A very intimate seduction

Chicago fashionista Winter Dupree is ready to take the exclusive lingerie boutique she started with her sisters to the next level. Plans are in place to unveil Bare Sophistication’s racy new line during the city’s high-profile winter Fashion Week. Then Winter discovers who she’ll be sharing the spotlight with for this glittering event—gorgeous, arrogant bachelor Taheim Reed, her once blind date from hell!

The masquerade gala is the ideal affair for the brilliant marketing tycoon to debut his men’s nightwear line. But Taheim’s off-the-charts attraction to his cohost—the free-spirited beauty he vowed never to date again—could open him up to heartbreak. His emotional walls have been sky-high since a devastating past betrayal taught him to be wary. Until one kiss from Winter reopens the floodgates of his passion... Now there’s no turning back, even as a seductive schemer jeopardizes their second chance at forever.

He leaned forward and the movement caught her off guard. “If all goes well on this date, I’m hoping it ends in an intimate nightcap.” His eyes dropped to her lips again, but this time, he didn’t hide the heat behind his gaze.

Did he just suggest what I think he suggested?

She didn’t know whether to curse him out or kiss him senseless. The way he quirked his mouth to the side in a smile made her want to see what he had behind his smize. On the other hand, the fact that she immediately had naughty thoughts about a mouth that belonged to a guy who didn’t care enough about the date to be on time—and then had the nerve to look sexy as hell—made her want to give him a tongue-lashing and not the toe-curling kind. So she opted for the latter.

“You have some nerve,” she said as she leaned closer to him. “First, you show up almost an hour late. Then we barely hold a conversation and when we do speak, it’s about things we already know about one another. Next, you suggest that we have an intimate nightcap when you’ve barely put in any work to get me into your bed.”

Dear Reader,

I’d like to introduce you to the Dupree sisters, owners of Bare Sophistication lingerie boutique and the cousins of my Elite Events series heroes—Micah Madden (Red Velvet Kisses) and Malik Madden (Beautiful Surrender). Enticing Winter also features Taheim Reed who was introduced in my debut Mills & Boon Kimani Romance novel, A Tempting Proposal.

I knew the minute Winter and her sisters opened their Chicago boutique, the gorgeous free spirit would be the perfect match for Taheim. Both characters may appear to be total opposites, but as you will learn, they have more in common than they think.

Autumn’s story is next and I can’t wait for you to see what’s in store for her! She lives her life in facts, not fiction. However, this realist may soon meet her match.

Much love,

Sherelle

authorsherellegreen@gmail.com

@sherellegreen

Enticing Winter

Sherelle Green

www.millsandboon.co.uk

SHERELLE GREEN is a Chicago native with a dynamic imagination and a passion for reading and writing. Her love for romance developed in high school after stumbling across a hot and steamy Mills & Boon novel. She instantly became an avid romance reader and decided to pursue an education in English and journalism. A true romantic, she believes in predestined romances, love at first sight and fairy-tale endings.

Dedication

To my aunts and uncles who have constantly supported me in all my endeavors. I honestly cannot thank each of you enough for all your encouragement and guidance. There is nothing in the world greater than knowing I can depend on my family for any and everything.

I love you all...from the bottom of my heart!

Acknowledgments

To my cousin Daniel “Danny” for inspiring the character of Taheim Reed. You’re so ambitious and I love your determination. Not only are you always making everyone around you laugh, but I love the fact that you are so family oriented. It’s so important to have people in your life that you can count on and you are definitely one of those people for me. Your charismatic spirit and fun-loving personality are what often draw people to you. But you’re also private and quiet, always surprising those who may not know you with the way you view a situation or circumstance. It’s in those moments that others get to see another side of you, the man that keeps others guessing and loves with his whole heart.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

Introduction

Dear Reader

Title Page

About the Author

Dedication

Acknowledgments

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Copyright

Prologue

Winter looked at her watch for the tenth time in the past forty minutes. “Unbelievable,” she huffed as she took out her phone to call her sister Autumn. She answered on the second ring.

“Either your date went terrible or he stood you up.”

“Considering he is already forty minutes late, I’m assuming he plans to stand me up.”

“Maybe something came up?”

Winter looked at her phone to make sure she had dialed the right number. “Since when are you an optimist? I expected you to tell me to forget about this blind date and go home.”

“I’m still half realist, half pessimist. But in this case, since you both share a few mutual friends, I think it’s best if you at least wait until he gets there.”

“What if he doesn’t show?”

“Wait ten more minutes. If he doesn’t show, leave.”

As she hung up the phone, she still wasn’t sure she wanted to wait ten more minutes. Just as she’d made the decision to ignore what Autumn said and leave, she felt as if she was being watched. She turned her head toward the entrance of the restaurant and got lost in the chocolate eyes of a man she hated to admit was worth the wait. Since moving to Chicago two years ago, she’d heard more than a few women comment on Taheim Reed’s good looks. Seeing him in person, she now knew firsthand.

He began walking toward the table with a confident stride, gaining the attention of more than a few women.

“Nice to officially meet you, Winter,” he said when he reached the table. She glanced down at his outstretched hand, debating whether or not she should accept it.

“You’re almost an hour late.”

His lips curled into a smile. “I had some business to attend to.”

She waited for him to offer more of an explanation. “So, no apology, then?”

He turned his head to the side and motioned for her to take a seat. She thought about ignoring his request but quickly decided she’d rather sit down than give the people sitting next to them something to talk about.

“I apologize. There is no excuse for keeping a woman as beautiful as you waiting.”

Hmm, smooth talker. Looks-wise, he was definitely Winter’s type. She wasn’t really picky. But personality-wise, he was someone she would never go for. She typically fell for musicians or the starving-artist type. Not the conceited playboy. “I accept your apology.”

“Great,” he said as he took her hand, which was placed on the table. “Now we can get to know each other more.”

She wasn’t sure what it was about his move that irritated her, but she pulled her hand out of his and picked up the menu, which she’d already memorized in the time she’d waited for him to arrive.

“Are you both ready to order?” the waiter asked when he approached their table. She voiced her order, as did Taheim without even opening his menu.

“You must come here a lot.”

He shrugged. “I’ve been here a few times.”

Winter nodded her head as she played with the rim of her glass of water. The awkward silence was unavoidable.

“So what do you do?” he asked as he sat back in his chair.

“I’m one of the owners of Bare Sophistication lingerie boutique in the River North area downtown. What about you?”

“I’m a partner at R&W Advertising and a clothing designer. You may have heard of me,” he said, then took a sip of his water. Winter forced her eyes not to drop to his lips. “I just launched my clothing line, Collegiate Life Apparel, early last year.”

Of course she’d heard of him. And she was sure that because of the friends they shared, he’d heard of her, too. “Congratulations on your success.”

“You, as well,” he replied, confirming that he had heard of her boutique even if he hadn’t said anything. His eyes dropped to her lips before making their way back to her face.

“What are your plans after this date?”

I’d barely classify this as a date. And the question was pretty random, even for Winter, who often loved random questions. “Probably working on some new designs. What about you?”

