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“Doesn’twith her loss ”

She’d done so with e, a need to rail at the wo to help or understand her Pity that she’d been so self-absorbed

And beside her grave had stood the blackhearted reason for the rift between them: Joshua Even after a dozen years, beyond a hundred feet, and through a pair of two-hundred-dollar sunglasses, there was nothe boyish-faced bastard At least he hadn’t seen her If he had, Lord knehat he would have done

She shook off the thought

“Tyler, thanks for your concern, but I’ve put tooto put it off I need to get it off the ground for cash-flow purposes Besides, what good would ing about my mom do?”

He cupped her shoulders in a tender gesture “You left here at three this ht Baby, you’ve got to sleep and give yourself tirieve ”

She’d rather not

Leaning forward, she placed a soft kiss on his cheek “You’re going to reat husband someday ”

“You asking me?”

Alyssa snorted “Do I look like the white-picket-fence type? Get your ass back to work ”

“Yes, ain “Oh, I forgot to tell you, souy is here to see you Some chef ”

“Luc Traverson?” she breathed

“Yeah He said you two had a

n appointuest chef gig this week?”

Tyler’s question registered, but she didn’t answer Instead, she glanced around Tyler, to the club’s front door

Booy body tense The sight of him was like a visceral blow She sedand let her hungry gaze eat hiing hi eyes A hot flush swept up her body Her heart didn’t just start racing faster; it careened out of control Far more than her palms went damp She swayed in dizzy excitement

Tyler caught her; his beefy hands slid around her waist to steady her Then he glanced back to Luc “You’ve got to be kidding me Him?”

Oh, yeah Definitely him

“Shut up, Tyler ” She pulled away and took a decisive step forward

Luc Traverson was here Finally She did her best to hide a sly snore her anymore; she’d make certain of that

UNTIL Alyssa Devereaux, had he ever gotten stone hard just by looking at a woman from across a room? Luc didn’t like the answer

He didn’t have to wonder as under that little skirt; he knew Sleek thighs surrounded by garters in so that would reveal far more of her assets than it concealed And under thatThe feel and taste of her slick, swollen folds dive-bombed his memory and revved him up, as if he’d injected rocket fuel in his bloodstream

And now he had to work beside her for a week Hell Hoas he going to prevent a recurrence of the event he wanted to forget—yet couldn’t?

You’re a professional Cook and keep your hands to yourself Besides, it wasn’t as if he had nothing else to think about Negotiations for his cable TV shoere nearly at an end He had a bit of editing to do on his latest cookbook There wouldn’t be that much downtime this week, but what little there’d be, he would fill

Clearly, Alyssa had a way to fill her tie slab of o wore a Sexy Sirens T-shirt stretched across his enoruy slanted a possessive glance at Alyssa that Luc couldn’t lared at him

Taer, Luc reminded himself that if Alyssa wanted to fuck her hired help, that was her business

The violent urge to dismember her employee would pass

Alyssa took a step toward Luc, then another

“Mistress Alyssa,” a female called over the speakers in a saucy vamp voice “Your turn!”

She stopped Closed her eyes Sighed Bracing herself ?

Then, as if the hesitation had never been, she flashed hie, then turned away and strode backstage Luc couldn’t help himself He watched her walk away, the sway of those curvy hips a siren call Damn

If they had been alone, there was no way Luc could have prevented hi her Period

Unless he wanted another brush with his uncontrollable wild side, he needed to forget his reckless proet out of this job Now

Reluctantly, Luc sauntered to the front of the stage and sat in the chair Alyssa had indicated As soon as she finished whatever the hell she was doing and talked to him, he’d tell her all bets were off Hell, he’d pay her for her inconvenience

Because if he stayed, his dick would get his in twofor Mrs Right, someone uncomplicated anted children as much as he did and would help him keep his beast at bay Alyssa Devereaux, stripper divine, was definitely not that woman

Suddenly, hty beat, a wicked slide of horn Every note suggested sex—the hot, sweaty, no-boundaries variety

The type he’d had with her and wanted again

Pulling his loose shirt over his lap to cover his erection, Luc watched as Alyssa strutted onto the stage She’d piled her straight platinuement on top of her head and donned a sequined bolero jacket in red He was dying to see what she wore underneath The way she moved was an invitationand a promise

She planted her stiletto-clad feet in front of hi a sensual circle She flattened her palan lowering it She reached downso daht in his chest until, finally, she touched herself Oh, hell

Her fingers glided between her legs, and she tossed her head back as if she were in utter ecstasy

Luc sed And started to sweat

With a jerk of her head, Alyssa snapped her gaze back to hi him to his toes

Da church secretaries, interior decorators, and elementary school teachers showed Not one of the that tiht , his dick in his hand and Alyssa’s name on his lips Now, after less than five minutes in her presence, he felt ready to explode