A Proper Seduction

by HelenKay Dimon

  He grabbed for her hand. “Jesus, don’t go.”

  She squeezed his fingers and then let go. “The room is yours until noon tomorrow.”

  “Not without you.”

  She scooped up her clothes, but stopped at the bathroom door. “Three and done. Our time is up.”

  Chapter Six

  “Although humans tend to view sex as mainly a fun, recreational activity sometimes resulting in death, in nature it is a far more serious matter.”

  ~Dave Barry

  Two weeks later, Lauren stood on a sidewalk and stared up at a two-story craftsman-style home. The tree-lined street in the upper Northwest section of Washington, D.C. had a homey, welcoming feel about it. A big porch and a thick green lawn.

  It was an expensive part of the city. The type where people knew their neighbors and took part in their kids’ elementary school activities. A home to lawyers and political types. And Justin.

  No fancy high-rise condos for him. As usual, she expected one thing from the man and he showed her another. For a renowned playboy, he lived a non-flashy life. For a guy famous for his bedroom skills and numerous dates, he had spent three days talking an awful lot about wanting to spend time with her.

  None of it made sense. Nothing about him fit the mold she’d sculpted for him in her mind. The guy who’d agreed to a threesome with a married couple turned out to be a very different man from the player she’d expected. Giving in the bedroom and desperate to convince her of her self-worth.

  That last part was where she kept stumbling.

  She had been furious when she’d left the hotel room that last time. Justin blamed her for her rotten marriage, at least partially. He’d told her she could have said no. Every judgmental word had echoed in her brain as she’d driven home that night. She had stomped around, spewing hate toward Justin and lumped him into the same group with Gavin. She had whipped herself into a rage and fed it for days.

  That’s why she was here today, on a Sunday, on this street, at this time. She came to tell him off. But standing in front of his house and replaying her planned verbal smackdown in her head, she started to wonder. When did she say no to Gavin? After that first night with Gavin and Justin, why hadn’t she refused a second…or a third?

  And if she hated Justin so much, why did she hunt him down? Why did she think about him all the time?

  Justin. His pricey sedan was parked next to the house, so she knew he was home. All those carefully crafted lectures she’d planned to give him faded from her memory. All the answers she’d thought she knew turned into questions. The desire to bolt welled up inside of her.

  She could leave and never see Justin again. Move on from him and Gavin and a bad marriage and the memories that haunted her. But suddenly her legs felt heavy and so fatigued.

  The truth was that she wanted Justin. Always had. That was part of the guilt she carried. In three nights, her thinking about him had switched from a moment in her past that she needed to exorcise to a man who stimulated both her body and mind.

  She walked up the front steps and hit the bell before the need to run overtook her. The door opened while the chime still rang. Justin materialized in front of her, looking as delicious as always. Instead of his usual suit, he wore faded jeans and a navy sweater.

  “Lauren?”

  “Are you on your way out?”

  “No.” His eyes narrowed. “Why?”

  She shrugged, desperate to hold on to any bit of mindless conversation and stall talking about anything serious. “You answered pretty fast.”

  Ruddy circles stained his cheeks. “I saw you standing outside and was waiting by the door to see what you’d do.” He stepped back and gestured. “Come in.”

  She followed him and looked around while she did. The interior was as surprising as the outside. Warm beiges and stuffed couches in the living room on one side of the entry. A dining room table on the other. Photos on the wall and gleaming hardwood floors. The place was down-to-earth comfortable. Some of the same words that popped into her mind when she thought about Justin.

  He sat on one of the lower steps of the staircase leading to the second story. “Why are you here?”

  “To tell you how little I think of you.”

  “Ah.” He balanced his elbows on his knees and clasped his hands in front of him before looking up at her. “I deserve that. Go ahead.”

  She leaned back against the front door. “I don’t want to now.”

  “Because…?”

  She couldn’t answer that since she didn’t really know. Just that as much as delving into the truth of her marriage hurt, seeing Justin again filled her with soothing warmth.

  Rather than fight it, she gave in to her desire to be close to him and dropped down on the step next to him. “By the time Gavin brought you to our house, I was so lost. I had given up my job and my friends. I thought I needed him for everything and that I couldn’t do anything myself.”

  “He’s an ass. You deserve better.”

  “Yeah, I do.” Thoughts crashed in her mind as she struggled to work out her feelings of regret and anger. “I deserve to be loved and accepted for who I am and not forced into anything I don’t want.”

  “True.”

  “But I let him wear me down.” She could feel Justin staring at her, but she kept her gaze forward, locked on the door. Seeing him would make her lose her train of thought, and now that she had some clarity, she didn’t want to lose it. “Maybe I always needed someone to love me in order to feel special and whole. I don’t know. But I do know I’m not that person anymore, or at least I’m trying hard not to be.”

  “The fact you’re sitting in my house, telling me you’ve changed, is a recognition that you’ve put the past behind you.” Justin slipped his fingers through hers and held on tight. “I’m sorry for—”

  “Don’t apologize.”

  “I should. You’re right that I put some of the blame on you and that’s not fair.”

