Brazen. Carly Phillips

Bear trusted as much as he did his best friend.

      Mac stared at her retreating back, watched as she climbed the stairs, leaving him on the step below. Her silken skirt ended midthigh, which wasn’t a problem when they were on the same level. But he hadn’t anticipated the view once she hit the middle of the stairs. Nor had he realized how sexy and feminine her undergarments would be. As the short skirt flounced behind her, a hint of lace teased and tormented his already-active libido. Heat rolled over him in a huge wave. He broke into a sweat.

      And to think, he’d almost refused to help Bear because he had a number of huge conventions arriving throughout the week. He was glad he’d delegated to his staff, entrusting the numerous doctors, lawyers and financiers to his employees. He wouldn’t have missed this for anything.

      As he followed his sexy, straggly visitor upstairs, he realized he’d seen more of her than he’d seen of any other woman in a long while. And he didn’t even know her name.

      

      SHE’D FOUND HER MAN. Too bad she had no idea what to do with him. Samantha closed the bathroom door behind her and stripped off her skirt, shaking the residual dust into the tub. Who’d have guessed the first man she laid eyes on, the first man under eighty, she amended, would be the one?

      Her questions hadn’t exactly been subtle, but with those dark, deep-set eyes staring into hers, and that mustache lifting over a sensual grin, she’d barely been able to pull herself together enough to think clearly.

      She pictured him waiting on the other side of the door, and her pulse pounded in a combination of anticipation and apprehension. There was no question the dark-haired, gorgeous stranger suited her perfectly. A bartender in an off-the-beaten-path tavern, he was a man she could thoroughly enjoy and then never see again. As long as she could work up the nerve.

      Samantha located the towels he said would be on a shelf over the toilet, and hung one over a hook on the wall. She glanced around the room. Small but with all the proper amenities and stark in a masculine sort of way. No frills. Just a toothbrush and a bottle of aftershave lay on top of the vanity. She picked up the black bottle and brought the nozzle near her nose. One illicit sniff of musk and she was no longer alone. His scent surrounded her. He surrounded her.

      She’d never been with a man wearing a mustache and wondered what kind of stimulation it would add to an intense sexual experience? She shut her eyes. Her senses soared and her imagination took over. Soft lips, warm breath and an erotic rush of sensation playing over her already-sensitized skin. Firm yet gentle lips nibbling their way up her legs, the rasp of whiskers along her thigh. She cupped her breasts and felt as if his hands had settled over the tight fabric, as if his fingers plucked and pulled, bringing her nipples to life.

      She opened her eyes to find herself standing alone in the unfamiliar bathroom, thoroughly aroused and completely appalled. She had never done anything like this before, had never even felt anything like this before. Without meeting her gaze in the mirror, she removed her hands from her chest and focused her attention on turning on the shower instead.

      Her hands trembled, hindering the process. How could she want one man so badly? A man she barely knew. She didn’t know the answer to that question any more than she knew how she’d find the nerve to go through with this seduction. Coming up with her plan from the safety of her apartment had been easy. Contemplating her bleak future had carried her resolve through the long plane ride out here. But now, faced with a sexy, masculine stranger in the flesh…

      Samantha trembled. All she had left was this week. She hadn’t planned her life this way, nor would this be the choice she’d make if her father’s future weren’t at stake. But it was. And if her life came down to this one week, she’d better make the most of it. Her chance waited just outside the door.

      If she wanted to find a way into his arms, she’d best start by cleaning herself up. But first, she needed to get a drink to soothe her parched throat, she thought, reaching for a nearby glass and filling it with water. That decided, she felt more confident. In a few hours, if she was lucky, she’d discover…how to scare the poor man half to death. Samantha caught a glimpse of her face in the mirror and gasped, dropping the glass into the sink. With her dirt-streaked cheeks, tearstains and tangled mass of hair, how could she have considered seducing him? Whatever made her think he’d be interested?

      Without warning, the door burst open and she had company. “What the hell was that?”

      Her grab for the towel came too late because her fantasy lover stood in the door frame staring at her practically naked body. Okay, he’d seen her shirt before, but the sexy underwear, her one concession to femininity beneath the tailored suits she wore to work, left her midriff completely exposed. She glanced down. The small triangular scrap of material between her legs showed more than she wanted him to see at the present time.

      “Well?”

      She didn’t answer. She couldn’t. Not if her life depended on it. She was more concerned with covering herself. She tried to remove the towel from the hook on the wall, but the shaking of her hands hindered the attempt.

      She turned to gain better leverage and heard his sharp intake of breath.

      “Those things ought to be outlawed.”

      Her hands went to her behind, covered only by flimsy lace with scalloped edging, and at that moment, Samantha discovered she wasn’t as brave as she’d planned to be. She was mortified.

      How could she even think she could seduce a man? Nothing showed like inexperience, and though she’d had relationships before, she’d never tackled a one-night stand. After the impression she’d made, she wouldn’t be doing so tonight.

      She’d blown her chance and devastated her ego. Not bad for a night’s work.

      He brushed past her. A powerful dose of his masculine scent overwhelmed her like an aphrodisiac. As if she needed more than just a look to arouse her beyond belief.

      He yanked the towel off the hook, making the maneuver look easy. “Cover yourself,” he growled.

      Startled by his tone, she turned to look at him. His eyes had darkened, the smoky gray transformed into deep charcoal. Color highlighted his cheekbones and those firm-looking lips were pulled into a tight line.

      “Now.” He shook the towel before her eyes. “Or I won’t be responsible for my actions.”

      “Yes, sir.” Her gaze slipped to his waist and the telltale bulge in his tight jeans. Pure female pleasure stirred inside her. Her technique might need work, but she hadn’t botched things after all. Her doubts scattered, along with her short bout of self-pity. This man wanted her, and she refused to question her good fortune.

      Taking her time, she accepted the towel, wrapping the soft terry around her body until she could tuck the free end between her breasts. “Done,” she said, with what she hoped was a flirtatious smile.

      A hoarse groan escaped her companion. “Time’s up,” he muttered.

      Samantha swallowed hard. “It is?” To her chagrin, her voice trembled when she spoke. “You mean, now?”

      She’d given him the location of her car and the keys, and she’d hoped to have clean clothes in which to seduce him. Her plans hadn’t included his take-charge personality. The differences between fantasy and reality came back to haunt her again. She wasn’t ready.

      She’d have preferred a little get-to-know-you time first. She’d have liked a shower. Obviously, he had no need for such prerequisites, and nervousness once again replaced her prior certainty.

      Yet when he held out his hand, she placed hers inside the large, warm palm. Touching him provided a sensual pleasure she couldn’t have imagined. If she allowed herself to think about what was to come, she’d pass out on the tile floor. His long fingers wrapped around her smaller hand. Fingers she had no doubt could bring great pleasure.

      “Well?” he asked.

      “Well, what?” He couldn’t possibly expect her to make the first