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recounted the events of last evening and wished desperately that it could be erased. There was no doubt in her mind that she had made a complete fool of herself to a virtual stranger. And more importantly, destroyed her professionalism. What type of reputation would she have if she slept with a USGS representative? Not a good one. Briana Holt—willing to take care of obstacles in any manner necessary.
    “Uuuh-hmm.”
    There was no way in hell she was going to meet Nick at Manale today. Aside from the obvious fact that she was way too busy, there was the nagging fear of how she would react being close to him again. She doubted it would be professional —not when confronted with over six feet of temptation.
    “Uuuuh- hmmm!”
    Briana dipped her toes into a low-heeled pump and swiveled around to cock an amused eyebrow at the young man shifting from foot to foot in her doorway.
    “Yes Naoki, are you trying to get my attention?”
    Striking an, I just won a million dollars smile, Naoki charged forward and grabbed the frame of one of the visitor chairs for support. “No, no, nothing really, just checking on the schedule for today.”
    The smile did not diminish in the least, and Briana found herself responding to it with a sly grin of her own. She laced her fingers together and contemplated her young cohort.
    “Looking for some time off, perhaps?”
    “Maybe.”
    Holding herself in check for as long as she could, she expelled her breath and leaned across the desk to coax, “Okay, Takanawa, spill it.”
    Not wasting a second, Naoki pushed the door shut and dropped into the chair.
    “Oh God, she’s beautiful. I mean aside from the obvious, which you already saw, she’s sweet, shy and—and miracle of all miracles, she wants to see me again.”
    Sweet and shy girls don’t hang out at bars by themselves, do they? Briana tossed aside the nagging thought, suddenly realizing she was getting old. She reveled in Naoki’s happiness, though.
    “And you’re asking about the schedule because you want to spend the afternoon with her?”
    Naoki sat back for the first time and nervously toyed with the bridge of his glasses. “Bree, we’ve got a lot of work to do, I would never think of doing that to you.”
    “Hmmmph. Are you going to come in this Saturday even though I will ask you not to?”
    “Yep,” he affirmed.
    “Take the afternoon, Takanawa.”
    Thick lenses could not conceal the flash of enthusiasm. “Are you sure? What about you? What happened last night? I didn’t even notice you leave.”
    Provoking images of last night reigned as Briana lifted a hand to tuck her hair behind her ear. She glanced at the clock.
    “Oh, I needed some air—took a walk along the beach and then headed home.”
    The urge to secret her encounter with Nick McCord surprised her. Especially with Naoki, someone she shared everything with. It was a bad sign.
    “Sorry Bree.”
    “Pleeeese. Don’t be sorry. I’m so happy for you—”
    “ Knock, knock .”
    Briana and Naoki turned towards the door. A young woman stared at them with owlish eyes. Her arms were crossed over a stack of folders clasped tight against her chest. Narrow glasses deemed her a bookworm, and it appeared as if she had stood in the doorway for hours waiting for the courage to interrupt.
    Kathy Bishop, Briana remembered. The intern.
    “Yes, Kathy?”
    “I have those reports you wanted me to research.”
    “Excellent.” Briana smiled openly, to which the girl responded with a tremulous curve of the lips. “Just leave them on the desk.”
    Kathy hobbled forward on strapless sandals and glanced shyly at Naoki. Tucking her head into her neck like a turtle, she asked, “Anything else, Ms. Holt?”
    “Check with me —” Briana was about to say later in the day , but the words were curiously amended to, “tomorrow morning.”
    “Okay,” Kathy nodded and backed out of the room, bobbing her head courteously towards Naoki who gave her the evil eye over the rim of his