The Only One For Her: Naughty After Hours, Book 4

By Jasmine Haynes

Two business travelers, one hot five-day liaison... he never expected to find the woman he can’t live without.

Spence Benedict swore off love and relationships a long time ago. Until he meets the woman of his dreams on a business trip that turns into five days of carnal delight. Is that long enough for a playboy like Spence to fall in love?

When Zoe Hudson meets a sexy stranger on a business trip, she can’t resist everything he offers. He’s seductive and attentive and caters to her every whim, giving her five days in paradise and answering the craving of her lonely heart.

But paradise has to end. And once they’re back home, their real lives are about to tear them apart. Now that he’s found the woman he wants to give himself to body and soul, how can Spence make sure he’s the only one for her?

“This is the kind of story you'll get so lost in, you'll totally forget about your life.”

“Loved the depth of emotions!”

Previously published as “The Other Man”

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jasmine Haynes
• Release date: Nov 2, 2013
• ISBN: 9781626030183

Jasmine Haynes

NY Times and USA Today Bestselling author Jasmine Haynes loves giving readers sexy, classy stories about real issues like growing older, facing divorce, starting over. Her books have passion, heart, humor, and happy endings, even if they aren't always traditional. She also writes gritty, paranormal mysteries in the Max Starr series. As Jennifer Skully, she writes laugh-out-loud romantic comedies laced with a heavy dose of mystery. Look for Jennifer’s new series written with Bella Andre, starting with Breathless in Love, The Maverick Billionaires Book 1. Having penned stories since the moment she learned to write, Jasmine now lives in the Redwoods of Northern California with her husband and their adorable nuisance of a cat who totally runs the household. Join her newsletter for updates on contests, new releases, and freebies by going to jasminehaynes.com.

Book preview

1

L ook, Mommy, sparklies!

Across the aisle, the little girl grabbed her mother’s hand and bounced in her seat, reaching out as if she could grab the prisms of light flashing across the plane’s main cabin. Other heads turned, fingers pointed at the glittering colors, and a low murmur began to rise above the engines as the plane taxied toward the runway.

Spencer Benedict leaned into the aisleway to locate the source of the light show on the cabin walls. It didn’t take long. Two seats ahead, a woman adjusted her sequined jacket, and the child next to Spence shrieked as tiny rainbows shifted and shimmered across the ceiling.

The lady was turned slightly in her seat, her long, black hair cascading over the shoulders of her burgundy jacket. The material was something soft, velour maybe, and the front panel, at least the portion Spence could see, sparkled with multicolored sequins catching the early morning sunlight as it streamed through the window on the opposite aisle. If it had been any later, the sun would have been too high in the sky, but now it bathed the woman in its rays. She moved the lapel again, and light danced across the walls. Gasps, laughter, voices, like children on a thrill ride, filled the cabin. She smiled, her full lips painted a shade that matched the velour jacket.

It was the smile that charmed him, as if she were as delighted as the little girl bouncing in her seat, though he estimated the woman to be in her late thirties. He could only imagine how that playfulness would carry over into the bedroom. His body tightened just watching her, and he thought he detected her perfume, a light floral scent. She had the strong aquiline features of Mediterranean descent, her smooth skin sun-kissed.

The plane turned, rolling onto its designated runway, and the light show ended abruptly. The child in the opposite seat started to cry, until her mother pointed out the window, distracting her. Look, sweetie, we’re going to take off.

When they reached cruising altitude and the announcement was made authorizing the use of electronic devices, Spence pulled his computer from beneath the seat in front and laid it on his tray table without opening it. He could draft a few emails or read through the schedule for the conference he was attending in Daytona Beach, but, though they didn’t have to change planes, the flight had one stop, and there was plenty of time to work. He could have taken a nonstop from San Francisco to Orlando and rented a car—Daytona was only about an hour’s drive—but the price of the flight was almost the same. By flying into Daytona, he saved the rental car cost. It was a three-day convention, Wednesday through Friday, and everything he needed was within walking distance of the hotel. With the time change and layover, he would arrive a little after five p.m. East Coast time and make it to the opening mixer this evening, which kicked things off before the conference got into full swing tomorrow morning.

