Читать книгу A Shameless Seduction - Janelle Denison - Страница 9

MELODIE ABSENTLY PUSHED her lunch around on her plate with her fork, her mind too preoccupied with replaying yesterday’s conversation with Cole for her to concentrate on eating the food the waitress had just delivered. While she was ready to break out of the plain-Jane, good-girl existence she’d lived all her life, she had no idea how to go about transforming herself into the kind of woman who’d catch Cole’s eye.

“Don’t tell me you aren’t hungry,” Joelle, Cole’s younger sister, said in disbelief. “You’re the only woman I know that has a healthy appetite like mine—I’d hate to lose that rare bond we share.”

Melodie smiled at her friend and coworker from across the restaurant table. “Your appetite has doubled since you’ve become pregnant, Jo. I can’t keep up with you and your regular bouts of hunger.”

Jo rubbed her belly, which was still disgustingly small considering she was nearly five months pregnant. She wore leggings and long shirts, and hadn’t even graduated to maternity clothes yet. “I have to say that being pregnant is a wonderful excuse to eat, but Dean has become such a worrier about me taking care of myself and making sure I’m eating all the right things for the baby. It’s hard for me to splurge like I really want to.”

Melodie laughed when Jo rolled her eyes in exasperation, but there was no mistaking the love and affection between the couple when they were together. The two had met under unconventional circumstances when Jo had taken Dean into custody in a case of mistaken identity. During the course of establishing his innocence, they’d fallen in love, though it had taken time and compromise to make their relationship work. Now, the two shared a tangible devotion and passion Melodie envied.

An exaggerated sigh escaped Jo. “He insists on making me breakfast every morning and dinner every night, with something included from all the five food groups and a huge glass of milk to top it all off. So the only time I get to satisfy my real cravings is when I don’t go out to lunch with him.”

Melodie twirled fettuccini noodles around her fork and stabbed a piece of tender chicken. “If the way he takes care of you is any indication, Dean will make a great daddy.”

Blue eyes, identical in color to Cole’s, softened with agreement. “Yeah, I know he will.”

They both worked on eating their lunches, and after a few minutes of silence Jo looked back up at her and tipped her head inquisitively. “You seem distracted today, at the office and here at lunch. Is everything okay?”

Melodie took a bite of her fettuccini and debated whether or not to pull Jo into her dilemma with Cole. She desperately needed someone to talk to—a qualified, knowledgeable female who’d understand and empathize with her inexperience with the opposite sex. Melodie’s mother had died before she’d ever really known her, and her father had never re-married, so she’d grown up without a steady feminine influence in her life. She had girlfriends from school she still kept in touch with, but no one she felt comfortable enough with to discuss her lack-luster seduction skills.

As for Jo, well, she had a deeper insight to the man Melodie had her sights set on, so any advice she volunteered on her brother’s psyche might help Mel better understand what kind of obstacles she was up against. Ultimately, she trusted Jo as a friend and confidante.

Melodie swiped her napkin across her mouth, pushed her half-eaten lunch aside and took Jo up on her offer to express what was bothering her. “Can we talk, girl to girl?” she asked, then rephrased her question. “Or rather, woman to woman?”

A grin quirked Jo’s mouth and interest glimmered in her eyes. “Sure. What’s on your mind?” She finished off her burger and washed it down with the last of her soda.

Melodie paused a heartbeat, then said, “I was hoping you could give me some advice on attracting a man’s attention.”

Jo’s light, good-natured laughter rang between them. “What in the world makes you think I’m qualified to dole out advice on men?”

Propping her elbows on the table, Melodie laced her fingers together and rested her chin on top. “You snagged Dean, didn’t you?”

“There were extenuating circumstances,” Jo replied, brushing a wisp of blond hair off her cheek. “I certainly wasn’t on a manhunt when I met him.”

Melodie felt a blush sweep across her skin at the insinuation that she was interested in trawling for men. As in plural. “There’s only one man I want,” she clarified.

Leaning back in her padded chair, Jo regarded her thoughtfully as the waitress cleared their plates. The other woman mentioned dessert, momentarily distracting Jo with more important matters as she ordered herself a slice of chocolate cake. Melodie passed on the offer of sweets, opting instead for a refill on her iced tea.

