The Seduction (4 page)

“Can we please talk about business?” Keely
looks as if she’s about to bolt for the door.

“Anything you like.”

“Good.” She nods, about to go back to her
notes, when there’s a knock at the door.

“Keely?” The girl from reception pokes her
head around. “There’s a call for Carter. It’s June, and she sounds
urgent. Can you talk to her?”

Keely looks up. “Yes, put her through.”

“I’m sorry,” she apologizes, when the girl
leaves. “Another client, I need to see what’s going on.”

“Be my guest.”

She goes to the desk and when the phone
flashes a moment later, she picks up. “June? Mr. Abrams is not here
right now. What’s going on?” She pauses, then looks alarmed. “The
hospital? Is he OK?” Keely nods. “Of course, I’ll have the will
messengered over. They have a notary public on staff. Mr. Ashcroft
will be able to sign right away.”

Mr. Ashcroft.

The name sends a chill like ice through my
body. It can’t be.

Dark memories flood my mind, but I order
myself to stay cool, lounging back in my seat until she hangs
up.

It’s a coincidence, it has to be.

“A client?” I ask when she puts the phone
down. I keep my voice casual, like every muscle in my body isn’t
screaming out with tension.

She sighs. “Yes, I’m drafting his will, and
just in time. He’s had three strokes already. His nurse didn’t
sound confident.”

“Huh.” I wonder if there’s a way to dig some
more without looking suspicious. “Well, good luck to him.”

She gives me a distracted smile. “Look,
would you mind rescheduling? I need to get these files sent
straight over.”

“Of course.” I’m glad to get away to
regroup. Hearing that name has sent me off-balance, and I need to
get my shit together.

Keely moves to the door, and watching that
body in motion, I remember just what brought me here today. Fuck
the ghosts of my past, I’ve got a mission right here.

I step to block her path, looming above her.
I reach out and tuck a stray lock of hair behind her ear, feeling
her shiver beneath my touch. Yeah, this one will be easy. “How
about dinner, tonight, my place?”

Keely’s mouth drops open. Fuck, her lips are
juicy. “I meant, reschedule the meeting. With Mr. Abrams,” she
says, blinking.

“But your boss won’t look half as good naked
on my living room floor,” I reply. “I’m going to fuck you there
first.” She trembles against me, her body so ripe and ready I could
screw her right here. “I won’t wait to get to the bedroom,” I
promise her. “I’m just going to shove that skirt up around your
waist and fuck you, hard and dirty how you like it.”

I wait for her to moan, to sink against me
like every other panting, wet woman. But instead, she lurches away
from me, breathing fast.

“I want no such thing,” Keely insists,
scooting over to the door. “I don’t know what you think you’re
doing, but it won’t work.” She glares at me, furious. “I’m not that
kind of girl. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have real clients to
attend to. Ones who aren’t a sexual harassment lawsuit waiting to
happen.”

I watch, dumb-struck as she stalks away.

What the fuck?

I can’t believe it. She turned me down.
Nobody turns me down. Especially not some blushing librarian who’s
been panting like a bitch in heat since the moment she laid eyes on
me.

I narrow my eyes. This started out just a
regular job, but after what I’ve learned today, there’s no way I’m
letting this girl fuck up my perfect score. I’m going to find out
just what’s going on with Ashcroft, and finish the job too. Two
birds, one cock.

Miss Keely Fawes is going to be on her
knees, begging for my dick by the time I’m through with her.

Game on.

SEVEN

KEELY

“Have you never come so
hard you passed out?”

I can’t get Vaughn’s wicked words out of my
mind. All day long, I hear his filthy talk in the back of my mind,
making my stomach flip over and my thighs clench. He has to be
teasing me, I decide. Saying anything to get a rise. But when I
sneak a look at Google that afternoon, I see he’s not even
kidding.

Some women really do orgasm so intensely
they faint.

I catch my breath. When I manage to come at
all, it’s a gentle ripple of pleasure, warm and sweet, but gone in
an instant. I can’t even imagine what it would be like to feel a
rush so huge that my body literally couldn’t handle it.

Holy shit.

“What are you looking at?” Justine asks,
swinging by my cubicle with a couple of salads for lunch.

“Nothing!” I yelp, slamming my laptop shut.
Luckily, she doesn’t notice.

