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All Chapters of The Fontaines of Hollywood series: The Secret to Seduction: Chapter 11
- Chapter 20
54 Chapters
Chapter 11: The Power of Touch
I want to lie, but I know there's no point."You grabbed my arm when I tried to stand up," I say finally."Grabbed it?""No - not grabbed. I mean you took my arm. You just... just set your hand there."He nods. "And then?"And then what? I don't know where he's going with this, but I'd be squirming if his eyes weren't pinning me to my seat."And then you left it there," I say. "You didn't move it.""I didn't move it at all?" His voice is even, objective, like he's quizzing me on my homework or something. Somehow, that makes this interrogation worse."You moved your fingers a couple of times," I say after a moment."Which fingers?""I don't know.""I think you do."He's right, I do. But I'll be damned if I admit it to him. Cheeks flaming, I jerk my arm away from him, and he sits back, seemingly unperturbed."Touch is a very powerful tool," he says. "And very intimate. Humans are biologically designed to respond to it. It usually signals attraction or affection - or aggressi
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Chapter 12: The Test
Roman's breath is warm against my ear.I have no idea what he's going to ask me, but I nod. "Okay."His phone buzzes on the table, but he seems to ignore it."What color is my shirt?" he asks.I'm not sure what I was expecting, but certainly something that was a little more relevant to our situation at hand."Blue," I say after thinking for a moment. "Grayish-blue.""Very good. And my pants?""Dark gray.""And my watch?"That one stumps me. I rack my brain, trying to remember what his watch looked like, but I can't. I don't remember a watch at all."I don't know," I tell him finally."What about my eyes?"My face goes hot. "Uh... hazel, mostly.""Mostly?"My fingers find the edge of the tablecloth again. "They're greener today.""Mm. And what did I order to eat?"That question seems a little out of left field, and anyway, I never heard him order. Heck, even though we've been eating for a full ten minutes now, I've been so focused on figuring out how to touch him I never
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Chapter 13: Seducing My Boss
I knew this question was coming, but that doesn't make me any more prepared for it. How the hell do I answer that? I couldn't even seduce some random dude in a bar, and my boss is way, way more intimidating."I-I would be subtle," I tell him after a moment, though I know that's too obvious. "Pretend I wasn't interested in you at all. Not in that way, I mean. Obviously I'd have to show some interest or have some excuse to interact with you..."When I don't go on, he raises an eyebrow. "Is that all?""I guess... I guess I'd need an excuse to get close to you," I say. "Maybe something work related. Or... or something else non-sexual. I don't know. Isn't this what you're supposed be teaching me?""Understand, I'm not doing this to put you on the spot," he says, straightening. "I'm doing this because no matter which of the Fontaines you approach, you're going to be facing a similar challenge. These are men who have their pick of women. It's not going to be as simple as seducing an avera
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Chapter 14: Six Days Remaining (And Things Are Getting Real)
The following day, I'm still not sure what to make of my lunch with Roman. I have no idea whether my first "lesson" went well or went poorly - or even if my self-appointed teacher believes I've made any progress.What I do know is that I need to continue to up my game before the Hollywood Saves! event, so I've taken it upon myself to do some extra research on my potential targets. It's not unusual for me to spend my Sundays with a pile of celebrity news magazines, or combing the popular gossip blogs for the week's biggest stories, but today my reading is a little more focused. Today is all about the Fontaines.I've been intrigued by the Fontaine family since I was a little girl, since the very first time I saw a picture of Giovanna and Charles Fontaine on the cover of a magazine at the supermarket. They looked so beautiful, so glamorous - the perfect, classic Hollywood couple. After that, I inhaled everything I could find about them - every magazine article, every biography, every mo
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Chapter 15: I Am So Not Ready For This
Roman's assistant seems to realize that this is his cue to leave. He stacks all of the files in front of him and gathers them up, and he shoots me a strange glance as he leaves the room. I suddenly wonder if I should be worried.When I turn back to Roman, I find him looking me up and down. He frowns slightly."Did you run all the way here?" he asks."Just up the stairs." I grab my hair, suddenly aware of how much of a mess I must look. My hair tends to go frizzy under the best of conditions, and when I reach up, I realize that sprint up the stairs didn't help. I quickly comb my fingers through the strands, trying to tame them and wishing I'd had the foresight to grab a hair tie or at least a couple of bobby pins.Roman has risen from his seat, and he walks slowly over to me while I try to make myself presentable. When he gets to me, he reaches out - and my breath catches as his hand moves past my breast and under my arm, as if he means to draw me toward him.Instead, half a second
