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over-enunciated, “A dom-in-a-trix service. Do youthink Mason is capable of being involved in something like that?”
    â€œAbsolutely not. No way. He’d never—”
    â€œOkay, okay. I thought that’s what you’d say, but I wanted to be sure.”
    â€œAre you sure it’s really a—a dominatrix service? I mean, how do you know?”
    Claire explained the incident at the bar followed by the one at her door. “I’m not totally sure, but I’d be willing to bet that’s exactly what’s going on,” she said, happy that she’d managed to tell the story while carefully avoiding any mention of the drink napkin. She couldn’t quite explain how that mix-up had occurred, anyway. It just would have muddied the water.
    â€œMason’s going to be furious. This could ruin the reputation of his business if word gets out.”
    â€œYeah,” Claire said, not exactly feeling sorry for Mason, but surprisingly not gleeful either. “He’s going to have to crack down on it right away and try to keep the news of it quiet…. Or who knows, maybe wild rumors about the place are just what he needs to keep business booming.”
    â€œThat’s not Mason’s intention. He wants Escapade to be more about luxury and less about sex. He’s not going to like this one bit—you’ve got to tell him right away.”
    â€œWhy should I help him? He wouldn’t help me if my life depended on it.”
    â€œYou’re not giving him enough credit, and youshould help him because it’s the right thing to do. And because it might mend a few fences between you two.”
    â€œI don’t want any mended fences—I just want him to sleep with me.”
    â€œYou can’t have one without the other,” Lucy said.
    â€œBelieve me, I don’t have to like him to sleep with him, and vice versa. In fact, it’s impossible for me to like such an arrogant, pigheaded—”
    â€œYou’re talking about my brother-in-law. I don’t want to hear it.”
    Claire rolled her eyes at the phone. “Okay, fine. I see where your loyalty lies.”
    â€œStop pouting—you know I want what’s best for you.”
    Okay, so maybe she did, but that didn’t mean she had any idea what really was best for Claire. Lucy thought Claire needed to settle down, get married and do the family thing, but Claire knew she was too restless for such a limited future. She needed freedom, adventure and a different guy for each season, preferably.
    But that thought reminded her that she hadn’t had a single summer fling yet this year—and not a spring one, either, for that matter. Summer was quickly passing into fall, and she hadn’t been able to summon any real interest in a guy besides Mason since…last March, at best.
    Yikes.
    Maybe helping Mason was just what she needed to do to break down his I-hate-you-too-much-to-sleep-with-you barrier, and then she’d be free to fling to her heart’s content.
    â€œLuc, I gotta go. I just remembered something I need to do.”
    â€œYou’re going to tell Mason, right?”
    â€œUm, right. Talk to you soon. Bye!” And she hung up before Lucy could issue any dire warnings about what might happen if Claire behaved irresponsibly.
    She checked her lipstick in the mirror, fluffed her hair up a bit and readjusted her dress to ensure maximum cleavage. There—now she was armed for seduction again, and she had a new weapon in her arsenal. She smiled to herself as she set off for Mason’s room again, determined not to leave this time until she’d gotten her man.
    Â 
    M ASON PEERED THROUGH the peephole and muttered a curse under his breath. The redheaded devil was back.
    Damn it.
    Maybe he just shouldn’t answer. Or maybe he should call security now before things got out of control. But curiosity got the best of him again.
    â€œWhat do you want?” he