in response.

 

His rhythm changed. He pulled out, thrust in, smoothly. Cadence came again, almost immediately on top of the first orgasm. She clamped her legs around the back of his legs and pushed him closer into her.

 

Her nails scored his back and he yelped again, but didn't stop. His thrusts got ragged, his breath jumped out of his throat along with a gasp and a moan so sexy it made her come again. Just like that, third time's a charm, something she'd never done or imagined she could do.

 

He buried himself inside her with a sigh. His cock throbbed, another new sensation for her, and Cadence held him as tightly as she could against her body before her arms became too limp to grip. They fell away.

 

His weight wasn't unpleasant, just another part of the sex blur she'd just undergone. When, after a minute, he rolled off her, a low noise of protest snuck out of her before she could stop it.

 

That noise, that sound of pure content, snapped her awake. Her eyes flew open. The post-orgasm languor fled, leaving her with stiff limbs, flushed cheeks and a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach.

 

His hand still rested just beneath her breasts. His breath puffed gently on her cheek. He still smelled damn fine, but now his scent mingled with the tang of sweat and satiation.

 

"Wow."

 

Cadence closed her eyes. "Yeah."

 

He got up on one elbow, took care of the condom, then lay back down next to her. "That was unexpected."

 

The sinking feeling grew worse. Cadence sat up, glad she still wore her bra. It offered only a little coverage, but it was better than nothing. She tugged the coverlet over her bottom half as casually as she could without looking like she suffered from a bad case of after-fuck guilt.

 

"Marnia didn't send you, did she." It was a statement, not a question.

 

The man ran a hand through his shaggy dark hair and rolled onto his back, completely unconcerned with his nakedness. "Marnia Disson? The actress?"

 

"Yes. She didn't send you."

 

He looked at her with one eye, the other closed as if in contemplation. "No. I don't know her."

 

"Oh, shit." Cadence sat up, trying very hard not to cry.

 

The man sat up too and put a hand on her shoulder until she turned to face him. "Bernie didn't set this up?"

 

Cadence shook her head, her voice stolen by mortification. The man reached over way less subtly than she had and covered his lap with the spare pillow.

 

"Oops."

 

The incongruous statement made her laugh even though she didn't feel like it. "I thought...I guess it doesn't matter what I thought."

 

"I thought something, too," the man admitted. His grin seemed somehow shy, his ears still pink. He looked up at her.

 

They stared at each other for what seemed like a very long time.

 

"I've never done that before," Cadence said finally. At his cocked eyebrow, she continued, "Had sex with a stranger."

 

"Ahh." He bit his lip a bit and looked around the room. "Well, you're pretty good at it."

 

She knew she was gape-mouthed with surprise, but couldn't help it. "What the hell were you doing, sneaking into my room on a room service cart anyway? Are you insane?"

 

He frowned. "Did you think I was on the menu? What did you order, dessert with a side of beefcake? What exactly did you think I was?"

 

"A gift!" she cried. "From my friend Marnia!"

 

He crossed his arms, elbows on the pillow. "What kind of friend sends a man over to her friend's room to have sex with her?"

 

"A good friend," Cadence shot back. "What kind of man sneaks into a woman's room on the bottom of a room service cart and then gives her the best sex she's ever had?"

 

The words hung between them. He gave her another half-shy grin that nonetheless had a sexiness that dove straight between her thighs. "Best ever?"

 

Cadence covered her face. "This is a nightmare. Please say it's a nightmare."

 

"Hey," the man said. He put a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Listen, I'm sorry. You said you were sure. I admit I was a little surprised. I thought you were supposed to be talking to me about doing some charity work. I didn't expect you to come on to me like that--"

 

Cadence groaned. "Do you always leap on top of women who proposition you like that?"

 

"No." Silence for a moment. "I know I have a rep for it, but the truth is, no. I don't."

 

She peeked at him through her fingers. "No?"

 

He shook his head. "Really."

 

She didn't know why, but all at once she wasn't so embarrassed. "You still haven't explained what you were doing under my cart."

 

He scratched at his head and pulled his hair back from his face while he looked over at the cart. His expression turned sheepish and he shrugged. "It seemed safer that way. Keep away from the paparazzi, you know?"

 

"Am I missing something?"

 

He sat back a little and stared at her. His grin turned wondering. "You...you don't know who I am?"

 

Oh, shit. This was La Fleur, after all, haven to all sorts of celebrities. Cadence thought fast, tossed around a few names, then shrugged in admittance of her ignorance. "Not really. I'm sorry."

 

He laughed. "Get out of here."

 

Cadence tried to look apologetic and took another stab at it. "Umm...Steve Buscemi?"

 

Now she'd made him go open-mouthed. She laughed. "Just kidding. Sorry. I really don't know."

 

Her lover rubbed his forehead. Then he began to sing. "Just for tonight, let me love you right. Two times, baby. Once for what is and once for what might be."

 

Even without music, his voice was perfectly on key, harmonious, resonant. She'd heard the song, unable to avoid it since it was all over the radio and had been for the better part of a year.

 

"Jude Camron," he offered. "I'm...I'm kinda well-known."

 

That was like saying the Queen of England was kinda royal. Cadence gulped. Then she burst out laughing. Jude joined her and they both guffawed until tears streamed from their eyes.

 

"You must think I'm the most incredible doofus!" Cadence wiped her eyes.

 

"No. Okay, maybe a little." He shot her that sexy shy grin again. "But mostly not. Mostly I think you're amazingly beautiful."

 

That stopped her from laughing. "Shut up."

 

He shook his head. "I have to say, I've had a lot of come-ons in my life. I've had lots of women show up naked in my hotel rooms. I've never had sex like that."

 

Warmth that was only half embarrassment kindled in her belly. "I thought you said you didn't sleep around like that."

 

"I don't." That grin again. "But I didn't say I never had. I gave it up. Too many problems."

 

She nodded like she understood, though she didn't, really. "I bet."

 

"It's pretty amazing what some people will do to get a piece of you. And once they've had one, it's usually not enough. People think they have the right to own you, just because they're fans. I love my fans," Jude said. "I just decided I wasn't going to love my fans any more, you know?"

 

Now she did know. "It must be hard to find a relationship."

 

He nodded. "Yeah."

 

An insistent ringing jangled through the room. Jude grimaced and got up from the bed, leaving the pillow behind. Cadence looked away to give him the illusion of modesty, but couldn't help taking another peek. Damn, he was built like a god. Long, lean thighs, tight sculpted ass, a back just made for scratching. Her nails had left pink lines.

 

Jude grabbed up a towel from the bathroom door and flipped open his cell phone. "This is Jude. Bernie, listen...something got messed up. Yeah, I know. I'll bet she is. Listen, just tell her I'll write a check to the foundation, okay? I don't know...an even five?"

 

A squawk made him hold the phone away from his ear. "Don't bitch, Bernie, or I'll make it ten million. Yeah. And...tell her I'm really sorry I missed the appointment, and that I'll be happy to perform at the benefit. I don't care about that. Bernie, man, I have to go. What? Oh, shit."

 

Jude went to the window and looked out. "Damn. Yeah." His gaze cut to Cadence. "Bernie, it's all good. Yeah. I know. Later." Jude sighed heavily and disconnected. "My agent."

 

Cadence's eyes had widened at the numbers being bandied about so casually. "The charity woman is mad?"

 

Jude shrugged. "I missed the meeting."

 

"Sounds like you're being more than generous."

 

Another shrug. "They need it more than I do."

 

He was getting more interesting by the minute. "What's the charity?"

 

"Wish Come True." Jude's head tilted as he grinned and shrugged. "It's for kids with terminal diseases. Every year they give a benefit concert to raise money."

 

"I'm impressed."

 

Jude looked at her with that odd but endearing one-eyed glance. "My younger brother died of leukemia when I was in tenth grade. I guess I want to give these kids something in his memory."

 

Cadence took his hand, the calluses warm and scratchy on her palm. "It's a good thing to do."

 

"My own little mitzvah." Jude laughed. "Hey, I've got a lot. Most of these kids don't have anything. If I can use my voice for something good, well..."

 

He trailed off, then looked down at their clasped hands. Cadence thought he'd drop the grasp, but instead Jude swung her hand lightly in his and pulled her closer.

 

"We haven't been properly introduced," he whispered. "You know my name, but I don't know yours."

 

"Cadence Murphy." Cadence grinned. "So, now you know."

