Some Like It Hot

by Brenda Jackson

  “Because I saw him yesterday at a hotel. I was there and I saw him.”

  Hunter raised a brow. The first question that immediately came to his mind was why was she at a hotel? And who had she been there with? His heart began beating like a jackhammer and he forced himself to calm down. He had no right to question what she did and with whom she did it. But still, the possibility that she’d been at a hotel with someone didn’t sit too well with him. He, of all people, knew just how passionate she was. He’d had quite a few sizzling nights with her, but it was either at her place or his…never a hotel. He hoped she hadn’t gotten involved with a married man. A part of him refused to believe that. One thing Mallory possessed was a high sense of what was moral, and besides, her father had relentlessly cheated on her mother, so she would never do that to another woman or herself.

  He cleared his throat. “You were at a hotel yesterday?” he asked as casually as he could.

  She leaned back in her chair unaware of the chaos going on in his head. “Yes. I had an appointment at the Hilton on Monroe Street. I’m planning a client’s daughter’s wedding and we’re holding the reception there. I needed to check the location to make sure the banquet room would be adequate.”

  He nodded his head. Relieved. “And while you were there, you saw your brother-in-law?” He had met her sister and brother-in-law only once during their four-month affair. From what he remembered, the man seemed to be a likable guy who was very devoted to Mallory’s sister, Barbara. Barbara was two years older than Mallory and if he remembered correctly, she and her husband had been married for five years. He also recalled Mallory once sharing with him the couple’s desire to have a child, but the last he’d heard Barbara hadn’t gotten pregnant.

  “Yes, I saw Lewis,” Mallory answered, breaking into his thoughts. “I tried to get his attention, but he didn’t see me. He was too busy trying to get on the elevator without being seen. I noted it had stopped on the fourth floor before coming back down. I went up to the fourth floor thinking there was probably a conference room on that floor and Lewis was attending some sort of business meeting, but all I saw were rooms. Hotel rooms. That meant he was meeting someone in one of those rooms.”

  “Yes, but that doesn’t necessary mean he was doing anything illicit, Mallory,” Hunter pointed out. “People do hold business meetings in their suites at hotels.”

  He watched her nervously chew on her bottom lip before saying, “I know that, Hunter, but I have a funny feeling about this. A few weeks ago Barbara mentioned that she and Lewis were having marital problems. I think it has something to do with the both of them wanting so desperately to have a baby and not being able to have one.”

  He shook his head. There were a lot of things he desperately wanted, but a baby wasn’t one of them. Over the years he had learned to turn a deaf ear to his aunt whenever she brought up the subject of babies. She was quick to remind him that he was the last of the Sloans unless he produced a child to carry on the family name.

  When Mallory shifted positions in her seat, Hunter’s gaze followed the hem of her skirt and saw even more thigh. “Have they consulted a doctor to see what the problem is?” he asked more because she seemed so concerned about it than of any real interest on his part.

  “Yes, but according to all the tests results, there’s nothing wrong with either of them.”

  “Then I’m sure things will happen when it’s time.”

  “Yes, that’s what I keep telling Barbara, but she thinks the problem is with her.”

  Hunter picked up a paper clip from his desktop and began fiddling with it. He didn’t want to talk about people wanting babies any longer. “What do you want me to do, Mallory? Why are you here?”

  She gave him an exasperated look like it should have been obvious. “I want to hire you, Hunter. I need to know for sure whether or not Lewis is having an affair.”

  “And if he is?”

  “Then Barbara should know about it.”

  “And you’re going to tell her?”

  “Of course, she’s my sister.”

  He sighed. Knowing Standish family history from what she had shared with him once, he could see her thinking that way. “But why me, Mallory? There are plenty of private investigators here in San Diego.”

  “Because I want to keep this private, Hunter. I’ll feel a lot better if you’re the investigator handling this for me. Will you do it?”

  Hunter stared at her long and hard as he thought of the problems that could arise if he associated himself with Mallory again, even for a business reason. She would always remind him of sharing a bed, enjoying nights of passion and excitement that culminated in orgasms that came back-to-back for hours. No other woman had the ability to do that.

  And no other woman had made him imagine going to bed with her every night and waking up beside her every morning on a permanent basis. When those thoughts had begun formulating in his mind he’d known it was time to cut out, and when she’d thrown out the words “a committed relationship,” he hadn’t wasted any time putting distance between them. He didn’t do committed relationships. What she was asking him to do would bring them back in contact again, and a part of him wasn’t sure he could handle that.

  He took a shaky breath. Hell, he was about to go bonkers just from the twenty minutes they had spent together already. “I don’t know, Mallory. Considering our history, maybe you should—”

  “No, Hunter. There’s no one else I’d trust. If Lewis is cheating on Barbara you’re the only one I’d want to know about it. I really do need your help.”

  Hunter knew if he lived a whole lifetime, he would always be drawn in by Mallory’s dark brown eyes, which were now pleading with him. And for the life of him, he couldn’t turn her down.

  “Okay, Mallory, I’ll do it.”

