A Shameless Seduction

A disarming grin curved Jo’s mouth. “Then that’s exactly what you give him.”

“Take a look at the woman sitting in front of you, Jo,” she said, her tone dry. “I’m not exactly sophisticated, sex kitten material.”

“No, but you most definitely have the potential to be,” Jo countered confidently. “If this is what you really want, you’re going to have to be willing to play the part to the hilt. You’ll need to learn to walk the walk and talk the talk, and shed a few inhibitions along the way. Think you can handle that?”

A spark of excitement flared within her. This was exactly what she needed—a friendly shove to break out of the straitlaced, conservative lifestyle she’d led for too long. “I’m certainly willing to try.”

“Oh, this is going to be fun.” Jo’s eyes glowed with mischief. “Tomorrow’s Saturday. What do you say you and I plan a girls’ day out and do the works, from head to toe? Haircuts, manicure, pedicure and a few new outfits?”

Melodie’s spirits lifted as she envisioned the new and improved her. “Just so long as Dean doesn’t mind me monopolizing your day.”

“Are you kidding?” Jo brushed off her concern with a wave of her hand. “He’ll reap the benefits.”

She exhaled a deep breath. “Then consider it a date.”

Jo leaned across the table, her expression filled with glee. “Come Monday morning, you’ll knock Cole’s socks off.”

Among other things, Melodie hoped. She grinned at Jo and said, “Let the transformation begin.”

BY SUNDAY EVENING Melodie decided that being sexy and sophisticated entailed a whole lot of hard work. Talented beauticians had managed to transform her into a woman she hardly recognized as her former self—from the cut, color and style of her hair, to her subtly made-up face, all the way to the pale pink polish on the nails of her fingers and toes. Salesladies with an eye for flattering outfits had given her a whole new look. Coupled with Jo’s approval and coaxing, her wardrobe now consisted of the kind of form-fitting and stylish clothes she’d always admired on other women but had never bought for herself.

Outwardly, she had to admit she looked like a whole new woman, the kind of worldly, wise and attractive date Cole needed on his arm in two weeks. Now she had to work on the “inner her,” and all the personality traits that came with being bold, confident and assertive.

Luckily she’d been blessed with a good amount of intelligence, she thought wryly as she crawled into bed, or else she’d be in big, big trouble, because she doubted there was a trained professional she could hire to implant a quick dose of brilliance. And to her credit, she already knew the P.I. business, and the details of the Russell case. So, she figured she was as ready as she’d ever be.

Fluffing her pillows against the headboard of her bed, she propped herself up, made herself comfortable and grabbed the book she’d left on her night-stand the previous evening. The book was chock-full of sexy, provocative advice on being aggressive and uninhibited. The Good Girl’s Guide to Being Bad covered everything from walking the walk and talking the talk, as Jo had put it, to how to tease, flirt and seduce a man with a glance or a touch. The book was all about breaking good-girl rules and embracing sensual, bad-girl pleasures. Later chapters included advice on enjoying every aspect of hot, erotic sex with the man of her choice, and how to make him a slave to her every desire.

She absorbed every page, every written word, and put it all to memory. By the time she’d finished the book it was nearly midnight, and there was no doubt in her mind that bad girls had the market cornered on fun. She’d also realized how to use an erotic letter of her own to show Cole she was a grown, sensual woman who could handle the Russell case, as well as him.

A smile curled her lips. Her fun would start tomorrow morning at the office, and she couldn’t wait to see the expression on Cole’s face when he laid eyes on her.

COLE WALKED INTO the office Monday morning and came to an abrupt halt in the reception area when he caught sight of a woman going through the case files in the drawers behind Melodie’s desk. Startled, he cast a quick glance around the area for his secretary, but she was nowhere in the vicinity.

Frowning, he quietly moved forward, wondering what the woman was up to—was she searching for information on a client case? And where was Melodie? He’d seen her car parked outside, so she had to be in the building somewhere.

His mind considered the odd scenario while more masculine instincts took note of the way the woman’s fitted lavender skirt clung to her trim backside. The hem ended midthigh, drawing his gaze to long, shapely legs covered in pale, shimmery stockings. He’d yet to see the woman’s face, but there was no denying she was a knockout from the neck down.

Banishing those wayward thoughts, he stopped in front of Mel’s desk and cleared his throat to get the other woman’s attention. “Excuse me, can I help you with something?”

She whirled around and pressed a hand to her chest in surprise. “Cole!” Melodie exclaimed breathlessly. “I didn’t hear you come in!”

Cole stared at the gorgeous vision before him, unable to believe his prim, proper and very reserved secretary had somehow metamorphosed into this head-turning, stunning creature. His mind reeled and his body felt as though he’d been delivered a punch to his midsection.

Gone was the long, tidy braid his secretary always wore, replaced by a tousled, shoulder-length cut that framed her face in soft waves and looked sexy as hell. Cinnamon-hued highlights had been added to her brunette hair, causing the silky strands to shimmer with the simplest movement of her head. The subtle application of makeup on her face brought out threads of bright gold in her brown eyes he’d never noticed before, and her lips were slick with a glossy shade of lipstick that reminded him of a succulent peach—one he wanted to gently sink his teeth into and taste…badly.

