Styles of Seduction

by Jacquelin Thomas

  Kyle muttered a curse. Zoe shouldn’t be able to affect him like this...despite the fact that the moment he’d touched her, she had ignited an everlasting flame in him.

  I’d better get a grip on my hormones.

  He checked his phone once more.

  Shaking his head in confusion, Kyle returned his attention to the task at hand.

  * * *

  “This is some party,” Liora murmured as she and Zoe entered the huge ballroom at the Ritz-Carlton where the magazine Focus was hosting a party.

  Zoe smiled at her roommate. “Wait until we get to the bash sponsored by Vanessa Bonnard. Nelson will be there, so you’ll get to meet him.”

  “What are you going to do when Kyle shows up?” Liora asked.

  “I’ll simply say hello and keep it moving,” she said with a tight smile.

  “Zoe, you are crazy about this man. If you don’t warm up to him—and soon—he just might end up with someone else for real.”

  She met Liora’s gaze. “Just because I have feelings for him doesn’t mean that he feels the same way. Remember, I’ve been through this before with Kyle. I’m not going to give him another opportunity to hurt me.”

  “You can’t keep living in the past, Zoe.”

  “I agree, but I also don’t need to keep making the same mistakes over and over again.”

  They left the cocktail party shortly after eight and headed over to the NoMad Hotel, where Vanessa Bonnard’s rooftop party was in full swing. Vanessa glided around the room dressed in a bright green sheer top with a black tube top underneath and wide-leg black pants.

  Zoe noted that every guest in attendance seemed to be toasting, air-kissing and posing for pictures.

  “I love this place,” Liora said loudly, trying to compete with the music playing in the background. “I hate that it’ll be closed after Fashion Week until next summer.”

  “The rooftop dining room is one of my favorites, as well. Actually, Kyle brought me here when I started at RHD.”

  Looking back, Zoe had the sudden realization that Kyle had been trying to impress her. He had accurately guessed that she had never been inside a luxury hotel like the NoMad. It had worked like a charm—Kyle had made her feel special. He had also introduced her to a world she had never known—a glamorous world of celebrity parties that drew the crème de la crème of New York and Hollywood.

  Zoe felt Kyle’s presence before she laid eyes on him. She turned around and found him standing a few yards away from her, talking to his aunt. Their gazes met and held.

  She broke the connection.

  “He’s here,” she said to Liora, leading her friend away, over to the bar, where she ordered a white-chocolate martini.

  “You can’t hide behind that drink, Zoe. Go talk to Kyle. You know that you want to....”

  “Maybe later,” Zoe lied. She had no intention of approaching him. It was too soon for her.

  Maybe after two or three martinis.

  Her eyes traveled the room as she looked for Nelson. She found him near the bar talking to his father. She recognized Vanessa Bonnard’s husband from a photo in Eminence magazine last year. He seemed to prefer to stay out of the spotlight when it came to his wife’s career.

  Her eyes traveled to Kyle as Liora moved away to speak to Nelson.

  Zoe smiled tentatively as he approached, and then reached to tuck a curly strand of hair behind her ear. He was near enough for the warmth of his body to reach out and touch her, taking her by surprise. Her only escape was to take a step back.

  Even after Kyle reached her side, he couldn’t seem to stop looking at her.

  He leaned over and whispered in her ear, “You never called me back.”

  “I know,” she murmured. How could she put into words what had taken place between them and her feelings afterward? “I wasn’t ready to talk about what happened.”

  Well, so much for staying away from him. Zoe sighed, despising her weakness. She should have walked away when she saw him coming toward her. It was too late now.

  “I want you to know that I don’t regret what we shared.”

  She glanced up at him. “You don’t?”

  Kyle shook his head.

  “What about you?” he asked. “Do you regret what happened?”

  “This is not the time or place to have this discussion,” she responded.

  “This is quite a party,” Zoe said after a moment, as they watched a couple on the dance floor.

  “It is.” Kyle gestured toward the double doors. “Look who just walked in.”

  Zoe followed his gaze. “Benito Valentine.” She admired the way the up-and-coming designer had mixed bright earth-tone-colored dresses and vintage-inspired blazers at his fall presentation. She’d met him a few months ago at an industry networking event and found him to be warm and friendly.

  Benito’s date was in a gorgeous Benito-original retro dress in bright orange. Zoe herself had chosen to wear a black-and-fuchsia dress designed by their host. Jerry would probably be fuming to see her in a Vanessa Bonnard original, but she did not care. Tonight was about her—it had nothing to do with Guava.

  “My aunt’s designs look stunning on you,” Kyle complimented her.

  “I do love her collections,” she admitted.

  Zoe tipped her glass, swallowing the last decadent drops of white-chocolate martini. She needed all the strength she could get right now.

  “Why don’t we get something to eat?” Kyle suggested. He turned to accept a cocktail from an approaching waiter.

  They walked past an actress being interviewed by a member of the press, saying, “Fashion Week is wonderful because it’s a departure from what I do....”

  Zoe glanced over at Kyle and smiled. “Didn’t you have a picture of her in your office?”

