Enticing Emma (14 page)
He’d gone out with his fair share of women over the years, but none of them attracted him as much as Lily did. Finally, a year ago, he’d pretty much given up dating. He wanted Lily and had done everything he could think of to get her to relax around him, but nothing seemed to work. Stopping by to get Ethan’s address was just an excuse. He could have just as easily phoned her, but he’d wanted to see her. Heck, he could have just called Ethan.
Letting out a huff of breath, he prowled around her kitchen. It was much like the woman herself—calm and welcoming, with a hint of spice. She’d obviously been working. He ignored the laptop but couldn’t resist glancing down at the papers strewn next to it.
His eyes skimmed and then jerked back—sex in public, roses, whipped cream and striptease. The words jumped off the page along with the underlined word “research.” He knew he was invading her privacy and that he should just walk away, but he couldn’t stop himself from picking up the sheet to study it further. When he did he noticed the book hidden beneath—
Hidden Desires
by Ms. Lillian.
Laying the sheet aside, he picked up the book and flipped it over, whistling under his breath as he read the blurb on the back. This was hot stuff. He knew it couldn’t be a coincidence, but his brain could hardly reconcile the Lily he knew with the woman who’d penned an erotic romance.
A slow smile split his face. He’d always known Lily had hidden depths.
“What the hell are you doing?” Lily stood in the doorway, practically vibrating with anger. He was busted.
“This is amazing.” He laid the book back on the table. “I had no idea you were a published author.”
She seemed taken aback by his compliment. Her cheeks flushed as she hurried into the room and shuffled her papers together, once again covering the book. He noted that this time the papers were turned facedown. “No one does.” She shot him a glare. “Not even Ethan.”
He held up his hands in mock surrender. “Your secret is safe with me.” He paused as he watched pleasure at the compliment he’d given her war with the embarrassment she obviously felt. “Although, I think you should tell Ethan. It’s not like he’s a kid anymore.” He’d gotten to know Lily’s son very well the past few years and thought a lot of him. Mother and son were very close and he wouldn’t want to see that change for any reason.
“I know he’s not.” She crossed her arms defensively as she scowled at him. “I plan to tell him when he comes home for Christmas.” Lily nibbled on her lower lip and Carson wanted to groan when his jeans suddenly became much too tight for comfort. He hoped she didn’t look down below his waist because there was no way to hide his growing erection.
“That’s good.” He cleared his throat, wondering exactly how to approach the touchy subject of the list. A plan had popped into his mind the moment he’d read the words on the seemingly harmless sheet of paper. It was outrageous and she might very well boot his ass to the door. But nothing ventured, nothing gained, and he’d wanted this woman for a long, long time. “I was wondering . . .”
She uncrossed her arms and gripped the back of one of the kitchen chairs. Even wearing a plain pair of khaki pants and a beige T-shirt, she made him hotter than hell. “What?”
“I saw your notes.” Now she looked horrified instead of embarrassed. He rushed on before she could order him to get out. “I want to help you with your research. We don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do, but I’m more than willing to do anything that’s on your list.”
And a lot more things that weren’t,
but he kept that little tidbit to himself for the moment.
Her face lost all color and then flushed even redder than before. She swayed and he was afraid she might faint, but she was made of sterner stuff than that and steadied herself immediately. “I don’t need any help.”
“We all need help.” He softened his voice and took a step closer to her. Her eyes widened, but she didn’t shy away, so he took two more. When he was standing right next to her, he stared down into her expressive eyes. She was only about four inches shorter than him and would fit him perfectly in bed and out.
Reaching out, he traced the line of her jaw with his finger, noting the slight shiver that shook her and the goose bumps that appeared on her arms. She wasn’t as unaffected as she wanted to pretend. “We don’t have to do anything you don’t want to, Lily.” She shivered again when he said her name. “It will be our secret.”
She opened her mouth, but he placed a finger over her lips before she could say no. “Think about it. I could caress your body with a rose. You wouldn’t have to be naked. You could wear shorts and a halter top.” He wanted her naked, but he also wanted her to feel safe with him. When they made love—and he was more determined than ever that they would—he wanted her to want him as much as he did her.
“You could do whatever you wanted with me,” he continued. He could see the outline of her nipples against the fabric of her top and wanted to howl with pleasure. His entire body tensed and his cock continued to throb. “You could practice a striptease, but you wouldn’t have to take it all off. Maybe just down to your underwear.” Imagining Lily clad in nothing but her bra and panties threatened his composure. His breathing got heavier and uneven, his voice rougher. “Anything you want, Lily. Anything at all.”
Her eyes were wide, her rosy lips parted. Her chest was rising and falling rapidly. Her tongue came out to lick at her lower lip and he barely stifled a groan. He wanted to taste her mouth so damn badly. “I could call you later tonight if you wanted to try out phone sex.” The top almost came off his head as he imagined what that would be like. “What do you say?”
Books by N. J. Walters
The Summersville Secrets Series
Enticing Emma
Lily’s List (coming soon)
The Salvation Pack Series
Wolf at the Door
Wolf in her Bed
Wolf on the Run
Wolf from the Past
Wolf on the Hunt
The Hades’ Carnival Series
Night of the Tiger
Mark of the Bear
Pride of the Lion
Howl of the Wolf
Heart of the Serpent
Flame of the Phoenix
Lure of the Jaguar
The Legacy Series
Alexandra’s Legacy
Isaiah’s Haven
Legacy Found
Quinn’s Quest
Finding Chrissten
Damek’s Redemption
Craig’s Heat-Legacy
The Spells, Secrets & Seductions Series
A Touch of Magick
Dreams of Seduction
Love in Flames
The Jamesville Series
Discovering Dani
The Way Home
The Return of Patrick O’Rourke
The Seduction of Shamus O’Rourke
A Legal Affair
By the Book
Past Promises
The Gift of Shayla
About the Author
Once upon a time, N.J. had the idea that she would like to quit her job at the bookstore, sell everything she owned, leave her hometown, and write romance novels in a place where no one knew her. And she did. Two years later, she went back to the bookstore and her hometown and settled in for another seven years. One Friday morning she gave notice at her job; on Sunday afternoon, she received a tentative acceptance for her first romance novel, and her life has never been the same.
N. J. Walters is a
New York Times
and
USA Today
bestselling author of the Summersville Secrets series, the Legacy series, and the Salvation Pack series, among others. Vampires, werewolves, dragons, time-travelers, seductive handymen, and next-door neighbors with smoldering good looks all vie for her attention. It’s a tough life, but someone’s got to live it.
You can visit N. J. at:
Website:
http://www.njwalters.com
Blog:
http://www.njwalters.blogspot.com
Newsletter Group:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/awakeningdesires/
Facebook Author Page:
https://www.facebook.com/N.J.WaltersAuthor
Twitter:
https://twitter.com/njwaltersauthor
Goodreads:
http://www.goodreads.com/NJWalters