The Seduction Game Read Online Free Page B

be eating in the same restaurant as you.”
    Kate’s hand stilled. What would stop another enthusiastic fan coming to her table while she dined with Adam? Quickly, she handed the woman her note and scribbled another one for Adam.
    I’m sorry. An emergency’s come up. Give my best to your sister. Kate Moore.
    She gave the note to the maitre d’. “Would you please give this to my dinner date when he arrives? His name is Adam Tyler.”
    “Perhaps you would like to give it to Mr. Tyler yourself, Miss Moore?” The maitre d’ cast a look over her shoulder. “Ah, there he is right now.”
    “No,” Kate replied abruptly.
    The maitre d’ gave her a knowing look. “A blind date?”
    “Something like that.” She turned to leave before he could ask anymore questions.
    Now what was she going to do, she thought as she left the restaurant? She doubted Adam Tyler would attempt another rendezvous with her after being jilted at the restaurant.
    It was the stranger’s fault. Ever since she had laid eyes on him her evening had taken a turn for the worst. Kate stepped up to the curb and noted wryly the only thing going right tonight was that it had stopped raining.
    “When my sister said I would have an interesting evening, somehow I don’t think this is what she had in mind.”
    Kate spun around and found herself staring up at the stranger. His mouth was tense.
    “Excuse me?” she croaked.
    He handed her a white piece of lined paper. Her stomach jolted as she recognized it, the note she had given the maitre d’.
    “Care to explain this?”
    “You’re...you’re...”
    “Adam Tyler. It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”
    “But your hair isn’t red,” she blurted.
    “Evidently,” he countered smoothly, but the muscle working along his jaw told her he was quite angry. “And you’re not a schoolteacher.”

Chapter 3
    “I…I’m not?” Kate responded weakly.
    “No. I’m beginning to think you’re some kind of witch who is hell bent on driving me mad. Would you mind explaining to me why you ran off like that?”
    He didn’t know. Thank God. “Mr. Tyler—”
    “Adam. Surely we can dispense with the formalities seeing there’s nothing formal about our relationship.”
    Kate stiffened. “We don’t have a relationship.”
    “Somehow I get the feeling having a relationship with you would be a full-time job.”
    “And what is that supposed to mean?” she asked, raising a delicately winged brow.
    “Well, let’s see. For starters you nearly got yourself killed, you defended a scoundrel who practically accosted you, and you skipped out on our date like you were being followed by the mob. Which brings me to this. Why did you run off like that?”
    “Nerves.”
    “I don’t buy it. You’re too impertinent to be nervous.”
    The insult didn’t sting half as much as her reaction to him. Her stomach was in knots and she prayed he couldn’t see the nervous twitch at the corner of her mouth. He was compellingly handsome, but it was his aura, his male energy that made her nervous.
    “There are women out there, Mr. Tyler, who have cancelled dates at the last minute, or has that never happened to you?”
    “Women who respond to personal ads don’t cancel dates. And I told you to call me Adam.”
    Kate stiffened. Did she hear him correctly? “Are you calling me desperate because I answered your ad?” She folded her arms across her chest. “Are you calling all women desperate who respond to personal ads?”
    He let out an exasperated breath. “That’s not what I meant.” He clenched and unclenched his jaw, flicking a sharp glance at his watch. “How did you get here?”
    She pursed her lips. “I took a cab.”
    “That settles it. I’m taking you home.”
    “That’s not necessary. I’ll take a cab.”
    “I said I’m taking you home. My sister would never forgive me if you turned up on the eleven o’clock news.”
    Frustration, indignation, and attraction welled up in her breast. “Don’t