I buzzed him. "Come on up," I said into the intercom. "I'll be one minute."

I heard him tell the cabdriver to keep the meter running and then the sound of the elevator door slamming shut. I stepped into my heels and was struggling with the clasp on my diamond choker when Olivier rang the bell. Here we go, I thought, taking a deep breath and unlocking the door.

The 3-D reality of Olivier took my breath away. If he'd looked good on a computer screen, in the flesh he was the sexiest man I'd ever seen. The photo hadn't captured that X factor that makes a handsome man sexy. The computer couldn't quite convey the smooth curve of his upper lip or his strong nose, or the smile he flashed showing white, even teeth and a glimpse of pink tongue. I stood there open-mouthed for a second, more guppy fish than mermaid, my eyes traveling all over his lean body. I found a moment to notice that his suit was YSL and registered my silent approval.

"Pleased to meet you, Hannah," he said, extending a hand. "I'm Olivier."

I went to shake his hand and dropped my necklace, which clattered to the floor. I was as giddy as a school-girl on her first date. Olivier's smooth, sophisticated sex appeal had unnerved me.

"Allow me," he said, dropping to the floor to retrieve my necklace. As he bent down, I noticed that his thighs were long, lean, and supple. I pictured his sinews rippling under the black of his suit. When he came up to fasten my diamond choker, his fingers on my flesh made me tingle, and I felt his warm breath caressing the skin behind my ear. Being this close to a good-looking man, I realized just how long it had been since anyone had touched me. My sexual feelings, dormant until now, began to stir. Oh, no, I thought. Not tonight. Tonight I need to be aloof, professional, dazzling. I don't want to be distracted by sex!