Savin' Me Read Free Page A

sure between all of us,” Maggie said,
waving her hand around the circle, “we know everyone here.
Riverside’s not that big a place.”
    In addition to being talented and northern,
Maggie was also, apparently, the queen of understatements. Kat’s
previous apartment complex had been bigger than the entire town of
Riverside.
    “I don’t want to turn around and be obvious,
but he was standing with Elise a minute ago. Around six feet tall,
dark hair that’s kind of curly and unruly—”
    “Rock-star stubble covering a strong jawline
and gorgeous blue eyes?”
    Kat bit her bottom lip and cut her eyes to
Seth. He didn’t hide his sexual orientation, but never had his
excessive gayness been more evident.
    “Damn, Seth,” Maggie said. “Even men think
Erik’s hot?”
    Seth looked offended. “Of course. Every gay
man in town has the goal of being the one who turns him.”
    Kat burst out laughing, then threw her hand
over her mouth. Erik was as hetero as they came, and there wasn’t a
chance in hell of turning him. Thank God.
    Sexual genius like his couldn’t possibly play
both sides of the fence, and what a shame it would be for womankind
if he did. He had long fingers and strong, capable hands. She’d
expected the jagged scars on his palms—the ones he’d flat-out
refused to discuss—to be rough, like calluses. But his touch was
soft, and he knew exactly where, when, and how to stroke a woman’s
body to elicit sensations and feelings never before discovered.
    At least that’s what he’d done to her. And
just thinking about it caused dampness in her palms and… other
places that had no business getting damp at the moment.
    She needed to get a grip. Now wasn’t the time
to remember, and it sure as hell wasn’t the place for a reaction.
She now knew Erik was an equal-opportunity sex magnet, but she
still didn’t know his relationship to the agency. “Who is he? Is he
a client?”
    “His name is Erik Monteague,” Maggie said.
“His family owns Monteague Boats, and he’s one of our larger
clients.”
    Damn, damn, damn.
    “Mmm… hmmm… I imagine he is.” Seth had taken
on a stereotypical gay man pose—hip cocked to the side, one arm
crossed over his stomach while his free hand held a glass of wine
to his lips. His eyes were hooded and appreciative as he stared at
Erik.
    “Life offers few guarantees, Seth, but one
thing I can guarantee is that you’ll never have the opportunity to
verify that,” Cara, the radio station rep, jumped in. Turning dark
brown eyes to Kat, she explained. “Erik’s known for his wild
escapades…” She cocked her head to the side and rolled her eyes
toward Seth. “…with the ladies.”
    Her words had been directed at Seth, but
they’d settled in Kat’s gut like a heavy weight. The night she met
Erik, she’d suspected one-night stands were a way of life for him.
That had been part of the reason she’d left while he was still
sleeping. However, knowing it intuitively was a lot different than
hearing about his sexcapades first hand.
    Cut the crap, Kat.
    Jealousy was ridiculous and immature. She’d
been lucky enough to have one night with Erik, and the memories
were hers forever. Tonight, however, was not the time to stroll
down memory lane. The situation was surreal and like bad déjà vu.
What would happen to her job if anyone found out she’d slept with
Erik?
    It was before you took this job—relax.
    Easy to think, but hard to do with the past
rushing at her like an out of control freight train destined for a
horrible, fiery crash. She refused to let another promotion slip
away because of a lapse in judgment. He’d been pissed off by her
presence, so maybe he’d be happy to keep their fling quiet.
    Tightness filled her chest at the thought of
asking him to treat their night together as a dirty little secret.
She was sure to him it had just been another one-night stand, but
to her it had been more. Much more.
    “His nickname is ‘The Full Monty,’”