 

"Now I know." He inched her slowly closer until the heat of his breath caressed her cheek. "It's nice to meet you, Cadence."

 

Under any other circumstances, this would have been a supremely awkward moment. Staring into Jude's eyes, Cadence couldn't make it so. Everything about him made her feel comfortable.

 

"I should go."

 

She nodded. "You're late for your meeting."

 

Jude didn't let go of her hand. Cadence bit her lip and looked down at their hands, then back up at Jude. He inched her even closer.

 

"I should go."

 

"I think you said that already."

 

He was going to kiss her. The thought made Cadence's toes curl. Jude licked his lips, drawing her attention to the fullness of his mouth, the way his lips glistened....

 

The jangling of the phone in his other hand made him let out a strangled curse. Cadence laughed, but disappointment flooded her when he let go of her hand to turn and answer the call.

 

"Bernie, man, listen...they are? Damn." Jude crossed to the window and peered out through the curtains. "I see them. The hotel, too? Oh, man."

 

Cadence grabbed one of the room's complimentary robes from the back of the door and busied herself with straightening the comforter and pillows while Jude talked. She tried to keep her perusal of him from looking too obvious, but he turned and caught her staring. He grinned and kept talking.

 

This was far and away the strangest thing that had ever happened to her. Serendipity at its finest. She couldn't let herself dwell overlong on it either, or else she'd freak herself out.

 

Sex with a stranger was bad enough. Mind-blowing sex with a stranger a bit more redeemable. Mind-blowing sex with a major rock star--that was absolutely insane.

 

Jude ended the call and tapped the phone against his palm. "Bernie says the Jude-licious Ladies are in the hotel."

 

"Fan club?"

 

He nodded. "They're a bit...extreme."

 

"Is this usually a problem for you?" Sympathy made her frown. Marnia often told her that glamour and fame were offset by the inconvenience of...well, glamour and fame.

 

"Not usually at La Fleur. Someone tipped them off about the charity meeting." Jude's dark brows knitted. "Probably the charity lady."

 

"What are you going to do?"

 

He gestured toward the window. "I just saw a bunch of them in the courtyard outside. Bernie said a couple of them managed to register rooms. Which means they, and their guests, have access to the corridors."

 

"Want me to look outside?"

 

His dark eyes lit. "Would you?"

 

"Sure." Cadence tightened the belt of the robe. "Not a problem."

 

She spoke too soon. The second she opened the door to the hall and peeked out, three women did a double-take and ran back from the end of the hall.

 

"Down here, Sylvia!" cried the first, who wore a black t-shirt emblazoned with Jude's name in glittery rhinestone letters.

 

"Oh, sorry," said Sylvia, when she saw Cadence had opened the door. "We're looking for Jude Camron. Have you seen him?"

 

Cadence began to reply, but the third woman cut her off. "You're not Amber Daley."

 

"No."

 

"Or Marissa Manit."

 

"Um...no." Cadence bit back a smile. Both the women she'd named were super-young, super-cute actresses.

 

"Are you anyone?" Sylvia broke in, so eagerly Cadence couldn't even find it in her heart to be offended by the unspoken connotation that she was not, in fact, "anyone."

 

"No, I'm sorry. I'm not."

 

The woman who'd named the actresses looked at Cadence with suspicious eyes anyway. "Are you a fan of Jude's?"

 

"Sure." Cadence grinned more widely this time, which made the women glare at her. "Of course. Love his songs."

 

She caught Sylvia trying to peer over Cadence's shoulder, and she backed further into the room, closing the door as she spoke.

 

"Good luck finding him, ladies."

 

"Wait!"

 

Cadence ignored the cry and made sure to double lock and dead-bolt the door. With an exaggerated sigh of relief, she pretended to wipe her brow. Jude didn't laugh.

 

"They're out there."

 

Cadence nodded. "Yep."

 

Jude grimaced. "I'm trapped."

 

"You could sneak out the way you got in," Cadence pointed to the tray. "Or..."

 

"Or?"

 

She took a giant leap. "Or you could stay here for a few hours until they give up and go away."

 

"Really? A few hours?"

 

What she was offering suddenly scared her, and Cadence turned away, tried to make her voice sound casual. "Sure."

 

She sensed him behind her, though he didn't touch her. "They're pretty persistent. They could be there until morning."

 

"That's okay."

 

"What do you think we could do to pass the time?"

 

His breath tickled the back of her neck. Her nipples perked, and the button between her legs gave a quick, sharp pulse. Her breath hissed out in infinitesimal gusts.

 

Nothing ventured, nothing gained. She turned to look at him. "I think we could think of something, don't you?"

 

He nodded slowly, moved closer even more slowly. "Where would you like to start?"

 

Cadence licked her lips and the way his eyes followed the movement of her tongue made her clit beat harder. "I've never stayed at La Fleur before, but I've heard the bathrooms are amazing."

 

Jude tilted his head in a way starting to become familiar. He jerked his chin toward the bathroom door. "You've heard right. Want to check it out?"

 

In reply, Cadence went to the door and opened it. She'd been expecting luxury to match the room. What she saw made her gasp out loud.

 

What greeted her was nothing short of magnificent decadence. Every single fixture, tile, and appliance in the room had been designed and placed for the sole purpose of providing sensual delight.

 

The bathtub could fit two adults comfortably with no more than the pleasantest tangling of knees. A centrally placed faucet meant each occupant could relax against the tub's sleek marble sides. Plush rolled towels and green, trailing plants decorated the tub's tiled surround. Bottles of shampoo and soap nestled into charming baskets set anywhere a person could conceivably need to find one.

 

The toilet snuggled in a small alcove, with a matching bidet beside it. More towels and plants created ample privacy.

 

What had made Cadence's mouth drop open, however, was the shower. Set off from the tub by a raised tile bench, the curving shower had been constructed of glass bricks and custom-carved tile. The shower wall spiraled inward, creating an intimate space. Jets lined the curved walls, and a massive sunflower shower head jutted down directly from the ceiling.

 

"Fog spray? Rain shower? This is incredible!" Cadence looked around the bathroom. "Amazing!"

 

Jude chuckled. "One of the reasons I love staying at La Fleur. I don't even have one of these at home."

 

"Let's try it out," said Cadence on impulse. She reached in and twisted the handle. Hot water sprayed in all directions and she ducked back, laughing.

 

"Together?"

 

Cadence dried her hand on her robe, then loosed the tie at her waist. "Jude, I think it's a little late to pretend coyness, don't you?"

 

He nodded, eyes lighting as she opened the robe and let him glimpse her nakedness beneath. "I guess you're right. But..."

 

"But what?"

 

He gave her a look of naked honesty. "I know you probably think I'm some sort of stud. A player. I know what the rags print about me."

 

"I know better than to believe the stuff in those magazines."

 

"I had my crazy days, but they're over."

 

"I understand." Cadence chewed her lower lip for a moment. "This is not my normal practice either. In fact, I'm having a little bit of trouble deciding if I'm being too scary forward, or if I'm just being a huge slut."

 

Jude looked surprised. "No way!"

 

She laughed. "I told you I've never done this. I don't know what's gotten into me." She looked down at his groin. "Or maybe I do. Anyway, I can't help feeling like this is some sort of movie, or maybe a music video. Everything happened so fast, but it all felt so right. I guess what I'm trying to say is, you can't leave until morning. The way we met is unorthodox, sure. But maybe it's fate, or karma, or Hollywood voodoo."

 

"You're saying let's see where it takes us?"

 

He'd become wreathed in steam, but Cadence didn't miss the twinkle in his eyes. "Just for tonight," she sang, off-key but not even embarrassed. "Let me love you right."

 

"Two times, baby," Jude picked up the tune. "Once for what is and once for what might be."

 

"It's a good song," Cadence whispered as he moved closer.

 

"Thanks. I wrote it."

 

Promise and mystery filled his kiss, making her tilt her head to part her lips beneath his. Jude's hand slid around the back of her neck to tangle in her hair. Cadence went on her tiptoes, her arms around his shoulders.

 

Jude broke the kiss, then brushed his lips on her cheek and nibbled on her ear. "That shower looks like way too much fun to use alone."

 

Taking that as an invitation, Cadence slipped the robe from her shoulders and stepped into the curving glass spiral. The spray hit her from all sides, enveloping her in a multitude of sensations.

 

"Smells good, too," she murmured and pushed her sodden hair off her face. "Aromatherapy?"

 

"I wouldn't be surprised." Jude slid in beside her.

