Cassie Goodwin wondered if her face was as crimson as it
felt. From a plastic cup she took a deep drink of cool white
wine that had been smuggled into the library for the monthly
meeting of the Red Tote Book Club. The sweet, sharp tang of
the sauvignon blanc flowed over her tongue as the shocking
words of the group's coordinator, Gabrielle Pope, still
reverberated in Cassie's head.
I dare you to take the book that most spoke to you, that
most changed you, and use the book's themes and the lessons
to seduce the man of your dreams.
When Cassie had seen the ad posted on a local Web site about
a book club for women who wanted to add a little spice to
their entertainment reading, she'd been intriguedโฆand a
little scared, not knowing what she might be walking into.
But since the meeting was to convene in a public place,
she'd told herself she would be safe. And that she could
leave if she found the group to be populated with abrasive,
subversive types who made her uncomfortable.
To her surprise, the four other women who had joined the
group that first night were normalโฆ boring, evenโwith the
exception of Wendy Trainer, who had bounded into the room
like a popular girl on the first day of school. Her
disarming smile and witty chatter lured the other
membersโCassie, Page Sharpe, Jacqueline Mays and Carol
Snowโout from behind their sunglasses and nervous expressions.
Cassie had always been a voracious reader, but had never
considered herself the book club type. For her, reading was
a private pleasure, enjoyed in bits of precious leisure time
here and there. For the short time she and fellow architect
Mark Shapiro had dated, she'd barely had time to read her
mail, much less an entire book.
But after Mark had unceremoniously dumped her, she was
suddenly left with a lot of free time. Sagging under a
battered ego, she'd tucked in many a chilly night with a
good book to keep her company. And in the process, she'd
rediscovered her love of reading. The Red Tote Book Club had
come along at the perfect time for Cassie. The camaraderie
over discussing classic erotic novels made her feel
connected againโฆ and the naughty content between the covers
made her feel feminine again.
But the dare from Gabrielle, for the members to put words
into action, had caught her by surprise.
And Cassie was still reeling over the fact that she'd been
the first person in the group to pipe up and accept the
challenge.
Mark's face had popped into her mind immediately, along with
his parting wordsโฆ
Sorry, CassieโI think you're a great girl, butโฆI guess
we're just not that into each other. Something's missingโฆ
Meaning, she didn't turn him on.
His brush-off had blindsided her, left her flat-footed and
speechless. Partly because she'd attributed Mark's friendly
hugs and chaste good-night kisses to the behavior of a
classic southern gentleman. She'd been content to let things
simmer while they got to know each other.
Meanwhile, Mark had apparently mistaken her lack of sexual
initiative for disinterest.
And when he'd broken up with her, she hadn't known how to
tell him that, in fact, she lay awake every night thinking
about the two of them intertwined. She'd been more attracted
to Mark than any man she'd ever dated, but she'd held back
because Mark was such a catch and she hadn't wanted to mess
things up by coming across as promiscuous or desperate.
Besides, they were in the same industry. Even in a city the
size of Atlanta their paths still crossed occasionally and
they had mutual acquaintances in the field of architecture.
She had a reputation to uphold.
On the other hand, she missed Markโmissed his tilting smile
and his zest for life. She'd agonized over approaching him
and suggesting they give their relationship another chance.
After all, they enjoyed each other's company and had much in
common. They'd shared great conversations over meals they
prepared together and during long hikes. But when Mark had
looked at her with desire, it had left her so tongue-tied,
she could only look away or change the subject. In
hindsight, she hadn't given him any reason to think they
would light up the sheets.
So many times since their abrupt goodbye Cassie had wondered
how she could change Mark's perception of her, and now,
Gabrielle had just offered her the framework.
"Earth to Cassie."
Cassie blinked to find fellow book club member Wendy waving
a hand in front of her face. "Sorryโdid I miss something?"
Their leader, Gabrielle, gave her an indulgent smile. "I was
saying that since you spoke up first, you must already have
a man in mind."
