Hypnotic Seduction (The Seduction Series) (30 page)

“What games?”

“The ones we both play. I’ve been in counseling, and my therapist pointed out that we don’t have a normal mother-daughter relationship. As she says, we’re more like sisters, complete with sibling rivalry.”

“Of course we are.” Candace huffed. “Your grandparents saw to that.”

“Well, it’s been suggested, if I’d quit waiting for you to love me, my pain would end.”

“I do love you, Hannah.”

“Do you? Then why do you act as if you hate me? You have it all, Mother—beauty, fame, wealth—and yet you persist in trying to hurt me.”

The line was silent for several awkward seconds before Candace whispered, “I don’t hate you, Hannah. I love you in my own sick way. Although, I suppose I do resent you.”

“Why? It’s not as if you’ve ever had me hanging around, ruining your life or anything. Gram and Gramps took care of me the
enti
—”

“You don’t understand. They were different with you. You
weren’t raised
by the same two people I was. When I was a child, my parents
were so wrapped up
in each other I was always in the way. I just wanted my father to love me, too. And then you came along, and he doted on you and called me a tramp and a whore.”

“I know Gramps disapproved of you, but you really disappointed him.”

“Not before he let me down first. Maybe if he’d ever paid any attention to me, I wouldn’t have had to seduce my drama teacher in order to feel wanted.”

Hannah’s mouth dropped open. She’d always assumed her mother had slept with some classmate who’d refused to accept responsibility for Hannah’s conception. “Your teacher?”

“Yes. He was fresh out of college—a total hunk with light brown wavy hair.”

Which explained her unruly, dishwater mop.

“Your grandparents and I never told you about your dad because we didn’t want you to know they’d pressed charges against him for statutory rape.”

“He went to prison?”

“And had his career destroyed. I’ve always felt like your father got a raw deal,
being labeled
a sex-offender. He was only twenty-three, and I pretty much threw myself at him.”

“So you told Gramps you seduced the poor guy, and then you were surprised by your father’s attitude?”

“I was fifteen and emotionally troubled, Hannah. Like half the other girls my age, I wore too much makeup and rock-star outfits, trying to convince the world I was older than I was. Your grandfather treated me like I was a slut, and then you came along and were the perfect little princess I’d never been.”

Guilt squeezed Hannah’s chest at the memory of
being cuddled
in her grandpa’s lap while he read the Sunday comics to her. Her mother’s resentment was also probably why Candace had never shared any of her financial success with Hannah or her grandparents. “I’m sorry. But none of that was my fault.”

“No, it wasn’t. But that didn’t make it hurt any less. When you were three months old, I left to escape my parents’ condemnation. And every time I came home to visit, you just got cuter and more perfect in their eyes.”

“And posing for those skin magazines made it better?”

“Hey, if I had to wear the name, I figured I might as well play the game.”

Hannah grabbed the back of the sofa to steady herself. She’d taken the exact same attitude when Jordan had disapproved of her dress at the charity dance. Maybe she was more like her mother than she wanted to admit.

She swallowed hard. “And Gramps and Gram raised me to be just as disapproving. That’s why you flaunt yourself with men in front of me, isn’t it? To punish me, too?”

“Maybe. You’re the one seeing a therapist. You tell me. You may not believe it, but I’ve only slept with three guys in my life—your father and two other men I loved.”

Apparently, Diana had been right. Hannah had misjudged her mother. “If that’s true, then why do you put on that femme fatale act all the time?”

“That’s the role the world expects me to play. It doesn’t matter what strangers think. I know the truth.” Candace’s voice cracked as if she might be crying. “People who are close to me know I’m a good person.”

“Listen.” Hannah’s throat tightened. “I’m sorry for tarring you with the same brush as Gram and Gramps. I’d love to be close to you. We could start over.”

“Do you really think we can?” Candace sniffled.

“We can try. I don’t need a mother anymore. Why don’t we try being friends instead?”

Candace was silent for several seconds. “I’d like that a lot.”

“Me, too,” Hannah agreed, blinking back the tears that welled in her eyes.

“So, as my friend, tell me about Jordan. It’s obvious from the way you answered the phone you’re having problems with him.”

