PROLOGUE

The things a guy put up with for his friends, Sam Daniels thought wryly, as he stepped out of the fitting room in Divine Events, leaving the monkey suit and the rest of his best man trappings behind. At least until tomorrow's ceremony. Tonight was the rehearsal dinner and thank goodness the bride and groom had opted for casual clothing.

He swiped a hand over his eyes but the bleariness remained. Well what did he expect after taking a late night flight out of San Francisco, a place he'd only been for one day. Before coming home, he'd been on a prolonged trip, as he usually was in his job as a corporate pilot for Connectivity Industries, a large computer company at home and abroad. His most recent stint had been taking the CFO and some underlings to Paris, which entailed a stay at the Ritz and assorted other perks. Man he loved his job. After growing up in a hell hole in San Francisco, he'd promised himself he'd get out and stay out. And he had. Sam had a condo in a high rise in the Embarcadero with a view of the Bay Bridge. Overlooking the city reminded him of how far he'd come. Thanks to his hard work, he'd landed a job that took him all over the world, and paid extremely well. The luxuries associated with his career weren't bad either.

The only downside was jetlag and Sam suffered the bone-weary feeling now. He was in no mood for his newest obligation, but as best man, Sam was duty bound to do right by his good friend, a guy he'd met in flight school. Bill had decided to give up flying and settle down with his soon-to-be wife. Sam snorted, disappointed with his friend's choice, but determined to respect it nonetheless.

Like Sam's mother, Bill's fiancée didn't want a man who wasn't home, one who traveled for a living. Sam just hoped that unlike his old man, Bill didn't wither into a shell of a human being as a result. Sam shrugged. Bill was a grown man and knew what he was getting himself into. But no woman would get Sam tied up in knots, in matrimony or in anything else besides a sizzling hot affair.

And it had been too damn long since he'd indulged in one of those. Mostly because women claimed they could handle one night, just like they claimed they could cope with his lifestyle. Then before he blinked, they were trying to change him. To convince him what he really wanted was to leave the friendly skies behind in favor of hearth and home.

Like hell.

Yet despite his personal feelings on the subject, he'd rearranged his schedule in order to hit Chicago a few days before the wedding, but he wanted out of this place now. All the flowers and white accessories screamed wedding and Sam shuddered. He tucked his tee-shirt into his jeans and strode through the hall and into reception area. Only the sun could reflect brighter than all these damn mirrors surrounding him until he set foot in the entryway and was mesmerized.

She was blonde and he'd always been a sucker for blondes. She wore silk, a fabric that reminded him of a woman's skin and turned him on. And her fingers glided over a red book in a delicate, erotic way, adding to the intensity that had begun throbbing through his body. And he hadn't even seen her face.

Not that it mattered. If she was in Divine Events, she was either about to be married, a maid of honor or bridesmaid, which in Sam's book usually meant she was waiting to catch the bouquet and be next in line to tie the knot. At least that's what his sisters and their friends claimed and Sam refused to be trapped. He shook his head and laughed.

That's all it took. She looked up, wide-eyed, and met his gaze. Stunned and obviously embarrassed judging by her pink cheeks, she slid the book off her lap and back onto the table.

He didn't know what intrigued him more, the scarlet book, the pink cheeks ... or her. She had large blue eyes with a hint of sadness and secrets, porcelain skin and the most gorgeous bone structure he'd ever seen. And she couldn't tear her eyes from his.

It'd been a long time since he'd experienced such a strong, reciprocal visceral reaction to a woman. Long enough that he decided it was worth exploring further. He strode to the couch and settled in beside her, laying one arm behind her head. "Hi," he said and leaned close. A floral scent assaulted his senses and inside his jeans, he grew hard. Talk about instant attraction and lust. He hadn't been so immediately horny since he was a kid.

She inclined her head so blonde strands brushed her shoulder. "Hi, yourself." Her eyelashes fluttered in a move unpracticed yet seductive at the same time. Added to the sultry southern accent apparent with just those few words, and desire rushed through him at Mach Speed.

He let his gaze travel over her hands which remained splayed on her thighs. No rings adorned any finger, just an intriguing tan line on the ring finger of her left hand. From looks alone, she appeared single.

Score one for him, he thought. "So what's a nice girl like you doing in a place like this?" He chose the worst, most obvious pickup line he could think of.

As he'd hoped, she rolled her eyes and laughed, a light flirtatious sound he enjoyed.

