“Since there’s a genuine attraction between us, it won’t take much to convince your family we’re a couple…”

“Danny, why would you want to do this?” Jordan asked, a sexy smile tugging at her lips.

He wasn’t sure when the idea had come to him—this morning in her bed or the night before when they’d been going at it for hours. Danny had now discovered Jordan’s wild side, and he planned to explore it to the fullest.

“After last night, do you really have to ask?”

“So this is some kind of sexual favor?”

He cocked his head to the side, then nodded. “Yeah.”

Jordan laughed. “Not that I’m agreeing, but what exactly do you want in return for faking an engagement?”

“You. Naked. Any time. Any place. Any way.”

Dear Reader,

When I started this book, I thought it would be a romantic comedy of errors. (What could be funnier than an accidental kidnapping and switching identities?) But Danny and Jordan had minds of their own.

While writing Danny and Jordan’s story, I learned a lot about determination, courage and the importance of family. Through the eyes of love, Jordan begins to see herself for the beautiful woman she is, inside and out. In the warmth of acceptance, Danny overcomes his fears and takes a chance on love—the biggest risk of all.

I believe in the healing power of laughter and happy endings. Hoping that you are blessed with many happy endings of your own.

I wish you joy,

Mia Zachary

P.S. Please visit at www.miazachary.com.

Books by Mia Zachary

HARLEQUIN BLAZE

83—RED SHOES & A DIARY

136—YOURS IN BLACK LACE

9^1/2 DAYS

Mia Zachary

DEDICATION

This book is dedicated to those who lost their lives in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania on September 11, 2001, and to those who continuously dedicate their lives to saving others.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

Heartfelt thanks to CeeJai, without whom this story never would have been written. I appreciate the four-hour lunches and the midnight telephone plotting sessions. And to Melissa, who reminded me about author integrity and character growth. Thank you for the trans-Pacific e-mails and @**-kickings.

Contents

Introduction

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Epilogue

Introduction

“I want you, right here and right now!”

You may never have spoken those words, or had them said to you, but you must want to. You bought this book!

Inside these pages are fifty sizzling hot, superexciting fantasies to help you recapture the passion and anticipation in your love life. Some are sensual, others sexy; some are naughty and others are oh-so-nice, but all of them are red-hot fun!

Try these ideas on the spur of the moment for a delicious quickie, or take your time and make the fantasy last all night. There are only three rules: Be Safe, Be Spontaneous and Be Satisfied.

Go ahead. Turn the page. You’ll soon discover fifty ways to say “I want you, right here and right now, and here’s how!”

1

“DID YOU FIND EVERYTHING you need?”

Jordan Gregory snapped shut the book she held as her heart plunged into her stomach. Pulse tripping erratically, she turned her head toward the source of the question. Didn’t it just figure? The only young, handsome employee in all of Barnes & Noble and he had to be the one to bust her.

She pressed the front cover against her chest to hide the title as heat rushed to her face. Was it possible to actually die of embarrassment? She managed to paste on a smile for the cute book clerk.

“Yes. I mean, no. I’m just browsing.”

Humor gleamed in his large brown eyes as he glanced at the book jacket. Then he offered her a knowing grin. Too late she realized the title was printed on the back cover as well as the front. Damn.

“Let me know if you have any questions, ma’am.”

Jordan wasn’t sure if that was a criticism or a come-on, but she thanked him just the same and waited impatiently for him to move along. Her eyes darted around the bookstore. She hoped no one else in the Thursday lunchtime crowd noticed her standing in the Sex & Relationships aisle, practically drooling all over Fifty Fast Fantasies.

Hot blood thudded along her veins and she imagined smoke emanating from inside her jade-green suit as a heavy ache settled between her thighs. She didn’t normally read books like this, let alone follow the instructions. But she wanted to experience the kind of passion and spontaneity that Fifty Fast Fantasies promised.

The one time she’d had sex with her ex-boyfriend, David, had been a complete disaster. Even now, Jordan shuddered to remember how clumsy and self-conscious she’d been. By the time she’d forced herself to relax, it was already over. The whole experience had left her unsatisfied and unsure of herself.

She saw the cute clerk coming around the corner again and ducked into the Reference section. There was only one other person near the crossword puzzle dictionaries and foreign-language tapes. Jordan turned her back to the woman and randomly opened the book again. Wow. She hadn’t realized how many ways you could use nondairy whipped topping.

She flipped back to the table of contents. Just reading the introduction to the sexual guidebook had scorched her white silk blouse. Chapter descriptions like Ahoy Big Pirate; French Maid Service; Great! The Outdoors, and Mirror Mirror on the Wall were enough to make her spontaneously combust.

Maybe if she tried out some of these fantasies, if she learned some tricks to make herself sexy and desirable, she could convince David to try again. Six weeks ago he had gently suggested some time apart to think about what they wanted. Jordan thought that time apart was at the heart of their problems but hadn’t argued, believing the fault lay with her and her inexperience.

But she had to win David back. Fast.

Pretend to be a pirate’s wench or a sexy dominatrix? The very idea was daunting. She had never imagined herself going to this kind of extreme, but desperate times required drastic actions. At this point she would do almost anything to convince David to grant her this favor. Anything to have him look at her with something more than kindness in his gaze.

Maybe then the little voice in the back of her head that whispered she was making a mistake would shut up.

“Huh. Ah. Tuh. Hot. I know that word!” Jordan looked down to see a rosy-cheeked cherub gazing at her with innocent blue eyes. “And the next word is Ss. Eh—”

Jordan moved her book out of sight before the little girl could figure out how to pronounce the letter X. She contorted her stiff features into a brief smile. “Isn’t your mommy looking for you, sweetie?”

“Nope. She’s right over there.” The girl skipped toward the woman by the dictionaries. “Mama, what does ‘sex’ mean?”

Jordan backed away from the heat of the woman’s glare and fled the Reference section. She was never shopping at this Barnes & Noble again.

As she moved through the store, the bright covers of the fashion and gossip magazines caught her attention. She averted her eyes, but it was too late. The jolt of ugly emotions stabbed her in the gut. She wouldn’t look. She wouldn’t. Jordan shoved her guilty secret to the back of her mind and kept walking.

Waiting her turn near the checkout, the latest issue of Baltimore Today caught her eye. David was on the front beneath a headline that read, Legal Eagles: The Best 30 Lawyers In The City. He looked tall and confident in his charcoal pin-striped suit. The cream-colored shirt and red paisley tie complemented the rich cappuccino tones of his skin. Sunlight from his large office window shone on his dark curls and rivaled the brightness of his wide smile.

David was perfect. He was handsome, successful, intelligent and considerate. What more could a woman ask for?

How about a man who actually lights your fire instead of blowing it out? How about hot, sheet-soaking sex instead of chaste kisses and friendly hugs?

David had ambitions to be the youngest Partner at Chase, Behr & Lily, the law firm where they both worked. He put in a lot of hours at the office and often traveled. When he was available, they’d gone out to firm dinners, client parties or charity functions. Rarely had they spent time alone.

Jordan raised her left hand, angling the back until the fluorescent light caught the half-karat solitaire on her third finger. Everyone in her family had been delighted when she started a promising relationship with such a perfect guy. They were downright ecstatic when she’d bragged to her cousin that David had proposed.

Too bad she’d lied about the whole thing.

Her fiancé was actually her ex-boyfriend and the solitaire was only a “friendship ring.” She’d bought it herself with David’s credit card. He hated shopping and told her it was the only way she was certain of getting exactly what she wanted.

What she wanted was a real relationship in her life, instead of a lie that was guaranteed to ambush her at some point.

She glanced at her watch and winced. She had to get back to the office to meet with her client, Susan Brandywine. The local news anchor wanted Jordan to handle a wrongful-discharge lawsuit.

Clutching Fifty Fast Fantasies a little tighter in her damp grasp, she hurried over to the checkout before she changed her mind. That little voice was whispering to her again, warning that her seduction plan was not a good idea. Jordan ignored it.

TWO DAYS LATER, Jordan just wanted to go back upstairs and put on her clothes. Instead, she was parading around in a red silk nightgown and an ankle-length lace cover-up. Underneath, she wore a pair of red bikini panties. How could anyone feel sexy with these little scraps of silk creeping into places they didn’t belong?

While she hoped the peignoir set made her appear sexy and provocative, she was afraid she only looked awkward and overweight. And she couldn’t leave. She was trapped by family obligation and a crush of people in the Belle Fleur Atrium of Baltimore’s esteemed St. Charles Hotel.

She still couldn’t figure out how her older sister had talked her into playing an active role in this lingerie show. Well, that wasn’t entirely true. She remembered a lot of pleading, begging and low-balance checkbook waving.

Camryn had recently ended her career as a haute couture supermodel. A chance meeting with Mason Rowling-Shays, III, heir to the department-store chain, had led to creating her own line of intimate wear, Boudoir Allure Designs. But she’d used what little money she had saved over the years to get the fledgling business off the ground.

Jordan had been more than happy to help her sister coordinate this all-important first presentation. Camryn’s future depended on the success of the show. Then one of the models had to back out at the last minute and her sister was frantic for a replacement.

But Jordan wasn’t about to have her soft curves measured against the willowy size-six mannequins her sister had recruited. She’d compromised by agreeing to circulate through the after-show reception in the modest red peignoir set—modest by comparison with some of Camryn’s other designs.

She still felt exposed in the audacious gown with its low-cut bodice and thigh-high split. Only the hot flush of embarrassment kept her from getting frostbite as she wandered about the Atrium. But she’d never been able to refuse her family anything. So here she was, half-clothed and completely uncomfortable.

Jordan shivered as goose bumps marched along her arms. To counter the record-high temperatures outside, the hotel’s overeager ventilation system blasted air in frigid gusts. The burbling of the indoor fountain mingled with the din of a hundred voices, making it impossible to do more than smile and nod as she moved about the room.

Several magazine editors stopped to admire her outfit. She obediently turned in a tight circle, allowing yet another group of fashionistas to coo over the delicate lace embroidery of her gown. One man wore a press pass and a leering smirk, not bothering to hide the fact that he’d noticed the cold air’s effect through the delicate material.

Jordan tried to pull the edges of the robe across her hardened nipples, but the little cover-up wouldn’t cover a damned thing. With a faltering smile, she settled for crossing her arms over her breasts. The group moved on to critique another outfit and she continued to fulfill her promise to Camryn.

Her sister was, and always would be, the golden ideal she could never attain. Growing up in Camryn’s svelte shadow hadn’t been easy. Chubby and shy, she’d wanted so badly to be included in her sister’s charmed circle but, knowing she could never fit in, had found solace in food.

Any kind of food. Every kind of food.

She often wondered if there’d been a switch at the hospital where she was born. Her parents, sister and two brothers were all attractive, outgoing, charismatic. And then there was her. The ugly duckling in the middle…

Enough was enough. She had to go and put on a real pair of panties. The noise level and the glass of champagne she had drunk for courage had given her a slight headache. The reception didn’t look as if it would be winding down any time soon, but she doubted she’d be missed.

She judged the distance to the makeshift dressing rooms and decided the exit would be closer. With one last glance at her sister, Jordan slipped through the crowd toward the bank of elevators just beyond the doors. The concourse level of the hotel was deserted. Her sequined sandals clicked like castanets as she strode across the marble floor.

Jordan ignored the open stares of two men leaving the one available elevator and stepped inside, shoulders hunched and arms across her cleavage. Though she looked down, concentrating on the pattern of the tile, she couldn’t block the sound of the men’s murmured appraisals of her breasts.

“Wow! Those cups really runneth over.”

“I’d love to cuddle up on her pillows tonight.”

She blushed, both embarrassed and yet a little flattered by the attention. It was always like this, a mixture of shame and pride that left her confused, wishing men wouldn’t stare at her chest. Mercifully, the doors slid shut as she selected the button for the twelfth floor. With a bump and a groan, the elevator began its reluctant ascent. The hotel manager must have made good on his promise to have the problem fixed. No one else got on at the subsequent floors, so she was left alone with her thoughts.

Ever since buying Fifty Fast Fantasies, she felt as though her nerve endings had been electrified. Jordan closed her eyes and dared to stroke her hands over the silk covering her sides and down to her hips. The smooth material skimmed her bare flesh, setting off sparks that told her she was in sore need of physical affection. Her whole being seemed to be in a heightened state of awareness. The slightest stimulation made her tingle all the way to her thighs…

She opened her eyes and sighed. Her body was crying out for attention. Her seduction plan just had to work. She and David saw each other at the law firm, of course, and he was warm and caring and friendly. However, friendship and time apart was definitely not what she needed.

Suddenly the elevator jerked to a stop and Jordan fell off her open-backed sandals, bumping her shoulder against the wood-paneled wall. She looked up at the display to find both the number seven and number eight lit. Damn.

She pushed the button for the twelfth floor and waited, but nothing happened. She pressed it again, this time holding it for few seconds. Still nothing. Damn, damn, damn. She started jabbing the buttons for every other floor, one at a time, but they didn’t even light up. Next, she tried pushing them two at a time—whoa.

The whole panel was now glowing like a Christmas tree, but the elevator still didn’t move. Irritation gave way to alarm so she slapped one palm against the knob with the bell symbol printed on it. The shrill clanging echoed in the small space, not a good thing when she already had a headache.

The sound faded to a metallic ringing in her ears as the air conditioner suddenly shut off. Not a bad thing. At least now she wouldn’t freeze to death. She would just plunge to the basement, trapped inside a cold metal box with her boobs hanging out of her sister’s red silk nightgown.

Frantic now, she punched all of the buttons over and over again, searching for a pattern that would get this damned thing moving! The elevator jerked again and her shoulders sagged in relief. Then everything went still and silent once more.

Omigod. Omigod. She was alone. Completely alone. In a stalled elevator. With no way out and no way to call for help…

“Help! Somebody. Anybody. Help!”

The phone! Didn’t these things come with phones? Shaking her head for not thinking of it sooner, she fumbled with the small handle until she felt the compartment door release. Jordan lifted the receiver with a shaking hand. She listened for a dial tone, or better yet, another voice.

“Hello?”

“Yes! I’m here.” She ignored the break in her voice and gave a nervous laugh. “I mean, I’m stuck. I’m in the elevator near the Atrium, somewhere around the seventh floor.”

“Are you hurt?”

She clenched the phone a little tighter. “No, just a little uneasy.”

“Okay, hon. Fire department’s on the way, but it could take ’em a while to get to you.”

“How long is a while?” she yelped.

“Dunno. Couple of power grids have gone down already and—”

Jordan looked up as the lights overhead flickered once. Twice.

“Looks like we’re next. Just sit tight and relax. Somebody’ll get to you soon as they can.”

Her knees buckled and her legs gave out at the same time the lights did. Relax? Relax? Her fingers went numb, dropping the receiver to dangle from its plastic cord, as reality slapped her in the face. She was alone. Completely alone. In a stalled elevator. With no way out. In the dark.

Don’t panic. There’s no need to panic. She forced a deep, calming breath in through her nose. The elevator would start moving any second now. At any moment. Really soon. Jordan hissed the breath she’d been holding through her clenched teeth.

So much for not panicking.

She gulped, even though her mouth had gone desert-dry. Her heart stammered in her chest as the blood from her head drained into it. Sitting on the floor, the hard marble tiles icy against her almost bare bottom, she gasped for air. What had happened to the air? Suddenly it was stuffy. Warm and stuffy and hard to breathe.

Omigod. Omigod. She was going to suffocate before she plunged to the basement. The more she panicked, the more she hyperventilated. And the more she hyperventilated, the more she feared she would suck all of the remaining oxygen out of the elevator.

She couldn’t see her hands in front of her face as she dropped her head into her palms. Jordan had heard the term “total darkness” before, but never fully understood it until now. Squeezing her eyes shut, the first tears slipped from beneath her lashes.

Fear like she’d never known before—hot, black, airless fear—evaporated her common sense and her crying became hysterical. If she had to die, she didn’t want her twisted broken body to be found wearing a red nightgown and bikini panties.

Jordan considered her last thought. Even terrified and miserable, the irony wasn’t lost on her. She was dressed in intimate wear but had never actually been intimate. Oh, sure, she’d had sex, but it hadn’t been worth repeating. And now she was going to die a semivirgin without ever having a real orgasm.

Omigod, she was going to die.

She cried harder, gulping in hot, stagnant air between sobs. If by some miracle she lived through this, she wasn’t going to waste any more time. She’d have sex and lots of it. She would try every conceivable position. She’d play sex games and buy toys…

Well, maybe not toys. After insisting the bedroom lights stay off the one time she was with David, she probably wasn’t ready for toys.

First, though, she had to get out of here. Wrapping her arms around her knees, she tipped her head back and took a deep, deep breath. “Hellllp!”

“Hang on, ma’am! We’re coming to get you out.”

A voice in the darkness! It sounded like salvation. It sounded like hope. It sounded like a man.

2

DANNY NAVARRO HATED the dark.

Hated it, not feared it. No, he couldn’t afford to fear it. He just hated it. The way it made his breathing shallow and his pulse race. He tightened his grip on the heavy aluminum flashlight he carried. Even with the intermittent glow of the emergency-exit lights, the eighth-floor hallway was still too damned obscure for his comfort.

His boots sank into the plush carpeting as he strode past the paler darkness of the hotel-room doors. Danny shifted the weight of the toolbox in his other hand, wishing he could reach up to wipe the sweat from under his helmet. At least he wasn’t in full turnout gear, wearing the heavy Nomex coat and pants. It was hot enough without the hotel’s cooling ventilation.

Beside him, firefighter Mike Cornwall huffed out a breath. “Phew. Weatherman said it’s one hundred five degrees with the heat index. You can’t tell me there’s nothing to this global-warming thing.”

Danny chuckled. “Don’t blame me, I stopped using aerosol years ago. The problem is all those satellites cluttering the skies.”

“Uh-huh. Seems to me you were right there enjoying my digital TV dish last Super Bowl Sunday.”

“Yeah, and you still owe me twenty bucks, Stonewall.” He called him by the nickname Mike’s six-foot-four-frame and dedication to weight lifting had earned him. “I told you not to bet against the Ravens’ running game.”

“Shame it’s too dark to get a look at all those underwear models downstairs. I’ll bet I’d leave with a pocketful of phone numbers.”

Danny snickered. “I’ll take odds against that bet.” They reached the bank of elevators and set down their equipment. He rolled his shoulders.

“Which one is she in, Lieutenant?”

“I don’t know, Mike. We’ll have to open all three.”

Danny pulled out a large ring of keys while Mike shone the flashlight on the call panel to find the manufacturer’s brand. “It’s an Otis Geared Elevonic model.”

“Okay. Let’s start on the left.” As he turned the skeleton key to disengage the locks on the outer doors, he heard a high-pitched shriek coming from the middle elevator.

“Hellllp!”

“Hang on, ma’am! We’re coming to get you out.”

Grabbing a Halligan, Danny pried open the outer doors and then Mike held them apart with a length of rebar in case the power suddenly came back on. A quick sweep with the flashlight revealed the concrete wall and thick cables inside the open shaft. The elevator itself was closer to the seventh floor than the eighth. Only the top two and a half feet of the car were visible.

“Looks like you’ll have to slide in and get her, L.T.”

Danny carefully controlled his reaction, refusing to let it show on his face. “Me? I’m the senior here.”

“Yeah, but since L.T. stands for Lady Target as well as ‘lieutenant,’ you’re the man for the job.”

He’d always wanted to be a fireman. Always. But he’d never consider himself a hero, despite the media calling him one. He was just a guy who cared about doing his job. Right now, though, it required heroic effort to control the chill of dread seeping into his limbs.

“All right. Let’s get it done.”

Danny took off his helmet then helped Mike get the inner doors open and propped. He grabbed the flashlight, got down to floor level and leaned his head over the edge. He shone the light around inside the elevator car and saw the red clad figure huddled in the corner.

“Oh, thank God.”

The woman’s voice quavered as she choked out the words. The gleam of the flashlight revealed a tear-streaked face beneath the hand she used to shield her eyes. Her lush scarlet mouth tilted in a little smile of embarrassed relief. “I wasn’t panicking, though.”

Danny noticed that her voice still sounded weak and smiled a little himself. “I’m sure you weren’t, ma’am. Are you injured? Did you hit your head or anything?”

“No. I’m just a bit s-scared.”

“It’s going to be all right. The heat’s caused a rolling blackout. But I’m going to get you out.” He started to turn away when she called to him.

“Don’t leave!”

“I’m not leaving, ma’am. I was just talking to my partner. I’ll be right down to get you.”

“Oh, okay. Not that I panicked.”

“No, ma’am, of course not.” Danny had dealt with a lot of hysterics in his nine years on the job. People were often so relieved and grateful to be rescued that they simply broke down. He wasn’t about to make fun of her, since he didn’t feel that comfortable himself.

He looked up at Mike. “I’ll go down and give her a lift. You help her the rest of the way. She says she’s not hurt, but I’ll check her out just the same.”

“I’m sure you will, L.T.” Mike’s voice had an undercurrent of innuendo as he took the flashlight to hold.

Danny ignored him as he swung his legs into the elevator car, bearing his weight on his forearms. Since this wasn’t a life or death situation, he stole a second to get himself under control. None of the guys at Station 24 knew, not even Mike. A year had passed as if it were only a moment, but that moment was all too fresh in his mind.

Just as he was about to lower himself down, an elderly woman hurried out of one of the hotel rooms down the hall. “My husband! Please help us. He collapsed! He has chest pains and says it feels like another heart attack.”

“L.T.?”

Mike was training to become an FF4, a firefighter paramedic. He was already grabbing his first-aid kit while he waited for Danny’s response. With many of the city fire trucks assisting Baltimore Oil & Power, generators and manpower were spread thin.

“Go. I’ll handle this. Call for the nearest ambulance and wait for them to take over.”

“I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

Mike rushed off with the only flashlight, leaving Danny hanging. Literally. The idea of being stuck in the dark, cramped space for even a few minutes wasn’t doing much to alleviate his sweating. But a possible heart attack was more urgent than his problem. Inhaling quietly, he ducked his head to keep from banging it on the elevator ceiling and let himself drop. His stomach lurched as he fell.

Six feet might as well have been a sixty in the darkness…

After hitting the floor, Danny turned his head from side to side, straining his eyes and willing something to come into focus. Suddenly he heard a rustle of movement and the woman collided into him. Without the flashlight, he couldn’t see her. Or anything else.

Her disjointed sobs echoed in the small, hot space, further confusing senses that were denied the capacity of sight. His lungs clenched, struggling to drag breath into their shallow depths. The scar tissue on his back tightened. His pulse accelerated and he fought to steady his pounding heart…

Someone was crying. He could hear muffled weeping, but was too disoriented to identify where it came from. It was pitch-black and impossibly hot. He couldn’t breathe. Dense smoke and the acrid smell of burning fuel choked what little air was left.

He crawled through puddles of water, over jagged metal and broken concrete. The darkness seemed to cave in on him. Then more explosions rocked the floor beneath him, trapping him in what already resembled the lowest level of hell…

“I’m so glad you’re here.”

The woman’s mumbled words brought him back to the present. As she clung to him, Danny welcomed the contact with another living being and instinctively offered the comfort of his arms. Her soft lips nuzzled the side of his neck where she’d buried her face in the crook of his shoulder. He held her tightly, breathing in the floral scent of her hair.

He couldn’t have let her go if he wanted to.

He didn’t know how long they stood holding each other, his sense of time as confused as everything else. But slowly his attention sharpened and he became aware of her. He felt the warmth of her body seeping into him and driving away the chill of anxiety. Her full breasts were flattened against his chest, the hardened peaks jutting through his cotton T-shirt. Beneath his hands, he recognized the coarse texture of lace as he soothed his palms down her back.

A nightgown? In the middle of the day? She must be one of the underwear models.

She curled into him, drawing closer when she tightened her hold around his waist. He was extremely cognizant of each place their bodies touched. Her breath warmed his throat and her nearness heated his blood. In an instant, he was rock hard and more than willing to forget where they were.

The air around them pulsed with sexual energy and he knew exactly when she noticed the change. He heard the quick intake of breath. She raised her head, as if she were about to speak, but then her mouth brushed the edge of his and he was lost.

Acting on pure instinct, he captured her lips, coaxing his tongue between them. She tasted like cinnamon; she tasted like sin. His fingers sought to caress her hair, and in doing so released the clip that restrained it. The heavy mass tumbled down to flow around her shoulders. Sexy little moans and whimpers escaped her throat as he held the nape of her neck and deepened the kiss.

She trembled so hard he thought she might collapse in his arms, but instead she shimmied against him in an invitation as old as time. He ran his hands over her curvaceous hips and backside, pressing her forward to feel the effect she had on him. His hands glided up her generous body—he loved a woman he could hold on to—until they reached her silk-covered breasts.

At her gasp of surprise and pleasure, he slipped his fingers inside the nightgown to fondle the warm fullness of her flesh. She moaned as he gently rolled her hardened nipple between his thumb and index finger. Then he bent his head to take one delicate bud inside his mouth. He laved and suckled her breast in rhythm with her soft cries.

She grasped the sides of his face and drew him up until their lips met again. The feel of her tongue exploring the recesses of his mouth sent a wave of desire through his body that crested as an aching pressure in his groin. He stroked his right hand down her torso until he came across the deep split in her gown. He slid his fingers inside to touch the satiny skin beneath the silk. Her thighs parted to allow him greater access while her lips nibbled hungrily on his mouth.

She tugged at his T-shirt, pulling it free from his trousers before she drew her hands over his stomach and up to his chest. The feel of her sensual touch had his own nipples hardening in response. He moved his hand higher under the skirt of her nightgown, lifting the fabric until he could feel the edge of her panties.

He inched his fingers toward the apex of her thighs, felt the damp heat through the material as he rubbed her feminine mound. She rocked her hips back and forth over his hand while his tongue danced with hers. His erection throbbed against his zipper when her wiggling became frenzied. Seconds later, she shuddered, groaning against his shoulder as she climaxed.

Danny grinned into her hair as she tried to catch her breath. Of all the elevators in all the world, he found himself with the most intensely responsive woman he’d ever encountered. Under his shirt, her hands slid down his belly to grope for his belt buckle.

But just as she reached to unzip him, he heard Mike’s voice right above them. “Hey, L.T. I’m back.”

Startled, they jerked apart as if they’d been electrocuted. As the flashlight beam arced lower, Danny fumbled to tuck in his shirt and refasten his pants. The woman hastily adjusted the front of her nightgown and pulled the skirt part back into place.

He raised his voice to draw Mike’s attention. “How’s the guy with the chest pain?”

“The EMTs have him stabilized for transport.”

In the dim light, Danny noted that the woman’s back was toward him. Even without seeing her face, he sensed her embarrassment by the shielding curve of her posture and the low angle of her head. His whisper scarcely carried across the elevator. “Are you okay?”

She nodded but refused to look at him. Despite the lack of ventilation, he felt a distinct chill that was stunning after the heat they’d generated. He could understand it, though. They were strangers, and who knows how far things might have gone if Mike hadn’t returned when he did.

If he got lucky, however, later tonight they could finish what they’d started. Danny moved behind her, keeping his voice low and willing her to turn around. “When can I see you? Where can I find you?”

Her shoulders were hunched, her arms crossed tightly in front of her. She tilted her head and glanced up, as though wondering how close Mike was. She shook her head and didn’t speak.

“All right. Let’s get out of here and then we can talk.” Danny leaned his head back and called up to Mike. “Ready when you are, Stonewall.”

“Anytime, L.T.”

He placed his hands on the woman’s upper arms, ignoring the way she flinched as he guided her toward the front of the elevator car. “I’m going to lift you up so that Mike can catch your hands. Don’t let go of him until you’re all the way out to the floor. Okay?”

She angled her head away, but he heard her whispered acknowledgment. “Okay.”

He grasped her waist, bending his knees as she raised her arms to the light-filled opening. Flexing his thighs, he boosted her toward the ceiling. When he saw that Mike held her securely, he shifted his hands to her bottom, trying to ignore the intimate knowledge that his hands had been under that red silk gown only moments before. He gave a gentle push and waited for Mike to help her the rest of the way.

“I’ve got her, L.T.”

Danny balanced on the balls of his feet then lunged up to catch the edge of the eighth floor. Using sheer arm strength, he pulled himself to chest height before pivoting to swing his legs up as well. He got to his feet and saw Mike holding the flashlight, trying to check on the woman.

“Are you sure you’re okay?”

“I’m fine. Really. I just need to go—”

“Wait a minute,” Danny protested. When she turned in his direction, his heart slammed to a stunned halt. He completely forgot whatever else he’d planned to say. The words caught in his throat as it tightened in dismay.

Gaze downcast, the woman still refused to look at him. But he didn’t need to see her eyes to know they were the golden brown color of maple syrup. Despite the gloom in the hallway, he knew that her hair had mahogany highlights and that her skin was the warm tone of caramel. He also knew he’d just made one of the biggest mistakes of his life.

Her voice sounded tight with embarrassment. “Thank you very much for helping me. I appreciate it.”

Mike started to speak. “If you’re sure…”

But she was already hurrying away down the dark corridor. Danny sensed his colleague turning to him, but his attention followed the elusive glimpse of red silk.

“Well, I see you managed to get some of her lipstick.” Mike’s voice held a note of jealous humor. Danny drew the back of his hand across his mouth and looked down to see a smear of color on his knuckles. “Did you get her name and phone number, too?”

“No, I didn’t get her number.”

“Too bad, L.T. She looked hot.”

Danny had no intention of getting the number now. And he already knew her name. Jordan Gregory.

His brother David’s girlfriend.

“KRISSY LYNN. What the hell kind of name is Krissy Lynn?”

Jordan leaned back in the conference room chair and watched her newest client, Susan Brandywine, pace the expensive wool carpeting. Her hands were jammed into the pockets of her palazzo pants, the kind Katherine Hepburn always wore in the late-night movies Jordan liked to watch.

“She’s blond and petite and just so gosh-darned eager.” Susan batted her eyelashes exaggeratedly. “And get this, she’s all of twenty-five years old. I’ve got sweaters older than this bubble-headed bimbo.”

Jordan didn’t look up from the note she jotted on a legal pad as she asked, “Aren’t you judging your replacement in the same manner you claim you’re being judged?”

Susan had been the female anchor on the WBNS nightly news team for ten years. After a messy and painful divorce, she began suffering from depression and put on some weight. At that point, she was shuffled from the prominent evening slot to a position reading the midday news.

The demotion fueled Susan’s depression, as did the comments of the news director and station manager, who suggested she lose weight, dress more femininely and grow out her “mannish” hairstyle. Then, just before her fortieth birthday, the station decided to “go with a more up-to-date look” for midday.

Susan stopped near the window overlooking the Camden Yards baseball stadium and sighed, running a strong hand through her short dark hair. “Yeah, damn it, I guess I am. But it hurts, Jordan. It really hurts.”

She made a sympathetic noise as her client continued to stare at the view. Jordan stood up and moved to the window. “I know exactly how you must feel.”

Susan eyed her up and down and scoffed. “Sure you do, honey.”

“You’re seeing me now. Not as the almost two-hundred-pound girl with bad skin and no friends I used to be.” She turned up the corners of her mouth, hoping it resembled a smile.

Susan nodded. “So as a former ‘fat girl’ yourself, you’re in the best position to defend me.”

Something inside of her twisted at the comparison, but Jordan focused on what was important. “I think we have a good chance with both the wrongful termination and the discrimination cases.”

“You know, I have a journalism degree from Columbia. I started out writing copy at a couple of newspapers. Journalism requires long hours, unbeatable dedication and street smarts as well as brain smarts.” Susan’s expression hardened. “It does not require looking like a Barbie doll. Especially not when my male co-anchors have gray hair, paunches and bags under their eyes. What does sex appeal have to do with my ability to tell an audience about a multiple rush-hour fatality on the Beltway?”

Susan was a very attractive woman: literate, funny, irreverent, and she had great personal style. And yet Jordan couldn’t suppress her reluctant aversion. It was like seeing herself the way she used to be, the way she’d worked so hard never to be again…

However, she wasn’t about to let her personal issues affect her zealous defense of a case. “In our favor, several successful lawsuits have set a precedent. For example, Connecticut anchorwoman Janet Peckinpaugh won her 1999 case against Post-News-week. You’re not too old, nor too fat, to do your job, Susan. And we’re going to prove it.”

From fifteen floors below, Jordan was distracted by the strident peal of a fire engine racing up Howard Street. The huge machine blared its horn at slow-moving cars until they pulled far enough toward the sidewalk for the engine to get by. She wondered if her elevator rescuer was onboard.

She also wondered what he looked like. Jordan had been too ashamed to look at him when he’d stood before her, too embarrassed to glance back as she fled. The firefighter from the elevator would never be more than a faceless memory.

3

JORDAN DOVE INTO the sea of bodies on the sidewalk and headed down Pratt Street past the Convention Center and the Garmatz Federal Courthouse. She’d conducted all of her meetings and handled her caseload on autopilot this morning, unable to concentrate.

She couldn’t stop thinking about…him. He was a complete mystery, this sensual stranger. And yet some air of familiarity had prompted her to let him kiss her, fondle and stroke her in the most intimate ways. Each time she closed her eyes, she experienced again the heat of his touch and the drugging taste of his kiss. Her lips actually tingled.

Jordan startled when someone jostled her elbow. Realizing she’d been lost in thought, again, she hurried to cross Charles Street before the traffic light changed. Downtown was teeming with tourists, many wearing Baltimore Orioles T-shirts in anticipation of tonight’s game. Exhaust fumes polluted the humid air while the sounds of crawling traffic echoed off the multistory buildings.

She waited through another red light by the Gallery mall on Light Street. She’d left her jacket at the office in deference to the heat, but the September sun seemed intent on burning a hole through her cotton shirtdress. Over the last few blocks, it felt as if her panty hose was melting and permanently adhering to her legs. Not to mention the way the waistband was strangling her. Queen-size? Yeah, right.

The early-autumn heat wave made everything hot and tight and sticky. Not unlike the heat she felt racing along her veins whenever she relived those mind-blowing moments at the St. Charles Hotel. Over the past two nights, the firefighter from the elevator had become the faceless lover of her dreams. In her midnight fantasies that first explosive orgasm was followed by several others as they made crazy, passionate love against the wood-paneled wall.

