“One room left?” Joy gasped. She couldn’t, no, she felt Tyler’s cotton clad chest brush against her shoulder blade, their coats tucked away in the suitcases even now being loaded on the bellboy’s cart, she couldn’t share a room, not with Tyler.

“One suite,” the hotel clerk corrected. “Two rooms, two beds. All the single rooms are booked, the flight cancellations this morning and everything.”

“No room at the inn.” There was laughter in Tyler’s voice. He clearly found this amusing.

“Is there…” Joy paused, knowing this request was beyond her means. “Another suite?”

“No, ma’am, I’m afraid, this is it. It isn’t even supposed to be rented out, being under repair, but as Tyler Hamilton is such a valued guest-”

“We won’t use the Jacuzzi, I promise.” A big hand massaged the back of Joy’s neck, giving the impression they were together.

They were together. Literally. But not together, together. She was the muffin lady, at least for today, and Tyler Hamilton was, well, Tyler Hamilton. Besides she didn’t have time for anything else. The shop had to have her full attention. There were people relying on her.

“Come on, Joy. I’ll behave.”

“Really?” Because his eyes and hands said otherwise.

“Really. I may tease but I would never jeopardize my daily muffin.” He sounded sincere. “Trust me.”

She did. She didn’t know why but she had trusted him the moment he walked into her shop, all suited up, yapping into his phone. Their eyes met and he abruptly ended the call, giving her his complete attention.

As he was now. His body tilted towards her.

“Okay, but no funny business.” She wagged her finger at him.

“I never promised no funny business.” He laughed. “But I swear you won’t regret it.”

She did. Already. He was a distraction, as tempting as he was, she didn’t need. “I have to work.” That statement was more for her than for him.

“Work?” He widened his brown eyes in mock surprise. “I don’t know what kind of kitchen the suite has.”

“Ha ha.” She watched as he signed the check in slip. Should she offer to pay now or when they checked out? “I do more than bake. All American Muffin is a business. I have to do the accounting and the sales and the marketing…” Baking she could handle, all the rest gave her trouble.

“Why you’re here?” He scooped the room key, thanking the clerk.

“I thought I could get on The Early Show.” National coverage. It looked promising but then the elderly Senator slept with an under aged girl and that promise dissipated into smoke. She had been bumped day after day. “Didn’t happen.” There was a crowd around the elevator. Disgruntled faces. Battered suitcases.

The elevator doors opened. People piled on, leaving barely enough room for the two of them. Tyler blocked the shutting doors, allowing Joy to scoot in. He then shifted her, squeezing behind, his left hand on her hip. “Business bad?”

“Yes.” She wouldn’t lie to him. “With the plant closing…”

His hand moved to her stomach. “The line ups have been shorter than usual.” Passengers called out floors. Tyler pushed buttons, a frown on his face.

When all the numbers were lit up, Joy forced a smile. “There are other places to get muffins.” They stepped out of the elevator so a man in a suit could roll his carryon suitcase off.

“I don’t go to All American merely for the muffins.” Although there was no need to press up so closely to each other when they got back on, Tyler kept his hand around her. “If you got on tv…”

“Maybe another company would see how great our town was. Decide to relocate there. Maybe I’d get a bump up in business, not have to…” her voice cracked.

“Close?” They got off again. A woman with a tired toddler balanced on her hip exited, Tyler helping her lift the massive suitcase over the crease.

“I’ve never laid anyone off before, Tyler.” That scary thought kept her awake at night. “Gabby and Rachel need the money. I don’t know what…” she was going to do. She let herself lean into him as they stepped back on.

“We’ll figure something out.” A pause, his breath on her earlobe, his chest rising and falling against her back.

We’ll figure something out. An appealing lie, one she wanted to believe in, but Tyler had his own business, his own responsibilities.

“You really want the press?”

“The shop-“

“Joy, I’m not asking about what the shop wants or needs,” he broke in. “I’m asking about what you want.”

Confused, Joy twisted in his embrace, facing him. “Isn’t that the same thing?”

A half laugh. “No, hon, it isn’t. I want to make you happy, not your employees.”

Her happy. What she wanted. No one had asked her that in a long, long time. What did she want? She felt the rise and fall of his chest against her. Him but that would benefit no one except herself. She couldn’t allow herself that indulgence. “I’d do anything for more business.” She tilted her head back to look up at him.

Grooves were etched between Tyler’s eyebrows. They appeared there when he thought hard. “Anything?”

The group of Japanese suits, the only remaining occupants, reached their floor. The elevator was now empty and she was very much aware of his hard body. “Anything.” She’d do anything.

“Even work all night?”

All night? With Tyler? No, not with Tyler. He’d have other things to do. Alone. “What else is there to do?”

