A Shameless Seduction

“Even Joelle enjoys the benefits of leaving on time,” he said, gesturing to the office with its lights out for the evening.

“Joelle has a handsome husband to go home to,” she countered.

Noah feigned a shocked look. “You mean to tell me that you don’t have some hot guy waiting for you to get home at night so he can ravish you?”

Didn’t she wish. She rolled her eyes at his exaggeration. “Hardly, and you’re a big tease.”

“Well, here’s a little tip for you.” He leaned close, as if sharing a well-kept secret, and gave the tip of her braid a mischievous tug. “You’re not going to find Mr. Right spending all your time here.”

Melodie blinked, unsure whether to take his remark as a subtle warning about his brother, a little friendly advice, or if he was just humoring her with his usual fun-loving nature.

He strolled toward the front door. “No matter how you spend the evening, have a good one, sweet stuff.” With a playful wink over his broad shoulder, he was gone.

Sweet. The word grated on her sensible nerves, and her lips pursed as if she’d just swallowed something sour. She was tired of being thought of as sweet. Sure, being polite and courteous had its time and place, but she was beginning to realize that being amiable had gotten her absolutely nowhere with men. She’d always been prudent and modest, and as a result her life was boring, tedious and so very predictable.

She was tired of being good, of always doing the right thing and making levelheaded choices. She had nothing substantial to show for her exemplary behavior and discerning ways—no social life other than a few close friends, no steady dates and certainly no sex life, either. At twenty-eight, she definitely wasn’t having fun. She was turning into an old maid while wishing she had the nerve to be hip and contemporary, someone worldly and wise when it came to men and relationships.

Bracing her elbows on her desk, she propped her chin in her palm and allowed a smile to curl the corners of her mouth as she imagined how much fun being bad would be for a change. To break out of the monotonous pattern her life had become. To assert herself and go for what she wanted. No holds barred.

What she wanted was Cole Sommers and the chance to show him how much she’d learned about the business over the years, and the perfect opportunity had presented itself in the form of him needing a woman. She might not be sexy or a stunning beauty, but she was intelligent and knew the investigative business better than most. Certainly being familiar with the Russell case had to account for a few extra points in her favor, as well.

Excitement and anticipation rolled through Melodie as a plan formed in her mind, and when Cole entered the reception area a few moments later, she was mentally prepared to fight for this case—and her man.

“Here’s the new file on the Russell case.” Stopping in front of her desk, he set the folder in an empty wire basket, his demeanor strictly business. “Once you have the initial report and client invoice typed up, I’d like the file back. This evening, if possible. I have a few things I need to follow up on early tomorrow morning.”

“Consider it done.” Another late night at the office—by her own choice, she knew. It was a precedent she’d set of her own accord, so she couldn’t blame Cole for assuming what had become routine on her part. She loved her job, but there was no denying she craved more excitement and adventure than typing up a report could provide.

He turned back around to leave, and she abruptly stood up before she lost the nerve to address him. “Cole?” His name escaped her on a breathless note.

Slowly, he faced her again, regarding her with a casual kind of directness she’d grown used to. Yet there was something in the depth of his blue eyes that made her heartbeat quicken in her chest and her knees feel weak.

“Yes?” he asked, his curt tone dissolving whatever awareness and warmth she’d seen in his expression a moment ago.

She’d never felt intimidated by Cole’s size, but his presence in front of her suddenly seemed very overwhelming. He was a tall, powerfully built man and possessed a potent combination of virile strength, rugged allure and understated confidence. Lean and muscular, he was all male—from his thick, tousled sable hair, to the knit shirt that molded to his broad chest, and fitted khaki trousers that defined his hard thighs and long, sturdy legs. Definitely a candidate for the strong, gorgeous, silent type, and attracted her like no other.

A bout of anxiety knotted in her belly and her throat closed up tight. She swallowed hard, reminding herself that nothing risked equaled nothing gained—words she planned to embrace from this moment on if she didn’t want to live the rest of her life like a nun. “I heard you and Noah talking about the Russell case and your comment about needing a woman to accompany you to Thornton’s charity auction.”

He blinked, his features taking on a curious edge tinged with a bit of caution. “Do you know someone in the business who could help me out?”

“Well, sort of.” Her fingers twisted together at her waist, a nervous habit she’d developed as a young girl, and she consciously pried her hands apart and set them at her sides. “I do have a solution to your problem.”

“You do?” he asked in surprise, his rich tone dropping an octave.

She nodded succinctly, inhaled a deep breath to bolster her fortitude, and blurted, “Let me be the woman you need.”

His dark brows rose a good half inch on his forehead and his entire body grew tense. “Excuse me?”

Her face flushed warmly at her slip. She hadn’t meant to sound as though she was propositioning him. “For the charity auction,” she rushed to clarify.

He shifted on his feet, the suggestion seemingly making him very uncomfortable. “I don’t think so.” His voice was low and thick.

“Why not?” She’d been taught by her father never to question or dispute a voice of authority, and while a part of her was shocked at her own out-spoken behavior, she couldn’t deny that the freedom to be assertive felt liberating.

Bracing his hands on his lean hips, he frowned at the subtle challenge in her tone. “Because I didn’t hire you to work on cases.”

“What if I want to work on this case?” she argued, shocking herself yet again. She pulled back her shoulders to maintain an air of confidence. “I know the business, and I’m familiar with the case. Besides, how hard can it be to pose as your date and read love letters? You need a woman for the job, and the last I checked, I definitely fulfill that requirement.”

His gaze fell to her chest, and she realized that, with her shoulders back, the material of her dress was pulled tight across her breasts. To make matters worse, his heated stare caused her nipples to pucker in reaction.

He lifted his gaze back to her face. A muscle in his cheek ticked, and a harsh sigh unraveled out of him as he pushed his fists deep into his trouser pockets. “Melodie…I don’t think your father would appreciate me putting you in a potentially dangerous situation.”

She inwardly cringed at his placating tone, feeling anything but calm and mollified. She knew her father echoed Cole’s sentiments, believing she belonged in a safe environment, free from any outside negative influences. He had, after all, suggested that she go to work for Cole as a secretary because Sommers Investigative Specialists was a respected firm run by a man her father knew and trusted. It was bad enough that she’d grown up with a father who’d spent too many years trying to shelter and protect her from any adverse situations; she didn’t want or need that same attitude from Cole, or anyone else for that matter.

With that in mind, she asserted herself once again. “As a grown adult, I can take care of myself and make my own decisions. And if it makes you feel any better, my father would never have to know about me and the case.”

He shook his head, causing a lock of sable hair to swipe across his forehead. “I can’t take that chance…with you.”

Because she was Richard Turner’s daughter, she knew with a sinking feeling in the pit of her belly. As if she didn’t have enough problems getting his attention, he was using her father as a barrier between them. And Cole was principled enough to stand by that decision for the next fifty years. The man was steadfast and true, and, while she admired that quality about him when it came to his job, at the moment, his tenacity frustrated the heck out of her.

She started around her desk toward him, refusing to give up or back down from what she wanted for a change. “Cole—”

He held up a hand, halting any further debate. “I’m sorry, but I won’t change my mind. Your talents are better suited in this office, not out in the field. End of discussion.”

She knew he hadn’t meant his words to be condescending, but his backhanded compliment about her “talents” stung her feminine pride, especially since she knew that Cole depended on her for more than her secretarial skills. She thrust her chin out as he turned and walked back to his office. The two of them were far from finished, this issue between them far from over.

If Cole didn’t have faith in her ability to be the woman he needed, she’d just have to figure out a way to prove him wrong.

2

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!