Jordan gave herself a mental shake as a truck horn blared impatiently. She had to stop this. There was probably a special area in purgatory for good girls gone bad. And she might as well get used to the idea because, if her daydreams were any indication, she was more than willing to be bad again.

She crossed the street with a determined stride, heading toward the Pratt Street Pavilion where she was meeting her college roommates, Sheris Smith and Melanie Walters, for their Monthly Monday lunch. In the tiny amphitheater between the two main buildings of the Harborplace complex, a crowd clapped and ignored the midday heat as a juggler tossed bowling pins in time to music.

The cool air inside the Pavilion was a welcome relief, and Jordan took a moment to let her body adjust and to check her watch. Five minutes early. Which meant Melanie would arrive at exactly twelve-thirty, and they should only have to wait another fifteen minutes after that for Sheris to show up.

She opened the door to the Cheesecake Factory restaurant, gave her name to the hostess and asked for an inside table. Once seated, she settled in with a raspberry iced tea, idly gazing out the tinted glass window.

Families and couples of all ages strolled along the red brick promenade on the harbor’s edge. Water taxis and duck boats carried tourists around the Patapsco River between the Inner Harbor and Fell’s Point. A line of people waited to tour the USS Constellation, a three-masted Civil War sloop anchored at Pier One.

Looking past the facade of the World Trade Center, Jordan could see the triangular glass roof of the National Aquarium. She’d been meaning to get over there and see the new Amazon River Forest exhibit…

“Hi!” Melanie bounced toward the table at twelve-thirty on the dot and waved to several people as she walked by. Mel was a diminutive dynamo and seemed to know everybody. With her petite figure and boy-short hairstyle, she looked like a happy pixie.

She dressed like one, too. Today she wore a bright yellow-and-white-striped pants set that complemented her coffee skin. Jordan smiled. You couldn’t help but smile at Melanie. She was like a walking dose of antidepressant. Her wide-set eyes always reflected her joy in life.

She stood up to trade hugs. No air kisses with Mel, who was genuine in everything she did. “I’m glad you could come today.”

“Of course, Jordan! I wouldn’t miss our monthly lunch! How have you been? Is that our waitress? I’m dying of thirst!”

“Try the raspberry tea. I think you’ll like it.” Jordan kept her voice carefully modulated since Melanie tended to make either a question or an exclamation of everything she said. “So, tell me what’s new.”

“Rochelle did so well in school! And can you believe it? Chris made the winning goal for his soccer team during the last game of the season! Guess what we’re doing? Bill and I are taking the kids to Disney!”

“That sounds great. But I thought you were planning a vacation without the kids.” Although Melanie treated her boyfriend’s children like her own, Jordan knew she often wished for more adults-only time.

Melanie reached for her tea and drank half of it before answering. “Oh, that’s our anniversary trip in November! Bill and I are going back to Costa Rica! I think he’s finally going to propose! Have you and David talked about where you’ll spend your honeymoon? You two would just love Costa Rica!”

She was saved from having to answer when she noticed heads near the restaurant entrance turning. “There’s Sheris.”

Sheris nodded in response to Melanie’s excited wave and sauntered across the dining room. She always moved as though she owned whatever place she was in. Given her family’s diversified investments, she might very well have part ownership of the restaurant.

Jordan stifled a pang of envy over her friend’s casual stylishness. Jordan spent hours meticulously planning her outfits and tending to her hair and makeup. Meanwhile, Sheris managed to look gorgeous in whatever she’d thrown on before casually running a brush through her hair and walking out the door. Her dark gypsy curls fell past her shoulders, which were bared by the white peasant blouse she wore with a short leather skirt and sandals. Only Sheris could wear leather in this heat and still look cool.

“Sorry I’m late,” she offered as she brushed a kiss near each of their cheeks. Sheris dropped her overstuffed Louis Vuitton bag on the floor and slid into the seat across from Jordan.

“You’re right on time, actually. Are you sick?”

Sheris laughed. “No, just depressed. I came downtown early to do some pity purchasing.”

Jordan glanced down but didn’t see even a small shopping bag. “You didn’t find anything you liked?”

“Actually I saw several things, but I restrained myself in case I’m still feeling blue tomorrow.” Sheris pulled back her hair to reveal a stunning pair of Ceylon sapphire earrings that exactly matched her deep-set eyes.

Melanie angled closer to get a better look. “Wow! Those are really blue! I take it you broke things off with Grant?”

“Yeah. It seemed best.” Sheris’s reply sounded offhand, but the expression on her face said otherwise. She paused while the waitress brought another glass of tea and three menus.

“You know, it was so great in the beginning. I thought maybe…well, you know how it goes. I got restless, he got defensive. He wanted to buy a place together, I suggested he find a place by himself.”

“I’m sorry, honey.” Jordan reached over to grasp her hand.

“Me, too.” Sheris offered a bright smile. “But, hey, they can’t all be Bill or David now, can they?”

“Or Logan.” Melanie threw out the comment while perusing the extensive lunch choices.

Sheris dropped her menu on the table. “Now what in the world made you bring up my ex-husband?”

Mel looked embarrassed. “It just slipped out? I must have heard him last night?”

“Has he still got that little radio program? I didn’t realize.” Sheris tried unsuccessfully to sound dismissive and bored.

Jordan pictured the full-size, full-color billboards on I-95 and the B/W Parkway coming into the city and hid her smile. If Sheris wanted to pretend to be the only person in the Baltimore metropolitan area who didn’t listen to In the Mood with McGuire, so be it.

“Logan was just one in a long line of relationship regrets.” With that, Sheris changed the subject. “I’m going to have the Crusted Chicken Romano over Fettuccine. How about you girls?”

“Mmm. Sounds good,” Melanie replied. “But I’m going to go with the Seafood Cobb Salad.”

Jordan’s stomach growled at the thought of fried chicken and carbohydrate-laden pasta or fat-packed avocados, shrimp and blue cheese. She stifled a sigh, knowing she couldn’t afford to let down her guard. “I’ll just have the baked fish and a tossed salad.”

After placing their orders, they spent some time catching up on news and acquaintances. Inevitably, though, the conversation turned intimate. Sheris dabbed a spot of pasta sauce from her mouth.

“In some ways it’s a relief that things ended with Grant, but I sure am going to miss the sex. That guy could go all night.”

“Really?” Melanie pouted a little and searched her salad for any shrimp she’d missed. “With the kids around most of the time, I’m lucky if Bill and I manage more than thirty minutes. What about you and David?”

“Um, actually things have been a little, um…how do I say this?” Jordan leaned forward and dropped her voice to a whisper. “I bought a sex manual.”

“Good for you!” Sheris grinned at her. “Which one? I have a fairly extensive collection myself.”

“I got Fifty Fast Fantasies last week.”

Sheris nodded and speared a chunk of chicken off her plate. “That’s a good one. I especially enjoyed Ride Him, Cowgirl and The Butler Did It.”

Jordan choked on a bite of her baked trout and felt her cheeks flame. How could Sheris be so casual about acts that embarrassed her just reading about them? She looked over to see that Melanie had reacted the same way.

Mel’s eyebrows arched toward her hairline. “You, um—you acted them out? I mean, you actually—”

“Well, of course, honey. There’s no reason to buy a sex book if you’re just going to leave it in the drawer.”

“Shh!” Jordan and Melanie both tried to silence her when two men at a nearby table looked over with undisguised interest.

“Oh, come on, girls. Our college days aren’t that far behind us, are they?”

“I don’t know, Sheris. My college days weren’t nearly as social as yours.” Jordan set down her fork. “I mean, I bought the manual. But I’m not sure I can go through with some of those fantasies.”

“Nonsense. You wouldn’t have even looked at a book like that, let alone bought it, if your sex life was satisfying.”

“Shh!”

“Well, you wouldn’t have. So obviously you’re curious and curiosity is key to great sex.” Sheris pushed her empty plate aside. “You have to be willing to discover things about your partner and let him find things out about you. Like, I found out that Scott was into ropes and James loved to be spanked—”

“Eeww!” Melanie wrinkled her elfin nose. “Too much information!”

“Hey, I’m not saying I always agreed to it. But you have to be willing to give if you want to get what you like in return.”

Jordan considered Sheris’s advice while Mel demanded exact details about costumes and props. What was it she really wanted? Sex, certainly. Affection and attention, of course. But more than anything, she wanted to feel burning desire and urgent need. She wanted to feel like she did two days ago.

Melanie was still pressing. “Well, how did you do it, Sheris? I mean, did you suggest it, or did the guys? And if it was you, how did you bring it up?”

“I don’t think I can.” Jordan shook her head. “What would I say? ‘Hi, honey. I made dinner reservations. And afterward, would you mind wearing this slave boy outfit I bought you?’ There’s no way!”

“That is more my style than yours.” Sheris grinned. “So don’t discuss it. Just arrange the setting for your favorite fantasy and surprise him one night. My point is, Jordan, if you want a more exciting love life, you have to lose the sweetness and discover the sweat.”

Jordan’s mind immediately returned to the faceless firefighter. Now there was a man who’d made her sweat. And moan. And climax within seconds of his touching her. She felt heated blood rushing to her cheeks—and other places—as she remembered how incredible he’d made her feel.

She’d never felt that way with David.

It was getting harder to ignore the crushing unhappiness that pervaded her nights. Ironically, she had discovered that being in a poor relationship was lonelier than being on her own. Being single didn’t feel as incomplete as having a lover she feared didn’t love her at all, one she’d struggled to love in return.

Time was running and only David could help her.

LATER THAT NIGHT, Jordan stood in the bedroom of her Federal Hill row house and stripped off her business clothes. She carefully sorted the dry-clean items from the hand-wash only before pulling on a ratty pair of sweatpants and an even older T-shirt. In the bathroom, she removed the hairpins from the chignon she wore at the office and brushed her hair until it fell loosely to her shoulders. Then she creamed the artfully applied makeup from her face.

Jordan stared at herself in the mirror, carefully studying the parts without looking at the whole. A blemish was coming out on her chin. A quick squeeze and it was gone. Tiny wrinkles were developing under her eyes. She’d have to get some retinol cream. Reaching for the tweezers, she plucked several strays from her brow. Then her eyes narrowed as she focused on her hairline. Was that one gray? The tweezers quickly yanked out the offending strand.

She spent several more minutes checking for flaws before sighing heavily and turning out the bathroom light. Downstairs in the kitchen, she opened the refrigerator and tried to decide if she wanted a lettuce or a spinach salad for dinner. Neither one was really appealing tonight. She glanced across the room to the cabinet above the coffeemaker.

No. She shouldn’t.

Maybe she could mix the red leaf lettuce and baby spinach together, then julienne some raw vegetables over the top. There were some tomatoes in the crisper and—she felt the contents of that cabinet calling to her.

No!

Okay, she’d skip the salad and just make vegetables crudité with some low-fat cottage cheese on the side. She slammed the refrigerator shut. It was no use. She was going to open that cabinet. She was going to reach inside and she was going to blow her diet all to hell. Like a thief sneaking into forbidden territory, Jordan rushed across the room and grabbed the bag of Dove milk chocolates. Holding it up to her face, she inhaled the addictive scent of cocoa butter and sugar.

Just a few. Only a few.

She walked down the hall to the living room, flopped onto the overstuffed couch and tucked her bare feet underneath her. After laying the bag beside her with the opening in easy reach of her hand, she picked up the issue of Style and Grace magazine on the far cushion. Idly flipping though the pages, Jordan unwrapped a chocolate. She’s so pretty. Not an ounce of fat anywhere on her. Another page. Another chocolate. Look at her thighs. They don’t even meet. Another. And another…

There was Camryn.

Her numb fingers dropped the candy she held back into the bag. Her sister looked stunning. Simply stunning. Her golden skin was bared in a flame-red slip dress with a plunging neckline. The artful lighting emphasized the high ridge of her cheekbones, the long line of her torso and the subtle definition of her athletic legs.

Jordan looked down to see the lone chocolate left in the bag. She felt sick. Guilty and sick and weak and ugly.

Think about something else, anything else. She’d have to run an extra mile tomorrow morning. Damn it! She tossed the magazine away and got up to turn on the television. One of the cable stations was showing Black Lace, a movie in which the main character enticed her boss with anonymous love notes.

Yes, that was the answer. Focus on the seduction. If she could learn to act sexy and alluring, it wouldn’t matter how she looked. In the fantasies, she could be anyone she wanted. In the dark, he’d never see that she wasn’t perfect.

She ran upstairs and got the Fifty Fast Fantasies book from her bedroom. Snuggled onto the couch once more, she ran her index finger along the table of contents until she found one she could use. A scene in the movie distracted her for a second, then she gave all of her attention to the chapter called Strangers For One Night.

Pretend your lover is a handsome stranger. Why not pick him up as if he were a one-night stand? Surprise him in an unexpected location, wearing your naughtiest undies underneath. Let your “stranger” know that you don’t normally do things like this, but you can’t resist him. Then take him back to your place and give him a night neither of you will ever forget.

For her this to work, Jordan would have to be sensual, naughty and fun—everything the guidebook recommended. Well, at least she could fake it. When she’d found the high-school drama class, she’d found herself. As long as she put on an act, as long as she’d played a role, she’d become confident and outgoing and even somewhat popular. It hadn’t taken long to figure out that the way she wanted people to see her was just another stage personality.

Her grandparents’ fiftieth wedding anniversary was a little over a week away. She needed David by her side. She needed him to perpetuate her lie. Otherwise, she could already hear her cousin’s snide taunts if she had to show up alone and admit that her engagement was a fraud.

She could do this. She had to do this. It would give her the chance to discover her wild side. And it would save her a week of awkward questions and embarrassment. If she could act in high school and all through college and at the office, she could do it in the bedroom.

Jordan grabbed a notepad and began making a list of things she would need to make the Strangers fantasy a reality.

4

DANNY FOLLOWED the scent of fresh garlic bread to the large kitchen at the fire station. Mondays meant Italian food and Italian food meant Tony would be making dinner. Danny greeted the half-dozen firefighters already at the table and helped himself to the steaming hot lasagna.

Mike looked up from his plate in surprise. “Hey, L.T., you got off at six. What are you still doing here?”

“I can’t resist Cappelluti’s cooking.”

He moved toward the end of the table and took the empty seat next to Tony, who shot him a proud grin. “It’s my grandmother’s secret recipe.”

Mike spoke around a mouthful of pasta. “I figured you had a date tonight since you’re on day shift.”

“It got canceled.” Danny kept his attention on his food as he answered and braced himself for the gibes.

“I can’t believe it!” Barb laughed. “The Lady Target got stood up?”

“Yeah, well, Lisa took it badly when I told her things were going too fast.”

“Eighth date already?”

Danny looked at Andrea in confusion. “Huh?”

“None of the women you go out with seem to last past the eighth date.”

“That’s not true.” He scoured his memory for an example of a long-term relationship, but after a moment, he came up blank.

“Told you.”

Danny shrugged impatiently. “Lisa started dropping hints every time we passed a jewelry store, so I called it quits a couple of days ago.”

“You did the same thing with Kelly, Sheryl…” Barb ticked off on the fingers of both hands as she quoted names.

Danny wiped a smear of sauce from his mouth. “Are you keeping tabs on me or something?”

One of the paramedics walked in and grabbed the chair beside Andrea. Frank looked around at everyone. “So, what are you guys talking about?”

“L.T.’s single again,” Tony replied.

Frank nodded sagely. “Hit the eighth date with Lisa, huh?”

“Actually, it was only our seventh.” Danny pushed his plate away, feeling defensive. “But who’s counting?”

From the other end of the table, Jen smirked. “It’s not a hard pattern to figure out, L.T. You dated two of my friends, remember?”

“You also went out with my cousin, Vicki,” Frank chimed in.

“And both of them said everything was great, then you suddenly broke it off and stopped calling.”

“Now wait a minute. It’s not always me who breaks up—”

“She’s right, L.T.” Mike gestured with his fork. “About the time your girlfriends start thinking about a future, you start thinking of reasons to back away. No matter who ends it, you’re still the one with commitment issues.”

Danny glared down the table at his supposed friend. “Thanks very much for that psychoanalysis, Dr. Stonewall.”

“Men can’t commit.” Barb set down her glass and addressed the other two women at the table. “Evolution programmed them to procreate and continue the species. That’s why they’re compelled to initiate sex with any attractive female who comes along.”

Andrea and Jen murmured agreement.

Tony scoffed. “You’re way off base there. L.T.’s problem is intimacy. Since he can’t open up and express his true feelings, he shuts himself off from emotional involvement.”

Danny sputtered indignantly. “What the hell are you babbling about?”

“I saw it on a talk show one day.”

“Oh, please. You watch that stuff?” Jen tapped her index finger twice on the tabletop. “It’s all about man’s need to explore. Once a guy has established his territory, he starts looking around for new worlds to conquer.”

Danny raised his hand. “Can I say something here?”

His request was ignored as Mike talked over the other voices. “I think the real issue is lack of trust—”

Just then the alarm blared through the station house, saving Danny from further analysis of his love life.

The dispatcher’s voice sounded over the loudspeaker. Fire in progress on the two hundred block of Paca Street near Lexington Market. Everyone scrambled away from the table, running to get into their coats and boots as the drivers revved the engines on the fire trucks.

Danny felt the rush of adrenaline that always accompanied the call to duty. Part of him was tempted to grab his gear, but he’d already put in ten hours. So, instead, he chose to stay and have another piece of lasagna rather than go home to an empty apartment. As he ate, he considered the things his colleagues had said.

He loved the thrill of the chase, the excitement of the new. He loved dating and prided himself on treating women well during the time they were together. But when his girlfriends seemed to be getting too serious, he drew the line. He wasn’t about to get trapped in a bitter and disappointed marriage like his parents’.

Sirens blared on the ladder and rescue trucks as they roared out of Station 24. In the quiet that followed their departure came the thoughts Danny had been avoiding all day. The combination of guilt and lust churning him up inside could be traced to the same source.

His fascination with Jordan.

She appeared to be the single-minded, career-oriented type he usually favored. Who would have guessed that beneath her perfectly made-up, professionally groomed persona, Jordan was an explosive sensualist? He hadn’t stopped thinking about the contradictions in her personality for the past two days and two long nights.

He still couldn’t believe his brother’s prim and proper girlfriend had nearly ripped his pants off in the elevator. Did David know? It pissed Danny off that she would cheat on him with a total stranger. Was this the kind of thing Jordan did as some sort of secret thrill?

Part of him wanted to warn David, but there was no way to do it without confessing he’d brought her to orgasm while locked in the hottest kiss of his life. That memory was followed by another wave of guilt, but all he could think about was seeing Jordan again.

A COLONY OF BUTTERFLIES had taken up residence in Jordan’s stomach. Her heart fluttered in the same staccato rhythm as their jagged-edged wings. Tonight was the night. Wednesday night. A night for lovers to become strangers. She’d spent the past few days setting the necessary stage and gathering her courage.

She’d talked Camryn into letting her have some of the lingerie from the debut show. She’d bought a box full of condoms and a brand-new set of black cotton bedsheets. Candles were strategically placed to form a path from the front door to the bedroom. She was still trying to figure out how to light them and look sexy doing it.

Everything had to be perfect tonight and she was so afraid it wouldn’t be.

Jordan stood in front of the bedroom mirror and stared at her reflection, the corners of her mouth tightening into a frown. Her pudgy-cheeked face sat like a full moon above her double chin and nonexistent neck. Thick shoulders rolled down to full breasts, a protruding belly, wide hips and heavy legs. She saw each bowl of ice cream she’d ever eaten, every chocolate bar and slice of pound cake. In that reflection, she saw shyness and envy, loneliness and disinterest. She saw every hope, every rejection and failure.

Jordan shut her eyes. It was only a memory. She inhaled deeply, willing the tension from her neck. She had literally worked her ass off, walking several miles every day and taking aerobics classes three nights a week, until she lost the abundance of adolescent weight and slimmed down to a healthy size twelve.

When she opened her eyes, her vision cleared along with her expression and she looked again. Her face was now an elongated heart shape, emphasized by the widow’s peak at her hairline and a delicate chin. Jordan turned from side to side, critically viewing herself from different angles.

Though she was tall, her body was femininely rounded at the chest and hips. The black satin camisole cupped her full breasts while hiding the stretch marks on her waist. Matching panties covered the generous curve of her backside. Not perfect, in fact far from it. But, in the darkness, it wouldn’t matter.

She shrugged on the thin summer raincoat and tied the sash into a secure bow. Then she checked the time. David was a creature of habit, even more detail oriented than she, if that were possible. So allowing for the rush-hour traffic, she should be able to get to his condo just as he was leaving for his evening workout at the nearby gym.

A half hour later, that annoying little voice was back. It was telling her she was a nut for lurking outside the Harborview condominiums to ambush her ex-boyfriend. After counting the windows to make sure the lights were on in David’s living room, she hid behind a screen of thick hedges and crouched down to wait. And wait.

Beads of sweat trickled between her breasts, making her very aware of the satin fabric plastered against her skin. Her thighs were cramping and no amount of position shifting eased the aching stiffness. The humid autumn breeze tickled her bare bottom where the short raincoat rode up in the back.

Several people arrived and left through the front door, but David wasn’t one of them. Jordan spared another glance at her watch. He always left for the gym at precisely six thirty. What was keeping him tonight?

“I’M GAY.”

Danny half-swallowed, half-choked on his mouthful of beer. He set down the pale ale David kept in the fridge for him and even managed to get the icy bottle on the coaster this time. He stared at his brother, momentarily at a loss for words.

David stared right back from a face that was a duplicate of the one he saw in the mirror each morning. He’d sometimes wondered about his twin’s love of gourmet cooking and artsy foreign films. But now, hearing David state his sexual preference out loud, he wasn’t sure how he felt.

Surprise over his brother’s homosexuality warred with anxiety that it could be genetic. Being identical twins meant they had more things in common than most siblings. But, thinking of the many women he’d dated in the past year, Danny felt pretty sure sexual preference wasn’t one of them.

His brother stood waiting for his reaction, defensiveness in his posture and apprehension in his dark brown gaze. Not knowing how to handle the seriousness of the discussion, Danny resorted to humor. “You can’t do it like that.”

“It’s not just like that. I’ve always felt that maybe I was different—”

“No, I mean, you can’t just blurt it out. How about giving a brother some warning, a little lead up. You know, ‘Hi, Dan. How’s it going? Great weather we’re having, huh? By the way, I’m gay. Don’t tell Mom and Dad’.”

David smiled wryly and the strain eased from his features. They shared a look of understanding as he took a seat in the armchair opposite the sofa. “I’m guessing Dad will disinherit me and see that the club revokes my membership.”

“And what will Mother say to her friends in church and at the Valley Golf Association?”

David still looked uneasy. “What about you? Is this okay with you?”

He propped one fist under his chin and narrowed his eyes, pretending to consider it. “Well, other than the purple spots and horns, you seem the same to me.”

“I mean it, Dan. This isn’t easy for me.” David hunched his broad shoulders and looked away.

No, it probably wasn’t. And it would be harder still to tell their parents. He was proud to know David trusted him and quickly offered reassurance. “Believe me, this doesn’t change anything. You’re still my brother and I love you.”

“I wanted to tell you before now, but I wasn’t sure how you’d react.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence.” He picked up his beer. “What I’m wondering is how Jordan is going to react. Do you think she’ll be upset?”

David dropped his eyes and shifted in his seat. “I, um, broke it off with Jordan over a month ago.”

“Are you crazy? Why would—never mind, never mind.” He waved his hand as if he could erase the question.

“She’s a terrific woman and I love her as a friend.” David delivered his words with an attorney’s caution.

“A friend?” Danny’s brows furrowed in surprise. “You’ve been dating for what, eight or nine months?”

David brushed at the fabric on the chair arm. “We never connected beyond friendship, if you know what I mean.”

“Do we have to talk about sex?” Danny winced, not really wanting to picture his twin in the bed he hoped to occupy.

“Don’t worry. We were safe the only time we were together. The point is, I couldn’t keep faking my relationship with Jordan.” The phone rang and David got up to answer it. “Hello? Hi, I thought it might be you calling…. My brother’s here right now…I’ll talk to you sometime tomorrow, okay?”

Danny took another swallow of beer, still trying to come to terms with the situation. As soon as David sat down again, he asked the question that was bugging him the most. “If you knew you were gay, why did you start dating her in the first place?”

“I didn’t know. Not for certain. Not until too late… Also, I needed to be seen in a relationship, Dan. Chase, Behr & Lily is an extremely conservative law firm. I thought having Jordan on my arm advanced my chances of a partnership.”

“So, you were using her.” Danny sat back against the couch.

David had the good grace to look ashamed. “Not on purpose, but yes, I was. I ended it once I understood the relationship would never work. And once I found out that Chase’s son is being offered the only open partnership slot, I realized I’m tired of living a lie.”

“Sorry about the partnership, David. That really stinks.”

“Yeah. I’ve spent so much time and effort trying to impress the senior partners. All for nothing.” He sighed heavily. “I wanted that promotion. But not as much as I want to be accepted for who I really am. That’s why I asked you to come over.”

Danny pressed the issue. “You were honest with Jordan, though, right?”

“I’m sure she knows. She has to.” David stood up and headed for the wet bar.

“You don’t sound very sure.” He followed, leaning against the bookcase as he watched his brother.

David looked up from the wine he was pouring. “I know I didn’t handle this very well.”

Danny scowled. “You just broke up with her and didn’t bother to explain why? Jordan deserves better from you. She’s gorgeous, intelligent and successful. She’s sexy and—”

“And you noticed all of this after meeting her only once.” David looked at him oddly.

Danny opened his mouth, then shut it again. There was no adequate way to explain his attraction.

David smiled. “Don’t bother answering, little brother. Your face says it all.”

JORDAN WAS AVAILABLE.

That thought prevailed in Danny’s mind when he left David’s condominium. His keys jingled in his pocket as he jogged down the stairs, whistling out of tune. He didn’t have to feel guilty anymore about what had happened in the elevator. Jordan was single and apparently had been for several weeks.

Now he just had to figure out how to contact her before David made good on his threat to matchmake for them.

As he pushed through the front door and bounded down the steps, he heard a rustling from the shrubs behind him. Then it sounded as if someone stumbled, followed by the click of heels on the concrete walkway. He started to turn around when he felt something poke him in the back.

Then a woman’s quiet voice spoke near his ear. “Hold it, mister. I’ve got a banana. And I’m not afraid to use it.”

Danny immediately recognized Jordan’s cool, clear voice. It made him think of spring water bubbling over polished rocks. His body responded and began to resemble the alleged banana. Playing along, he lowered his voice to match hers. “Okay, lady. You’ve got my attention. What now?”

Her breath hitched once, then she blurted out her next command. “Stay quiet and walk toward the burgundy Honda parked at the curb.”

Was Jordan looking for another illicit thrill? For the chance to be with her completely, he wasn’t going to protest, so he started toward her car. Then reality hit him in the gut. He’d come out of David’s condo wearing a T-shirt and sweatpants, so of course she assumed…

“No! Don’t turn around.”

Danny suppressed a sigh of disappointment. “I think you’re making a mistake. My brother—”

“I know all about your brother. This isn’t—”

“You do?” He jerked his head in her direction, but her hand shot out to nudge it forward again.

“Let’s not talk about him right now.” Jordan cleared her throat then continued haltingly. “Since this past weekend, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about us, how we left things unfinished.”

The extraordinary experience in the elevator flashed across his mind. His pulse quickened with desire and growing hope. Maybe that was Jordan on the phone earlier. Maybe David had told her he was here tonight. “I’m glad you want to pick up where—”

“Don’t say anything else, okay? Otherwise I won’t be able to go through with this.”

Danny angled his body to one side, trying to see her face. “What exactly is this?”

“Um, I’m kidnapping you.” She sounded a little unsure of herself, but she poked him in the back with the banana once more for emphasis.

“Okay…” He started walked again. “Are we acting out one of your fantasies or something?”

Jordan laughed softly. “Fantasy number fifteen, to be exact.”

He smiled, wondering if that was the end of the list or just the beginning. He’d find out soon enough. When he reached the side of the car, she clicked the keyless entry to unlock it. Before he could open the door, though, she thrust something over his shoulder.

“Would you mind putting on this blindfold?”

Danny looked down at the scarf she held in front of his face. “It’s pink. It’s pink with little white dots on it. What kind of kidnapper are you?”

“You’re not supposed to talk. This is hard enough.”

Not yet, but he was getting there. Danny obliged and tied the scarf around his eyes, then slid into the passenger seat. Reaching for the lever beneath him, he pushed back to give himself more legroom.

He felt Jordan lean over him to secure his seat belt. The scent of her hair drifted around him and his groin throbbed in reaction to the brush of her shoulder against his chest. Despite his temporary blindness, he was relaxed and curious to find out what she had planned.

“So what happens next?”

For a moment she didn’t answer. Then, after a deep breath, she said, “Now I take you to my place and bring the rest of the fantasy to life.”

Less than fifteen minutes later, Jordan remained in the driver’s seat, drumming her fingers lightly on the steering wheel. The trip back to her house had been relatively easy since David had stayed quiet the whole time. But now that they’d arrived, anxiety stabbed at her resolve, plagued her with doubts. She didn’t want a repeat of the last time they were together…

David cleared his throat. “Do you do this kind of thing a lot?”

“Actually, I never do anything like this.” Her voice was small and tight as she looked over at him. “But lately I’ve wanted to…experiment a little.”

One dark brow lifted above the blindfold. “I’m always up for some experimentation. So, are we going to sit here the rest of the night?”

“No.” She laughed nervously, got out of the Honda and went around to open the passenger door.

Jordan took his arm to guide him out of the car. He misjudged the height of the curb and tripped, bumping into her. He didn’t move away. They remained side by side, silent, lost in their mutual awareness. The contact sent sparks and heat rushing along her nerves until an invisible web of desire tightened in her belly. That was a good thing. If she was turned on, there was nothing to fear. Tonight would be a success.

“Can I take this thing off now?” He sounded hoarse as he pointed to the pink-and-white blindfold.

“Not yet.” She led him up the walkway. “You can take it off once we start the fantasy.”

He frowned briefly, obviously confused. “The kidnapping isn’t the fantasy?”

Jordan swallowed the sudden lump in her throat. “No, it was just… I wasn’t sure…”

David stopped and turned in her direction. Though he couldn’t see the hot color lighting up her face, his voice was quiet. “You didn’t think I’d go along unless you forced me?”

She dropped her chin as her confidence evaporated. This was so stupid! Why did she think she could go through with this? Some seductress she was turning out to be. David must have sensed her anguish because he slowly exhaled.

“You didn’t have to do this.”

Omigod. She was standing in front of her house being rejected by a man in a pink polka-dotted blindfold. He would be polite and considerate because that was his way. But he was still going to dump her again. She twisted her fingers together, fighting harder not to cry.

“All you had to do was ask.”

“Huh?” She jerked her head up.

David’s voice held more than a touch of gentle humor. “So what’s the real fantasy, Jordan?”

He still wanted to play. The sudden warmth of relief and gratitude swept over her and she smiled, too, though he couldn’t see it. She considered telling him the real reason behind her seduction plan, then realized she wanted this night of fantasy as much as she wanted his help.

“No names.”

“Excuse me?”

Her pulse accelerated and her words came out in a rush. “No names, okay? No inhibitions and no regrets tonight. We’re just two strangers who met and felt an immediate attraction.”

His response was complete silence and for an instant her insecurities returned. Then David grinned, his wide smile sexy despite the pink scarf on his face. “When I saw you across the smoke-filled room, I thought you were the most beautiful woman in the place.”

For a second, her heart turned over. He thought—

No. Jordan shook herself back into the reality of the moment. He was just getting into the fantasy. She took a deep breath and let her imagination take over. “When I walked into that hot, crowded bar tonight, I was looking for someone, but I didn’t expect to find you. I saw you sitting by yourself and wondered why a guy like you was alone.”

She was afraid her speech sounded forced, but David got right into character. “Yeah, I had the same thought about you. I couldn’t believe such a hot, sexy woman was coming on to me.”

That web of desire tightened and Jordan suddenly wanted him so badly her legs started to tremble. The way David was responding, maybe they should have tried this fantasy stuff before. “There was something about you, something that intrigued me. That’s why I approached you. Then you looked at me and smiled and I couldn’t resist giving in to a wicked impulse.”

“I’d planned to buy you a drink, but your very seductive offer distracted me. Wicked impulses are the hardest to refuse.”

He stood beside her on the front step. She could feel the heat of his body and even in the dimness of twilight his arousal was obvious. There was a lot to be said for the thin fabric of sweatpants. He leaned into her, pressing the length of his body to hers as he spoke softly.

“I think we’ll be good together.”

Jordan drew a quivering breath as she pushed open the front door. “Why don’t we go inside and find out?”

5

DANNY STEPPED into the gloom of Jordan’s foyer and had to fight off a brief sense of panic. Outside, he’d been able to detect the last rays of twilight through the filmy material of the scarf. Now, though, his inability to see was further hampered by unfamiliar surroundings.

“Um, this will just—umph. This will just take a second.”

Danny shifted from one foot to the other, while Jordan muttered under her breath. The distinctive odor of butane wasn’t doing anything to alleviate his discomfort.

“Press. Hold. Click. It’s simple. So why—can’t I—get this—to work?”

He smelled the accelerant and heard the strike wheel grinding and felt the scar on his back tighten. What the hell was she setting on fire? Danny yanked off the blindfold.

“You’re making me nervous.”

Jordan sighed and set down the fireplace lighter she was holding. “I’m a little nervous myself.”

He glanced behind her to see flames dancing in the first three of a series of small hurricane candles. The rest, though unlit, made a path up the winding staircase.

“Seems we could both use some reassurance. Come on over here.” Danny opened his arms and waited.

She hesitated for just a second, then Jordan moved across the floor and into his embrace, her face tilted expectantly. In the faint light from the transom window above the front door, he saw that her lips trembled slightly and he heard the little catch of her breath. If he didn’t know better, he would have thought she was nervous.

