The Wrong Man: A Novel of Suspense Read Free Page A

time, cupping her face with one hand. She accepted his tongue as he slid it into her mouth, savoring the taste of it. Suddenly, he was pressing his body deeply into hers and running a hand along the outside of her halter, just grazing her breast. After a few moments, he pulled back and ran his eyes over her face.
    “I’d love to go to bed with you, Kit,” he said.
    Ah, they’d arrived at that point much faster than she’d predicted. And yet, she found herself definitely entertaining the idea. Not her usual M.O., for sure, but her body seemed to have its own agenda tonight.
    “That’s a very interesting proposition,” she said, still deliberating.
    “But I also need to be perfectly honest with you,” he said, before she could answer. “If we go to bed, there’s no way—at least right now—that I could take things beyond tonight, even with us both living in New York.”
    “Are you saying there’s someone serious in your life?” That would be a deal-breaker for sure. She would even regret the dinner.
    “No, no,” he said, shaking his head. “There’s no one. I haven’t had a girlfriend since I broke up with a woman nine months ago. We were pretty serious but she ended up too homesick for Melbourne to stay in the States.”
    “I take it then that you’re up for only casual dalliances these days,” she said, looking him in the eye. “No strings attached.”
    “Yes.” His expression turned serious, almost grave. “But it’s a little more complicated than that, than me not feeling ready. I’m very attracted to you, Kit. But there’s a problem I need to turn all my attention to in the next weeks—even months. It’s going to consume most of my time and my energy.”
    So there’d be no chance of ever seeing him again. But would it be so wrong to go for it, she wondered. This morning, she’d challenged herself to be a badass, to try something a little dangerous, and couldn’t this be it? The proverbial night to remember.
    She looked off, considering. Yes, she told herself. Take a chance.
    “All right,” she said. “But you’ll just have to promise not to mind when my cell phone alarm goes off at five-thirty.”
    “Not a problem. I plan to still be having sex with you then anyway.”
    She flushed at the thought.
    “You don’t happen to have any condoms, do you?”
    “I’ve got some in my dopp kit.” He laughed. “Old but not past the expiration date.”
    He led her into the spare white bedroom and began to peel off her clothes, then his own. He was in fabulous condition, taut and lightly tanned. He laid her on the bed and moved along her body slowly with both hands and mouth, exploring, teasing, making her writhe in pleasure.
    She’d never gone to bed with anyone for the first time without experiencing a twinge of self-consciousness, from being naked and exposed. But she felt none of that now. It was like dropping from a trapeze into a circus net, and relishing the pure, glorious thrill of the fall.
    His prediction had been right. They’d barely finished making love for a third time when the alarm went off. She forced herself out of bed, gathered up her clothes, and slippedinto the bathroom. When she emerged a few minutes later, Matt was out of bed, too, pants on, waiting to walk her to the door.
    “That was a fantastic night, Kit,” he said, a hand against the doorframe.
    “Yes,” she said. “It was.”
    He kissed her softly goodbye.
    She had too much last-minute packing to reflect on any of it. She took a six-minute shower, tossed items into her suitcase in a crazy rush, and grabbed a coffee to-go in the lobby.
    The car service was right on time, and as the driver headed toward the highway, she finally leaned back and replayed the night. It had been exquisite, it made her blush even to think about it. She had no regrets about her decision to spend the night with a stranger. Just regret over the fact that she’d never set eyes on him again.
    Halfway to Miami, as endless palm trees