That got her a wolfish grin. “I could think of a few things.”

She could too. What she wanted… But those were selfish thoughts and she had her employees to think about. “About your plan?” she prompted.

“Can you handle my carryon too?”

“Sure.” Both had wheels. Shouldn’t be too hard. “Why?”

“I need to go back downstairs.” They had reached the top floor. “Check on something.” He held the door open. Joy backed out, pulling the two bags. “You might want to take a nap, it could be a late night, and Joy?”

“Yes?”

“Forgetting something?” He waved the folder with the key cards at her.

She left the bags in the hallway, reaching into the elevator, tugging at the keys in his hands. He tugged back, throwing her off balance. He caught her, his free hand on her waist. She glanced up. His lips came down, at first light and tender, the kiss then deepening. A moan came from deep in his throat. Or had she moaned? She wasn’t quite sure. She couldn’t think straight, her mind swirling. He tasted of coffee and mint and a flavor she couldn’t identify. Was it cinnamon? No. Too sweet. Was it? But then she felt the impact of the doors bouncing off his shoulder, and the tasting was over. He released the key, stepping back, breathing heavy.

“Wish me luck.” He winked at her as the elevator doors shut between them.

Part 3 will be available November 18th.

One such person was fab author Regan Taylor, author of wonderful romances like America’s Hero and the Descendants of Earth Series.

Here is her rescue story…

“Most of my kitties have been rescues. When Toby died in 1988 he was only 6 and I was devastated. The night I went to pick up his ashes the vet told me this woman decided she didn’t want her 2 year old kitty, Vincent, anymore and she brought him in to be put to sleep. He told her about me and how I tried to hard to help Toby (he had recurrent UTI’s and we had to do the surgery to replace his male pee part. The surgery was a success — they said - but he died). She said if I wanted Vinny I could have him. He came home with me.

There was a black cat who lived in he neighborhood from the time I moved in in 1989. He belonged to a neighbor and his name was MaiTai. Maitai wasn’t allowed in her house because his black fur might have been a problem with her white carpet. Her dog could do whatever it wanted to MaiTai lived outside. On rainy nights I let him sleep in my garage - I had a bed made up for him and gave him food and water. The day Vinny died (he had cancer) MaiTai was outside my front door and insisted he lived with me. Our vet does come to the house and he came that day to help Vinny pass over. The vet told me that MaiTai wanted to live with me and I told him that he had a person. The vet insisted, MaiTai insisted so after a few days I went to the neighbor and asked her if he could move in with me. She figured he was about 14 and told me sure, “one last thing for me to do.” He moved in and the first time he walked on the carpet he looked so amazed. He’d never felt a carpet before. The vet said that given his rough beginnings and living pretty much on his own outside I might only have him 6-12 months but they would be the best of his life. MaiTai was friends with everyone — he’d show up with other animals all the time and let anyone pet him. Among his friends was a big white persian who I thought had a home.

At the same time MaiTai moved in I “met” this kitty named Ginny who had lived in 4 homes in 8 years that the humane society knew of and she’d been there over two months. She moved in with me and she also loved EVERYONE. If you sat down she assumed your lap was there just for her. Even when she was so sick at the end, with a tumor on her heart, the emergency vet told me during one of our trips there that she laid near one of the other cats in the next cage over and purred really loud and reached out her paw as if she was trying to soothe the other kitty. He said when Ginny started to purr the other kitty calmed down.

The day after I brought MaiTai’s ashes home in August 2003 the white persian who I’d seen hanging out with him moved into my yard. My plan was to just be my two girls and I …. well the white kitty wouldn’t leave and after 4 days I went door to door looking for his people. A heard various things like he’d been around for about a year, no one owned him but a few people said as far as they knew he’d been dumped…..a full in tact persian male about 5 years old was just dumped in the neighborhood. The vet told me a cat living on his own for at least a year like that was at least half feral and if he ever let me near him it would be months and months. There was little chance of domesticating him.

Three weeks after he showed up in my yard there was a thunder storm and it was interesting, Molly went to the garage door and started to meow–I used to let MaiTai sleep out there when it rained before he moved in. It was as if she remembered. The next morning Mel sat next to me when I brought out his breakfast — when I realized he didn’t have a home I started to feed him and he started to wait for breakfast and dinner. So when I brought his breakfast out he sat down next to me and I reached out….petted him a few times and then figured it was now or never. I grabbed him, we went right down to the vet and four days later after being tested for kitty aids, etc., getting shots, bathed, groomed, a dental and snipped (he’s no longer fully intact but seems okay with it), he came home and he hasn’t left. He doesn’t even go near the front door.

Molly — the 21 year old — is the only one I’ve had since she was a kitten”

To find out more about Regan, her books, and her kitties, please visit http://www.regantaylor.com