The Playboy's Proposal

“You’re not afraid of me?”

“Should I be? Do you intend to devour me?” Kathryn challenged scoffingly, knowing she wasn’t in the least bit afraid of him.

“The idea becomes more enticing by the minute. Doesn’t it?” Joel charged softly.

Warning bells went off in her head. “I think this is where I should protest that we have only just met.”

“Maybe we have, but it only took a second for both of us to know we want each other.”

“Do we know it?” she charged mockingly, and he nodded.

“Oh yes, and I give you fair warning, when I want something I usually get it.”

“Your arrogance is incredible!”

“My lovemaking is even better,” he retorted.

AMANDA BROWNING still lives in the house where she was born. The third of four children—her sister being her twin—she enjoyed the rough and tumble of life with two brothers as much as she did reading books. Writing came naturally as an outlet for a fertile imagination. The love of books led her to a career in libraries, and being single allowed her to take the leap into writing for a living. Success is still something of a wonder, but allows her to indulge in hobbies as varied as embroidery and bird-watching.

“Amanda Browning pens a riveting tale

chock full of dynamic characters,

sharp dialogue and an explosive conflict.”

—Romantic Times

The Playboy’s Proposal

Amanda Browning

Contents

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ONE

KATHRYN TEMPLETON was wrapped in a pleasant haze, floating somewhere between sleeping and waking. The virtually silent engine and the gentle music issuing from the car’s speakers had had her sinking more comfortably into her seat and closing her eyes some time ago. It was the sudden cessation of noise as the music was turned off which brought her eyes open with a start, and she turned puzzled green orbs towards the driver, her Titian hair swinging about her face as she did so.

‘What’s up?’ Glancing ahead, she expected to see trouble in the form of an accident, but the road, winding through a Lakeland landscape clad in a late-winter fall of snow, was empty.

‘We’re almost there,’ declared Drew Templeton, her cousin and the reason she was sitting here heading into the Cumbrian wilds, as if that explained everything.

As far as Kathryn was concerned, it left a lot to be desired. Sitting up, she glanced at him curiously. ‘So what’s turned you so serious all of a sudden?’

Drew’s fingers tapped out a nervy tattoo on the steering wheel. ‘Nothing, really,’ he denied, then added, ‘I thought I’d better warn you about Joel, that’s all.’

Finely arched brows rose questioningly in a heart-shaped face. Drew had been fairly reticent about his employer. All she knew was that he had trouble with his computer, and, because she cared for her cousin, she had agreed to help. She ran a small but flourishing business sorting out problems with computer programs.

‘What about him?’ It seemed to her a fine time to start issuing warnings, when they were almost at journey’s end, but she guessed Drew hadn’t wanted to risk her running out on him. The rat. Not that she would have. ‘OK, tell me the worst. Is he some sort of monster?’ she teased lightly, and he gave her a sombre look.

‘Not exactly. I think the best way to describe Joel Kendrick is as a wolf in wolf’s clothing,’ he declared seriously.

The description had her ears pricking up. Really? She had never met an honest-to-goodness real life wolf before. What would he be like? Handsome, of course, with sex appeal dripping from every pore, or how else would he attract women? How did he go about seducing them? What, she wondered, with a quickening of her heart, would it be like flirting with him? The thought sent a tiny tremor of anticipation along her spine. There was nothing she enjoyed more than a light-hearted flirtation with a handsome, like-minded man. The weekend, which had offered only some interesting work, now took on a different complexion entirely. Smiling to herself, Kathryn folded her arms and gave Drew her full attention.

‘How interesting. Do tell me more!’ she invited with barely suppressed enthusiasm.

Her cousin groaned, not at all surprised by her response. Kathryn was cheerful and vivacious, and generally saw life as an adventure. Instead of viewing Joel Kendrick as someone to be avoided, she was more likely to see only the challenge of flirting with him. Unfortunately, his employer wasn’t like most men she met. It worried him that there was a real danger here, and he didn’t want to see her hurt.

‘Listen, Kathy, I’m being serious. Joel is my employer, and I like him, but I don’t have to approve of his attitude towards the opposite sex. He has a predatory eye for beautiful women. When he sees one he wants, he goes after her with single-minded intent. Oh, he treats his women well, but he’s only interested in an affair. Marriage is quite out of the question. Which, incidentally, is why you’re here.’

