The Seduction Challenge Read online

  With a last regretful look, Nick released her to his brother, but not before he’d said something under his breath that made Joel’s shoulders tense.

  ‘Don’t tell me.’ Lucy’s voice was calm as he took her into his arms. ‘He’s just warned you that if you lay a finger on me he’ll beat you to a pulp.’

  Joel looked startled and then grinned. ‘How did you guess?’

  ‘Because he’s just spent two whole dances lecturing me,’ Lucy told him, smiling shyly. ‘Apparently you’re a real threat to my virtue.’

  Joel smiled, and she noticed every detail of that smile. Like the way his eyes creased at the corners and a small dimple appeared at the side of his firm mouth.

  ‘I think my self-control has been commendable,’ he said quietly, his voice barely audible above the music, ‘when I think what I’ve wanted to do to you.’

  She could hardly breathe. ‘Tell me what you’ve wanted to do.’

  Neither of them were moving now. Instead, they stood in the centre of the dance floor, oblivious of the other dancers around them.

  ‘I’ve wanted to make love with you since the first moment I saw you at the accident,’ he said simply, his eyes steady on hers. He didn’t look away for a moment, didn’t make any apology for the way he felt. ‘There’s been a strong chemistry between us right from the start, Lucy, but you were so damned wary after what happened with Tim that you weren’t having any of it. So I agreed to settle for friendship.’

  She swallowed, her gaze captured by the tiny pulse working in his throat. ‘And you’ve been the best friend I’ve ever had.’

  ‘I don’t think so.’ He rubbed a hand over the back of his neck to relieve the tension. ‘I think I’ve been a pretty lousy friend, Lucy.’

  ‘Why do you say that?’

  His hand dropped to his side. ‘Because there’s never been a moment when I haven’t wanted you, and not dragging you into my arms and kissing you has been the biggest test of my life.’

  ‘You did kiss me.’

  ‘I don’t need reminding,’ he said quietly. ‘Since that night I haven’t slept much and my concentration at work has gone up the spout. I’m amazed my brothers haven’t noticed.’

  ‘They’ve noticed,’ Lucy told him, remembering Nick’s comments. ‘But I don’t think they realise that it’s because of me.’

  ‘Just as well.’ He gave a wry smile. ‘Or they’d definitely beat me to a pulp.’

  Lucy looked up at him shyly. ‘So—er—what are we going to do?’

  ‘About what?’

  ‘About the way you feel,’ she murmured, her eyes dropping to his mouth and then lifting again to his eyes.

  He licked his lips. ‘Well…’ He cleared his throat.’ Nothing, I suppose. We carry on as friends.’

  She nodded slowly, placing one small hand on the middle of his broad chest. ‘If that’s what you want.’

  There was a long pause and then his fingers tightened around her wrist and he lifted her face to his with his free hand.

  ‘What do you mean? If that’s what I want. This isn’t about what I want. It’s about what you want, and you just want us to be friends.’

  She looked into his eyes, suddenly not knowing what to say. She’d never propositioned a man in her life before. How did she tell Joel she really wanted him to make love to her without looking like some sort of hussy?

  Pink and embarrassed, she tried to dip her head, but there was no way he was letting her go.

  ‘Lucy…?’ His voice was a long, slow question and she blushed deeply.

  ‘I—don’t know, Joel…’ She was stammering now. ‘It’s just that you make me feel… And I thought that I just wanted to be friends, but I’m—it’s— Oh, help.’

  She broke off and buried her face in his chest and felt him shaking with laughter.

  ‘I don’t understand a word you’re trying to say,’ he murmured in her ear, ‘but I have a feeling that this isn’t a conversation we should be having in a public place. Am I right?’

  She nodded and he released her immediately, closing his long fingers around her wrist and leading her firmly away from the dance floor.

  He led her outside, picking up their coats on the way, and flagged down a taxi that was hovering by the door.

  ‘But we didn’t even say goodbye to people,’ she said breathlessly, as she scooped the hem of her long dress into the cab.