 

The vast shower became immediately smaller, but Cadence didn't mind. The close quarters meant lots of opportunities for skin sliding on skin, elbows rubbing, thighs touching.

 

"You're huge," she said.

 

Jude laughed. "Wow. Thank you."

 

She slid her hand along his belly, and her knuckles brushed his erection, but she didn't grasp it. "I meant tall. You don't seem so big on television."

 

He towered over her, his shoulders broad, arms and legs tight with lean muscle, belly carved into an eight-pack. Though Cadence hadn't paid much attention to Jude Camron before today, seeing him in the flesh--literally--was a much different picture than the one painted in magazines and videos where he strutted in leather and played loud, hard rock. She remembered he'd been part of a nondescript boy-band before breaking into a solo career. Obviously, a lot had changed since his days of singing a cappella ballads with StarOne.

 

She traced the tattoo inked onto his chest. A stylized heart clasped in two hands, an intricate crown set on top. Celtic knotwork surrounded the entire design.

 

"It's a claddagh," Jude explained as her fingers moved across the colors. "Loyalty, Friendship, Love."

 

"Very nice." Cadence shifted to let the spray pound on another section of her back.

 

Jude put his hand on her shoulders, then slid them down to cup her biceps and pull her in close for another kiss. No wonder he has a reputation, Cadence thought. The man kissed like a dream come true.

 

His tongue parted her lips and swept inside. The sensation echoed in her clit. A moment later, his finger stroked her there, eliciting a moan from her.

 

"I know something these water jets are good for," Jude said.

 

Cadence opened her eyes. "Really? Should I ask how you know?"

 

"Maybe it would be more fun if I proved it to you."

 

Without waiting for an answer, he turned her toward the wall and pushed her hands up on either side of her body. The tiles, warm and slick under her fingers, gave her little to grasp, but Cadence did her best. She had to because, in the next instant, what he did with the water made her need to hold on to something.

 

She gasped as Jude fiddled with the stream until it shot directly upward to her clit. The gushing water splashed and tickled, teasing her. When he'd adjusted it to his satisfaction, he moved behind her and put his hands on her hips. His cock nudged her buttocks, but he didn't push it against her. Instead, Jude began to move her hips against the jetting water.

 

At first the sensation was too much, too harsh, and she yelped. He moved her back a little. Cadence relaxed against him, letting him take the lead. The soft lighting and hush of the water all around them made her feel cocooned. She closed her eyes and gave herself up to the ecstasy.

 

Jude moved her hips in small circles, each revolution bringing her clit hard against the spray, then taking it back to lessen the pressure. The constant shift in pressure had her thighs trembling in moments, though it could have been hours for all she knew. Time had taken a sideways slip.

 

"Are you all right?"

 

His low murmur sent shivers down her spine. Cadence managed a nod.

 

"Are you going to come?"

 

She'd never been with a man who asked. Sure, other lovers had cared, but most had relied on pride and determination to figure out if they were getting her off. Nobody had ever just...asked.

 

She turned her face to the side. Water from overhead cascaded over her eyes, so she couldn't open them to see his face, but she could reply, "Yes."

 

And then she did. Like fireworks, her orgasm shuddered through her. Pulsing spasms of pure pleasure began in the tight bead of her clit, but spread so quickly to the rest of her body she felt infused with them.

 

Jude's hands held her steady when her buckling knees would have let her fall. His kisses smoothed along the back of her neck and her shoulders. One hand left her hip to cradle her pussy, his palm protecting her from the force of the water that now would have been too strong on her over-sensitized button.

 

That, too, was something no other lover had understood. How to ease off after she came instead of abandoning her immediately, or worse, bludgeoning her with further stimulation. Jude did it as he'd done everything else so far: just right.

 

At some point he'd made the water temperature cooler, too, to keep them from overheating. Either that, or they were using all the hot water. Cadence chuckled and turned into the circle of Jude's embrace.

 

"Wow," she said.

 

His hands cupped her ass and he kissed her. "I could feel your orgasm in every part of your body."

 

"That's because it was in every part of my body," she replied with a sigh. "Like I said. Wow!"

 

She pushed her belly further against his cock, long and throbbing. "I'm not so sure the jets will do the same for you, but I think I can come up with something else."

 

She turned off the water and took him by the hand. He followed without hesitation. Water dripped from his dark hair, and he shoved it off his face.

 

"Sit." Cadence pointed at the soft vanity seat. Unlike many vanity chairs, this one had a high back. He wouldn't need to worry about falling off backward.

 

Jude sat, and Cadence marveled again at the length of his legs. He had a wealthy man's tan, all-over color with no bathing suit lines. The hair under his arms and on his chest, belly and legs, was a bit lighter than that on his head. Sun-touched. The deep brown glinted with hints of gold in the bathroom vanity's flattering, soft lighting.

 

Cadence scooped up a pile of the thick towels and spread a couple on the floor at Jude's feet. Sore knees would ruin the mood. She positioned herself between his legs, that luscious cock just inches from her mouth. She took a quick peek at Jude's face. He reached to stroke her cheek, then let his thumb slide along her lips to dip inside for a second. She sucked his thumb softly, making him moan, then released him and moved again toward his erection.

 

Cadence didn't understand women who bitched about blowjobs. Of all the ways a couple could fuck, fellatio was really the only one in which the man could totally receive. Sure, most guys were easy to get off that way, but Cadence took pride in a job not only well-done, but performed with enthusiasm.

 

Jude muttered something she couldn't catch when she slid her mouth the entire length of his shaft. She cupped his balls, stroking them in time to the rhythm of her sucking.

 

She relaxed her throat, straightened up on her knees, and went down again. This time, her lips kissed the base of his prick. His belly hair, the delightful line of fur she called "the happy trail" tickled her nose. She inhaled his warm, clean and fully masculine scent, and her nipples perked up. Her clit twinged. She wasn't ready for another orgasm, which meant she could concentrate on Jude without distraction, but the smell and taste of him was turning her on, no question.

 

"Cadence," she heard him murmur. His hand found the top of her head, but he didn't push or pull her, just let her find and keep her own pace. "Damn, it's perfect, isn't it?"

 

Because he was a musician, she understood what he meant. Her smile made it difficult to keep the suction. Her teeth scraped the head of his penis when she withdrew, but Jude didn't complain. He drew in a hiss of breath and pumped his hips upward in response.

 

Ahh. Now she had a clue. He liked it a little bit rough. Cadence went down on him again, and this time dug her fingernails into the soft flesh of his inner thigh. Not hard enough to leave a mark. She wasn't a sadist. Just hard enough to make him squirm and buck and mutter something that sounded suspiciously like a curse. Jude didn't draw back.

 

His cock became an iron rod in her mouth. Sweet-salty fluid glistened on the head when she pulled away for a moment to give her jaw a rest. She licked it away, ran her tongue around the rim, flicked it lightly along the length of his shaft, then ducked her head low to lick his balls. They pulsed under her lips.

 

He was close. She recognized the signs. Now was when giving head became interesting. Teasing made for better orgasms, and the longer she could taunt him, the more turned on she'd get, until sometimes she could come when her partner did, just by sucking.

 

Jude leaned against the chair's high back, head tipped so she could see the line of his throat work as he swallowed a moan. His hands gripped the chair's sides. She took a peek down at his toes. Curled. Nipples, tight. Oh, yes. He was close.

 

"Wait."

 

Wait? She'd never heard that before. Cadence took a deep breath and slid her mouth away from him.

 

"Jude?"

 

He licked his lips. "I want to come inside you again."

 

His words, seemingly so simple, sent a bolt of intense arousal straight to her core. For a moment, Cadence couldn't even speak. Her cunt twitched and she peeped a reply. Damn, this man was sexy. He not only knew exactly where and how to touch her, he knew exactly how to talk to her, too.

 

"I'm so close," Jude continued, eyes gleaming. "But I want to feel you come on me again."

 

She shuddered as he spoke, the image his words created almost as good as the action itself. "Yes."

 

His eyes flicked toward the bedroom. "A minute will give me enough time to ease off enough for you to catch up."

 

His grin sent a spiral of desire twisting in her belly, and Cadence got up. She kissed him, whispering against his mouth. "I'll only take a minute then."

 

She wasn't sure her sex-jellied legs would carry her into the other room, but they did. In a minute she was back, silver foil clutched in her hand, and in another few seconds, she'd sheathed him first with latex, then with her skin.

