One Night Forever (The Cinderella Chronicles) (2 page)

She took each step with
awe of the new experience and of being in a world so unlike her
own. If her job went well, she knew this kind of place might be
exactly what her future held. It made her journey to the top of the
steps all the more spellbinding. Reaching the entrance to the bar,
Lauren stood in the doorway, scanning the room. Her gaze slid to
the ceiling in appreciation. Triangle-shaped lights dangling by the
hundreds offered a seductive hint of dim light. Small round tables
with matching chairs graced the room in clusters of four. The bar
was busy though not overly crowded.

And as if a magnet drew
her gaze, Lauren’s eyes went to table where two men sat talking.
Suddenly, she found herself pinned in a stare. Dark eyes held hers.
The man was like something out of her best fantasy. Black hair
framed a square jaw and defined cheekbones.

Awareness swirled in her
stomach, and spread through her body. Absolute quiet seemed to fill
the room and all activity around her disappeared. Nothing existed
but the two of them, as if a magic circle had been drawn enclosing
her with her perfect stranger. Lauren licked her lips nervously.
His gaze followed the action, lingering on her lips. It was the
moment that allowed her to regain her sanity. How long had she been
spellbound by this man?

Lauren shook her head
slightly and refocused on the room, scanning for Cat, but not
finding her. Eyeing an open table, at the opposite side of the bar,
she headed toward it. Facing the entrance, Lauren watched for Cat.
A waitress placed a napkin in front of her. Lauren looked up at her
and blinked. The woman was striking, with long black hair, and
brilliant blue eyes. She had the kind of looks that turned heads.
Suddenly, Lauren’s confidence faltered. This woman was unique and
striking. Lauren was often called “cute” and she hated
it.

“
Drink?” the
waitress asked, with a hint of impatience in her voice.

Lauren rarely drank so
she said the only thing that came to mind. “Margarita.”

“
Frozen? On
the rocks? Salt? No salt?”

So many choices.
“Frozen.”

“
Salt?” An
irritated pause. “No salt?”

“
Hmm,” Lauren
said. “Salt?”

Mumbling something
incomprehensible, the waitress turned to leave. Lauren watched as
the woman crossed the bar, her long, perfect legs carrying her
gracefully away. At that moment, Lauren decided she needed that
margarita for courage. Because right now she was feeling way too
cute.

* * * * *

Matthew Monroe
laughed as Bob Hart, aka “the Joker” as they had called him in
college, told one of his trademark bad jokes. In the ten years he’d
known the man, Bob had never run out of
bad
jokes. But
he was only half listening. His mind lingered on the sweet little
brunette he’d seen just minutes before. He studied her openly,
drawn to her rich sensuality, unable to tear his eyes away. But
there had been more to her than met the eyes. Beneath her surface,
he’d sensed vulnerability. It had called to him in some strange way
he didn’t quite understand.

“
Earth to
Matt,” Bob said snapping two fingers in front of Matthew’s face.
“Hello?” Bob ran his hand across his buzzed, blond hair and smiled.
“Still thinking about that woman, I see? At least something other
than work can get your attention.”

Matthew grinned in
return. “I have never had a problem taking a momentary break for
the right member of the opposite sex.”

“
Just as long
as they don’t demand more than a romp or two in the sack, right
ole’ boy?” There was a hint of disapproval in his voice.

Matt grimaced. “Hey,
until Angela somehow hypnotized you, things were no different for
you. Don’t pretend differently.”

“
I was never
like you. I never allowed my work to become my life.”

Matt snorted. “I don’t
live my job. Just because I don’t have a steady woman in my life
doesn’t make me married to my job. Besides, it’s hard being my
father’s son. I’ve had to prove I’m as good as he is.”

“
I still can’t
believe you’re off in Los Angeles running someone else’s company.
Why do you even keep a place here?”

“
I’ll be back
soon. I’ll take over my father’s firm next year sometime. For now,
I’m proving I deserve the job.”

