CourtesanTales Masterfile (11 page)

Both
blondes glanced at Autumn. One then touched his arm. The other placed a hand
against his chest.

I
guess they’re telling you he’s off limits. As if you need that warning.

The
object of all three women’s desire turned his attention back to the women at
his side.

Autumn
released a sigh of disappointment, still unable to tear her gaze away from him.
He was so sexy.

He
spoke briefly to the two women before turning his attention back to Autumn.

She
swallowed and stared into his almost hypnotic eyes. He must be interested in
her.

The
women spoke to him again, seemingly determined to reclaim his attention.

Briefly
turning his gaze back to the women, he flashed a smile and spoke to them.

Autumn
watched in amazement as he then quickly strolled towards her, ignoring the
women’s efforts to keep him at their sides.

She
swallowed and moistened her lips while her heart hammered against her ribcage.

He
stopped a foot or so in front of her. He extended his hand. “Hello.” He had a
deep, sexy voice.

“Hi.”

“I’m
Seneka Elkhorn.”

Seneka
Elkhorn. Nice name. Nice voice. Nice body. Sexy as hell man.

She
held out her hand.

A
shiver of anticipation danced down her spine when his fingers closed over hers.
She imagined him whispering sweet nothings in her ear in that deep, velvety
voice as he caressed her bare skin with the big warm hand cradling hers.

“And
you are?”

She
blinked. “I’m sorry. What?”

“What’s
your name? Mine’s Seneka Elkhorn.”

Get
a grip, woman and stop gawking as if you’ve never met a drop-dead gorgeous
hunk. “Autumn Walker.”

His
eyes lingered on her bare left hand. “Autumn is my favorite time of the year.”

“Oh…is
it?”

“Oh
yes.” He smiled. “I see you’re not wearing a ring, but is there a Mr. ‘She’s
All Mine So Back Off’ lurking somewhere?”

She’d
never been happier to be divorced and commitment free. She shook her head. “Not
anymore.”

His
smile widened. “No? This must be my lucky night.”

His
lucky night? Lost in a haze of erotic fantasies, she racked her brain for some
witty remark that would titillate and entertain him while making him want to
get to know her.

She
stole a glance at his left hand. Bare. Thank God.

The
association president went to the podium. “Good evening, everyone. We have a
number of issues on the agenda so please find seats so we can begin.”

Autumn
stifled a groan. Why did the blasted meeting have to start on time? She
reluctantly withdrew her hand from his. “I guess I’d better find a seat.”

He
slipped a hand under her elbow. “Yes. Let’s do that.”

His
fingers on her bare skin sent a tingle through her. She turned back to face
him, hoping she’d managed to conceal her emotional turmoil from him. “I see a
seat—”

“A
seat?” He nodded toward two empty seats on the other side of the room. “There
are two over there. Join me?”

She
hesitated. Contemplating flirting with him as they waited for the meeting to
start was one thing. Sitting with him might be too close to a line she’d never
crossed before. Her divorce from Sam still stung. The reason he’d divorced her
hadn’t changed enough to make a difference in her life.

“Autumn,”
his fingers tightened on her elbow. He leaned down until his lips were a breath
away from her ear. “I won’t hurt you,” he promised softly.

She
stared up into his dark eyes. Why did she feel as if he’d read her mind and
knew of her hurt? “What?”

“You
can trust me, Autumn.”

Trust
didn’t come easy. Sam had broken her heart, injured her pride, and damaged her
self-esteem. When Sam left her, she’d decided lost love hurt and that love in
general was overrated. Since then she had managed to remain romantically
unscathed by channeling all her time and energy into preparing her students for
careers in math and science.

Some
of her students had done very well. She found satisfaction in celebrating their
triumphs with them. Her life wasn’t exciting. It was safe. Safety was
important.

He
caressed her elbow. “You can trust me, Autumn.”

Her
desire to accept his word and trust him gave her pause. She knew nothing about
him except that she found him more sexually exciting than any man she’d ever
met. He seemed to want to spend at least an hour or so in her company. An hour
wouldn’t make much difference to him but it might act as a balm to her wounded
ego.

She
smiled up at him. “Okay.”

“Great.”
He gave her a slow, warm smile before he led her over to the two empty chairs
on the other side of the room. Once she was seated he sat so close to her, his
thigh pressed against hers.

She
attempted to draw her thigh away from his.

He
responded by shifting in his seat in a manner that allowed him to press his
thigh against hers again.

She
inhaled sharply and glanced at him.

He
arched a brow and ensured she was even more aware of him by sliding an arm
along the back of her chair. He leaned so close she felt his breath on her
cheek. “Relax, Autumn. I don’t bite—at least not in public.”

She
blushed and turned her attention back to the front of the room. If he touched
her, she wasn’t sure how she’d respond.

He
didn’t.

Nevertheless,
she spent the entire meeting wondering if he were as aware of her as she was of
him. His thigh pressing against hers seemed to indicate he was yet each time
she stole a glance at him, his attention was on the podium. Later, she couldn’t
remember how she’d voted on the proposed condo fees.

After
the meeting ended, he turned to look at her. “So you’re all for increased condo
fees?”

“What
makes you think that?”

He
shrugged. “You raised your hand when the president asked for a show of hands of
those in favor of the higher fees.”

“I
did?”

His
lips twitched. “You did.”

“Oh…hell!”

He
laughed. “It would probably have passed anyway. Now for a really important
question, do you have any plans for the rest of the night?”

“No.

“Will
you have a drink with me?”

The
thought that she might somehow parlay the drink invitation into a night of
wanton and uncommitted sex, excited her senses and helped relax her
inhibitions. “I’d like that,” she admitted.

“So
would I.” He smiled.