“The Tiny Texan is calling me again,” she
sighs, collapsing in a seat to gossip. “Like I’d fuck him again
last time.”

“I thought size doesn’t matter.”

She snorts. “Yeah, that’s just what they
tell you. I mean, sure, a guy can make up for it if he tries hard
enough in other areas.” She winks. “But the Texan was a bust on all
fronts.”

I pause, feeling embarrassed. My experience
with guys is pretty limited. I had one steady boyfriend in college
who I lost my virginity to, but aside from a few bad first dates, I
haven’t seen anyone seriously since graduating.

“Can I ask you something?” I drop my voice,
checking around so nobody can hear. But it’s lunch break, and the
paralegal pool is almost empty.

“Ooh, did you meet someone?” Justine
demands, chewing a mouthful of lettuce. “Is he hot? Is he
hung?”

“No,” I protest. “I mean, I haven’t met
anyone. Not really. I was just wondering... When you... you know.
What’s it like?”

“When I what?” Justine asks.

I blush. “When you...” I drop my voice even
more, whispering. “Come. Is it good?”

Justine shrugs. “Depends on the kind.”

“There are different kinds?”

“Sure.” She gives me a strange look. “I
mean, there’s the kind I get from a vibrator, that’s more about
pressure, you know, intense, but like, localized around my clit.
Then there are the orgasms when a guy goes down on me. Those are
slower, but crazy good. Like, waves through my whole body. And then
there are the best kind.”

“Uh huh?” I’m embarrassed to be asking her,
but I want more details.

“Mmm.” Justine grins. “Penetrative orgasms.
When his dick works me up just right, the friction, you know?
Sliding in and out, until I can’t take it anymore and my whole body
just, shatters. And if he works my clit too?” She whistles. “Huh.
Maybe I should give the one of my guys a call. That got me in the
mood.” She glances at the time. “Damn, I have to get to court. See
you later!”

She leaves me stunned at my cubicle.
Clearly, I’m no better than a virgin. Twenty-three years old and I
don’t even know what a real orgasm feels like.

But I bet Vaughn could teach you.

I picture that ravenous look in his eyes and
feel a shiver. He’s made it clear, he wants me. But I barely know
the guy.

You’d get to know him pretty well if you
took him up on his invitation.

No.

I shove the thought of him
to the back of my mind, and focus on work instead. I’m a serious
woman. I have goals and ambition. I shouldn’t be wasting my time
drooling over some dirty-talking stranger -- no matter how much my
body wants—no,
needs—
his touch.

But I can’t help wondering, if he would make
good on his promises. If he’d show me the pleasure I’ve never felt
before.

What would happen if I just said yes?

* * *

I go stop by the hospital after work to
visit Mr. Ashcroft. He’s in his own suite on the VIP floor,
wheezing through the tubes he’s got hooked up from his nose and
throat. He’s so weak, he can barely speak, but he gestures me
closer to the bed.

“I just wanted to check how you were doing.”
I take in his pale skin and all the machines -- he doesn’t look
good. “Did you get the paperwork signed OK?”

“Signed and sealed,” Ashcroft says
weakly.

“Do you need anything?” I hate seeing him
like this. The hospital, the wires and tubes, it brings back too
many painful memories of my parents after the crash. The doctors
did everything they could, but it wasn’t enough.

“No, thank you, sweetheart.” He grips my
hand. “My kids are round here somewhere. They flew in as soon as
they heard. Waiting around for me to die.” He coughs again, an ugly
hacking sound.

“Just relax,” I tell him, but he grips my
hand tight, pulling me closer.

“I need to tell you something,” he says,
between the coughs.

His voice is faint. I lean in.

“I should have told you... You need to
know--”

“Who the hell are you?” We’re interrupted by
an angry voice. A man comes striding in the room. He’s in his late
twenties, maybe, with dark hair and an expensive suit.

“I’m Keely Fawes, from Mr. Ashcroft’s law
firm,” I reply. “And you are?”

“Brent Ashcroft. His son.” Brent doesn’t
hold out a hand to shake, so I turn back to Ashcroft. “What is it?”
I ask gently. “What did you need to tell me?”

But he just blinks at me, his eyes watery
and confused. “I don’t remember.”

