Substitute Seduction (Sweet Tea And Scandal Book 1)

by Cat Schield

  “Absolutely.”

  She’d been seated facing the restaurant’s entrance and suddenly her eyes went wide in surprise. Harrison drew a breath to ask what was wrong when she shifted her attention back to him and smiled brightly.

  “You know...” she began, picking up her purse. “Maybe I should double-check the text to make sure nothing is amiss.” She gave a nervous half laugh. “The pitfall of being the boss is that I’m always on call. Excuse me, won’t you?”

  And before Harrison could say anything, she’d fled the table, leaving him staring over his shoulder after her.

  * * *

  Everly Briggs strode along King Street, paying little attention to the restaurants, stores and bars clustered along the popular thoroughfare. Her entire focus was on the tall man she was following.

  Linc Thurston appeared unaware of the stir he caused as he passed. Usually the professional baseball player paused to chat with fans he encountered, but tonight he seemed intent on reaching his destination.

  Since Everly, London and Zoe had met at the Beautiful Women Taking Charge event, Everly had been actively pursuing whatever angle she could to take down Linc. From digging into all available gossip, Everly had gotten wind that the reason he’d broken off his engagement to London was that he’d started cheating on her with his housekeeper.

  Once she’d determined that they weren’t just involved in a fling, but a full-blown, secret relationship, she determined this would be the best way to get revenge on him. At the moment she had plans in the works to expose the woman’s lies and sabotage her credibility. Linc would learn what it meant to be betrayed by someone he loved.

  Of course, her plans would completely fall apart if she was wrong about the strength of his feelings for Claire Robbins, so Everly was doing a little spying to see if his cheating was a onetime event or if the man was a typical representation of his gender.

  She was so caught up in her thoughts that Everly hadn’t noticed Linc had stopped walking until she drew within arm’s length. Jerking to a halt would be too obvious, so Everly was forced to sail on past. She did take note of what had captured his interest, however, and spotted London occupying a table beside the large window of The Front Porch. She was obviously having dinner with Harrison Crosby and the couple was engaged in some pretty serious flirting.

  What the hell was London doing? She was supposed to be taking down Tristan Crosby, not dating his brother.

  Everly’s irritation spiked as she reached the end of the block. By the time she turned the corner, she’d pulled out her phone. Pausing, she typed a text and sent it. Although the three women had agreed not to communicate to avoid their plotting being discovered, Everly simply had to confront London.

  We need to meet—E

  She tapped her foot as she waited for a response. Meanwhile she kept her gaze on King Street, expecting Linc to pass by at any second. She’d intended to continue her surveillance and it annoyed her that London’s behavior was forcing her to detour. When her phone didn’t immediately chime with an answer from London, Everly rapidly typed a second message.

  I saw you having dinner tonight. What r u doing?

  When London still didn’t answer, Everly knew she had no choice but to push the issue.

  Linc had passed by while Everly had been typing her second text. Instead of following him, she doubled back to the restaurant. London sat facing the entrance and Everly made sure the woman noticed her enter. The two made brief eye contact before Everly headed toward the back, where the restrooms were located.

  She entered the ladies’ room and was relieved to find the stalls empty. She approached the sinks and pulled her lipstick out. Fury made her hands shake. While she was here dealing with London, Linc was getting away.

  By the time London pushed through the door, Everly was more than ready to let her have it.

  “Why are you having dinner with Harrison Crosby?” she snarled, barely restraining the urge to shout in displeasure. “You’re supposed to be going after Tristan.”

  “What are you doing here?” London countered, pitching her voice barely above a whisper. “We agreed the way this works is to not have any contact with each other. We can’t be seen together.”

  “I came to find out why you’re going after the wrong brother,” Everly said, ignoring London’s objections.

  London crossed her arms over her chest and glared back. “Did it ever occur to you that Harrison might be the best way for me to get close to Tristan?”

  Everly let loose a disparaging noise. How could London possibly think she was buying that? It was obvious what was going on.

  “It’s more likely that you find him attractive and plan on sleeping with him.” Based on the way London refused to meet Everly’s gaze, she’d hit it square on the head. “Do you have any idea how badly that could backfire?”

  “Look,” London said, showing no sign of being convinced that her actions were flawed. “It’s none of your business how I handle my end of the bargain. You and I meeting like this could become a problem if anyone sees us together and it’s discovered that you were behind whatever happens with Linc.”

  “Give me some credit,” Everly snapped. “No one’s ever going to find out I was the one behind what happens to him.”

  “Regardless. We agreed this only works if we don’t have any contact with each other. So leave me alone.”

  Before Everly could say another word, London flung open the bathroom door and exited.

  For several long minutes Everly fumed. This situation with London and Harrison Crosby was a problem. Now she had to keep her eye on her own revenge scenario and make sure London stayed focused on their plan. And if London couldn’t do the job, then Everly would show her what happened when you turned your back on your friends.