  ‘You want me to be beaten to a pulp by my family?’ Joel grinned at her. ‘I’m fully expecting them to be hot on our heels, ready to break the door down and rescue you, any minute.’

  She chuckled and looked away, suddenly terrified by what she was doing.

  Did she really want just one night with Joel?

  Well, no, of course she didn’t, she reasoned. She wanted every night for the rest of her life, but that wasn’t on offer so she’d take whatever she could get. She might not have much experience, but she’d seen enough of life to know that true love didn’t come along very often, and when it did you had to grab it with both hands, even if it was only fleeting.

  They were silent for the rest of the journey home, and all she could think about was the warm touch of his hand as he held hers firmly.

  He paid the taxi driver, ushered her up to her apartment and waited while she opened the door.

  Sam was staying the night with Michael and Maria so there was no fear of him disturbing them.

  She’d been surprised and delighted by how excited Sam had been by the prospect of a night away from her, and she reflected on how much he’d improved since coming to Cornwall. He was growing into a secure, confident little boy and the invitation to ‘camp’ at Michael’s and Maria’s house had seemed like a huge adventure.

  Which left her alone with Joel.

  ‘Would you like a coffee?’ Her fingers were shaking while she dealt with the lock, and he shook his head slowly.

  ‘Not coffee,’ he said, pushing her gently inside the flat and closing the door behind them. ‘After dancing with you for most of the night, what I need most is a cold shower. And don’t blush. You’ve been pressed up against me for long enough to know that I’m suffering from a serious case of frustration. What were you trying to tell me on the dance floor, Lucy?’

  He hadn’t bothered to turn on the hall light and they were in semi-darkness. Suddenly the intimacy of her flat made her all the more aware of just how daring she’d been.

  She stood with her back to the wall and he placed an arm on either side of her head so that she couldn’t avoid him.

  ‘You were saying that you thought you just wanted to be friends,’ he prompted her gently, ‘and then you paused. So what are you saying, Lucy?’

  She didn’t know what to say to him, so instead she stood on tiptoe and kissed him gently.

  He stiffened and stayed immobile, and then he gave a groan and took over, his mouth dominating and devouring hers in a kiss that had nothing whatsoever to do with friendship.

  Whereas their first kiss had been gentle and exploratory, this one was hot and demanding, and he took everything she was willing to give.

  His body pressed hers against the wall and she felt the hard ridge of his arousal through the thin silk of her dress.

  A totally unfamiliar feeling curled through her body, a fiery, sexual heat which consumed every last doubt she might have had.

  Hardly aware of what she was doing, she reached inside his jacket and tugged at his shirt, giving herself access to his warm, muscular body.

  As her fingers touched his heated flesh she gave a shiver of anticipation. He felt so strong, so vitally masculine…

  As his kiss became more intimate, so did his hands, and she only realised that he’d unzipped her dress when she felt cool air brush her skin as the dress slipped down and pooled on the floor by her feet. The touch of his fingers on her breasts made her gasp into his mouth and she reached for the buckle of this trousers, too far gone to be shocked by her own actions.

  His fingers closed over her wrist in an
iron grip and finally he lifted his head, his breathing unsteady and his eyes dark with desire.

  ‘Lucy…’ His voice cracked and he cleared his throat and dropped his head onto his forearm while he tried to regain some semblance of self-control. ‘I need…’ He lifted his head and looked into her eyes. ‘I need to know this is what you want, sweetheart. Because if you want me to stop, it has to be now.’

  Lucy looked at him, her whole body aching with a desire she hadn’t known it was possible to feel.

  She was well aware of the enormity of what she was about to do, but there was no way she wanted to stop.

  ‘I don’t want you to stop, Joel.’

  He closed his eyes briefly. ‘Are you sure?’

  She nodded slowly. ‘Completely sure. I want you to make love to me, Joel—please?’

  But still he didn’t move, his expression tormented, as if he was fighting some sort of internal battle.

  ‘What’s wrong?’ She touched his face with gentle fingers and he dropped a kiss onto her hand.

