"Wow," she breathed. "That's some damn good mistletoe."

Matt looked over his shoulder at Joe, who grinned and shot him a thumbs-up. "Mistletoe works every time," Joe said with a laugh.

With a final wave, they walked to the car. After Matt closed the trunk, he asked, "I'm ready to hit the room, get naked, and start working on that thirty-six pack. Whaddaya say?"

"I say it's good to set high goals in life."

Chapter 9

Relaxed, rejuvenated, and all but purring from her deluxe facial, Jilly walked toward the resort's bar where she and Matt had agreed to meet for an after-spa drink before returning to the room to ready themselves for dinner with Jack.

She sat in an overstuffed chair at a small, round table that afforded her a good view of the lobby area so she wouldn't miss Matt. She checked her watch. Good. She had at least ten or fifteen minutes before Matt showed up. After slipping her cell phone from her purse, she quickly dialed Kate's number. Her friend picked up on the second ring.

"I've been dying to hear from you," Kate said. "How's it going?"

Jilly blew out a breath. "Remember how you suggested that maybe I should indulge in an affair with Matt this weekend? That it would satisfy my curiosity so then I'd be able to forget him? And that as long as we both went into it understanding it would be over after this weekend, everything would be fine?"

"Yes, yes, and yes. I remember perfectly. So? How are things?"

"Good and bad."

"Good first."

"You can't call me Rusty anymore."

"Ooohhh. So what can I call you?"

"How about Lucky?"

"How lucky?"

"Hit-the-jackpot lucky."

Kate gave a low whistle. "So what's the bad part?"

"The plan to satisfy my curiosity so then I'd be able to forget him isn't working out all that well. My curiosity is far from satisfied, and I think it's going to prove a lot more difficult than I'd thought to drop this man off my radar screen after tomorrow."

"I see. So you like him."

Jilly pinched the bridge of her nose. "I'm afraid so."

"Well, you know, there's no law that says you can't continue this once you return to work."

"Yes, there is. Engaging in an affair at work is professional suicide. Especially since whoever wins the ARC account is going to be the other one's boss. I get queasy just thinking about that scenario. Besides, there's more to it than just that. Matt just isn't my type."

"Oh. So you only like him when you're both naked?"

Jilly frowned. If only that were true. "Not exactly."

"Well, what's wrong with him?"

Frustration edged through Jilly-at Matt for causing her all this turmoil, and at herself for allowing him to. "He's just… a very take-charge guy. You know how I don't like that."

"So he's stepping on your independence."

"Exactly!"

"How?"

"He's… crowding me. Like today, we went out and he offered to pay for my lunch. And then he scheduled a deluxe facial at the spa's resort for me. And then he bought me a bottle of wine. I am perfectly capable of purchasing my own meal, my own wine, and arranging my own facials."

"Of course you are. That bastard. Does his cruelty never end? You want me to drive out there and kick his smarmy ass?"

Jilly squeezed her eyes shut. "Ha, ha. Point taken. But it's small stuff like that which shows the sort of person he is."

"Thoughtful and romantic?"

"If you'll recall, things with Aaron started out nicely as well. Then the next thing I knew, he expected me to rearrange my life to revolve around his."

"Yes, but if you'll recall, Aaron also eventually proved not to have a thoughtful or romantic bone in his body."

"Hey, whose side are you on?"

"Yours, silly. But I'd hate to see you throw away something that might turn out to be just what you're looking for."

"But I'm not looking for anything!"

"Everyone is looking for something, Jilly. I clearly remember you saying you'd snap up the right guy if he came along."

"Well, Matt is not the right guy."

"You know what I think your problem is?" Kate asked in a serious voice.

"I'm almost afraid to ask."

"You should be, because I don't think you're going to like the answer. Shall I continue anyway?"

"Might as well," Jilly groused. "What else are best friends for but to make you feel miserable?"

"I think that you're confused and out of sorts because you really like his man and you didn't expect to. You suspect you could easily more than like him, and that scares you-for all the reasons caring for someone scares anybody, but also because a relationship with Matt could negatively impact your career. And you, more than anyone I know, define yourself by your career."

"Okay, what are you-psychic?"

"No. I'm in love. I know the signs."

