“Ah, Melanie, I would like to introduce you to Mr. Mason.”

At his introduction, the other man got up, turning to sit his drink on the edge of the desk. He was at least six foot three, his charcoal suit tailored to meet the high breadth of his shoulders. The fabric trimmed his hips to emphasize their narrowness. His short black hair was cut just above the collar of his crisp white shirt.

She braced herself.

Satan definitely knew how to dress.

He turned, a casual smile gracing the fullness of his lips. His green eyes began to take her in for a moment before narrowing ever so slightly.

It couldn’t be.

It just couldn’t be.

Images flashed through her mind. Naked bodies, tangled sheets, tongues twisting, bodies crashing. Her own voice crying out in the night for more.

No!





Chapter 3



It was there.

In his gaze, she saw the memory of their night together.

“Connor Mason, I would like for you meet Melanie Brighton,” Mr. Turner beamed, obviously oblivious to the turmoil she was experiencing.

Melanie took the fateful step that bridged the distance between them. She reached out to shake his hand. His hand covered hers, and she felt an unwelcome flutter in her stomach at the memory of those hands driving her to the point of madness. Jerkily, she pulled away.

“It’s nice to meet you,” she said, her voice sounding husky to her own ears.

“Likewise,” he replied, his deep voice reverberating through her.

“Melanie, I thought since I’m going to be out of town for the next few days, maybe you could go over our accounts with Mr. Mason. You know, get him up to speed.”

Barely listening, she simply nodded in agreement.

This couldn’t be happening to her.

Was she being punished for some terrible crime she’d committed in a previous life?

“Wonderful,” Mr. Turner replied with a beaming smile. Behind them, the intercom buzzed.

“Mr. Turner, can you come to the lobby for a moment? Your wife is here.”

“I’ll be right there. If you will both excuse me for a moment.”

He scurried out of the room, leaving her defenseless. Staring at the floor, she tried to think of a plausible excuse to leave, but unfortunately her brain was so scrambled that nothing came to mind.

“So, it’s Melanie, not Jill?”

Hesitantly, she lifted her gaze to meet his. “Yes, it’s Melanie. Jill is just someone I work with.”

“Why did you lie?” he asked.

“You tell me, Dylan? Or is it Connor?” she challenged.

Why had she lied that night?

It was a question she had asked herself many times.

She’d definitely had time to think about it over the past year. At the time, it seemed like a good idea. After all, she didn’t know him, and she hadn’t planned on seeing him again. Giving him Jill’s name, a woman who was impulsive and did what she wanted, seemed the most prudent thing to do.

“I don’t know. It was stupid,” she admitted.

He took a step toward her. She could feel the heat from his body. She knew how potent it could be.

It was a good way to get burned.

“I take it you’re not just referring to your alias?”

Steeling her resolve, she lifted her chin to meet his gaze. “Look, I think it would be best for both of us if we just forget that night ever happened.”

He nodded, his head turning to the side for a moment. “You’re probably right,” he conceded.

Silence filled the room.

“I’ve thought about you.”

Her breath caught in her throat. She stared at him, her heart beating wildly.

His slow grin made her tingle in all the wrong places.

“I even thought about trying to find you. But considering what I know now, I wouldn’t have gotten very far.”

Pulling her lower lip beneath her teeth, she tried to block out the images he was conjuring. Taking a deep breath, she tried to still her rapid pulse. She couldn’t tell him the truth. It was something she had never admitted to anyone.

And she wouldn’t now.

Especially to him.

She would never admit that she thought of him, that she wondered what would have happened if she had stayed that morning.

She couldn’t.

No matter how much she wanted to.

“It was for the best.”

She heard the words come out of her mouth, but she wasn’t sure she believed them. He moved a step closer, leaving almost no space between their bodies, his thighs grazing hers. Passion smoldered in the depths of his eyes, reminding her of the things he did.