  ‘I—I just want to make sure you understand—’

  ‘That you’re not the sort of man who makes a commitment,’ she said quietly, reading his mind. ‘I know that, Joel. I know exactly how you feel. We’ve been friends long enough for me to have understood that. I know what you’re offering, Joel. Uncomplicated sex.’

  He winced slightly and she gave a gentle smile and stood on tiptoe to kiss his mouth.

  ‘It’s OK. It’s what I want.’

  ‘You’re sure?’

  She nodded and blushed. ‘It feels a bit scary, though.’

  ‘No.’ He shook his head and took her hand, leading her through to the sitting room. ‘Don’t be scared.’

  ‘I can’t help it.’ She turned to face him, shaking slightly in a mixture of nerves and excitement. ‘I’ve never done this before—you know that…’

  ‘Don’t be scared,’ he repeated softly, his warm fingers sliding underneath the elastic of her panties as he dispensed with the last of her clothing.

  Suddenly she was naked and she stood still, nibbling her lip, transfixed by the look in his eyes.

  ‘Has anyone ever told you you’re stunning?’ With a fractured groan he bent his head and kissed her again, his mouth caressing and seducing hers, hinting at the intensity of what was to come.

  Without lifting his head, he shrugged off his jacket and let it drop onto the floor, then tugged at his bow-tie.

  The delicious torture of his mouth on hers was too much for her and she lifted her hands and tried to hurry him, tearing at his buttons in her hurry to free him of his shirt.

  Finally the buttons were undone and she slid her fingers into the rough hair on his chest, feeling a thrill of excitement stab deep inside her.

  Still kissing her, he let his fingers slide to the button of his trousers, but she was there before him, feeling the swollen ridge of his erection brush against her hand.

  Finally he was naked as well, and she pulled her mouth away from his, looking at him shyly.

  ‘You don’t have to be afraid to look, Lucy,’ he said hoarsely, ‘It’s OK to look.’

  He was his usual confident self, completely unselfconscious about his own nudity. And why should he be? He had a fantastic body. Muscular, firm and athletic in all the right places, and as for the other places…

  She looked down at him and he muttered something under his breath and kissed her again, this time tucking one leg behind hers and pulling her gently off balance so that she ended up on her back on the huge soft rug in front of the fire.

  The touch of his mouth on her breast made her gasp and she arched her back, moaning as darts of sensation spread down through her body, making her twist against him.

  She was desperate for more—for everything—desperate for him to touch her there…

  But he didn’t. At least, not immediately.

  Instead, he took his time, exploring every inch of her quivering, heated body with gentle strokes of his very clever tongue.

  Finally, when she could bear it no longer, he moved over her, his eyes locking with hers as he parted her thighs.

  ‘I have never,’ he said slowly, ‘wanted a woman the way I want you.’

  And he bent his head to kiss her again, slowly and deliberately stoking the heat between them until she was almost begging him to finish what he’d started.

  He entered her with a smooth thrust and she cried out as she felt his silken fullness deep inside her.

  ‘Look at me, Lucy.’

  Her eyes flew to his and he caught her hands and lifted her arms above her head, as if he was determined to join every part of them.

  The raw intensity of his gaze burned through to her soul, but he wouldn’t let her look away, wouldn’t let her deny what was happening between them.

  And it was like nothing she’d ever felt before. She knew now that whatever she had felt with Tim, it had never been like this. Never come near to this earth-shaking, overwhelming build of pleasure that threatened to consume every inch of her.

  Knowing exactly how to make her body respond to him, Joel changed the angle slightly, a faint sheen of sweat on his brow as he created a rhythm so exquisite that it was almost unbearable.

  There was something unbelievably erotic about the way that he kept eye contact as he moved deeply inside her, and Lucy clung to him, not understanding what was happening to her. It wasn’t just her body he was controlling, it was her emotions.

  Even as she felt her body reach its peak, he wouldn’t let her look away, his eyes still on hers as they both reached an electrifying climax that swept them both along in its path.

  CHAPTER NINE

  IT WAS the doorbell that woke them.

  Startled, Lucy sat upright, scrabbled around on the floor for her watch and gave a gasp.

