“Not nearly as much fun as doing it together,” said Sean making a face.

“It’s not about fun right now, Sean, it’s about saving a life,” said Zoe emphatically. “That woman is around here somewhere. I can feel her.”

30

That first time, when the tall man invited Gabriela to join him for a glass of wine at the Hyatt, he knew nothing about her, not even her marital status. Conversely, before they were seated in the hotel bar, she knew almost everything there was to know about him. Before their rendezvous, she spent half an hour looking him up on people-finder sites and paid the ten dollars to have a quick personal, financial and credit check done. What she found, she liked. He had the kind of assets she had been searching for and no kids. After carefully reviewing his net worth, and adding bonus points for his good looks and height, Gabriela decided he could be “the one”—at least for a few years.

When the tall man watched the Latin bombshell select ties for him behind the Thayer and Co counter that first day, she took his breath away. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Her body was all curves and she had a mane of thick brown almost black hair that cascaded down her back. All he could think about was running his fingers through it. Her dark, sultry eyes flanked by thick, curly, black lashes and her full red lips sucked him in. He had to keep himself from grabbing her right there in the sport jacket aisle. Even on that first day, he was vaguely aware that there was nothing he wouldn’t do for her.

“Do you always go out for drinks with your customers?” said the tall man hoping she said no, as he held up a glass of Cabernet and took a sip.

“Never,” said Gabriela feigning shock at such a question. “You’re the first.”

“I’m flattered.”

“You were so nice and sweet and all the sales today made me eligible for the T and Co monthly sales bonus.”

“I’m just a dollar sign to you,” he said, making a pretend hurt face.

“Of course not,” said Gabriela, pouting while making a clicking sound with her tongue before she slid it across her top teeth. “Since you walked into my store I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you. You are a very attractive man, but you know that, don’t you?” Gabriela kicked off one of her heels and rubbed her bare foot up and down the man’s calf sending a shiver to his groin and causing his breathing to slow. “You know what else? I think you like me too,” the confident woman said breathlessly as she continued to move her foot up past his knee towards his thigh. “Am I right? You like me too?”

“Oh, yeah.”