Danny lowered his head and closed his mouth over hers. He’d been dying to kiss her again, so consumed by the memory of the elevator that there was no time to sample or savor. He slanted his lips across hers in a hot, urgent need to taste and take. Jordan pulled away with a gasp. Her brows drew together for an instant as she looked up at him with a bemused expression.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, nothing. I just—you reminded—” She shook her head once and then smiled. “Where were we?”

A low growl of pleasure escaped him as she moved in, molding her lush body to his straining erection. He slid his hands down to cup her butt and pull her even closer. He traced her mouth with the tip of his tongue, memorizing the sinuous curve of her lower lip, the sweet fullness of the upper one. Then he delved inside to the warm recesses of her mouth.

She tightened her hold on his back, the slick fabric of her raincoat rustling as she rubbed her pelvis across the front of his sweatpants. She took the kiss to the next level, making him feel that she was going to devour him. Her tongue mated with his in what he hoped was a preview of things to come.

Breathing hard, he leaned back just enough to ask a question. Even in the dim light, he could see the excitement in her eyes. “So, stranger, are you just going to hold me for ransom, or was there something else you wanted to do with me?”

Jordan slid out of his arms and held out her hand. He grasped it in his and followed her toward the stairs. She looked over her shoulder, a little smile on her beautiful lips. “This is my fantasy, but it’s our night.”

DANNY DIDN’T MIND the darkness this time. Jordan’s fingers were warm in his as they walked into her bedroom and faint light from the street filtered through the thin material of the curtains. His eyes quickly adjusted and he relaxed, allowing his desire to overtake the moment.

Jordan led him past a mirrored dresser to the center of the room then moved several steps away. He wanted to reach for her again, but this was, as she’d said, her fantasy. It wouldn’t be easy, but he had to keep his arousal in check and let her set the stage. Danny crossed his hands in front of him and watched to see what she would do.

She dropped her chin, as though embarrassed by his scrutiny, and reached for the belt of her raincoat. After fumbling with the knot, she began to unfasten the buttons. Actually, he thought the short coat was pretty sexy. It made her look more like a secret agent than a kidnapper, but he didn’t care. It left her long, gorgeous legs exposed—

His brain shut down in midthought as Jordan lifted her shoulders and shrugged, letting the coat fall in a puddle at her feet. His mouth went dry as he stared.

She wore only a tight black lingerie top, matching black panties and her sandals. Her body was extraordinary, beautifully proportioned from her graceful neck to her full breasts, long waist and round hips. His gaze returned to and lingered on her breasts, his hands flexing with the need to feel them again.

Wait…

All she wore was lingerie. That’s all she’d had on beneath the coat the entire night. Outside of the condo. In her car. On the front step of her house. He could have reached under the raincoat and her satiny skin would have been bare to his touch. The idea turned him on so much that all of the blood in his body rushed to his groin.

Jordan stepped toward him then, her demeanor uncertain, which surprised him since they’d already shared such intimacy. Maybe it was part of the fantasy. He cupped the side of her face and drew her closer. “The first time with someone new, especially a stranger, can be scary. But I promise I won’t do anything you don’t want.”

She hesitated, then closed the distance between them. The first brush of her lips against his mouth whetted his appetite. The second had him wanting to devour her, but still he held back. Her kisses were warm and sweet and he met each one with restraint until finally she opened to him, letting his tongue explore her in lazy circles. Her fingers stroked the back of his neck while her other hand slid over his shoulders and along his chest. Then he deepened the kiss, unleashing a little of the need he felt, turning the kiss urgent and demanding.

A moan escaped her throat as her fingers slipped beneath the waistband of his pants to drag at his T-shirt, just as she had in the elevator. But this time they would finish what they started. Jordan tugged the fabric up until he was forced to break the kiss and yank the shirt over his head. She smoothed her palms over his bare chest, leaving a trail of heat in the wake of her touch.

He claimed her lips once again, kissing her with all the passion burning inside. He tasted her excitement and responded in kind. The way she arched her back and wiggled against him drove him nuts. He reached up to slide the strap of her camisole off her shoulder. She pushed it back on.

Danny tugged at it again and, while she was distracted, pulled down the other strap. When she started to protest softly, he slipped his hand inside the underwire cup to fondle her breast. The velvety orb, more than filling his palm, warmed beneath his hand.

He brushed his thumb over her nipple until it beaded into a sensitive peak. Her gasp of surprise turned into a moan of pleasure. Danny quickly unhooked the eyelets on the front of the garment, dropping it to the floor and freeing both breasts for his enjoyment. Then he bent down to take one into his mouth. The flick of his tongue on the engorged flesh made her quiver and arch closer as he suckled each breast in turn.

When he straightened up, Jordan kissed him deeply, desperately, wordlessly expressing how much she wanted him. It couldn’t be as much as he wanted her. His erection threatened to poke a hole in the front of his sweatpants. He reached down between their bodies, sliding his palm along her belly until he touched the waistband of her panties. She widened her stance to give him greater access.

Jordan gasped against his mouth as he slipped one, two fingers into her heat. She was so wet, so ready. He felt her clamp down on his hand and she tightened her arm around his shoulders. He’d only begun to touch her and already she was about to explode. He knew exactly how she felt. Then she surprised him by laying her hand on top of his.

He didn’t need any more encouragement than that. He moved his hands so that he could massage her clitoris with his thumb, urging her on toward release. Her hips swiveled in almost frantic circles as he pleasured her. As soon as he increased the pressure of his thumb, Jordan cried out and came apart.

Danny held her as she caught her breath, marveling at her responsiveness and dying to be inside her the next time she climaxed like that. He toed off his running shoes and walked barefoot across the thick carpet to the bed before releasing his hold on her. He tipped her chin up until she looked at him.

“This is our night, but it’s your fantasy, Jordan. What do you want to do next?”

WHAT DID SHE WANT to do next? Everything!

But she didn’t know how to ask, and he was waiting for her to make the choice. He was being so sweet and so patient. And he acted as if he really wanted her. Maybe it was the supposed anonymity of the Stranger fantasy. Maybe it was the darkness and the way it somehow reminded her of the elevator. Whatever the reason, it seemed circumstances, even fabricated ones, made all the difference.

The lust and excitement and curiosity she’d felt moments ago were a positive sign. If she concentrated on the type of character she wanted to be, the kind of seductress she wanted to portray, then all she had to do was believe. She was sexy. Fun. Naughty. Alluring. There was a nearly naked man in front of her and she was going to enjoy him.

Jordan launched herself at David and threw her arms around his neck, knocking him backward onto the bed.

“Hey!” His exclamation was as much laughter as protest.

With a hand on either side of her waist, he adjusted her on his body until she lay atop him, straddling his thighs. The position put her in direct contact with his erection. He let out an involuntary moan when she shifted across the evidence of his desire.

He wrapped his arms around her and swiftly claimed her lips. The kiss was wild and demanding, familiar and yet new. Heart racing, her body on fire, currents of electricity zinged along her nerve endings. She returned his kiss with reckless abandon as his mouth teased and encouraged and enticed.

Then his hands began to glide along her sides.

She froze. Could he feel the stretch marks left from her weight loss? His hands continued toward her bottom and she began to panic. He would definitely feel the cellulite on her buttocks and outer thighs. She pushed up on one elbow, intending to roll off him, but the strength of his arms held her in place.

“Relax, Jordan. Just relax.”

She tried, but the core of tension remained. The reality was that not only didn’t she look like the girls in the magazines; she sure as hell didn’t feel like them, either. Reality sucked.

“I can’t.”

“In fantasies, nobody judges. Especially not strangers.”

Who was he kidding? Strangers were the most judgmental of all. She couldn’t go on with this. The fantasy spell had been broken. Suddenly overcome with anxiety, loneliness and longing squeezed her heart. If they made love now, it would be awkward and embarrassing and quickly over.

“Let me go, please.”

“Shh,” he whispered. “No inhibitions and no regrets tonight. There won’t be anything between us, not tonight.”

He kept one hand on her bottom, wordlessly insisting she accept his touch, while the fingers of his other hand tangled in her hair and guided her mouth back to his. This kiss was gentle and almost tender, a slow exploration and a gesture of reassurance. The intimacy of it added to her surreal feelings of confusion and familiarity.

He rolled over with her until they’d reversed positions. His fingers gently touched her temples and cheeks as he softly claimed her mouth again. Jordan allowed herself to unwind and to kiss him back. The tip of his tongue slipped between her parted lips, inviting her to partake. With a soft moan, she surrendered to the heat building inside her once more.

His left hand caressed the tender skin along her jaw as she parted her lips for him. His other hand moved to her breast, his palm slowly caressing the soft mound until the nipple beaded. She stroked her hands across his broad shoulders, both exploring and encouraging. Shivers of desire danced along her skin everywhere his fingers caressed her.

He brushed his lips along her jaw, nibbled on the sensitive places on her neck before kissing a path down her chest. She groaned as he suckled her nipples. The gentle, tugging pressure sent a wave of need straight to the juncture of her thighs. He continued to kiss her breasts, the top swells and the tender undersides before trailing his open mouth over her ribs and down her abdomen.

Every inch of her body felt alive with an urgent sense of need. He placed hot kisses on her belly and hips before tracing patterns along the inside of her thighs with his tongue. Moaning softly, her pulse quickened in excitement. He knelt over her, slipped his thumbs under the waistband of her panties and peeled them off. Apprehension trembled in her chest only to dissipate when his fingers probed into her damp heat.

He shifted until he could remove the panties altogether, then settled on the bottom of the bed. Jordan half gasped, half groaned at the first touch of his mouth to the damp, swollen flesh. When his tongue delved inside her, her whole being caught fire and a familiar tightening began in her womb. She lost herself in the overload of sensations as he coaxed her toward a quickly escalating climax.

“Condoms?”

“In the night-table drawer.”

David left her only long enough to strip off his sweatpants and underwear and protect them. Then he lay down beside her. Her fears and insecurities resurfaced. The last time they were together, he’d been a considerate lover, trying everything to please her. And yet she’d been left feeling empty and unsatisfied. She prayed this time was different, that her body would continue to respond.

He positioned himself between her legs, supporting his weight on his elbows. Her nipples grazed the crisp hairs on his chest before her breasts flattened against the hard planes. She could feel the ridges of his sculpted abs against her belly. Anticipation formed a knot of tension, the best kind of tension, in her belly.

His leg hairs tickled her inner thighs when he shifted. He moved forward so that the smooth tip of his penis was poised at her entrance. She tried to prepare for the sensual invasion, but she was too eager, too needy. He slowly penetrated her, inch by magnificent inch, until he was completely sheathed inside her. She writhed in pleasure as her body softened and stretched to accept him.

David pushed into her once, withdrew slightly, and then returned. Crying out in need, in relief, the raw pleasure of his possession overwhelmed her. He began rocking in a deliberate, sensuous rhythm that she quickly matched. Then he drew his knees closer, slowing the pace and changing the angle of penetration. In the back of her mind were confused questions about what was happening, but her body couldn’t have cared less as long as this newly discovered passion didn’t stop.

He must have felt the wondrous quickening in her womb because he accelerated the tempo, increased the glorious grinding pleasure. Wild and wanton, she reveled in his hard, fast thrusts. Wrapping her legs tightly around his thighs, her hands clutched at the sweat-slick muscles of his back. The slow insistent throb became a deep pulsating tremor. He arched his hips, heightening the pleasure until they were both frenzied.

She couldn’t think; she could only feel. A sensual wave crested over her, followed by tremors of ecstasy. The orgasm shuddered through her, rocking her to the core. The joy of it almost brought tears to her eyes. He continued pushing deeper and faster until at last a triumphant groan escaped his throat when he found his own release.

Too overwhelmed to speak, Jordan simply held him tight, expressing her wonder and gratitude by her embrace. She felt something shift inside of her, felt her confidence and power as a woman blooming like a rose too long untended. Delight bubbled up inside her like champagne fizz, tickling her and making her giddy. She’d hoped that fantasy sex would be all the guidebook promised, but this had been so much more.

Smiling into the darkness, Jordan considered her seduction plan a rousing success.

THE NEXT MORNING, when she heard soft jazz music begin playing, Jordan groped for the alarm clock. She smacked her hand against a rock-solid biceps instead. Opening her eyes in surprise, she turned her head. David slept beside her. He’d stayed the night this time.

He rolled onto his side, dragging the black cotton bedsheet with him. Puzzled, she stared at the shiny, raised patch of skin that marred his right shoulder. She hadn’t realized he had such terrible scarring. But, then again, she’d only been naked with him once before and she’d never seen him in the light.

David fumbled for the night table and shut off the alarm before rolling onto his back. Normally she hopped right out of bed at six in the morning, eager to start her day with a three-mile run. But this morning she chose to enjoy the unfamiliar pleasure of waking up next to someone. She laid her head on his chest, closed her eyes and snuggled against his side.

Her fantasy had been more successful than she could have dreamed. Maybe pretending to be strangers and allowing their imaginations to take over had been all they needed to open up and explore their sexual relationship. Last night had been so unlike the previous time they’d made love, it was almost like being with a different person.

They’d reached for each other in the darkness, making love again, at times fast and desperate, in other moments slow and tender. She’d lost count of how many times he’d brought her to orgasm. Jordan stretched her arms over her head, basking in the warm glow of satisfaction. Some part of her, long imprisoned, had been set free and she had David to thank for opening the door.

Jordan mentally paged through the Fifty Fast Fantasies book, trying to decide which scenario to try out the next time. Maybe Special Deliveryman or Buried Treasure Hunt. She smiled, already making a list of props and outfits for the first one. David would look great in a brown parcel-service uniform.

He sighed in his sleep and tightened his hold around her waist. A glance at the clock had her sighing, as well. It was getting late and she was going to have to share the bathroom. Hmm. Maybe they could save time by sharing the shower. She rubbed her hand back and forth over his chest.

“Wake up, sleepyhead.”

David grunted then nuzzled his chin on her forehead as he muttered, “It’s my day off.”

Jordan laughed softly and propped herself up on her elbow. “Well, I guess I could call in sick, but I thought you had to take depositions this morning.”

He startled and his eyes flew open. Then she felt the tension steal into his body as he turned his head to look at her. Confusion tightened his features. Jordan made a comical face, teasing him.

“Did you forget all about the Gregg case?”

She could feel his heart thudding beneath her hand. His expression became somber then he sighed heavily and closed his eyes. When he opened them again, a shadow had entered his gaze. His voice was quiet, remorseful.

“I’m not David. I’m Danny.”

6

HER HEART SKIPPED several beats, trying to regain its rhythm. Icy fingers crept along her skin and suddenly she felt violently ill. Danny. Not David. Danny. Jordan twisted away from him, throwing away the sheet as she scrambled off the bed.

Omigod. Omigod.

He sat up and called her name, but she was already running down the hallway to the bathroom. She slammed the door and bolted the lock, resting her back against the wood and gasping for breath. She eased over to the porcelain claw-foot tub on jellied legs, settling her naked bottom on the edge.

Omigod. Omigod. Omigod.

She pressed the heels of her hands into her eyes and rocked back and forth. Tears clogged her throat and her pulse hammered erratically. This had to be the most humiliating thing that had ever happened to her, if you didn’t count the disastrous prom date her cousin Keisha had set up back in high school.

A soft knock sounded. “Jordan. Let me in.”

“No.”

“Then will you come out?”

“No.”

She heard his grunt of frustration through the door. “You can’t stay in there forever.”

“Yes, I can.”

She dropped her hands, pounding her fists against her thighs. No, she couldn’t. Grabbing her bathrobe from the hook on the wall, she slipped it on before unlocking the door. David/Danny had been leaning on the door frame, but stepped back to let her pass. She glanced down long enough to see that he’d pulled on his boxer briefs. But his magnificent chest was still bare. His bare chest reminded her of last night.

“Can we please talk about this?”

“No!” She yelled over her shoulder as she stomped down the hall.

“Jordan.”

Danny grasped her elbow, forcing her to stop. She drew in a ragged breath to keep her stomach where it belonged. This was unbelievable and he didn’t seem to grasp the enormity of the situation. She looked at him, at the face that was identical to the one she thought she’d see this morning.

“You don’t understand. I had sex with a total stranger.”

His brows drew together. “Wasn’t that the idea of the fantasy?”

“Yes, but you’re the wrong stranger!”

HER WORDS HAD all of the power of a slap in the face. Danny dropped her arm and watched her go into the bedroom.

What the hell was happening? It felt as if a lead weight was crushing his chest and that wasn’t like him at all. He set the rules of his relationships, making sure things stayed nice and easy. He never got emotionally involved. And he wasn’t involved now. It was just an ego thing. Jordan had no idea who he really was when she’d met him outside his brother’s condo.

She hadn’t wanted him.

He knew his anger and a disappointment was unreasonable but, damn it, he’d felt something for her last night. Her vulnerability and fear had touched a place inside him that he hadn’t known existed. Instead of enjoying the sex for its own sake, he’d found himself wanting to protect and reassure her. The intensity of his feelings scared the hell out of him and the sooner he got over it the better.

He followed Jordan down the hallway.

“I can’t believe this! At least I thought I was kidnapping my ex-boyfriend.”

She was standing in front of her dresser trying to put on a bra without taking off her robe. One terrycloth arm flopped against her side as she wiggled into the straps. He caught a glimpse of the swell of her breast through the gap at the neckline when she turned to him.

“What’s your excuse, Danny? Do you normally go home with women you don’t know? Never mind. Don’t answer that.”

He crossed his arms over his chest and adapted a reasonable tone. “But I did know you. Since I recognized you at the St. Charles Hotel, I thought you’d realized—”

“Omigod.” Jordan started to hyperventilate and the color drained from her complexion. She strode across the room away from him then her legs seemed to melt beneath her. Concerned, he went to her as she sank onto the little divan by the window. “That was you. It was you in the elevator. Omigod. I didn’t think anyone would ever know about that.”

Danny crouched down beside her and took her hand. Then he felt something under his knee. When he shifted, he saw a book lying on the thick beige carpet. He didn’t bother trying to read the small print. The title, Fifty Fast Fantasies, said it all. He wondered if any of them involved elevators.

He returned his attention to Jordan. The harsh sunlight streaming through the window made her look even paler. Without letting on what he was doing, he checked her pulse with his thumb. “I’m confused. You told me you couldn’t stop thinking about last weekend, about the way we left things unfinished.”

“But that wasn’t what I meant.” She wouldn’t meet his eye, staring instead at his bare chest. Then she pulled her hand from his grasp and massaged her temples. “Omigod. I can’t believe this is happening.”

He sat back on his heels, careful not to touch her, but letting his voice slide into an intimate tone. “I haven’t been able to forget it, either. Before last night, I would have said it was the most incredible thing that ever happened to me. After I recognized you, I was upset at first—”

“Upset?” Jordan jumped to her feet and swept past him. “I feel like I cheated on my boyfriend. And, as if that wasn’t bad enough, I cheated with his brother!”

Danny stood up and went over to grab his T-shirt off the floor by the foot of the bed. He noticed for the first time that the black bedsheets didn’t really go with the rose-colored scheme of the rest of the room. “David told me you two split up. So there’s nothing to be ashamed of.”

“Yes, we did. But I thought we could get back together temporarily. Why do you think I went to all this trouble to seduce him?”

Danny paused in the act of pulling on his shirt, then continued to slip it over his head. He watched her fling open the closet door, then rifle through the contents. All of her clothes were arranged by color, dark to light, then long to short. A woman that organized must hate to make mistakes.

He scrubbed a hand over his face and wondered what to say. She considered and rejected several outfits, finally choosing a white V-necked blouse and dove-gray business suit. He took a couple of steps toward her then stopped, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. “This is really awkward…”

She scowled at him over her shoulder while she knelt down to pick out shoes. “No kidding.”

“Last night you said you knew about David. You said, quote, ‘I know all about your brother,’ unquote.”

“That’s because I thought he was talking about you again, but it was you talking about you. I mean, about him. Argh!”

What had David been saying to Jordan about him? Why? Never mind. It could wait.

“I’m sorry, Jordan. I thought you knew.”

She stood up and slowly turned toward him. “Knew what? Why do you sound so strange?”

This was a hell of a mess. He felt terrible about betraying his brother’s confidence, but at the same time he resented being the bearer of embarrassing news. “Jordan, David is gay.”

The clothes draped over her arm slipped onto the floor as she stared at him. Though her mouth fell open, no words escaped. Her face was absolutely expressionless, but her eyes had taken on a sheen of wetness. Suddenly, she stooped down to pick up her suit and blouse, her movements jerky.

“I’m really late for work. I can’t talk about this now.” Her voice sounded thin as she shoved the gray suit back into the closet. “I’ve got to get to the office so I can leave early and go to the airport. I have to pick up my family.” She pulled out a bright blue pants suit instead and tossed it on the bed. “Then I have to figure out how to explain to them that my whole engagement was a fraud.”

Danny’s eyes darted to her hands, to the emerald ring on her right hand…and the diamond solitaire on her left. He cursed viciously under his breath, really damned unhappy with his brother right now. He looked at Jordan’s face again and felt something twist inside his chest. He reached for her, but she shifted away. Her light brown eyes were rimmed with tears and her expression was bleak.

“Get dressed, Danny, and please go.”

He shoved his fists into the pockets of his sweatpants to keep from reaching for her again. “I can’t.”

“Excuse me?”

He frowned, no happier about the situation than she was. “You kidnapped me, remember? My car is still at David’s.”

THE SILENCE in Jordan’s car as she drove to David’s condo was like an unwelcome third passenger. Annoying and awkward. But it was preferable to dealing with the situation before she’d had time to think about everything.

Danny cleared his throat. “Jordan, we should talk.”

“I don’t want to talk.”

“Avoiding me doesn’t solve anything.”

She continued to stare straight ahead, frowning as she drove. Couldn’t he just leave her alone? She felt humiliated enough without rehashing every detail.

Danny kept talking. “I know you’re upset about what happened, but I think we can—”

She checked her rearview mirror for traffic, then stomped on the brake. Danny jerked forward before the safety belt slapped him back against the seat.

“I do not want to talk about this, Danny. You’re more than welcome to walk the rest of the way.”

He held up both palms in acquiescence so she put the car in gear and started off again. He crossed his arms over his chest and glowered out the window for the next few blocks, but apparently the silence got to him.

“You’re being unreasonable, Jordan. You made an honest mistake. No one’s going to hold that against you, least of all me.”

She jerked the steering wheel toward the curb and hit the brakes again. Ignoring the blare of horns behind her, she twisted in her seat toward him and pointed. “Out.”

“Oh, come on. Let’s be adult about this, okay? We had sex. It’s not the end of the world. In fact, I thought it was pretty damned good.”

“Out!”

Danny returned her glare for a moment then scowled. “Fine. You don’t want to talk, we won’t talk.”

“Thank you.”

Having finally gotten the message, he stayed quiet for the rest of the ten-minute ride. He made one last effort before he closed the door to the Honda.

“Can I call you later?”

“What for?”

Danny just looked at her for a moment, then nodded his head and got out of the car. She pressed the automatic door locks and sped off. When she glanced into the rearview mirror, Jordan saw him standing on the sidewalk, watching her leave.

She managed to get to the law firm only a half hour late. She pushed through the glass double doors to Chase, Behr’s lobby, her heels clicking on the polished slate tiles. The receptionist greeted her with a thorough once-over and a raised eyebrow.

“Whatever it is, it must be bad.”

She stopped, taken aback by the amused tone of voice, and looked at Charlie. “What makes you say that?”

“Honey, look at you. I’ve never seen you in a ponytail before.”

Jordan smoothed a hand over her hair. “I was running late.”

“Okay, that explains the lack of eyeliner or lipstick, but your suit jacket is buttoned wrong and you’re wearing two different shoes.”

Jordan dropped her focus and, in the harsh glare of the fluorescent lighting, saw that one pump was indeed black and the other was navy. Damn. It was a good thing she didn’t have a court appearance.

“I was sort of distracted this morning.”

Charlie nodded sagely. “I’ll say.”

Jordan fixed the buttons on her turquoise jacket as she continued through the lobby past the conference rooms. After dumping her briefcase by her desk and changing into the extra pair of black shoes she kept in the file cabinet, she headed straight for David’s office on the other side of the building.

He looked up as she barreled into the room. “Hey, good morning—”

“No, it really isn’t. Why didn’t you tell me, David?” She closed the door to give them some privacy. “Why didn’t you tell me that you’re gay?”

He put down his pen and set the papers he was working on aside. “So you did know.”

“Not until this morning.”

His brows drew together. “How did you find out?”

“Never mind that right now.” Jordan sank into one of the guest chairs across from him. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

David rubbed a hand over his face. “I needed time to sort out how I feel about everything. Us, the partnership, my future. I swear, though, I never meant to lead you on or hurt you.”

“But I am hurt. You lied to me.”

“I was lying to myself, about how I feel and who I am. I care about you more than any woman I’ve ever known. You’re a good friend and a wonderful person and I thought I could make it work.”

There was no doubting the sincerity in his voice, the remorse in his eyes. Jordan sighed and offered him a little smile. “I guess this explains a lot. We’ve been together for almost a year and all this time I blamed myself for the lack of intimacy.”

David stood up and came around the desk. “I’m so sorry, Jordan. It never occurred to me that you would think it was anything but my fault.” He reached for her hand. “After that one night we were together, I realized I couldn’t keep denying my homosexuality, that it wouldn’t be fair to keep dating you. Can you forgive me?”

“Of course, I do.” Jordan stood up to return his hug. “In the back of my mind, I must have suspected, because as much as I care about you, I knew something was missing.”

David let her go and sat down in the other guest chair. “So, what happened this morning?”

She gave an exaggerated sigh while rolling her eyes. “I’ve got to start listening to that little voice in my head. Then the whole seduction idea could have been avoided.”

“Excuse me?”

“You’re not going to believe what I’ve done, David. It all started when I came up with this grand scheme to seduce you into doing me a favor.”

He stared at her with a bemused expression. “What was the favor?”

“My family thinks we’re getting married. When I picked out this ring, I let them think it was for an engagement instead of a birthday present.”

“We had the same idea in mind. I figured if the partners thought we were engaged…”

“Exactly. We both had an image we wanted to maintain. Well, the problem is, my family’s arriving today for the week leading up to my grandparents’ anniversary party. And they all expect to meet my fiancé.”

“That’s not a problem. I can leave the office early a few nights this coming week. But I already have a trip scheduled for the weekend. Can you tell them I’m out of town on business until Monday night?”

“Oh, David. Thank you! It will just be for a couple of dinners and the anniversary party. Then a week or so later, I’ll tell them we broke up.”

“Okay, give me a copy of the schedule and I’ll do what I can.” He smiled at her. “See, you didn’t have to seduce me after all. And I think we both would have felt pretty awkward if you had.”

“Actually, what I feel is humiliated. Because I did go through with my plan. Only… I, um, kidnapped your brother by mistake.”

“What?” David choked out a sputtering half-chuckle.

Jordan twisted her mouth in annoyance. “Go ahead and laugh. I’m glad one of us can.”

David settled back in his chair. “This ought to be good.”

Haltingly and with some embarrassment, she explained to him about the night before. She left out the more intimate details, though, and said nothing about the elevator or about how she felt about the whole situation. She hadn’t sorted that out yet.

David grinned at her. “So you and my brother really hit it off? Didn’t I tell you you should get together with him?”

“Get together, yes, for coffee or maybe dinner. Not an all-night session of—” Jordan broke off abruptly.

“The sex was really hot, huh?” He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

“You can’t embarrass me any more than I already am, so don’t bother trying.” She crossed her arms and glared at him.

Just then the telephone rang. He excused himself and reached across his desk to answer it. “David Navarro… Hey, Dan. Perfect timing.”

Her eyes widened, then she vigorously shook her head.

“Yeah, I talked to Jordan. I told her the truth and she forgave me. What’s that? Hang on.” He held his palm over the receiver. “Do you want to talk to him?”

She jumped to her feet, mouthing the word no and waving both hands in front of her as she backed toward the exit. David had a funny little smile on his face as he watched her retreat. He spoke into the phone again as she yanked the door open.

“Sorry, bro. My secretary was just reminding me about a meeting this afternoon.”

She fled back to her own office before she overheard anything more.

SHE WASN’T SURE she could win the Susan Brandywine case.

She’d spent the past few hours reading through the Code of Maryland Regulations and searching Lexis for supporting court decisions. In one case she found, Craft v. Metromedia, Inc., the court of appeals held that “evidence showed a particular concern with appearance in television and that reasonable appearance requirements were obviously critical to the KMBC station’s economic well-being.”

The question was, what was reasonable?

An additional problem was the wording of Susan’s contract. Clause XIII stated that “if there is any material change in the physical appearance of performer, then employer, at its option, may refuse to pay performer compensation during the period of such incapacity, impairment or change.”

Despite the fact that Susan was more than qualified to do the job as a television news anchor, it all came down to looks. Jordan intended to keep searching for a strong defense on the age issue. Maybe there was something in the box of Responses to Requests for Production of Documents the other side had delivered yesterday she could use against them.

But on a personal level, she wondered why Susan chose to sue on the weight issue. Losing excess pounds wasn’t easy—she knew that from experience—but it could be done. Jordan pushed back from the desk and stretched her arms above her head. The tension across her shoulders reminded her that she’d missed her run this morning and why.

If she put her embarrassment aside, last night had been absolutely fabulous. Because of the fantasy, she’d been able to let go of her inhibitions and truly enjoy herself. And, now that she knew the truth about David, the weight of insecurity had lifted.

Since she’d calmed down, she felt badly about the way she treated Danny this morning. None of this had been his fault. In fact, she would always be grateful to him for showing her that, with a little imagination, she could have normal, utterly satisfying sex. She should probably call him to apologize. Then again, given his reputation, he’d be over her and already dating a new woman by dinnertime.

Speaking of time, she looked at her watch. Due to the new antiterror policies, she’d have to leave now to get through the vehicle inspection and security checks in time to meet her relatives’ flight. After putting on her suit jacket, she checked the buttons, grabbed her purse and headed for Baltimore Washington International Airport.

TWO HOURS AND FORTY-FIVE minutes later, Jordan stood outside of the security checkpoint for Concourse C, anxiously waiting for the plane from Atlanta to disembark. Her relatives had taken vacation time to get reacquainted prior to her grandparents’ anniversary party. She hadn’t seen Uncle Matt and Aunt Celeste in almost four years.

She’d have happily waited another four to see her cousin Keisha. She had never understood why her cousin was so antagonistic toward her. Keisha had always been slim and beautiful, while Jordan had been shy and dumpy, but even when she visited a few months ago, Keisha never missed an opportunity to take a stab at her.

Her anxiety increased when she saw Aunt Celeste glide down the gangway, resplendent and wrinkle-free in a hot orange tunic and pants. Not a silver hair was out of place and her makeup was flawless. Uncle Matt was dashing in a golf shirt and khakis, looking decades younger than his sixty years.

And then came Keisha, sauntering into the waiting area as if it had red carpeting. She had on stonewashed hipsters with a U-neck knit top and stacked-heel sandals. Gold hoop earrings peeked out from the riot of ringlets that framed her heart-shaped face. Keisha looked confident and sexy and Jordan despised her on sight.

Of all the days not to look her absolute best. The Atlanta branch boasted the thinnest, most graceful limbs. And, even though she’d lost a lot of weight, they still managed to make Jordan feel like the trunk of the family tree. She suddenly felt fat and plain by comparison. And she was hungry.

What was it about her cousin that made her want to devour an entire pint of Godiva white chocolate raspberry ice cream? Jordan smoothed her palms down her suit, wishing she’d had time to run home and fix herself up.

Aunt Celeste rushed toward her, arms flung wide. “Oh, my goodness! Nibbles! You look wonderful, sweetheart. Doesn’t she look wonderful, Matt?”

Jordan returned the embrace but mentally cringed at hearing the hated childhood nickname again. “Hi, Aunt Celeste. Welcome back.”

Matt nudged his wife aside in order to offer his own hug. “Girl, you were always pretty on the inside but I have to say, you do look fine. You must have lost, what, sixty pounds?”

She held back a sigh at the unintentional insult. When you were heavy, people always assumed the worst because they never really looked at you. “Um, actually, it was only forty—”

“Well, you look just wonderful!”

As her aunt and uncle continued to marvel about her weight loss, Jordan glanced over at her cousin. She pasted on a smile and reached out to hug her. “Hi, Keisha. How are you?”

Her cousin’s gaze was dark and decidedly unwelcoming. A flicker of unease crept over her. For a second she truly believed her cousin hated her. Jordan dropped her arm and her smile at the same time.

“Keisha,” Aunt Celeste admonished. “Come on over here and greet your cousin properly.”

She came forward, eyes intent as they roamed Jordan’s face. She bared her teeth and lowered her voice. “You know, some blush along your jawline and more concealer on your neck would go a long way to defining your chin.”

Even though she’d been braced for it, her cousin’s words stabbed straight through her. Jordan knew she’d never be as beautiful as her cousin, but leave it to Keisha to make the point in her own nasty way.

Unaware of the hostility, Celeste linked her arm through Jordan’s left elbow then suddenly grabbed her hand. “Good gracious! Would you look at that diamond! Oh, honey, it’s gorgeous and I’ll bet the man who gave it to you is, too!”

Uncle Matt grinned at her. “So, when do we get to meet your David?”

“Yeah, Nibbles, where’s this fiancé of yours?”

Jordan ignored her cousin’s sarcastic tone with difficulty and answered her aunt’s question instead. “Oh, he had to go out of town on business. But you’ll get to meet him later.”

“Uh-huh.” Keisha smirked.

“Well, we should probably go to baggage claim and get your luggage.” She was just about to guide them in the direction of the escalator when she heard her name called.

“Jordan? Jordan?”

She turned toward the voice and her brows shot up in surprise to see a tall, broad-shouldered man striding down the concourse. Beside her, she could almost hear Keisha licking her lips as she struck a pose.

What was David doing here? He must have broken some speed records to have had time to change into jeans and a casual shirt and meet her family’s plane… Wait a minute. David never wore jeans…

“Sorry I’m late, baby. Traffic.”

He slipped his arm around her waist with a warm smile and pulled her to him. Well aware that her family was watching every move, she started to turn so his lips would brush her cheek. However, his idea of a hello kiss left her completely breathless. Jordan just stared at him, unable to form words.

