His Seduction Game Plan (8 page)

Coward
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“Are you not sure about that dress?” Gabi asked, coming up to her. Ferrin had been staring at the designer cocktail dress for too long. It was pricey but not out of her budget. It probably wasn't something she'd normally wear. She'd simply stopped next to it because she'd needed a break. A moment to let herself feel normal again instead of in this jet-set lifestyle that was Hunter's.

“I'm not. What do you think?” she asked, taking the dress from the rack and holding it up to herself. She shook off her thoughts. There was nothing she could do about the files while she was in San Francisco.

The dress was short, ending at midthigh, and had a halter neckline, which would leave her back bare. It was in her favorite color—turquoise—and made of a soft flowing synthetic fabric.

“Gorgeous! Kara, what do you think?” Gabi called to the other woman who had been discussing potty training with Ava, Christos's wife. Sheri, Tristan's wife, was in the dressing room trying on something that would in her words “make him forget I'm a mom and remember I'm a woman.”

That had made them all laugh.

“Love it. You have to get it. Hunter is always so cool,” Kara said. “You'll melt him in that gown.”

“Try it on,” Ava urged her. The four of them made their way to the dressing room just as Sheri came out in a strapless dress that looked as if it had been handmade for her.

“You have to get that,” Kara said. “Tristan will definitely remember you from when you met and not as the mom of two boys.”

“I agree,” Gabi said. “One down, one to go.”

“One to go? Do you mean me?” Ferrin asked.

“Yes. We all want to help you knock Hunter's socks off tonight,” Gabi said, pushing her toward the dressing room.

She got in there and sat down on the bench, holding the dress in her lap. She knew that she had issues with men. There was a reason why her dream date involved sitting at home with
Pride and Prejudice
on the DVR and a pint of Ben and Jerry's Cherry Garcia in her hands. She didn't like to take risks.

Maybe it was because she didn't like to fail.

She glanced at her face in the mirror, trying to see the courage she always wanted to be there. But only her reflection was there. No secret courage came out of her eyes. If she wanted Hunter—and she admitted she did—she was going to have to show him and stop pushing him away.

Granted he had secrets—hell, everyone did. But the man she was coming to know she liked. She didn't want to have to keep a distance between them anymore. And honestly, when was she ever going to have the chance to go out with a man like him again?

She shucked off her clothes and turned away from the mirror so she wouldn't see herself in her underwear and pulled the dress on. It fit like a second skin as she got it into place and fastened the two tiny buttons at the back of her neck. She glanced over her shoulder in the mirror, checking her butt first. The skirt wasn't too tight, but her bra strap looked odd. She undid it and pulled it off, then turned to look at herself.

The dress was perfect. She liked the way it fit and the way she felt wearing it. She felt as if she could do anything. She stood on her toes to see if it would look better with heels, and it did fall a little differently on her body.

Tonight she decided she would stop pushing Hunter away. She'd take what she wanted and then tomorrow she'd offer him access to the files and see what happened. No more hiding and waiting.

“You coming out?”

“Just a second,” Ferrin called.

She opened the dressing room door and poked her head out to find Gabi standing next to Kara. The two women were conversing in Spanish and stopped when they saw her. Ava and Sheri had walked back in and froze in their tracks.

“You have to get that dress,” Ava said. “You look like an heiress.”

“She does. I think if Tristan sees you, he might think you could be on the cover of our magazine,” Sheri said.

“Okay, that's enough, ladies. I know what I look like. I admit the dress is nice, but I'm still me.”

“Me is enough,” Gabi said. “You are gorgeous, Ferrin.”

Kara nodded. “My girls will think you're a secret princess going to a ball.”

“It's not a long gown.”

“It doesn't have to be,” Kara said.

“True,” Sheri agreed. “Hunter will never know what hit him.”

“This is going to be the best night,” Gabi added.

“Agreed. Now get changed back into your normal clothes and I'll take you all to my favorite lingerie shop so we can drive the men mad all night.”

Ferrin purchased the dress and then spent more than she wanted for a pair of sexy heels and lingerie. It was probably the best shopping adventure she'd ever had in her life.

When she got back to Kara's house she looked around for Hunter but couldn't find him. She was distracted by the girls, who wanted to see her dress and came into the guest bedroom with her to touch it and ooh and aah over it. But she was worried about Hunter.

This seemed fun but only if she were with him. And she didn't want to face his friends if he wasn't here.

But she got dressed and came downstairs at six when they were supposed to leave for dinner. When she spotted Hunter standing there in a dinner jacket, she stopped at the top of the stairs.

Seeing him with his neatly trimmed beard and trousers that were cut to fit him took her breath away. He smiled up at her.

“You look beautiful.”

