Operation Babe-Magnet: Operation Babe-Magnet / Operation Beauty

“Pressure,” she replied, lowering the book. “Are you sure you don’t want to take notes?”

“Positive.”

“All right, but pay attention.”

Dexter watched her lick her lips and wished he could stop paying attention. Stop watching the way her fingers trickled through her silky nutmeg hair when she tucked it behind her ear. Stop noticing the way her eyes sparkled when she smiled. Stop his gaze from falling to the enticing curves outlined by her hot pink sweater. Or even lower, to appreciate the way her black capri pants hugged her long legs.

He reached for his wine, suddenly wishing it was something stronger.

“There are two kinds of pressure,” she read aloud, “that should be applied to achieve a penultimate kiss. The first is bodily pressure. If you’ve achieved the correct proximity, it should simply be a matter of leaning close enough to make physical contact with the length of her body. Like cables clamped on a car battery, you need a good connection to generate electricity.”

Dexter set down his wineglass, suddenly growing very warm. It was possible the sheen of sweat on his brow wasn’t due to the wine. In fact, he knew with a growing certainty that his body was reacting to the sound of Kylie’s soft, throaty voice describing the way to turn a woman on.

She shifted on the inflatable sofa, tucking one leg underneath her and stretching the other long leg in Dexter’s direction. “Second is mouth pressure. This should vary during the length of a kiss. Seduce her into submission. Too much pressure will cause the kiss to stall out. Too little won’t even get her engine started.”

“Exactly what kind of relationship does Hanover have with his car?” Dexter asked, trying to break the tension building up inside of him.

“I know it’s a little heavy on the automobile references,” she replied. “Harry started out writing car repair manuals. But I think one of the great things about this book is that it will appeal to men. There aren’t many romance self-help books out there that relay information in this kind of language.”

“That I definitely believe.”

“Okay, on to the third P,” she said, flipping to the next page. “Pizzazz in a kiss is like racing stripes on your car. That little something extra that really makes it stand out from the crowd. So how do you put pizzazz in a kiss? By using both verbal and nonverbal communication to convey your attraction. Use your body, your hands and your words to ignite the passion between you. Just like you talk to your car, talk to your lady. Make her know how much you care about her. And how good she makes you feel.”

Kylie closed the book. “That’s it.”

“Okay.” He picked up his wineglass and drained it. Then he set it down and took a deep breath. “I’m ready to go for a test drive.”

KYLIE SMILED AS SHE watched Dexter struggle out of the beanbag chair. It obviously wasn’t designed for someone over six feet tall.

She stood up and held out her hand. “Need a lift?”

He looked up at her, the expression in his molten gray eyes sending a shock wave throughout her body. It must be the wine.

Only the wine didn’t explain the strange sensation that enveloped her when his hand closed over hers. Her heart skittered in her chest as she helped him to his feet. She was suddenly aware of how big Dexter Kane was compared to her. At five feet seven inches, she’d never considered herself petite. But she barely reached his chin. His shoulders were so broad they blocked the view of the hallway, though she knew Amy’s door was closed and her roommate fast asleep.

Kylie swallowed, her throat suddenly dry. Dexter was still gazing at her with those penetrating gray eyes and his hand still held hers. He had strong, broad hands and the shirt they’d picked out for him emphasized his well-honed biceps. The combination made her believe that he could lift her off the floor with the slightest effort. Not that she wanted him to lift her, she told herself firmly. But the image was undeniably thrilling.

“Are you ready?” he asked huskily, their palms growing warm.

“Ready?” she echoed dumbly.

“To practice that kiss.”

She blinked. “Oh, yes. Of course.”

“I’ve got the three Ps memorized. Proximity,” he murmured, moving a step closer to her. “Pressure.” Another step. “Pizzazz.” He stood so close she could barely breathe.

“All right,” she replied, taking a deep breath. “Let’s do it.”

Then she whirled around and raced across the living room. She pulled the dressmaker’s dummy from the corner and rolled it over to him. “This is Gertrude. She’ll be your date for this evening.”

Dexter stared at her. “You want me to kiss a plastic woman?”

“You can start with Gertrude and work your way up from there,” Kylie replied, still trying to regain her equilibrium.

But Dexter didn’t give Gertrude a second glance. He turned to Kylie, slowly advancing on her. “I don’t think so.”

Kylie backed up a step, then another, until her back met the wall. “What are you doing?”

“I’m establishing the dominant role.” He stood directly in front of her, then planted one hand on either side of her shoulders. “Is it working?”

She swallowed. “Yes.”

His expression softened. “Are you scared of me?”

She wasn’t certain how to answer that question. Her knees were shaking, but not out of fear. “No.”

“Good.” Then he leaned his head closer to hers and inhaled deeply. “You smell so good. It’s been driving me crazy all day long.”

“I use…raspberries,” she stuttered, then realized she sounded like an idiot. “I mean raspberry-scented body lotion. The soap and shampoo, too.”

His gray eyes darkened. “I like it.”

She licked her lips, then noticed his gaze fall to her mouth. If he was determined to play this out, she wished he would just get it over with.

He took a step closer, his face now so close to hers she could smell the bouquet of the red wine on his breath. Then his lips feathered over one eyebrow and burned a trail down the length of her cheek. She closed her eyes as he kissed the corner of her mouth, then she found herself parting her lips and turning her head toward him.

He didn’t wait for any further encouragement, closing his mouth over hers with a low, guttural moan. Her arms circled around his neck as he deepened the kiss, the silken thrust of his tongue making her pull him closer.

His hands were on her shoulders now, his fingers gently kneading her skin until she thought she would collapse from the exquisite sensation. His lips molded against her own, teasing and tasting and tempting, until he drew a long moan from deep within her throat.

At last he lifted his head and stared into her eyes, his breathing as ragged as her own. “There’s one thing you should know about me, Kylie.”

“What’s that?” she whispered, her lips still tingling.

“I’m a very fast learner.” Then he turned and walked out the door without another word.

5

“YOU WOKE ME UP TO BRAG about a kiss?” Amy Kwan yawned behind her hand, her eyelids drooping.

“I’m not bragging,” Kylie said, pacing back and forth across the living room floor. Dexter had left over an hour ago, but she still couldn’t get that kiss out of her mind. Her heart raced just thinking about it. “I mean it was a stupendous kiss. I have never been kissed like that before in my entire life!”

“I know,” Amy murmured sleepily. “You already told me three times. He made you see stars, yada, yada, yada. So what’s the problem?”

Kylie stopped in front of her roommate, who lay stretched across the inflatable sofa. “The man is a gigolo. A male escort. A professional seducer of women. You don’t see that as a problem?”

Amy’s delicate brows drew together. “But you knew he was a gigolo when you hired him. In fact, that’s the reason you hired him. You wanted the fake Harry Hanover to be able to sweep a woman off her feet, didn’t you?”