Dear Reader,

Eight years ago Harlequin senior editor Brenda Chin invited me to write the first Harlequin Blaze novel, and that honor ranks as a major highlight of my career. Harlequin Blaze was a new millennium concept then, and the line continues to set the standard for sensuality and great storytelling. With innovation like that, no wonder Harlequin Books is now celebrating its sixtieth anniversary of publishing the romances women want to read! I’m thrilled to be a part of that legacy.

When Harlequin Blaze debuted, it brought a sense of adventure and freedom to both authors and readers. I was inspired to write Notorious, a no-holds-barred story of a woman who allows a man to believe the worst about her, and then tortures him with glimpses of how naughty she can be! Creative freedom is a heady experience, both for me and for my characters.

Apparently that heady experience still calls to me, because I’m starting a whole new series within Harlequin Blaze that debuts in the summer of 2010. I couldn’t return to Blaze without returning to the cowboy heroes I love, men like Noah, the hero in Notorious. Poor Noah—he’s determined to save Keely from a decadent life. He has no idea what he’s let himself in for with a feisty woman like Keely!

I’m sure Noah and Keely are delighted to be part of Harlequin’s sixtieth anniversary, as am I. Here’s to sixty more wonderful years of reading!

Gratefully yours,

Vicki Lewis Thompson

Praise for New York Times
bestselling author
Vicki Lewis Thompson

“Vicki Lewis Thompson is one of those rare, gifted writers with the ability to touch her readers’ hearts and their funny bones.”

—#1 New York Times bestselling author

Debbie Macomber

“Master storyteller Vicki Lewis Thompson dishes up a sizzling romantic romp guaranteed to spice up our reading pleasure.”

—Romantic Times BOOKreviews

“Thompson’s love scenes combine emotion and erotic drive, making her one of the best sensual writers in the field.”

—Affaire de Coeur

“Ms. Thompson does a wonderful job of blending the erotic with romance that is sometimes tender, sometimes funny, and always exciting.”

—Diana Risso, Romance Reviews Today

“When you pick up a book that bears the name of Vicki Lewis Thompson on the cover, you can expect a great read. She…will make you laugh, cry, need a cold shower and most important fall in love.”

—Fallen Angel Reviews

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR

Vicki Lewis Thompson
Notorious

For my editor Brenda Chin,

fellow trailblazer…still.

Contents

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

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Epilogue

1

GIRLS! GIRLS! GIRLS!

The electronic message on the billboard over the Pussycat Lounge expanded against a background of cascading fireworks, then disintegrated as a new message took shape.

ON STAGE NOW!

Noah Garfield walked past the entrance to the bar, located two streets over from the Las Vegas Strip. Although he had no intention of entering the place, he wouldn’t be a normal guy if he didn’t spend a moment picturing topless women dancing inside the darkened interior. Sexual adventure seemed more wicked when it was offered at two in the afternoon.

And sexual adventure still made him think of Keely, even after ten years. He could hardly believe so much time had gone by since she’d shocked the good folks of Saguaro Junction, Arizona, by posing for the centerfold of Macho magazine. With no trouble at all he could still see her stretched out in all her nineteen-year-old glory, smiling at him and about half a million other guys. Born to be wild, that was Keely Branscom.

He’d love to know where she was now. Maybe married with three kids, although he had a hard time picturing that. More likely she was performing in a club exactly like the one he’d just passed. That wasn’t so hard to imagine.

The bachelor party tonight would be at a similar kind of place, and Noah wasn’t really looking forward to it. He didn’t have a steady relationship with a woman like the other guys in the wedding party, which meant he was sexually on edge. It wasn’t a good idea to watch a lot of seminaked women bobbing around when you were in that state.

The heels of his boots tapped out a steady rhythm as he continued on his way. The last time he was in this town for a pro rodeo about five years ago, he distinctly remembered a little neighborhood-type bar in this area. No dancers, no loud music, just cold beer and a couple of outdated slot machines.

Now he couldn’t find it.

He’d counted on that little bar to be his hidey-hole over the weekend, whenever the festivities for his good buddy Brandon threatened to overwhelm him. He was glad, honored even, to be a groomsman—he really was. But Brandon and Jenny’s engagement last fall had meant that Noah was the only one of his rodeo buddies who hadn’t found himself a wife.

To top it off, his little brother, Jonas, had become engaged, and of all people, he’d picked Keely’s sister, B.J. Noah wouldn’t mind getting married. In fact, he would love getting married. But he’d been kept busy with the ranch, and Saguaro Junction wasn’t exactly overrun with eligible females. Until recently, any that happened along had been instantly appropriated by Jonas.

Well, maybe now that Jonas was settling down, Noah would have the time and opportunity to find a wife of his own. But, in the meantime, here he was, smack-dab in the middle of Sin City at a time when he was feeling especially vulnerable to suggestions.

You could do just about anything you wanted to in this town, and that was way too much freedom for his taste. After only a few hours here he could already feel the sexual pull of the city, the urge to do things you’d never think of doing in your own hometown. It made him nervous.

Keely had affected him that way, all those years ago, and he’d wisely decided to steer clear of her. If he could just get that centerfold picture out of his mind, he’d be all set. But this was the sort of place to freshen that memory, not erase it.

At the next intersection he paused and glanced around at a passel of gift shops, liquor stores and pawnshops. No neighborhood bar. It had probably gone out of business. With a sigh he turned around to retrace his path to the hotel.

The hotel had several bars, but they were all too trendy, too noisy. He hungered for worn vinyl stools and a little country music. Someplace like the Roundup Saloon in Saguaro Junction.

It was a pitiful thing for a man of thirty-two to be homesick, but that’s what he was. He wouldn’t even mind mucking out stalls right now if he could be back on the ranch looking forward to a barbecue this evening and a sunset that would make your eyes water with its beauty. He loved that ranch the same way his daddy had, and his daddy before him. It was Garfield land, and Noah always felt better when his feet were planted on it.

He was so caught up in his daydreaming that he wasn’t paying any attention to the other people on the sidewalk. It took him a while to realize that the redhead walking toward him looked a lot like Keely. But his mind was probably playing tricks on him, considering he’d just been thinking of her.

With his hat pulled low to shade his eyes, he could study her more closely without being caught at it. Yep, sure reminded him of Keely. The blue flowers decorating her dress looked sweet and innocent, but the dress itself, filmy and cut to midthigh, was anything but. The skirt flounced around her smooth legs with every step she took.

It was a mouthwatering dress, clingy enough to allow every curve to make itself known when she moved. It laced up over her breasts, and although the neckline didn’t show much cleavage, the dress revealed a hell of a lot of leg. Bare, brightly painted toes peeked out of a pair of high-heeled sandals. Keely could wear high-heeled sandals like nobody else.

Of course, this wasn’t Keely. But this woman could be her twin. Same full, pouty mouth; same determined chin; same “I Gotta Be Me” stride.

She wore sunglasses, so he couldn’t see her eyes. The eyes would be the clincher. No other woman in the world had Keely’s eyes. Some people said green was a soothing, cool color. Not on Keely. She could scorch a man’s heart with one glance. A few thought the devil himself stoked that blaze, and it could well be. Looking into her eyes, a man might consider selling his soul.

The Keely look-alike paused outside the dance club and Noah paused, too. Of course she wasn’t Keely, but now he had to be absolutely positive before he could walk on past.

She dug in her shoulder purse for something and came out with a small leather notebook. Flipping it open, she shoved her sunglasses to the top of her head while she studied whatever was written there. Snapping the notebook shut, she thrust it back into her purse and stepped toward the entrance.

“Excuse me.” He moved toward her and came up with the first line he could think of. “Could you tell me what time it is?” Damn, she even smelled like Keely. She’d been partial to raspberry-scented body lotion.

Without looking at him, she glanced at her watch. Then she raised her head and gazed in his direction. “It’s two-fif—” She stopped abruptly and stared at him.

He gasped and his heart began to hammer the way it always did in reaction to her. Those eyes. God, they were more potent than ever.

“Noah?” Her mouth gaped open. “Noah Garfield, is that you?”

“It’s me.” The shock of seeing her made his head buzz.

“Wow.” She let out a breathless little laugh. “I can’t believe this.”

“You can’t believe it? I can’t believe it. I was just thinking about you and then bam, you showed up.” Whoops. He shouldn’t have said that.

“Really?” Her kiss-me-now mouth curved in a smile. Her lipstick was the color of a ripe peach, and she must have recently put it on, because it still had a gloss that made her mouth look wet. “After all these years? How flattering.”

“Well, I—uh…” Damn it all, now he was blushing.

Her smile widened. “Couldn’t be the sign flashing over our heads that reminded you of me, now, could it?”

As usual, she knew right where to press to make him squirm. “Now, Keely, that’s the sort of thing best forgotten, don’t you think?”

“It’s obvious you haven’t forgotten it.” She reached out and patted his arm. “That’s okay. It’s not every day that the girl you used to chase around the stock tank decides to bare her all in a centerfold. Folks in Saguaro Junction aren’t used to that kind of thing. I guess it would tend to stick in your mind.”

“I think most people have forgotten about it.” Not true. Mention Keely Branscom anywhere in town and eyebrows still rose. He struggled to get some purchase on the conversation. “So how’ve you been?” Now there was an original question.

“Fine.”

“That’s good.” Another brilliant comment. He had to admit she looked fine. Saucy as all get-out, the way she’d always been. Judging from the way the dress fit, she hadn’t put on an extra ounce in ten years.

“How about you?” she asked.

“I’m good.” He wondered how she made her lipstick look like that, as if she’d just licked her lips. He shouldn’t be looking at her mouth, but her eyes weren’t any safer a place to rest his glance. Well, he could look lower, at her breasts rising and falling under the thin, flowery material. That wasn’t such a good idea. Better concentrate on her mouth, even if it did remind him of the one time she’d kissed him.

“What brings you to Vegas?” she asked.

He had to stop and think. Oh, yeah, Brandon. “A friend of mine’s getting married.”

“Really? Anybody I know?”

“I don’t think so. He’s from Wyoming. We met up on the rodeo circuit a few years back. I don’t think he ever made it to the ranch, but we’ve kept in touch.”

“That’s nice.” For a split second she sounded a little wistful. Then that cocky tone of hers took over again. “So what’s up with you, Noah? Found yourself a salt-of-the-earth ranching woman yet?”

“Nope.” Once again she’d managed to hit a subject he was touchy about. “Been a little busy.” He hesitated, not sure how much he wanted to reveal. After all, she’d been the one who’d decided to break off contact with everyone in Saguaro Junction, including her father and sister. But finally he decided to tell her some of the news. Couldn’t hurt. “My dad died a couple of years ago.”