When she didn't answer immediately, he questioned her further. "Bridesmaid fitting, Maid of honor or planning your own wedding?" He ticked off each possibility on one finger.

She exhaled a long sigh. "Try canceling one."

"A fitting?" he asked.

"My wedding," she replied, her gaze darting from his.

That took him off guard and explained the hint of sadness he'd glimpsed in her eyes. "I sure as hell hope it was your choice or else your fiancé's got rocks in his head." And in his pants. Sam might not be into commitment but what kind of guy who was, walked away from a woman like this?

"I think I'll take that as a compliment," she said.

"I think you should."

Her gaze jerked toward his. For the first time since he'd sat down, her smile reached her eyes. No pain, no sadness, no vulnerability remained. Just pure, seductive woman. Acting on impulse, he reached for her hand, threading his fingers through hers. Her eyes opened wide with surprise, her thick lashes fluttering over her huge and if he wasn't mistaken, hungry gaze. Her shock gone, she obviously liked his touch as much as he enjoyed hers.

And he did enjoy. Her skin was as soft as her voice, as hot as the need gliding through him and telling him not to let this woman walk away just yet. "Was it your idea or his? To call things off, I mean?"

"His." She shrugged, managing to give even that every day motion a delicate bent. "But he did us both a favor. Even if he is a cheatin' son of a bitch," she muttered under her breath.

But not low enough. "Sounds to me like you're better off without him."

"Tell me something I don't know." She turned towards him. "So what's a nice guy like you doing in a place like this?" A quirky grin pulled at her lips. "Are you the groom, best man or usher?" she asked.

"Best man."

Her gaze boldly traveled over him, from the tips of his old sneakers to the top of his head. "Now that I can believe."

"I think I'll take that as a compliment."

 She laughed. "I think you should. I also think you need to tell me what you're after," she said, glancing down at their still intertwined hands.

Once again, she'd stumped him. Normally a take charge guy, he didn't know what to say now. He was attracted to her. Sexually, he desired her. That had been the start. But now he realized she was hurting and though it shocked him, he wanted to take away her pain. To hear her laugh again. To know when he flew home on Sunday, he'd leave her happier and with good memories to take away the bad.

But there was no other way to describe what he wanted other than a no strings attached affair. His body was primed and ready since laying eyes on her the first time. Problem was, she was vulnerable and he didn't want to cause her any more pain. The choice had to be hers.

Regan looked into the eyes of this gloriously sexy, raven haired stranger and she melted like chocolate in the hot sun. His face was scruffy from needing a shave and his green eyes glittered with desire. Exactly the type of guy she'd fantasized about when deciding to exert her independence.

Yet as interested as he'd initially appeared, as bold as he'd been in taking her hand, he seemed hesitant now. "Let me make this easy for you," she said to him, leaning closer. Then she drew a deep, shaky breath. After all, she'd never propositioned a man before and this was all so sudden. As much as she intended to turn off those ingrained expectations, some old fashioned honesty would come in handy now.

"Obviously I'm coming off a bad situation, so I'm not looking for anything long term. But I want to take charge of my life and I want to begin now." She paused, meeting his gaze. Letting her heart pound at the sight of him and her breath catch when desire flared in the depths of his intense eyes. "And I want to start with you."

Lifting her hands to his mouth, he pressed his lips against her knuckles. Moist heat licked at her skin and her breath caught in a hitch.

"I'm listening," he said, obviously interested.

If he was this good with his mouth on her hand, she wondered just how good he'd be with his tongue and lips on certain other body parts.

She couldn't believe she was having these thoughts about a man she'd just met, not any more than she could believe she was having this conversation with him. But she'd wanted to start now and fate had sent him her way. She wasn't about to turn him away. "I have this one weekend before I have to go home to Georgia and break the news to my family about the engagement."

He nodded, light dancing in his eyes. "What a coincidence. I have this one weekend before I return to California. Minus a wedding appointment or two, I can be all yours. What did you have in mind?"

Regan clenched her free hand around the handle of her purse. Inside sat the folded page from Sexcapades. Was this man up for bondage games? Was she? "I'm tired of being a good girl and doing the proper thing."

"You want to be bad."

She nodded. "Wickedly bad." With trembling hands, she opened her bag and pulled out the sheet of paper that had started her on this insane course, and handed it to ... Regan blinked in surprise. "I just realized I don't even know your name."

His gaze darted to the page, then back to her, those green eyes filled with intrigue and hunger. "Well if you're going to be tying me up, I'd say introductions are in order."