Ladies, start your search engines…
The closest Arden Walsh has been to a naked male booty in over a year and a half is a DVD ogling session with her friend Lida’s “posse.” Not that anyone could blame a widow with two young daughters. At this stage in her life, a relationship is not in the picture. A little hot sex? Definitely.
After another disaster date leaves more than a bad taste in her mouth, she has to admit it. The only man worth black stilettos and red lipstick is the one for whom she once threw caution to the wind, and never since—not even for her husband. Twelve years, and she can still taste the bittersweet memory of Shane Donner.
In a keystroke, a search engine connects the past with the present. As sparks fly from her fingertips to his, she begins to wonder if a screen full of seduction is enough to forge a future.
This title was previously published but has been revised and expanded for Samhain Publishing.
Warning: Contains explicit language, sexual content, not-safe-for-work instant messages, and fantasizing about Keanu Reeves and the hero (but not at the same time!).
Read an Excerpt
“Dreams are just a manifestation of your subconscious desires becoming conscious.” Lida stirred some sweetener into her coffee and snagged a bagel from the basket.
“I dream about falling,” replied Heather. “Does that mean I want to fall?”
Arden refilled her friends’ mugs and her own before sitting down. “I think what Lida’s trying to say is that I keep dreaming about shagging Shane Donner because I really do want to.”
“Duh,” said Lida.
Heather laughed. “And he just messaged you out of the blue?”
“You have to tell Heather your history with the guy. Racy stuff.”
Arden laughed. “It’s not that racy.”
“Spill it. The kids are in school. It’s morning mommies’ coffee and dirty secrets time.” Heather sipped her coffee. “C’mon, I could use a few good stories.”
Arden quickly outlined her past with Shane—the whole brief but torrid affair.
Heather nodded. “I had one of those. I call them the Open Doors. You know, sometimes they just don’t close?”
“Open Doors. Perfect description,” Arden said. “But just because a door is open doesn’t mean you have to go through it.”
“Doesn’t mean you can’t take a helluva peek at what’s inside!” Lida laughed.
“Arden, I keep telling you. You need to get laid. And yes, get a boyfriend if that’s what you want, but satisfy the body’s needs and maybe the heart will follow.”
Arden rolled her eyes. “You’re backwards. Besides, Lida, after disaster dates one and two, I’m not so sure I have the energy to try again.”
“Girlfriend, you can’t give up after only two tries,” Heather said. “Do you know how many dates I went on before I met Leo?”
“Luscious Leo.” Arden grinned. “No, but I remember when you went on your first date with him.”
Lida rapped the table. “Don’t tell me you waited to have sex until you met him, Heather.”
“Hell, no!” Heather laughed. “No way. I had some sex before I met him.”
“See, even Heather thinks you just need to get laid. Get it out of your system. Once you realize you don’t have to be in love to have sex, the pressure will be off and you’ll be readier to find the right guy.”
Something about that logic didn’t sound right, but Arden was used to Lida’s outrageous advice. “Why am I afraid when you say that? You’re the same person who convinced me to wear a hot pink-and-lime-green polka-dotted prom dress complete with matching shoes, right?”
“Bad fashion advice is totally different than bad sex advice, Arden.”
“Lida, my love, forgive me, but when’s the last time you had to wonder if you were going to have sex with Bill or how it would make you feel in the morning? Married sex is way different than single sex.”
Lida gave a dramatic sigh. “Don’t I know it!”
The three of them laughed around Arden’s kitchen table, three friends enjoying what Jason had always called “female bondage time.”
Lida’s expression got serious. “If you still want to take a chance, though, I have someone in mind.”
“No. No, Lida.”
Heather and Lida exchanged looks. Heather raised a brow at Arden. “I wouldn’t pass this up, if I were you.”
“Why not?” Arden got up to take her empty mug to the sink. Watching her two friends working together to wear down her resolve was…well, wearing down her resolve.
“Because Philip Davis is drop-dead gorgeous, drives a kick-ass car, and has already said he’s interested.”
Arden’s mug clattered against the sink. “What!”
Turning, she glared, arms crossed over her chest. Heather and Lida exchanged looks. Lida picked up another doughnut, but before she could bite into it, Arden yanked it from her hands.
“No more sugar until you confess! What did you say to this guy! How can he be interested, and why? What have you done?”
“Arden,” Lida said in her soothing-a-frantic-friend voice. “Chill, baby. Philip works in my sister’s office. I’ve known him for a few years. He’s a nice guy, plays the field, but not in a sleazy way, and he’s interested because I showed him your picture and he thought you were hot.”
“Hot!” Arden gasped. “Hot? Lida Crowley, you pimped me!”
“No. I just happened to mention you were just getting back into dating and might be interested in having a good time.”
Heather and Lida laughed. Heather said, “Philip is a good time, or so I’ve heard.”
“What?” She couldn’t believe this, she really couldn’t. And yet, she mustn’t have been totally soured on the idea of dating and/or sex because she heard herself saying, “He really wants to take me out?”
“Saturday.” Heather giggled and Lida slapped at her. “We’ve already arranged for your parents to take the girls.”
This made Arden sag against the counter. “Is this some sort of conspiracy?”
“A conspiracy of love,” Lida said. “We just want to get you back on your feet. Or back on your back, as the case may be.”
“You guys!” Tears clogged her throat and burned in her eyes. “You’re crazy!”
“That’s what friends are for,” Lida said in a mock-sage tone of voice. “Carry your burdens, share your joys, get you laid.”
The kitchen rang with laughter, and though she couldn’t believe she was actually saying yes to another date, Arden laughed too. “I guess he can’t be any worse than Shark Boy or Grumpy Greg.”
“Not Philip Davis,” said Lida. “He’s a dreamboat.”
Arden sighed, loving her friends too much to be annoyed. “Let’s just hope it’s not the Titanic.”
“So what if it is?” Lida pointed out. “At least you know he’ll go down.”
