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you fool.
    “Things change in life, you know.” She tilted her head.
    “You did.”
    “Yes,” he agreed. “You’re right.”
    “So maybe if you tell me how it happened, I’ll answer your question about me.”
    “Fair enough.” He set his cup back in the saucer.
    “Remember Chad Willoughby, my college roommate?”
    Katie nodded.
    “Chad’s brother was into the life big time. When Chad graduated from law school, he got Chad a guest pass at the private fetish club he belonged to and said he could bring a friend.” He looked down. “I’d…been to a club twice before when we were together. But never did any more than watch,”
    he added quickly. “That’s when I brought everything up to you. I was fascinated with the lifestyle and wanted us to try some of these things together.” His grin was rueful. “My idea didn’t work out so well, as I remember.”
    “No. It didn’t.” If only she hadn’t reacted so badly. “So what happened at the club?
    “It seemed I was finally going to experience the things I’d only fantasized about. Chad’s brother arranged for each of us to have a sub for the evening along with a trained instructor.”
    He paused to sip more coffee.
    “And?” she prompted.
    “To be blunt about it, I discovered a desire for it I didn’t even know I had. It was the most explosive night I’d ever had sexually. And that’s taking nothing away from what you and I had together.”
    “But you wanted more.” Oh, she was sure of that. She felt a trap opening, yawning like a big hole before her. “On a regular basis.”
    “I did. A lot more. And more often. I for sure couldn’t look for action anywhere around the Hill Country. You know how conservative the ranching community is. Not even my brothers know about my…preferences.”
    Katie gave him a quizzical look. “So what did you do?”
    “Joined the club in Tampa Chad’s brother took us to. They have an arrangement for guest privileges in other clubs around the country. I…took a lot of business trips.” He stopped to take another swallow of coffee.
    “Your brothers didn’t ask questions?”
    He shook his head. “I timed my trips to coincide with legitimate business. Conventions. Meetings. Whatever.” His eyes raked over her face possessively. “But here’s the plain truth. I really wanted you, Katie. I wanted it all. You and the life.”
    “Which is what led to the scene in our hotel room.” When she so childishly ran away. It wasn’t just the things themselves he was proposing. It was the total implication, the fear that she could lose herself in him completely. A very dangerous edge.
    He grinned. “Yeah. That was some scene. I still remember how you looked, spread out…”
    “Stop.” She held up her hand. “That’s not what I meant.
    Can we stick to the conversation at hand?”
    The look he gave her nearly incinerated her dress. “Afraid to talk about it, sugar?”
    She shrugged. “There’s nothing to talk about. At least not…that.” Breathe in. Breathe out. Don’t give him any hint.
    “Anyway, didn’t you think maybe you should have actually discussed your needs with me before dropping your suggestions like lead pipes?”
    “It just fell out of my mouth.” Another grin. “Call it the spirit of the moment.”
    Yes, and that spirit had stayed with her all these years.
    “Your turn,” he reminded her. “How did you get into this business?”
    Katie sighed. She’d look like a fool when she told him.
    “Katie?”
    “All right, all right. I didn’t want to come home after graduation. I wanted to stay in Atlanta. But of course I needed a job. A friend of mine said someone she knew was looking for a bookkeeper for some private clubs they owned.
    Three of them, in fact. She got me an appointment for an interview.”
    Reece sat back in his chair, laughing softly. “I’ll bet it was quite a shock when you walked into that meeting.”
    “Actually, I met with their vice president at their headquarters