He leaned forward and the movement caught her off guard. “If all goes well, I’m hoping for an intimate nightcap.” His eyes dropped to her lips again, but this time, he didn’t hide the heat behind his gaze. Did he just suggest what I think he suggested?

She didn’t know whether to curse him out or kiss him senseless. The way he quirked his mouth to the side made her want to see what he had behind his smize. On the other hand, the fact that she immediately had naughty thoughts about the mouth of a guy who didn’t care enough about the date to be on time made her want to give him a tongue-lashing, and not the toe-curling kind. So she opted for the latter.

“You have some nerve,” she said as she leaned closer to him. “First you show up almost an hour late. Then we barely hold a conversation and when we do speak, it’s about things we already know about one another. Next you suggest that we have an intimate nightcap?”

“I apologized for being late,” he said, clearly amused by their banter. “And I did plan on asking you more questions. But let’s just cut to the chase.” He brushed his fingers over her arm and it took all of her energy not to give him the satisfaction of her pulling away again. “We both know how this night is going to end. You’re as attracted to me as I am to you.”

“Oh, I see,” Winter said. “This is how it usually works for you.” She waved her hand back and forth between them. “You take a woman out, spit a few seductive words, and before you know it, you’re dragging her back to your place.”

He squinted his eyes together as if he was contemplating what she was saying. “Pretty much. I wouldn’t proposition you if I couldn’t tell you were already interested.” He leaned back in his chair. “Until you admit it, too, you’re just wasting both of our time.”

Who the heck is this guy? “Ha!” she said, finally moving her arm from his touch. “I bet that underneath that arrogant facade is a little boy who was hurt so badly by a woman that he developed this playboy alter ego. When deep down, he’s just damaged goods.”

She watched the spark behind his gaze leave, and although she wished she didn’t, she missed that glimmer of light. She almost wanted to take back her words, but he quickly covered up the fact that she’d gotten to him.

“I heard about you when you got to Chicago,” he said with his smirk back in place. “A woman who calls herself a free spirit and doesn’t take dating seriously. Maybe you’re trying to hide behind the fact that you’re scared of a man getting too close to you because when he gets to know the real you, he won’t like what he sees.”

* * *

Taheim inwardly winced at the hurt look on Winter’s face. He had no idea what had provoked him to say those words to a woman he barely knew.

Yes, you do, the voice inside his head stated. She got a little too close to the truth, so instead of being a gentleman and letting it slide, you shot back.

“I think it’s best if we end this so-called date.” Their food hadn’t even arrived yet, but he knew she was right.

“I agree,” he said. “I know the owner, so I’ll just cover dinner, even though we didn’t eat.”

“I can pay for my own dinner,” she said, already digging in her purse.

“It’s fine, really.”

She looked up from her purse. “No, it’s fine...really!”

“So now you’re just repeating what I say?”

“Not at all. Unlike those other moochers you probably date, I can cover my own dinner.”

“I’ve only dated top-quality women,” he said, suddenly defensive.

The side-eye she gave him proved she wasn’t buying it. “Fifty bucks says you’re lying.”

In truth, he didn’t always date quality women, but he wouldn’t tell her that. Hell, he couldn’t remember the last woman he’d dated who actually intrigued his mind. He’d be the first to admit, but not to her, that he thought more with the lower part of his body in regards to the opposite sex.

“I don’t know why the ladies of Elite Events thought we would be a good fit.”

“Me neither,” he agreed. “As soon as I sat down, you’d decided that this date was going to be terrible. My guess is you hate blind dates and I was doomed from the start.”

“Me? What about you?” She stopped searching her purse. “You assumed that I would be one of those women you’ve dated that hangs on to every word you say. Before you even sat at this table, you knew how you were going to approach me. So I think it’s safe to say we both agree this date was a mistake.”

He studied her facial features, assuming her tenseness mirrored how his own face appeared.

“Hey, Taheim.” He turned to the voice he heard behind him.

“Hey, Amanda, how are you?”

“Fine now that I saw you,” she said as she leaned slightly toward him, evidently trying to bring his gaze from her face to her chest. “I was hoping you could take me out after you finish up with whatever this is.” She flicked her hand toward Winter in disregard.

Taheim chanced a glance at Winter and was unable to miss the knowing look in her eyes. “Just like I said,” she replied as she finally pulled out some cash, which she placed on the table for her half of dinner. “The moochers trailing behind you are in full effect tonight, huh?”

“What did you just call me?” Amanda said, pointing a long acrylic nail in Winter’s direction.

Winter stood to put on her coat, completely ignoring Amanda.

“I asked you a question.”

“Which I ignored,” Winter said as she turned to face Amanda. “Listen, I don’t care what you and Taheim do after I leave. Regardless of the fact that I can’t stand to be at this dinner a minute longer, I could have called you much worse considering that you are the one who came to the table and rudely ignored the fact that I was sitting here.”

Amanda flicked her long weave over her shoulder and placed her arm over Taheim’s shoulder. “That’s because you’re irrelevant.”

Winter lifted an eyebrow and took two steps toward Amanda. To Taheim’s surprise, Amanda actually took a couple steps back. Winter then looked at Taheim and brought her lips closer to his ear.

“Quality women, huh,” she whispered. “You owe me fifty bucks.”

With that she grabbed her purse and walked out of the restaurant.

“Did she just say I wasn’t a quality chick?” Amanda asked as she poked him in the side. “She must have me confused with someone else, because I’m as classy as they come.”

She walked over and sat in the seat that Winter had just vacated, in a dress so tight he swore he could see the imprint of her panties. “And since she was so disrespectful, I’ll take this money as a consolation for having to listen to her talk crap about me.”

As he watched Amanda stuff the cash Winter had placed on the table in her bra, he averted his eyes and winced. Not only had his blind date crashed and burned, but Amanda—a woman whose company often kept him amused—was making him want to run to the nearest exit.

Chapter 1

Three months later

“Angelique, you seriously cannot be doing this to me right now!”

Winter Dupree clutched her smartphone, trying to refrain from throwing it against the wall. “There are thirty women waiting to see you strut your stuff across the hardwood floor in less than an hour.”

“I know, Winter, and I’m so sorry,” Angelique replied.

“Whoosah.” Winter took a deep breath as she stepped deeper into the dimly lit walk-in closet. “Now’s the time when you tell me this is just a joke and men dressed in funny costumes are going to throw confetti and yell ‘Surprise!’”

She briefly noticed that all the coats and jackets in the closet coordinated with a pair of shoes that were placed right beneath them. Seriously? Who the heck does that?

It was bad enough she was hiding in a closet when she was supposed to be hosting a bachelorette party, but now she was also snooping in the closet of a man she’d rather forget existed.

“Our flight takes off in less than ten minutes, so this is definitely not a joke.”

“I think your boyfriend surprising you with a trip to Paris is amazing, since his timing is perfect,” she said sarcastically. “How about I just tell the client that my top model was swept away on a romantic getaway, so we will show our backless embellished lace babydoll paired with a pearl lace thong on a dull mannequin instead.”

