A Christmas Seduction

‘Uh-huh’

Laura had heard a great deal about Alexander’s godson, Quinn Mannion. Mentally she recapped what she knew. He was thirty-six years old, a former investigative journalist who now wrote political thrillers which had put him on the top of the best-seller list countless times, and earned him millions of dollars. In the best tradition of novelists he lived in splendid isolation, somewhere on the coast of Maine. Over the years his name had been linked romantically with several women, but he had resisted the ties of marriage. She was curious to know what he looked like, and waited with bated breath as he stepped forward into the light of the desk lamp.

Laura’s eyes widened. This was Quinn Mannion?

She saw a tall, dark-haired man, broad-shouldered and lean-hipped, wearing a leather jacket over an Aran sweater and jeans he must have been poured into, they hugged his thighs so lovingly. He carried himself with an assurance and self-belief which was almost palpable. Her gaze skittered over his face. He was breathtakingly handsome, although there was nothing soft in it. In fact, the only feature to break the strong lines was a surprisingly sensual mouth. At least, that was what she thought until her eyes met a pair of intense blue ones and somehow got locked there.

They had to be the bluest eyes she had ever seen. The sort of eyes you could dive into and drown in with the greatest pleasure. Rimmed with long dark lashes, they should have been feminine, but weren’t. Everything simply made him look even more heart-stoppingly masculine. Quinn Mannion was pretty potent stuff, and deep inside her something elemental stirred. She became, in an instant, so supremely aware of him that every single nerve in her body came to life, tingling in a state of intense receptivity. She knew she would know he was in the same room as her even if she were blindfolded.

It was a disturbingly unfamiliar sensation for her. Whilst she had always appreciated an attractive man, she had never before been made quite so aware of another human being. Her heart gave a sudden lurch and sprinted away as she recognised what was happening; female recognising the male. This was sexual attraction at its rawest, and the strength of it caused her to breathe in sharply as her stomach clenched on a primitive wave of desire.

More than a little stunned, she remained transfixed, like a rabbit caught in the headlights of a car, as Quinn Mannion advanced on her with a darkling glint in his eye. He came to a halt mere feet away and stared down at her.

‘Well, well. As I live and breathe, Laura Maclane in the flesh. The newspaper pictures hardly do you justice,’ he drawled disdainfully.

It was a voice which, despite its unfriendliness, conjured up visions of rich dark chocolate. Sinful, luscious and infinitely addictive. Laura fought down a shiver of pure reaction to it.

‘Tell me, Laura. Are you enjoying the fruits of your labour?’

The unexpected question set her back on her heels momentarily. She had been prepared to offer a polite greeting for, in a roundabout way, this man was connected to her, but it took only those few words to make her realise there was to be no pretence of pleasantries from him. It wounded her, as all injustice did, but it angered her too. So that was how it was to be, she thought. Well, she could handle anything he cared to throw at her. For instance, that question wasn’t an idle one and, though she suspected she wouldn’t like the answer, she wasn’t about to avoid asking for clarification. She needed to know exactly where she stood with him.

‘Labour?’

Quinn’s eyes dropped to her mouth and traced the line of her lips with blatant suggestion, so that she had a pretty good idea of what he was going to say before he said it. “The hard work you put in between the sheets with a man old enough to be your father,’ he explained dispassionately, which made the remark all the more insulting.

‘Quinn!’ Jonathan stepped in warningly, frowning heavily at his friend, but Laura held up her hand. She didn’t need protecting, although the words stung. He had no idea how close to the truth he was.

‘It’s OK, Jonathan. Mr Mannion is saying no more than has been said behind my back. In fact, I give him credit for saying it to my face. The answer to your question is yes. I do enjoy the fruits of my labour,’ she confirmed with an unrepentant tilt to her head. Though he didn’t know it, she was referring to her business, not her supposed relationship with his godfather.

He did not care for her response. ‘I never expected you to be so honest,’ he retorted coldly, and she smiled with grim satisfaction. It was the first time she had ever been able to strike a blow for herself since Alexander’s death. She discovered that putting noses out of joint, especially this one, could give her quite a kick, and it had the double advantage of taking her mind off her reaction to him. His closeness was setting all her nerves at attention and, under the circumstances, that was treachery of the highest order.

‘Oh, I’m full of surprises,’ she retorted mockingly, finding it remarkably easy to slip into the character he thought her. For months she had had to hold her tongue, and the relief of verbal battle was quite heady. If he wanted a fight, she would give him one. In spades.

He smiled then, and he reminded her of nothing so much as a tiger—a very hungry one. ‘I just bet you are. As a matter of interest, just how did you manage to snare him? I would have expected someone of Alex’s intelligence to see you coming.’

