Free 7 Days and 7 Nights by Wendy Wax Page B

intimacy by staying put.
    â€œDon’t think you’re going to use what was between us, Matt. I already regret that we ever had a past, and I’m going to do everything in my power to make sure we don’t have a future.”
    He put a hand out to cup the back of her neck and used his thumb to caress her cheek once more. She tensed at his touch, but he ignored it, keeping his voice low and his body language intentionally intimate. “You go ahead and give it your best shot, Olivia. But I still remember every delicious thing about you, and as you may have noticed, I’ve learned a thing or two about good food over the last eight years.”
    â€œYou really think you’re every woman’s fantasy, don’t you? You’ve been listening to your own show too long. I am not even remotely tempted.”
    â€œLiar.” Even to his ears, the word sounded suspiciously like a caress. Matt smiled as Olivia slipped out from beneath his hand. He couldn’t help admiring the picture she presented as she made her exit—striding across the living room with her head held high and her shoulders thrown back. She sat on the edge of the couch, her posture painfully correct, and picked up the TV remote like a queen reaching for her scepter. Very carefully she tuned CNN in and, he suspected, the disturbing Matt Ransom out.
    Being dismissed didn’t bother Matt in the least. He’d noticed the way Olivia had responded to him.
    If he wanted to come out of this week the victor, undermining his opponent’s formidable powers of self-control would certainly give him an advantage.
    It was time to bring out the big guns, time to lay siege to Dr. Moore’s castle of calm. Thanks to his friend the Webcam, he now knew exactly how to breach her defenses.
    All he had to do was make history repeat itself.

8
    In the WTLK control room, Charles Crankower studied the Webcam monitor with interest. At the audio board, with his back to Charles, Matt’s producer, Ben Markum, set up for the night’s show. Olivia’s producer stood next to him discussing some problem with the on-hold system that she wanted fixed before morning. Charles tuned them both out to concentrate on the drama unfolding on the screen.
    Matt and Olivia sat at the counter with a bottle of wine between them. They looked much cozier than he would have expected, and as he watched, Matt not only reached out and cupped the back of the doctor’s neck, but caressed her cheek with his hand. Charles waited for Matt to either kiss her or get smacked, but neither happened.
    A glance out of the corner of his eye confirmed that the couple on the screen now had Ben’s and Diane’s attention, too. In silence, the three of them watched Olivia storm off to the couch while Matt cleaned up the kitchen, and he knew he wasn’t the only one wondering what in the hell was going on.
    When Matt moved to sit down at the audio board, Olivia passed by him without a glance, and all three of them watched her bedroom door close behind her.
    Charles was still puzzling over what he’d seen as Matt put on his headphones, propped his feet up on the audio table, and leaned back in his chair.
    â€œWhat do you think, Ben?” Charles started at the sound of Matt’s voice booming over the control room speakers. “How long do you think it’ll take me to have her eating out of my hand?”
    Ben looked over his shoulder at Diane and Charles. “Hey, Matt, there’s, uh . . .”
    Matt laughed. “Forget about eating out of my hand. I’ll bet you a hundred bucks I’ll have her flat on her back before the end of the week.”
    Diane Lowe froze, while Ben hurried to cut his boss off. “Matt, this isn’t a good time to . . .”
    Ben put on his headphones and shut off the control room speaker, turning the conversation private. After aiming a withering glare at Ben, Diane stormed out of the room, but Charles just