Styles of Seduction

by Jacquelin Thomas

  Although she braced herself against his magnetism, Zoe never stood a chance. They were seated across from each other in one of Kyle’s favorite eateries.

  A waiter approached with a bottle of wine nestled inside a gleaming silver bucket.

  Zoe bit her lip as the waiter poured a sip of wine into a glass and presented it to Kyle for tasting.

  He nodded in approval.

  Once the waiter disappeared, Zoe reached for her glass and took a sip, hoping to ease the sudden dryness in her throat.

  Kyle’s chocolate-brown eyes narrowed on her and he picked up his glass. Watching her over the rim, he swallowed, and then set the glass back onto the table.

  Soon another waiter appeared, this time delivering a dinner that Kyle had clearly ordered earlier.

  Surprised, Zoe looked down at the serving of chicken breast and fettuccine in mushroom sauce before lifting her gaze to his in question.

  “I remembered you liked it,” he said.

  What was she supposed to do with that? she wondered. Kyle actually remembered more than five years later what her favorite foods were? Why? Why would he recall something so small?

  He smiled faintly, laid his napkin across his lap and, picking up his knife and fork, sliced into his filet mignon.

  “You have a good memory.” She took a bite of her dinner and smiled. It was cooked to perfection.

  “I remember everything about you, Zoe.”

  She glanced around the room. This was her first time at the Diamond Club. While they dined, a jazz band performed in the background. “This is as lovely as I thought it would be,” Zoe commented.

  “It’s one of my favorite places,” Kyle said. “I used to come here a lot, but it’s been a while.”

  “You are very different from the man I imagined you to be.” She wiped her mouth on the edge of her napkin.

  “I hope that’s a good thing.”

  She smiled. “It is. I used to think that you were exactly the kind of man my mother warned me about. She would like you, Kyle. I’ve also discovered that you’re not as self-absorbed as people seem to think.”

  He laughed. “Shhh...don’t tell anybody.”

  After they finished their dinner, Kyle drove her home.

  Zoe still was not completely convinced that he was not trying to manipulate her, despite the fact that he had behaved like a perfect gentleman all evening. But when they arrived at her apartment, she asked, “Would you like to come in for a while?”

  “I’d love to,” he said, his husky voice sending chills down her spine.

  They settled down in the living room.

  “I really like you, Zoe. I want to see where this is going.” He reached over and took her hand in his.

  “Are you saying that you want a relationship?” Zoe asked. She needed to be sure that she was hearing him correctly.

  He pulled her closer to him.

  Her lips parted in protest, but before she could utter a word, Kyle closed the distance between them without hesitation.

  He took her mouth as if it was his to do with as he pleased, making it his own in a way that had Zoe’s hands rising of their own volition, her fingers curling into his shirt. Her moan slid free of her mouth and into Kyle’s.

  The kiss was explosive, consuming and intense.

  All Zoe could think about was the heat of Kyle’s body as he pulled her closer. She might regret this tomorrow, but she just wasn’t strong enough to walk away tonight.

  Kyle released Zoe slowly, leaving her breathless, hungry for more of his kisses and drowning in desire.

  She gazed into his chocolate-brown eyes.

  “You are irresistible,” he murmured, as though he had reached some internal understanding with himself. Kyle lowered his head to hers and pressed a single kiss on her lips.

  “I think we...um...need to stop.” Zoe cleared her throat quietly. “I just need...”

  “Give us a chance,” he whispered. “I know that you care for me. I feel the same way about you, Zoe.”

  She looked into his eyes and what she glimpsed in their depths spoke volumes.

  “Okay,” she whispered. “However, there is one ground rule. I’m not going to have sex with you again until I feel we are both ready to take our relationship to the next level.”

  “I can live with that,” Kyle said. “I’ll be taking a lot of cold showers, but I can manage.”

  Although she was trying hard not to fall deeper and deeper in love with him, Zoe was failing over and over again.

  It had been a struggle to not blurt it out to Kyle, but Zoe wasn’t sure that it was something he was ready to hear.

  * * *

  After dinner, they walked out to the car.

  Kyle muttered a curse when he looked down at his tires. All four had been slashed.

  “I don’t think someone is after Bailey,” Zoe said as she looked down at Kyle’s slashed tires. “Kyle, I think your whole family may be in danger.”

  “This may have just been some kids.”

  She shook her head. “Think about it, Kyle. Someone locked us in a closet, and then kidnapped Bailey. Now your tires have been slashed....”

  “Someone is trying to send my family a message,” he agreed. “But who could have it in for us like this?”

  “I don’t know,” Zoe said. “But you’re a high-profile family and there’s a lot of jealousy out there. Now, if it were my car, I would know exactly who was to blame.”

  “Why do you say that?” he asked.

  “Because there’s this woman at Guava who’s made it clear that she hates the very air I breathe.”

  “Really?”

  Zoe nodded. “At least she’s let me know it. But you don’t have any idea who is behind all this stuff. Kyle, you really need to be careful. All of you.”

  “I don’t want to worry my parents with this.”

