Seduction by the Book Read online

  The hurricane… Yes, perhaps their safe refuge had a weak spot. Something that would bring Nicholas closer to the truth, yet would not damage his self-image for the time being.

  The young man had a lot to learn and a lot to unlearn. And this old gypsy using her father’s magic was just the person who could teach him the lessons.

  The lights flickered one more time and Annie set the book down beside her on the bed and stared at the bedside lamp. Maybe if she kept a careful watch on it for a few minutes, the electricity would hold still long enough for her to finish one more chapter.

  She’d been having some difficulty concentrating on the wonderful new romance novel that her sister Brenna had sent in a care package that had arrived just yesterday. Bless Brenna, Annie thought. Chocolate bars, fingernail polish, a bar of vanilla-scented soap and a new novel by her favorite author. What more could a person want?

  Annie glanced at her newly polished toenails and smiled. The island village did have a small grocery store that carried the basics. But they certainly didn’t carry blue nail polish.

  The sounds of the storm caught her attention as it intensified outside the walls of her room. The winds roared and tree branches whipped against the roof and windows. She felt safe and secure here in her suite, though.

  This whole single-story wing of the house was brand-new, built within the past five years. Everything was so fresh and clean with its seashell motif and the beige and white paint, bedspread and drapes. Much more sophisticated than her room back home.

  Her gaze landed back on the open book beside her. It was a terrific romance. But she couldn’t read more than a paragraph or two without thinking about Nick.

  For weeks now, she’d been having dreamy fantasies about her boss. She’d tried to squelch them. Fantasizing about her boss was a complication that felt way beyond her abilities.

  But every time she closed her eyes, his silky blond hair with its silver tips and his wide sensual mouth kept creeping into her mind, making her fingers burn to touch them. Along with some other parts of him that she wouldn’t want to admit, even to herself.

  And every time recently that the two of them had been close enough to touch in real life, she’d felt giddy and nervous and not at all like her normal self. She’d even noticed that she’d been giggling and sweating whenever he came close. For heaven’s sake.

  She’d given it a lot of thought. Regardless of how irritating Nick could be at times, this just had to be a real old-fashioned crush. She had certainly seen her older sisters go through similar things enough times.

  As teens in an all girls’ school, her sisters had never been interested in anything else but boys. They’d begged to be let out on dates. Their strict parents had tried to keep the gates locked and the temptations to a minimum, but her sisters had found sneaky ways around the rules.

  During her own teen years, Annie had gossiped on the phone with girlfriends and dreamed about a Prince Charming coming to sweep her off her feet. But she’d been too focused on her athletic teams, her studies and her books to work all that hard on finding boyfriends. In high school, getting an athletic scholarship to college had been her biggest goal.

  She had dated a few times in college, but she’d been so busy thinking up a way out of the house and out of Boston that it hadn’t left much time to worry about finding the perfect man. After college, her dreams had slowly turned to a desperation for travel, seeing the world and all the wonderful and far-off places she’d been reading about all her life.

  “And boy did I get more than I’d ever thought possible,” she said aloud to her empty designer room.

  Nick’s Caribbean island was like something out of one of her favorite novels. She was doing what she’d always dreamed of doing. So the idea of being caught up in her first real crush at the age of twenty-four was a bit much.

  Silly, she mused. She’d better dig down deep and find some of that practical good sense, just like her mother had always cautioned. Nick was about as attainable as one of her fairy-tale princes.

  Throughout the evening, the storm battered the roof and the sides of the house with pelting rains and gale force winds. Nick awakened several times to the sounds of something heavy hitting the house.

  At midnight he prowled through the darkened main house, worrying about the dolphins in their protected lagoon. The storm had turned course slightly and they were catching more of the hurricane than anyone had predicted.

  The electricity had gone out about an hour ago and he had not been able to reach any of the research team since then. Using a flashlight, he entered the kitchen and immediately his thoughts turned from dolphins to Annie. Dammit. Not again. He had to stop this.

  Just then, a tremendous noise echoed through the house, loud enough to be heard above the storm.

  Nick turned and made his way in the dark to Annie’s quarters as fast as he could. He threw open the hallway door and barged right into her rooms, yelling at the top of his lungs.

  “Annie! Where are you?” He flipped the beam of the flashlight around but found only an empty bed.

  The sounds of the storm had grown louder in here and he could feel the air stirring. He turned toward the source of the wind and bolted to the open bathroom door, reaching it with little trouble in the dark.

  But when he stepped inside the threshold, he found chaos. A huge palm tree lay half-inside the bathroom while the other half was still caught by the corner of the roof. But there were fronds and broken glass and now rainwater building higher on the tile floor.

  And Annie stood on the counter in the middle of it all, trying to shove bath towels into the hole in the roof.

  He swore once then moved toward her through the debris. “Are you all right? Just leave the damned thing alone and come away from there.”

  “I don’t have my shoes. I think I already cut my foot on the glass,” she hollered above the roar of the rains.

  “Then put your arms around my neck. I’ll carry you.”

  “You can’t carry me! I’m too heavy,” she protested.

