Janelle Denison - Seduced

Telling herself she only meant to appease her interest and would only spare a brief glimpse at his surprise, she stood and placed her hand in his. Immediate warmth engulfed her as he entwined their fingers. Without hesitating, she allowed him to guide her up the spiral staircase and into his master bedroom. She caught a quick hint of bold, masculine colors of hunter green and navy blue, and dark oak furniture, before he tugged her closer to the king-sized bed and the big basket sitting in the center nearly overflowing with ingredients of a sensual variety.

She took quick inventory of the items, finding bottles of bath products, candles, a bottle of wine with two crystal glasses, and a rich, purple, velvet chenille robe tucked to the side. There was more, but she'd seen enough to catch the gist of Ryan's gift.

"Okay, I get the idea," she said, meeting his warm, chocolate-brown gaze. "But I still think Brooke and Marc will find my gift more useful."

"This isn't for them. This is lesson number two." He released her hand, and grinned wickedly. "My sensual versus your practical."

It took a moment for his meaning to sink in, but when it did, her eyes widened incredulously. "You wantme to take a bath withyou?"

"In a matter of speaking, yes." He spoke as though his suggestion was nothing out of the ordinary. "Since you're so skeptical about my gift idea, I thought we'd give practical application a try to convince you otherwise."

Too easily, she recalled his cake test, and his creative, provocative way of convincing her that variety was a very good thing. Just remembering what had transpired in her kitchen, on her table, made her feel weak in the knees, breathless, and flushed with shameless anticipation.

She shoved those thoughts from her head. "Ryan, what you're suggesting is…"

"Tempting?"

Oh, yeah.Knowing the state of ecstasy he could so easily bring her to, she was definitely inspired to accept his invitation. "How aboutoutrageous?"

"Aw, come on, Jessie," he cajoled. "Since you've never had this particular experience, I want to show you how fun sharing a bath with someone can be. Then you might have a better appreciation for my gift."

A deep fluttering stirred in her belly, and she shook her head adamantly. "I'mnot getting naked with you."

"Yeah, I kinda figured that was too much to hope for." A mischievous light twinkled in his eyes. "So, we switch to Plan B."

Her gaze narrowed. "Which is?"

"You leave your underwear on," he said matter-of-factly.

Abrupt laughter escaped her, full of humor. "How about Plan C,no way?"

He propped his hands on his hips, looking too persuasive, and way too male. "It's not a big deal, Jessie. It'll be just like you're wearing a bathing suit. And I'll wear my swim trunks. I promise you'll keep your underwear on the entire time, and if things go too far for you, all you have to do is tell me to stop, and I swear I will."

She bit her bottom lip indecisively. His brown eyes were honest and sincere, reminding her that he'd never taken advantage of her. Admittedly, she'd always been a willing participant in his various seductions.

And that's what worried her. Wearing her bra and panties and being submersed in a tub full of water might keep her safe from his gaze, but she had little defense against the other more lethal weapons he had at his disposal, like his drugging kisses, his insidious touch, his arousing words…

"Tell you what," he said, catering to her hesitancy. "If after I'm done you still feel that my gift idea doesn't have merit, I'll go in on your gift without complaint or further argument. But you can't say no to me until you at least give my idea a try. Fair enough?"

She smirked. "Does a lawyer know the meaning of fair?"

He stared at her for a long moment, looking as though he wanted to debate her distrustful comment. Then, seemingly deciding if he did so he'd risk losing her cooperation, he let it go. "How about just for a little while we forget about my profession, and reduce this to something more simplistic and basic, like a man and a woman having a little fun together. Can you do that for the sake of our experiment?"

This was it, no more hedging. Say yes and treat herself to whatever pleasures Ryan had in store, or choose no and regret losing out on the unique experience he'd offered

Her pulse raced wildly, and her answer rushed forward, based purely on the intense need and passion clamoring within her. "Yeah, I can do that."

His smile was relieved. "Good."

She watched him head toward his dresser drawers and retrieve a pair of swim trunks. Then he pulled off his sweatshirt and tossed it on the bed. Her mouth went dry at the sight of the wide expanse of his chest, muscled and defined with a light sprinkling of ebony hair that whorled around his dark, flat nipples, then spread downward, around his navel, then on to the waistband of his jeans… where his fingers were busy releasing the snap.

