One Night Forever (The Cinderella Chronicles) Read Free Page A

shrieked
into the phone and then turned authoritative. “Okay, here is the
deal. Get laid . You need it
honey. Don’t think, just
do . I know how you think
so NO , you are not a whore for having a one-nighter.
Especially when you haven’t been laid in so long you could
medically be called a virgin again. Go for it .”
    Lauren rolled her eyes.
“Go make your deadline and leave me alone.” She hit the “end”
button without saying goodbye and then carefully returned her phone
to her purse.
    “ I take it
your friend is not joining you?”
    The question put Lauren
in the position of making a decision. Stay or go? And she knew, for
once in her life, she deserved a little detour from her good-girl
world. “I’m on my own. My friend is a writer for the local paper.
She had a little kink in meeting her deadline.” She regretted the
words the instant they left her mouth. This was one night. No
strings. No history.
    Matt flagged the
raven-haired waitress. Lauren watched him as he spoke to her. He
ordered a drink, dismissing her without a second thought. Lauren
bit back a smile, loving the way he focused on her and not the
other woman.
    “ So what
happened to your friend?” Lauren asked curiously,
openly acknowledging her interest in him earlier. It was no secret.
He knew. She knew. Boldness seemed a part of this night.
    “ He has a wife
to get home to.”
    “ And you
don’t?”
    He laughed. It was a
deep, sexy, sound from deep in his throat. “No. No wife. What about
you? Got a husband at home?”
    She shook her head
adamantly. “Oh,” she said. “No. Not me.”
    He looked like he might
ask more, but the waitress appeared, placing his drink in front of
him. Paying her took a quick few seconds. Refocusing on Lauren, his
gaze was hot and heavy. Leaning forward, he leaned close, and the
spicy scent of his cologne burned a sizzling reaction in her nerve
endings.
    “ Can you read
my mind, Lauren?” His voice was very soft and so seductive Lauren
almost shivered.
    She bit her bottom lip,
wondering if she dared say what she really thought. His eyes
dropped to her mouth. Oh, yes, she knew what he was thinking. But
still, she played it safe, answering a bit evasively. “Hopefully,
the same thing I am,” she whispered.
    His eyes darkened as they
met hers, holding her gaze with a silent promise of seduction.
Reaching across the table, he took her hand in his and brought her
knuckles to his lips. A shock wave of heat shot through her body.
The thought of more of that mouth, in a whole lot of places, had
dampness pooling between her thighs.
    Slowly he stood, holding
out his hand in invitation. “Dance with me,” he said.
    She looked at his palm,
realizing this was a telling moment. Would the first time he held
her be as enticing as she thought it would be? Eager to find her
answer, her hand slid into his. Instant and intense awareness
rocketed through her body.
    And there was her answer.
His touch was as potent as expected.
    He guided her to her feet
then, and his hand went to her waist. They stood so close her
thighs pressed against his. Her nipples tingled with his nearness
and the rawness of desire. For long moments, they stared at one
another. Lauren had no doubt her eyes radiated desire, because it
sizzled inside her like a low flame building to a fire. What would
it feel like to have his hands all over her body?
    She wanted to
know.
    No. She needed to
know.
    This man was most
definitely the makings of the perfect “Red Hot Secrets”.

Chapter Three
     
    Impatiently, Matt led
Lauren through the bar area. He was rock-hard from a mere touch. He
wanted this woman naked and beneath him. Or on top. Actually, both.
Feeling the rage of something raw and electric, he was quite
certain he could fuck her for hours on end. He’d like to explore
every inch of her body. Lick and touch and taste until she screamed
his name over and over. If a dance floor was his only immediate
option allowing him to hold her, so be it.
    He’d