“Oh. Oh, I’m sorry.” She gazed up at him, her green eyes filled with sadness. “He was a nice man.”

“Thanks. He was.” He couldn’t ever remember seeing sympathy in her eyes before. Defiance plenty of times, devilment nearly as often and, once, on a very memorable night, desire. Never this soft, endearing sympathy.

He’d always thought of her as being so tough, but maybe she wasn’t. Ten years ago he hadn’t allowed himself to see past her cheeky bravado. Life had been safer that way. But he was older now, and he wondered if he’d missed a few things about Keely. He should have tracked her down, just to make sure she was okay.

“So you and Jonas are running things?” she asked.

“Yeah.” He could say that now. Six months ago he couldn’t have, back when Jonas spent more time chasing women than chasing cows. But B.J. had settled Jonas down considerably. “That’s another thing that’s happened,” he said. “Jonas will be getting married soon.”

“Get outta here!” She grinned. “Shotgun?”

“Nope. He’s marrying your sister.”

Disbelief flashed in her eyes, but it was quickly replaced with a touching vulnerability. She glanced away. “Well.” Her throat moved in a hard swallow before she looked up, her gaze guarded. “She always was sweet on him, but she’s making a huge mistake.”

“A few months ago I would have agreed with you, but you’d be surprised at how Jonas has changed. He’s getting more responsible by the day.”

“What a shame.”

The old irritation that had always been a part of his conversations with Keely pricked him now. If everybody had Keely’s carefree attitude toward life, the work would never get done. “I happen to be glad for him.”

She gave him that saucy smile, the one that always warned him that a smart-ass remark was coming. “You would be,” she said. “You were born old.”

His jaw clenched. Keely had a real talent for getting under his skin. She always had—in every department. “Everybody has to grow up sometime. Even you.”

“Not if I can help it. And as for B.J. and Jonas, they should have years ahead of them before they have to settle into some boring routine. But no, they’re shackling themselves to each other and that blessed ranch. I hate to see it.”

“Nobody asked you to.” Now, that was a low blow and he hadn’t meant to deliver it. But he couldn’t take it back, and he didn’t know how to smooth over what he’d just said.

Her eyes registered the hurt. “No, I guess nobody did.” She slid her sunglasses back on, and when she spoke again her voice sounded more brittle than bright. “And I suppose my father’s as crotchety as ever?”

He was touched that she was brave enough to ask about Arch. She and her father had fought bitterly all through her teenage years, and he’d practically thrown her out after the centerfold incident. He hadn’t been serious about sending her away, but with her nineteen-year-old view of the world, she’d taken it seriously. Neither of them had been able to swallow their pride long enough to make the connection again.

“Arch is fine,” he said gently, wanting to reassure her of that much, at least. “In perfect health.”

“I’m not surprised,” she said with a grimace, although she sounded relieved. “He wouldn’t tolerate the presence of an infirmity.” She straightened her shoulders. “Well, now that we’re all caught up, I’d better be going. I have an appointment.”

He’d nearly forgotten where they were standing. Before he’d stopped her she’d been about to go inside this dance club. He had a sinking sensation that he knew why. “An appointment?” he asked, trying to keep the question casual.

“Yes. An interview.”

“Oh.” His gut churned. A job interview. The centerfold picture flashed through his mind again and he knew without a shadow of a doubt that she was trying to get a job dancing on the stage in there. She planned to take off most of her clothes and twirl those little tassel gizmos for the men who patronized this club.

He eyed the entrance once more and noticed chipped paint around the door frame. The rock music coming from inside sounded more sinister than it had a moment ago, and he heard loud male laughter. He hoped this place was a step down from what she’d been doing before and not a step up. But whichever direction she was headed, it looked like the wrong road to him.

“Listen, I’m already late, but it’s been fun seeing you,” she said. “What a coincidence, huh? Take care of yourself, Noah.” She turned toward the shadowy entrance.

Without taking time to think about it, he grabbed her arm. “Don’t go in there.”

She glanced up at him in surprise. “Why not?”

“There have to be better ways to make a living.” His breath hitched. Her bare arm felt warm and smooth beneath his fingers. She had wonderful skin, he remembered now. And she was planning to show way too much of it to strangers.

With her free hand she pushed her sunglasses to the top of her head. Then she gazed at him as if fascinated by this turn of events. “What do you think I do for a living?”

“I’m…I’m not sure, and to tell the truth I’d rather not know. I’m just asking you not to go for that interview. I’ve been in places like this. I know how they expect the women to—”

“Do you, now?”

He released her arm as if her skin might burn him. “Damn it, Keely. You know what I’m talking about.”

“I’m not sure I do. I’m still getting used to the concept of Noah Garfield in a topless bar. Did someone trick you into going in?”

“No!” The woman sure had a way of getting his goat. “I went in under my own steam. I’m not a saint.”

A slow smile spread over those peach-colored lips. “Couldn’t prove it by me.”

“Look, Keely, I know we haven’t always seen eye to eye on things. Years ago you seemed determined to head in a certain direction, and you wouldn’t listen to anybody who tried to talk you out of it. But I’m asking you right here, right now, to reconsider. Maybe you met me on this street for a reason. Maybe it’s time to think about alternatives.”

She folded her arms and looked at him. Mischief lurked in her eyes. “Let’s make sure I understand. Instead of going inside and getting a job wiggling my ta-tas for the customers, you want me to reform and go into a more respectable line of work. Is that the gist of it?”

“You’re making fun of me, but yes, that’s the gist of it.”

The gleam of devilment grew brighter. “You want to save me from myself.”

“Aw, hell, Keely.” He figured she was going to roast him for this attempt to do the right thing. “It’s not that topless dancing is so terrible. I know you think I’m some sort of prude, but I’m not. And I understand that you’ve always wanted to kick the status quo in the butt. But isn’t this getting a little old? I should think you’d have moved on to something else by now.”

“I’m not even thirty!”

“Damn close.”

“Ten whole months away, buster.”

“See, it’s the perfect time to make a change.” He was thinking she looked years younger than thirty. Because they’d grown up together he knew exactly how old she was, but a stranger would think she was in her early twenties. No doubt her body would look good on stage for a long time to come, but he didn’t intend to say that. He didn’t even want to think that.

“And what sort of job should I do?” she asked, tapping the toe of her sandal against the pavement.

“I’m not sure.” He rubbed the back of his neck. Now that he’d jumped into this white-knight routine, he didn’t know how to proceed. “Maybe we could kick around some ideas.”

“And when could we do that? You have a wedding to attend, as I recall, and I need to make a living.”

And there was the heart of the matter. If she was looking for a job, she was probably short on cash. He couldn’t very well tell a woman like Keely to forget about the money she’d make dancing topless and take a job flipping burgers instead. She’d laugh in his face. He wasn’t going to convert her to a different lifestyle during one conversation on the street corner.

He stalled, trying to think what to do. “How long have you been in Vegas?”

“Just got here yesterday.”

“Okay.” He thought quickly. One step at a time. “I understand the economic realities. You just came to town and you need a job, but could you hold off for the weekend so we could talk about it? I could cover your expenses for the next few days.”

“You mean, pay for my room and board? I don’t think so.”

“Then how about this? Cancel your room reservation and move in with me for the weekend. Would that save you enough so you wouldn’t have to work right away?”

“You want me to share your hotel room?” She eyed him with interest.

That look triggered a vivid memory. She’d kissed him with the passion of a woman that night in the barn, even at the tender age of sixteen. “Strictly as friends,” he said quickly. “It’s a minisuite. I’ll take the couch and you can have the bed. This isn’t a proposition, Keely.”

“Are you sure?” The mischief had returned to her green eyes. “I realize you’re not in the habit of kicking over the traces, but we’re not in Saguaro Junction anymore. No one from back home has to hear about this. And we all know what a naughty girl I am.”

Warmth flooded through him. She really had a knack for saying exactly what would bring a reaction. “That’s the kind of thinking you need to get away from,” he said. “Life is about more than sex.” At the moment he couldn’t think what else it was about, but he’d get his bearings again soon.

“Let me make sure I understand. You’re inviting me to stay in your room for the weekend, but you have no intention of us fooling around. Instead, you’re going to do some career counseling for me.”

“That’s right.” Not that fooling around with Keely didn’t hold some appeal. But she apparently thought that’s all she was good for, and he didn’t want to reinforce that notion.

She frowned in confusion. “I asked you if you had a wife back home and you said no. But is there a serious girlfriend? Because I can imagine you would be totally loyal once you committed yourself to somebody.”

“No serious girlfriend.” Come to think of it, he hadn’t even had a date in months.

“Noah, are you gay?”

He choked. As he was coughing and sputtering, he shook his head and gasped out his denial.

She ticked off her conclusions on the tips of her fingers. “You’re not committed to anyone, you’re not gay, and you don’t want to have sex with me, even if no one back home would ever find out.”

“That’s right.” He did want to have sex with her, always had, but that was a white lie he could live with.

“Then you surely must be a saint who has dropped down out of the sky to save me from my wicked ways. Okay, I accept.”

He cleared his throat and tried to look more confident than he felt. “That’s great.” Now that she’d pointed out to him that only a saint could be expected to resist her, he’d begun to think this whole idea was doomed. But if he could somehow find the strength to keep his hands off her, then maybe she’d develop a new image of herself. And that was worth doing. After all, his brother was marrying her sister. She would be family soon.

“We should probably go pick up your stuff,” he said. “Is your hotel far from here?”

She looked suddenly worried. “Uh, the thing is, they, um…lost my luggage. You know how that happens. I don’t have any stuff.”

“Oh.” So it was worse than he thought. Obviously she was making up the story about lost luggage, so that must mean she was staying in some fleabag motel and didn’t want him to know it. Worse yet, her belongings were pitiful enough to be embarrassing to her. As together as she looked now, the outfit she wore was probably the only decent thing she owned.

Knowing that fact renewed his resolve to pull her out of this nosedive she was in. “Okay, then!” he said with more heartiness than the situation called for. He sounded like a damn used-car salesman. He cleared his throat and tried again. “Let’s walk on back to my hotel. Then I can advance you a little money if you want to go shopping for a few clothes later.”

“We’ll see about that. But before we leave here I want to duck inside and let them know I won’t be keeping the appointment. I don’t want a black mark beside my name, in case I need to come back someday.”

“I’ll go with you.”

She smiled at him. “I’d rather you didn’t.”

“Why not?”

“In this neighborhood, if some guy is tagging around after a woman, looking like he’s keeping track of her, people might think he’s her pimp.”