Panic fluttered in Jilly's stomach. "Good grief, don't even whisper the 'L' word. That would be a complete disaster."

"Listen, that's what I thought about Ben. And when I realized I was falling in love with him, I was scared to death. But I took a chance, put my heart on the line, and look how great things turned out."

"I am not falling in love with Matt."

"If you say so."

"I say so. I'm just annoyed at myself for liking him." Liking him waaaaay too much. "And annoyed at him for being so… likable. Damn it, I don't want to like him. I want to forget him."

"Well, the only way to forget about a man is to find another man."

"Excellent. I'm making that job one as soon as I get home. You'll help me, right?"

"Of course. Maybe you should even look around at the resort. Might be someone right under your nose."

"Maybe I will."

"I do have to warn you, Jilly-there's one hitch to the plan of forgetting a man by finding another man."

"What's that?"

"It only works if you aren't in love with the guy you're trying to forget."

"Then we shouldn't have any problem, because I am so not in love with Matt."

"Good."

"Fine."

"So are you going to sleep with him tonight?"

"Of course. I'm not in love with him, but I'm seriously in lust with him. In fact, I'd better go. I'm expecting him soon."

"All right. Enjoy the rest of your weekend, and call me when you get home tomorrow. We'll plan to hit a few clubs after work on Tuesday so the forgetting can officially begin."

"Sounds terrific. Bye." Jilly disconnected and slipped her phone into her purse.

Sounds terrific? She blew out a long sigh. If only. Unfortunately, going clubbing to forget about Matt sounded the exact opposite of terrific.


* * *

Matt walked toward the bar feeling like a new man.

Yup, an hour-long massage had worked out all his kinks and tensions and put everything back into perspective. All he'd needed was an hour to himself, away from that distracting woman, to get his head back on straight.

The remainder of the weekend was clearly mapped out in his mind. Meet Jilly, have drink, go back to room, enjoy a quickie, get dressed, have dinner with Jack where he'd make subtle inroads in his quest to win the ARC account, go back to the room with Jilly, enjoy another bout-or two, possibly three-of sex, sleep, have one more possible bout of morning sex, pack and get out of Dodge. Then business as usual. Perfect. His plan was like a well-oiled machine.

Unfortunately his well-oiled machine suffered a cog in its wheel as he rounded the corner and the bar came into view. His gaze instantly zeroed in on Jilly. Jilly, dressed in a pale blue turtleneck and loose-fitting, casual athletic pants, sitting alone at small, round table. Jilly, with her dark, shiny hair curling around her shoulders. Jilly, smiling and laughing-with the guy sitting alone at the table next to hers. A guy who, Matt noted grimly, was looking at Jilly as if she were an ice-cream cone from which he wanted to take a big, long lick.

There was no mistaking the unpleasant sensation that hit him like a punch in the heart. Jealousy, pure and simple. And not simply because the guy was showing interest in Jilly-while Matt didn't like it, he couldn't blame him. No, it was more the fact that Jilly was smiling and laughing with the jerk instead of using one of her black belt moves to toss him onto his flirtatious ass.

She's not yours, man, his inner voice chimed in.

Like hell. Maybe she wasn't his for the long run, but she was his for the remainder of this weekend. And he wasn't about to share her with that damn Brad Pitt look-alike.

Drawing a deep, calming breath, he walked toward the bar. As he neared their tables, the Pitt look-alike rose and passed her a business card. "I'd love to stay and talk, but I'm meeting an associate at a restaurant in town," Matt overheard him say with regret in his voice. "My office is just a few blocks from yours. Call me if you'd like to get together."

Pitt-boy moved off. Bludgeoning back his jealousy, Matt unclenched his jaw and walked the last few feet to the table, then sat down across from Jilly.

She greeted him with a smile. "Hi."

"Hi." He jerked his head toward the retreating man. "Who's that?" Damn it, he hadn't meant to ask the second he sat down. But at least he'd managed to keep his voice casual.

She gave a nonchalant shrug and, much to his annoyance, slipped the guy's business card into her purse. "Just a guy who was sitting at the next table. His name is Brad and he's a dentist. His office is close to Maxximum's."

Matt resisted the urge to look heavenward. Figures the guy's name really was Brad. Or maybe he'd changed his name, from something really nerdy to Brad to match his looks.