A Seductive Kiss
Page 22
Applause, whistles, and cheers filled the bar. Alex handed the mic to Sin.
“Summer Radcliffe, the beautiful woman in magenta, is the famed owner of Radcliffe’s, so you’re about to taste the best food in the state. And because we value you, the bar is closed. You can have one ticket for an alcoholic beverage and unlimited anything else. You’ll also be given fifty dollars in chips to play to your heart’s content.” He paused and looked at C. J. “Good luck on getting a chance at the craps table. It’s C. J.’s favorite.”
C. J. held up the dice. “It’s my party.”
Everyone laughed.
“Another favorite of C. J. is Maya, who graciously came in from New Orleans for the party.” Sin turned to her.
The buxom singer leaned toward him and purred, “I could use a little company on that private jet of yours back to Naw Leans.”
Sin grinned, a wicked smile in his bearded face. “Sometimes a man knows when he might get in over his head.” He gave her the mic. “Maya.”
Taking the mic, the singer looked at C. J. “You’re too handsome and too happy to feel as deeply as you do about the blues, sugar.”
C. J. took her hand, brushed his lips across the top. “Blame it on that voice of yours.”
Maya cocked her head to one side to look thoughtfully at C. J. and then Sin. “You two are too carefree to have had your hearts broken, but one day it will come, and when it does, I want you to remember that love is worth every heartache.”
Straightening, she closed her eyes and began to sing about a man giving his heart to the wrong woman, the wrenching pain, the unforgettable pleasure.
C. J. and Sin shared a self-assured grin that said no woman would ever leave them heartbroken. They were always the one to walk away. Throwing Maya a kiss, C. J. happily headed for the craps table with Sin and Alex right behind him. If he was going to his execution in the morning, tonight he was having fun.
* * *
Cicely St. John hadn’t planned to come to the party they were giving C. J. until Dianne mentioned they were having a craps table. Cicely had always been glad she didn’t live in Vegas or anywhere they had legal gambling. She’d have had to join Gambler’s Anonymous.
There was something about the roll of the dice that pulled her. Like life, you never knew what would come up. Hers certainly hadn’t gone the way she’d planned. Pushing the unhappy thought away, she entered Callahan’s Bar and found the party in full swing.
People were dancing, laughing, and in general having a great time. The woman singing had a voice that made you want to move your body or cry in despair. The sight tonight was very different from the last time she’d been at Callahan’s.
She’d been there with a photographer, taking photographs for her fashion blog to help Dianne and Alex’s new fashion line, D&A of New York, gain some much-needed publicity. As the fashion director for Fashion Insider, one of the top high-fashion magazines in the world, she had gained a reputation for finding the next big thing ahead of the crowd. She’d liked Dianne’s designs for full-figured women and wanted to use her blog to help.
However, from the moment she and C. J. had met, they had mixed as well as oil and water. He’d been proud of the fact that his bar was a man’s bar. They didn’t even serve wine. He hadn’t even wanted the name of the bar mentioned when she did her blog. She was happy to oblige. If he didn’t want the free publicity, his loss.
Yet, somehow, at Dianne and Alex’s wedding they’d ended up on the dance floor together. Everyone was having a great time at the reception. The champagne had been excellent, the food scrumptious. C. J. hadn’t stepped on her feet and had been a surprisingly good dancer. There had been a moment when the music ended and she’d looked up at him and had the strangest urge to press her lips against his. She’d quickly quelled the idiotic notion and left him on the floor.
Now, shaking her head, she accepted the gaming chips and drink tickets. She ordered a Pellegrino and began to circulate, the skirt of her multicolor silk dress swirling around her long legs. Bohemian fashion had been in the previous summer. She still enjoyed the free, easy look and wore what pleased her.
Searching for Dianne, Summer, and the gaming tables, in that order, she moved to the other end of the bar.
A short distance away, she saw the table and a man she’d like to forget. Never one to shy away from a challenge, she continued toward the table while sipping her water.
C. J., shaking the dice, had a hard frown on his too-handsome face. Apparently Lady Luck wasn’t being kind to him. Grinning, she edged her way to the end of the table just as the dice stopped in front of her. Snake eyes.
C. J.’s gaze lanced upward. Their eyes locked. She felt a strange tingling in the pit of her stomach, and quickly attributed it to a missed lunch and a chocolate bar for dinner. With her hectic schedule, Sundays were just as much a work day for her as any other.
She’d gone over three articles for the coming issue dropped by a fashion shoot in New Jersey, gone to a fashion show, and afterward returned home to blog until her stomach reminded her she hadn’t eaten, and now she was here.
And it seemed she had arrived just in time to have a little fun.
She tipped her bottle of water. Several gold bracelets with stones the same colors as her dress jiggled on her wrist. “Hey, fellows. Looks like beginner’s luck isn’t with you tonight, C. J.”
Alex and Sin, standing on either side of C. J., burst out laughing. Sin explained, “C. J. is an excellent player.”
Cicely lifted a regal brow and took another sip. “Could have fooled me.”