Once the server was gone, Jo returned to her subtle analysis of Melodie from across the table. “If I had to hazard a guess, I’d say it’s Cole you’re after.”

Melodie opened her mouth, then closed it again, unable to deny the truth. “Yes, it is,” she said, relieved to finally admit her feelings to someone. “Am I that obvious?”

The waitress delivered Jo’s cake and she dove right in to the dessert. “Let’s just say that you have a way of wearing your emotions on your sleeve.”

“Does Cole know?” she asked tentatively.

Jo shrugged. “I have no idea, though I have to say that Cole tends to shut out the things he doesn’t know how to deal with. You could be one of those things,” she added with a smile.

A frown settled on Melodie’s brows. “That doesn’t sound very encouraging to me.”

“Knowing my brother all too well, he’s probably avoiding the attraction, and if you want his attention you’re going to have to force him to acknowledge it.” Jo took another bite of the rich, creamy-looking chocolate cake, and took a long moment to savor the taste. “So what brought all this on, anyway?”

Melodie explained about the Russell case, along with Cole needing a woman to accompany him to the charity auction. “I made the suggestion that I go with him to the affair so I can read those erotic love letters for him. I know the case, and I’ve worked for him for two years doing extended background checks and researching case information. The next logical step would be for me to help him on this case, but he’s adamant that my talents are better suited in the office and not out in the field.”

Jo chuckled in amusement. “Oh, that’s a good one.”

She cringed as she remembered his unflattering comment, but wasn’t about to let it deter her from her purpose. “Also, he claims he doesn’t want to put me in a potentially dangerous situation, yet he’s willing to use another woman as a decoy. If all that’s not bad enough, he’s using his close relationship with my father as an excuse to make sure he keeps me safe and out of harm’s way, as if it’s his duty to shelter and protect me. Between the two of them, I’ve had enough of being watched over.”

“Wow, can I ever relate to that,” Jo murmured in understanding. “Cole has always been the same way with me. He’s only eased off since I married Dean. Being protective of the people in his life has been ingrained in my brother since the day my parents divorced, and that trait only intensified after our father died and he had to raise me and Noah. Cole takes his responsibilities very seriously.”

“The very last thing I want is to be an obligation to Cole,” Melodie said, swirling her straw through her iced tea.

Jo ate another sliver of her chocolate cake, her eyes lighting up with an idea. “If you really want to be the woman on his arm at this charity auction, then why don’t you give him what he wants?”

Uncertain what Jo was getting at, she asked, “Which is?”

“A woman who fits his vision.” Jo licked off remnants of frosting from her fork as she thought for a moment. “What, exactly, did Cole tell Noah he wanted again?”

“A sexy, sophisticated, intelligent woman.” The prerequisite was burned in her memory.

A disarming grin curved Jo’s mouth. “Then that’s exactly what you give him.”

“Take a look at the woman sitting in front of you, Jo,” she said, her tone dry. “I’m not exactly sophisticated, sex kitten material.”

“No, but you most definitely have the potential to be,” Jo countered confidently. “If this is what you really want, you’re going to have to be willing to play the part to the hilt. You’ll need to learn to walk the walk and talk the talk, and shed a few inhibitions along the way. Think you can handle that?”

A spark of excitement flared within her. This was exactly what she needed—a friendly shove to break out of the straitlaced, conservative lifestyle she’d led for too long. “I’m certainly willing to try.”

“Oh, this is going to be fun.” Jo’s eyes glowed with mischief. “Tomorrow’s Saturday. What do you say you and I plan a girls’ day out and do the works, from head to toe? Haircuts, manicure, pedicure and a few new outfits?”

Melodie’s spirits lifted as she envisioned the new and improved her. “Just so long as Dean doesn’t mind me monopolizing your day.”

“Are you kidding?” Jo brushed off her concern with a wave of her hand. “He’ll reap the benefits.”

She exhaled a deep breath. “Then consider it a date.”

Jo leaned across the table, her expression filled with glee. “Come Monday morning, you’ll knock Cole’s socks off.”

