It felt so bloody good to kiss her again. How sweet she tasted, how soft and feminine she felt beneath his body. God, he’d missed this and he’d only been without her a few days. Using his other hand, he stroked down her side, cupped her round arse, and rubbed his hand between her thighs, over her mound, making her hips buck against his touch. It had only been two days since they’d parted from his room at his mother’s Fox Hill estate back in Cambridge.
Two bloody days that had felt like an eternity without Kat in his arms. He’d wanted to see her before he’d left for London, but he’d had to leave right away. Fuck, he needed to take her here, right now, against the door.
Panting, he rocked against her, relishing the little sounds of pleasure she made as he used his body to cage hers while they kissed, open-mouthed and languid. The little American knew just what to do with her pink little tongue to make his cock ache…
Their mouths finally parted, and Tristan rested his forehead against hers, his eyes closed as he relished the dominance he had over her. It would be so easy to ravish her right here. She wanted it, too. The little minx was staring up at him with those silver-gray eyes, glinting with lust. The tremors and shivers racking her body made him all the more hungry to take her right there, but it was too much of a risk with their parents so close.
When he opened his eyes, he saw tears on her cheeks.
Tears?
Confusion jolted though him like an electric shock. He dropped his hand from her wrists, and she lowered her arms, wrapping them around herself.
“Kat, darling, what’s the matter?” He lifted a hand to touch her cheek, but she shied away from him and darted around him. When she put the bed between them, something hard knotted in his stomach. “Kat?”
“Tristan, how long have you known?” she demanded, her voice a little stronger.
“Known what?”
“About our parents. How long have you known they were dating?” Silent accusations glittered in her eyes.
She thought he’d known about their parents? His heart kicked against his ribs. Kat thought he’d kept that from her? He wouldn’t lie to her, she had to know that. Tristan was many things, but a liar wasn’t among them.
“I didn’t know, I swear to you. Not until you walked in the door, and Mother said your name. I only knew my mother’s new fiancé had a daughter. She never mentioned your name. Kat, be serious, the odds of this happening…” He gestured around them. “That our parents would get together?” He began to pace, unable to stand still with all the pent-up energy crackling inside him. “Honestly, Kat, I didn’t know.” He paused, facing her.
Those damnable tears still covered her cheeks. There was nothing worse than watching a woman cry. He couldn’t stop it, couldn’t undo whatever had hurt her. Moving toward her again, he reached out to cup her shoulders. Kat dodged his grasp.
“Why won’t you let me touch you?” That look of hurt in her eyes was killing him, and he couldn’t explain why. He needed to hold her.
“Tristan, our parents are engaged . Don’t you get it? We can’t be together. If my dad ever found out he’d freak out. This has to stop.”
Stop? He couldn’t let her go. There was no chance of that.
“No, I—”
“I mean it, Tristan. I won’t jeopardize my father’s happiness. Not for good sex.”
“Great sex,” he corrected.
Her little smile in response was melancholy. “Great sex. It’s not going to happen again. Do you understand? If my dad ever found out…” Her cheeks flushed.
“I can handle your father, Kat,” he promised. If Kat wanted to be with him, he would find a way to keep it a secret from her father and his mother.
She drew in a fortifying breath and pulled her hair back from her face as she exhaled.
“It will only end badly. No matter what happens. They can never know about us, and we can’t ever do what we did again. We’re going to be brother and sister. Even if it is just step siblings, that’s still…not okay. Promise me you understand, and that you agree we have to stay away from each other.”
No . Every instinct inside him was shouting to deny her request. What they’d shared couldn’t be abandoned, and couldn’t be thrown away just because it was forbidden.
“Kat, I want you . What happened between us, that doesn’t happen every day.” He took a step toward her but she held up a hand.
Those tears shimmered like diamonds on her skin.
“Please, just go. I need some time alone.”
Alone? How was she going to be alone at a time like this? They were all trapped in the same house for three weeks.
