The Tycoon's Seduction Plan

by Elizabeth Lennox

  “What did he do?”

  Her hand trembled as she lifted the martini glass to her lips one more time. Liquid courage she thought cynically. “It was what he didn’t do.”

  Victor held his patience as she slowly worked her way to explaining her predicament. “And that was?” he prompted gently when it looked like she wasn’t going to answer his question.

  She glanced at her hands clenched in her lap, the happy haze she’d been in for the past couple of hours dissipating as she ventured back to that horrible time in her life. “He left me without any support.”

  Victor swore under his breath. “So you were homeless?”

  Lana shivered, but shook her head. “It wasn’t quite that bad. He left the apartment to me and went to live with his new girlfriend. But I didn’t have any way to support myself; no way to pay the rent or buy food. When we’d gotten married, I’d stayed home and took care of things while he worked. I’d graduated from college right before our wedding but I’d never held a job. Drew had always said he wanted a traditional marriage where he was the bread winner and the wife stayed home and took care of the house and children.” She looked out the window, unaware of the hard glint her eyes had taken on as she thought back to those horrible days after he’d left her alone, terrified and confused. “I was stupid and trusting and went along with it, never imagining a time when he would discover I wasn’t enough for him.”

  Her statement infuriated him. He wanted to find the ass who had done this to her and knock him flat. It was one thing if both were working but for him to have asked her to stay home and be a wife, then to leave her without any support, the idea was unconscionable. “First of all, I can only imagine that the guy is an idiot on so many levels but secondly, after only talking with you for one afternoon, I can guarantee that you’re enough for any man.” His voice was firm and his eyes glared at her, daring her to contradict his emphatic statement. “Besides,” he looked at her nice clothes and smiled slightly, “You don’t look like you’ve suffered much.”

  She smiled and smoothed her wool skirt over her knees. “That’s because I immediately got a job. It was a secretarial job which was slow enough that I could write while my boss didn’t need me. He was very sweet and encouraged me to write out my dreams. I was published three months after I finished my first book. That was a year ago and I’ve published three more since then.”

  His eyes widened slightly. “You’re a prolific writer,” he said, impressed with how she’d creatively picked herself back up.

  She grimaced. “They’re potboilers but I love them. They take me out of my world and into a new world where I can make life exactly how I want it to go. No bad men, no horrible endings and everyone is happy when they reach the last page. I hope that my readers think the same thing and find an escape outside of whatever reality is bothering them while they’re reading my stories.”

  He smiled and shook his head. “Sounds unrealistic. There’s always a bad guy, or girl and rarely do people find happily ever after. More often, two people can find good-enough-for-the-moment.”

  She laughed at his cynical expression and nodded, immediately understanding his view point. “Spoken like a true mystery novel reader,” she challenged.

  Victor chuckled at her accurate guess. “Guilty.” He leaned forward again. “So far, you’ve explained the idiot of an ex-husband and an impressive career path. I still don’t understand the problem.”

  She sighed and put her chin in her hand which was propped up by her elbow on the table. “My editor wants me to add sex scenes to my stories.” She grimaced and looked up at him, trying to gauge his reaction to her awful statement.

  “Are you morally opposed to writing sex scenes?” He knew the policy well, since he’d established it and even announced it to his executive team only last week once the takeover had been announced.

  Lana thought about that for a moment. “No. Not at all as long as they enhance the story and help the plot.”

  “But you can’t write about something you don’t believe.”

  “Exactly.” She was impressed that he’d grasped the situation so easily. No one of her acquaintance would have put the pieces together so quickly. Weren’t gorgeous men supposed to be stupid as well? This man sitting in front of her definitely broke all the rules, she sighed.

  “Well then find another lover and learn to like sex.”

  That made her laugh out loud. “That’s not my style,” she answered and pushed her now-empty glass away. “I really should get back home. I have to figure out what I’m going to do for a career now.”

  Victor stood up with her, tossing several bills down onto the table to cover the tab. “I’ll drive you home,” he said and steadied her with his hands at her waist when she swayed.

  Lana had had no idea how potent the drinks had been until she stood and couldn’t seem to get a good grip on the room. Everything seemed a little off center. “Goodness!” she laughed lightly. “I guess I can’t really handle martinis very well, can I?”

  He smiled down into her tipsy face, amused at her surprised expression. “You handled them just fine. Come along,” he said.

  He put a hand to her back and led her out of the relatively empty restaurant. Since it was mid-week, there would only be a few small groups of people stopping by for happy hour cocktails. More than likely, the restaurant would fill up with high powered executives on their power dinners. Or did they only have power lunches, she wondered. She had no idea how to gain or maintain power, so she simply enjoyed the feeling of Victor’s hand at her back, the heat spreading through her body that had nothing to do with alcohol and the bubbly feeling inside her tummy was excitement, a feeling so new, she almost had trouble identifying it.