Among other things, Melodie hoped. She grinned at Jo and said, “Let the transformation begin.”

BY SUNDAY EVENING Melodie decided that being sexy and sophisticated entailed a whole lot of hard work. Talented beauticians had managed to transform her into a woman she hardly recognized as her former self—from the cut, color and style of her hair, to her subtly made-up face, all the way to the pale pink polish on the nails of her fingers and toes. Salesladies with an eye for flattering outfits had given her a whole new look. Coupled with Jo’s approval and coaxing, her wardrobe now consisted of the kind of form-fitting and stylish clothes she’d always admired on other women but had never bought for herself.

Outwardly, she had to admit she looked like a whole new woman, the kind of worldly, wise and attractive date Cole needed on his arm in two weeks. Now she had to work on the “inner her,” and all the personality traits that came with being bold, confident and assertive.

Luckily she’d been blessed with a good amount of intelligence, she thought wryly as she crawled into bed, or else she’d be in big, big trouble, because she doubted there was a trained professional she could hire to implant a quick dose of brilliance. And to her credit, she already knew the P.I. business, and the details of the Russell case. So, she figured she was as ready as she’d ever be.

Fluffing her pillows against the headboard of her bed, she propped herself up, made herself comfortable and grabbed the book she’d left on her night-stand the previous evening. The book was chock-full of sexy, provocative advice on being aggressive and uninhibited. The Good Girl’s Guide to Being Bad covered everything from walking the walk and talking the talk, as Jo had put it, to how to tease, flirt and seduce a man with a glance or a touch. The book was all about breaking good-girl rules and embracing sensual, bad-girl pleasures. Later chapters included advice on enjoying every aspect of hot, erotic sex with the man of her choice, and how to make him a slave to her every desire.

She absorbed every page, every written word, and put it all to memory. By the time she’d finished the book it was nearly midnight, and there was no doubt in her mind that bad girls had the market cornered on fun. She’d also realized how to use an erotic letter of her own to show Cole she was a grown, sensual woman who could handle the Russell case, as well as him.

A smile curled her lips. Her fun would start tomorrow morning at the office, and she couldn’t wait to see the expression on Cole’s face when he laid eyes on her.

COLE WALKED INTO the office Monday morning and came to an abrupt halt in the reception area when he caught sight of a woman going through the case files in the drawers behind Melodie’s desk. Startled, he cast a quick glance around the area for his secretary, but she was nowhere in the vicinity.

Frowning, he quietly moved forward, wondering what the woman was up to—was she searching for information on a client case? And where was Melodie? He’d seen her car parked outside, so she had to be in the building somewhere.

His mind considered the odd scenario while more masculine instincts took note of the way the woman’s fitted lavender skirt clung to her trim backside. The hem ended midthigh, drawing his gaze to long, shapely legs covered in pale, shimmery stockings. He’d yet to see the woman’s face, but there was no denying she was a knockout from the neck down.

Banishing those wayward thoughts, he stopped in front of Mel’s desk and cleared his throat to get the other woman’s attention. “Excuse me, can I help you with something?”

She whirled around and pressed a hand to her chest in surprise. “Cole!” Melodie exclaimed breathlessly. “I didn’t hear you come in!”

Cole stared at the gorgeous vision before him, unable to believe his prim, proper and very reserved secretary had somehow metamorphosed into this head-turning, stunning creature. His mind reeled and his body felt as though he’d been delivered a punch to his midsection.

Gone was the long, tidy braid his secretary always wore, replaced by a tousled, shoulder-length cut that framed her face in soft waves and looked sexy as hell. Cinnamon-hued highlights had been added to her brunette hair, causing the silky strands to shimmer with the simplest movement of her head. The subtle application of makeup on her face brought out threads of bright gold in her brown eyes he’d never noticed before, and her lips were slick with a glossy shade of lipstick that reminded him of a succulent peach—one he wanted to gently sink his teeth into and taste…badly.

