Read Online The Seduction Of Claudia by Antoinette Chauvet - Free Book Online

carefully, taking care that she quashed all behaviors that were in any way reminiscent of her mother. With careful, logical planning, she ensured that there would be no unwelcome surprises and that she'd depend only on herself for her money and happiness. With a bitter twist of her mouth, Claudia reflected that in spite of her independence, she felt as if something were missing. I have tons of friends, she thought, I own my apartment. I have a career doing what I love. Why aren't I happy? Surely being a part of a couple isn't the only way a woman can feel fulfilled? In the end, even though I've chosen a completely different life for myself, will I wind up as unhappy as Maman is? she wondered.
    Shaking her head, Claudia dismissed the thought. She would not end up like her mother! She would apologize to Andrew like the grownup she was. It wouldn't be hard to do because Andrew had never shown any tendency toward cruelty or viciousness. He would accept her apology gracefully, she knew, then allow the evening to move on as though nothing had happened. She didn't know what would happen in this new arrangement of theirs. She didn't even know what his motivations were. Did he just want companionship as he'd said last night? Or was he looking for something more? If that was the case, she didn't think herself capable of giving Andrew what he wanted, didn't think that she could escape the wreckage of her upbringing. He deserved someone who could love as easily as he did. She admired him for the emotional security he had that allowed him to connect with people so freely and totally. He was a whole person, whereas she felt as though pieces of her were missing. Maybe Andrew's beliefs about love and commitment were right after all. Maybe I'd feel more fulfilled if I could believe in love, she thought.
    Claudia checked her watch and was alarmed to see that she only had about half an hour before Andrew arrived. She pulled the stopper out of the tub and stepped out of the water she had only just noticed had gone unpleasantly lukewarm. She patted herself dry, then smoothed on lotion that was the same exotic fragrance as the bath oil she'd used. She flossed and brushed her teeth, then checked out her reflection in the mirror. She eschewed the use of make-up as usual, but applied lipstick, then blotted most of it off, leaving her lips looking only lightly berry-stained. She took the chopsticks out of her hair and shook it out. She'd wear it down just the way Andrew liked it. Satisfied with her appearance, she picked up the cut-glass atomizer of perfume she'd gotten as a gift from her cousin in Paris. It too, was the same scent as the bath oil and lotion, carrying undertones of musk and spice that were what she imagined a sultan's harem smelled like. Earthy and womanly. She dabbed the perfume in a few strategic places on her body and rushed into her bedroom to get dressed.
    She was putting her socks on when the buzzer sounded. She skidded down the hall in her socks and buzzed Andrew in, saying, "Come on up, the door's open."
    She rushed into her bedroom and put on black boots that were in the style of biker boots, but with urbane sleekness. She was rummaging through her jewelry box when she heard her apartment door close. "I'm back here, Andrew!" she called distractedly. "I'll be done in just a minute. Do you want someth-..." Her voice trailed off when she realized Andrew stood in her bedroom doorway.
    "Oh. Hi." She hadn't expected to feel flustered when she saw him again, but she did. She felt a blush rise up her neck.
    "Hi, yourself. How was your day, Legs?" Andrew asked with a smile. He looked fantastic, as usual, even though he was dressed as casually as she was. He wore jeans, an expensive looking navy blue sweater and boots. She shouldn't have been surprised because he looked stunning in everything he wore. She also knew that that fact had nothing at all to do with the clothes themselves.
    "It was good. I made it through every single audition