The spell was broken when a disgruntled Keisha loudly cleared her throat. She glanced over to see Aunt Celeste grinning with unconcealed delight while Uncle Matt’s brows shot toward his receding hairline. Danny squeezed her hip as he held out his right hand to Matt.

“Hi, I’m David Navarro. It’s nice to finally meet you.”

7

JORDAN STOOD under the atrium of the Wyndham Inner Harbor Hotel with her aunt and uncle, waiting impatiently for Keisha and “David.” Her cousin had insisted on riding in his Jeep when they left the airport. She watched them through narrowed eyes as Keisha laughed gaily at something Danny said while he helped the porter unload the luggage.

Uncle Matt patted her arm. “Now you just get that look off your face, girl. You’re the one wearing his ring.”

Jordan gave him a little smile but said nothing. What did she care if Danny flirted with her sexy, skinny cousin mere hours after leaving her bed? She didn’t. Not at all.

When Danny and Keisha finally joined them, Jordan led the way inside the cool expanse of the hotel lobby. Aunt Celeste marveled at the elegant marble-tiled walls and huge floral arrangements while Matt went to check them in.

Keisha sent Jordan a mischievous look then smiled at her mother. “I was just about to ask David to recommend someplace we could all go for dinner and maybe dancing afterward.”

Over her dead body. Jordan wasn’t about to spend the evening having to watch Miss Thing wiggle her little butt all over her “fiancé.” Aunt Celeste saved her from being the one to protest.

“Not tonight, darling. It’s been a long day and I think your father just wants to go up to the suite.”

Keisha widened her smile. “That’s okay. Now we can go on our own and not worry about how late we get back.”

Danny stepped closer to Jordan and shook his head. “Sorry, but we already have plans, don’t we, baby?”

Jordan found herself oddly comforted when he draped his arm across her shoulders. The heat of his body penetrated her side despite the cold air wafting through the lobby. But that didn’t let him off the hook. She batted her eyelashes and cooed at him as he kissed her cheek.

“Yes, we do. I’m sure you can find some other way to entertain yourself, Keisha.”

When Uncle Matt came over from the reception desk, they said their goodbyes and followed the porter toward the bank of elevators. As soon as her family was out of earshot, Jordan shrugged out from under Danny’s arm.

“What in the world do you think you’re doing, ‘David’?”

Danny looked around and lowered his voice. “Can we go somewhere and talk about this?”

“Fine, Shula’s Steak House is right there across the lobby.”

“No, I think we need more privacy. Let’s go to my place. It’s in Mount Vernon.”

Jordan hesitated for a second then realized she’d be perfectly safe with him. “Okay. I’ll follow you.”

After retrieving her car from the valet, she followed Danny’s Jeep along Baltimore Street then turned left on Charles. For the next eight blocks, she tried to sort out the reasons for her eagerness and anxiety. She had no idea what had possessed Danny to pretend to be his brother, nor was she certain of what he might ask for in return, but she appreciated it.

She grinned, remembering the look of jealousy on Keisha’s face back at the hotel.

But now she was going to be alone with Danny, knowing for the first time who he was and exactly how much he turned her on. Though her mind was determined to doing nothing more than talk, her body was already singing the “Hallelujah Chorus.” Maybe she wasn’t so safe with him after all.

At Center Street, the traffic light changed and she took the opportunity to gaze at Mount Vernon Place. In the middle of the four gardenlike squares filled with fountains and statuary stood a 160-foot white marble column. This was the first monument dedicated to President Washington, completed nineteen years before the one in D.C.

When the light changed to green, she drove past the Walters Art Museum and glanced appreciatively over at the Peabody Conservatory of Music across the street. Jordan followed Danny’s Jeep to Madison Street and turned left. He parked in front of one of the extravagantly detailed row homes and waited for her.

As she got out of the Honda, she looked around at the elegant neighborhood. A National Register Historic District, Mount Vernon was an eclectic mix of Georgian-and Federal-style house built between the late eighteenth and early twentieth centuries.

“Nice area. How can a fireman afford to live here?” While Danny punched in the code for the entrance, she couldn’t help but smile at how incongruous the modern-day keypad looked on a traditional leaded-glass front door.

“Most of these places have been divided into apartments, so it’s not as expensive as you think.” He held the door for her then stepped inside. “But I still couldn’t afford it without the trust.”

“The what?” Jordan turned away from admiring the inlaid floor and paneled walls to look at him.

Danny scratched his head, his expression self-conscious. “Um, the money David and I inherited when we turned twenty-one.”

“You guys are rich?” Jordan shook her head as she followed him up the main stairs to the second floor. “I’m beginning to think I don’t know anything about my supposed fiancés.”

“It’s not something we go around bragging about. In fact, David almost never mentions it outside of our parents’ social circle.”

“Hmm, I just realized I’ve never heard David mention your family.”

“We’re not that close to our parents. Especially me. I’ve been the black sheep ever since I didn’t follow in their legal footsteps.” He pulled a set of keys out of his pocket and opened the door to his apartment. “Here we are.”

She walked past him into a narrow entryway leading to a living room on her left. Everything from the hardwood floor to the plush area rugs and ten-foot ceilings was a warm earth tone in color. Overstuffed chocolate suede sofas were positioned in front of the biggest entertainment center she’d ever seen. All four walls displayed black lacquer-framed 1940s movie posters above blond wood shelves filled with books, music and DVDs.

Jordan loved the living room immediately. They shared a lot of favorite novels and films. It was easy, too easy, to imagine curling up with him on the couch and watching Pillow Talk or His Girl Friday. She turned to find Danny standing close behind her, his hands in his front pockets and his lips curved into a smile.

He looked perfect in this room, his dark brown curls and mocha skin just as warm and inviting as the room itself. She felt a magnetic force drawing her toward him and purposefully stepped back. No matter how attracted she was, and despite what had happened last night, she wasn’t the type for casual sex.

“All right. Why the identity switch at the airport?”

Danny shifted from one foot to the other. “Are you hungry?”

“Hungry?” She wrinkled her brow, momentarily thrown off-balance. “I thought we were going to talk?”

“We can talk while we eat, can’t we?” He shrugged, his hands still in his pockets, making him look boyishly handsome.

Jordan sighed heavily. “Fine. I did skip lunch today.”

“What do you feel like?” Danny turned toward the kitchen.

She watched him walk down the hall, his stride easy and fluid, and his long, lean body filling out his jeans in a way that ought to be illegal. What did she feel like? She felt like leaving. Otherwise, she might rip off his clothes.

The small galley-style kitchen was spartan but everything was top quality. Black-and-white floor tiles complemented the granite sink and Jenn-Air stove and the white dishwasher and Sub-Zero refrigerator. The stovetop, microwave and toaster oven were spotless. The only appliance that looked used was the bright red state-of-the-art blender sitting on the countertop.

“I take it you don’t cook much?”

Danny stood in front of a letter sorter, rifling through a collection of restaurant carryout menus. “No, but I eat a lot. How about Japanese?”

“Sounds good. Order me some tempura, please.”

As soon as he hung up the phone, Jordan crossed her arms and tried again to initiate the conversation they were supposed to be having. “Okay, Danny. We came to your place. We’ve ordered dinner. Now start explaining.”

“It’s simple enough. David couldn’t get out of the office after all, and asked me to stand in.”

She cocked her head to one side. “You had me drive all the way up here just to tell me that?”

“And so you’d have dinner with me.”

His grin was incredibly charming, but she had to resist. Haywire hormones made it difficult to think straight. “Thank you for standing in. You won’t have to again.”

“That’s fine with me. I don’t do engagements.”

“Neither do I. That’s how I got myself into this situation. But in a couple of weeks I’ll tell them the engagement is off.”

He dipped his head, indicating the diamond ring she wore. “Wouldn’t it be best if you just told your family the truth?”

Jordan immediately recalled the stunned delight on her aunt’s face, the quiet pride on her uncle’s, when they’d met her fiancé. Not to mention how smugly satisfying it had been to see Keisha speechless. “No, I’d rather not.”

“Mind telling me why?”

She dropped her gaze to the floor. “Oh, you know how it is. There’s always one person who gets picked on in every family. You get used to it over the years.”

“But I’ll bet you don’t like it. I know I never have, no matter how good-natured it’s supposed to be.” When she looked up, Danny’s expression was one of genuine empathy.

“Then you’ll understand why I want my family to have a better image of me. I didn’t mean to lie to them about the engagement, but their attitudes have changed. Especially now that they’re finally meeting David.”

An odd look crossed his features, erased before she could identify it. His tone was laced with curiosity. “How are you planning to pull this off?”

“It shouldn’t be too hard. He only has to pretend to find me irresistible for about five events.” Sarcasm gave her voice an edge. She longed to be part of a couple, to feel that she belonged to someone. But she wanted it to be real, not just a show she put on for her family.

Danny moved toward her with predatory determination, his dark eyes gleaming. “I wouldn’t be pretending.”

“What are you talking about?” Her pulse quickened as she backed away. This wasn’t why she had come here tonight. Was it? Her hips suddenly bumped against the edge of the countertop, trapping her.

He braced a hand on either side of her, standing close enough for her to feel the heat radiating from his body. Her pulse leaped and thudded along her veins. Danny leaned forward, lowering his voice to an intimate level.

“You need a fiancé, Jordan. You also need a partner for the fantasies that come before and after number fifteen.”

She felt heat rush up into her cheeks and slither down into her belly at the same time. Had she heard him correctly? Was he offering her the chance to explore the sensuality she’d discovered last night? Maybe they could try the Cook Up Something Hot and Delicious fantasy since they were already in the kitchen.

As she drew a shaky breath, his mouth came down to claim her. His kiss was soft and searching and she was shocked by her eager response. She didn’t bother denying the raw excitement coursing though her body as he pressed closer. The iron band of Danny’s arm enveloped her waist and held her against the bulge in the front of his jeans.

Hot desire pooled between her thighs. She was so turned on she could barely stand up. Jordan cupped her hands to his face, exploring the velvet warmth of his mouth. A soft moan escaped her throat as his hand slid up toward her breast. Then the doorbell rang.

Danny reluctantly broke the kiss while she tried to catch her breath. He smiled at her and pushed away from the countertop. “Saved by the delivery guy. I’ll be right back. Why don’t you grab the drinks?”

Oddly grateful for the momentary interruption, she went to the refrigerator. The chilled air felt wonderful on her flaming cheeks. One night of great sex had turned her into a shameless wench. When she opened her eyes, all she could do was stare at the sparse contents.

There was a gallon of milk, some cartons of yogurt, an assortment of fresh fruit and beer. Lots of beer. In all different shapes, sizes and nationalities such as Japanese Kirin, Jamaican Red Stripe, Chinese Qingdao, Indian Kingfisher and Greek Mythos.

When Danny came back into the kitchen, she shot him a questioning glance. He shrugged and reached around her for two tall silver cans of Kirin. “Food tastes better when you have the right beer to go with it. Come on into the dining room.”

He led her across the hall into the pages of a fine-living magazine. A circular Persian carpet covered the hardwood floor beneath a polished dark maple table. The cut-crystal chandelier gleamed softly overhead. Six skirted chairs were sheathed in a rich damask fabric that echoed the reds and golds of the rug. An oak and glass breakfront cabinet stood against one wall and a large Impressionist oil painting hung above the matching server.

“This room is gorgeous, Danny. It’s much more formal than the living room, though. Did you hire a decorator?”

“No, these pieces belonged to my grandparents. I have some good memories of them, so I keep the dining room the way Grandma used to.”

Danny lit the white tapers in the pewter candlesticks on the table, creating an intimate atmosphere for the cardboard carryout food boxes. Women always appreciated atmosphere. He’d already laid out the rose-patterned china along with crystal tumblers for the beer. He held Jordan’s chair before he sat down across the table.

She looked beautiful. The candlelight shed a warm glow over her golden skin and drew attention to the rich shade of her hair. His attraction was undeniable. Even sitting here sharing a perfectly innocent meal, his thoughts were anything but. Somehow, he was going to convince her to let him be both her fake fiancé and her lover.

“So, what do you think?”

Jordan kept her head down as she added more crisp fried vegetables to her plate. “It smells delicious.”

“That’s not what I meant.”

“I know.” She rubbed her chopsticks together to get rid of any splinters.

“Since there’s a genuine attraction between us, it won’t take much to convince your family that we’re a couple.”

“Why would you want to do this?”

He wasn’t sure when the idea had come to him—this morning in her bedroom or this afternoon on the phone with his brother. But now that he’d discovered Jordan’s wild side, he planned to explore it to the fullest.

“After last night, after that kiss in the kitchen, do you really have to ask?”

“So this is some kind of a sexual favor?”

He cocked his head to the side as though considering her question, then nodded. “Yeah.”

She chose a fat, battered shrimp from the tray. “Not that I’m agreeing, but what exactly do you want in return for faking an engagement?”

“You. Anytime. Anyplace. Anyway.”

Jordan made a weird gulping noise, then choked as the shrimp lodged in her throat.

Immediately calling on his training, Danny jumped up and rushed around the dining table. He yanked her to her feet, knocking her chair backward, and wrapped his arms about her midsection. His fist was positioned at her diaphragm, ready to perform the Heimlich maneuver, when she managed to cough the shrimp free by herself.

He didn’t move away, however, steadying her. He liked the way she felt in his arms, the way she leaned into him so that her breast rested against his bicep. As her breathing returned to normal and the bright color drained from her cheeks, she was able to stand on her own.

Her voice was slightly hoarse as she thanked him. “You can let me go now, Danny.”

“Are you sure?” He smiled at her seductively. “You might need mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.”

“My hero,” she said as she eased out of his embrace. “But my dinner’s getting cold and we need to talk about your…your…what the hell was that anyway?”

“A proposal.” As soon as the word left his mouth, he balked. “No, wait, not a proposal. I mean, this isn’t a real engagement. We’ll just be faking for a couple of days.”

“Well, then, let’s call it a proposition.”

Now that was more like what he had in mind, despite her courtroom tone of voice. Fun and games and no commitments. Danny widened his smile and moved to take her into his arms again, but she planted a hand on his chest to stop him.

“How about we use the word agreement? Except that I haven’t agreed to anything yet, Danny.”

Jordan reached down to grab her chair and set it upright. Then she settled onto the seat, leaving him standing there feeling dismissed. Danny sighed and, since she was no longer in danger of asphyxiating, went back to his sushi. He picked up his chopsticks and speared a spicy tuna roll.

“Listen, Jordan, I do want to help you out, but I have to tell you that my motives are purely selfish.” She looked at him in surprise. “I want to be with you again.”

She dropped her focus and squirmed on her seat. But her downward-tilted head couldn’t hide the faintest of smiles. That smile made him resolve to buy his own copy of the Fifty Fast Fantasies book he had noticed this morning. Somewhere beneath her polished exterior beat the sensual heart of a woman who had forty-nine more reasons to agree to his plan.

Jordan pushed the tempura around her plate. “So, you’re saying I have to sleep with you to get your help. Why should I? Your brother already said he’d play the part.”

“You don’t have to. But I know you want to.”

Jordan blushed and her tone became defensive. “Could you be any more arrogant?”

“Did you think I wouldn’t notice the way you look at me? Let’s be honest here. Last night was fantastic. There’s a lot of heat between us, and since we’re both adults, there’s no reason not to enjoy it.”

She sat back and finally looked at him. A slight frown tugged at her mouth. Danny felt the first stirrings of disappointment and waited for her to refuse his offer.

It wasn’t as if he’d never been turned down before but, for once, he wasn’t going to take no for an answer. Not from Jordan. Not from a woman so eager to explore her sensuality that she’d buy a guidebook and follow the instructions. After everything they’d already done together, he didn’t think he was rushing her.

“Jordan, why don’t we—”

“Okay.”

“Um, excuse me?” Taken aback, he paused with a piece of abalone halfway to his mouth.

“I said, okay. Another night together in exchange for a few performances.”

Her voice sounded resigned, but there was a glimmer of interest in her light brown eyes, which confused him. Did she really want to do this? He sure hoped so. But he had no intention of being a two-night stand.

“Uh-uh. Not just another night. If I’m going to commit to ten days, give or take, then so are you.”

She didn’t answer directly. “Give or take?”

“Baltimore City’s firefighters work on a rotation schedule. I do two nights, then two day shifts followed by four days off.”

“Oh, this won’t work then—”

He chuckled. “Don’t sound so relieved. I don’t have to be back at the station until Sunday afternoon, so I can take David’s place this weekend.”

Jordan had stopped eating a while ago, but her beer glass was almost empty. Funny, he would have figured her for the white-wine type. But alcohol was alcohol when you needed to boost your courage. Even from across the table, he could see the tension in her posture and the rapid rise and fall of her spectacular chest.

“So how about it, Jordan. Are you up for the challenge? A favor in exchange for some fantasies?”

Although bright spots of color appeared on her face, he knew that she wasn’t choking this time, just battling her good-girl conscience.

“We have a Fridays After Five behind-the-scenes tour of the National Aquarium tomorrow.”

He felt a grin split his face. It wasn’t, “Okay, Danny. I can’t wait to get you back in bed.” But it was an agreement just the same.

She continued as if she didn’t notice his triumphant smile. “Saturday is the barbecue at my parents’ house in Annapolis. Monday night we’re going to Obrycki’s for crabs and on Wednesday, the Orioles play the New York Yankees. And, of course, my grandparent’s golden anniversary party is the night of the eighteenth.”

“I work the night shift on Monday, so I can’t join you for crabs. I can probably leave a little early on Wednesday, though, to go to the baseball game.”

Jordan cleared her throat and folded her hands on the table. “That’s only four events so you only get four…encounters.”

“Encounters? Do you have to talk like a lawyer?”

“What’s the problem? Your brother is a lawyer.”

“So are both of my parents and they can’t speak plain English, either.” Danny rested his arm along the back of the dining chair. “Just say I get four sessions of hot, uninhibited fantasy sex. I’ll even let you choose the fantasies, but remember, they’ll have to be spontaneous.”

Jordan stared at him, her brows arching in disbelief. “You were serious about that ‘anytime’ stuff?”

“Absolutely.”

“I’ve got to go.”

She shot to her feet and made a production of clearing the table. The take-out boxes were nested inside of one another before she stacked the empty plates and gathered the linen napkins. Danny caught her arm, preventing her escape to the kitchen. He took the plates from her and set them back on the table.

“Leave the dishes. I’ll take care of them. Right now, I want to know which number comes next.”

“What?”

“If last night was fantasy number fifteen…” He placed a hand on either of her hips and drew her close. “Then do you want to go up the list—” he slid his palms toward the underside of her breasts “—or work your way down?” He bumped her pelvis to punctuate the question.

Her breath was audible now and he felt her nipples bead against his chest through the fabric of her blouse and his shirt. Moist and pink and slightly parted, her lips begged for his kiss. Her maple syrup-colored eyes darkened as she held his gaze. Jordan’s hands came up to caress his shoulders and her thigh pressed between his, teasing the placket of his jeans. She leaned closer, tilting her head up to whisper in his ear.

“You’ll have to wait to find out. Our ten days don’t start until tomorrow.”

8

THE BEST WAY to seduce a woman was to get inside her head and figure out what she really wanted. As soon as he saw Jordan safely to her car, Danny headed for the nearest bookstore to find a copy of Fifty Fast Fantasies.

Twenty minutes later, he felt as though he was back at school, studying for a particularly challenging test. Then again, his homework had never been like this. His pulse thudded down his body until it became a dull throb in his groin as he stood in the Sex & Relationships section of Barnes & Noble. This stuff was hot!

As he read the chapter titles, he didn’t know whether to laugh or drive straight to Jordan’s house. Him Tarzan, You Tempting had possibilities if he could figure out how to rig up some vines. And Hey Lady, Check Your Oil? might be fun if he didn’t mind scratching the hood of his car.

“Can I help you with anything, sir?”

He looked up from the pages to see a kid wearing a store name tag and a smirk. The clerk’s attention darted to the book title and back again. Danny shook his head. “No, thanks. I found what I wanted.”

The kid’s grin got wider as he turned away. “That’s a popular find lately.”

Left alone, he flipped to the next page in the book. Jordan would look great in a French maid’s uniform. He could easily picture her wearing a little black ruffled dress and a short white apron and nothing else. But something told him she hadn’t bought this guidebook looking for adventurous sex.

If he’d guessed right, Jordan just wanted to shed some of her inhibitions. From what David had told him and what he’d observed around her family, she was a quiet, responsible woman who worried too much about what other people thought of her. Even last night, she’d initiated the idea for the Strangers For One Night fantasy but hadn’t carried out all of the details.

Jordan didn’t need props or gimmicks. All she needed was a compassionate lover to encourage her and give her the freedom to be adventurous. Danny looked at the introduction page again and read the words “Be Spontaneous.” He could do that. But what about a woman who color-coded her wardrobe?

He took his copy of Fifty Fast Fantasies to the checkout counter and pulled out his wallet.

“I HOPE DAVID CAN JOIN us this time.”

Angela Gregory looked at her daughter expectantly even as Jordan’s father, Jackson, looked at his watch. Her parents had only met David once, when they’d come to the law firm to take her out for a birthday lunch. He’d had a court appearance and couldn’t join them, much to her parents’ disappointment.

Jordan swallowed her nervousness and smiled weakly at her mother. “I’m sure he’ll be here.”

The laugh lines that usually surrounded her father’s light brown eyes were absent as he studied her. “If you’re sure we should wait…”

“He’s not even late yet, Daddy.”

“Hmm.” He made a noncommittal noise before wandering over to look at the USS Torsk, a World War II submarine anchored near the aquarium.

Mom reached for her hand and gently squeezed her fingers until Jordan looked at her. Though partly attributed to good bone structure, the majority of her mother’s beauty came from a kind heart. Right now, she had an air of sadness. “Your father is only saying that David has had to cancel at the last minute several times before.”

“He’s a criminal attorney, Mom. Sometimes cases or clients require last-minute attention.”

“I just hope that he’s paying enough attention to you.” Her lips tightened in a familiar expression of maternal concern. Then her brow cleared and she kissed Jordan’s cheek before she went to join Uncle Matt and Aunt Celeste at the sea lion pool.

Jordan stood alone, willing the tension from her muscles and releasing the breath she held. The sooner she ended this fake engagement, the better. Her parents had been so happy that she was involved with someone, but now, because of her fabrications, they believed her “fiancé” neglected her and didn’t want to meet them. Her anxiety grew as she waited for Danny. She just knew something would happen to reveal her lies.

Jordan stifled a yawn. She’d come straight from the office after a long day and an even longer night. She’d lain in bed until the wee hours, skimming the guidebook and analyzing the feasibility of the most appealing scenarios.

Not that she really believed Danny’s outrageous condition to their agreement. There was no way she was going to give in to what basically constituted blackmail. And yet, she found herself wondering whether she should carry a bag of props around in case the opportunity for Doctors Do Make House-calls came up.

Needless to say, she’d gotten very little sleep the night before, fantasizing about how gorgeous Danny would look in a pair of chaps and a Stetson. She wanted to see him wearing his firefighter uniform, too, since she hadn’t really seen him before. Jordan focused on the man walking toward her and smiled. Danny actually looked best in jeans and a casual shirt.

As Jordan watched him approach, she felt an instant fluttering in her belly followed by a warm rush of desire. How could she ever have mistaken him for his brother, even in the dark? Danny had a relaxed air of masculine confidence that David hadn’t mastered. That self-assurance was evident in his stride, in the set of his broad shoulders and the easy smile lighting his face.

His dark brown eyes met hers and held and she suddenly felt like the only woman in the world. He was looking at her as if she were his woman. The quiver in her belly dropped lower with each step he took to close the distance between them.

“Hi, baby.”

Danny slipped his arm around her waist, his fingers stroking her back unseen beneath her jacket. When he leaned down, she didn’t know what to expect and so wasn’t prepared for him to seal his mouth over hers with such intensity.

What was supposed to be a sweet kiss of greeting turned into a declaration of desire when he darted his tongue between her lips. Heat gathered at her core and quickly spread, leaving her off balance and breathless when he pulled away.

She wanted him. Oh, how she wanted him. Right here and right now and… Amusement and understanding mingled in his expression as Danny shot a glance toward her family. Embarrassed, Jordan cleared her throat and faced her parents.

“Mom, Daddy. You remember, uh, David?”

Her father looked bemused, then offered his hand. “Of course, of course. How’s it going?”

“Nice to see you, sir.” Danny nodded to her mother. “How are you, Mrs. Gregory?”

“Fine, thank you.” She eyed his cherry-red knit shirt with a smile. “I thought, coming from work, you’d be in a suit like my daughter.”

Danny didn’t miss a beat as he lied. “I was out of the office this afternoon, so I stopped home to change.”

Afraid to give her parents time to begin a more in-depth conversation, and even more afraid “David” might trip up, Jordan hustled everyone toward the escalator. “Well, it’s just after five o’clock. We should probably start the tour. Ready, everyone?”

“More than ready.” Keisha’s gaze slithered over Danny, a sly smile on her brightly painted mouth as she flipped her perfectly styled hair. She raked a glance over Jordan before looking away. The smirk on her cousin’s face clearly issued a challenge.

Jordan narrowed her eyes at Keisha, then took Danny’s hand as they all went up to the front entrance. The warmth of his skin rushed along her nerves when he gently squeezed her fingers. He quirked an eyebrow and gave her a mischievous grin.

“What about you? Are you ready?”

She gasped. Ready for what? He wouldn’t try “anything” here, would he? Her parents were right in front of them, her aunt and uncle directly behind and Keisha was trying to mold herself to Danny’s other side. She sent him an inquiring glance but his attention was on the sixteen floor-to-ceiling bubble tubes decorating the aquarium’s lobby.

As soon as her father showed his family membership card and signed the others in as his guests, he and her mother headed for the first-floor exhibit hall. They had started to follow when Aunt Celeste touched her arm.

“Where can I powder my nose?”

Jordan pointed to the left. “If you go down that side passageway—”

Danny interrupted. “Why don’t you just show her where it is? We can wait.”

Celeste called out to Jordan’s parents. “Angela! Jackson! We’ll meet you upstairs.”

Jordan continued to escort her aunt to the door of the rest rooms across from the coat check desk. Behind them, Keisha let out an exaggerated sigh of impatience. Uncle Matt cocked his thumb over his shoulder.

“I’m going to the gift shop down the hall there. Just grab me when you’re ready.”

Aunt Celeste frowned. “I won’t be that long, Matthew.”

Her husband all but rolled his eyes. “You’re wearing panty hose in ninety-degree weather. I’ll be in the gift shop.”

Celeste made a face at him then went inside the ladies’ room. Keisha crossed her arms and leaned against the wall, lost in her own sulking thoughts.

Danny held out his hand to Jordan. “Why don’t you take off your suit jacket and I’ll go to the coat check for you.”

“Thank you. It is hot in here.”

He glanced up at the air-conditioning vents and smiled knowingly. Standing behind her, he gallantly helped her remove the lightweight blazer, revealing her sleeveless peach-colored blouse. As she started to turn, Danny caressed her bare arms and leaned down to whisper in her ear. “While you’re in the ladies’ room, why don’t you take off your panties as well?”

She angled her head to hiss at him. “Are you crazy?”

“Anytime, anyplace, remember?”

“There is no way—”

He brushed his lips against her earlobe. “We have a verbal contract, counselor.”

Equal parts anxiety and excitement constricted her throat, making her voice sound strangled. “You can’t seriously expect me to—”

From the opposite side of the hall, Keisha snapped at her. “Would you just go already?”

Danny gave her a subtle pat on the bottom. “Don’t take too long, baby. I’m anxious to get started.”

Inside the rest room, Jordan checked to see which stall her aunt was occupying then chose one as far away as possible. She closed the door and stared blindly at the vinyl floor tiles. Was she actually going to do this? Her heart beat erratically in her chest and her fingers trembled.

Jordan reached under her skirt and hooked her thumbs in the waistband of her blue cotton panties. How was she going to become sexy and desirable without being adventurous? The guidebook said sensual, naughty and fun, so that’s what she was going to be, damn it. Wiggling her hips, she slipped them down her legs then leaned over to tug them over her heels. Now, where to put them?

She folded the panties into a small, flat square and jammed them into her purse, grateful she hadn’t followed the current trend of carrying microbags that didn’t have space for more than a wallet and set of keys. She left the stall and went to wash her hands.

Aunt Celeste smiled at her in the mirror as she freshened her lipstick. “That David sure is easy on the eyes. If anyone had told me years ago that you of all people would get yourself such a fine-looking young man, I’d have thought they were crazy.”

Jordan turned away from her aunt’s reflection to snatch a paper towel from the holder. She didn’t believe Celeste meant to hurt her, but somehow she’d managed. With one sentence, she’d reminded Jordan of both her miserable, overweight past and the fact that she didn’t really have a man like “David.”

Celeste ran a comb through her silver hair, unaware of Jordan’s distress. “But look at you now! Just as pretty as you can be and so obviously in love. I’m happy for you, sweetheart.”

Jordan merely smiled.

Celeste cocked her head to one side. “Let’s go look at some fish.”

When she followed her aunt out of the ladies room, the first thing she saw was Keisha’s hand stroking Danny’s arm. Her cousin was flirting for all she was worth, smiling and purring in his ear.

Old feelings of insecurity mingled with an unexpected stab of jealousy. Of course her cousin was the kind of woman Danny would be attracted to. Keisha was slender and sexy and beautiful. Jordan couldn’t compete with her glamorous cousin.

Then she glanced at Danny’s face and realized he looked bored and annoyed. To her surprise, he wasn’t returning Keisha’s interest at all and when he saw her, he sent Jordan a smile so genuine and welcoming that all she could do was stare.

Aunt Celeste snapped, “Now, Keisha, you let that man alone and go get your father.”

Keisha’s expression darkened for a moment but she grudgingly complied.

Celeste let out a long-suffering sigh. “Don’t mind her, you two. For some reason that child has always wanted whatever Jordan had, be it toys or boys.”

Danny put his arm around her and smiled. “Well, she can’t have me. I’m spoken for.”

He glanced down the hall as Uncle Matt and Keisha returned, then brushed a tender kiss on her forehead. Jordan’s heart swelled with gratitude as Aunt Celeste winked at her. Even if this whole thing was a charade, she truly appreciated Danny’s efforts to make their engagement seem real.

Now that the family had regrouped, Jordan led the way toward the first display, Wings in the Water. Danny tugged her hand as they walked across the lobby. “Well?”

“Well, what?”

“Did you?” He arched one eyebrow as if to ask whether she’d actually taken off her panties.

She sent him an enigmatic smile and didn’t answer.

He nodded smugly. “You didn’t do it.”

Jordan widened her smile.

Danny stared at her in shocked amusement. “You really did? No, you didn’t. Did you?”

She felt little bubbles of delight aching to burst forth into laughter. If she had to anxiously await his next move, wondering if he dared try to seduce her in front of her family, then he could suffer a little bit, too.

Standing on the balcony overlooking a two-hundred-thousand-gallon tank, they watched dozens of kite-shaped stingrays and mantas swoop gracefully around the pool below. Danny rubbed his thumb over her wrist and spoke softly so that only she would hear him.

“They look so fast and slick gliding through all of that wetness, don’t they?”

A little shudder passed through her body, just as she was sure he’d intended with the sensual emphasis on certain words. Tiny bolts of electric awareness arced between them, making her ever more aware of her state of undress. The seduction had begun.

As they walked toward the escalator to the next level, they passed a large rectangular window with a concrete ledge. Keisha moved up to look inside, turned her head to try to get a better view. “What’s supposed to be in here? I don’t see—”

She jerked back as a mouthful of razor-sharp teeth appeared from the edge of the curved glass wall. The twelve-foot-long sand tiger shark flicked its tail and swam by. Keisha scowled in response to the family’s laughter at her expense.

Staring at the gray nurse and lemon sharks, Danny murmured in her ear. “Something that big and powerful is dangerous, but it’s also kind of exciting.”

Jordan laughed softly. “What an ego. You’re not that big.”

He winced and clutched his chest as if she’d wounded him.

Upstairs on level two, they found her parents in the Maryland: Mountains to the Sea gallery. Her father stood patiently by the Alleghany Pond display while her mother looked for painted turtles. Jordan smiled indulgently. Her father had only gotten the aquarium membership as a gift for her mom.

As Aunt Celeste dragged Uncle Matt and Keisha over to look for native diamondback terrapins in the Tidal Marsh, Danny guided her toward the Coastal Beach display. He stood close behind her, subtly rubbing his hip against her nearly bare bottom as they watched the tropical fish that traveled the mid-Atlantic current.

“I love the beach. It’s so hot and sticky.”

Jordan groaned, both at his lame innuendo and in response to the sensations he created. She was feeling pretty hot and sticky herself. Especially when he caressed a particularly sensitive spot at the back of her neck. It was one of the erogenous zones he’d discovered Wednesday night.

She and Danny followed the rest of the family upstairs to the Surviving Through Adaptation gallery. She barely noticed the displays of electric eels, giant octopus or lionfish. Her thoughts were on the way Danny’s hands felt casually stroking her bare arm.

“Oh, look over here!” Aunt Celeste pointed excitedly at the sign for Phantoms of the Deep, a special exhibit of several different types of jellyfish.

Her mother and cousin followed, while her father and uncle headed upstairs to the Amazon River Forest, deeply engrossed in a heated discussion about the Orioles chances of winning tonight’s baseball game.

Danny kept her back with a hand at the base of her spine. “Wait for a minute. Let them go through first.”

Jordan slid a sideways glance at him, the hint of a smile touching her mouth. “What are you up to?”

“Nothing yet, but who knows what might happen once your family moves on.”

His gaze traveled her body and she felt the look like a physical touch. A shiver of awareness battled with a twinge of apprehension. His intent couldn’t have been clearer and the sensual side of her that he’d awakened the other night impatiently anticipated his touch, but the good girl in her was nervous about fooling around in a public place.

As soon as her family went upstairs, Danny led her into the darkened gallery. The walls, floor and ceiling of the alcove were pitch-black, highlighting the seven tanks against the back wall. Softly colored underlights differentiated the delicate and graceful jellyfish and emphasized the angles and planes of Danny’s face.

He pulled her to him. “You have no idea how turned-on I am right now, knowing that this skirt is the only thing between me and your sexy body.”