  She looked at him then. For the first time since she’d come in, she noticed the harsh lines on his face and flat line of his mouth. Looked like she wasn’t the only one who’d been suffering the last two weeks. “You don’t have to say anything else.”

  “But I need to.”

  “You already took responsibility for your part.” She traced his full lips with her finger. “Now it’s my turn. See, I didn’t push you away that first time with Gavin because there was a part of me that was always so attracted to you. Guilt ate at me for how I felt, but it was there, and I couldn’t stop it.”

  Justin’s eyes grew wide. A spark that wasn’t there a second ago lit with life. “Lauren…”

  “Gavin knew. He used it and insisted he brought you home to me as a gift.”

  Justin’s head snapped back. “That makes me sound like a puppy.”

  “The one thing you aren’t is a dog.” She chuckled and Justin joined in. His rich laughter filled her. “I could control a pet. You? Well, not so much.”

  He turned his body to face her more fully. “You think you don’t have power over me? I took three nights, planned out everything so I could get as many minutes as possible with you. Trust me. You are in charge in this relationship.”

  The word tumbled through her, stopping everything else. “Is that what this is?”

  His smile faded. “That’s what I want it to be.”

  “I don’t know what I can give right now or what I’m ready for.”

  “I’m willing to wait. To give you time.” His gaze searched hers. “I decided long ago you were worth the investment.”

  “God, why?”

  “You still don’t see it.” He shook his head. “You’re so damn beautiful, I ache from it.”

  Everything inside of her softened. “Justin—”

  “You’re one of the strongest women I know. You could have taken the easy way out with Gavin. Stayed in the marriage or quietly granted him a quick divorce. You fought and you keep on fighting. For a guy who likes to win, and I do, it�
�s a pretty sexy characteristic in a woman.”

  This man could change her plans without even trying. Unlike Gavin, Justin didn’t take over. He charmed her with genuine feeling. Made her think about a future again.

  “Sweet talker.” She leaned her head against his shoulder and inhaled his crisp musky scent. Being this close gave her the nerve to broach another subject. “Do you really believe anything is okay in the bedroom, so long as both parties want it and enjoy it?”

  “And as long as they trust each other, yes.” A huge smile broke across his face. “Why?”

  “Let’s say I tied you up and explored you like I’ve been dying to do. If you gave me that level of power over your body, in your book we would both still be in control, right?”

  “Yes, because we’d both want it.” He nuzzled her ear. “And so that we’re clear, I’d definitely like to try that.”

  She lifted her chin to give him better access. “Doesn’t threaten your masculinity?”

  “To have a beautiful woman want me?” He scoffed. “No.”

  She believed him. It wasn’t a line or a way to lure her into bed. Justin was willing to do what she wanted and would speak up if he wasn’t comfortable. With him, she could do the same. And she intended to start right now.

  “So,” she stood and stared up the staircase as she trailed her fingers across his shoulder. “Is your bedroom up here?”

  The last evidence of strain disappeared from his face in a flash. “Yeah.”

  “I’m betting you have a closet full of ties.”

  He practically jumped to his feet. “I have whatever you need.”

  With him on the step below her, they were even. She wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a quick kiss on the lips. “Yeah, I’m beginning to think that’s true.”

  “Is that a proposition, Ms. MacDonald?”

  “Think of it as a promise to try.”

  If possible, his smile grew even wider. “I’m at your service.”

  “I’m counting on that.”

  About the Author

  HelenKay Dimon left the most unromantic career ever—divorce lawyer—to write romance full-time. She has not stepped into a courtroom or worn pantyhose since. She has won numerous awards and had her books featured twice in Cosmopolitan magazine as Red-Hot Reads, but working from home and hearing from readers are the best part of her job.

  To learn more about HelenKay, please visit her website, www.helenkaydimon.com. You can also send her an email at hkdimon@gmail.com.

  Solving a cold case has never been hotter.

  Hidden Desires

  © 2010 Elle Kennedy

  Life just isn’t fair. Not only is fashion designer Rachel Foster on the wrong side of a locked dressing room door in nothing but her underwear, her humiliation is worse than public. It’s witnessed by the one man she never wanted to see again: Travis Gage, the man who pushed her sister to suicide.

  In a flash, old wounds—and long-forgotten feelings—lie raw and exposed to his hot, desiring gaze.

  Seeing Rachel all grown up and sexy jolts Travis with a surge of lust—and the shock of learning she blames him for her sister’s death. His skills as a cold-case detective are exactly what she needs to solve the mystery and lay her sister’s ghost to rest. But first, he has to convince Rachel he’s innocent…and that she can trust him.

  And if she winds up in his bed in the process, he won’t be complaining…

  Warning: This book contains a sexy cop and a heroine who can’t resist him. Expect some super-hot sex that will have you fanning yourself.

  Enjoy the following excerpt for Hidden Desires:

  He pulled up to the no-parking zone in front of her house and shut off the ignition, quickly exiting the car and rounding the front to open her door. Travis was the only man ever to treat her like a lady, and the thought kept tugging at her resolve. She wanted so desperately to keep him at a distance, to protect her heart from damage, but she couldn’t seem to spend time with him and not feel that sense of elation every time he spoke a kind word, flashed a sexy wink, or caressed her with a heated touch.