  He waded closer to the counter. “My personal trainer would disagree with you on that one. She says I’m a lot stronger than I look.” He’d said it with a forced smile as he reached to tug her down into his waiting arms, but he was too concerned about her safety to be very gentle.

  Annie rolled against his chest and hooked an arm around his neck. Holding onto the flashlight with one hand, he pressed her close. She was as light as a baby in his protective embrace—and soaking wet from standing in the rain that was coming in through the roof.

  Slick and cool against his naked, warm chest, Annie’s body slipped lower against his abdomen. He groaned silently and begged for strength. The friction of her skin rubbing against his skin was causing him to lose his mind.

  Carrying her, Nick quickly stepped into the bedroom and slammed the bathroom door behind him. He gently let her slide the rest of the way down his body to the bed.

  “The bathroom is a mess, and I’m worried about the integrity of the roof on this whole section of the house,” he told her as he stepped back and let the flashlight illuminate the room. “Let’s get you some dry clothes and then you and I will have to spend the rest of the hurricane in my office. It’s in a part of the house that’s been through several previous hurricanes and should be safe enough.”

  “Yessir, master,” she quipped as she prepared to get off the bed.

  “Cute. But stay put.” Nick put a hand on her shoulder and gently pushed her back down. “Just tell me where to look for your things. You shouldn’t stand until we have a chance to attend to your cut foot.”

  Frustrated, Annie scowled up at him. “I can get around by myself. I’ve always excelled at one-footed races.”

  “Stay there,” he demanded once again and moved to her closet. “We have to hurry. Tell me what you need.”

  Annie directed him to the drawer with her shorts and T-shirts. Then she watched as he and the light disappeared into the huge walk-in closet. S
he would’ve liked to have dry underwear too, but simply could not imagine having him sift through her bras and panties.

  Nick was back in an instant. “You carry your clothes and the light,” he ordered as he shoved shirt, shorts and flashlight into her hands. “I’ll carry you.”

  Once more, he lifted her easily. She closed her eyes for a second, much too aware of where his body was touching hers. But the flashlight was in her possession, so she opened her eyes and tried to keep the beam steady, showing him the way through the darkened house.

  His arm was tight around her back, while her side was pressed against his firm naked chest. She wasn’t accustomed to seeing him without a shirt. He’d always worn T-shirts to work out.

  The muscles that she’d help create, bulged and bunched as he moved them past darkened obstacles. She tightened her grip around his neck and clung to him as she felt herself slipping down his body. Both of them were sweating and slick in the heat and humidity.

  He dragged her up closer and she caught a whiff of something that smelled like good old-fashioned soap, coming from his sweat-glistened skin. The familiar scent seemed unbelievably masculine all of a sudden.

  An electric tingle rushed across her skin and she could barely breathe. Having him carry her in his arms had turned into one of the most erotic experiences of her entire lifetime.

  A few moments later, Nick entered a guest bathroom that she’d never been in before. “I’m going to let you down now. Do you think you can change clothes on one foot while I go locate the first aid kit?”

  He bent to help her keep steady on her one good leg. But as she slid down his body, she felt the unmistakable thrust of aroused male against her back. She twisted and grabbed for his shoulders, shaken by her own desire as much as by his.

  “Uh…hold on to the counter,” Nick said roughly. “Everything will be fine as soon as you change and I doctor your wound.

  “Keep the light with you,” he urged with a rush as he stepped away and thrust a dry towel at her. “I can find my way in the dark to get another flashlight.”

  “But, Nick…”

  Whatever she would’ve said to make him take the light with him was lost. He disappeared into the darkened hallway and left her all alone to wonder what had caused both of them to totally lose their senses.

  “Let me look at your foot, Annie.” Nick was standing before her as she sat on the edge of the bathroom counter.

  His body took up all the air and space in what she’d thought before was a huge room. He’d brought the first aid kit and a kerosene lantern back with him. Being able to see his expression and his steel-blue eyes was not helping her feel any less nervous.

  She lifted her foot toward him before remembering her new toenail polish. It was too late now.

  “I tried to wash the cut while I was waiting for you to come back,” she said with a shaky voice.

  He turned her foot in his warm hands and stared down at her toes. “What color is that? Blue?” It felt so strange, having him touching her bare foot that way.

  She’d hoped that he would never have to see her little girly choice of polish. How embarrassing. She should be wearing her athletic shoes, like she nearly always did.

  “My sister sent it to me. I was just messing around tonight while I waited out the storm. It’s not my usual color. I—”

  “I like it on you,” he interrupted with a raspy chuckle. “It’s fresh and full of energy. Just like you.”

  “Oh.” Annie was totally overwhelmed by the heat she’d seen in his eyes.

  Nick still had hold of her foot. Suddenly she realized what was happening. She was aroused by having him touch her bare skin. And if she didn’t miss her guess, Nick was aroused as well. Jeez. Now what?

  “The cut doesn’t look too deep,” he told her as he studied it. “Do you think you washed all the glass out?”

  “I’m pretty sure.”

  He raised his eyes to question her and she was immediately struck dumb by his nearness. His face was mere inches from her own. If she just leaned forward slightly, she could kiss those full lips. She could reach out and pull him in for the pleasure of it.

