Tempted by Pleasure (Secret Invitation #1) Read Free Page A

“Instead of deciding the fates of kings and queens, I suppose anything remotely linked to one of these organizations today would involve Insider Trading and hookers.”
    “You’re going to pimp yourself out? Don’t be too stupid to live.”
    “Figuratively.” I roll my eyes. “I don’t want Thomas to pop my cherry.”
    I cringe when I hear Mary gasp from the doorway.
    “Sorry.” Heat rises in my cheeks. “Do you need me up front?”
    Mary shakes her head, her eyes wide. “You’re a virgin?”
    “Yes.”
    Katie laughs. “Shocking, isn’t it? Don’t worry, we’re trying to figure out a safe way to take care of it.”
    “Why?” Mary blurts. “Aren’t you thinking about getting married?”
    I don’t want to elaborate. Mary only knows a little bit about what my parents suggested because I was so stressed afterward I needed someone to talk to. “I apologize for what you overheard.”
    “No offense taken.” Mary sits in the guest chair in front of my desk. “Remember, I love Jodi Ellen Malpas!”
    How could I forget? My little wallflower can be found in the erotic romance section whenever the store is empty. If I don’t explain, she’ll never look at me the same way again. I can’t have that hanging between us. “There was only one boy in high school I ever considered sleeping with.” A half-truth at best.
    “Erik Grant.” Katie and I say his name at the same time. I’ve never shared anything about Foster. I slap her arm. “Blond hair, blue eyes, and the tightest ass I’ve ever seen.”
    “Quarterback,” Katie adds.
    “I loved jocks,” I admit. “Think junior prom. After splitting a bottle of Champagne with my girlfriend, Erik took me to his parents’ bedroom. Everything was perfect, candlelight, soft music, a king-sized bed with silk sheets. I was pretty buzzed, but I wanted him. He stripped down to his boxers and I waited to see him completely naked for the first time.”
    Mary places both of her elbows on my desk and leans forward, hungry for details. “And?”
    I hold up my pinky—small penis. It’s a universal symbol like the peace sign.
    “Oh. My. God.” She nods sympathetically.
    “Frederick has a couple single friends,” Mary offers.
    I close my eyes, conjuring the mental image of skinny, sun-deprived computer geeks who game all night. “Thank you. I don’t like blind dates or vampires.”
    The chimes on the front door sound and I jump up, ready to end the conversation. “Take a break, Mary, I’ll help the customer.”
    Foster
    I pray I’m standing in the middle of the right bookstore. The lush surroundings remind me of Erin. She always had sophisticated taste. There’s framed prints of Shakespeare hanging on the walls and a showcase displaying various antiques. I take a closer look. The centerpiece is labeled as an early nineteenth century black Ansonia Shakespeare mantel clock. There’s also a ten-volume set of the works of Edgar Allan Poe, circa 1903, in decorative leather.
    “Can I help you?”
    Her sultry voice is more than a little tantalizing. I glance up, and find her blue eyes fixed on me. “I’m interested in the Edgar Allan Poe collection.”
    Erin Covington is striking up close. Her blond hair falls loosely around her shoulders, and those breasts, the ones I venerated in high school, are as tempting as ever. Fuck. Everything about her is the same, down to her tiny feet.
    “Sir?”
    She doesn’t recognize me. “The collection, I’d like to buy it.”
    She clears her throat and approaches the showcase. “A fine selection,” she says. “I purchased the set at an auction in London last year.” She reaches into her front jeans pocket and produces a key, then unlocks the glass, her hands shaking. “Which volume do you want to see?”
    “You choose.”
    She picks the first, carefully offering it to me. I scan the title page pretending to be interested in what I’m reading. Satisfied, I hand it back. “Do you gift wrap?”
    “Absolutely.” She