Seduced

'Quiches, chicken fingers, stuffed mushrooms, buffalo wings. Those kinds of things that everyone seems to like. I can call a few caterers, get their suggestions, too, and an estimate for the party.' She took a drink of her soda, her gaze expectant. 'What do you think?'

He pretended to mull over her suggestion. 'That sounds fine to me.'

'Great.' Seemingly pleased with his easy acquiescence, she scribbled a note on a piece of paper with the heading 'Caterer.' Meanwhile the waitress arrived with their meal, setting a bowl of potato cheese soup in front of Jessica, and a cheeseburger in front of him.

They both started in on their respective lunches. After a few spoonfuls of soup, Jessica continued with her agenda. 'I was going to contactWilson's bakery to order a cake, and I was thinking we should go with white cake with a butter cream frosting.'

He chewed on a bite of cheeseburger and thought about her bland suggestion. Not wanting to outright discount her opinion, he chose his words carefully. 'I'm not a cake connoisseur by any stretch of the imagination, but what's wrong with a flavored cake, like chocolate, or lemon, or even something more exotic likeBlack Forest?'

She wrinkled her nose at him, silently rejecting his idea. 'Not everyone likes those flavors, and vanilla is pretty safe.'

'But not very exciting or different,' he pointed out, and saw her brows pucker ever so slightly at his argument. 'I mean, why do we have to go with just one cake?'

'Because…' Her jaw snapped shut when no other words emerged, then she tried again. 'Well, I just thought…' Seemingly unable to find a solid answer to dispute his creative concept, her shoulders slumped. 'I guess we could get a variety,' she said reluctantly. 'What doyou suggest?'

He'd put her on the defensive, and he hadn't meant to do that. And she obviously wasn't happy about his interference inher plans, but it just wouldn't be any fun if he gave in to her every whim without adding a little spice to the mixture. If it was really important, he'd let her have her way-but first, he'd prove to her that plain and practical white cake didn't compare to a more exciting, tasty and pleasurable array of desserts.

She was waiting for his ideas, very impatiently if the tapping of her pen was any indication. Keeping his expression unreadable, he dragged a French fry through a pool of ketchup and met her gaze from across the booth. 'Can I have a few days to think about it?'

He'd definitely caught her off guard with his request to take the time to consider their cake dilemma. As much as he knew she would have preferred settling the issue here and now, she conceded to his request.

'Sure.' She smiled as if to placate him. 'Can you let me know your ideas and suggestions by the end of the week so we can make a decision and get the cake, or cakes, ordered?'

He nodded. 'We'll definitely have it covered by the end of the week.' And she'd have a new appreciation for the different tastes, flavors and textures of cake.

Closing her notepad, she stuffed it back into her tote bag in an attempt to terminate their discussion. He wasn't about to let her retreat so easily.

'Youmentioned going in together on a gift for Brooke and Marc,' he said, sucking off a smear of sauce from his thumb. 'What did you have in mind?'

She dabbed at her mouth with her napkin as she swallowed a mouthful of soup. 'I was thinking along the lines of something for their bathroom, which Brooke mentioned she wanted to redo in peach and greens. We could get them towels, a vanity set, a matching hamper-'

'Well, that's certainly very practical and sensible,' he drawled, not at all impressed.

She bristled, a flicker of annoyance finally making an appearance in her gaze. 'And what's wrong with that?'

'Nothing. I suppose, for old married couples.' Done with his cheeseburger, he wiped his fingers on his napkin. 'They're newlyweds, Jessie. Why not get them something fun and sexy for the bathroom?'

She stared at him as if he'd spouted Latin. 'What in the world could be fun and sexy for the bathroom?'

Did she honestly have no clue? He shrugged, thinking of the things that would appeal to a woman, and a man, as well. 'Lotions, candles and bath products. I've even seen some flavored finger paints that couples can use to rub all over each other's bodies, then lickoff.'

Her brows rose in skepticism, contradicting the flush stealing across her face. 'You're kidding, right?'

He searched her flustered expression, and wondered about her sexual experience. She didn't strike him as completely innocent, but he was beginning to suspect that she'd never experimented beyond basic sex. Had she ever really been seduced by a man?Really seduced, in a way that encompassed every one of her five senses?

Bits and pieces of their conversation yesterday at his office filtered through his mind:

Chemistry is a great start.

Which rarely lasts once the relationship turns physical.

Is that your experience?

She hadn't given him an answer, but he was beginning to believe that her sexual encounters had been brief, and inadequate.

'It's a romantic and playful gift,' he argued lightly. 'Brooke and Marc would enjoy it. Any couple would.'

'I doubt it.'

Stubborn woman, he thought. She wouldn't doubt his choice if she knew just how sensual and erotic bath-time could be when you had someone to play with in the tub.

'Tell you what,' he said, more than willing to compromise. 'You purchase the practical items, and I'll buy the fun, sexy stuff. We'll put it all together and the gift will be a great combination of both.'

She crossed her arms over her chest, her mouth pursed with frustration. No doubt she was wishing she'd never agreed to allow him to help with the party and planning.

'You're not convinced?'

'I just don't think your idea is a veryuseful gift, and it's not what I had in mind.' Her tone was prim, but her words undercut him as a man who knew what women liked. 'Maybe we ought to just buy our gifts separately.'

Without further comment, he let the issue slide-for now. It appeared he had something else to teach her-about the many creative ways to enjoy being intimate. And when he was done with her, she'd gladly admit to his expertise.

* * *

The man was infuriating!

Jessica walked into her apartment, yanked off her jacket, and released a loud, aggravated sound that did nothing to dispel the frustration coiling within her. Why couldn't Ryan just be a typical male and leave the plans for the New Year's Eve bash to her? Why did he have to put a crimp in her plans and suggestions?

And why did he have to be so gorgeous and sexy and make her want him so much when she knew how foolish any liaison with him would be?

She sank into the old, soft chair that had seen her through many years of pain, anger, tears and confusion. Though the sturdy frame had been reupholstered three times since her parents' divorce when she was nine years old, the chair was the one thing she couldn't part with from her childhood. The softness and warmth had become a comfort zone for her, a place that swallowed her up and offered silent solace for her troubles, whatever they were.

Like her disconcerting attraction to Ryan.

It was silly to hang on to the chair, she knew, considering all the bad memories that came with it-but it had been the one constant in her life, other than Brooke. When her father decided that he preferred the single life with a younger woman over the family he'd created, which entailed nearly destroying his wife in the process, Brooke had been the strong one during the turbulent divorce that had ensued. Brooke had taken care of her, and their mother. The separation had been a nasty one, with her father hiring a powerful attorney who had no compunction about taking advantage of her mother's emotional shock. And since her mother hadn't been able to afford to hire a decent lawyer for herself, she'd lost most everything to her husband and his new lover.

Bitter memories swamped Jessica as she remembered the years after the divorce, of her mother struggling to