Profile for Seduction

by Karen Whiddon

  Finally.

  “I want to see you naked,” she told him, fiercely intent, grabbing at the waistband of his jeans.

  He chuckled, pulling her in again for a kiss. “Slowly. We’ve waited for this a long time.”

  Impatient, she shook her head, sending her hair flying in a curtain around them, writhing against him, unable to keep from smiling as he gave an involuntary jerk against her.

  “Slowly, huh? I don’t want slowly.” She nipped at his neck, then his earlobe, enjoying the way he shuddered as she whispered in his ear. “I want fast and hot and heavy.”

  As she spoke, she yanked his jeans open, freeing him in all his aroused magnificence. “Wow.”

  Hand trembling, she wrapped her hand around him, caressing him once, twice, until he grabbed her fingers and stopped her.

  Gently, almost reverently, he removed her panties and then, when they both were naked, ushered her into his arms and held her.

  “Give me a minute,” he groaned, holding her still though his body involuntarily twitched against her.

  She did, reveling in the feel of his hard masculinity, the perfect fit of their bodies. As they held each other close, she realized with a sort of stunned amazement that tears of happiness pricked the back of her eyes.

  When he pulled her with him back onto the bed, she went gladly, boldly letting herself explore him intimately. When he bent his head to her nipple, she gasped, then opened her legs as he lowered himself over her and she accepted him joyously inside her.

  He filled her, and as he began to move inside her, increasing the tempo steadily, she felt herself unraveling piece by piece. When she shattered into a million exploding stars, he was right there with her.

  After, he held her and she held him back, their damp bodies cooling gradually, neither willing to move away.

  “Marc,” she began, only to be silenced by a slow, lingering kiss.

  “Not now,” he told her. “We’ll talk later. For now, let’s just enjoy this moment.”

  So she did.

  When she opened her eyes again, still nestled in the curve of his body, she lifted herself up on her elbow to peer at the clock.

  “Oh, no.” She nudged him awake. “Marc, we must have fallen asleep. It’s nearly six. We’ve got a little more than a hour until we have to be at my mother’s house.”

  He groaned and rolled over, burrowing his face into the pillow. “You take the first shower. Wake me when it’s my turn.”

  “Oh.” She let her disappointment show in her voice. “I was hoping we could shower together. You know, wash each other off. I thought it’d go faster that way.”

  Now she had his attention. He sat up fast, grabbing for her. She laughed as she danced out of his way.

  “Race you there,” she said, already halfway to the bathroom.

  “I hope you know we’re going to be late,” he warned her, catching her before she even turned on the water.

  Later, Lea dried her hair while Marc phoned her mother to let her know they were running a bit late. By some miracle they made it out the front door at 7:10.

  “By the time we get there, we’ll only be half an hour late.” Lea smiled, letting her gaze roam over Marc as he drove. He seemed distracted, preoccupied, and she couldn’t help but wonder if the daunting prospect of meeting her family bothered him.

  “I haven’t seen my brothers since Seb married Jillie.”

  Marc nodded. “I forgot that your brother is married to Jillie Everhart. I saw that wedding on TV. Nashville really turns out for one of its own.”

  “It was really awesome to meet so many famous musicians.” She smiled at the memory. “But you know what, Seb’s wife might be a country music superstar, but she’s one of the most genuine, down-to-earth women I’ve ever met.”

  “Not to mention,” he finished dryly, “one of the most beautiful.”

  To her surprise, she felt a quick stab of jealousy. Now that was completely ridiculous. Seb and Jillie were so much in love you could feel the electricity between them from fifteen feet away. “Wait until you meet her in person. She’s even more gorgeous in real life.”

  “What about Sebastian? He looks like a real hard-ass.”

  “He’s been through a lot. He might appear tough, but inside he’s just a big marshmallow.” She had to laugh, picturing Seb’s reaction if he could hear her description.

  Still, in all fairness she needed to warn Marc about her overprotective older brothers.

  “Dominic and Sebastian are—” she started.

