One Daring Night Read Online Free Page A

with just one woman for the rest of my life. Never a fan of long-term commitment.”
    She was surprised when he answered her. Gave her a response that sounded true. “Why the past tense?”
    “What?” he asked.
    “You said was never. Makes it sound like that’s changed.”
    Eric released her arm and gestured to the barstool. She sat down again.
    “I’ve had a change of heart recently.”
    She narrowed her eyes. If he made one inane comment about seeing her and his perspective changing, she’d knee him in the nuts for thinking her stupid enough to fall for it. “Recently?” she baited.
    He gave her a rueful look. “You weren’t the only one who suffered a life-altering event today.”
    The response took her off-guard. “Do tell.”
    Eric lifted the shot. “Maybe we should drink this first. Might dull your senses enough that I don’t come away looking like a complete asshole.”
    She laughed as she lifted her glass. “I just called my ex out for being a cheating bastard in front of a restaurant full of strangers. Doesn’t that sort of make me a bitch?”
    Eric shrugged. “To assholes and bitches.”
    “Hear hear,” she said as she slammed back the tequila. “Now, tell me what happened.”
    “I woke up in bed this morning with a beautiful woman.”
    Joni fought to keep her face impassive. There was clearly more to the tale and she didn’t want her expression to hinder him giving her all the details. “Okay…” she prodded.
    “I’d picked her up last night at a bar after too much tequila.”
    She looked around the room and then at their empty glasses. “Doesn’t sound like much of an epiphany.”
    Eric waved the bartender over again. Joni knew she should resist, but the alcohol was making things fuzzy and fun. She could always call a cab. She didn’t live that far away.
    “Yeah. I guess not, but I haven’t gotten to the bad part.”
    She gestured for him to continue. “Can’t wait to hear this.”
    “I woke up to a face full of blonde hair and only a vague recollection of who and why.”
    “Yikes.”
    “When she rolled over and kissed me, I realized two things.”
    “I assume this is the bad part?”
    He raised one eyebrow. “Are you going to let me finish? This is hard enough to admit without all the interruptions.”
    “My apologies. Carry on. What were the two things?”
    “I was in my own bed, and I didn’t know her name.”
    Joni frowned. “The first thing doesn’t sound all that awful. The second definitely does.”
    “I didn’t know the name of the woman I’d brought back to my condo and I had no way of escaping because it was my own damn house.”
    Joni laughed. “Oh my God. You’re right. You’re a total asshole. What did you do?”
    He narrowed his eyes. “What else could I do? I was stuck. I made her breakfast.”
    “Ah, a slight attempt at redemption, but errr ,” Joni made a buzzer noise, “not good enough. Did you get her phone number?”
    Eric’s expression was pure comedy. “Dear God, no. Why would I do that?”
    Joni toyed with her shot glass. “Because you just had sex with her. You see, this is something I don’t get. The one-night stand.”
    Eric tilted his head, studying her. “You’ve never had a one-night stand? Never? ” he stressed, disbelief rife in his tone.
    “Never. Guess I’m just an old-fashioned girl. You don’t sleep with someone you don’t have feelings for. Unless…” She paused. She used to think that way. Now she was starting to wonder if she hadn’t thrown caution to the wind enough in her life. Not taken enough risks. She’d walked the straight and narrow her entire life and look what it had gotten her. A big fat nothing. 
    “Unless?” Eric asked.
    The old Joni would never have been bold enough to finish the thought that had popped into her head. This Joni was well on the way to three sheets and feeling reckless. She took a deep breath and went for broke. After all, at this point, what else did she have to lose?