Lethal Exposure by Lori Wilde Read Free Book Online Page A

been searching for a father figure? Her dad had died when she was fourteen. Had her lovers represented the masculine guidance she’d lost and longed for?
    What a cliché.
    Julie peered at herself in the rearview mirror and was startled to see how sexy she looked. Her curls had defied the curling iron and resorted to their usual wild tumble, giving her a just-rolled-out-of-bed appearance. Suddenly, her lipstick seemed too red, her mascara too thickly applied, the V-neck of her sweater revealing too much cleavage.
    Well, that was the point, wasn’t it? To start something with Sebastian Black. Learn a few tricks. Push her sexual boundaries with a no-strings-attached affair? Get past the number Roger and Phillip had done on her self-confidence. Become more accomplished at lovemaking so she didn’t get so embarrassed in therapy sessions when the patients revealed their colorful romantic escapades.
    Nervously, she drummed her fingers on the steering wheel. What was she doing here? What made her think Sebastian Black could cure her romanticism?
    A zippy red sports car pulled into the parking lot and she knew before she ever saw his face that Sebastian was behind the wheel. He killed the engine and hopped from the low-slung German-engineered automobile looking as if he’d stepped off the cover of People magazine. Tall, broad shouldered, lean hipped. Sexy as hell.
    You’re in over your head. This guy will eat you alive.
    It was, she had to admit, a very delicious thought.
    Sebastian clutched a black leather briefcase in his hand and he headed for the door of the restaurant with purposeful, ground-chewing strides. He wore a tailor-made gray business suit with a lavender shirt and an avant-garde grape-and-gold tie. Not many men could pull off lavender, but on him, it was a power color, accenting his tanned skin and dark, intelligent eyes. Modern young executive on the go.
    He was exquisite.
    And he was everything she’d trained herself not to want. Handsome beyond belief. Smooth as silk. The kind of guy you just knew would take your breath away and leave you gasping for oxygen. She’d always gone for substance over style. For older steady men who promised security.
    Yeah. And look where that got you.
    It was all she could do to keep from starting her car, driving away and thanking her lucky stars she’d escaped unscathed.
    But despite her alarm, something pushed her forward. Her craving for knowledge and sexual experimentation was stronger than her fear of getting hurt. She could do this. She could seduce him, enjoy him and keep the relationship strictly casual. He was only in town for a short time. He was perfect.
    She put her hand on the door handle, opened it and stepped out into the parking lot. Sebastian had already gone inside. Determined, she headed into the restaurant.
    The hostess, a pretty, dark-haired woman in a red kimono with green dragons imprinted into the silk fabric, greeted her in the foyer. “One for lunch?”
    “Actually,” she said, “I’m meeting someone.”
    Just then, Sebastian walked up behind the hostess. He’d been watching for her. His grin widened as if he’d just won the Powerball lottery. The eager expression on his face went a long way toward bolstering her courage and tamping down her fear.
    He made a low noise of masculine appreciation as he came closer. “Wow, check you out.”
    Slowly, he raked his gaze from the top of her head, down the low-cut V of her angora sweater, to the snug-fitting, straight-legged slacks to her high-heeled black stiletto boots and back again. The look was so intense, Julie gulped and folded her fingernails into her palms to steady her nerves.
    An electrical charge passed between them. A silent understanding. His dark eyes smoldered with a sexuality that stole her breath.
    He was unfairly handsome. No guy should look so good. It was annoying that every female in the place was darting surreptitious glances in his direction.
    To his credit, his focus was only on