Free Taste of Temptation by Moira McTark Page A

the eternity for the doors to open. The round trip hadn't taken more than thirty seconds, but Laine was already gone. He ran through the front doors just as a cab pulled around the far lane of the lot. “Laine!"
    Cutting through the rows of parked cars, he headed off the cab, slapping his palm down on the hood. The rear window was half-open and Laine was huddled against the padded bench seat.
    "Can you just tell me what happened? Make me understand how you could care more about a job than someone's life? Damn it, I saw you hesitate this morning, but I wanted to believe so much that you were different. How could you do it?"
    Her eyes, glistening with unspent tears, wouldn't meet his. “Yes, Jason. I hesitated. There is no single answer that is right for every question. Sometimes things happen that make you question your instincts ... I—Never mind. It doesn't matter what happened. Just let me go, I don't want to talk anymore."
    Jason backed away from the cab, raking his fingers through his hair. She couldn't face him. Maybe it was for the best. The small box in his pants pocket pressed against his thigh. How could he have been so wrong again?
    Walking back to the hotel, one thought rose above the rest. Sophia had been right. He was a fool, again.
    He shook his head, trying to clear the muddled emotions. No, trying to stop them all together. He didn't want to feel anything.
    By the time the lobby doors swished shut, an icy calm had embraced him. He wasn't staying down this time.
    Scanning the lobby, he caught sight of Dil leaning casually against the check-in desk, giving the new girl a reason to smile. Just the man he wanted.
    Flagging him over, Jason laid out what he was looking for.
    Dil pursed his lips. “So when you say as different from Ms. Malone as I can find, you mean you want an ugly, dim-wit who's going to agree with everything you say?"
    "I don't need it from you too.” He couldn't get a break. Even Dil was giving him a hard time. “Just find me some company. Someone ... distracting.” He looked back at Dil and narrowed his eyes. “Not a hooker."
    He wasn't going to be some chump drowning his sorrows over a pint down at the bar. And he wasn't going to take a year to get back in the saddle again. It wouldn't be another repeat of his Sophia breakup. Not that Laine was anything like Sophia, but—God damn it, he didn't know what the hell he was thinking. She was enough like Sophia to leave him feeling like a complete schmuck being led around by his dick.
    No more.
    Jamming his hands into his pockets, Dil shifted his gaze around the office. “Okay, sir. I think I have a girl for you."
    "Not for me, for tonight.” No one was going to be right for him.
    * * * *
    Patsy Cline's “Crazy” poured out of the jukebox in a slow painful assault on Laine's heart. Wanting to grab her glass of Chablis and rocket it at the person responsible for the song selection, she instead smoothed her hand over the polished oak bar and reined in her emotions. It wasn't the time to get all weepy over Jason and his holier than thou attitude.
    Asshole.
    No, now, this very minute, was the start of her future.
    One door closed and another door opened. It always proved true, but the timing in this instance was rather shocking, even to a professional in an industry known for serendipity. Laine adjusted herself on the bar stool and, crossing her legs, angled herself toward the man seated beside her, Max Johnson. He was watching her intently, waiting for her response.
    One last time she let her gaze run the length of his body, taking in the details. This guy was a catch, if ever she saw one. Clean cut good looks, nice dresser, a smooth smile, and trusting eyes that stayed focused on her, proving she was the center of his attention—an essential skill. The body was a plus, no doubt about it, talk about a strong back. He was old enough to have some experience, young enough where he was still eager to learn.
    He'd been pursuing her for months