Seven-Year Seduction

This was the man she loved, had been in love with since her thirteenth birthday. And now he would be the man she married and spent the rest of her life with.

She couldn’t wait.

Two

Seven years later…

Beth Curtis sat at the family table on the dais, sipping from her glass of champagne, watching as the bride, groom and dozens of guests filled the dance floor.

She hated weddings.

She was happy for Nick and Karen, really she was. They had been dating since high school, and she—and everyone else in town—knew they’d marry eventually. Of course, her brother had put off proposing right up until the stick turned blue. Regardless of their reasons for finally tying the knot, though, Beth had no doubt they would make it work. They belonged together.

But she still hated weddings. Especially this one.

Bad enough she’d been roped into being the maid of honor, with all the duties that position entailed. Bad enough she’d had to fly over two thousand miles each way to come back to Crystal Springs for the bridal shower, wedding and reception planning, and now the actual event. Bad enough that Karen’s favorite colors were green and pink, and that Beth was therefore decked out in a formfitting satin sheath made up of lime and watermelon shades of each.

Oh, no, all that was bad enough. The worst, the very worst, was that she had to smile and laugh and pretend that seeing Connor Riordan again wasn’t a dagger through her heart.

She’d done a pretty good job of avoiding him since he’d taken her virginity all those years ago. Moving to Los Angeles had helped, as had not coming home to visit her parents and brother nearly as often as she might have liked.

And then Nick had decided he just had to do the right thing by marrying Karen because he’d gotten her pregnant, and Connor just had to be his best man. Which meant Beth and Connor had to see each other more than she’d have preferred. He even walked her down the aisle during the ceremony.

She took another swig of bubbling wine. It was warm and starting to lose its fizz, but she didn’t care. The alcohol content would remain the same, and right now she wanted nothing more than to go numb.

Standing in the church’s vestibule with Connor, his arm linked with hers while the soft notes of the wedding march played had been like a red-hot brand on her soul. He couldn’t have known she was in actual physical pain, of course, and he had no idea that being around him was so hard for her…or why. But that didn’t lessen the ache in the pit of her stomach or the harsh memories that ran through her head at the very mention of his name.

And now she was lucky enough to have a bird’s-eye view of him dancing cheek to cheek with his live-in girlfriend. Laura, Lori, Lisa…something like that. She was blond and perky and had boobs that bounced when she walked. Beth would bet next month’s salary that she’d been a cheerleader in high school. And that the bounce was saline- or silicone-induced.

Not that there was anything wrong with that. Beth was a California girl now; plastic surgery came with the territory. Heck, as an entertainment attorney who worked with some of Hollywood’s most beautiful stars, the majority of her clients had been nipped or tucked in one way or another.

So why was she being so judgmental of Lisa-Lori-Laura?

Simple. She was with Connor and Beth wasn’t.

Connor had apparently felt strongly enough about the L-woman to ask her to move in with him, when he hadn’t felt enough for Beth to even pick up the phone and call her after their one night together in the cab of his truck.

Jealous? Yes, she supposed she was. But more than that, she was hurt and angry. No amount of time or number of miles between them would change that.

Seven years certainly hadn’t.

Beth paused with the champagne flute halfway to her mouth. No, that wasn’t quite true. She was over him. Absolutely, positively, one hundred percent over him.

The only feelings she still harbored toward Connor were ones of resentment. Just hearing his name raised her blood pressure. Not because she missed him or wished she could be his girlfriend, but because the thought of him made her want to strangle somebody when she didn’t typically suffer from homicidal tendencies.

To some, those emotions might be welcome in relation to an ex-lover, but to her, they only served to remind her that he had had an impact on her at all. She hated that. Loathing was better than longing, but she’d prefer to be indifferent toward him.

“What are you doing hiding over here all by yourself? You should be dancing.”

Her brother’s voice came to her from over her left shoulder and she tipped her head back to look at him. Clear as a bell, steady as a surgeon… Damn, she was still sober.

“It’s not my wedding day. I’m not required to make a fool of myself.”