For the next half hour, Hannah filled Candace in on the transformation her hypnosis had wrought in her and her relationship with her boss. “It’s been six weeks, and I’ve changed more than I ever believed I could.”

So much, she wondered if she might have swung too far in the other direction and started turning into her mother.

“How was he in bed? Is he as good a lover as he looks like he’d be?”

“Do you really think I’d tell my mother something like that?”

“Maybe not. But you’d tell your sister or a friend, wouldn’t you?”

True. “He was incredible. I never dreamed sex could be that good. Except now I don’t know where I stand. Jordan insists he can’t get involved with me. But I know he’s dying to.”

“I don’t doubt it. I always knew you’d be irresistible to men if you ever quit wearing those frumpy outfits and lost a few pounds. That’s probably another reason why I’ve felt so threatened by you.”

“That’s silly. You’re one of the most beautiful women in—”

“Hey,” Candace said laughing. “Take it from someone who knows, being a sex-goddess isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. I’ve never attracted the highest caliber of men. At least nobody interested in settling down with a family.”

Hannah had already discovered that drawback. “Jordan is as anti-marriage as men come, which is why I had that stupid CD made.”

“I can’t believe you gave something like that to him.” Candace chuckled. “Who would’ve guessed sweet little Hannah could be so devious?”

“Thanks. I feel guilty enough already. My better instincts told me I shouldn’t do it. I just wish I could find a way to get it back without telling him what I did.”

“You could always steal it back.”

The suggestion started the
Mission Impossible
theme playing in her head. “Sure. I can go from conniving manipulator to master thief. Thanks for the great advice.” Hannah snorted softly. “The next time I need an idea that could land me in
jail,
I’ll remember to call you.”

“You’re welcome, sweetie. That’s what friends are for.”

For the first time in her life, she felt as if Candace truly liked her.

“The problem is, I don’t think I care for the effect my transformation has had on the way people feel about me.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m making more enemies than friends lately. Every woman I work with is whispering behind my back.” Even Callie had seemed a little distant at lunch that day. She told Candace about finding the flat tires on her car on Monday afternoon.

“Sour
grapes,
honey. The last thing any woman wants is more competition. They’re just upset that the ugly duckling has become a swan. But don’t worry, for every female friend you lose, you’ll attract three new male admirers.”

Hannah wasn’t sure she liked that trade-off, but she couldn’t give up now. If dressing to attract men’s attention could make Jordan jealous enough to reconsider his stance on marriage, it would be worth a few dirty looks from her coworkers. And if she had to let a few lechers ogle her in the process—so be it.

~*~

The
trill
of Hannah’s laughter made Jordan grip his pencil so hard it snapped in half. On his last count of voices, five of his vice presidents were still hanging around her desk, trying to top one another’s jokes.

In the week since Hannah traded her matronly attire for a sex kitten’s wardrobe, men had been prowling his outer office like a pack of hungry wolves after catching the scent of a helpless lamb.

In fact, according to the office grapevine—which couldn’t be trusted but usually held an element of truth—even Stanley Pulaski had the gall to ask Hannah out after the charity auction.

Jordan stomped over to the door and flung it open. “If I recall correctly, gentlemen, the staff meeting ended over half an hour ago. If you all have so little to do, you could spend the weekend writing up a report to justify your positions with this company.”

Bryce spread his hands. “Cut us some slack, JC. It’s after five-o’clock.”

“Then you should all be heading home to beat the Friday rush-hour traffic, shouldn’t you?” Jordan glared at the two married executives in the group. “Won’t your wives have dinner waiting for you?”

The younger one dragged his gaze away from Hannah’s breasts. “We were just—”

“I know what you were all doing.” The drool was so deep out there he needed hip boots to leave his office.

Hannah pursed her lips suppressing an obvious smirk.

“Bye, Hannah.” Bryce waved. “Don’t forget, we have a date for lunch on Monday.”

“And we’re still on for dinner on Saturday,” Jeff Burton reminded her.

After all five men filed out the double doors, Jordan spun toward Hannah. “And
you
stop encouraging them. You should’ve left twenty minutes ago.”

She stared at him in wide-eyed innocence. “What’d I do?”

