Yes, finally a substantial lead, and one Liz jumped on. "Is she here tonight?"

Roxanne shook her head. "Unfortunately, Trixie doesn't work the phone end of the business anymore."

"She doesn't?" Confusion and disappointment mingled in her tone.

"Trixie is strictly one of the party girls, as they're known." Roxanne filched another cookie, obviously feeling comfortable enough with Liz to help herself to another sweet treat. "I'm sure Antonio mentioned The Ultimate Fantasy parties to you, right?"

At Liz's affirmative nod, she continued.

"Most of the women want that promotion, because the party girls make three times as much money at one party, depending on how many clients they invite, than an operator makes in an entire week of calls," Roxanne explained. "Once you become a party girl, it's your choice whether you want to continue with the phone sex bit to keep the extra cash coming in."

Liz's eyes widened; she was stunned and amazed, and certain that Valerie had been one of those party girls. Now she had yet another reason to get invited to one of those parties- Trixie was now her best bet for more in-depth information on her cousin, and possibly on Rob.

Liz glanced at her watch, noting the time. They only had a few more minutes before their break was over, and she still had a few more casual questions to ask. "Do you go to the parties?"

"No." The one word was firm and adamant. "I've been invited, but I'm not interested. From what I've heard, those parties get pretty wild, outrageous, and sexual, and that's not my thing. Neither is phone sex," she clarified quickly, her chin jutting out with pride. "But right now it's paying the bills. Once I get my finances straightened out, I'm going back to school in the mornings to get a degree in nursing."

Understanding filled Liz, and she reached across the table to give Roxanne's arm a compassionate squeeze, feeling an undeniable kinship with this young, strong woman. "With a great attitude like that, you're going to be fine."

"Thanks." She smiled shyly. "That means a lot."

"You're welcome." Pleased with the details she'd gleaned from Roxanne, Liz stood and gathered up the empty cookie bag to toss into the trash. "I think we need to head back up to our offices before we get docked for taking too long of a break."

Most important, Liz didn't want to miss Steve's call.

Chapter 7

“You called again." Liz's voice was breathless. Excited.

And infused with a believable degree of coyness that added to her sexy act and effortlessly fired Steve's blood. "I wasn't sure you would."

Grinning lazily, Steve settled back against the pillows he'd shoved up against the headboard of his bed. Tonight there was no idle chitchat between them, no mention of anything work-related. Just a straightforward intro into phone sex, all for the benefit of the transcripts Antonio would read.

Playing along with the charade on his end was no hardship. He'd been contemplating their provocative conversation for the past two hours: what they'd talk about and where it would all lead. And just like last night, he was prepared to mix business with the kind of adventurous fun inherent in a titillating verbal exchange with Liz. All for the sake of establishing his interest in Sindee, which, hopefully, would in turn get them invited to one of the fantasy parties as a couple.

"I can't stay away," he murmured, low and deep, his groin already stirring in anticipation of the playful, naughty banter that would ensue between them. "I'm addicted to you, and there's no one else I want." All unerringly true statements that worked exceptionally well into their verbal performance. To anyone listening, he was definitely staking a personal claim on her. One that felt all too real and went beyond the benefit of persuading her boss that he was a client worthy of an invitation to the salacious side of The Ultimate Fantasy.

"Mmm, I like the sound of that-and you," she purred huskily, the sensual sound as intimate as a physical stroke across his abdomen and thighs. "I was sitting here, thinking about what we did last night and getting very hot and bothered."

Vivid and arousing images jumped into his mind, and he swallowed a groan. "Are you using your fan?"

"Of course I am. It's the only thing that's keeping me from burning up," she teased flirtatiously. "I was secretly hoping you'd call again, because I can't get you out of my mind, either. Not after last night. I can't stop thinking about the way your hands felt caressing my body, the wet warmth of your mouth on my breasts, and that wicked tongue of yours that brought me such incredible pleasure. Do you remember what you did to me last night?"