Far from being put off, Kathryn felt her curiosity sharpen. ‘You mean, one of his women caused this computer malfunction?’

‘Apparently she took exception to his ending their affair, and we think she slipped back into the house whilst he was out and deleted everything she could lay her hands on. Then the system crashed, and…. Well, this isn’t my field. God knows what else she did, but according to Joel it’s a mess.’

‘I see,’ Kathryn mused, silently praising the woman’s ingenuity. It certainly beat cutting his suits to shreds. The woman had style.

Drew sighed and flicked on the indicator before turning off the main road. ‘Joel called me and asked if I knew anyone who could help. He doesn’t want just anyone raking around in his business. I knew I could trust you, but it wasn’t until we were on our way that I realised taking you to Joel was like throwing you to the wolf.’

‘Because you think he might be interested in adding me to his list of conquests?’ Kathryn enquired teasingly, and Drew turned troubled eyes on her.

‘You certainly fit his criteria.’

She grinned. This was sounding very promising, ‘You mean I’m breathing?’ she taunted wryly.

‘I mean, you’re beautiful,’ Drew corrected heavily, and she quickly reached out and squeezed his arm.

‘Thank you for the compliment,’ she said warmly, and, unable to resist her patent affection, he grinned back at her.

‘You’re entirely welcome.’

Sitting back in her seat, Kathryn studied the starkly beautiful landscape. They were on a lakeside road, and the view was breathtaking. She liked winter. Everything seemed so sharp and clean. Eventually, though, her thoughts turned back to Joel Kendrick.

It was as well he wasn’t looking for a wife, because he didn’t sound her type at all. She was looking for that one man she would want to spend the rest of her life with. She knew that one day she would meet a man and fall in love with him in an instant, because love was like that. Whilst she waited, though, she wasn’t averse to having some fun. So what if Drew’s boss wasn’t husband material? As a diversion he fitted the bill nicely. She was well and truly intrigued by the possibility of indulging in some fascinating exchanges with a man who must have flirtation down to a fine art. Really, Drew needn’t worry about her being seduced by this latter-day Casanova. She had her head screwed on, and wasn’t about to become Joel Kendrick’s next conquest.

‘So, Joel Kendrick is used to getting any woman he wants, is he?’ she mused thoughtfully.

‘Being handsome and rich has something to do with it. Women seem to fall for him in droves,’ Drew added dryly.

‘Ah, the pull of sex appeal.’

She knew its power. Had fallen under its spell once or twice in her search for love and Mr Right. She knew she was as susceptible as the next woman when it came to a hunky male, but that didn’t mean she gave in to it. She had had a grand total of two relationships in her twenty-six years. It was no hardship to keep her relationships platonic. Sex for sex’s sake had never had an appeal.

‘What does he do? I mean, he doesn’t simply chase women all day, does he?’

‘He’s a business man, with engineering companies worldwide. He can be ruthless at times, but he’s well respected in the City. He took over the original company when his father retired, and has taken it from strength to strength. He’s a force to be reckoned with, but unfortunately it means he’s used to getting his own way.’

So, he was a strong-willed man. Well, she was used to strong-willed men. Her father and brothers were such men, with a tendency to issue commands to the youngest child and only daughter because they loved her and wanted to protect her. She understood that, but never let them ride roughshod over her. Consequently, their battles had become legendary. She was, after all, her father’s daughter, and equally strong-willed.

‘Do you honestly think I’m likely to be interested in him?’

‘I hope not,’ Drew responded fervently. There was no knowing quite which way Kathryn would go, but a prudent man expected the worst. He pulled a face. ‘Though it’s been my experience that women can’t seem to help themselves where he’s concerned.’

She laughed wryly, easily following his line of thought. The trouble with Drew was that he knew her too well. ‘Thanks for the vote of confidence. As it happens, I’m no push-over. Have you given thought to the possibility that I might not like him?’ The law of probability said that there must be some women who were immune to his practised charm.

‘No. You’d do something silly just for fun even if you didn’t like him. Just don’t get involved with him,’ Drew commanded. ‘Be kind to yourself, Kathy. He’s not the sort of man you want to play around with.’