  It was late afternoon by now and the autumn air was starting to cool down significantly. She pulled her sweater closer around her, not having a coat since she’d been assuming she’d be home well before the afternoon sunshine had faded.

  “Cold?” he asked and pulled his soft cashmere coat off to wrap around her shoulders.

  She looked at the expensive coat, immediately engulfing her in warmth but couldn’t accept it from him. “No, you’ll be cold now,” she said and tried to shrug the coat off her shoulders and hand it back to him.

  Victor laid both his hands on her shoulders, effectively stopping her from taking the coat off. “Hold on to it for just a moment,” he said and guided her forward. “You look sexy as hell in my jacket,” he said and winked before pulling open the door to a long limousine for her.

  Lana stared at the splendid car and stepped back. She was suddenly intimidated by this obvious sign of wealth. The thought of getting into that gleaming car terrified her suddenly. “Thank you but there’s no need to drive me home. I can catch a cab. We’re probably heading in opposite directions.” She didn’t want to admit, even to herself, that she was intimidated by this latest example of his wealth. She preferred to think of this dynamic, amazing man as more on her level. Him being wealthy only put him out of her league. Not that she would do anything about her attraction to him anyway, but it was nice to dream.

  He wouldn’t allow her to step back from the curb. His hands held onto her waist and he moved in slightly as he shook his head. “I can guarantee that we’re not. Get in. I won’t take no for an answer. I don’t get a woman tipsy and then leave her to the potentially cruel New York City streets and subways. It isn’t safe.”

  Lana couldn’t argue with that. She really was feeling the effects of the drinks since she couldn’t find a coherent argument against getting into the car besides being intimidated by this kind of wealth and not wanting to inconvenience him. Besides, she wanted to spend as much time with this man as possible. He made her feel pretty and she could have sworn he just said she looked sexy. She liked that. No man had ever told her she looked sexy. What a novel experience.

  She stepped into the back of the limousine and immediately handed his jacket back to him, smiling with her gratitude. He took it and toss
ed it to one of the seats in front of them and turned to face her.

  “I have a proposition for you,” he said and waited until he had her full attention once again.

  Lana felt giddy being this close to him. Her body tingled and she felt those fluttery things in her stomach once more. She thought it was the equivalent of being inside a bottle of champagne.

  “What’s that?” she asked, her eyes dropping to his lips, wondering what it would be like to kiss him. Her cheeks heated and she forced her eyes to look at his, not wanting him to know what she’d been thinking. It was too embarrassing.

  “Let me show you that sex can be great,” he said.

  Lana gasped, and leaned back a few inches against the soft leather seat of the limousine. “Excuse me?” she asked, needing to hear his words again, sure she hadn’t heard them correctly.

  He watched her expressions closely as he went into more detail. “Let me teach you about sex, Lana. I think you’ll enjoy it much more with an experienced lover.”

  Lana’s mouth dropped open. “You’re serious?” Surely this was a dream and he hadn’t just offered his services as tutor. Right?

  “Of course I am. I think you’re gorgeous and all afternoon, I’ve been trying to figure out how to get you into my bed. This seems like a win-win situation,” he teased.

  She blushed painfully at his comment even though her heart was about to burst from the speed at which it was racing. “You want me in your bed?” She couldn’t believe that. It was too wonderful. “Even after all I’ve told you?” Impossible.

  One dark eyebrow went up with her question. “Do you doubt it?”

  She snapped her mouth closed and looked away from the amusement she saw lurking in his eyes. “Frankly, yes. Why would you want me in your bed?”

  Victor put a finger under her chin, gently raising her face so she was looking at him again. “Because you’re beautiful and sexy as hell,” he repeated. He pulled a card out of his wallet and wrote something on the back. “Here’s my private cell phone number. Think about it tonight and call me tomorrow.” They were already at her apartment and he stepped out, then reached in to offer her a hand.

  Lana took the card and stared at his name. Victor Davenport. She didn’t know him and yet her hand was still in his large, warm one and he’d just offered to become her lover. What a strange series of events, she thought. She knew her mind was wrapping around details that were superfluous but she couldn’t help it. She just couldn’t accept and absorb his offer. It was just too bizarre.

  Taking a deep breath, she looked up from his card to examine his features, noting the confidence and arrogance, the hard jaw line and cheekbones that should have been on a male model. But there was a gentleness there as well. And admiration. For her?

  Ridiculous. A man as obviously successful as this one wouldn’t find much to admire in a person like her. “I don’t think…” she started to say and hand him back his card.

  Victor refused to take the card back. He took her hand and folded her slender fingers around the expensive, white card. “Don’t reject the idea immediately. At least think about it. And let me know tomorrow. Call me,” he said and leaned down, letting his lips brush hers gently. He didn’t stop at a small, simple kiss though. His mouth brushed against hers, then his tongue darted out and tasted her lower lip. A moment later, he sucked her lower lip into his mouth, before gently covering her mouth once again.