 

Cadence settled onto Jude's lap, his hands cupping her ass. He snugged her closer, so her clit pressed right against his belly, and he moved inside her just enough to tease the button.

 

She was wet for him, but Cadence wasn't sure she actually could come again. "I'm having a bit of performance anxiety."

 

He licked her chin and nibbled her jaw before looking into her eyes. "Just sit there for a minute. Let me get a little more control."

 

He throbbed inside her, but didn't thrust. As he'd done in the shower, Jude put his hands on her hips and rocked her gently. Back and forth, not up and down, so her clit rubbed on his belly, but his cock stayed firmly planted inside her.

 

"I want you to come again," Jude whispered.

 

From another man it might have sounded like a challenge or a demand, but from Jude's lips, the words became a caress. An invitation. Instead of freezing up, like she might otherwise have done, Cadence felt her body open to his suggestion. It took the leap from that-feels-nice to ooh-that-feels-great! in a moment.

 

"I didn't think--" she began. His kiss stopped her.

 

"Come with me," Jude urged.

 

His hand slid between them. His thumb caressed her clit. His hips shifted and his hand moved to her ass to lift her as he thrust. The muscles in his arms and chest worked as he fucked her faster, as he got closer to coming, and Cadence was right there with him.

 

Sex talk had always sounded funny to her. Incoherent mumblings and groans, words and sounds, names and phrases. Cadence didn't care how she sounded. His name burst from her, and he gasped as he answered with hers. She cried out, rising on the wave of her orgasm, and Jude joined her. Together they tumbled over the edge.

 

When she could see again, Cadence lifted her head from where it had fallen against Jude's shoulder. He smiled. She smiled back.

 

"Hey," he said and pushed the hair away from her face.

 

"Hey."

 

Then they just sat and stared at each other. If the grin on my face was as silly as the one on his, she thought, we both look like a pair of loonies.

 

Jude cocked his head toward the huge tub. "Want to try it out?"

 

Cadence made a sound of mock-fright. "You're going to kill me!"

 

"Just for a bath." Jude's fingers made lazy patterns on her back. "I promise."

 

"You get the water started. I'll go get the food."

 

"You said the magic words," Jude told her. "Food."

 

Cadence kissed him. "Be right back."

 

The sight of her face in the mirror made her grin. She was all over FFG. Freshly Fucked Glow, as Marnia called it. Freshly fucked and starving. She piled a plate with the chocolate-covered fruit, grabbed the bottle of champagne and went back to the bathroom.

 

There were no candles to set the mood, but Jude had dimmed the lights further and turned on the small Bose radio on the countertop. Celtic lullabies echoed softly from the speakers, and Cadence nodded.

 

"The claddagh should've given me a clue," she said. "But I wouldn't have thought you'd pick this."

 

"Why?" Jude helped her balance the plate on the tiled tub surround, then held her hand while she stepped into the warm water. "Because I'm a rock singer?"

 

"Stereotype. Sorry."

 

Jude smiled as he joined her. "Don't be sorry. It's part of the image. Don't give away my secrets."

 

As Cadence settled into the water, she scrutinized him. "Do you have many?"

 

Jude looked around as though pretending to make certain they wouldn't be overheard. "Sure. Like I've never, ever, trashed a hotel room. And I don't smoke."

 

She laughed. "And you donate to charity. You don't fit the image, Jude Camron."

 

He sighed and slid deeper into the water. "I'm just a small-town boy."

 

"With a city-boy's voice."

 

He quirked one eyebrow at her. "Cadence, do you have my album?"

 

She bit her lip, but couldn't lie. "No. But I've heard your songs on the radio. I don't feel like changing the station when they come on either."

 

Jude blinked, then chuckled. "Not the highest praise I've ever had."

 

"You have a great voice, Jude. And the songs are good." Cadence thought carefully before she spoke further. "If you want my honest opinion--"

 

He leaned forward to stare seriously into her eyes. "I do."

 

"I think maybe you're trying too hard to distance yourself from your roots."

 

"From StarOne, you mean?"

 

"Not just from that." Cadence nudged the faucet handle and the water stopped flowing. "Though I can see why you'd want to."

 

Jude laughed again, and she was relieved to see she wasn't offending him.

 

"StarOne was a great time. I'm still friends with those guys. But I got tired of being the preppy one, you know? Labeled like that. I just want to make great music."

 

"You do. Your lyrics are poetry," Cadence said sincerely. "Your voice is very strong. And sexy."

 

He laughed. Their hands, propped on the tub's rim, touched. He tangled his fingers with hers.

 

Cadence tried to put her thoughts into words that wouldn't sound overcritical. "You know, "Love Me Two Times" is a great song. It's different than the others."

 

"Even if I snagged the title from The Doors?"

 

"Even despite that." She squeezed his hand. "Your rock songs are good, too. But have you thought about doing something smoother? Less...angsty?"

 

"You mean something more like what we're listening to?"

 

The music had changed from lullabies to soft Gaelic folk songs.

 

"Yes, actually. You have the voice for it."

 

"You can't believe how much I'd love to sing something different." Jude relaxed against his side of the tub. "My manager and producers convinced me I'd be better off hitting the rock, hard. They let me get away with "Love Me Two Times" because nobody figured it would get released as a single, but when it was the only song left on the album..."

 

"And all the others were hits," she finished for him. "They wanted their money. I know how it works."

 

"But it's climbing the charts and getting great reviews," Jude said passionately. Water sloshed as he sat up. "It's not up there with "Break Me" or "Down and Dirty," but--"

 

"Yet," Cadence cut in. "But it will be. I'm not a music critic...."

 

"But you know what you like."

 

She felt awful for not owning his album. "Yes."

 

He tugged her fingers. "Do you like me?"

 

"I told you, I don't have--"

 

"Not my music." He looked at her seriously. "Me."

 

"Can I like one without liking the other?"

 

He let go of her fingers and sat back in the tub, face pensive. "Sure."

 

Cadence shook her head, moved closer, and brushed her lips against his. "I don't think so, Jude. Your music's as much a part of you as the color of your eyes."

 

His mouth parted and he snuck another kiss out of her before answering. "Serves me right for asking."

 

"I like you." She smiled and gave him another brushing kiss. "Very much."

 

His hands slid along her back and found the softness of her buttocks. He pulled her onto his lap. The water lifted her, made her weightless and cradled them both in decadent warmth.

 

"I like you, too," Jude whispered. "Very much. And I think you're right."

 

She'd pillowed her head on his shoulder, but didn't look up even though his words surprised her. "About what?"

 

"My music. My songs. What I've been singing."

 

"Oh, Jude. I told you--"

 

He turned her in the water until she looked at him. "Cadence, I respect your opinion."

 

"We barely know each other."

 

He looked to where his hand cupped her hip possessively. "You're not afraid to tell me what you think. I like that. It's not easy to find that in this town."

 

Though Cadence didn't live in Hollywood, she knew enough about it to agree. "I didn't mean to hurt your feelings."

 

His kiss was stronger this time. "You didn't. I appreciate it. And I agree with you. I'm going into the studio next month to record a new album. I had a bunch of songs I was going to do, and a bunch I wrote but wasn't going to use. I've changed my mind."

 

Cadence looked at him for a few silent minutes before she was able to speak. "I'm incredibly flattered."

 

Jude waggled his eyebrows. "Wait until the record comes out before you decide that. It could be a disaster."

 

"It won't be."

 

Their kiss broke when both of them yawned. Jude grinned. "Sorry. It's not the company."

 

Cadence laughed. "I'm tired, too. Want to go to bed?"

 

He turned her earlier words back on her. "Are you trying to kill me?"

 

"To sleep," Cadence said. "I promise."

 

"That's not as much fun. But okay."

 

Time had passed unbelievably quickly while they made love and soaked in the tub. No wonder we're tired, Cadence thought as they both stumbled toward the bed. It was almost morning.

 

She curled into his arms as naturally as if she'd always slept there. His breath warmed the back of her neck.

 

"What's next?" he murmured as Cadence slipped toward sleep.

 

The question was enough to make her lids flutter open, but she was careful not to betray her emotions by moving. "We sleep."

 

"After that."

 

Her heart skipped, but wariness made her say, "In the morning, we wake up. I check out of La Fleur and go home, and you go to the studio."

 

He sounded as sleepy as she had a few moments ago, before he'd asked her about the future. "Will you give me your number?"