“I guess you could do better,” C. J. challenged, his jaw tight.
Cicely didn’t even think of declining. She’d had to fight all of her life to fit in, fight to get where she was. Scooping up the dice with her left hand, she rounded the table and held out her bottle to C. J.
Hard black eyes drilled into her for so long that her stomach got that free-falling sensation again. She resisted the urge to rub her stomach or drop her gaze and ordered her hand not to shake. She could bluff with the best of them. She’d had to in order to survive.
Finally, blessedly, C. J. took the bottle. If he noticed the little zip when their fingers touched, he certainly didn’t show it. Her unwanted reaction to him was just enough to tick her off even more and bring out the killer instinct she’d learned in the world of fashion. The weak never survived.
Facing the table, she placed half her chips on top, shook the dice in her hand, then let them fly. Seven.
Sin patted C. J. sympathetically on the back. Alex whistled.
The croupier handed her the dice again along with a pile of chips. She leaned over the table. She’d show him. And she did when, in less than two minutes, she had won all the chips.
A cocky grin on her face she turned to C. J. Careful not to touch him, she took her bottle from his clenched hand, took a sip, and almost purred, “You were saying?”
C. J. looked as if he’d like to have her head.
“Cicely, why don’t we get something to eat?” Summer suggested, taking her by the arm.
Dianne grabbed the other arm. “Summer, as usual, outdid herself with the food.”
Well aware that they were trying to get her away from C. J. before he blew, Cicely let them lead her away. She’d made her point. She’d bested the man who probably thought the only places for women were the bedroom and the kitchen. But she couldn’t resist giving C. J. one last triumphant look over her shoulder.
She laughed when she thought she heard him growl. Sin and Alex’s gazes snapped from her to C. J. Clearly they didn’t know what to expect from him either. Remembering how hungry she was, Cicely faced forward, a smile still curving her lips.
There were several people at the bar being served, but the line moved quickly. Seeing the succulent slices of roast beef being piled on soft rolls, buttery potatoes, and asparagus, Cicely forgot about C. J.
With her plate in her hand, Cicely and the women found a relatively quiet
area where they could eat. Unfortunately she was facing the craps table.
Despite the crowd, she had no difficulty finding C. J. He, Alex, and Sin stood out, not just because of their height or gorgeous looks, but because the self-assured way they carried themselves set them apart. His gaze touched hers, and she felt that strange something again. It took all of her effort to look away.
Of all the men and all the times for her sleeping libido to awaken, now was the worst. C. J. was a throwback, and even if he wasn’t, she hoped to be in Paris in less than six weeks as the new editor-in-chief for her magazine’s international office. She didn’t have time for a man, any man.
And although she hadn’t known Dianne socially until recently, Cicely knew she’d miss her, and miss Summer, whom she’d gotten to know through Dianne as well. They were women who were secure in themselves. They weren’t trying to use Cicely or climb over her to get what they wanted like many of the women she’d met. There wasn’t a fake or pretentious bone in their slender, fashionable bodies. Cicely figured she was long overdue to meet women who could be real friends.
“Alex and I are having our first dinner party Friday night and we want the friends who helped us find happiness to be our first guests,” Dianne said, her face wreathed in a happy smile. “Please say you both can come.”
Cicely didn’t doubt that C. J. would be invited. She could face whatever it was about him that made her body act silly or run. “I’ll be there. I’ll bring the wine.” She wasn’t afraid of C. J. or any other man. He should be afraid of her.
“I’ll take care of the dessert.” Summer held up her glass of wine. “To a successful dinner party.”
“A successful dinner party,” Cicely and Dianne echoed as their glasses touched and clinked.
* * *
Across the room, C. J. half-listened to Sin while watching Cicely. Tall, elegant, she had black eyes that could tempt a man to sin from thirty feet away. Classically beautiful, she had lips meant to be kissed—often—and incredibly soft skin. His frown deepened. He hadn’t missed the flash of awareness when their fingers brushed against each other. It had taken all of his willpower to hide his reaction that, even now, puzzled and annoyed him.
How could he be attracted to the woman who slammed his bar? Just the thought annoyed him.
The bar was like an old friend, always there offering comfort and acceptance no matter what. Men needed a place to come and just be, a place they didn’t have to talk or try to explain the impossible or reason, just shoot the bull and have a good beer while watching a game without being asked to take out the trash or talk about their feelings.
Callahan’s Bar provided that and more. Yet, that didn’t seem to matter to Miss Stuck-up Cicely.
When she’d blogged about Alex and Dianne’s new fashion line with pictures taken at his bar, she’d said that “It just proved that good fashion looked good no matter where.”
Of course he’d called Alex the instant he’d read the slanderous statement. Alex had said C. J. didn’t have a case to sue Cicely for slander. Now, she was here thumbing her pretty nose at him and beating him at craps.
He’d known she was trouble from the moment he’d seen her. Hopefully this would be the last time. Turning away, he put her firmly out of his mind.
