For Lust or Money. Kate Hoffmann

giving her a little wave. The bellman motioned for a cab and a moment later, Angie slipped in to the backseat. Kelly smiled as she walked over to the elevators. It was only eight, but she felt as if she’d been awake for days. She hadn’t eaten, so she’d order something light from room service then crawl into bed and sleep.

      She closed her eyes as the elevator climbed to the twelfth floor. She could sleep or she could call Zach Haas and invite him over. No doubt there’d be a message from him waiting on her voice mail. Kelly giggled softly. God, was she really considering making a booty call?

      The elevator doors opened and she walked down the hall toward her room, weighing her options. Kelly noticed a man sitting on the floor near her room door, his attention focused on his cell phone. She hesitated for a moment, then recognized Zach. “Oh, boy. Here we go,” she murmured to herself.

      With every step she took, she felt as if she were walking in to dangerous territory. The sexual attraction between them was undeniable and incredibly intense. And a man like Zach was probably used to acting on his urges and getting exactly what he wanted whenever he wanted it. She’d lived her life within the lines for so long. Was she really ready to step out and do something so bold and daring?

      He stood up as she approached, tucking the phone in his jacket pocket as he leaned back against the wall. Kelly reached in to her purse and withdrew her key card. He watched her the whole time and she tried to keep her hands from trembling.

      “I was about to leave,” he murmured.

      She sent him a sideways glance, their gazes meeting for a long moment. Kelly felt a shiver run down her spine at the look in his eyes—confident, determined, a bit predatory. He had one thing on his mind and she knew what would happen if she let him into her room. He’d find a way to seduce her and she wouldn’t be able to stop him. “I’m surprised you came,” she said.

      “I was in the neighborhood.”

      “How did you know my room number?”

      “The production crew is in and out of this hotel all the time. Since we pay for the rooms, the front desk gives us the numbers.”

      Kelly slid the card into the lock and the door clicked. She pushed it open, then turned back to him. “Can you just wait out here for a second?”

      “Sure,” he murmured.

      She slipped inside the room and closed the door behind her, then hurried to the bathroom. The fluorescent light over the sink flickered on and Kelly stared at herself in the mirror. Running her fingers through her hair, she tried to calm herself. “Nothing will happen if you don’t want it to,” she said to herself.

      But the truth was, she did want something happen. She wanted to cast aside everything she’d always known about sex and start again. Only this time, she’d find the spontaneity in it, the all-consuming passion that had always been lacking in her relationships with men. She could be a different woman with this man, could test the boundaries of her need. It would be so simple, one night together with no strings and no expectations—and absolutely no inhibitions.

      So what was holding her back? “Fear,” Kelly said. What if it was so wonderful that the memory stayed with her for the rest of her life? What if every man she met in the future were measured by one night spent with a twenty-four-year-old stranger?

      Or what if she didn’t measure up? What if he found her too repressed or too nervous…or too old? Though she kept in good shape, her body wasn’t perfect. He was probably used to a twenty-year-old butt and fake boobs and skin that was smooth and tanned and tight. She’d fought her battles with cellulite and she’d lost.

      “Oh, God,” Kelly said. She unbuttoned her blouse and looked down at her chest. Maybe she should have gotten the boob job when she’d had the cash. She was so completely unprepared for this. She should be wearing black underwear, not this silly leopard print. And she should have fixed her hair and taken time with her makeup and put on a bit of perfume. Oh, and then there were condoms. She didn’t have condoms!

      A knock sounded on the door and Kelly quickly buttoned her blouse and hurried back into the room. She pulled the door open and peered out.

      “If you’re going to be much longer, can you get me a beer from the minibar?” Zach asked. “And some peanuts if they have them.”

      Kelly opened the door. “Sorry. I just needed a moment.”

      Zach strolled inside. “Let me guess, you had to put on your nice underwear?”

      “Very funny. I always wear nice underwear.”

      He walked over the minibar and pulled out a beer. “Can I make you a drink?”

      “No. I’ve had enough to drink for one night.” Her face felt flushed and she blamed it on the cosmopolitans she had shared with Angie, not on her nerves. She’d been with plenty of men. This was just one more. He had all the same equipment, all the same body parts. She’d studied the operator’s manual and knew what to do with him. So why was she so nervous?

      “It might help you relax,” Zach said.

      “Do I seem tense? I’m not. Not at all.” Kelly grabbed her purse. “If you’ll excuse me, I have to run down to the lobby. I need to buy some toothpaste before the gift shop closes. I’ll be right back.”

      She hurried to the door and slipped out into the hallway. This was horrible. She was a wreck and he was probably regretting his decision to see her outside of the studio. If she intended to have one night of incredible sex, then she needed to pull herself together and at least appear as if she were interested—and capable. She rode the elevator back down to the lobby and headed toward the gift shop. Of course they’d have condoms. People had sex all the time in hotels.

      She wandered through the small store, past the T-shirts and the coffee mugs, the magazine rack and the stuffed animals, to the corner that featured the toiletries. She found the condoms in boxes of three. They came in a variety of brands…and sizes. The last time she’d shopped for condoms, there was only one size.

      Kelly grabbed a box of regular and a box of XLs, then walked to the checkout stand. A young man stood behind the counter. He smiled at her as she set her purchases down. Then he rang them both up. That’s twenty-four ninety-three,” he said.

      “What?”

      “That will be twenty-four ninety-three,” he repeated.

      “For six condoms? Good grief, when did sex get so expensive?” The young man leaned forward. “If you go on over to the CVS, they’re a much better buy. We kind of count on the fact that folks need ’em in a hurry and they’re willing to pay.”

      Kelly reached in to her purse and pulled out her wallet, but she’d spent the last of her cash on drinks with Angie. “Can you put these on my room bill?” she asked.

      “Sure, what room?”

      Kelly opened her mouth to tell him, then realized that the show was paying for the room. They wouldn’t be too thrilled to see condoms on the bill. “Tell me something,” she whispered. “If I put these on my bill, will they be itemized?”

      The young man shook his head. “No,” he whispered back. “It will just say gift shop. For all anyone knows, you bought twenty-four ninety-three worth of potato chips and candy bars.”

      Kelly tucked the condoms into her purse and signed the tab. “Thanks. You’ve been very helpful.” She walked out of the store and back to the elevator.

      “Have fun!” the clerk called, his voice echoing into the hallway.

      “That’s exactly what I intend to do,” Kelly muttered.

      ZACH GRABBED THE REMOTE from the bedside table and flipped on the TV, running through the channels until he found ESPN. He slid a pillow behind his back and kicked off his shoes, stretching out his legs in front of him. This was the strangest date he’d ever had, if it could even be called a date.

      After