Forbidden: A Shade Darker – The Complete Collection. Leslie Kelly

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       4

      GIVEN HOW BUSY her evening was, Emily should have completely forgotten about Rand and his shocking claim that he’d come to Chicago just to see her. The hotel was sold out. As always, there were complaints from people about dripping faucets, noisy neighbors, cold room-service food. Plus, tonight, the staff was scurrying to accommodate both the overnight guests and everyone attending the gala event in the Grand Ballroom.

      The fund-raiser/New Year’s Eve party was packed with elegantly dressed people celebrating and bidding on silent auction items, the proceeds of which would go to local shelters. The staff had to watch for any guests who’d overindulged but still believed they could drive home. So a sexy ballplayer and his outrageous assertion should have been the last things on Emily’s mind.

      Of course, they weren’t. She hadn’t been able to get the man out of her head for more than sixty seconds since she’d left his room. Especially because every time she went into the ballroom to check on the event staff, she heard his sexy voice urging people to donate more money to the cause. Hell, if the event had been a bachelor auction and he’d been selling a date with himself, every shelter in Chicago would be funded for a year.

      The only thing that made her smile about the situation was wondering how long it had taken him to get out of the handcuffs.

      “Wait, are you telling me you really know Rand McConnell?”

      “Knew,” she clarified, quickly glancing at Nora, one of the other floor managers, who was Emily’s closest friend on the job. Their shifts were changing and she’d just filled the other woman in on what was happening in the hotel tonight, since it would be Nora’s responsibility until 7:00 a.m. tomorrow. Emily got off at 11—about ten minutes from now—and would be heading home before the drunks hit the road after their midnight celebrations. By the time the clock struck twelve, she’d be safely in her PJs.

      She’d also happened to mention to Nora that she used to be friends with Rand. That was far more interesting to the other woman than anything about the job.

      “How did you know him?” her friend asked, her voice both curious and a little awed.

      “Through my brother. They used to be friends. It was years ago, before he hit it big.”

      “What was he like?”

      “Cocky.”

      “Well, yeah.”

      “Talented,” she admitted, her tone grudging. “Smart.”

      “Hot.”

      “I suppose, if you like the athletic type.”

      “Who doesn’t like the athletic type?” Nora wagged her eyebrows. “That man could swing his big bat my way anytime.”

      “Eww. I’m sure he’s swung it toward plenty of other women.”

      “So? If it connects with your sweet spot and you score a home run, who cares?”

      Of course Nora would see it that way. Her love life was a revolving door, and she had a man’s attitude when it came to sex. Take the pleasure, forget the pain, and move on.

      Emily suddenly grew still, contemplating that. She’d never dwelled on Nora’s philosophy, being one who always carefully considered going to bed with someone. She viewed sex as a big milestone that sealed the deal of a serious relationship. That one experiment as a wild child with Rand had made her realize that her good-girl roots were best when it came to relationships. She’d never again thrown caution to the wind and taken someone she really wanted, just for pleasure’s sake.

      While none of them had complained about her nice, quiet nature, they also hadn’t always agreed with her sex-has-to-mean-something stance. In fact, to a couple of them, sex had been the culmination of the experience and once they’d gotten her to give it up, they’d headed out the door.

      She’d never played the game that way...the way those men did. The way Nora did. She just wasn’t wired that way.

      But why not try it? Why not take what Rand wants to give you, take every ounce of pleasure, and then wave happily as he walks away?

      Could she do that? She honestly wasn’t sure. She’d been wildly in love with the man once and sex and love had gotten all mixed up together for her. Could she separate the emotions and just take the sex now, while she had the chance?

      She didn’t think so. No matter what she told herself, her heart would be at risk.

      But even if she ended up having to nurse another broken heart, having the memories of really being his lover this time...wouldn’t that make it all worthwhile?

      “If that man gave me a second look, I would so go for it,” Nora said, still chattering happily. “Rand McConnell is total masturbation bait. Every woman alive would see him and need the strongest setting on her shower massage.”

      “No, thanks,” Emily mumbled, still focused more on her own worries than on the conversation. “I’ll stick to sexy romance novels and my vibrator.”

      Behind her, Emily suddenly heard someone clear his throat.

      Oh, God, please no. Let it be anybody but him.

      But judging by the way Nora’s eyes rounded, her mouth plopped open and her face flamed, Emily strongly suspected her good-luck-fairy was still on vacation.

      She turned around and saw Rand standing behind them. He’d come out of the ballroom and walked into the small alcove near the front desk, where she and Nora had ducked for a quick conference. Obviously, neither of them had even heard him come up behind them; the man was as quiet as a cat. Maybe that was why he was so good at stealing bases, and, according to the tabloids, women’s hearts.

      “Hello, Emily,” he said, his voice sounding normal, though an amused smile tugged at his lips.

      “Mr. McConnell.”

      Tsking, he asked, “What were you two talking about?”

      She shot some flames at him through her eyeballs. “Nothing that matters.”

      Ignoring her jab, he directed his attention to Nora. “I’m Rand McConnell.”

      The other woman gushed a greeting, almost falling over the tongue that was hanging out of her mouth. Rand, smooth and charming as always, managed to calm her down and soon the two of them were chatting as if he were simply another gorgeous, hunky, studly, rich, famous hotel guest.

      “Emily, I’ve been looking for you,” Rand said, moving his full, female-brain-cell-zapping attention back to her.

      Oh, please don’t embarrass me. Considering that she’d just been standing СКАЧАТЬ