Beguiling (Tempting #2) Read online

  Beguiling

  Book Two In The Tempting Series

  Alex Lucian

  Contents

  Copyright

  About the Tempting Series

  Dedication

  Beguiling Synopsis:

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Epilogue

  Acknowledgments

  Beguiling (Book Two in the Tempting series) by Alex Lucian

  © 2016 by Alex Lucian

  All rights reserved.

  Cover Photography: K Keeton Designs

  Cover Model: Tessi Le’Anne

  Cover Designer: Najla Qamber Designs

  Interior Designer: The Write Assistants

  Editing: M. Wiemer, Jon Perry

  No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without written permission of the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, brands, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, actual events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  The author acknowledges the trademark status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.

  Beguiling is a standalone novel and the second book in the erotic Tempting series.

  About the erotic Tempting series

  Book One: Tempting

  A romance between a college student named Adele and her hot professor, Nathan, that is much deeper than just the forbidden aspect of their relationship.

  Amazon US

  Amazon UK

  Amazon AU

  Amazon CA

  Book Two: Beguiling

  A romance about Leo, the all-star quarterback, and his pain-in-the-ass, preacher’s daughter neighbor, Scarlet whose bucket list will make their summer fly by a little bit faster.

  Book Three: Provocative

  The continuation and conclusion to Adele and Nathan’s tumultuous romance.

  More books to come…

  To Jamie, the one who beguiles me.

  I never once minded.

  Beguiling Synopsis:

  Hate: to dislike intensely or passionately; feel extreme aversion for or extreme hostility toward.

  Scarlet Jennings, the preacher’s daughter who lived across the street, was a royal, uptight pain in my ass. When she looked at me, she saw a college quarterback asshole with rocks for brains, but she didn’t have a single word for what was happening between us.

  When we were forced to ride together every single day that summer, there was definitely some dislike going on. Extreme hostility was a given, considering that we were spending so much time together in close quarters.

  One night of bed-breaking, body-shattering, lose-your-voice-from-screaming passion had surprised us both, but it was only just the beginning…

  Chapter One

  I don’t remember the first time I threw a football. My dad didn’t teach me, and it wasn’t in my blood to be able to do it; I just could. It was just there, the way it fit in my palm, the rough edge of the white laces between my spread fingers, how it left my hand and lifted in the air. Playing football was the only thing that came naturally to me. School definitely didn’t, because I had to study my ass off to maintain the three-point-five GPA that my parents demanded. And women definitely, a million percent definitely, did not.

  Women, though I loved them, did not come easily to me. And they should have, which pissed me off even more. I’m good-looking—that’s not the issue. In fact, if I polled a hundred straight women on the street, I bet ninety percent of them would say I was fuckable. The other ten? They probably wanted the guy with the pierced dick and the nasty man-bun and tattoos covering every inch of his skin. But for whatever fucking reason, I always picked the crazy chick. Or the one who secretly had a boyfriend and didn’t tell me until after he found out I was screwing his girlfriend and he bashed my car lights out. A generic example, I promise.

  The guys on the team, the football team at Northern University that is, fucking loved it. Leo Madsen, the reigning quarterback, had shit luck with women. Which is why I found myself throwing the football a little harder than necessary at one of my tight ends, Cameron Hunter, who’d stopped by my house because he was ‘bored as fuck’ and decided to make me suffer with his tales of ‘hot sorority pussy that tasted like unicorns and candy’ since I ‘couldn’t land any’ on my own.

  When he took off across my front yard for a good ten yards, then ran a post route that led him toward the sidewalk, I let go of the ball with a bit more zip than normal, hoping to take off his head. Unfortunately, he lifted his big ass hands just in time before it hit him square in the nose.

  “Nice throw, dickwad.” He jogged back across the perfect emerald grass of my front yard, tossing the ball back at me, aimed directly at my balls. I caught it easily, shoving into him with my shoulder when he passed me. I wasn’t exactly tiny—tall for a QB at six-four—but Cameron Hunter had me by at least two inches and about forty pounds of muscle, so I didn’t really do any damage. Fucker just laughed at me.

  “You’re lucky you caught it,” I said. “If I’d broken that pretty nose of yours, no Alpha Phi sisters would be givin’ up their unicorn pussy to you anymore.”

  “Oh bullshit, Madsen. I could be a hunchback with a pencil dick and still get more than you.”

  I glared at him for a second before I burst out laughing. “You’re such an ass, Hunter. You wonder why I never want to hang out with you during school? It’s no surprise you’re so fucking pathetic that you have to show up to my house during the summer.”

  He grinned, flipping up his middle finger at me, then his eyes narrowed over my shoulder. “Okay. Who the hell is that?”

