Tall, Dark And Temporary. Susan Connell

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СКАЧАТЬ thoughts crowding in. She had to keep herself directed toward goals that could and would come true. Not toward self-indulgent flights of fancy that were getting completely out of hand.

      But how had those self-induced visions become so achingly explicit? They weren’t inspired by any sexual experiences she’d had. No, sex with Andy had never hinted at anything so... interesting.

      She rubbed at her temples. If the reality of Nick was half as potent as the Nick in her fantasies, she could be in trouble. She sighed. Big trouble. Of course, she had no intention of placing herself in a position to find out just how big. Besides, wasn’t it painfully obvious that she was anything but a wild, hot seductress? Her lips suddenly thinned with annoyance as she narrowed her eyes toward her reflection.

      “Pull it together, Meggie,” she mumbled. “Come on, just like you always do when things get dicey. Think about that sweet little girl who needs you. And how nothing is more important than making a better life for her.”

      “I heard that mumbling.”

      “Rebecca!” Megan whirled around to face her.

      “Hey, girlfriend, I thought you would have gone in and gotten us seats.”

      “I told you I’d wait for you here,” she said, looking over Rebecca’s shoulder toward the revolving doors. Thankfully, Nick was still nowhere in sight. “Where have you been?”

      “I’m still on my honeymoon.”

      “But you were married months ago,” she said, taking her by the elbow and drawing her across the empty lobby. “How long is a honeymoon supposed to last?”

      Rebecca gave her a devilish grin. “As far as I’m concerned, as long as Raleigh can.”

      Megan’s breath caught in her throat. A second later she was stealing a glance at her friend. Was it true? Was the kind of wild, unbridled passion she’d only imagined really possible?

      “Meggie, darling, I always could make your ears turn red. Couldn’t I?”

      “Your talents know no boundaries, Reb,” Megan said, shaking her head with genuine amusement as she reached for the door to the meeting room.

      “That’s what Raleigh keeps telling me. You want to fill me in on what that conversation you were having with the mirror was all about?”

      “No.”

      “Are you sure?”

      “Trust me. Your eyes would glaze over. Let’s just go inside and find seats,” she said, grabbing two programs from the table near the doors.

      As they headed for the front of the room, she couldn’t help herself. She made a quick scan of the room looking for Nick. Maybe she’d missed him. Maybe he’d slipped in a side entrance to the hotel. Taking a seat in the front row, she began fanning herself with the programs.

      Maybe he wasn’t coming. She wouldn’t be surprised. If he was anything like he was ten years ago, missing this meeting would be right in character for Nick. She pictured him in his jeans and leather jacket, roaring down the highway to who knew where. Wind whipping through his hair, his thighs tightly gripping his motorcycle, that hell-bent look in his eyes....

      She fanned a little faster. He’d probably already forgotten he’d stopped by last night That would be the best possible thing that could happen. In small-town Follett River, an absence of curious questions would make her plan for avoiding him a lot easier.

      “So I hear you had a surprise visitor last night.”

      The programs crumpled in her grip. She turned to her friend.

      “He told you?”

      “Well—”

      Grabbing Rebecca by the wrist, she leaned toward her and lowered her chin. “He actually told you he caught me dancing by myself in the kitchen?” she asked in a choked whisper.

      “Dancing?” Rebecca did a double take, then looked around before she leaned closer. “Meggie, Nick caught you dancing? That’s the first I’ve heard of it.”

      “Oh.” Pulling back, she stared straight ahead. “I’d appreciate it if you’d forget I ever mentioned that,” she said, relaxing in her seat as she smoothed out the programs.

      “No problem, Megan.”

      She slapped a program into Rebecca’s hand. “Good.”

      “Right. Thanks. So, then what happened?”

      Megan twisted to face her again as someone took the empty seat on her right side. A trousered leg brushed against hers, sending her short skirt higher up her thigh.

      “Nothing happened. Absolutely nothing,” she said, tugging down her hem as her friend’s face lit up with a suspicious smile. “Reb, if you tell one person I told you that, I will never forgive you.”

      “My lips are sealed.” Rebecca raised an eyebrow as she looked past Megan.

      “How about you, Nick? Are you going to tell anyone you caught Megan dancing alone in her kitchen last night?”

      Megan felt her breath catch in her throat as his arm settled over the back of her chair and the broad and solid wall of his chest touched her shoulder.

      “Consider my lips sealed, too,” he said, reaching in front of Megan to share a high five with Rebecca.

      Megan’s gaze slid to one side. His lips were not sealed. They were open in a heart-stealing grin, now fixed on her.

      She was trapped between a treacherous friend and temptation powerful enough to make her hands shake. She held back a groan. Why was nothing ever easy in her life? And wasn’t it time for someone to strike the gavel? For the floor to open up and swallow her? Or for aliens to beam her up to the mother ship?

      She managed to give Nick a closemouthed smile before turning her face to Rebecca. “Give me a break here,” she silently mouthed, then quickly looked toward the podium.

      “Oh, Nick,” Rebecca said in a tone too casual to be believed, “I finally remembered who it was that brought up your name at the reunion.”

      Megan instantly tensed.

      “Who?” he asked.

      “You’re sitting next to her.”

      “Is that right?” he asked.

      Megan nodded. A moment later she felt the vibrations from the rumble of his soft, deep laughter. The masculine sensation played along every nerve ending in her body, making her feel as if they’d both been laughing. Laughing the way old friends laughed. She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. Or new lovers.

      “What made you think of me?” he asked, leaning his head to fix a curious stare on her.

      She managed a shrug as she dropped her gaze to the perfect creases in the trousers of his summer suit. He didn’t look like any construction worker she’d daydreamed about. He must have come straight from another meeting. She swallowed hard. Or a date. “I don’t СКАЧАТЬ