âTonight, letâs just be strangers,â she murmured
Then Nora rose up on her toes and pressed her mouth to his.
Peteâs reaction was instant and intense. With a low moan, he pressed her back against the door, covering her mouth with his and pinning her wrists above her head.
He wasnât going to be sorry for this in the morning and neither would sheâheâd make sure of that.
Slowly, deliciously, he seduced her with his tongue, moving from her mouth, to her neck, to the warm valley between her breasts. With insistent fingers, he tugged at her dress until the pink tip of her breast was revealed. He gazed at her with a hunger heâd never known, even as he told himself that she would probably soon put an end to this intimate adventure. Stillâ¦
Noraâs breath caught as he drew her nipple into his mouth, but rather than pull away, she melted into him, making him forget everything but the need to be deep inside her.
âHow much further are you going to let this go?â he asked, his voice thick with desire. âBecause if we continue, I canât guarantee Iâll be able to stop.â
She looked up at him brazenly. âBut what if I donât want you to stop?â
Dear Reader,
It was a long time coming, but here it isâmy first Blaze for Harlequin Temptation. Those of you who read my books regularly will be a little surprised, Iâm sure. After all, Iâm more known for writing humor than hot, steamy sex. But when my editor challenged me to try my hand at a Blaze, I couldnât resist coming up with a story that was very sexy in both premise and execution. But nobody told me I couldnât make it funny as wellâ¦.
First thing, I needed a good recipe for this spicy treat. So I started with Nora Pierce, a very frustrated etiquette columnist whoâs afraid sheâs losing her sensuality to her alter ego, prissy Prudence Trueheart. Then I added sexy sports writer, Pete Beckett, a guy who has a way with womenâand a way of showing up in every one of Noraâs private fantasies.
After I stirred in several other ingredients, such as secret identities and a one-night stand that turned into so many more, I came up with a story that I hope all of you will find sinfully delicious.
Enjoy,
Kate Hoffmann
P.S. I love to hear from my readers. Please write to me c/o Harlequin Books, 225 Duncan Mill Road, Don Mills, Ontario, Canada M3B 3K9.
HARLEQUIN TEMPTATION
697âA BODY TO DIE FOR
731âNOT IN MY BED!
758âONCE A HERO
762âALWAYS A HERO
To my editor Brenda Chin, who believes in me even when I donât. Youâre the best.
THERE WASNâT MUCH he liked about Prudence Trueheart. But he had to admit, he liked the way she moved.
Pete Beckett braced his arms along a low cubicle wall on the far side of the Bullpen, resting his chin on his hands. All around him, the employees of the Heraldâs sports department rushed to make the noon deadline, frantically typing copy on computer terminals, the click of keys creating a familiar din. As a syndicated columnist, Pete met earlier deadlines, and his column was already out on the wire. And since he hadnât decided on tomorrowâs subject, he found himself with nothing to do except ruminate on the physical attributes of the Heraldâs uptight little etiquette columnist, Prudence Trueheart.
Though she always dressed in a tidy little suit and a prissy white blouse, starched board stiff, the body beneath the suit refused to comply with the outward image. To match the clothes, one might expect a ramrod-straight spine and a clipped gait, heels clicking on the floor, mouth pinched in a permanent expression of disapproval.
But the assumption would not be correct. Prudence possessed a fluid grace, her hips swaying ever so slightly with each step, her neck arched and her chin tipped up in subtle defiance. Her arms swung gracefully at her sides and her long fingers were delicately tipped in a conservative shade of cotton-candy pink.
And her mouth. Well, there was something about that mouth that made words of admonishment a waste of a pair of perfectly tempting lips. No matter how hard she tried to look like a Sunday School teacher, Pete couldnât get past the urge to pull every last bobby pin from the knot of pale hair at her nape. Or maybe yank her into his arms and kiss her senseless. Or at least suck on a few of those pretty fingertips.
âGiving Prudence the evil eye will not get you that corner office.â
Pete turned to find Sam Kiley standing beside him, his gaze fixed on the same target. âDo you ever wonder what sheâs like outside the office?â Pete asked. âI mean, does she wear those suits to bed? And is that little bun on the back of her head a permanent thing, or does she let her hair loose when she walks in the front door of her house?â
Prudence disappeared into her office, and Pete craned his neck to see inside the open door. He just couldnât figure the contradiction. How could a woman with so much sensual presence, such an abundance of feminine appeal, be such a royal pain in the butt? This question had been bothering Pete for a long time, and though it begged an answer, he wasnât about to get close enough to the prickly Prudence to find out what that answer was.