The Way You Tempt Me. Elle Wright

      

      Also by Elle Wright:

      The Wellspring series

      Touched by You

      Enticed by You

      Pleasured by You

      The Pure Talent series

      The Way You Tempt Me

      Published by Kensington Publishing Corp.

      The Way You Tempt Me

      Elle Wright

      Kensington Publishing Corp.

       www.kensingtonbooks.com

      All copyrighted material within is Attributor Protected.

      Table of Contents

      Also by Title Page Copyright Page Dedication Acknowledgments Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 Chapter 20 Epilogue

      To the extent that the image or images on the cover of this book depict a person or persons, such person or persons are merely models, and are not intended to portray any character or characters featured in the book.

      DAFINA BOOKS are published by

      Kensington Publishing Corp.

      119 West 40th Street

      New York, NY 10018

      Copyright © 2020 by Elle Wright

      All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the Publisher, excepting brief quotes used in reviews.

      If you purchased this book without a cover, you should be aware that this book is stolen property. It was reported as “unsold and destroyed” to the Publisher and neither the Author nor the Publisher has received any payment for this “stripped book.”

      Dafina and the Dafina logo Reg. U.S. Pat. & TM Off.

      ISBN: 978-1-4967-2577-6

      First Kensington Mass Market Edition: August 2020

      ISBN-13: 978-1-4967-2578-3 (ebook)

      ISBN-10: 1-4967-2578-6 (ebook)

      For Jason, my husband and friend.

       Your constant support means the world to me.

       Love you!

      Acknowledgments

      Wow! What a blast! The Way You Tempt Me turned out to be one of my favorites. I had so much fun writing Xavier and Zara. There is just something special about a friends-to-lovers journey that sends a rush through my veins. And the colorful cast of characters . . . I found myself laughing throughout the process as I put their antics on the page. I really hope you loved them as much as I did. I appreciate all of your love and support.

      Giving honor to God, Who is able to do anything. His Grace and Mercy brought me through. I am living this moment because of Him.

      To my husband, Jason, I can’t imagine my life without you. Thank you for tempting me all those years ago.

      To my children, Asante, Kaia, and Masai, I love you all so very much. Keep being who you are. Keep God first.

      To my family and friends, thank you for your unwavering support. My life is brighter because of you. Thanks for being #TeamElle!

      To my sis, Sheryl Lister, you already know. I’m so grateful for you. Love you!

      To my lit sistas, Sherelle Green, Anita Davis, and Angela Seals—let’s get it. I can’t wait to do more. Love y’all!

      To my Book Euphoria ladies, you are #SoDope.

      To #EllesBelles, my street team, thank you so much for rocking with me.

      I also want to thank Beverly Jenkins for extending a lifeline that I’ll always hold on to.

      Special thanks to Priscilla C. Johnson and Cilla’s Maniacs, A.C. Arthur, Brenda Kidd-Woodbury (BJBC), MidnightAce Scotty (MidnightAce Book Bar), King Brooks (Black Page Turners), Sharon Blount and BRAB (Building Relationships Around Books), LaShaunda Hoffman (SORMAG), Orsayor Simmons (Book Referees), Tiffany Tyler (Reading in Black and White), Shannan Harper (Harper’s Court), Naleighna Kai (Naleighna Kai’s Literary Café and Cavalcade of Authors), Wayne Jordan and Romance In Color, Radiah Hubert (Urban Book Reviews), and the EyeCU Reading and Social Network for supporting me. I truly appreciate you all.

      Thank you to my readers! You’re amazing! Nothing would be possible without you.

      Thank you!

      Chapter 1

      “I’ve been here since day one. I’ve seen the strides made, the battles fought, the victories won, and the losses suffered. As one of this agency’s first clients, I believe in my father’s vision.” Xavier Starks met his father’s eyes and smiled. “And I can’t wait to lead this company into the future.”

      “And you’re sure about this?”

      Xavier paused, mouth open, thumb on the presentation clicker. He glanced back up at the screen showcasing his hard work, the slide that he’d worked painstakingly on in an effort to garner applause. Or at least a smile. What he didn’t expect was that particular question from his father. Because he was sure. He was definitely confident in his plan to take Pure Talent to the next level by spearheading a new sports division.

      Dropping his arms to his sides, he sucked in a deep breath. “Excuse me? Of course, I’m sure. We talked about this. Sports will change the game, improve our bottom line. I envision a huge marketing campaign, the best sports agents, talented players. What’s there not to be sure about?”

      Jax arched a brow and glanced down at the small box sitting on