Free Dreams of Seduction by N. J. Walters Page A

door shut on the way along and hurried down the hallway.
    She was breathless by the time she made her way down the stairs and reached the front door. The bell rang again. Taking a deep breath, she slowly released it. Putting a welcoming smile on her face, she pulled open the door.
    All the blood rushed from her head. Jed stood on her front porch, his shoulder-length black hair gleaming in the porch light. His eyes seemed to darken as he ran them down her body from her face to her toes and then slowly back up again.
    He was wearing jeans that hugged his thighs to perfection. An amber-colored shirt was open at the throat to reveal the strong column of his neck. It also complemented the bronze tone of his skin. Atop it he wore a dark gray sports jacket.
    Maggie didn’t know how long they just stood there, and she didn’t care. Her skin tingled and goose bumps raced down her arms. Her nipples puckered, pressing against her bra. She didn’t dare look down for fear they were outlined against the thin silk of her blouse. What had she been thinking to wear it? She should have opted for thick fleece instead. Or at least a sweater.
    “You look beautiful.” His voice was rough and deep, startling her out of her musings.
    “So do you.” She felt like sinking into the floor. What was it about Jed that made her mouth run away? She didn’t seem to have that problem with anyone but him.
    One side of his mouth tipped up and she held her breath, hoping he’d smile. The man was sexy just standing there, but when he smiled, he was devastating.
    The smile reached his eyes before his lips. “Thank you,” he murmured. “May I come in?”
    Heat suffused her cheeks and she stepped back. “Of course. Come in.” She tried not to notice how his arm brushed against her body when he entered. Tried not to notice how yummy he smelled—a combination of fresh air, musk and a clean woodsy scent that made all the hormones in her body stand up and sing a hallelujah chorus.
    “This is for you.” He handed her a bottle of red wine. “I wasn’t certain what you’d be serving for dinner, but this is good with just about anything.”
    “Thank you.” Their fingers touched when she took the bottle. Tiny flickers of heat shot through her fingers and up her arms. The hair at her nape fluttered. “Come on back.”
    She was very aware of him walking just behind her with every step she took toward the kitchen. She could feel his heat, his very presence, even without looking at him. Placing the wine on the countertop, she pulled out a drawer and rummaged around for a corkscrew. “Will you open it?”
    He took the corkscrew and went to work on the bottle while she took two wine glasses out of the cupboard. A short length of counter separated the kitchen and dining area, and Maggie glanced over at the table, satisfied everything was in order. Fresh flowers sat in an antique Depression glass vase. Candles sat in silver holders waiting to be lit. Her grandmother’s good dishes sat atop linen placemats, waiting to be filled with food.
    It was a good thing she’d gone through her grandmother’s things over the past few days or she wouldn’t have been able to pull everything together so quickly.
    A low pop made her turn back to Jed. The bottle was open and he was already pouring the wine into the two glasses she’d laid out. When each glass was half full, he set aside the bottle, picked up both of them and handed her one. “To a wonderful evening.”
    “A wonderful evening,” she echoed. Bringing the crystal to her lips, she sipped the full-bodied wine.
    It was slightly sweet. She liked it.
    Jed placed his glass on the counter beside the stove. Nerves jumping, Maggie took another quick sip of the wine. “I’ll just finish getting dinner ready if you want to have a seat.”
    He took her glass from her and set it next to his. Her eyes flew to his and she licked her lips, which were suddenly dry. “I’d rather have this.” Leaning down, he brushed