All Chapters of Perfect Temptation : Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

Fifty pounds of pressure bore down on Brad’s chest as he struggled into consciousness. His head pounded. His body ached. His tongue clung to the roof of his mouth— a mouth so dry, it felt like someone had poured a bag of cat litter into it. To make matters worse, he had the distinct feeling that put in a good dent into Jessica’s bottle of Scotch wasn’t the only stupid thing he’d done last night.Why the hell had he thought it would be a good idea to come clean with Mattie? Why the hell hard he thought she needed to know how he’d felt about her back in high school? And why the hell had he given in to the need to kiss her?As if that would ever be enough. As if he’d ever be able to kiss her again without wanting to touch her. Without wanting to stripper clothes from that luscious body. Without needing to see—once and for all—the body that had fueled his teenage fantasies. Needing to explore every responsive inch of that body. Needing to drive her completely over the edge again and again

“What?” Lucy had somehow made it down to her knees and was holding the incriminating book in both hands, staring at the cover in confusion. When she heard no response, she looked up. Great. Just great. Mattie thought. How has she managed to hire what had to be the only nineteen year old in northern California who would never heard of the Kama Sutra, and the only eighty year olds, who apparently had? She struggled to her feet, Then reached for the book with one hand and pulling Lucy to her feet with the other. “ It’s nothing. Just a library book I checked out. By accident. Just a silly mistake.“ Now that was the understatement of the century. “A silly mistake, my behind,” Edith cackled. “The Kama Sutra. The Joy of Sex. Dating for Dummies. The Multi-Orgasmic Couple. The Girlfriend's Guide to Great Sex.” Edith pointed to each of the books as she listed off the titles. Picking up the books, Mattie said, “This is my business. My personal, private business.” “Poppycock.” Edith stood, h

Mattie stared at him in disbelief in complete silence. At that moment, he studied her waiting for an answer. He smiled ruefully. "No, I suppose not." His smile faded and his gaze turned solemn. "Is that why our marriage ended? Because I wasn't affectionate enough?" His words tugged at her heart and, for an instant, she saw him not as the attractive grown man he was—or even as the heartless businessman he tried so hard to be—but as a child. A little boy, lonely and uncertain. The surge of emotion she felt in that instant was dangerous. All this time she'd been telling herself she only lusted after him. Now she wasn't sure if that was the case. When had love gotten more complicated than sex? She forced herself to answer his question. "I don't know." Determined to regain control of the conversation, she smiled brightly and said, "But I have a plan to help you figure that out." "You do?" "Absolutely." She reached into her back pocket and pulled out a single sheet of paper on which s

All this time, she'd been telling herself her emotions weren't involved, telling herself this was just about sex. She'd been wrong. Tonight, as he sat across from her at the table, trying to think of ways he'd failed as a husband, she'd thought it was just part of the game. Part of the oneupmanship they'd been playing for years. She'd meant to goad him with her teasing. But the longer he sat there thinking, with his strong fingers tapping the oak tabletop, forehead furrowed in concentration, eyes narrowed In thought, the more she realized how genuinely hurt he'd been by Ginger. The light overhead shone down, highlighting the blond streaks in his hair. The edges of him blurred by the light, he appeared less larger than life. More real. Until this instant all of her emotions for Brad—powerful, mixed-up, and confused though they had been—were rooted in the past. Rooted in the heart of the girl she'd been and the boy she'd loved. But now she saw him as a man. A real man. Not a perfect m

"Where do you want me?" she asked, looking up at him through her lashes. Pretty damn far, it seemed. Where did he want her? Anywhere. Everywhere. She blinked innocently. "Do you want me sitting on the chair? Or lying down on the sofa? Or right here on the floor in front of the fireplace?" Images flashed through his mind. Images of Mattie naked and willing shot through his head. Mattie poised on the edge of a chair, back arched, beckoning him to her. Matte lounging on the sofa, hair spread out across the pillow, breast proudly thrust upward, one leg bent at the knee. And of her spread out before him on the floor, propped up on her elbows, smiling up at him, welcoming him beside her. "On the floor." He barely choked out the words. "Good choice." Her lips curved into a seductive smile. She moved to the table and picked up the massage oil. For a moment, he stared in the silence at the bottle. Then it hit him. They were talking about the massage. Of course, they were still talking ab