So, with several empty hours ahead of him, Spence indulged in a little sightseeing from his aisle seat two rows behind the sparkle woman. She’d booted up her computer and was working in what appeared to be PowerPoint. A business woman preparing for a presentation. There was a fifty-fifty chance she’d continue on to Daytona, and if she did, there was a chance she’d be attending the same conference. According to the chamber of commerce, there were only two this week: one on ceramic processing science, and the one he was attending, the Vacuum Coating Expo. Both sounded utterly thrilling. He’d once attended a conference in the same hotel as the Romantic Times Convention. Man, those ladies knew how to party. He’d gotten himself invited to a couple of their shindigs.

Was she ceramic science or vacuum coating? With her high cheekbones and glossy hair, she didn’t look like a scientist. But what did a scientist look like these days? Something about her made him think of that Romantic Times Convention and sultry nights spent composing sexy prose. Of course, she might have been visiting a customer, supplier, or client. Perhaps it wasn’t business at all, and his chances of ending up in the same resort were nil.

Two flight attendants rolled the drink cart down the center aisle. A two-fisted drinker, his lady ordered tomato juice and a cup of coffee with creamer and sugar. When Spence had received his coffee and the cart was past him, he noticed the lipstick prints on her cup. The sight gave him a jolt, tantalizing him with images of other places she could leave her lipstick prints.

Spence liked women. He usually managed to find companionship on his business trips. He didn’t have steady relationships, he’d never been married, never would. Once, there was a girl… But he’d decided he’d never go there again, and at his age of forty-five, that was getting on toward thirty years in the past. He didn’t know why this woman made him think of long ago things. Perhaps it was the long, dark hair and luscious lips. She was the stuff of his dreams.

A few minutes after everyone was served, the stewardess came by with a trash bag and cleaned away the empties. The sparkle woman stowed her laptop and tray table and rose from her seat. Tight jeans hugged her thighs. Beneath the sequined jacket, she wore a peach-colored T-shirt over full breasts. Her curves were lush, alluring. High-heeled sandals added to her height, which was hard to gauge since he was seated. She was as pretty full frontal as she’d been in profile, heart-shaped lips, deep brown eyes, aristocratic Roman features.

As she passed, close enough for Spence to smell her sweet perfume, his eyes dropped to her left hand.

Diamonds and gold glittered on her ring finger.

Shit. She was married.

And Spence didn’t poach on another man’s territory.

Her marital status didn’t stop Spence from watching. When they arrived in Atlanta, she didn’t deplane. He was glad, simply because he enjoyed looking at her. He wouldn’t mind another couple of hours.

At Daytona International Airport, she exited before him. He pulled his carry-on, which was all he’d brought, from the overhead and followed her. Enjoying the view, he stayed behind her as they proceeded to baggage claim and ground transportation. And there they parted, he to the hotel shuttle buses and the blast of Florida’s June heat and she to the carousel where luggage was already circling.

Poof, she was gone. Probably a good thing, he thought as he settled into a rear seat on the shuttle. She was temptation. But because he’d never see her again, he was free to fantasize about her. Sometimes fantasy could be a hell of a lot better than reality. Especially with a married woman where there could be consequences.

It was a short ride from the airport, and waiting for his bag to be unloaded from the back of the shuttle, he was glad he’d worn short sleeves; the humidity was oppressive. It had been like this in New York when he was a kid, the hot, sticky summer air, but he’d been in California so long he’d lost his tolerance for it.

After checking in, he grabbed a bite from room service, sent his emails, then headed down to the conference registration. In the ballroom where the mixer was being held, armed with a drink, he waded into the sea of faces, glad-handing, back-slapping.

George, how ya doing? He stuck out his hand.

Great to see you. A small man with a big voice, George’s words boomed above the noise level. He worked for one of West Coast’s substrate suppliers.

Though Spence was VP of Sales, he was familiar with their major vendors, substrate being the bedrock, the material upon which their coatings were sputtered. Based on the properties of the coating, the products had applications from energy-saving windows to touchscreen panels.