“Oh, Winter, that would be awesome. I was worried—”

“I was not being serious,” Winter said, cutting off the rest of Angelique’s sentence. “I’d rather have a root canal than tell a client we can’t deliver on what we promised. I’ll have to figure something else out.”

“Why don’t you have another model wear that piece?”

Winter quirked one eyebrow and blinked several times. “I’ll pretend like you didn’t just say that my customized piece that was made to fit your measurements exactly could be worn by another model. Those chic black pieces are the signature look for our European-inspired lingerie collection and you are the only model who can pull off the look.”

“I’ll make it up to you when I get back to Chicago,” Angelique said, rushing Winter off the phone. “It’s the last boarding call. Talk to you soon!”

Winter dropped her head to the floor as she listened to the silence on the other end of the call. “Ugh! Must be nice to get whisked away on a trip to Paris.” She knew she sounded bitter, but at the moment, she didn’t care. Angelique was one of her best models. Also the first model who had signed up when word spread through the Chicago fashion industry that Bare Sophistication had decided to throw masquerade lingerie events to promote signature pieces from their store. Winter had been in business with her sisters for over two years now and she was really excited about the direction Bare Sophistication was taking.

She and her sisters had immediately developed a great business model. Winter handled all the visual merchandising and design for the lingerie store. Autumn managed the business and sales, while Summer handled all public relations and advertising despite the fact that she was currently residing in Miami. Their newly appointed manager, Danni Allison, assisted in the daily operations and staff management.

Last month Winter had decided that it was time to bring their boutique to another level. She’d come up with the idea of throwing upscale masquerade lingerie events that offered customized pieces that weren’t available in-store and therefore only available if purchased at an elaborate masquerade lingerie party. In addition, they also offered sexy European-inspired nightwear and robes to complement the lingerie.

With the help of her friends at Elite Events Incorporated, Winter had been able to gather a list of Chicago’s most influential women. She’d then sent the group of women a special invitation so that those interested could schedule an informational one-on-one meeting to learn more about hosting a Bare Sophistication masquerade lingerie event. Within a week, she had ten events lined up.

“Winter, are you in there?”

Winter cracked the door open and pulled Danni inside the closet. “Angelique can’t make the lingerie fashion show tonight.”

Danni’s eyes grew big with panic, mirroring exactly how Winter felt. Tonight was their first event and Winter’s first client, Kaya Reed, was extremely excited to have Bare Sophistication host a lingerie party for her best friend’s bachelorette party. Despite the fact that Winter had an adamant dislike for Kaya’s older brother Taheim Reed, she had eagerly agreed to help Kaya, who happened to be a sweetheart, throw a party her friend would never forget.

Unfortunately, that included a top-notch lingerie fashion show that ended with the signature piece Kaya was convinced her bestie would appreciate as a bachelorette gift. Which was why it was imperative that she have a model actually try on the best piece in the collection.

“There’s absolutely no way she can make it here in time?” Danni asked.

“Nope, her boyfriend surprised her with a trip to Paris.”

“Aww, how romantic. I wonder if he’ll propose on the trip. I bet Angelique is hoping he proposes. If you had seen the two of them in the store the other day when he picked her up for lunch... They were so cute...”

“Danni,” Winter said as she waved a hand in front of her to cut her off. Winter hated being rude, but she had little time to put together a backup plan now that Angelique was a no-show. “Sorry to cut you off, but we need to focus. Can we switch out any of the models to have them try on the special piece?”

Danni quirked her mouth to the side in thought. “I’m sure we can, but we also chose Angelique because she was similar in size and build to the bride-to-be. That way the bride would have a visual of how she would look before Kaya surprised her with the customized set we made for her.”

“I understand, but we may have to make do with another model.” Even as the words left her mouth, Winter found it hard to believe them. Oftentimes her sisters teased her about being a go-with-the-flow type of woman. But when she wanted things to go a certain way and plans didn’t work out, she could never hide her disappointment.

“You know there’s another solution to this problem,” Danni said.

“I’m all ears.”

Danni averted her eyes as if trying to find the right words. “There’s only one woman who is similar to Angelique.” Hopeful eyes met Winter’s.

“I know you’re not suggesting what I think you’re suggesting.”

“Oh, come on, Winter.” Danni tugged on her arm. “You’d look amazing in the piece and you definitely have the shape for it.”

“You have got to be kidding me.” Winter knew that there would come a time when one of her models would flake on her. But there was absolutely no way she was modeling the lingerie herself.

“I have an image to uphold and modeling in little to nothing isn’t exactly the visual I want to leave for the women in that room.”

“Angelique was going to wear a masquerade mask anyway that covered half her face. Even if some of the ladies know it’s you, they won’t say anything. Plus, half of them are tipsy anyway.”

Of course, Winter knew all about the mask since she was the one who’d decided on the look for Angelique. But that wasn’t the point.

“Danni, I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“Do you have a better one?” When Winter remained silent, Danni continued. “Okay, then. Let’s get out of this closet and get you ready. The other models are preparing in the bathrooms and spare room on this level, but Kaya said we could use the bedroom upstairs if we need more room.”

Reluctantly, Winter let Danni drag her down the hall. She passed a few ladies who spoke about what a great time they were having so far. The minute they walked into the bedroom in the corner of the second level, Winter knew it was Taheim’s.

“Is there another room we can use?”

Danni squinted her eyes in confusion. “Don’t be silly—this is fine. I have to make sure the ladies are ready since you’ll now be in the show instead of running the show.” She ushered Winter into the room before turning quickly on her heels. “I’ll grab your lingerie outfit and I’ll be right back so you can change. Don’t worry—you’ll be great.”

She didn’t have a chance to respond before Danni was out the door, leaving her alone in the last place she wanted to be. Large black-and-gray contemporary furniture filled the confines of the spacious bedroom, which was equipped with a water wall and sunken living space.

Of course Mr. Too-Arrogant-for-His-Own-Good has a bedroom to die for. She wouldn’t put it past him to have a walk-in closet bigger than her bedroom either. The closet she’d been hiding in earlier was already half the size of her bedroom. As if her feet had a mind of their own, they carried her in the direction of the closet, which began to slide open the minute she stepped in front of it.

“Well, I’ll be damned,” she said aloud as her hand grazed over the first row of clothing hanging on the lower pole. Just as she’d predicted, his closet was bigger than her entire bedroom. Whenever she thought about Taheim Reed, all that came to mind was complete and utter frustration. The man was a walking nuisance and even though she seemed to be the only woman in Chicago not falling for the playboy, it didn’t ease her irritation.

The first time she’d heard about Taheim, she’d been attending an annual networking event thrown by Elite Events Incorporated. While she’d met the Elite Event ladies through her cousins Micah and Malik Madden, that day she’d really bonded with them and had been surprised when they mentioned that they had a friend she would be perfect for.

Winter would rather have had a full-body wax than go on a blind date, but with a little coaxing, she’d agreed to the setup. Fortunately, since she’d been busy getting her company off the ground and Taheim had been promoting his clothing line, they hadn’t immediately gotten a chance to go on that date. She’d thought she’d dodged a bullet until her new friends suggested they go out before the first practice for the Elite Events Charity Date Auction, which both she and Taheim were a part of. If she’d known then what she knew now, she would have told them there was no way in hell she was going on a date with Taheim Reed.

