Take the Money and Come

Chapter 1: Discovering Temptation “I'm never going to date again!” Sarah swore vehemently, standing in the middle of their hotel room, objecting to her best friend Callie's insistence on a “girl's night out.” “I'm going to join a nunnery, stave off men altogether. So I most certainly have no interest in hanging out at a bar where there will be scumbags aplenty,” she insisted petulantly. It really wasn't all men that Sarah was exasperated with, but rather the string of men she'd managed to attract who should have come with warning signs, like “Scumbag King,” “Super Sloth,” or “Lying, Cheating Dirt-bag.” “I'm not trying to find you a husband, Sarah...just a good lay. Or hell, a little flirting is fine with me,” Callie explained patiently. “You've been out of the game for months now. And I get it, you had some bad luck. But, it's time to get back on the horse—at least long enough to take one out for a ride.” Bad luck was an understatement in Sarah's opinion. In the past three years since graduating from college, she'd wound up dating a gambler who had maxed out her credit cards behind her back, and a deadbeat who, it turned out, was not a video game designer as he had said, but rather a fanatical video game player. The latest in her string of “bad luck,” a compulsive cheater who couldn't keep it in his pants—even in the midst of her twenty-fifth birthday celebration. She'd darted off to her bedroom to look for a sweater and ended up finding her sister riding her boyfriend like he was a bucking stallion. “Is this the line for pony rides?” Sarah had asked dryly before turning around and walking out of the house. She wasn't angry at her sister; Liz hadn't known the scumbag was her boyfriend. But, she had decided in that moment she'd had enough of dating, accepting that she was simply not destined to wind up in a normal, healthy relationship. In the months that had followed, she'd stuck to her determination, avoiding places where men and women often went to hook up, and dedicating herself to proving she was the best ER nurse any hospital had ever seen. That was, until Callie had proposed a girls-only getaway to the Sunshine State. Well, it was really more of a demand than a proposal, calling in a favor Sarah owed her from years before. And so, there she was in the middle of an over-the-top, deluxe suite at the Boca Raton Resort, arguing with Callie over the itinerary for their first night in Florida. Sarah was content to indulge in a little pampering at the resort's spa, but Callie seemed to be making it her mission to get her laid. Certainly abstinence was not the most satisfying of lifestyle choices she could imagine, but Sarah had managed to make do, becoming intimate friends with the trusty vibrator that occupied the top drawer of her bedside table—and currently, the left inside pocket of her suitcase. Unfortunately, she already knew who was going to win the current itinerary debate; Callie was just far more stubborn than she was. “Fine, we'll go to the bar Cal,” she breathed resignedly. “But that doesn't mean I'm agreeing to anything other than a few hours out with my friend.” Callie beamed triumphantly, instantly rummaging through the suitcase she had laid out on her bed. She pulled her hand out of the overflowing pile of clothing a moment later, thrusting an ivory-colored scrap of fabric at Sarah. “This isn't mine, Cal.” Sarah's tone was suspicious, wondering what her friend was up to now. The scrap barely looked like it was comprised of enough fabric to cover her tall, slim frame. And given that Callie was at least two sizes bigger than Sarah, there was no way Callie had packed this for herself. “It is now. I saw it when I was shopping for my own getaway wear, and I knew without a doubt it would be perfect on you. Sarah, you spend far too much time all covered up. It's time to show off a little skin, 'little black dress' style,” Callie explained. “You don't often hear about the 'little ivory dress',” Sarah replied dryly. “Precisely. Every other woman out tonight will be wearing some variation of the same black dress. You, on the other hand, will absolutely stand out from the crowd a mile away.” The stubbornness in Callie's tone told Sarah there was no point in arguing here either. Breathing another resigned sigh, she headed off to the suite's exquisite marble bathroom with the ivory scrap clenched in her hand. Once behind the closed door, she pulled her t-shirt off over her head and slid her jeans off her long legs. Slipping the dress on, she realized it was worse than she had originally thought. The daringly low back draped open to her tail bone while the plunging neckline nestled intimately between her ample, pert breasts. There was no way to wear a bra with this particular garment, and so she closed her eyes, breathing deeply as she unhooked the clasp and let it fall to the floor. Following the line of the dress down her body, she was relieved at first to see that the hemline of the dress fell nearly to her knees, but spying the long slit that ran all the way up to her hip banished any remaining hope of modesty. Smoothing the fabric down to cover as much as the dress would allow, she turned then to see the result in the tall mirror on the back of the door. Sarah's full lips parted as she gazed at the emerald-eyed woman staring back at her in the reflection. Her long, auburn tresses framed her soft, feminine features while the ivory dress emphasized her breasts, her thin waist, the gentle flare of her hips and the long length of her trim legs. She'd spent so much time in scrubs and casual wear, she'd entirely forgotten about the beautiful, desirable woman hiding beneath. Callie walked in then, not bothering with the ceremony of knocking. “Wow! Now that's what I'm talking about,” she exclaimed, obviously taking pride in her own contribution to unleashing the sexy siren in the mirror. “A couple inches less fabric, and this thing would be illegal,” Sarah responded, recovering from her shock. “Perhaps, but it is perfectly legal, I assure you. Except, you have to put these on,” she replied, a pair of strappy, high-heeled sandals dangling from her fingers. Sarah cringed. It wasn't that she couldn't walk in the damned contraptions; she just found that flats were a whole lot more comfortable. But she'd used up all her fight already and lost, so she reached for the strappy tools of torture and slipped them onto her bare feet. At least the heels weren't ridiculously high—two and a half or three inches, maybe. But that was more than enough for Sarah given that she already stood five feet and seven inches tall on a slouchy day. She noticed Callie's outfit then, a