 

For one delirious moment, Cadence almost said yes. Reason won out over hormones. She'd just been burned, and badly, by a relationship. Jumping into another wouldn't be very smart, even if it was with a man as sexy, smart, kind and talented...and famous, as Jude Camron. No. That road to heartbreak was strewn lined with groupies and paparazzi. Not her style.

 

So, with a heavy heart, but a tone forced to be light, Cadence said "No, Jude."

 

"Love me one time, we go our separate ways," he whispered. "Love me two times, and I could break." His arms tightened around her for a moment, but he didn't continue. "Understood."

 

He didn't understand. He couldn't. Cadence didn't feel capable of explaining, so she let herself drift into dreams with his arms around her.

 

The sound of his cell phone woke her, but she pretended to sleep while he made muttered arrangements with Bernie. While he crept out of bed. While he dressed and left the room just as the golden California sun began to edge the curtains.

 

Only then did she open her eyes.

 

* * * *

 

Destiny came up and booted her in the ass one year later.

 

"And now, what you've all been waiting for," said the radio announcer. "The new song by former StarOne frontman Jude Camron. One week on the charts and it's already hit number three. Here's...'Rhyme or Reason.'"

 

Traffic blared behind her and she pulled off to the side of the road to listen, shaking, throat tight. The song was everything she'd told him would sound good. A soft, Celtic-flavored ballad with flowing lyrics and gorgeous instrumentation.

 

A love song.

 

Time stopped while Jude's voice surrounded her. She lost herself in the song, and when it was over, Cadence put the car in drive, got back on the highway, and followed her heart.

 

The room wasn't as grand as the one Marnia had treated her to the year before, but while much had changed in Cadence's life over the past twelve months, the status of her bank account had not. She put her purse and her keys on the bed, then looked around the empty room.

 

And she drives, all night if she must.

 

She was a fool. It was just a song. Did she really think he'd meant it for her?

 

Just to have the chance of seeing him again.

 

He hadn't used names. He was a rock star, for goodness' sake. Famous the world over!

 

To the place where once they held hands and said each other's names.

 

He'd probably been with dozens of women before and after her. She was a blip on the radar screen of his sexual history, as evidenced by the fact he'd never called her. Never tried to get in touch with her. It wouldn't have been that hard.

 

Where he waits, knowing she'll come and it will be the same.

 

Ridiculous. No, she hadn't given him her number, but, surely, in an entire year, if he'd wanted to find her....

 

The knock on the door made her turn. This was it. She opened it.

 

He was there.

 

He stepped through and closed the door behind him. She searched his face, looking for the differences a year must have wrought, but could find none.

 

"How did you know I'd hear the song?"

 

"I didn't," Jude said.

 

"And how did you know I'd come back here?"

 

"I didn't know that either."

 

Cadence looked around the hotel room, not the one they'd shared, but still feeling it was the right place to be anyway. "So how did you know when to get here?"

 

"I've been staying here for a month," Jude said. "Waiting for the desk clerk to tell me you'd checked in."

 

"And how long would you have stayed, waiting?"

 

"I don't have a checkout date."

 

He smiled, and she melted, and in the next moment he was kissing her.

 

"It's a wonderful song," she whispered when they parted long enough to breathe. "Everyone's going to love it."

 

"I wrote it for you," Jude said. "I don't care about anyone else."

 

"This is all pretty sudden," she said, even though after a year of dreaming about him it didn't seem so sudden at all. It seemed long overdue. "There isn't any..." She paused, considering, and everything became clear. "There isn't any rhyme or reason to it."

 

"Nope," said Jude and kissed her again. "Not one bit. But who cares about making sense when we could be making love?"

 

"That sounds like they lyrics to another great song."

 

Jude pulled her closer and tipped her head back for a searing kiss that left her breathless. His hand found her rear, and he walked her back to the waiting comfort of the wide, soft bed. "I'll write it later."

 

The song became the number one hit the following year and more than paid for the simple, stylish wedding and extravagant honeymoon suite...at La Fleur.

 

 

A PERFECT FIT

 

A shadow fell across Audrey Winsom's textbook, and she looked up, shading her eyes against the early May sunshine. She smiled when she saw the man interrupting her studies. "Joel, hi. Have a seat."

 

He grinned down at her, his dark hair falling over his chocolate-brown eyes in the way that always had her itching to brush it away. "Audrey, my favorite head shrinker in training. How's it going?"

 

Audrey moved over so he could slide into the seat next to hers. She gestured at the book. "Just me and Advanced Developmental Psychology."

 

Joel made a face and reached across her to close the book with a solid thud. "Bor-rrring."

 

Audrey laughed, but opened the book again. "Maybe. But the final's in two weeks. C'mon, Joel, you need to study for it, too. Why not come over tonight? I know it's Friday, but we can order pizza, buckle down, crack open the books. Lauren's going with her dad until Sunday, and I plan to study all weekend."

 

Joel shook his head. "Can't."

 

"Ah." Audrey nodded. She studied his face, the high line of his cheekbones and the perfect curve of his mouth. Of course he wouldn't want to hang out with her on a Friday night. "Hot date? Who's it with this time? The cute blonde from Counseling Procedures? No...let me guess. It's the brunette who giggles at you in the café."

 

Joel laughed. "Jennifer is the blonde, and she's got a new boyfriend. Marianne's the brunette and no, it's not her, either."

 

Audrey pretended to study him thoroughly before saying, "Aha! I have it! Secret agent stuff, right?"

 

It was a well-worn joke between them. Secret agent or a gigolo, two careers that would suit him should he decide not to become a psychologist.

 

"Something like that. Not," he added, "that anything could be more exciting than a night with you, going over human development."

 

"Riiiight." Audrey rolled her eyes at his non-subtle flirting, which she'd steeled herself not to take seriously about two seconds after meeting him the first time.

 

They laughed together. Joel nudged her shoulder. Audrey turned to look at him.

 

"What?"

 

"Is that all you ever do?" he asked her, for once the teasing gone. "Study?"

 

Audrey closed her book to look at him. She sat silent for a moment, thinking. "It's important I get good grades, Joel. My future and Lauren's future depend on me being able to support us."

 

He nodded and did something unexpected. He leaned forward to brush a strand of hair that had come undone from her ponytail away from her face and tuck it behind her ear. The simple gesture, far less outrageous than some of the flirtatious things he'd said to her in the past, nevertheless made her catch her breath. She looked into his eyes.

 

"I admire you," Joel said.

 

She couldn't ignore the sincerity in his voice, but Audrey ducked her head, looking away. "Joel..."

 

He leaned back, effectively breaking the moment. "Maybe next week instead? There's plenty of time before the final. You can even cook me dinner. I'll bring a movie for Lauren, she'll veg out in front of the tube and we'll make a night of it."

 

It had become safe to look at him again, and she gave him a raised brow. "Sounds fine, except for that me making you dinner part."

 

Joel winked as he got up from the table. "I could make dinner for you instead. I'm not just a pretty face. I make a mean omelet, Audrey."

 

"Oh, yeah?" She laughed and threw a balled-up napkin at him. "Such modesty. Fine, I'll make dinner."

 

Laughing, Joel ducked the napkin and gave her a little wave as he walked away. Audrey stared after him a moment, admiring his long, lean form, the bag slung with such casual fashion sense over one shoulder, the confidence in his stride. She knew he was more than a pretty face. He had a great sense of humor and a real brain, too, beneath the perfect features and golden smile. They'd been paired off by chance in the first class they'd had together, and the easy way he broke down and absorbed even difficult concepts had impressed her from the start. Studying with Joel made her push herself, and they often vied for top position in their classes.

 

He was gorgeous, smart, funny...and an outrageous flirt. The sort of guy she'd avoided in college, setting her sights instead on the nice guy, the reliable one--Ted.

 

And where had that left her? Nice, reliable Ted had discovered the pleasures of constant one-night stands while on the road, the joys of corporate success that outweighed the quieter joy of domestic bliss. He'd left her for his secretary, a cliché so overdone Audrey had laughed when he told her. When she finally cried, it wasn't for herself, but for the dreams they'd shared. For her child, Lauren, who now saw her daddy every other weekend, which turned out to be more often than when he'd actually lived with them.

 

The divorce had been swift and equitable. It had left her with enough money to go back to school and get her Masters in Psychology, keep food on the table, clothes on their backs. She wasn't interested in much more, right now.

 

Not even if it came packaged in a six-foot-two, dark-haired, dark-eyed, swaggering bad boy who made her laugh.

 

* * * *

 

Joel wheeled the cart of magazines and games into the social room. "Hey, Morty, my main man."

