And there he was, tall and muscular, in a navy sport jacket, grey slacks, collared shirt and tie. Liz had to suck in her breath at the sight of him, pure male sex on the hoof."Easy, girl," Dara whispered softly. "And by the way, don't bother ever again trying to tell me he doesn't affect you. I'll point out what a big fat liar you are.""Sshhh," Liz hushed her and took a big swallow of her margarita, staring at the screen."Thanks for joining us today, Matt."Matt smiled at Rod and sat down in the chair next to hm. "Thanks for inviting me.""So let's talk a little bit about Matt Vorchak and his question for success in the world of professional hockey."Liz had her eyes glued to the screen as Matt told the story of seeing the movie Miracle on Ice, how it affected him, how he became obsessed with the game and why winning The Cup became so important. He even answered questions about the early years and his many struggles. As he talked and answered questions, Liz began to understa

Liz sat in a corner of the dark bar at The Menger sipping her margarita. She had started toward the valet stand in he garage to ask them to whistle up a cab for her, but decided she didn't want to go home by herself. She was trying to decide if she was being stupid or smart here. True, Matt had put himself out there for all the world to see. If he didn't get it right this time, hundreds of thousands of people would know about it. Women would be disillusioned by him and men would be pissed because their women were disappointed. She wanted so badly to give him this chance, but that little thread of fear still wiggled its way through her. Could she really trust him?Through the glass in the outside door she watched the crowd hanging out in front of the Alamo, kids playing, couples walking hand in hand. I want to be one of those couples. But I'm afraid.And there it was. If she moved forward with Matt she was terrified this was just a spur of the moment thing for him, a reaction to t

"It will fade," Matt told her, his body suddenly tense. "They assured me of that. It just takes time.""It's just a scar," she told him. "It's not who you are." She reached up and touched his chest where his heart was. "This is who you are. Do not forget it."He blew out a breath and the tension eased from him. Then he knelt before her again, lifted one foot and undid the straps of the sandal. He eased it off, dropping it to the floor, then bent his head to lick her arch and drop a kiss on her toes. By the time he repeated it with the other foot she was shaking again with need.And they'd hardly done anything yet!Leaving trails of tiny kisses, he divested her of her bra and panties before moving her up on the bed so her head was on the pillows. Placing himself between her legs, his powerful thighs spreading her toned ones, he supped her face in his big palms and looked her in the eye, a deep, searching look."I meant everything tonight, Lizzie. I love you. I'm sorry I was such a

Part Two: Love on TrackThe Story EndsJosh Nelson swallowed the last of his coffee, crumpled the cardboard cup, and tossed it in the trash bag sitting on the floor of his truck. The asphalt ribbon of the interstate highway stretched endlessly before him, a reminder that for the moment he had no place to go and nothing to do.And whose fault is that, asshole?Okay, okay. So it was his. Sort of. But cut him a break, okay? It wasn't as if he'd picked up for no good reason and hauled ass out of Darlington, SC, leaving Andy Grant, his manager, standing there with his jaw dropped. He had a reason. And, as far as he was concerned, it was a fucking good one. He'd nearly killed himself, and what was it they said about near death experiences? He sure didn't want another one.Melanie hadn't been any damn help. How had he ever thought she was sensitive, caring and loving? She'd cared about his fame and wanted the money that came with it. Apparently she was willing to put up with him to get

I really like horses. I really like horses. I really like horses.Kristin Kitts kept repeating it to herself as she headed back to Lucasville from her latest round of photo shoots at Lexington horse farms. The job had sounded like a dream in the beginning - go to Kentucky and take pictures for a booklet the state department of travel and tourism was putting together. Since she'd gone out on her own, she'd slowly been building her credentials, and this would give them a huge boost. She could thank her friend, Janice, for pushing to send the job her way. Right now, she was focusing on Lexington, known as the horse capital of the world. There were certainly enough horse farms to see.She cranked up the air conditioner a little and pushed her hair back from her face. Today, the temperature had soared past ninety and her clothing, which she'd thought so comfortable and cool when she dressed that morning, now stuck to her like wet tissue paper. Two of the farms she'd photographed today had