TWILIGHT ENVELOPED the beach as night settled in. With burning anticipation, Jack watched the digital clock in his hotel room inch closer to the hour. He had to hand it to the anonymous sender of that note, shed managed to set the stage for a seduction and keep him aroused the entire afternoon.
A soft breeze swept in through his open terrace door, traveling off the ocean. And his body throbbed in time to the lapping sound of the waves hitting the shore. His heart pounded frantically inside his chest. Desire flowed fast and furious.
Yet he had no idea who he was about to meet.
Did anonymity heighten the sense of anticipation? The excitement? Mystery was a potent aphrodisiac, that much was certain. The need to know, the desire to act out the fantasy, had him ignoring his self-imposed rules against one-night stands. Whether hed regret making an appearance later, he didnt know. But right now, nothing could keep him from inhaling that intoxicating scent in person. Nothing could prevent him from arriving on time. And as he locked the hotel door behind him and made his way outside and into the dark night, the frenzied fire, already ignited, burst into a potent, powerful flame.
The resort boasted ten secluded cabins, dotted along the beach. Thanks to the map in his hotel room, Cabin 10 wasnt hard to find, even well-hidden beneath lush foliage. But keeping his cool was difficult and by the time he arrived, hed actually broken into a sweat.
Jack Latham, the self-proclaimed playboy, the man who thrived on challenges and the women who provided them, was jittery and impatient. And also self-conscious, he admitted as he recalled the instructions hed committed to memory after one reading.
Following those detailed instructions, he closed his eyes, raised his hand and knocked on the cabin door. In the darkness, sounds became magnified and his knuckles rasping against the door pounded inside him as well. Crickets chirped around him and the breeze rustled the neighboring branches. Seconds passed and then he heard creaking hinges as the door opened.
His stomach churned in anticipation and the urge to look was overwhelming. But the instructions had been clear. If he wanted his desires granted, he had to follow the rules and so he kept his eyes shut tight.
Without warning, a soft hand grabbed his wrist. His breath caught in his throat and his mouth grew dry. He found himself locked in a warm and gentle, yet firm and determined, grip. Not a word was spoken but an insistent pull propelled him ahead, probably inside the cabin.
Jack stepped forward, eyes still closed, pulse still hammering out a rapid beat. He crossed a wide expanse of space until a jerk on his wrist stopped him. The warmth of feminine body heat grew closer. He wasnt sure how he sensed it, but somehow Jack knew she stood before him. And then he inhaled, taking in the fragrant scent that had been with him all afternoon. Stirring his senses. Teasing his restraint.
Her hands settled on his shoulders and pushed him downward until he was sitting, enveloped by luxurious cushions and what he thought was soft velvet.
I have to look at you, he murmured.
He sensed the shake of her head, felt the press of delicate fingertips against his eyelids. Not yet. The unspoken words hovered between them.
You followed the instructions, so now you get your wish. You wanted to see the woman beneath the frigid facade. The words were whisper-soft. Featherlight.
But the husky voice was glaringly familiarand arousing, as it had been from the first. Still, shock propelled his eyelids open.
He expected to see Mallory Sinclair, Esq. Instead he faced a seductress with curves hed never dreamed Mallory possessed. Glorious waves of black hair flowed over her shoulders. Perfectly applied makeup accented features he had thought only had potential.
Hed been wrong.
Perfection couldnt be improved upon and if he hadnt been so caught up in what could be, he would have seen this Mallory all along. Mallory Sinclair, the sultry beauty.
The woman whod sent him the invitation and who had an evening of seduction in store.
4
WHATS THE MATTER, JACK? Cat got your tongue? Mallory leaned so close he couldnt draw a breath let alone utter a word in response.
Her fingernails, painted a hot coral shade, trailed a path from his jaw to the top button on his polo shirt. Her skin was as soft and alluring as her touch and he shivered at the brazen assault.
Or maybe your collars just too tight for you to breathe and speak at the same time, she murmured. With nimble fingers, she released the top button.
He would have inhaled easier if not for her warm breath on his cheek, the pout of her luscious lips also in a glossy coral and the intoxicating scent surrounding him. All worked together to arouse. Hed known going in that seduction was the strangers intent. He hadnt known hed be facing his so-called repressed colleague and in that respect, Mallory had caught him off guard.
