The Naked Truth

4

HE COULDN’T GET her into the Lexus fast enough. What were they, a pair of horny teenagers desperate for privacy? Mitch fumbled with the rented car’s keys and managed to get them into the ignition on the second try. Then he made the mistake of glancing to the right—and he was done for.

Eve leaned toward him, her eyes hot with desire and her lips parted. One arm wound around his neck as he crushed her mouth under his in a kiss that told both of them how much he wanted to be somewhere horizontal right now. She made a noise deep in her throat, like a purr, as her tongue met his and slid along it in sensual invitation, stroking its length and making his imagination go wild.

What couldn’t a woman with a tongue like that do to a man’s body? He felt himself stiffen even more at the thought.

She broke the kiss to nuzzle the soft skin below his ear. “My nipples are so hard,” she breathed. “I want you to touch them.”

He didn’t ask why the about-face. He didn’t want to know. All he knew was that they were both under some kind of spell—both crazy to have one another despite the fact that it was unethical and probably fatal to his mission.

“I will,” he promised fervently. “As soon as we get out of here.” The Ritz-Carlton, where he was staying, wasn’t far.

“I can’t wait that long. Now.”

“No, we—”

She moved her shoulders in a slow-motion shimmy, and the green bodice slipped down about an inch as she leaned toward him. His protest died on his lips as her breasts swelled out of their confinement. He couldn’t have shifted his gaze if he’d tried. With another breath, the silk slipped some more and twin shadows appeared above the rims of the cups.

“Touch me,” she whispered.

He pulled her toward him and captured her mouth in a kiss as he slipped his hand into her bodice and palmed her breast. She moaned under his lips as he filled his hand with her flesh, so hot and round and firm, and his thumb teased a nipple that was as hard as a blackberry.

Both of them were panting when he finally broke the kiss, and he barely restrained himself from rolling her into the backseat and tearing the gown off her altogether. Instead, he pulled away and watched the delicious process of Eve tucking herself back into her bodice, hiding her secrets from his avid gaze once more.

“You have the most beautiful breasts I’ve ever seen,” he breathed, turning the key in the ignition. “I’m that kind of guy. Easily visually stimulated.” He managed to get the car out of the driveway without hitting anything, and pressed the accelerator down once they were on the main road. “Do you ever go out without a bra?”

“Never.” Her hand lay on his thigh, and his erection practically strained toward it, he wanted her to touch him so badly. But he’d probably run off the road if she did.

“Would you if I asked you to?”

“Maybe.” A wicked smile teased the corners of her mouth.

“I want to see you tomorrow. For lunch or something. It’s Saturday—anything. We won’t tell a soul, and on Monday I’ll deny it ever happened.” She laughed, as if he’d confirmed something she already knew. “Wear a camisole for me and I’ll spend the whole time watching the shape of you under the fabric. Saying things to make your nipples as hard as they are right now, so I can look at them.”

“I’m so shocked,” she murmured, her hand sliding down the inner slope of his thigh. “What will people think?” Her fingers brushed his aching erection, and he sucked a breath between his teeth.

“They’ll think you’re a beautiful, sexy woman,” he got out, “and all the men will wish they were with you.” He managed to brake just in time for a Stop sign. “And if you don’t stop that, we’re going to have an accident.”

“You touched me,” she pointed out.

“You weren’t driving. And besides, you asked me to. Begged me, if I recall.”

“I did, didn’t I?” She pulled her hand back so its burning warmth rested once again on his thigh, and she gave him a sideways glance. “But I was just saying out loud what you wanted.”

“Damn right. Do I turn left or right here?” She pointed, and the car leaped forward. “Because there’s nothing I want more right now than to kiss that dress right off you, inch by inch.”

She did the shimmy with her shoulders again, and the bodice slid down so that it seemed only a miracle kept her nipples from popping out over the rim of the fabric. His entire body throbbed with anticipation.

“How do you do that?” He dragged his gaze back to the highway. In the distance he could see the lighted block of the hotel. Thank God.

“Faulty engineering. Keep your eyes on the road, Mr. Hayes.” With a fingertip, her eyes on his face, she traced the top of the bodice. Teasing. Promising.

“I can’t. Not when you’re giving me a visual feast. And I’m about five seconds from orgasm just looking.”

“At eighty miles an hour? Better slow down.”

“I’m in a hurry. I want to get you up to my room before you come out of that dress again.”

