His dark blue eyes were unreadable, giving none of his own thoughts away, which only added to her confusion. He gave her a nod, telling her with that quick, simple gesture that he understood the underlying meaning behind her question. "You can count on it."

Yes, she could count on him, she knew. To be the man who offered her his protection and advice while they searched for her cousin, and to give her the kind of pleasure and passion she'd only dreamed of.

Nothing more.

As she walked away, she heard Jill tell Steve that he ought to invite her to his father's birthday party on Saturday, that everyone would enjoy meeting her. Luckily, Liz didn't hear his response. She didn't want to hear him say no, didn't think she could bear to hear what kind of handy excuse he'd come up with as to why she might not be able to go with him. Not that she could blame him. She didn't belong at a celebratory gathering with his friends and relatives, no matter how much she ached to be a part of the kind of fun-loving closeness and acceptance Steve shared with his family.

Bypassing the coffee bar, she headed to the storage room in the back part of the cafe, which doubled as her office. Halfway there, she pressed a hand to her stomach to calm the unexpected rush of upheaval in her belly that told a tale of its own. She was getting in too deep with Steve, in over her head in a way she'd never anticipated. Involved more than they'd agreed upon.

And if she wasn't careful to keep pleasure and her emotions separated, this particular bad boy was going to steal his way into her heart. If he hadn't already.


***

Liz desperately needed a reprieve from the hot and heavy phone conversations she'd been fielding for the past hour and a half. Taking off her headset, she headed out of the small, stifling room at The Ultimate Fantasy and signed out for a ten-minute break. Instead of hanging out in the employee lounge that smelled of stale cigarette smoke and sharing war stories with other operators who seemed to perceive other women in the company as their direct competition, Liz opted for a breath of crisp, fresh evening air to clear her mind and lungs.

With her bottled water in hand, and the bag of sugar cookies she'd pilfered from her stock at the cafe to munch on, she rode the elevator down to the lobby. She pushed through the double glass doors to the well-lit sitting area just outside the building and was surprised to find Roxanne already sitting at one of the round tables, taking a break of her own.

She'd briefly seen the younger woman in passing when Liz had started her shift at nine, but they'd only had time for a quick hello before they'd both enclosed themselves in their assigned rooms and started taking calls. Liz knew she'd take advantage of the current opportunity that had presented itself, hopeful they could strike up a conversation now.

The night watchman was out strolling through the parking lot, giving them a semblance of safety, yet allowing them privacy, too. A full moon hung in the clear night sky, but it was the splash of flourescent light from a nearby overhead light that threaded through Roxanne's brunette hair and lent her an ethereal, peaceful appearance that contradicted what she did for a living.

The illusion of tranquility shattered when the younger woman glanced up at her, her gaze troubled and shadowed with a sadness that Liz automatically responded to on an emotional level. The day of Liz's interview, Roxanne had been the only woman to befriend her, even going so far as to offer her, a "virgin" of the business, a few tips about phone sex.

It occurred to Liz that she might be intruding, when Roxanne possibly wanted to be left alone. "Mind if I join you out here?"

"I'd love your company." The honest smile that appeared on Roxanne's lips validated her reply.

Liz sat down across from Roxanne. In the two days since first meeting the other woman, Liz had come to the conclusion that her kind was rare in this business, as was the friendship she'd extended. Unlike most of the women in the building, who came across as jaded, cutthroat, and blatantly sexual in dress, mannerism, and speech, Roxanne seemed the polar opposite-quiet, unpretentious, and pretty much keeping to herself. She came to work, put in her hours, and didn't seem to fraternize with anyone beyond that. And she was one of the few women who didn't look at Liz with suspicion and didn't eye her as if she were a threat of some sort.

Roxanne glanced up at the stars glimmering in the night sky, and a soft sigh unraveled out of her. "It's so nice and relaxing out here, I'd hate to deny anyone else the pleasure of enjoying ten minutes of this wonderful peace and solitude."

Liz was in wholehearted agreement. "That's what brought me down here, too, instead of spending my break in the lounge."

