as I rode the elevator down

t to do something really stupid an

stranger who owned that golden voice. If he

even though LA is the capital of pretty boys. I hear most of them are narcissistic and self-involved; I wouldn’t know, since they rarely give me the time of day. And when a hot, charming guy does start talking to me at a party, I eit

type of guy who becomes more attractive the longer you know them. The type that grows on you. Nice guys. Regular guys who are eve

. But once… just once… I wante

o be absolutely gorgeous, and that I

way he was as good-looking as his voice would

ood looking, and you’re afraid he’ll be ugly! Make up yo

ff a piece of that in reality, but I can still dream.) Amazing ass, great shoulders, gorgeous hair, fantastic arms? You’re thinking some

ike, ‘Oh, no

ctually composed of tattoo parlors

m far away, but not so good up clo

ity doesn’t matc

the front even though his backside belongs in a Greek temple. I

’s, ‘Oh, he’s kind of cute… I’ll go out with him. Oh, he’s funn

als ‘not as much disap

s for Mr. Connor B

ointed, I would have preferr

ut, I was not

far f

ut of the elevator. In Los Angeles, anybody who has a modicum of power or money jumps ship by 4PM so

its by 6PM and accepts their lot in li

k watching all the other peo

or, there weren’t that many people

h

y

o

, could simultaneously coexist in the same building and not be the same person. The odds were too high. Even if they were two people, their combine

rt of stupid stuff that starts running through my

. Strong chin, perfect jawline. A strong nose that was just rough enough to make him look more manly than pretty-boy. A perfectly

e in picture-perfect postcards. They somehow managed to envelope you with their warmth and send a

s eyes, a mischievous crinkle that went with the gleam in his eyes when he grinned. The crinkling wasn’t the age so much as the tan, t

lders were broad. His chest pressed but didn’t strain at his crisp, white shirt. He was wearing a blue tie, one that matched his eyes beautifully. He had loosened it and unfastened the top

trendy, kick-ass shoes – probably boots of some sort, with a kind of rock ‘n roll embroidering, if that makes a

, like Michaelangelo’s David. (No wedding ring, by the way.) I also stole a brief, very brief look at his… ahem, below his beltline, and while I’m not very well-v

ut, hey, I thought it at the time, so

h Sinatra in the 50’s, or with George Clooney or Kanye West now. Hell, the kind of guy they would call to hang out with. The kind of man who would have kicked D

hemism, in case you ha

akers or something. Then Mr. Movie Star looked over at me and his eyes lit up. He go

,” he said, and h

a triple flip in my chest. Hearing that voice on the phone? S

in a packet. Don’t get me wrong, I really like the stuff in the

ut my dessert preferences). A better analogy would be real sex versus phone s

my life, standing in that lobby at 6P

e

up my arm to shake his ha

hhh

about it, as a baby, you probably responded to scents – your mother’s, your father’s – before yo

baking cookies in the kitchen and that clea

burning leaves on an autumn day. C

him now, I sme

layers of musk and sandalwood, and j

int. A tease. I mean, I was right next

ensive. Exotic, and ye

damn

the voice and the scent), I looked over at Sta

If he gets a good read off of s

stuttered as my

hhh

ot of jerks who try to push women (and other men) around, he didn’t t

a little

ng onto my hand for a second or two longer than was

that was all I could th

d got down to business. “O

hone pumped a shot of adrenaline into my system. And that temp

on’t really

phone, so I won’t even see the number. Besides, he’s probably

uth was that he

ut of my little black purse, and

ot going t

to what was actually a

ly, with those gorgeous

rpetually pissed-o

s here, and he’s pret

art of your brain shut

i-tirade of profanity and ins

opped the first F-bomb) and I was on the verge of saying something that would get me fired, I sa

extended towards me, palm outwa

t if the puppy dog knew you weren’t a very good owner and he had to exp

ed with that se

of profanity was still pour

nded the phone over to him. Connor glanced at t

, Hey, buddy! kind of way. “Connor… B

rom the beginning. He reached out verbally, took hold of Klaus b

hought he was being friendly by saying ‘Connor’ alone, then realized Kla

ng, which I found o

y. There was a long pause, and then a

it was a hell of a lot friendlier than wha

ack on my phone so I can conference in somebody e

s teacher wah-wah-wah-WAAAAH of Klaus

right back to you. Be sure to pick up

up on Klaus without

hh

retty much just sign