Seducing Cat [Meghan's Playhouse Book 1] Read online

  Seducing Cat [Meghan's Playhouse Book 1]

  BookGalleyTemplate

  MEGHAN’S PLAYHOUSE BOOK 1:

  SEDUCING CAT

  by

  Adriana Kraft

  WHISKEY CREEK PRESS

  www.whiskeycreekpress.com

  Published by

  WHISKEY CREEK PRESS

  Whiskey Creek Press

  PO Box 51052

  Casper , WY 82605-1052

  www.whiskeycreekpress.com

  Copyright Ó 2009 by Adriana Kraft

  Warning: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 (five) years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.

  Names, characters and incidents depicted in this book are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental and beyond the intent of the author or the publisher.

  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 permission in writing from the publisher.

  ISBN 978-1- 59374-429-3

  Credits

  Cover Artist: Jinger Heaston

  Editor: Sara Kent

  Printed in the United States of America

  WHAT THEY ARE SAYING ABOUT

  A GIFT FOR ADAM

  “Side-splitting hilarity mixed with volcanically hot love scenes, what more could a woman want? I have to admit that laughing until my eyes water and then immediately squirming in my seat from the ‘heat’ of the next scene is a new experience for me…a powerfully good read…truly brilliant comedic rhythm and delivery. Season that with love scenes better handled with asbestos lined gloves and you get one hot little story worthy of becoming a bedtime favorite. Well done, Ms. Kraft; give me more, please!”

  Keely

  Sensual Ecata Romance

  Five Stars

  WHAT THEY ARE SAYING ABOUT

  SMOLDERING PASSION

  “Smoldering Passion is Sensuality at its best! The chemistry between all the characters is phenomenal. Adriana Kraft taps into unrelenting passion and lets it flow upon the pages.”

  Deb

  WHAT THEY ARE SAYING ABOUT

  THE MERRY WIDOW

  “The Merry Widow kept me scrolling through pages until the end. I love seeing a forty-something heroine find her strength and inner vixen. Merry Delaney is just such a woman. The growth she makes from tired and depressed to vibrant and lively is a lesson for all of us heading into the second half of life. Stirring and sexy, I love Adriana’s upbeat and fun romances.”

  Morgan O’Reilly, Author

  Other Books by Author Available at Whiskey Creek Press:

  www.whiskeycreekpress.com

  The Merry Widow

  Men, women, young studs, considerate older men—The Mob, Detective Jim Barnes, Girls’ Night Out—Can’t recently widowed Merry Delaney just have it all?

  Smoldering Passion

  Work for a sex center? Anything for her art! Melissa Hopkins applies where her aunt used to work. Harry Gage hires the striking young woman who reminds him of his former lover. When the sparks ignite, is it love or just sex—and what must they risk to find out?

  A Gift for Adam

  What happens when the wrong Christmas present gets into the hands of the office rake? Adam Grant is holding high the suggestive thongs Evie Strand meant for her best friend. Aware that Evie’s deeply embarrassed, Adam resolves to make it up to her. Who knew where a simple dinner date would lead?

  Seducing Cat [Meghan's Playhouse Book 1]

  Chapter 1

  Peering through the lace curtains of her upstairs home office window onto the sundeck and manicured lawn below, Caitlin Shanahan felt her breathing quicken. Her nipples pebbled.

  Her renter’s petite nude body glistened under the rays of the late morning sun. Only recently had Caitlin realized how appealing the feminine form could be. She stood behind the curtains, careful not to be seen by the sunbather. Initially, she’d been shocked by Meg Keenan’s penchant for tanning in the nude. What if the neighbors saw her?

  But they wouldn’t. The eight foot privacy fence offered adequate protection from prying eyes—other than those looking out her upstairs window.

  The auburn-haired twenty year old looked so decadent and yet so innocent. During the day, she was a teller at the Community Bank. Many evenings she performed under Caitlin’s tutelage at the Community Playhouse. Audiences loved Meg. Her endearing, playful, effervescent personality won over fans and would-be critics alike.

  If Caitlin had her way, Meg would refine those innate skills with a college education, but the girl didn’t seem particularly interested in academic studies.

  Caitlin shook her head. Academics was about the only life she’d known. Now, as a recently tenured English professor, she had the satisfaction of giving herself permission to finally back off the throttle a little bit. Hence, she’d gotten involved with the Community Playhouse. She’d grown up in community theater, but gave it up to write a dissertation and then to hone her teaching skills and produce the required number of publications to achieve tenure.

  At thirty-four, she was ready for a few changes. Not too many, of course. The first big change had been buying this big old four-square house. She loved it, even if it had cost more than she’d wanted to spend, and even if it was in need of some serious restoration.

  She’d made the second change more reluctantly. After seeing the bills piling up because of her passion for the old place, she’d decided to take in a boarder. The upstairs, with the exception of her office, was now an apartment.

  Fortunately, Meg’s aunt had tired of having her niece living with her at about the same time Caitlin’s apartment was ready to rent. It seemed like a match made in heaven. She had the space available, and Meg could readily afford the rent.