 

"Joely," answered the older man with a grin that showed his straight white dentures. "How they hanging?"

 

"High and dry," Joel answered without missing a beat. Morty was his favorite resident at Country Breezes. The octogenarian had a wicked sense of humor and a weakness for butterscotch pudding, but along with that, he never seemed to assume that, because Joel was young, he didn't know what end was up. Morty never patronized him.

 

"Young fella like you? That's a shame." Morty chuckled, wheeling his chair closer to Joel's cart. "I don't suppose you have any girly mags in that pile?"

 

"Sorry, man. Nurse Ratchett checks 'em out before I bring them in. I've got some the same old celebrity rags and the home decorating stuff. But I did manage to snag you a couple Weekly News of the Weird."

 

Morty laughed. "Oy, just what this old man needs, more news of the weird. As if living next door to Sasquatch Frank's not weird enough."

 

Joel laughed. "I haven't seen Frank in a while. How's he doing?"

 

Morty sobered a bit. "Failing. Been in bed with a cold that won't quit."

 

He didn't say more, but he didn't have to. Being constrained to bed was never a good sign in Country Breezes. Joel nodded and passed Morty a copy of the black and white pulp paper.

 

"Sorry, man."

 

Morty waved a hand. "It's what happens, right? You get old, you get sick...feh. Enough of that. What're you doing here? I thought you worked your second gig tonight."

 

"I do, but that's not until later. I need the cash, man." Joel shrugged. "School's not cheap, you know?"

 

Morty nodded. "Tell me about it. But working on a Friday night...no fun. No dates? No girls in your life? What's going on? I thought you were the Don Juan of Millersville University."

 

Joel shrugged. "There's a girl. But...she's not really into me. We're study buddies."

 

Morty looked so astounded Joel had to laugh again.

 

"Study buddies? What's that, some newfangled slang for...something?"

 

"No. It means we have class together. We study together. That's it."

 

"She invites you to her house?"

 

"Well...yeah." They usually studied a couple of times a week.

 

"She likes you," Morty said with an old man's self-righteous confidence.

 

Joel shook his head. "Nah, man...she's...different."

 

"Trust me, sonny, she's not that different." Morty shook a gnarled finger. "She's a woman, right?"

 

"Definitely."

 

"She makes you food?"

 

Joel laughed. "Sometimes."

 

"She likes you. Ask her out."

 

"I can't do that, man." Joel started tidying up the chair cushions someone had tossed about. "If I ask her out and she says no, it'll ruin our friendship."

 

Morty started to gasp, a hand over his heart, and Joel dropped the cushions and ran to his side. The old man grabbed his wrist. "Get me a magnifying glass, quick!"

 

Joel was already reaching for the button on the wall to call a nurse, but he hesitated. "What do you need a magnifying glass for?"

 

"To look for your balls, sonny!" Morty cackled, and Joel stepped back. "What's the matter with you?"

 

"Not funny, man." Joel put his hands on his hips and glared at Morty, who looked unrepentant. "You almost gave me a heart attack."

 

Morty waved a hand again. "Feh. This is not the Joely I know and love. What's different about this girl from all the others?"

 

Joel leaned against the window seat. "For starters, she's not a girl, she's a woman."

 

Morty nodded eagerly. "Oh, yeah? Older woman, huh?"

 

"She's not that much older. But she's not some silly kid either. She's..." He shrugged, not sure how to describe Audrey without sounding like a sap. "She's a hard worker. And smart...man, is she smart. And beautiful. She's just..."

 

"Sonny, you've got it bad." Morty sighed, shoulders hunching. "And you can't ask her out?"

 

"She's divorced," Joel said, like that explained it.

 

Morty wasn't appeased by such a throwaway answer. "So?"

 

"So, she's a little shy of dating. And she's got a daughter, a great kid named Lauren."

 

"So you've met the daughter?"

 

Joel shrugged. "Well...yeah. When I go over to study, she's usually there. And we've gone out for dinner or ice cream a couple of times after class."

 

"But those weren't dates?" Morty looked astounded, shaking his head.

 

"No, that's just hanging out."

 

"Times change, times change," Morty muttered, almost to himself. "Listen, sonny, she likes you. She invites you to her house, she lets you meet her kid, that means she likes you."

 

"She likes me," Joel countered. "That doesn't mean she, you know, likes me."

 

Morty laughed and set his chair in motion toward the door. "Only one way to find out, sonny. Ask her out."

 

"I can't do that, man!" Joel called after him.

 

"What a wimp!" came the old man's retort from down the hall, and Joel laughed, though the words had the ring of truth.

 

Yeah, he was a wimp. At least when it came to Audrey. Morty hadn't been far wrong, calling him the Don Juan of Millersville. Joel knew how the rumors had started. Date a professor, even one who taught classes you'd never taken, and you had to expect there to be talk. That he and Marlene had only gone to dinner and a movie hadn't seemed to matter, not when they'd been spotted by Suze Pennypacker, the girl with the biggest mouth and wildest imagination Joel had ever met. Suze had been the one start the rumor that Joel supplemented his income as a paid escort, and since he refused to give her the satisfaction even of denying it, the story had passed around and around until it became legend. It had followed up him from undergrad days until now.

 

It hadn't seemed to hurt him. Joel had his share of admirers. He went on dates. He wasn't proud of his reputation as a flirt, but he wasn't exactly ashamed of it either. He had fun with girls, and he liked to think they had fun with him. He didn't give them any reason to believe it was ever anything other than dinner and dancing or a movie. It wasn't like he took them out, seduced them into bed and then dumped them. Being labeled a man-for-hire had probably earned him more action than anything else...at least while he'd been looking for it.

 

The truth was, he hadn't been to bed with anyone in a little over a year--not since meeting Audrey. He'd had plenty of opportunities, but the appeal of the casual sex he'd once found so much a part of student life had palled greatly. He wasn't an undergrad anymore. But a reputation, once earned, is hard to shake, and even the professors knew him as Joel Goodman, the flirt. The guy with the golden grin.

 

It could be frustrating. Could he help it if he liked women? If he knew how to talk to them better than most guys his age? If it just came easy to him? What was he supposed to do, turn into the sort of doofus a lot of his buddies seemed to be around girls, when compliments came easier to his lips than playing it cool?

 

In high school, his best friend Gary had once asked how he managed to get even the hottest girls to talk to him, the ones who wouldn't blink an eye for anything less than a star football player or prom king.

 

To Joel, it had seemed simple enough. "Tell them the truth."

 

"But girls like that hear the truth all the time," Gary said.

 

"So find something true about them they haven't heard," was Joel's response.

 

"But you don't just flirt with the pretty girls," Gary had persisted. "You flirt with all of them. They all love you, man."

 

"Every girl has something pretty about her," Joel had told his friend, who never seemed to get it.

 

He'd meant it then and it still held true today. All women had something about them to enjoy. Was it his fault if he liked putting smiles on their faces? It had never seemed like a bad thing before.

 

Until now. Until meeting Audrey and having her think he was just one more smooth operator. Yeah, she liked him as a study friend, but it was always clear she kept him at arm's distance, and he supposed he couldn't really blame her.

 

Joel Goodman, the guy with the golden grin.

 

Sometimes, that really sucked.

 

* * * *

 

"Daddy'll drop you off on Sunday evening, okay?" Audrey stuffed the last of Lauren's clothes into her overnight bag and ran her hands over her daughter's smooth blonde hair. "You have everything?"

 

Lauren nodded. "Daddy and Tammy are taking me to the zoo!"

 

Audrey smiled. "That sounds like fun."

 

Lauren squeezed her mom around the waist. "I wish you could come, Mommy."

 

"Oh, honey –"

 

"I know, I know." Lauren rolled her eyes. "You and daddy are divorced. I got it. But you'd like the zoo, Mommy. And you won't have any fun here alone."

 

Audrey kissed the top of Lauren's head and hugged her tight. "I'll be fine, sweetie."

 

Those words stayed with her, though, as she put Lauren in the back seat of Ted's expensive car and waved as they drove away. No fun. Was that what her life had become?

 

Studying, cleaning, taking care of her child. It left little room for much else, which had been fine for her. But no fun?

 

She'd just settled down at the kitchen table with her books and a pot of tea when the phone jangled.

 

"Audrey."

 

"Hi, Karen." Audrey poured steaming Earl Grey into her mug and added sugar. "What's up?"

 

"Cinco de Mayo, baby, that's what's up. Tonight."

