CHAPTER ONE

      ‘IS THIS place only for women, or do you do men as well?’

      Now, there was a leading question, Joey thought humorously, looking up from the money she had been counting in the till at the end of a long working day.

      Wow! The man standing in the doorway might not have a way with words, but his looks more than made up for it: tall and muscular, with a ruggedly handsome face, shaggy dark hair, and come-to-bed eyes the same colour as melted brown chocolate.

      Joey paused; now, where had that last thought come from? She was a thirty-year-old single mother with a six-year-old daughter. During the last ten years or so she thought she had heard every chat-up line in the book—she had certainly never been attracted to a man because of the unspoken message in his eyes—the opposite in fact!

      She straightened. ‘This is a unisex hair salon, if that’s what you’re asking,’ she answered drily.

      His mouth twisted. ‘That’s what I was asking,’ he confirmed wryly. ‘Do you have the time to do something with his?’ He ran a rueful hand through the thickness of his dark, unruly hair.

      In fact, the salon had closed at five-thirty, five minutes ago, but Susie, the last assistant to leave, must have forgotten to put the catch down on the door on her way out.

      ‘Actually, we’re closed—’

      ‘I’m sorry to have bothered you.’ The man nodded, turning to leave.

      ‘—but if you’re only wanting a trim…?’ Joey finished with a questioning rise of her blonde brows. It was Lily’s evening for ballet, so Joey didn’t actually have to leave to collect her for another half an hour or so.

      ‘That’s great!’ The man did such a quick about-face as he strode back into the salon, closing the door behind him as he did so, that Joey took a step backwards.

      He certainly wasn’t backward in coming forward! And in the confines of the modern salon, with its black and chrome decor, posters of the latest hairstyles adorning the walls, the man’s sheer size was even more noticeable. Broad shoulders in a checked work shirt, tapered waist, long legs in blue, slightly dusty denims—the man had to be well over six feet tall.

      Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea after all, Joey worried as she came out from behind the reception desk; despite his size, the man seemed friendly enough, but the two of them were very much alone in here, and even serial killers could probably be charming!

      ‘Believe me, I’m only interested in having my hair trimmed,’ the man reassured her as he settled himself down in one of the chairs that faced the mirrored wall.

      Joey’s face flamed with embarrassment. So much for the cool sophisticate she believed herself to be; one look at her expression, and this man had known exactly what she was thinking!

      She took down one of the protective wraps hanging on the rail behind her and draped it around