“Thanks, handsome, you're not bad yourself,” she said, coming down the stairs, determined to enjoy this night and this man and figure out what to do next.

Eight

S
econds nightclub was glamorous and Ferrin really didn't feel as though she belonged there. But all of Hunter's friends were busy trying to make her feel that she did. Gabi and Kingsley took turns telling her amusing tales about Hunter from back in his college days. And as the evening wore on they headed home early to check on Conner.

Sheri's dress had done the trick and Tristan had taken her into his arms as soon as they arrived. They'd been pressed together on the dance floor ever since.

Hunter had been talking with Gui and Christos about bringing his charity to Europe and maybe sponsoring some rugby leagues over there, and Ferrin had found herself chatting with Ava and Kara.

Hunter walked toward her as if drawn by something other than his own will. As if instinct propelled him to her. She'd been talking to Ava in the corner, and was throwing her head back to laugh at something the other woman said when she noticed him.

He held his hand out to her and she took it. He pulled her to her feet and into his arms as the music swirled around them. The song was “Earned It (Fifty Shades of Grey)” by The Weeknd. The song's lyrics were raw and earthy and made her think of sex every time she heard them.

The music had the kind of sensual beat that started a fire deep inside her. One it seemed that Hunter shared, as well.

“Are you having fun tonight?” he asked, smoothing his hands and pulling her into the curve of his body as they swayed to the music.

“I am. I really like your friends,” she said.

“They like you, too,” he said. “But not as much as I do.”

He tangled his hands in the back of her hair, pulling her head back and kissing her. She felt the touch of his mouth as he trailed his kisses down her neck. Shivers of desire coursed through her body. Her breasts felt fuller and an ache pulsed between her legs.

She wrapped her hand around the back of his neck and went up on tiptoe, biting the bottom of his earlobe and whispering what she wanted to do to him when they were alone.

He shuddered in her arms and danced them back into a secluded corner where no one could see them.

“Now, about ripping my clothes off,” he said in a teasing voice.

She ran her hands down the front of his chest and undid the buttons over his flat stomach so she could reach her hand inside and caress him. His muscles fluttered under her touch and she pushed her finger lower, under the waistband of his pants.

Her finger rubbed over the tip of his erection and she leaned up again and bit his neck lightly.

He groaned her name and pulled her hand from his shirt. “I should have known better than to start something with you here. If you don't stop I'm going to come in my pants.”

“You should have,” she said with a grin. She stroked his length through the fabric of his dress pants. Cupping the back of his head, she drew his mouth to hers and kissed him long and hard and deep. It was the kind of kiss they'd been dancing around for days.

She'd been afraid before now to give in to her desires, but tonight seemed the perfect time for it. Most of her doubts about Hunter had faded and she was starting to fall for him.

He wrapped his arm around her, pulled her close, one hand on the side of her breast and the other one on her face. He tipped her head to the side as he brought his mouth down on hers.

His tongue slowly thrust deep into her mouth. He tasted so good. She sucked on his tongue and realized she wanted more. She shouldn't have started this in such a public place because she was pretty close to saying the hell with it and taking him here.

She grabbed his buttocks and pulled him more fully into her body, arching herself against him.

His breath was hot and sent another shaft of desire straight through her. She felt a drop of moisture between her legs and throbbed with longing.

He backed her up against the wall and she felt his thigh between her legs. He put one hand on her butt and urged her forward. He rocked his leg against her and she felt those tiny pulses spread up from her center through her body. She opened her eyes and all she saw was Hunter, watching her with a heated look that made everything else disappear.

She thrust her hips forward and felt another one of those tiny sensations and then he put his mouth on hers and with his hand on her butt urged her to move back and forth on his leg. She rocked against him until she felt the beginnings of her orgasm wash over her. Hunter swallowed her cries in his mouth and lifted his head only after she'd stopped rocking against him.

He lowered his leg to the floor and rubbed his hand down her back. She opened her eyes and looked at him. Felt his erection still hard between them. She reached for it but he drew her hand back.

“No. Not here. I want to wait until we are alone,” he said.

She nodded, putting her head back against the wall and looking at Hunter. He made her feel alive in a way she never had before. Until this moment she wouldn't have said she was just skating through life but now she knew she had been. He squeezed her hand and rubbed his thumb over her lower lip.

“You are incredible,” he said.

For the first time in her life she felt as if she was enough for a man.

* * *

The night had been so full of faces, music and wine. Her head was full of so many thoughts and her heart too much emotion.

She sat close to Hunter in the back of the limo he'd hired. There had been a crazy crush of photographers when they'd left the club and she knew they'd called to Hunter and to her and she'd waved at them as they'd gone past.

Now they were alone in the car and Hunter...he seemed distracted.

