The Seduction Game

by Maltezos, Anastasia

  “You just have to stop being so picky, dear,” Nora Moore continued. “Men aren’t perfect. They have ample faults and sometimes you just have to live with them. You know I loved your father deeply, but you also know I had to put up with his faults.” There was a pause on the line. “Don’t you want to get married and have children?”

  “Yes. I do, but not with the men you set up for me.” Kate tensed. “I hope you haven’t called me because you want to set me up with another date. The answer will be no.”

  “What do you want, then? Not Simon, I hope,” Nora said, her voice tinged with distaste. “I’ve been hearing through the grapevine that his marriage isn’t going too well. He was a weak man when he was with you and he’s a weak man now. I heard he’s been running around behind his wife’s back.” Nora paused. “He was never the right man for you, dear.”

  Kate didn’t have time to register that Simon’s marriage was in trouble. She was too astonished to discover her mother thought Kate still harbored feelings for him. “Mom, it was over with Simon a long time ago.” And for the first time, Kate actually believed it. She was really and truly over him. For the first time, she realized, she didn’t feel a smidgeon of regret or hurt. Just…nothing. “Mom, I deserve what Gail and Barb have. I deserve something good and beautiful.”

  “Whoever said you didn’t?”

  “You did,” Kate replied quietly. “After Simon and I broke up, you said I should have settled for someone less attractive, less popular.” She didn’t know why she brought that up after all these years, but she was glad she did. Her mother was silent and Kate almost regretted her honesty.

  “I think you misunderstood me,” Nora said. “What I meant was you should have chosen a man who was sincere and kind, someone who really knew you, the real you. Someone who could touch your heart in ways no other person could. Someone as wonderful as your father was with me.” Nora sighed. “My dear, your sisters are lovely girls and I love them to death, but they never possessed your strength or compassion. You always had a strong will, a passion to help, and I always wanted you to find someone very special.” There was a pause. “I wanted you to find someone beautiful on the inside, and Simon was not.”

  Tears pricked Kate’s eyes. All these years and she hadn’t known that’s how her mother felt. It had been different with her father. He had always told her she was special. That she would amount to something big in her life. That she deserved a deep, special love with a man who could give her what she had been giving to everyone else. Love, compassion, understanding.

  Then, as if her mother had read her mind, “Honey, I may have never told you as often as your father did, but that doesn’t mean I loved you any less than he did. I always thought you were special. That you deserved something special. Maybe that’s why I was harder on you than your sisters. I always expected more from you.” She paused. “Your father always believed in you, Kate. He always wanted the best for you, as I did.”

  “I know,” she said quietly. “I’ve always known. It’s just been hard without dad all these years.”

  “Oh, honey. I know. It’s been hard for all of us in our own way.”

  Kate’s gaze went to the envelope with the photograph that was still on the hall table. “I…I received another dead end today.” She picked up the picture. “It’s a pretty painting though.”

  Nora made a sympathetic sound. “I thought you stopped trying. Honey, let it go. You’ll never find that painting. It’s been years.”

  “I know. I love you, Mom.”

  “I love you, too, honey. Goodnight.”

  Chapter 10

  The next morning, as soon as Kate walked into her office, her cellphone rang.

  “I’ll pick you up at nine,” Adam said.

  She was still groggy and in desperate need of a second cup of coffee. “Nine?”

  “Yes. We’re going to Fantasies for your nice girl debut.”

  “Oh. Right.” Kate rubbed her eyes. God, she was exhausted. She’d been up most of the night thinking about him, her mother, her life. “All right.”

  “I have to stick to my end of the bargain. Ed’s coming in at ten to sign the contract and the staff are going out for a celebratory lunch.”

  “That’s great, Adam. I’m…I’m glad I could help.”

  “And I thought I’d let you know that Pete Weathers is coming in for that interview at eleven.”

  Her spirits lifted. “That’s wonderful. I’m sure he’s excited about it.”

