Free Desperate Seduction by Alyssa Brooks Page A

her. Like a kid about to board a roller coaster, she felt so giddy-nervous she was ready to throw up. The ride hadn’t even started yet.
    * * * * *
    Blake crumpled the silly list he’d made. He tossed the ball of crisp white paper toward the trash, missing. It fell among several others tossed away during the night.
    What was he doing? This was ridiculous. No list could depict how he truly felt.
    Ready .
    Maybe it was fast, but he wanted this. Wanted Claire. A baby. A wife. The life .
    He needed to stop overthinking things and get on with them. Heading into the bedroom, he grabbed two golden, foil-wrapped boxes from his dresser. The last two presents, one naughty—for fun—and one nice, very nice in fact and expensive. It was time to give them both to Claire.
    * * * * *
    The doorbell rang just as Claire finished brushing her teeth. She smacked her lips, feeling cinnamon fresh and ready for kissing. She thought about throwing on a robe, but decided that wasn’t the new Claire. She strode into the living room naked. “Who is it?” she called out, receiving no answer. “Blake? Are you playing with me?” She stood on her tiptoes and peered out the peephole. No one was there. The she remembered his present game. Oh, what would it be today?
    Wrapping a throw blanket around herself, she swung open the door and found a small golden box at her feet. She swept it into her grasp, tearing at the foil.
    Using her forearms to hold up the blanket, she lifted the lid and revealed a pink blindfold with a note. Interesting. She eagerly retrieved the piece of paper and read. Put this on before you ring the bell.
    Very interesting.
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    Desperate Seduction
    She glanced up and down the road for neighbors. It was still early, barely seven-thirty. The high school kids were off to school already and the elementary children weren’t due to leave for another hour. A neighbor several doors down slammed the car door, but for the most part, the streets were quiet. Claire decided she didn’t care.
    Throwing caution to the wind, she darted to his house.
    Once on his porch, she slid the blindfold around her head and positioned it over her eyes. Looking down, she could still get a glimpse at her surroundings. She tilted her head, searching for the bell. She found it and pressed the chime. Its melody filled the air and moments later, the door swung open.
    “Claire,” Blake stated in a husky whisper, saying nothing more. No clue as to what he was up to.
    She did her best to peek from the blindfold without moving her head. But, all she could see were his feet.
    “Blake?”
    He drew a deep, shaky breath.
    “Take off the blindfold now, Claire.”
    Gladly, she lifted the cover from her eyes. To her surprise, he knelt before her. His blue eyes implored her, loving and hope-filled. A smile curved his lips, lopsided and all-knowing. In his palm rested another golden box, this one much smaller in size.
    Slowly he lifted the lid, revealing a dazzling diamond ring. Set in an intricate band of twisted white gold, the impressive jewel made her heart leap.
    Aside from the racing in her chest, Claire froze. This was it. The moment.
    Suddenly Claire realized something. While she really wanted a baby, this was what she was really after. Love. Pure and simple, unadulterated love, the kind you could only have in a family, in a happily ever after.
    Baby or no baby, right here in front of her was everything she truly needed to be happy.
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    Alyssa Brooks
    Before he even popped the question, she nodded her head in answer. “Oh, yes.”
    “Aren’t you going to let me ask?”
    “Ask.”
    “Marry me, Claire.”
    “Oh, yes.”
    He rose, drawing her into his arms. He swept her into a kiss, his full mouth devouring hers. Passion raced through her body, fast and keen.
    She leaned into the embrace and slid her tongue into his mouth. Caressing his teeth with it, she dared him to intensify the kiss.
    Blake cupped her ass, lifting her. Holding her against his chest, he