“Mmm,” she crooned, her other hand moving stealthily to stroke his erection through his black dress pants. He shuddered with pleasure. “I could come in it.”

“Not a chance. When you come, it’ll be screaming, naked and on top of me.” The speedometer edged up to eighty-five.

“Promises, promises.”

Her hand felt so good. “Eve, please,” he choked. “I can’t—I’m going to—” The tires chattered on the highway dots as he drifted into the next lane.

With a throaty chuckle, she pulled away and settled into the passenger’s seat, both hands primly in her lap, and he steered the Lexus back into the middle of the lane.

Almost there.

Dimly, Mitch heard a jingling sound, but his senses were so overwhelmed with Eve that it barely registered. Until the second time. Then the third.

“That’s my phone.” She sounded as surprised as if she’d never heard it before, and fumbled in her clutch bag.

“Let it go. We’re nearly there.”

She glanced at the wafer-thin screen, then back at him, her eyes full of apology. “I can’t. No matter how much I want to.”

THE NUMBER WAS JENNA’S, and Eve knew she’d been scheduled to meet with Liza’s attorney that day. The fact that it was nearly midnight made it even more necessary for her to answer.

“Yes?”

“Eve? Thank goodness. I thought it was going to roll to voice mail.”

“What’s up?” Her voice still sounded throaty, and the ricochet of desire through her veins distracted her—though she’d have to forego the distraction for a few minutes and concentrate.

“It’s stupid—I’m so sorry, Eve. I probably woke you up.”

“Yes, but not the way you think.” The heat in her blood dropped a couple of degrees back toward normal. “Take a moment if you need to.”

“It’s just dumb,” Jenna repeated. “But you’re so good at this kind of thing and I’m afraid I’ve messed up big-time.”

Eve glanced at Mitch, who was concentrating on a left turn into the hotel’s underground parking lot. “Did the negotiations not go well?”

“About what I expected. Kevin had his arguments, I had my counterarguments. It ended in a draw.”

“Kevin?” Eve said carefully.

Jenna sighed. “Yes. Kevin Wade, Liza’s attorney. Therein lies the problem.”

“What problem? Is he incompetent? If so, that’s good for us, right?”

Jenna laughed, a sound that conveyed more irony than humor. “No, he’s not incompetent. I am. I’m massively attracted to him and I made the mistake of showing it.”

Mitch pulled into a numbered spot and turned off the engine. But instead of making her feel rushed and guilty because he’d lost her attention, he seemed content to simply lounge against the driver’s side door, watching her. As if whatever she did gave him pleasure.

Focus. Jenna needs you.

“Where are you now?” Eve asked.

“Sitting outside his condo complex. I—I agreed to come back here with him—to discuss the case further, mind—but he must have stopped somewhere because he’s not here yet. I need you to talk me out of going in.”

Eve had to laugh. “He probably stopped at the drugstore for a box of condoms. If you want to do this, we’ll just ask Andersen Nadeau for a different attorney for the lawsuit, and you keep the station’s business as usual.”

“You’re not helping.”

“You don’t need my help. You’re what, thirty-one? Two? You didn’t put in all those years in law school to let someone else make your decisions for you.”

“I know,” Jenna moaned. “But I tell you what, Eve, that man is hot. And what’s more, he thinks I’m hot. I’ve been sitting here weighing my caseload against the fact that I haven’t been in bed with a real man in months, and the caseload is losing.”

Eve could certainly relate to that. “If we have to get another attorney assigned to the suit, we can. But I have to say, I really respect that brain of yours. If anyone can pull this off with sympathy and grace, it’s you.”

“Now you tell me.”

“I’m not trying to argue for either side. Just telling you how I feel.”

“I’ll never be able to explain the switch to Marv Andersen.” Jenna sounded as if she were trying to talk herself out of going into that condo. “I’d have to make something up, and I’m a terrible liar.”

“If you don’t go, it’s not like it’s forever,” Eve reasoned. “Mr. Wade must be as aware of the ethics as you are. Maybe he’ll wait until the case is over.”

“We had such a good time at dinner, Eve,” Jenna said in a rush. “He’s so interesting to talk to, and then the whole will-we-or-won’t-we thing just added this zing to the evening. I’m only supposed to be staying for a drink and another look at the brief, but I know as well as he does it won’t end there.”