There was no doubting his concern, and she loved him for it, but she felt he was rather jumping the gun. OK, she was thinking of sharpening her claws a little, but she could always change her mind. ‘I tell you what, I’ll take it under advisement. For now, I think I’ll just reserve judgement. After all, I haven’t even met the man!’

A situation which was about to be remedied some fifteen minutes later, when Drew brought the car to a halt before a large stone-built house, with gables and an extra wing tacked on to one end of it.

‘So, this is the wolf’s lair?’ Kathryn declared, tongue very firmly in cheek, as she climbed out of the car. It was beautiful.

Drew retrieved their luggage from the boot. ‘Come and meet him. I hope you’ve got some garlic handy.’

‘Silly, that’s only good against vampires. What I need is a silver bullet, and I’m fresh out of those. I’ll put them on my shopping list.’

‘You may joke now,’ Drew responded, seeing her determination to make light of the situation as a bad sign. ‘I only hope you don’t end up laughing on the other side of your face.’

Kathryn slipped an arm through his and squeezed gently. ‘Don’t worry, Drew. I can take care of myself.’

He looked at her doubtfully. ‘Hmm. Famous last words. Oh, well, I’ve had my say. It’s up to you now.’

The sound of footsteps came from inside as Kathryn replied, ‘I’m a big girl. I had my twenty-sixth birthday a month ago, remember.’

‘I know; I was there. And, I’m happy to say, you were very well behaved. Perhaps you are getting some sense after all. Am I being overprotective?’

She smiled at him. ‘Just a bit, but you’re allowed.’

‘It’s just that with my flying off to Germany tomorrow I won’t be here to protect you.’

Would her family ever stop protecting her? she wondered wryly. ‘Stop worrying. I’ll be fine. But if worse comes to worse, I’ll let you say I told you so.’

The door opened before Drew could respond by telling her it didn’t make him feel any better. Framed in the doorway, a cheerful woman in her sixties smiled warmly at them.

‘Good afternoon, Mr Templeton. You made good time, then?’ she greeted Drew, and nodded at Kathryn, stepping back so that they could enter.

‘I thought it best not to keep him waiting, Agnes. Didn’t want to make him testy,’ Drew said, urging Kathryn inside ahead of him, where the warmth enveloped them both. ‘Agnes is Joel’s housekeeper, and all-round good egg. This is my cousin Kathryn. She’s come to the rescue.’

The older woman looked at Kathryn more closely and her face fell comically. ‘Oh dear,’ she said faintly, and Kathryn frowned in ready concern.

‘Is something wrong?’

‘Not at all, my dear,’ Agnes denied as she closed the front door. ‘You’re very welcome, I’m sure. It’s just…. you’re very pretty.’

‘Ah,’ said Kathryn, seeing the light, and couldn’t help laughing, though not unkindly. ‘It’s all right, Agnes. Drew has told me all about our furry friend.’

‘Furry friend?’ It was the housekeeper’s turn to look puzzled.

Kathryn leant down towards the woman, who was a good half a head shorter. ‘The wolf,’ she whispered confidentially. ‘Don’t worry, I had a tetanus booster not long ago.’

‘Just lead us to him, Agnes,’ her cousin suggested, setting their bags at the foot of the stairs and removing his coat. He handed it to the housekeeper and Kathryn did the same. ‘My cousin has a weird sense of humour. Don’t try to understand her.’

Agnes, far from being put out, suddenly had a twinkle in her eye. ‘Something tells me somebody might just have met his match. You’re not at all what he was expecting. For one thing, he was expecting a man. You’ll find him in the library, gnashing his teeth and cursing till the air is blue. I’ll bring along some coffee in a few minutes. Unless you would prefer something else?’

Kathryn said coffee was fine, and Drew led the way to the back of the house, then along a passage to the west wing. As he opened the door, Kathryn felt her heart rate increase in sudden expectation, and smoothed the blue chenille jumper she wore with leggings down over her hips. As she followed her cousin inside, she heard a husky voice growl a greeting.

‘It’s about damn time you got here!’ it said, and she grimaced. It sounded very much as if the wolf had a sore head.

She almost felt sorry for him. Almost. Stepping inside, she caught her first glimpse of the man she had heard so much about.