  There was no point in looking, because I knew. But if I admitted that I knew who he was asking about, he’d probably act like a chick and read way too much into it, so I turned and shaded my eyes from the midday sun. Yup.

  Scarlet Jennings.

  “Oh, just my neighbor.” I went for nonchalant, hoping he’d drop it.

  “Just your neighbor?” Cameron repeated, incredulous. “Are you screwing with me right now? Just your neighbor is fucking hot.”

  “So? You don’t want to know this chick, trust me.” I spun the football in my hands, very much not looking back across the street at that stupidly perfect red hair and tight ass.

  “Uhh, yeah I do.”

  “No. You don’t.”

  “Well why the fuck not? She looks like a Playboy bunny, Madsen. Of course I want to know her.” He
gaped at me when I rolled my eyes. “Dude. Do you even have a dick? I want to know anyone with a rack like that.”

  “Trust me,” I said, raising my eyebrows so he knew I was serious as a fucking heart attack. “You don’t want to know her.”

  “I’m going over there right now unless you give me a reason.”

  He was serious as a fucking heart attack too. I sighed, shaking my head. “She’s … she’s a bitch, man. Just a straight up bitch. I’ve known her since kindergarten, and she’s always had a giant stick up her ass.”

  Cameron narrowed his eyes, then looked back at Scarlet where she was watering the flower pots in her front yard. And I hated, really hated admitting it, but she did look hot as hell. Wearing little denim shorts that showed off long-ass legs—longer than they should look considering she wasn’t all that tall—and a simple white tank top that showcased a pretty spectacular rack. And while I was looking, I totally missed Cameron marching down the driveway toward her.

  “Hunter,” I hissed.

  “Get bent,” he said back. “I don’t care if she’s a bitch. And besides, she’s probably just like that to you.”

  Shaking my head, I leaned back against his car and watched while he crossed the street and started up her driveway. Our yards were big enough that I could hear him talk, but not what he was saying. Scarlet lifted her head at the sound of his voice, then looked over at me, narrowing her eyes in a glare. I lifted a hand in greeting, giving her the same thin smile that I always did when I ran into her and she gave me that I wish you could freeze to death in front of me look. Scarlet crossed her arms and said something to Cameron, lifting her mouth in a small, polite smile. I swear, if I ever saw her smile wide enough to show teeth, I’d have an aneurysm from pure, undiluted shock.

  When Cameron stopped a couple feet away from her and stretched a hand out, I couldn’t help but laugh when Scarlet didn’t shake it, just tightened her arms even further. He said something and gestured back at me, which made her glare over at me again.

  God, I hated Hunter.

  She spoke, but I couldn’t even hear the tone of her voice, she was speaking so quietly. Hunter tipped his head back and laughed, but then stopped when he saw her face. She had one eyebrow lifted, lips twisted in displeasure. He shook his head and then turned to walk back toward me, face hard and cheeks flushed. Scarlet gave me one last look and then stomped into her garage.

  When Cameron got closer, I clucked my tongue. “Told you so.”

  He didn’t answer, just waited until he was right in front of me and then punched me in the balls.

  * * *

  I may have blacked out for a second, but when I opened my eyes and stared up at the cloudless blue sky, the throbbing mass of pain where my dick used to be slowly ebbed.

  “You are such a dick, Hunter.”

  He snorted and held a hand out to help me up off the lawn.

  “So what did she say to you?”

  “No way,” he said firmly. “I’m not telling you that.”

  After I stood with a groan, I shoved at his shoulder. “I can’t believe you hit me in the junk. That’s not cool, man.”

  “Well, it’s your fault. You said she was a bitch, but you failed to mention that she was a real one; not just like feisty redhead bitchy, because those are pretty different.” He stared over at the Jennings' house again, shaking his head. “She scared me a little bit.”

  I laughed, because I absolutely believed him.

  “She really doesn’t like you, Madsen. When I said I was a friend of yours, her face got so cold that I think my dick shrank up for a second.”

  “Leo, honey,” my mom called from behind us. “Do you boys need anything to drink?”

  We both turned to where she was leaning out of the front door. I shook my head. “Cameron was just leaving, but thanks.”

  “I was not,” he said out of the side of his mouth. “I’ll take some of that famous lemonade, Mrs. Madsen. If you’ve got it.”

  My mom giggled and ran a hand over her short blonde hair. “Of course I have some. I’ll go pour a glass.”

  I stared over at Cameron when the door slammed shut. Finally, he looked back. “What?”

  “Dude. You cannot flirt with my mom.”

  “Course I can.” He jabbed me with his sharp-ass elbow. “Your mom is hot as hell. Total MILF.”

  I pulled in a deep breath, just about to throat punch him when my mom walked back out balancing two tall glasses on a tray.