  “He is.” She could hear the smile in his voice. “He told me he’s been studying his C-Plus-Plus manual.”

  “C-Plus-Plus?”

  “It’s a programming language for software developers.”

  Kate smiled, thinking how happy Pete must have been this morning. “I hope the interview goes well.”

  “I’m sure it will. See you at nine.”

  She shut her cellphone and sighed happily. It warmed her heart that Adam was so kind to the young boy. She spent the whole day seeing her patients, all the while thinking about Adam. And the more she thought about him, the more she realized she didn’t want him to walk out of her life after her research was done. By the time she started getting ready at eight thirty, she was nothing short of panic-stricken.

  She couldn’t lose him.

  More than once she wanted to call Barbara and ask her what to do, but she abandoned that thought. Kate wasn’t in the mood for I-told-you-so’s.

  Suddenly, she felt like a curtain was drawn back, exposing the truth, and she finally admitted what she’d been hiding from herself.

  She was falling in love with Adam.

  Her hands shook as she slipped on her black lace panties and bra. She reached for her black, knee length dress, and stepped into it. After zipping up the back, she slid into her gold strappy sandals.

  My God, she was falling in love with him.

  Her heart raced. She tried concentrating as she applied her berry lipstick and black mascara, but her hands kept shaking.

  At nine sharp the doorbell rang and she sprayed some Calvin Klein perfume on the nape of her neck before she went downstairs. She caught a glimpse of herself in the hall mirror and felt pleased with the results. Her hair was down, her lips full with the berry lipstick, and her eyes looked smoky with the charcoal eye shadow she’d applied.

  She opened the door, ready to say hello, and her mouth went dry. Adam looked devastatingly handsome in faded, expensive jeans, a white T-shirt, and a jacket made of very soft, very fine black leather. Her hand fluttered nervously to her stomach.

  “Am I overdressed?” she asked.

  He didn’t say a word as he raked his dark gaze over her. “I thought you were going out as the nice girl tonight?”

  “I am.”

  His frown deepened. “You look too sexy. Don’t you have anything else to wear?”

  “Sexy?” Kate drew back. “This dress has sleeves and a high neck.”

  “This dress,” he said as he stepped inside, “is leaving little to the imagination. And you did something to your eyes,” he added, scrutinizing her face.

  “It’s eye shadow.” Kate frowned. “I can take it off. Do you think it’s too much?”

  “No. It’s…you look perfect,” he replied, his gaze resting on her mouth.

  “Thank you.”

  His eyes met hers and her breath caught at the look on his face. Desire, appreciation, and something else she couldn’t define. “Why don’t you come in? I thought we could go over our plan before we leave.”

  He walked to the bookshelf and browsed the titles. “This is quite a collection.”

  She glanced over her shoulder. “Thanks. Red wine okay?”

  “Sure.”

  She returned with their glasses and found him pointing to a glass encased corner on the wall unit.

  “Are these the books you wrote?”

  She nodded and handed him his glass.

  “The Other Woman Syndrome,” he began. “How To Mend Your Broken Heart, And Get
The Man You Deserve. A Makeover from the Inside Out. Prim And Proper Can Bring The Sizzle Back Into Your Relationship.”

  Adam fell silent and she held her breath, wondering if he was mentally scoffing at the themes of her books. Did he realize they delineated her own life?

  “When did you write the first one?”

  “Five years ago.”

  “Was that when he left you?” He turned to face her.

  He was far too astute. He’d guessed she’d written The Other Woman Syndrome right after her break-up. She wasn’t surprised at his perceptiveness. Hadn’t he realized she was masquerading as Katrina almost from the beginning? She doubted her own mother would have recognized her that quickly.

  “Yes. He…he left me for another woman.”

  “Let me guess. A bad girl.”

  “He didn’t know what hit him.”

  “He was a fool.”

  His comment warmed her more than her wine did. “No. He was just susceptible to a sexy woman. I was too simple for him. Too plain.”