He
smiled a lot and lord what a warm, intimate smile. He was so handsome it was
difficult not to stare at him.

“Are
you ready, Autumn?”

After
three years of celibacy she was more than ready to subject herself to any
situation that would increase the possibility of their ending up in bed for the
night. As improbable as she’d thought it before the meeting started, she was
now convinced he shared her sexual interest.

She
nodded. “Yes, I’m ready.”

“Great.”
He rose. “Do you have any objections to Patty’s?”

Patty’s
was an upscale bar two blocks from their condo complex. She’d had drinks there
twice with friends. “No, I don’t.”

“Do
you mind walking?”

Walking
would extend their time together. “It’s a nice night for a walk.”

He
nodded. “It’s a very nice night, Autumn.”

The
steady glance he gave her left her in no doubt that he felt her presence
increased the beauty of the night. She smiled.

He
extended his hand towards the exit. “Then let’s go.”

* * *

They
walked to Patty’s without speaking. Surprisingly, she felt comfortable with him
and with the silence.

At
Patty’s, he escorted her to an empty booth with a view to the entrance. He
asked her what she wanted to drink before going to get their drinks.

She
watched him walk to the bar. She’s always had a thing for men with long legs
and tight asses. Seneka Elkhorn had both. And he certainly looked good in a
pair of tight jeans.

He
returned to the table with a martini for her and bottled water for him.

“You’re
not drinking?”

He
shook his head. “I need a clear head.”

She,
on the other hand, wanted help lowering her remaining inhibitions. “Why?”

“Because
I find you incredibly…interesting.”

Oh,
hell, yes! She smiled and sipped her drink.

He
propped his elbows on the table, a slow smile curving his firm, sensual lips.
“How long have you lived at Oak Gardens, Autumn?”

“Just
over a year. You?”

“I’ve
lived here for the last two years. Why haven’t I seen you at any of the other
meetings?”

“I’m
usually too busy grading papers to attend them.”

“Grading
papers? What do you do for a living, Autumn?”

His
steady regard allowed her to return his scrutiny without embarrassment. “I
teach math at Community College.”

“At
last! A woman I can talk numbers to and have her really understand. This is
indeed my lucky night.”

She
laughed. “What a wonderful man you must be, Seneka Elkhorn.” 

His
smile turned into a wide grin. “Discerning as well as pretty.”

“Pretty?”

He
nodded slowly, locking his gaze with hers. “Very, very pretty.”

A
warm glow spread through her. “Thank you.”

“You’re
welcome. So you’re discerning, very pretty, and modest. That’s quite a heady
combination in one woman, Autumn.”

“And
very full-figured.” There. She’d stated the obvious. If he had a problem with
her weight, she wanted to know upfront before she lost herself in his smiling
gaze.

He
frowned. “You make that sound like a bad thing.”

She
moistened her lips. “It is for some men.”

He
shrugged. “Different strokes for different folks.”

She
liked the turn the conversation had taken. “Oh?”

“I
can’t see how a woman having an ample amount of curves is anything but a plus.”
He grinned. “Besides, you’re discerning enough to realize I’m rather wonderful.
How did you know? Does it ooze through my pores?”

She
smiled, feeling completely relaxed with him. “Only a natural born charmer could
make the ability to understand numbers sound like a compliment or make being
full-figured sound like a plus.”

“Oh
but it is a plus to men who prefer women with lots of curves.” He took a sip of
his water. “I take it your ex didn’t?”

She
sucked in a breath and slowly shook her head. “No. He didn’t.”

He
glanced at her left hand. “Were you married?”

“Yes,
but I’d rather not talk about him.”

“Okay.
What would you like to talk about?”

“Seneka
Elkhorn.”

“Me?
Dull subject.”

She
shook her head. “I doubt that.”

“All
right. What would you like to know, Autumn?”

She’d
never liked her name, but he almost made it sound like an endearment.
“Elkhorn…is that…?” She paused. How did one ask a Native American what tribe he
was from?

“My
parents were Cherokee.”

“Your
parents were Cherokee? That’s a unique way of stating your heritage.”

“I
suppose it is.”

“What
about you? Aren’t you Cherokee too?”

“Not
so you’d notice.”

“You
look…”

“My
brothers and I are mainstream American.”

“Because
of where you were born or for another reason?”

“At
the time, our parents felt we’d do better if we strove to be Americans instead
of highlighting the fact that we’re Native Americans.”

“Where
are you from?”

“My
parents were born in Oklahoma.”

“Were
you born there?”

“No.
I was born in California.”

“So
you’re Cherokee?”

His
lips twitched. “Yes, Autumn, Cherokee. Were you hoping I was from more movie
famous stock like Comanche or Apache?”

“No!”

“No?”

She
bit her lip and then laughed, but quickly sobered. “I’m sorry, Seneka. I meant
no offense.”   

His
smile held no trace of offense. “None taken. My brothers and I have grown used
to non-Native women who read…what do you call them? Capture romances and then
went on to weave fantasies of becoming a sex slave of a Comanche or an Apache
warrior.”

Was
he reading her mind?

He
arched a brow. “Apparently such women suffer under the delusion that they make
better captors and or lovers.”

She
sipped her drink before she responded. “Do they?”

“Hell
no.” He grinned. “Anytime you’d like proof, I’d be delighted to take you
captive and make you my sex slave.”

The
muscles in her stomach tightened and she swallowed hard. “Your sex slave?”

“My
sex slave.” He shrugged. “Or maybe you’d like to turn the tables on me and I’d
wind up being your sex slave.”

“My
sex slave?”

He
shrugged. “I’m a modern man—open to trying almost anything. Either way, count
me in any time you’re in the mood to experiment.”

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