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made a mistake with your room,” she stammered and started for the phone on the side table. It was far away from where he stood, where he was taking up too much space in the luxurious hotel room. He grasped her arm before she could pass him. Her skin prickled with goosebumps and an achy warmth started between her legs.
    “Look at me,” he demanded and shifted in front of her.
    Her gaze clashed with his and she held her breath. Lust. Exactly what she’d craved to see in her lover for the night. Right there. Ripe for the taking. Had he ever looked at her like that before?
    Yes.
    She brushed aside the memory before it could take hold. “We haven’t seen each other since graduating from CSU.”
    He placed her hand on the solid wall of his chest. Her dark brown skin was such a contrast to his golden hue. “Too long,” he said. “Much too long. If this is a mistake, I’m not sorry for it.”
    Right. This was Chris. Her study partner many nights in college. The old friend who had been there as a cheerleader when she’d wanted to give up business administration for the English degree that would make her qualified for only teaching positions for the rest of her life.
    Some of her nerves fled. “What are you doing here?”
    He blushed and she remembered they were at the Den of Sin. They were there to have some kind of sexual fantasy fulfilled. Her, yeah, not surprising. Her love life had never been anything to write home about, but the last she’d heard, he’d gotten married.
    The heat filling her stomach was doused with that cold realization. She tugged her hand from beneath his when she noted the tan line along his ring finger.
    Layla pulled the robe tighter across her breasts, putting more space between them. “Are you married?”
    A deep, bottomless sadness flashed behind his eyes and then it was gone. He shook his head. “No.”
    Her stomach dropped and she regretted moving away from him. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”
    He sighed, stuffing his hands into his pockets. His black locks looked like he’d run his hands through them a lot. Despite the awkwardness, she smiled. Six years but some things hadn’t changed.
    “It’s good to see you.” She meant it.
    He nodded. “It is. This place, I heard about it. After talking to Ms. Gibson, I wouldn’t put it past her that she saw this as the perfect match.”
    She swallowed, hoping they could have skipped right over the discussion about both of them being at The Beaudelaire. Yes, for one night she wanted to be shamelessly taken. She’d imagined some dark, dangerous stranger who made her heart kick.
    She took him in. Well, Chris had dark hair. He was…fit. His thick, muscular thighs were clad in jeans. He hadn’t worn a jacket, but he’d rolled the sleeves of his dress shirt up his forearms. Thick and muscular there, too.
    Not a stranger, but they’d gone down that road before with disastrous results and had agreed to stay friends. And then college ended and they went their separate ways. He’d left the US for some IT job across the seas.
    Ms. Gibson seemed like she’d lift every rock you’d ever been under to find out everything about her guests. She probably did pair them and assumed there’d be fireworks. Layla wasn’t sure there’d be any fireworks. Ever.
    “We can catch up,” she said slowly.
    He strode forward until he was so close she could feel the heat radiating off him. He raised his hand and ran his thumb over her curve of her chin. “I’ve learned to never let an opportunity pass you by, because there’s no such thing as coincidence.”
    Her heart kicked in her chest. “What are you saying?”
    No, she wasn’t dumb or hard of hearing, but this was Chris . And a single touch had that ache turning into a need.
    “We have some unfinished business.”
    She should have backed up when he took another step, but his gaze had darkened and she felt captivated. “We do?”
    He nodded and lifted his other hand to cup the back of her neck. “I