Page 63 (1/2)

CHAPTER ONE

BETH CANTRELL HADN’T thought about him in almost six months

Well, that wasn’t exactly true

Beth cleared her throat and shifted, glancing around as if everyone in the brewery could feel the lie she was telling herself

The truth was that she’d thought about Jamie Donovan plenty of times She’d remembered the hour or two they’d shared, she’d fantasized about what ht in that hotel room

But in the past six ain She hadn’t considered calling hirees attached and no expectations She’d had to abide by that, because she would never have let herself meet him in that hotel room otherwise

He wasn’t her type He wasn’t part of her social circle And she definitely wasn’t part of his Beth Cantrell ed the White Orchid, the premiere erotic boutique in Boulder Her friends were her employees: women she loved like sisters They were bold and powerful and sexually progressive And they dated people like themselves: tattooed, pierced, educated and cool Absolutely cool, even when they’d only reached the pinnacle of cool by being so incredibly nerdy that they actually circled around to cool again

Beth, on the other hand, wasn’t cool She was just… Beth But that was okay, because she was their er and they loved her, and they did their best to pull her into their sphere They fixed her up with guys Friends of theirs Men they knew and liked Men ere cool and hip and progressive And not one of those guys had ever pushed her buttons the way Jamie had

She still flushed when she thought about him in his tidy polo shirt and khaki pants His hite smile and broad shoulders He’d looked even better in a business suit The perfect vision of middle-class preppy beauty And Beth had wanted him so much it hurt

They’d been strangers, despite this small town But in that hotel room, with the promise that it would happen only once…the isolation of the act hadabout him

And right in the ood date she’d had in years

“Hey,” her date said as he waved a hand in front of her face “You okay?” He s from the words

“Sorry” Before she’d started thinking about Ja She racked her brain So artsy and important about Robert Mapplethorpe’s early career

“I’m really sorry,” she finally said “I didn’t realize how tired I was until the glass of beer hit me I’m not usually so rude”

He slad you didn’tto the party with me Faron and I have been friends for years I didn’t want to ured you knew her, too”

“Yes, we have uest of honor The problem was that Beth had had no idea the party would be at Donovan Brothers Brewery Not until her date had pulled into the parking lot, and Beth’s heart had sunk to her toes

It wasn’t his fault that the party he’d decided to take her to just happened to be at Donovan Brothers