The Seduction Game

“It’ll sort this out once and for all. If your answer is the same, I’ll leave you alone.”

“I doubt that.”

“Hand on heart. You have my word.”

He could practically see her geeky brain considering his words. Trying to find a loophole. She wouldn’t find one though, because he hadn’t left one. There was no need for him to. By the time their dinner was over, Will was going to make sure that Kate Kelly would want to see him again. If Will had his way, she, just like he, would admit that she wanted a whole lot more than that.

It was devious and slightly wrong but he knew exactly how he was going to get his hands on her building. The geek was attracted to him. It was obvious, and if using that was what it took, then Will would do just that. He had no choice. There was far too much resting on the development, too many people depending on him—people with families and bills to pay. But, more than that, he was powerfully intrigued by her. Already. He wanted to touch her skin. It looked so damn soft, and he wanted to kiss the scowl right off her pretty face.

A waiting game.

No, he realized. Not anymore. The seduction game had started. It was on. And it was one Will had every intention of winning.





Chapter Three


Kate paced the sidewalk outside K.I.T, back and forth, back and forth. Every time she turned, her feet created little dust clouds that turned her poppy-red Converse a weird sort of pink. She stared down at her shoes with narrowed eyes, wondering not only how long it was going to take to get them clean again, but how the hell she’d managed to find herself in this situation.

Dinner. Will Thornton was coming to pick her up for dinner, and that was odd enough, but worse…Kate clenched her fists…someone—who, she wasn’t sure, it was just a hypothetical someone—but someone might say that she was almost looking forward to it. And wasn’t that a recipe for disaster? Will wanted her building, and clearly he’d decided a full charm offensive was the only way to get it, and she…Kate halted her pacing and took a deep breath. Clearly, she wasn’t immune to his charm. If she had been, then she’d have been a bit firmer in her denial. Would have told him to take a long walk off a short pier and meant it.

Only she hadn’t. Not at all.

She glared in the direction of Mr. Kawoski’s and unclenched her fists, trying to work out how the hell it had happened. He’d pull up any moment and she needed to be on her guard. Trouble was, apart from being trapped by his promise to leave her alone if she agreed to dinner, Kate could only remember little snatches of their conversation. Mostly she only recalled her intense, spine-deep embarrassment. But why was she embarrassed? It made absolutely no sense.

“It’s because you fancy him,” Meg had teased when Kate filled her in on the conversation. “You have the hots for the Borg king.”

Her denial was automatic. “I do not.”

“You so do and oh my gawd, you’re totally going out for dinner and this has possibilities.” Meg snapped her fingers. “Lots of possibilities. You could actually, and finally, get laid.”

Finally get laid. Kate shuddered at those words. Meg had been trying to fix her up with guys ever since they’d met at college—all those years ago. But it had simply never happened.

She paused her pacing as a slideshow of her various failed attempts at romance filled her mind. Talk about the blind leading the blind. Perhaps if she’d majored in lit or creative studies or something…but no, she’d taken computer science with an extra dollop of math before it had become cool, and it would be fair to say that her options had indeed been slim, and had stayed that way…until now…

“You’re an idiot. He wants your building, not you,” Kate mumbled the words as she turned and began her pacing all over again. She was only pacing in front of K.I.T. because that was her domain. Her shop. Her home. Her everything.

And he wants to take it from me.

And she knew that, damn it, but Will wasn’t anything like she had expected, and now everything seemed to have turned on its head. Up close, his resemblance to her heartthrob was nowhere near as noticeable. Result, yes? Well no, because Will had a charm all his own. If anything, he was better-looking. More masculine, more intense, and that made her very uncomfortable. She had no experience at dealing with this sort of thing and she was woefully aware of it.

Awkwardness central.

Kate halted her pacing next to her door, grabbed the handle, wondering if she could hide upstairs in her bedroom-cum-living-room-cum-kitchen. Pretend that she’d forgotten or that something had come up. She imagined Will turning up and not finding her there. She suspected he’d probably knock at the door until she appeared. He wasn’t going to give up but neither was she.

A waiting game.

Kate heard the car before she saw it—traffic was not exactly at a premium. She let go of the door handle, crossed her arms, uncrossed them, and let out the breath she didn’t even realize she was holding. Why was she so painfully nervous? Why were the butterflies back in her belly? It made no sense in the context of who Will Thornton actually was. As in, not just some hot guy, but the man who was trying to take her home from her.

Kate wished she had more time to think it all through, wished she could work out exactly what her feelings meant. A few months would be just about perfect. But in no time at all, Will halted a few feet from her and emerged from the car. It was the same one from before, but he’d changed. The suit was gone and in its place were a pair of low-slung, faded jeans, a thin navy blue sweater, and a pair of Timberlands.

Abruptly, the butterflies multiplied and a strange heat tingled along Kate’s skin. It was the exact same feeling she’d experienced when she’d viewed him through the blinds…only worse, more intense. She rubbed her bare arms in an effort to dispel the heat but it made no difference. Damn.

“You look lovely, Kate.” Those were his first words and automatically Kate glanced down at her outfit. She’d had no idea what to wear because dinner for her usually meant Chinese takeout or Mickey D’s. Meg had been all up for a shopping trip, followed by a glam session, but that ranked right up there with Star Wars on Kate’s horror list. Instead, she’d gone for her usual clothes. Jeans and a tee. The tee was vintage, featuring an old movie poster for Swamp Thing, and the jeans were skinny rather than baggy. So, all in all, she’d made more of an effort than usual. But now, looking at Will, the heat raced along her skin, and this time it seemed determined to make its way to her face. Maybe she should have worn a skirt? Only she didn’t own any, and would feel a bit stupid wearing one, anyway. This wasn’t a date. He was the enemy and this was her chance to give him a final, unequivocal “no.”

“Kate?”

She looked up and met his gaze, trying and failing epically not to blush all over again. “Sorry, I was woolgathering.”

“You were what?”

“Thinking. You know daydreaming. Erm, where are we going?”

He grinned and opened the passenger side door. “Woolgathering? I’ll have to remember that one. So there’s a little hole-in-the-wall, not far from here, called Coleido’s. Mexican. It’s kind of tucked away, not many people know about it, but it’s amazing. They have some tables outside and I’m thinking with this weather we can sit and eat on the patio. Maybe have a cold beer?”