  Her imagination began to run away with her and ripples of some unnamed sensation ran down her spine as he began to bandage her feet. It was too intense and she closed her eyes so he wouldn’t guess what she was thinking.

  Nick had to bite the inside of his cheek in order to get through bandaging Annie’s wound. It was all he could do not to ravish her right there in the bathroom.

  It had been easy to see that she wanted him. If not because of the sexy bedroom way she’d been staring at his lips, then because of the way her nipples had peaked against the thin material of her T-shirt as he tended to her wound.

  Obviously, she wasn’t wearing a bra. But then, he remembered that she’d been in her silky shorty pajamas when the roof had caved in. Of course she wouldn’t wear a bra to bed. And he hadn’t retrieved any underwear for her on their way out of her suite.

  Knowing that was driving him crazy. He didn’t want to stare at her chest. It had been tough enough before when she’d felt his arousal against her back. Good Lord. Male anatomy was such a pain sometimes.

  It was a huge relief to finally have her bandaged and safe and sound on the sofa in his office. Now he had to find something to do to keep them both occupied through the rest of this storm.

  He absolutely refused to give in to his body’s demands. He was a much better man than that.

  “Do you want to try to get some sleep? That sofa is fairly comfortable,” he asked with too much force.

  “Are you kidding? Who could sleep with all the excitement of the hurricane?”

  “Hopefully, we’ve had the last of the exciting events for this storm.”

  “Are you going to sleep?”

  He shook his head. “No.” Exasperated and enchanted with her all at the same time, he gave in to the situation and leaned back against the edge of his desk. “I guess we should keep each other company while we wait it out.”

  He’d wanted it to be easier. He’d wanted her asleep so his libido would let him off the hook. But nothing about Annie ever seemed easy. Passionate, sensual and so full of life an aura of energy fairly shimmered around her.

  “I’ve heard of hurricane parties. Maybe we could have one of those.”

  “Hmm. Depends on your idea of what would constitute a party.”

  “Well…there would be music. There’s always music at a good party.”

  He smiled, despite himself. “If you haven’t noticed, the only music you hear in this house comes from your CD player in the gym. And without electricity, retrieving that now would be useless.”

  “No music? My gosh, I hadn’t realized.” She stared up at him. “I can’t imagine living in a house without music. At home, you could walk through the house and every room would have a different song playing. Don’t you like music?”

  “It isn’t that,” he confessed. “Growing up we didn’t have much music in our house…aside from an occasional piano concerto played during a business reception.”

  “Your family had a piano and you didn’t play it?”

  He tried to keep the grimace off his face, but it was impossible. “I wanted to learn. But my father said piano playing would be of no use in business. I had the feeling he didn’t think it was particularly masculine either.”

  Annie laughed. “Don’t tell that to my brother Ryan. He plays every kind of music there is. Good enough that he can even take requests. And he’s no sissy. He was a fullback on the Notre Dame football team. Now he’s a fireman in Cambridge. He’d be a grand person to invite.”

  She’d been so animated as she talked about her brother. It was obvious that she loved her family. Her face glowed and she had bounced in her seat as she’d waved her hands throughout the story.

  God, how he wanted her.

  He would give up a month of his life to just once be able to capture that sexy mouth with his own. To run his hands throug
h her fiery curls. To touch that smooth skin and finally bury himself deep inside her waiting warmth.

  She was still driving him insane.

  Waving a hand as if to dismiss the problem, she said, “Don’t worry about the music. I can sing later if need be. What we really should have is beer or ale. That’s another absolute necessity for a good Irish party.”

  “Sorry. I doubt that there’s a beer in the house.”

  “Don’t you like beer, either? My father would call you a heretic.” She laughed and the flashing green fire in her eyes made him too aware of her teasing.

  “Be serious for once,” he scowled. “Perhaps we should play a game of chess to pass the time.”

  “Don’t know how to play. How about Hearts? I used to love to play that with my family.”

  “Hearts?”

  “It’s a card game.”

  He shrugged. “No playing cards in the house.”

  “Oh my gosh. A house with no playing cards and no beer. That’s just sad.”

  He found himself laughing at his own expense. “You are absolutely impossible.” But joking with her was turning him on even more than before. “I suppose in some ways I’ve been living in a dull world. At least it must seem that way to you,” he managed.

  “Oh I don’t think your world is dull at all.” She smiled and he felt his knees go weak. “Look around you. This is a fabulous mansion on an exotic Caribbean island. You can get on a jet and go anywhere in the world you want, any time you want. And in the meantime, you have a dolphin research facility where you can play with and talk to marine mammals. If that’s not colorful, I don’t know what is.”

  Through her eyes, the gray in his world faded away. It made him want more…more vibrancy…more life…more of Annie.

  He loved to hear her talk. Just talk. Her voice had a lilt to it that rolled over him like warm honey.

  “How about if we just talk to pass the time?” he asked, desperate to find something to take his mind off her body.

  “Okay.” She seemed to think that over a minute. “I know. We can tell stories.”