Seduced by Stratton (The English Brothers Book 4) by Katy Regnery Page A
Authors: Katy Regnery
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her departing students, watching as they filed out, leaving her and Stratton alone in the quiet studio.
He folded the last chair and added it neatly to the stack, then turned to face her with his hands on his hips.
“Thanks for staying,” she said. “So, will you be continuing with the classes?”
“No.”
She swallowed, trying desperately to conceal her disappointment.
“Stratton, you didn’t need lessons. Why did you come today?” she asked.
“I didn’t want you to feel as though you were in my debt anymore. You gave me a free lesson. We’re all settled up now.”
“Ah,” she murmured, forcing a polite smile. “I see.”
“We said everything we needed to say last night, right?”
“Yes, I guess so.”
“Good.” With grim lips and downturned eyes, he nodded once, looking as miserable as she felt. “Well, I guess I’ll just—”
“Wait!” she blurted out.
She was emboldened by his obvious internal struggle. He was pushing her away with his words, but his face told a very different story. If this was truly the last time they’d see each other, she had nothing left to lose, she reasoned, and may as well throw her pride on the pile, as well.
“I need another favor.”
He huffed softly, his eyes conflicted when he looked at her. “I think it’s just better if I
just—”
“As a friend ,” she said, taking a few steps toward him as she fiddled nervously with the filmy fabric of her skirt. “As Barrett’s brother.”
At the mention of Barrett, his brows furrowed together, but his expression softened. “Go on.”
“Your brother’s, um, apartment is being fumigated, which means he’s living at mine until Tuesday. And well, you can imagine, with him and Emily being newly engaged and very much in love . . .”
He stared at her, waiting.
“It’s very hard to study there,” she finished.
His face was blank.
“It’s very loud .”
“Why?”
“In Emily’s bedroom .”
She saw the two patches of color in his cheeks as he understood her meaning. She took another step toward him, holding his eyes, which darkened with every inch that she closed between them.
“So I was wondering if you could help me out. If maybe I could come and study at your place tonight?”
“At m-my apartment?”
She nodded. “Barrett is your brother, so I thought . . .”
“No.” Stratton clenched his jaw, taking a step back from her. “I’m sorry, but no.”
With his head down, he turned away from her, walking the length of the studio and letting the door slam shut behind him.
CHAPTER 7
Build the Sexual Tension
As soon as the door banged shut, Stratton grabbed his coat and hurried down the stairs muttering, “Shit, shit, shit,” under his breath. When he finally made it outside, he stopped on the sidewalk, taking huge gulps of cold, fresh air.
“Damn it.”
He looked up at the studio windows, shaking his head. When he had arrived at the studio an hour ago, Val was wearing pink tights, a short pink skirt, and a pink leotard, which had pretty much made it impossible for him to think of anything for the last hour except for how she’d look naked. If he had actually danced with her, he definitely would have ended up kissing her again, hard and thoroughly, until she was breathless and limp, because his self-control was tragically compromised at this point, where Val was concerned. After last night’s kiss? Whenever he was around her, he was going to be in constant danger of repeating it, of trying to best it, because he had a feeling that what they’d shared last night was just a taste of what could be between them.
So, for the entire hour of dancing, he’d repeated the word “no” in an endless loop—whenever she checked out his ass, whenever he checked out her breasts—no, no, no. No, you can’t have her. No, you aren’t free to be with her. No.
She’d asked him to dance? No.
She’d asked him if he was continuing with lessons? No.
But here’s where it got
He folded the last chair and added it neatly to the stack, then turned to face her with his hands on his hips.
“Thanks for staying,” she said. “So, will you be continuing with the classes?”
“No.”
She swallowed, trying desperately to conceal her disappointment.
“Stratton, you didn’t need lessons. Why did you come today?” she asked.
“I didn’t want you to feel as though you were in my debt anymore. You gave me a free lesson. We’re all settled up now.”
“Ah,” she murmured, forcing a polite smile. “I see.”
“We said everything we needed to say last night, right?”
“Yes, I guess so.”
“Good.” With grim lips and downturned eyes, he nodded once, looking as miserable as she felt. “Well, I guess I’ll just—”
“Wait!” she blurted out.
She was emboldened by his obvious internal struggle. He was pushing her away with his words, but his face told a very different story. If this was truly the last time they’d see each other, she had nothing left to lose, she reasoned, and may as well throw her pride on the pile, as well.
“I need another favor.”
He huffed softly, his eyes conflicted when he looked at her. “I think it’s just better if I
just—”
“As a friend ,” she said, taking a few steps toward him as she fiddled nervously with the filmy fabric of her skirt. “As Barrett’s brother.”
At the mention of Barrett, his brows furrowed together, but his expression softened. “Go on.”
“Your brother’s, um, apartment is being fumigated, which means he’s living at mine until Tuesday. And well, you can imagine, with him and Emily being newly engaged and very much in love . . .”
He stared at her, waiting.
“It’s very hard to study there,” she finished.
His face was blank.
“It’s very loud .”
“Why?”
“In Emily’s bedroom .”
She saw the two patches of color in his cheeks as he understood her meaning. She took another step toward him, holding his eyes, which darkened with every inch that she closed between them.
“So I was wondering if you could help me out. If maybe I could come and study at your place tonight?”
“At m-my apartment?”
She nodded. “Barrett is your brother, so I thought . . .”
“No.” Stratton clenched his jaw, taking a step back from her. “I’m sorry, but no.”
With his head down, he turned away from her, walking the length of the studio and letting the door slam shut behind him.
CHAPTER 7
Build the Sexual Tension
As soon as the door banged shut, Stratton grabbed his coat and hurried down the stairs muttering, “Shit, shit, shit,” under his breath. When he finally made it outside, he stopped on the sidewalk, taking huge gulps of cold, fresh air.
“Damn it.”
He looked up at the studio windows, shaking his head. When he had arrived at the studio an hour ago, Val was wearing pink tights, a short pink skirt, and a pink leotard, which had pretty much made it impossible for him to think of anything for the last hour except for how she’d look naked. If he had actually danced with her, he definitely would have ended up kissing her again, hard and thoroughly, until she was breathless and limp, because his self-control was tragically compromised at this point, where Val was concerned. After last night’s kiss? Whenever he was around her, he was going to be in constant danger of repeating it, of trying to best it, because he had a feeling that what they’d shared last night was just a taste of what could be between them.
So, for the entire hour of dancing, he’d repeated the word “no” in an endless loop—whenever she checked out his ass, whenever he checked out her breasts—no, no, no. No, you can’t have her. No, you aren’t free to be with her. No.
She’d asked him to dance? No.
She’d asked him if he was continuing with lessons? No.
But here’s where it got
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