Weekend Lover

Weekend Lover Published by Melissa
Blue

Smashwords Edition

Copyright 2012 Melissa Blue

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

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of this author.

Dedication

To Kristy,

It goes without saying how much our
friendship means to me, but I'm saying it anyway. And it's before
the dirtiest words I've written in public. (We both know I've said
much dirtier in person...) As irony would have it, this is a
dedication to you.

Holla!

Chapter One

Nicole Harrison ignored the sudden warmth
along her right arm. If she ignored the person in the barstool next
to her, he'd go away. Her day had started at too-goddamn-early in
the morning, and she had every intention of ending it with the shot
of tequila in her hand. The liquor would dull the ache in her
arches enough to give off a low hum of pain, instead of screaming
at her. The last thing she wanted was flirtation or an indecent
offer from some horny man.

Out the corner of her eye Nicole could see
one long, muscled leg stretched out in navy blue slacks. That long
leg was connected to a large, expensive shoe planted on the floor.
The other foot rested on the barstool's rung. From the neck down
the man faced her. His posture had all the earmarks of waiting her
out. An irritated sigh forced its way out of her lips.

Ignoring him wasn't going to work. Nicole
knocked back the shot. She had to use more drastic measures. “Give
me your best line. I can shoot you down and we can end this pick up
a woman at the bar bit.”

Most men, when faced with one of her blunt
propositions, would have apologized and backed away. Or call her a
shitty name. This man let out a deep, rich laugh that dragged her
gaze to his. Her skin prickled with sexual awareness.

No wonder her peripheral view of him only
went up to his neck. The careless way he leaned one elbow on the
wooden bartop couldn't diminish his height. He had enough bulk to
his tall frame to escape the kiss of death of being all limbs and
elbows.

And . . . she really,
really
should adhere to
her personal rule of behavior while in a hotel on business: always
be polite. As a publicity manager for Limelight, a PR boutique,
someone could recognize her. One day she could mouth off to a
potential client and wouldn't that be awkward?

Shit.
She tipped her shot glass in hopes of a corner of liquid.
Nope. She met the man's blue eyes. Amusement darkened the
steel-blue shade and she couldn't look away. Could he guess she
regretted the words? More than likely. With a face like his, women
didn't send him packing. Chiseled jaw line, sharp angles, and
purely masculine from hairline to chin. Her pulse skittered under
the open appraisal of his gaze, and then he smiled. The action
should have been outlawed in every known universe.

“
Have we met
before?”

The heat of his frank assessment hadn't
lessened, but Nicole laughed at the horrible pick up. His smile
widened to a grin. No doubt he knew the line for the cliché it
was.

“
You're a handsome looking
bastard, so I'll bet that line works for you anyway.”

He rolled his shoulders in a shameless shrug.
“I assumed you've heard it all. Might as well spin a classic.”

Nicole sighed. Just her luck. A handsome and
charming bastard. If she sent him packing, another man would come
along. Her uncharacteristic need for solitude with a stiff drink
would be interrupted again and again until she left. She was a
woman, alone, at a bar in an upscale hotel. Nicole had to face the
fact she was the equivalent of the last fun-sized candy bar in a
dieter's cabinet.

Press junkets had filled her day, and with
more to come in the next two, she'd wanted one flipping moment of
quiet. Normally, she'd be riding from the high and getting revved
up for tomorrow. Except her boss, Anna, had been breathing down her
neck, pointing out any missteps. Nicole was so close to getting the
brass ring of directing manager, but this weekend she'd started to
feel the wear of the constant pressure. She needed to stay focused
and rough it through this momentary falter.

Warily, Nicole glanced down at her silent
phone. It was a Friday night, and by now a client or two should
have called, needing some wheels greased to get into a hot and
exclusive club. She checked the bars on the phone and, yes, she had
service.

She cast a fleeting look in the man's
direction. He seemed affable enough and didn't mind waiting for her
final verdict. He had the ability to laugh at the whole single
scene. Flirting with him didn't involve losing focus, but taking a
moment, a surprisingly free one, without guilt or worry or
stress.

She pursed her lips, getting control of the
smile to appear serious in her judgment. Damn hard to keep it in
check because she wanted to laugh again. “A valiant effort.”

He made a noncommittal noise. “And?”

“
Because you said it while
trying not to laugh, you can stay.”

He shifted on the chair but left one foot on
the floor. Her red heels dangled around the second bar rung of her
barstool. His hair, pitch black, was a little rumpled but he still
managed to perfect an image of sophisticated sexy.

She shook her head. “Model or actor?”

“
I don't want to talk about
work. I've spent all day dealing with my job, and what I want is a
drink with a pretty woman”

“
Smooth way to slide in the
compliment. Thank you.” Since Nicole didn't want to talk about work
either, she didn't mind the subtle boundary he cast out. “With that
out of the way, how's the weather for you?”

“
Bitterly cold. I'm from
L.A., which doesn't technically have winter. Chicago in December is
not for wussies.”

He wore a black dress shirt, sleeves pulled
up over his forearms and the top three buttons undone. No tie. He
must have settled in somewhere warm, most likely this hotel, to be
so under-dressed for the weather. She'd chucked her gear in her
room and came down to the posh bar. Thankfully, all of her clients
weren't under the same roof. Otherwise, she wouldn't have had any
time alone. Or alone with a man who made it impossible to look
away.

