For Lust or Money. Kate Hoffmann

      Bracing her hands behind her on the door, Kelly arched into him as his tongue flicked at her clitoris. She’d never felt anything quite so wonderful, so achingly powerful. He controlled her with his mouth, meting out pleasure a tiny bit at a time until she was frantic for release.

      She didn’t want to give in. Instead, she wanted the desire to last forever, to be caught in this whirlwind of pleasure, this precarious balance between hunger and release. Her body belonged to him now, completely and irrevocably, and she wanted to surrender completely.

      He knew exactly what he was doing to her and he seemed to take delight in teasing her. Kelly groaned and grasped his hair, gently tugging him even closer. Her body felt boneless, as if any moment it might melt. She wanted him inside her, but she was afraid to want more, afraid that this desire would consume her completely. This was already too much.

      She felt the ache building inside her and suddenly, she couldn’t fight it any longer. She wanted to let go, to give Zach what he sought. She held her breath and let the pleasure build and then, as if the floodgates burst, she felt the orgasm wash over her. Her body jerked, then dissolved into delicious spasms.

      The power of it all took her breath away, made her dizzy. Her fingers tangled in his hair as she pulled his head back, suddenly too sensitive for his caress. When the last spasm subsided, Zach pressed his damp mouth to her belly, nuzzling against her.

      “Oh, my,” she breathed.

      He got to his feet and cupped her face in his hands, then touched his lips softly to hers. “I have to go,” he murmured. “I was due at the studio a half hour ago. But I’ll see you this afternoon. And tonight, we’ll pick up where we left off.”

      “All right,” Kelly repeated, breathlessly.

      Chuckling softly, he bent to pick up her towel and wrapped it back around her body. Then he led her to the bathroom. “Are you gonna be all right?”

      “I’m fine,” Kelly said.

      He nodded, then disappeared. A minute later, he was back at the door, only to find her standing in the same spot, the towel clutched in her hand. She couldn’t seem to move, even though she knew she ought to.

      “Angie’s waiting downstairs in the restaurant. You’d better get moving.” He stepped into the bathroom and gave her another quick kiss, then pointed at the mirror. “Dry your hair and then get dressed.”

      “Right,” Kelly said.

      She heard the room door close behind him and she sank down to sit on the edge of the tub. Pressing her hand to her chest, she forced herself to breathe normally. What was happening to her? Was it the heat? Or had she caught some kind of travel-induced dementia?

      She’d never in her life felt anything like this…so intense, so shattering. Whenever she came within three feet of Zach Haas, she found herself compelled to test the limits of her inhibition and she’d found herself stunned by her reaction to his touch. How could she be expected to resist him? He was like a fantasy come to life—a young, virile guy who could make her feel as if there were no end to her desire for him.

      She had one more night in Atlanta. The old Kelly Castelle might have spent the evening alone, locked in her hotel room, watching public television and reading the Tourist’s Guide to Atlanta. But the new Kelly was determined to entice Zach back into her bed and, this time, enjoy every pleasure that his flesh offered.

      But before that, she’d go to the studio and pretend she was in love with a younger man. She wondered if the cameras would see that it wasn’t such a far-fetched idea. Falling in love with Zach Haas would be as easy as falling off a log. But she couldn’t afford to do that, so she would settle for simple lust. For Kelly, that would have to be enough.

      3

      ZACH STOOD IN FRONT of the dressing-room mirror in a pair of plaid boxers. Now he knew exactly how male actors felt in this situation—like a piece of meat. Suddenly, the body he’d grown quite comfortable with seemed to be full of flaws. His arms weren’t big enough and his chest wasn’t very cut. And he had four-pack, instead of six-pack, abs. And he’d never even considered waxing the line of hair that ran from the center of his chest to beneath the waistband of his boxers.

      “I don’t know about the boxers,” Karen said, glancing over at Jane. “I think younger guys are probably more in to boxer briefs, don’t you?”

      “I don’t want the audience focused on his butt,” Nicole murmured, her brow furrowed into a frown. “And if we put him in boxer briefs I think it’s going to be all about the butt.”

      “I can see your point,” Jane commented.

      “Can I say something here?” Zach asked.

      “No!” All three of them spoke at the same time and Zach got the distinct impression they were enjoying this.

      “We could try him in tighty whities,” Karen suggested.

      “No way.” Zach held up his hands. “I haven’t worn those since I was ten.”

      “What do you wear?” Jane asked.

      “I think that’s a bit personal,” Zach said.

      “Hey, we’re just asking a young guy like yourself what kind of underwear other young guys wear.”

      “Guys my age like the boxer briefs,” Zach said. “But personally, I go commando.”

      Eve Best poked her head in the open door of the dressing room. “There will be no going commando on my set. I like the boxers. Maybe go with something a little more playful than plaid, though.”

      “The boss has spoken,” Nicole said with a smile. She handed Zach a pair with alligators printed all over them. “Come on. We have this last segment to tape and then we’ll be done.” The three women walked out of the room, leaving Zach behind to change.

      It was nearly 4:00 p.m. and Zach and Kelly had been taping for almost two hours. Though he’d expected some uneasiness on Kelly’s part, especially after the intimate moments they’d shared in her hotel room that morning, she’d been the consummate professional. No one would have guessed that they slept in the same bed last night or that he’d brought her to a powerful orgasm that morning.

      Thoughts of her had occupied his mind from the very second he’d awakened in her bed until the time she arrived at the station. Though he hadn’t put his finger on the cause of this minor obsession, he suspected it was rooted in the contradictions he found in this woman.

      One moment, she was cool, aloof and untouchable, and then the next she was a sultry-eyed seductress. She was nervous then confident, shy then aggressive, serious then silly. Her emotions seemed to turn on a dime and Zach wasn’t sure what to expect from moment to moment. Seducing her had been a challenge, but one he was more than willing to accept.

      He changed into the boxers, then turned back to the mirror. Raking his hands through his hair, he deliberately disrupted the careful work that Jane had put in with her combs and sprays. If they wanted a twenty-four-year-old, then that’s what they’d get. He rubbed the narrow trail of hair on his chest. Maybe he should have shaved his chest.

      “Zach! Come on. We’re ready for you.”

      He glanced over to see Jane peeking in the door. “Do you think this is all right?” he asked, pointing to his chest.

      She sighed dramatically and walked into the room, then grabbed his hand. “You look fine. This skit isn’t about you, it’s about her, the older woman. You’re just eye candy.”

      “Gee, thanks,” he muttered.

      When he got out to the set, he sat down on the edge of the bed. Familiar territory, but strangely enough, he felt a little uneasy. After all, just eight hours before, he and Kelly had been curled up in her hotel room, sharing a bed not much different than this one. And he no longer had to imagine what she looked like without her clothes, as he’d enjoyed that view, as well.