And Jack didnt like surprises. In court he never asked a question he didnt know the answer to be forehand. Too many attorneys had been tripped up by assumptions. Too many men had been scammed into thinking they knew the woman they were involved with. Jack wouldnt let himself be tripped up or scammed, especially by a woman.
He made his own rules then lived by them. But hed broken one of those rules when hed responded to the invitation so he had no one but himself to blame if he found himself at a disadvantage now.
Maybe you just took me by surprise. He met her gaze, stunned into silence once more by the shocking blue of her eyes, surrounded by incredible waves of black hair.
She nodded. The frigid facade.
He heard the ice in her tone along with the trace of hurt she couldnt hide, but no way would he ever associate this woman with the word frigid ever again.
I insulted you.
She inclined her head. Assent or was she assessing him? Before he could decide or even wince at his earlier, poorly chosen phrasing, she spoke.
Yes, you insulted me. Yet I have to admit that was an interesting description of a woman you barely know. Her words implied she intended to correct not only his erroneous assumption but also the status of their relationship.
Her next move proved him right. She settled herself into the seat cushion beside him, so close he forgot to breathe until he forced himself to focus on his surroundings and not his sexy hostess. With his eyes shut earlier, hed curled his hands around cushioned softness and he realized now his guess had been rightthe sofa was crushed velvet, a taupe and white mix of color that complimented the rest of the interior design. Comfortable for both male and female guests.
She curled her legs Indian-style. His gaze was drawn downward to the soft, shimmery material of her skirt, yellow silk beneath a sheath of sheer organza, then to the delicate wisp of a sandal covering her feet. Coral accented her toenails, just as it did her lips and fingernails.
She played with the skirt until it fell provocatively between her legs, covering yet revealing at the same time. She was toying with him. He knew it and so did she, yet he enjoyed the teasing too much to call her on it.
There were no traces left of the staid, uptight, repressed colleague hed flown with. I take it Im here so you can prove my assumption about you was wrong.
As he spoke, he let his gaze travel upward again. Though the skirt was full, it revealed a narrow waist and he had a sudden desire to lift the flowing material and take a look at those legs hed noticed this afternoon.
As he spoke, he let his gaze travel upward again. Though the skirt was full, it revealed a narrow waist and he had a sudden desire to lift the flowing material and take a look at those legs hed noticed this afternoon.
Dichotomy is interesting, isnt it? she asked.
Tempt. Torment. Tease. Obviously she wasnt going to answer him directly. He met her gaze, and realized shed caught him staring. He wouldnt apologize. For one thing he wasnt sorry. And for another, her cheeks flushed a rosy pink beneath the artificial color, telling him he affected her, too.
Jack refused to give up what little power he possessed in this game shed set up. Everyone and everything in life has two faces, two sides. Not all of them pleasant.
Hed learned early on that his loving mother, his fathers devoted wife in public, was a cold, uncaring, cheating female in private. As time marched on, she didnt care who knew the truth and the dichotomy shed presented merged into a singular unhappy woman. Since then, Jack had become an expert on the two faces of human nature.
Mallorys eyes narrowed, as if she realized his words revealed a part of his soul. He silently cursed. How could he forget this seductive female had a brain like a steel trap and the instincts of a killer shark? That dichotomy shed mentioned. The one hed always looked for in others. Why did he find it so easy to forget Mallory possessed another colder, more calculating side?
Which Mallory was real, which was the impostor?
So youre already attuned to the subtleties of human nature. Thats good since it makes my job that much easier. She smiled, a sexy smile meant to disarm and make him wonder what she planned next.
He could only wait and see. Despite the dangerto the private emotions she effortlessly tapped into and to the career hed built and had no business risking for a fling with a colleaguethe anticipation stoked a fire of burning need deep inside him. One he didnt fully understand.
Obviously hed sensed there was more to his repressed colleague than met the eye or he wouldnt have had those occasional bouts of arousalwhen hed heard her husky voice, or inhaled her luscious scent on the plane. The same scent, he now realized, he smelled on the invitation this afternoon. His mind hadnt been ready then to grasp the possibilities. He was ready now. More than ready if the blood pumping through his veins was any indication. She was playing a game and he intended to draw out the intensity and the pleasure.
