Seduced. Metsy Hingle

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СКАЧАТЬ I never pegged you for a coward. Despite all that blue blood and those oh-so-perfect manners, I thought you were a pretty gutsy lady. Guess you’re not quite the woman I thought you were. My mistake.” He started toward the door.

      Suddenly she felt confused, unsure of herself. A sinking sensation washed over her at the prospect of him walking out of her life. “Michael, wait!”

      He paused at the door and looked back at her.

      “I—” She swallowed past the lump in her throat.

      His expression wary, Michael retraced his steps across the room. He tossed his jacket on the chair and folded his arms across his chest. And waited.

      Nervous, Amanda smoothed the skirt of her suit. Squaring her shoulders, she used all the poise she’d acquired as a diplomat’s daughter to meet his gaze. “You’re right,” she said, trying to keep her voice even. “I’ve been using professional ethics as an excuse when my reasons are personal.”

      His expression softened. “Whatever it is, we can work it out. Just talk to me. Tell me what it is you’re afraid of.”

      He made it sound so simple, but it wasn’t. There were too many risks. Amanda shook her head. “There’s really no point.” Releasing a sigh, she continued. “Try to understand. I never meant for anything to happen between us. I don’t want to become any more involved with you than I already am. I know from past experience that it...that we won’t work.”

      Myriad emotions crossed Michael’s face. “You know, you’re not the only one with personal demons, Amanda. Maybe I’m letting some of my own demons cause me to overreact just as you have.”

      He sat down on the edge of her desk and toyed with the sleek silver pen that lay beside her appointment book. “Maybe you’re right, maybe pulling Summer out of therapy now isn’t the right thing to do.” His gaze tangled with hers.

      “Then you’ll let her stay in the program?”

      “I’m willing to discuss the possibility.” He set down the pen. “But later. Right now, I have to get home. I left Summer with a sitter. I didn’t want her sitting in the hall while you and I discussed her.”

      Amanda wasn’t sure if she was relieved or disappointed. While her head told her to get him out of her life, her heart told her another story. Hooking a length of her hair behind one ear, she opened her appointment book. “When did you want to meet?”

      “Friday.”

      She flipped the page and frowned. “It’ll take some rescheduling, but I could see you at—”

      “Seven o’clock. Over dinner.”

      Amanda looked up. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

      “I thought you wanted a chance to convince me to let Summer stay in the program?”

      “I do.”

      “Then convince me on Friday.” He shot her a slow, sexy smile that Amanda knew was meant to ease the tension, but didn’t. “Come on. It’s only dinner.”

      He was right. It was only dinner, she told herself. How much harm could there be in having dinner? “All right. Where should I meet you?”

      “I’ll pick you up.”

      “Michael, I don’t think—”

      “Try not to think so much,” he said, leaning forward. “Sometimes it’s better to just let yourself feel.”

      Gently he brushed his lips against hers. The contact was light, tender, a nonthreatening kiss. Yet the feel of his mouth, warm and firm against her own, sparked a fire inside her that seeped to her core.

      Stifling the urge to pull her into his arms, Michael lifted his head. He looked into her brown eyes, all soft and dreamy, and checked the need to taste her lips again.

      Slowly her dazed expression began to fade. “About Friday,” she whispered.

      He caught the note of doubt in her voice and refused to give her a chance to change her mind. “I’ll pick you up at seven. Wear something casual.” Easing off the desk, he retrieved his jacket and slipped out the door.

      Standing outside the office, Michael drew a steadying breath. For a moment he’d been sure he’d blown it. He hadn’t meant to issue her an ultimatum; and he certainly hadn’t meant to kiss her. But the sight of that pretty pink mouth telling him no again, shooting holes in all his plans, had been too much.

      As he headed for the exit, his thoughts were filled with Amanda. A slow burning began in the lower part of his body as he recalled the warmth of her lips, the sweet hesitation of her response.

      He stepped out into the waning sunlight and started for the parking lot. He’d enjoyed that kiss—a lot more than he had bargained for. And for a few crazy moments he’d been tempted to shelve his plans.

      He couldn’t. Too much was at stake.

      Frowning, Michael slipped inside the black sedan and removed the letter from his coat pocket. As he scanned the legal jargon once more, he thought back to that day six weeks ago when he’d decided to take his attorney’s advice.

      Find yourself a wife, Dave had said. Summer needs a mother. You always said you were going to get married someday. Why not do it now?

      It had made perfect, logical sense. By taking a wife, he could give Summer the one thing she wanted most and the one thing Martha Winthrop with all her money and influence couldn’t buy—a family. And what court would remove a child from a loving, two-parent home and opt for one with only a rich, elderly widow?

      None, he’d told himself.

      All he had to do was find a wife. The plan was simple. At least, he had thought so, until Summer had quickly dismissed each potential candidate he’d brought before her.

      The only exception had been Amanda. She had been the only woman Summer seemed to truly like.

      Shoving the letter back into his coat pocket, Michael started the engine and backed out of the parking lot. Amanda was perfect. Not only was she beautiful, smart and interesting to be with, but she genuinely cared for his niece.

      And she was attracted to him.

      The feeling was mutual, he admitted. Moving the car into the line of traffic, he laughed out loud, the sound echoing inside the empty car. Who was he kidding? He’d been attracted to Amanda from the beginning. Over the past two months those feelings had only grown stronger...and they’d had nothing at all to do with Summer.

      He wanted Amanda, period.

      Michael’s lips curved into a self-mocking smile. What red-blooded male wouldn’t want her? With her pale blond hair and creamy skin, that long, sleek body, she looked more like a princess than a psychologist.

      Granted, he was no prince. But he’d come a long way from the sixteen-year-old punk who’d lived on the wrong side of the tracks. Twenty years and a successful business could change a lot of things.

      But it can’t change СКАЧАТЬ