“Gee, thanks.” He crossed his eyes and stuck his tongue out, mugging for her the way he’d done all her life. “Look, Karen’s shoes are pinching her, but I’m still in the mood to dance, so I need a new partner.”

Beth scanned the crowd and pointed toward an attractive brunette with the rim of her glass. “Ask her.”

“Are you kidding me? If I danced with anyone but my sister, my new bride would divorce me before the honeymoon.” He waggled his eyebrows. “And I’m really looking forward to that honeymoon.”

It was Beth’s turn to roll her eyes. “Please. It’s nothing new to you two, and we both know it. So will everyone else in six or seven months.”

“Shh. We’re keeping that a secret as long as we can. Now get up and dance with me, or I’ll think you aren’t happy for your big brother’s recent state of wedded bliss.”

With a sigh, she set down her empty glass and pushed to her feet. “Well, we can’t have that.”

Nick grinned as he took her hand and led her onto the crowded dance floor. Rod Stewart’s throaty version of “The Way You Look Tonight” was playing, but Beth refused to give the song’s lyrics too much thought as Nick’s arm wrapped around her and they began to sway.

“I really am happy for you, you know.”

The corners of his mouth lifted in a grin. “I know. It took me a while to get here, but I’m awfully glad I did.”

She chuckled. “If you didn’t put a ring on Karen’s finger soon, I think she was about ready to string you up. You have been dating since high school, after all.”

“Yeah, but I wanted to make sure she loved me for me and not my millions.”

Beth threw back her head and laughed. Nick was lucky he had two nickels to rub together. He and Connor owned a contracting company together and did a lot of the work themselves, but they weren’t exactly raking in the dough. Early on in their partnership, there had been months when they barely broke even; more when they were clearly in the hole.

Things were better now, but neither of them was rich by any stretch of the imagination. If Karen had truly been looking for a man with money to spare, she’d have run screaming from Nicholas years ago.

Beth, on the other hand, was doing pretty well for herself. Things had been tight when she’d first moved to L.A. The exorbitant cost of living on the West Coast, in addition to school loans that still had to be paid off, hadn’t been easy to swing for a girl who didn’t even have a job yet. She’d made ends meet at first by waitressing and temping at a few law firms.

Then she’d lucked out in finding a friend and fellow attorney who did have some cash to spare and was willing to form a partnership with her. Danny Vincent was a great guy. He came from money, so he’d been the one to foot all the start-up costs of Vincent and Curtis, but she’d done her best to pay him back by scouting out the talent, wooing new clients, and even stealing a few from other, more well-established firms.

The first few years had been backbreaking. She’d worked nonstop not only to prove herself, but to build the business so Danny never had a chance to think he’d made a mistake.

And now, they were pretty much set. They had high-profile celebrities and sports figures on their clientele list, with others waiting in line for their expertise, and the firm was operating well into the black on an annual basis.

She wore designer clothes, designer shoes, designer jewelry. A single trip to the salon cost her more than Karen probably spent on her hair in a year.

Which only served to make Beth feel even more removed from the small Ohio town where she’d been raised. She missed it sometimes…the friendly faces, the slow pace, her family. But that’s what telephones and e-mail were for. She’d grown up and moved on. She was happy with her life.

The song ended and Nick started to let her go. One of the caterers had just placed a fresh bottle of champagne on the bridal table, and she wanted to get back to refill her glass.

“You’re not running off already, are you?”

It wasn’t her brother’s voice that made her heart drop to her knees. Mentally, she closed her eyes and banged her head a couple of times against the nearest wall. But she’d been working with Hollywood big-wigs too long to let anyone see that she wasn’t calm and one hundred percent in control of her emotions.

Licking her lips to buy an extra second, she forced herself to smile and turn in the direction of the loaded question.

“Hello, Connor.”

He looked as handsome as ever. Better even, in his best-man tuxedo, when his usual uniform was well-worn blue jeans and soft flannel shirts. His hair was still barbershop short, no signs of gray in the brownish-blond strands. And his brown eyes twinkled as though he carried a secret no one else knew.