Eve glanced again at Mitch, but he just grinned at her. Their situation wasn’t that much different, was it? She was consorting with the enemy, too, though it wasn’t likely she’d get into as much of a legal tangle over it as Jenna.

Men. They could really mess with a girl, couldn’t they? Since when had sex and a career become so complicated?

Hmm. That might make a good segment for—

“Eve? Are you there?”

She dragged her gaze off Mitch’s fly, where it had inexplicably landed, and gave her attention back to her attorney. “I’m here. I was just thinking.”

“I have to go,” Jenna said urgently. “Before he comes back. If I see him again I’ll give in, and I don’t want to do that. I want to see this case through.”

“Good girl.”

“I really appreciate you letting me talk through this.”

“No problem. I know you’d do the same for me.”

“So, where are you, anyway?” In the background, Eve heard keys jingle and an engine fire up.

“On my way home from the Atlanta Reads benefit at the Ashmere place.” Well, it wasn’t a lie. Technically she was between the benefit and home, which meant she was on her way there, right?

“Oh, yeah. I hope it was fun. Look, I’ve got to go. This is a stick shift and I need both hands.”

“Take care.”

“Bye, and thanks again.”

Eve snapped the phone shut and tucked it into her bag. “Thanks for being patient,” she said to Mitch.

The ghost of a smile was still playing around the corners of his mouth. “No problem. Sounds like we’re not the only ones with a hot date.”

“Isn’t that the truth. Only I managed to talk her out of it.”

One eyebrow rose. “Bit of a buzzkill, are you?”

Her body temperature was back to normal now. In fact, the skin on her bare arms and shoulders felt downright cool from the air-conditioning, which he’d considerately kept running. “It was the right thing to do. If she’d stayed, it would have compromised her ethics in a business matter.”

“Can’t have that.” He turned off the air, and silence fell. “Shall we go up?”

The moment of truth. Eve forced herself to relax her grip on her beaded handbag before she did some damage to it.

“I don’t think so, Mitch. Up until five minutes ago, my answer would have been completely different, but—”

“But your friend’s ethics problem might be yours, too?”

“I think you have to admit that it is,” she said quietly, and paused. After leading him on all night, she owed him honesty after changing her mind. “If I go with you, it might change the way I look at CWB’s proposal. And that wouldn’t be fair. I have to think about what’s best for the program, not only myself.”

“Is that likely to happen?” he asked. “The one has nothing to do with the other.”

The phrase triggered a memory of one of their shows from last year. They’d focused on the differences in the ways men and women process information. How much mileage had she and Nicole and Jane got from that? They’d all learned how much men tended to compartmentalize. Men—or at least the ones who had been guests on the show—seemed to have two boxes in their brains, one labeled Sex and one labeled Everything Else.

Clearly, for Mitch, this evening fell into the first box.

It had for her, too, for a couple of delirious, wonderful hours. But how long could she keep it there, particularly if, as he’d said, she’d be seeing him in her office on Monday, as determined as ever to buy her away from her friends? She couldn’t just put a dividing line between “fantasy weekend” and “real life” and expect everything to stay neatly on either side of the line.

“We might not see it that way right now,” she admitted, “but on Monday we will. And we’ll probably be sorry.” She felt the bullet shape of her cell phone under her fingers, through her bag. “Do you mind walking me to the lobby? There’s a cab line out front.”

“You’re not taking a cab.” He fired up the engine and fastened his seat belt once more. “I’ll take you home.”

She put a hand on his arm. “No, Mitch, a cab’s fine. Really. I’m not far from here.”

“In that case, it won’t take us long.” He backed out of the parking stall and she gave in.

“You don’t plan on stalking me once you know where I live, do you?” she asked, directing him to turn left at the intersection.

“It’s not a bad idea,” he said, “but I believe we have a date for tomorrow. This way, I can pick you up. Turn here?”

“The second right, then the first left. Were you serious about tomorrow?”

“Certainly.” His sidelong glance tracked lazily down her body, reminding her vividly that he hadn’t wanted her to wear underwear. “Breakfast, lunch, whatever you want. You could show me around. If you don’t have plans, that is.”

She couldn’t have told him what her calendar said if her life depended on it. That hungry gaze sent a ripple of desire through her belly. And it reminded her of how very dangerous it was to spend any more time with this man than it took to say no and show him the door.

“The white bungalow, there,” she managed to say. “Number 954.”