 

Audrey capped her highlighter and tapped it against the thick book in front of her. She'd only made it through half the chapter so far. "What about it?"

 

On the other end of the phone, Karen snorted. "We're going out. You're coming with us. No excuses. I know Lauren went to Ted's this weekend. You're coming out with us."

 

"Okay."

 

"No ifs, ands or buts. It's time you got out and took advantage of being a single mom." Karen had been divorced for three years. She liked to say she was a serial monogamist with attention deficit disorder. One guy at a time, just a different one every month.

 

"I said all right." Audrey stuck her bookmark back in the chapter. "Where are we going?"

 

"Wait a minute. You said okay?"

 

"Yeah." Audrey frowned at her friend's assumption she'd resist. "You're right. It's Friday night, Lauren's gone for the weekend, and I can study all day tomorrow. Where are we going?"

 

Karen let out a little whoop. "Muy caliente!"

 

Audrey laughed. "I see your Spanish lessons are paying off."

 

"No, hon. Muy Caliente. It's a show."

 

"What kind of show?" Audrey closed the book and leaned back in her chair to sip her tea.

 

"All male revue."

 

"Oh, Karen." Audrey laughed. "Good Lord."

 

"It'll be fun," Karen said. "C'mon. It'll be a blast."

 

"Is this like...Chippendales? Or what?" Audrey tried to think of the last time she'd been out anywhere, much less at a nudie show. "Do they get completely naked?"

 

"I don't know," Karen said with a little squeal. "But apparently they do this once a month, and it's always themed. This month it's Cinco de Mayo. Latin lovers. That sort of thing."

 

"Muy Caliente," Audrey murmured with a shake of her head. "What should I wear?"

 

"Nothing that has be dry-cleaned," was Karen's advice before she hung up.

 

* * * *

 

"Hey," Karen said. "Great jeans! Are they new?"

 

Audrey looked down at the faded blue denim. "No. Old, actually. I just haven't worn them in a long time. But you said nothing that had to be dry cleaned..."

 

They both laughed as they entered the club. The last time Audrey had been to the Chili Pepper, it had been called Spanky's Sports Bar. Now it featured a Latin decorating scheme, including drinks with names like "Red Hot Mama" and "Chili Chiller."

 

"Muy Caliente!" cried Karen as they entered.

 

The music's heavy, thumping beat reverberated in the pit of Audrey's stomach. "I should've brought ear plugs!"

 

"Hello, ladies." The smiling young man who greeted them carried a handful of plastic necklaces with blinking chili pepper pendants. "Are you here for Muy Caliente?"

 

"Hell, yeah!" Karen shook her ass. "We're ready."

 

The host smiled. "Right this way."

 

Audrey shared a look with her friend as he led them through the main bar section and down a short flight of stairs to another, much smaller room with black-painted walls and blue lighting.

 

"Omigod," said Karen, "there's a pole!"

 

"Have a seat," offered their host. "The show will start soon."

 

Karen gripped Audrey's arm in a death grip. "Omigod, omigod...!"

 

"Karen! You're the one who wanted to come here!" Audrey laughed and headed for a small couch toward the back of the room. "C'mon, it'll be fun. That's what you said. Right? Are you nervous?"

 

They sat. Karen refused to let go of Audrey's arm. "Omigod. Look at this place!"

 

Audrey looked the room over. Mirrors on the walls and ceiling, blue neon lighting, a nice, shiny pole on a platform in the middle of the floor. Yep. It looked like a nudie bar, all right. Not that she'd ever been in one before. "This is some set up. You say they do this every month? What do they do with the space the rest of the time?"

 

"Private parties," said a low, rumbling voice, and Audrey looked up at the young man standing in front of them. "Hi. I'm Vance."

 

"Hi, Vance. I'm Audrey. This is Karen." Audrey nudged Karen, who seemed incapable of speech. "How are you?"

 

Vance, clearly used to shy and wilting flowers, looked at Karen with a gleam in his eyes. "Great. You ladies up for some fun?"

 

"We sure are," said Audrey firmly.

 

"Good," said Vance. "We've got five guys here tonight. Any preference for music?"

 

Karen, apparently, had been struck dumb. "Whatever works," Audrey said generously, having no idea what sort of music would be good for men to strip to.

 

"Great!" If nothing else, Vance seemed full of enthusiasm. "Give us a couple minutes to get ready, okay?"

 

As the waitress carrying a small tray and rack of shooters headed toward them, Vance added, "Oh, and by the way, because state law says that if we serve alcohol we can't be completely naked, we'll have to leave our g-strings on. Hope that'll be okay."

 

Karen whimpered.

 

Audrey smiled. "I'm sure it'll be fine."

 

"Great!" Vance nodded and disappeared into a back room.

 

"Omigod," Karen muttered.

 

"Karen!" Audrey shook her. "C'mon, we're here to have a good time, remember? It'll be fine! What are you worried about?"

 

"Can I get you ladies a drink from the bar?" The chipper waitress smiled. "I also make change, if you need some dollar bills."

 

"Dollar bills!" Karen squeaked, falling back onto the couch in a paroxysm of trembling something-or-other. Audrey couldn't figure out if it was agony or ecstasy.

 

"I'll take twenty," Audrey said, laughing at her friend. "That should be enough, right?"

 

"For the first fifteen minutes." The waitress took the twenty-dollar bill and gave Audrey a handful of ones with a grin. "These guys are hot with two t's."

 

Karen fanned her face and handed over a twenty, too. "I'd better get mine then."

 

"Is it usually this crowded?" Audrey looked around as another group of ladies, giggling, followed the host with the blinking necklaces, and took seats at a table on the other side of the room.

 

The waitress nodded. "This place gets crazy on Muy Caliente night, let me tell you. Our boys really know how to show the ladies a good time, too. You'll see."

 

Karen hooted and clapped her hands.

 

"We'll take two shooters to start," Audrey said. "My treat."

 

Karen let out another hysterical giggle. "Omigod!"

 

"You let me know if you need anything else," the waitress said, and Audrey assured her they would.

 

"I don't understand you, Karen." Audrey drank her shooter. "You're usually the one leading the pack."

 

"I'm all talk," Karen admitted and tossed back her shooter with a grimace. "Not like you, Audrey."

 

"What's that supposed to mean?" Audrey turned toward her friend, surprised.

 

"Oh, you know, you're so good with guys. How to talk to them and stuff."

 

"Believe me, Karen, I'm not that good at it. You're the one who's had all the dates. Not me."

 

Karen rolled her eyes. "You could have dates, if you wanted them."

 

Audrey didn't have time to answer because the curtain hiding the doorway to the back room shook. Three young men, casually dressed like they were just out for a night on the town appeared and split up, working the room's other tables. Audrey could hear them giving the same sort of rap Vance had given her and Karen.

 

"Wow. I was expecting...you know, construction workers and cops," said Karen. She watched the boys across the room. "A show! An act!"

 

"Maybe they'll do that, too," Audrey assured her with a pat on the hand. "We'll see."

 

Karen giggled again. "Omigod...they're so cute!"

 

They were cute, too. Young and cute. "I feel like a perv," Audrey murmured, watching the boys charm the group of ladies across the way. "They can't be more than twenty-one."

 

More women filed in, and music began pumping from the loudspeakers. Audrey didn't know the song, but then she hadn't been out to a club in number of years. She listened to the racy lyrics with some surprise, then a giggle. So that was the sort of song men took off their clothes to.

 

"Oooh, I love this song!" The shooter seemed to have loosened Karen up a little bit because she started dancing in her chair.

 

When the waitress came back around, they ordered a couple more drinks, and Audrey sat back against the couch, watching as the show began. Vance introduced himself and the other three guys, Armando, Brick and Julian.

 

"Think those are their real names?" Karen asked as the four young men gyrated.

 

"Heck, no!" Audrey watched them work the crowd and head in their direction. "But who would you rather flirt with--an Armando or a Harold?"

 

"Good point," Karen said, and then her attention was taken up by dark-haired Brick, who had his eyebrow pierced and wore a braided leather choker.

 

Armando had set his sights on Audrey, and she sat back and prepared to enjoy the display. She'd seen male revues before, and Karen was right. They were usually stereotypical fantasy cops or construction workers, who did some sort of cheesy dance routine to predictable dance tunes. Not these boys. They shimmied and strutted to the bass-heavy tune as they stripped out of their clothes to the whoops and hollers of the now-packed room.