As he wondered how she’d become so knowledgeable about such things, ice water shot through his veins. “Keely, please tell me that you’ve never—”

“No. I’ve never. I may be a naughty girl, but I’ve never been that naughty.”

He sighed with relief.

“Yet.”

His muscles tensed all over again and he opened his mouth to deliver another warning.

Keely’s musical laugh cut him off. “Relax. I’m kidding. You were around for the first nineteen years of my life. You should know by now how much I love to tease people. Especially people like you.” She fluttered a hand at him. “Hold down the sidewalk. I’ll be back before you know it.”

He watched her walk through the entrance into the cavelike interior of the club. That Keely. She always could get him going.

Then he blinked as if coming out of a trance. He had just arranged to spend the weekend sleeping in a hotel suite with Keely Branscom.

What the hell had he been thinking? He’d arrived in this place feeling on edge and sexually deprived. Now he’d invited the sexiest woman he’d ever known to stay with him in extremely close quarters. Less than four hours into his Vegas stay, and the city had him right where it wanted him.

2

KEELY HAD MADE a career of acting on impulse. This particular impulse—to play along with Noah’s outrageous plan to save her—could be lots of fun, especially if she turned the tables and took him for a walk on the wild side, instead. So why this sudden attack of nerves?

Maybe she was still dealing with the news that her sister and Jonas were getting married. That situation would definitely take some getting used to. Yeah, it was the sudden word of their wedding that had her spooked.

Surely she wasn’t still into Noah the way she had been at sixteen. And seducing him here in Vegas would be an awesome way to get revenge for the way he’d brusquely pushed her away at that tender age. But in order for that revenge to be sweet, she had to be certain she was completely over him. Well, she was. Of course she was.

Shaking off her uneasiness, she walked into the sparsely populated bar and glanced at the blond woman gyrating on the small stage. No, that wasn’t the one. Her interview subject was a brunette.

“Would you like a table?” A thin man dressed in a white shirt and tight black pants appeared at her elbow.

“No, thanks. I’m Keely Branscom and I’m here to talk with Suzanne.”

“Oh!” The man grew more animated. “You’re the reporter from Attitude! She’s in the back. Please sit down. I’ll go get her.”

Keely pulled out a chair at the nearest round cocktail table and sat. This might take longer than she figured. No doubt Noah would be outside having a conniption, thinking she was secretly filling out a job application. But she couldn’t be rude and leave without speaking to Suzanne.

The sound system in the bar wasn’t very good, but the blonde on the stage was an excellent dancer. Keely counted five men in the place, all of them with their attention glued to the stage. She’d love to believe they were admiring the skill of the performance, but after years of reporting on the guy/gal scene for Attitude!, she could reasonably conclude they were fixated on the dancer’s chest instead of her footwork.

In general, a man’s motivation was pretty simple, which was one reason she was so intrigued by Noah’s offer to reform her. His motivation was more complex. She really believed he didn’t intend for them to have sex. Well, he just might have to reevaluate that decision.

“Ms. Branscom?”

Keely glanced away from the stage and saw that a curvy brunette in purple spandex stood next to the table. Keely pushed back her chair. “Suzanne?”

“That’s me.” Suzanne held out her hand.

Keely stood and shook her hand. She had to practically shout to be heard over the pounding music. “Please call me Keely. Listen, it turns out now isn’t a very good time for me to do the interview, after all. I wonder if we could reschedule.”

“I guess so.” Suzanne raised her voice and leaned closer to Keely. “The only thing is, I have, like, this horrific exam coming up in my psych class, so I need to spend most of my free time, like, inhaling the textbook. And tonight I’m dancing.”

“Right.” Keely was glad they weren’t conducting the interview like this. It would give her a headache in no time. She wasn’t sure when she’d stopped loving loud music.

She quickly considered how to work around Suzanne’s schedule and her own interesting situation with Noah. He’d probably have some wedding-related thing going on tonight, so she might be able to slip over here.

“Do you get a break tonight?” she asked.

“Sure.” Suzanne raised her voice as the music’s volume increased. “About ten-thirty!”

Keely had to shout, too. “Are you planning to study during your break?”

“Nah! I’ll probably kick back! I only get about fifteen minutes!”

Blissfully, the music changed tempo and became softer. “If you’re willing, I could do the interview then.” Keely couldn’t get over how young Suzanne looked. Yet she was twenty-two, three years older than Keely had been when she’d posed for the centerfold.

“Tonight would be cool, but are you sure that’s enough time?”

“Maybe not, but we’ll get a start, anyway.”

Suzanne glanced over at the stage. “Joy, she’d like to be interviewed, too. She’s not going to college, like me, but she’s going to beauty school. Does that count?”

“Sure does. Anybody who’s dancing to earn tuition fits into the article.”

“Cool. That’s her on stage now.” Suzanne watched for a moment and unconsciously began to wiggle in time with the music. “She has some dynamite moves.”

“Yes, she does.”

“That guy over there in the black T-shirt is her boyfriend. I am, like, so jealous. He is totally hot.”

“He is?” Keely could only locate one person in a black T-shirt, and he didn’t look like anything special. For one thing, she was getting sick of shaved heads and multiple piercings. And baggy pants did nothing for her these days, either. Plus, he looked more like a kid than a man.

“Yeah, he’s awesome.” Suzanne gazed at him in rapture. “Totally.”

Keely glanced from Suzanne to the kid and reminded herself that this was her magazine’s target audience. She needed to do a better job of relating. “He is pretty cute,” she said. Cute was as far as she would go. And cute didn’t do it for her anymore, unfortunately.

But someone who did do it for her stood right outside, waiting. “Well, Suzanne, I’ll see you tonight, then,” she said.

“Maybe Joy can come by so you can talk to her, too.”

“That would be great. Thanks.” Keely shook hands with Suzanne and hurried outside.

Noah was lounging against the side of the building, but he looked wary, not relaxed. He straightened and walked toward her. “I was beginning to wonder if something happened.”

“Sorry. It took a while to find the person I needed.” She gazed at him with new appreciation. Now here was an example of hot. His clothes might not be trendy, but they were classic turn-ons, at least for her. She’d grown up admiring the way a pearl-buttoned western shirt defined a man’s broad shoulders and how smooth-fitting jeans defined even more interesting parts of his anatomy.

Noah looked mighty fine in that department. For years she’d dreamed of exploring the wonders so lovingly cradled by his Wranglers. From all indications he had a body built for serious sinning. Consequently he’d been a worthy challenge ever since she’d hit puberty.

But as luck would have it, when she’d gone for the gold that night in the barn, he’d turned her down. He hadn’t been particularly gentle about it, either. For three years she’d tried to get even with him for that rejection, taking every opportunity to taunt him with what he’d missed. He hadn’t cracked.

But she’d learned a few things since then, and they’d be sharing a hotel suite. It just might be Samson and Delilah time.

“You know, I’ve been thinking…” he said, his voice sounding tight.

Uh-oh. She lifted her gaze to his face and tried to look innocent. “About what?” He must have caught her ogling. She’d have to be more careful not to overplay her hand. Some men loved being checked out. Apparently it made this particular man nervous. She slipped on her sunglasses to give herself more leeway.

“Why don’t I see if I can get you a room on the same floor?” he said. “You’d probably be more comfortable with that.”

Oh, he’d definitely caught her ogling. She had to take quick action. “No way, baby doll! I feel like enough of a charity case as it is! Tell you what, let’s forget the whole thing.”

“No, no. We’re not going to forget the whole thing.” He sighed. “Come on. The hotel’s this way.”

So he had a place on the Strip. She would have liked that, too, but the magazine had booked her at one of the less expensive places downtown. Maybe when he was otherwise occupied, she’d head over there and pick up a few things.

She fell into step beside him. “You know what your problem is? You think too much.”

“Could be. But that’s better than not thinking enough.”

“Ah. That would be me you’re referring to, wouldn’t it?”

His mouth twitched with amusement. “I didn’t mean just you.”

“Oh, you probably did, but that’s okay. I won’t take offense. It you’re talking levels of caution, on a scale of one to ten I’d be a minus fifteen.”

He laughed.

“You, on the other hand, would be a plus thirty.”

“You’re exaggerating.”

“No, I’m not!” She felt great walking down the street with Noah. Because she stood five-eight in her bare feet and had generous breasts, not many men could make her feel small and delicate. Noah had the height and breadth of shoulder to carry it off. Maybe it wasn’t politically correct to enjoy that, but she did. She always had. Always. Uh-oh. What if she wasn’t over him?

“If I’m so damn cautious,” he said, “then why did I take up bull riding?”

“I thought about that. And it does indicate a streak of daring hiding in there somewhere.” She had to be over him, she decided. After all, it had been years.

“See?” He looked pleased with himself. “I can be daring if I want.”

“Yes, but you only have to maintain that daring for eight seconds or less. That’s not a long time.” She kept up the banter, but inside she was scanning for evidence, trying to decide if she was still hooked on Noah.

“Oh, yes, it is a long time. When you’re in the heat of the action, eight seconds is an eternity. A lifetime.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

“Well, I sure hope that’s not your attitude when you make love. If so, your lady friends must be very frustrated.” There. If she could poke fun at him, then she was over him. Definitely.

He blushed. “We weren’t talking about that.”

“I was.” That blush of his was so cute. The people she hung out with in L.A. were all pretty jaded when it came to sexual innuendos. Finding a man who could blush when he talked about sex was refreshing. And arousing.

He tugged his hat down lower over his eyes. “Well, I wasn’t thinking about that particular subject, and you know it.”

But he was now, and that was her goal. If only she knew for certain she could pull off this caper without getting hurt herself. “The fact is, I have no idea what kind of lover you are, Noah. You’re a conservative guy, so when you talk about eight seconds being an eternity, I can’t help wondering if you think that’s plenty of time for—”

“Of course it’s not!” He was really red now.

She’d forgotten how adorable he could be when he was flustered. “Well, good. Glad to hear it. Because most women need a whole lot more than eight seconds to become thoroughly—”

“I’m aware of that! Now, could we please change the subject?”

“Sure. Be glad to.” She used to love teasing him like this. She loved it still. Probably too much, and she’d be wise to walk away from this whole setup. But then she’d never know if she could succeed in breaching his defenses. She had to know, no matter what it might cost her. And she was tough. She’d picked up the pieces before and could do it again. Damn the torpedoes. Full speed ahead.

“Thanks.” He sighed in apparent relief.

Little did he know there was no relief in sight. “Oh, there’s a drugstore,” she said. “Would you mind if we stopped in there before we get to the hotel? I need a few things, and I’m sure they’re more expensive in the hotel shops.”