“
And
sacrificing any semblance of a personal life for the same final
result,” Bob said.

“
I don’t need
a woman after the green,” Matt countered. “You found Angela before
you made money. I was born into it. I want a woman who wants me for
me just like I want a job I earned fair and square.”

“
So because
your family has money you will never find ‘the’ woman?” Bob
questioned.

“
I never said
I didn’t want a woman. Just not one who wants me for my money or
attaches a ball and chain. Besides, I don’t buy into the storybook
‘happily ever after’.”

“
Yet your
parents were happily married.”

“
And an
exception to the rule. All married people, like yourself, defend
holy matrimony because they don’t want to believe they are destined
for failure.”

Bob shook his head and
glanced at his watch. “I need to go. I’m meeting my wife for
dinner. Correction. Soon-to-be ex-wife—if your theory holds
water—for dinner.” He stood and held out his hand. “Good to see
you, man. Call me next month when you’re in town.”

After a few words of
goodbye, Bob departed. Matt downed the rest of his whiskey and Cola
and scanned the room, looking for the woman who continued to invade
his thoughts. And there she was, his brunette angel, still alone.
That was all the invitation he needed.

* * * * *

Lauren’s drink appeared
on the table in front of her, forcing her eyes up. Her breath
caught in her throat, because there stood, in front of the table,
her sexy stranger, the one she had spotted as she entered the bar.
Tall, dark, and handsome just like her best fantasy man. She
swallowed, her mouth suddenly feeling extremely dry.

“
Hi,” he said
in a deep, resonating voice. “I’m Matt.”

He wore dress pants, and
a button-down white shirt, open as if he had discarded a tie. Very
GQ and worldly. Unable to help herself, her eyes made a quick sweep
of his body. Taking in the broad shoulder, tapered waist and
powerful thighs.

Eyes returning
to his face, she forced her voice. “Uh, hi. I’m Lauren.”
And you are
gorgeous
.

“
Nice to meet
you, Lauren,” he said, with a slight incline of his head. His gaze
shifted for just a moment to the chair beside her. “Mind if I join
you or are you expecting someone?”

Unbelievable. It was as
if she’d willed her best fantasy to life. “Please,” she said. “Feel
free. My friend is late and I could use the company.” Lauren
silently reveled at the cool way she’d managed to
respond.

Without another word, he
occupied the chair to her right. Nervous, and needing something to
do, she reached for her drink and sipped. The tangy taste of lime
filtered into her mouth. And she wondered how he tasted. The pure
heat of the thought made her set her glass down.

“
I’ve never
seen you here before,” he said. “This tends to be the same crowd
over and over.”

Lauren glanced at him,
debating what she should say. For this to be a fantasy night, her
red hot secret, she needed to live it to the fullest. That meant no
personal information. No temptation to make it more than a
delicious retreat from her focused, career-driven world.

Decision made, she
smiled. “I’m visiting from out of town. An old college buddy lives
here and we’re hooking up tonight. It was her idea to come here.”
Now she just had to make sure Cat went along with her story. Not
that she was overly concerned. Cat loved little games and would
take a quick hint if offered. Lauren glanced at her watch hoping to
deter him from asking much about Cat. “She’s very late.”

“
I can’t say
I’m sorry,” he said in a low voice. “If your friend wasn’t late, I
wouldn’t be sitting here with you…alone.”

“
Funny how
things work out,” she said softly, unable to hide a hint of a
smile. This little flirtation was fun. It had been so long since
she’d allowed herself the freedom to enjoy a man.

“
So—” he
started to speak, but Lauren’s cell phone rang, interrupting his
sentence.

“
Sorry.”
Lauren held up one finger, reaching inside her purse for her phone.
“It’s probably my friend.” He nodded as she answered her phone.
“Hello.”

Cat’s panicked
voice greeted her. “Oh, God Lauren, I am
soooooo
sorry. I
didn’t even know what time it was. My computer crashed and burned
my article for tomorrow morning’s publication. I have been in a
total panic mode trying to get it rewritten. I can’t believe this
is happening tonight of all nights.”