 

"Omigod!" Karen wriggled beside now-giggling Audrey.

 

This was fun. She whooped, too, when Julian strutted over with a grin on his face. He dropped in front of her in a truly impressive move, doing a set of one-handed pushups that emphasized the muscles in his toned back. When he got to his feet, Audrey clapped and waved a dollar bill.

 

Julian leaned over and said into her ear, "You get to put it in my pants."

 

She felt a bit ridiculous, but she did it anyway, tucking the bill into the waistband of his low-slung jeans.

 

"Thanks, doll," he said with a saucy wink, and began grooving in front of Karen.

 

"I thought Vance said there were going to be five guys," Karen shouted over the music as Julian and Brick took turns doing truly impressive gymnastic feats on the silver pole and Armando and Vance danced around the tables.

 

"What, these four aren't enough for you?" Audrey hollered back. She sipped her margarita, enjoying the play of light on toned, tanned bodies. By this time, the men in the center of the room had stripped down to boxer briefs.

 

"Omigod," said Karen. "Would you look at them? How do they do that?"

 

Brick had grabbed the pole, leaped into the air and held his entire body out straight, like a flag.

 

"Maybe they're gymnasts." Audrey clapped and whistled. "Wow!"

 

Some women there sat and watched without doing anything, not even when the dancers wriggled and writhed in front of them. Audrey didn't get it. If someone was willing to strip off his clothes in front of her for a dollar bill, she was going to do her best to make sure she was appreciative.

 

"Having fun, ladies?" Vance, bare chest shining with sweat and the glitter he'd just shaken all over himself to cheers from most of the crowd, sat in the chair next to Audrey.

 

"Yes." She smiled. "But I have to ask--are you?"

 

Vance grinned, looking around. "Hey, where else could I get paid to dance and drink all night with ladies screaming and hollering?"

 

His honest answer made her laugh. "True."

 

He looked her over with frank appreciation in his eyes. "We like it when the women have a good time, you know?"

 

She tucked a couple of bills into the waistband of his boxers and he thanked her, moving on to Karen, who at least seemed to have gotten over her initial anxiety and was rubbing her hands all over Vance's glittery chest.

 

"Sparkles," Karen said when he'd moved on to seduce the next group of women out of their dollars. She held up her hands, which gleamed in the blue lighting. "From his body! Whee!"

 

Audrey laughed, her equilibrium returning. They were here to have fun, and she was. It was all a game. Cute boys shaking their asses in front of screaming women in order to earn a couple hundred bucks. She was glad she could relax and enjoy it.

 

"Hey, looks like the last one showed up!" Karen nudged Audrey and pointed. "Oooh, he's a hottie!"

 

"They're all--" She stopped at the sight of the fifth young man, who'd just come out of the back room.

 

It was Joel.

 

"Oh, mama," Karen said. "Catholic schoolboy."

 

Audrey was pretty sure Joel wasn't Catholic, but the schoolboy description was dead on. He wore dark trousers and a button-down oxford shirt with a tie. His dark hair had been slicked back beneath a ball cap. He looked utterly forbidden, which made it all the more delicious. He swaggered around the room greeting the women, while his cohorts contorted themselves on and off the pole.

 

Should she go before he made his way to where she sat? Joel was between her and the exit. He'd see her leaving. Should she hide in the bathroom?

 

"Where are you going?" Karen's question made her realize she'd already gotten to her feet.

 

The music ebbed and flowed, inviting hips to wiggle and pelvises to thrust. The boys in the middle of the stage traded out with the two who'd been working the room. Joel, perhaps because he'd arrived late, didn't go to the center and start taking off his clothes, but Audrey knew it would only be a matter of minutes before he took his turn. She had to get out of here before then. How embarrassing! Joel was her classmate, a friend, her study buddy...

 

And he was standing right in front of her. She looked up, with what she knew had to be an idiotic smile pasted on her face. Joel was grinning, too. He didn't look embarrassed, but then he probably dealt with shell-shocked women on a regular basis.

 

"Woo-hoo!" Karen, apparently, had dispensed with the last of her anxiety and was now waving a handful of dollar bills at him.

 

Joel looked into Audrey's eyes, the neon lighting making the dark depths of his gaze impenetrable. Then he grinned, his teeth flashing supernaturally white, and turned his attention to Karen. Vance, however, had already insinuated himself into Karen's lap and was dry-humping her while she giggled hysterically and shoved dollars into the back of his g-string.

 

The song changed from a harsh rap song to a smoother, sexier dance tune. A fucksong, they'd called it in college. Slow, sensual, with lyrics to match. Audrey leaned against the back of the loveseat. Joel, body moving slightly to the beat, looked at her again, and she thought for sure he was going to move away. She hoped he would. She hoped he wouldn't.

 

He didn't.

 

He grinned, cocky, then flipped around and settled his ass on her lap. He wiggled to the music, looking over his shoulder at her with a wink that set her laughing. He turned again, took her hand, tugged her to her feet and into his arms. He began moving her to the music, his hands on her hips, but moving a little lower with every second.

 

"What are you doing here?" she asked, finally, awkward about where to put her hands and finally resting them on his shoulders in a parody of junior high dances.

 

"Working," he told her, snugging her up tighter against him, his thigh between hers.

 

Audrey let out a little yelp, embarrassed, and tried to pull away, but Joel held her fast. "I thought you worked at the retirement home."

 

"I do." Joel moved them in time to the song, bumping and grinding. "Shut up now, though, because you're ruining my mojo."

 

"Your mojo, huh?"

 

He nodded and dipped her to the appreciative and perhaps envious cries of the watching women. His nose slid along the line of her throat, his breath hot on the exposed skin before he moved them both upright again and grabbed her ass with both hands.

 

He'd been flirting with her since the first time they'd met. Over time it had translated into a friendship comfortable enough to allow the occasional hug, a squeeze of the shoulder, playful nudges. This, however, was something else entirely, and looking into Joel's eyes Audrey knew they both knew it.

 

He turned her so her back was against his chest and moved his hands around the front of her, linking his fingers through hers. The music rocked them as he tucked his chin against her shoulder, his cheek pressing her jaw. Heat filled her and she closed her eyes for a moment against the rush of alcohol and music and his scent, against the feeling of him pressed along her body, their hands linked tight in a gesture more intimate than if he'd put his tongue in her mouth.

 

Joel smoothed their linked hands up and down her thighs, over her belly and down again. When was the last time someone had touched her this way, with such intimacy and sensuality? A long, long time, and it was too tempting to refuse it. Tempting and yet safe, for this was Joel, her friend, not a stranger, and he was playing a role. Doing a job. It was okay for him to nuzzle the side of her neck and turn her to face him, to put her hands on his ass and pull their bodies close together so she could feel every line and muscle of his body along hers. It was flirting kicked up a notch, that's all. A dance for a dollar, a bump for a buck.

 

A quick glance told her the other dancers had chosen partners, too. Karen was shimmying with Vance in front of her and Armando in the back, both men bumping and grinding her in a way that managed to be sexy and non-threatening at the same time. Karen seemed to be enjoying it anyway, shaking her groove thang like a champ, face alight with laughter.

 

Audrey looked down at her fingers, linked with Joel's on her thighs. He moved their hands up and down along the soft, faded fabric of her jeans, her favorite pair. She'd searched forever for those jeans, the ones that made her feel sexy and confident, made her butt look good and never pinched. A perfect fit. Yet she hadn't worn them in months and months, even though they'd been right there in her closet all this time. She'd just been ignoring them.

 

The way she'd been pretending not to notice Joel?

 

It was impossible not to notice him now, not with his breath hot on the side of her face as he moved them to the music, but before she had time to react, the song ended. He turned her and led her gently back to her seat, easing her into it, holding both her hands and leaned over her.

 

It was the same move the other boys had, putting a hand on the back of the couch by her head and sliding up her body with his until he reached her ear with his mouth. The other dancers had usually mouthed the song lyrics, or just panted, but Joel surprised her.

 

"You look beautiful," he told her, and she turned her head to look at his face, a mere inch from hers. Kissing distance.

 

The moment seemed to call for something, but Audrey faltered. "That's sure worth a dollar," she quipped, and stuffed one in his shirt pocket.

 

Something flickered in his eyes, or perhaps it was the shifting light as the music changed once again, became faster. It passed in a moment, replaced by his broad grin. Then he gave her neck so swift a nuzzle she was convinced she'd imagined it, and he pushed away from her and took his turn in the center of the room.