Tempt Me at Midnight. Maureen Smith

      

      Bracing one foot on the edge of the bathtub, Lexi spread the fragrant cream over her thigh. She massaged it into her skin, working downward to her feet before moving to the other leg.

      She swallowed, licking her lips. Staring at herself in the mirror, she began rubbing the mango butter over her belly. Her muscles quivered, tightened. She paused, then slowly slid her hands up to her breasts. An odd, tingling awareness rippled over her skin.

      Then, without warning, the bathroom doorknob began to turn. A moment later Quentin stood in the doorway, his lids at half-mast over his smoldering hazel eyes. Their gazes locked in the mirror.

      Without a word he started toward her, a slow, stealthy advance that made her pulse hammer.

      When he’d reached the tub where she stood, he dipped his fingers into the jar of cream, scooping out enough to coat both of his hands. Her body hummed with arousal. He moved behind her, staring at their joined reflections in the mirror. Then a slow, sensual smile curved his mouth before he reached out to touch her.

      MAUREEN SMITH

      is the author of sixteen novels and one novella. She received a B.A. in English from the University of Maryland with a minor in creative writing. She is a former freelance writer whose articles were featured in various print and online publications. Since the release of her debut novel in 2002, Maureen has been nominated for three RT Book Reviews Reviewers’ Choice Awards and fourteen Emma Awards, and she has won the Romance in Color Reviewers’ Choice Awards for New Author of the Year and Romantic Suspense of the Year. Her novel Secret Agent Seduction won the 2010 Emma Award for Best Romantic Suspense.

      Maureen lives in San Antonio, Texas, with her husband, two children and a miniature schnauzer. She loves to hear from readers and can be reached at [email protected]. Please visit her website at www.maureen-smith.com for news about her upcoming releases.

      Tempt Me at Midnight

      Maureen Smith

       www.millsandboon.co.uk

      MILLS & BOON

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      For Lonnie, Brianna, and MJ

      The best niece and nephews in the world

      Dear Reader,

      In my previous novel, Recipe for Temptation, you were introduced to wickedly irresistible Quentin Reddick. With his killer looks, lazy smile and magnetic charm, Quentin is a bona fide ladies’ man who has no intention of ever settling down. That is, until he locks lips with his best friend, Lexi Austin, at a New Year’s Eve party. After that magical night, all bets are off.

      I’ve always been a sucker for stories that feature friends turned lovers. What could be more romantic than falling madly in love with the one person who knows you better than anyone else? That’s what Quentin and Lexi are about to find out.

      I hope you will enjoy their passionate journey, which begins with a stolen kiss at the stroke of midnight….

      As always, please share your thoughts with me at [email protected].

      Until next time, happy New Year and happy reading!

      Maureen Smith

      Contents

      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

      Chapter 21

      Epilogue

      Chapter 1

      The grand ballroom was a sea of masks. Black, white, sequined and feathered masks everywhere Lexi Austin looked.

      As she waded through the crowd of revelers, excitement pulsed through her veins. In half an hour the clock would strike twelve, ushering in a new year. Lexi could think of no better way to celebrate than by attending a masquerade ball at a luxurious château owned by legendary fashion designer Asha Dubois. The glitzy soiree was the hottest ticket in France every year, attended by everyone who was anyone in the fashion industry. Which meant that Lexi could be rubbing elbows with the likes of Miuccia Prada and John Galliano without even—

      A man in a feathered black mask suddenly jostled her, murmuring apologetically, “Excusez-moi.”

      Lexi smiled beneath the jeweled white mask that covered the upper half of her own face. “Ce n’est pas grave,” she assured him, the words rolling smoothly off her tongue.

      The stranger returned her smile before moving off.

      Lexi continued across the crowded room, taking in the sights and sounds as if she’d just arrived at the party. A canopy of twinkling lights hung from the frescoed ceiling, and ornate wall tapestries and marble columns evoked the grandeur of the French Renaissance. A fifteen-piece orchestra performed a dreamy Viennese waltz that had lured many couples onto the dance floor, the swirl of white ball gowns transforming the scene into a shimmering fairyland.

      As Lexi paused to watch the dancers, she couldn’t help wishing she had a date that evening. What could be more romantic than ringing in the New Year wrapped in the arms of a man she loved?

      But she’d been woefully unlucky in that department, so tonight she was flying solo.

      A soft smile curved her mouth when two of her closest friends, Michael and Reese Wolf, whirled into her line of sight. Michael was darkly handsome in a black tuxedo, while Reese was positively radiant in a long white gown that flowed gently over her round, protruding belly. Being eight months pregnant hadn’t slowed her down that evening; her head was thrown back in laughter as her husband twirled her gracefully around the dance floor.

      As Lexi watched the happy couple, she thought of the missing member of their group. Quentin Reddick had called last night to let them know he’d be unable to join them in France, citing an unexpected development in one of his upcoming court cases. Lexi had been sorely disappointed. Quentin was her best friend. Over the years they’d attended numerous parties together, often serving as each other’s “mock date.”

      Not that Quentin ever had any trouble finding real dates, Lexi thought wryly. The man was a veritable chick magnet. If he’d