Lacey's Seduction Read online

  Brent was humming under his breath when he opened the bathroom door. He stopped cold when he saw the empty bed. Lacey was gone? He listened to see if he could hear her in another part of the suite. Only silence. Surely she wouldn’t have left. Looking around, he noticed her dress and shoes gone.

  He fisted his hands at his sides. She was gone. He wasn’t sure whether to laugh or yell. Once again she had surprised him. Instead of waiting in bed, so they could talk about what had happened, Lacey had run away. Going to the closet, he yanked down a pair of jeans and put them on. He didn’t bother with a shirt or shoes, only grabbed his room key as he slammed out.

  Luckily, he had been paying attention earlier when Lacey and Cara had exchanged room numbers so they could meet later in the day. As he headed to the fifth floor, his blood was boiled, and it was all he could do not to pound on the door when he reached it.

  He knocked twice before he realised she wasn’t going to respond. “Damn it, Lacey! Open this door.”

  She opened it then with the chain attached. He stuck his foot into the opening, blocking her from being able to close it.

  “Let me in.”

  She shook her head. He could see her in a hotel robe, and her hair was wet.

  “Lacey, let me in. Do you think I can’t snap this chain off?”

  She must have realised he could, because she sighed and pushed the door in slightly to release the chain off.

  Brent pushed past her and slammed the door. The only light in her room was the one on the bedside table. He walked to the bed and pointed. “Sit down.”

  She moved slowly but sat where he had pointed. “Brent…”

  He held up a hand and shook his head. “I have something to say, and you’re going to listen.”

  She nodded and folded her hands in her lap.

  He paced for a few minutes, trying to get his temper under control and find the right words. “I owe you an apology.”

  Lacey’s head snapped up at that.

  “I owe you an apology for the first time we were together, another one for the past three months, and finally for what happened earlier.”

  Insulted, Lacey clenched her hands. “You’re going to apologise for what happened earlier?”

  Brent watched the emotions clearly written on her face. “Not for what happened, no. But for not talking to you first.” Dropping to his knees in front of her, he cupped her face. “I should have explained how I felt before taking you to bed again.”

  Lacey nodded and tried to pull out of his hold, but he easily held her in place.

  “After my second book was released and became a best seller, I had all kinds of women come on to me. I’m not proud of it, but I took them all, a different woman in a different city. I drank too much, gambled, and basically didn’t care about myself or anyone else.”

  Lacey opened her mouth to respond but he shook his head.

  “No, let me finish. I never had to seduce the women, they did it all. After my father died a couple years ago, I went home and my sister read me the riot act. She was tired of my behaviour and pointed out I was acting like a prick. Along with Matt and a couple buddies, I realised I was trying to keep my past bottled up.”

  He took a deep breath before he continued. He was about to share with her more than he did with most people.

  “You know Matt and I were in the military. That’s what I use as background for my books.”

  She nodded.

  “What you don’t know is that sometimes I still have nightmares. After I wrote my first book, they got worse. I used the alcohol and women so I wouldn’t have to think about what happened while we were overseas.”

  He ran a hand through his hair, trying to figure out how to best explain.

  “On my next book tour, I did things different. I no longer let myself be seduced…well, until you,” he told her as he rested his hands on her knees. He just had to hold her, to connect in that small way to remain calm.

  “I…”

  “It doesn’t matter, Lacey. I said things to you before to hurt you, and I know I did. I’m sorry.”

  Lacey nodded, but he continued before she could speak.

  “It hurt to find out that you were like all the rest.” he told her, still holding onto her.

  Lacey only stared at Brent after he made the last statement. It took her several minutes to find her voice. “I’m like the rest of them?” she managed to croak out.

  He nodded and smiled. “It gave me a bad moment, and I acted horrible. Please forgive me?”

  Lacey couldn’t believe her ears. “I…you…” She jumped up, knocking him back from her. “You arrogant asshole!”

  Clearly confused, Brent stood and raised his hands. “What? Wait!”

  “No, you wait!” She was almost screaming. “I may have set out to seduce you, but I wasn’t just another woman. I was under the impression we were friends. Obviously I was wrong, and let me tell you, I deeply regret it.” That wasn’t completely true, but he didn’t need to know that. This was worse than using her for sex, this was…telling her she was no better than any other bimbo he had been with.

  Brent just stared at Lacey as she stood arms crossed over her chest, glaring at him. “I think you misunderstood me.”

  “You know, Brent, I don’t think that I did. I think that you are an arrogant bastard who doesn’t know what he wants, and I want you to leave my room.” Her voice trembled but she stood her ground. She was more than furious. She was insulted and disgusted with both herself and him.

  He looked at her like she was crazy, his mouth was open and his eyes huge. It would almost be funny if she didn’t feel like crying and punching him.

  “Hey, this isn’t my fault!” he protested

  “Three months! Three months you had the opportunity to act like a man and not an asshole. Then when you see me, you take me up to your room, repeat the mistake, and then tell me I’m like every other woman you’ve ever had.”

  “I didn’t mean it like that!”

