Free Friendly Persuasion by Dawn Atkins Page B

sounded. She’d managed to put the fantasy in its place. She had turned to scoot out of his work area before Ross arrived and ran smack into his chest. “Oops!” She backed up, the heat of his body staying on her palms and forearms.
    “Kara,” he said, grinning. He caught sight of her memento and picked it up. “Fly united, huh? Good advice.” His eyes heated. “I thought about you in that uniform all weekend long.”
    “Did you?” She’d sounded too eager, but it was a relief to know she wasn’t insane to keep reliving their “flight.”
    “Oh, yeah. Any chance S&S will get Amtrak as a client? I’d love to try that in a train.”
    “Don’t think so,” she said, fighting to stay flip, even as her pulse raced. “Now I always thought it would be really hot to do it in a taxi.”
    “A taxi, huh?” He lifted a brow, impressed. “As a matter of fact, I do know a guy with a cab.” But now he didn’t seem to be kidding.
    She raised her hand in a T. “Time out,” she said. “I was joking. I think we should leave well enough alone.”
    “Oh. Sure,” he said, but disappointment flickered across his face. “It’s getting weird?”
    She nodded.
    “I can fix that,” he said, and snatched his dolphin water pistol off a shelf and shot a stream of water at her. “Take that.”
    “You rat,” she said, looking around the room for another play weapon. By the time she’d found his Nerf machine gun, he was far down the hall. “Don’t miss the meeting at ten!” she shouted after him. She sighed, deeply relieved to be just friends again.
    But he knew a cabdriver…

    “R OSS ? H ELLO ?” Ross’s date, Amy from LG Graphics, waved her hand in front of his face. “Did you hear what I just asked you?”
    “Sorry. Sure. What?” The truth was he’d noticed a woman in a beige suit who reminded him of Kara in her stewardess outfit and he’d had a flashback of her rocking above him while his hands held her breasts under her jacket. That had been six days ago and he couldn’t stop thinking about it.
    “I asked you if you always knew you wanted to be a graphic artist,” Amy repeated with the indulgent smile women tended to give him—why did they forgive him so easily?
    She had every reason to be irritated with him. It was their first date and he was fantasizing about another woman. Not like him at all. He was great on first dates. Second and third ones, too. After that it got dicey. But he never pretended differently and he chose women who liked it that way.
    “Not always,” he answered her, trying to get in the mood to play. “I liked art. Kind of fell into design. I enjoy it, so I stayed with it. For now, anyway. How about you?”
    “My high school counselor steered me this way and I had a gift…” She went on talking about design and her company and he tried to listen. What was his problem? Amy was completely his type—great breasts, good mouth, funny and smart—see, Kara, no bimbo—but he couldn’t stop thinking about Kara-Katherine-Angel and what they’d done together. It had been mind-blowing, even for him, and he was no stranger to sex games.
    With Kara it was different. Maybe because she was so innocent and wide-eyed about it, and working so hard—with dogged gusto. That’s how she was at work, too. Determined, driven, never-say-never. He shouldn’t be surprised she’d apply those traits to her sex life. He was just grateful to be on the scene. He looked at his fingers. What pleasure they’d given and received Friday night. God bless Bob for needing a ride to Sky Harbor.
    “You seem a little preoccupied,” Amy said, her annoyance finally showing.
    “I know. I’m sorry. I guess I’m just tired.”
    “While I’m in the ladies’ room, perk up, would you?” she said, standing. “Get a cup of coffee. Maybe espresso.”
    He watched her go, curiously disinterested in the provocative sway of her hips. He kept seeing Kara’s self-conscious but firm strides. He loved the way she