SweetestSeduction

Sweetest Seduction

KB
Alan

Val’s been Keith’s accountant for nearly a year. She dreams
about his body pressed against hers, but there’s no need to let him in on that
fact. The hunky photographer spends his days with beautiful models, there’s
absolutely no way she can compete. Even if he
has
been throwing hints
her way. She’s satisfied with her vibrator and her daydreams of her favorite
client.
Mostly.

Keith is done trying to sweet-talk his accountant into going
out with him. It’s Valentine’s Day, and knowing Val, she doesn’t have any plans
beyond putting in a full day’s work. No more asking nicely, he’s just going to
plan the day his way and pull her along until she gets with the program. He’s
sure a proper date will help Val realize he’s just the man she needs. And a
proper
date includes lots of touching. And exploring. And toys of a battery-operated
nature.

Chapter One

“Happy V-Day, sweetheart!”

“Hi, Mom.” Valerie rolled over in bed, eyes closed, holding
the phone to her ear. Every year her mother called her on her birthday at the
crack of dawn, otherwise known as seven-thirty, to remind her that she’d been
born.

“I went to church this morning and lit a candle for you.”

“Great, Mom, thanks.” Sally Patrelli had been lighting
candles for her daughter for many years and for many reasons. Val was pretty
sure that today’s candle would involve her having reached such an advanced age
without securing a husband.

“What are you doing special today?” her mother asked.

“Working.”

This prompted a sigh. Sally was a master at mother’s sighs.
“Yes, dear, but what are you doing after? It is Valentine’s Day, you know, and
a Friday too. What could be better?”

As if she could ever forget. As if her mother had ever let
her forget once, in twenty-eight years.

“No plans, Mom. Maybe something will come up later in the
day.”

“Val, you’ve got to work to get what you want. You can’t
just sit back and expect it to come to you.”

An image of what Val wanted popped into her head. Long,
muscular legs clad in faded blue jeans that hugged a tight ass. Bare, muscled
chest with a small peppering of hair, framed by well-defined arms that led to
wide shoulders. And on those shoulders. Oh man, oh man. Light-brown hair,
hazel-green eyes with flecks of gold and the most kissable lips…

“Val? Honey, did you fall back asleep? Shouldn’t you be up
by now?” Her mother’s voice broke into her daydreams. Well, they weren’t really
daydreams if he was real, were they? Sweet memories of the last time she’d seen
Keith Robinson had her licking her lips until the interruption snapped her back
to reality.

“Yeah, Mom, I need to be getting up. I’ll see you Sunday,
for dinner.”

“All right, sweetheart. You know I just want you to be
happy. You deserve to be with someone who knows how special you are. I love you,
happy birthday.”

“I know, Mom. Thanks, I love you too.”

Hanging up, she considered whether it was too late to get
back to sleep. She wasn’t a morning person, never had been. Finding a job that
allowed her to work from home with flexible hours had been an ambition, not an
accident. She never minded putting the hours in as long as she got to choose
when and where. Being an accountant contracted with four small, local companies
worked perfectly for her.

Damn, she was too awake now to go back to sleep. The romance
she was reading sat next to the phone but she wasn’t interested in a paperback
hero right now. Thoughts of Keith always left her hot and bothered so she tried
not to think about her sexiest client too often. Thinking led to dreams of
what-if, which was a road she didn’t need to travel. The man was a fashion
photographer. He spent hours each day studying the most beautiful women in the
world, so when she met with him she had to remind herself constantly that his
friendly flirtations were meaningless.

He was a good guy, she knew he didn’t mean to hurt her, but
the nicer he was to her the worse she felt. It hadn’t been so bad when he’d
first hired her to keep his accounts. Polite and professional, he’d given her
no reason not to take him on as a client. But she never felt as inadequate and
lonely as she did when she left his presence. He was so attentive, so vibrant,
that when she was with him she felt beautiful and funny. Once she left though,
she came crashing down with the reminder that he was just a nice guy who didn’t
understand that interacting with him was the closest she got to a relationship.

God, she was so pathetic! Instead of picking up the book,
she dragged herself out of bed and headed for a shower. It was the one thing
she demanded of herself in order to work from home, besides putting in the
forty hours a week. She had to take a shower before she was allowed her first
cup of coffee. And since she couldn’t function without that first cup of
coffee, it was her way of ensuring she didn’t spend all day, every day in her
pajamas.

She pulled off her shower cap and scrunched in some product,
then wrapped her still-damp body in her comfiest robe before going to the
automatic coffee machine in the kitchen and pouring that first blissful cup. A
healthy dose of creamer later, she took a deep inhale that had her closing her
eyes to enjoy the fabulous aroma before she took a sip.
Welcome to
twenty-eight
, she thought ruefully. Then she ordered herself back into the
bedroom to get dressed and face the day.

* * * * *

Keith took a deep breath and picked up the phone. His
patience was at an end and he wasn’t waiting any longer. It was time to take
action. His beautiful accountant had been ignoring his flirtations for long
enough. If she’d told him she had a boyfriend or even just didn’t like him that
way, he would have moved on, been satisfied being friends with her. Maybe.
Well, okay, maybe not, but it didn’t matter, because she didn’t have a
boyfriend and no matter how much she pretended they were just friends, he knew
she was interested in him.

They had an easy rapport most of the time. Especially when
she forgot herself and relaxed. It was so frustrating. She would be coasting
along, enjoying his company, and suddenly snap to some realization that put her
on edge and nervous again. And she would run from him. Again. Drove him crazy.

