Read Online The Sweetest Seduction (The Kelly Brothers, Book 1) by Crista McHugh - Free Book Online

out then.”
    Her pulse stuttered. “You mean like on a date?”
    He leaned his head to the side and furrowed his brows. “Well, maybe not exactly a date. Maybe more like a chance to spend some time alone with you and get to know you better.”
    She grinned and leaned into him. “Like a date.”
    “I don’t have time to date.”
    “Neither do I.” She breathed in his scent and closed her eyes. As much as she loved La Arietta, the idea of spending time alone with Adam tempted her enough to say, “Sunday sounds good to me.”
    “It sounds good to me, too.” His voice rumbled low and hungry. He ran his fingers along her cheek, catching on her jaw and tilting her face up. For a second, he looked ready to kiss her again. Then he released her and took a step back. “I’ll call you to set up the time and place.”
    Her stomach flip-flopped, but she couldn’t tell if it was due to excitement or nerves. Maybe a combination of both.
    He paused at the door leading to the darkened dining room. “By the way, I promise to announce my presence if I ever decide to visit you after hours, so please leave the bat in your office.”
    She laughed again, this time without the nervous edge. “I promise I’ll leave it under my desk if I know it’s you.”
    “Glad to hear that.” His smile fell into something more wistful and serious. “Until Sunday, then.”

Chapter Five
     
    “I need some advice.”
    Adam winced as soon as he said the words. As the oldest, he’d always been the one his brothers turned to when they needed advice. Now he was on the phone with his youngest brother, trying not to sound completely pathetic.
    “And you came to me?” Gideon asked. “Must be pretty bad if you’re venturing this far down the totem pole.”
    Gideon might be barely old enough to legally drink, but he was the most like Adam when it came to temperament. Plus, it helped that his youngest brother had a reputation for leaving ladies swooning in the aisles, thanks to his films.
    “I have a date Sunday night—”
    “ You have a date?” Disbelief dripped from his brother’s voice. “Mister ‘I’m too busy rescuing Kelly Properties from the brink of disaster to give a woman the time of day?’”
    “I’m not that uptight,” Adam countered, even though his inner voice was calling him a liar. “And the business has never teetered on the brink of disaster.”
    “You’d never know it from the way you’re always going on about increasing expenses and decreasing revenues and a sluggish economy. Makes me happy my job is recession proof.”
    “Yeah, I just saw how much that movie studio is willing to pay you for walking around with your shirt off for two hours.”
    “Hey, I’m more than just eye-candy. It’s actually a serious role for once, and I’m looking forward the challenge.” Gideon quickly changed gears. “So, back to this alleged date?”
    “I met this woman, and she finally agreed to go out with me—”
    “Finally agreed?” Laughter filled the line. “You must’ve lost your touch with the ladies from spending all that time in the office if you had to work on convincing a woman to go out with you.”
    “Will you please let me finish without interrupting me?” Adam got up from his desk and paced along the wall of windows in his office. Downtown Chicago looked so calm and peaceful from up here, so very different from the jumble of rattled nerves that tied his stomach in knots. “I admit, I’ve been out of the dating game for a while, and I need some help impressing her.”
    “And the Kelly family name isn’t impressive enough?”
    “Not with her. If anything, it has me in the dog house.”
    Gideon let out a low whistle. “What did you do?”
    “I don’t want to get into it.”
    “You’re the one who called me for advice.”
    Adam stopped and raked his hand through his hair. “Okay, fine, I’ll give. The timing isn’t great, but the....” The chemistry? The sparks? The way she invaded his thoughts for