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Chapter 16: Roman Gives Me A Pep Talk
At any other time, I would've enjoyed that compliment, especially from him. Right now, though, it only makes my panic worse."I can't do this," I say."You can," Roman assures me. "Think of it as a challenge."Why do people always say that when they're trying to convince you to do something you know you can't do? But it's clear that no amount of begging will get me out of this, not on Roman Everet's watch. I throw another glance in the mirror and run my fingers through my hair again. Up ahead, Hallevern's restaurant has already come into view. We definitely made good time.Please, please, please, don't let him be there, I pray. Maybe he's a fast eater. Or maybe Roman's tip was incorrect. I'm due for some good karma from the universe, aren't I?But any hopes I have of escaping this "lesson" are dashed when I see the photographers lingering outside the restaurant's doors. There are only half a dozen of them, but it's clear they're waiting for someone. A couple of them appear to be t
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Chapter 17: My First Encounter With A Fontaine In the Wild
Roman's mouth curls up - his first smile of the day - and he gives me a nod. "Lead the way."I turn and head back toward the restaurant before I have a chance to lose my nerve. Roman follows, a shadow on my heels. I'm not sure whether his presence reassures me or makes this harder. I can almost still feel his fingers in my hair, touching me so delicately, so deliberately. Better not to think about that right now or I'll never work up the courage to approach Dante Fontaine.When we get to the front of the restaurant, Roman reaches around me and grabs the door."I thought I'd get us a table," he says in a low voice. "It will be easier to watch you, and you'll have a place to sit if you need a moment to collect yourself. Besides, I haven't eaten since breakfast."I nod, hardly registering his words. My eyes are on the photographers we just passed. One of them is leaning against the wall and smoking a cigarette, and his eyes rise to mine. I quickly look away and follow Roman into the r
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Chapter 18: How Do I Recover From THAT?
It's a perfectly executed landing. Hell, a little too perfect - as I start to sit up, stunned and thrilled that I managed to pull this off, I realize that my left hand is right on Dante's crotch.I freeze. Dante Fontaine's cock is right beneath my hand. Dante Fontaine's cock. This is... This is... terrifying. Thrilling. Insanely awkward. Absolutely amazing.And I have no idea what the heck I should do.I'm definitely touching it. Oh, God - it's right beneath my fingers. If I try to get up, I'll be pressing against it. If I move my hand at all, even to pull away, my hand will brush right over it. He'll think I'm trying to feel him up. I'm already feeling him up, even though it's an accident. And now I've been frozen for an ungodly long amount of time and he probably thinks I'm some sort of freak.There are hands on my arms. Dante Fontaine's hands. He's trying to help me up, trying to get me back on my feet."I - I'm so sorry," I say quickly. "I'm so sorry." God, his hands are so...
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Chapter 19: Whoa, Boy.
Hope rises in my chest as I turn around. My heart is skipping.Dante is bent over, scooping something up off the ground. In my mad rush to get back up, I must have missed something. I smile as I step forward, already imagining how I might brush my fingers against his as he hands it back to me, but then my eyes fall to the object in his hand.Shit.It's my press badge. My fucking press badge. With "Celebrity Spark" printed in clear letters right on the front.There's a frown on his face now."You're a reporter?" He looks up at me.Oh, shit. Just... shit. I've blown it yet again. But there's no lying. No escaping the truth."I... Yes," I say, shuffling forward and continuing to curse silently at myself. "But obviously not a very good one."Before he can reply - oh, God, I don't want to hear his reply - I snatch my badge out of his grip and turn and run into the bathroom.For the second time in a handful of days, I lock myself in a bathroom stall. I'm shaking, but I can't even bl
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Chapter 20: Did I Actually Do Something Right?
I don't know what's gotten into Roman, but I don't like it. He seems angry with me, but I have no idea what I've done. He was the one who dragged me here and told me to flirt with Dante Fontaine. He was the one who, just moments ago, was telling me the whole incident went better than I thought.If there's one thing these last few days have taught me, it's that I really, really don't understand men. And I'm not sure I ever will.Those thoughts circle through my mind as I make one last attempt to fix my hair. When I've finally gotten myself under control, I turn and walk back out into the restaurant.I have to walk right past Dante Fontaine if I want to leave. For a moment, that thought freezes me in my tracks, but then I shake my head and force myself to move. There's no escaping it, and I might as well get it over with. It's not like I can climb out the bathroom window or anything, not with these hips.I walk quickly around his table. Don't look at him, don't look at him, don't loo
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