Red Shoes & A Diary

by Mia Zachary

• ISBN13: 9780373790876
• ISBN10: 0373790872
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2003-04-01
• Publisher: Harlequin

Excerpts

 

Monday, July 14 What will it be like to have a physical encounter with a stranger? To give myself over to sexual exploration and shed my inhibitions? On these pages, as "Elise," my other self, I've been wild and sensual, daring and seductive. I've fantasized about a tall, dark-haired lover who makes me feel sexy, desirable, feminine. I've dreamed of taking chances, letting go. With the last entry of this diary comes a new beginning. What will it be like to find a lover and say, "Take me, I'm yours"? * * * Alex Worth strode down the fancy marbled hallway, looking for his room - his "suite." He never thought a guy like him would be staying in a place like the Cayo Sueño Resort. Finally, an undercover assignment with perks. His conscience spoke loudly in his head. Remember how you got here. Don't forget what's at stake . He ignored the stab of guilt and kept walking. There, on the left. Room - Suite 809. He disengaged the lock and swung the door open. The first thing he noticed was a pair of sandals in front of the couch. The cherry-red high heels had "seduce me" written all over them. Alex glanced at his magnetic hotel card key and then checked it against the door number. He was in the right place. He looked back over at the sexy sandals. Talk about service. The hotel room came with a woman. "Hello?" He listened intently for any sound of movement. Nothing. After setting his carry-all in the foyer, he slammed the door shut as a warning. Still no answer. The thick carpet muffled his steps as he moved farther into the suite. He called out again, his voice echoing off the pale papered walls. "Hello? Anyone here?" He poked his head into the bathroom. No woman. Just a makeup bag on the vanity and a used towel hanging on the shower rod. The living room was empty, too, except for the lingering scent of perfume. Something floral, but somehow smoky ... A lace-edged bra and matching panties were carefully arranged on the couch cushion. Alex smirked. Who was this woman? The bright red lingerie had been laid out precisely, like she'd wanted to see how they'd look on her body. He picked up the bra, trying to imagine the breasts that fit into it. The satin fabric felt slippery between his fingers and it wasn't hard to picture a hot babe who was equally slick. He dropped the bra back on the couch, scooped the sandals off the floor and headed for the other room. Maybe the woman was lounging on the bed silently waiting for him. Nope. No such luck. What the hell was going on? How did she get into his suite, and more importantly, where was she now? Two small suitcases sat against the wall beside the closet. He set the shoes down and flipped one of the luggage tags around. Apparently Meghan Elise Foster was visiting Florida from Baltimore, Maryland. He had a name now, but her reason for being here was still a mystery. He'd been invited to Cayo Sueño by Rogelio Braga, his connection in the Miami cartel. Braga was supposed to introduce him to the infamous Frankie Ramos. So Alex couldn't trust anything about this trip, not even bright red panties that begged, "touch me." Too many good agents had been compromised in situations just like this. A third suitcase lay open on the bed. It was half full, as if she'd been interrupted. He didn't hesitate over rummaging through the contents. He'd worked undercover too long to let a little issue like privacy stop him. He had to know who this woman was. The "touch me" panties and "seduce me" sandals didn't go with the clothes laid out on the bed. Quality, with recognizable labels, but kind of plain. The skirts were long, the necklines high and everything was a solid color, not a stripe or pattern in sight. On the other hand, the underwear couldn't have been hotter. He recognized it from his ex-wife's catalogues that still came to the house. Bright floral demi bras, satin tap pants and lace camisoles spilled from the suitcase. Most of the stuff still had price tags attached. Weird. Maybe Ms. Foster was going through some kind of identity crisis - something he could easily relate to. Still, this whole thing was making him uneasy. He'd turned to leave when he noticed a hardbound book on the window seat. It looked like an address book or a calendar. Curious, he went over to check it out. Guessing from the handwritten paragraphs on the open page, he'd found Ms. Foster's journal. He focused on the actual words and his brows shot up in surprise. Whoa. Suddenly he appears, glorious in his nakedness. Tall and strong and beautiful, my fantasy lover stands beside me under the waterfall. He raises his arms to me and the bright sun lights the water droplets rolling down his magnificent body. He moves toward me, offers himself to me. No gesture could be more flattering, more seductive, than seeing the rigid proof that I am desired. As the image burned itself into Alex's brain, the effect was hard and immediate. His skin felt hot, his chest tight, as his pulse accelerated. He clapped the book shut before tossing it back onto the window seat. It slipped off the edge, pages flapping, and fell to the floor. He stared at the blue paisley cover for a second, struggling with his conscience. Arousal won. He rifled the pages until he found the waterfall entry again. He wraps his arms around me, lifts me off my feet, all the while plundering my mouth with his tongue. Our bodies join as he lowers me onto him. I cry out from the sheer intensity of the pleasure as he begins to rock his hips. Mating beneath the cascade, he lifts me repeatedly, my body sliding, his thrusting - (Continues...)

Excerpted from Red Shoes & A Diary by Mia Zachary Copyright © 2003 by Harlequin Enterprises Ltd.
Excerpted by permission. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.