  It helped that Caitlin knew Meg from the theater. She was exactly the kind of young woman she wanted for a renter: innocent, if not naïve, a young woman who smiled a lot and wanted to please.

  Caitlin involuntarily wet her lips as Meg rolled over on the chaise lounge from her stomach to her backside. Her innocent renter had turned out not to be quite so innocent. Caitlin frowned. Maybe she was the naïve one. Not only did Meg soak up sunrays in the nude—she had a lover.

  Caitlin shook her head. Was that what you called a muscle-bound brute who apparently wasn’t satisfied until he made a woman come a half dozen times?

  She groaned. She’d known Kurt Davis for as long as she’d known Meg. He was often in charge of set design at the theater. Grudgingly, she acknowledged that he was good at what he did. But he was also belligerent, cocky, and treated her with faintly restrained contempt.

  And now she knew the heavily tanned square-jawed Davis was Meg’s lover. How did he get his tan? She assumed from his carpentry work. Before she’d ever met him at the theater, he’d been highly recommended to her as a handyman who could do most of the repairs she needed on her house.

  Like most contractors, she imagined, he didn’t seem in any hurry to finish her work, and apparently he was very adept at juggling her job along with several others. She never quite knew when he’d show up. He seldom called. The sound of his hammer or the buzz of his saw in the backyard was the only warning of his presence. She’d nearly gotten comfortable seeing his deeply tanned chest expanding and contracting as he worked.

  She winced. Kurt Davis had better not try to tan in the nude in her backyard next to Meg.

  What else might the two of them try doing on her sundeck? She shook her head. Now she was letting her too-vivid imagination stampede. They wouldn’t try any hanky panky out there. Would they?

  She’d never known a man and a woman could make so much noise making love. If that’s what it was. Petite, innocent Meghan had the lungs of an elephant, and Kurt Davis must rival a range bull in the throes of climax.

  Caitlin ran her fingers through her short-cropped hair. Meg’s bedroom was right above hers. Why couldn’t she just tell Meg to tone her wailing down, or that it wasn’t appropriate to sunbathe in the nude?

  Caitlin bit down on her tongue. The young dozing woman slid a hand between her legs and covered her mound. The distance was too great to determine whether those fingers continued moving or whether they simply rested in slumber.

  Should she rap on the window? No, of course not. She had no intention of giving herself away. Caitlin retreated from the window before she could do anything she’d regret.

  She sat at her desk trying to concentrate on grading papers, but wasn’t entirely able to block out the image of the sunbather on her sundeck. What would Meg do if she knew her landlord routinely spied on her?

  * * * *

  Peering through shuttered eyelashes, Meg Keenan nearly purred. She’d seen the tall figure of Cat Shanahan leave the curtained window. Apparently the lanky red-head had no idea that the sun struck the window in a way that showed her slim form off to nice advantage.

  Meg snickered. Why else would she choose this particular time of day to come out onto the sundeck? Because the sun shining on the window exposed Cat to her view almost as much as she was exposed to Cat’s.

  At least she had the woman’s at
tention. Meg closed her eyelids and exhaled slowly. Soon she’d have Cat’s body.

  Stretching languidly, Meg smiled and sat up. Her plan was proceeding quite nicely. Kurt had been pissed that she’d rented the upstairs apartment. Both she and Kurt were townies, but she never could figure why he had such a chip on his shoulder about it.

  He’d even refused to go to college. Instead, he and Jack Mobly had, over a few short years, established a construction company. At twenty-four he had a certain amount of control over his life that she envied. He didn’t seem to care that there was a world outside Burntside , Wisconsin .

  She, on the other hand, needed to see beyond the horizon. Fortunately, they both knew that.

  While they’d been lovers for two years, neither suffered under the illusion of any long term commitments. She’d known him all her life. And they were very compatible lovers. What one partner didn’t think of, the other did, and being together meant they could enjoy their fascination with sex without having to deal with the meat market. Their relationship was one of convenience, yet quite satisfying.

  But Meg was ready to leave Burntside, and she wanted Kurt to have something he didn’t even know he wanted. She wanted him to have Professor Caitlin Shanahan. And she’d given herself the assignment to make that happen.

  The first step had been renting Cat’s apartment. The availability of an apartment in Cat’s huge house had been quite fortuitous, putting Meg’s erotic quest even more within reach. The second step had been getting Cat accustomed to seeing her naked and hopefully whetting Cat’s appetite for something she probably never knew she desired.

  The next step—Meg hugged herself—oh, the next step would be so delightful. She grinned broadly. This was so much fun, and it was only going to get better.

  She planned to enjoy being the bridge between Cat and Kurt. Left to his own devices, Kurt would never so much as suggest any interest in the “sophisticated bitch.” And Cat would never show any interest in Kurt because of his age, if nothing else. Meg doubted Cat was bold enough to seduce her own man.

  No, she’d have to bring the two together herself. And the only way she knew how to do that was by sharing herself and her many talents with each of them.