  He nodded. “That was a long time ago. It’s not there anymore.” He tossed back a swallow of his drink.

  “Why not?” she asked him. “If I remember correctly, you had a huge crush on her.”

  Kyle laughed. “Why would you remember something like that?”

  Zoe shrugged in nonchalance. “I guess it just reminded me of how my brother used to have posters of actresses all over his wall. He seemed to have a different crush every week.”

  “Okay, so who was your celebrity crush?” Kyle questioned. “Was it Denzel Washington?”

  “Nope.”

  “Okay...then it must be Blair Underwood.” Kyle downed the rest of his glass in one swallow.

  Laughing, Zoe shook her head. “I don’t have one, Kyle. I was more in love with fashion magazines and fiction growing up.” She handed her empty martini glass to a passing server, and then they caught up with Nelson and Liora in the buffet line.

  “I see that you two have already met,” Kyle said.

  “My mother introduced us,” Nelson said with a smile. “Liora has worked several of her shows.”

  They sat down together at a nearby table.

  Zoe could feel Kyle’s gaze on her. She tried to ignore the rush of heat she felt just being close to him again. She definitely wasn’t about to acknowledge the stutter of her heartbeat or the tingling in her belly.

  “Would you like to dance?” he asked.

  “Sure.”

  Kyle took Zoe by the hand, leading her to the dance floor.

  On the dance floor, her skin hummed from the contact with him. Zoe struggled with maintaining her rhythm while dealing with her knees wobbling over the intensity of his gaze.

  When the music slowed, she took it as her cue to say, “I think I need a glass of water.” Zoe was not sure she could handle the feel of his strong arms holding her close as they matched the slow tempo of the music.

  Kyle escorted her back to the table, and then left to get a glass of water for her.


  “You two looked good out there,” Liora told her when she sat down beside Zoe. “I don’t know where you got the impression that this man isn’t interested in you. From where I’m sitting, I would say that he is definitely attracted to you.”

  She feigned nonchalance. “I’m not going to hold my breath on that one, Liora. I thought the same thing when I worked at RHD only to have him prove me wrong. I’m not going through that ever again.”

  The words sounded good coming out of her mouth, but did she have the strength to stick to them? The fact was, she loved Kyle as much today as she did back then.

  She was treading through dangerous territory, she silently acknowledged. However, she would never be so careless with her heart.

  * * *

  Kyle was surprised when Zoe checked her watch and then rose to her feet. “I’m going to have to call it a night.”

  “You’re leaving now?” Kyle asked.

  “It’s getting really late and I have to be at work early. I need to take care of some last-minute details before opening day. I’m sure you of all people can understand.”

  He nodded. “At some point, we really need to carve out some time to talk, Zoe.”

  “Kyle, what happened between us...it was a mistake. Let’s just leave it at that.”

  Kyle took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Was Zoe actually trying to say that she regretted being with him? That just wasn’t possible. She wanted him as much as he wanted her. He could feel it. And right now he just wanted to keep her close to him.

  “I don’t agree,” he said. “What we shared was special.”

  “Keep your voice down, please,” Zoe demanded, frowning.

  He eyed her. “What’s going on with you? I thought we had a great time tonight. Why are you acting this way?”

  She blew out a breath and tightened the death grip she had on the strap of her clutch. “Because I don’t want to have this conversation right now,” Zoe said. “This is not the time or the place.”

  “Then give me a better time and place,” Kyle urged.

  Zoe glanced around. “It will happen when it’s supposed to—that’s all I can say for now.”

  He watched as, head held high, Zoe walked quickly away.

  “If I didn’t know any better, I would say that Zoe is running from me,” he told Nelson as he sat down next to his cousin.

  “I thought things were better between you two.”

  “I thought so, too, but apparently I was wrong.”

  Yet he could not forget the way Zoe’s big brown eyes smoked with heat, sending out an unspoken message when they’d made love. Apparently she was as incapable as he of resisting the attraction between them.

  “Where’s Zoe?” his sister Bailey asked when she sat down beside Kyle at one of the tables near the dance floor.

  “She had to leave.”

  “Oh, I hate that. I wanted to talk to her.”

  So did I, Kyle thought.

  “Did you invite her to the show?”

  “I didn’t specifically,” he said. “But I’m sure she received an invite. She’s gotten one every year.” Kyle was pretty sure that was his mother’s handiwork.

  Bailey eyed him. “You okay?”

  He nodded.

  “Good. How would you like to dance with your sister?”

  Kyle looped his arm through hers. “I’d be honored.”

  As he led his sister to the dance floor, he couldn’t help remembering the feel of Zoe in his arms. He had to talk to her about what had happened.

  And next time, he’d do it privately.

  Chapter 9

  The sun was streaming into the apartment, matching Zoe’s mood. She had slept well and was up early to get her day started. Tonight was the Guava cocktail party and they had an impressive list of VIPs attending, including the top bestselling R & B and hip-hop artists and a few Hollywood A-listers, as well.