He had no doubt shed back off first. The no-office-romance policy would weigh more heavily on her mind since she had a partnership at stake and knew his vote could destroy her chances and all shed worked for. Not that hed ever jeopardize her career over this invitation to seduction. He had too much respect for her as a lawyer and too much admiration for the woman whod lured him here to teach him a well-deserved lesson.
But he could enjoy the steps along the way. I obviously spoke out of turn this morning by using the word frigid. But the word facadenow that was right on target.
A wide smile touched her face and radiance glowed from the porcelain skin on her cheeks. Youre a smart man, Jack. Façade. Defined it means a false, superficial or artificial appearance or effect.
And thats what this is? His hand swept the air around her before he laid his arm back on the couch. Mere inches from the silken bare flesh revealed by the matching camisole she wore.
Though her daily suits did little to reveal womanly curves, Jack saw plenty now. She had full breasts, fuller than hed imagined and creamy white skin peeked through the deep vee of her top.
Youre wondering which is the real Mallory? Her sultry laugh lit the night air. Thats for you to find out.
She teased him with what-ifs and myriad other sensual possibilities.
Are you ready to eat? she asked.
The question led to thoughts of decadent delights, feasting on her glistening lips and tasting her hidden feminine secrets. But he doubted that was what she had in mind.
At least not yet. A wicked voice in his head taunted him, just as her nearness teased him. He wanted to close the distance, to sweep his hand over the expanse of skin on her neck and shoulders, to bring her close enough for him to devour with his mouth.
Im hungry, he replied. And if she looked down, shed see exactly how ravenous he was. He tried to swallow but his throat had grown dry. But how about a drink first.
She rose from the couch with fluid grace and walked over to the minibar. Vodka on the rocks, yes?
He raised an eyebrow. You remember?
Mallory nodded. I pay attention. To everything about you, she thought.
She drank in his charcoal-gray eyes, lit by anticipation and awareness. She took notice of his jet-black hair, combed and sexy despiteor was it because of its perfection? Her gaze dipped lower. The intriguing bit of chest hair visible from his now open collar was seared into her memory.
Jack Latham was a potent masculine package. And that was the problem. Her mental obsession with him and what he thought of her had brought her to a dangerous precipice. Hed challenged her femininity and shed responded, putting her career and her future on the line. She could not believe shed taken her humiliation over his insulting comment this far. But now that she had, Mallory had no choice but to follow through with her plan to show Jack the woman behind the facade.
I pay attention, too. Your reputation for thoroughness and your expertise is unrivaled among the firms associates.
She warmed at his compliment, knowing shed transformed herself into the frigid Mallory for that very purpose. Thank you.
After pouring his vodka and her wine for much needed courage, she returned to the sofa. With any luck she could remain in control of herself and her reactions at the same time she tested his.
She handed him his glass and their hands touched. Brief and accidental, yet a tremor of awareness ricocheted throughout her body. So much for control, Mallory thought. Since he was here in response to her invitation and he didnt seem inclined to bolt now that he realized she was the invitee, she willed herself to remain calm, forget business and concentrate on Jack.
By the time the evening was over, Jack would have no doubts regarding Mallorys womanly attributes and feminine wiles. Point made, things between them then could return to normal. As if anything could ever be normal again now that shed come this close to her fantasy.
She seated herself beside him and silence followed. So tell me about the Terminator, she said, before he could take charge of the conversation.
Its a great movie but the first was better than the sequel, he said quickly.
Too quickly and his expression grew shuttered as it had earlier, when hed discussed the two sides of human nature.
She sensed his discomfort and wondered at the cause of his withdrawal. She lifted her drink to her lips and took a long sip.
The fruity liquid slid down her throat, wetting her mouth so she could speak. I agree. Sequels are rarely as good as the original. In Terminator Two, there were too many muscles on Linda Hamilton. Yet she made the men drool. Mallory shrugged. I always thought men liked their women on the softer side.
Surprise at her response registered on his face. Obviously he thought shed continue to push him for answers about what made him the office terminator. Her cousin Julia would have taken a more overt approach. Mallory preferred subtlety. She was coming on strong enough as it was.