ST. MARTIN’S PAPERBACKS TITLES BY FRANCIS RAY
The Falcon Novels
Heart of the Falcon
Break Every Rule
The Taggart Brothers
Forever Yours
Only Hers
The Graysons of New Mexico Series
Until There Was You
You and No Other
Dreaming of You
Irresistible You
Only You
The Grayson Friends Series
The Way You Love Me
Nobody But You
One Night with You
It Had to Be You
Trouble Don’t Last Always
Someone to Love Me
I Know Who Holds Tomorrow
Rockin’ Around That Christmas Tree (with Donna Hill)
Anthologies
Rosie’s Curl and Weave
Della’s House of Style
Welcome to Leo’s
Going to the Chapel
Gettin’ Merry
RAVE REVIEWS FOR
FRANCIS RAY
NOBODY BUT YOU
“A story that tugs at the heartstrings.”
—Romantic Times BOOKreviews
“Fast and fun and full of emotional thrills and sexy chills. Everything a racing romance should be!”
—Roxanne St. Claire
“Not only does Francis Ray rock in this book but you also see a whole different side of racing that will keep you on the edge of your seat.”
—Night Owl Romance
“A wonderful read.”
—Fresh Fiction
UNTIL THERE WAS YOU
“Ms. Ray has given us a great novel again. Did we expect anything less than the best?”
—Romantic Times BOOKreviews (4 stars)
“Crisp style, realistic dialogue, likable characters, and [a] fast pace.”
—Library Journal
THE WAY YOU LOVE ME
“A romance that will have readers speed-reading to the next tension-filled scene, if not the climax.”
—Fresh Fiction
“Fans of Ray’s Grayson and Falcon families will be thrilled with the first installment in the new Grayson Friends series. And this is done very well … told with such grace and affection that this novel is a treat to read.”
—Romantic Times BOOKreviews (4 stars)
“Francis Ray is, without a doubt, one of the Queens of Romance.”
—A Romance Review
ONLY YOU
“Francis Ray’s graceful writing style and realistically complex characters give her latest contemporary romance its extraordinary emotional richness and depth.”
—Chicago Tribune
“It’s a joy to read this always fresh and exciting saga.”
—Romantic Times BOOKreviews (4 stars)
“The powerful descriptive powers of Francis Ray allow the reader to step into the story and become an active part of the surrender … If you love a great love story, Only You should be on your list.”
—Fallen Angel Reviews
“Riveting emotion and charismatic scenes that made this book captivating … a beautiful story of love and romance.”
—Night Owl Romance
“A beautiful love story as only Francis Ray can tell it.”
—Singletitles.com
“Readers will find a warm and wonderful contemporary romance with plenty of humor and drama. Adding a fun warmth and reality to these characters and a plot that moves quickly add all the needed incentive to read this fun book.”
—Multicultural Romance Writers
IRRESISTIBLE YOU
“A pleasurable story … a well-developed story and continuous plot.”
—Romantic Times BOOKreviews
“Like the previous titles in this series, Irresistible You is another winner … Witty and charming … Author Francis Ray has a true gift for drawing the readers in and never letting them go.”
—Multicultural Romance Writers
DREAMING OF YOU
“A great read from beginning to end, it’s even excellent for an immediate re-read.”
—Romantic Times BOOKreviews
“An immensely likable heroine, a sexy man with a heart of gold, and touches of glitz and color, [this] is as unapologetically escapist as Cinderella. Lots of fun.”
—BookPage
YOU AND NO OTHER
“The warmth and sincerity of the Graysons bring another book to life … delightfully realistic.”
—Romantic Times
“Astonishing sequel … the best romance of the new year … the Graysons are sure to leave a smile on your face and a longing in your heart for their next story.”
—ARomanceReview.com<
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“There are three more [Grayson] children with great love stories in the future.”
—Booklist
SOMEONE TO LOVE ME
“Another great romance novel.”
—Booklist
“The plot moves quickly, and the characters are interesting.”
—Romantic Times
“The characters give as good as they get, and their romance is very believable.”
—All About Romance
BREAK EVERY RULE
“Francis Ray is a literary chanteuse, crooning the most sensual romantic fiction melodies in a compelling performance of skill and talent that culminates in another solid gold hit!”
—Romantic Times
HEART OF THE FALCON
“[A] well-written, tender story about a man growing into respect and trust.”
—Publishers Weekly
“A new romance you won’t want to miss with characters that are so real, you get involved in their lives. Splendid romance by Francis Ray! Heart of the Falcon is superb!”
—Literary Times
“Ray has created another sure-to-be bestseller sizzler that will singe your mind with the laughter, tenderness, and passion that smolders between the pages.”
—Romantic Times
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
A SEDUCTIVE KISS
Copyright © 2012 by Francis Ray.
Excerpt from With Just One Kiss copyright © 2012 by Francis Ray.
All rights reserved.
For information address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010.
www.stmartins.com
eISBN: 9781466804166
St. Martin’s Paperbacks edition / February 2012
St. Martin’s Paperbacks are published by St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010.