The knot in his stomach tightened, yet he couldn’t stop staring. The cream silk blouse she wore clung to her full breasts in a way her other outfits never had and was buttoned just low enough to give him a glimpse of a creamy swell of flesh. She’d tucked the hem into the trim waistband of her lavender skirt, giving her a sleek, sexy, well-put-together kind of look. The woman had the kind of lush curves that warranted a second glance, and all these years she’d hidden them beneath loose dresses and conservative outfits.

Still shocked, his mouth opened to say something, anything, but no words emerged.

She laughed, the soft, throaty sound unlike anything he’d ever heard in her tone before. “What’s the matter, boss?” she asked as a slow, sensual smile lifted her lips. “Cat got your tongue?”

The proverbial cat not only had his voice, but his groin seemed to be just as affected by her transformation. If he’d thought he’d been fighting his attraction to her before, he currently felt as though she’d launched a full-out assault on his libido, and his restraint!

He shook his head, hard, and tried to regain his composure. “What’s with…” Unable to grasp the appropriate word when his mind was muddled with arousal, he gestured from the top of her head to the three-inch heels on her feet with an impatient wave of his hand. “Everything.”

“It’s the new me,” she replied, and twirled around, giving him a 360-degree view of her very feminine assets. “I was in the mood for a change. What do you think?”

The problem was, he couldn’t think, at least not with any part of his anatomy located above the belt. Mind-blowing was the first word that came to mind, followed by provocative. With that crushable hair, those luscious lips and those endlessly long legs, she was his most carnal fantasy come to life.

Although it seemed crazy, he wondered if their conversation last week about her not accompanying him to the charity auction had instigated this radical transformation in her. Not that he had any intention of changing his mind about her doing the job.

He swallowed to ease his parched throat. “You look…” Amazing, tempting and too damned beddable. “Really nice,” he forced out blandly.

Some of the confidence glimmering in her gaze dwindled, and he experienced a mixture of relief and regret for bursting her enthusiasm. But the last thing he wanted to do was encourage her brazen behavior in any way. He was already having a difficult enough time with his body’s response to this new and sensual Melodie.

So, instead, he focused on business. “Any calls this morning?”

She hesitated for a moment, then straightened her shoulders once again, as if attempting to rebolster her fortitude. Reaching across her desk, she gathered a few pink message slips and handed them his way, her movements slow and unhurried instead of quick and efficient, as was her usual manner.

“Lance Keesling returned your call from Friday,” she said, and even her voice sounded lower, huskier, to his ears. “Jonas Goodwin would like an update on the Williams insurance fraud case, and Bobby Malone will be stopping by later this afternoon with the information you needed on the MacGregor custody case.”

He nodded succinctly. Bobby Malone was a detective with the Oakland P.D., and also a good friend of Noah’s. The two of them traded professional favors on cases when needed, and Cole was waiting for crucial information on a prior felon embroiled in a custody dispute with one of his clients.

“Great,” he said, glancing back at her after reviewing the messages she’d taken for him. “Could you pull the Goodwin case file for me and bring it to my office, please?”

“It’s already on your desk,” she replied efficiently.

“Thank you.” At least some things hadn’t changed, he thought gratefully. Despite Melodie’s new attitude and alluring appearance, she was still the same old reliable, conscientious secretary he’d come to depend on in the office.

And that’s all he cared about, he told himself firmly.

“Good morning, everyone,” Noah’s deep, cheerful voice sounded from behind Cole as he entered the reception area, followed by a quick inhalation as he obviously caught sight of Melodie. “Holy sh—” he cut himself off. Cole turned to see his shocked outburst replaced with a wolfish grin. “Who in the heck is this impostor? Certainly not our sweet Mel!”

A pink blush swept across her cheeks, but something much more mischievous flickered in her eyes. “Maybe I’m her naughty twin.”

“Oh, I like that,” Noah said with a too-charming laugh that grated on Cole’s nerves. Noah circled around the desk, grabbed Melodie’s hand, spun her in a circle for a full inspection, then made a low, growling sound of approval and appreciation. “You look incredible. I think I need to modify ‘sweet stuff’ to ‘hot stuff.”’

She beamed up at him. “That would definitely go with my new image.”

“Hot stuff it is,” Noah confirmed, winking playfully at her.

