Girl's Guide to Hunting & Kissing. Joanne Rock

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СКАЧАТЬ think you’re forgetting one very obvious physical sensation that South Beach nightlife often provides.” She retrieved the satin ties that lay across her arm and absently wound one end around her finger.

      He caught the invitation behind the words. And he’d bet many a man would have made a dive for her right then and there.

      But despite Summer’s come-hither outfit and the wild pink braids in her blond mermaid hair, Jackson guessed there were more layers to this woman than the sexy veneer. Her knowledgeable questions about his work had surprised him. Pleasantly so. And she couldn’t be the seduction queen her outfit implied if she was still sitting politely on her antique settee after he’d been in this pleasure palace of hers for nearly an hour.

      If he leaped at his first chance with her, he might find one night of incredible physical sensation. And granted, that’s what he’d thought he wanted when he’d walked into Club Paradise tonight—pleasure without commitment.

      Their conversation had made him rethink the strategy. Her scandal-making, adventurous nature fascinated him, appealed to his own wild side that he’d kept under wraps by necessity because of his family. His job.

      But hell, his old man had basically incinerated the family name so he didn’t need to worry about that anymore. And as for his job, maybe he wouldn’t even have a shot at the election given the scandal surrounding him.

      It seemed he was suffering all the effects of negative press and he hadn’t had any of the fun of creating it.

      Maybe he wanted something more from Summer Farnsworth than a night of incredible sex. He didn’t know what that might be, but he had the feeling he would never have the chance to find out if he rushed headlong into a physical relationship.

      He studied her now while Ella Fitzgerald sang, could see the surprise in her eyes that he hadn’t made a move on her yet. The curiosity.

      He moved closer to her. Sank into the chair she’d pointed out to him earlier. Leaning forward to prop his elbows on his knees, Jackson wanted to make it clear that just because he didn’t jump her right away didn’t mean he wasn’t interested. “The prospect of sex definitely entered my mind when I walked into the club tonight.”

      “How about when you walked into the bordello?” Summer shifted her legs, re-crossing them in the other direction and giving him plenty of opportunity to glimpse toned calves and a hint of creamy thighs below the jagged hem of her skirt.

      Delayed gratification wasn’t going to be a stroll in the park when it came to this woman. But he had goals to achieve, damn it. He didn’t have any intention of wavering from his chosen path.

      “What was I thinking when a gorgeous woman ushered me into a red velvet bordello and conversed with me over a pile of exotic lingerie?” He flicked an errant bra strap sliding off the edge of the coffee table. “I’ll bet you have a good idea what I’m thinking. That doesn’t mean I’m going to act on it.”

      He nearly changed his mind when he saw a flash of disappointment—quickly concealed—in her light-gray eyes.

      She released the red satin ties to her outfit she’d been playing with and tugged her shawl more tightly around her shoulders. “How…noble of you.”

      “Not noble. Just patient. Ten seconds into our conversation tonight I realized I wanted to know you better than any night of rushed sex would ever allow.” As he spoke the words, he embraced the objective all the more. There was something very intriguing about this woman who dressed like a gypsy, flirted with a vengeance and owned a quarter of the hottest new spot on South Beach. Not the least of which was the fantasy he’d heard her relate to her girlfriend about being overpowered. What might it be like to play out that particular scenario with her? “I’d rather not miss out on the chance to get to know you by fast-forwarding through the preliminaries.”

      Relinquishing the garment she’d been clutching about herself, her jaw dropped for a split second before she snapped it shut again. “You’re not looking for sex. You just came into the bordello to talk?”

      She spelled it all out as if to be certain of the facts. Damn. Was his request so unusual? And if it was, didn’t that say something pretty freaking sorry about the condition of the dating scene in the new millennium?

      “Honestly, sex would be very welcome at some point down the road.” He concentrated on making eye contact with her so his gaze didn’t unwittingly roam her tempting body. “I just hoped we could go out sometime.”

      “You and me?” Her tone told him she thought the idea ludicrous. She shook her head. “You’ll never stop making scandalous headlines if you hit the town with me, Jackson. My clothes alone draw enough attention to keep me in the paper every week. Can you imagine what kind of press you’ll get if I’m out on the town with South Beach’s most beloved bachelor? You’ll never win your election.”

      “Isn’t that for me to worry about? And why should my personal life have to revolve around elections?” He’d been walking the straight and narrow for too damn long and for some reason it took meeting Summer with her bedroom goddess lips and decadent bordello to make him realize it.

      She rose, brow furrowed, and edged around the coffee table to circle the sitting area. From the way her teeth sank into the soft fullness of her lower lip, Jackson gathered she was thinking. Worrying, maybe?

      Pausing beside an open armoire, she folded her arms under small but oh-so-enticing breasts. “You’re asking me on a date?”

      “Are you already seeing someone?”

      “No. But look at us.” She gestured between her body and his. “Anyone could tell we’re mismatched.” She shook her head and started pacing again. “What sign are you?”

      “What sign?”

      Stopping again, she leaned against a sleek, unobtrusive marble wet bar and sighed. “When’s your birthday?”

      He had so lost the thread of this conversation. “May twelfth?”

      “Of course, you’re a Taurus. I’m an Aquarius.” She withdrew a silver pendant that had been hidden under her dress. From his vantage point, it looked like a disk with a few wavy lines carved across the front. “You’re the bull and I’m the ever-changing water sign. It will never work.”

      Ah. A challenge.

      If Summer Farnsworth had known him better, she would have realized she couldn’t chase him off by declaring he couldn’t possibly win. Throughout the course of his career, challenges had always fueled him. Fired him up. Made him all the more determined.

      Rising, he stepped closer to Summer. Plainly, the time had arrived to employ stronger means of persuasion. “This Aquarius condition…does that make you clairvoyant or something?”

      She tilted her chin as he neared and he could almost see her dig her heels into the plush taupe carpet. “I once accurately predicted a hurricane in a Tarot-card reading. But in general, no, I’m not psychic.”

      “Then you can’t possibly know what might happen between us if we got together.” He stopped a fraction of an inch inside her personal space, just close enough to catch the wild floral scent of her.

      “It just seems unwise for a man in your position to court trouble.” Her breath caught, СКАЧАТЬ