Seductive Reasoning by Cheryl Gorman Read Free Book Online Page B

mention soul stirring sexy. But
there was so much more than his looks that attracted her. In college, he’d
treated her with respect, and he’d listened to her theories about astrology and
its effect on people’s lives. Seth hadn’t focused on her looks or thought of
her ideas as harebrained and foolish like a lot of the others. He’d really
listened to her and made her feel important.
    Seth picked up his suitcase and
placed it carefully inside the door. His eyes shone intensely blue in the early
morning light with a what-the-hell-am-I-doing-here expression in their depths.
“Nothing personal, Kate, but I want you to understand that I’m only here for
the money.”
    Nothing personal. Only here for the
money. She raised her chin. Fine, so was she. Darn him! Then why did his words
prick her heart dead center? “Sure. I understand.” Her voice sounded strained
and uncertain even to her own ears.
    His chin shot up and his gaze
studied her face. “Kate, I only meant--”
    She managed a smile. “I know. It’s
okay. Really. It’s best to get things out in the open.” She licked her lips.
“I’ve prepared an early lunch. Does that sound okay? Hope you’re hungry.” She
was starving before he’d arrived, but after hearing his comment her appetite
had fled.
    Seth picked up his suitcase.
    “Leave it. I’ll show you the
upstairs later.”
    Seth nodded and reached for a small
black case instead. He followed her down the hallway into the kitchen at the
back of the house. Kate took a bottle of champagne out of the refrigerator.
    She watched Seth glance around the
kitchen at the white, glass-fronted cabinets, bright yellow walls and pots of
herbs growing on the windowsill over the sink. His gaze shifted from the
kitchen back to her.
    “So what are we having?”
    Kate suppressed a smile. “I thought
we’d start with a toast.” She held out the bottle to him. Perhaps it would calm
her fluttering nerves. “Would you mind doing it?”
    His brow lifted at her choice of
words. “Don’t you think we should talk first? Get to know each other?”
    She smiled, her tension easing a
bit. This was the Seth she remembered. “I meant open the bottle.”
    A blush stained his cheeks. He
cleared his throat and reached for the chilled bottle. “Oh, right.”
    Kate set a bowl filled to the brim
with fresh strawberries on the counter along with two chilled crystal flutes.
    Seth glanced at his watch. “It’s
barely ten thirty in the morning. A little early for champagne, don’t you
think?” He unzipped the black case he’d set on the counter and withdrew his
laptop. “Besides I’ve got some work to do.”
    Kate plucked two strawberries from
the bowl and dropped one in each flute. “It’s never too early for champagne.”
    With a shrug, Seth uncorked the
sparkling wine with a loud pop, but caught the cork in his hand before it could
fly across the room. He set the bottle on the counter.
    Kate filled both glasses to the
brim. She picked up her glass and sipped. The cold amber liquid slid
deliciously over her tongue and down her throat.
    Seth ignored his glass of champagne
and fixed his gaze on her. “Kate, if I could get out of this situation and
still win the money, I would. But I can’t and the future of my project depends
on it. So, I think if we set a few limitations and some ground rules, we will
both get through this week a lot easier. Besides, we hardly know each other.”
    Limitations. Ground rules. How was
she supposed to win the wager with constricting boundaries?
    He looked at his glass of sparkling
wine and pushed it to the side. “Got any tea?”
    Kate nodded, walked to the stove,
and adjusted the flame under the kettle. She swiveled and leaned against the
counter top. “That’s the whole point isn’t it?”
    “What whole point?”
    She took another sip of her wine. Slow
down, take your time. Don’t overwhelm the man. “We’re here to prove our
theories, and in order to do that we need to get to know each