"I do," Cassie murmured, glancing around at the other women.
They gathered in a forgotten room of the library, in low
lighting and comfortable chairs. In the center of the table
were decadent foodstuffs they'd each contributed to
shareโfruit, chocolate, pastries.
"Does that mean you're willing to go first?" Gabrielle asked.
Cassie took a deep breath, then nodded. "Yes, I'll go first."
"Excellent. Can you tell us more about this man you want to
seduce?" Gabrielle prodded gently.
Cassie hesitated. "I don't want to get into specifics, but
he's someone I used to date. I was half in love with him and
I always thought we deserved another chance."
"Why did you break up?" Page Sharpe, a shy auburn-haired
woman spoke tentatively, as if she didn't expect Cassie to
answer her.
Cassie shifted in her chair. "I might have given off some
wrong signals. I believe he thought I wasn't interested inโฆsex."
"But you were?" Jacqueline Mays asked. The woman's pale,
anxious expression, intimated that she knew a thing or two
about repression.
"Oh, absolutely," Cassie, said, fanning her hot face.
The women all laughed, as if they were surprised she had
admitted it. Did she really present such a dull exterior to
the world?
"What kept you from letting him know you were attracted to
him?" Wendy asked. The furrow in her brow indicated that she
might have more than just a passing interest in Cassie's answer.
Cassie took another drink of wine while she considered the
question. "My older sister was promiscuous. I guess I erred
in the other direction. I want sex to mean something. But
with this guy, I guess I hesitated too long and missed my
chance."
"It's never too long to wait if it's right for you,"
Ga-brielle assured her. "What makes you think you're ready now?"
"Distance has given me perspective," she said. "And the
books we' ve read and shared in this room have made me
realize that wanting sex is natural and healthy."
"And fun," added Wendy, licking chocolate off her fingers.
All the women laughed.
"Is there a particular book we've read you think might help
you approach this man about giving your relationship another
chance?" Gabrielle asked.
Cassie nodded.
"Lady Chatterley's Lover by D. H.
Lawrence."
"A wonderful book," Gabrielle agreed, and the others
chorused their approval. "But why
Lady Chatterley's
Lover?"
"I guess because Connie was proactive about changing her
love life," Cassie offered.
"You mean, her
sex life," Carol Snow, the loner of
the group, said.
"Yes," Cassie agreed. "She saw Mellors, the groundskeeper,
and she went after him. I suppose that's what I need to do."
"And do you have a plan for seducing your man?" Jacqueline
asked.
Cassie bit her lip. "Not yet."
"Connie met Mellors while walking through the forest," Page
ventured. "Is there a place where you can
accidently-on-purpose run into your former boyfriend?"
A smile curved Cassie's mouth. She'd seen the firm that Mark
worked for listed as a competitor bidding for a job her firm
was also bidding on. "I can think of a few reasons for our
paths to cross."
"That's a start," Gabrielle agreed, then addressed the
group. "What kinds of things can Cassie borrow from Connie
Chatterley's behavior to help guide her?"
"Connie made herself available to Mellors," Jacqueline said.
"She went out of her way to let him know she was open to a
physical relationship. She sought him out."
"Good. What else?"
"The fact that their relationship was secretive seemed to
heighten the experience for both of them," Wendy offered.
Jacqueline nodded. "Men, especially, enjoy the adrenaline
kick they get from doing something that seems forbidden."
"So take him by surprise," Page said.
"And be extra naughty," Jacqueline added.
A sense of excitement whipped through the room and Cassie
realized that while the women were talking about her
proposed seduction, they were already thinking ahead to
their own plans. Only Carol Snow seemed to hold herself
apart from the group's growing enthusiasm.
And Cassie wasn't without her own reservations. "But what if
heโฆ turns me down?"
"That's a risk you have to be willing to take," Gabrielle said.
"Yeah, what's the worst thing that can happen?" Wendy pressed.
"I'd be humiliated," Cassie said.
