I ran through all the details in my mind. I had already tucked a condom inside the zippered pocket in my purse. Applying one last swipe of nude lip gloss, I gave myself a satisfied nod.

Not about to let my self-confidence waver now, I held my head high and strutted from the restroom. Back inside the restaurant, I spotted Cullen alone at our table as I approached.

“Where’s Smith?” I asked, stopping beside my brother.

Cullen stifled a yawn. “He said he was tired. I think the time difference is messing with him.”

He up and left? Just went to bed? He clearly didn’t read the fuck-me signals I was shooting him with my eyes all night.

Men.

I rolled my shoulders, needing to relieve the pressure I felt building.

Panicking internally, I plastered on a neutral expression and let my brother escort me to the elevator and up to my room, all the while my mind worked overtime. What am I going to do now?

Once in my room, I punched out a text to Maggie, pacing the floor as I waited for her reply.

Several minutes passed until I realized that it was four in the morning back home and a response wasn’t coming. Not anytime soon, at least.

This was it, now or never. And I wasn’t about to squander this opportunity.

I knew what I needed to do.

It was time to be bold.

Drawing a deep breath into my lungs, I headed toward the elevator again. But this time, my destination was the hotel lobby, where I prayed I could convince the hotel staff that I was the wife of Smith Hamilton and had lost my room key.

Chapter Four

All in all, it had been a damned good night.

I closed the lid on my travel grooming case, my teeth minty fresh and flossed, before heading back into the bedroom of my hotel suite.

I’d gotten to hang out with Cullen, which was always fun. We’d managed to talk some business, and we were both on the same page there. Plus, I’d met a couple of women, one of whom might make my stay a little less lonely at night. So, why the fuck was I restless?

I climbed into bed feeling edgy and out of sorts, and considered grabbing my laptop. Maybe work would settle me down some. Lord knew we had enough ahead of us if I really wanted my bail-out plan to work well enough to help Cullen’s company. He’d busted his ass building it to what it had become, and to have him fail now would be devastating. He’d always had my back, and I was going to do my damnedest to return the favor.

I’d just reached for my computer bag when I caught sight of the napkin on the nightstand and smiled.

Francesca’s number. But that wasn’t what had me grinning. It was recalling the pissy way Evie had reacted when she thought she was being ignored that made me want to laugh out loud. She’d always been like that, quick to tell us exactly how she felt about any and every situation.

Little Evie.

Not so little anymore, my cock reminded me with a twitch.

I shifted under the sheets and gave my balls a warning squeeze. None of us should be thinking about her right now. Yeah, so maybe she’d finally graduated from college, but she would always be Cullen’s baby sister, and a birthday cake or a diploma wasn’t going to change that.

Then why did she have to torture me by looking so hot?

I could almost hear Evie’s snappish reply to that. Yeah, it’s all about you, Smith.

I grinned again despite myself, and flicked off the light. There was no point in beating myself up about it. I’d never act on it, and it wasn’t like we had to spend a lot of time together. A little time and space, and I’d forget all about her. Chicago was a big city, and once we were back home, I doubted I’d be seeing much of her.

The second I closed my eyes, though, the way she’d looked came flooding back, bringing a hot rush of blood to my cock along with it. It wasn’t just the clothes, although they didn’t hurt. Her low-cut dress had clung to every wicked curve, leaving me wondering if she’d even been wearing a bra. I’d have given my left nut to check and see . . . until she turned around and I noticed the damned thing was backless.

I let out a growl and flipped my pillow over to the cold side. Evie had always been a good girl. In fact, I distinctly remembered her telling me that she was still a virgin just over a year before. Who made it through more than half of their college life without fucking someone?

Evie, that was who.

She hadn’t meant to tell me. It had come out in a drunken ramble on the night of her twenty-first birthday. Cullen and I had taken her out, and she got plastered after sucking down her weight in sugary Sex on the Beach cocktails. I probably should have stopped her, but it was a rite of passage, and I wasn’t about to be a killjoy. Besides, it was kind of fun to see her taking risks and being a little wild for once.

She’d spilled her guts in more ways than one that night. The only saving grace was that she didn’t seem to remember most of it. I’d thrown a little test her way when I’d mentioned the drink to her at dinner tonight, and she didn’t even flinch. Probably for the best. She’d wound up hunched over the toilet at the local bar with me holding her hair. If she knew how the night had ended, I was sure she’d be mortified.

I shoved away the oddly fond memory and yanked the sheet down to my waist, feeling suddenly overheated. No more thinking about Evie. I was in town to do a job, and I wasn’t going to stop until it was done. Anything else was a distraction I didn’t need.

I closed my eyes, but my muscles were still tense. Eventually, though, the drinks and the jet lag caught up with me. My mind drifted, and soon enough, my eyes slid shut. The stress of the day faded away, and I could almost feel myself slipping into dreamland.