Laura ground her teeth. Lord, when this man went for the jugular, he held nothing back. ‘Do you want the gory details, or will a rough outline do?’ she asked sweetly. all the while sending invisible daggers into him.

Quinn’s lips twitched, though the amusement was chilly. ‘I’m a big boy. You don’t have to spare my blushes.’

‘I doubt very much that you have ever blushed, Mr Mannion,’ she returned pithily.

‘Quinn,’ he invited, swatting her verbal dart aside and returning one of his own.

Committing murder had never been so inviting a proposition. ‘Are you sure we’re on intimate enough terms for Christian names?’ she asked coyly, and he laughed dryly.

‘Rest assured you and I will never be on intimate terms but I think, under the circumstances, we can dispense with the formality.’

So, they were to play games, were they? That was fine by her, too.

Laura allowed a sensual smile to spread across her lips. ‘Quinn, then,’ she flirted dangerously, and from the corner of her eye caught sight of the stunned expression on Jonathan’s face.

‘Don’t do this, Laura,’ he advised urgently, knowing full well that Quinn was a formidable opponent and never backed away from a fight but, before he could do more to head her off, his friend was responding.

‘He’s right. It wouldn’t be a wise move to use your feminine wiles on me, Laura.’

Ignoring the look on Jonathan’s face, Laura ventured where angels and sensible folk feared to tread. “Why not? It could be fun,’ she teased, boldly reaching out to run her fingers up and down the zip of his jacket, wondering at the same time just exactly where it was she got her nerve.

With a look of distaste, Quinn brushed her hand away. ‘Believe me, you wouldn’t enjoy the experience,’ he warned, but, truth be told, she was beginning to enjoy herself and merely batted her lashes at him.

‘You don’t know what I like,’ she purred sultrily.

His beautiful mouth twisted into a sneer. ‘I’m beginning to get the picture. Now cut it out.’

Delighted by her success, Laura heaved an elaborate sigh, as if to say he was no fun. ‘All right, where was I?’

‘You were about to tell me the truth about how you got my godfather to give you all that money,’ Quinn gritted through his teeth.

Actually, that was the very last thing she was about to do. She had a deep dislike of people who jumped to conclusions. He knew nothing of her, save what he had obviously read in the newspapers, and he had already decided it was true. Since he had clearly made up his mind, she was not going to waste time trying to persuade him differently.

‘I used the gifts God gave me,’ she vouchsafed provocatively, and it didn’t surprise her in the least to see his gaze travel the length of her body. Quinn Mannion was nothing if not predictable.

‘With which you are fulsomely endowed,’ he drawled contemptuously, making her blood boil. ‘I never thought my godfather would be so easily taken in.’

Unabashed, she smiled. ‘Alexander got exactly what he wanted from me. Do you want me to draw you a picture?’ she challenged sweetly. It was amazingly easy to dislike this man, even if he did have megawatt sex appeal which turned her insides to mush.

‘I’ll pass, thanks.’

He looked as if he had just discovered a bad smell right under his nose, and Laura couldn’t resist taunting him some more, to rub salt in the wound.

‘We were about to go to dinner. Would you care to join us?’ she invited, and heard Jonathan’s sharp intake of breath. He was going to be livid.

‘Sorry, but I can’t’ Quinn refused with every appearance of regret. “There’s someplace I have to be and—’ he glanced at the gold Rolex on his wrist ‘—I’m late already.’

Her smile of dismay was as sincere as his regret. ‘What a shame. Another time, perhaps?’ she ventured politely, holding out her hand. Unable to be so pointedly rude as to ignore her gesture, Quinn reached across and took it.

His hand closed around hers. Flesh touched flesh, and it seemed to Laura that a breathtakingly powerful charge of electricity shot clean through her system, bringing every atom of her body alive. It was like being plugged into a live socket. Her heartbeat accelerated off the scale, and her blood ran hot and thick through her veins so that her whole body thrummed with it It was a totally stunning sensation.

When Quinn released her and turned to Jonathan, Laura was left trembling in the aftershock. She had never felt so unnerved in her life. An hour ago she had been in blissful ignorance of the possibilities, but now she was seriously rattled. She was left gazing down at a still tingling palm. She drew in a shaky breath. My God, she thought dazedly, how could a simple touch do that?

‘What on earth did you think you were doing?’ Jonathan snapped at her, bringing her head up sharply. They were alone. Quinn had gone.

‘What?’ she asked blankly, still rocked by her reaction. She could scarcely believe it had happened, yet her hand told her it most certainly had. She shivered. She was glad he was gone. If she never saw him again, it would be too soon.

Jonathan raked an agitated hand through his hair. ‘My God, Laura, you were acting like an idiot!’ he exclaimed in disbelief.

‘I was acting the way he expected me to act,’ she declared defensively, and Jonathan rolled his eyes heavenwards, seeking patience.

‘You could have disappointed him.’