“Bryce!” Sophie hissed into her cell phone as she stood in the lobby of the hotel.

“Huh? Who is this?” a sleepy Bryce replied.

“Come pick me up. Now!”

“Sophie?” Bryce seemed to come alive. “Now, Sophie, calm down, where are you?”

“At the hotel, you idiot. Drive around to the side entrance. Don’t park. And, hurry!” she said, as she punched the End Call button and ducked behind a large potted plant in the corner of the hotel lobby and waited, fuming. She felt conspicuous in her evening attire in the harsh morning light.

How had she let herself get into this situation? For someone who considered herself in charge of her life, she was totally out of control.

See? See? That man makes me lose all sense of perspective, even when I didn’t know it was him.

Who would have thought Sophie Keaton would be standing in the lobby of a hotel after having a one-night stand? For heaven’s sakes, she was the woman who had settled for a date with Gordon Shelby last week. Please don’t wake up yet, please!

Ten agonizing minutes later, Bryce swung the car into the driveway at the side of the hotel lobby. Before he could put the engine in park, Sophie flung the door open and hurled herself into the passenger seat. “Go. Go. Go!”

Bryce floored the gas pedal and the tires squealed out of the driveway into traffic.

“All right, who’d you kill?” Bryce demanded. His hair stood straight on end, his feet were bare and he still wore the bottoms to his flannel pajamas.

“You stupid idiot. It’s. All. Your. Fault!” She slammed his arm with her purse, emphasizing each word with every impact.

“Cut it out,” he swerved then righted the vehicle. “What are you trying to do, kill us?”

“Exactly. I wish I could die,” she wailed, flopping back against the seat.

Bryce frowned in concern. “Do I need to go back and pound on someone?” he asked, slowing as though preparing to turn around.

“No,” she said, burying her face in her hands. “Just get us home.”

---

Bryce had two cups of coffee waiting on the bar when Sophie stepped out of the bathroom after taking a long, hot shower.

“Okay, spill.” Bryce took a seat, settling in to hear the long version of her disastrous evening.

Sophie slumped onto the stool before the counter and moaned. “Last night has to have been the worst mistake of my life.”

“How could it possibly be worse than almost killing your date Friday night?”

“Trust me, it was.”

“But I thought you’d met the man of your dreams.” Bryce blew at his coffee and took a sip. “What, was he too kinky?”

Sophie rolled her eyes and moaned again. “Everything was going so well—until six o’clock this morning when I figured out who he really was.” Dropping her head into her hands, she muttered, “I can’t believe I slept with him.”

“So, who is he? Jeffrey Dahmer’s little brother? An actuarial accountant?”

She smacked his arm. “Dumbass, neither. He’s much worse.” She raised her head. “He was Captain “Jerk” Jenkins.”

Bryce’s forehead wrinkled in confusion, and he paused to think. As the picture became clear, his lips twitched, and then stretched across his face in a wide grin. Clapping his hand to his mouth, he attempted to muffle his snickers. Finally giving up, he doubled over and rolled off his stool to fall to the floor in a heap of hilarity.

“It’s not funny!” Sophie lifted the saltshaker from the counter and threw it at him then reached for the pepper to continue the attack.

“Oh, but it is,” he said and ducked as the peppershaker sailed past his head.

Still gasping, Bryce retrieved the shakers, placing them out of her reach. Resuming his seat at the bar, he slowly regained control, wiping the tears from his eyes.

Sophie sat with her arms crossed over her chest, glaring at him, waiting for him to get serious. “Are you quite finished?”

Bryce recovered himself and nodded.

“You need to understand. This is very serious. I fraternized with my commanding officer.”

“Oh, sis, lighten up.”

“I can’t, I could lose my commission.”

“They can fire you for sleeping with the boss?” As Bryce thought about it, he repeated it. “You slept with your boss. Wow, Sis, that’s pretty over the top for a woman who hasn’t had sex in two years.” He wrinkled his nose, and his lips twitched again. “Boy, Dad’ll bust a gasket when he finds out.”

“Dad is not going find out. We’re going to forget this ever happened, and you aren’t to mention his name in this house, ever.” Sophie got up from her chair and paced the floor of the kitchen. “I’m pretty sure he doesn’t know my name.”

Bryce’s eyebrows shot upwards when he heard that.

Sophie waved him into silence. “I’m going to make darn sure he doesn’t recognize me as the woman he met last night when I go to my next drill. This’ll all just go away like one long, bad dream. The Weekend from Hell.”

---

Gage stretched languorously against the sheets, his hands reaching out to stroke the silky skin of the woman who had made all his sexual fantasies come true. He came fully awake as he realized the pillow next to him was empty. He started to call out to her, then realized he didn’t even know her name. So instead, he rolled out of the bed and sauntered naked to the bathroom, expecting to find her there.

“Damn!”

The only evidence she had been in his room was the discarded panties lying on the floor near the bed. He sat down on edge of the mattress, recounting the events of the evening before and realized not only did he not know her name, he didn’t have a clue where to find her. They hadn’t spent a whole lot of time talking. In fact, once they’d gotten naked, they hadn’t talked at all.

Gage spent a restless week thinking about her. He had difficulty concentrating on his job, with visions of her naked body lying beneath him, flashing through his mind at the most inopportune times of the day.

After work each evening, he haunted the hotel barroom, hoping she would eventually turn up. When the barroom closed, he’d trudge up to his room to fall into a fitful sleep, plagued by lusty dreams filled with her in his arms. Yet the dreams were only dreams, and he would awaken unfulfilled.

