Read Online Total Temptation by Alice Gaines - Free Book Online Page A

didn’t want to share personal information, but that would sound strange given all the very personal things they’d done with each other. Instead of saying anything, she studied the menu.
    Their waiter appeared and spared her having to answer. Bobby glanced at the menu again and handed it to the man. “Never mind any of this foliage. Ask the kitchen to make me a T-bone steak—very rare—and some of those french fries.
    â€œThe pommes frites ?” the waiter asked.
    â€œYeah, those.”
    â€œI’ll have the poached halibut with quinoa and a small green salad with vinaigrette on the side.” Cassandra handed her menu to the waiter a bit more gently than Bobby had.
    When the waiter left, Bobby leaned toward her, his elbows on the table. “So tell me, what’s so frightening about your stepsons?”
    â€œWell, you see . . .” She might as well tell him everything. If the stepsons managed to take her to court, it would all come out in the press, anyway. “They aren’t little kids. One of them is older than me.”
    â€œHow did that happen?”
    â€œThe usual way.” She waved her hand in what ought to be a casual gesture. “Children by a previous wife.”
    â€œNo, princess. How is it you married a man who already had kids when you were born?”
    Put that way, her relationship with Howard sounded really ugly, as if he’d picked out a wife from the bassinette next to his son’s in the hospital. The marriage hadn’t felt that way on their wedding day, but the age difference had reared its ugly head later. And how.
    â€œHe was much older than me,” she said.
    â€œI’d say.”
    She glared at Bobby, or did her best to, anyway. “He was a friend of my family. Everyone agreed we’d make a good match.”
    â€œUh-huh.”
    â€œYou needn’t disapprove,” she said. “It’s not your business.”
    â€œYou got that right.” He leaned back and stared at the waterfall. Under the table, his foot was wagging.
    He could pry all he wanted. Her life outside Club Ecstasy wasn’t his business.
    Their food arrived. The waiter put the plates down in front of them and left again. The halibut looked wonderful, garnished with tiny vegetables and sitting on top of a small serving of quinoa. Because this was spa cuisine, the sauce dotted around the plate was no doubt a vegetable puree and wouldn’t ruin her diet.
    Bobby tore into his steak as if he hadn’t eaten in days. He didn’t speak as he cut off hunks of rare beef, stuffed them into his mouth, and chewed. After a bit, he put down his fork and knife and wiped his lips with his napkin. “So, client, what would you like to do next?”
    â€œYou don’t have to get pissy.”
    â€œI’m not. I don’t get paid to get pissy.” He picked up a french fry and held it up toward her mouth. She took it and set it on her plate.
    â€œAll right. I thought marrying Howard was good idea, too. What did I know about anything? I was a virgin.”
    â€œSo, they married you off,” he said. “I didn’t think we did that in the twenty-first century.”
    â€œIt wasn’t as bad as it sounds. Howard was a good husband. He did his best.”
    â€œBut he never rocked your world, did he, princess?” He reached over and stroked the side of her face.
    â€œI had orgasms.” That wasn’t a lie. Her marriage hadn’t failed utterly in the bedroom.
    â€œLike the ones I give you?”
    She glanced downward. “No.”
    â€œThen he never rocked your world.”
    â€œDo we have to talk about this?” She pushed her plate away, the food nearly untouched.
    â€œI want to understand what makes you the way you are.” The glint returned to his eyes. “All the better to serve you.”
    â€œNo, I want to know about you,” she said. “Besides East Fourteenth Street. There must