“He’s tired. He should be resting.” The man
sounds more pissed than concerned. “This area is for family
only.”

“I was just leaving. Call me if you need
anything at all,” I tell him.

“We’ve got it covered,” Brent interrupts.
“Thanks.” He pulls out his phone to send a text, clearly ignoring
me, so I give Ashcroft another smile and then leave.

Outside, I find his nurse, June, getting
coffee from the vending machine. Her dyed red hair is frizzing in
the heat, and her blue smocked outfit clings to her heavy
frame.

“He’s not doing so great, is he?” I ask,
with a pang of premonition.

“No, sweetie.” She pauses. “Did he talk to
you at all?”

“A little. He was kind of confused,” I
explain. “He said he needed to tell me something, but then... We
were interrupted. Do you know what it was about? He shouldn’t worry
about the legal stuff. We can deal with his business managers from
now on.”

June gives me a strange look. She glances
around quickly, and moves closer. “It’s not about that. He’s
worried about his kids.”

“You mean, that they’ll find out he
disinherited them?” I ask quietly. She shakes her head, her eyes
wide with something that looks like fear.

“No. Not that.”

“What then?”

“You should come back tomorrow,” she says.
“Promise me.”

“Brent says it’s family only.” I’m beginning
to get weirded out by all of this. I shouldn’t have come by in the
first place; it’s not exactly professional to get so involved with
clients, but Ashcroft has always been sweet to me -- if a little
strange.

“Call me, I’ll let you up,” she insists
urgently. “He needs to talk to you.”

I nod. “Oh, I nearly forgot,” I say,
reaching into my purse. “Ashcroft left this in the office.” I hold
out the jewelry box with the diamond bracelet.

June’s eyes widen. “But that’s for you,” she
says.

“And I told him I can’t take it.” I press it
into her hands.

“June!” Brent’s voice cuts through the
hallway. June whirls around, hiding the bracelet behind her back.
“I thought I asked you for coffee.”

“Yes sir,” June mutters. “I was just on my
way.”

His gaze slides back to me. “Do we have a
problem?”

There’s silence. “No, sir.” June says
quickly, then she turns and scurries away.

I hit the button for the elevator. Brent
comes closer.

“Did you need something?” I ask
politely.

He looks me over, his eyes sweeping from
head to toe in a way that makes my skin crawl. “My father talks a
lot about you,” he says slowly.

“He’s a great guy,” I reply. Actually he is
a true gentleman. A dying breed. One in a million.

“Huh.” Brent doesn’t say anything else. He
just looks at me all creepy, so when the elevator finally arrives,
I’m relieved to step inside.

“I have to go.” I try to stay polite.

“Right.” Brent gives me a smarmy smile. “I’m
sure you have plenty of other clients that need the... personal
touch.”

I shiver. I thought Ashcroft was
exaggerating about his kids, but seeing Brent up close, now I’m not
so sure. That guy is all kinds of creepy.

EIGHT

VAUGHN

After Keely turns me down, I spent the rest
of the day in a temper, trying like hell to figure out what the
fuck just went wrong. I know she doesn’t have a boyfriend. And even
if she did, that’s never made a difference to a chick before -- the
ones with a man back at home spread their legs just as fast as
anyone else.

I can’t get her out of my head. Every line I
gave her, she shot right back at me. She’s quick, edgy—but also
demure. Only her blush betrayed her desire.

And then there’s the Ashcroft question. I
tell myself it’s a coincidence, plenty of guys around with the same
name, but something haunts me, telling me that there’s more to this
than I know. I knew my secrets would catch up to me. I just didn’t
think it would happen like this.

And I fucking hate being in the dark, just
about as much as I hate chasing pussy that won’t give it up and
fuck.

I get a text from an unknown number that
evening.

Your target is leaving Cedars Sinai
hospital. Don’t delay.

There’s no name, but I know right away it’s
about Keely. Who the hell is the guy who hired me? Why would anyone
want to fuck with her? She’s not the kind of girl to make enemies.
What could she have done?

I pull over by the hospital parking lot just
in time to see her pull out of the garage in her boring-ass Civic.
I slip into the lane behind her. It’s easy to keep track since LA
traffic is bumper to bumper, and when she makes a turn and parks on
a side-street, I’m right there behind her.