Vanessa is seeing red. Her boyfriend—the lying, cheating, crapsack!—had been cheating on her with his ex. Ignoring his calls and texts, she packs up his things and has them left outside the building. It’s her condo, after all. Looking for a distraction, she heads to The Lounge. It used to be her favorite place to chill but Crapsack had hated it. That made it perfect. In her sexiest dress, she orders a drink and prepares to watch the musicians until she figures out what to do next. Scanning the stage, she sees the trumpet player is staring at her. When they lock eyes, he winks. Andre. Smiling seductively, she decides it was meant to be. They’d made a lot of steamy memories before. Maybe tonight they’d make a few more.
Carmen is tired of scraping by as a server and living with a roommate. She’s a college graduate, hardworking and reliable. She’s also up to her ears in debt in the middle of a jobs crisis. All she’d ever wanted to do was paint. Spending her free time locked in her room to work on her art had kept her sane. It had also killed her social life. Desperate to get out of her rut and find inspiration, she heads to the beach for the Art Deco festival. It had been years since she’d made time to go, and had traded off her Sunday shift at work to be able to make it this year. Enjoying the festival—all the art and food and culture!—she feels someone staring at her. When she catches him, it appears he’s sketching her. Looking him over, she smiles and poses playfully. He shoots her a quick grin and the attraction hits her right in the belly. He has a face I could make a study of. Crossing the street on impulse, she intends to introduce herself. She could use a new friend—especially an artist. When he stands at her approach, it almost puts a hitch in her stride. He's tall, lean and ripped beneath his tank, with shaggy dark hair framing his sun-kissed skin. Art forgotten, she feels a growing urge to make another kind of study of his body, too.
Lucia has her eyes on Enrique, a snowbird from somewhere up on the east coast. He’s got a condo in her building on South Beach and has been flying down for the past few years, always alone. She not-so-accidentally overheard him talking with the front desk when he arrived last week—he just finalized his divorce. I shouldn’t be chasing after a man like this. That’s what she tells herself, anyway. But, she can’t help it. He’s gorgeous. Her studio’s conveniently located on the first floor, complete with a lovely little porch right on the sand. She knows he goes for a jog in the mornings, always smiling and waving when he passes by if she happens to be outside. And she’s happened to be outside every day this week. With a glint in her eye, she sets herself up to catch more than his attention this morning. Hanging up her oversized hammock, she sets the stage. A breakfast tray on the little dining set, a steamy romance novel in her hand, and her skimpiest bikini barely covering her body, she lies in wait. As he makes his way along the shore, she feels her heart begin to race. When he slows down and smiles at her, she waves casually. He begins to jog towards her, running his fingers through his hair as he slows down. Gotcha. She’s not sure what he’s after. But, keeping her eyes on his glistening torso and shy smile, she’s damn sure about what she’s going to get.
Dani’s had enough of her girlfriends putting off their girl’s nights. They used to spend one night a month catching up, either hitting up a hot spot or hosting an evening at one of their homes. Then one of them got a boyfriend. Friday and Saturday nights were out. Then another one got a boyfriend, taking out holidays for good. And, finally, another one … Now, as the only singleton in the group, she’s insisting they spend one night out together, no boys allowed. A night to get dressed up and made up—a night to remember. They had caved at last and—finally!—the night had arrived. A Friday night at the theater, right in the heart of Edgewater. Perfect! As they wait in line, dressed to impress, they notice a stranger eyeing Dani. She doesn’t notice him until they decide to play matchmakers. Waving and calling out for him to join them, they ignore Dani’s protests. He’s laughing along, Dani’s turning red, and the rest of the crowd is enjoying the bonus show. Desperate to avoid making a scene, Dani tries to smile and play along as he introduces himself casually. He smells as good as he looks. She doesn’t want to have their plans interrupted, but he’s there alone. Gorgeous. Friendly. And damned tempting. Worse, or better, he’s seated in the same row. Will she be able to keep her mind on the show? Or will she spend the night starring in a private show of her own?
Aymee just wants to have fun. She finally embarked on her law career last year, which has taken up most of her time. What little time she’s had left she’s had to spend with her overly demanding family. Unfortunately, having been so overwhelmed, her friends had stopped calling and her love life ground to a halt. Deciding that enough’s enough—no one’s going to die if she spends one Friday night not glued to the phone or rushing over at a moment’s notice—she calls up Maggie. Always ready for a night out, Maggie waves off the apologies for the time apart and tells Aymee to put on something sexy. As they head out, Aymee finds out they’re on their way to the local casino. She’s never been, but Maggie swears it’s going to be fun. Lots of men—alone for the night—with plenty of money to spend. As they stroll through the casino, she realizes Maggie’s right. There’s men, money, and a lot of alcohol. Also, a lot of very sexy women. The men were playing for money, but it seemed the ladies were playing for men tonight. The moment she walks past the poker room, she sees him. Julio. He’s one of the well-established and successful attorneys in her building—top floor suite. He’s out for the night with some friends and, as far as she can tell, he’s not with a woman. Feeling her stare, he looks up from his hand and catches her eye. Appraising her without shame, he flashes her a quick grin and jerks his head to invite her over. She doesn’t want to make it too easy for him, but Maggie’s shameless … and already crossing the room to his table! Taking a seat next to Julio while Maggie sits down giggling between his friends, Aymee realizes she might be out of her league. The stakes are high—her reputation, her pleasure, and maybe her heart. Should she take the chance on the cards the night has dealt her? Or should she fold and remain a spectator in the game of love?
Title: Lusting at the Lounge