An odd tension settled down the nape of Cole’s neck and he was loath to acknowledge its source. Noah had always been a shameless flirt when it came to all women, yet Cole didn’t care for the way his brother was eyeing Mel’s newly revealed attributes he, himself, had ogled earlier.

He clenched his jaw in frustration and issued a stern internal lecture. He’d never been a jealous man when it came to the opposite sex, and he didn’t intend to start now with a woman he had no business lusting over.

“I’m glad you came in early, Noah,” he said, drawing his brother’s gaze back to him. “Can I see you in my office for a few minutes?”

Noah let go of Melodie’s hand and nodded. “Sure.” He followed Cole down the short hall to his office, then dropped into one of the chairs in front of his desk. “What’s up?”

Taking his own seat, Cole rolled his shoulders to ease the taught muscles stretching across his back. “Do you have time this week to do some surveillance work?”

“Yeah, I can wing it. What do you need?”

“It’s for the Russell case. I’d like you to tail Jerry Thornton and see if he’s involved with another woman and uncover whatever you can regarding his credibility.” Withdrawing a piece of paper from his blotter, he pushed it across his desk toward Noah. “Here’s his home and work address and a photo, along with other pertinent info.”

Resting an ankle over the opposite knee, Noah gave the notes a cursory glance, then slanted Cole a furtive look. “Speaking of the Russell case, your sexy, sophisticated, intelligent candidate for the charity auction is standing in the other room.”

“Who? Melodie?” he asked, his tone infused with a plausible amount of incredulity—he hoped.

Noah smirked. “No, her naughty twin.”

“Forget it,” he told his brother firmly. “I refuse to cross that professional line with my own secretary.”

“In order to cross a professional line you need to be attracted to her,” Noah drawled, insinuating as much. “Come on, Cole, she’s perfect for what you need.”

Cole’s needs were making themselves known with a vengeance. Since the moment he’d laid eyes on Melodie’s newly revealed bottom and long legs, his body had been clamoring for a more physical kind of contact. A languid dose of desire had settled beneath his skin, a nagging ache he feared would get much worse if Melodie continued her beguiling performance.

“And it’s not as though you have to sleep with her,” Noah added wryly.

Oh, but he wanted to, Cole thought, no longer shocked by his sinful thoughts where Melodie was concerned. Too easily, he could envision her sprawled on his king-sized bed, his own aroused body covering hers as his fingers sank deep into her silky hair and his mouth tasted her lips, her neck, her breasts. Oh, yeah, he wanted, and there was no sense in blatantly tempting himself with what he couldn’t have.

“Look, I refuse to put Melodie in that kind of position.” Or himself for that matter. “If, for some reason, something on the case goes wrong, I don’t want to risk losing a damn good secretary.”

Noah looked as though he was struggling not to burst out laughing at Cole’s ridiculous excuse, but managed to keep his expression composed. “Whatever you say.” Standing, he pocketed the information Cole had given him on Jerry Thornton. “I’ll get right on the surveillance and let you know what I find out.”

Cole nodded succinctly, grateful that he was no longer under his brother’s scrutiny. “Thanks, I appreciate it.”

Once Noah was gone, Cole deliberately buried himself in follow-up work on current cases to keep himself occupied and busy. Unfortunately, his secretary had more distracting matters in mind. Every time she walked into his office to deliver paperwork or discuss a case report with him, his gaze strayed unerringly to her swaying hips and shapely legs as she glided toward his desk in a slow, tantalizing stride. More times than he cared to admit, he caught himself staring at the soft roundness of her breasts beneath her blouse and had even witnessed a sensuous glow in her eyes when he dared to meet her gaze. Hell, even his ears perked up when she answered the phone, just so he could listen to her speak in that soft, husky tone of voice that matched her alluring packaging.

He was completely and totally aware of Melodie, in every way imaginable. Just as she’d intended, no doubt. And with every inviting smile she cast his way, coupled with a few accidental brushes of their bodies as they passed in the hallway, she added fuel to the fiery flame burning deep inside him.

By the end of the workday, he was tied up in knots, and so mentally and physically aroused he was ready to come out of his skin with a mere whisper of a touch.