The husky edge of his voice resonated through her, even if she didn’t believe his words. “I’m not—”

“Yes. You are.”

Danny moved his hands up to her breasts, cupping their weight in his palms. His thumbs traced circles around her nipples, making her gasp and look around, afraid someone could see them. His head came down to capture her open mouth in a searing kiss. It was then that she felt the proof of his desire against her thigh. No longer caring if they got caught, she deepened the kiss with eager enthusiasm.

Danny slid his hands down to her waist, pushing her away slightly, before shifting his right hand to the hem of her skirt. His questing fingers delved beneath the fabric until he made contact with her bare skin. A heavy, aching need settled in her belly as his large palm caressed the curves of her bare bottom. Then he moved around her hip to touch the damp curls between her thighs.

The feel of his finger on her delicate flesh was a delightful shock, but after a few seconds, she relaxed and widened her stance. He rubbed lazy circles around her clitoris before dipping into her moist heat. She was on the edge, breathing hard against his mouth as her body tightened.

With a soft groan, she broke the kiss and tugged at her skirt. “I can’t do this. Somebody could come.”

“I’m hoping it will be you.” He pushed a little deeper, making her wiggle against his hand.

A flame of desire ignited within her, burned away her inhibitions. He urged her on, increasing the sensual pressure until the slow, insistent throb became a deep pulsing tremor. Danny held her to his chest until her heart rate slowed and her legs stopped trembling. Then he kissed her once and adjusted her skirt back in place.

“Um, what about you?” Slightly self-conscious of her action, Jordan brushed her hand across the bulge in his jeans.

“All I wanted for now was for you to fulfill one of my fantasies. That was number six, by the way—Barely Behaving.”

Instantly recognizing the scenario, Jordan let out a startled laugh. “I was wondering if you saw my book yesterday morning.”

His wide smile gleamed in the multicolored lights. “I bought my own copy last night.”

When they finally made it to the next level, Angela glanced over at them briefly, but Jordan wasn’t fooled for a second. In that one instant, her mother’s sharp eyes had taken in their intertwined hands, the bright color on her cheeks and the grin on Danny’s face.

Her cousin noticed, too, but unlike her mother, Keisha was not at all pleased. Jordan knew it was petty, but she couldn’t help a little jolt of satisfaction that for once her cousin was jealous of her. Reveling in the moment, Jordan planted a quick kiss on Danny’s lips.

The best part of the National Aquarium was the Atlantic Coral Reef, a 335,000-gallon, circular four-level tank filled with vibrant tropical fish. As they slowly descended the series of ramps inside the silo, marveling at the vividly colored parrot fish, silver lookdowns and sparkling angelfish, Danny was so attentive and affectionate that Jordan had to keep reminding herself it was all an act.

When the tour was over, Daddy and Uncle Matt complained that looking at all of those fish had made them hungry. Her mother offered Danny a smile.

“Why don’t you join us for dinner, David? We’re only a few blocks from Little Italy.” She turned her head. “Jackson, do you want to walk over to Velleggia’s or Chiapparelli’s?”

If she hadn’t been focused on Danny’s face, Jordan might not have seen the slight contraction of his features. Though his expression didn’t change, she sensed his withdrawal. His brow crinkled in regret, but his tone held a note of insincerity.

“Sorry, everyone, but I can’t make it. I’ve got a ton of work to do on the Gregg case.”

Her father slapped him on the back. “It’s Friday night, David. Surely it can wait until Monday.”

Jordan had no choice but to support the fabrication. “Senior associates are expected to put in a six-day week, Daddy. If David is going to join us for the cookout, he’ll have to make up the time.”

“Well, if you’re sure…” her mother began.

Danny smiled at her. “Thank you for the aquarium tour, Mrs. Gregory. I had a great time.” He turned to give Jordan a hug. “I’ll pick you up tomorrow, okay?”

She nodded and watched him walk away, confused by her sudden feeling of loneliness. It wasn’t as if her real fiancé had just abandoned her. So why did it feel that way?

9

AT HALF-PAST EIGHT on a Saturday morning, Danny’s Jeep was one of the few vehicles on the Baltimore city streets. On a normal day off, he would have slept until the growling in his stomach forced him out of bed. Today he’d risen with the sun, unable to get Jordan off his mind.

He had nothing to feel guilty about. This was only a fake engagement. It wasn’t as if they were supposed to spend every single minute together. But he couldn’t forget the way she’d looked at him as he left the aquarium. It would have been easier if she’d been angry. Instead, she’d looked crestfallen.

The idea of sharing a meal with the Gregorys had panicked him. Dinner around a single table would have been a dangerous opportunity for probing questions he wasn’t prepared to answer. Sharing a meal would have made the charade all too real.

He’d never had to meet any of his other girlfriends’ families. Not that Jordan was his girlfriend. They were barely even lovers. And yet, here he was, driving down St. Paul Street instead of sleeping.

Danny found a parking space and, recalling the first time he’d stood on this front step, rang the doorbell. Fun and games, that’s all this was. Several minutes later, Jordan finally answered the door. She looked disheveled and annoyed. She looked beautiful. Her face had the sleepy glow of a woman who’d just left a warm bed and even warmer dreams.

As she poked her head through the opening, however, her voice was frosty. “Do you have any idea what time it is?”

“It’s anytime.”

“Any what?”

He offered her a lazy smile. “In accordance with our agreement, counselor, let me in.”

She groaned, scrubbing a hand over her face, and moved aside. “I thought you were picking me up for the barbecue.”

Danny shrugged. “I am. I just didn’t say how early.”

“It’s too early for sex.” Jordan covered a yawn.

“I was afraid you were going to say that.” He closed the door behind him. “Nice jammies.”

That woke her up. Her eyes widened as she realized she had on purple jersey sleep pants and an orange T-shirt. She made a halfhearted attempt to cover herself with her arm then gave up the effort. “If you ever tell anybody you saw me wearing these, you’re history.”

“My lips are sealed.” To prove it, he caught her into his arms for a fast kiss. She felt warm and soft and cuddly and he was glad he had followed his impulse to come over.

Jordan seemed flustered, combing her hands over her hair as she backed away from him. She gestured toward the living room. “Make yourself comfortable while I get dressed. I’ll be down in a few minutes.”

“You look great. Don’t get dressed for my benefit. In fact, how about getting undressed?” He tried to put his hands on her hips and pull her to him, but she danced out of reach.

“The remote control is on the coffee table.”

Danny affected a scowl and crossed his arms. “I think we have a breach-of-contract issue here.”

“So sue me,” Jordan called over her shoulder as she went up the stairs.

He sighed and wandered into the excruciatingly neat living room. Crystal lamps with embroidered silk shades cast a soft glow over the two blue velvet love seats. A stack of fashion magazines, neatly sorted by title and date, was piled on one of the end tables. Across the room, the movie cases were arranged alphabetically in the oak entertainment cabinet.

He wasn’t exactly a slob, but the degree of Jordan’s organization was kind of scary.

Danny flopped down on the couch and turned on the television. He surfed the channels for a minute, finally recognizing All About Eve on a classic movie station. By the time Bette Davis figured out that her rival had usurped her place on stage, he was wondering why Jordan was taking so long. When the credits rolled and another movie began, he decided he’d better check on her. He was just about to get up when he heard her come down the steps.

“Oh, The Philadelphia Story. I love Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant in this one.”

All he could do was stare. Her dark, thick hair was curled into sexy waves and she’d painted her face. Who the hell wore all of that makeup on a Saturday morning? She’d changed into a light cotton sweater and a pair of jeans. She looked ready to go to the barbecue, but a glance at the clock on the mantel told him they still had an hour and a half before they had to leave.

She sat down next to him on the love seat, her attention on the TV screen. Danny watched her more than he did the movie. Considering the type of women he usually dated, it surprised him that he preferred Jordan with crazy sleepwear and an unadorned face. She looked pretty now, but her natural beauty was better.

“I meant it when I said you looked great before.”

“Yeah, right. With wild hair and a pale face and my neon jammies.”

She tucked her feet beneath her and cuddled against his side. The warmth of her seeped into him as he draped his arm over her shoulders. Then he realized what he’d done. This little scene was too damned cozy. He felt discomfited by her closeness, by the casualness of the moment. This wasn’t part of the deal.

Danny’s pulse accelerated and he suddenly felt agitated. Remember the sex. Think about the sex. Maybe he should reach down and grope her breast. Or better still, just kiss her senseless and take her right on the couch. It had been a mistake to come over here. What the hell was he thinking?

“This is nice.” Jordan smiled at him.

He suppressed a sigh and nodded his head. “Yeah.”

“How about some breakfast?”

“Don’t go to any trouble.” Now this was really getting domestic.

She patted his stomach playfully. “Oh, it’s no problem. Unlike you, I cook.”

She hopped up and headed toward the kitchen. So there he was, sitting on the couch, watching a romantic comedy while the little woman cooked bacon. He felt entirely too at home, but there was no way he could leave. He’d just have to tough it out. Besides, a guy needed to eat.

Within fifteen minutes, Jordan returned from the kitchen with a covered serving tray. His stomach made itself loudly known, anticipating firehouse chow—fried eggs, sausage, potatoes. Instead Jordan lifted the cover with a flourish to reveal egg white omelets with turkey bacon and sliced tomatoes.

Yum.

Danny picked up his fork and poked at the food on his plate. She was still standing there anxiously so, not wanting to hurt her feelings, he speared a mouthful of white fluff with red and green specks and swallowed.

“Delicious. Thanks.”

“I’m so glad you like it. Enjoy and finish watching the movie while I go get ready.”

“Huh?” His brows drew together in confusion. “You’re already dressed.”

“Oh, I’m not wearing this.”

Danny tapped the cushion of the love seat and tried the fake bacon. “Jordan, you look beautiful. Just get your plate and sit here and eat with me.”

“It’ll only take me a few minutes to change.” Before he could stop her, she was headed back upstairs.

Knowing his arteries would thank him someday, Danny forced himself to finish breakfast. He was on his third classic film before Jordan reappeared, this time wearing a floral sundress. The short-sleeved dress ended just below the knee, showcasing her spectacular legs. She looked really pretty. In fact, she looked perfect. That was the problem.

As she grabbed what looked like a camera case from atop one of the shelves, she smiled over at him. “Are you ready to go?”

He arched one eyebrow and returned her gaze. “I don’t know, Jordan. Do you think these tennis shoes go with my outfit? Maybe I should wear a different shirt.”

She twisted her fingers together and unexpectedly offered him a glimpse behind her mask. For a second, she looked uncertain and nervous and very human. That absence of perfection made him want to wrap his arms around her and hold her until…until they had mind-blowing sex. Yeah, that’s it.

“The barbecue today will be the first time my whole family meets David.”

Danny aimed the remote to switch off the television. “What exactly have you told them about your fiancé?”

“As little as possible. I didn’t want to get tangled up in the details.” A flush appeared on her cheeks, heightening her sheepish expression. “I was able to dance around the family’s questions last night at Velleggia’s. We probably won’t be so lucky today.”

“Well, how am I supposed to act when we get there?” He ran a hand over his hair, feeling adrift and oddly resentful. As well as he knew his brother, he wasn’t sure how long he could play David.

Her confident image was back in place as Jordan picked up her handbag. “Just be yourself.”

DANNY PULLED up in front of the Gregory family home a few minutes past noon. The weathered gray-cedar Colonial sat on a manicured acre surrounded by mature trees. The front door and window shutters were painted a gleaming white. There was even a white picket fence. Bright green shrubs and cheery flowers lined the brick walkway. It looked like a typical single-family home in the suburbs of Annapolis.

Inside, however, chaos reigned.

The moment Jordan opened the front door, Danny was assaulted with music and voices and laughter. Danny hesitated before following her in. The activity seemed to be at the rear of the house, so when Jordan walked back to help in the kitchen, he ducked into the comparative quiet of the living room.

Similar to his parents’ house, the furniture and décor were formal and yet Danny had an immediate sense that this living room was really lived in. The seat cushions all bore the indentations of the people who’d settled into them. Moisture rings showed against the dark wood of the coffee table. A tiny handprint marred the creamy paint on one wall. And everywhere he saw photographs proudly displayed.

His parents had a specially commissioned oil self-portrait over the Georgian fireplace mantel. They also had stiff photographs of David and him documenting their achievements in lengthy increments. He could still remember the way the starched collar itched his neck. As Danny looked at the candid group pictures of the Gregorys, his heart wrenched.

This picture showed the family outside of Radio City Music Hall in New York. That one portrayed them waving from the edge of the Grand Canyon. Here was a grinning, muddy bunch who’d just won a game of tug-of-war. There was a sodden, laughing group with tangled fishing rods and a tiny lake trout.

Feeling his throat close up, Danny had to acknowledge his jealousy. The joy of the moment and the pleasure of being together was evident on every face in every picture… Except one. His brows furrowed as he realized Jordan was nowhere to be seen.

“Are you ready to join the fray? Everyone is wondering where you are.”

He turned to see her standing just behind him. “Where are the pictures of you? You’re not in any of these.”

She patted the 35mm Nikon hanging from her neck. “I’m the official event photographer. That means I have to be behind the camera.”

Some instinct told him it was a responsibility she’d volunteered for, as opposed to being asked. “There must be some pictures of you as a kid?”

Jordan shook her head and affected a smile. “Nope. I got rid of all the ones I could find.”

“You’re telling me your parents don’t have one single, solitary photograph of you?”

She pursed her lips and swept an arm across the room toward the baby grand piano. “They hide them over there.”

Danny walked over to the Steinway to look at the grouping of silver frames. Far from being relegated to the corner, it looked more like a showcase. Her parents had displayed Jordan’s achievements in a place of honor. The frames sat on a white linen cloth, arranged by height and angled so they could all be easily viewed.

Jordan’s expression in her younger pictures was poignant. She looked ill at ease, pudgy and miserable among her slender and attractive siblings, as she received various awards. Even in her high-school-graduation photo she refused to smile. Danny leaned closer to see the gold tassel on her cap and the blue National Honor Society scarf around her neck. Her parents stood on either side of her, grinning happily and obviously proud.

“I like this picture the best.” He indicated a group shot of high-school-aged kids in bright stage costumes. He recognized the play as John Waters’s Hairspray, a musical about a heavyset girl who wants to be on a 1962 television dance program. And there was Jordan, front and center and actually grinning, dressed as Tracy Turnblad, the lead character.

“That was the senior-year production.” She smiled softly, as if momentarily lost in good memories, then pointed to a different photo. “This one is my favorite.”

Danny shifted his attention to a picture of her law-school graduation. She’d slimmed down a lot by the time this photo was taken. Her smile was beaming, her hair was swept up into some kind of braid and her makeup was flawless. She looked like an advertisement in a glossy university brochure.

Jordan turned away from the photographs. “If you’ve had enough of memory lane, I’ll introduce you now.”

Danny braced himself and followed her along the hallway deeper into the house. As with most parties, everybody gravitated toward the kitchen. This one opened onto a family room, so there had to be fifteen people positioned at the sink or stove or counter or just standing around.

“Everyone, this is David Navarro. David, you already know my mother and my aunt Celeste. The lady peeling potatoes is Aunt Geneva and the lady chopping celery is Aunt Meredith. Over here is Aunt Linda making her famous coleslaw, Aunt Joanne with the secret baked beans recipe and my cousins Whitney, Sarah and Carrie…”

Danny nodded in greeting but gave up trying to remember all of the names and hoped there wouldn’t be a test later. Jordan had told him that her mother’s side of the family would be here today too, however, he hadn’t realized how big the Gregory-Maxwell clan was. Just as panic began to set in, someone pushed an ice-cold beer bottle into his hand.

“Thanks,” he said gratefully to the only other man in the room. The guy was his height, though he had a slighter build, and he wore a sympathetic smile as he offered to shake hands.

“Hi, I’m Mason. These women can be overwhelming the first time. They’ll give you the third degree, because they’re not happy until they know who your first-grade teacher was, but you’ll survive, I promise.”

Jordan gave Mason a playful slap on the arm. “I’m going to tell my sister you said that.”

“Tell me what?”

At the sound of a husky female voice, Danny glanced behind him and froze in momentary shock. The classically beautiful face and sexy body of the woman next to Mason graced several posters in the locker room at the fire station. He just stared as he tried to locate what was left of his brain cells.

Mason chuckled knowingly. “Close your mouth, dude. She’s already spoken for.”

“Everyone reacts that way to meeting Camryn.”

Jordan’s quiet, detached statement captured his attention. In her expression, Danny saw both love and resentment before her lashes swept down to shield her eyes. His mind instantly recalled the family photos and his heart broke for the girl she’d once been. He slipped his arm around her waist and drew her close, placing a gentle kiss on Jordan’s temple.

“I reacted that same way when I first saw you.”

Camryn grinned at him. “Welcome to the family, David.”

“YOU HAVE TO ADD a whole teaspoon of chili powder, Matt. That’s what gives it the kick.”

“Shows what you know, Jackson. It’s the hot sauce that adds the kick.”

Danny smiled and took a swallow of his beer as he turned the chicken breasts over on the gas grill. Jordan’s father and Uncle Matt had been arguing over who made the better barbecue sauce for almost twenty minutes now. They’d been so focused on the debate that he had taken over the cooking so the spareribs and hamburgers didn’t burn to ash.

“Next you’re going to tell me you use maple syrup instead of brown sugar.”

“Humph. Only amateurs use maple syrup, Jackson. Us professionals use molasses and plenty of onion powder.”

Jordan’s father sputtered. “Powder! You can’t substitute powder for freshly chopped onions! I can’t talk to you.” He turned and clapped a hand on Danny’s shoulder. “You’re doing an excellent job there, boy. Anybody would think you’d cooked for this mob before.”

Danny chuckled. “I’ve had to feed fifteen to twenty hungry firefighters after a three-alarm blaze. It’s not so different.”

Jackson Gregory shot him an odd look. “When did you have time for that, what with your workload at the law firm?”

Damn. Realizing he’d screwed up, he bought himself a minute by transferring the grilled hot dogs onto a platter. “I used to volunteer at my local fire station.”

Jordan’s father continued to study him, then finally smiled and changed the subject. Danny silently released the breath he’d been holding. He hadn’t lied—he had volunteered before entering the Maryland Fire & Rescue Institute—but he hadn’t been completely honest, either. With an unexpected bitterness, he resigned himself to half-truths for the next seven days.

JORDAN LEANED BACK in her lawn chair, enjoying the late-afternoon sun on her face. She felt…content. This was the first family gathering she could remember where she had a sense of belonging. She should probably be upset because Danny was the reason for the change in everyone’s attitude. But right now she couldn’t drum up the energy.

Danny, on the other hand, seemed to have nothing but energy. Jordan watched him charge across the lawn with a football clutched under his right arm and three little kids hanging tightly to the left. Just before they reached the makeshift goal line, Danny mysteriously stumbled.

The ball popped out from under his arm and was quickly snatched up by her eight-year-old nephew Lukas, who sprinted in the opposite direction. No one on Danny’s team bothered to stop him—they were too busy roughhousing on the grass.

Camryn reached over to squeeze her hand. “He’s a great guy. I’m really happy for you.”

It was nice to have someone for a change, someone her family obviously adored. It would be even nicer if it were real. A dark void of loneliness opened within her, but Jordan simply smiled. “Thank you.”

Danny finally begged out of the football game, claiming age and exhaustion and beer deprivation, until the kids let him up. He got to his feet, looking grass-stained and utterly gorgeous, and headed toward the patio. Instead of coming over to her, though, he went to sit in on her grandparents’ card game.

Camryn laughed as Grandma Emma and Grandma Margaret argued over who got to be Danny’s bridge partner. “This one is definitely a keeper, Jo-Jo.”

Sure he is. For seven more days.

Later that night, Jordan snuggled into the leather front seat of the Jeep as Danny drove north on I-97 back to Baltimore. She felt tired, both physically and emotionally. Maintaining a false impression required a lot of mental energy. “I can’t believe it’s after nine o’clock already.”

“Get-togethers with my family are always quiet, structured and mercifully short.”

She shifted her gaze out the side window, inexplicably hurt. “I’m sorry you had to put up with—”

“No, what I meant was that I liked being with your family a lot better than my own. David and I both look on those visits as an obligation instead of a pleasure.”

“Well, they sure seemed to like you, too. Keisha must have spent most of the day trying to get you to notice her.” She grimaced, remembering her cousin’s transparent attempts at flirtation.

“She was trying too hard. I prefer women who don’t feel the need to advertise.” Danny glanced over with a smile and reached for her hand. “Other than having to avoid Keisha, it’s been a great day.”

The warmth of his touch sent a wave of longing coursing through her body. This moment felt so comfortable, so relaxed, so right. They could be any normal couple leaving a family event.

“Yes, it was a nice day, wasn’t it?” One based entirely on her lies and fallacies.

“It’s easy to see why your grandparents lasted fifty years. I swear your Grandpa Charles patted Grandma Emma on the butt when he thought no one was looking.”

Jordan laughed. “I’m sure he did. I caught them smooching like teenagers in the study. Luckily I found them just before my brother Reece walked in. He would have teased them for the rest of the day.”

“I liked your brothers, too. Despite Eric trying to decapitate me with the volleyball. You’ve got a terrific family, Jordan.”

“Thank you for being nice to them. I’d say today was a success. Everybody believed you were David.”

She felt the slightest tension in his hand before he slid his fingers away. In the silence that followed, he abruptly flicked the turn signal and changed lanes. He cleared his throat before he finally replied in an animated voice.

“Good. That’s what we wanted.”

Yep. That’s what they wanted. That’s all they wanted. And the rest was just physical. How else could she explain what she was feeling? Danny had helped her awaken her sensual side. He’d complimented and flirted with her all day, making her feel pretty and desirable. She wasn’t ready for that to end. But she wasn’t sure how to ask to be with him. Then again, she didn’t have to ask. Their agreement could work both ways.

“You know what I want now?”

“What’s that?”

Jordan quietly inhaled and tentatively placed her fingers on his denim-clad thigh. “The anytime we didn’t have this morning.”

10

STARTLED, DANNY involuntarily jerked the steering wheel. The Jeep careened toward the next lane and, when he turned the wheel again, he overcorrected. He laughed self-consciously as another vehicle honked its horn at them.

“You sure know how to get a guy’s attention.”

“Watch the road so we’ll get back in one piece.” Jordan patted his leg in admonishment.

“Then watch where you put your hands. At least until we get to my place.” Not only did she leave her hand where it was, she moved it a few inches higher, tracing sensual patterns along his thigh. He responded with a look that could have melted steel. “Tease.”

Maybe she was teasing, but she seriously wanted him. Her breasts ached for the feel of his mouth; her body throbbed in anticipation of making love with him. She felt proud of taking the initiative and yet wondered if she’d have to make the decisions for the rest of tonight. She was on her way to becoming a bona fide seductress, but she didn’t know exactly what to do with him.

A familiar yearning lurked on the edge of her mind. She wanted…don’t be stupid. This arrangement was temporary and so were these feelings. Mentally she flipped through the pages of Fifty Fast Fantasies, then smiled to herself as she chose one she thought she could handle. Jordan furtively reached into her handbag.

Danny parked the Jeep in front of his building. Upstairs, she slipped off her jacket and left it with her purse in the living room. She followed him into the kitchen, where he opened the refrigerator and handed her a bottle of Jamaican lager. “Shall we retire to the veranda, my dear?”

“What a lovely idea.”

Jordan stepped through the back door and onto the fire escape. She chose one of the two wrought-iron chairs and set her Red Stripe beer on the small table next to a dead ficus tree. Obviously he watered his plants as often as he cooked. The night sky had clouded over and the air was ripe with humidity. It felt hot and steamy, perfect weather for a seduction.

Danny settled onto the blue paisley cushion of the seat next to her. “So, you’re initiating the ‘anytime, anyplace’ rule. Did you have a particular fantasy in mind, or did you just want to wing it?”

“Wing it? That’s really romantic, Danny.”

He shrugged. “Our agreement isn’t about romance. So who am I supposed to play tonight?”

She stared at him, but he didn’t return her gaze. His relaxed posture seemed feigned. Was he upset about pretending to be his brother at the barbecue? She didn’t understand why, since the whole thing had been his idea. Jordan ignored the edge in his voice and purposefully misinterpreted the question.

“I’m not really in the mood for international spies or plumbers. I was thinking we’d try something different.”

“How different? My space suit is at the cleaners and I don’t own a horse.”

She laughed and made a face. “Not that different. I thought we could play Hide In Plain Sight.”

Danny looked around as if he expected to see all of his neighbors watching from their own balconies. “Are you crazy? Somebody might see us.”

Jordan elevated one eyebrow and cocked her head. “Oh, so it’s okay for you to fondle me in a public place when my family is nearby—”

He raised an open palm to interrupt. “Okay, you’re right. But we don’t have any protection out here.”

Jordan reached up with her right hand, leisurely trailing her fingers toward her cleavage. Danny’s eyes narrowed and focused on the movement, lingering on her breasts as her hand dipped inside her dress. She grinned while retrieving the condom that she’d slipped into her bra.

“How’s this for spontaneity?”

“Not bad. Not bad at all.”

She liked the way his eyes crinkled when he smiled, the heat in them as he looked at her. He came over to stand in front of her, reaching down to help her to her feet. She wrapped her arms around his neck and brushed her lips over his. His hands grasped her hips and pulled her closer until her breasts flattened against his chest. A light drizzle began to fall, the droplets evaporating on the heat of her skin.

His mouth opened beneath hers, welcoming her tongue as she explored and savored the taste of him. Her pulse thudded along her veins while her whole body vibrated with need. As he deepened the kiss, she felt his fingers gathering the material of her skirt until he’d lifted the front high enough to skim the edge of her panties. His fingers slipped inside the waistband and eased them over her hips.

Her panties slid down to her ankles and she stepped out of them, never breaking contact with his mouth. She moaned as he cupped her breast through the light cotton dress, gently rubbing her pelvis across the hard heat of his erection. Dampness flooded the apex of her thighs. God, how she wanted him. She clasped the sides of his face and gave him a kiss that branded his taste onto her lips.

Danny maneuvered them until they had reversed positions, then reached between their bodies to unzip his jeans. She tugged the placket open until she could take him in her hand. His penis was long and thick and throbbing and she ached to feel him inside of her. He broke the kiss in order to protect them and sat down.

Jordan shifted her skirt out of the way and settled on his thighs facing him, her legs dangling on either side of the chair. Had anyone been watching, they would have appeared to be doing nothing more than kissing in the rain. He bent his head to nibble the side of her neck, his voice a low growl in her ear.

“Mmm, you taste delicious.”

She shrugged, giggling as she tried to dislodge his mouth from the tender spot on her throat. “Didn’t you eat enough at the barbecue?”

“I never get enough of you.”

Jordan leaned back and speared him with a look. “Does that line actually get you anywhere?”

“You’re sitting on my lap, aren’t you?” His expression was just this side of arrogant.

“Good point.” She tilted her head and smiled at him. “What are you going to do about it?”

“Come a little closer and I’ll show you.”

With Danny’s hands on her waist, she gripped the cool iron of the chair back while he guided his penis to the slick wetness of her passage. He entered her in one smooth motion, merging their bodies in the gathering darkness. Her eyelids drifted shut as her head fell back and she trembled with desire. Rocking his hips, he began moving in a deliberate, sensuous rhythm. She braced her heels on the fire escape and held on for the ride.

It was raining harder now, water poured down on them in rivulets, but Jordan couldn’t have cared less. She felt wild and wanton, making love outdoors where anyone who looked out of their window might catch them. The illicitness of what they were doing was as much a turn-on as the man she was with. She opened her eyes, wanting to watch his face.

A rush of ice swept through her and she faltered.

Even in the dim light, she could see the detachment. Despite the obvious physical evidence of his desire, Danny seemed more intent on pleasuring her than in sharing the excitement of the fantasy. Something told her instinctively that he was holding back in more ways than one. Suddenly the rain felt like stinging needles on her bare arms and thighs.

“I’m getting cold.”

He hesitated and she wondered if her expression told him how miffed she was. “Yeah, me too. Let’s go in.”

Jordan started to lift herself off of him when she realized the heel of her left sandal was jammed into the grate. As she tried to pry her foot loose, Danny groaned and she suddenly realized that she was wriggling on his lap. Damn it! She was trying to end this sexual encounter, not prolong it. With a jerk, she wrenched the shoe free and stood up. In three strides she was back in the kitchen, dripping puddles onto the black-and-white tiles.

Danny grabbed a paper towel from the counter and wiped his face while she steamed, both literally and figuratively. Her clothes were soaked and plastered against her body. She was cold and she was angry and she was just about to let him have it when he looked over at her.

“Why don’t you take off that dress?”

Why don’t you go to hell? I’m through playing for one night. Jordan scowled at him, but didn’t say it out loud.

Danny sighed and tossed the balled-up towel into the trash can. “I meant, you should get out of that wet dress and go take a hot shower.”

“Oh.” She felt heat stealing into her cheeks and welcomed the warmth as her teeth began to chatter.

He led her down the hall to the bathroom. After flicking on the light, he turned to her and tapped the wall. “There’s a robe hanging right here and the towels are clean. I’ll put your dress in the dryer for you.”

Slipping past him, Jordan partially closed the door. She peeled the wet cotton from her body, handed it to him through the crack and shut the door with a resounding click. She dialed on the water and waited for it to heat. Stepping under the spray, she took off her panties and rinsed them out before hanging them over the shower rod.

Fifteen minutes later, her skin pink now instead of blue, Jordan dried off and finally noticed the bathrobe. It was a delicate yellow flannel and obviously meant for a woman. She couldn’t imagine Danny in anything with lace cuffs. She stared at it, wondering how many others had worn it before, and tucked the ends of the bath towel around her chest.

She walked across the hall, uncomfortable about being in the intimate setting. Danny was reclining on the bed, his long legs crossed at the ankle, his elbow propped on the copper-and-black geometric spread. He’d stripped off his wet clothes and now wore only a towel around his waist.

“Your clothes aren’t dry yet, Jordan. As soon as they are, I’ll drive you home.” He got up and offered her a smile that missed his eyes by a mile. “I hope you left me some hot water.”

When he walked out, she clutched the towel a little tighter, wondering what to do. There was no way she was going near that bed, but there was nowhere else to sit. So she remained standing as she looked around the dimly lit room. It was warmly decorated and yet minimalist. The furnishings were pale wood, modular with clean lines and a European feel.

Curious, she walked over to the bookcase to look at the unusual light sitting on top. She’d never seen anything like it before. The translucent rock was cool to the touch, but it cast a soft orange glow over the cream-colored walls.

“It’s salt.”

Jordan startled at the sound of Danny’s voice behind her. “It’s what?”

“It’s a lamp made out of a hunk of rock salt. A stewardess friend brought it back from Germany.” He opened the top drawer of the dresser and pulled out a pair of boxer briefs. Reaching beneath the damp bath towel, he struggled to put them on. “Next time, give a guy a little warning. I smacked myself in the face with your panties when I got into the shower.”

He had a beautiful back—cappuccino-colored skin stretched over lean muscle. But as he moved about, the light shone in such a way that the scarring she’d noticed before looked worse.

“How did you get hurt, Danny?”

In the past, when someone asked about the scar tissue on his upper back, he’d simply said, “Line of duty,” and left it at that. So he had no idea why he turned around, braced both palms on the edge of the dresser and told her, “I was assigned to Fairfax County Fire and Rescue on September eleventh.”

He heard her soft intake of breath but didn’t look at her, concentrating instead on the soft orange glow of the rock light. “I remember it was a beautiful Tuesday morning. The sun was shining and it was just a gorgeous day.”

“You—you were at the Pentagon.”

“VATF-One is one of the most experienced urban search-and-rescue squads in the country. Because of flight time, we could have been in New York City in a matter of hours. We were all ready to go up and help when that plane slammed into the Pentagon.”

“Oh, Danny. Omigod.”

“We thought, ‘We’re going to get people out alive. The Pentagon is so close we’ve got a great chance of finding survivors.’” He hunched his shoulders, crossing his arms over his chest, and stared at the carpet. “When we got there, pieces of the plane littered the ground near the heliport. The vehicles posted there were on fire. I’ll never forget that. The Pentagon fire trucks were on fire.”

Jordan made a little choking noise and he glanced over to see her hand covering her mouth beneath eyes damp with unshed tears.

“It was weird, you know. I mean, less than twenty miles from Dulles Airport the skies were absolutely silent. Until the F-16s screamed over the building. And I realized there were fighter jets, combat ready, flying over the nation’s capital because we were under attack.

“Inside it was like hell. The building was unstable and it was still burning. There was so much oily black smoke filling the air, cutting me off so I couldn’t see and could barely breathe. God, it was so hot in there. It smelled like burning insulation and aviation fuel. Ceilings had fallen and the walls were charred and there were bodies entangled in the wreckage.”

He dropped his head into his palm and massaged his temples, wanting to erase the memories, knowing he’d always see them in his dreams.

“It was so damned dark and the heat was like nothing you can imagine. We had on full flash gear with face shields and helmet lights. We had radios, but they were useless. We kept looking, kept hoping. For hours we just kept searching for anybody who was still alive.

“There was so much debris and twisted metal and suddenly there would be… I saw horrible things. Something slammed into me, knocking me to the floor. I couldn’t believe how deep the cracks were. Concrete shouldn’t have spalled like that. I didn’t realize that what was left of Flight Seventy-seven was right below us.

“When we got outside, my buddy rushed me over to one of the medics. A melted ceiling grid had fallen on me, ripping through my Nomex jacket. I wanted to go back. I wanted to keep searching. But they wouldn’t let me. I was bleeding and dehydrated and the rest of the team was in no better shape.”

He finally looked up and Jordan was by his side. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she grasped his hand in both of hers. Wanting—needing—the solace she offered, he allowed her to lead him to the bed. He lay down next to her, closed his eyes and rested his head on her shoulder.

“You never leave anyone behind. That’s the code we live by, and yet that’s what we had to do. It’s one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. When the fires were finally out, there were bodies found less than twenty feet from an exit—people kept coming to me with pictures, showing me these photographs, asking if I’d seen…but I never found anyone alive that day, or any of the next six days we searched…”

His voice trailed away. Speaking the words out loud couldn’t begin to convey the appalling reality of those events. The images were branded onto his memory. He opened his eyes, seeking the reassurance of the rock light even as he gratefully accepted the comfort of Jordan’s fingers stroking his bare arm.

