Free Summer Heat by Jaci Burton

across her face. Then she nodded quickly.
“Fine. We’ll start tonight.”
    Great. She might as
well have just agreed to a root canal. Clearly, she wasn’t thrilled at the idea
of spending yet another evening in his company.
    He’d had about enough
of Miss Frosty for one day. He needed some space between now and this evening
to gather his composure. He stood, picked up the remnants of his ego and said,
“I have another appointment. I’ll meet you in the lobby at eight.”
    Before waiting for her
response, he stepped out of the conference room, feeling at least a little
satisfied that he’d managed to get the last word in while walking out on her at
the same time.

Chapter Five
     
    Melissa stood in front
of her closet once again, unable to believe that she couldn’t find a thing to
wear. For someone who’d brought a sizeable wardrobe with her, she sure was
having a tough time making choices.
    Which had nothing to do
with the fact she was going to the casino tonight with Aidan.
    Pangs of guilt hammered
her when she recalled his hurt look in the conference room earlier today. So
she’d bruised his feelings. So he’d walked out on her.
    Wasn’t her fault. She’d
made no promises to him last night, didn’t reveal any feelings to him. They’d
had one episode of pretty intense foreplay, but that was it. And it wasn’t
going to go any further.
    If she were smart she’d
pull out her conservative, long skirted business suit and wear it like a suit
of armor. Then again the thought of putting on that many clothes in this wet
heat made her nauseous.
    Screw Aidan Storm,
she’d wear whatever she wanted. In fact, she’d dress sexy, even provocatively
if she wanted to. Just because she wanted to keep things strictly business
between her and Aidan was no reason for her to don nun’s clothing.
    Defiantly, she yanked
the gold silk halter dress out of the closet, along with the four-inch heels
that matched. That should whet his appetite a little. More than a little, if
she made herself up just right.
    She stopped dead in her
tracks on her way into the bathroom. Wait a second, what was she doing? She
wasn’t supposed to be dressing to knock Aidan’s socks off. She wasn’t supposed
to want him to want her.
    Damn if he wasn’t doing
it to her again. Making her forget who she was and why she was here.
    She turned and glanced
into the lighted closet, the drab gray suit catching her eye. Then her glance
drifted back to the sinuous gold silk on the hanger in her hands.
    Silk or wool? Boston or
New Orleans? Hot or really damn hot?
    No contest. Comfort won
out over propriety.
    In less than an hour
she was showered and ready.
    Ready to kill, judging
from her reflection in the mirror.
    It had to be the sultry
New Orleans heat making her feel like a temptress, making her choose sexy
dresses and dabbing on tantalizing perfume.
    She grabbed her bag and
headed toward the elevator, as perplexed as ever about what was happening to
her. She’d heard New Orleans was magical, full of mystical practices that went
back centuries. Maybe that’s what had overcome her—the magic of this place.
    Certainly, it had
nothing to do with Aidan Storm.
    * * * * *
    Aidan cooled his heels
in the lobby, wondering what kind of reception he’d get from Miss Frosty
tonight. Most likely the same one he’d gotten all day today.
    Spying his sister,
Shannon, at the front desk, he strolled over and grabbed her around the waist.
She shrieked and turned, a furious glare on her face.
    “Dammit, Aidan! You
scared the hell out of me.”
    “That’s the idea,” he
said with a grin. “What are you doing here so late?”
    “Finishing up the PR
campaign for the French Quarter Business District.”
    And still looking
bright and professional in her little business suit, even at nearly eight. He’d
never seen Shannon look anything other than completely put together. “I see.”
    “And you? You’re never
here this late.”
    “Waiting for Melissa.
We’re going to