“That’s fine.” He sounded grateful to be doing something as harmless as shopping. “I guess you would need a toothbrush and…other stuff.”

“A big bottle of lotion, for one thing. I’d forgotten how desert heat affects my skin. Back on the ranch I had to practically take a bath in lotion, remember?”

“Can’t say as I do.”

Liar. “Oh, sure you do. You even commented about it one evening when I was on the front porch of Dad’s house, slathering it all over my legs and arms. You said if I kept that up I’d slide right out of bed in the middle of the night.”

“Mmm.”

“My favorite is raspberry-scented, but they might not have that.” She peeked at him as they walked through the door into the air-conditioned store to see if any of what she’d said was registering. He looked more than a little agitated.

Two years ago she’d done an article on scent as an arousal factor. All the guys she’d interviewed rated scent very high, and most of them fondly remembered how former lovers had smelled like cinnamon, or lily of the valley, or in one instance, chocolate. She was counting on Noah having the same response, and she’d used raspberry-scented lotion ever since she’d turned fifteen. If she couldn’t find any in the drugstore, she’d smuggle over the bottle she had in her hotel room.

But raspberry lotion wasn’t her primary target in the drugstore. She could hardly wait for the moment when Noah discovered what she planned to stock up on.

NOAH HAD BEEN in tight spots in his life and he’d always managed to come out okay. He clung to that hope as he followed Keely around the store and tried not to think of the scent of raspberries.

That scent had drawn him to her dad’s porch on the night she’d mentioned. Dressed in cutoffs and a halter top, she’d stationed herself on the creaky old porch swing with a bottle of that damn lotion. To get near her, he’d made up some excuse about checking the area for snakes.

Keely wasn’t the type to run off screaming at the mention of a snake, so while he’d swung a flashlight beam around and pretended to scout for rattlers, she’d nearly driven him crazy smoothing that creamy, fragrant stuff over her bare legs. They hadn’t talked much, but he remembered crickets chirping and the rhythmic squeak of that swing, which could have passed for the sound of bedsprings. To this day he couldn’t smell or taste raspberries without hearing that steady creak and seeing her hand slowly massaging the tender skin of her inner thigh.

That might have been the first time she’d discovered the stuff, but after that she’d used it constantly, trailing the scent of raspberries wherever she went. He’d come to dread that aroma, because it never failed to give him an erection, no matter how inappropriate the moment. More than once she’d glanced at his crotch and smiled, as if thrilled with her new power.

Then, a few weeks after she’d turned sixteen, she’d waylaid him in the barn. And she’d smelled exactly like a bowl of fresh raspberries. She’d tasted like that, too—juicy and moist, bursting with ripe sweetness.

He often wondered if she’d been a virgin then. If so, he’d bet she hadn’t stayed one long after he’d turned her down. He’d probably given up the chance to be her first lover that night. Saying no hadn’t been easy, considering she didn’t look or act like any sixteen-year-old he’d known before or since.

But somehow in the midst of that hot, wet kiss, he’d remembered she was sixteen, and all the lust in the world wouldn’t change that. He’d left the barn in a hurry, followed by the angry insults she’d hurled after him. At the time he’d thought she was furious. Now he wondered if she’d been more hurt than angry. He hadn’t been particularly sensitive about ending the embrace.

Sensitivity hadn’t been on his mind. Self-preservation had been all he could think about. God, how he’d wanted her. But giving in would have meant angering and disappointing two men he cared about—his father and hers.

Shortly after that he’d gone out on the rodeo circuit, figuring escape was the only answer. During his brief trips home over the next three years he’d noticed that Keely had gone overboard to become the sex symbol of Saguaro Junction. But innocent or wild, she turned him on like no one else. How ironic that he hadn’t wanted to be her first lover, but later on he hadn’t wanted to be the next one in line, either. With great difficulty he’d kept himself in check.

He was much older now and should have better control. But as he watched her scan the shelves looking for her raspberry lotion, he wondered if he’d changed at all where Keely was concerned.

All of a sudden she pounced on a bottle. “Look! Here it is!”

“Looks like it.” He groaned to himself. Wouldn’t you know.

“Okay, now a toothbrush.” She moved quickly to that aisle and grabbed a red one. “What kind of toothpaste do you use?”

He told her.

“That’ll be fine. We can share, if that’s all right with you.”

“Uh, sure.” He was aware of another customer, a matronly woman, giving them both the once-over.

“Great. The hotel shampoo will do for a couple of days, but I’ll have to buy deodorant. I don’t want some bracing, manly smell on my body.”

His mind spun wildly as he followed her to the antiperspirants. What in God’s name had he been thinking, proposing this scheme? How was he supposed to keep a level head while they shared the same shower, the same sink, and squeezed from the same toothpaste tube?

Dark red hair bouncing around her shoulders, she stalked through the rest of the store as if looking for something.

And like an idiot, he had to ask. “Is there something else you need?”

“Condoms.”

He choked. “Why?”

“I’m surprised you would say that. Really, Noah, I’m beginning to wonder what kind of sex life you have. Ah, there they are, the little devils. Here, hold my stuff for a minute so I can look these puppies over.” She shoved her lotion, deodorant and toothbrush into his hands.

Panic swelled within him. “Look, you don’t need those things. I’m telling you, we are not—”

“Oh, these aren’t for you.”

“They’re not?” The conversation had gone from bad to worse.

She studied the packages hanging on the display rack. “Not unless you change your mind.”

“I won’t, so let’s just go, okay?” He glared at a teenage kid who was lingering nearby, obviously enjoying the show. The kid grinned and left. Noah lowered his voice. “Come on, Keely. Forget this stuff.”

She ignored him. “These prices are really reasonable. Maybe I should stock up. You’d think men would look for inexpensive stores like this, but no. They like to be spontaneous, which usually means paying top dollar because they’re in a rush. Or worse yet, suggesting we skip this step. Ha. As if.”

He tried again. “All things considered, I don’t think you really need to worry about—”

“I make it a habit to have some on hand in a couple of sizes, for emergencies. And we’re here, after all. I really can’t imagine a better bargain coming along anytime soon.” She took a package from its hook and began reading. “‘Ultra-comfort. Unique shape for more freedom.’ I wonder what that means?”

“Keely.”

“Noah,” she mimicked. “Hmm. Maybe these are better.” She unhooked another package. “It’s so hard to know which ones are the best, with all these great descriptions—‘shared sensation, enhanced pleasure, ultimate feeling.’ Oh, look. Here’s one with a larger tip, and then there’s the ribbed kind. Which do you think is the best?” She turned to look at him, a package of condoms in each hand, and devilment shining from those green eyes.

He ground some more enamel off his back molars. “Keely Branscom, you are doing this on purpose.”

“Of course I am! I always budget money for a package of condoms.”

“You’re trying to get me going, is what you’re doing.”

“From the way you’re breathing, I’d say I’ve succeeded.” She grinned. “I really am buying the condoms, Noah. At least two packages of extra-large. And I’m giving you a chance to tell me which kind you like.”

His jaw was clenched so tight his teeth seemed welded together. “We are not going to need them.”

“Maybe not. But that’s the thing about condoms. The packages are small and they store well. And there could be a time when you will thank me for planning ahead. Now give me my stuff. It’s time to check out.” She took her items from him and sashayed down the aisle with her lotion, her deodorant, her toothbrush and two kinds of extra-large condoms.

She obviously expected him to be wearing them before the weekend was over. It was a classic case of damned if he did and damned if he didn’t.

3

KEELY HAD JUST LAID her purchases on the checkout counter when her cell phone rang from deep inside her shoulder purse. Damn. She’d forgotten about it.

She wheeled away from the counter, startling the young male clerk. “Forgot something!” she called over her shoulder to Noah, who, fortunately, was trailing her by a few paces. She figured he was embarrassed for the clerk to notice that she was buying condoms so he’d hung back from approaching the counter. Good thing. Maybe he hadn’t heard her cell phone.

It rang again as she made a mad dash for the aisle labeled Feminine Products. If Noah had been schizy about the condom display, he surely wouldn’t follow her there. Once she was safely surrounded by rows of tampon and sanitary-napkin boxes, she dug in her purse and took out the phone.

When she put it to her ear she heard the familiar voice of her editor. “Keely, sweetheart. Good news.”

“Hi, Carolyn,” she murmured softly. Trust her editor to call at the exact wrong moment.

“Why are you whispering? Are you in a movie theater or something?”

“No, but I can’t talk loud. Or long.”

“That’s okay. This will be quick. Remember you mentioned expanding this article by interviewing some dancers in Reno, but I wasn’t sure we should bother?”

“I remember, but can I call you back on this?” She glanced nervously behind her to make sure Noah wasn’t there. “I—”

“I’ll only be a sec. The publisher loves the Reno angle. I’ve lined up a couple of interview subjects for you there. You have a seven-forty flight out of Vegas on Monday morning. Got a pen? I’ll give you the confirmation number.”

“Carolyn, I—”

“Ready? Here it is.” Carolyn rattled off the number.

Keely grabbed her notebook out of her purse and wrote down the number, but all the while she was thinking that this cell phone could blow her cover in no time this weekend. Carolyn expected her to keep the phone turned on while she was on assignment.

“Got it?” Carolyn asked.

“Got it, but Carolyn, you’re fading out.” Keely pressed the disconnect button a couple of times. “Carolyn? I think the phone’s going on the blink. It’s—” She broke off and ran the phone up and down the edge of a box several times, hoping the noise sounded like static. Then she put it back to her ear to gauge Carolyn’s reaction.

“Keely? What’s going on? Keely, can you hear me?”

“Barely,” Keely whispered. “I think it’s—” She dragged the phone around on the boxes some more before turning it off. Maybe she’d convinced Carolyn that the phone was dead. Keely buried it in the bottom of her purse again before heading back toward the checkout counter.

Looking extremely uneasy, Noah stood by the counter next to her items, which had been set aside while the clerk rang up another customer’s purchases.

Keely smiled sweetly as she walked up to Noah. “Those prices weren’t as reasonable, so I decided not to bother.”

His eyes narrowed with suspicion. “What was that funny sawing noise?”

During her wild teen years, fast thinking had saved her more times than she could count. “I had an itch in the middle of my back. I used the corner of a box to scratch it.” She gave a little wriggle. “All better.”

He gulped. “Oh.” His voice was strained as he attempted to sound casual. “That explains it.”

Somehow she kept from laughing. One wriggle and he was gulping for air. She didn’t remember him being so suggestible years ago. Apparently she had the advantage this time…so long as she kept her heart out of the equation.