  She stepped from the car and leaned against the door. “I’m sorry, Travis. I acted like a spoiled brat.”

  A smile crossed his face that should have looked arrogant, but it just came across as warm. “I suppose we both did,” he said. “And we seem to spend a lot of time apologizing to each other, don’t we?”

  Her eyes shot to the ground. “I’m afraid so.”

  He crooked a finger under her chin and raised her gaze to his. “Why is that?”

  She shrugged. “I tend to be a little touchy at times.”

  A gregarious laugh erupted from his chest. “You think?”

  She tried to hold her smile at bay. He was teasing her and she didn’t like it, but she couldn’t help the sincerity behind it all. “I didn’t exactly come from a very stable environment.”

  “And how long are you going to ride that wave of an excuse?” His strong hands gently grasped her shoulder then began caressing down her arms. “Come on, Rachel, what do you really want out of life?”

  “I want to be left alone,” she said.

  “Liar.”

  “What?”

  “No one wants to be left alone. Well, I take that back. Some people do, but most of them live in some forest in the middle of Montana.” He tapped a finger to her nose. “You, on the other hand, want more than that. I can see it in your eyes.”

  She tried to look away, hoping to hide her reaction to the truth in his words, but her eyes wouldn’t stray from his.

  “I saw the way you looked at Layla the other day,” he continued. “Her fancy house, white picket fence, cute little kid.” His hands brushed back up from her elbows to her shoulders, leaving sparks of electricity shooting in their wake. “I think underneath everything, you’d love to have a nice home with a happy family.”

  It was true. As if everything she truly desired was tattooed on her forehead, Travis read her like a book.

  “That’s not in the cards for me,” she said, trying not to sound pitiful, but failing miserably.

  One warm hand moved from her shoulder to caress her cheek. “Why? Because it would involve opening your heart and trusting a man?”

  His touch was like being kissed by an angel. As hard as she tried to hold on to that wall, Travis kept creeping inside.

  “What’s it to you?” she asked, trying to direct the conversation to someone other than herself.

  In a voice filled with quiet thoughtfulness, he replied, “Maybe I want to be that man.”

  His words filled her ears as if they were spoken in her dreams. She couldn’t imagine any man wanting more from her than sex, and as much as she tried to discount his intentions, every part of her soul told her Travis Gage was different from all the others.

  But could she trust her soul?

  “Why would you want someone like me when you can have practically any woman in Chicago?”

  He paused, tilting his head in a seriously cute way. “Yeah, I could hook up with one of the thousands of women in this city, but honestly, I haven’t been interested in anyone since Jess died.”

  Until now.

  He didn’t say the words, but she heard them, loud and clear.

  And then she couldn’t hear anything except for the thud of her pulse in her ears, because Travis leaned down and kissed her. Unlike their last kiss, this one was anything but gentle. His mouth latched on hers, his tongue thrusting in her mouth quickly, as if he wanted to make the extent of his need clearly known. And boy, did she feel that need. Felt it right down to her toes, as his tongue devoured her mouth and his groin rubbed urgently against hers. He was hard, the thick bulge of his erection pressing into her belly and eliciting a thrilling wave of desire inside her.

  Before she could stop herself, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back with fervor. She swirled her tongue over his, while her heart pounded against her ribs and moisture pooled between her legs. Oh God
. Why was she doing this? Why did she want this man so badly when her entire life she’d avoided this kind of contact?

  Without thinking, she pulled back slightly, hearing herself say, “Come inside.”

  His chuckle tickled her swollen lips. “No.”

  Her eyes blinked in confusion. “What?”

  He took a step back. “Rachel, as much as I want you right now, I want more than your body.”

  “What do you want from me then?” She met his gaze, questioning, searching, suddenly knowing she should have asked him this before she’d ever thought to invite him inside.

  She watched as he drew his brows together in a frown. He appeared as baffled as she felt, as if he too had never stopped to think about what was happening between them. He swallowed visibly then said, “More than a roll in the hay. You need to believe that.”

  “I do,” she said, inwardly flinching at the desperation she heard in her voice.

  “Maybe, but I’d rather wait and prove it to you.”

  The line between friends and lovers can get a little blurry…especially when you add tequila.

  Anybody but Justin

  © 2009 Shelli Stevens

  A Chances Are Story

  Gabby is serious about her search for Mr. Right, but no one can say she hasn’t had a good time looking. She enjoys her numerous dates and the sex that comes with them. Until she finds herself falling for the one man she vows to never love. Her best friend and roommate, Justin. A player in every sense of the word—and a reminder of her awful past.

  One night, with the help of a bottle of tequila, things get a little too hot for comfort. She moves out, intent on removing him from the line of temptation.

  Justin has different plans. The tequila did more than just change how he sees his good friend. It made him realize he doesn’t want to be just friends any more. He’s ready for something more intimate, and he’ll do whatever it takes to find out why she’s running. And convince her to stay.

  Warning: This book has hot sweet lovin’ between friends who become lovers.