Winter left the walk-in closet—which conveniently closed right after she’d exited—and ran her hand across a couple cologne bottles sitting on the top of his dresser. She then moved her hands over his watches. She tilted her head to the side and admired the black watch box, which seemed big enough to hold more than fifty watches. When her eyes landed on the watch he’d been wearing when they’d gone out, her stomach stirred with awareness and something she refused to acknowledge. She thought back to the moment he’d entered the restaurant wearing a business suit, clearly having just come from a meeting. Even though he had been almost an hour late and she’d been ready to leave, she had called her sister Autumn, who’d convinced her to stay.

She’d been caught off guard by his good looks. She’d seen pictures of him, but those photos hadn’t done the milk-chocolate Adonis justice.

“Here’s the outfit,” Danni said, causing Winter to jump, as if Danni could see the direction her naughty mind was going. “If you head down in about fifteen to twenty minutes, that should be fine.”

“Okay,” Winter mumbled as Danni closed the door behind her. She glanced at the black lace material lying on the bed and the stylish black-and-white masquerade mask that would complete her overall look. She hadn’t really modeled since she was in college, but desperate times called for desperate measures. There was no doubt in her mind that the group of women downstairs were ready to purchase one-of-a-kind Bare Sophistication pieces.

* * *

“I can’t believe I forgot the spare key,” Taheim Reed whispered to himself as he tiptoed through the door of his condo and quickly made his way to the flight of stairs leading to the second floor.

When his sister, Kaya, had asked if she could use his condo for her best friend’s bachelorette party, Taheim had immediately agreed. Kaya was his heart and there was nothing that he—or his older brother, Ajay—wouldn’t do for her, even if that meant having a bunch of tipsy women in his place. So he’d packed an overnight bag and headed to his friend Jaleen’s condo so that Kaya could have the freedom to do as she pleased. But forgetting the spare key to his friend’s place wasn’t part of the plan. Especially since Jaleen was out of town. Now he was sneaking into his own home, attempting to go unseen by his sister or any of the other women in attendance.

When he hit the top of the stairs, he briefly looked over the banister to see if his eyes were playing tricks on him. What the hell is going on? he thought as he observed several women strutting around his place in lingerie. He expected to see half-naked women at a bachelor party, but a bachelorette party? It didn’t make sense. When he caught a glimpse of Kaya talking to another attractive woman in lace lingerie, he figured it was best if he got the key and exited as quickly as possible.

As he made his way down the hall, he thought about the fact he had never asked Kaya what type of bachelorette party she was throwing. He trusted his sister to be responsible and the last thing he wanted was to hear the details of the type of night she was preparing. Seeing as his condo had turned into a scene right out of a late-night adult reality show, he probably should have asked a few more questions.

He opened the double doors of his bedroom and immediately stopped in his tracks. Standing in the middle of his sunken living room, slowly pulling up a pair of thigh-high stockings, was the sexiest woman he’d ever laid eyes on.

Her back was completely bare with the exception of a pearl thong delicately placed between two plump cheeks he was dying to get his hands on. Her long hair was delicately draped to one side in soft brown curls. The black heels adorning her feet were the type meant to stay on in the bedroom...the kind that appeared in every man’s fantasy. Similar to the type of fantasy Taheim was witnessing right now.

He didn’t know who this seductress was in his room and damned if he even cared. Obviously, like the other women downstairs, she was participating in whatever was going on for the bachelorette party. But unlike the other women he’d seen, this one made every fiber in his body come to life. What man wouldn’t be standing on high alert upon finding an attractive woman half-naked in his bedroom? But that wasn’t all that had him salivating over her as if he were a starved man who’d just been told he could have anything on the menu. It was the crazy notion that this woman was in his bedroom for him and him only, his for the taking.

Taheim could definitely have his share of women, but looking at the tempting beauty oblivious to his arrival made him feel as if it had been months since he’d had sex instead of weeks.

She lifted her right leg and slightly bent her back as she tied the black ribbon at the top of her thigh-high stockings. When she lightly adjusted the pearls at the top of the thong, Taheim sucked in a breath, unable to hold back his lust any longer.

He let out a slow whistle as he took a gradual perusal of her body from her thighs and up her back, lingering at the delicate slope of her neck.

At the sound of his voice, she began to slowly turn her head over her left shoulder to the door where he was standing. His heart began beating faster as he waited for her to completely turn around to face where he stood. When she finally did, she gasped in surprise. He was sure her gasp was nothing in comparison to the groan that had escaped his lips.

The black-and-white mask covering half of her face only enticed him more. Who was this woman? And how did he get so lucky as to find her in his bedroom? He was so busy taking in his fill of her that he almost didn’t realize that she was removing her mask. He waited in anticipation as inch by inch she revealed herself. Once the mask was completely removed, it took every ounce of energy he had to try to maintain a neutral face.

Of course it’s her. It had to be the world’s idea of playing a cruel joke on him. Was she the worst date he’d ever had? Hell yeah. Was she still extremely beautiful? Absolutely. Did she still elicit feelings inside him that he wished would just go away? Of course she did. Was she the last person he wanted to see in his bedroom? Not really.

How, out of all the women in the world, was she the one standing in his bedroom wearing barely anything? Then she bit her lip, obvious desire in her gaze...and he lost his train of thought completely.

Chapter 2

Cover yourself, Winter thought to herself. She wanted to grab the blanket draped over the sofa so that Taheim would stop looking at her as though he wanted to cross the room and drag her to the bed. Even worse, she was sure she would willingly let him drag her anywhere.

She’d seen him at a couple events in Chicago since their blind date and had learned a bit more about him. But they had both managed to avoid each other most of the time, and when they didn’t, they’d just ended up arguing about unrelated things. Even when they’d caught each other’s gazes on occasion, it hadn’t been anything like the sexual chemistry currently floating through the room.

“Kaya said I could come in here to change,” she said nervously. She didn’t even know why she was so nervous. One thing Winter didn’t do was get nervous around men. Especially men she couldn’t stand.

“No problem.” She waited for him to say more, but his eyes trailed down to her body, reminding her that he had an unobstructed view of the most risqué part of the lingerie.

She quickly moved her hands to cover the front part of her thong and was rewarded by Taheim sucking in his breath in admiration.

“You look beautiful,” he said as he brought his gaze back to her face. She blinked several times, caught off guard by his sincerity.

“Thanks.”

“I just forgot something.” He walked over to his dresser and pulled out what looked like a key. When he turned back to her, he didn’t say anything.

She didn’t know what was more awkward: the fact that he couldn’t seem to find his voice after seeing her in little to no clothing, or the fact that she usually had a lot to say, but she, too, couldn’t find the right words at the moment.

She was so caught up in her own thoughts that she didn’t realize he was walking toward her until he was only a few inches away.

What is he up to? And why wasn’t she backing away from him instead of moving closer?