She didn't miss the fact her
breathing grew shallow whenever he smiled.
Keep it light, Nicole.
“I was chancing
fate wearing these.” She put out her foot. “If I hadn't been going
from the car to inside a warm building, I may have lost a toe or
two.”

His brow rose as he tilted his head. Yes, his
perusal started at her toes, but his gaze drunk in the rest of her.
A flush crept over her skin and her nipples beaded against the
satin red dress. It was the kind of gaze that didn't undress her,
but lifted her skirt to expose her breasts and ass for easy
access.

“
That would've been a
shame.” The line came out smooth as butter, and sincere. There was
no mistaking the flash of emotion behind his gaze—lust.

The same bothersome emotion burned in her
breast bone, too. “You're good at that.”

“
I try to be. There's a line
between being complimentary and creepy.”

“
You've perfected this art
form.”

“
We all have to have
something we aspire to.”

She bit into her bottom lip, sighing again.
He was keeping up with her quips and Nicole suspected they could go
on for hours without him losing a step. That was more appealing
than his face. She lived in the fast lane and many men, at this
stage, got left behind in the dust.

“
Since it'd be rude for me
to order a drink without getting you one too, what would you
like?”

She scoffed. “Yeah, you do that incredibly
well. Come in, wow the estrogen with your testosterone and the
woman can't help but say yes. So for all of woman-kind, I'm saying
no. You can't buy me a drink.”

“
Really?”

She hummed in assent. “I've already granted
you squatter’s rights next to me. You might get the wrong
idea.”

“
What would that be?” His
laugh was as rich and deep as his voice.

A shiver danced down her spine at the sound,
but she refused to revel in the sensation. The wrong idea just
might become too appealing. “That your con man smile actually
works. Whatever you have in mind, the answer is no and it will stay
no. I don't have time for momentary distractions.”

The wattage of the smile didn't dim. “Most
people believe a moment is a second. It's a single point in time.
Do you know how much can change in a moment?”

Damn, she was charmed. “What?”

“
Someone's reputation.
Someone's beliefs. A clear goal. A single shift in a moment can
change anything.”

She eyed him, a little impressed. The man had
smarts, too. “That's pretty deep for the whole pick up bit.” He
shrugged. Nicole considered him again. Damn. Damn. “I'll pay for
the drinks. Another shot of tequila, and then I'm done. I've got
work in the morning.” She dug in her clutch purse on the bar's top
for a twenty and handed it to him.

“
Me, too.” He took the money
without protest. “I'm only here for the weekend, and then it's back
to L.A. for me.”

“
Same here, but not
L.A.”

He turned to order their
drinks and the full confession hit her. What was she doing telling
a handsome stranger her plans for the weekend, as though they were
coming to an agreement?
I won't be here for
long. I've got to work in the morning. Not too much to drink
because...

Yeah, she felt lust, but that didn't mean
anything. She felt lust for George Clooney. Didn't mean she planned
to hump him any time soon. Nicole narrowed her gaze when he faced
her again. She had to nip this attraction in the bud, because it
was too easy to imagine him lifting her dress and keeping up in the
fast lane.

“
I'm not looking for a hook
up,” she said.

“
Neither am I.”

He didn't sound completely
against one. Not from the tone he used. A tone much like her own,
if Nicole thought hard about it. The idea took root in her mind.
Something light and frothy to ease all the pressure leaving her
limbs stiff at the end of the work day.
End.
There wasn't one, not really.
Publicity, good publicity, had no final destination. Resting on
one's laurels didn't exist in her world.

Effortlessly, the man sowed the idea of sex
with his quips, the smiles, and something as innocent as their legs
brushing against one another. Their limbs connected, his so warm
along hers. She would not have a one night stand with a stranger no
matter how attractive or appealing the idea was. It didn't matter
that the idea of letting go for a few hours, instead of a few
minutes, sounded downright decadent. She had work in the morning,
and he looked like the type to keep her up until the crack of
dawn.

He reached forward, placing a hand on the
back of the barstool. A presumptive action that drew her attention.
She glared at the limb. A little rough but mostly refined. He
didn't work hard often. And because her job was about appearances,
she noted how he claimed her space. Claimed her. With a hand. A
very male hand. A light dusting of hair climbed up his forearm, a
sinew of muscle on display from his grip on the chair. His leg
touched hers again and he didn't move it.

Her breathing deepened. A very masculine
forearm. She had to work to keep the glare in place when she met
his gaze.

“
You look nervous,” he said.
“Want me to leave?”

Yes.
Her nerves jumped, settling in her stomach and making it so
hard to stick to the plan of keeping things between them light. Of
not being tempted by the idea of letting go. Nicole glanced around
the room, and more than one man moved their gaze from her
direction. “Hell no. Right now you're keeping the wolves at
bay.”

A low groan rumbled from his chest, raising
the hair on her arms. “I'm being used. How tawdry.”

He talked a good game. Nicole could give him
that. Unfortunately, his game sent her heart racing with excitement
and anticipation. “For some reason my bullshit radar is going off.
I don't think you mind being used by a woman.”