The world of vacuum coating was relatively small, and he saw many of the same faces at all the conferences. That meant it had never been a fifty-fifty chance the sparkle lady would be here, wishful thinking only. Yet the moment he thought of her, her scent seemed to waft on the air. He couldn’t get it out of his head.

He chitchatted with George, moved on, and in an odd shifting of bodies, a path opened up in front of him, past this group, through that one, to a tall cocktail table and a woman surrounded by three men.

His sparkle lady. A black cocktail dress draped her curves, falling to just above her knees. Her shoulders were bared by the straps, and the neckline showcased bountiful breasts. Tasteful, elegant, and sexy as hell. Her long legs in high heels, she was still shorter than the men flanking her, average height. But that was the only thing average about her. She laughed, a full-throated sound that reached deep down inside him.

Just as quickly as it had come, the gap closed, people merging together again, cutting off his view. The echo of her laughter stayed with him. Voices rising over each other, glasses clinking, plates clattering together as waiters gathered them, and too many people, it all suddenly grated on him. He was a people person, but in that moment, he wanted to get away.

He needed to get away. Before he pushed his way through the crowd and actually hit on a married woman. It wasn’t simply ethics. It was the mess of it. She probably had children. There were all sorts of reasons. That wasn’t to say he’d never succumbed, but he didn’t make it a habit.

He was waylaid by several acquaintances on his way out and didn’t hit the exit for another ten minutes. By the time he did, it was dark outside the floor-to-ceiling windows along the corridor. He could see only his reflection, but the beach was out there beyond the glass.

Shoving the outer door open, he stepped into the sultry heat of the night. As he crossed the courtyard to the promenade along the beach, a light breeze picked up, toning down the humidity. He strolled to the low wall and stood, hands in pockets as the waves crashed on the shore. It was summer, school was already out in most places, and the walkway was crowded with teenagers, families, couples. His footwear wasn’t appropriate—street shoes—but he headed down the stone steps to the beach. Heat rose from sand that had been baking in the sun all day, but down at the edge of the water, a cool breeze blew off the ocean. And above the scents of sea and salt and lingering suntan lotion, he smelled her flowery perfume as if it had stuck in his head.

But the voice wasn’t a trick of his imagination.

It’s a gorgeous night, but I’m not used to this heat. Her tone was husky, low, sexy. She held a paper fan in her hand, stirring the air around her, blowing her scent over him. Her high heels dangled from her fingers. She looked at him, wrinkling her nose. It was getting terribly stuffy in there.

Yes, he agreed. They weren’t alone on the beach, but the ceaseless beat of the ocean waves cocooned them.

You were on my plane, weren’t you? she asked. From San Francisco?

He nodded. Obviously he’d been caught staring, but he hadn’t noticed her giving him a single glance.

We’re just not used to this humidity. She groaned, fanned herself more vigorously.

Just wait till there’s a thunderstorm. It gets worse. He’d been to Florida before, of course. Rain didn’t cool things off; it simply turned everything into steam.

It was only eighty-nine degrees today. She gathered her hair, twisted it in a rope around her hand, and held it up off her neck. Back home that would have been bearable.

His blood drummed in his ears. He had a near uncontrollable urge to lick the salt from her nape. Did she know she was driving him crazy? He wanted to bend all his rules. He wanted to admit he didn’t have any where she was concerned. That’s what seven hours of watching her had done to him.

It’ll cool off in a bit. Seventy maybe. The steadiness of his voice surprised him.

Thank goodness. I wanted to take my walk on the beach in the morning.

He wanted to ask her what time. Or maybe she’d simply tell him. Because she’d definitely followed him. And he wanted to see her out on the beach in the early morning light.

I better turn in, she said. I have to call home, let my husband know I arrived safely. And we’ve got a full day tomorrow. She smiled, backed up a step. Good night.

He returned the smile, then watched her walk up the beach to the stairs. She didn’t put her shoes back on.