“I had a lovely time. Thank you for inviting me,” she said. “Your friends are so charming. But I confess I had a very difficult time understanding Gui's accent.”

“They adored you, too,” Hunter said, putting his finger under her chin and tipping her head back. “But I can't blame them. It's easy to fall under your spell.”

“Said the pot to the kettle.”

He gave her a half smile, but it didn't look genuine. Something was nagging at him.

“Was it the photographers?”

“Was what?”

“Whatever is bothering you,” she said. “I know you like your privacy.” She put her head back against the plush leather seat and stared at the lights in the ceiling of the car. “I felt very glamorous when we walked out and there were all those flashbulbs going off.”

“Did you?” he asked.

She turned her head without lifting it. “Yes, I did. I'm sorry they were there.”

“Me, too,” he said. “I wanted you all to myself. I should have listened to my instincts and taken you to my family's ranch in Texas instead of a nightclub.”

“You were contemplating taking me to Texas?”

“Yeah,” he said, taking her hand in his. “I like you, Ferrin.”

She turned to face him, taking both of his hands in hers. “I like you, too, Hunter.”

He smiled. A real smile this time, and she couldn't help but smile back. Tonight she felt she had gotten a glimpse of Hunter in his environment. Not the nightclub so much as with his friends. He'd relaxed. They'd spent the entire night behind the velvet rope in the VIP section and it had been eye-opening.

She thought she might write an article about it for
Psychology
magazine. She had a new insight. Of course, the insight could be due to all the wine she'd drunk.

“You know, I could limit myself to one glass of wine if I didn't like the taste of it so much.”

He chuckled.

“Feeling the effects?” he asked. “Maybe that's why you thought the paparazzi were so exciting.”

“Maybe. I just feel alive,” she said. “I don't know if it's being back at Coach's house or him almost dying, but I've felt trapped in gloom for a while now.” She glanced over at him. “I'm like a butterfly coming out of my cocoon.”

“Okay, you definitely had too much vino, butterfly.”

“Ha!” she said.

He hit a button and the sunroof opened. The crisp evening air flooded the car. She turned her face toward it and sighed. There were times when the wind felt so good on her face.

She shifted again and then remembered something she'd always wanted to do. “Is it illegal to stick your head out the sunroof?”

“Yes. Are you feeling wild tonight?” he asked.

She nodded.

He sighed and then shrugged out of his suit jacket. The action pulled his dress shirt tight across his muscled chest and she just stared at him. Now lust was taking over. Rather than sticking her head out the roof of a car, she'd like to have sex with Hunter.

She knew her time in California was drawing to a close. Her father had made as much of a recovery as he could with her help. And she needed to get back to her real life. She wanted to believe that the nightclub and the famous people who were there were her fairy tale but Hunter wasn't a prince. Or more precisely he wasn't
her
prince, and she needed to go back to her real life and remember that.

But for tonight...

Tonight she was going to take everything she could. There was no reason not to. She'd lived long enough to know that a moment like this wasn't going to come along again.

“Why are you watching me?”

“You're gorgeous,” she said. “Surely you know that. When you get dressed in the morning you have to see all those perfectly sculpted muscles.”

He blushed.

Oh, my God.
He was embarrassed that she'd called him out on his body. He was too cute.

She knew that it wasn't just alcohol giving this night the magical feel. It was real.

“I don't.”

“Yeah, the blush gave it away. You have to know you're hot,” she said.

“Do you?” he asked.

“What? No. But I'm totally not. I'm just a psych professor, not a modern-day prince—I meant gladiator.”

“I'm not a prince,” he said.

“Tonight you are,” she replied.

He held his hand out to her as he got to his feet and drew her up next to him. He wrapped his arm firmly around her waist as they poked their heads through the sunroof. They were on a side road, winding their way slowly back to Carmel-by-the-Sea, and the moon was a crescent over them. They were the only car on the road.

Hunter shifted so he was behind her. He braced his arms on each side of her as they moved slowly up the road. She felt safer than she ever had before. She tipped her head back and closed her eyes. She didn't know if this was love. But it was the closest she'd ever felt to something like this and she wanted it to last forever.

“Hey, you two,” the driver yelled. “Back in the car.”

Ferrin started laughing and Hunter pulled her back down on the seat next to him.

“Sorry. Bucket list,” Hunter said.

“It's usually teenagers that do dumb stuff like that,” the driver said, putting the window up between them again.

“Bucket list?”

“Yeah, I figured it was the only thing that made sense.”

“Nothing makes sense,” she replied. “I'm going on what feels right.”

“And what is it that feels right to you?”

“This.” She straddled his lap and put her hands on the seat behind him as she lowered her head and kissed him.