  “Wow, you’re in a good mood this morning,” Liora observed as Zoe practically bounded into the kitchen. “I need some of what you had. Right now I just want to crawl back into my bed.”

  “I’m just excited about this week,” she exclaimed. “I feel like something big is going to happen.”

  Kyle had nothing to do with her sunny disposition. She had enjoyed seeing him last night, but the evening had ended on a bit of a sour note. He was insistent on discussing what had happened between them while she preferred to just forget her moment of insanity.

  Kyle had shaken her more than she cared to admit.

  He was planning to attend the party tonight, and Zoe had mixed feelings about seeing him. Just being near him had awakened emotions Zoe had trained herself to ignore. They were back in full force and she was not sure how to handle them. The truth was that she hadn’t had any experience with this sort of thing.

  Kyle was her first and only love.

  The few men she’d dated since leaving RHD had not come close to affecting her the way that Kyle had.

  Zoe pulled her attention back to Liora, who was pouring herself a cup of coffee. “I’ll see you at the Guava party tonight?”

  “Definitely. I wouldn’t miss it. As long as this caffeine does what it’s supposed to do.”

  Zoe said goodbye to her roommate and headed to work, but she still couldn’t concentrate, even once she’d arrived at the office, which was buzzing with an insane amount of activity as people worked to get ready for the cocktail party that night. Time and again, her thoughts returned to Kyle.

  His face.

  His chocolate-brown gaze fixed on her as if Kyle could see straight through her.

  His lips. Just the caress of those lips on her mouth the other day had set her body aflame.

  She quickly reminded herself of Kyle’s cool dismissal after their first kiss and of the humiliation she’d felt afterward.

  She could not let go of that memory—it was the only way to protect her heart.

  And it was clear to her now that she had to protect her heart at all costs.

  * * *

  Kyle walked into the Briar Ballroom expectantly. He could only spend a few minutes with Zoe before he had to make his way upstairs to the RHD party.

  As soon as he entered the room, his gaze landed on her. She hadn’t seen him yet, which gave him a chance to observe her—every gorgeous inch of her.

  Zoe was a woman comfortable with her body, every movement easy and fluid. Kyle had heard people talk about time standing still, but until he’d looked into those beautiful eyes—even from across the room, her eyes made him forget everything else—he hadn’t known what they meant.

  But he definitely did now.

  All Kyle could focus on was Zoe.

  And then she saw him.

  Zoe walked toward him in a perfect dress, her eyes wide and hesitant. Her vulnerability only heightened the attraction Kyle felt.

  “Wow,” Kyle uttered.

  She gave him a gracious smile.

  He drew in a breath that carried her sensual fragrance. His gaze dropped to the curve of her hips and something inside him stirred to life.

  Kyle wanted her.

  Around them, the clink of glasses and the conversations of the other guests became white noise, as if they were the only two in the room.

  “I think you should have saved this for the runway,” he whispered in her ear.

  “Our collection makes this dress look like last season,” she said.

  “I doubt that. You look stunning, Zoe.”

  “Thank you for the compliment.”

  She stopped a passing waiter and ordered a white-chocolate martini. Then she turned to Kyle, who ordered a glass of white wine.

  “Kyle, over here,” a photographer said t
o them. Kyle wrapped his arm around Zoe as they posed for a picture.

  “Excuse me.” A young woman approached them. “I’m with Fashion Forward magazine. Fashion shows seem geared toward entertainment, and often what we see on the runway can’t be found in stores. Would you care to comment?”

  “A fashion show should be flashy and exciting. The shows are more about the designer’s image than what ends up in stores,” Zoe explained.

  “That’s what makes it a show, an event,” Kyle interjected, smiling at Zoe.

  * * *

  As Kyle answered the reporter’s questions, Zoe struggled to keep her attention on the interview. She fought the need for Kyle’s touch, for the whisper of words she longed to hear him say—words that would never come out of his mouth.

  Zoe hoped that her face did not betray her thoughts, particularly since there was a camera crew standing right there. When the reporter moved on to talk to someone else, she took a deep breath and turned to Kyle.

  “I really didn’t expect you to come to the party,” she told him, ignoring the hum of tension simmering between them.

  “You did invite me.”

  He smiled—the kind of smile that stirred the blood and brought desire bubbling to the surface. Not that Kyle needed a smile to ignite her desire. She could already think of nothing other than feeling his hands on her again.

  “Yeah, but I didn’t think you’d really come.”

  “I can’t stay long, but I didn’t want to disappoint you.”

  Before she could respond, they were joined by Jerry.

  “I guess we should feel honored to have Kyle Hamilton grace us with his presence,” Jerry said.

  “Jerry—” Zoe began.

  “It’s fine,” Kyle told her. “Your boss simply doesn’t know any better. I’ll go find us the drinks.”

  He strode away, leaving Jerry fuming.

  “Why did you do that?” Zoe questioned.

  “He is always so smug.”

  “I can’t believe you sometimes, Jerry.” She was just about to tell him that Kyle was at the party in good faith when Roberta Dallard made her entrance.