The now familiar swishing sound that accompanied Mel’s approach down the hall to his office put his unruly hormones back on full alert. With effort, he tamped down his eager response, and by the time she’d entered the spacious room, he’d schooled his features to reflect casual interest.

It had been blessedly quiet for the past hour. At a quarter after six, the front-end phone was silent, and both Noah and Jo were gone for the evening—which left him all alone with Melodie. His muscles tensed at the realization. Normally that wouldn’t be a cause for concern, considering more often than not she worked late with him, but that was before she’d turned herself into an impudent minx.

“Can I run something by you, Cole?” she asked, her tone as serious as her expression.

Ahh, business he could handle. A piece of paper in her hand legitimized her request and made his shoulders relax again. “Sure. What is it?”

“A letter.” Instead of taking one of the chairs in front of his desk, she came around to where he sat and settled herself on a cleared spot of polished mahogany to his left. “One I’d like to read to you, if that’s okay.”

She crossed one slender, stocking-clad leg over the other—in the same prim and proper way she’d done a hundred times before while taking notes for him on a case. Except she’d never sat on his desk in such a brazen manner, and she’d never worn a skirt so short it ought to be deemed illegal for all the wicked, decadent thoughts it inspired.

He leaned back in his leather chair to put much-needed distance between them. “Is this for a case?”

She appeared momentarily nervous, which quickly ebbed into an adorable look of perseverance. “Yes, it is.”

Curiosity edged out the caution nagging at his conscience. “All right. Let’s hear it.”

Her chest rose and fell as she inhaled a deep breath, then her thick lashes lowered and her gaze dropped to read what she’d written on the piece of stationery in her hand. “You’ve been in my thoughts all day long, and now we’re finally together,” she began, her soft voice at first quivering and unsteady. “I’ve caught you watching me when you think I’m not looking and it excites me to know that I’ve captured your attention, and that you might possibly want me as much as I’ve wanted you. Your gaze drifts over me, as soft as a caress and as warm as a sultry summer night, making me heady with breathless anticipation.”

Certain he wasn’t prepared to hear the rest of her letter that was taking on a very provocative slant, he offered up a protest to stop her. “Mel…”

“Shhh, let me finish,” she scolded gently, though there was no mistaking that reading her erotic letter out loud was taking a huge dose of courage on her part. She shifted on his desk and slowly recrossed her legs, the movement echoing the restlessness stringing his nerves and body tight.

“You’ve become my sensual awakening, and now my body hungers for the intimacy of your touch.” Lifting her hand, she feathered her fingers along the pulse fluttering in her throat and gradually skimmed her hand downward to the vee in her blouse as she continued to mesmerize him with her words and actions. “I ache to feel your strong hands stroking my cheek, my breasts and heating the soft skin along my stomach and thighs. My heartbeat quickens at the thought of experiencing such exquisite pleasure, and even now I’m trembling deep inside, waiting, hoping that you’ll be the one to ease the intense longing that grows with every passing second.”

She brushed loose tendrils of silky hair behind her ear, and her tongue darted out to dampen her bottom lip, making her mouth glisten like a ripe, juicy peach. “Wrap me in passion and desire, and I’ll expose my every need. Tease me, please me and make my fantasies come true.” She lifted her smoky gaze to his, her dark irises rimmed in brilliant gold. “I’m waiting for you. Make me yours.”

Cole was so caught up in her sensual monologue that, in his very vivid imagination, she was already his. And his invigorated body echoed the sentiment. There was no doubt in his mind that she was attempting to shake up his composure and shamelessly seduce his mind, his thoughts. And her ploy was working, considering he could only think of one thing: fulfilling hot, illicit fantasies. Hers, and his own. Together.

The temptation to touch her was overwhelming, and it took monumental effort to resist the urge to reach out and place his hand on her silky leg and smooth his palm up her thigh, then beneath the hem of her skirt. To find out if she was just as aroused as she’d made him.

He clenched his hand into a tight fist on the arm-rest of his chair and asked as calmly as he could manage, “Where did you get that letter?” His voice sounded gravelly to his own ears.

