Free Private Pleasures by Jami Alden Page B

room so I can finish my work in time for dinner."
    He gamely dropped his hand from the door frame and gestured her inside.
    She started down the hallway, the tapping of her sandals echoing off the teak floors. She'd taken no more than a dozen steps when she heard heavier footsteps following behind. Her mouth curved into a secret smile and a tingle of awareness shot through her as she reached out to push the call button on the elevator.
    "You want to go for a ride?" she cheekily asked and turned to look over her shoulder, anticipation swinging rapidly to embarrassment when she met the startled eyes of Jeff Tracer, one of the other guests. One who just happened to be friendly with Alan, enough so that he'd been invited to their engagement party.
    And now he thought she was hitting on him.
    Meanwhile Drew, she noted, trying to ignore the stab of disappointment, hadn't bothered to linger. Content, despite what he'd said, to let her go.
     
     
    Chapter 6
     
     
    Wendy trudged back up to her room, doing her best to stifle her resentment as she passed several couples loaded up with beach bags, chatting happily as they headed down to the resort's marina to climb aboard the massive yacht that would take them out for an afternoon of sailing and snorkeling.
    While everyone else was sunning themselves and sipping colorful rum drinks, Wendy would spend the afternoon poring over the latest draft of the merger agreement until her eyes crossed.
    Partner.
    She seized on the word like an amulet. Just three more months until she had her annual review. This merger, with all of its twists and turns of complicated licensing and patent issues, would make or break her. Caribbean getaway or no, this was no time to slack off.
    Still, after only a half an hour and less than five pages into the contract, Wendy decided that just because she was working didn't mean she had to be cooped up in her hotel room. Though the room was as luxurious as any she'd ever stayed in and boasted a partial ocean view, it was hard not to feel confined. She gathered up her laptop and headed down to the pool and seated herself at one of the tables shaded by a massive canvas umbrella. The place was deserted, as expected.
    Drew must have gone back to his villa to make his phone call. The thought of the villa, and what had taken place within its walls a little more than twelve hours ago was enough to make her squirm in her seat.
    Maybe she could work her way halfway through the contract and see if Drew was ready for a break....
    She gave herself a mental slap. Last night was her hall pass. She'd had her moment of indulgence, and now it was time to hunker back down and focus.
    Maybe it was the fresh, salt-scented air, or maybe it was never-ending diet coke that was immediately and discreetly refilled every time she took more than two sips, but once she got into the meat of the contract it was easy for Wendy to forget everyone else partying on a yacht. She'd even mostly blocked out the fact that the only other guest left behind was the man who last night had rocked her world harder than it had been rocked in a long time.
    People gave lawyers a bad rap—Wendy had heard her share of bad jokes and unflattering comparisons. She knew a lot of people—even people in her own family—thought she'd gotten into it because she wanted to make a lot of money.
    But the truth was, she really loved what she did.  Putting together deals, looking carefully for every hitch and every catch. When she was a kid she'd loved brain teasers and illusion puzzles, finding the hidden messages and pictures.. For her, that was what a deal like this was - a kind of a puzzle or game where she had to seek and find every little potential "gotcha" the other side might try to put in.
    And it helped that the attorney on the other side was almost as skilled as she was. What was the point if it wasn't a challenge?
    Wendy adding a change to the contract, smiling a little as she discovered a place where the other