  Four

  With her heart pumping hard against her ribs, London smoothed her palms along her dress’s full skirt and slowly wound her way back to Harrison. Everly’s texts and subsequent appearance in the restaurant had been disturbing. What they were doing was dangerous enough. If they were caught in some sort of conspiracy, it could ruin all their lives.

  Nor could she ignore the question front and center in her thoughts. Was Everly following her? The possibility made her skin prickle. How else could the other woman have known that London was having dinner with Harrison? And what sort of insanity had prompted Everly to confront London in public like this where anyone could have seen them? Had Everly contacted Zoe, as well? London was tempted to reach out to the third member of their scheme, but that was exactly what she’d railed at Everly for doing.

  Anxiety danced along her nerve endings as she slid into her seat opposite Harrison. London suspected her distress was reflected in her expression because after a quick survey of her face, he frowned.

  “Is everything okay?”

  “Fine.” London forced a reassuring smile. “I just received a bit of bad news about an event I was going to organize.” The lie came too easily, sparking concern over the person she was becoming. “The client had been on the fence about what they wanted to do and decided to cancel.”

  “You seem rattled. It must’ve been a big client.”

  “Not huge, but all my clients are equally important and I’m disappointed that this didn’t work out.” Even though London wasn’t lying, the fact that she was deceiving Harrison left a bad taste in her mouth.

  “Maybe they’ll change their mind.” His winning smile gave her heart a different reason to pound. “I’ll bet you can be quite persuasive.”

  His attempt to make her feel better through flattery was turning her insides to mush and soothing away her earlier distress. She caught herself smiling at him in gratitude as pleasure washed over her. The man had a knack for getting under her skin.

  “If by ‘persuasive’ you mean bossy,” London said, recognizing that she had a tendency to stab directl
y into the heart of something rather than nibble away at the edges, “then I agree. I come on a little too strong sometimes.”

  “You want to get things done,” Harrison said, nodding. “I get it. Winning is everything.”

  It struck London that maybe they had more in common than she’d initially thought. They shared a love of competition and a matching determination to get across the finish line. Maybe his way of doing things meant he slid behind the wheel of a car and drove at reckless and adrenaline-inducing speeds, making impulsive decisions in the moment, while she tended to be more methodical and deliberate in her approach.

  “I don’t exactly think of it as winning,” London responded. “More like a job well done.”

  “Nothing wrong with that.”

  London toyed with her earring as she asked, “Do you win a lot?”

  “I’ve had my share of successes over the years. Generally, I finish in the top ten drivers about two-thirds of the time. Except for the first couple years when I was still learning and a couple of seasons when injury kept me off the track.”

  “Is that good?” she asked, noting his amusement and figuring she’d just displayed total ignorance of what he did.

  “It’s a decent statistic.”

  “So winning isn’t important?”

  “Of course it’s important, but with thirty-six races a year, it’s impossible to be on top all the time. If I win four to six times in a season, that’s good enough to put me in the top three for the year as long as my stats are solid.”

  As an event planner, London was accustomed to dealing with a lot of numbers. It was how she kept her clients happy while maximizing their budget and remaining profitable. She was interested in trying to understand the way driver standings were determined.

  “How many other drivers are there?”

  “Almost sixty.”

  “What was your worst year?”

  “The year I started—2004. I finished fifty-eighth.”

  “How old were you?”

  “Nineteen.” Harrison’s lips twisted in self-deprecating humor. “And I thought I knew everything there was to know.”

  London considered what she’d been like at nineteen and couldn’t relate. She’d been a freshman in college, away from her parents for the first time and struggling to figure out who she was.

  “And now?” she prompted.

  “Still learning,” he said. “Always improving.”

  “Those seem like good words to live by,” she said.

  His blend of confidence and humility was endearing. London softened still more toward him even as she marveled at his gamesmanship.

  The waitress approached to check on their meal and London watched the man across from her charm the woman with his friendliness. The contrast between the two brothers struck her again. During her brief introduction to Tristan, the way the man had looked her over had made London feel like running home and taking a shower.

  “Did you leave any room for dessert?” the waitress asked.

  Harrison glanced her way and London shook her head. “But don’t let me stop you from ordering something.”

  “I hate to eat alone.” And once the waitress had left with their plates, Harrison finished, “Besides, I’d much rather grab an ice cream cone at Swenson’s.”

  “I haven’t been there in years,” London said, remembering what a rare treat it had been when her father had taken her there.

  “Then it’s time to go, don’t you think?” He didn’t wait for her answer before asking, “What is your favorite flavor? Please don’t say vanilla.”

  “I don’t know.” She was struck by rising delight at the thought of enjoying such a simple, satisfying treat with Harrison. “Maybe strawberry.”

  “A few months ago they introduced a strawberry, honey balsamic, with black pepper ice cream. It’s really good.”

  “You know quite a bit about the place.” London’s mouth watered as she imagined all those delicious flavors harmonizing on her taste buds. “Do you take all your dates there?” She didn’t mean the question to sound so flippant and flushed beneath his keen regard.

  “You’d be the first.”