  Relief spread across her face. “Thanks, Hunter.”

  He glanced down at his watch. “There’s some information I need to get from you before I can start, but I have another appointment in a few minutes. Is there any way we can meet again later today?”

  He watched as she quickly pulled her PalmPilot out of her leather purse. Less than a minute later, she said, “My last appointment is at five. Do you want me to stop back by here before going home?”

  He frowned. He had an appointment on the other side of town that would last until around five, and then he was to join his aunt for dinner at seven, which didn’t give them much time in between. The best solution, although he didn’t want to suggest it, would be for him to drop by her place on the way to his aunt’s house. Bad move if he wanted to keep things strictly business.

  Then he thought of another idea. “How about if we met at Rowdy’s at five-thirty? I have dinner plans for later and that way we can talk and I won’t be late for my seven o’clock dinner date.” She didn’t have to know that his dinner date was with his aunt. It might be best for the both of them if she thought he was involved with someone.

  The expression on her face indicated that she didn’t care one way or the other. He wasn’t sure if he should be relieved or monumentally pissed. “All right, that’s fine. I’ll be at Rowdy’s at five-thirty,” she said, standing. “And I really do appreciate this.”

  He stood and came around his desk to walk her to the door. When they got to the door, he considered locking it and throwing away the key and having his way with her. He knew she liked wearing colorful undies and wondered just what color panties she had on. And he knew that whatever color they were, she was wearing a matching bra.

  She reached out her hand to him. “Thanks again, Hunter.”

  He took her hand and immediately felt a sexual pull in his groin. For a moment he forgot to breathe. The intense attraction, the sensuous connection was still there, and although she remained expressionless, he knew she had to have felt it as well.

  “You’re welcome and I’ll see you later this evening, Mallory.” The words sounded a lot more intimate than he had wanted them to.

  She nodded, then o
pened the door and quickly slipped out. When the door closed behind her, he leaned against it and drew in a deep breath, then let it out slowly. It shouldn’t take long to find out if Lewis Townsend was cheating on his wife. Once that was done Mallory would be out of his life again and he could regain the harmony he had worked so hard to achieve over the past six months, although the horniness was almost killing him. In his present state, if he hung around her too much there was no telling what would happen.

  Engaging in another passionate and thrilling affair with Mallory Standish was definitely out of the question.

  Two

  Mallory Standish stepped onto the elevator and was grateful it was empty. After the doors closed behind her, she pushed the button that would take her down to the first floor and expelled the breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding.

  It had been hard seeing Hunter again, and if it weren’t for Barbara, she would not have come. But her sister was all the family she had and she was determined to find out the truth one way or the other, and like she had told Hunter, she trusted only him to find out.

  Hunter.

  He was still the tall, dark, and handsome predator. His name suited him well. That had been her initial thought when they had first met. She had walked into his office with his aunt, and the moment their gazes connected, she had discovered there was such a phenomena as instant attraction.

  One of the first things she had noticed about him when they met was just how tall he was, way over six feet, with powerfully built shoulders, tapered thighs, and muscular legs. He had returned to the office after playing a game of tennis with a business associate and hadn’t yet showered and changed back into his suit. He’d possessed a physique that left her insides tingling, and she had quickly reached the conclusion that no man should have been blessed to have it good in both the looks and the body departments.

  His dark brown hair was cut low and neatly trimmed, and his face, the color of semisweet chocolate, had the most arresting features of any man she had ever met. He was so startlingly handsome that it was both a sin and a shame. The eyes that had locked with hers were stark black, intense, and predatory. Since he’d been intent on giving her the same thorough once-over she had given him, it had taken a full two minutes after his aunt had made the introductions before either of them spoke.

  In just that span of time her emotions had gone from relatively calm to veering on the edge of turbulent. There was no way she could have ignored the electrifying attraction or the sizzle along her nerve endings when she’d seen him. And when he had taken her hand in his in the appropriate handshake, a tingling warm, pulsing heat had quickly settled between her legs.

  She had never had such a physical reaction to a man, and it had been the most bizarre thing she’d ever encountered, instant heat had been fueled by a sexual need that she hadn’t known could exist. From that first blazing encounter, the die had been cast. It was a foregone conclusion that the two of them would eventually hook up.

  And they did.

  Although she had been determined to keep things strictly business while working on his parents’ anniversary party, she’d been fully aware that he was a man waiting patiently, biding his time. However, as the time came closer to the date of the party, he had become impatient and more than once tried coming on to her. She’d known without a doubt that he’d been anxious to make his move.

  And when the time had come, the night of the anniversary party, he had done so in a very smooth and suave manner. He had not left the country club, where the festivities had been held, when the party was over. Instead, he had hung around while she finalized the very last detail…waiting for her. And they left together, ending up at her place where he spent the night.

  Yes, she had known all she needed to know about Hunter and his reputation. There were those who referred to him as the untamable Hunter and claimed he had a wild side when it came to women. His reputation was legendary. He was a ladies’ man, although indiscriminately so. She’d also heard that he avoided commitments and had often said he didn’t plan to settle down until he was well into his forties, and since he hadn’t yet reached the age of thirty-five, he had a few more years to go.

