by Lolita Lopez
Lexi’s eyes widened as she discovered a white box filigreed in gold and tied with a big red bow sitting in her locker. A card rested on top of the familiar bakery box. She glanced around the room, wondering if maybe someone was playing a prank on her. All the other women in the room seemed oblivious.
Her fingertip traced her name on the card, the letters written in bold silver print. A quiver of excitement rippled through her belly. Who had put this in her locker? Did she really have a secret admirer?
Not wanting to share her secret with anyone, Lexi carefully blocked the view of her locker with her body and slipped the card and box into her gym tote. She hastily slipped into her black hoodie and zipped up the front. Pretending nothing had happened, she plastered on a smile and hiked her tote up onto her shoulder. Purse handles clamped in her hand, Lexi closed her locker, snapped the lock shut and left the room with a few smiles and hasty farewells.
Out in the lobby of the gym, Lexi bristled with the sensation of being watched. She turned her gaze toward the reception desk where Tom and Frank stood shoulder to shoulder. Their intense stares inspired a shiver of excitement up her spine. No, she thought quickly, it couldn’t be!
But there was no mistaking those sexy smiles. Both men gazed intently in her direction. Toes tingling and nipples tightening to points, Lexi swallowed hard and tore her gaze away from them. Consciously putting one foot in front of the other, she left the gym without tripping or falling on her face. Once she hit the parking lot, she broke into a jog and cut across the pavement to her car. She fumbled for her keys and hit the button on the fob to unlock the door.
Safely inside the car, Lexi pulled the box and card from her tote. She sat them on her lap and stared at them for a long moment. Her fingers tugged the red bow. The ribbon fell onto her thigh as she lifted the lid and uncovered her favorite cake bites. The round balls of Italian cream cake were dipped in white chocolate and decorated with sprinkles. In honor of Valentine’s Day it seemed the bakery had switched out the usual blue and yellow bits for tiny pink and red hearts.
Fingers trembling, Lexi picked up the card and broke the seal on the envelope. She slowly withdrew the card and smiled at the funny design on the front. It wasn’t one of those overly mushy cards with flowers and hearts. She appreciated the thought that had gone into choosing a card she’d enjoy.
The message inside caused her heart to skip a few beats. Her heart fluttered wildly in her chest, slamming against her sternum as she read and reread the invitation inside. She closed the card and turned her attention back to the front of the gym. This invite had danger written all over it. It was one thing to entertain her fantasies but quite another to give over to that hope.
What if all they wanted was this one night? It seemed unlikely that Frank or Tom were interested in anything more. Could she live with that? Could she go on seeing them at the gym day after day after being their one-night stand? Lexi honestly didn’t know.
More importantly, what would happen if one of them wanted something more? She couldn’t exactly have them both. Real life didn’t work that way. She’d seen enough of that kind of philandering in her childhood to know three and four and five were most definitely a crowd.
And yet she couldn’t deny that she wanted to go to the hotel tonight. She wanted to see what they had planned for her. She wanted to live, really live, even if just for one night. There would be consequences, of that she was only too sure, but Lexi couldn’t live the rest of her life wondering what if. She had to know.
Mind made up, Lexi stabbed her keys into the ignition and eased out of her parking space. Her plan for a simple night on the couch with trashy TV and takeout had been supplanted by something much more exciting. Right now she needed lingerie. Super sexy, naughty bits of lace and silk.
If she only had one night with the men of her dreams, she was damn well going to make the most of it.
Be Our Valentine (Book 1 of the Holiday Ménage series) will be available July 10, 2012 along with Margaritas and Mayhem (Book 2) and Fireworks for Three (Book 3) at Amazon, B&N, Smashwords, ARe, iTunes, Kobo, Sony and more.
About The Author
While browsing bookstore shelves as a teenager, Lo discovered the erotic writings of Anaïs Nin and A.N. Roquelaure. Certain her mother would not approve, Lo smuggled the books home and squirreled them away in the most likely of places: under her bed. Late at night, she delved into the sensual worlds both writers created.
As a co-ed studying biochemistry and genetics at Texas A&M University, Lo dabbled in creating naughty tales to entertain her friends. Study for a midterm or pen a deliciously dirty story to delight her small band of fans? Not surprisingly, Lo is now on an extended sabbatical from college.
Luckily, Lo stumbled onto the world of erotic romance publishers. She realized there were other readers and writers who loved and craved breathtaking romance with the spiciest of love scenes. She took a chance and submitted her first novella. The rest is history.
You can find Lo online at www.lolitalopez.comor lowrites.wordpress.com. Follow her on Twitter (@lowriter) or sign up for her newsletter to get updates on new releases, freebies and giveaways.
