Free Seducing the Wolf by Maureen Smith

you can leave this room walking beside me or tossed over my shoulder. It’s up to you.”
    Taylor stared at him, her mouth agape. She didn’t know what shocked her more: his outrageous threat, or the quiver of arousal that curled through her at the thought of being overpowered by him.
    “I don’t remember you being this bossy,” she grumbled.
    He laughed softly. “You ain’t seen nothing yet, darlin’. Now go take a shower and get dressed.” His eyes slid over her. “I don’t know how much longer I can tolerate seeing you in another man’s shirt.”
    Taylor swallowed hard, then left to do as she’d been told before she got into any more trouble than she was already in.
     

 
     
     

8
     
     
     
    S he lingered in the shower, acutely aware of Manning waiting for her beyond the locked bathroom door.
    As she slowly lathered herself with scented soap, she couldn’t help imagining his big hands on her body, sliding over her wet skin. She imagined him soaping her breasts and stomach and between her thighs. She imagined him kneeling before her with water streaming down his face and dripping off his thick black lashes as he explored her sex with deep, languorous strokes of his tongue.
    The images turned her on so hard and fast that her nipples tightened and her clit swelled.
    Biting her lower lip, she closed her eyes and tilted her face up, letting the hot water pour over her aroused body. When she was done, she turned off the water, then stepped out of the steamy stall and wrapped a towel around herself. Her pulse was beating erratically and her breathing was shallow.
    Wiping the condensation off the bathroom mirror, she stared back at the reflection of a woman with flushed cheeks and hungry eyes.
    And she wondered how the hell she was supposed to get through any meal with Manning.
    Get a grip, Taylor , she silently admonished herself . You’re an accomplished violinist. You’ve traveled around the world and performed for kings and queens, prime ministers and sheikhs. You can handle having breakfast with your childhood sweetheart!
    God, she hoped so.
    Twenty minutes later, Taylor emerged from the bathroom wearing a pink tank top paired with a fitted black maxi skirt and flat sandals. Her hair was twisted into a loose topknot with a few wispy tendrils framing her face. She’d applied makeup sparingly—a swipe of mascara to her long lashes, clear gloss on her full lips and a dusting of blush to accentuate her high cheekbones. She’d deliberately gone for soft and pretty rather than sultry and sexy, because the last thing she wanted was to send the wrong signal to Manning.
    After tossing a few essential items into a braided handbag, she took a deep breath to shore up her courage, then stepped from the bedroom.
    Manning sat on the sofa thumbing through messages on his cell phone. When Taylor appeared, he glanced up and froze.
    “All set,” she announced brightly.
    Manning rose from the sofa, never taking his eyes off her. “You look beautiful,” he said, low and deep.
    “Thank you.” Taylor willed her pulse to slow. “Ready?”
    His eyes glittered. “Absolutely.”
    They left the suite and walked down the corridor to the bank of elevators. As Manning pressed the call button, Taylor’s cell phone erupted with Bach’s Double Violin Concerto, a stately and dignified piece that reminded her of Aidan. Which was why she’d made it his ringtone.
    Her face heated with guilt as she dug the phone out of her handbag. After hesitating for a moment, she hit the answer button. “Hey, there.”
    “Hey, sweetheart,” Aidan greeted her. “Just wanted to let you know that I arrived.”
    “Oh, good. How was your flight?”
    “Short and sweet.”
    Taylor smiled. “The best kind.”
    “You can say that again.”
    Out of the corner of her eye, Taylor could see Manning watching her, blatantly listening to every word. Feeling self-conscious, she discreetly angled her body away from him.
    “Are you on your way to the