A flutter of fear raced
through her stomach. An escape route from Mr. Sexy had just darted
out of reach. It would have been nice to know it was there if she
wanted it. “I understand. Business comes first. It has
to.”

Cat exhaled loudly into
the phone. “You are too damn nice and understanding, I swear. I
deserve to have you go off on me. I hate that you’re there
alone.”

“
Uh, sort of,”
Lauren said.

“
Sort of? Is
someone with you?” Cat asked in a disbelieving tone.

“
Yes,” Lauren
replied.

“
Oh God, tell
me he’s cute. No. Not cute. Tell me he’s gorgeous. Hot. Worth a
good romp in the sack.”

“
Very,” Lauren
said in a carefully bland tone. Matt was watching her. A tiny smile
playing at the corner of his mouth as if he knew that she was
talking about him.

Cat shrieked
into the phone and then turned authoritative. “Okay, here is the
deal. Get
laid
. You need it
honey. Don’t think,
just
do
. I know how you think
so
NO
, you are not a whore for having a one-nighter.
Especially when you haven’t been laid in so long you could
medically be called a virgin again.
Go for it
.”

Lauren rolled her eyes.
“Go make your deadline and leave me alone.” She hit the “end”
button without saying goodbye and then carefully returned her phone
to her purse.

“
I take it
your friend is not joining you?”

The question put Lauren
in the position of making a decision. Stay or go? And she knew, for
once in her life, she deserved a little detour from her good-girl
world. “I’m on my own. My friend is a writer for the local paper.
She had a little kink in meeting her deadline.” She regretted the
words the instant they left her mouth. This was one night. No
strings. No history.

Matt flagged the
raven-haired waitress. Lauren watched him as he spoke to her. He
ordered a drink, dismissing her without a second thought. Lauren
bit back a smile, loving the way he focused on her and not the
other woman.

“
So what
happened to
your
friend?” Lauren asked curiously,
openly acknowledging her interest in him earlier. It was no secret.
He knew. She knew. Boldness seemed a part of this night.

“
He has a wife
to get home to.”

“
And you
don’t?”

He laughed. It was a
deep, sexy, sound from deep in his throat. “No. No wife. What about
you? Got a husband at home?”

She shook her head
adamantly. “Oh,” she said. “No. Not me.”

He looked like he might
ask more, but the waitress appeared, placing his drink in front of
him. Paying her took a quick few seconds. Refocusing on Lauren, his
gaze was hot and heavy. Leaning forward, he leaned close, and the
spicy scent of his cologne burned a sizzling reaction in her nerve
endings.

“
Can you read
my mind, Lauren?” His voice was very soft and so seductive Lauren
almost shivered.

She bit her bottom lip,
wondering if she dared say what she really thought. His eyes
dropped to her mouth. Oh, yes, she knew what he was thinking. But
still, she played it safe, answering a bit evasively. “Hopefully,
the same thing I am,” she whispered.

His eyes darkened as they
met hers, holding her gaze with a silent promise of seduction.
Reaching across the table, he took her hand in his and brought her
knuckles to his lips. A shock wave of heat shot through her body.
The thought of more of that mouth, in a whole lot of places, had
dampness pooling between her thighs.

Slowly he stood, holding
out his hand in invitation. “Dance with me,” he said.

She looked at his palm,
realizing this was a telling moment. Would the first time he held
her be as enticing as she thought it would be? Eager to find her
answer, her hand slid into his. Instant and intense awareness
rocketed through her body.

And there was her answer.
His touch was as potent as expected.

He guided her to her feet
then, and his hand went to her waist. They stood so close her
thighs pressed against his. Her nipples tingled with his nearness
and the rawness of desire. For long moments, they stared at one
another. Lauren had no doubt her eyes radiated desire, because it
sizzled inside her like a low flame building to a fire. What would
it feel like to have his hands all over her body?