He dreamed of her in the night. He came imagining her mouth on him.

Yet he hadn’t even asked her name.

After climbing the steps, she crossed the square to the fountain, the concrete still warm against her bare feet. The man was a dark outline against the night sky.

She’d seen him watching her on the plane, felt him following her after they’d arrived and made their way to baggage claim. As she sipped champagne at the mixer, his gaze had heated her. Talking to him on the beach had been her opening gambit, and she’d been wet with anticipation.

Her phone rang. This late, it could only be her husband.

Hey, sweetie, how was the flight?

Great, she told him.

So, have we found any possibilities?

Oh, she certainly had. One. He’s going to take a little bit of work. But I’m not in a hurry. She was going to let the man think about why she’d been down on that beach beside him. Why she’d spoken to him. By tomorrow, he should be more than ready.

Keith groaned. Does that mean I’m not going to get my hot and sexy phone call tonight before I go to bed?

She laughed softly. Not tonight. Tomorrow.

Promise, sweetie?

I promise.

Approaching a man she was interested in was the hardest part. Every time she did, her nerves rising, she had to wonder if she was doing it for herself, or because it was what Keith wanted, because imagining her with other men was how he got excited.

This time she didn’t wonder.

This time was for her.

It was kismet. Or something.

Spence hadn’t gone down to the beach at the crack of dawn, but he’d wanted to as he stood at his beach-view window and seen her out there. He’d already memorized the way she moved.

He hadn’t looked for her at the continental breakfast. Well, to be honest, he had, but he didn’t hang around to wait when he didn’t find her. He chose a seminar in the business track, one on target accounting. The target was a slab of metal—gold, silver, copper, or some combination of metals—which, when sputtered, laid down a thin coating on the substrate and produced properties that generated the different applications, low-e window film, et cetera. When you were talking about a slab of silver-gold that fit into a seventy-two-inch cathode, that was one hell of a lot of metal at one hell of a price. The current industry standard was consignment: You paid only for what you sputtered, and you used only about 20 percent of the target material. The metal value was held in a consignment account with the vendor until the used target was returned for refinement; then you paid. The system had potential for accounting nightmares, and this short workshop offered up a nifty program which supposedly turned the nightmare into a sweet dream. Spence could pass on the tidbit to the executive team.

In days of old, you wore your suit, everything was formal, but in today’s conference world, it was business casual. Except for today’s presenter.

Yeah, kismet. She wore a fitted black skirt and a tailored red jacket, its square neckline framing the breasts he’d dreamed of last night.

This is a proprietary program we’ve developed to interact with your system, allowing for greater accuracy with speedier and cheaper return of spent materials. Her tones were like sex words rolling off her tongue. She pointed a finger; it could have been directed straight at him. And that means a faster turnaround time and a lower balance in your consignment account. She smiled to the room at large. Hi, my name is Zoe Hudson, and let me tell you how we can make your life easier.

Zoe. An unusual name that somehow suited her. A name to be whispered in the dark.

The bio in the program told him everything he needed know. She was director of materials for a metals consigner in the Bay Area. West Coast had used them once upon a time, but there’d been problems with impurities in the target. They’d chosen another vendor.

He could have raised his hand and mentioned that a great tracking program didn’t matter if the product sucked, but he wouldn’t embarrass her in the middle of her presentation. No, he’d seek her out later. Over a drink perhaps. In the evening.

He was sliding down that slippery slope. And fast.

2

He found her in the hotel bar just after the dinner hour. She’d changed out of the red power suit into a flowered, strapless sundress fitted tightly to her breasts. Seated in a comfortable wing chair, there were two glasses of wine on the table, one empty, hers with an inch of white wine left.

He leaned his hands on the back of the chair opposite. I attended your workshop today.

Thank you. I hope it was informative.

I have a few questions. May I join you? He didn’t ask if she already had a guest.

Of course. She flourished a hand.

Sitting, he introduced himself. Spence Benedict. He handed her a card.

I’m Zoe, but you already know that. She glanced at the printed copy. West Coast. I’m very familiar with you. She slipped the card into a