  “Thank you, Mrs. Madsen,” Cameron said with a wink. I cleared my throat sharply and he just grinned.

  “Thanks, Mom,” I said as I took the glass.

  “Leo, don’t forget you have to come to that party with us later tonight, for at least thirty minutes.”

  “What party?”

  “At the Jennings. For Scarlet starting vet school in the fall?” She scoffed when I groaned. “I told them we would all come when she invited me at church. So don’t give me any lip. You know Scarlet; it won’t kill you to be nice to her.”

  Cameron was choking on his lemonade and I thumped him on the back harder than necessary. My mom pointed a finger at me when I made some pitiful attempt to get out of the party, something about needing to do laundry, and then walked back into the house.

  “Oh man,” Cameron wiped at the tears of laughter making his eyes all shiny. “To be a fly on the wall tonight. Careful she doesn’t rip your nutsack off for saying hello.”

  “Screw you,” I said with no conviction. He just laughed and got in his car, and I could still see the dickhead chuckling as he drove away. I stared over at the Jennings house, a red brick colonial that was a little bit more modestly sized than ours. Even though I tried, I couldn’t remember the last time I’d even been in her house. And the other thing I couldn’t remember was what the hell I’d ever done to make Scarlet hate me so much.

  Maybe because the blood flow hadn’t fully returned to my brain after Cameron had junk-punched me, but it suddenly seemed like the greatest idea in the world to go to this party. I was home for the whole summer, without a car for reasons that I still didn’t like thinking about, and the hot redhead across the street had just provided me with the greatest challenge ever.

  She didn’t know it yet, but Scarlet Jennings would definitely not hate me by the end of this summer. In fact, she was going to change my luck with women, starting tonight.

  Chapter Two

  “Congratulations on vet school.” A thick hand patted my shoulder, the fingers accidentally getting tangled with my hair and pulling it taut. I half smiled and half winced my response before quickly moving among the clusters of people.

  “Scarlet, check on the rolls, won’t you?” My mother’s voice spun me around as I was headed to the back deck, away from the talk of church and din of my father’s favorite jazz.

  I nodded and turned toward the kitchen, but was stopped on my way.

  “Scarlet, just the girl I wanted to talk to.”

  I took a deep, silent breath in through my nose. “Hi, Mrs. Freeman.” I gave the neighbor a smile and kept my face free of frustration.

  Her eyes were heavy-lidded and she seemed to sway a little in place. She leaned toward me and squinted, before she opened her mouth and washed me with the scent of peach-scented liquor. “Congrats, honey. You must be so excited.”

  It was the same thing I’d heard fifty times already—the words rearranged a little—but the conversation was the same. As was my answer.

  “Thrilled.” I clasped my hands in front of me, feeling the pull on the neckline of my sleeveless black dress.

  “What are you studying?”

  It also wasn’t the first time I’d heard that question, which only illuminated the fact that the people attending my graduation party weren’t my friends, but friends of the family; people who sent you Christmas cards and brought casseroles when there was a death, but not people who actually knew you.

  “My degree is in animal medicine,” I said blandly. I squeezed my hands toget
her. “I’m going to vet school.”

  “Oh, that’s right.” Mrs. Freeman nodded, a smile stretching her cardboard skin. “You must be excited.”

  As you already said, Mrs. Freeman, I thought. Luckily, my mom stepped in to talk with Mrs. Freeman and mouthed “rolls” to me with a nod to the kitchen.

  I took the back way, from the living room through the foyer, the dining room, and the kitchen, wanting to bypass the audience that awaited in the living room and adjoining family room.

  The kitchen was blissfully empty and quiet. After pulling the rolls out of the oven and setting them on the island, I walked to the sink first and opened the window above it, letting the early June air wash over my face. Bracing my hands on either side of the sink, I just stood there for a minute as I breathed. The party was my mom’s idea; she was always the one to entertain the neighbors and the members of dad’s congregation. Which was great for Tupperware parties, maybe, but not exactly what you’d expect for a college graduation.

  The repetitive questioning and kind smiling and the weight of expectation from everyone around me had been nearly too much to bear. In high school I’d been the valedictorian, and in college when they’d announced I was salutatorian of my class, the feeling of failure had made my mouth slack. I'd put so much pressure on myself that letting everyone around me pile on their hopes for me was suffocating. I’d taken a full load of classes for three continuous years so I could graduate and move on, and after having the last couple weeks off, I was finally realizing how stressed out I’d been that entire time.

  I sighed, the action causing tension at the top of my dress. I looked down at the matte black fabric that stopped at my knees. With its round neck and straight line to my knees, it absolutely did not scream, “I just graduated from college and I’m celebrating!”