“I can ring you up now, miss.” The clerk, who couldn’t have been more than eighteen, regarded her with adoration.

“Fabulous.” She winked and sent him a high-wattage grin. “You have a very nice store here…” She paused to glance at his red plastic name tag. “Chad.”

Chad grew as red as his name tag. “Thank you very much,” he mumbled, and then he concentrated on punching the right numbers into the register. He had to clear his throat before he could tell her the amount. His gaze kept drifting to her chest and then he’d pull his eyes back with an obvious effort.

She opened her wallet and removed the money as quickly as she could. Her press pass was in there along with a gold card, but Noah would have had to be paying close attention to see either of them.

Chad took the money and handed over her change. “Do you, uh, live near here?” he asked eagerly. “I mean, would you like to be on our mailing list for…um…future sales?”

“Thanks, but I’m currently between addresses.”

“Oh.” Chad glanced over at Noah, then back at her, as if trying to decide if they were a couple. “Well, uh, feel free to stop in anytime. We always have specials.”

“Thanks. I’ll remember that.” Picking up the plastic bag containing her purchases, she looked at Noah. “Ready?”

He gave a curt nod.

“Bye!” Chad called. “Come back anytime!”

She turned and smiled at him. “Bye.”

Noah held the door for her as they left the store. Judging from the set of his jaw, she didn’t think he was very happy. From all signs, he was a wee bit jealous—of a boy barely old enough to shave. Amazing.

Once upon a time she’d turned herself inside out trying to arouse Noah’s jealousy, to no avail. Now it seemed that she’d done it with one hand tied behind her back. She decided to test the waters. “He was a nice kid,” she said as they walked along the street.

“The way he was drooling I thought he might flood the store.” Noah sounded quite irritated. “I think with a little more encouragement he would have asked you out, even though you’re old enough to be his—”

“Big sister? He wasn’t that much younger.”

“Hell, he probably got his driver’s license yesterday.”

“He looked more like eighteen or nineteen to me. And by the way, men date women who are ten years younger than they are and nobody says boo.”

He stared at her. “Don’t tell me you’re interested in him?”

She wasn’t, not even slightly, but a jealous Noah was something she’d waited years to experience. She wanted to savor the feeling a little longer. “Well, he was very sweet, and he had the cutest dimple in his chin.”

“You’re putting me on.”

“Okay, maybe I am. But, for the record, I don’t think it would be the end of civilization if I happened to be interested in him. Some of my friends have deliberately taken younger lovers.”

“Probably so they can lead them around by the nose.”

Oh, this man had some things to learn, and she was just the gal to educate him. “I don’t think that’s the part of their anatomy they care about. A younger guy is usually so eager to please, and he generally has more…staying power.”

Noah snorted. “Yeah, if you’re into quantity instead of quality.”

She pitched her voice lower, so it came out a sultry purr. “Quality can be taught. And young men are so coachable.”

The sound that came from Noah bordered on a growl.

“What was that? I didn’t quite understand you.”

“Nothing.”

She didn’t think it was nothing. She thought it was the sound of a male animal whose masculinity had been challenged. From her experience, a man so challenged would be looking for opportunities to prove his prowess. Even if he hotly insisted otherwise.

Before long, Noah would beg to make love to her, and that would go a long way toward healing the hurt he’d inflicted, knowingly or not, when he’d rejected her sixteen-year-old advances. Maybe a few words of desperate need from him were all she needed to finally get him out of her system.

IT WAS ALL coming back to him now. Not only had he been tortured with feelings of lust where Keely was concerned, he’d also been ready to kill every guy who so much as looked at her. Leaving Saguaro Junction to follow the rodeo circuit had kept him away from Keely, but it had also saved a lot of cowboys from having their jaws busted.

Apparently he hadn’t changed in that regard, either. The drugstore clerk was a mere baby, but when his hormone-driven attention had settled on Keely’s breasts, Noah had been ready to take the kid apart. He’d have to work on that reaction, because men weren’t going to stop looking at Keely during the next three days. Men were always looking at Keely.

The worst part was that he couldn’t understand where his protective instincts were coming from. Maybe because he’d grown up with Keely, he had some big-brother feelings going on, but she’d never acted like a shrinking violet in need of male protection. The males probably needed protection from Keely, when it came right down to it.

That might be the heart of the matter, he realized with sudden insight. He hadn’t been willing to face that his childhood friend had become an extremely sexy woman. Every drooling guy who hung around emphasized the very thing he didn’t want to admit, so the answer was to keep them away from her. Knowing that she’d never tolerate that kind of protectiveness had been one of his major frustrations in life. The safest course had been to stay away himself, which had the added benefit of protecting him from his own sexual feelings for her.

He should have continued on that course today. But he couldn’t have left her at the topless bar, knowing she’d have a job in no time and be dancing there by tonight, probably. The way things were going, the bachelor party really would end up at that exact bar and he’d have to watch his buddies and a host of strangers ogling Keely. The centerfold spread had been torture enough, but at least it hadn’t been firsthand torture.

“Where are you staying?” she asked as they arrived at the Strip and turned left.

“The Tahitian.” He’d been floored by the prices, but he had to admit the rooms were nice.

“That new place? Cool! I’ve been meaning to check it out. The cliff-diver show is supposed to be awesome at night. And don’t they have an actual beach with surf in the courtyard?”

“I guess. I haven’t seen it yet.”

“You haven’t? Everybody talks about it—white sand, saltwater waves lapping at the shore, palm trees swaying—the whole nine yards. I guess your room must not look out on that, or you’d have noticed.”

“Nope. Mine overlooks the parking lot.” He had a vivid mental picture of Keely lying at the edge of that lapping surf, the foam curling over her naked breasts and licking at her smooth thighs. Oh, boy. He was in trouble. He’d been denying her sexuality for years, but denial wasn’t working anymore.

“In fact, considering you’re staying at such a premier resort,” she said, “I’m surprised you didn’t want to hang out right there and soak up the atmosphere instead of wandering around in the heat on a basically boring side street.”

“Well, the thing is, I—”

“Noah Garfield, were you planning to actually go into that bar? Don’t tell me that you’re secretly a voyeur who pays to look at naked women?”

He winced as several people on the crowded sidewalk turned to stare at him. Taking Keely by the arm, he leaned down. “No, I am not a secret voyeur, but now several people in this city think I am.” He released his grip on her arm before the soft warmth under his fingers gave him even more ideas.

“Sorry about that,” she said. “You know I always tend to speak my mind.”

“I do remember that. Obviously you haven’t changed.”

“Obviously you haven’t, either. Still worried about what the neighbors think.”

She was baiting him. He knew that, but still she got his dander up. He wondered if he had any chance at all of changing her attitude this weekend. Probably not, but he had to try. He’d keep reminding her of her roots and see if that helped the cause. “Where you and I come from, you’d better stay chummy with your neighbors if you expect to make it in the ranching business.”

“Well, I have no interest in making it in the ranching business.”

She scored another hit with that one. He loved his life as a rancher and took negative comments about it personally. “I think you made that perfectly clear when you took the deal with Macho.”

“You noticed that.”

“Everybody noticed that.” And that was the other big reason he’d better get his mind off the lovely body of Keely Branscom. He’d never been the kind of guy who could have sex for the hell of it. With him, a physical relationship with a woman needed to be going somewhere. With Keely, it could go nowhere. She didn’t want what he could offer.

“Noah…about that centerfold…” She sounded hesitant, which was unusual for her.

Surprised at the sudden shift in her manner, he glanced over at her.

She cleared her throat. “It was my ticket out.” Her gaze slipped up to his face, but her expression was disguised by her dark glasses. “Can you understand that?”

“Sort of.” Frustrated by not being able to see her eyes, he faced forward again. “I mean, if you wanted to get out of Saguaro Junction, posing for that magazine sure worked like a charm. And I can see why the town might seem too conservative for you. But to cut yourself off completely…”

“It was easier that way.”

“Maybe, but growing up there wasn’t all bad, was it?”

“No, of course not.”

“Don’t you ever miss the place?” He decided not to talk about missing the people for now.

She didn’t answer for a long while. “Sometimes,” she murmured at last. “Yeah, sometimes I do.”

She was full of surprises. He didn’t think she’d admit to that so soon. Maybe he had a chance, after all. “Then why not come back and mend some fences?”

“I don’t fit in there, Noah. I’m too much like my mother.”

He barely remembered Keely’s mother, who’d died from complications surrounding B.J.’s birth. But Arch had said his wife had loved the excitement of the city and had been bored by country living. “I didn’t mean you had to move back. But would it kill you to visit?”

“Maybe.” She smiled wistfully. “Although I have to say, this business of my little sister getting married has me thinking. You never did mention when the wedding was.”

“Let’s see. It’s…two weeks from Saturday,” he said with some shock. “I didn’t realize it was getting so close, myself. And I still don’t have a gift bought, either.”

“That soon? Are you sure this isn’t a shotgun affair?”

“Absolutely sure. Jonas is the one who is pushing to tie the knot.”

“I’m amazed.” Keely shook her head. “B.J. must have really changed.”

“Not a whole lot. She’s still a better ranch hand than most men. Better at some things than Jonas, to be honest.”

“Then I don’t get it. She’s so not his type. He likes girlie girls, and B.J. is about as far from that as you can get.”

“Maybe your sister has hidden depths.”

“Maybe she does.”

“One thing’s for sure—Jonas thinks she’s fascinating. And B.J.’s still the same riding, roping gal as always, but there is something sort of different about her. It’s like she’s in full bloom or something.”

“See? She’s pregnant!”

“No, she’s not, but I can see you aren’t going to take my word for it.” He paused. “Guess you’ll have to ask her yourself.”

After a long moment, Keely sighed. “I understand what you’re trying to do, Noah, and it’s very sweet, but…too much water’s gone over the dam, or under the bridge. At any rate, there’s been a heck of a lot of water running. I don’t think I’d be a welcome guest at the wedding.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure.” Noah was taking a chance saying that. But he had a hunch Arch and B.J. would love it if Keely showed up. Besides, he didn’t see how the gap in the family could get any wider, so he thought it was worth the risk to suggest she go.

KEELY WALKED along silently beside Noah as they covered the last block before reaching the towering hotel that would magically transport them to the South Pacific. She was afraid to say too much more on the subject of her sister’s wedding for fear Noah would figure out how much she longed to go back and see her father and sister. Maybe now her sister was old enough and experienced enough to understand what had happened all those years ago. Maybe they could be friends again.