"But what's the
best thing that could happen?" Page
asked.
"Salvaging what could be a great relationship for both of
us," Cassie said.
"So you have to be willing to put it all out there,"
Jacqueline added.
Gabrielle sat back and clasped her hands. "Lady Chatterley's
decision to seduce Mellor turned into a wonderful, but
problematic, love affair. Will you be okay if you're able to
seduce this man, but a long-term relationship doesn't work out?"
Cassie's heart fluttered with teetering indecision for a few
seconds, then resolve set in. "Yes. This is something I want
to prove I can do, and this man is someone I'd feel safe with."
"Well, thenโฆ" Gabrielle smiled. "Good luck!"
"We'll be rooting you on from the sidelines," Wendy said.
"Send us text updates to let us know what's going on."
"That's a good idea," Page chorused, and the group
coordinated their text addresses.
"Are you excited to be first?" Jacqueline murmured.
Cassie nodded as anticipation flowered in her chest like an
orchid. She suddenly felt so alive and soโฆ self-aware.
Desire quivered through her midsection. Her breasts felt
heavy. She lifted the glass of wine to press against her
heated cheek and thought of all the delicious things she had
planned for Mark. She reached for a plump strawberry and
considered its ruby perfection before sinking her teeth into
it. The sweet juices flooded her mouth and she nearly moaned
with pleasure.
It was as if she were tasting a strawberry for the first time.
I guess we're just not that into each other. Something's
missingโฆ
Mark Shapiro, Cassie vowed, would live to eat his words.
Mark Shapiro had both hands around a thick burger when his
cell phone rang.
"Leave it, man," his coworker Steve Hamlin said with a wave.
"Whatever it is, it can wait until after lunch."
Mark glanced at the caller ID as the phone flashed from the
table. At the sight of the name CASSIE GOODWIN, his brow
furrowed in surprise. Cassie had been on his mind ever since
he'd seen her firm listed as a competitor bidding for the
Belzer Tower job his firm was also bidding on. He realized
that he missed her. But why would Cassie be calling
afterโhow long had it been? Six months?
Steve glanced down. "Uh-oh. When an ex-girlfriend calls, it
can't be good news. What if she's pregnant?"
Mark shot Steve a glare. "Trust meโif she's pregnant, the
baby's not mine."
It wasn't that he hadn't wanted in Cassie's bed. She was a
looker and smart as a whip, but she was just tooโฆ
tame
to get his blood going. After surviving a serious
illness as a teen, Mark prided himself on having a passion
for everything in life, and he wanted the same in his
partner. At times he had detected chemistry between him and
Cassie, but when he'd moved in for anything more than a
kiss, he'd always gotten shut down. Still, he'd had his
fantasies about her long legs and her full breastsโ
"Wait a minute," Steve said, cutting into Mark's thoughts.
"Doesn't Cassie work for Rugers and Associates?"
"Yeah."
"They're bidding on the Belzer Tower project, too." Steve
gestured. "Answer it. Find out what you can about their bid."
Mark frowned because Steve was the lead architect for their
firm on the Belzer project. "I'm not going to spy for you."
"Man, you owe me for letting you go to the conference in
Denver so you could go rock climbing. Besides, this kind of
thing goes on all the time."
Mark wavered. He didn't like the idea of trolling for
information, but he couldn't deny the sudden compulsion to
talk to Cassie again. Knowing his phone was getting ready to
roll over to voice mail, he connected the call. "Hello?"
"Mark? Hi, it's Cassieโฆ Goodwin."
She'd always had a great voice, so warm and sexy. False
advertising, he noted wryly. "Hi, Cassie. What's up?"
"Busy, like always," she said breezily. "I'm on vacation
doing some spring cleaning around my house today and found a
couple of things that belong to you. I could drop them off
at your office some time if you like."
Meaning, he didn't have to actually see her if he didn't
want to. He glanced up to Steve, who rolled his hand in an
encouraging gesture.
© 2003-2026