Page 51 of Split or Swallow
“Seduction method?”
The words slipped out before she could stop them. Leo’s eyes flicked to hers.
He seemed to sense he had an opening, because he stepped closer, tilting his head so their faces were aligned.
“Yes,” he said quietly. “I have a method. Would you care to hear it?”
She wanted to say no. But she couldn’t.
“I’m sure you’re going to tell me anyway.”
“I take a girl up to my room,” Leo continued as if she hadn’t said anything. “I pour her champagne,” he paused. “Then I draw a bath.”
Tem wrinkled her nose.
“Seriously?”
“Yes,” Leo’s mouth twitched. “Girls love baths.”
Tem was getting a migraine from how often she was rolling her eyes.
At her reaction, Leo smiled, extending his hand to touch the bottom of her hair, twirling a wavy strand between his thin fingers. She should pull away. But she didn’t.
“We take a bath,” he continued. “We drink champagne,” Leo looked her in the eye. “And then we have sex.”
He was still twirling her hair gently. For some reason, it gave her chills.
“And that works?” Tem whispered.
“Every time.”
They stared at each other, just the two of them, standing at the edge of the maze.
“And you, Tem?” he asked softly. “Would it work on you?”
He was far too close. But for once, Tem wasn’t pushing him away. There was something about Leo that was drawing her in. She couldn’t put her finger on what it was, but it was concrete and strong, and she couldn’t seem to resist him the way she usually did. But she couldn’t let herself give in either.
So she said:
“I’m not really a fan of baths.”
Leo smiled. The muscles in his neck strained as he arched his head to look at the stars.
“I’ll never get a straight answer from you, will I?”
“Probably not. But isn’t it more fun that way?”
“Yes,” he said. “It certainly is.”
He looked down at her, the smile still on his face.
“We could always skip the bath, you know.”
Tem shrugged. “I’m not really a fan of champagne either.”
He laughed outright at that.
“In that case, I suppose I need a new method for you.”