Only two years apart, they had been friends once. Then Keely had launched into puberty like a rocket, leaving B.J. behind. Living on a ranch where the only other females were her boyish younger sister and the Garfields’ housekeeper, Keely had found no one to help her through the confusing process of growing into a sexual person. She’d only had the dim memory of her mother to guide her, a mother who had apparently looked and acted just like her. Or so her father said.

Keely had developed early, B.J. late. And it had seemed to Keely that B.J. had tried to keep her tomboy image just to set her apart from her wild sister. Or maybe they’d split the parental influences between them, with B.J. becoming like Arch and Keely growing more and more like her mother. At any rate, B.J. had become the good daughter in their father’s eyes, while Keely had continued to blaze a path toward bad-girl land.

But Jonas wouldn’t be attracted to a woman who didn’t have a touch of naughtiness, so maybe B.J. wasn’t Little Miss Innocent anymore. Maybe she wouldn’t be as mystified by Keely now. Then again, maybe she would turn her back on her rebel sister, and that would be painful. Keely had a real aversion to pain.

In fact, she gravitated almost exclusively to pleasure and living in the present moment. The past couldn’t be changed and the future was a guess, but for the moment she had Noah Garfield right where she wanted him at last. As they approached the Tahitian, a ripple of anticipation made her shiver with delight. He had found her hard to resist in a drugstore. Once she got him inside this tropical paradise, he’d be a goner.

Set a distance back from the street, the hotel beckoned visitors to approach by leading them through a man-made jungle misted with thousands of tiny jets and cooled with countless tumbling waterfalls. The air reverberated with exotic birdsong and the steady beat of native drums.

“What fun,” Keely said as they joined the throng headed toward the entrance.

“I’d hate to get their water bill,” Noah said.

“Oh, for heaven’s sake. Can you do me a favor for the next three days and try not to think of practical things like that? You’re going to ruin my fantasy if you insist on worrying about utility bills.”

To her surprise, Noah laughed. “You’re right,” he said. “Vegas is over the top, and you might as well accept that from the git-go.”

“Very good.” She took off her sunglasses and slipped them into her purse as they approached a large clearing. “There’s hope for you, cowboy. Maybe before the weekend is over, you—”

She forgot what she’d intended to say as the foliage gave way to a view of a granite cliff rising ten stories above them. “My God. They dive off this thing.” She stood and gazed at the deep pool at the base of the cliff while she tried to imagine having the courage to hurl yourself into it from that height. “I definitely want to see this show tonight.”

Noah glanced over at her. “I hope you don’t mind watching it by yourself. I have a bachelor party I’m supposed to go to and it might run late.”

That fit perfectly into her plans. She could squeeze in some interview time. “No problem,” she said. “I’m good at amusing myself. But could we stop by the desk and get me a key to the room?”

“Oh. Sure.” He sounded anything but sure.

“Would that make you uncomfortable?”

“No, no, of course not.”

“You’re worried that the people at the desk will think you picked up a call girl, aren’t you? Just like Richard Gere picked up Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman.” She thought that was a good image to plant in his mind.

He looked uneasy. “But I’m not—I mean, we’re not—”

“Tell you what. I’m going to help you out, here. In that movie, he told everybody the girl was his niece. So let’s say I’m your cousin.”

“Nobody will believe that.”

“Of course they won’t, but they’ll pretend to believe it, and that’s good enough, right?”

“I think if we say that you’re my cousin they’ll know we’re lying and be even more sure you’re a call girl.”

Keely smiled at him. “Okay, then what do you want to say? That I’m a wayward woman and you’re trying to reform me? They’ll believe that even less. I’d better be your cousin.”

He gazed at the cliff before looking back at her. “Maybe we could share a key.”

“I don’t see how that would work, unless you want me to hang around outside the room waiting for you to come back tonight. I don’t think that would be too good for your image, either.”

“I guess not.”

“Noah, we’re in Vegas, Sin City. So what if you have your cousin staying in your room? That’s probably one of the tamest situations they’ve seen around here in ages. I’ll bet an hour ago they gave a guy two extra keys because he ran into his twin cousins. And remember that not a single person behind that desk is your neighbor. So you don’t have to give a care what they think.”

He gave her a wry grin. “Point made. Let’s go get the key.” But as he started toward the large entrance doors decorated in brass bamboo, he suddenly turned back and grabbed her arm. “Come this way,” he said.

“Why?”

“Just go with it. Head back the way we came.” He hustled her down the walk past the crowd of pedestrians.

“Noah, I don’t understand what we’re doing.”

“I’ll tell you in a minute. Come over here.” He stepped into the landscaping and pulled her in with him.

Instantly she was spritzed from head to toe. “I don’t think we’re supposed to be walking on the—”

“Down behind this rock.” He pulled her to a crouch behind a large lava rock.

“Noah, I’m getting soaked from all those misters spraying down. What on earth is the matter?”

“The groom.” He took off his Stetson and peered up over the rock. “Brandon.”

“Ah.” She gazed at Noah’s tense profile. Despite her complaining, the mist felt kind of good after the warmth of their walk. “So you’re planning on keeping me a secret from the bridal party?”

“I hadn’t thought about it until you started talking about the extra key, but then I began thinking that it could be kind of awkward, trying to explain everything.”

“Maybe you’re right.” Far from being insulted, she was delighted. One of her most popular magazine articles had dealt with secrecy in a relationship and how tantalizing the forbidden could become. She would love to be Noah’s forbidden secret for the weekend. It would make her that much harder to resist.

“Here comes Brandon. Can you get down lower?”

“Sure.” She got to her knees on the mossy ground and hunched down even more. The plants gave off a loamy, fertile scent that was quite exciting. And fortunately this wasn’t really the tropics, so she didn’t have to worry about putting her hand on an icky bug by accident.

Noah went down on his knees, too. Wrapping his arm around her, he pulled her in close.

Secrecy had all sorts of benefits, she decided as she snuggled against him. She’d only felt the hard press of his body once before and that had been wildly exciting. Yet he’d been a kid then, not much older than the drugstore clerk. She preferred this version. Maturity sat well on him—he had the solid strength and intriguing scent of a man in his prime. Their damp clothes seemed to melt against their bodies, giving the illusion of skin against skin. She could almost feel steam rising from where they were pressed together.

“I’m sorry you’re getting all wet,” he said softly.

“There are worse things.” Like wanting to be kissed so bad she could hardly stand it. She studied his lower lip and longed to run her tongue along its length. She wondered if he’d moan the way he had the first time she’d kissed him years ago. And she wondered if he tasted more like a man than a boy. In order to find out, she needed him to tilt his face down toward hers, so she spoke his name. “Noah?”

Sure enough, he looked down at her. His eyes grew darker. “What?” he murmured.

“Lean closer,” she whispered. “I need to tell you something.”

His eyes grew darker still, and his lips parted as he drew near. “What?”

She slipped her hand behind his neck. “Jungle drums get me hot.” Then she kissed him.

4

NOAH’S PROGRAM to reform Keely was seriously off track. Not an hour into it and he was making out with her in the bushes. For the second time in his life he’d succumbed to the temptation of her mouth, but he’d had some idea he could deal with it this time. For some unknown reason, he’d expected a repeat of the kiss she’d given him as a sixteen-year-old. He’d sadly miscalculated.

Oh, she’d had plenty of passion back then, too, but she hadn’t been quite sure what to do with it. Now, she’d learned. Good God, how she’d learned. The pressure of her mouth was light at first. Warm. Soft. Taunting him.

His first reaction was to move in and take control. He fought not to do that, because if he took control, he’d never know Keely’s plans for this kiss. He had a strong feeling she had plans…and he grew dizzy with anticipation.

Gradually she increased the pressure, coaxing his lips apart. The gentle flick of her tongue was slow and lazy, seducing him by degrees. His head spun as the kiss grew deeper…and deeper yet.

He cupped the curve of her hip and reaction surged through him. Her thin dress was so damp from the mist that she might as well not have been wearing it. He flexed his fingers, tightening his hold a fraction, and heard the change in her breathing.

They should stop this. They really should. But she smelled like raspberries and tasted wicked and delicious, like the candy he’d swiped from the corner store when he was six. He’d eventually had to pay for that candy. He had a hunch he’d have to pay for this moment, too. Something so good always came with a price tag.

Her mouth was moist and hot against his, and the spot where his hand rested began to grow warm. He stroked her in a gentle, circular motion and felt her tremble beneath his palm.

The steady drumbeats coming from the sound system vibrated the steamy air around them, and his blood seemed to pump in the same rhythm as it gathered in a very predictable area. But no matter how hard he became or how much he ached, he felt safe from temptation—safe to explore her hot mouth and dream of her hot body without worrying they’d get totally carried away.

After all, they were in a public place. They were hidden from view, but not even Keely would dare go further when they were a dozen feet from a sidewalk full of people. Not even Keely would make love in broad daylight in the middle of the hotel’s landscaping.

Then she guided his hand from her hip to her breast, and he wasn’t so sure.

Time out! his mind warned. Too late. Natural reflexes took over as he touched one of Keely’s perfect breasts for the first time. Although he’d tried to ignore her breasts ever since she’d turned twelve and they’d begun to show, he’d dreamed about them anyway, long before they’d been displayed in full color for the world to admire.

The magazine picture had only confirmed what he’d suspected—Keely’s breasts were a national treasure, a living work of art. Only a dead man wouldn’t squeeze that handful of heaven when it was offered. He groaned with the tactile pleasure of closing his hand around so much ripeness.

With a low, throaty chuckle she arched toward him. Maybe there was a note of victory in that chuckle, but he was too lost in the bliss of fondling her to care. Then the front of the dress loosened, and he vaguely realized she must have pulled at the laces, untying them. While his racing pulse was still reacting to that development, a soft pop filtered through his dazed state, and he felt the taut material of her bra go slack.

Framing his face in her smooth hands, she leaned away from his kiss. “Be my guest,” she murmured.

This was a mistake. A definite mistake. But he couldn’t not look. Slowly he let his gaze travel downward. Her breasts, kissed golden by the sun, lightly freckled as if dusted with nutmeg, spilled out of her dress. Of course this woman wouldn’t wear anything when she decided to sunbathe. He imagined her lying on her back, warm and relaxed by the heat, her body glistening with oil, the scent of raspberries heavy in the air.

Moisture gathered in his mouth. He was so hungry for her. As he continued to look, heart pounding, the mist gathered in tiny droplets on her skin and her nipples tightened and darkened to a deep rose. His breath caught. This was a mistake. And he was going to make it.

Slipping a quivering hand under the velvet weight of one smooth breast, he leaned down to taste paradise.

