Janelle Denison
The Ultimate Seduction
The third book in the Seduction series, 2002
Dear Reader,
You've met Noah Sommers in my two previous 'Seduction' books, and I'm thrilled to finally be able to give him his own story in
I hope you enjoy Noah and Natalie's sexy,
Enjoy the heat!
This book is dedicated to Kathy Boswell,
Suzanne Coleburn, Elizabeth Benway, Cindy Penn,
Yvonne Hering and all the other readers and reviewers out there
who work so tirelessly to promote the romance genre.
Thank you for your unending support.
And to Don, a champion of romance and my biggest fan.
Chapter One
'If I had to choose one guy in this place to get naked with, I'd pick Noah Sommers. He's so damn sexy.' Gina fanned herself with a cocktail napkin and slanted Natalie Hastings an envious glance. 'Unfortunately, there's only one woman in this bar he's interested in, and it certainly isn't
With a patient smile, Natalie set down her serving tray at the end of the mahogany-and-brass bar as Murphy poured drinks for the waitresses to deliver to the Saturday evening customers. Her friend's insinuation was as clear as the crystal hanging from the glass racks overhead. Noah Sommers wanted
Unerringly, her gaze sought and found the man in question, a gorgeous male specimen with dark, tousled hair, striking blue eyes and a lean, honed body made for sin of the carnal variety. He'd certainly inspired a few private fantasies of her own.
He stood across the room in the gaming area of Murphy's Bar and Grill playing a round of pool with one of his good friends, Bobby Malone. As Noah lifted a bottle of beer to his lips, she admired the strong line of his jaw and the broad chest that filled out his plain blue T-shirt. Snug, faded jeans encased lean hips, muscular thighs and long, strong legs.
Oh, yeah, the man was sin incarnate.
Noah turned his head as Bobby made his shot and caught her looking his way. A slow, sexy grin eased up the corner of his mouth and he winked at her, causing a tingling warmth and awareness to pervade her entire body. Suppressing her sexual reaction as she'd taught herself to since her last relationship, she smiled back and returned her attention to her drink order.
'Don't you have anything to say for yourself?' Gina teased. 'Or are you just playing hard to get with Noah?'
Natalie rolled her eyes at her friend. 'You know I don't fraternize with the customers.' A personal rule she'd established for herself, and one Noah sorely tempted her to break with his devastating smile and male charm.
'Or anyone else for that matter,' Gina added as she loaded drinks onto her tray. 'And Lord knows with that killer body of yours you could have just about any man you wanted.'
Natalie inwardly cringed at Gina's assumption. If anything, she tried to downplay the centerfold curves that turned heads, but the bar uniform she was required to wear-jeans and a kelly-green T-shirt with 'Murphy's Bar And Grill' emblazoned across her well-endowed chest-didn't hide much.
Reaching for a wedge of lime, Natalie settled the garnish on top of the bottle of Corona on Gina's tray. 'Trust me, this body is more a curse than a blessing.' Her lush figure had brought her more heartache than joy, more insecurities than confidence, not that she'd expect anyone to understand what she'd been through before coming to live in Oakland, California, nine months ago.
Gina glanced down at her own insubstantial chest, then back at Natalie, her brow raised with amusement. 'Pardon me, but my triple A's tend to disagree.'
Natalie shook her head as she refilled a bowl of shelled peanuts for Gina's customers, then her own. 'You know how the saying goes-you always want what you don't have.' The statement certainly held true for her. She'd spent too many years as a young girl wishing for a flat chest and a couple of pounds off her hips, not that anyone had granted her request.
'I'm very familiar with the saying,' her friend said with a toss of her dark brown hair. 'And I covet
Natalie laughed, and Gina sashayed off to deliver her drinks, garnering a fair share of male attention as she crossed the room. In Gina's case, the ogling and playful come-ons of the male patrons were appreciated. In Natalie's case, she tolerated the comments and stares as part of the job and the reality of her life.
At the age of twelve she'd been wearing a size 36B bra, along with acquiring curvaceous hips and long legs that had made her feel like a giraffe. Her bust size had eventually increased to a 36D, and by the time she'd graduated high school she'd learned that most boys and men looked at her and thought of one thing: sex. They'd dated her believing she'd put out, and were sorely disappointed when she didn't allow their wandering hands to make it inside her blouse or pants. Even the boy at the last foster home she'd lived at until the age of eighteen had attempted to coax her into his bed, to no avail.
Amazingly, she'd remained a virgin until two years ago, at the age of twenty-three. Her first sexual encounter had been with Chad Freeman, a co-ed with her at the University of Nevada, Reno, who'd pursued her for weeks, until she'd finally accepted an invitation to dinner, which led to a series of dates thereafter. When she'd finally agreed to sleep with him, believing she was ready to take that intimate step, the experience had been awkward and one-sided. And their sexual encounters failed to improve for her. Despite wanting more physically, she'd settled for less-than-fulfilling sex.
As their relationship progressed, Chad's attitude toward her changed. He'd grown distrustful, domineering and
