Lethal Exposure. Lori Wilde

life she’d been the girl who collected housewares and linens for her hope chest and cut out pictures from brides’ magazines to paste into her wedding-plan book. Her favorite game had been Mystery Date. She was the girl who plastered posters of boy bands on her wall and kept a pink diary filled with teenage angst about her many crushes.

      It hardly seemed fair that her friends had found true love while she was the one who was still single and searching. Not that she resented them their happiness. She just wanted her share, too.

      Maybe Vanessa was right. There was no way she was cut out for a bumpy ride in the fast lane. She should probably call up Sebastian and tell him she couldn’t meet him for lunch tomorrow.

      Where’s the harm in lunch? She was being nudged by the part of herself that hungered for excitement and the thrill of something new.

      “Jules?” Elle said. “You okay?”

      “Huh?” She blinked, realized her friend had said something to her and she hadn’t even heard it.

      “I don’t want to see you get hurt again.” Elle put a hand on Julie’s arm. “Remember how long it took you to get over Roger?”

      Way too long. That was why she needed someone new, someone fresh, someone fun, someone like Sebastian.

      She met Elle’s gaze. “I do appreciate your concern. I’ll be careful. I promise.”

      Vanessa grinned. “Make sure to pick up some condoms. Ribbed, for your pleasure.”

      Julie’s mouth went dry. Maybe she wasn’t up for this after all.

      “Please, make sure not to romanticize him. He’s just a guy,” Elle said.

      “Like Dante was just a guy?” Julie asked, referring to Elle’s new husband, Dr. Dante Nash, who’d been undercover for the FBI when he’d busted Elle’s ex-husband, Mark Lawson.

      “That’s different,” Elle said hastily. “I had to learn how to be romantic. You’re trying to learn not to be so romantic. You’re the one with unrealistic ideas about love.”

      True enough. Julie sucked in her breath as she thought about Sebastian. Just remembering his dark, curly hair had her fingers tingling to run through those thick locks. The core of her sex tightened. Her body wanted him, no question about that.

      But was she brave enough to step on the accelerator and change lanes? Did she have what it took for a wild, adventuresome fling? Could she really forsake her romantic nature, learn how to have sex for sex’s sake and leave love out of the equation?