His frustration grew as the week wore on, and still he was no closer to knowing who she was, or whether he would ever see her again.

The time finally came for him to move out of the hotel and into the house he’d purchased. What once would have been an occasion to celebrate, was now one he dreaded. He felt that by leaving the hotel, he was severing his last connection with the beauty who had set his blood on fire.

---

Bryce sat at the kitchen bar, nursing a cup of coffee as he pondered his plans for the day. Spending it inside seemed like a waste of a beautiful Saturday.

“To study or not to study, that is the question,” he said out loud. His chemistry book lay open on the counter. Glancing out the kitchen window to the gorgeous day outside, he noticed a moving van pulling up to the house next door.

“I think not,” he decided aloud and slammed shut the chemistry book. “I’d rather meet the new neighbor.” He exited the kitchen door with just that purpose in mind.

As Bryce approached the van, the driver climbed down from the cab and moved to the rear of the vehicle. With his back to Bryce, he opened the double doors and began to slide the heavy ramps out of their mooring.

“Hey, do you need a hand?” Bryce called out.

The man straightened and turned toward him.

Bryce halted in his tracks, his mouth falling open. This was the man from the bar—the man Sophie spent the night with. After a few moments, Bryce realized he was staring, open mouthed. In an attempt to recover himself, he closed his mouth and stuck his hand out. “Hi, I’m Bryce Hamilton, your next-door-neighbor.”

“Gage Jenkins.” His grip was firm as they shook hands in greeting. “Yes, I sure could use a hand getting these ramps down.”

Together, they pulled the ramps out of the truck and slid them in place. Gage and Bryce began unloading the contents of the van, working companionably until the van stood empty, all the while talking about the weather and sports.

“That went a lot faster than I expected,” Gage said. “Thanks for your help.”

“Yeah, no problem. Right now, I could use a break. Got any beer?” Bryce asked.

“Wish I had some to offer, but I just plugged in the refrigerator. The best I could provide would be lukewarm.”

“That’s okay. I have some at my house. I’ll go get it.”

Bryce returned quickly with a six-pack, and the two men settled into lawn chairs on the front porch, both gratified by their physical labors.

“How long have you owned your house?” Gage asked.

“Oh, I don’t own it. The girl I live with owns it,” Bryce stated in a matter-of-fact way.

“Where is she? I’d like to meet her.”

“She’s part owner of an art gallery, and they’re having an open house this weekend. She won’t come up for air until Sunday night. So, basically, I’m on my own for the weekend.”

“Are you two married?” Gage asked.

“Oh, no...but we’re very close. Right now, I can’t say I love any other woman more than I do her.” Bryce congratulated himself on keeping his tongue firmly in cheek. “What about you, Gage? Are you married?”

“No, I’ve never found the right woman.” Gage paused and stared off into the distance. Shaking his head, he added, “Although, I thought I might have come close last Saturday night.”

It was all Bryce could do to keep a straight face, but somehow he managed. “Oh, really? What was she like?” Bryce asked, leaning forward.

“A goddess,” he said without hesitation. “She was the most beautiful and sexy woman I’ve ever had the good fortune to meet.”

“What’s her name?” Bryce asked, not betraying more than casual interest in the answer.

“That’s the problem, I don’t know,” Gage shook his head with a frown.

“You don’t know her name? You met a goddess, and you didn’t get her name? She must really have thrown you off balance.” Bryce leaned his elbows on his knees and covered his mouth with his hand. He closed his eyes as if giving Gage’s revelation great thought, when in actuality, he was choking back hoots of laughter that threatened to bubble up and explode at any moment.

“I know it sounds stupid, I didn’t even think to ask for her name.”

“Lucky guy,” Bryce managed to squeeze out.

“I don’t feel so lucky. I’d give my right arm to find her. I spent the entire week stalking the bar, but she never returned.” Gage shrugged.

Bryce’s mind raced. This is rich. I could get a right arm for my sister. Now, what would I do with an extra right arm? The silly internal monologue did manage to keep him from grinning.

Gage continued when Bryce remained silent. “I guess it just wasn’t meant to be. Who knows? I was only with her for one evening. I’ll bet if I’d spent more time with her, she wouldn’t have been as wonderful as I thought. Hell, I might not even think she’s as beautiful or sexy.” He straightened his shoulders with resolve. “Besides, I have certain ideas about the kind of woman I want in my life.”

Bryce’s eyebrows shot up. This was a new and interesting development in the conversation. “What do you mean? Qualifications or something?”

“Oh, you know, she has to be graceful, good-looking, great in bed, and intelligent—I can’t stand a ditz. Preferably tall and brunette. I’d like for her to be a good cook, and she has to love dogs. It would also be nice if she had at least a ‘C’ cup,” Gage said jokingly, and made a cupping gesture in front of his chest, then dropped his hands. “But, most importantly, she can’t be afraid of commitment.”

“Do you think your goddess met any of those qualifications?”

“Well...” Gage paused and closed his eyes, then continued, “she did have the three G’s—she was graceful, gorgeous and great in bed. Strangely enough, though, she was short and blonde. I rarely ever go for short blondes, but she was an exception.” He shook his head. “I don’t know why I’m telling you all of this. It doesn’t matter, anyway. I’ll never see her again.”

“Oh, I don’t know... It’s a small world. You’ll probably run into her sooner than you think,” Bryce said, stifling a chuckle.

“I hope so,” Gage said fervently.

Bryce noted Gage looked off into the distance again as he made that last statement. “Boy, you got it bad, man. Be careful what you wish for, it’s likely to come true.”

“That would be all right by me,” Gage said.