  “That was rude of me. I’m sorry.”

  “Are you skeptical of all men?” he asked. “Or is it just me?”

  She took a second to consider his question before answering. “Not all men and not you. It’s just that since Linc and I...” She wished she hadn’t brought up her ex-fiancé’s name again. “The breakup has left me feeling exposed and I lash out at unexpected moments. I’m sorry.”

  “He really hurt you.”

  “Yes and no.” She really didn’t want to talk about Linc over a first-date dinner with Harrison, but maybe it would be good to clear the air. “All my life I’ve achieved whatever I set my mind to. Except for one thing. Social acceptance in certain circles. In Charleston it’s impossible to become an insider. You have to be born into it. When Linc and I got engaged, it opened doors I’d spent my life knocking on.”

  London sighed as she finished her explanation. She wanted Harrison to understand what had driven her. His own family was self-made, parlaying hard work into a booming automotive empire. Would he view her hunger to belong to a group of “insiders” as petty and shallow?

  “Growing up, I attended the right schools,” she continued, thinking back to the private all-girl high school she’d attended and the friends she’d made there. Friends who’d gone on to attend debutante classes and formal teas and to participate in the father/daughter skeet shoot. “But I was always on the outside looking in.”

  “And that bothered you a lot.”

  Despite his neutral tone, her defensiveness flared. “Shouldn’t it?”

  “Why did you think you needed the validation? In my opinion, you already have it all.”

  Delight set all her nerve endings alight and suddenly a lifetime of exclusion became less hurtful. “That’s kind of you to say, but it never seemed enough.” Seeing the questions in Harrison’s raised eyebrows, London explained further. “My mother is constantly harping on how frustrating it is for her that no matter how much money she donates or how lavish her dinner parties are, she can’t ever gain acceptance.”

  “So maybe it’s your mother’s issue and not yours.”

  If only it was that simple.

  “She’s pretty determined.” London could’ve said more about her mother’s unrelenting pressure on her to marry well, but decided further explanations would only put her family’s flaws on display.

  “It seems like a lot of pressure.”

  London shrugged. “I’m no stranger to that. After all, heat and extreme pressure turns coal into diamonds,” she said, parroting her mother’s favorite quote.

  “That’s not actually a scientific fact,” Harrison replied.

  “Fine,” she grumbled. “But diamonds need heat and pressure to form.”

  His lips curved in a bone-melting smile. “True.”

  The exchange highlighted how easily Harrison could blow past her defenses and signaled to London that she might be mistaken about which Crosby brother presented the most danger to her.

  Everly’s words came back to London. Maybe the other woman’s concerns weren’t out of line. Did she have what it took to keep up her end of the bargain when already she was thinking of Harrison in terms of getting to know him better rather than someone she could use?

  Fifteen minutes later Harrison opened the restaurant’s front door, and as soon as they reached the sidewalk, he took her hand and threaded it through his arm. Already a warm glow filled her as a result of the wine she’d consumed and Harrison’s stimulating company. Being tucked close against his body increased the heat beneath her skin and she inhaled the cool fresh air, hoping it would clear her head.

  “Thinking about ice cream?” he asked, breaking into her though
ts. They’d reached the corner, and instead of continuing on to Swenson’s, he pulled her onto the quieter thoroughfare. “Because I’m not.”

  “No?” she countered, trembling as he backed her up against the building’s brick wall and leaned his forearm beside her head.

  His gaze searched her features before settling on her lips. “The only dessert I want is a taste of your sweet lips.”

  If any other man had delivered that line, she would’ve had a cynical retort, but something about Harrison told her that he meant every word. Her muscles lost strength, making her glad for the wall at her back. She wasn’t sure what to do with her hands. His hard body called to her, but letting her palms roam over his chiseled physique—while tempting—was a little too familiar for their first...dinner...date?

  “Okay.”

  “Okay?” he echoed, his soft, firm lips grazing across hers with deliberate intent.

  “Yes.” She breathed the word and it came out sounding almost like a plea.

  “Are you sure it’s not too forward of me?”

  He seemed determined to tantalize and torment her with what could be. The suggestion of a kiss did exactly what it was supposed to. It frustrated her and provoked curiosity at the same time. She reached up and tunneled her fingers into his hair.

  “Kiss me like you want to,” she urged, conflicting notes of desperation and command in her tone as he trailed his lips across her cheek.

  “If I do that, we might get arrested.” His husky laugh puffed against her skin, making her shiver.

  Disturbed by the acute longing he aroused, London laid her palm against his chest. His rapid heartbeat caught her attention and bolstered her confidence. The chemistry she felt wasn’t one-sided but sparkled between them, ripe with promise and potential.

  “I don’t know what to do with you,” she murmured, trembling as his hand slipped around her waist and into the small of her back, drawing her tight against his hard body.

  “Funny,” he said. “I know exactly what to do with you.” His fingers coasted over the curve of her butt and he punctuated his claim with a quick squeeze before setting her free. “You are temptation in high heels.”