She tipped her head, causing her softly layered hair to sway over her shoulder and along her cheek, beckoning him to test the luxurious texture of those strands with his fingers. “I wrote it today, during my lunch break. What do you think?”

“You definitely earn an A for creativity,” he replied without thinking.

A satisfied smile made an appearance on her glossy lips. “It was easier than I thought to write the letter, even kind of fun, but I was more concerned about reading it.” Her gaze held his, pulling him into the guileless pools of deep brown staring intently at him. “Did I do okay?”

Any better and he would have embarrassed himself with how turned on she’d made him. “You did fine, Mel.” Feeling too damned stimulated, he stood up and paced to the window on the other side of his office, then turned to face her again. “Is there a point to why you feel compelled to read me such a personal letter?”

“Of course there’s a point.” She slipped gracefully from the surface of his desk and glided toward him, a mixture of nerves and determination mingling in her gaze. Stopping in front of him, she placed her hand on his chest, right over his rapidly beating heart, then slid her palm upward until her trembling fingers toyed with the collar of his shirt. “I’m trying to prove I can be exactly what you need.”

Oh, he needed all right. With a vengeance. In a way that was quickly zapping his common sense and rigid control. “Care to explain that comment?” he asked, shoving his hands deep into his pants’ pockets.

“I’m applying for the position of your date for the charity auction.” Her fingers grazed the opening of his knit shirt, scorching his flesh with her daring caress. “I know you could probably find someone sexier and more alluring,” she said, a bout of insecurity showing through her bravado. “But you already gave me an A for reading my erotic love letter. Considering that’s what you need a woman for on the Russell case, that skill has to count for something, doesn’t it?”

“So, that’s the reason for your metamorphosis and that letter you just read?” he asked incredulously. “The Russell case?”

“Partly, yes.” Her chin lifted, adding a willful air to her demeanor and a new, intriguing dimension to her personality—a strength and tenacity he couldn’t help but admire. “I’ve been sensible and accommodating all my life, Cole. A quintessential good girl, a perfect daughter and a quiet, dependable secretary. I’m twenty-eight years old. I want to have some fun and be a little wild and adventurous. And I want to find out what it’s like working on a case outside of the office. I’m more than qualified, and I can help you on the Russell case, if you’d just give me the chance.”

“No.” His response was automatic; it was also his last link to his own personal salvation when it came to her.

“I’ll do whatever it takes to prove I’m capable of handling this assignment. Anything at all.” Undaunted by his refusal, she stepped closer, and whispered daringly, “Tease me, please me and make my fantasies come true,” she recited from the erotic letter.

I’m waiting for you. Make me yours. The provocative words echoed through his head, and he nearly groaned as every muscle in his body responded to her audacious display. Her flattened palms traveled along his shoulders and around his neck, and she swayed toward him, causing her soft, lush breasts to rasp across his chest and her thighs to press against his.

Unable to take another moment of her bewitching actions, he grabbed both of her hands to regain control of the situation and backed her up against the wall behind her. He pinned her wrists beside her head with his splayed hands and glared down at her, doing his best to discourage her advances with his dark look.

“Dammit, Mel,” he growled, his low, rough tone threaded with frustration and desire. “You’re playing with fire.”

He’d expected his intimidation tactics to coerce her into backing off, but this new side to Melodie was proving to be more than he’d bargained for. Instead of retreating, she inhaled a deep breath and gazed up at him challengingly. “Maybe I want to get burned.”

Oh, hell. When and how had the focus of the conversation shifted to them? The flush of excitement on her cheeks backed her claim, yet he instinctively knew she hadn’t considered the repercussions of what she was asking for, or the fact that he wasn’t a forever kind of guy. One step closer and she’d have ample proof that he was ready, willing and able to indulge in hot sex and carnal pleasures with her. But work and personal ethics kept him from following through on the primal urges raging within him.

He bent his knees, lowering his face so he was looking directly into her eyes—putting him a breath away from kissing her. “You’re not ready for this kind of game,” he warned in a deep, gruff voice. “And if you’re not careful, you’re gonna end up getting hurt.”