He did, of course. He knew what they’d done after the football game all those years ago, up at Makeout Point. She doubted he’d ever told anyone, though. She certainly hadn’t.

“Hey, Beth. I meant to tell you earlier that you’re looking good. L.A. must be treating you right.”

She nodded. He didn’t need to know about the small ulcer she’d developed from eighteen-hour workdays and a demanding clientele, or the antacids she kept in her purse for the occasional flare-up.

As far as the residents of Crystal Springs were concerned, she’d gone off to California and become a huge success. There was no sense in telling them things weren’t always as silver lined as they seemed.

“Would you like to dance?” Connor asked when another slow song began to fill the reception hall.

With him? Definitely not. She opened her mouth to politely refuse, but he already had his hand curled around her upper arm, steering her into his embrace, and her brother seemed more than willing to pass her off.

“Great,” Nick said. “You dance with Connor, and I’ll get back to Karen.”

“She’s got you on a tight leash already, huh?” Connor joked, throwing her brother a guy-to-guy grin.

“You should try it sometime,” Nick replied, tossing his friend an equally teasing smile before sauntering off.

It would have caused a scene if she’d pulled away and returned to the table at that point, even though that’s exactly what she wanted to do. Instead, she continued smiling and allowed Connor to put an arm at her waist, entwine his fingers with hers.

Because she didn’t have a choice, she slid her free hand up to rest on his shoulder. The heat of his body pulsed through the fine wool of his tuxedo jacket, setting her palm to tingling.

She muttered a colorful oath under her breath, annoyed that he could still have any sort of impact on her, even a purely physical one.

And that’s all it was—the physiological response of her female body to the nearness of such an attractive, obviously male body. Their shared history added to her body’s response, but it didn’t mean anything. Nothing at all.

“How have you been, Beth? I hear you’ve done well for yourself out there in la-la land.”

“I’m doing all right,” she said shortly. “And you?”

“Couldn’t be better. Nick probably told you the company’s doing well, keeping us both busy. Things slow down in the winter, of course, which is the only reason I’m letting him take off on this two-week honeymoon of his.”

He shot her a wide, sparkling grin. She didn’t respond.

“So what do you think about your big brother finally tying the knot?”

“It’s about time, I say. They’ve only been dating since they were in diapers.”

“Yeah. Makes you wonder, though, how much longer he’d have put it off if Karen hadn’t surprised him with her little announcement.”

“I don’t know,” Beth told him, trying not to get too drawn in to the conversation…or the warmth of his hold on her…or the lulling sensation of the music and moving around the dance floor with him. “I think Nick just needed an excuse to jump in with both feet. He’s been wanting to marry Karen since they were teenagers, but he had all those typical male fears and insecurities. They fell into a comfortable pattern after high school that kept him from having to put his heart on the line until now.”

Connor was still smiling, that stupid boy-next-door smile that reminded her of exactly why she’d moved as far across the country as possible after her graduation from law school.

“That’s awfully philosophical for a gal who spends her days reading contracts and suing production companies,” he remarked.

“Lawyers can be philosophical,” she volleyed back. “We just prefer not to show that side of ourselves during billable hours.”

Connor threw back his head and laughed at that, and Beth couldn’t help but laugh with him. She’d forgotten how infectious his sense of humor was. How his low chuckle or full-belly laugh washed over her like a warm sea breeze.

When the moment passed, she found herself dancing even more closely to him. He’d somehow tightened his grip and brought her flush with his tall, muscular frame without her noticing. He took the lead as they swayed to an old Air Supply ballad, keeping a firm grasp on her so she couldn’t slip away or even put space between them again.

Her breasts were pressed against his chest, and her damn, traitorous nipples began to pucker beneath the satin bodice of her lime green and hot-pink maid-of-honor gown. She only hoped he wouldn’t notice through the thick material of his own formal attire.

“Remember that dance back in junior high,” he said, “when your folks wouldn’t let you go unless Nick and Karen and I went along?”

