Vicki Lewis Thompson - After Hours

He stared at her. “Are you talking about what I think you are?”

There was no mistaking the heat in his eyes, and Eileen’s body responded to it, throbbing with pent-up needs.

“If you don’t take advantage of this chance, you’ll regret it forever.” She certainly would. She couldn’t imagine a better setup than this one to satisfy her craving for anonymous sex.

“So all you want from me is—“

“This moment. I’m not looking for Mr. Right. I’m asking you to be Mr. Right Now.” The situation was perfect—it was after hours, the office was deserted and he was a gorgeous telephone repairman she would never see again. She slid her gaze down to the telling bulge below his tool belt. He was interested. She knew he was.

“Look, it’s up to you,” she said innocently. “If you’re game, I’ll be in my office.”

Dear Reader,

Seduced by a gorgeous stranger—is any sexual fantasy more delicious? Yes, I realize that we all have a weakness for certain superheroes, men who champion the rights of the downtrodden and make the world a safer place. That’s all very admirable, but that’s not what makes every female in the vicinity start to drool. It’s the mask, the mystery…and, okay, the tight pants.

A guy with mystery on his side has a real advantage. Unfortunately, it’s a tough advantage to keep, because inevitably the mask slips. Or sometimes the man rips off the mask on purpose, knowing that mystery can only take a relationship so far. That’s the case with the hero in this story, Shane Daniels. Luckily, Eileen Connelly certainly seems to react well to the unmasking—as well as the uncovering of certain other parts….

Join me for another blazing sensual adventure!

Tantalizingly yours,

Vicki Lewis Thompson

www.millsandboon.co.uk

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To Judith Nolan, my buddy Down Under, for your most excellent cyber-support during the creation of this book. Jude, this one’s for you!

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Epilogue

NO GOOD PROSPECTS. As Eileen Connelly sat in a downtown Phoenix bar soaking up the air-conditioning while waiting for her friends Suz and Courtney, she played what had become her favorite game recently—pretending to troll for cheap sex.

If she had the nerve to proposition a stranger, which she probably didn’t, was there anyone in the vicinity she’d choose? Not tonight there wasn’t. She had her requirements—a rugged physique and dark good looks for starters. Plus he would need to be someone she’d never see again. That was all part of the fantasy.

Adventure, sexual and otherwise, had dominated her thoughts lately. As a little kid she’d had a reckless streak, but her parents had almost divorced when she was ten. After that she’d decided security was more important than adventure. No teenage rebellion for her. She’d gone on to law school, pleasing both parents, and focused on steady career growth. She’d had few relationships with men, and those had been G-rated.

Yet something seemed to have snapped once she’d passed the big three-oh this year. Apparently she’d been good for too long, because suddenly she was deliberately taking risky cases at work and seeking thrills in her spare time. Last month she’d gone white-water rafting, and on Saturday she’d taken a real leap and tried skydiving.

These adventures she could talk about with her friends, but as for sex with a stranger? Forget about it. Despite knowing Suz Clements since junior high and Courtney McRae since their first pre-law class together at ASU, Eileen wasn’t about to reveal her fantasy to them. They were both on the conservative side and would try to talk her out of it.

Courtney came into the bar first, pushing her dark hair away from her face. Last week she’d indulged in a new cut that left her bangs draped over one eye, and she didn’t seem used to the change. “Hi!” She hung her lightweight jacket over the back of a chair, stowed her briefcase under the table and sat down. “Man, it’s hot out there. Ordered yet?”

“Waiting for you.”

Courtney made a face. “I had to stay late. So, you look like you’re still in one piece. Did you jump on Saturday or chicken out?”

“I jumped. It was awesome. Too bad it’s so damned expensive.”

“God, you couldn’t pay me to leap from a plane.”

“I wish they would pay me.” Eileen remembered the adrenaline rush as she’d stepped out of the open door into nothingness. “That would be extremely cool.”

“You’re becoming very nutty.” Courtney said it with a smile that didn’t quite disguise her concern. “I get chills just thinking of you launching yourself into thin air.”

“I was perfectly safe. Listen, the happy-hour special is raspberry margaritas. Let’s get a pitcher for the three of us.”

“Sounds a hell of a lot better than skydiving.”

“That’s because you’ve never tried it.” Eileen signaled a waitress and gave her their order.

“And I never will.” Courtney leaned both arms on the table and shook her head. “I’ll bet Benjamin had a fit, not to mention your parents.”

“Uh, I didn’t tell them.”

“You didn’t tell your parents?”

“Or Benjamin.”

“Ah-ha. So that’s how you got away with it. Well, I can understand not telling your folks and having them freak. I admit they’re overprotective. But you told Benjamin about the rafting, so why not this?”

“Because he didn’t react well to the raft trip, so why stir up trouble?”

Courtney gazed at her. “Shouldn’t he be aware that you’re turning into a daredevil? What’s next, bungee-jumping?”

“Maybe.” Eileen hadn’t decided between that and hang-gliding. “But it doesn’t matter, because once Benjamin and I move in together, I will give up that kind of thing. That’s why I’m getting it out of my system now.”

Courtney looked unconvinced. “I don’t know if it works like that.”

“Sure it does. This is a phase, that’s all. Soon I’ll— Hey, here comes Suz.” She waved at her friend, who was blond like Eileen but wore her hair in a short boyish cut. Eileen had felt extremely lucky when she’d introduced her two buddies to each other ten years ago and they’d hit it off.

The three of them had become a unit during college, and the friendship had lasted through graduation, job hunting and broken hearts. They’d lived together for a while, but then Suz and Courtney had each moved in with boyfriends. Suz was still with hers, but Courtney wasn’t. She hadn’t suggested sharing an apartment with Eileen, though, because everyone expected Eileen to move in with Benjamin when her lease was up.