Passion in the Heart by Diane Thorne Page A

you. I missed you too.” And Gwen meant it. She’d had no one to share her adventures with while she’d been traveling. Now that she was home, Gwen couldn’t wait to tell one of her best friends about the men she’d met.
    “But I have to admit, I’m not looking forward to work in the morning.”
    Melanie chuckled. “I don’t blame you. Did you have a good vacation?”
    Gwen set the towel on the counter. As she held the phone with one hand, she used her other to release the water in the sink. “I had a wonderful time. It was incredible.”
    “Do tell.”
    Gwen wiped her hand on the towel. “Well the sights were spectacular. Paris at night was incredible. The lights were so pretty.”
    “Oh, I bet.”
    Gwen flipped the light switch off on her way out of the kitchen. “And the Opera in Vienna was equally impressive.” She headed for the stairs.
    “Did you meet many people? Any men?”
    “I met a few,” Gwen said as she climbed the steps.
    “A few?”
    “Yeah, I met a nice guy on the plane to London and spent some time with him there. Then I met a French actor in Paris. He was fun to explore the city with.”
    “Are you serious? Please tell me you got laid.”
    Gwen laughed as she reached the top of the staircase. “I wasn’t done telling you about the others I’d met.”
    Melanie gasped. “There’s more?”
    “Yes.” Gwen strode into her bedroom and sat in the chair next to her closet. Her room was clean and organized since she’d spent most of Saturday doing laundry and tidying up from her return. The queen-sized bed had fresh maroon-colored sheets. A television and dresser facing the bed were now free from dust. Crisp night air blew inside from the open window and the deep red curtains parted in the center.
    “Did you have sex with any of them?” Melanie asked.
    “I did, and each man was incredibly hot and…intense.”
    “Oh, honey. I am so, so happy for you. That is amazing. You needed to a good fucking.”
    Laughter flew out of Gwen. “Gee, thanks friend.”
    “Well, you did. It had been a while.”
    “Yeah, don’t remind me. I hope I don’t go into a slump again, but the men around here really aren’t worth jumping into bed with.”
    “Tell me about it. All they do is lounge on the sofa watching sports and guzzling beer. They’re good for fucks every now and then, but they get annoying. That’s why I could never settle down. They get on my nerves with their laziness and lack of ambition.”
    Gwen couldn’t agree more with her friend. She’d married such a fellow and after a few years of doing all the work at home and at a job while taking care of kids, she’d decided she would be better off without a husband. She made twice as much as he did so there had been no benefit to staying married. To top it off, the love they’d had had died soon after their second child had been born. She could have only imagined how miserable she would have been if she were still married.
    “Well, the men I met were nothing like the ones here,” Gwen said.
    “You said hot and intense. Care to elaborate on that?”
    “Let’s have lunch tomorrow outside the office and I’ll give you some details.”
    “Now that sounds like a plan. Book me in your schedule.”
    “You’re booked. Now tell me about work. Have I missed anything?”
    Melanie sighed heavily over the phone. “Not really. Oh, they filled one of the attorney positions. Travis Gunderson is now on your team. He’s kind of cute. Thirties. Dark hair. Hazel eyes. I think he’s married. Looks like he works out at a gym. He has broad shoulders and looks real good with a tie on. Carol has a crush on him.”
    “He sounds decent. Is he nice? Friendly?”
    “He’s friendly but a bit quiet.”
    “Maybe he doesn’t say much because he’s new.”
    “I don’t know. Upper management hired him four weeks ago. Usually new hires are more talkative by now.”
    “You know what they say about the quiet ones.” Gwen rose and opened her closet