[4 Seasons 01] Seducing Summer by Serenity Woods Page A

the black page.
She’d carefully drawn a star, and had then stared in delight at the rainbow
colors that had appeared through the black paint.
    Being with Gene was kind of like that, his
desire showing occasionally through his reservation, giving her the same
feeling she’d had the day she’d seen the rainbow star through the black. If she
scratched the surface, she knew she would find a passionate man beneath his
tight control. He wanted her—she could see it in his eyes, and part of her was
tempted to see if she could indeed loosen his laces and find out what he was
like when he relaxed.
    But it was a stupid idea, because she’d get
distracted, and she wouldn’t forgive herself if she blew the whole tour because
she wanted to get her leg over. She’d only have the one chance to approach
these shops, and she had to concentrate when she had these appointments and
stop thinking about Gene Bond and his license to thrill.
    Leaving the bathroom, she walked along the
corridor and paused in the doorway to the reception area. He sat in one of the
comfy chairs, reading a magazine. She’d told him to go and find a coffee shop,
but he’d insisted on waiting for her. She’d been lucky he’d not demanded to go
into the ladies’ room with her. The guy seemed determined that being a good PA
meant gluing himself to her side.
    As she watched, he shifted in the chair,
his brow creasing for a moment, suggesting his hip was bothering him. He’d been
the same on the plane—although most of the time it didn’t seem to affect his
walking, sitting for any length of time apparently gave him trouble.
    Her gaze lingered on him for a moment.
She’d informed him that he didn’t have to wear a suit, but he’d insisted, saying
he preferred to maintain a professional appearance as they were on business. He
looked rakishly handsome in his three-piece suit and smart blue tie, but then
most men looked good in a suit, especially a well-cut one like his. What would
he look like in jeans or shorts and a T-shirt? Would he just look normal, like
a guy-next-door, with his ruffled brown hair?
    Somehow, she doubted it. Even though he’d
not even rolled up his shirt sleeves yet, she had the impression the hard edge
to his features continued to his physique, both remnants of his Army life. When
she’d enquired about the hotel he’d booked, the first thing he’d said was, “It
has a gym and a swimming pool.” So she knew he worked out, because she’d have
said, “It has a five-star restaurant, room service, and a spa bath.” He’d be
muscular and lean beneath his shirt, his body tanned and hard. And although
he’d said his ex had broken up with him because he hadn’t been able to
communicate with her the way she’d wanted—which didn’t surprise Callie at all—she
was certain that Angela whatever-her-name-was wouldn’t have criticized him in
the sack.
    I was teasing.
    Were you?
    The words haunted her. His gray eyes had
sparked with desire when he’d said those words, like a stormy sky lit with
lightning. In spite of her promise to herself, Callie was suddenly desperate
for him to look at her like that again.
    He glanced up and saw her standing there,
and his eyebrows rose. “That was quick.” He put down the magazine—a gossip mag,
she noted with interest—got to his feet, a little stiffly, and came over to
her. “How did it go?”
    She smiled at the receptionist and led the
way down the stairs. “Not great,” she said when they were out of earshot.
    “Oh? Any idea why?”
    “Not really. I didn’t perform at my best.”
    “What’s up? Are you tired?”
    No. I was imagining you taking off your
waistcoat and shirt, then unbuttoning your trousers.
    “A bit,” she said. “But it’s okay, I’ll
perk up after I’ve had my coffee.”
    “Come on, then. Let’s fill you up with
latte and see if that makes a difference.”
    Let’s fill you up… She stifled a groan. She definitely had sex on the brain. There was
no way that