  “You’re everything but plain, Kate.” He stared at the castles on the left of the books. “You’re a little boy’s hero.”

  He turned and took her hand in his, staring deeply into her eyes. Kate went still. She had known him only for a short time, but a part of her felt like she’d known him all her life.

  “Kate.” He made a move towards her.

  “No,” she said, taking a small step back. She may have been falling in love with him, but he was not falling in love with her.

  “I know you feel the same way I do.”

  “Do I?” she asked softly. “Adam, I…I can’t be one of those girls who take relationships one day at a time. I need more.”

  “I can’t read the future, Kate. I don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow. All I know is what I want today. And I want you.”

  She couldn’t fault him for his honesty. She placed her glass down and went to get her purse. “We need to go. It’s getting late.”

  He reached for her arm and pulled her around to face him. “Aren’t we even going to talk about this?”

  “I thought you didn’t believe in talking. Besides, having sex with you was never part of our deal.”

  His brow rose. “Sex? Is that what you think I want?” He let go of her arm.

  “Yes.”

  “I see.”

  She watched a shutter fall over his face. She desperately wanted him to deny it.

  Instead, he said, “And this has nothing to do with him, the guy who broke your heart?”

  Simon? Kate almost laughed. Since her talk with her mother and the realization she was falling in love with Adam, something inside of her had completely shifted.

  “No. Simon is a part of my very distant past. A past I’ve moved away from.”

  He looked like he wanted to say more, but he simply placed his glass next to hers on the coffee table and straightened. “Fair enough. Let’s go.”

  * * * *

  Once they reached the club and went inside, Kate realized they hadn’t even gone over their game plan. She fell away from him and went to the bar. Moments later the bartender made his way towards her.

  “That guy said all your drinks are on him. What are you having?”

  Kate looked over at Adam, smiled at him and ordered a wine. When she got her drink and looked over at Adam again, her stomach lurched. A tall blonde wearing a glittery black tank top and tight jeans was talking to him. Kate was annoyed. He was supposed to be observing her!

  Kate hated the green-eyed monster. She was more annoyed with herself than Adam. The blonde put a hand on his arm, smiling up at him, and Kate frowned. Jealousy was unattractive at best, and she willed herself to tear her gaze away from them.

  “Mind if I squeeze in?”

  She turned to the man beside her waiting politely for a response. “No. Go right ahead.” She moved to the side and watched him hail the bartender. Once his drink arrived, he drank it one gulp and set the glass down with a thud. His hand went up to his dark hair, smoothing it back, and then to his tie.

  He looked about twenty-four and he reminded her of a groom on his wedding day. “Waiting for someone special?” she asked with a friendly smile.

  He gave her an inquiring look. “Am I that obvious?” He seemed embarrassed. “Can you believe I’ve known this girl most of my life and I’m scared to death?”

  Kate liked him already. “Does she know how you feel about her?”

  “Not a clue. I’m telling her tonight.” He paused and studied Kate. “You know, you look a bit familiar.”

  “I have that kind of face.”

  He smiled, seeming to relax a little. “What’s a nice girl like you doing in a place like this?” Kate laughed and he groaned. “Sorry. That sounded pretty lame.”

  “Not at all. I didn’t think people said that anymore.” She sipped her wine. “I’m meeting some friends.” She gave him her hand. “I’m Kate.”

  He shook her hand. “Steve. You know, you really do look familiar. Have I seen your picture somewhere before? Are you a model?”

  Kate stifled a laugh. “No. I’m a psychologist. You may have seen me on the cover of my first book.”

  His smile widened. “I’m sure that’s it. Zoe buys those books all the time.” He cleared his throat, embarrassed. “You wouldn’t want to give me some professional advice, would you?”

  Anything, she thought, to get her mind off Adam and that blonde, who was probably draping her whole body over him by now. Kate was dying to look over at him, but refrained. “Sure. Ask away.”

