1

      HE’D RECOGNIZE that thick tumble of honey-blond hair and incredible body made for sin anywhere.

      Eyes riveted to the enticing sight, Mitch Lassiter watched the long-legged beauty follow the hostess across the crowded dining area of the country club where he was waiting for his mother to arrive for their lunch date. Dressed in a coral-colored cotton tank dress that accentuated her golden summer tan and enhanced her lush, toned figure, she effortlessly captured the attention of every red-blooded male in the near vicinity.

      Her stride was confident, the sway of her hips inherently graceful. An affable smile tilted her lips as she connected with various appreciative gazes. Yet for all her outward friendliness and warmth, there was something elusive about her that kept Mitch guessing about the real woman beneath the easygoing, independent facade.

      Nicole Britton. Bold and spirited, wild and impetuous, and sexy as hell with a competitive streak a mile wide. He’d known her for the past seven years, ever since their mothers had become good friends and had discovered her competitive nature a few years ago at a family get-together when she’d invited him to play a game of pool. Winning had been her sole focus. Assertive and controlled during her shots, yet tempting and teasing him with her overtly flirtatious behavior during his, she’d claimed victory…three times in a row.

      Despite losing, the evening had been one of the most enjoyable he could recall in recent memory. His Executive Fleet Auto Sales business and family obligations had consumed his life since his father’s death, leaving little time to indulge in fun, or even a relationship with a woman. But that night he’d nearly given into the undeniable attraction between them and asked her out on a date, until he’d caught their mothers watching them with a little too much interest. He knew what a mistake it would be to give either one of their parents any reason to hope or believe their involvement would lead to something serious and lasting.

      At the time, Mitch hadn’t been looking for anything binding or long-term, and judging by Nicole’s carefree, noncommittal attitude since her breakup with an up-and-coming city councilman about a year before, he was fairly positive she felt the same. In a split second he considered the possible strain to their mothers’ friendship if things didn’t work out between him and Nicole. He also considered the unwanted pressure and expectations that might be placed on either of them if they were to become involved. With these factors in mind, he had resolved to keep things between them casual, amicable and uncomplicated the whole way around.

      But that decision hadn’t stopped him from wanting her. And it certainly hadn’t curbed Nicole’s inclination to tease and flirt with him when they were together, which only served to build and heighten the sexual tension between them.

      He shook those thoughts from his mind just as Nicole turned her head in his direction, causing her silky, shoulder-length hair to ripple with shimmering highlights. Vibrant green eyes searched the area and came to an abrupt stop on him seconds before the hostess halted beside his table.

      Surprise lit her gaze and a slow, beguiling smile curved her mouth. “Fancy meeting you here, Mitchell,” she drawled, her tone infused with familiar sass.

      He inclined his head in greeting and smiled easily in return, feeling that beginning tingle of sexual chemistry the two of them generated whenever they were near each other. “It’s nice to see you again, Nicole.”

      Very nice, indeed. Up close, she not only looked spectacular and incredibly sexy, but smelled soft and feminine, with a hint of warm, ripe apricot—an intoxicating, alluring combination that clenched his stomach muscles with heated awareness.

      With effort, he shifted his gaze back to the hostess. “I’m here to have lunch with my mother, Heather. I think you’ve directed Ms. Britton to the wrong table.”

      “Oh, no, Mr. Lassiter.” The young girl shook her head emphatically and placed another menu on the table. “Your mother and Mrs. Britton reserved a table together and instructed me to seat you both if they didn’t arrive first.”

      Mitch watched Heather return to the front of the restaurant, letting her words sink in. “That’s…interesting,” he murmured, returning his gaze to his new table guest.

      Nicole looked just as taken aback by the girl’s announcement but slipped into the vacant seat next to Mitch to await their mothers. “Interesting, to say the least, considering I was expecting to have lunch with my mother.” She hooked the thin leather strap of her purse over the back of her chair, then straightened in her seat to face him again. “She called this morning and insisted she had something important to talk to me about.”

      “Same with my mother,” he replied wryly. “I can’t imagine what the two of them are up to that they’d both conveniently forget to mention a foursome.”

      A naughty twinkle entered her gaze as she lowered her voice to a husky, teasing timbre for his ears only. “A twosome would be much more pleasurable, wouldn’t you say?”

      Heat rushed through him at her daring double entendre and, though he knew she was merely toying with him as she always enjoyed doing, he toyed right back. “Oh, most definitely. What do you say you and I slip out the back door and sate our hunger privately?”

      “Ummm.” The word rumbled provocatively in her throat, and she laced her fingers beneath her chin and considered his suggestion for a moment. “Sounds like a decadent proposition, but I don’t think our mothers would appreciate walking in on the gossip we’d leave behind.”

      He laughed softly, humorously. “Your rebellious reputation precedes you, Nicole. You’re not one to shy away from anything that causes speculation or gossip.”

      “Who, me?” Pressing the tips of her fingers to her chest, she tipped her head innocently and licked her glossy lips. The gesture made him wonder what her mouth tasted like deep inside. “Now what gives you that impression?”

      Leaning back in his chair, he crossed his arms over his broad chest. “Oh, let’s see,” he said, mentally picking through the various escapades his mother had insisted on sharing with him throughout the years. He thought about the upset her breakup with Jonathan Gaines had caused, and since he really didn’t know the exact circumstances revolving around that split, he found another episode to utilize instead. “What about the incident three years ago when you flatly refused your father’s very generous offer to be a receptionist at his medical office—”

      She interrupted him with expressive green eyes rolling heavenward and a very heartfelt, “Oh, puleeze! That ‘generous offer’ was my parents’ attempt to mold me into a nice, traditional kind of girl, in a nice, traditional kind of occupation more suited for someone meeker and milder than myself.” She feigned a very realistic shudder.

      He managed to restrain the urge to laugh at her description which clearly contradicted her own outlook on life. “And not being a traditional kind of girl you instead went out and found yourself a business partner and shocked everyone by starting your own sports enthusiast business.” Including her prominent councilman boyfriend at the time.

      “All Seasons Outdoor