Tempting Taylor Read online

  “I just needed some background material for my article.” A heavy, syrupy feeling invaded her lower body. Danger! “I mean, in case you agree to let me interview you, that’s all. Well, I have to go and—”

  “Do I scare you?”

  “W-What?” Her thoughts were muddled. Really, the man was invading her personal space, sucking the oxygen from the air and leaving her short of breath.

  He smiled, the corners of his mouth lifting with sexy amusement. “Do I scare you?” he repeated, slower this time. He was now a hairsbreadth away, their bodies nearly touching.

  She drew in a fortifying breath. “No.”

  “Good.”

  Trying to ignore the crazy fluttering of her pulse, she eased away, subtly putting more room between them. “Let me know what you decide about the interview.” Pasting a smile on her face, she gripped her purse and forced herself to walk away—at a normal pace—when all her instincts screamed “run!”

  “Taylor?”

  She stopped and turned around slowly. “Y-yes?”

  He held out her sunglasses.

  Walking back a couple of steps, she took them from him and managed a strangled, “Thanks,” before heading to the parking structure.

  She dared not look back, but Taylor could feel the power of his gaze follow her. Damn, the man sure packed a wallop. How on earth was she going to survive interviewing him? Being in close proximity to Cooper Hathaway surely would drive her insane. Not to mention make it painfully obvious that she was attracted as hell to him. What was she going to do?

  * * * * *

  “I’ve decided that when it comes to sex, I need to think like a man.”

  Taylor stirred her coffee in the tiny office kitchen and glanced at the young woman from marketing. Sabrina was pretty and outgoing, and every time they chatted, she had plenty of boyfriend drama to talk about.

  “Oh? Why is that?”

  “My cheating ex-boyfriend had the nerve to tell me that sex with his neighbor didn’t mean anything and that it was one of ‘those things’.” Sabrina snorted. “Yeah, like he tripped and that woman just happened to be there with her legs open?”

  “I’m sorry to hear that.”

  She shrugged. “Good riddance. That’s when I realized that men and women are wired differently,” Sabrina continued. “Men can take the sex and walk away. No entanglements. No emotional consequence. It’s all about physical satisfaction.”

  “Hmm, true,” Taylor agreed.

  “And since I have absolutely no desire to start dating again so soon, I thought of the perfect solution,” she lowered her voice confidingly. “Friends with benefits.”

  “Friends with benefits?” Taylor echoed with a frown.

  “Exactly. Sex without commitment. No strings. Scratch an itch without all the emotional ups and downs.”

  “Just sex?”

  Sabrina nodded enthusiastically. “With someone you’re already familiar with, a friend, if you will. That way, there will be no morning-after regrets. And it’s not a one-night stand. Call each other when you feel the need.”

  “But what about love? Emotion?” Taylor couldn’t help but ask.

  “If I’m destined to meet the right man, it will happen. But until then, I don’t want to waste my time going out on dates only to go home disappointed. No thanks. I’ve gone through enough first dates to last me a lifetime.”

  Maybe her dating situation was more common than she believed. Like Sabrina, she was exhausted from going on “first dates”. Just the thought of spending one more hour trying to figure out if a man was relationship material was enough to make her shudder.

  “Nights can get lonely while I’m waiting to find that special someone, you know?”

  Taylor nodded. She understood perfectly. How many had she spent fantasizing about Cooper? So far, no one had managed to dislodge his starring role in her dreams. She wasn’t averse to using a battery-operated toy to satisfy her urges, but didn’t want to rely on it on a regular basis. She still needed a real man’s touch.

  Taylor mulled it over. “You know, that might just work.”

  “It will,” Sabrina stated confidently. “It’s the solution to the crazy merry-go-round of endless dating.”

  All the way back to her office, Taylor thought about Sabrina’s friends-with-benefits idea. It was certainly unorthodox, but just might work for her on two fronts—ease her dating doldrums and take her mind off Cooper.

