Perfect Partners

of the room, he had to walk straight past the bed. The maid had not been in yet, and the sight of the rumpled sheets was making him crazy. It brought back memories of Letty lying there last night.
    He altered his course to walk over to the bed. Reaching down, he grabbed a handful of the sheet and brought it up to his face. He inhaled deeply.
    Hell, he could still smell her. He would never forget her unique scent as long as he lived. It was making him hard right now.
    Christ, he had been a fool to let her go off alone to have breakfast with Copeland.
    He dropped the sheet and stalked back to the window. There was no way he could have stopped her. She was the boss.
    “
You’re the boss. You tell me what you want, Letty
.”
    “
Oh, my God. Joel, it feels so good. I can’t believe it
.”
    Her first real climax. He’d lay odds on it. And he’d been the one to give it to her. Joel hoped she would remember that.
    She was so incredibly responsive. Joel had never had a woman react that way. Wild, gloriously wild. She was a hot, sweet treasure waiting to be opened up and explored and enjoyed. All she needed was a little experience with the right man.
    All she needed was a little experience with him. Better yet, a lot of experience.
    Next time, Joel promised himself, next time he was going to be deep inside her when he came. He had to know what it was like being inside when her whole body tightened and then gave itself up to such a shuddering release. He wanted to feel her nails in his skin and find out how tightly she could hold him.
    Most of all he wanted to look into her eyes when he buried himself in her. He wanted her to know it would work like this only with him.
    He hoped it would work only with him.
    He prayed it would work only with him.
    Fat chance. Letty was a very sensual woman. He had known that from the start.
    He jerked his gaze away from the bed and looked down on the marina. It did not matter what Copeland said to her this morning. It did not matter how the bastard pleaded his case. It was too late to change anything. Letty had to realize that. Copeland Marine had to be liquidated. She could not justify pouring another penny into the failing boatyard.
    The knock on the door had the galvanizing effect of a fire alarm.
She was back
. He whirled around and crossed the room in four long strides.
    He yanked open the door. “It’s about time you got back.” Then he realized who was standing on the other side of the door. “Diana. What the hell do you want?”
    She looked up at him, uncertainty pooling in her dark eyes. “I wanted to talk to you, Joel. Don’t you think you owe me that much?”
    He forced himself to calm down. This was business. He had to control the raging frustration, had to make himself think and act coolly. “I don’t believe I owe you a damn thing, Diana, but go ahead and talk, if that’s what you want to do.” He glanced at his watch. “I’ve got a few minutes to spare.”
    “You must really hate me,” she whispered.
    He scowled. “I don’t hate you.”
    “I’m glad.”
    She smiled at him with a wistful sadness that fifteen years ago would have shredded his heart. Christ, had he really been that stupid?
    “Look, Diana…”
    “Can I come in?” The sunlight gleamed on her ebony hair. The glossy black mane was parted in the middle and fell straight to her delicate jaw, where it curved gently inward. Fifteen years ago she had worn it in a feathery cut that had had an equally dramatic effect on her eyes. But this style was far more sophisticated, Joel decided. It suited her classic profile. Her black sweater and close-fitting black pants heightened the impact of her striking looks.
    The prettiest girl in town. Just ask anyone.
    “Yeah, sure. Come on in.” Joel scanned the sidewalk below as he stood aside. There was no sign of Letty returning from breakfast. “The maid hasn’t been in yet. The place is a mess. You want to go downstairs?”
    “I don’t think we need an audience, do you, Joel? We had enough of one last night.”
    He shrugged as he closed the door. “The show didn’t last long, did it? My boss got me out of there when things turned nasty. She’s kind of softhearted about some things.”
    “A regular little guardian angel.” Diana walked slowly over to the window.
    Joel saw her eyes slide across the bed. “Yeah. She calls it noblesse oblige.”
    Diana ignored that cryptic comment. She halted and stood gazing out over the small harbor. “So you