Her hand reached up to caress his face, her voice equally soft. “You’re a hero.”

Danny scowled and shook his head. “Heroes are the guys in the movies and on TV. I was just doing my job. I wish I’d done it better.”

“That’s what makes you a hero.”

Jordan turned until they were lying side by side, the towel she’d tucked around herself falling away as she moved. Her bare breasts felt like warm silk against his chest. Danny wrapped his right arm around her waist, pulling her closer, letting the heat of her body seep inside to warm him.

She cupped his face in her palm and tilted his head up until he looked at her. He saw that tears still shimmered on her lashes before she kissed his brow, his cheek, then sealed her lips over his mouth. He opened to her, letting her tongue glide over his in a slow exploration. The kiss was warm, sweet and heartrending.

Her fingers brushed his skin in a long, gliding caress, making him shiver. Her touch was raw torment. As they kissed, her hands were everywhere at once, sliding, squeezing, stroking. Comforting, giving… The sensation was almost more than he could stand.

A raging need built inside him, something he wasn’t ready to acknowledge. What the hell was she doing to him? She was supposed to seduce him and then screw his brains out. But it felt more like they were making love—

His heart thundered as panic formed a knot in his gut.

Jordan draped her bare leg over his thigh and pushed herself up until she lay on top of him. Bracing her hands on either side of him, she continued to sweep feather-light touches over his mouth and jaw. Her kisses were like whispered promises that he didn’t want to hear. A tremendous weight settled on his chest, threatening to crush him. Danny angled his body, intent on rolling her beneath him, but Jordan resisted.

“No.”

He chuckled weakly. “You got a taste for being on top out on the fire escape, huh?”

Jordan looked at him, her brown eyes dark and unfathomable. Her expression was gentle, almost tender. “Yeah. That’s it.”

She leaned down to capture his lips again. Need sang in his blood as she combed her fingers over his hair and deepened the kiss. She settled her bottom on his lap so that only the thin cotton of his briefs separated her from his throbbing erection. The heat between them built gradually, but it was a warm glow as opposed to a raging fire.

A sense of urgency mingled with one of dread. He couldn’t go on like this. Danny planted his hands on her hips and lifted her off him, then rolled to the edge of the bed. He closed his eyes for a second, struggling to catch his breath. Then he glanced over his shoulder with what he hoped was a smirk.

“I need to grab a condom before we go any further.”

He stood up and reached into the nightstand for one of the foil packets inside, then shucked off his underwear. When he turned, Jordan had removed the towel completely and pulled down the bedspread. She lay atop the sheet, waiting for him. Waiting. For him.

Well, she had a hell of a long wait. The boundaries of their agreement had been crystal clear. Sexual favors in return for a fake engagement. That was it. He had no intention of getting involved with her. When the ten days were over, so were they.

Danny sheathed himself in the condom and climbed back onto the bed. When she opened her arms, he moved over her and ravished her mouth in a punishing kiss. He savored the softness of her lips, the faint taste of beer on her tongue, the eagerness of her response. Yeah, this was what they both wanted.

He reached between their bodies to touch the damp curls then positioned himself at her entrance and pushed into her. Jordan pressed her mouth to his throat, gasping aloud, her hands gripping his back. He pressed forward, inch by inch, shuddering with the fulfillment of it.

He rocked his hips, nestling into sleek warmth and pulling out again. Spurred on by the way she squirmed beneath him, he quickened his pace. Jordan moaned and arched her back, cupping his buttocks to urge him on. With that, he stopped being selfish and saw to her pleasure.

Incredible emotion and fierce desire combined to intensify the sensation, but he struggled for control. Thrusting heavily, he raced toward physical release. Every muscle in his body went taut as a groan escaped his throat in a slow, ragged breath. Finally, gloriously, his body convulsed inside her; her body trembled around his.

After a moment, he shifted his weight off her and rolled onto his back. Jordan cuddled against his side, already drifting off to sleep. He reached for the bedspread and settled it over her shoulders. For a long time, Danny stared up at the ceiling, listening to the soft whoosh as Jordan’s breath fanned his neck.

11

“RISE AND SHINE, beautiful.”

A playful swat on the bottom was Jordan’s Sunday morning wake-up call. She startled and rolled over to look at Danny. He wore a blue T-shirt and navy trousers, obviously dressed for work. She rubbed her eyes and tried to focus. She’d been sleeping a lot later since they met, which meant she’d been missing her runs.

“What time is it?”

“Time for breakfast. I’ve got to get going.”

He laid her dress, panties and jacket on the bed without meeting her eye. Jordan watched him walk out, closing the door behind him. A feeling of trepidation crept over her. Not exactly the warm greeting she might have expected after the intimacy they had shared.

She got off the bed with a heavy sigh and pulled on her panties. They felt a bit snug. She sighed again. The grilled chicken, baked beans and sorbet she ate at the barbecue would be her last real meal for a while. It was back to salad for her.

Jordan stepped into the cotton sundress, slipped her arms into the cap sleeves and reached for the zipper. Which rose an inch then stopped. And wouldn’t go any farther. She hadn’t eaten that much! She looked down and realized that the hemline was three inches higher than it had been yesterday. Her shoulders slumped. Danny had shrunk her dress in the dryer.

Rolling her eyes, she closed the dress as best she could and put her jacket on to hide the open back. When she left the bedroom, she heard a mechanical grinding sound. She followed the noise to the kitchen and found Danny measuring protein powder into the bright red blender. Banana peels and empty ice-cube trays littered the countertop.

“I wondered what you did with all of that fruit.”

Jordan walked over and placed a hand on his shoulder, leaning in to give him a kiss. The muscles beneath her fingers bunched as he angled his face so that her mouth brushed his cheek. Her uneasiness increased.

She watched him toss chunks of pineapple and slices of strawberry into the mix. Then he handed her a tall frosted glass already filled with the pale orange concoction. She took a tentative sip and licked her lips. “This is really good. And here I thought you didn’t cook.”

“I do my share of KP at the fire station, but soy milk smoothies are the extent of my home repertoire.”

At the mere mention of “fire,” a wall of tension thunked down between them. The very air crackled with strained silence. Danny turned away, busying himself with the blender, but not before she saw the look in his eyes.

Though his expression was nonchalant, the stiffness of his posture said otherwise. His dark brown eyes reflected the painful shadows of his memories. He must be embarrassed. It probably hadn’t been easy for Danny to bare his heart like that. Her own heart wrenched in response to his withdrawal, but she understood and would give him the space he so obviously wanted.

Jordan tried to keep her tone casual. “I’m going to miss you at the crab feast.”

He lifted his glass and chugged down his smoothie, stretching out the silence. Finally he said, “Yeah, well, I was already scheduled to work tomorrow night.”

She stood by, feeling helpless and rejected, while he washed out the blender and the glasses. She hated to act like one of those needy, clinging women, but she couldn’t stop herself. “When are we getting together again?”

Danny still wouldn’t look at her. “I’m going to try and make it to the baseball game Wednesday.”

SEVERAL HOURS LATER, Jordan trudged along The Avenue at White Marsh. The design of the outdoor retail complex was reminiscent of a small-town main street, where stores and restaurants faced off in single rows across a brick-lined thoroughfare. Shade trees, boxed flower beds and small plazas with burbling fountains and comfortable benches enhanced the layout. Normally it was one of Jordan’s favorite places.

Shopping bags dangled from her elbows, forearms and both hands. Sheris was equally encumbered, but that didn’t stop her from pushing through the glass door of yet another boutique. Jordan groaned. Her feet hurt. She was depressed. It was going to be a long day.

Her friend didn’t pull the shop-until-you-drop routine unless she was really upset. Breaking up with Matt had led to the purchase of sapphire earrings. Shane Smith’s ultimatum was going to max out his daughter’s platinum American Express card.

Jordan tried to adjust Sheris’s bags so the weight didn’t dislocate her shoulder. “Can we please sit down somewhere and talk about this?”

“What’s to talk about?” She yanked a cashmere sweater from a pile on a display table. “I either pull off a miracle, or I get disinherited.”

Jordan wrinkled her brow. “Did you bother to look at that? It’s not your color and I don’t think it’s even your size.”

“It’s not. I’m buying it for Melanie. I figure I’d better do my holiday shopping now since I’ll be broke come December.”

“You could try cooperating with your dad’s request.” Jordan dropped the shopping bags on the floor.

“It wasn’t a request! It was an order.” She made her voice a deep and commanding drawl, a dead-accurate imitation. “‘You’re a perpetually unemployed student. Either you stop flittin’ through your life or I’m cuttin’ off your credit.’”

Jordan grasped her friend’s arm to stop her from picking up a rivet-studded miniskirt. “You told me that, for once, you weren’t bored, discouraged or quitting. This Celebrate Celibacy program is a lucrative contract. You’ll do a great job of managing this campaign, Sheris.”

Her clear blue eyes darkened and the corners of her mouth turned down. “I could have done a great job. I could have gotten Smith and Watson Advertising running in the black if I didn’t have to deal with…him!”

Jordan didn’t know whether to sigh or to laugh. Logan was the best thing that had ever happened to Sheris. But neither of them had seen it during their short-lived marriage or in the years that followed. So she tried the logical approach.

“WRRS is the most popular radio station in the city. I don’t think you could pull off this campaign without their help. Especially since the In the Mood with McGuire show is at the top of the ratings.”

“I don’t want to talk about this anymore.”

Sheris stalked over to the cashier to pay for the cashmere sweater, a silk dress and a pair of purple snakeskin boots. Back outside, Sheris strode briskly along the sidewalk, forcing her to keep up.

“Okay, Jordan. Let’s deal with your problem. You lied to your family, kidnapped a stranger, had fabulous sex and now you’re in love. Does that about cover it?”

Jordan stumbled, barely catching herself before she crashed into a tree. Love? Who said anything about love?

No way. No way could she have fallen in love with Danny after only four days. It was probably just the brothers’ similarities that were confusing her. Except…they really weren’t identical other than in their looks.

Unlike with David, there had been sparks between her and Danny from the start. What she’d passed off as excitement over acting out fantasies was really a deeper connection. Oh, my God. What she’d thought was role-playing was the beginning of something real. Omigod. She was in love with him.

“Oh, look! The Scent Shop.”

Jordan hefted the bags and felt a twinge in her upper back. She hurried after Sheris. “Haven’t you bought enough stuff yet?”

“I could use some new lotions.”

Jordan groaned in frustration, already anticipating the headache she’d end up with after helping Sheris choose between Mango Mandarin, Vanilla Grapefruit or Peach Ginger. Dragging the shopping bags, she followed her friend into the store.

“I’m in real trouble here,” Jordan admitted.

“You said yesterday went great. So what’s the problem?” Sheris rummaged through the samples in the discontinued product bin.

“Yes, the barbecue was a success. My family really likes him. And last night was so incredible. I really thought it was a turning point in our relationship. But, this morning, that man couldn’t have backpedaled fast enough.”

Sheris pulled a face, her voice tinged with bitterness. “He’s a guy. That’s what guys do.”

“Could you please focus?” Jordan pulled the room spray out of her friend’s hand before she got covered in Berry Banana mist. “Falling in love was not part of our deal. What am I going to do?”

“Follow his lead—finish out the agreement, enjoy the sex and walk away. That tactic ensures you won’t get hurt.”

Jordan knew her friend was probably right, but the idea of not having Danny around caused her a sense of disquiet. She adored his sense of humor and his spontaneity. She liked the way he interacted with her family. She loved the way he looked at her, as if she were beautiful, curves and all.

“I’m not sure he’s following the plan anymore.”

Sheris glanced over from the display of herb-scented candles. “Come on, Jordan. His own brother calls him the Eight Date Man—”

“Thanks for reminding me about his reputation. I feel so special now.”

“Fantasies for favors, honey. That’s all. What makes you think he wants to change?”

Jordan recalled the intimacy of holding Danny in her arms while he shared his memories. “Last night he let me inside. He told me about an experience so deeply personal that it had to be a show of trust.”

Sheris scoffed. “This guy is a player, Jordan. Logan used to try and manipulate my sympathy, too. And then he walked out. Don’t forget that.”

She guessed it was possible, but for what purpose? Why would Danny entrust her with his secret if he never intended to see her again?

HE ONLY HAD TO SEE Jordan two more times and then he was off the hook. What had started out as a fantasy had become all too real.

Danny sat across the table from his parents, Robert and Gayle, and wished like hell that either his brother were here or that he could order a beer. Unfortunately, David wouldn’t be back until later tonight, and he had to report for work in a few hours. Danny hated having to put up with these obligatory brunches alone and sober.

Alexis, the restaurant at the Valley Golf Association, was upscale, overpriced and perfectly suited to his parents. Late morning sunlight streamed through the atrium’s two-story windows overlooking the pristine fairway. The elegant decor was enhanced by large vases of fresh flowers; the soft strains of classical music and white-jacketed waiters offered impeccable service.

Not that his parents noticed. They were too busy seeing and being seen. In fact, they hadn’t bothered to notice Danny since he first sat down. That was fine with him. He had a lot to think about.

No red-blooded male would have turned down the chance to have great sex without having to commit. And, even better, it was Jordan who wanted to keep their association strictly physical. This was the perfect arrangement for a guy like him. He’d be crazy not to make the most of ‘any time, any place’… But somehow it wasn’t enough anymore.

Jordan was great in bed. She was even better out of it. She was smart and compassionate and she made him laugh. She was beautiful, sexy and sensual. Her carefully created image hid a mass of insecurities, so much so that she couldn’t see what a terrific person she really was. Deep in his heart he knew that he liked waking up with her more than sleeping with her.

His father cleared his throat and Danny braced himself for The Lecture. “You know, son, it’s still not too late to get that law degree. Hale Robards is Dean of Admissions at Howard University now. I was talking to him about you the other day on the back nine. We both agree it’s high time you stopped playing fireman and got serious about your future…”

Danny just nodded and toyed with the eggs Benedict on his plate. His father especially tended to talk at him rather than to him, so no response was necessary or expected. He’d worn his uniform today just to piss them off. Neither of his parents had a clue about his job or his commitment to it. He choked down a bite of ham covered in hollandaise that had gone cold, then realized his father had stopped speaking and his mother had started The Talk.

“I saw Carol Summers at the symphony last week. Remember you used to date her? The Mozart concertos were lovely. We’re so lucky to have Maestro Temirkanov conducting. Anyway, Carol asked about you. She’s divorced again, you know. You should give her a call…”

Just then, some old friends of the family stopped by the table and Danny was immediately forgotten. Again. He passed the time trying to remember all of the names of all of the au pairs and nannies that had raised him and David over the years.

A little smile tugged at his mouth when he pictured Angela and Jackson’s faces as they laughed over their children’s exploits. During the barbecue, he must have listened to a hundred stories about the kid’s goofs and tricks and triumphs. His parents never let him forget their disappointment while the Gregorys were just as proud of Eric, who worked construction, as they were of Reece, who ran an accounting firm.

When his friends had moved on, Danny’s father cleared his throat again, an annoying attention-getting habit. “I’m giving a speech at the Tomorrow’s Children fund-raiser the firm is sponsoring next weekend. I’ll expect my family to be there.”

His mother tossed her linen napkin on the table. “You dragged me to that last year and I’m not dealing with those children again. Had you bothered to consult me, I would have told you I’m attending the Women’s Law Center luncheon.”

“I shouldn’t have to consult you. All of the other wives will be there.”

Danny pushed his plate away. Same arguments; different year. In the month that had passed since he had last endured their company, he’d forgotten how smoothly two jurists could slice pieces off each other. His mother resented the way Robert tried to make all of the decisions. His father hated the fact that Gayle had never settled for the role of wife.

As they launched into a hushed but bitter conversation, Danny suddenly remembered why he wanted nothing to do with marriage or family. He stood up, physically interrupting his parents’ argument. “Well, it’s been pleasant as always.”

“Watch your tone, Daniel.”

“Sorry, Mom. But you know how much I enjoy listening to you two admire and flatter each other.” He pushed his chair under the table. “I’ll see you next month.”

JORDAN WALKED through her front door at three o’clock and toed off her shoes with a grateful sigh. The sandals had low heels but, after trailing Sheris into almost every shop on The Avenue, her feet ached just the same. She wandered barefoot into the living room and flopped down on the sofa. She was seriously considering a nap when the telephone rang.

“Hello?”

“Are you going to be there for a while?”

She recognized Danny’s voice over the cellular connection and the fatigue instantly dropped away. “Yes, I just got in from shopping with a friend.”

“Good. I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.”

Jordan dashed upstairs to freshen up. She splashed water on her face, combed her hair and reapplied her lipstick, though she figured it would get smeared off again in a couple of minutes. She was debating whether to change her clothes when the doorbell chimed.

Danny stood on the front step, just staring at her. His expression was one of…relief? His eyes roamed over her face as though he hadn’t seen her in a year. Then, in the space of a heartbeat, Jordan found herself backed against the wall of the entryway. One strong arm curled around her waist while the other hand was braced beside her head. The look in his eyes literally made her quiver.

Danny claimed her mouth with a reckless passion. His kiss was raw, primitive, the act of a man declaring his objective. She wrapped her arms over his shoulders, returning the kiss with equal fervor but with different purpose. She took her time, countering his eagerness with a slow exploration, soothing her hands over his short curls.

He made a rough, impatient sound in his throat as he held her closer, molding his pelvis to her thigh. Her fingers sought the tender skin at the base of his neck, gently massaging away the corded tension. He cupped her breast through the thin material of her blouse, pinching her nipple until it beaded. Jordan stroked her palms along his back, sensing the heat and strength of the taut muscles.

Danny broke the kiss abruptly. He closed his eyes and rested his forehead on hers. She reached up and lightly caressed his cheek, trying to tell him without words that she understood. Inhaling sharply, he tilted his head back until their eyes met. The deep brown depths were turbulent with emotion, though his features seemed set in stone.

He reached down to pick up a bag that she hadn’t seen him bring in. The logo on the plastic was for a western apparel shop downtown. When he handed it to her, she suppressed a sigh and peered at the contents. A cream Stetson and a pair of fringed suede panties. Jordan glanced up at him. Was he serious?

Danny offered her a cocky grin. “I thought we’d give fantasy number twenty-seven a try.”

A twinge of disappointment pierced her heart. Was this his way of reestablishing the rules, of keeping their relationship superficial? Last night must have scared him more than she realized. “Are you sure this is what you want, Danny?”

“It’ll have to do. I was looking for a French maid outfit but didn’t see any I liked.”

Fine. She would play Ride Him, Cowgirl if this was the only way he’d let her be with him.

Jordan took the outfit into the powder room to change. It didn’t occur to her until halfway back to the living room that she was bare except for the panties. Danny would see her in the harsh afternoon sunlight. He would see her stretch marks and her cellulite and her vulnerability. And she no longer cared.

He was already undressed, standing in the center of the room wearing his boxer briefs and an attitude. Whatever sassy comment he might have made seemed to die away. A softness came over his features and his mouth curved with warmth. The tension visibly dropped away from his shoulders.

“You’re beautiful, Jordan. Lose the hat.”

She laughed softly and tossed the Stetson onto the coffee table. Then she moved into his open embrace, welcoming his kiss. A wild shudder of pleasure raced through her as their tongues met and mated. Without breaking contact, they stripped off their underwear. Danny guided them over to the sofa, easing her down onto the smooth cotton material.

While he protected them, she trailed her fingers over his tan skin from the column of his long neck over the wide expanse of his shoulders to the rock-solid muscle of his chest. She caressed the well-defined planes of his abs before moving on to his narrow hips and lean, toned thighs. Danny gulped in a draft of air when her fingers wrapped around his penis.

He rolled on top of her, supporting his weight on his elbows. A heavy, aching need settled in her chest, making her tremble with desire. Her eyelids fluttered but she refused to close them. She watched his face, saw the arrogance in his expression as he positioned himself at her entrance. The sudden tensing of his arms and thighs was her only warning before he plunged into her.

Passion built within her like a storm. She arched her back, crying out with each powerful thrust. Danny slipped his palms beneath her, pulling her closer still. She squeezed his waist with her thighs to encourage him as he rocked them toward release. The delicate inner shivers rippled through her and her body wept. A moment later, Danny groaned with the force of his own climax. His heart pounded in rhythm with her own as his ragged breath warmed her face. Then he shifted his weight until he lay beside her, one arm draped across her hips.

Something between them had changed. Her instinctive response to him was too powerful, the emotions too strong, to question. And though Danny didn’t seem willing to face it, she welcomed it head-on.

12

“OH, LOOK. There’s David.” Camryn pointed. “I thought you said he couldn’t make it?”

Jordan swiveled her head toward the entrance of the restaurant. As “David” spotted them and walked into Obrycki’s Crab House, she knew it really was David. He wore a blue oxford-cloth shirt and a pair of khakis with a pleat so sharp you could cut your finger on it. What she didn’t know, however, was why he’d shown up.

“Um, I guess his plans changed. I’ll be right back.” She scrambled out of her seat and hurried to David’s side, hoping she looked pleased instead of panicked.

“Hi, Jordan.”

“Hi. Why are you here?”

David arched one brow. “If this is the way you greet your fiancé, I doubt if anybody is buying your engagement.”

“I didn’t mean it that way.” Glancing back at the table, she pasted on a bright smile and lowered her voice. “I’m just wondering what you’re doing here.”

David replied in a stage whisper. “You gave me a schedule, remember? I’m supposed to be eating crabs and admiring you.”

“That was before Danny took your place. I told everyone he’s working tonight. What are we going to do?”

He shrugged. “If Danny can act like me, there’s no reason I can’t act like him.”

“You can’t act like him.” Jordan frowned. “You have to act like him pretending to be you, without giving away that you really are you.”

“No wonder you do so well in court.” David grinned at her. “Can we stop this now? I’m hungry and your family is beginning to stare.”

He leaned down to kiss her. It was sweet and entirely appropriate, and yet she found herself bothered by the tame greeting. She took his hand but felt none of the sparks Danny’s touch provoked. “We’d never have pulled this off for an entire week.”

David squeezed her fingers. “I shouldn’t have come tonight, huh?”

Jordan was instantly contrite. “No, I’m glad you did. I appreciate it. You’re a good friend.”

“All right, then. Tell me who everybody is.”

“Clockwise from the empty seat, my sister Camryn and her boyfriend, Mason. Then my brother Reece, Uncle Matt, my father and mother, my aunt Celeste, and finally my brother Eric and cousin Keisha. ‘You’ met all of them the other day at my parent’s house.”

They took their seats at the brown kraft-paper-covered table and Jordan watched anxiously as David greeted everyone. The difference between the Navarro brothers was so obvious to her, she figured her family could tell them apart as well. Her mother was definitely looking at David oddly.

A tuxedo-clad waiter came over to ask about their drinks and he started to order a glass of wine until Jordan shot an elbow into his side. He picked up on her cue immediately and ordered a bottle of beer instead.

Her father spoke from across the table. “Charles and Emma send their regrets that they couldn’t join us.”

David glanced at her, silently asking who they were talking about. “My grandparents had other plans tonight.”

“That’s okay. I look forward to meeting them on Saturday.” Jordan kicked his ankle. “Meeting them again, I mean. I didn’t get to spend much time with them on Saturday.”

Eric laughed. “Grandpa thinks you spent too much time with him. He’s still griping that you didn’t let an old man beat you at canasta.”

Jordan knocked her fork to the floor. Gentleman that he was, David leaned down to pick it up for her, just as she’d hoped. She bent over, too. Grabbing his arm, she whispered in his ear. “Try and avoid talking about the barbecue.”

“What if someone else brings it up?”

“Just be vague.”

David smirked. “That shouldn’t be difficult.”

They sat up at the same time and he placed her fork back on the table.

When her uncle asked how it was going at work, David regaled then with anecdotes about some of his cases while Jordan sat next to him, sweating. Things went well until the waiter returned to take their dinner order. Everyone chose the steamed crabs. Except David, who asked for New England clam chowder, shrimp cocktail and a garden salad.

In the silence that followed, he smiled sheepishly. “Crabs aren’t that filling and I didn’t have much for lunch.”

“All you Navarro men ever think about is food,” Jordan muttered.

Unfortunately, Camryn overheard the comment and leaned around her to look at David. “Oh, there are more like you?”

“I have a twin brother—”

Jordan nailed his ankle again.

On the other side of David, Keisha narrowed her eyes speculatively. “A twin. Really?”

Uh-uh. We’re not going there. Jordan affected a loud cough to distract attention. “We still have to decide what we’re giving Grandpa and Grandma. Any ideas?”

As the family began offering and rejecting suggestions, she knocked her fork on the floor a second time. When David bent down, she muttered, “I told you to be vague. Do not talk about Danny.”

“How was I supposed to know you never mentioned your fiancé had a brother?”

Jordan huffed out a breath. “I was trying to keep the details to a minimum.”

“Well, what other details did you leave out?”

Aunt Celeste poked her head under the table. “Would you two care to join us? We’re down to a pair of gold-plated golf clubs or a day at the Golden Gateway Spa.”

All three of them sat back up. As Jordan replaced her fork, Mason grinned over at her. “You sure are clumsy tonight, girl. You’d better leave that thing on the floor.”

Heat rushed to her cheeks as she joined in the laughter.

David sampled a mouthful of chowder before suggesting, “If they like golf, how about a weekend on the Gold Coast of Florida? My parents go down to The Breakers on Palm Beach twice a year.”

Her mother raised her voice to address him. “I think it’s about time for us to meet your parents, don’t you, David?”

Just then the platters of steamed crabs arrived, saving Jordan from having to drop her fork again. The hot-red crustaceans were unceremoniously dumped into the center of the table. Then the waiter handed out crab mallets and paring knives. She simply stared as David accepted one of the large paper bibs with Baltimore’s Famous emblazoned above a smiling mascot.

No self-respecting Marylander wore a crab bib. Bibs were for tourists.

Reece snickered. “Are you the same guy who walked around with barbecue sauce and grass stains all day Saturday?”

“I’ve got on a nicer shirt this time.”

Once the crabs cooled to a manageable temperature, the serious eating began. While David munched his salad and shrimp, everyone else at the table ripped open the hard top shells with their bare hands. Jordan was in the process of breaking her crab into sections to get the backfin meat when David practically jumped out of his seat.

He knocked his fork to the floor. She was a beat late in getting the message, so he grasped her arm and pulled her down with him. “Your cousin is flirting with me.”

Jordan sighed. “Keisha is like that. Just ignore her.”

“I can’t. She’s fondling my thigh.”

“When we sit up, stab her with your fork.”

The rest of the meal was uneventful, except for David occasionally flinching and squirming in his chair, until her father said, “So, you two, have you set a date for the wedding?”

To keep him from answering, Jordan knocked a crab into his lap. They both bent down to retrieve it and David sighed.

“Danny should have been with you tonight. I’m spending more time under this table than at it.”

THE FOURTEEN-HOUR second shift was always the most active. Even the smallest of fires seemed worse at night and this one, Danny thought, was going to be a bitch.

Built in 1851, Stephenson Mill was originally a machine-manufacturing plant. Now the complex housed artist studios and furniture refinishers. The place was so big you could probably fit two football fields into it. When the ladder company from Station 24 arrived, only a light-to-moderate smoke condition was showing at the roof, with no flames in sight.

Mike stood next to him on the A side of the building as they unloaded equipment and grabbed their air packs. “This doesn’t look too bad, L.T.”

No, it didn’t. But the hair was rising on the back of his neck just the same. “Wait for it, Stonewall. No way to know how long it’s been burning.”

Battalion Chief Forsyth, who was Incident Command for tonight, decided the initial attack would be an interior one. The windows had metal grilles and four guys from Rescue 1 had to aggressively tackle the roll-up metal door to gain access. When they finally carved an opening, the first crew went in to scout out the fire.

Danny forced a deep breath into his lungs and led his company inside.

“I can’t see a thing in here, L.T.”

“Shake it off, Mike.”

The first floor was a confusing maze of dark, smoky rooms. Danny’s pulse tripped along his veins and he had to swallow against the nausea. Beneath his face shield, sweat dripped from his forehead. Despite the intense heat, a chill of dread crawled down his spine. The squad marked each door with a chalk X so nobody wasted time repeating their efforts.

After checking the whole floor, Ladder 24 climbed one of the only two sets of stairs to the next level. With no windows on the upper floors, the heat was trapped inside. Firefighters from Station 17 attacked the fire on the second floor but they were losing it. The solid oak floors were probably soaked with oil from a century and a half of machinery use. Cork insulation in the ceiling added to the smoke.

Danny jumped into the assault, battling flames and smoke and fear. The scar tissue on his back itched like mad and sweat ran into his eyes, further obscuring his vision. Another company joined them and it seemed as if they were finally getting the fire under control. Then, just when he thought they had it boxed in, explosions erupted like bombs from somewhere to his left.

“Shit! That smells like propane!”

What had been a modest fire was now a raging, seething inferno of boiling smoke. His heart thundered in his chest as he aimed the hose at flames that seemed to be leaping out of nowhere. His throat tightened up and he felt as though he was choking. Then he realized he’d started to hyperventilate and made every effort to steady his breathing.

Over the radio, he heard the Bat Chief shouting. “I want all personnel down off the upper floors! I want a head count. Everybody down!”

Danny ordered his men out, still ineffectually sweeping the hoses over the flames as they backed toward the direction of the stairs. Toxic smoke flooded the labyrinthine, windowless building as they raced down the steps. Danny felt an ominous vibration and looked up. A smoldering heat duct plummeted toward them. “The wall is coming down!”

He pushed Mike in front of him and urged the rest of the company to run faster. He spared another glance at the ceiling and his heart stopped. A flaming floor joist was about to break free of the level above him. He lunged down the last flight of steps and crashed into the wall.

It was pitch-black and impossibly hot. He couldn’t breathe. He could hear muffled weeping and it sounded like Jordan, but he couldn’t find her. The darkness was caving in on him…

He came to a few seconds later. Danny dragged himself to his feet and found his helmet. A jackhammer pounded the inside of his head, making him light-headed and dizzy. Stumbling, he ran out of the building. One of the paramedics grabbed him and started cleaning the cut on his forehead.

By now the fire had gone to five alarms—twenty engines, eight ladders and several rescue and utility trucks were parked in front of the mill. As the various fire companies regrouped on the pavement, the Bat Chief started yelling instructions. “Okay, we’re gonna fight this from an outside defensive perimeter. Get the master streams going and let’s surround and drown. In the meantime, take a roll call and—”

“Mayday! We’re running out of air!” Everything stopped, even time. For several seconds the firefighters stood listening to the voices on the radio, frozen in horror. “We’re buddy breathing and we can’t find our way off the second level! Mayday!”

Forsyth turned to the closest crew of firefighters. “See if you can find them. We’ve got to get this done. The fire is out of control. We don’t have a lot of time.”

The four men ran back into a building that was now bursting into flames, disappearing into the smoke to rescue their colleagues. In the meantime, the master streams were going full bore. Wide, fixed jets of water arced into the air from the snorkels on top of the aerial ladder and pumper trucks.

But the fire kept on burning.

Flames boiled from the roof, leaping into the sky. Though another alarm had shown up, all the firefighters could do at this point was minimize the exposure to other buildings.

After what seemed like a lifetime, Sharp and Mozelewski staggered out and collapsed on the pavement. Danny’s gaze flew to the entrance, waiting for Barry and Cassadine. It seemed that everyone held their breath, and waited. But nothing came out of the door except black oily smoke.

“What are conditions like up there? How bad?” The Bat Chief demanded.

Sharp answered, his voice husky and shaking. “We didn’t even make it across the first floor.”

Forsyth held his gaze for a moment, an agonizing and final understanding passing between them. Then the Battalion Chief sighed heavily and nodded his head. “That’s it. No more.”

“They’re still up there!”

“What do you mean, no more?”

A dozen firefighters, including Mike, lined up, ready to go. They started shouting and pushing toward the warehouse entrance. Danny remained where he was, sick with the knowledge that there was no way in hell he was going back in there.

The Bat Chief moved in front of them, making himself an obstacle. “We’ve already lost four. We’re not going to lose any more! I’m calling it.”

It was like somebody collectively kicked them all in the stomach. Danny’s shoulders slumped and he dropped his head as the air horns of every fire truck started giving successive short blasts in a code that meant “all out.” They were abandoning the mill and the men still trapped inside.

Lyons. Blackmon. Barry. Cassadine. Gone.

Danny looked down at his helmet, at the emblem that read Pride Protecting People, and tears welled in his eyes.

Hours later, after leaving the hospital with a concussion, he reached for the phone. He just wanted to hear Jordan’s voice. He started dialing, then realized how late it was and hung up the receiver.

He sat back against the suede couch, staring blindly at flickering images on the TV screen. All he could see was the face of Blackmon’s new wife. Only twenty-three years old, John had just gotten married a couple of months ago. Now his bride was a widow. Suddenly her face was replaced with Jordan’s in his mind.

Danny ran to the bathroom and threw up.

13

JORDAN LIKED BASEBALL about as much as she enjoyed watching grass grow. But the law firm had season tickets and she’d promised her brothers, who were rabid Orioles fans, that she’d get them into this game.

The New York Yankees were apparently Baltimore’s archrivals and this late-season game was part of the pennant race. Whatever a pennant race was. Down on the field, some player hit a white ball with a fat stick, then another player started running around the diamond. She stared morosely at the action and felt several hundred of her brain cells implode.

At least it was a beautiful night in a charming setting. Oriole Park had been built on the site of an old rail yard. The Baltimore & Ohio Railroad warehouse had been incorporated as part of the new 110-million-dollar structure. The Camden Yards ballpark design reflected nineteenth-century architecture, including an arched brick facade, a sunroof over the upper deck, an asymmetrical playing field and Maryland bluegrass turf.

It was amazing what you could learn by reading the fifteen-page program instead of watching the game.

Jordan took a sip of her cola, barely resisting the urge to dump it over Danny’s head. She hadn’t seen him since Sunday afternoon. He hadn’t called since then, either, except to confirm tonight’s game time. Had he thought about her? Had he missed her? It was so difficult to tell when he was busy chatting and laughing with Keisha.

