that. The truth was that, all doubts about her own sexuality aside, Beth knew she’d be even worse at love than she was at lust. She’d been working toward a more satisfying sex life for years. But love…oh, she couldn’t even look in that direction without wincing. And any more sex like that and she’d be in serious danger of getting attached.
She’d already turned away when she registered that he was reaching toward her. She stuttered to a stop, but when she turned back, he’d dropped his hand.
“Morton’s in Denver,” he said into the phone, his face tight with frustration as she backed away. “Yes, I know where it is. Absolutely, Mr. Kendall.”
Mr. Kendall!
She was out the door before she realized she’d been holding her breath long enough to get light-headed. She was on the elevator when she realized she’d forgotten her panties. And she was already on the phone with Annabelle when she was hit with the most shocking realization of all.
She’d just walked away from a great thing. And that was her single, solitary regret about what she’d just done, forgotten panties and all. Hell, she’d even convinced Kendall to give Donovan Brothers a chance.
A smile tugged at her mouth as she heard the phone line open up, feeding sound in from the other side of the world. But her boss’s rush of excited words tamped down both Beth’s urge to smile, not to mention her feeling of accomplishment.
Her nervous triumph evaporated.
Beth had thought she’d been forced to fake her way through her career for years, but Annabelle’s new idea for the store made clear that Beth’s charade had only just begun. This was going to take her to a whole new level of faking it. What an awful end to a fabulous night.
CHAPTER NINE
“EIGHT SHARP,” KENDALL was saying while Eric stared at the room door as if it had just punched him in the gut. “And be sure you bring your brother.”
“What? I’m not sure that’s a good—”
“My daughter, Monica, will attend the meeting, as well. She’s handling day-to-day operations for High West. What was your sister’s name again?”
“My sister?” His mind wasn’t keeping up. He shook his head and forced himself to concentrate on this conversation. “Tessa.”
“Tessa,” Kendall repeated. “That’s right. She’s welcome, too, if she can make it. I liked her. She’s not one of those ball-busting women.”
“Yeah, she’s great,” Eric muttered. Jesus Christ, he was standing here, still buck naked, and Beth was gone. “So, tomorrow at eight,” he managed to say.
Kendall grunted what sounded like an affirmative before hanging up, and Eric found himself standing with a dead phone pressed to his ear, his mind still quaking with shock.
She was gone. Just as quickly as she’d arrived. They’d spent one hour together. He glanced at the clock. Jesus, not even an hour. So how did he feel so changed?
Spent, empty, exhausted. But not hollow.
She’d used him, just as he’d used her, and somehow he was buoyed by that. He’d spent his whole life giving everything to his family. Love and duty. His past, present and future. And he’d given it gladly. But tonight he’d given himself. There was no history with Beth, no obligation. They’d offered only what they’d each wanted to give.
Still, he’d expected that Beth would spend the night so they could slake their thirst. The sex had been spectacular. So damn hot he was still seeing stars at the edges of his vision. And it hadn’t been nearly enough.
A car pulled out of the parking lot and he watched its lights fade far below, wondering if it was her.
She’d left so quickly, and… He hadn’t asked her to stay.
“Shit,” he muttered, running a hand through his hair. Had he committed a one-night-stand faux pas? He’d rented the room. He’d invited her up. Maybe conventional wisdom called for her to scramble into her clothes and hit the door unless he stopped her.
Damn it, he’d never done this before.
He turned to face the bed. It was rumpled, but they hadn’t even pulled the covers back. It looked almost as if Beth had never happened.
But she damn sure had. His chest still felt strained and tight, as if his lungs weren’t quite working yet.
Just yesterday, the first moment he’d glimpsed her, Beth Cantrell had struck him as a fantasy. His opinion hadn’t changed after tonight. She was a fantasy. Her curvy softness. Her wet, eager body. Her honest desire.
Staring at the bed, he briefly considered staying. He could stretch out on the mattress