  “I really don’t care how you meant it!” She continued to rant at him. “Just get out and leave me alone.” He had to get out. Now. Lacey wasn’t sure how much longer she could hold back her tears. Once again, she pledged to herself that he wouldn’t see her cry. She really was stupid—she didn’t know Brent at all.

  He stood for several minutes just staring at her before he turned and left her room. He didn’t see her drop to the bed, crying as the door closed, cursing both of them as fools.

  Chapter Four

  Making a quick stop in his room, Brent changed clothes before heading downstairs to the hotel’s gym. He had so much frustration and anger in him, he needed some way to work it out or he’d head back up and throttle Lacey.

  Going straight to the weights, he positioned himself on the bench and emptied his mind, ready to let the burn and sweat take him away. He worked for ten minutes, punishing his body so he didn’t have to think about Lacey and what she had said.

  He heard a long, low whistle and looked up, his eyes travelling to the other figure in the gym.

  He shouldn’t have been surprised to see Matt leaning against a wall, his arms crossed over his chest watching Brent with what could only be considered amusement.

  “What?” he snapped at his friend.

  Matt pushed away from the wall and grabbed a towel from a shelf before crossing the room. He tossed the towel at Brent and shook his head.

  “So how’d it go?” Matt asked with a knowing smile.

  “Great. Wonderful,” he answered sarcastically, annoyed at the interruption of his work out. He didn’t want to see anyone right then. He wanted to lose himself in the pain of exercise so he didn’t have to think about Lacey.

  Matt nodded. “I can see that.”

  Brent growled and his friend held his hands up.

  “Hey, man, I was just passing by. Saw you in here intent on punishing yourself and thought you might want to talk.”

  “Talk?” Brent laughed bitterly. “Why would I want t
o talk? I tried to talk to Lacey, and all that got me was her yelling and telling me to get out of her room,” he replied, saying more than he wanted. But Matt had always been able to break through Brent’s defences. He was the most compassionate man Brent had ever met.

  Matt frowned and scratched the stubble growing out on his chin. “Huh? Well, let’s see where you went wrong.”

  “I didn’t go wrong. She’s impossible. I explained to her about the drinking and gambling and other women and she yelled at me.” Brent shook his head.

  “What exactly did she say?”

  “I don’t know! She just started yelling about not being like the other women.”

  “Well, she’s not like the others.”

  “I know that!” Brent’s voice rose.

  “Did you tell her that?” Matt kept his voice calm.

  “Of course…” He paused. Had he told her that? He had tried, but she wouldn’t listen. “Doesn’t matter,” Brent stated before he stomped over to the treadmill.

  “It does matter if you’re down here instead of upstairs with the woman you care about,” Brent told him as he sat at one of the empty benches.

  Brent started the treadmill, hoping it would wear him out and allow him to sleep. He wasn’t sure where he had gone wrong with Lacey. He’d been honest with her, and that hadn’t worked.

  What else could he do?

  “So, now what?” His friend’s voice broke into his thoughts.

  “I finish the convention then go see the progress on my house,” Brent informed him and thought that sounded like a decent plan.

  A friend of theirs and fellow special forces team member, Adam Butler, had taken the position of sheriff of a small town that did most of their business in the summer with rental houses and tourists. Another friend and old team member, Jake Summers, had already moved there and was now building houses for the rest of the team. Matt and Cara’s house had just been completed, and now Brent’s house was in the works. It was something he was looking forward to.

  “Seems a shame to have that big house built and have no one to share it with,” Matt said.

  Brent laughed but continued to run on the machine. “That was rough.”

  Matt only grinned at his friend. “Still true. You know Lacey is perfect for you.”

  Brent slammed his hand down and turned off the machine. “I tried. It’s over.”

  Stepping off the treadmill, he grabbed the towel Matt had thrown at him earlier. He wiped the sweat off his face then looked up. “I don’t plan on opening myself up again, to anyone.”

  Matt frowned at him, but Brent didn’t elaborate. He couldn’t tell his oldest friend that he knew Lacey belonged with him. That, for the first time in his life, he was in love. He had screwed up, and no matter how he tried to fix it, he didn’t see the dream of Lacey in his life coming true.

  * * * *

  Lacey sat in the hotel restaurant the next morning with Cara, trying to focus on what her friend was saying.

  Cara was telling her, very loudly and animated, about how Sam Hamilton had drunk too much and hit on Beverly Hill, one of their favourite romance authors. Beverly was also a very strong modern woman who wouldn’t put up with that behaviour and had indeed put him in his place.

  Lacey smiled but couldn’t get the enjoyment she usually would have from the story. Her thoughts were still on Brent, on the look in his eyes as he had tried to explain the reasons he acted like he did.

  It was just an excuse he used. She knew he told himself he had a right to act that way, but she had to disagree. No matter what he’d done in the past to shame himself, he had no reason to treat others like he did.

  “You have it that bad, huh?” Cara’s words broke until her thoughts.

  “What?” Lacey’s head snapped up, and she rested her gaze on her friend.

  Cara smiled and laughed. “I saw Brent follow you out after your dance. And I can tell you’ve been crying.” There was obvious sympathy in the other woman’s eyes.