  So far, she hadn’t been able to find a keeper among the men she dated, one with whom she could be in a stable relationship. No man could get past the five-date rule. No man could stand up to being compared against Cooper Hathaway. So why not try the friends-with-benefits idea and maybe write an article about it? The more she thought about it, the more it appealed to her. She’d run the idea past Emily first.

  She picked up her step, buoyed by the idea. It was Wednesday, and from conversations she overheard as she walked, everybody was looking forward to the long weekend. Saturday was the big barbecue at the Sinclair house, an annual Memorial Day celebration Taylor never missed. The Sinclairs were her second family, no, her only family, since she was never particularly close to her parents.

  Excited by the friends-with-benefits idea, she pushed open Emily’s office door with a flourish. “Em, I’ve got a brilliant idea. Since I can’t find a man who can get past my five-date rule, I have the perfect solution.” She grinned at Emily, who stood by her desk. “I am tired of dating. I’m going the friends-with-benefits route. It’s perfect all around. I’ll get regular sex with a friend and maybe even write an article about it at the same time, and—”

  She stopped, her words freezing in her throat as she stepped fully into the office and spied the man standing next to Emily, one she hadn’t seen because he’d been partially hidden by the door.

  Cooper.

  An awkward silence descended in the room. Can one die of embarrassment? For a second she wished the floor would open up and swallow her, anything to avoid the humiliating scene unfolding before her.

  Emily was the first one to recover. “Uh, Cooper came in here looking for you.” Her eyes darted from Taylor to the silent man beside her before she gathered up some papers on her desk. “I have to run these to uh…the graphics department. You two stay here and talk.” Rather swiftly, she made her escape.

  Gee, thanks, Em. Just leave me here with him.

  Pushing aside her discomfort, she pasted a bright smile on her face. “You were looking for me?”

  “Yes.”

  “Well, you found me. Or rather I found you.” She gave a nervous chuckle and wished that she could keep her composure around this man. He always seemed to catch her at an awkward moment. It just wasn’t fair.

  “About the interview—”

  “Please say yes, no matter what you think, I will do a good job.”

  “I didn’t say otherwise. I’ve read your articles. I know you’re a very talented, engaging writer.”

  Well, well. That was a nice surprise. It nearly made up for her embarrassing gaffe. Almost.

  “That’s why I’ve decided to do the interview.”

  Upon hearing his words, Taylor barely restrained herself from jumping up in glee. “That’s wonderful news,” she managed to say with remarkable self-restraint.

  “I do have a couple of conditions.”

  “Sure. Anything.” She would agree to interview him at midnight on the Longfellow Bridge if that got him to say yes.

  “Any interview would have to be scheduled on my time, when I can spare it. Not always during business hours.”

  “I understand.” She knew he was a busy man with a packed schedule. “Any time you can spare me would be appreciated.”

  “That won’t be a problem?”

  “Of course not. It will actually work in my favor. It’ll give me a glimpse of the man behind the business façade. A very interesting angle, don’t you agree?”

  “On my terms. On my time,” he reiterated.

  “Und
erstood. And the other condition?”

  “I get to veto a question I don’t approve of.”

  That gave her pause. “Can we do that on a case-by-case basis? What if I justify the necessity of the question?”

  His lips quirked. “All right. Seems reasonable enough. But I won’t always agree.”

  “No doubt,” she said softly, just happy to get the chance that every other journalist from far more prestigious magazines hadn’t managed. She held out her hand. “Thank you. I appreciate the chance to interview you.”

  Cooper took her hand and enclosed it in his much bigger one. His palm was slightly rough and warm, his touch firm. Electricity raced up her arm at the contact.

  “I thought it was a very interesting idea.”

  Her brain suddenly turned to mush, unable to form one coherent thought. His thumb rubbed her palm, gliding over the fleshy part of her hand. “W-what was?”

  “Friends with benefits.” His deep voice slid over her like smooth chocolate.

  “Yes, ah, it’s ah…” Great. She’d been reduced to a blubbering idiot.