  “Legendary. I know,” he interrupted. “I’ve heard stories of Seb’s exploits.”

  “Really? From where? That’s sort of surprising, since Seb was in special ops. Most of what he did was so classified his own family doesn’t know about it.”

  Shifting in his seat, Marc gave her an uncomfortable look. “I sort of…know Dom.”

  This shocked her. “How?”

  “When he worked for the Bureau. He and I went to Quantico at the same time.”

  Narrow-eyed, she studied him. “And you never mentioned this because…?”

  “It really wasn’t relevant. I haven’t seen him since Quantico, especially since I went in a different direction.” He cleared his throat. “As a matter of fact, when we spoke today it was the first time we’ve talked since he quit the Bureau.”

  Now he had her attention. “He called you today?”

  “Your mother put him on the phone when I called to let her know we were running late.”

  “Really?” Familiar with the ways of big brothers, she crossed her arms. “What’d he have to say to you after all this time?”

  “He wanted to know my intentions toward his baby sister.”

  She sighed. “I expected as much. What’d you say?”

  His mischievous smile started the warmth blossoming inside her again. “I simply told him the truth.”

  And despite her best attempts, he wouldn’t say any more.

  As they pulled up in front of her mother’s house, she barely let the car coast to a stop before she had the door open. Flashing Marc an apologetic smile, she took off running.

  Halfway up the sidewalk, the front door opened and a tall, broad-shouldered man held out his arms. Watching Lea leap into them, Marc recognized Sebastian Cordasic from the tabloid photos. His rugged, austere features appeared softened by emotion as he hugged his baby sister.

  Slowly, not wanting to intrude on the moment, Marc got out of his car. He took his time making his way up the sidewalk, unable to take his gaze off Lea, who practically glowed with happiness. Seeing her like this warmed his heart.

  No sooner had Seb set Lea back on her feet when another man, this one with dark hair and a more athletic build, grabbed her up in a bear hug. Dominic Cordasic, Dom to his friends.

  Once, he and Marc Kenyon had been good friends. There’d been a lot of water under the bridge since then.

  Peering over the top of Lea’s head, Dom grinned at Marc as he released his sister. Lea turned and met Marc halfway up the sidewalk, taking his arm.

  “Marc Kenyon.” Hand outstretched, Dom smiled warmly. “I hear you’ve been watching my baby sister’s back.”

  “I don’t know if I’d put it quite that way,” Marc said dryly, squeezing Lea’s arm. “She can take pretty good care of herself.”

  Sebastian waited just inside the foyer. He studied Marc with a shuttered expression while Lea made the introductions.

  “Pleased to meet you,” he drawled as he shook Marc’s hand. “It’s not every day our little sister brings a man home.”

  “Seb.” Cheeks pink, Lea protested. “We just got done working together and—”

  “Rescuing Mom and putting away the worst serial killer in recent memory is not just any case,” Dom chided gently. “Take a little credit, why don’t you?”

  Though she shook her head, her smile told Marc she was pleased with her brother’s praise.

  They went inside.

  “Rachel, Jillie and Mom are in
the kitchen,” Seb pointed out. “Though we ordered pizza, they felt like they had to whip up some fancy dessert or something.”

  “Come on.” Tugging on Marc’s arm, still linked with hers, Lea started forward eagerly. “I want you to meet Rachel and Jillie.”

  The doorbell rang at that moment.

  “The pizza’s here!” Seb and Dominic shouted in unison, jockeying to see who could open the door.

  Watching all this, standing side by side with the woman he loved more deeply than ever, Marc was struck by a sense of longing so sharp, so deep, that he had to clench his teeth to keep from crying out.

  This felt like…home.

  The home he’d never had. The home he now knew he wanted to make with Lea, if she’d have him.

  He knew they should eventually talk about this, about how they felt about each other. But he was a man of action, rather than words, and he knew he’d happily spend the rest of his life showing her how much he cared.

  Judging from her actions, Lea felt the same way. He could only hope he wasn’t wrong about this. If he was, then he was about to make the biggest mistake of his life.