When they’d taken their seats in the terrace box, her cousin had made certain she sat on the other side of Danny. Keisha put on a great show of complaining about the heat. She’d taken off her jacket to reveal a low-cut crop top that exposed her flat belly above her equally low-cut jeans. Jordan scrunched down in the hard, uncomfortable seat and hoped her cousin choked on the hot dog Danny bought her.

“Do you want one, too, Jordan?”

“No, thanks…David.”

He shrugged and took his seat, his body angled away from her. She couldn’t see his face, but she sure as hell saw the calculating gleam in Keisha’s eye. Her cousin giggled and grinned, occasionally touching Danny’s forearm as she talked. With music playing over the chatter of the crowd, it was too noisy to hear what they were saying. However, body language didn’t require words.

Reece turned in the seat next to her. After glancing over her shoulder, he looked directly into her eyes. “Is there anything you need to talk about, Jo-Jo?”

“What do you mean?”

Her brother’s voice had an edge. “Your fiancé seems to be distracted tonight.”

Jordan looked down and toyed with the straw in her cup. “Oh, he’s under pressure at work—”

“He works a lot.”

“We’re not joined at the hip, Reece.” Her laughter was forced. “I mean, you didn’t expect to see him every night this week, did you?”

“I wouldn’t mind seeing more of the guy I met on Saturday. I don’t know who was at the crab house, and I don’t know who that is beside you.” He leaned closer and lowered his voice. “Does David have some kind of personality disorder?”

Before she could think of a reply, Eric jumped up and screamed, “Did you see that play? Grandma could have caught that fly ball!” and Reece’s attention was back on the game.

At the sound of Danny’s chuckle, she glanced to the right. Keisha had gotten a blob of hot-dog mustard on her cheek and he was wiping it off. Jordan looked away as tears pricked her eyes, focusing on whatever was happening down on the field so she wouldn’t lose control.

The initial stab of jealousy was consumed by the heat of her anger, then drowned in a wave of misery. Jordan crunched the ice in her soda cup and attempted to count the number of people in the stadium wearing red shirts. The distraction didn’t work.

She felt bereft and isolated and the craving for chocolate was so strong that it hurt. Her heart contracted in anguish as she realized what she had to do.

After warm goodbye hugs from her brothers and an awkward parting from “David,” Jordan and her cousin walked to the Honda. Then they sat and waited in traffic with forty thousand other baseball fans trying to make their way out of downtown. Keisha fiddled with the radio and squirmed in the passenger seat, until finally she turned to Jordan and broke the silence.

“David is so handsome. And he’s got a great body.”

Jordan answered quietly. “Yes, he does.”

“He’s got a great sense of humor, too. I laughed the whole night.”

She concentrated on inching the car forward a couple of feet, determined not to let Keisha get a rise out of her.

“I told David I was thinking about moving back to Maryland. He thought it was a great idea.”

Jordan saw an opening and zipped into the left lane. “I think Camryn’s going to rent her place and move in with Mason. Maybe you could take over the mortgage.”

Keisha stared at her, seemingly confused by her even temper and tone of voice. “I still can’t believe you’re engaged. I wouldn’t want to tie myself down to only one person. Though a guy like David might make me change my mind.”

“David” had Jordan changing her mind about a few things, too. The traffic was a little thinner on Charles Street, so she relaxed her grip on the steering wheel. “I’m curious about something, Keisha. Do you really want him? Or do you only want him because he’s mine?”

Her cousin looked away and laughed. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I mean, it’s obvious your fiancé likes me, but I’ve got more boyfriends than I know what to do with. Guys ask me out all the time.”

That had been true back in high school, too. Boys were always asking Keisha out on dates, but the dates never seemed to turn into relationships. She worked hard at her good-time-girl image, always claiming the boys were madly in love with her but “why settle for one when you could have them all?”

As she pulled up to the entrance of the Wyndham Hotel, Jordan gazed over at her cousin. For the first time it occurred to her that, though Keisha was stunningly pretty, she wasn’t happy. She spoke quietly, sympathetically. “I hope you find what you’re looking for.”

Surprise replaced the usual calculating animosity in Keisha’s eyes. Then the moment passed and she opened the car door. “Don’t worry about me, cuz. I always get what I want.”

Jordan watched her cousin sashay toward the glass doors, smiling and flirting with the valet as she passed by. Keisha threw a glance over her shoulder and winked before going into the lobby.

DANNY HEARD THE KNOCK at his apartment door and glanced at his watch. He didn’t usually get visitors this late. Unless it was the stewardess with the great legs and adventurous libido. He opened the door to find Jordan, her features set and determined.

“Can I come in? This won’t take long.”

“Sure.” He stood aside to let her pass. “Do you want something to drink?”

“No, thank you. I want to talk about what happened tonight.”

Here it comes. He braced himself to deal with a jealous scene. Or a plea to take their agreement to the next level. Well, he’d handled this before. He’d be kind, remind her that they didn’t have any sort of commitment, and let her down as gently as he could.

“Have a seat while I turn off the TV.” He grabbed the remote and shut down the movie he’d been watching. When he turned, though, she was still standing. Great, it was going to be that kind of talk. “I realize you’re upset, Jordan. I’m sorry I didn’t pay more attention to you at the game.”

“What you did was embarrass me in front of my family.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Of course you don’t.” A note of irritation crept into her voice.

Danny immediately got defensive. “No, I really don’t. All I did was talk to someone for a few minutes.”

“It was a few hours, Danny. And I’m not the only one who noticed.”

“It was a perfectly innocent conversation. Keisha’s actually a nice person when she wants to be. I think you got the wrong impression.”

Jordan’s eyes seemed to be focused just over his shoulder. “I’d appreciate it if you wouldn’t lead my cousin on.”

“I wasn’t—”

“Keisha tends to blow things out of proportion, Danny. She has a habit of confusing sex with love and then getting hurt.”

“Are you talking about your cousin or about yourself?” She held his gaze until he shifted from one foot to the other and glanced away. “I’m sorry. That was uncalled-for.”

“I know the difference. All too well.”

Her quiet dignity made him feel like a first-class jerk. He hadn’t been flirting with Keisha, but that didn’t excuse him. Danny scratched his chin. “I guess I didn’t hold up my end of the deal tonight.”

“The thing is—the thing is, I think we both know this isn’t working out the way we’d planned.” The look on her face was an odd combination of resignation and hope.

Danny suppressed a sigh. This was familiar territory. She was about to ask for something he just couldn’t give her. Wanting to put it off as long as possible, he turned in the direction of the kitchen. “Are you sure I can’t get you something to drink?”

“The deal is off, Danny. I’m ending our agreement.”

Her voice was stronger now, decisive. He heard the words, but they didn’t register at first. Jordan was breaking up with him? She was ending it? Her eyes searched his, waiting for a response. He just stared at her, uncomprehending. Then her expression cleared and she offered him a polite smile.

“Okay. Well, I’ll be going. Take care of yourself.”

This was what he’d wanted. Sort of. But now he wasn’t so sure. A chill danced over his skin and his heart slammed against his chest at the thought of her walking out the door. He caught her arm to keep her from leaving.

“Wait a—just wait!”

“Why, Danny?” Her tone was gentle, with just a trace of huskiness.

He dropped her arm, feeling as if a pit had opened up beneath him. If he took one step, he’d be trapped. But he wouldn’t go back on what he’d promised. “What about your grandparents’ party?”

“I’ll go alone. Everybody is used to my fiancé having to work odd hours or suddenly go out of town.” She sighed and he suddenly realized the strain her lies had caused. “Or I’ll tell them we broke our engagement. Or… I don’t know. I’ll tell them something.”

“You don’t have to do that. I’ll still take you.”

“Listen, it’s obvious you’re not interested in playing the part anymore. And I’d rather be spared the public embarrassment of having to watch you romance my cousin. All I ask is that you wait until we’ve ‘officially broken up’ before you call her, okay?”

Danny rubbed his forehead. Christ, what a jerk he’d been. He’d only intended to put some distance between them—he honestly hadn’t meant to hurt her. “I’m not going to call her at all. Come on, sit down and tell me what this is about.”

Jordan reluctantly allowed him lead her over to the sofa. She dropped onto the nearest cushion, clenching her hands in her lap. He sat down beside her and lightly touched her hand. “Now, tell me, what makes you think I would choose Keisha over you?”

Her laugh was devoid of humor. “Why wouldn’t you? She’s slim and beautiful, easygoing and uncomplicated. Exactly the kind of woman your brother said you always date.”

That was true enough. He tended to gravitate to independent women who didn’t mind a casual relationship. But since he’d met Jordan, his tastes had changed without him realizing it. Keisha did absolutely nothing for him. “No man in his right mind would prefer your cousin.”

She shrugged and wouldn’t look at him. “It wouldn’t be the first time.”

“Will you tell me about it?”

She didn’t want to. She hated to even remember. It had been the worst moment in a long history of tricks Keisha had played on her. Danny took her hand and she felt the warmth travel all the way to her heart. Maybe this was a turning point. Maybe, if she shared something personal and painful, the way he had, maybe he would open himself to her.

“His name was Aaron Lawrence. He was the most popular boy in school. All of the girls had a crush on him.” Including Jordan, who never would have dreamed he’d look twice at her. “I guess I should have questioned a guy like him asking me to the Senior Prom.”

“He didn’t take you?”

“No, he took me…” She paused, then went on. “My mom bought me a beautiful evening gown. She had it tailored so it fit me perfectly…so it hid my belly and thighs. Aunt Celeste owned a salon and she treated me like a princess. She styled my hair and did my nails and makeup. I was so excited because this was my first dance.”

“What happened?”

“Aaron was really nice at first. He was attentive and seemed like he was really interested in me.” Jordan laughed bitterly. “Halfway through the night I was entertaining fairy tales about him, stupidly thinking that this could lead to something, that he saw who I was inside of my big, fat body.”

“Jordan—”

“You saw the photos, Danny. You know what I looked like then. Would you have asked me to a dance?” She didn’t wait for an answer, because she knew he wouldn’t admit the truth. “He led me outside the gymnasium and kissed me. My first kiss at my first dance. It was sweet initially, but then he got more aggressive and I tried to pull away.”

Danny’s hand tightened around hers. “Please tell me he didn’t…”

“No, it didn’t go that far. He just— He just put his hand inside my dress and squeezed my breast. I pushed him away just as some of his friends came out and asked if he’d gotten anywhere with me yet. Aaron laughed and told them, not yet but he’d get lucky later.”

Danny shook his head. “What a bastard.”

“I just stared at him. Then I finally got the courage to ask why he thought I would have sex with him. He said…” She cleared her throat. “He said, ‘everyone knows fat girls are easy.’ Keisha wouldn’t date him unless he asked me to the prom as a favor.”

Danny slipped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her to his side. “I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry she did that to you.”

“I was devastated. I knew Keisha didn’t like me, but I never thought she’d do anything like that. And, by the time I got back inside, all of Aaron’s friends were laughing about it. Everyone was laughing at me. I’ve never felt so horrible in my life.”

Danny held her for a moment, slowly rocking from side to side. Then he stood up and held out his hand to her. When she took it, he pulled her to her feet.

“Come with me.”

When he led her across hall toward the bathroom, she stopped in confusion. “What are we going to do in here?”

He tugged her hand until she stepped inside. “Turn around, Jordan.”

She did so automatically, but then realized she was fully exposed to the mirror above the sink. Damn it, what was he trying to do? She attempted to turn away, but Danny moved behind her, his hands on her shoulders to hold her in place. “Look.”

“I don’t want to play.”

“This isn’t a game, not for you.”

The slight pressure of his grip implied that he wasn’t going to let it drop, so she did as he asked. Defiant, unhappy and irritated, her expression clearly indicated what she was thinking—Let’s get this over with. The image in the mirror changed and there she was. The heavyset, ugly duckling she used to be. She averted her eyes.

“Do you know what I see, Jordan?”

“What?” Her tone was curt.

Placing his fingertips under her chin, Danny tilted her head up until their eyes met in the glass. “I see one of the most beautiful women in the world.”

“Don’t—”

“I see an intelligent mind and a sharp wit. Eyes that notice the best in people. A mouth that smiles easily and is quick to laugh. When I look at you, I see a heart that’s compassionate and kind. An enchanting spirit. I see a woman who is beautiful on the inside, and always has been.”

His deep, rich voice soothed her. The sincerity of his words touched her, breaking through her fragile control. Hot tears welled in her eyes and spilled over. Danny wrapped his arms around her, resting his cheek against her temple. She raised her hands to clutch his forearms as she cried.

For so long, she’d believed she had to be perfect to be loved. She’d wished for someone to accept her, thinking that would make her feel whole. But in fact what she needed was to accept herself, to realize she was worthy of affection no matter what she weighed or how she looked. Danny had shown her that.

“And on the outside you’re beautiful, too. Except for your flushed cheeks and runny nose.” He placed a kiss on her brow.

Embarrassed, she reached for a tissue and wiped her face. Danny caressed her upper arms, smiling at her in the mirror. “Your eyes gleam like the brightest stars. Your hair shimmers with fire and light, just like in the shampoo commercials.”

Jordan burst out laughing.

“What? I’m praising your gorgeousness. Where was I?” He pretended to contemplate her features. “Your skin is as soft as a baby’s butt. Your lips are like the petals of a rose.”

He leaned forward and she turned her head to meet him. His hot mouth covered hers in a kiss that was both tender and demanding. When they came up for air, Danny grinned at her. “And they sure can kiss.”

Their eyes met in the mirror and her heart turned over in response. She watched as he cupped the fullness of her breasts in his palms. He slowly circled his thumbs around her nipples and she gasped softly at both the sight and the sensation. As his hands glided down her torso, she leaned her head back against his shoulder. Her eyes drifted shut and she smoothed her palms along the hard sinews of his thighs. Desire danced along her nerves as his hands moved over her hips.

Danny bent his head to nuzzle the side of her neck and she felt the hard ridge of his erection against her bottom. “You’ve got a great body. Real women have curves. You’re like a fantasy come true.”

And with those words, Jordan was reminded of the true nature of their relationship. She opened her eyes and her hands dropped away from him. Disappointment washed over her and she felt an acute sense of loss. Fun and games were all she could ever expect from him. She broke out of his embrace and turned to face him.

“Fantasy number forty-two. Mirror, Mirror on the Wall, isn’t it?”

His dark brown eyes widened and he stepped back, bumping the edge of the tub. He looked as if he’d been slapped. For a second there was such vulnerability in his expression it broke her heart. “This isn’t one of your fantasies, Jordan…”

Danny startled, as if he hadn’t realized the impact of what he’d said. Then the shutters came down and she watched him completely withdraw. “I’ve been honest with you from the start. We can’t put on costumes or take on roles and make any of this real.”

Resignation settled on her shoulders. She offered him a gentle smile, her voice soft as she spoke. “I know we can’t.”

She turned out of the bathroom. Her chest ached under the weight of melancholy and pain and regret. But she was strong, stronger than she’d ever realized, strong enough to walk away.

Danny followed her into the hall. “What about Saturday?”

He was trying to put the decision of where they went from here on her. If he didn’t know by now how she felt, then he never would. She loved him. But the next move was his. Jordan opened the front door. “It’s late. I’ve got to go.”

14

DANNY GRABBED his gift off the passenger seat, locked the Jeep and strode across the parking garage to the stairs. Last night had been one of the longest of his life. He doubted he’d slept for more than an hour or two, tossing and turning and trying to figure out what he’d done wrong. He’d finally gotten up to sit out on the fire escape and watch the sun rise.

He’d always been in control of his relationships before, always been the one to set the boundaries. Jordan was the first woman who’d ever walked out on him. He knew he was in trouble because her rejection hurt. Not only had it been a blow to his ego, but he’d also felt in danger of losing something special. There was something about Jordan that both attracted and scared the hell out of him.

As he walked into the building where Chase, Behr & Lily was located, he pictured her face, her disappointed expression. He’d wanted to comfort her last night, to show her how desirable she was. Instead, she thought he wanted to try out another fantasy when he’d actually wanted to make love.

But was he in love? Or was it just the novelty of the situation? They’d known each other for less than two weeks. They’d seen each other six times and had sex three. He couldn’t possibly have fallen for her. Could he? No, more likely he was responding to the challenge. Women liked to be chased. They liked to believe they had the upper hand. So he would pour on the charm, add an element of romance.

This wasn’t love. It was all part of the ultimate game. And he played to win.

“MMM, MMM, MMM.” Charlie, the law firm receptionist, hummed into the phone. “You should see what’s waiting up here for you.”

Jordan tucked the handset between her shoulder and chin as she sorted the papers on her desk. “More chocolates from that one court reporter?”

“Well, he does look rich and delicious and I’d nibble him in a heartbeat.” Charlie hummed some more. “Where has David been hiding this brother?”

Danny was here? Her brow crinkled in confusion. What was he doing here? “I’ll be right up.”

Jordan smoothed her hands over her plum-colored suit and combed her fingers through her hair, suddenly questioning her choice to leave it loose. She started to reach for the compact in her desk drawer then stopped herself. It didn’t matter how she looked. She looked just fine. Jordan left her office and walked down the hallway to the lobby.

Wow. Danny did look good enough to nibble. It was the first time she’d seen him wearing something other than jeans or his uniform. He had on a pair of khakis, a button-down shirt, a summer blazer and a hesitant expression. And flowers. Which fantasy was that move from? Stop it. That isn’t nice.

“Hi, Danny.”

He greeted her with a wide smile. “How are you, pretty lady?”

“I’m fine. And you?”

“Good.”

They sounded like two strangers on a bus. Well aware of the awkwardness beneath the pleasantries, she nodded. “Good.”

Danny held out the flowers. “I saw these and immediately thought of you.”

That was a line if ever she’d heard one. But she loved romantic gestures and these really were lovely. She accepted the bouquet, breathing in the scent of bright pink lilies, orange snapdragons and Shasta daisies. “Thank you very much.”

“I was wondering if you were free for lunch? I’m in the mood for seafood myself.”

“Oh. I’m sorry.” She touched his arm with genuine regret. “I can’t today. I have a client meeting in twenty minutes.”

“That’s okay. I guess I should have called first.” He offered her a little smile. “How about dinner then? I’ll let you pick the beer.”

Jordan winced. “We’ve got an important trial coming up. I’m going to be working late for the next week or so.”

A perplexed expression crossed his face, as if he didn’t know what to do next. She thought she heard him sigh in frustration. Danny took his hand out of his pocket and scratched his temple. “So, um, what time is your grandparents’ party?”

Jordan’s brows rose in surprise. She thought he’d be thrilled to have his freedom. But he acted as though there’d never been any question of his taking her. Men. There was just no figuring them out.

“It starts at six-thirty for a seven-o’clock dinner.”

“I’ll be at your house around six, then.”

She cradled the flowers in her arm and shifted uncomfortably. He’d probably think she was making up excuses. “I’m going to change at the hotel. I’ve got to be there early to help with the place cards and the thank-you bags.”

His jaw clenched and this time he did sigh. Then he recovered with another winning smile. “Okay. See you there.”

Danny leaned in to kiss her and she offered her cheek. He barely managed to hide his exasperation. She watched him walk to the elevator before she allowed the smile of delight to spread across her face. He’d asked her to lunch, an encounter that didn’t involve either her family or sex. A date. A rendezvous.

A sign of hope?

As she walked past the reception desk, Charlie made a tsking sound. “Hard-to-get does not become you, honey.”

Jordan laughed and pulled one of the lilies from the bouquet. She handed it to Charlie. “Buzz me when my eleven-thirty gets here.”

JORDAN WALKED into the conference room after Susan Brandywine and closed the door behind them. She set her notes and files on the table and drew a deep breath. “Before we get started, I owe you an apology.”

Susan frowned in confusion as she took a seat at the conference table. “For what?”

“I allowed my personal opinions to cloud my professionalism and I’m very sorry for that.” Jordan clenched and unclenched her hands together but willed herself to maintain eye contact. “You see, I’m as guilty of judging you as any skinny person. More guilty, in fact, because I know what you’ve been through.” Her voice caught. “I felt that if I could lose weight, so should you.”

“I understand, Jordan. I really do.” Susan looked at her with a blend of sadness and sympathy. “I struggled with my weight for years, making myself sick with one fad diet after another. But now, I’m very proud of who I am and what I’ve accomplished in my life. This is my body, and I like it just the way it is.”

Jordan sat down next to Susan and took her hand. “I admire your courage. Despite losing weight, I’m a long way from acceptance. It’s only recently that I’ve begun to face my issues. I’m still working on it.”

“I appreciate your honesty.” Susan briefly squeezed Jordan’s fingers, then reached into her briefcase for a notepad and pen. “All right. Where do we go from here?”

“I can try to get a settlement. The station may be willing to spend make-it-go-away money in order to avoid the expense of going to trial. And that way you’d have something to tide you over until you can get another job.”

Susan scoffed. “This lawsuit may keep me from ever getting another anchor job, but I want to see it through.” She rested her elbows on the table and laced her fingers. “Regardless of how many ways women are discriminated against, obesity is the worst because it’s the most accepted and the least questioned. I want to fight for my self-respect and maybe set a precedent for other women in entertainment.”

Jordan pulled several sheets of paper from the file. “Okay, then. I did find supporting case law. Television anchor Holly Bertram filed a discrimination and breach-of-contract suit against WMTU-TV.

“She contended that middle age forced her out and that because of her weight she didn’t get the anchor positions she sought.” Jordan shuffled the papers until she found the one she wanted. “Now, Bertram did lose her age claim, but she won on the injury and retaliation claims. A federal jury awarded…are you ready? Five million dollars.”

Susan gasped. “Are you serious? And you think we can apply her case to my situation?”

“I found this buried in the production of documents. It’s a memo from Bob Milton, the station manager, to Paul White, the news director. Milton says some pretty nasty things about your weight gain.” She handed the document over. “He also outlines the steps they should take to get rid of you.”

Susan covered her mouth with one hand and tears glistened in her eyes as she read the damning statements.

“This is the key to winning the case, Susan. They can try to prove breach of contract based on Clause XIII of your contract, but this memo clearly shows malicious intent. Someday we might see a case in which it’s successfully argued that looks and gender are bona fide occupational qualifications for television news anchors, but until then…”

A triumphant smile spread across Susan’s face. “Until then, we’ve got WBNS by the balls.”

AS HE STRODE through the lobby of the Wyndham Hotel, Danny tugged at the jacket of his borrowed tuxedo. He hated stuffing himself into a monkey suit, especially tonight. He was wearing his brother’s tux to meet the woman who was supposed to be his brother’s fiancée. Thankfully, this would be the last night he had to answer to his brother’s name. Would it also be the last night he saw Jordan?

His pulse tripped along his nerves. His stomach was tied in tiny knots. He was really looking forward to spending time with the Gregorys tonight. He’d promised Grandma Emma a dance and Eric had challenged him to sing karaoke. But, as for the most important member of the family, he had no idea where he stood with Jordan.

He’d tried flowers, compliments, charm, surprise visits and late-night phone calls. All of which had been met with reserve. Was she stringing him along or had she really lost interest? The uncertainty was making him nuts. Danny paused beneath the flower-strewn lattice at the entrance of the Liberty Ballroom, feeling unsure of himself.

The floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked the night skyline of downtown Baltimore and the Inner Harbor. Crystal chandeliers glowed above tables set with creamy linen and topped with tall vases of peach roses, yellow tulips and sprays of fern. His eyes scanned the ballroom, looking for familiar faces.

Waiters in white dinner jackets offered trays of hors d’oeuvres to the hundred or so people milling about. Near the windows, a photographer snapped group portraits of various family and friends. Meanwhile, a cameraman circulated through the gathering, interviewing guests for a keepsake video.

Then he saw her. And she took his breath away.

Jordan was stunning. Tonight she wore a lime-green cocktail dress that left a whole lot of golden-brown skin on display. The satin material caressed her generous curves like a lover. The strapless bodice showcased her cleavage while the short hemline bared her legs to the thigh. That surprised him most of all.

Danny looked at her with a mixture of lust and pride. Her hair fell loosely around her bare shoulders as if inviting his fingers to stroke the silky tresses. Her light brown eyes were lined with dark green shadow, her lips glistened a deep rose. He’d never seen her look more sexy, more confident or more beautiful. Finally he forced his trembling legs to move.

When he reached her side, he simply followed his instincts and took her into his arms. He claimed her mouth and kissed her eagerly, thoroughly, telling her without words how much he wanted her. When he broke the kiss a moment later, Jordan gave a self-conscious laugh, pretending to fan herself.

“Hello to you, too.”

He smiled at her, his hands still on her waist. “You are just gorgeous.”

“All right, that’s enough, young man. Stop drooling over the girl and greet the rest of us.”

Startled, Danny glanced around him and realized several members of Jordan’s family stood nearby, watching them. With a grin, he shook hands with Matt and Reece, accepted a kiss from Celeste and even gave Keisha a hug. He was both touched and saddened by the warm welcome he received. They were good people and he’d come to hate lying to them.

Celeste looked him over then gave him an exaggerated wink. “You certainly do clean up nice. Save me a dance later so I can make my husband jealous.”

Jordan looped her arm through his and leaned against him. “Watch it, lady. Uncle Matt won’t be the only one jealous.”

Danny sighed and addressed the other two men. “Don’t you hate it when they fight over you?”

“Doesn’t anybody want to dance with me?” Reece sulked.

“With those two left feet?” Jordan laughed. “No way, little brother.”

Just then a bell chimed lightly and the maître d’ invited everyone to be seated for dinner. Danny took Jordan’s hand and followed her to one of the round tables near the dance floor and brass-railed stage. Crystal buckets held chilling bottles of champagne and the place cards were replicas of Charles and Emma’s wedding announcement.

As he held Jordan’s chair, Danny couldn’t resist leaning down to plant a kiss on her shoulder. Camryn beamed at them from across the table. “Get a room, you two.”

“As long as it’s not the one we booked. I have plans for later.” Mason leaned over to give her a smacking kiss.

“You’re supposed to get married before you have the honeymoon, you know.”

“Daddy!” Camryn blushed hotly. “He hasn’t asked me yet.”

The entrées were served and Danny was pleasantly surprised again. Jordan was eating, and not just her salad. She didn’t deny herself a single bite of the Fillet of Beef with Wild Mushroom Medley or the Ocean Trout in Filo with Tomatoes and Olives. He pushed his plate closer so that she could spear one of the baby potatoes.

Danny indicated the head table. “Who are the people sitting with your grandparents?”

“You met my mom’s parents at the barbecue. They’ve got their backs to us. The others are Grandpa and Grandma’s oldest friends.” Jordan subtly pointed to each couple as she named them.

Danny watched the older folks laughing and gesturing and felt a pang of envy. It must be wonderful to share an evening like this with people who’d known you for several decades. He tried to picture what Jordan would look like in another forty years. She’d probably be as beautiful then as she was now.

She caught him staring and smiled. “What are you thinking?”

He couldn’t tell her the truth, not here, not yet. “I was just wondering if Charles and Emma are playing footsy under the table. She keeps glancing at him with a funny little smile.”

Jordan looked over at her grandparents and giggled. “I think Grandma just put her hand on his thigh.”

Eric made a face. “Ugh. You don’t think they still…?”

“And why shouldn’t they? Some things get better with age.” Jordan’s father wiggled his eyebrows at her mother.

Angela playfully swatted his shoulder. “Behave yourself, Jackson.”

Danny felt a tightening in his chest and had to swallow a sudden lump in his throat. These people were so obviously in love as couples, and just as obviously loved each other as a family. The Gregorys shared a warmth and a closeness that was missing from his own life, except for his relationship with David.

Horrified, he recognized the sting of tears behind his eyes. Because he couldn’t deny it any longer. He had fallen deeply, irrevocably in love. With the other women he’d dated, he’d always held a part of himself back. But with Jordan, he didn’t want to hold back anymore. He wanted to matter to her, as she’d come to matter to him. He wanted to have a place in her life, to be a real couple, and to be included in this family.

The power of his emotions left him both stunned and disoriented. His first reaction was panic. He’d never been in love before so how could he be sure of what was happening?

Then he felt Jordan’s hand on his thigh under the table, saw her very subtle wink, and a sense of calm settled over him, a sense of rightness. Danny reached over to cup her cheek and draw her to him. The kiss he gave her this time was sweet and tender, a prelude to the things he’d say to her later.

Danny’s kiss rocked her to the core. In his eyes, she saw a tenderness and a longing that had never been there before. Lightning struck her heart. She had prayed that he would come around, that he’d realize they had something special, and it seemed her prayers had been answered. If that kiss was anything to go by, ten days wasn’t long enough for him, either.

For the rest of the meal it was all she could do not to dance on the tabletop and shout with joy. But this was her grandparents’ night and she wouldn’t take attention away from them. With difficulty, Jordan concentrated on the game of Anniversary Trivia they were playing.

“Okay, it’s my turn.” She picked up the small white card above her plate and read the question. “True or false? The first time Emma saw Charles, he was wearing a banana suit.”

Her father laughed. “That’s true.”

Eric turned his head in surprise. “It is?”

“Yep,” Jackson replied. “Dad was the banana in his elementary school play about nutrition.”

Danny murmured in her ear. “What is it with your family and bananas? If you’re not wearing them, you’re using them as fake weapons.”

Jordan chuckled and whispered back, “Did you read the one fantasy called Strawberry Fields For Hours? We could plan a whole fruit-themed night.”

“I’m next.” Her mother read from her trivia card. “To further their love of learning, which of the following classes have Charles and Emma taken? Citizen’s Police Academy, Ceramics and Pottery or Tai Chi?”

After dinner, Jordan was extremely tempted by the slice of orange-vanilla wedding cake, but decided she’d indulged herself enough for one night. Instead she fed pieces of cake to Danny while they watched a video montage of photographs taken of her grandparents through the years.

“They look very happy together,” Danny whispered.

“I think they are.”

As the lights came up, the DJ started playing up-beat tunes and encouraging people to come out to the floor. Before she could ask Danny to dance with her, though, Aunt Celeste had already grabbed him. But she made sure he was all hers for the first slow song, a romantic ballad about falling in love forever. Jordan melted into his embrace as they danced, hips swaying and thighs brushing.

It felt so good, so right to be in his arms. She closed her eyes, focusing on the music and the magic of the evening. Danny must have been caught up in it, too. When the tempo changed to something faster, he continued to hold her for a moment before reluctantly letting her go.

“Save all of the other slow songs for me, too, okay?”

Jordan beamed at him. “It’s a deal.”

The DJ had set up a karaoke machine on the stage, so in between dance numbers, the guests were treated to an impromptu talent show. Emma and Charles even stepped up to the microphone, delighting everyone with a hit from the latest pop song princess.

Emma started off with, “Oh baby, baby. There’s something you just gotta know.” Then Charles chimed in with, “I love you baby. I’m never going to let you go.” Jordan winced and covered her eyes when they tried some moves from the video. Beside her, Danny howled with laughter. “Wow. That belly-dancing class they took really paid off.”

A few songs later, Eric stepped onto the stage. Instead of singing, though, he made an announcement. “Ladies and gentlemen, you’re really in for a treat tonight. My sister Jordan and her fiancé, David, have agreed to a duet.”

Jordan looked at Danny with an expression of mock horror. “I didn’t agree to that. Did you agree to that?”

Eric continued. “I’ve chosen a special song for them because it’s one of my grandparents’ favorites. Jordan, David, come on up here!”

Jordan felt hot color rush to her cheeks as Danny took her hand and led her forward. She hadn’t performed in public since the Hairspray musical back in high school. She tugged on Danny’s hand. “Can you even sing?”

“I never sing except in the shower. The water drowns out the worst of it.”

“Oh, great…”

She laughed, but to her surprise, when the music intro began, Danny’s rich tenor confidently belted out the first line. Jordan grabbed the other microphone, waited for her cue and came in with the next verse of a famous Motown hit. Although Danny sang with more enthusiasm than talent, they ended the duet to thunderous applause.

As they held hands and took their bows, Jordan decided this was the best night of her life.

15

HE’D DANCED with almost every woman at the party in the past two hours. Danny loosened his bow tie and rested his forearms on the railing of the balcony outside the ballroom. A slight breeze blew off the Inner Harbor, cooling him off as he undid the top button of his shirt.

“Are you having a good time?”

He angled his head to see Keisha swaying toward him, a half-empty glass of champagne in her hand. Danny straightened. “Yeah, I’m just a little worn-out from all of that dancing.”

“Well, I hope you recover quickly. You haven’t danced with me once tonight.” When she came over and leaned back against the rail, he could tell this wasn’t her first glass of wine.

“I think I’m done for the night—”

“You danced with everyone else. Why not me? Why won’t you dance with me?”

Her voice took on a definite edge, one that was best avoided. Danny pushed away from the railing with the intention of going back inside. She came after him.

“You know what they say, don’t you? Good on the dance floor, better in bed.”

He rubbed his head, dropping his gaze in embarrassment. He had no clue how to respond to that. She shifted in front of him to block his path. He tried to go around her again.

“Excuse me, Keisha. I’m going back in.”

She grabbed the loose ends of his bow tie and pulled, forcing him to lower his head. She planted her lips on his in a smooth, expert kiss. It left him completely unmoved. In fact, it confirmed his feelings for Jordan that a great kiss from a gorgeous woman had no effect on him at all. Danny gently pushed her away and yanked his tie from her fist.

Keisha glared at him, her voice rising. “What’s wrong with you? Men always find me attractive. They always want me. How can you choose Jordan over me?” She locked both arms around his neck and kissed him again, this time hard and angry and desperate.

“What the hell are you doing?”

Danny finally succeeded in breaking away just as Reece came out on the balcony. Startled and off balance, Keisha dropped her champagne. The sound of glass shattering against concrete distracted Danny for a second. When he turned back, Reece’s fist flew toward his face. Pain exploded in his head and his eye began to swell almost instantly. Keisha ran past them to the ballroom door.

“You son of a bitch,” Reece growled through clenched teeth. “I knew there was something going on.”

“I swear, it’s not what it looks like.” Danny’s fingers tentatively explored the bruise developing on his cheek.