He’d tried getting to know her better as friends, but she
seemed determined to keep everything work related. He’d asked her out but she’d
practically run from him. No more. If he had to watch her one more day without
being able to touch that gorgeous skin he was going to lose his mind. He’d
spent too many hours trying to decide exactly what color her skin was. He
figured her Italian last name explained the olive tint to the soft brown, but
he’d never asked. Because he didn’t care. He just wanted to touch. And taste.

He dialed the number he knew by heart, shaking his head in
disgust at himself. How many times had he dragged her here unnecessarily so
that he could see her? Well, he was going to do it one more time and if she
escaped him again, he was giving up.

The phone rang and she answered with a voice still a little
rough from sleep. He suppressed a groan at the picture of her getting out of
bed. A well-tossed bed from all the activity he wanted to indulge in with her,
her long black curls framing her pixie face. Full lips that never failed to
inspire him to… Concentrate, damn it, he needed to concentrate.

“Val, it’s Keith. I hate to bother you but is there any way
you can come over here this morning?” He intentionally left out any mention of
her helping him in a work-related capacity. If she wanted to assume that based
on similar calls he’d made, well…that’s why assumptions could get you into
trouble.

She cleared her throat. “Today? Well, yeah, I guess I could
do that.”

“About eleven, if it’s convenient. Please?” He wasn’t
opposed to a little bit of begging to get what he wanted.

“Sure, all right. I’ll be there.”

“Thanks, Val, you’re the best.” He hung up before his
eagerness betrayed him. He had a few preparations to make.

* * * * *

Val prided herself on promptness, especially when meeting
clients, but since Keith’s appointment was so last minute, she’d let herself
dawdle a bit. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to see him, she always liked
seeing him. Liked looking at him and talking to him, until she remembered that
flirting was just his nature and he didn’t see her as anything special.

Still, it was barely more than five minutes past the hour
when she arrived on his doorstep. She’d worn jeans, as she usually did, and if
she wore the new top that she thought fit her especially well, it was only
because it was her birthday and she deserved to feel cute, not because she
wanted to look good for a certain client.
Right? Right.

Keith opened the door holding a long-stemmed red rose, which
seemed odd. He’d worked on a Valentine’s Day shoot a few months ago for the
February issue of a popular magazine, so she couldn’t imagine what he might be
working on today that required roses. His tight black jeans hugged him
perfectly and his button-down shirt was hanging open, giving her a peek at the
chest she’d frequently imagined kissing all over, using her tongue to trace the
contours of muscle…

Damn, she was doing it again. It wasn’t as if he was the
only attractive man she knew, just the only one she couldn’t seem to be around
without her brain shorting out. He held the rose out and she stared at it.

“Happy Valentine’s Day, Valerie.”

She blinked at him and he took a step closer to nudge the
flower under her nose. Her hand came up automatically to wrap around the
de-thorned stem.

“Th-thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” He gave her a big smile and stepped back,
inviting her inside. She started the mantra she’d repeated to herself a hundred
times in his presence.
He’s just a nice guy who really likes women. All
women. That does not mean he loves all women, just that he likes to make them
feel special.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she realized he was
putting on shoes. Since he rarely wore them in his house, he had to be on his
way out the door. What could he need help with that quickly that she couldn’t
have accomplished over the phone? She ignored a pang of sadness and glanced
over at his desk to see what he was working on.

“You look beautiful. I like the top.” His warm-honey voice
made it hard to remember that he was just a client.

“Thanks.” She clutched the rose, feeling like an idiot.

She managed not to sigh as he stood and began to button his
shirt, covering himself. He was watching her, studying her with an intensity
that made her nervous. He seemed…oddly different today, but she couldn’t put
her finger on why. Once his shirt was buttoned most of the way, he ran his
hands through his hair, messing it up more than combing it, but she didn’t tell
him that. It was sexy this way, tousled as though he’d just gotten out of bed.
After rolling around in it. For hours. Her thighs clenched.

His lips twitched and she narrowed her eyes at him. What was
he up to?

“Come on,” he said, grabbing his keys and heading toward the
door while she stood in place, holding the rose.

“I thought you needed my help,” she said.

“Nope, just your company.” He came over and put his hand on
the small of her back, not pushing but urging her forward just the same.

“Uh.” Getting her brain to work when he was touching her was
always difficult and this time was no exception.
What is he talking about?
What does he want?
She needed the security of their business relationship
to keep from making a total fool of herself. Which was why she’d turned him down
the couple of times he’d asked her to join him socially. For him, it would be
fun to go see a movie with a friend. For her, it would be torture.

“Keith…” she began but he already had her out the door and
was turning around to lock up. “I have work to do.”

“I can almost guarantee you have nothing that absolutely has
to be done today. You don’t work that way. Right?” He turned, his face
determined and a little bit anxious.
What the hell is going on?

“Well, no, but—”

“No buts,” he interrupted, reaching down to grab her hand
and pull her to his car.

The warm contact shorted her brain again. She couldn’t think
of what she should be telling him, could only debate between yanking her hand
away in desperation or reveling in the connection her body wanted so badly.

They reached the car before she could make a decision either
way. He opened the passenger door and turned to her, and this time she could
see the expectant hope in his face. “Come on, Val, take some time off, come
with me. It will be fun, I promise. Please?”

How in the world was she supposed to say no to that? She got
into the car, letting him close the door behind her. She would go with him, try
to enjoy herself and not get too caught up in wishing that there could be more
between them. She’d take this opportunity to see if they could be real friends
rather than just business associates. If she could give herself that much of
him or if she would find out, once and for all, that she needed to put distance
between them in order to save her heart.