  But regardless of all that, she thought she could handle Hunter Sloan since she was too caught up in her own work to get serious about anyone. However, fate had dealt her a reality check when by their third date she’d found herself falling head over heels in love with him. And by the fourth month of their affair she had gained enough courage to test the waters to see if he reciprocated her feelings and had voiced them aloud. Unfortunately, he made it clear what his position was as to a serious relationship with any woman: he wasn’t interested.

  That was not good news for her since she was interested, extremely so. However, Olivia Standish hadn’t raised either of her daughters to be fools, and Mallory had known that the best thing to do was to walk away with her pride intact although her heart was in shambles.

  Over the past six months she had managed to survive the pain and heartache, but now it seemed that fate had brought them back together, even if it was for business. Seeing Hunter again made her realize that she still loved him, although she wished it were otherwise.

  When the elevator reached her floor and the doors opened, she took a deep breath as she stepped out. She knew that dealing with Hunter would not be easy, but she was determined to do it. Even if it killed her.

  Hours later Hunter walked into Rowdy’s and glanced around. He immediately saw Mallory sitting at a table by the window. She was so absorbed in the ocean view that she hadn’t noticed he had arrived. It was just as well since he needed to get his bearings.

  For as long as he could remember, cars and women had been the only two things that had held his attention after he graduated from Grambling College. Then he had opened his company and it had become part of the mix. He enjoyed being footloose and fancy free, although he knew his parents and his aunt Judith were hoping he would settle down, get married, and have kids. For some reason they couldn’t quite understand that he wasn’t in a hurry. There were a lot of things yet for him to experience—places to go, women to do, and he definitely enjoyed doing women. At least he had enjoyed doing women until Mallory had ruined that for him. He couldn’t seem to think about sleeping with another woman for fear he would find her lacking. In his mind, no other woman could hold a candle to Mallory Standish in any way. And no matter how many times he had tried convincing himself to move beyond that assumption, he couldn’t.

  Sighing deeply, he began walking toward her and had just reached the table when she lifted a glass of water to her lips. Immediately, his guts clenched when he remembered all the naughty things he’d taught her to do with those lips.

  Heated thoughts flooded his mind. Wicked thoughts. Sexually intense thoughts. He felt his erection beginning to rise and harden and thought it was best to sit down as soon as he could. “Mallory,” he said.

  She glanced up. Surprised. “Hunter I wasn’t expecting you for another ten minutes or so.”

  He nodded as he took the chair across from her. “My appointment finished up early.” His heart began beating faster, so he glanced around, trying to look at anything but her. This was crazy. Absolutely nuts. Why in the hell was he feeling this way? The nervousness. The tension. She was just a woman. Someone he used to sleep with. The last woman he’d slept with. No big deal.

  But when he finally brought his gaze back to her and met her eyes, he knew it was a big deal. There was something about her that he just couldn’t shake. Even after six months.

  He shook his head, determined to shake it anyway, or at least try. “Is water the only thing you’re drinking?” he decided to ask.

  “Yes. I have a dinner engagement later, too.”

  Luckily for him, she shifted her gaze to look back out of the window. Otherwise she would have seen the jealousy that flared in his eyes. She would be meeting a man later? For dinner?

  To keep his hands from hitting something, he grabbe
d the menu that sat in a rack on the table. He had to be realistic even if he didn’t want to be. It had been six months. Had he really expected her to not get on with her life because he hadn’t been able to get on with his?

  He had thrown himself in his work, he had convinced himself that the only reason he hadn’t been dating was because he’d been too busy. Six months was a long time for a man to go without, especially a man who’d been used to getting it on a pretty regular basis.

  “How’s your aunt?”

  Her question interrupted his thoughts and he glanced up from the menu he was pretending to study and met her gaze. Her expression was cool and he wondered how she could sit so calmly and appear so detached. Whenever he thought of her the one word that always came to mind was hot. That was followed by sexy, beautiful, and passionate.

  He decided to answer her question. “Aunt Judith is doing well. She asks about you often.”

  She smiled as she began fiddling with her water glass, and all he could do was sit there and stare at that smile while his need for her escalated another notch.

  “I always liked your aunt,” she said, before taking another sip of water.

  He almost said “and she likes you, too,” before deciding that wouldn’t be a good idea. The last thing he wanted to do was give her any ideas. Besides, although he loved his aunt dearly, what she liked or didn’t like really didn’t matter to him, although he had to admit that Mallory had been the first woman he’d gotten involved with that both his mother and aunt had approved of. That should have been the first warning sign, and it would have been if he hadn’t been so focused on getting Mallory into his bed. And once he had gotten her there, he hadn’t been in any hurry to get her out.

  Thank goodness a waiter came at that moment to take their order and the only thing the two of them wanted was coffee. He stared at her for a long moment when her mobile phone went off and she answered it. Moments later, he sat back, relieved. He had listened to enough of her conversation to know the person she would be meeting later for dinner was a girlfriend.