  He grinned, showing his dimple. Taylor blinked. God, the man was really sexy. Mouthwateringly so.

  And very off limits.

  She pulled her hand from his, instantly missing the warmth of his touch.

  “I’ll be in touch.” With that, he moved away and was gone before she could utter a word.

  Taylor slumped against the door. Oh. My. God. How was she ever going to survive being in close proximity to Cooper? Just one touch, on her hand even, had turned her knees to jelly.

  It had been too long since she’d been intimate with a man. That’s why she was reacting to Cooper so strongly, as if she was in heat or something. This weekend at the barbecue, there were going to be plenty of candidates to choose from. She needed to find a friends-with-benefits partner ASAP, and stop obsessing over Cooper.

  * * * * *

  “I have a serious case of lust.”

  Emily let out a muffled chuckle from behind the dressing room door. “Well, don’t be so enthused about it. Who’s the lucky fellow?”

  “Seriously, Em. I think I’m in trouble.” Taylor examined the bodice of the strapless, A-line organza bridesmaid’s dress that she was trying on. It was beautiful and feminine. She loved it. They were in the bridal shop for a fitting of Emily’s wedding gown, and the place was quiet and deserted.

  “Wow. I’ve never seen you like this. Now I’m really curious as to who this man is. Somebody new, I assume?”

  Taylor heard rustling of material, accompanied by some muttering under Emily’s breath, followed by the soothing comments of the store’s salesperson. She grinned. She couldn’t wait to see Emily in her wedding gown.

  “Not the guy from the office across the street?” Emily spoke again. “The one you said had an interesting face?”

  “No, it’s not him.” Taylor slipped on her shoes and walked out of the fitting room.

  The adjoining door opened and Emily emerged. Taylor caught her breath. “Oh Em. You look amazing.”

  Emily stepped in front of the mirror and examined her reflection. “You like it?”

  Taylor touched the silky, gossamer material overlaying the white gown. “I love it. It’s romantic. It’s perfect.” She hugged her best friend, who was more like a sister. “I’m so happy for you.”

  “Don’t you dare get teary-eyed,” Emily warned her sternly, her lips wobbly. “I don’t want to cry.”

  Taylor sniffed. “I know, I know. It’s just that you look so beautiful, and I know how much you and Devlin love each other.” She leaned back and took in the dress once more. “Devlin is so going to fall in love with you even more when he sees you in this.”

  With a laugh, Emily wiped her eyes. “He better. I’m on a strict workout regimen to make sure I look good on my wedding day.”

  “I don’t know why. You’re perfect the way you are.”

  A soft look stole over Emily’s blue eyes. “Devlin said the exact same thing.”

  The salesperson brought over a sheer, lacy veil and arranged it on top of Emily’s hair. She stepped back and narrowed her eyes, critically looking Emily over. “Perfect,” she announced in her haughty English accent.

  When she walked away, the two of them giggled.

  “Oh Em, I’m sure your mom cried when she first saw you in this dress.”

  “We both did,” Emily confessed.

  “I hope that someday I’ll be as happy as you are.”

  Emily took her hands in hers. “You will be. I know it.”

  “I’d want at least four kids, I think. Two boys and two girls would be perfect,” Taylor murmured wistfully. “I’ve always loved big families, especially yours. Your house was always noisy and humming with activity, with kids running around and laughing. It was just fun.”

  “Listen, your childhood wasn’t exactly awful. Just…lonely.”

  She managed a smile, remembering coming home from school with just the housekeeper there to greet her. As soon as she was old enough, she hung out with Emily at the Sinclairs’ house until dinnertime, staying over for Maggie Sinclair’s delicious homemade cooking. They’d accepted her within their circle like she’d been part of their family, and for that she would be eternally grateful. Being with them had alleviated the loneliness of her childhood.

  “So this guy you’re in lust with, do I know him?” When Taylor nodded hesitantly, Emily narrowed her eyes. “Wait a minute, it’s not who I think it is, is it? It’s—”

  “Cooper Hathaway.”