When he reached her, he studied her eyes before his gaze dropped to her lips. She didn’t want to mess up her lipstick, but she couldn’t help but lick them. The groan that escaped his mouth made her bring her eyes toward his lips, as well. In her spare time, Winter often liked to paint, and the shape of his lips was the perfect subject.

Focus, Winter! Don’t forget he was the worst blind date of your life. It wasn’t that she’d forgotten that tidbit of info, but more like she was just choosing to ignore it.

“May I?” he asked, the deep timbre of his voice causing her nipples to harden instantly.

“Sure,” she said, surprised that her voice was so breathless. Wait, what did I just agree to?

He must have sensed that she didn’t know, because he smiled knowingly before kneeling to the floor.

Her eyes widened at the sight of him on his knees precisely adjacent to the part of her that was aching for his touch. Dang! The last touch she should be craving was his! A man who assumed that all he had to do was voice a few words and she’d turn to putty in his hand.

When his hands grazed her thighs, she shivered. She wasn’t sure what he was doing and she was even more worried about the fact that deep down, she didn’t care what he was doing.

She looked down at him and watched him study her left thigh-high. Strong fingers picked up the black ribbon on the thigh high, and slower than she liked, he tied a bow to match the one she’d made at the top of her right thigh.

When he stood back up, their eyes collided once again. The rise and fall of their chests moved in unison and the sexual tension caused her to shuffle from one heel to the other. The intensity in his stare was almost too much to handle.

“Winter, everyone’s downstairs waiting for you to...”

They both turned toward the door as Danni entered and stopped midsentence.

“You’re up,” she finished as she looked from Winter to Taheim.

“I better go,” he said as he turned and walked out the door.

“Um, any reason why you and the guy you claim to hate were in here looking as if you wanted to rip each other’s clothes off?”

“Beats me.” Winter shrugged. “I’m ready. Let’s do this.”

Danni was grinning like a kid on Christmas, which annoyed Winter even more. If she’d thought she didn’t like Taheim before, she really couldn’t stand him now.

* * *

There wasn’t much that Winter Dupree couldn’t handle, but she was certain that watching a roomful of women drool over Taheim Reed was a torture unlike anything she’d ever experienced.

“Did you hear the rumor that he has another clothing line in the works?” said a perky brunette to a couple women who had conveniently chosen to stand right in front of her and gawk at Taheim from afar. “I swear that man gets sexier by the day.”

“Look at the way he moves across a room,” said another woman. “I’ve heard the way he is in the bedroom is enough to keep a woman pining for more.”

Taheim chose that exact moment to turn, giving them a nice view of his backside covered in a black sweater and dark jeans. “Oh man, I’d love to test-drive that,” said the third woman.

Ugh, forget torture. Listening to them was enough to make her want to pop her eardrums. It wasn’t that she particularly disagreed with them. Taheim was definitely sexy. Even she’d admit that. But unfortunately, his looks didn’t mask the fact that he was still a jerk. A jerk that she had been fantasizing about ever since he’d walked in on her in his bedroom last week, wearing nothing but a babydoll and thong.

When Winter had accompanied her sister Autumn to a business convention in Chicago three years ago, they’d been convinced that the city was the perfect place to open their lingerie boutique, Bare Sophistication. Since their youngest sister, Summer, had a huge opportunity to work for a top New York fashion public relations firm, Winter and Autumn had agreed to take the reins and make the move to open their store. Living in New Jersey had been great, but she was glad she had a life in Chicago. Now, three years later, Winter didn’t have any regrets except for one...going on a date with Taheim Reed.

Although she hadn’t had any family in Chicago when she first moved, she hadn’t been surprised when her cousins Micah and Malik Madden moved to the city from their respective towns. Micah had been a police officer in Arkansas before he joined forces with Shawn Miles to open M&M Security in Chicago. Malik, a private investigator with offices in Detroit and Chicago, had also decided to move from Detroit and make Chicago his permanent home. Why had both of her male cousins decided to move to Chi-Town? Well, as much as Winter and Autumn would have loved to believe a part of it had to do with them, Micah and Malik had both proved their moves had more to do with the Chicago natives they’d fallen in love with.

Which brought her to the reason she was attending this party despite the fact that it was being held at a lounge owned by Taheim’s brother. She glanced over at the happy couples, who were beaming with joy. Her cousins had both fallen in love with cofounders of Elite Events Incorporated, a very respected event-planning company headquartered in Chicago. Winter admired the success of the founders, Imani Rayne-Barker, Cydney Rayne-Miles, and Winter’s cousin-in-law, Lexus Turner-Madden, and soon-to-be cousin-in-law, Mya Winters.

“I don’t really understand the point of having engagement parties.” Winter turned at the sound of her sister Autumn’s voice.

Leave it to her sister to try to rationalize an event that people had been celebrating for decades. “You know, we should be happy that Micah married Lex and that Malik and Mya will be married soon. Especially since we and our other male cousins are nowhere close to getting married.” Malik and Micah had four other brothers, all of whom were single. “And you should also prepare yourself for baby showers that I’m sure are right around the corner.”

“Another pointless celebration,” Autumn chimed in. “I’m happy for them. I just don’t understand why we need manmade holidays, or in this case multiple celebrations, to celebrate a marriage. And baby showers are superficial. I curse the person who took such a sacred act as bringing a baby into the world and labeled the gathering a baby shower.”

Winter gave her sister a blank stare. “Your brain never ceases to amaze me.”

“What?” Autumn said with a shrug. “I thought you’d be happy that I came over to discuss my views on pointless celebrations rather than the fact that you obviously can’t take your eyes off Taheim.”

Her tone of voice was normal, but clearly, mentioning his name had gotten the attention of the women in front of them, who walked off after shooting them looks of irritation.

“See, and now you can thank me for running off those drooling women.”

“Do you think before you speak?” Winter asked as she unscrewed her water bottle to take a much-needed sip. She refused to believe her sister was right, but deep down, she knew it was true. Looks-wise, Taheim Reed was everything she wanted in a man. His creamy milk-chocolate complexion, intense almost-black eyes and strong scored jawline had been the star of more than a few fantasies. Even worse, she’d even used him as inspiration when crafting a new lingerie line that she was working on for Bare Sophistication. Like her, he was also an entrepreneur, which she assumed was the only reason their mutual friends had thought they would be a good fit together.

She watched him walk over to his business partners for R&W Advertising, Jaleen Walker and Imani’s husband, Daman Barker. That was another thing Winter hated that she liked about him. Whether it be women or men, people were just drawn to him. He was such a people person and his charismatic ways worked on everyone...except her. If they weren’t arguing about the color of the sky, as if that even warranted an argument, they were pretending that the other person didn’t exist. Her eyes roamed over his muscular arms encased in fabric before moving to the collared shirt peeking out from underneath his sweater. She appreciated his style and the fact that he always dressed to impress. Being that they were both designers, she understood making a fashion statement in clothing from your own line, but she’d bet that his athletic frame would look good in anything. Even better if he were wearing nothing at all.

Suddenly, her body tensed with awareness, causing her eyes to rush to his face. As she’d figured, his gaze was pinned to her, and for a brief second, she forgot that she hated the guy. That he was the worst blind date ever and the only guy she’d ever met who’d caused her to lose her temper in public. At the sound of her sister mumbling, she broke eye contact and turned to Autumn.

