“He said I wasn’t adventurous.”
“So.”
“He’s right. I’m not. I know who I am, Paige. I’ve always used my mind to get where I want to go. I thought about going to the bookstore and picking up a book about seduction, but I was hoping that you could give me some pointers. I want to knock Jericho on his butt first.”
“Uh, before you get your hands on it?”
Kate felt the blood suffuse her face. “Right.”
“From what I’ve seen of our prosecutor, I’d say it’s a pretty nice ass.”
“Who has a nice ass?” Justin asked, coming out of the bedroom.
Kate wanted to crawl under the table.
Paige rose and went to him, curling her arms around his neck and kissing his mouth. “You never mind, mister. This is women’s stuff.”
Kate saw the way Justin’s eyes caressed Paige’s face, and she wanted Jericho to look at her like that. Really see her the way Justin saw Paige.
Justin left and Paige came back to sit down. “Look, I think you might have it mixed up. The body doesn’t govern sex, Kate. The mind does. Sure, there are chemical reactions that happen, but it all starts up here.” She pointed to her temple.
“Like?”
“Take Jericho, for instance. Why do you think he’s sexy?”
“He is.”
“But pinpoint it.” Paige took another leisurely sip, letting Kate think about her answer. “You can’t, right? That’s because it’s a lot of things about him that you find attractive. His mouth?”
“Definitely. And he knows how to use it.”
“His mind?”
“Brilliant.”
“You see what I’m saying. We could go on and on, but it’s still the jumble of intricate things that make him sexy to you. Intellect is always sexy. From your mind comes imagination, and you can incorporate what you think into what you do. Seduction is all mind. Believe me.”
“I should use my mind to seduce Jericho?”
“Exactly. Seduction requires art, attention to details, and a devoted imagination.”
“How do I do that?”
“Push his buttons. Give him the promise of what he wants and then, baby, deliver.”
“Think about being adventurous and it’ll happen?”
“Sure. Go with what you feel, throw caution to the wind, and take what you want. Do what you want. I don’t know any man who wouldn’t appreciate that in a woman.”
“I’ve never been good at that, Paige.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know.”
“Maybe you should think about it, Kate. Maybe then the answer you seek about how to seduce Jericho will come to you. Perhaps it’s not his body you want. Maybe you want his mind, too.”
“This is a dare and by the very nature of a dare, I have to overcome my fear of following through. It wouldn’t be a dare otherwise.”