He turned into her driveway and parked, looking over the front of her house. “Nice,” he said. “Smaller than I would have expected for a celebrity. And the rambling roses over the door are a nice touch.”

You could still invite him in, the treacherous voice of her desire whispered. You could still have him, if that look a minute ago was any indication.

“Thanks.” She cleared her throat. “It used to be a carriage house for that mansion there.” She pointed through the trees. “But it’s big enough for me. Big houses are for big families…or big egos. None of which apply here.”

He glanced at her. “You haven’t answered my question.”

“Which one was that?”

“Whether I can see you tomorrow.” A dozen different answers crashed into one another in her mind, and he seemed to think that her hesitation meant she needed convincing. “Take pity on a Yankee, Eve,” he said. “What am I going to do with myself for two days if you don’t help me out?”

She was absolutely sure he’d have no problem finding something. The Braves were playing, there were concerts galore all over town, and at least two art exhibits were scheduled to open the next day.

“Come on,” he wheedled. “Let’s forget our job titles and the size of our in-boxes and do something fun, all right?”

Absolutely not. The more time she spent with him, the more difficult it would be to see him on Monday. The show came first. The words organized in her mind, she opened her mouth to say them.

“All right,” she said. “But I’m wearing a bra.”

5

THE WARMTH OF THE SUN on her eyelids woke Eve, telling her she’d forgotten to close the drapes before she’d gone to sleep the night before. No wonder. Her mind had been such a maelstrom of sex and ethics and work worries that it was a miracle she’d remembered to lock the front door.

But then, Mitch had been on the other side of it, sitting in the car with the engine running until she’d let herself inside and turned the porch light on and off. She hadn’t locked him out. Oh, no. She’d locked herself in, away from him.

She’d done the right thing. Okay, so maybe it hadn’t been so smart to agree to see him today, but after all, what could happen in broad daylight? Last night had been a combination of champagne, dancing and moonlight; that was it. Now that she’d had some sleep and could think rationally, it’d be easy to keep her distance.

In fact, she could practice saying no all day to get herself in shape for saying it again on Monday.

She’d just started a pot of coffee when the phone rang. And here he was. When he’d asked for her phone number as she was getting out of the car, she’d given it to him, figuring it was better that he call instead of driving over here. Maybe he’d be happy with a phone call. Maybe he’d reconsidered seeing her.

“Eve, it’s Jane.”

Eve took a moment to regroup. Jane, not Mitch. Well, that was a relief.

Wasn’t it? “Hey, sweetie. I thought you were going to the benefit, but I didn’t see you.”

“No, we, uh, didn’t make it out of the bedroom once I got my stockings on. Perry calls me his sexy librarian.”

Eve smiled. At least someone was getting some action in the bedroom. If it couldn’t be her, she was glad it was Jane. After all she’d been through, Jane deserved every minute of the happiness she’d found with Perry.

“Stockings and high heels will do it every time. So, what’s up?”

Jane hesitated. “Can I talk to you?”

“Sure.” She pulled out a kitchen chair and made herself comfortable while the coffee dripped. “I’ve got nothing but time.” And while she was talking to Jane, Mitch couldn’t get through. And if he couldn’t get through, she could push off seeing him.

“Not over the phone. I’d rather talk in person.”

A chill wriggled through Eve’s stomach. “What’s the matter?”

“Can’t we—”

“Jane, you can’t say something like that and not expect me to ask. What’s going on? Are you okay? Did something happen?”

Jane sighed. “I’m fine, nothing happened. Relax. I’ve just been thinking, that’s all.”

“About what?” What could she possibly need a face-to-face for when they saw each other daily and talked all the time?

“I—I’ve been thinking about the future. About my place on the show, given all the rumors flying around the station about the networks coming to call.”

For a second, Eve forgot to breathe. Her lungs constricted, and she took a deep breath. “I’m listening.”

“Perry’s won his lawsuit. Once we win ours, he and I can move anywhere we want. Travel. Do the things I’ve always wanted to do but never had the guts or the reason. Don’t get me wrong—I’m yours for life if you want me, and I’d never leave the show just on a whim. But with the possibility of change in the future, I wanted to sound you out about it.”

Eve squelched the urge to wail, But you’re my best friend! What about me? With Jane, the facts worked best. If she could ground her argument in facts rather than emotion, she had a chance.

“Don’t forget we haven’t actually got the money yet. Wouldn’t it be wiser to go on as usual until we have the checks in our hands?”

