The Seduction Of Claudia Read Free Page B

her drink again, but he pulled it out of her reach.
    "I'll take you home," he said. Turning to Fifi he said, "I'm taking her home."
    Fifi, never happier than to see her friends together, surrounded them with a flurry of kisses, hugs and promises to talk to them both tomorrow. She had them in their coats and out the door before Claudia knew what had hit her. She felt, knew, she must resist him, even though his kiss had stopped her heart, because his kiss has stopped her heart. This wouldn't be good for her, she thought sulkily. She wasn't normally sulky or petulant, but she'd been nothing but since she'd been in contact with him tonight and that made her mad.
    "Do you need to see to your car before we go?" Andrew asked politely.
    "Nope, I took the T," she replied.
    "I don't have a car here, either. So we'll have to take a taxi."
    "I can get myself home," Claudia said hotly.
    "I know you can," he replied mildly.
    They got into the cab and she gave the driver her address. Andrew slid her across the taxi's vinyl seat so she was pressed to his side and wrapped an arm around her. The streets of Boston were congested with typical Friday night partiers and holiday revelers, so it took them longer than it normally would have to make it to her place. They made inconsequential small talk along the way. He began drawing absentminded circles on her neck where it was exposed above the collar of her coat, occasionally playing with curls that had escaped from her up-do. Claudia, unwillingly enjoying the caresses, kept a dialogue running in her head, listing all the reasons why this guy was just too slick, too arrogant, too wrong for her to fall for again. When they arrived at her place, he paid the driver and helped her from the car.
    "I'll walk you up, then I'll walk the rest of the way home," Andrew said.
    Claudia knew that it was pointless to argue with him so she led him up the steps to the brownstone in which she'd bought an apartment. Once she'd opened the door to the vestibule, she turned, ready to dismiss him. She stuck her hand out, hoping he'd be content with a handshake and be on his way.
    "Thank you for seeing me home, Andrew," she said politely.
    "It's so cold out," Andrew said, taking her proffered hand, toying with her chilled fingers. "I've got to walk all the way home. You could at least invite me up for coffee."
    "Oh, for God's sake. Come up," Claudia said huffily, walking into the house without waiting for him. He followed her up the stairs to the third floor and Claudia was aware of his eyes on her the whole way up and was thankful that her long alpaca coat shielded her from his gaze. She opened the door to her apartment and stepped into the warmly lit space. She shrugged out of her coat and hung it on the coat-rack, reached for his and did the same. "Coffee or something else?" she asked, turning to him.
    "Something else," he replied in a low voice. He reached for her somewhat roughly and kissed her, eating at her mouth with his until she opened for him. Having gotten what he wanted, he gentled the kiss, exploring the heat of her mouth with his tongue. Claudia felt her wits spinning away with each sweep of his tongue in her mouth. Andrew's kisses were incendiary; before Andrew, she had never been kissed with such passion. She felt a wave of yearning for him, a craving to be connected with him, yet she knew she could not allow herself to give in. His desire for her was evident in the way his hands swept up and down her body in ardent, arousing caresses, as though he could absorb the very essence of her with his hands.
    She began kissing him back, wrapped her arms around his neck. He groaned and pulled her even closer to him, his hands cupping her ass, pressing her against him in a way that left no doubt as to how much he wanted her. She ran her hands through his longish dark brown hair, passion sweeping her away. Why shouldn't she take what he was offering, she thought, one last time with him wouldn't do her any harm and