  The tingling that had started in her stomach from his initial suggestion flared out, speeding electric currents all through her body. Her fingers gently touched his shoulder, careful not to put too much pressure there, lest he know she was doing it.

  Lana was so surprised by the heat that rushed through her when she felt his lips, she forgot to pull back. In fact, her body swayed towards his, wanting to feel the touch once again, to see if it was real or not.

  He pulled back and looked down into her surprised face. What he saw there must have pleased him because he grinned, then pulled her imperceptively closer.

  He kissed her once again, just another fluttery kiss and nothing that would frighten her in any way, then pulled back to look at her features, enjoying the flushed cheeks and suddenly glazed eyes. “Call me tomorrow and let me teach you about all the things you’ve only imagined,” he urged, his voice husky as he held her arms with his hands. His body was tantalizingly close but the inches were enticing.

  A moment later, he was gone, disappearing into the black limousine which glided smoothly away from the curb, then turned the corner. When Lana couldn’t see him anymore, she sighed and walked into her building. She checked her mail box and threw out all the junk mail, climbed the three flights of stairs to her small, but cozy apartment and decided the plants needed water. Then the carpets needed to be vacuumed, the dishes washed, dried and put away, clothes to iron and hang up. It was midnight when she finally looked down at her hand, seeing the card that she’d never put down.

  Lana sat down on the edge of her bed and shivered, still staring at the card as if it had a life of its own. What would it be like to be held by those strong arms? To feel his fingers touching her bare skin? The memory of his hands against her back flitted through her mind, teasing her, making her think other, more intimate thoughts.

  She shook the idea away. There was no way she could do anything so crazy as to become someone’s lover, just so she could write about sex in her stories. That was ridiculous. Especially a stranger she’d just met a few hours ago.

  Standing up, she placed the card on her bedside table and forced herself to walk away. She brushed her teeth, staring at the card the whole time. She washed her face, then quickly dried it off so she could look at the card once again.

  It was almost like the card were the man and had a force all its own. Was she magnetized to the card? Was there some sort of spell he’d put on the card that drew her constantly to the expensive parchment? That was ridiculous, she thought as she pulled on a cotton nightgown, tying the bow at the neck, then slipping into bed. The city lights filtered through her blinds and allowed her to see the shape of the card, if not the actual words and she stared at it in the dark.

  By two o’clock in the morning, she’d rejected the idea, turning over in her bed and leaving her back to the card. When three o’clock came around and she hadn’t been able to close her eyes once, she sat up and looked at the darkened room. It must have been exhaustion, or an overwhelming tide of frustration and other undefined emotions that swelled through her body. But the night had a way of obliterating common sense. Why couldn’t she have sex with him? Why not satisfy her curiosity? What harm could there be in giving in to the temptation to accept his kisses. And more.

  She shivered, remembering the “more” she’d experienced with Drew. She’d hated it. But she’d never felt so much from a kiss as she had when Victor had touched his mouth to hers. She’d never had that glorious, tingling excitement that dared her to touch back. Drew’s kisses had been pleasant in the beginning, and cruel, almost punishing toward the end. But at no time had his touch, his mere presence, caused her so much excitement.

  Worst case, it was just as horrible as it had been with Drew and she’d be right back where she was now. But what if it wasn’t horrible? What if it was nice?

  Looking out the window, seeing the headlights from the traffic below form moving shadows across her bedroom, she thought about all the stories she’d heard about sex, the delights that others experienced but had so far passed her by. What if she could feel what others felt? What if….

  No, she thought as she punched the pillow and laid back down. Drew had been right. She was frigid and wouldn’t ever be very good in bed. Why risk that kind of humiliation over something that she’d been living without for years. A lifetime.

  Besides, one didn’t miss what one had never experienced, right?

  By dawn, she was too tired to think about it any longer and was grateful when sleep finally overcame her. It was almost lunch time when she finally woke up.

>   Her first thought when her eyes focused was how she needed to revise her present couple’s first kiss. She rushed to her computer and sat down, turning it on and then scrolling to the area where they first met. It was there that she found their kiss and added more texture, feelings, more heat. It took her about three hours, but when she finally pressed the save button again, she knew that the scene was much better. More alive and thrilling.

  Looking around, she realized she was still in her pajamas. “Goodness!” she said and stood up to get into the shower. Since she didn’t have an external schedule like others where they had to report to work at a specific time, eat lunch and come home, she’d forced a schedule upon herself. She’d shower each morning and dress just as if she were going to an office. Then she’d work for four hours, have a light lunch, then work another four hours on her manuscripts. Victor had said she was a prolific writer yesterday but she attributed that to her work schedule, knowing how she could let small errands get in the way of her writing if she wasn’t careful and routine.