Read The Seduction Game for Free Online

here?”
    Barbara made a face. “Of course you can. Now shut up about the ouzo and tell me everything.”
    “Well, first keep in mind I was out as the nice girl tonight and I was supposed to display the nice girl’s traits.” She paused and drew in a shaky breath. “Well, confidence was the first trait I was going to show by giving him direct eye contact, being positive, and offering statements with firm conviction. Well, I certainly accomplished the last one when I told him he was an arrogant, conceited bully.” Barbara bit her lip, obviously trying not to laugh. Kate was not amused. “Do you want to hear the rest or not?” Barbara nodded.“Next, I wanted to display independence. I showed him that all right when I ran off before the date even started by handing the maitre d’ a note to give to him. And don’t you dare make a face.” Kate took a deep breath. “Then there was thoughtfulness. Instead of thanking him for jumping to my rescue in the cocktail lounge where I waited for my table.”
    “What do you mean, jump to your rescue?” Barbara interrupted.
    “A man approached me before I met Adam and he tried to pick me up. Anyway, he got a little offensive, he was drunk, and Adam threw him out of the bar.”
    “What?”
    “And then I publicly berated Adam for interfering when I should have been thanking him. Insightful I didn’t even touch. Intelligence I went right over. Actually, he called me impertinent.” Kate glared at her sister. “Do you want to hear this or not?”
    Barbara wiped her tears and spoke between giggles. “I can’t help it. You were going on and on about how you had everything under control and...I’m sorry, sis. Please continue.”
    “Well-read, creative, and a zest for fun I skipped. Unless kissing him like some lovesick college girl would count for zest.” Her face burned at the memory. “And lastly—”
    “Hang on a minute.” Barbara turned serious. “You kissed him? You just met him a half hour ago.”
    “Actually, he kissed me. I just kissed him back.” She managed to avoid Barbara’s eyes, but couldn’t ignore the jolt in her stomach at the memory. “And last there was a good sense of humor. Thinking back, groping him in the car could be construed as pretty funny.”
    “What?”
    “I groped him.” Kate grimaced. “He took a sharp swerve to avoid an accident and I grabbed him. Well, I almost grabbed him, but it was close.” She closed her eyes. “Barbara, you were right. I had no business starting this. I went into it head first, even with all the planning. I…I guess I never counted on one thing.”
    “What?”
    “Adam Tyler. I didn’t expect him to be so attractive. I was having a hard time remaining professional.”
    “Was he nice to you, at least?”
    Kate sighed. “Yes, as nice as any man could be to a neurotic woman, because that’s how I came across tonight.”
    Barbara touched Kate’s hand. “It’s not your fault. You were nervous.”
    It was just as well her research was over, Kate thought. In the short time she had spent with Adam she’d discovered she was far too attracted to him. Besides, he probably thought she was a nut job the way she’d behaved tonight.
    A familiar sting pricked the back of her eyes. For one horrifying moment she thought she was going to burst into tears. She lowered her head to hide it, but it was too late. Her sister had already seen it.
    “Hey, it’s not the end of the world,” Barbara began softly. “You already have all those interviews and case studies for your book. Do you really need Phase Four to complete it?”
    “Yes. Adam’s ad specifically said he was tired of bad girls and wanted to meet a nice girl. He was the perfect male subject to validate that good girls do finish first.”
    “What if he’d chosen your bad girl persona?”
    “He may have been turned on by Miranda, but I don’t believe he would—”
    “Miranda? You mean Katrina, right?”
    Kate stiffened. Mentioning the woman who stole