“If you’re talking about the lawsuit, Liza has absolutely no grounds to stand on. The case will be thrown out.”

“It hasn’t yet, and how many hearings have we been to?” Eve asked. “It would be foolish to go into even more debt booking trips and buying land or whatever our dreams might be, when we may never see the money. Or at least, not for months or even years.”

“Don’t say that,” Jane groaned.

“Let’s look at reality.” Ha, that was pretty clever. Use one of Jane’s favorite expressions on her. “Until the lawsuit’s settled, we need to go on as usual. And if the show goes on, it’ll need you. I’m not setting foot in that studio without you to put my face on.”

“Makeup artists are a dime a dozen,” Jane said. “The minute the word gets out that the thought has even crossed my mind, the applicants will be lining up around the block along with the studio audience.”

“Your usual artist might be a dime a dozen,” Eve allowed, “but you’re not. You gave me my signature look with that nifty Swiss foundation. And don’t forget how valuable you are in the brainstorming department. Would we have done the ‘High School Reunion Makeover’ episode and broken a ratings record?”

“That was a lot of fun…”

Detecting signs of weakening resolve, Eve moved in for the kill. “And would Rosanne Horton have snagged the former quarterback she’d loved her whole life if not for you? I think not.”

Jane chuckled. “Low blow, Best. She still writes to me, you know. I’m expecting baby pictures anytime now.”

“She’s grateful. And so am I. Please don’t turn in your resignation just yet, okay? Let Jenna get the suit settled and then think about it.”

Jane was silent, and Eve held her breath.

“All right. I’ll tell Perry he’s going to have to wait to go to Europe, and he should put his bankroll into a nice money market fund instead.”

Relief washed over Eve in a cool wave. “Good plan. Have a great weekend. See you Monday.”

“I’ll make it up to him,” Jane said wickedly. “Where’s that other package of stockings?”

Laughing, Eve hung up. Then she poured herself a cup of coffee, splashed in some milk, and drank half of it down. A disaster, nipped in the bud. Not bad for first thing in the morning.

The truth was, she didn’t know what she’d do without Jane’s level head around the station. On some days, when a guest made impossible demands or dropped out without warning, or a sponsor was difficult, or even when Atlanta’s heat index got too high, Eve would find Jane, close the door and vent until she was calm again. Inevitably, Jane would have a different angle Eve hadn’t seen, or just a few words that would put everything in perspective again.

Facing the demands of live television without her oldest friend at her side was unthinkable. And not only Jane, but Cole and Zach and Nicole. What might they be planning? If the thought had crossed Jane’s mind, it had certainly crossed the others’, too.

Please don’t let them all decide to resign at once, she begged the universe. I can’t handle it right now.

As though it would give her strength, she topped up her coffee and padded into the bathroom for a shower. When she came out, a light blinked on the answering machine.

“Hey, Eve, it’s Mitch.” Eve sucked in a breath at the sound of that voice, pitched at an intimate baritone, as if he were right beside her. “Just wanted to call and say how much I enjoyed last night, and to see how you were this morning. Give me a call on my cell. I’m still up for breakfast—or lunch—if you are.” He left his number and rang off.

At least he didn’t want to resign.

Just the opposite. He seemed to want to sign up for all kinds of things—including the positions of dealmaker and lover. Too bad the latter came as part of the former. Why couldn’t she have met him at the benefit the way she might meet any other man, as a stranger with no strings attached? But if she did what her body had been moaning for since last night, she’d never be sure whether he wanted her in bed with him—or with the network.

She refilled her coffee cup and leaned on the counter, gazing at the answering machine and the single digit on the display. Common sense told her to erase the message and pretend she’d been so busy all weekend she’d forgotten to listen to it—and forgotten her promise to see him today. By Monday, she’d have squelched this urge to play it again, just to hear that intimate timbre in his voice. By Monday, she’d have distanced herself from the need to rip her clothes off and bare herself to that hot gaze, the memory of which was even now making her nipples peak under the tank top she’d put on after her shower.

Jane would advise her to do something sensible, like eat a healthy breakfast and then weed the garden before it got too hot. She could do two things at once—restore some order to the tangle of vegetation back there, and not hear the phone if it rang again.

But Jane wasn’t here. She was busy seducing Perry. And how fair was that?