“
What’d I do
?” he parroted in a sarcastic
sing-song
voice. “You know damn well.” He waved his hand toward the clingy black blouse crisscrossed between her lush breasts and tied at the waist. “Since the charity auction, you’ve been waltzing into the office dressed like you’re heading for the red-light district.”

She followed him into his office, smoothing the wrinkles in her short black and white hound’s-tooth skirt. “My wardrobe is completely professional and no different than any other executive assistant’s. I saw three secretaries wearing outfits in the same style today.”

“Other women don’t have bodies like yours.”

“Aren’t they
lucky.
So you don’t have a problem with how I’m dressed—just that I’m not self-conscious about my figure anymore.”

He spun in the middle of the room to face her. “Don’t twist my words to make it sound as if I want you to be ashamed of your body. Just quit showcasing it.”

“Why should I have to hide my shape?”

“Because my vice presidents were all so busy trying to look down your blouse at the staff meeting today they couldn’t pay attention to what was being said. I guarantee, every man in that conference room walked out with a blue ribbon hard-on.”

Including him. And having Trudy Hoffman, of all people, witness his frustration and jealousy had been mortifying. The vice president left the meeting wearing a definite self-satisfied sneer, obviously deriving great pleasure in seeing him humbled by his desire for only one woman.

Toe-to-toe, Hannah tipped her head back and gazed up at him for several heartbeats, challenge flashing in her silver eyes. “There is nothing indecent about my clothing. It’s not my fault if some of the men working for you are sex-crazed horn-dogs who can’t discipline their minds. Or should I say their penises?”

“Maybe if you didn’t keep encouraging them by smiling at them, they could focus on their jobs.”

“I smile at everyone.”

He couldn’t refute that. One of the things he liked most about her was her friendly nature and how
up-beat
she always was.

“Why don’t we address the real problem, Jordan? It doesn’t bother you that all those men want me. You’re just upset because you do, too.”

“That’s where you’re wrong. It bugs the hell out of me that every man in this company wants to get into my assistant’s pants. All week, you’ve been encouraging those hounds to the point one of them is eventually going to step over the line with you, and I
’ll be forced
to terminate him. If you ask me, you need that spanking I never got around to giving you.”

She lifted her chin a notch. “Maybe I do. Perhaps in my quest to become less self-conscious, I’ve gone too far. But don’t you understand how incredible it feels to finally
be seen
as a sexually desirable creature by men, instead of some piece of efficient office equipment? Can you blame me for wanting to explore my sexuality?”

Not at all. He just wanted her to do it with him. “If you need a lover that much, I’ll be happy—”

“Then you
do
want to sleep with me again?”

“Believe me,
sleeping
is the last thing on my mind.”

“But you don’t deny you want me in your bed?”

“On the floor, against a wall....” He swept his hand around his office. “Hell, on top of my desk. You pick a surface, baby, and I’ve thought about having you there wiggling naked beneath me.”

“If I’m going to be on the bottom, personally, I prefer a bed.” She chuckled. “Much softer on the back.”

“Go ahead, laugh.” She had no idea how he ached for her. It seemed like he’d been perpetually hard since Wednesday night, which couldn’t be good. There was a reason the FDA required a warning label on erectile dysfunction medications urging consumers to seek medical attention if an erection lasted more than four hours.

Except most men would take out a front-page ad in the NY Times to announce a four-hour woody. Hell—as much time as he’d been stiff since he dropped her off at her apartment two nights ago, he was lucky it hadn’t developed gangrene.

“Okay.” Hannah strode across the room and slapped his desk blotter. “Let’s go.”

“What?”

“You were offering your services as a lover, weren’t you?” She untied the bow at her hip and
unwrapped
her blouse, revealing a low-cut, black push-up bra trimmed in lace.

He dashed to the door and slammed it. “Are you crazy? Anyone could wander in here.”

“Then it might be a good idea if you lock the doors.”

Every one of his brain cells shouted,
This
isn’t a good idea. What if Preston or one of the other board members finds
out
.
Unfortunately, the rest of the nerves in his body screamed louder,
You
fool, this is exactly what you’ve been aching for.