simple black A-line that fell mid-thigh. It was deceptively risque, Sarah realized, noticing that the majority of the torso was made of a tightly woven mesh fabric that upon closer inspection, left very little to the imagination. “I thought black blended in too much?” Sarah quipped. “Sure I wouldn't mind a ride of my own, but tonight is all about you.” Callie's reply sounded lighthearted enough, but there was genuine concern in her best friend's tone. And while a moment ago, Sarah might have been tempted to balk and bow out, her friend thought she was helping, and that was more important than a little trampling on Sarah's sense of modesty. “Alright,Cal. Let's get this over with,” Sarah smiled to cover up the reluctance her phrasing implied. And the two were off, opting to take a cab to a much-talked-about bar only three blocks away to avoid a treacherous walk; while Sarah's heels were manageable, Callie had opted for five-inch stilettos that she wasn't certain would carry her the distance. As they entered the bar a few minutes later, Sarah glanced around, admittedly impressed by the scene that greeted her. She didn't frequent bars often, and based on her limited knowledge from movies and television, she was half-expecting to walk into a crowded room filled with uncouth, beer-bellied men and sleazy women parading around in daisy dukes and plaid shirts tied at the abdomen and revealing an ample amount of cleavage. Sarah blushed lightly, realizing she was likely the most scantily clad woman in the establishment. But, she knew she didn't look sleazy; the exquisite fabric of her ivory dress and the way she carried herself spoke volumes. Callie directed them toward a table off to the right of the room, insisting Sarah take a seat and get comfortable while she went to get the drinks. In truth, Callie likely didn't want Sarah ordering for them; they'd end up with colas or wine coolers at best. She gazed around the room, taking in the relaxed, upscale ambiance and the equally comfortable, upscale patrons. She noticed several surreptitious glances in her direction, but not one of them really caught her attention. Half the glances came from men already sitting across from women who clearly weren't impressed with the distraction she was providing. And then her gaze found a lone patron, sitting at least six or seven tables away. He didn't turn away in a hurry when her eyes met his, as the other men with appreciative glances had done. He met her gaze directly, desire flaring in his dark eyes. And though part of her wanted to look away, he held her there, mesmerized by the fiery heat of his gaze. Callie returned just seconds later, and Sarah forced herself to avert her eyes quickly, not wanting to draw her friend's attention to the man across the room. Too late. Callie had followed her gaze before Sarah could look away and she was already looking over at the dark stranger. “Somebody have your attention?” she teased. “You've certainly got his,” she continued. “Damn, he's hot! Nice choice.” Sarah certainly couldn't argue; the stranger's obviously expensive, but casual shirt couldn't hide his broad, muscular chest, and the sinewy muscles of his arms told her that solid muscle likely covered every inch of his body. His dark hair was cropped short but in a way that made it appear impeccably styled. The strong line of his jaw drew attention toward his lips, the perfect fullness for a man, so much so that it made a woman instantly imagine them pressed against her body. “Yes, but I'm just looking around, Cal. That's all.” “Here you go,” Callie held out a glass to her containing a pale orange, sparkling liquid before Callie downed the contents of a small shot glass she held in her other hand. “I thought we'd start you off easy—just a mimosa,” she explained, motioning to Sarah's drink, as she held up the shot glass to the bartender, signaling for another shot already. Callie didn't drink all that often, but had consumed enough over the years that she could certainly hold her liquor better than her less experienced best friend. Sarah smiled and took a sip of her drink. She hadn't had a single drink since graduating from college, and even then she'd only had the occasional wine cooler or glass of champagne. But her current drink was delicious and so she sipped more quickly, enjoying the sweet taste and not thinking about the alcohol hidden in the sweetness. “So, what do you think?” Callie asked a moment or two later. “The drink? It's good, thanks,” Sarah replied easily, finishing off the final sip before raising her glass to signal another. It arrived quickly and she started to sip slowly, feeling the effect of the alcohol already winding its way through her extremities. “Not the drink, Sarah. The hot guy who's barely taken his eyes off you since we walked in.” “Oh. I don't think he's been staring exactly. And besides, I only agreed to the drinks tonight, remember?” “So, you don't mind if I give him a go?” Callie asked, though Sarah couldn't tell if it was an honest question or if she was trying to prod her into action. She glanced over at the man only to find his gaze on her as Callie had said. Though, to his credit, his eyes seemed fixed on hers, rather than on other choice parts of her body that were far more on display than usual. She hadn't intended to go man-hunting this evening, but for some reason she didn't relish the idea of Callie making a move and leaving the bar with him. Perhaps it was the alcohol directing her thoughts, but suddenly a night under—or on top of—the sexy stranger didn't sound like such a bad idea. “Come on, Sarah. You know you want him. Hell, just watching the way he's looking at you is making me wet! What's the worst that could happen? We're only here for a few weeks, right? After that, we leave Florida—and all the men here—behind us and go back to ordinary life.” Callie's argument didn't sound so unreasonable at the moment, and she certainly wasn't the only one whose body was responding to the man across the room. So, mustering up every ounce of courage she possessed, Sarah smiled devilishly, conceding to her friend and her own traitorous body. She stood, leaning down to kiss her friend on the cheek, and then realizing that the action probably hiked up her skirt, leaving her thighs entirely on display. Shaking her head to dispel her worries over modesty, she turned around then. “I won't wait up for you,” Callie whispered as Sarah started to make her way across the room, feeling the alcohol gently spreading through her body as arousal began to course through her veins. His eyes were on her as she closed the distance between them, stopping in front of the stranger's table.