“Two forty-six, 247, 248, 249.”

“Is there a reason you’re counting?” Winter asked.

“Two fifty. As a matter of fact, there is a reason I was counting.”

She waited for Autumn to continue and quickly realized that she wasn’t going to explain further. She really wasn’t surprised. Autumn spoke only when she felt it necessary or when she wanted to rattle off about a statistic or her point of view on certain topics. Her sister was the walking dictionary definition of brains and beauty. Winter could appreciate her uniqueness.

“And what reason were you counting, Autumn?”

“I was counting the number of seconds it took you to not so discreetly gape at Taheim. At thirty seconds your eyes showed interest. At 105 seconds you began to admire things about the way he looked tonight that I assume you hadn’t allowed yourself to notice before. At 195 seconds your heart rate increased when you noticed he was staring at you just as intently. At 250 seconds you finally noticed I was counting.”

She opened her mouth to say something about Autumn’s observation but closed it when no words came out. She scrunched her eyes together instead before crossing her arms over her chest. A chill went down her spine when she thought about the fact that her sister’s stats also meant that she and Taheim had spent almost a full minute just staring at each other.

“Don’t give me that look,” Autumn said. “Especially since you really aren’t that upset at me, since your first coherent thought was obviously the fact that you and Taheim could spend that much time staring at each other. Pretty odd for enemies, don’t you think?”

Winter finally let out a frustrated breath. “You don’t know what I’m thinking.” In response to Winter’s statement, Autumn smiled. Truth be told, Winter and Autumn had been reading each other’s minds since they were kids. When Summer felt left out, Winter had to remind her that she and Autumn were Irish twins since they were born eleven months apart.

“Whatever,” she said with a wave of her hand. “He’s easy on the eyes, so I just got a little distracted.”

“Since your breathing still seems to be labored, I believe you meant to say that you got sexually aroused at the sight of him. Not distracted.”

Winter uncrossed her hands and placed them on her hips. “For once, can you try not to state the obvious?”

“I didn’t know I was stating the obvious,” Autumn said in a serious tone. “I mean, I could tell you were sexually aroused and I wouldn’t put it past a few others to notice the same chemistry whenever you both are in the same room. But I stated my observation because I didn’t think it was obvious to you.”

Winter dropped her hands to her sides and let out a deep sigh. She really didn’t like the fact that Autumn was right yet again. She’d had no idea people could sense the sexual tension between her and Taheim.

“I’m stepping outside to get some air,” she said as she pointed to the rooftop terrace. Maybe the cool late-October air would help lower her body temperature.

Chapter 3

“Taheim, did you hear what I said?”

Taheim tore his gaze away from the five-foot-seven cappuccino beauty with the luscious hips and round hazelnut-colored eyes in time to catch the intuitive glances of his friends Daman and Jaleen.

“Come again?” Taheim asked Daman. His friend shook his head.

“Never mind. It wasn’t that important and I wouldn’t want to stop you from watching Winter walk across the room.”

“Man, I’m not even looking at that woman.” Just as the words left his mouth, Winter glanced over her shoulder before stepping out onto the rooftop terrace. He instantly felt that familiar kick in his gut whenever she looked at him. That kick had gotten even stronger since he’d found her in his bedroom last week. Of all the women for him to be attracted to, it had to be the only woman in Chicago he didn’t get along with.

“Oh really,” Jaleen said, taking a swig of his beer. “So if your eyes weren’t trained on Winter, who I must say is looking good tonight in that sleek black skirt and red blouse, then do tell who has your attention.”

Taheim pinned Jaleen with an irritated stare before he quickly masked his feelings. He didn’t like the fact that Jaleen sounded as if he was checking out Winter, even though he clearly didn’t have any claims on her. In fact, his reaction was downright ridiculous considering his nonexistent relationship, and friendship, with Winter.

“With all the sexy single ladies in this room, Winter Dupree is definitely not getting my attention.” He waved his arms around the room to emphasize his point.

Daman and Jaleen shared a look of disbelief that didn’t go unnoticed by Taheim.

“Seriously, guys, that’s a headache I don’t need right now.”

“Problems with your clothing line?”

“No, sales are great and I even have a big city tour scheduled for next spring to visit the retail stores that will start carrying the line next year.”

“Then what’s the problem?”

Taheim took a sip of his tequila. “It’s the men’s nightwear line that I want to debut before the end of the year. I’d like to get it in stores early next year and talk to retailers about it during the big city tour. T.R. Night will be different from the clothing line, and I guess I’m just trying to figure out the perfect time for a debut.”

“If you’re worried about the market accepting T.R. Night like they did Collegiate Life, then I don’t think you have anything to worry about. The release will be successful.”

He nodded his head at Daman, glad that he had friends who knew just what to say when it came to his diving into another project. Taheim was an entrepreneur in every sense of the word. In addition to being a cofounder of R&W Advertising and the creator of Collegiate Life, he handled all the marketing, promotions and advertising for his brother’s chain of nightclubs and lounges, as well as his parents’ Midwest restaurant chain. Even with all his success, every now and then he ventured into a project more personal than the others. In this case, T.R. Night was that project.

“Thanks, man. The nightwear line has been a little more challenging than the clothing line, but I’m really excited about this.”

“You should be,” Jaleen said. “And if you’re stuck on any designs, there is this one designer who specializes in nightwear who I’m sure could offer you some great ideas.”

“In Chicago? I’m pretty familiar with all the designers in the city. Besides, I think I’m okay on the designs.” There were a few things he questioned, but for the most part, he knew he would figure it out.

“I was referring to Winter.”

Taheim shot Jaleen a look of disbelief. “Is there a reason you keep bringing her up today?”

“I’m just saying. She’s got talent and if you are struggling with any designs, she could probably help.”

“I don’t and never will need the help of Winter Dupree. We can barely stand being in the same room with one another, let alone discuss business. I’ll pass on that.”

Jaleen shrugged. “So did you decide on a date for the debut?”

“I actually have a meeting tomorrow morning with Ajay to discuss something he had in mind for the grand opening of his night lounge in December.” His brother had worked hard to be the most successful club and lounge owner in Chicago and Taheim was glad to see he was finally reaping the benefits of all his hard work.

He was about to continue when he felt a jolt in his pants. Crap. He already knew that Winter had returned from the rooftop terrace without even turning in her direction.

Don’t look her way, he thought to himself. It wasn’t that he cared what his friends would think if they caught him staring at her again, but rather the fact that he needed to get through the rest of the night without imagining her in that mouthwatering lingerie.

Despite his best efforts, his head slowly turned to where she had joined her sister. He hated to admit it, but he was still disappointed by the way he had acted during their blind date. Yes, there were times that he went into dates already knowing that they would end with the woman in his bed, but he hadn’t gone into his date with Winter assuming that. But the minute he’d seen her sitting there her beauty had taken him aback. Winter wasn’t the type of woman to cake on too much makeup every day, but rather she applied just the right amount to accentuate her features.

