Carly Phillips The Playboy (epub)

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.A heavy perfumed odor surrounded him and every male defense mechanism he possessed kicked in.He coughed, gagging on what he assumed was meant to be a potent aphrodisiac.It was potent all right but the woman who’d made the phone call was doomed to disappointment.The only thing that was going to be turned on were the lights.He hit the switch on the wall at the same time Lisa stepped into view.He ought to be surprised by her appearance but figured he was too jaded by recent events.The plain-looking schoolteacher had transformed herself into a daring dominatrix.From her thigh-high black leather boots to her fitted leather bustier, up to her wild, dark, kinky hair, her getup shouted take me now, on the floor, against the wall, it didn’t matter.Rick shook his head.Though he already knew the answer, he asked anyway, “What the hell’s going on?”She propped her shoulder against the wall and assumed a sultry pose.“That should be obvious by now.You’ve turned down every ordinary woman’s offer in town, including mine.I’m about to change that.Despite my day job and normal appearance, I can be most untraditional.” She crooked a red painted fingernail his way.“Come let me show you my props.”A raised eyebrow was the most Rick could manage in response.Then he heaved a healthy sigh, certain of only one thing.His meddling mother, Raina, was behind Lisa’s continued, less-than-subtle attacks.Raina had vested every woman with the notion that her middle son would settle down if only he found someone special, someone who’d keep him entertained.Lisa, like many other females in town, had obviously taken his mother’s words to heart.Though Raina was right in thinking Rick appreciated uniqueness, she was wrong believing he’d ever marry again, let alone have children.Given his past experience at the altar, his mother ought to know better.Why put his heart on the line to be trampled when he could enjoy the vast array of women out there with no hurt involved? Though his playboy reputation was highly overrated, it was a fact he enjoyed women.Or he had until the Yorkshire Falls female population had launched their all-out attack on his bachelorhood.“So are you ready to tie me up?” Lisa dangled a pair of fur-lined handcuffs his way.Another time, another place, hell another woman and he might be interested in her charms.But with Lisa, the chemistry didn’t exist and he preferred her friendship to her feminine wiles.He folded his arms across his chest and told her what he’d said the last two times she’d propositioned him, though not as overtly as this.“Sorry.I’m not biting.”She blinked, a sudden hint of vulnerability in her eyes.“That’s fine.I can do all the nibbling necessary for us both.” She smiled, baring her white teeth, her words dispelling any illusion of softness he thought he’d seen.“Not now, Lisa.” He rubbed his aching temples.“To be honest, not ever.” The words didn’t come easily.Rick worried about her feelings despite her predatory actions.After all, his mother had raised him to be a gentleman.But he’d bet even Raina, for all her pushing, hadn’t anticipated how far the women of Yorkshire Falls would go to get his attention.If Lisa favored leather over lace, she probably had a tough hide.Besides, she had to know with a blatant gesture like this, she was risking rejection.Just as he knew that if he softened toward her at all, he risked a repeat episode.It had happened before, not just with Lisa.Other women, other outrageous stunts.This was the third attempted seduction this week.She shrugged and glanced away, obviously more fazed than she wanted to admit.Yet once again she recovered, this time by licking her tongue over glossed lips.“One day I will strike the right chord.”He doubted it.Rick started for the door, but turned back.“You might want to take note of the fact that it’s illegal to call 911 unless you’re truly in distress.” He ought to take out a reminder ad in the paper, but why waste trees and ink when the women wouldn’t listen? Why should they when his determined mother wanted grandchildren and didn’t care which son provided one first.“I’ll see you at the teacher DARE training program,” Lisa said before he shut the door behind him.“Swell,” he muttered.An hour later, his shift nearly over, Rick used the time to fill out a report, omitting select details of his last stop.He couldn’t see causing Lisa any trouble by reporting the incident as anything other than a false alarm.But he hoped this latest rejection had taught the teacher a new lesson about calling the police unnecessarily.He picked up a rubber band and aimed it across the squad room.At one time he’d found his mother and her myriad women amusing, but no longer.He had to find a way to get them all to back off but damned if he knew how.He narrowed his gaze and fired away.The rubber band hit his target, a torn magazine photo of a sappy-looking bride and groom hanging against the backdrop of the dingy beige wall.“Bull’s-eye.”“Better not let Mom see that [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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