Tristan weighed the options of trying to kiss her again or at least hold her but it didn’t seem likely he’d succeed. She’d raised her chin, and her kissable lips were in a firm line. It would be better if he waited. Gave her some time to breathe. Once she’d had time to cool off, he’d be able to reason with her. He didn’t like the idea of patience, but he sensed if he pressed her now, he might lose her.
“Very well,” he said, backing away. But it was a long moment before he was able to compose himself. He paused after opening the door. “Please don’t push me away, Kat. We have three weeks to figure out what to do.”
She didn’t look at him. That hit him like a punch to the gut. Stepping outside, he closed her door and leaned back against it. Tristan tilted his head back, staring at the ceiling.
“Tristan.” A masculine voice jerked him from his thoughts.
Kat’s father was standing there, hands in his pockets, watching him. The older man’s gaze was penetrating. A father who would easily figure out if his daughter was being seduced by his future stepson.
Perhaps Kat was right…If he wanted to get her beneath him on a bed he’d have to be very stealthy.
“Mr. Roberts.” He nodded in greeting.
“Is my daughter all right?” Clayton asked, his brows knitted together. He walked up to Tristan, and Tristan had a distinct impression the other man was measuring him up, while trying to not to make his observations too overt. Just as Tristan was doing.
“She’s a bit overwhelmed, I believe.” Not a lie exactly.
Clayton Roberts cleared his throat and shuffled his shoes on the carpet. “Ahh, I knew I should’ve waited for all of this, given her more time, but…” He paused and raised his head. “I love your mother very much and didn’t want to wait.”
The man was open and honest, and Tristan couldn’t hate him for that. His mother had lived a hellish existence while married to his father. She deserved a good man, one who would love her the way his father had failed to.
“Then you’d better take good care of her.” It wasn’t a threat, but he’d be happy to make it one if Clayton didn’t do that.
With a chuckle, the American simply laughed. Did they always act so odd about such serious things? Kat certainly did.
“I will,” Clayton promised. “It’s not every day a man is given a second chance at happiness.”
“Good.” Tristan didn’t really know what to say. It was awkward talking to this man who would soon be his stepfather.
Fucking hell . When Carter found out about this…his best friend would laugh clear through next week.
“I’ll check on Kat,” Clayton said, offering a warm but hesitant smile. “Why don’t you let your mother know we’ll be down for dinner?”
“I will,” Tristan replied. With a sinking feeling deep in his chest, he walked away from Kat’s door.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I’d like to thank Claire for being my “go-to” gal for all things English. You’re a wonderful friend for putting up with my silly e-mails about how modern Brits would do or say things. For Amanda, Chrissy, Jeanne, Angela, Amy, and Liz, beta readers and good friends who always help me make my stories sparkle and shine. I also have to send a huge thank-you to the publishing team of Hachette for taking on my British Stepbrother series and embracing it with such excitement and enthusiasm.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
LAUREN SMITH was born and raised in Tulsa. She attended Oklahoma State University, where she earned a BA in both history and political science. Drawn to paintings and museums, Lauren is obsessed with antiques and satisfies her fascination with history by writing and exploring exotic, ancient lands.
ALSO BY LAUREN SMITH
THE BRITISH STEPBROTHER SERIES
Seduction
Climax
THE SURRENDER SERIES
The Gilded Cuff
The Gilded Cage
The Gilded Chain
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Table of Contents
Cover
Title Page
Welcome
Dedication
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
A Preview of SEDUCTION
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Also by Lauren Smith
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Copyright
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
Copyright © 2016 by Lauren Smith
Excerpt of Seduction copyright © 2016 by Lauren Smith
Cover design by Elizabeth Turner
Cover copyright © 2016 by Hachette Book Group, Inc.
All rights reserved. In accordance with the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, the scanning, uploading, and electronic sharing of any part of this book without the permission of the publisher constitute unlawful piracy and theft of the author’s intellectual property. If you would like to use material from the book (other than for review purposes), prior written permission must be obtained by contacting the publisher at [email protected]. Thank you for your support of the author’s rights.
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First ebook edition: January 2016
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ISBN 978-1-4555-3867-6
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