How could she forget? She’d convinced herself it was a real date, while to Connor, it was nothing more than a favor for his best friend’s sister and her parents.

“We danced half the night just like this,” he continued.

Not exactly like this, she thought as his pelvis brushed against hers, making her stomach muscles tighten and heat pool thick in her veins.

“I even think they played this same song,” he said with a chuckle.

She didn’t remember the music from that night so many years ago, only the feel of Connor holding her as they shuffled back and forth in the middle of the darkened gymnasium. Her complete adoration for the boy of her dreams had been embarrassingly clear on her face, she was sure.

Thank God she’d grown up and moved on. She was beyond the starry eyes and stupid, love-struck glances of adolescence. She was strong, independent, and over him.

As soon as the thought passed through her mind, she knew she had to exert a bit of that independence and get away from him. She didn’t want to talk about junior high or high school. Or anything from their past, for that matter. Better to let those memories—not a one of them good for her—remain dead and buried.

Before the song even ended, she stopped cold and took a step back. He still held her hand, his other arm extended from her waist.

“What’s wrong?” he wanted to know, but he didn’t release her.

“Nothing. I just don’t want to dance anymore.”

“Then let’s take a walk.” His fingers clenched around hers for a moment before relaxing. “I’ll get us something to drink and we can go outside for a breath of fresh air.”

“Thank you, but no.”

“Come on. Just for a few minutes.”

She stopped trying to pull away from him then and simply stared him straight in the eye.

“Why?” she wanted to know, studying him closely. “Why won’t you let me go back to the table and leave me alone?”

For a second, he didn’t say anything. Then he gave a heartfelt sigh, letting one arm drop to his side, but keeping a grip on her other hand.

“Look, I know things have been weird between us the past few years. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that you do your best to avoid me every time you come home to visit your family, and I just thought that maybe we could talk. Clear the air a bit.”

Clear the air. As soon as the words sank in, her hackles went up.

If only life were that simple. If only a breath of fresh air and a few interesting stories about the good old days could wipe away all the pain, misery and anguish from that time in her life.

But they couldn’t, and she had no desire to dredge up the past. Coming home for her brother’s wedding had been difficult enough. Having a heart-to-heart with Connor was more than she could handle, more than she was willing to handle tonight.

She had been telling herself for years that she’d put him and everything that had passed between them behind her. Now seemed like the perfect time to prove it.

She yanked her hand from his, giving him no choice but to finally let go.

“There’s nothing to talk about,” she told him, leaving no room in her tone for argument. “Consider the air perfectly clear. Now, I’m going back to the bridal table to finish my champagne. And you should go back to your girlfriend.”

She cast a glance over his broad shoulder, toward the well-built blonde in a stylish burgundy sheath who’d been glaring at them for the past several minutes. “She doesn’t look too happy that you’ve been dancing with another woman.”

With that, Beth turned on her heel and walked away. She grabbed her empty glass and the fresh bottle of champagne from the table as she passed, deciding to catch that breath of fresh air, after all. Alone.

Three

Connor ran a hand over the top of his head, blowing out a frustrated breath. Well, that had gone just great.

He’d meant to smooth things over with Beth, try to repair their old but battered friendship, not piss her off all over again. Or even more, depending on how one looked at it.

And there had to be something seriously wrong with him to be staring at the tight curve of her bottom as she stormed away while she was so obviously annoyed with him and while Lori was watching.

He couldn’t seem to help himself, though. Beth had been an adorable kid, an attractive teenager, and now, as an adult, she was drop-dead beautiful.

He cursed himself for thinking it, for noticing her feminine attributes at all. She was his best friend’s sister and he was practically engaged to Lori, for God’s sake. Or at least, they’d been living together for the past three years, and he knew that was what she expected.

But he was a man, and as much as he might wish it otherwise, he wasn’t made of stone. Beth Curtis had eyes like the Hope Diamond—clear and bright and reflective. With one glance, she could either make him squirm or make him want, freeze him out or set fire to his belly and below.

