Code Pink $3^?,5*9l5*73^.3^’0$7#;0,7^?*;0l5.* Jennifer Clark smiled with satisfaction. It was perfect. A masterpiece. It was her best code yet. She took a salutary sip of white wine although it was probably too early to congratulate herself. She had ten minutes to go, but victory was certain. If Robert hadn't figured out the code by now, he wasn't going to. Because she was the best. A flush of pride swept through her. No one was going to top her. Not when it came to codes. Breaking or building them. Jennifer tucked the paper into her cluttered purse and her fingers brushed up against Amy Bryce's wedding invitation. The heady glow instantly disappeared as her heart squeezed with regret. She was thrilled to see her sorority sister find true love, but it wasn't too long ago that Jennifer had been naively planning for her own wedding. She couldn't think about that. Jennifer determinedly straightened her spine. She was moving on. Maybe with Robert. He met all of her requirements: smart, good-looking and wanted her more than anything else. Most importantly, he was the antithesis of Bryan. Checking her watch one more time, Jennifer decided she'd been a good sport long enough. She knew Robert wouldn't decipher the code in time. No one could. Jennifer signed the bill and took one last sip of her drink as a movement caught her eye. She glanced at the doorway and promptly gagged on her wine. Slapping her hand against her mouth, she choked the liquid down before it squirted out of her nose. It was difficult not spluttering it all back up as Special Agent Bryan Matthews spotted her. Bryan. Matthews. The words flashed before her like neon lights. Bryan. The Love of Her Life. The Best Sex She Ever Had. Also commonly known as The Man Who Broke Her Heart And STOMPED On It While He Was At It. He strode into the restaurant, blatantly disregarding the no jacket, no service rule. The well-worn fisherman sweater, faded jeans and scuffed boots blared against the Federal décor. Each step he took was slow and measured, but it felt like he was crashing through the Limoges china and equestrian artwork. Yet Bryan Matthews wasn't one to draw attention to himself. He was designed to skulk, to glide around the edges. When he chose to cross open spaces, it was to attack. To capture his prey. And she was his prey tonight. Her skin prickled with alarm. She stared at him silently, noting the streaks of golden brown in his thick black hair. His hair used to fall past his chin in untamed waves. Now it was cropped close, emphasizing the aggressive curves of his skull. His skin was bronzed and weathered, the lines etched deeper in his face. Even his dark eyes seemed to slice through her defenses and see exactly what she wanted to hide. This Bryan Matthews was leaner, sleeker. Deadlier to her senses. She didn't know how she managed to conjure him up. At the moment, she didn't care. All she wanted was to banish him from her existence. Bryan sat down in the empty chair at her table. "Jennifer," he said in his slightly rasping voice that could still make her shiver. It was a struggle not to rub her hands over her bare forearms. "That seat is taken," she replied calmly as she felt her pulse flutter in her throat. The edge of his mouth kicked up into a knowing smile. "No, it's not. How have you been?" "Fine, up until this moment." She instinctively crossed her legs tighter, the stroke of silk stockings against her thighs doing nothing to stop her trembling. "What are you doing here? Make a wrong turn on the fast track?" "No, I'm waiting for a new assignment. What have you been up to?" He reached for her wine glass and downed the contents. The sight of the fragile crystal in his big, masculine hand had a mesmerizing effect. "What do you want Bryan? Say what you have to say and then get moving. I'm waiting for someone." He set the glass down. "Yeah, I know. Robert." He grimaced at the name. The back of her neck tingled with warning. She couldn't imagine Robert saying anything to Bryan. "How did you know that?" "Like you really expected him to show up." Her glare deepened. He knew something, but she wasn't going to give him the pleasure of watching her squirm. Jennifer went on the offensive. "Not everyone dumps me." Annoyance flashed through Bryan's slate gray eyes. "Get it straight, Jennifer. You dumped me." Jennifer cocked one eyebrow but said nothing in her defense. She knew it was useless. "So what's going on between you and Robert?" Bryan asked. The thrust of his chin signaled his leashed anger. "That's none of your business." She grabbed her purse and pushed her chair back. "It is now." Jennifer froze. Damn, she hated when he used that voice. She hated when he knew something she didn't. "What are you talking about?" "This." He pulled the creased paper from the front pocket of his jeans and tossed it on the table. It skittered in front of her. Her eyes widened as she read the decoded message she'd sent to Robert.
She felt the earth dip and slant. Every emotion slammed and boomeranged inside her. "How did you get this?" She barely croaked the words out. "You're missing the point." Bryan lounged back in his seat. "I deciphered it before ten. And I'm here for my prize."
End of excerpt. Like it? Order it. Read the excerpt to Six Weeks to Sensuality
The working title of this novella had been "Fantasies Are Forever", but then that title took a life of its own, so we needed to come up with something else. I don't usually have a problem coming up with titles, but this proved to be a challenge. Fortunately, my editor came up with "Code Pink". Heart’s Greatest Hits: 1985 – 1995 was my background music to this novella.
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