LITMIR.BIZ

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you’re the funny one. He laughs at your jokes.”

      “Really?”

      “Really.”

      Oops! Tanisha was right, but Katie didn’t want to admit it. “Okay, then that’s what I like about him. He makes me feel funny.”

      “Funny ha-ha or funny weird?”

      “Now you’re just giving me a hard time. What’s the deal?”

      Tanisha took a deep breath. “Let’s drop the conversation. We’ve both got work to wrap up before the holi day weekend.”

      “No, seriously, I want to know.”

      “You sure?” Tanisha arched an eyebrow. “You promise not to get mad at me?”

      “What do you mean? I’m not an angry person.”

      “You didn’t used to be,” Tanisha said.

      “But I am now?”

      “Well, sometimes, kind of, ever since your mother passed away.”

      That stunned her. To hear it from Brooke was one thing. As the oldest, Brooke had often seen it as her job to monitor Katie and correct her behavior, but to hear it from her friend was another story.

      “It’s okay,” Tanisha offered. “Everyone understands. You’ve been through a lot. But instead of hooking up with good-time guys like Richard, you might be at a point in your life where it’s time you checked out the other side of the fence. Maybe you should try being with someone more substantial.”

      “I don’t get it. Where is this coming from? You party and flirt as much as I do.”

      “Yeah, but since I’ve started dating Dwayne I’m looking at things a bit differently.”

      “Don’t tell me that you and Dwayne are getting serious! You’ve only known him what? A month? And he lives in Denver. It’s easy to have a great relationship when you rarely see each other.”

      “We’re not talking about me and Dwayne. We’re talking about you, and I think you’re doing this as some kind of rebellion you never outgrew. Deep down inside, you’re a lot more traditional than you want peo ple to believe.”

      “Huh?”

      “If you want to party and flirt and have lots of casual sex then great, do it. Don’t apologize for it. But if you’re doing it simply to prove to yourself that you’re not like the rest of your family, maybe you should take a second look at what kind of lifestyle will really make you happy.”

      “This is ridiculous.”

      “Is it?”

      “Winfield,” boomed a gruff voice from the across the room.

      Katie swiveled in her chair to see her boss, Max Kruger, standing in the doorway. A persistent frown rode his bushy eyebrows. Max was fiftyish, sported an out-of-style crew cut and had a penchant for wearing chinos with crisply starched white shirts. He looked like a basketball coach and managed his employees with the same sort of affable crustiness.

      “Yes, Mr. Kruger?”

      File in hand, Max strode into their office.

      “You’re going to have to stay late tonight.”

      “But it’s the Friday before the holiday weekend,” Katie said, feeling her plans for seduction slipping away. All she’d wanted was to end the evening in bed with Richard. She’d been dreaming about the feel of a masculine arm around her waist, the smell of a man’s scent in her nostrils, the sweet oblivion of an orgasm.

      “So?”

      “I have plans.”

      “Do you like your job, Winfield?”

      “Yes, sir.”

      Max thrust the file at her. “Then you’re staying late. Kringle’s Krackers didn’t like the color fill on the logo. They want something more urban chic.”

      “For overpriced saltines?”

      “Hey, it’s what the customer wants.” He paused before delivering the really bad news. “And you’ve got to come up with the new palette by Tuesday. They need it right away for a special promo venture they have planned.” Max turned and stalked from the room.

      Katie groaned and swiveled her chair to face her computer. Muttering darkly under her breath, she grabbed the Kringle’s Krackers file.

      “Maybe you should look at this as a sign,” Tanisha said.

      “What do you mean?”

      “That you’re not supposed to seduce Richard Hancock at the Ladies League masquerade ball.”

      She paused a moment, giving Tanisha’s suggestion some thought. “I could look at it as a sign,” she said. “Or I could take it as a challenge to see how quickly I can get this project fixed and get over there.”

      Tanisha shook her head. “I gotta hand it to you, K. Whenever you put your mind to something, you put your mind to it.”

      “Nah.” Katie grinned. “I’m just deeply into self-sabotage.”

      The earthy smell of impending autumn hung thick on the evening breeze. Katie hustled from the Sharper Designs offices, nestled among other quaint structures in an older area of Boston not far from downtown.

      At the turn of the twentieth century, the stately buildings had once been personal residences. Then in the 1970s, the area had been zoned commercial and most of the families had pulled up stakes and moved on, leaving their homes to be converted into offices by enterprising developers. The renovated homes created a cozy work environment, but parking space was at a premium and the nearest parking lot lay three blocks away.

      It was almost 9:00 p.m. and the Ladies League ball would be in full swing. The streetlamps glowed hazy against the dreamy mist of fog rolling in from the harbor. Katie hurried down the street, her arms laden with the packages she’d bought on her lunch hour.

      Her stilettos tapped smartly against the cement sidewalk. Underneath her light fall coat, she wore the French-maid costume. Not wanting to waste time by going home, she’d dressed at the office. She felt decidedly naughty and that naughtiness escalated her excitement and strengthened her resolve.

      Come hell or high water, she was determined to seduce Richard Hancock.

      Feeling both nervous and brave, walking the streets alone in her costume, she took a deep fortifying breath. What would Richard think of her outfit? She hadn’t told him what she was wearing because the French-maid getup was a spur-of-the-moment decision. Richard, however, had promised to come as Jack Sparrow from Pirates of the Caribbean, complete with a Johnny Depp booty pirate’s wig. Pirate and captive was her favorite sexual fantasy.

      Katie could hardly wait. The thrill of the chase quickened her pulse.

      She scurried past the pet store that had just opened up the week before. Muted low-level lighting was on in the building and as she turned to step off the curb, she spotted him.

      Her heart hammered and her breath caught. Her gaze met his and she was a goner.

      The puppy, a honey-colored cocker spaniel, was caged inside the window. His big, sweet chocolate-brown eyes locked on hers.

      “Oh.” She breathed, changed directions and walked back toward him. “Oh, you are too cute.”

      Frantically, he wagged his tail.

      In that instant Katie fell in love. How much is that doggy in the window? The song ran through her head.

      You with a dog? Ha!

      It was a laughable idea. She lived in a condo and was rarely home. Plus, she’d never had a pet, although she had always wanted one. She remembered begging for a puppy

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