Her heart lodged in her throat. "What are you doing?" she blurted.

He lifted his head and sent her a peculiar look. "Getting undressed. I suggest you do the same." Without an ounce of decorum, he unzipped his jeans and she watched in fascination as the front placket spread open, revealing a glimpse of white cotton and other masculine assets. Before he could completely shuck his pants and briefs, she came to her senses.

"Well, if you don't mind,I'd like some privacy in which to strip down to my underwear." Ridiculous or not, she wasn't used to prancing around in front of a man in her bra and panties.

A wry grin canted his mouth, as if he found her request incongruous, considering he'd eventually see her in her bare essentials. "As you wish." Withdrawing the chenille robe from the basket, he dropped it on the bed.

"I guess I'll leave this for you-formodesty's sake."

"Thank you." She made a face at him that lightened the moment and made him laugh.

Grabbing his swim trunks and the basket of goodies, he headed toward the bathroom, then stopped short of crossing the threshold. "Just come on in when you're ready."

The door closed behind him, leaving Jessica to wonder if she'd ever truly be ready for Ryan Matthews.

Jessica toed off her sneakers and pulled off her socks, then froze when she heard the water in the bathroom turn on and rush to fill the tub. Her pulse skittered erratically at the thought of sharing that bath with Ryan, and her gaze darted to the bedroom door. It wasn't too late to bolt and get the heck out of there.

That would be the smart, logical thing to do. But she could no longer deny desires that had lain dormant for years-wants and needs that came alive around Ryan. Whatever he had planned with this particular lesson, she wanted to indulge her senses, wanted to play and have fun with him.

She expected touching, obviously, and maybe some kissing, Drawing on his chest with edible body paints and licking it off didn't sound half bad, either. All pleasurable stuff.

His sensual versus her practical.

Deciding the experience could prove to be a very illuminating one, she reached for the hem of her oversized sweatshirt and drew it over her head. After folding that article of clothing neatly and placing it on the bed, she slipped her fingers into the waistband of her baggy sweatpants and shimmied them down her legs and off. She reached for the robe Ryan had left for her, and stopped short when she caught a glimpse of her reflection in the mirror over his dresser.

Seeing herself through different eyes, she grimaced at how plain and uninspiring her choice of lingerie was. There was absolutely nothing sexy or tantalizing about her underwear, and nothing to stimulate lust in a man. Her bra was ordinary and comfortable, without a hint of lace to scallop over the fullness of her breasts, and her panties were plain ol' cotton Jockeys for women.

A sex kitten she was not. She never spent her money frivolously, and sexy lingerie was a luxury she'd never been able to justify for herself. But, it was for the best. At least her unflattering attire would help to diffuse Ryan's interest, and make it easier for her to pretend that she really was wearing an unimpressive white bikini.

Still feeling an initial twinge of modesty, she shrugged into the robe, and luxuriated in being swallowed up by soft, warm layers of chenille. Tying the sash, she headed toward the bathroom, knocked lightly to let Ryan know she was entering, then opened the door-and was instantly greeted by the delectable scent of ripe, sweet strawberries swirling from the steamed water in the tub.

Except Ryan's tub wasn't your standard fare-it was like a miniature Jacuzzi, large enough to seat more than two, and deep enough to immerse yourself up to the shoulders. Water eddied from jets situated along the rounded contour of the tub. And if that lavishness wasn't enough to throw her for a loop, then the way Ryan had transformed the bathroom into a palace of sin and seduction certainly did.

The basket of bath products sat on a ledge behind the tub, along with the open bottle of wine, and two full crystal glasses. Half a dozen candles flickered in the room, adding to the romantic atmosphere, and the fragrant scent of lush strawberries saturated her senses-all designed to influence her into agreeing to his gift idea.

"So, what do you think?" Ryan asked from behind her.

She turned and met his gaze, thinking he was on his way to contradicting her sensible nature with yet another valuable lesson-this one on the benefits of being amorous and innovative.

"I'm very impressed." With the sensual display he'd painstakingly arranged, and the magnificent, athletically built body he possessed. Wearing nothing but a pair of navy swim trunks, he was all male, virile and breathtakingly dynamic.