  Entering the kitchen, Marc released Lea to hug her mother, who then enveloped him also in a vanilla-scented hug. At the sink, two blonde women turned as one, and he found himself looking into two pairs of identical blue eyes, both the color of sapphires.

  “Welcome!” Drying her hands on a dish towel, Jillian Everhart stepped forward and hugged him. When she released him, the other blonde, who looked so similar they had to be twins, stepped forward and held out her hand.

  “Rachel Cordasic,” she said. Her cool, firm grip matched her voice.

  He studied her, wondering why she looked vaguely familiar, then remembering she also had been all over the news a few years back. She’d been married to a mega-rich casino owner with suspected Mafia connections who’d ended up dead.

  Still cracking jokes, Dom and Seb carried the pizzas into the kitchen.

  “You ordered enough to feed a small army!” Lea cried, eyeing six boxes.

  “That’s because Seb and Dom can each eat a large pizza by themselves,” Lillian put in, smiling indulgently. “And I bet your young man can do the same.”

  Marc noted with some happiness that Lea did not protest her mother referring to him as her young man. And he could indeed put away a large pizza, along with a few cans of beer.

  As if on cue, his stomach growled loudly, making them all laugh.

  In a flurry of paper plates and laughter, they all dug in. Leaning back in his chair and watching, Marc couldn’t help but wonder what it would have been like to grow up in a family like this.

  His next thought was that if things went well, his own children would know the warmth of such a family.

  They polished off every last piece of pizza, Seb and Dom sparring good-naturedly for the final slice. Stuffed, Marc took them up on their invitation to catch a football game on television in the den.

  The women begged off, claiming they had to work together to cook up some sort of dessert.

  As if anyone could possibly eat anything more.

  In the den, Marc accepted a beer from Seb and dropped down on the couch facing the TV. If he was slightly startled when Seb took a seat on one side of him and Dom on the other, he was careful not to let this show.

  “It’s been a long time,” Dom said, using the remote to turn on the game.

  Before Marc could answer, Seb leaned over. “Why are you here with our sister?”

  The direct approach. Marc could appreciate that. Still, he and Lea’s relationship was nobody’s business but their own. Especially since he didn’t even know the status himself.

  Or even if there was going to be a relationship.

  Since both men were staring at him like they would jump him if he gave the wrong answer, he gave the simplest, yet still truthful reply.

  “Lea and I are friends,” he said firmly.

  “Friends,” Seb repeated, taking a long drink of his beer.

  “Yes, friends.” Marc raised his voice for emphasis. He glanced at Dom, to see the other man staring at something behind them.

  “I sure hope for your sake that you’re telling the truth,” Dom said quietly. “Because that was Lea and she seemed really upset to hear you say that.”

  Calling herself seven kinds of fool, Lea raced down the hall, past the kitchen and into the guest bathroom, where she closed and locked the door.

  Friends… Figured. Here she’d thought this relationship was a lot more. She’d never been good at judging the level of men’s interest. She and Marc had had great sex, but apparently in his mind that was all it was. Great sex.

  And the emotional connection? Had she simply imagined that, too?

  She stood in front of the mirror, eyeing her flushed cheeks and too-bright eyes, and let her shoulders sag. The exhaustion she’d managed to hold at bay with excitement over her brothers’ arrival in town came rushing back, full force.

  More than anything, she needed to crash. But there were still a few things to deal with. Like—mentally, she cringed—the necessity of Marc removing his belongings from her apartment.

  How would that go?

  A soft tap on the door made her jump.

  “Lea?” Marc. Great. Exactly who she didn’t want to see right now.

  “I’m kind of busy right now,” she lied. “I’ll be out in a few minutes.”

  On the other side of the door, she heard whispering. Low, masculine whispering.

  “Seb? Dom? What are you two up to?”

  A moment later, she had her answer. Her two buffoon brothers must have shown Marc the hidden key that Mom kept on top of the doorjamb.

  The doorknob slowly turned.