She could have been referring to the sexual act they'd performed during their phone call, but he instinctively knew she was talking about the hot, wild tryst that had followed at her apartment afterward. While he enjoyed how assertive she was with him now, how explicit and frank, he wasn't about to let her control all of tonight's seduction.

"I remember everything." Their encounter last night, and her uninhibited response to him, were indelibly etched in his mind. "The way you taste, how soft your skin is, and how feminine you smell-all over. You were so hot and wet for me that your cream drenched my fingers the moment I touched you. I especially remember the needy sounds you made in the back of your throat when I finally pushed deep inside you, and how tight and lush your body felt clenching around my cock."

A ragged breath rushed out of her, the only sign that he might have shocked her just a little bit. But if he had startled her with his unabashed recollection of their time together, she recovered quickly.

"You were very good last night," she said, a sultry smile in her voice. "I've never been so thoroughly satisfied before."

The stroke to his male ego felt exceptionally good. But masculine pride aside, it was easy to believe her statement, because he'd felt her climaxes and those internal muscles contracting around his fingers, then cushioning his shaft in silky, binding heat as she milked him to his own release. And afterward, he'd witnessed the replete look of a woman completely satiated.

"I aim to please," he drawled in reply, and only with her would he be so blatantly arrogant, so sure of himself.

"You do," she assured him. "Tell me, what would you like tonight?"

"Are you on the menu?" he asked boldly. At the moment, he was feeling incredibly hungry, ravenous-for her.

"I'm always on the menu," she said, her laughter soft and oh, so bewitching. "Why don't you tell me a fantasy of yours, and we'll go from there?"

He glanced across the room and caught his reflection in the sliding mirrored closet doors opposite his bed. He'd never invited a woman into his bedroom, had never really given those decorative mirrors a whole lot of thought. Until now. With Liz. He found himself fantasizing, contemplating that length of mirror that spanned half his bedroom, and being able to watch his and Liz's naked images, her expression and his own as he moved over her, within her, their bodies entwined in the throes of heated passion.

Definitely a scenario he'd enjoy pursing with her.

He considered her question, and while he had no problem coming up with a dozen lusty male fantasies, he found himself very undecided. "I'm a guy, sweetheart. I have many fantasies." And lately they'd all featured her in the starring role.

"Pick a favorite, any one that excites you the most," she cajoled seductively. "And then we'll see what we can do about making it a reality for you."

God, she was good at this phone sex stuff, he admitted be-grudgingly. The hard-on tenting his boxers was ample proof of her ability to entice and arouse his mind and libido with her velvet-lined voice and engaging words. Then again, she'd given him a very unforgettable demonstration of her ability to stimulate his senses that afternoon at the cafe, when he'd dared her to lick the caramel off his finger and she'd sucked on him in a very shameless, mind-blowing way.

Awareness licked through him, and a sinful grin lifted the corners of his mouth. He knew exactly what fantasy he wanted to share with her.

"How about you, covered in warm caramel sauce?" he suggested wickedly, playing on the risqué game he'd instigated at the cafe. "Everywhere."

"You're a very bad boy," she murmured, the knowing tone of her voice insinuating that she realized exactly what had inspired his fantasy.

"Someone once told me that they found caramel to be an aphrodisiac-when drizzled on the right dessert, of course," he said meaningfully. "I think I have to agree, and I want you to be my dessert."

"I'll be anything you want me to be."

He heard the tempting promise in her voice and felt the vibrations of the hot chemistry between them curl through his belly.

"Tell me what you want to do with the caramel," she prompted, obviously willing to indulge his private, whimsical request.

He stretched out into a more comfortable position on the bed and gave himself over to the fun, frivolous fantasy, so unlike anything he'd ever indulged in before with a woman- over the phone or in real life. "I want to pour it all over your body, starting at the hollow of your throat and continuing over your breasts and down your long legs. I want to watch the way the thick, golden syrup spills across your smooth skin, pools on your stomach, dribbles over your mound, and trickles between your thighs. And then I'd crown your nipples with the warmed caramel until they turn into taut peaks… Are yours hard and stiff yet?"

"Yes," she exhaled into his ear, a soft, anxious sigh that quickened his pulse.