MITCH HAD BARELY hung up the phone after leaving his message for Eve, when it rang again. He must have just missed her.

“Hey,” he said in his most welcoming tone.

“Hey, yourself,” Nelson Berg responded. “Something tells me it wasn’t me you were expecting.”

Mitch’s vision of a tousled Eve lying on embroidered white sheets, her fingers caressing the phone as she spoke to him, vanished in a wrench of disappointment. “Uh, no. I mean, not that I’m not glad to hear from you.”

“Spare me the bull. So, how are you doing?”

Mitch knew Nelson well enough not to assume this was an inquiry after his health. Nelson never wasted precious time on pleasantries, especially when there was a deal in the works.

“I met with Eve Best in her office yesterday, late. I made her the offer and she turned it down.”

Nelson sighed. “Why would she do that? It was a fair offer.”

“She didn’t give a reason.”

“Huh? She had to have one.”

“She just said no. She had an appointment to go to and left.” He didn’t mention that he’d been the one to leave, as flustered and dazzled as a schoolboy.

“Well, shit, Hayes, you can’t let it go at that.”

“I know. I’ve already—”

“Find out what her reasons are and get her past them. They can’t be anything that six million bucks won’t cure.”

Mitch wasn’t so sure of that. “Money isn’t going to be the best argument here, I’m afraid.”

“What do you—” Nelson stopped. “Oh yeah. The lottery. So if it isn’t money it has to be something else. Find out what it is and work on it. When are you seeing her next?”

“I saw her last night, socially, and she agreed to see me this morning.”

“Did she, now?” Nelson sounded gratified, as if a balky student had finally done something right. “That’s good. I’m glad you’re following my instructions to the letter. So, tell me, does she have as much appeal in person as she does on camera?”

Does she ever. And then some.

“Yes. And she works it. The event last night was a fund-raiser, and she walked in there like a star. She’ll be a huge draw publicitywise.”

“All the better. We can use some big guns on the talk shows and the publicity circuit, drumming up support for the network. Not to mention high-level meetings with advertisers. Make sure she knows that’ll still be part of her job, not just sitting pretty in the studio.”

“Sure.”

“Call me right away when you get her commitment. I want this wrapped up by Wednesday at the latest. And then I’m going to let all the other networks know we scooped them.”

Mitch frowned. Wednesday? No way could he pull a deal of this size off in that short a time. Did Nelson have something else to prove—something that involved saving face and putting one over on the competition?

If so, why hadn’t he come down here to woo Eve Best himself? Why send Mitch? But these were questions he knew Nelson wouldn’t answer. The guy only knew how to bark orders and bully people into giving him what he wanted. He didn’t share his motivations or the confidences of the stuffed shirts on the executive team. Nelson was old-school, even though he was only ten years or so older than Mitch himself.

“Wednesday.” No human could make that deadline, but he’d ask forgiveness when he got there. And there was something else bugging him. “What did you mean a minute ago when you said I was following your instructions? When have I not?”

“I told you to romance the socks off her. Probably not a very difficult job, eh?”

Mitch frowned. The words held an unpleasant aftertaste. Or was he being too sensitive where Eve was concerned? “She’s being a good Southern hostess and showing me around.”

The details of last night would never cross his lips to anyone, much less his boss. And the simple fact that Nelson assumed any contact with Eve would be to further their success at the deal made Mitch feel…less, somehow. Tainted. This electric attraction between the two of them had nothing to do with what they did for a living. It was bigger than that. The problem was, he had to keep his feelings to himself, no matter what he wanted personally.

Not that he’d ever say a word about them to Nelson.

“Look, I have to go,” he said. “I left a message for her to call me a few minutes ago. She could be trying to get through.”

That finally got Nelson off the phone, and Mitch hung up with a sense of relief. No matter what he felt about Nelson, or Eve, for that matter, of course he had a job to do. Convincing Eve to sign was his top priority—one he needed to remember if he saw her again this morning. He had to do his best not to see her as a desirable, sensual woman who could bring his entire body to attention simply by walking past him.

No, he had to shut down his emotions and look at her as a business entity. A package that CWB wanted. His future at the network depended on his ability to bring that package home—by Wednesday.

And what a package she was—one he had nearly unwrapped last night. Could anything be sexier than Eve Best leaning in for a kiss, her bodice slipping down to reveal lush curves and her voice husky in his ear? As the memory washed through his mind, his body stiffened in response.