Six Degrees of Desperation (Dirty Tricks) by Myla Jackson Page B

entering the hardware store behind her.
    A gasp escaped her throat. The sight of the
black cowboy hat set Charli’s heart thumping and she flung open her
door, dropping down out of her pickup onto the pavement, ready to
chase after the man. She would have, if Mona hadn’t chosen that
exact moment to poke her head out the salon door.
    “Hurry, Charli, I only have an hour for you
and I want to hear everything.” Mona held open the door.
    Torn between chasing after a man in a black
Stetson who could possibly be her mystery lover, Original Sin, and
Mona, standing there, expecting her to rush in and make her day
with a full recounting of her sensuous escapades with Connor,
Charli turned toward the salon.
    Then man in the black Stetson couldn’t be
her Original Sin. Since she hadn’t heard from him in almost a week,
she figured he had to have left town. Besides, what would she do if
she went up to the man in the cowboy hat? She couldn’t ask him if
he was the man who’d fucked her in the Judge’s pool or the one who
staged a roadblock to entertain her with a ménage à trois on the
side of the highway. How could she confront him about the formal
dinner in the furniture store with dessert being three men making
love to her? And don’t forget the BDSM with four guys in the county
jail museum.
    “Wow, Charli, are you feeling okay? Your
face is flushed.” Mona pressed a hand to Charli’s forehead.
    “I’m fine.” Charli brushed Mona’s hand to
the side and walked straight for the shampoo bowl, tossing her
cowboy hat in a vacant chair. “I have no idea where to begin.”
    Mona motioned toward the bowl. “We can begin
by washing your hair. You know how the shampooing relaxes you.”
    Charli plunked in the chair and leaned
back.
    Mona turned on the water and adjusted the
temperature. “I was feeling very neglected. It’s been more than two
weeks since we last talked, what’s been going on?”
    “Besides dirty tricks with a complete
stranger and a love affair with Connor Mason? Not much.” Charli’s
pulse raced as she divulged the happenings of the past ten days. “I
can’t believe only ten days have passed since I first complained
about being bored in Temptation.”
    Mona whistled. “Dang, girl, are you still
bored?”
    “No!” Charli squeezed shut her eyes and
pinched the bridge of her nose, feeling a headache coming on. “My
head’s been spinning and I don’t know what to do. That’s why I’m
here. I need advice.”
    “Okay, shoot.”
    “What should I do?”
    “About mystery man or Connor?”
    “Both.”
    “Which one do you love?”
    Charli recalled the tender yet aggressive
lover she’d had in Original Sin and his willingness to sweeten the
pot with additional lovers thrown in the mix. They’d shared a mad
and crazy adventure for four nights straight.
    But then Connor had taken his time, wooing
her, talking to her as if she meant more to him than a piece of
ass. He’d shown her respect and courtesy, holding off on making
love until she’d pushed past his defenses and taunted him into
crossing the line. Now that she’d made love to Connor…
    Mona’s hands stopped scrubbing Charli’s
scalp and she tsked. “Oh, baby doll, that was supposed to be an
easy answer.”
    “I love what Original Sin did with me. He
got my blood flowing again, awakening desires and showing me the
possibilities and opportunities for adventure available even in
such a small town as Temptation.” Charli sighed. “On the other
hand…Connor…” She signed again.
    “He’s hot.” Mona’s fingers dug in, scrubbing
again. Then she rinsed. “If you decide not to commit to Connor, can
I have him?”
    Heat shot through her chest, and Charli’s
fingernails dug into the chair’s arms. “Hands off. Connor’s
mine.”
    Mona stepped back, holding up her dripping
hands. “Okay, no need to bite off my head.” She grinned and winked.
“I guess that answers it.”
    “Answers what?”
    “You’re in love with