Joel Kendrick was certainly impressive. He stood by the fireplace, where a fire blazed welcomingly, a glass of what appeared to be whisky in his hand. He was a tall man, broad-shouldered and slim-hipped, and clearly at the peak of fitness. He wore jeans which hugged his long muscular legs, and a black sweater which outlined a powerfully masculine physique. He was somewhere in his mid-thirties, she guessed, with hair so dark it appeared blue where the light caught it. His face, even from the side, was most definitely handsome, but there was a ruggedness about it which prevented it from being too pretty.

There was no denying it; he was a very attractive man. In fact, he was the most attractive man she had seen in a long while. She could feel the aura of him even from where she stood, and rather unexpectedly it set her nerve-endings tingling like crazy. Even stationary he had a kind of dynamic magnetism which reached across the space separating them and touched her. At its basic level, it was the female responding to a prime example of the male of the species. Translated to the present day, it meant she could no more ignore him than she could stop breathing.

It wasn’t at all what she’d been expecting, but she wasn’t overly alarmed by it. On the contrary, it added a certain spice to the situation. It was time to make her presence felt.

‘As we didn’t have Scotty to beam us through the air in a split nanosecond, I think we did a pretty good job getting here so quickly,’ she put in before Drew could utter a word, and instantly found herself staring into piercing blue eyes.

They were the sort of eyes which, in certain circumstances, would create havoc with a woman’s senses, and when they locked with hers that was precisely what they did. Because something elemental connected them in the space of a heartbeat. The air seemed to sizzle and hum between them, as if it had taken a positive charge. It was pure chemistry, and a look was all it had taken to set off a chain reaction. The attraction was instant—and mutual.

Kathryn experienced a familiar curling sensation inside her. She acknowledged it with a shiver of excitement. Attraction, pure but not so simple. Just as she had supposed, the man had sex appeal oozing from every pore, and it had struck her on a primitive level. Her senses responded by setting every nerve in her body tingling. Given his visual attraction, she wasn’t surprised to feel it, but she was surprised by its strength. The man had something, and whatever it was her senses liked it. Liked it a lot.

His eyes as they roved over her were like a lick of flame, and she wondered if it had been wise to wear leggings tucked into knee-length boots for the journey. It showed off altogether too much of her to his gaze. Not that she revealed her concern for an instant. Every instinct she possessed told her that he was not the sort of man you gave any sort of weapon to.

‘And you are?’ Joel Kendrick asked curiously, in a voice laced with a lethal brand of husky sensuality. Setting his glass aside, he slipped his hands into the pockets of his jeans, a move which tightened the material around his thighs and raised her temperature accordingly.

The man was pure dynamite, she acknowledged wryly, and all done without even trying. It was stunning. Nobody had had quite this effect on her before. How could she possibly ignore it? Did she want to? That imp of devilment which was always under indifferent control now decided to come to the surface, and, as Drew had feared, she didn’t resist it.

‘I’m the woman you’ve been waiting for,’ she quipped back with a deliberate mix of seduction and mockery.

Amusement flickered in those devilish blue eyes. ‘Is that so?’ he drawled softly, giving her his full attention in a way that set up goosebumps on her flesh.

Caught between them, Drew rolled his eyes despairingly. ‘Kathryn, cut it out!’ he ordered.

‘Shut up, Drew,’ Joel commanded quietly, strolling towards her. ‘This is just getting interesting.’ Coming to a halt a mere foot away, he smiled lazily, an action that threatened to steal her breath away. ‘So, I’ve been waiting for you, have I?’

She inclined her head, smiling sweetly, whilst her heart raced away at a mile a minute at his closeness. ‘Impatiently, by the sounds of it.’

He shrugged that off without taking his eyes from her. ‘My temper’s been a bit frayed lately, but it’s improving by leaps and bounds now.’

Kathryn laughed, a sultry sound that made something flare to life in the depths of his eyes. ‘I have that effect on people.’ She knew she was behaving outrageously, but she couldn’t seem to help herself. ‘In fact, they’ve been known to hug and kiss me on sight.’

He grinned, and there was definitely something wolfish about it. ‘I can quite see why. I’m tempted to do the same.’