  He leaned in closer to her. “Should I tell Zoe how I feel? We’re best friends and I don’t want to jeopardize our friendship.”

  “Let me ask you a question. Is she interested in anyone right now?”

  “No. She hasn’t been in years. Zoe’s very independent and she enjoys her freedom. On the other hand, she tells me she wants to get married and have children. She contradicts herself. On one hand she refuses dates, and believe me, she gets asked out a lot, and on the other, she keeps telling me she wants to settle down.”

  “What does your heart tell you to do?”

  “Tell her the truth. I want her to know how I feel. That I want to be the man she settles down with.”

  Kate smiled. “Then tell her. I have a feeling you won’t be disappointed.”

  His brown eyes lit up. “You think so?”

  “Absolutely. Call it woman’s intuition.”

  He returned her smile and surprised her by leaning close to give her a kiss on the cheek. “Thanks. You’ve just given me the confidence boost I needed.”

  She was about to wish him good luck when she felt a vice grip on her arm.

  “Let’s go,” Adam growled over her head. Startled, she turned around and stared up into his face.

  He looked furious.

  * * * *

  Adam pulled her away, giving her only a few seconds to say good-bye to a startled Steve. By the time they got into his car and drove away, she was fuming with indignation. She shot his rigid profile a frown.

  “What was that all about?”

  “You got what you wanted,” he began, his tone hard. “That guy was obviously interested in you. I didn’t see any reason to stay. Kate, the nice girl, was a success.”

  “You mean the young man I was talking to? Steve?”

  “Yes. Steve,” he replied dryly.

  “I don’t recall discussing with you who would decide to end the experiment. Actually, I would have thought it would be me since I’m the one writing the book and I’m the one conducting the experiment.”

  “I was supposed to observe you and when I saw him kissing—”

  “He kissed me on the cheek to thank me. He knew who I was and he wanted my advice. He was going to tell a girl he loved her tonight.”

  He shot her an inscrutable look. “Are you telling me he wasn’t hitting on you?”

  Kate let out a weary sigh. “Yes. He’s in love with a girl he’s been be
st friends with for years. She has no idea how he feels and he was very nervous about meeting her.” A realization dawned on her. Was Adam jealous? She didn’t know if she should laugh or cry. “Besides, you seemed to have your own hands too full to notice anything. You were supposed to be observing me, not talking to other women.”

  “That woman was Noelle Deveraux. I dated her a few months ago. To tell you the truth, I couldn’t get away from her fast enough.”

  That woman was his ex-girlfriend? No wonder Kate didn’t feel confident jumping headlong into a relationship with him. Noelle was gorgeous. Kate recalled the tall, lithe blonde with the killer body and worried her lower lip.

  “She’s very attractive,” Kate said.

  “Yes.”

  Curiosity made her ask. “Do you still keep in touch?”

  “No. I was surprised I bumped into her tonight. Actually, when I last saw her, she missed her aim with a vase and I was one inch away from getting a concussion.”

  “Oh.” Kate fell silent for a moment. “Well, she certainly seemed like a bad girl, in looks anyways.” She saw his hands tighten on the steering wheel.

  “Kate, has it ever dawned on you that men may be looking for both qualities in a woman? The bad and the nice?”

  She wasn’t so sure. “Some men may, however I’ve already conducted three other phases of research for this book and my results point to something different. Men will more likely settle down with a nice girl, someone who’ll meet them on the same intellectual and spiritual level. A woman who won’t use provocative measures to get what she wants.” She looked away from his hard profile. “A woman,” she added quietly, “who will love them unconditionally.”

  “Is that what you’re looking for? Unconditional love?” His voice was tinged with cynicism.

  Their eyes met for a second before he returned his gaze to the road. What had made him so derisive about love? she wondered. Kate suspected it had a lot to do with his parents, but there must have been more. Perhaps a woman who hurt him so badly he steered away from anything remotely resembling commitment.