My Daring Seduction

“And when I found out I had to strip in public…” Brooke shuddered comically.

“And when I found out I had to have sex in a forbidden place…” Katie’s attempt at looking horrified failed as her features turned dreamy and distant.

“Katie, stay with us here.” Brooke snapped her fingers in front of her sister’s face, then focused again on Lindsay. “The point is we’ve each lived the same stomach-curling—”

“Head-throbbing—”

“Teeth-clenching—”

“—dread that you are.” Brooke grinned. “Any of this sounding familiar?”

Lindsay released her jaw and put a hand to her throbbing head, acutely aware of her stomach’s distress. “Yes.”

“So we’re here to tell you that it’s all going to be okay.”

Lindsay nodded. Right. Everything was going to be okay. Everything always was okay if you were a Winfield. She knew firsthand that wanting things to be okay did not always make them okay. Yet she was the reason her half sisters all had to do those frightening and difficult dares. She’d played the bold matchmaker the same way they were doing now. And there was no way she could let them down not playing by the same rules they’d played by.

She just couldn’t bear it if Denver turned her down. Or worse, if he let her seduce him and then disappeared, or let her seduce him and took over her life. Or—

“Right now you’re going over every possible thing that could go wrong, aren’t you?”

Lindsay laughed unwillingly and nodded at Katie.

“Oh, I was soooo there.”

“I don’t think anything will go wrong. We all saw the way he was looking at you. He’ll jump at the chance to, um, get to know you better.”

The sisters burst out laughing at Brooke’s careful wording.

“What guy wouldn’t?” Joey’s playful words froze Lindsay’s smile. Right. She’d experienced too many guys that would. This time she wanted…

Wait. She wanted to be more than that to Denver? She knew where that led. When she fell for a guy she lost herself, let him run all over her, control her, then he’d leave and break her heart. Only Ty had stayed, but his control had become more and more extreme until it became dangerous.

No feelings could enter into this seduction. The only way she’d survive would be to stay as icily detached as possible. Then if Denver rejected her, whether before or after, it wouldn’t hurt. She’d stay untouched. She had to make sure that sex between them didn’t matter.

Even better, what if the sex really didn’t matter? The dare hadn’t mentioned Denver by name. The sisters assumed, but what if…

“I was thinking…”

“Yes?” Her half sisters leaned eagerly forward.

Lindsay’s mind spun. Would it be a mistake or simply the lesser of two evils? “You know, Justin is actually hotter than Denver. I’ve always thought he was—”

“Oh right.”

“Pleez.”

“Don’t even try.”

She made a face. Okay, so Winfields were too smart to be fooled that easily. The dare had said the man she was most attracted to. Denver might as well be a magnet tuned in for her polarity.

“Lindsay?” Her personal magnet appeared at the curtained doorway and Lindsay’s heart pounded so painfully she nearly winced. “Hey, Brooke, Joey, Katie.”

“Hi-i-i, Den-ver.” The three made his name come out like a singsong grade school chant.

He grinned. “Did you have a good time tonight?”

“Oh yes.” Brooke got up and sent her sisters significant looks. “We had a great time, didn’t we.”

“A most excellent time. Lindsay will have to tell you all about it.” Katie got up. “Because we’re going home now.”

“Yes, we are. We had tons o’ fun.” Joey blinked demurely at Denver. “But not as much fun as you are go—”

“Thanks for staying.” Lindsay sent Joey a murderous look she knew would make her most outspoken sister laugh. The three women hugged Lindsay with their usual warmth. She managed to hug back, feeling as if she were saying final farewells before her trip to the gallows.

“Relax and have fun,” Brooke whispered. “I think he really cares about you.”

She nodded dumbly. That concept scared her the most. Cared about her how? As a friend? Little sister? Or more…

All of it scared her. Looking back on her life, on the emotional and physical abuse, the fear running away from the only home she’d known, the stupid things she’d done in fast succession after that, all of which had gone horribly wrong, the terror of exposure from Gina for Ty’s death…all that, and she didn’t think she’d ever felt quite this frightened in her life.

Denver waved at the trio and turned back to Lindsay. The firelight flickered over his face making him look strong and dangerous. The room felt suddenly hot and way too small. “Seems like everything went great tonight.”

“Yes. Yes. Amazingly well.” Her voice sounded high and slightly panicked. She suddenly felt as if she had too many hands, and no place to put them. “Thanks for your help.”

“It’s my job, Lindsay.”

“I know, but…well, I mean it doesn’t have to be your job and you do it really well and so I wanted you to know that—” Geez. She might be many things, but babbling fool didn’t usually make the list. “—so I appreciate it.”

“Uh-huh.” He narrowed his eyes, staring unrelentingly. “You okay?”

“Why wouldn’t I be okay?”

“I have no idea. But you’re acting funny.”

Yeah, she was a laugh riot. “Sorry to hear that.”

“Anything happen? With your sisters?”

Way too much. “Everything’s fine.”

“I see.” He tightened his lips. “And that’s why you look as if you just lost your best friend.”

“Honestly, Denver. I’m fine. My half sisters are fine. Everything is fine.” She waved a hand in exasperation, aware that this was not the most auspicious beginning for a seduction. “I have not lost my best friend.”

But after what had to happen tonight, she was desperately afraid she would.

3