Balancedon the edge of the futon, he pulled on a sock. He’d met this girl in a bar.Where else? A table of giggly women had asked for autographs. Pretty youngwomen doing tequila shots. He’d given them his premium smile—the one thatrequired sunglasses. After he’d signed whatever they’d shoved at him, they’dasked him to sit down. Consummate gentleman that he was, he’d accepted. JustBeckett and four very pretty, friendly girls who smelled really good and seemedto multiply as more joined their table. Screw team curfew, he’d thought; thatbullshit was for the rookies, not him.
Acouple of rounds later—on his dime, with extras thrown in so he could catch up,of course—he joined the ladies in toasting something. An engagement? Abachelorette party? Maybe the brunette was the bachelorette.
Whateverthe occasion, the girls got friendlier as the alcohol did its job, and theyasked for more autographs … in very interesting places. Sure, I can signyour T-shirt. Right over your heart. Unless you want to take it off. Where’sthe Sharpie? Oh, you want an autograph across your belly button? The bellybutton ring will have to go, but I can take care of that. With my tongue. Ohyeah, I can do that. I’m sorry, where? Absolutely. I aim to please. But I’llhave to squeeze under the table.
Ah.That’s when he’d spotted the ladybug. And the black lace thong. Now hissignature was next to the bug, like a brand, and the thong was lying on thebathroom floor. One helluva night. He’d thought a blond was going to join them,but she disappeared at the last minute. Disappointing, but he’d consoledhimself with the brunette. He preferred them anyway.
Beckettsearched for paper and pen to leave a note (“Hey, let’s do this again realsoon” or “Do I get a wedding invitation?”) and found a tablet with a nameacross the top. Karen Gruber. He jotted a lame message that didn’t include hisphone number. Those messages never did—no point in inviting someone to put thetouch on him; he’d learned that lesson the hard way a long time ago.
As hehunted for someplace to put the note where she would find it, he patted hisjeans pockets and mentally ticked off his possessions. Money clip, check.Money, check. Four condoms—he’d started with six, but he’d been ambitious,hopeful, both—check. Wallet, check. Phone … uh-oh.
Beckettcrept back into the bedroom, his eyes drawn to the white rump on the bed. Hefound his phone on the nightstand and swapped it for the note, glimpsing theused condoms on a tissue. At least he hadn’t been so wasted he hadn’t useddouble protection—even he never got that wasted.
He wasgathering up the tissue when a shapely bare leg called to him. An image oflines of cocaine on pert breasts floated through his brain. The breasts hadjiggled delightfully. “You’re tickling me!” The cocaine was gone, butmaybe he could make those tits wobble again. Practice wasn’t for another fewhours, and he’d already blown curfew. It’d be a shame not to use the extrarubbers, and Coach was always on them about working out off the ice.
Apicture of sassy dancing breasts in his head, Beckett laid his hand on hershoulder, covering the butterfly. She was surprisingly cold.
“Hey.Hey, sweetheart.” What the fuck was her name? Karen something. “Karen,sweetheart, I had a great time celebrating with you and your friends lastnight—especially since it led me here.” Smooth, Beck.
Heshook her shoulder and rolled her over. Panic shot through him like liquidnitrogen.
Ohno, oh no, oh no!
No,no, no!
CHAPTER 2
What I Want
Paige bustled around her home office, stacking papers into afew straight piles so they appeared organized, which in truth, they weren’t.
“Haveto make a good impression,” she mumbled to herself.
The muffledfirst bars of “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” sounded from her purse, and shesnatched it up, rifling through it until she grasped her phone.
Chantsof “a-weema-weh” repeated as an unfamiliar number glowed on her screen. Puttinga smile in her voice, she answered.
“AndersonHomes. This is Paige Paulson.”
“Hey,I’m glad I caught you, boss lady,” came her general contractor’s voice.
“Hi,Norm. Whose phone are you using?”
“Theelectrician’s. Left mine in my truck. Listen, something’s come up on yourlatest remodel.”
Suckingin a breath, she steeled her spine for what surely would be bad news.
“Okay.Let’s have it.”
“So youknow the wall between the living room and hallway?”
Imagesof scurrying cockroaches leapt to her mind. Or is it mice this time? Howsoon can I get an exterminator in there? “What about it?”
“I waswondering what you thought of taking it down to a half wall?”
“Can weget away with it structurally?”
“Ohyeah.”
“Sothis isn’t about pests creating their own megalopolis in the walls?”
“Thatwas so ten houses ago,” he joked.
“But itstill gives me the creeps.” She shuddered involuntarily. “About the wall, youknow me. Take it down. The more open, the better.”
“Yougot it. Hey, have you called the guy down the street who wants to sell hispiece-of-shit house yet?”
“Notyet. I’ve been too busy drowning in paperwork.”
“You’restill interviewing for your assistant today, right?”
Paigechecked her watch. “Yeah, in like six minutes, so I’d better go. I need to getback to cleaning up the office so she doesn’t run as soon as she sets foot inhere.”
“Go get’em, Miss Paige.”
“Thanks,Norm.” God, she loved that guy. When she’d hired him a year ago, her files hadbeen stuffed with the remnants of flaky contractors. All she’d wanted, allshe’d needed, was one good general and a few crews who didn’t show up drunk, dodrugs, or spend all their time and money in strip joints and come groveling toher for advances. She’d struck gold with Norm, and he’d helped her take herbusiness to the next level, and then some—which was why she was about tointerview a candidate for her first-ever assistant position.
Righton cue, a car pulled up to the curb, and a tall young woman with dark, curlyhair strode up the walkway. Paige pivoted, her eyes surveying the partiallytidied office. With a sigh, she straightened her sweater and jeans and hurriedto the front door. Katie Denning blinked huge brown eyes from behind red-rimmedglasses. Her red-glossed lips curled up to reveal straight white teeth.
Shestuck out her hand. “I’m Katie. I’m so glad to meet you, Ms. …”
“Justcall me Paige,” Paige laughed, accepting