  “I hope you’re decent,” he said. “Dom assured me you would be.”

  “Like he knows.” Suddenly, too tired to argue, she sighed.

  “Come on in. What did you need?”

  He came inside, locking the door behind him, then flashing her a quick grin as he placed the key on the counter. “Now no one will disturb us.”

  “Oh, yeah?” Crossing her arms, she rolled her eyes. “You don’t know my brothers. If they want in, they’ll be in here. Now, what’s so important you had to find me in the bathroom to tell me?”

  Instead of answering, he gathered her gently into his arms. Despite her earlier resolve, she burrowed her face into his chest and breathed his wonderful and familiar scent. He felt so big, so solidly masculine, so right.

  Fool.

  Pressed so tightly against her, she felt his body stir.

  Friends? She felt a hot and sinful joy as her own body responded, tingling from the contact.

  Heavens help her, if she didn’t put a stop to this, they’d end up making love on the floor of her mother’s bathroom, with her entire family outside the door.

  “Marc, I—”

  “I love you.” His warm breath tickled her ear.

  Stunned, she froze. “You know what?” Pushing him away, she retreated to the other end of the bathroom counter. “The only thing I’ve ever asked from you was honesty. Now, you can’t even give me that. Get out.”

  He didn’t move. Unwittingly, she let her gaze roam over him, drinking in his masculine beauty.

  “Didn’t you hear me?”

  A muscle worked in his strong jaw. “I did. But I’m not leaving until you hear what I’ve got to say.”

  “Save your breath.” Hurt made her voice ragged, but she didn’t care. She’d been through enough that day, surely she was allowed a little rawness. “I’ve already heard what you have to say. Friend. That’s fine, but I don’t plan on being your friend with benefits.”

  A small smile hovered around the edges of his mouth. “Is that why you think I’m here? To talk you into becoming my sexual plaything?”

  Images of his hard, masculine body wrapped around her danced inside her head, tantalizing her. Put that way, it didn’t sound half-bad.

  “Why are you here?” she a
sked, raking her fingers through her hair. “It’s been a really long day and I’m beat.”

  “I know you heard me telling your brothers that you were my friend. I came here because I saw you were hurt and insulted by that term and I wanted to explain to you what friend means to me.”

  Lifting her chin, she managed a tight smile. “Nice try, Kenyon. But I think I know how to define the word.”

  Reaching out, he stroked her arm. The mere touch of his hand sent a jolt of desire through her.

  “When I marry, the woman I’ll choose will be my friend. To do otherwise would be more than foolish. A friend is someone with whom I want to spend every spare moment of my time, someone I can count on, trust and…love. I love you, Lea Cordasic. And I’d like to see about making our partnership a long-term one.”

  Wide-eyed, she could only stare at him. When she finally found her voice, she croaked. “You mean like making our current living arrangements more permanent?”

  His wide smile lit up the small room like the summer sun. “That, too,” he said. “Living together is part of it, I believe.”

  Digging something from his pocket, he held out a small black velvet box. “I haven’t had time to buy a ring, but when I was a kid, I carried this everywhere. It means a lot to me. I’d be honored if you’d wear it until we buy a real ring to replace it.”

  Heart skipping madly, she took the box and opened it. Nestled inside was a battered plastic decoder ring, the kind a child’s hands would dig from a box of Cracker Jack.

  Perfect. Completely, utterly perfect. She didn’t know whether to laugh or to cry.

  Throat tight, she looked from the ring to Marc, and back again. “I…”

  “Take your time. You don’t have to decide right this instant.”

  But as he said that, it all came rushing back to her. Feiney, the mess she’d been and the tall, quiet man who’d not only shown her she could be a whole woman again, but who’d always had her back.

  And she knew, staring at the small plastic ring, if she accepted his proposal, he always would.

  Crossing the few feet between them, she reached up and twined her fingers in his golden, California surfer-dude hair, pulling his face down for a kiss. She kissed him with a hunger that contrasted her outer veneer of calmness, kissed him with all the need and passion and love inside her soul.