  “You’re going to have to tell them. They need to be able to protect themselves from whoever is out there.” She reached over and covered his hand with her own. “I hate to see you going through something like this.”

  “My family has never experienced anyone trying to bring harm to us. I feel helpless because I don’t have a clue as to where to find this person or persons.”

  “I don’t think you’ll have to look too far, Kyle. You just need to be aware of your surroundings and of the people around you.”

  He turned to her with a strange look on her face. “Does that include you?” he questioned.

  She was stunned by his words. “No, it doesn’t. Kyle, you can trust me.”

  He did not respond.

  Zoe felt sick to her stomach. After the conversation they’d had earlier, after what she’d been about to tell him, she couldn’t believe her ears.

  Kyle was suspicious of her.

  * * *

  “Kyle, I think you should see this,” Nelson said from the doorway of Kyle’s office.

  “What is it?” he asked as he pushed away from his desk and followed Nelson down to the mail room.

  “This is the new shipment of fabric you’ve been expecting,” Nelson explained as he lifted the flap open.

  Kyle could not believe his eyes. “Was the box sealed when it arrived?”

  The mail staff nodded.

  “It looks like someone intentionally slashed up the fabric.”

  Nelson agreed. “I called the supplier and they are sending out a replacement. They said it was not in that condition when it left the manufacturer, however.”

  “I’m sure of that,” Kyle said. “We’ve had a long relationship with this particular company.”

  “This is really strange,” Nelson muttered.

  Kyle gestured for his cousin to follow him into the hallway. He waited until he could n
ot be overheard. “It’s not that strange. Someone is out to destroy RHD. My tires were slashed the other night.”

  “Do you have any idea who’s doing this?”

  “No,” he said. “Not yet, but I intend to find out if it’s the last thing I ever do.”

  Kyle picked up his telephone and dialed Zoe’s number as soon as he reached his office.

  “Hey, it’s me,” he told her. “Do you have about an hour or two free in your schedule today?”

  “Yes,” she said. “What’s up?”

  “Can you meet me at my place around one?” Kyle asked. He wanted to talk to her face-to-face. He wanted there to be no misunderstandings between them.

  “I’ll be there.”

  Kyle left the office, but not before telling Nelson, “I’m leaving for a couple of hours. I’ll be at the apartment if you need me.”

  “Should I mention the shipment to your father?”

  “No, I’ll tell him.”

  When Zoe arrived at the apartment, she took one look at Kyle’s face and said, “Kyle, what’s wrong?”

  “One of our fabric shipments arrived earlier. It was shredded.”

  She gasped in surprise. “Are you serious?”

  “Yeah,” he said. “I wish I wasn’t.”

  “Kyle, I’m so sorry. I can’t believe this.”

  “I think that you’re right about the incidents all being related,” Kyle told her. “Someone is definitely trying to sabotage RHD and ruin my family. I’m not about to let that happen.”

  “This is getting scary.”

  “Zoe, I care for you and I don’t want you getting caught up in this. I think we need to keep our distance so that you don’t end up as collateral damage.”

  “Do you think that this person will try to come after me?”

  “Not if you stay away from me.”

  “You need to tell the police about this,” Zoe urged.

  “Tell them what?” Kyle demanded. “We don’t know who is after us.”

  “You can tell them about all of the incidents. They will be able to find the people responsible.”

  “We need to stay away from each other,” Kyle repeated.

  “I have to be honest with you. I don’t think your wanting me out of your life has anything to do with what’s been going on.”

  He looked confused. “What are you talking about, Zoe?”

  “I’m sure you know what I mean,” she said, a little too quietly.

  Kyle shook his head. “No, actually, I don’t.”

  “What you refuse to say is that you and I are not on the same page when it comes to relationships,” Zoe said. “I made it perfectly clear that I’m not looking for anything casual. You don’t have to worry, Kyle. I’ve been through this with you, remember?” She picked up her purse and headed to the door. “I hope you find out who is after your family.”

  Before she knew it, Kyle’s strong hands were turning her around, gripping her tight. “You’re wrong. I don’t think you understand at all.”

  Zoe looked away from him. She didn’t want to stumble further into the intensity of his brown eyes. “I think I understand completely. Kyle, there is nothing meaningful between us. We have no potential. I think it’s best if we just stop seeing each other.”

  “Wait a minute, Zoe,” he called out. “Hey, you’ve got this completely wrong. I just don’t want anything to happen to you because of me.”

  She wore an expression of disbelief.

  “I’m telling you the truth,” Kyle said. “Why is it so hard to believe me?”

  “Did you seriously just ask me that question? I guess you’ve forgotten what happened all those years ago.”

  “Let’s talk about it.”

  She shook her head. “You’ve got a lot going on, Kyle. I don’t want to add to it.”

  “No. We need to have this conversation.”

  “Why?” Zoe demanded.

  Seconds passed and then finally the breath Kyle had been trying to contain shot past his throat with the only answer he had. “I was scared by what I felt for you, Zoe,” he confessed, “and I was also threatened by your raw talent. I was working to make a name for myself and then you walked into RHD. My father was raving about your work.”

