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plenty of time still left before she had to go into work, she plunked herself down on the couch and picked up the new vampire romance she’d started to read the night before. It was the third book in one of her favorite series. Usually it didn’t take much for Nyx to find herself completely engrossed in a book, letting the setting and characters take her out of her real world. But that didn’t happen this time. Every time the book switched to the hero’s point of view, she found herself picturing Denger as the vampire.
    When she reached a scene where things were heating up between the hero and the heroine, Nyx had to put the book down. She could all too easily picture Denger doing the things the hero was doing to the heroine to her. Her thoughts caused her longcelibate body to come out of hibernation. Where before she was content to read her romance novels, she now found herself longing for Denger’s touch. By the time she arrived at work, Nyx was having serious second thoughts about going out for coffee with Denger. If only she’d thought to ask for his phone number, she could have called him and told him not to show up.
    23
    Marisa Chenery
    Janet took one look at her face and said, “All right, what’s up? You look stressed as hell about something.”
    Stowing her purse under the counter, Nyx said, “I’ve done something that I’m now regretting.”
    “What did you do?”
    Nyx took a deep breath, then let it out slowly. “I kind of agreed to go out for coffee on my break today with a man.”
    Janet let out a whoop. “Let me guess, you’re going out with Mr. Beefcake from yesterday.”
    “Yes, but now I’m not so sure I should.”
    “Aw, hon, you can’t back out now. You need to do this. I’m sure Derek wouldn’t want you to be alone. He would have wanted you to move on with your life. And I knew it was you Mr. Beefcake was watching yesterday.”
    Nyx shook her head. “His name is Denger. And it’s because of Derek that I’m having second thoughts. I feel as if I’m betraying him, betraying his memory.”
    Janet put her arm around Nyx’s shoulders. “It’s understandable that you would feel that way, but you don’t have to. It isn’t as if you’re breaking your marriage vows. You’re a young widow. No one would expect you not to find another man to share your life with. I’m not going to let you back out of your coffee date with Denger. Even if he doesn’t turn out to be the right one, at least you’ve taken that first step. It’ll be easier when the next guy you get the hots for comes around.”
    “Who says I have the hots for Denger?” she asked with a chuckle.
    “Oh, please. You have the hots for the man or you wouldn’t be trying to run from him. Hell, if I wasn’t a married woman, I would be trying to jump his bones. He’s gorgeous and has a body any woman would love to have pressed against hers all night long.”
    Nyx laughed. “If only poor Pete could hear you now.”
    24
    Longed-For Hunger
    “He knows I’m all talk and that I’m all his. He also knows how to keep me well satisfied, if you know what I mean.” Janet winked.
    “Too much information. The celibate in the store does not need to hear that.”
    Janet rolled her eyes. “Well, hopefully the celibate won’t be celibate for too much longer. From the looks of Denger, I would say he would end your dry spell if you let him.”
    Nyx did not need Janet to start on the subject of her nonexistent sex life. And she definitely didn’t need her putting any more ideas into her head when it came to Denger. She already had enough fantasy material inside her brain, all of it involving her jumping his bones, as Janet had so aptly put.
    Luckily for her, a customer came up to the counter to make a purchase which had Janet dropping the subject. It would only be a small reprieve, but Nyx more than welcomed it. The closer the time came for Denger to arrive, the more uneasy she would get. Janet may have her best interests at heart