“Neither are you. I don’t know what’s going on, but you’d better leave.” Reece shoved him back a step. “Stay the hell away from both my cousin and my sister.”

On the one hand, he felt compelled to stay and defend himself against Reece’s anger. But it was more important to get to Jordan before her cousin did. Given the animosity between the two, Keisha’s ploy would be like throwing gasoline on a lit match. Danny went back inside with Reece hard on his heels.

At their appearance, several people pointed and stared. He heard a series of whispers ripple through the gathering crowd. Danny’s eyes urgently sought any sign of Jordan. A moment later, she pushed past some of the guests to get to his side. Her gaze swept over him, taking in his black eye and unbuttoned shirt.

He seized her hand and drew her close. “We have to talk. Right now.”

Reece glared at him. “You can’t talk your way out of this.”

Jordan reached up with her index finger to tilt his chin. “What happened to your face?”

“It’s nothing—”

“Danny!”

“Danny?” Reece shifted his attention to his sister. “Why did you call him…?” He turned back to Danny. “Who are you?”

Jordan clapped a hand over her mouth, her eyes darkening as she realized what she’d said. Danny pulled her aside, trying to put some distance between them, her brother and the rest of the guests drawn to the scene they were making. He had to explain. He had to tell her how he felt, but his words came out as jumbled as his thoughts.

“This wasn’t supposed to happen. It took me completely by surprise. I didn’t mean for—”

Jordan squeezed his fingers to get his attention. “What is going on?”

Reece lowered his voice so that only she would hear him. “I went outside for some air and caught him kissing Keisha.”

“What?” She dropped Danny’s hand.

“I didn’t kiss Keisha. She kissed me.” He pressed his palms against his temples. “Oh God, this is such a mess!”

“I can not believe—”

“Listen to me,” Danny insisted, “I can’t pretend anymore.”

Jordan blinked in confusion at the swift change of subject. “You promised me, Danny. We agreed.”

“To hell with that agreement! I know we made a deal, but now I can’t do this—”

“Jo-Jo, is everything all right?”

Charles Gregory’s quiet inquiry broke through the tension. Jordan turned to her grandfather with tears in her eyes. Danny reached for her hand, but she was twisting her fingers together as she always did when she was upset.

“No, Grandpa, it isn’t.”

“Jordan, wait. I didn’t tell you—”

Reece interrupted him. “The only thing you need to tell her is how sorry you are!”

Beside him, Jordan took a deep breath. “No. I’m the one who should apologize—”

Danny tried again. “Please, wait a minute. Let me explain.”

Grandpa Charles touched her face. “Is there something you need to tell us?”

“I lied to you. I lied to everyone.”

“Don’t,” Danny pleaded. “You don’t have to tell them. If you’ll just hear me out, I can make this right.”

Jordan ignored him. She looked around at the faces in the crowd and he could feel her start to tremble. “We’re not really engaged. We never were.” She closed her eyes for a second then continued. “This isn’t David Navarro. It’s his twin brother, Danny.”

“Not engaged?” “Who did she say he was?” Strident voices overlapped as everyone seemed to ask questions at once. “Why did you lie?” “Why did you fool us?”

Reece’s angry voice rose above the rest. “We’re not the only ones he made fools of. This guy’s been messing around on Jordan—”

“Reece, no!”

“He was flirting with Keisha the other night and I caught them out on the balcony just now.”

There was a collective gasp and the eyes that had been merely confused a moment ago now looked on Danny with hostility. Jordan began to cry softly. In an instant, her mother was at her side, trying to comfort her.

Danny reached for Jordan, but she shied away from his touch. “Give me a chance to talk to you. I just need a minute.”

“I never would have believed you’d do something like that. But, then, you’re not who we all thought you were, are you?” Angela glared at him. She led her daughter to one of the tables where several other women formed a shield around them. Then a hush came over the crowd as both her father and uncle stepped forward.

“Is this true what Reece said?” As Matt questioned him, Danny thought he detected a hint of sympathy. If anyone would believe the kiss wasn’t his fault, it might be Jordan’s uncle.

“I can explain everything, Mr. Gregory. But I have to talk to Jordan first.”

Jackson held up his hand. “Danny, is it? I think it might be best if you left now, son. We can sort this all out later.” Though his words were quiet, his voice sounded harsh.

He couldn’t believe this was happening. His stomach churned with nausea in response to the cold look Jordan’s father gave him. It couldn’t end, not like this. Danny shouldered his way through the crowd before anyone could stop him. Kneeling down beside the table where Jordan sat, he put a hand on her arm.

“There are so many things I need to say to you, I don’t know where to begin. I’ve never been in love before. I didn’t recognize it at first because I didn’t know it could happen so fast—”

Jordan pulled her arm aside and turned her head, refusing to look at him. “Leave me alone, Danny.”

He knew she was hurt and offended by that damned kiss, but why wouldn’t she listen? Was she punishing him for breaking their agreement or had he misread her feelings? His throat constricted along with his heart. He’d exposed himself completely only to have her turn him away.

Something inside him was dying, something he belatedly recognized as hope.

Getting to his feet, he looked about him and saw only the silent accusations of strangers. He didn’t realize how badly he wanted to belong until now, when the woman he’d fallen in love with and the family he’d come to cherish had shunned him. Feeling miserable and empty and alone, Danny walked out of the ballroom.

IT HAD BEEN just like the senior prom. Only worse. Because this time she loved the guy who’d humiliated her. Jordan lay on one of the twin beds, staring at the ceiling, in the room she and Camryn had shared. She’d come home to Annapolis, to the comfort of her family, rather than spend the night alone.

She’d asked Danny to play a role and he’d turned in an award-winning performance. Only days ago, he’d convinced her that no man would choose her cousin over her. And all the while her scheming bitch of a cousin had been laughing at her—again—because Keisha knew who Danny really desired.

What had he said? “This wasn’t supposed to happen. It took me completely by surprise. I’ve never been in love before.” Jordan pounded her clenched fists against the mattress. Stupid, stupid, stupid! Hadn’t Keisha warned her that she always got what she wanted? She’d gotten the best of Jordan again.

Yet, oddly enough, a part of her felt sorry for her cousin. Because she doubted that Danny really cared about Keisha, either. An eight date man who changed his girlfriends along with his underwear wasn’t capable of love.

She covered her eyes with both hands, grateful for the temporary relief of the darkness. Her thoughts were spinning and twisting around in her head so fast they were giving her a headache.

Regret and embarrassment washed over her, but anger was her foremost emotion. Why would he kiss Keisha in such a public place, why would he take the chance, unless he wanted to get caught? Why else would he have done such a despicable thing? His actions were at exact odds to the sensitive, caring person she’d lost her heart to.

Danny had shown her, through his words and his touch, that she was beautiful in her own way. With him, she’d discovered that she was sexy and passionate, sensual and desirable. For the first time in her life, she was proud of her full breasts and rounded hips and curvaceous figure. She would always be grateful to Danny for that, even though he apparently hadn’t meant a single word he’d said.

There were moments when Danny had let her inside and allowed her to see the pain and the tenderness. He’d seemed to truly enjoy being with her and her family. That’s what made this whole situation so confusing. Was he so afraid to open his heart, to let her love him, that he would purposely sabotage their developing relationship?

Someday she would find a man who meant the pretty things he said, a man without ulterior motives for his actions. One day she’d find a man who genuinely cared for her and whose affection would last for more than nine and a half days.

A knock came softly just before the door opened and Camryn walked in. Jordan rolled over onto her side as her sister stretched out on the other bed. Camryn’s eyes roamed the room, noting the familiar and the changes. “I’m glad Mom kept the rosebud wallpaper, but I kind of miss the lace canopies and the teen idol posters.”

“We shared a lot of dreams in this room, didn’t we?” Jordan smiled, remembering. “And all of yours came true.”

She was quiet for a moment. “Yes, they did. At least for a while.”

“You really miss your modeling career.”

She rolled over to face Jordan, resting her head on her arm. “I don’t miss living on bottled water and cigarettes, terrified of gaining six ounces and losing a job. I don’t miss constantly being judged by my appearance. That judgment can be extremely harsh.”

“I know all about being judged.”

Her sister got up and came to sit on her bed. “I know you do, honey. I know you always envied me and Keisha to some extent. But the way you look—or don’t look—should never be the measure of your happiness. And it shouldn’t be the foundation for love.” Camryn reached for her hand.

“What I came up here to say, Jo-Jo, is don’t beat yourself up for believing in a dream when the reality was beyond your control. I know how much you must be hurting right now. But you’ll survive and be stronger for it.” Camryn stood up and gave her a little smile. “I also came to tell you that Daddy called a family meeting.”

Jordan’s heart sank and her stomach fluttered with sudden anxiety. It was time to face the consequences of her lies.

She padded down to the kitchen a few minutes later, hesitating in the doorway as her parents and brothers turned to look at her. On their faces, she saw concern and curiosity, but thankfully no anger. Camryn squeezed her shoulder before moving past her into the family room. Bracing herself, Jordan took a seat on one of the sofas, next to her grandparents.

“I’m glad everyone is here. I owe all of you an apology, but especially you two.” She touched her grandmother’s hand. “I’m so very sorry for ruining your party last night.”

Grandpa reached over to pat her knee. “Thank you, darling. But what none of us understand is how this all happened?”

Her mother spoke from across the room. “We let it be last night because we were all tired and upset. But now we’d like to know why you lied to us.”

Jordan twisted her mouth in a smile of self-derision even as tears stung her eyes. “It seems so damned stupid now.”

“Most things do in hindsight.” From his seat on the carpet, Eric squeezed her calf in a show of support.

“It all started because I wanted Keisha to stop teasing me. I know that sounds incredibly childish, but—”

“We know how cruel your cousin can be.” Her parents shared a look. “However, we felt we should let you sort it out. I see now that was our mistake.”

“It was mine, too, Mom. When I began seeing David, I—I made more of the relationship than there was. And when Keisha came up from Atlanta in May, I let things go too far. She was taunting me about my weight and bragging about all of her boyfriends… To shut her up, I said that David had proposed.”

Grandpa cleared his throat. “Your cousin is in the other room and she has something to say to you. Reece, will you please ask them to join us?”

A moment later, Celeste, Matt and Keisha walked in. Jordan noticed her aunt and uncle’s tight expressions. However, they both put an arm around their daughter as they settled on the other couch. Her cousin’s eyes were red-rimmed and her skin had a grayish pallor, as though she were hungover. She glanced at Jordan and then averted her gaze.

“I’m sorry, Grandpa. I’m sorry, Grandma. I, um, apologize for last night.”

“You owe your cousin an apology, too, young lady.”

“I know.” She dropped her chin, staring at the floor. “Sorry, Jordan.”

Uncle Matt scowled at her. “Keisha Marie Gregory, we talked about this.”

“I said I was sorry!”

“That’s not good enough.” Aunt Celeste’s voice was stern. “Your behavior was inexcusable.”

Eric made a harsh sound. “Keisha, do you realize what you’ve done? And for what?”

“Oh, that’s right. Take her side, as always.”

“This isn’t about taking sides,” Aunt Celeste said. “You’ve hurt people with your thoughtlessness and antagonism in the past, but this time you went too far.”

An accusing silence settled over the room, then Grandma tilted her head. “Jordan, honey, I still don’t understand why you felt you had to lie. You know we love you, no matter what.”

“Every member of this family is part of a couple. Each of you belongs to and is with somebody, while I had no one.” Twisting her fingers in her lap, she cleared her throat. “Whether you realized it or not, you all treated me differently when you thought I was getting married.”

“They’ve always treated you different,” Keisha muttered bitterly.

“Excuse me?”

“I’ve spent most of my life in your shadow. It didn’t matter that I was prettier or thinner or more popular—everyone always loved you more!”

Jordan frowned in confusion. “Keisha, what in the world are you talking about?”

“I was jealous, okay? I was jealous. You upstaged me all the time! I made the cheerleading squad, but everyone was more excited that you were on some national debate team.” Keisha jumped up from the sofa and began pacing the room.

“Then there was the time I was first runner-up in the Miss Maryland pageant. But all I heard about was, ‘Jordan made the Honor Society.’ Even my college graduation was overshadowed because you were accepted into law school.”

Angela spoke quietly, her voice tinged with remorse. “Keisha, we never meant to exclude you. We’re just as proud of your accomplishments—”

“Yeah, right. Everybody thinks I get more attention, but Jordan always had what I really wanted—everyone’s respect.”

Eric snorted. “I think you’ve blown things out of proportion—”

“No, she’s right.” Camryn spoke up quietly. “There were times when I was jealous of you, too, Jordan. You never seemed to realize that you’re the star this family revolves around.”

She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. The two people she envied most in the world had been consumed by jealousy because of her? She never would have guessed that her cousin looked on her as competition. Jordan stood up and walked across the room. She gently touched Keisha’s arm but made no other move toward reconciliation.

“If I hurt you, it was unintentional. But this is a problem you’ll have to resolve yourself.”

Keisha’s resentful expression crumbled. Her voice broke as she tearfully met Jordan’s eyes. “Danny—it wasn’t Danny’s fault. All he ever was was nice to me. He didn’t—he pushed me away last night. I tried to kiss him, I tried to make him want me, but he pushed me away.”

A mantle of sadness dropped onto Jordan’s shoulders. Danny had told her the truth. He really had chosen her over her cousin. But she’d refused to listen when he tried to explain.

Omigod. Had he been trying to tell her he’d fallen in love with her?

For a moment joy bubbled up inside her and she was filled with hope. Until she remembered how often he’d retreated in the face of any sign of real emotion. It was a false hope, one that would only set her up to be hurt again.

Grandpa caught her attention. “Last night you said you weren’t engaged to David. Now, you’re saying you weren’t engaged to Danny, either?”

“No.” Jordan shook her head slowly. “It was all a lie, one that snowballed until I got buried under it.”

“So how did Danny end up getting involved?” Camryn asked.

“Mom and Dad had met David at the law firm. So when I needed a fiancé these past two weeks, the only solution was to convince Danny to play the role.”

“I don’t know, Jo-Jo. From what I saw of you together, it seemed as if you and Danny really were in love.”

Her father’s statement brought a stab of pain. Jordan thought they might have a chance, but Danny had made it clear all along that he was willing to give her his body but not his heart. Despite his declaration of love, and the truth about that kiss, he would always keep her at arm’s length.

“Whatever happened between us, whatever I thought Danny and I had, that’s all over now.”

16

“I TRIED CALLING, but she wouldn’t pick up the damned phone.” Danny stalked past the tall windows in the living room of his brother’s condo, oblivious to the beauty of the Sunday morning sky.

“Well, maybe she was in the shower or something. Try again,” David suggested in a rational tone.

He turned and prowled in the other direction. “I did. She still wouldn’t pick up the phone, so I drove to her house. I stood there like an idiot, ringing the bell and knocking, but she never came down.”

“Jordan might not have been home, Dan.”

“Her car was there. She was home. She’s blowing me off.”

David drummed his fingers on the armchair. “Would you please sit down? You’re making me dizzy trying to follow you around the room.”

He dropped onto the couch, barely resisting the urge to kick the coffee table. Frustration and anger churned inside his gut over the injustice of it all. How could she believe he would stoop so low as to kiss Keisha at their grandparents’ party? How could Jordan think he would kiss her cousin at all?

“Damn it, she didn’t give me the chance to explain. She turned her back and believed the worst of me.”

His twin looked at him with sympathetic and all too observant eyes. “I can understand that you’re hurt—”

“I’m not hurt.” Danny shifted on the couch. “I’m just ticked off that it had to end this way. You know I prefer to walk away still friends.”

“Jordan isn’t like the other women you’ve dated, and you know it.”

He forced a laugh past the tightness in his throat. “Yeah, this was one for the books, huh? I hope the next woman comes without baggage. I mean, her family was a lot to deal with.”

Even as he said it, the truth sliced at his heart. The Gregorys’ rejection hurt him terribly. He understood their rallying around Jordan, but he’d wanted somebody to stand by him, too. He wanted someone to believe him, or at least to hear him out. Ever since he had walked away, a cold, lonely void had grown inside him. He was going to miss Jordan. He was going to miss all of them.

He injected a lighthearted tone into his voice. “I called Marlee to set up dinner for next week. And the jazz festival is coming up. I figure Valerie will want to go.”

David stared at him with an expression of wonder and disappointment. His dark brows drew together in a frown. “Why are you making dates with these women? Aren’t you going to try and win Jordan back?”

“Hey, it wasn’t going to work out anyway.” Danny affected a shrug. “She wanted more than I could give her. So this was as doomed as all of my other relationships.”

A hard light flared in David’s eyes. “Was it? Or were you following your usual pattern?”

“You think I should have hung around, waiting for things to turn sour? We always swore we’d never end up like Mom and Dad.”

David’s expression softened, but his tone of voice was firm. “At least they’re together and still trying. You, on the other hand, are going to end up alone with nothing except memories and shadows. Jordan is a very special woman. She’s your chance to reach for the light.”

Danny slumped deeper into the couch and dropped his chin. “This wasn’t real, David. It wouldn’t have lasted. Nothing ever does. It either blows apart or dies a slow, agonizing death. Either way, the pain is too hard to live with.”

“Take it from someone who learned this lesson the hard way, and at Jordan’s expense. You can’t go through life denying what you know in your heart. The fact that you don’t like it doesn’t make it any less true. You love her. Now, what are you going to do about it?”

DANNY HAD NO IDEA what to do about Jordan, so he didn’t do anything. Sure, he picked up the phone to call her numerous times, but then hung up the receiver again. He’d even driven past her house, slowing down to stare at the lights in the windows and wanting to see her so badly it hurt.

But her rejection felt too much like all of the times he’d reached out to his parents, only to find himself rebuffed or ignored. To keep from thinking about Jordan, Danny retreated to the straightforward demands of his job, even taking extra shifts on what were supposed to be his days off.

It seemed that Tuesday night at the fire station might be quiet. There had been few calls during the day and the second shift was pretty relaxed as a result. Having spent the past two nights tossing and turning, Danny crashed out on one of the beds upstairs. Sleep eluded him for the longest time until he finally dropped into an exhausted slumber.

Around seven o’clock he was awakened by the strident peal of the alarm bell. Instantly going from sleep to full alert, he swung his legs over the side of the bed and into his steel-toed rubber boots. In the same motion he pulled up his bunker pants and snapped the suspenders in place. Danny stuffed his arms into his turnout coat as he raced for the stairs. The thunderous rumbling of the diesel engines filled the station and the bay doors were already opening.

The first rush of adrenaline hit his system as he jumped onto Ladder 24, listening to the dispatcher announce what they were facing. Fire in progress, commercial building, corner of Pratt and Howard streets. The second rush was a spiked fist in the gut. Oh, no. Had he heard the address right? No. Danny fumbled beneath his protective clothing for the cell phone in his trouser pocket.

Mike Cornwall yelled at him over the sirens as the fire truck roared along Pratt Street past King Boulevard. “Who the hell are you calling?”

“That address. It’s the CB&L building. Jordan works there.”

Danny stuck his index finger in his ear, listening for the connection to go through. Her home phone rang and rang, with no answer. He knew David was out with friends, leaving him free of worry about his brother. But where was Jordan?

Oh God, he hoped she wasn’t working late tonight. She’d said there was an important trial coming up, but she must have left the office by now. Please let her have left. He dialed the direct line to her office and got a busy signal. Shit!

Danny banged his fist on the roof and yelled at the chauffer, the firefighter driving the big ladder truck. “Move this thing!”

Mike leaned forward. “What’s up, L.T.?”

He swallowed against the nausea, practically choking on the words. “Her office line is busy. I think she’s still in there.”

Sirens screamed into the night, the sound reverberating off the skyscrapers and empty streets. Every fiber of his being hummed with dread as they got closer to the CB&L building. Through the tinted-glass windows, he could see the orange light of dancing flames on the middle floors.

The law firm was on the fourteenth.

Ladder 24 was the second company to arrive on the scene. Protocol dictated that they lay down supply lines to the first engine, which had only tank water to attack the fire. But Danny couldn’t wait for the third-on-scene company to perform the necessary search and rescue. He grabbed an SCBA tank from the equipment rack and donned his mask, then leaped off the truck and sprinted for the building.

He had to find Jordan. Now.

“You know we’re going to catch hell for this, don’t you?”

Danny glanced over to see Mike running at his side. Too grateful to speak, he simply nodded his head and ran on.

The lights were out, indicating that power had been lost. Several hoses snaked across the marble floor of the lobby. Mike almost tripped when the pressurized water rammed through the one and a half inch diameter line. Danny yanked the flashlight from his utility belt and turned it on.

A firefighter from Engine 32 came out of the stairwell, helping a distraught woman and reassuring the three other civilians with him. Shit. There were still people in the building. Danny and Mike reached the bank of elevators and he frantically flipped through his ring until he found the right key. “Where’s the focal point, Stonewall?”

Mike listened to the radio on his shoulder. “Twelfth floor. Some kind of office supply and photocopy business.”

He overrode the elevator doors. As they stepped inside, Mike pulled his mask onto his face. Danny shoved the key into the slot marked Fire Service and pressed the call button for twelve. His stomach plummeted as the car ascended. It was an unspoken rule that firefighters never discussed their fears with anyone, not even each other. But Mike had been his friend and partner long enough to read his face in the golden glow of their flashlights.

“Don’t sweat it, L.T. I’m sure she’s fine.”

When the elevator opened onto the twelfth floor, Danny saw that it was fully engaged. Flames licked the walls and spread up across the ceiling. Thick smoke billowed throughout this floor, giving the fire scene a murky, ethereal appearance. Hose crews from another company were already battling the blaze. Mike looked over at him and, by unspoken agreement, he punched the button to shut the elevator doors again.

“Fourteen, Mike. Head straight for fourteen.”

The smoke was thick up here, too, making an already dark area completely obscure. Playing their flashlights over the floor in front of them, they found the reception desk. Danny knew that Chase, Behr & Lily took up the whole floor, but he had no idea where Jordan’s office was located.

“Split up. You take this hallway. I’ll take the other.”

Mike nodded. “Let’s do it, L.T. We’ve only got another fifteen minutes of air.”

His pulse stuttered along his veins as he jogged down the passageway, flinging open doors to look for Jordan or anyone else that might have been overcome by the smoke. His hope grew with each empty office he found, but there were still too many left to check. He fervently prayed that Jordan wasn’t anywhere in here. Every moment that slipped away could mean a moment off of her life.

Then he heard it. The ominous whistling noise. The shrill sound warning him that he only had a quarter tank of air left. Fear as he’d never known it before slammed into him like a freight train. He couldn’t leave, not yet, not until he was sure. He began panting into his mask to conserve precious oxygen as he rushed toward yet another closed office door.

But the exertion was too much. Darkness crept along the edge of his consciousness. No. Not yet, damn it. Not now. He…had to…find… Fairy lights danced in front of his eyes and Danny knew he was in danger of blacking out. His strength ebbed and he felt himself sinking…

He couldn’t see. He could barely breathe. But he knew there were bodies all around him, trapped in the wreckage of the building and the plane, and he was helpless to save them.

Jordan. He had to save Jordan. His heart thundered in his chest and in his mind he cried out to her.

It was a nightmare of intense heat and unrelenting fear. Oily black smoke filled the air, surrounding him. Oh God, he couldn’t breathe.

Danny struggled against the terror. He couldn’t give in, not this time. He had to be strong. If he got a second chance, he wouldn’t waste it, he wouldn’t take it for granted. He’d been wrong, so wrong. Jordan had offered him the gift of her love and he’d been too afraid to reach for it, too afraid of it slipping through his hands. He couldn’t lose himself in the fear. He wouldn’t lose her.

There was no way out. Fires raged in a seething inferno of boiling smoke. They’d already lost four in that warehouse. He was out of air. Tears welled in his eyes. The darkness was coming and he couldn’t find the light…

Jordan.

As if from a great distance, he heard a voice yelling for him. “There’s nobody here! We have to get out. L.T.? L.T.!”

Mike dragged him to his feet. Then he hazily realized his partner had him in a fireman’s carry. Somehow he held on until they made it back to the elevator. Mike overrode the doors and tossed him inside. Danny propped himself against the wall and ripped the shield off his face. Mike replaced it with his mask. Danny gasped for breath as the pure, sweet oxygen filled his starving lungs.

Stonewall looked at him with a combination of humor and concern. “Man, the dumb-assed things we do for love.”

From behind the air mask, Danny managed a weak grin. By the time the elevator reached the lobby, he felt steadier on his feet. Again a silent look of understanding passed between him and his partner so that Danny walked outside unassisted. As they approached the nearest fire engines, the Battalion Chief came gunning for them.

“I told you we’d catch hell,” Mike muttered.

Danny leaned against the bumper of the truck, his eyes scanning the onlookers huddled behind the police barricade. Suddenly, through the crowd, the darkness and the commotion, he saw her. His relief at knowing Jordan was all right almost brought him to his knees.

He shoved past the Bat Chief in mid-harangue and ran toward Jordan. She cried out his name when he reached for her. As her hands cupped his cheeks, he felt her love touch his soul. Overwhelmed by the intensity of his feelings, Danny buried his face in her shoulder and held on, knowing he’d never again let her go.

DANNY HAD TO GO BACK and help battle the fire, so Jordan had been left to come home alone with only concern to keep her company. That was hours ago. She’d fallen asleep on the sofa, not waking until well after midnight.

She got up and changed out of her suit into an old pair of sweatpants and a T-shirt. It didn’t matter anymore if Danny saw her looking less than perfect. She knew now that she didn’t have to be perfect for him, that she was beautiful in his eyes. Jordan paced the living room of her row house, anxiously waiting for him to show up. The thick carpeting bore the imprint of her bare feet as she wandered the house.

As though her thoughts conjured his presence, the doorbell rang. She ran to answer it. Danny stood on her doorstep, simply gazing at her with an expression of tenderness and longing. He’d showered and changed clothes, but the specter of tonight’s fire still enveloped him.

Jordan wrapped her arms around him, sensing that he needed comfort and reassurance. “It’s all right, Danny. I’m okay.”

“I thought you were still in the office.” His rich voice was husky with emotion. “I thought I would lose you.”

“It’s okay now. Come inside.”

Holding hands, they moved to the sofa where Danny settled her onto his lap. She slipped one arm behind his neck while he hugged her around the waist and nuzzled her cheek. They sat in silence, simply touching and physically expressing their joy at being together again. Jordan brushed a kiss over his temple and heard his soft intake of breath.

Danny tightened his arms around her. He closed his eyes and she noticed his lower lip quiver before he pressed them into a firm line. When he sighed again, she felt some of the tension ease from his muscles. Without relinquishing his hold, Danny finally spoke.

“I didn’t realize how empty my life was before you came into it. I’ve never let myself get close to any woman, always pushing them away before they could disappoint or hurt me. I didn’t let myself care when it was over. I made sure I was the one to walk away.”

Jordan caressed his upper back, encouraging him to continue. When he looked at her, there were shadows in his eyes.

“I withdrew even more after September eleventh. That day made me realize how fragile life is, how quickly someone you love could be lost. I refused to take a chance on any relationship, knowing that the pain would be unbearable. But I’ve learned the hard way that you can’t go through life without taking the biggest risk of all. That’s not really living.”

Danny’s voice broke, breaking her heart along with it. The emotion evident on his face mirrored everything she was feeling. “So, I’m taking the chance. I’m saying it out loud, without hesitation and without fear. I love you, Jordan. With all my heart, I love you and I always will.”

This was everything she’d hoped for, all that she’d once wanted. To be part of a couple, to have someone in her life as a friend and a partner. She’d always believed that having a man accept and love her would make her whole. But instead, she’d discovered that giving love was what made her complete.

“I love you, Danny. I love you so much.”

Danny held on to her, gently rocking and whispering words of comfort in her ear. After a moment she stopped crying and he brushed the tears from her face. Jordan leaned closer and pressed her mouth to his in a slow, sensual kiss.

“You may not have realized, Danny, or wanted to admit it, but you’ve shown me your love in so many ways. It’s in the way you look at me, the way you smile, the way you touch me. And now it’s my turn to show you.”

Jordan smiled gently as she stood up and took his hand to lead him toward the stairs. In her bedroom, she walked over to the night table and switched on the small bedside lamp. Returning to stand proudly before Danny, she stripped off her clothes, knowing that her flaws were exposed, but not caring.

He gathered her into his arms, holding her tightly in his embrace. She could feel his heart beating in time with her own. She kissed him hungrily and he opened to her. His tongue traced sensual patterns inside her mouth as he glided his hands over her body.

Jordan broke the kiss and went over to lie down on her bed. Danny quickly shed his clothes and joined her, easing her back onto the smooth linen sheets before covering her body with his own. He claimed her mouth as she stroked her palms along the muscles of his bare back.

Heat, warm and penetrating, increased the fierce desire arcing between them until the kiss became eager and urgent. When Danny positioned himself between her legs, she spread her thighs, draping her calves over his, urging him to claim her completely. He began thrusting heavily and she lifted her body to meet him. The slow, insistent throb became a deep pulsating need until the orgasm shuddered through her. A moment later Danny’s body tensed and he cried out his release.

Afterward, she lay cuddled against his side, her head resting on his chest, his arm draped over her back. She planted a kiss on his warm skin then raised her head to look at him. “Thank you for loving me, Danny. And thank you for helping me learn to love myself.”

“My pleasure. The homework assignments have been a lot of fun.” He wiggled his brows suggestively, then his expression softened. His rich voice was hoarse with feeling. “I love you very much, Jordan.”

His kiss was gentle and sweet. As she began to drift off to sleep, Danny reached over for the lamp and turned out the light.

Epilogue

“HEY, PRETTY LADY.”

Jordan smiled as she heard Danny’s voice on the other end of the phone. “Hi, sweetheart.”

“Go do the hair-and-makeup thing and put on a dressy outfit. I’ll come pick you up in about thirty minutes.”

She looked down at the hole in the right knee of her jeans, then at the yellow latex glove on her left hand. Her Saturday morning had been spent on routine housecleaning. When the phone rang, she’d been scrubbing the grout between the kitchen tiles.

“I need more than a half hour to get ready.”

“Sorry, you can’t have it. I’m initiating our anytime agreement. See you in thirty.”

“Danny—”

He’d already hung up. Jordan set down the receiver and smiled. Anytime, huh? She pulled off her glove and quickly put away the cleaning supplies. Although the agreement she and Danny made was supposed to have ended over a month ago, they still took pleasure in being spontaneous and acting out the occasional fantasy.

She glanced at her watch and made a dash for the stairs. They were more than halfway through the Fifty Fast Fantasies book. Which one had he chosen this time and why did she have to dress up? Could it be A Rise from the Boss? Or maybe it was Dropping His Legal Briefs? Her pulse fluttered in anticipation. Whatever the fantasy, it would be acted out with the man she loved.

Exactly thirty minutes and twenty seconds later, Jordan opened the door for Danny. She grinned when he whistled appreciatively. Turning in a circle, she modeled her cream wool sweater dress and the purple boots Sheris had given to her. She’d left her hair down the way he liked it and kept her makeup to a minimum.

“You look beautiful, Jordan. Love the boots.”

“You’re looking pretty fabulous yourself.” She eyed the muted pin-striped charcoal suit that fit his broad shoulders and lean build like a second skin. “So, where are we going and what happens when we get there?”

Danny reached into his jacket pocket. When she saw the items he removed, she burst into giggles. He grinned at her as he held up a silk necktie and a medium-sized banana. “You know the routine, darling. Stay quiet and walk toward the Jeep.”

“You’re kidnapping me?”

He closed the front door behind them and brandished the fruit at her. “No funny business, lady. I don’t want to have to use this.”

Danny helped her into the vehicle and then he carefully secured his necktie over her eyes. Jordan heard him open the other door, slide into the driver’s seat and start the engine. Though she couldn’t tell how far they traveled, the time passed quickly with laughter and flirting and kisses at traffic lights. Before she knew it, Danny had stopped the Jeep.

“Where are we?”

“This fantasy is different from anything we’ve done before. And, I have to admit, I’m a little nervous.”

“Really? Ooh, must be kinky.” Jordan wiggled her brows beneath the necktie. “What’s this one called?”

She felt Danny take her left hand and suddenly her heart fluttered when he slipped a ring onto the third finger. Omigod. Jordan ripped off the blindfold and stared. The square-cut solitaire nestled between two rows of smaller diamonds glittering in the October sunlight.

“Oh. My. God.”

“The name of this fantasy is Be My Bride. No more faking, Jordan. This ring is real and so is my love. Will you marry me?”

“Yes. Absolutely. Yes, yes, yes!”

A wide smile spread across her face as she felt tears sting her eyes. In his gaze she saw all the love she felt reflected. Jordan reached over the gearshift to give him a hard, passionate kiss. Danny leaned back a moment later and looked at her with a tender expression.

“If you’re ready, then let’s go inside.”

She smoothed her palms over her hair and turned in the seat. She had just grabbed the door handle when she saw where they were. A gasp of surprise escaped her and all she could do was stare.

They were parked next to the curb outside her family’s church in Annapolis. The tears that had only threatened before trickled down her cheek. She looked at the people standing on the front steps. There was her mother and father, and beside them, stood both sets of grandparents. Her sister, Mason and her brothers were here as well. And Aunt Celeste, Uncle Matt and Keisha had flown up from Atlanta. She saw David, grinning down at them and waving, standing with his new partner. And next to him were two people who could only be her future in-laws.

Danny opened the car door and passed her a handkerchief. He waited patiently while she repaired her face, then held out his hand. “I love you, Jordan. Let’s go make nine and a half days last forever.”

She smiled even as her eyes filled again, and Danny smiled back. Jordan took his hand and walked with him toward the chapel.

ISBN: 978-1-4268-6682-1

9^1/2 DAYS

Copyright © 2004 by Mika Boblitz.

All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher, Harlequin Enterprises Limited, 225 Duncan Mill Road, Don Mills, Ontario, Canada M3B 3K9.

All characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the author and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the author, and all incidents are pure invention.

This edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

® and TM are trademarks of the publisher. Trademarks indicated with ® are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the Canadian Trade Marks Office and in other countries.

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Table of Contents

Letter to Reader

Books by Mia Zachary

Title Page

DEDICATION

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

Contents

Introduction

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Epilogue

Copyright