Snip, snip, snip. Noah froze. The sound of hedge shears was unmistakable. And it was coming closer. Snip, snip, SNIP.

He released Keely instantly. “Cover up!” he whispered urgently, getting his feet back under him and clamping his hat back on his head.

With a lazy smile, she casually pulled the cups of her pale blue bra over her breasts and snapped the front fastener. She seemed in no hurry whatsoever as she adjusted the straps.

The sounds of the gardener came even closer, yet Noah couldn’t stop admiring her cleavage and wishing he had a little longer to enjoy it. But the guy would be upon them any minute. “Faster!” he urged.

“What’s the matter?” Her eyes gleamed with mischief as she slowly pulled the laces of her dress closed. “Afraid of getting caught?”

He stared at her and realized that discovery didn’t seem to bother her at all. Maybe once she’d taken off all her clothes for the camera, she’d discarded the concept of shame right along with her clothes. She possessed a freedom that he could only imagine. To his amazement he envied her. He was also incredibly turned on.

Here was a woman who wouldn’t balk at anything.

Keely tied the laces of her dress at the same moment an olive-skinned man in khaki work clothes came around the boulder pushing a small wheelbarrow mounded with clippings, a pair of hedge sheers resting on top of the cut greenery.

“Madre de Dios!” the man exclaimed. He nearly tripped over a giant fern as he backed up a step.

“We were just leaving,” Noah said. He held out a hand to help Keely up and wished he looked as composed as she did. But he could feel the heat climbing up from his collar and he couldn’t meet the gardener’s shocked gaze.

Instead, he glanced at Keely, who was nonchalantly swishing bits of dirt from her shapely knees. She had never seemed more beautiful to him. The flush in her cheeks obviously came from pleasure, not shame. When she finished brushing herself off and peeked up at him, her eyes sparkled with remnants of desire.

He’d kissed off all that satiny peach lipstick, and her dress was rumpled, giving testimony to exactly what they’d been doing. Yes, he was embarrassed that they’d been discovered here, but in a way he was proud that he was the guy this gorgeous woman had been making out with.

While the gardener stared, Keely picked up her purse and the bag containing her drugstore purchases as calmly as if she were leaving a restaurant after a meal and the gardener was the busboy waiting to clear the table.

Noah thought of the boxes of condoms inside that bag and wondered what would have happened if the gardener hadn’t come along. Noah suspected that if he’d been willing to make love to Keely’s breasts, chances were he might have been coaxed to make love to the rest of her. The thought of the gardener coming upon them later and catching something even more involved made him break out in a cold sweat.

Swinging her purse strap over her shoulder, Keely flashed a winning smile at the gardener. “Qué pasa, Jose?”

For one startled moment Noah thought she might know the gardener, but then he glanced at the man’s breast pocket and noticed the name embroidered on it.

Jose’s shock and disapproval seemed to melt in the glow of Keely’s smile. Slowly he grinned back and gave a little shrug. “Nada, señorita.”

She winked at him. “Bien. Adiós.” Then she picked her way carefully around the edge of the rock and headed for the sidewalk.

As Noah followed, he heard the gardener sigh with longing. Keely had made another conquest.

She was waiting for him at the edge of the sidewalk, and naturally she’d attracted a number of glances, both of the curious and of the lecherous kind. The way the damp dress clung to her was close to indecent and the moisture had turned her wavy hair into a mass of ringlets. She looked delicious.

When he stepped out from behind the foliage, several people stared openly. He tried to act as if prowling around in the hotel landscaping was a perfectly normal thing to do.

“Dr. Livingston, I presume?” she said with a grin.

He figured he had to get things straightened out right away. “Keely, don’t get the wrong idea. What happened back there was—”

“All my fault,” she said. “I know. I was a bad girl.” She didn’t look particularly sorry about that.

Bad girl. Damn, but that phrase made his blood race. But he had to control those impulses from now on, or he might as well forget about his plan to rehabilitate her. “No, it wasn’t all your fault. After all, I’m the one who dragged you back there in the first place. From now on, I don’t intend on anything like that happening again. I just want you to know that.” He looked into her eyes so he wouldn’t be tempted to notice how the dress molded to her figure. Fortunately, sunlight filtered down to the sidewalk and the material was beginning to dry already.

“All right.” She looked far from convinced.

“I mean it, Keely. No fooling around. We’re going to get your résumé in shape.”

“And I really appreciate that.” She gave him a saucy look. “I’m just worried that my résumé’s not very well suited to what you have in mind. But if you’re willing to massage it a little, maybe there’s hope. I’m looking forward to your input.”

Heat flooded through him. “Stop that.”

“Stop what?” She widened her eyes in innocence.

“You know perfectly well. Your choice of words. Like massage and input. You’re trying to make me think about—” He realized the more he talked, the more aroused he was getting. “Never mind. Let’s go in.”

“Yes. Let’s.”

Noah clenched his jaw and started toward the entrance. He would do this. The object was to set Keely on the right path, while being careful not to amble down the wrong one himself. They were only talking about three days. Surely he could manage to keep his pants zipped for three days.

THREE DAYS IN A PLACE like this would give her plenty of time and opportunity to corrupt Noah, Keely thought as they walked through the glittering lobby toward the reservation desk. She didn’t need to win the war in the first two hours. She should probably cool it.

All things considered, she shouldn’t have allowed matters to proceed so quickly in the underbrush. A kiss would have been plenty for this stage of the game. A kiss would have been quite enough of a sampling, thank you very much. But no, she’d gone completely out of her mind.

Apparently all those years of wanting Noah had created a powerful backlog of needs. If dear Jose hadn’t shown up she would have given away the farm right on the spot, behind a boulder in the front landscaping of the Tahitian. And despite what Noah thought of her shady past, that sort of stunt would be a first for her.

She wouldn’t call it a bad idea, though. In fact, it was a pretty good idea. Extremely creative. But the timing was all wrong. Moving that fast, that soon, would have scared Noah to death, once he’d done the deed and come to his senses. She’d nearly blown her opportunity by overreacting. If she wasn’t more careful, he might reconsider his weekend plan to save her.

And she so didn’t want him to reconsider. After that kiss, if she were a pinball machine she’d be on tilt. The heavenly way his mouth had felt on hers had naturally made her think of how perfect his mouth would feel on her breasts. And she’d charged straight for that goal without thinking of the consequences, forgetting that she might be sacrificing a long-term gain for a short-term thrill.

Yet he was walking toward the reservation desk as if he still had every intention of asking for another key. Maybe after that last demonstration he was even more convinced that he had to save her. Maybe letting her impulses get the best of her hadn’t been such a mistake, after all. Now he really believed she was bad, through and through. Eventually, he wouldn’t be able to resist being bad with her.

Feeling better about the future of the weekend, she decided to cut him some slack. “Why don’t I wait over by the potted palm?” she said. “That way you don’t have to feel so uncomfortable about asking for the extra key because I won’t be standing right beside you looking like your babe-for-the-night.”

He glanced at her, a gleam in his eyes. Then he looked away, and when his gaze found hers again, the gleam was gone. “That’s okay. After the incident with Jose, this will be a piece of cake.”

“Really?” Now, this was an interesting development. She had the urge to dampen her finger and chalk up a point on an invisible scoreboard. In a very short time, she’d raised Noah’s sexual daring a sizable notch. That was something to be proud of. At this rate, no telling what sort of adventures he might be willing to undertake by Sunday night. And though he’d tried to disguise it, she’d seen that gleam of desire when she’d mentioned being his babe-for-the-night.

Noah walked up to the desk, gave his name and asked for an extra key “for the lady.”

Keely was majorly impressed. He hadn’t even tried to pretend she was a relative.

“Certainly, sir.” The desk clerk, a wholesome type of guy, didn’t even blink as he called up Noah’s account on the computer. But whatever he saw on the screen made his eyes widen. “Oh, boy. Good thing you stopped by the desk, Mr. Garfield. There’s been a small problem with your room.”

“What sort of problem?”

The clerk frowned at the screen. “I need to get the manager out here to talk with you. Excuse me a moment.” He picked up a phone and punched in a number. “Mr. Garfield’s at the desk. No, I don’t think he’s been up there yet. Right.” He hung up the phone and turned to Noah. “Sorry for the inconvenience, sir. The manager will be right out.”

Keely wondered if the delay, whatever was causing it, would make Noah more self-conscious about his request for a spare key. Apparently not, because he turned to her and shrugged.

“Mr. Garfield.” A guy only slightly older than the desk clerk arrived and held out his hand over the counter. “I’m Martin Ames. Could we step down to the end of the counter for a moment? I need to inform you of our problem.”

“Okay.” Noah looked at Keely. “Let’s go see what this is all about.”

She hesitated. “Are you sure you want me to—”

“Yeah.” He smiled and angled his head toward the end of the counter. “Come on.”

“All right.” Congratulations, Noah, she thought as she followed him. From all appearances he was bringing a call girl up to his room, but he didn’t seem to care whether the staff assumed that or not. His friends were a different story, of course, but his reluctance there was understandable.

Ames came out from behind the counter and glanced pointedly at Keely before returning his gaze to Noah.

To Noah’s credit, he made no effort to explain Keely’s presence. “What seems to be the problem?” he asked.

The manager looked uncomfortable. “We’re a new hotel, as I’m sure you know, and in the rush to get it open on time, apparently the hiring process wasn’t…what I mean to say is, the screening of applicants might not have been quite thorough enough. At least in the housekeeping department.”

“And you would be telling me all this because…?”

“One of the housekeepers vandalized your room.”

Keely gasped.

“What?” Noah stared at the manager in obvious disbelief.

“It was a case of mistaken identity,” Ames said quickly. “The woman’s in custody, and we’ve learned from the police that she’s mentally unbalanced. It seems she formed an imaginary attachment to one of our guests, and when her interest wasn’t returned, she attempted revenge by damaging his room and its contents. That would be bad enough, but she became confused and hit your room by mistake.”

“What about my stuff?” Noah asked.

“I’m afraid it’s pretty well ruined. She took a knife to your clothes and suitcase and smashed your toiletries. The police took it for evidence, so I’m not sure how soon you can retrieve it. But from what I saw, there’s not much point in getting your things back.”

“My God.” Noah shook his head.

“We take full responsibility, of course,” Ames continued. “If you’ll give us an estimate of what you lost we’ll write you a check immediately. And of course we’ve moved you to a new room, and you won’t be billed for your stay. If you should choose to move to a different hotel, we’ll pay for that.”

“No, I won’t move. My friend is getting married here tomorrow night.”

