One Night Forever (The Cinderella Chronicles) by Lisa Renée Jones Page A

exit the small confines of her office but Greg continued
to stay close. All of a sudden it felt like her life was full of
complications that all came from the male population.
    * * * * *
    There would be no sex
with Matt. She’d only come to talk. Only talk.
    Lauren stood outside the
hotel room door holding the key card in a shaking hand. After a day
of thinking, distracted beyond belief, Lauren had come to a
decision. She had to put an end to this craziness before it
destroyed her future.
    No way could she sleep
with her boss. To hell with Cat’s liberal ways. Her friend could
just stick a sock in her mouth and cut the lectures. Sleeping with
Matt represented a death sentence. For a massive industry,
advertising sported a relatively small group of real players. She
didn’t need to get a mark on her record.
    She started to
swipe the key card, and thought better. Instead, she knocked.
Sending the right message was important. Using that key card seemed
like acceptance of intimacy. Impatiently, with no response, she
knocked again. Still, no answer. No answer ?
    Strange.
    Maybe he changed his
mind.
    Her teeth found her
bottom lip. Why did that bother her? She should be jumping for joy.
Matt backing out would be a blessing. Yet…secretly, she needed to
know he wanted her. Regardless of her refusal to act on their
attraction, knowing he had pursued her felt good. She really liked
Matt. Liked? She scolded herself for such an adolescent thought.
What was wrong with her?
    Shoving aside the
thoughts, she focused on the present problem. What to do… Her eyes
drifted to the key card in her hand. Expelling a long breath, she
swiped it through the door. She had to know if Matt had shown up.
Was there a note inside? It would drive her nuts wondering. Tonight
was about putting closure to this. She needed to end the struggle
this caused her emotionally. That way she could focus on her
career.
    Nervously, she pushed
open the door. It was dark except for the flickering light of
candles. She blinked several times as her eyes adjusted to the
dimness of the room. Lauren swallowed. Apparently, Matt hadn’t
backed out. The soft, sweet scent of vanilla filled her nostrils,
alluring and sensual. Shadows danced across the walls, while utter
silence filled the air. And Lord help her, she felt the thrill of
this planned seduction. Her skinned tingled with warmth. Her
nipples tightened and pressed against her bra.
    And her heart…it raced.
It ached. It desired.
    The room was a large
suite with a living room area and a bedroom. A large entertainment
center divided the two sections and acted like a wall blocking her
from seeing what might lie beyond. And she wanted to know. Was he
here or had Matt left?
    Surely not with the
candles burning.
    Tentatively, she stepped
toward the bedroom area. As the king-sized bed came into full view
she gulped. With a mixture of both anxiety and excitement, she took
in the vision before her. There were at least fifteen candles
scattered around the room. A single red rose lay in the center of
the bed. Beneath the rose was an envelope much like the one she had
found that morning.
    This wasn’t going as
planned. And yet, it was exactly how she would design a fantasy.
Unable to resist, she tossed her purse in front of the television
and walked to the bed. She had to know what was in the envelope.
Hand shaking ever so slightly, she lifted the seal and pulled out
the note inside. She read it twice.
    This is our secret world.
No one else enters. This world is yours and mine, where pleasure is
first, and fantasy can always be reality.
    Lauren could hear her own
heart beating in her ears. She wanted this. She wanted Matt. But
she shouldn’t. But how could she not?
    Then, as if out of
nowhere, his hands were on her shoulders, his mouth against her
ear. “I want to make love to you, Lauren. I want to kiss every inch
of your body so perfectly you never forget me or our little fantasy
world.”
    His words were an
intended