How to Seduce a Billionaire

Brandon didn’t like distractions in the workplace. In his office, it was all business, all the time. After ten years in the spotlight of the NFL, he was all too aware that distractions ruined your game. You took your eye off the ball and the next thing you knew, you were buried in a pile of tough, ugly defensive ends who would just as soon see you dead.

Brandon splayed one hand on the plate glass window. Talk about a distraction. Who knew his competent assistant had those amazing curves and world-class legs hidden beneath the boxy pantsuits she’d worn every day? And those eyes, so big and blue a man could get lost in them?

Most disturbing of all, she seemed to be wearing some kind of new, glossy lipstick. It had to be new, otherwise he would’ve noticed her incredibly sexy, bee-stung lips long before today. But he was noticing now. He’d almost spilled his coffee noticing.

Her new dress clung to every curve of her lush body. Curves he’d never known existed before. Even though he saw her in the hotel gym regularly, she always exercised in a big T-shirt and sweatpants. Who knew she’d been hiding a body like that under all those layers of sweaty workout clothes? She’d clearly been working here under false pretenses all this time.

“Now you just sound ridiculous,” he groused. But who could blame him? His sedate, hard-working assistant was simply gorgeous. It was such a betrayal.

And what the hell had happened a minute ago when her hand touched his? He thought he’d felt something sizzling inside him. It had to be his imagination, but recalling that sensation of skin against skin caused his groin to leap to attention. He smacked the wall in disgust.

“Change is good,” he grumbled sarcastically and he sat back down at his desk. No, change wasn’t good. Not when he was used to Kelly’s nondescript hair and the way she’d always worn it pulled back in a sensible ponytail or bun. Now it was the color of rich honey tumbling across her shoulders and down her back. It was the sort of color and style that begged a man to run his hands through the lustrous strands as he eased her down to feast on those luscious lips.

His body continued to stir to life and he squelched the feeling by slapping the file folder open and riffling through the papers to find the document he needed. It was useless.

“This is unacceptable.” He refused to lose the careful sense of order and decorum he had always maintained in the workplace. The job was too demanding and Kelly was too important a part of his staff to allow her to suddenly become a distraction. Or more aptly, an attraction.

It was time to nip this in the bud. He reached across his desk and pressed the intercom button on his phone. “Kelly, please come in here.”

“Be right there,” she said briskly. Seven seconds later, she walked into his office carrying a notepad.

“Sit down,” he said, standing up to pace some more. He didn’t quite trust himself with taking another glance at her legs. Damn it, this just was not going to work. “We need to talk.”

“What’s wrong?” she asked in alarm.

“Look, we’ve always been honest with each other, haven’t we?”

“Yes,” she said carefully.

“I trust you completely, as you well know.”

“I know, and I feel the same, Brandon.”

“Good,” he said, unsure of his next move. “Good.”

Now what? He’d never been at a loss for words before. He glanced at her, then had to look away. How and when had she become so beautiful? He knew women. He loved women. And they loved him. Some might even say he had a sixth sense when it came to women. So why hadn’t he known Kelly was this attractive? Was he blind?

“Brandon,” she said slowly. “Are you unhappy with my work?”

“What? No.”

“Did Jane do an okay job while I was gone?”

“Yeah, she was fine. That’s not the problem.”

“Oh good, because I would hate to—”

“Look, Kelly,” he interrupted, tired of this cat and mouse game. “Did something happen to you on your vacation?”

She was taken aback. “No, why would you think—”

“Then what’s with this makeover thing?” he blurted out. “Why’d you do it?”

“That’s what you called me in here for?”

“Yeah.” And he wouldn’t go into how ridiculous he felt for bringing it up, but he had to know. “Why do you think you have to get all dolled up to—”

Her eyes narrowed. “All dolled up?”

“Well, yeah. You know, all made up and… hell.”

“There’s something wrong in trying to look my best?”

“That’s not what I said.”

“Did I overdo it somehow? I mean, the makeup counter woman showed me what to do, but I’m new at this. I’m still practicing.” She lifted her face to gaze at him and her lips seemed to glisten as they caught the light. “Tell the truth. Is my makeup too much?”

“God, no, it’s just right.” Too damn right, he thought, but didn’t say.

“Now you’re being nice, but I don’t believe you. The way you looked at me when I came in this morning…”

“What? No.” Oh, crap, he thought. She wasn’t going to cry, was she? She’d never cried before.

“I thought I could do it. Other women do it, for heaven’s sake, why shouldn’t I?” She jumped up from the chair. It was her turn to pace as she pounded her fist into her palm. “I thought I was being subtle. Do I look like a fool?”

“No, you—”

“You can be honest.”

“I’m being—”

“This was a crazy idea to begin with,” she muttered and leaned back against the wall with a sigh. “I can figure out complex mathematical calculations in my head, but I don’t know the first thing about seduction.”

Seduction? Something hit him low in the solar plexus and he wasn’t sure of his next move.

“This is so embarrassing,” she moaned.

“No, it’s not,” he said, silently hoping he’d come up with something profound to say. He had nothing.

“What am I supposed to do now? I’ve only got a week left to… oh, God.” She covered her eyes for a moment, then stared up at the ceiling. Finally, she folded her arms across her chest and tapped one toe of her shiny new heels against the carpet. “How could I be so stupid?”

He walked up to her and grabbed her by the shoulders. “Stop that. You’re one of the smartest people I know.”

She glared up at him, her plump lips pouty now. “Maybe in business, but never in romance.”

Okay, romance and seduction were definitely on her mind. And now he realized they were on his mind, too. The question was, why? In all the years he’d known Kelly, Brandon had never once heard her mention a name connected to any romantic interest. And now, all of a sudden, she was making herself over to attract some guy? Just who was she thinking of seducing? Did Brandon know the guy? Was he good enough for Kelly?

Brandon paused to carefully word his next question. “Who are you trying to seduce?”