Oh, boy, he had the charisma to make a woman forget her principles just when she ought to be standing on them, she decided as she held up an admonitory hand to keep him at bay. ‘I should wait until you’ve seen what I can do first.’

Joel laughed, sending a tingle down her spine and curling her toes. ‘I’m impressed already.’

Drew, by this time, had steam coming out of his ears. He crossed over to them and took Kathryn by the arm. ‘OK, that’s enough!’ he exclaimed, and she turned startled eyes on him, having quite forgotten he was there. ‘When you’ve quite finished playing games, perhaps I should introduce you.’

A faint flush skimmed her cheeks, but it had nothing to do with his remonstration. She mouthed the word ‘sorry’ to him. It was partly true. She was sorry for upsetting him, but not for behaving as she had. It had been fun. It had been exciting. Her heart was still tripping madly, with no sign of slowing. Boy, the man was positively lethal. He had switched her senses on like a neon light. So that was what it felt like to flirt with the world’s number one playboy! It could become addictive. Already she wanted more.

Drew, meanwhile, was making the promised introductions. ‘Joel, this is my cousin, Kathryn Templeton. She’s here to sort out your computer for you.’

Joel’s eyes immediately narrowed on her thoughtfully. ‘Ah, now I get it. That’s what makes you the woman I’ve been waiting for.’

‘Impatiently,’ she added for good measure, laughing into his eyes.

He took a deep breath, which expanded his chest magnificently. ‘Well, let’s hope you’re as good with bits and bytes as you are with words, Kathryn Templeton.’

Another laugh escaped her. ‘With all modesty I can say I’m better.’

One eyebrow quirked lazily. ‘All modesty? You don’t believe in hiding your light under a bushel?’

She shrugged and exchanged a knowing look with her cousin. ‘In my family you have to fight your corner or sink without trace. I don’t intend to be the next Titanic.’

‘Competitive, are they, your family?’

‘Like you wouldn’t believe. I have four older brothers,’ she admitted, not to mention her father. She tucked her arm through Drew’s. ‘This side of the Templeton clan is protective and supportive without being combative, I’m happy to say.’

Joel rubbed his chin wryly. ‘Which means he’s probably warned you about the Big Bad Wolf.’

‘Of course. He doesn’t want to see me devoured like Red Riding Hood,’ she responded brightly.

Joel looked amused. ‘Something tells me if I tried it, I’d probably get indigestion.’

‘I’m certainly too rich for some people’s taste,’ Kathryn agreed breezily.

‘An acquired taste?’

‘Absolutely.’

His expression revealing equal amounts of intrigue and appreciation, Joel Kendrick held out his hand. ‘It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Kathryn Templeton,’ he declared, his voice again carrying that husky sensuality which found its mark and set the nerves in her stomach quivering.

Nonetheless, she smiled back. ‘Likewise, Mr Kendrick,’ she returned smartly.

‘Joel,’ he prompted with a decided gleam in his eye as she took his hand.

‘Joel,’ she repeated obediently, a cool smile hovering about her lips.

What happened next rocked her belief in her ability to remain detached and in control. As their hands touched, she looked into those wickedly alluring, fathomless blue eyes and found herself drowning in them. For an instant she lost her bearings entirely. Her nervous system went into overload and her breath got lodged in her throat, so that she forgot to breathe. The swiftness of her response to him was stunning. She had felt sexual attraction before, but never experienced quite this brand of magnetic potency. It drew her as nothing else had. Sensible thought was vanquished by a tidal wave of sensuality. In the flicker of a heartbeat she wanted him. Craved him like a hungry woman craved food, and her body swayed towards him, seeking appeasement. Seeking…

The sound of a polite cough gathered her scattered wits into a seething whole, and Kathryn careened back into the present with a gasp. She had an instant to see the answering passion in those blue eyes before the instinct of self-preservation took over and she swiftly hid her thoughts behind practised calm. She eased her hand away just as Agnes brought in a tray of coffee, and she turned to the woman, grateful for the breathing space.

Joel Kendrick had proved to be more than a little overwhelming close up. Always before she had had the ability to keep a cool head, but this man had changed that completely. It shook her, and sent a frisson of alarm through her system. Drew was right, this man was different. She had an inkling of what he could do to her, and it was distinctly unsettling.