How You Tempt Me by Natalie Kristen Page B

the kitchen look cozy
and inviting. There is a lingering smell of pasta sauce and I take a
deep breath before stopping short in a spluttering cough.
Maybe...could he have...was there something in the pasta? Could
Julian have put something in the pasta sauce and caused me to
hallucinate and hyperventilate? Maybe it was those damn mushrooms!
    I shake my head hard. I'm going crazy. I really need a
drink. Right now.
    I put the small kettle to boil and start opening the
cupboards. I find what I am looking for, a tin of hot chocolate.
You just can't go wrong with chocolate. Chocolate will make
everything right.
    Soon I am cradling a steaming mug of hot chocolate in my
hands and sniffing hungrily at the aroma. I take a sip and lean
back. Much better. I stare out the kitchen door into the spacious
foyer. The immense space and quiet makes me wonder if Julian feels
lonely in this large, empty mansion. His housekeeper goes home in
the evenings, leaving him alone in his office. He only has his work
and his machine to keep him company. And his house is such a long
way from the city, and his nearest neighbor is miles down that long,
winding road.
    My thoughts start to gallop off in a hundred different
directions. Did he have company often? Female company? Did he
bring many women home? How many women has he subjected to his
experiments and research? Did the women have the same involuntary
response to that machine? Did they climax as violently?
    The questions reel through my mind as I gulp down the
hot chocolate, almost scalding my throat. So many questions, and no
answers at all. A little knowledge can be a dangerous thing. By
that token, more knowledge should be a less dangerous thing. So—it's
better for me to get my questions answered pronto. Never mind that
it's way past midnight now.
    Almost knocking the chair over in my haste, I march to
the sink and rinse out the mug. I scramble up the stairs and stand
at the door to Julian's bedroom. I can see that the light is still
on. Raising a trembling fist, I knock softly. There is no response.
I clear my throat and call tentatively, “Julian, it's me,
Sophia.” I blow out a breath. Of course it's me. There is no
one else in the house, is there? I press my ear to the door and
listen. There is a muffled sound, but I can't make out what it is.
I knock again. “Julian?”
    I frown. The noise behind the door is more distinct
now. It sounds like a groan. My eyes and mouth round. Could he
have fallen and hurt himself? He might at this moment be bleeding to
death while I dither outside his door!
    My hand flies to the door knob and twist. The door
gives and I push in soundlessly. What I see makes my heart stop and
my breath catch but I find myself unable to look away, much less move
away. I stand behind the door, staring in disbelief and awe at Dr.
Julian James.
    Julian is lying on the bed, completely naked. His lean,
lanky frame is spread out on his rumpled sheets, a wet towel draped
carelessly over his hips. His dark hair is wet and his body is
glistening, like he just had a shower. I watch his face contort as
his hand moves between his legs. His eyes are closed and his
breathing grows harsher and heavier as his erection swells and pushes
out from the towel.
    I gasp. He is huge...and beautiful.
    His eyes are closed as he turns his head to the side and
murmurs into the rumpled, satin sheets framing his long, muscular
body. His body is toned and sculpted. I watch in fascination as he
muscles tense and ripple under his skin, his cock growing longer and
bigger as he strokes himself, moaning softly. His face contorts in
ecstasy as he touches himself. He tilts his head back, his throat
moving and his eyes tightly closed. Against my will, I take a step
closer towards the bed. I am drawn to him like a magnet. I gaze
into his face, wondering which woman is occupying his fantasies at
this very moment. Is it a celebrity, a colleague, a friend, a
stranger...?
    I soon have my answer. As his passion