  “I…I don’t…” Lacey trailed off. “Yeah, well, it didn’t work out.”

  Cara laughed again but didn’t say anything as the waitress refilled their coffees. After she walked away, Cara reached over a laid her hand over Lacey’s. “Want to talk about it?’

  Lacey shrugged, not sure that she could keep the tears she’d been holding in.

  “Oh my! You’re in love with him,” Cara said softly.

  Lacey gave a shaky laugh. “Afraid so.”

  “Oh, honey.” Her friend patted her hand. “We’ll fix it. Whatever happened, we will fix it.”

  Lacey shook her head. “Not this time,” she said sadly.

  Cara sat back and crossed her arms over her chest. “So you’re just going to give up on him?”

  Lacey took a drink of her coffee, feeling the hot liquid burn her tongue. The pain made her feel a little better. At the moment, she was almost numb.

  “When I first met Brent, I knew he wasn’t like any of the other authors. There was just something so real about him.”

  Cara nodded for her to continue.

  “We talked online, through emails, and short phone calls for months and I thought I really knew him.” Lacey went on to explain. “I dreamt about him every night, fantasised really what it would be like for him to hold me.”

  Realising what she was sharing, Lacey snapped her mouth shut and looked over at Cara. Cara was only smiling at her.

  “It’s okay, I understand. I’ll have to tell you how I was seduced by the neighbour at one time.”

  Lacey tried to smile back, but she couldn’t. She needed to get the story out. Without looking at Cara, she told her about the seduction three months ago and what happened the night before.

  Cara was shaking her head when Lacey finished talking. “Oh, I am so going to call Amber,” she mumbled.

  Lacey frowned at the mention of another woman. Did Brent have a girlfriend? The thought made her nauseated. “Who’s Amber?” she forced herself to ask.

  Cara looked up at her and then clamped her hand over her mouth. “Oh god! It’s not a girlfriend! I’m sorry!”

  Lacey blew out a breath.

  “Amber is Brent’s sister. You’d like her. She also owns a bookstore, although she enjoys the café part more than the books. She and Brent have always been close.”

  Lacey remembered Brent saying something about a sister.

  “I think I might have a plan. Come on!” Cara scooted out of the booth, pulling Lacey’s hand while she went. “Let’s go to your room. I have a phone call to make.”

  * * * *

  Lacey looked around the hotel suite and shook her head. She couldn’t believe she was going along with Cara and Amber’s plan.

  Cara had her switched to a different room and helped set up candles on every surface of the room. Then the two of them had gone shopping, and at the moment, Lacey was wearing a very revealing black lace dress.

  Brent’s sister Amber had sighed into the phone when Cara had called her and explained what was going on. After a few minutes of drilling Lacey with very personal questions, Amber had giggled and told them exactly how to get her brother.

  Cara had gone into action, which was why instead of being downstairs in one of the conference rooms, Lacey was up in a suite, waiting on Matt to deliver Brent.

  She was back where she started. Trying to seduce Brent. Putting her heart once again on her sleeve and offering him everything.

  She glanced at the clock. Four minutes until seven. Brent would be there anytime now.

  The knock on the door had Lacey jumping, even though she had been expecting it.

  Lacey rubbed her hands together and tried to calm herself before reaching for the doorknob. She pulled the door open and met Brent’s wide surprised eyes.

  He looked her over, licking his lips, and she knew he at least appreciated the way she was dressed. Then he looked to his side at Matt.

  “What’s going on?” he asked quietly.

  Matt shrugged and took a step
back. “Hey, man, I’m only the delivery person.” Then he turned and hurried down the hall.

  Brent looked back at her, and she offered him a smile. “Would you please come in?”

  He nodded and Lacey opened the door wider. She let him pass before closing and locking the door.

  “What is this, Lacey?” Brent asked, still facing away from her.

  “I want to talk to you. I want to settle this between us before this weekend is over,” she told him, wishing he would turn around and look at her.

  “Dressed like that?” Brent’s voice remained low.

  “I figured it would get your attention” she answered honestly.

  “It did.” He did turn towards her then, and the noticeable bulge against the fly of his jeans told her that he still was interested in her, her body at least.

  “Would you sit please?” She needed to talk to him first. Before she offered him what she planned, she had to get a few things off her chest. To make him understand that she wanted more than just a roll in the bed.

  He nodded and sat on the edge of the bed.

  Lacey paced a few times before stopping in front of him. “I fell in love with you months ago.”

  Brent stared at the beautiful woman in front of him and tried to give her his full attention. She took a deep breath, which raised her breasts, and his cock jumped.

  “I feel in love with you months ago,” she told him.

  Brent looked up at her eyes and saw the sincerity in them. His breath caught. Could she love him like he loved her? “Lacey…I…”

  She held up a hand and he stopped. “Please let me get this out.”

  Brent didn’t want to let her talk. He wanted to take her into his arms. She was in love with him. He was almost afraid to believe it.

  “I knew that you could have any woman you wanted, and I could never beat them in the looks department,” she continued.

  Brent opened his mouth to argue with her, but she shook her head. “Please, Brent. I thought my only chance to make you see me as more than a friend would be to seduce you.”