Rafferty's Wife by Kay Hooper Read Free Book Online Page A

him, but seeing that dawn of feminine enjoyment in her eyes fascinated him utterly. Having had no sisters, Rafferty had never watched a woman become aware of her own powers. He had a very strong feeling that he was seeing it now.“You’ve never gotten involved with a man before, have you?” he asked slowly.
    She gave him a hesitant smile. “Well, no. I always thought I was cold-natured.”
    Rafferty did an exaggerated double take, which sufficed to hide his very real astonishment. Were all the men she had known morons? “I beg your pardon?”
    She giggled, flushing again as she remembered her response on the beach. “I did. I just wasn’t interested.”
    “It must have been my charming smile,” he said.
    Sarah cleared her throat. “Must have been.”
    “How old are you?” he asked suspiciously.
    “Twenty-six.”
    In mock surprise, he said, “And you’ve never exercised your feminine wiles? How long has Hagen had you sequestered in that information retrieval office, anyway?”
    “Since college.” She lifted her chin and met his gaze squarely. “Before that—I told you—I just wasn’t interested.”
    He removed the towel and studied thetangled mass of her hair for a moment, then flopped the towel back over her head. “Find a brush for that,” he instructed briskly. “It looks like a rat’s nest.”
    She pushed the towel back, laughing. “Thanks!” But she went and found her brush, lingering in the bedroom long enough to smooth the knots from her hair before returning to the sitting room. As soon as she came back, Rafferty spoke.
    “I think it’s a good idea.”
    Sarah lifted a brow at him. “What is?”
    “Letting you vamp me.”

T HREE
    “V ERY FUNNY .”
    “I’m serious.” He grinned at her, enjoying her startled expression. “You don’t have to start from scratch, you know. Remember the beach? By the time we finish with the assignment, I may well be putty in your hands. I’ll even up the ante.”
    “How?” she asked slowly, staring at him.
    Rafferty lifted his hand and brushed her cheek lightly with his knuckles. “Anything you catch,” he hesitated, “you keep.”
    Sarah was smiling before she realized it. Something new within her was rising to the challenge. “Does that line work on all the girls?”
    “I wouldn’t know. Never used it before. But I think we’re both going to enjoy finding out if it works on you.”
    She crossed her arms beneath her breasts. When his eyes dropped briefly to examine the golden flesh that was bared as the lapels of her robe slid farther apart, she felt a little flicker of warm excitement.
    Rafferty cleared his throat carefully. “Let’s not start just yet,” he murmured a bit hoarsely. “I need a good night’s sleep first.”
    Sarah bit her lip to hold back a sudden giggle. “Let me get this straight. Along with everything else we have to do, we’re going to play a game. The game is seduction. And you’re the prize?”
    Feeling a bit reckless himself, Rafferty grinned. “Something like that. If you don’t want me, you can always throw me back, but you have to catch me first.” He went to the bar,and fixed them both drinks. Handing one to her, he added gently, “And I intend to play hard to get.”
    She sipped her drink slowly, her eyes speculative. “Why?” she asked finally.
    Rafferty didn’t need the question clarified. “Oh … because we’re going to be in a serious situation and we’ll need to take our minds off it occasionally. Because we’ll inevitably get to know one another during the process. And because we’ll both enjoy it immensely.”
    “You think so?”
    “Don’t you?”
    Sarah did. Her smile widened. “Are there any rules in this game of yours?”
    “Prudence dictates. Nothing blatant. If you took me by the hand and led me in there”—he nodded toward the bedroom—“for instance, that would definitely be blatant. And since I’d feel compelled to defend your honor, don’t wear anything that’s