***

Falon tried to relax as he sat across from Ginny. When the stunning woman approached him after their meeting, thinly veiled lust in her eyes, he tried to get his body to respond in the appropriate manner. Where normally he would take the lead, he found himself hesitating accepting the invitation to lunch. It wasn’t until he felt Sarah’s eyes on him that he agreed.

Determined to get his head in the right place, far more south than it currently was, Falon studied the woman across from him. Her blond hair was pulled over one shoulder draping down her chest to tease her very substantial cleavage. She was perfectly made up, her sultry eyes popped and her sensual lips painted a perfect shade of red. Everything about her look and her attitude screamed sex. He felt nothing. Couldn’t even inspire a twitch in his favorite appendage when he noticed she wasn’t wearing a bra under that skintight dress.

What kind of man was he? Ginny was beautiful. And willing. And … perky. And all he could think about was how she wasn’t Sarah.

Shit.

Shifting in his seat, he admitted to himself he was in the restaurant not because he was interested in what Ginny was obviously offering, but because he wanted to hurt Sarah. That thought grated almost painfully on his reemerged conscience. The damned thing hadn’t shut up since he threw his phone across his hotel room in the early hours of the morning. Sarah’s number flashing on the screen before it went dead.

“How long are you in Chicago?” Ginny’s overly sweet voice broke into his thoughts.

“I should be done here by the end of the week.”

“So soon?” Ginny practically purred. “I should have dropped by the agency a lot sooner.”

He felt her bare foot work up the inside of his leg. Clearing his throat, he shifted his body forcing her to drop her foot. Dear Lord, what was wrong with him? The woman was giving him the green light and all he could think about was how Sarah would feel if she found out about her advances.

No. What Sarah thought didn’t matter anymore. Never should have mattered at all.

Falon forced a wicked smile to his lips, hoping Ginny wouldn’t notice how strained the expression was. When an answering smirk slid into place and a calculating gleam entered her eyes he tried to relax, willing himself to get lost in the game of mutual seduction.

“You have any plans for your last few days in town?” He willed himself to stay still when he felt her foot dance back up his leg.

“Not anymore.”

“One woman’s loss is my gain.” That predatory light returned to her eyes.

The waiter’s reappearance saved Falon from having to respond to her obvious stake on his remaining time in Chicago. Why not spend it with the woman? She was stunning and obviously open for the kind of short-term relationship he was comfortable with. She wanted him, he was sure he would want her as soon as he recovered from the shock of last night. What red-blooded man wouldn’t want a woman like the one before him? So, why not?

“So it would seem.” Falon sealed his fate. He would let Ginny wipe his mind and body clean of the memory of Sarah. Maybe then he would be rid of the burning ache in his chest. Rubbing at the center of the pain, he willed his control into place. He couldn’t keep letting Sarah influence him.

He forced himself to follow the motions of his usual act. He was attentive through the meal. When they finished, he guided her out of the building with a hand at the small of her back. He even opened the car door for her. He knew she would interpret the actions as an acceptance to her proposition the moment he took his seat in the vehicle and her hand landed on his thigh.

The entire drive back to the office he was silent. Willing his body to relax while hoping a part of him would stiffen up a bit. It wasn’t for lack of effort on Ginny’s part. She had been drawing progressively larger circles on his leg for five blocks. Each pass getting closer to that part of him that was embarrassingly unaffected.

He had to bite back a sigh of relief when he pulled into the parking structure. Pulling into the first available spot he quickly turned off the car and made to get out. A hand on his lower stomach stopped him.

“What’s the hurry?” Ginny asked, setting her hand into motion again. This time exploring his stomach and chest.

“I have work to do.”

“But I thought you would make some time.” She leaned in and took the lobe of his ear in her mouth to give it a little nip. “To play with me.”

He pulled away and took her wandering hand in his. Bringing it to his lips, he was glad he mastered the art of covering his emotions long ago. Because the thought of playing with Ginny made him more nervous than he could ever remember being.

“I’m working on a deadline. I thought you understood that.” Falon looked over at the woman in his car, almost daring her to challenge him. The fact that he was willing to end this before it even got started spoke volumes of his state of mind.

Giving himself a mental shake, he gave her a cold smile and climbed out of the car. Not bothering to walk around it to open her door he waited for her to come to him. He didn’t want her to get too comfortable. Getting the hint, Ginny unfolded herself from the car and walked toward him, hips swinging, sex in her eyes. Falon nearly sighed.

She snaked her arms around his neck, pressing her body against his, shoulder to hip. “I had a great time.” She pressed a kiss to the corner of his mouth and stepped back, eyes drawn over his left shoulder. “Call me when you’re done here.”

When Ginny disappeared behind the elevator doors, he turned and was confronted by a wall of anger rolling off Marcy. His eyes bounced from her glare to the woman standing next to her. Sarah looked pale. Pale and unable to meet his eyes. For a moment he thought she was sick and his gut clenched. Then he remembered Ginny looked over his shoulder. She knew the women were there and whatever she had seen on their faces had her kicking things up a notch. He had to hand it to the woman. She played a good game.

Kicking himself for still being concerned about Sarah, he assumed his most condescending stance. Crossing his arms over his chest he looked down his nose at the women who brought his world crashing down. “Enjoy the show?”

He watched Sarah squeeze her eyes tightly shut before forcing herself to look at him. Well, not directly at him. Some point beyond his right shoulder. His heart tripped over itself when he noticed her red-rimmed eyes. Had she been crying? Clenching his fists, he fought the instinct yelling at him to close the distance between them and comfort her. She brought this upon herself. She had lied, played him like the sorry fool he was beginning to believe he was.

“Look here you son of a b—”

“Marcy. Enough.” Sarah’s wane voice cut her friend off.

“As much as I hate to agree, don’t you think you’ve done enough talking?” He sneered. If it weren’t for the woman, he would still be living in the blissful delusion that Sarah actually cared.

Marcy had the grace to look ashamed. For about half a second. Then her spine straightened and she opened her mouth to deliver what he was sure was a rather scathing remark.

“Marcy. Just leave it.” Sarah sounded so defeated.

“I’d listen to your friend.” Falon couldn’t keep his eyes from shooting to Sarah. “For all her faults she’s smart enough to recognize a lost cause when she sees one.”

He watched as Marcy looked at her friend. She winced and bit back whatever words were fighting to work past her lips.

As they walked past him, Sarah kept her distance like she feared getting too close. He felt his jaw clench as the thought of her being physically afraid of him toyed with his mind. She couldn’t think …

“You’re a real bastard, you know that,” Marcy called over the hood of her car.