Seduced in September (Spring River Valley Book 9) by Clarice Wynter

of the ballad, and together they professed their love to one another in front of the bar’s Friday night audience. Behind them, Taylor Croft tickled the keys of his own instrument, creating the melody to which they both swayed. Their hands met on the microphone stand, and they leaned together, mouths only inches apart so their voices could blend into the perfect pitch.
    People sang with them, some off key, but that didn’t bother Claudia. She wasn’t concerned with the audience or the music. Tonight only the words mattered because she wasn’t just singing for the few extra bucks the gig paid her and her two band mates. She meant every word.
    Tonight she planned to make sure Owen knew it.
    He smiled at her while he sang the chorus, unaware that every movement of his lips distracted her. She had to force herself to concentrate on getting the words right, all the while wondering if he could see the intent in her eyes. I love you, and tonight is the night I’m going to tell you.
    As long as she could stay focused through the end of the song, the end of the set, she could accomplish her goal. They’d been singing together for almost a year, and they’d been friends for a decade before that, but it had only been in the last few months, since they’d started singing semi-professionally together, that she’d realized the reason they bickered and argued and pushed each other’s buttons wasn’t because he was just a smart ass and she was a control freak. It was because somehow she’d fallen in love with him, and she had no idea how to tell him that their friendship just wasn’t going to be enough for her anymore.
    That brought her back around to the fear that tonight she could ruin everything if she said the wrong words, if she went about this the wrong way. Everything had to be perfect, including her delivery of the song.
    His raised eyebrow told her she’d messed up—damn! She missed a line of the chorus, but he caught it, he followed her lead and smoothed it over. She banished all non-essential thoughts from her mind, smiled broadly to hide her annoyance with herself and hit the final notes, her voice mixing with his like two colors blending to make a third even more beautiful hue.
    They were magic together on stage. Everyone said it.
    She wanted that magic all the time, everywhere…and if he didn’t want the same thing, her heart would break.
     
    www.claricewynter.com

About the Author
     
    Considering herself the third of two voices, Clarice Wynter is the contemporary romance alter ego of a multi-published paranormal and science fiction romance author. She lives in the Tri-State area with her husband and her children and a trio of cats.
     
    To learn more about Clarice and her books visit her website and blog:
     
    http://www.claricewynter.com/
     
    Look for the rest of the Spring River Valley Series-to be released throughout 2013
     
    Jilted in January
     
    Fixed up in February
     
    Mixed up in March
     
    An Affair in April
     
    Matched up in May
     
    Jaded in June
     
    Jealous in July
     
    Awakened in August
     
    Seduced in September
     
    Outmatched in October
     
    Naughty in November
     
    Desired in December
     
Table of Contents
     
    Chapter One
    Chapter Two
    Chapter Three
    Chapter Four
    Chapter Five
    Chapter Six
    Chapter Seven
    Chapter Eight
    Chapter Nine
    Chapter Ten
    Chapter Eleven
    Chapter Twelve
    Chapter Thirteen
    Chapter Fourteen
    Chapter Fifteen