“Ah.” Ames nodded. He seemed to be avoiding looking at Keely. “Then let me take you back to the desk and issue you a new key.”

“Two keys,” Noah said.

“Oh.” The manager slid a glance over toward Keely. “Of course.”

Keely could see that the discussion was drawing to a close. She was outraged on Noah’s behalf. Her L.A. apartment had been vandalized once, and she knew the sick, violated feeling he was probably dealing with right now. Given the mental anguish, she didn’t think a different room and some money to replace his belongings, some of which might be irreplaceable, was enough.

She cleared her throat. “Excuse me, but are you moving Mr. Garfield to another room that’s similar to what he had?”

“Exactly like what he had,” Ames said with a satisfied smile. “And there will be no charge, of course.”

“I think he should be given a substantial upgrade,” Keely said.

Ames blinked. “An upgrade?”

“Now, Keely,” Noah said, “the same sort of room will be—”

“I don’t think so,” Keely cut in. “You’ve been traumatized, whether you’re willing to admit that or not. And I’ll bet your feelings about this hotel are very negative right now.”

Noah gazed at her. “I wouldn’t say I’m overjoyed with the place.”

“See?” Keely turned to Ames. “I would suggest that you give Mr. Garfield an outstanding experience to take away with him, something that will at least partially cancel out the horrible thing that happened. I’m sure you have some luxury suites in this hotel. I would imagine at least one of them is vacant.”

Ames straightened his tie and glanced toward Noah. “How do you feel about that, Mr. Garfield?”

Noah met Keely’s gaze.

She lifted her eyebrows in a silent challenge. There was no doubt in her mind that he deserved this perk, but the Noah she remembered probably wouldn’t have taken it. He would have scoffed at the idea of “luxury” accommodations, as if a rough-tough cowboy didn’t need that kind of pampering. She’d love the chance to show him how wrong he could be.

Gradually a smile touched his lips. “I think the lady’s absolutely right,” he said. “Give us the best you can manage, Mr. Ames.”

NOAH WOULD NEVER HAVE agreed to a fancy hotel room for himself. After all, he only planned to sleep in it, so extras would go to waste, as far as he was concerned. But he was glad to get the nicer room for Keely’s sake. God only knew the type of place she’d been living in recently.

Besides, a bigger room meant they’d have more space to spread out. He imagined the suite might have two bathrooms and maybe extra sleeping arrangements. If he wasn’t bumping into Keely every five seconds he might stand a better chance of keeping his vow not to make love to her.

Ames gave them a new key folder and directed them to a special elevator.

“I’m so glad you told him you wanted a better room,” Keely said as they stepped into the mirrored elevator. Soft guitar music began to play as the brass doors slid shut.

Noah laughed. “I’m sure he didn’t want to give it to me. These are the rooms they reserve for the high rollers.”

“So what? If they’re going to screw up and hire a psycho maid, then they can compensate the poor guy who gets his stuff trashed. I’m really sorry about that, Noah. Did you lose anything special?”

“I’ve been trying to remember exactly what I brought. I don’t think any of it was that important.” Noah was having a hard time concentrating on the vandalism incident when more potent subjects stood right in front of him. As he faced Keely in the elevator, the mirrored walls gave him many stimulating viewing options.

On the left and right walls he could admire her figure in profile—the impressive thrust of her breasts, the narrow waist, the long slender legs made even more sexy by the high-heeled sandals. The back wall of the elevator gave him a different perspective. When she shifted her weight, the blue flowered material of her dress quivered against her firm bottom and flounced against her thighs. There was something very enticing about the backs of her knees….

And without warning, he was imagining Keely naked in this elevator, surrounded by mirrors. He could see her lifting her arms over her head, stretching, turning this way and that, while the mirrors reflected every spectacular inch of her. His breathing grew shallow.

“…forget to give him that,” Keely said.

“Hmm? What?” Noah felt his face heat as he realized he’d missed half of what she’d just said.

She smiled. “The list of what you had in the room. You need to make that up as soon as possible.”

“Oh. Right.”

Her green eyes began to sparkle. “Are you enjoying the mirrors?”

Everything he was thinking was apparently written on his face. “I was wondering how they keep them so clean,” he fibbed. “You notice there are no smudge marks.”

“Now that you mention it, they are very clean.” Her eyes danced. “Mirrors can be a lot of fun. Ever made love in front of one?”

“No!” And suddenly that seemed like the only thing he wanted to do.

“Too bad,” she said. “Well, there’s still time.”

Way too much time, he thought. Especially this weekend.

5

KEELY’S PULSE RACED with anticipation as she took the key card Noah handed her and slid it into the lock that opened the elevator doors to the hotel’s exclusive top floor. Moments later she used the same key for the double doors leading into the suite.

Spending the weekend in a hotel room with Noah had seemed promising from the beginning. Now that they’d be surrounded by luxury, she was beyond excited. No doubt about it, she was her mother’s daughter when it came to enjoying the finer things of life.

“I hear water running,” Noah said. “I hope nobody left it on and overflowed the sink or something.”

“Now that the psycho maid is in custody, I doubt it.” She stepped inside the spacious entry and sighed in appreciation. A waterfall in the entry was a very good sign indeed. This one cascaded down a wall of lava rock into a shallow pool rimmed with lacy ferns. Colorful seashells lined the bottom of the pool. “There’s your running water.”

“I’ll be damned.”

“Or there’s some of your water, at any rate. I think there’s more.” The gurgle of another water feature drifted through the arched doorway ahead. “Let’s go see what else they’ve dreamed up.”

Walking into the living area of the suite, she drew in a breath. Whoever had created this setting understood how fantasy worked. She would love describing this place to her girlfriends. They’d be green.

Automatically her journalistic training kicked in as she recorded details to take home. First of all, the walls resembled a rocky cliff face. Three separate waterfalls spilled down the rocks to gather in an actual, honest-to-goodness indoor stream that circled the room and flowed through an opening out onto a terrace. There it sluiced into a hot tub surrounded by rattan lounges and cocktail tables. She was speechless.

Inside, the designers had abandoned the idea of traditional furniture. A network of vines and splashes of red and pink flowers gave the impression of a jungle clearing. But this was a clearing with amenities. Velvet cushions in several sizes and shades of green lay in profusion on the smooth rock floor. Sand-colored concrete ledges mounded with more pillows created a raised seating area overlooking the stream. Pieces of driftwood topped with slabs of stone embedded with seashells served as end tables.

In order to get to the bedroom, she’d have to cross the stream on a bamboo footbridge. The concept was so cool that she hugged herself with delight. The bedroom would probably be awesome, too.

She walked over the tiny bridge and through another arched doorway into a haven of sheer white fabrics and romance. A white urn held waxy red anthuriums, but otherwise the room was so virginal-looking it slipped over the line to decadence. The huge canopied bed was draped with gauzy fabric and deep in pillows. Two overstuffed lounges, both slip-covered in white, sat in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows that repeated the view from the living area.

The simple elegance of the setting was a perfect contrast to the lusty mating of bodies she had planned. Seduction was going to be so sweet in this room.

Through another arch she glimpsed a large bathroom that gleamed with white marble and gold fixtures. Oh, yes. Noah was so dead.

But where was he, anyway? Maybe he was standing transfixed in the middle of the living area, unable to believe his eyes. Crossing over the bridge again, she found the room empty. Apparently he’d bogged down in the hall for some reason.

“Noah?” she called. “What are you doing?”

“Trying to figure out how this wall-of-water thing works,” he called back. “Do you think we have to turn it off at night? I’ve been looking for a switch, but I can’t seem to find—”

“I don’t think you have to worry about how to turn it off.” She swallowed her laughter as she headed back toward the entry. He sounded so adorably earnest. Staying in a place like this with a man who’d never experienced luxuries would be a real kick. But she’d do well to remember how different their preferences were when it came to living arrangements.

Sure enough, he wore a frown of concentration as he surveyed the entryway walls, looking for the on/off switch. “All this water running with no way to control it makes me nervous,” he said.

“That’s because you live in the desert.” She also thought anything unrestrained at the moment, water or lust, would get to him. “I’m sure they don’t want us fiddling with their waterfall,” she said. “And this is only the beginning, anyway. If running water makes you nervous, wait until you see the rest. Come on.”

“Well, okay.” He walked toward the arched doorway. “But I’d still feel better if I knew how to control the—” His eyes widened at his first glimpse of the suite’s interior. “Oh…my…God.”

She stood there with a silly grin as his startled gaze traveled from the waterfalls to the miniature creek to the glass wall looking out on the terrace with its exotic hot tub. Beyond the terrace lay the jeweled fantasy hotels along the Strip and the powerful thrust of the mountain range flanking the town. By day the view was impressive. By night it would beggar description.

And they were here because she’d spoken up. She was quite proud of herself. “A wee bit better than looking at the parking lot, wouldn’t you say?”

He was obviously dumbstruck as he surveyed the room again, his attention lingering on the array of pillows and the footbridge leading into the bedroom.

She loved looking at him standing there, an Arizona cowpoke so delightfully out of place in the lush tropical setting. But get him out of those clothes and he’d fit in much better, at least for the weekend. Under those worn jeans and that faded chambray shirt was a body to die for, and soon it would be all hers to command. This unbelievable hotel suite would clinch her victory. A cowboy in paradise. What more could a girl ask for?

“I take it the bedroom’s in there,” he said.

Oh, yes. “Yes. It’s a different style from this room, but it’s still wonderful. And there’s also an incredible bathroom, from what I could see. I didn’t go all the way into the bedroom.”

“And is that…all?”

She laughed in disbelief. “That isn’t enough?”

“Don’t get me wrong. I’ve never seen a place like this. It blows me away. But somehow I thought there would be more…space.”

“The rooms are huge.”

“I mean, more rooms.”

“Ah.” Now she understood. The more rooms, the less temptation. Oh, gee, too bad. “Sorry, but we seem to have an entry, a living room, a bedroom and a bathroom. And closets. Oh, and a terrace.”

He looked out to the terrace. She could imagine the wheels turning as he tried to decide if he could sleep there, which was as far from the bedroom as he could hope to get and still be in the suite. She hated to tell him, but it wouldn’t be far enough.

Finally he looked at her. “Do you like it?”

“Are you kidding?” She held out her hands and spun around on the smooth stone floor. “I love it!”

He smiled, although he still seemed a little on the nervous side. “Well, good. That’s good.”

“Don’t you?”

“I…” He took off his hat and tapped it against his thigh. Then he ran his hand through his hair, combing it back from his forehead. “I don’t know. It’s so different. No couch, no chairs, no coffee table, no lamps. And where’s the TV?”

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