When women met him, they immediately wanted to date him. Unfortunately, it wasn’t only because of his looks and personality but also because of his money. Or the money they assumed he would dish out to them. Sometimes he felt like a walking ATM rather than an astute businessman who had been fortunate enough to land a few successful business deals. Winter didn’t seem like other women, and instead of going into the date differently, he’d acted like a jerk.

He watched her bring her water bottle to her mouth, instantly jealous of the item as her lips closed around the rim. Lips that would look perfect enclosed around his mouth instead. His eyes left her lips and connected with hers, and he was not surprised to see her looking back at him. He thought she shot him a soft smile, but he was too far across the room to tell.

“So this is you paying attention to other women and ignoring Winter?” Jaleen asked, as he looked in Taheim’s line of vision.

“Whatever, man.”

“Why don’t you just ask her out again?” Daman asked.

“Hell naw, I can’t. The last one was bad enough.”

Daman and Jaleen shared a look, but luckily, they changed the subject. He was being serious when he said he couldn’t ask her out again; however, the reason why wasn’t that the last one had been so bad. The real reason he couldn’t ask her out again was because deep down, he feared what would happen if the date actually went well.

* * *

Taheim admired the exterior of the lounge that his brother Ajay was opening in a month and a half. The South Loop area in Chicago had a good vibe to it and he had every idea the lounge would be successful.

“Ajay, you in here?” he yelled as he walked through the side door.

“I’m back here, bro.”

He followed the sound of his brother’s voice until he reached a room in the back of the lounge.

“What’s up,” Ajay said as they touched fists. “How was Malik and Mya’s engagement party yesterday? I hate that I missed it, but this place keeps me busy.”

“It was nice. The team you have working there was great.”

“That’s why I will be intermixing that staff with the new staff I hire for this location. I want Inferno Lounge to be the best in the city.”

“Well, it’s definitely the largest,” he said as he thought about how massive the venue was when he entered.

“Thanks.” Ajay moved a few boxes off his desk and desk chair before pulling out two chairs from a closet.

“Why did you pull out an extra chair?”

Just as Ajay was about to answer, he was cut off by a female voice. “Hello, is anyone here?”

“One sec, bro,” Ajay said as he left to get the woman behind the voice. As he listened to his brother greet the woman, he strained to make out the details of her voice. It was soft but slightly husky at the same time. It was the type of voice that would be perfect for one of those naughty call centers.

The closer they got, the more aware Taheim’s body became. If he wasn’t mistaken, the voice sounded a lot like...

“Taheim, I hope you don’t mind but I asked Winter Dupree from Bare Sophistication to join our meeting.”

From the stunned look on her face, he assumed she was just as surprised to see him.

“I don’t mind,” he said. When Ajay motioned for her to sit in the chair next to Taheim and their arms brushed, he immediately regretted the words that had just come out of his mouth. He should have told his brother that he definitely did mind and that he would prefer he discuss their business before he discussed whatever business he had with Winter. Which begged the question, What business does my brother have with Winter?

He brushed off the same jealousy he’d felt when Jaleen had complimented the way Winter looked yesterday.

“So, as you both know, Inferno will be opening the week before Christmas. I’ve been racking my brain about the type of grand opening I want to have and I’ve decided that a masquerade gala would be the perfect event.”

“That’s a great idea,” Taheim said as Winter expressed similar sentiments.

“Thanks, guys. So that means this event has to be the best lounge event Chicagoans have ever seen.” He took out a couple sheets of paper and handed a sheet to each of them. “I ran my idea by Elite Events since they will be planning the majority of the grand opening, including a huge part that will require the expertise of both of you.”

Winter looked up from the paper. “And what might that be?”

“On the back side of that sheet, you will see the details of the masquerade lingerie fashion show I want to be the central feature of the grand opening.”

Taheim scanned the back side of the paper and assumed that Winter was doing the same.

“I’m confused, Ajay,” Taheim said. “So you want Winter and me to plan the fashion show?”

“Yes. You both have done fashion shows before and Elite Events has a lot of other items to work on for the grand opening. Winter, I heard that you were working on a new line for the holidays that will release next week or so, correct?”

“That’s right. Some pieces are out already.”

“And, Taheim, you need to debut T.R. Night before you go on tour next spring, right? What about creating some holiday nightwear and, of course, you could show some pieces from the Collegiate line, as well.”

He chanced a glance at Winter, who didn’t seem any more thrilled by the idea than he was.

“Listen,” Ajay said as he waved his hand at both of them. “I know you both have heard that the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events is trying their best to make Chicago a fashion-forward city and that includes more fashion-focused events. It’s a great opportunity to showcase your work and it would really help me out a lot.”

Taheim ran his fingers across his face. There was nothing he wouldn’t do for his family and Ajay knew that.

“Of course I’ll do it, bro.”

“Thanks, man.” Taheim and Ajay both looked at Winter.

“I’m in, too,” she said hesitantly. “It sounds like fun.”

“Great! So I suggest you both share contact info and start planning this fashion show. There are some organizations that I’ve partnered with who may have opportunities for you both to showcase some work, as well, but I’ll let you both know as those opportunities arise. I’m really excited to bring a holiday collection from Bare Sophistication and T.R. Night to Chicago. I’ll leave you both to discuss the best way to begin planning. Remember, Elite Events is here to help, too.”

Yeah, right! It was his friends at Elite Events who had gotten him into this mess with Winter in the first place. First the blind date and now planning a fashion show together? Ajay had always been a forward thinker, but he wasn’t a schemer. This had Elite Events written all over it.

He glanced over at Winter, taking note that she still hadn’t looked him in the eye. He ran his hand over his forehead before placing his forearms on his thighs, trying to think of what to say. In all his thirty-three years, he’d never been at a loss for words around a woman. “I guess we need to set up a date to meet. What day works for you next week?”

She didn’t turn to look at him right away, but when she did, she looked as though she’d rather have been doing anything else than having this conversation.

“Look,” he said, clasping his hands together. “I don’t like this idea any more than you do. But I would love the exposure and I’m sure you would, too. And since Ajay’s my brother, I couldn’t say no even if I wanted to.”

“But that’s insane.”

“What is?”

“What’s insane is the fact that your brother or anyone else would think we could work well together. Over the past couple months, every time we talk, it turns into a debate or an argument. You and I don’t get along.” She waved her hand between the two of them.

“That’s because you disagree with everything I say.”

She gave him the side-eye. “Actually, you are the one who starts most of the arguments.”

“No, I don’t,” he said as he turned his chair more to face her. “Just last month at that fund-raising event that you and I both attended where we happened to be placed at the same table, I was talking to that high school principal about the benefit of a growing man having a good male role model to look up to.”

“And I didn’t disagree,” Winter interjected. “In fact, I agreed with you. I was just pointing out that the same goes for a woman having a good female role model. Sometimes I feel like women get left out of the equation. We need positive role models just like men.”

“But that wasn’t the conversation. That principal was talking about the program he’d created at his school for young men.”

“Exactly my point,” Winter said, turning her chair, as well. “Why start a program for the male students and not have one for the female students? Why segregate the programs at all?”

