Read Online A Tricky Proposition by Cat Schield - Free Book Online Page A

Making love to Jason for the first time demanded a clear head. She wanted to be completely in the moment, not lost in an alcoholic fog.
    “How can watching me eat be fun?” She tried to make her tone light and amused, but it came out husky and broken.
    “It’s the pleasure you take in each bite. The way you savor the flavors. You’re usually so matter-of-fact about things, I like knowing what turns you on.”
    He wasn’t talking about food. Ming felt her skin heat. Her blood moved sluggishly through her veins. Even her heart seemed to slow. She could feel a sexy retort forming on her tongue. She bit down until she had it restrained. They were old friends who were about to have sex, not a man and a woman engaged in a romantic ritual that ended in passionate lovemaking. Ming had to be certain her emotions stayed out of the mix. She could count on Jason to do the same.
    “The backs of my knees are very ticklish.” She focused on cutting another bite of chicken. “I’ve always loved having my neck kissed. And there’s a spot on my pelvis.” She paused, cocked her head and tried to think about the exact spot. “I guess I’ll have to show you when we get to that point.” She lifted her fork and speared him with a matter-of-fact gaze. “And you?”
    His expression told her he was on to her game. “I’m a guy. Pretty much anywhere a beautiful woman touches me, I’m turned on.”
    “But there has to be something you really like.”
    His eyes narrowed. “My nipples are very sensitive.”
    She pressed her lips together to keep from laughing. “I’ll pay special attention to them,” she said when she trusted her voice.
    If they could talk like this in the bedroom, Ming was confident she could emerge from the weekend without doing something remarkably stupid like mentioning how her feelings for him had been evolving over the last few months. She’d keep things casual. Focus on the physical act, not the intimacy. Use her hands, mouth and tongue to appreciate the perfection of Jason’s toned, muscular body and avoid thinking about all those tiresome longings she’d bottled up over the years.
    Savor the moment and ignore the future.
    While Jason cleared the dishes from the table, Ming went to unpack and get ready for what was to come. Her confidence had returned over dinner. She had her priorities all in a row. Her gaze set on the prize. The path to creating a baby involved being intimate with Jason. She would let her body enjoy making love with him. Emotion had no place in what she was about to do.
    Buoyed by her determination, Ming stopped dead in the doorway between the living room and bedroom. The scene before her laid waste to all her good intentions. Here was the stuff of seduction.
    The centerpiece of the room was a king-size bed with the white down comforter pulled back and about a hundred red rose petals strewn across the white sheets. Candles covered every available surface, unlit but prepared to set a romantic mood when called upon. Piano music, played by her favorite artist, poured from the dresser, where portable speakers had been attached to an iPod. Everything was perfect.
    Her chest locked up. She could not have designed a better setting. Jason had gone to a lot of trouble to do this. He’d planned, taken into account all her favorite things and executed all of this to give her the ideal romantic weekend.
    It was so unlike him to think ahead and be so prepared. To take care of her instead of the other way around. It was as if she was here with a completely different person. A thoughtful, romantic guy who wanted something more than three days of great sex and then going back to being buddies. The sort of man women fell for and fell for hard.
    “What do you think?”
    She hadn’t heard Jason’s approach over the thump of her heart. “What I think is that I can’t do this.”
    *
    Jason surveyed the room, searching for imperfections. The candles were vanilla scented, her favorite. The rose petals