Susan Mallery
Seductive One
The third book in the Marcelli Sisters of Pleasure Road series, 2003
To Maureen Child, an extraordinary writer who listened, encouraged, fumed on my behalf, and generally made me feel brilliant. May we always feel that glorious wind.
Here’s to wild success and friendship.
1
Borrowing a million dollars from the devil was one thing; picking a fight with him while doing it was something else.
Brenna Marcelli considered herself to be above average in intelligence. With her future on the line, there was absolutely no way she would be anything but perfectly pleasant during her conversation with Nicholas Giovanni. She would be confident, persuasive, even charming. She would not get crabby, beg, or think about sex. Especially not sex. No matter how good it had been.
But it had been great, she thought as she paced the length of the waiting area in the executive offices of Wild Sea Vineyards. Better than good. One time they’d done it on the beach, and that night on the news there’d been a report of an unexpectedly high tide. Brenna had always wondered if she and Nic were somehow to blame.
“History,” she murmured as she clutched her portfolio more tightly to her chest. “Ancient history. This is a new decade-a new century even. I am empowered. I am impervious. I am really annoyed that he’s keeping me waiting.”
She turned and glared at the closed door leading to Nic’s private office. When his assistant had asked her to wait and promised the man in charge would be with her shortly, Brenna had believed her. Now, nearly ten minutes later, the assistant had disappeared and there was still no sign of Nic.
“Just a power play,” she told herself, then took a calming breath. “I’m not going to buy into it. He can keep me waiting as long as he wants.”