  ‘Oh, no! Joel, wake up!’ She gave him a gentle shake, trying not to look at the sleek muscles of his shoulders. It was over. She’d had her night of passion and now it was time to return to the reality of her life.

  Sam.

  She scooped up her dress and all the other evidence, sprinted to her bedroom to hide it and grabbed her dressing-gown. In the meantime, Joel had pulled on his trousers and shirt and given her a sleepy, sexy smile. ‘Oops!’ He hadn’t woken up properly and his voice was gruff and masculine. She felt her heart turn over with love. She wanted to savour what they’d had, to relive every incredible minute, but the hour was past and there was no time for such self-indulgence.

  ‘I’ll take them into the kitchen and you can make your escape.’

  He frowned slightly and his hand closed over her wrist, preventing her escape. ‘Lucy, wait—’

  ‘Joel, we’ve got to let them in.’ Her voice was an urgent whisper and she couldn’t meet his eyes. She wasn’t used to morning-after chat. It wasn’t something she’d ever done before. Maybe Sam’s early arrival was a good thing. It stopped her having to hear Joel tell her that last night had just been a one-off experience.

  ‘Dammit, Lucy, look at me.’ His voice was a husky growl and he dragged her towards him. ‘We need to talk.’

  ‘There’s nothing to talk about,’ she muttered, and he swore under his breath.

  ‘Oh, yes, there is. Last night.’

  ‘Oh, come on, Joel.’ She fixed a brave smile on her face. ‘We both know that last night was just a one-off. We agreed that before we did it. No commitment, remember?’

  The doorbell rang again and he made an impatient sound, his fingers tightening around her wrist.

  ‘Lucy—’

  Summoning up all her will-power, she stood on tiptoe and kissed his cheek, feeling the rough stubble under her lips.

  ‘Last night was amazing, Joel. I’ll never forget it. You’ve shown me that there’s plenty of things in life left for me to discover.’

  Without waiting for him to answer, she walked towards the front door, leaving him no choice but to walk towards the bedroom.

  Lucy took a deep breath and opened the door.r />
  Tina stood there, with Sam by her side, and Lucy looked at her in surprise.

  ‘Oh—I thought Maria was coming.’

  Tina gave her a knowing grin. ‘I thought maybe I’d better come. I wasn’t sure—er…’ She broke off and glanced over Lucy’s shoulder into the flat. ‘Well, anyway, I said I needed to collect my dress.’

  Lucy stooped to hug Sam, who was full of excitement about his night with Michael and Maria.

  ‘Guess what, they let me sleep on a camp bed in their room.’ Sam’s eyes were almost popping out as he regaled her with the details. ‘It was great, Mum. Michael says when the weather is warmer, maybe we can go camping properly.’

  ‘What a great idea.’ Lucy smiled at her son and turned to Tina. ‘Coffee?’

  ‘As long as I’m not interrupting anything.’ Tina looked at her hopefully and Lucy blushed.

  ‘You’re not. I—’

  ‘Shame.’ Tina pulled a face. ‘In that case, I’ll have a coffee.’

  Lucy flicked on the kettle and stiffened as she heard the front door click. She reached for two mugs and met Tina’s eyes.

  ‘Did you have a good night?’

  Lucy nodded. ‘The best.’

  But now it was over, and she couldn’t even bear to think about it.

  Sam wandered off to his bedroom to play with his toys and Tina moved closer, keeping her voice low.

  ‘Michael and Nick will have Joel’s blood if he hurts you.’

  Lucy gave a soft smile. ‘He hasn’t hurt me.’

  Joel Whittaker had never been anything but honest with her. If there was hurt to come—which there undoubtedly would be—then it wasn’t his fault. She’d gone into last night with her eyes wide open.

  Remembering the way he’d looked at her as they’d made love made her blush, and Tina sighed.

  ‘It’s so romantic. I just knew you were the one for Joel, right from the first moment.’

  Lucy looked at her, startled. ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘Oh, come on, Lucy!’ Tina’s voice was soft. ‘Since when did Joel go out of his way to be friends with a woman? The answer is never. But he did with you. He feels differently about you.’