She used to wear her chestnut hair in a ponytail or braid, but the older she’d gotten, the more she let it hang long and loose down her back. The wavy strands reminded him of the finest silk, and he wanted to run his fingers through them every time she was near.

And her body…man, her body had filled out like nothing he’d ever seen. Yeah, Lori was built. Tiny waist, long legs, big breasts. But her chest had been surgically enhanced, and as much as he’d enjoyed the benefits of that work, there was something about the idea of silicone or saline swishing around in there that turned him off. He would never tell Lori he felt that way, of course, but it was true.

Beth, on the other hand, was just as God had made her. And he’d done a damn fine job. She wasn’t model thin or tall, but he liked that. He liked the way her breasts filled that awful pink-and-green gown without looking fake. He liked the curve of her waist, the flare of her hips, the sweet little behind the cut of her dress alluded to. He even liked the slim expanse of her ankle, visible above the strap of her pink, three-inch heels.

And that was why he was going straight to hell.

He pressed a finger and thumb to his eye sockets, thinking—not for the first time—that he was either crazy or the unluckiest bastard around to keep getting into these situations. Beth was practically family, but he couldn’t seem to stop lusting after her.

Knowing he couldn’t put it off any longer, he dragged his gaze away from Beth’s retreating form and turned to face Lori.

Beth had been right, she didn’t look happy. Which meant he’d managed to piss off two beautiful women in one night. That was a record, even for him.

She was sitting at the table where he’d left her, arms crossed over her ample chest, legs crossed, top foot tapping angrily in midair. A pulsing, upbeat dance number shook the floor beneath their feet, but the music failed to permeate Lori’s sour mood.

Well, this should be fun.

He started toward her, but she leaped to her feet and met him halfway, fire brimming in her eyes.

“Hey,” he greeted her, smiling and trying to pretend he didn’t realize how upset she was.

“So that was her.”

“Who?” Connor cocked his head slightly, hoping he would catch another glimpse of Beth before she disappeared too deeply into the crowd. No such luck.

When he turned back around, Lori’s expression was even darker, brows drawn and lips pulled down.

“Her. She’s the one.”

“The one, who?” he asked, growing more confused by the minute.

“The one who’s keeping you from making a commitment to me.”

“Lori,” he began, scoffing at her accusation.

“No,” she cut him off. “I knew there was something going on. I knew there was someone or some incident you couldn’t put behind you, but I had no idea it was her. Your best friend’s sister.”

She said the last as though it was the gravest of insults, and Connor once again felt his insides tighten with shame.

She was right. Beth was his best friend’s sister—off limits, taboo. What he thought about her those times he couldn’t control his raging hormones, and what they’d done all those years ago, was reprehensible.

And even though Lori had hit the nail on the head, he wanted to deny it. Needed to deny it.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” he told her, sliding his hands into the pockets of his tux jacket. “Beth and I are friends. We grew up together. She isn’t keeping me from doing anything.”

“I mean,” she growled, leaning in to be heard over the music, but not by anyone else, “I saw the way you looked at each other. The way you held her while you danced. I’m not blind, Connor. There was more there than friendship. More than dancing with your best friend’s sister.”

“That’s ridiculous.”

“It’s not.” Her voice grew thick and tears glistened along her lower lashes. “It explains a lot, actually. Like why there’s no ring on my finger,” she said, holding up her bare left hand as proof. “And why I’m at your best friend’s wedding instead of my own. We’ve been dating for six years, Connor. Living together for three. If that doesn’t prove you have commitment issues, I don’t know what will.”

She turned her head in the direction Beth had earlier escaped. “Now I know why.”

“Lori…”

“I don’t think this is going to work, Connor. I don’t think I can live with you anymore, knowing I’m not the woman you really want to be with.”

She walked to the table to gather her purse, then returned to stand in front of him. Without meeting his gaze, she murmured, “I don’t think you should come home tonight. Maybe not ever.”

It crossed his mind to tell her it was his house…she’d moved in with him, not the other way around. But this was hard enough on her. He’d never meant to hurt her, yet here she was, in obvious pain because of him.