  “What? How come I’ve never heard of this before? Since when?”

  “It’s always been there, I just didn’t say anything because I knew it was hopeless. Why do you think I’ve been dating like crazy during the past year?” Taylor stood up and paced, her arms crossed over her chest. “It hasn’t worked. None of the men I’ve gone out with even come close to making me get over this crazy infatuation I have with Cooper.” Briefly she told Emily about her encounter with Cooper after his lecture. “I mean, he was flirting with me. Actually flirting. I just about died.”

  Ever the voice of reason, Emily asked, “Why? What’s so wrong with him flirting with you?”

  She threw her hands up. “I need him to be aloof and grouchy and reserved and not nice. I want to stop lusting after him—not want him more!”

  With a laugh, Emily shook her head. “Oh you are in so much trouble, aren’t you?”

  “It’s not funny.”

  “Oh but it is. Look at you, all hot and bothered.”

  “Too much,” she muttered. “This is so not good.”

  “What’s the problem? You’re single and attractive. He’s single and attractive. I don’t see what the issue is.”

  Taylor held up a finger. “One, he’s my boss.”

  “Technically,” Emily interjected. “He’s not really your boss boss, you know what I mean? Sure, he runs the corporation that owns The Girl Next Door, but he doesn’t really have a say in our day-to-day operations. You don’t report to him at all.”

  “He owns Hathaway Publishing, so ergo, he’s my boss.”

  “It’s a bit of a stretch,” Emily insisted.

  Ignoring that, she held up two fingers. “Two, how can I interview him and maintain my objectivity if I keep imagining him naked?”

  Emily pursed her lips. “Hmm. I can see how that would be a problem. But I’ve never known you to be anything but objective. You’re professional and care too much about the e-zine to do anything to jeopardize it or your reputation.”

  Taylor pounced on that. “Exactly. That’s number three. My reputation. People will talk, Em. Tongues will wag. I don’t want to be the gossip du jour.”

  That earned her an eye roll. “Since when have you cared about what other people think? When we were in high school, mean girls always talked about you because all the boys liked you. You always went to school with your head held high. Gossip didn’t bother you then, why should you let it now?”

 
She sighed. “It’s different this time.”

  “I don’t see how.”

  The feelings she felt for Cooper were too strong. Too different from what she felt for the other men she’d gone out with. “It is. That’s why I came up with the stupid five-date rule. I’m desperate. I was determined to give it five dates to see if anything developed, to see if I was even a little bit physically attracted.”

  Emily walked over and gave her a hug. “Oh Taylor. If I weren’t so concerned, I would find this whole thing hilarious.”

  “It’s not funny.”

  “It kind of is, in a way. You and I are night and day. You’re bold and adventurous. You’re beautiful. Men flock to you. There’s never a shortage of men waiting to ask you out. Yet you’re scared silly of Cooper.”

  “I can’t get involved with him. There’s too much at stake. I’m too attracted…too…I don’t know. I can’t even express myself. Besides, he’s not exactly a saint.” She held up her hands. “In the past year, I never saw him go out with the same woman twice. He always has new arm candy.”

  “Which means that he’s a serial dater, that’s all. He’s single. He’s rich. He was voted most eligible bachelor. What do you expect?”

  “My thoughts exactly. He’s not the type to stick with one woman.”

  “We don’t really know much about his personal life except what we read in the papers and magazines,” Emily pointed out gently.

  Taylor stared out the window. “True. But what I do know is enough to tell me that this attraction I have for him is hopeless. Futile. I was talking to him today and all I could think of was how his lips would taste. I was mentally undressing him.”

  “Wow, I’ve never seen you this hot and bothered before.”

  “He’s the reason why I’ve bought so many pairs of shoes this year. It’s his fault I can’t find a man I can have a relationship with,” she exclaimed, frustrated.

  “Maybe there’s a silver lining to this somewhere.”

  Taylor stopped and turned to her. “Like what?”

  “Maybe being in close proximity to him will help lessen the attraction.”