chapter 1

Nick and Scarlett were well known around the Seattle area. Both of them were very good looking. Nick was over six feet, with dark wavy hair, striking blue eyes, a strong chin, and an athletic build. Scarlett was about five feet eight inches, with long shapely legs, tidy hips, big bust, emerald green eyes and raven hair. Not only were they well known, they were well known for the same thing. They were both players. Nick used his good looks, and considerable charm, to hook up with an attractive woman and let her think she had a chance to form something lasting. The sex would be great, but Nick would always be on the lookout for his next conquest. Once he found one, he would disentangle himself from whoever he had been with. Sometimes he was working on his next one while still entangled with the last one.

Scarlett was his female equal. She would hook up with a man, allow him to spend lavishly on her, sometimes she would bed him, sometimes not. But once he showed the signs of being in love, she would tell him they just (sigh!) weren't right for each other and move on to somebody else.

Nick and Scarlett were both in professional jobs. He was a speculator in oil and gas, she was a buyer for a major clothing line. Neither of them were from Seattle. Both had gone to college, gotten their degrees, been offered lucrative positions in Seattle, and made the move. Young professionals with the time and money to enjoy life.

Traveling in the same circles meant that they would run into each other now and then. But neither one tried to attract the other, even though physically they were each the type they were attracted to. Maybe they each recognized that the other was their mirror image and an entanglement would be flirting with trouble.

They both happened to be at the same party one night. It was a crowd that would normally be a "target rich environment" for each of them. But as it happened, many of the men and women there had been used and thrown away previously by Nick or Scarlett, and others were either already hooked up, or not attractive for either of them. They both ended up at the bar and out of boredom struck up a conversation.

Much to the surprise of both of them, they had a great time talking. They shared knowledge of wine, traveling, fine food, and how to live well. After an hour of drinking wine and talking, they decided that they had had enough of the party and took a walk. Nick's apartment was on the way, he offered Scarlett a glass of wine, and soon they were on his sofa with a soft Pinot Noir.

Each was wary of the other. They knew of each other's reputations, and knew that tangling could get messy. But they talked, and they related and the attraction grew. Before the night was over, they were in bed having great steamy sex. They both were very, very good at it, and together they were incredible.