"I only like to spend as much time as I absolutely have to up there in those offices," Roxanne said, crossing her arms in front of her on the table. "Sometimes I go home after work and I hear ringing phones in my sleep."

Liz laughed lightly, though the distaste in the other woman's tone gave her the distinct impression that Roxanne had taken on employment at The Ultimate Fantasy not because she enjoyed phone sex and titillating callers, like some of the other operators there, but out of pure necessity. And Liz understood and commiserated with that kind of desperation, because she was in the same predicament. But at least she knew this job was temporary for her, whereas she had no idea what Roxanne's situation was like, or how long she'd have to rely on phone sex for a living.

Opening the snack she'd brought with her, Liz held out the bag of treats to her new friend. "Sugar cookie? I've got plenty to share." And Roxanne looked like she could use some extra calories on her thin, petite frame.

Roxanne hesitated, as if she wasn't used to such kindness, then accepted the offer with a murmur of thanks.

Liz retrieved a cookie for herself. "Do you mind me asking how long you've been working here?" She kept her tone curious, remembering Steve's advice not to interrogate.

"It's been about four months now." Roxanne ducked her head, as if experiencing a bout of embarrassment-another anomaly for someone who made her living fulfilling verbal sex acts. "I know, you're probably wondering what I find so exciting about the phone sex business that's kept me employed here for so long."

"We all have our reasons," she said, suspecting Roxanne's were more extreme than most. "And like me, I don't think you find it exciting at all."

"No, I don't," she confirmed, and took a small bite from her cookie. "I have two young kids to support, and this is the best money I can make without any real work skills or a college degree."

Liz looked for a wedding ring but didn't see one. "You're not married?"

"I'm in the process of getting a divorce. My husband walked out on us six months ago and left me with the kids to raise and a mortgage to pay. He said he felt stifled, and off he went to find himself."

Liz inwardly cringed, knowing too well how badly a husband's rejection could lower a woman's self-esteem. She and Roxanne had a lot in common, it seemed.

Finished with her cookie, Roxanne brushed the crumbs from her fingers. "I haven't worked since my first child was born, five years ago, so finding an employer who'd hire someone as inexperienced as I am hasn't been easy. One look at my application with no previous jobs or references tends to turn off potential employers."

Liz pushed the cookies toward Roxanne, encouraging her to take another, which she did. "I'd like to think someone would give you a fair chance, despite your lack of experience." Liz was of the mind that everyone deserved the opportunity to prove themselves, and over the years she'd hired on a few people at the cafe without prior experience and had never regretted her decision. It was hard for her to believe that other employers could be so narrow-minded.

"A friend who used to work here told me how easy it was to get hired on and how much money I could make in a week's time. After so many other job interviews that didn't work out, I was getting to the point where I was feeling desperate enough to apply." Roxanne shrugged a slender shoulder. "Antonio hired me on the spot, so he gave me the fairest chance of anyone, I suppose."

"A friend told me about The Ultimate Fantasy, too," Liz said, subtly shifting the direction of their conversation to her purpose for seeking out Roxanne in the first place. "Maybe you might even know her. Does the name Valerie Clark sound familiar to you?"

Roxanne thought for a moment. "Yes, it does. Does she have dark hair and green eyes?"

"Yes." Hope sprang within Liz, but she didn't let her anticipation show. "I haven't been able to get a hold of her lately, and I haven't run into her during my shifts. Have you seen her around, by chance?"

"I can't say I have. Not this week, at least."

With Roxanne answering her so candidly, Liz pressed her advantage. "She was dating some guy named Rob, a client of hers. Do you know anything about him, by chance?"

"I have no idea who she was seeing." Roxanne tucked long strands of brunette hair behind her ear. "Then again, I didn't really hang out with her."

Liz was certain that was Roxanne's polite way of saying Valerie hadn't been the type of person she'd pick for a friend. "If you happen to see her or hear anyone mention her name, will you let me know? I sure would like to get in touch with her."

"Sure, but you'd probably have better luck talking to some of the other operators." Roxanne's paused, then added, "If I remember correctly, your friend Valerie spent a lot of time with a woman who goes by the name of Trixie Lane, though I don't believe that's her real name. But she might know where Valerie has been."