  She blinked, as shocked by the break in his demeanor as he was. “I was there to learn from you. I wanted you to be my mentor, Kyle.”

  “I understand that now,” he said. “I realize just how immature I was back then. I’m sorry, Zoe. My focus has always been on making my father proud.”

  “I know that,” Zoe murmured. “I just never understood why you couldn’t see that he was already proud of you, Kyle.”

  “He demanded excellence from everyone, and he’s a hard man to work for at times.”

  She smiled. “You have the same work ethic.”

  “Yeah, I guess I do.”

  “Kyle, I know that you aren’t the type of man who wants a wife and children. I understand this, but I need you to respect that I am not the type of woman who wants to be single for the rest of her life. I want to get married and I want children.” She held up her hands helplessly, pain glittering in her eyes. “This is never going to work.”

  “I’m not ready to give up on us,” he countered.

  “Kyle, I need some time to really think about everything.”

  “You’re running away,” he accused.

  “No, I’m giving you the space you need to really figure out what you want from me.” Zoe headed to the door with a heavy heart. Before she left, she looked back at him and fought tears as best she could. “Be safe.”

  * * *

  “I saw Kyle today,” Zoe announced as she handed Liora a plate laden with grilled chicken, broccoli and a whole-wheat dinner roll.

  “Sounds like you two are getting close.”

  Zoe followed Liora to the dinner table and sat down. “We had an honest conversation and I’m convinced that he’s not really ready for a relationship. He kept telling me that we need to stay away from each other because he wants to keep me safe. It looks like someone is trying to sabotage RHD.”

  “It is very possible that he wants you, but that he’s really worried about your safety.”

  “Liora, I don’t think that’s true,” she said. “Nobody has bothered me, and Kyle and I have spent a lot of time together. This is just an excuse to keep me at a distance.”

  “With all the crazy stuff that’s been happening with that family, I don’t really blame him, Zoe.”

  “I don’t know,” she said.

  “Why are you so afraid to give Kyle a chance?” Liora asked. “I know that you’re in love with him.”

  She looked over at her roommate. “I do love Kyle, but I don’t want my heart broken.”

  “You can’t be afraid to take a chance on love.”

  “I don’t mind taking a chance on love—it’s Kyle that I’m not so sure about,” Zoe confessed.

  Liora stayed silent, leaving Zoe’s words echoing in her own ears.

  Chapter 17

  Zoe had given Kyle much to think about. The truth of the matter was that he did not want to lose her. He was in love with her. Kyle had no idea when it had happened, but it did not really matter. She was the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. The question was, what would happen if he told her?

  “You look like you’re in deep thought,” Nelson said.

  “I was thinking about Zoe,” Kyle confessed. “I’m in love with her.”

  “You’re just realizing this?”

  “Yeah.”

  “I knew it the moment I saw how you reacted when you thought she was interested in me.”

  Kyle smiled a little. “I can’t see my life without her in it. Nelson, this is crazy. I
’ve never felt this way about any woman.”

  Nelson chuckled. “So what are you going to do about it?”

  “Zoe thinks that I only want a casual relationship with her, but that’s not true. I’m going to have to find a way to convince Zoe that I want her to be a part of my life.”

  “You don’t think she’ll believe you?”

  “I don’t know,” he admitted. “Things have been strained between us lately—mostly due to me, I’m sure—but I intend to fix it.”

  He could change her mind. Zoe wasn’t immune to him—her response to him had been real and unfeigned. A physical reaction was one thing, but the softening of her heart to him—that was something else entirely.

  “It won’t be too hard,” Nelson said. “Zoe is in love with you.”

  “I’m not so sure,” Kyle countered. He rubbed a hand across his chest but couldn’t massage away the heartache there at the thought of losing her. In a very short time, he had become addicted to Zoe’s presence, her spirit and her incredible smiles.

  “Have you considered telling her what you just told me?”

  “What? That I’m in love with her?”

  Nelson nodded with a big grin on his face. “The ball is in your court, cousin.”

  * * *

  The desperate need to distract herself from unwelcome thoughts of Kyle threatened to overtake Zoe. She had cleaned her apartment from top to bottom and spent hours with different projects to keep her mind off him.

  She hated to admit it, but nothing worked.

  “Knock, knock....”

  Zoe looked up from her desk. Her heart stopped at the sight of Kyle in her office. “Kyle, what are you doing here?”

  “I wanted to talk to you,” he replied. “It won’t take long.”

  “Is something wrong?” She could not imagine what would bring him to Guava. But whatever it was, it must be bad news.

  Zoe rose to her feet and walked around her desk. “Is everything okay?”

  “Everything is fine,” he said.

  “Then let’s get out of here. If Jerry sees you, he’ll have a fit.”

  She rushed him into the elevator, praying that none of the staff members noticed him. “Why on earth did you come here?”

  “I just wanted to tell you face-to-face that I’m not giving up on us. Zoe, I know that I’ve messed up in the past, but things are different now.”