“I never said I disagreed with you either. I just pointed out the fact that that wasn’t the current topic of discussion.”

“Yeah, and you pointed it out in front of the eight other people at the table, who laughed and then disregarded my suggestion.”

He placed his hands on his chest. “So you’re mad that they thought I was funny?”

She lifted her eyebrows. “How in the world do you process information? It wasn’t because they thought you were funny. It was because they lost sight of my point.”

“Because they were only focused on laughing at me and talking about my viewpoint?”

“Once again, you somehow made this about you.” She sighed and closed her eyes, the sound distracting him from listening to whatever else was coming out of her mouth.

“Taheim, did you hear anything I just said?”

“Every word,” he said as his eyes dropped to her lips. She must have noticed the change in his mood, because her lips parted with awareness.

“So,” Ajay said, reentering the room and breaking the trance between him and Winter. “Did you guys settle when you’d have your first meeting?”

Winter stood and put back on her coat. “Your brother is the most difficult human being to ever walk the planet.”

Ajay laughed as he looked from Winter to Taheim. “Tell me something I don’t know.”

“Call me at Bare Sophistication when you’re ready to set up a meeting,” she said to Taheim as she left the office.

“She was in a hurry,” Ajay said as he sat back in his desk chair. “What did you say to her? Because clearly, it was the wrong thing to say.”

He glanced at the seat that Winter had just vacated. “When it comes to that woman, what don’t I say that’s wrong?”

Chapter 4

Winter’s navy heels clicked on the wood surface in a tempo that matched the hard sound of the rain pounding on the window. It seemed fitting that an early-November rainstorm paired perfectly with her sour mood. A mood that had been one of many ever since she’d heard the news about working with Taheim on the fashion show a couple days ago.

It was a great opportunity, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t slow her heart rate whenever she thought about working closely with him. She glanced over at an unfinished lace cami that she wasn’t sure she could even complete today, as planned. Her creativity was even starting to suffer because her mind was working overtime trying to figure out how she would handle the situation with Taheim.

Autumn appeared at the door. “Can you please stop pacing? I can hear your footsteps down the hall and you’re giving me a headache.”

She ignored her sister’s comment since evidently, she had no idea how much anxiety she was experiencing. Winter never got anxious about anything, but the end of the year was bringing on quite a few behavioral changes for her.

“You’re the one who came back here to my design studio.”

“Aren’t we testy this evening,” Autumn said as she walked farther into the room. “But seriously, you’re going to put a hole in the floor.”

“I’ll stop pacing as soon as I figure out how to work with Taheim without losing my sanity.”

“I’ve never seen you like this. He must be getting under your skin more than I had initially thought.”

Winter stopped pacing and turned to face Autumn. “He doesn’t get under my skin. He’s more like that irritating itch that no matter how much you scratch, it still itches.”

“How is that any different from what I said?”

“You made it seem like I allow him to bother me more than I’ve ever let any man bother me before.”

Autumn walked over to Winter and placed an arm on her shoulder, which was covered in a navy jacket that went perfectly with her white top and dark jeans.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Autumn replied. “I meant to indicate that he gets to you more than anyone has in the past. Male or female.”

Winter rolled her eyes before walking over to the massive wooden table currently covered in red, silver and black fabrics. “Is there a reason you’re here? I thought you had to help Danni change the fixtures in the store.”

“I do, but I got distracted by this guy asking me if he could discuss business with you. Something about some new design ideas, I think. I’m not sure.”

“Okay, I’ll meet with him real quick.” It wasn’t as if she were getting much work done anyway. Usually on Friday evening after the busy lunch crowd, Winter enjoyed spending time cooped up in her studio turning her creative ideas into a reality. Today she’d barely gotten anything done, so maybe talking to someone about possible business would be enough to jump-start her creative juices.

“Where is he?” she asked as she stepped into the store.

“He’s over there.” She followed the direction of Autumn’s hand and immediately shot her sister a look of irritation.

“Are you kidding me? You made it seem like it was a person I didn’t know.”

Autumn smirked. “I never said you didn’t know him. I only said it was a guy who was distracting me. In this case, that person is Taheim, but what does it matter? You said he doesn’t affect you any more than anyone else.”

Instead of responding to Autumn, she stood there and stared at her sister in silence.

“You can stare me down all you want, but that won’t change the fact that Taheim is waiting to talk to you. Sixty percent of the population lie to themselves in hopes of believing that lie.”

Winter squinted her eyes together. “And you’re telling me this in order to say what exactly?”

“That the sooner you stop lying to yourself about the way Taheim affects you, the quicker you can figure out how to handle the situation.”

“I don’t even know why I asked,” Winter said, throwing up her hands in defeat.

“I do,” Autumn said with a shrug. “You’re delaying seeing Taheim. But time is up and the store is slow now, so Danni and I have to change those fixtures. Why don’t you take him to your office or studio?”

Not that she had a choice, since Autumn was already ushering her to Taheim. She didn’t particularly like the fact that he had dropped by without even calling the store and asking her if it was okay. That’s because he’s used to doing whatever he wants. It wasn’t that she had been waiting on his call. But since they really did have business to discuss, she’d figured he would have actually scheduled a meeting with her.

As she got closer to him, she tried to ignore her nerves. Her palms were growing sweatier by the second. The last time that had happened was her senior year at the New York School of Design when she had to present her final design to the board before graduating. And even with that situation, she wasn’t sure the circumstances compared. This is ridiculous on so many levels. Fast heartbeat. Sweaty palms. Moist thighs. What in the world is wrong with me?

Crap. All those reactions represented those of a woman who was attracted to a man. No shit, Sherlock, you are attracted to him. But being attracted to him and acting on that attraction were two different things.

“Hi, Taheim. Did you stop by to talk business?” Way to go, Dupree. Had she really just alluded to the fact that he would stop by to discuss anything other than business?

He turned around slowly in a way that made her wonder if he had to brace himself before seeing her. When his eyes landed on hers, it took all her strength not to gasp aloud. He placed his hands in the pockets of his black pea coat and she tried not to look down at the zipper of his jeans, which was now exposed.

Ever since he had found her in his bedroom, she’d replayed every minute of the encounter and wondered if he would ever look at her the way he’d looked at her that night.

“Hello, Winter.” He gave her a quick once-over. If she had blinked, she would have missed it. “Yes, I was hoping now was a good time. But if it isn’t, we can schedule something else.”

“No, this is fine. How about we head to my design studio.”

The short walk to her studio was filled with awareness of him and she wished he didn’t have to smell so good. Hmm, I wonder what cologne he’s wearing, she thought as she remembered that day in his bedroom. Maybe it’s the Kenneth Cole.

When she walked into her studio, she motioned for him to enter. He lightly brushed past her, filling her senses even more. Or maybe it’s whatever was in that silver bottle. Regardless of what cologne he was wearing, it was driving her crazy. The type of crazy that made a woman want to place tender kisses all over a man’s neck and get lost in his scent.

He stopped in the middle of her studio and did a three-hundred-sixty-degree turn. “You have a nice studio. I bet you create lots of lingerie pieces in here.”

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