Pulse (Pulse 1)

"Not me." I shake my head. "I'm bowing out. The universe is telling me that I'm not a one night stand kind of girl."

Her brows shoot up. "You're wrong. It's like swimming in the ocean, Jess. When you first jump in the water it's freezing and your body has to get used to it. Sleeping with men in Manhattan is like that. At first, you wonder how you'll ever warm up to the idea and then once you're in bed with a man who can make you come over and over again in one night, you'll never want to stop."

"I was almost in bed with a man like that." I hold her gaze. "It was a disaster. He couldn't stay awake long enough to fuck me."

"That's why we're getting back in the saddle tonight."

"I'm going to keep my feet on the ground and my ass in my own bed. Thank you very much." I tip my head to her as she chuckles and turns to leave.

Chapter 4

"I gave my lunch away," Rebecca screams above the loud buzz of the music.

I pull my eyes up over the edge of the glass that I have pursed to my lips. "I'll try not to take that personally."

"To my boss, Cassandra." She shoots her eyes around the crowded club not once settling them on me. "She loved it. She wants to meet you."

"You're kidding?" I was teetering on the verge of jumping up and down at the news but I wasn't sure the strapless black dress I was wearing would cooperate.

"Tomorrow at eleven." She motions behind my head. "Bring something for her to eat and she'll hire you. The way to that woman's check book is definitely through her stomach."

I turn around and I realize she's gesturing to two men staring directly at us. I give out a loud groan at the thought of diving back into the one nightstand pool after only wading in the shallow end last night.

"I'll take the blonde and you can have the other one." She slinks past me and grabs hold of my hand before I have a chance to protest. I don't want the other one. I don't want the blonde either. I want my bed and my pillow and a good night's sleep. Being back at this club after my humiliating experience in a hotel room, just a few floors above us less than twenty-four hours ago, is not the optimal way I'd like to be spending my Tuesday night.

"I'm Rebecca, this is Jess." She slurs both of our names before letting out an animated giggle. What the hell happened to her during the ten feet it took us to walk over here? Is she actually pretending to be drunk?

"What's wrong with you?" I see no reason to not call her out on her obvious bullshit.

"Jess, don't curse." She plants her index finger over my lips and throws me a wink.

I shake my head in utter disbelief. I stare blankly at her while she launches into a convoluted story about how she works as a lingerie model. Who in their right mind would believe that? From the wide grin on the blonde's face, I'd guess she just baited him hook, line and sinker.

"What do you do?"

It takes an endless moment before I realize that the male voice asking the question is actually coming from the man standing next to me. I turn my head and I'm a little surprised by how attractive he really is. His brown eyes almost match the hue of his hair. He's young, perhaps even my age.

"Hopefully by the end of the day tomorrow I'll be a personal chef."

"Cool." He nods his head up and down as if he's searching for the next words that should be coming out of his mouth.

"What about you?" I offer, all the while my eyes are glued to Rebecca. Judging by the way she's got her arms draped over the blonde guy's shoulders, I'd venture a guess that she won't be going home with me.

"What about me?" He leans in closer and I pull back yet again.

"What do you do for a living?" I enunciate every syllable. I don't want him to think that anything beyond a brief conversation is going to happen between the two of us tonight.

He holds his hand up to his ear and gestures. The pounding of the music is making it harder and harder for me to think straight, let alone hear him.

Despite the fact that I feel incredibly uncomfortable, I lean closer to repeat the question. The scent of him, a mix of cigarettes and cheap cologne assaults my senses right away. I need to get away from him, and from this place. Coming back here was a mistake and now that Rebecca has a bedfellow for the night, I can finally make a run for the door.

His breath is thick and hot on my neck as he whispers in my ear that he works as a maintenance worker at a building in lower Manhattan.

I smile and nod my head not caring an ounce about how he spends his days, or how he'll spend tonight. I look at my hands, studying the fine lines on my palms while he goes on and on about what his plans for next weekend are. There's finally a break in the muted tone of his voice. I look up and he's staring right behind me. His radar must be locked on another woman. Small miracles do happen. I move to take a step back and I'm instantly aware of a presence behind me.

A large hand presses against my stomach as the feeling of a man's hard body pushes into my back. "Jessica." His voice has a frustrated note to it. "There you are."

I turn slowly. I don't need to. I already know who it is just be the scent of his skin. It's him. He looks even more devastatingly handsome than he did last night.