The knot in his stomach tightened, yet he couldn’t stop staring. The cream silk blouse she wore clung to her full breasts in a way her other outfits never had and was buttoned just low enough to give him a glimpse of a creamy swell of flesh. She’d tucked the hem into the trim waistband of her lavender skirt, giving her a sleek, sexy, well-put-together kind of look. The woman had the kind of lush curves that warranted a second glance, and all these years she’d hidden them beneath loose dresses and conservative outfits.

Still shocked, his mouth opened to say something, anything, but no words emerged.

She laughed, the soft, throaty sound unlike anything he’d ever heard in her tone before. “What’s the matter, boss?” she asked as a slow, sensual smile lifted her lips. “Cat got your tongue?”

The proverbial cat not only had his voice, but his groin seemed to be just as affected by her transformation. If he’d thought he’d been fighting his attraction to her before, he currently felt as though she’d launched a full-out assault on his libido, and his restraint!

He shook his head, hard, and tried to regain his composure. “What’s with…” Unable to grasp the appropriate word when his mind was muddled with arousal, he gestured from the top of her head to the three-inch heels on her feet with an impatient wave of his hand. “Everything.”

“It’s the new me,” she replied, and twirled around, giving him a 360-degree view of her very feminine assets. “I was in the mood for a change. What do you think?”

The problem was, he couldn’t think, at least not with any part of his anatomy located above the belt. Mind-blowing was the first word that came to mind, followed by provocative. With that crushable hair, those luscious lips and those endlessly long legs, she was his most carnal fantasy come to life.

Although it seemed crazy, he wondered if their conversation last week about her not accompanying him to the charity auction had instigated this radical transformation in her. Not that he had any intention of changing his mind about her doing the job.

He swallowed to ease his parched throat. “You look…” Amazing, tempting and too damned beddable. “Really nice,” he forced out blandly.

Some of the confidence glimmering in her gaze dwindled, and he experienced a mixture of relief and regret for bursting her enthusiasm. But the last thing he wanted to do was encourage her brazen behavior in any way. He was already having a difficult enough time with his body’s response to this new and sensual Melodie.

So, instead, he focused on business. “Any calls this morning?”

She hesitated for a moment, then straightened her shoulders once again, as if attempting to rebolster her fortitude. Reaching across her desk, she gathered a few pink message slips and handed them his way, her movements slow and unhurried instead of quick and efficient, as was her usual manner.

“Lance Keesling returned your call from Friday,” she said, and even her voice sounded lower, huskier, to his ears. “Jonas Goodwin would like an update on the Williams insurance fraud case, and Bobby Malone will be stopping by later this afternoon with the information you needed on the MacGregor custody case.”

He nodded succinctly. Bobby Malone was a detective with the Oakland P.D., and also a good friend of Noah’s. The two of them traded professional favors on cases when needed, and Cole was waiting for crucial information on a prior felon embroiled in a custody dispute with one of his clients.

“Great,” he said, glancing back at her after reviewing the messages she’d taken for him. “Could you pull the Goodwin case file for me and bring it to my office, please?”

“It’s already on your desk,” she replied efficiently.

“Thank you.” At least some things hadn’t changed, he thought gratefully. Despite Melodie’s new attitude and alluring appearance, she was still the same old reliable, conscientious secretary he’d come to depend on in the office.

And that’s all he cared about, he told himself firmly.

“Good morning, everyone,” Noah’s deep, cheerful voice sounded from behind Cole as he entered the reception area, followed by a quick inhalation as he obviously caught sight of Melodie. “Holy sh—” he cut himself off. Cole turned to see his shocked outburst replaced with a wolfish grin. “Who in the heck is this impostor? Certainly not our sweet Mel!”

A pink blush swept across her cheeks, but something much more mischievous flickered in her eyes. “Maybe I’m her naughty twin.”

“Oh, I like that,” Noah said with a too-charming laugh that grated on Cole’s nerves. Noah circled around the desk, grabbed Melodie’s hand, spun her in a circle for a full inspection, then made a low, growling sound of approval and appreciation. “You look incredible. I think I need to modify ‘sweet stuff’ to ‘hot stuff.”’

She beamed up at him. “That would definitely go with my new image.”

“Hot stuff it is,” Noah confirmed, winking playfully at her.

An odd tension settled down the nape of Cole’s neck and he was loath to acknowledge its source. Noah had always been a shameless flirt when it came to all women, yet Cole didn’t care for the way his brother was eyeing Mel’s newly revealed attributes he, himself, had ogled earlier.

He clenched his jaw in frustration and issued a stern internal lecture. He’d never been a jealous man when it came to the opposite sex, and he didn’t intend to start now with a woman he had no business lusting over.

“I’m glad you came in early, Noah,” he said, drawing his brother’s gaze back to him. “Can I see you in my office for a few minutes?”

Noah let go of Melodie’s hand and nodded. “Sure.” He followed Cole down the short hall to his office, then dropped into one of the chairs in front of his desk. “What’s up?”