  Giggling, Meg slung her robe over her arm and padded toward the house.

  “What the hell are you doing?”

  Meg spun about to greet the owner of the throaty voice. She didn’t bother covering up; Kurt always appreciated her comfort with nudity. “What does it look like? Working on my tan.”

  “Buck naked?”

  “Of course. How else would I manage a full body tan?”

  He pulled off his work gloves. “Aren’t you afraid someone might see you?”

  Meg glanced around the yard, at the tall fence and at the thick shrubbery. “That’s not going to happen.”

  “What about her?” He spat the words out, jerking his head towards the office window. “The professor could see you.”

  “So?” She gave him a broad smile.

  Kurt narrowed his eyes. “Now what the hell are you up to, kid?”

  She shrugged and waited for him to put the pieces together. Her nipples grew taut under his steady glare.

  She loved it when she irked him to the point that he looked like he wanted to blow smoke from his ears. She could almost see smoke now.

  His features darkened. “You’re not.” He took a step toward her. She didn’t flinch. She trusted Kurt with every bone in her body. He might get royally pissed, but there was no way he’d hurt her.

  She arched an eyebrow at him. “Oh yes, I am.”

  “Why would you want to mess a round with an older woman?” He paused. “With a professor for God’s sake!”

  “Why not? I think she’ll be fun.”

  “Fun. I doubt she knows the first thing about fun. Have you ever seen her laugh? Really laugh?”

  “She will with me.”

  Kurt his folded his arms across his solid chest. “Do you even know she’s into women?”

  “She will be.” Meg tipped her head to the side. “You don’t think I can seduce Cat?”

  Kurt exhaled and grimaced. “Hell, you could charm a rock. If you want her, she doesn’t stand a chance. I’m almost sorry for her. But why would you even bother?”

  “I like her. She’s bright. She cares. And I’m envious of her tall slim body. Besides all of that,” she flicked her tongue at Kurt, “I want to taste her. I think she’ll be dynamite in bed if we have enough patience with her.”

  Kurt’s eyes glazed and his fingers curled at his sides. “We. We?” He shook his head vigorously. “No way, kid. You’ve had plenty of hair-brained ideas before, but this one is in a league of its own. If you think I’m going to help you screw that uptight professor, then you’ve been smoking something you’d better get rid of.”

  Meg remained quiet, delighting in Kurt’s obvious consternation.

  He paced about and kicked at a lawn chair. “When did you cook this scheme up? Why?” He glowered. “No, don’t answer. I don’t even want to hear about it.

  “That tight-assed redhead slaving over her desk upstairs wouldn’t give me the time of day if I wasn’t handy with a hammer.” He smiled devilishly. “But then I wouldn’t either, if she didn’t have enough money to pay me premium prices.”

  “Oh you big, bad boy,” Meg teased, latching on to the front of his shirt. “I beg to differ. You can’t tell me that a virile guy like you has worked on this house so long without having a brief fantasy of fucking the mistress of the house.”

  He looked like the kid who’d been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. “Well, not for long.”

  “I thought so.” She lowered a hand and squeezed his hardening arousal. “At least I won’t have to assume you’re going brain dead on me.”

  “You are a minx.” He brushed his chin across the top of her head.

  She stood on her toes and he lowered his lips to meet hers. She clutched his denim-clad butt and ground her naked loins against his full erection, relishing the feel of his fingers clawing at her ass. “You’re good with more than a hammer,” she said, breaking their kiss. “I can vouch for that.”

  He glanced up toward the office window and stepped immediately away. “Your prey is watching.”

  “Good. I hope she’s getting wet. I am. But this isn’t the moment.” She slipped into her robe and grinned at Kurt. “And she’s our prey, remember?”

  He rolled his eyes and groaned. “Not hardly. We’ve done a lot of crazy things since we were kids, but you’re on your own with this one, Meg. I’m not remotely interested.”

  Meg chuckled. “Deceive yourself if you want, lover. But when I deliver her steaming pussy to you, I’ll wager anything that you won’t walk away—at least, not before sampling.”

  “Do what you want,” Kurt hissed. “You will anyway. Just count me out.”

  Before she could respond he spun around and retreated toward the tool shed.

  Humming to herself, Meg made her way toward the house. She bubbled. She’d planted the seed, and she was right; he had fantasized about screwing the sophisticated professor.

  Meg smacked her lips and opened the patio door. No way could he have fantasized as often about Cat as she had. That was impossible.

  * * * *

  At last Caitlin could breathe again. She’d watched the broad shoulders of Kurt Davis disappear into her tool shed and she’d heard a downstairs door close and now heard Meg climbing the stairs toward her rooms.

  What had happened just minutes ago in her backyard? Or what had nearly happened? If she saw it correctly, Meg had been ready to make love to Kurt right on her flagstone patio. But he’d rebuffed her and stormed off to work.

  What had they argued about? It amazed her that Kurt Davis would ever turn down a woman at any time or place. For a moment, she’d thought he’d spied her behind the curtain, but that wasn’t possible. Of course if he had, he wasn’t about to wave at her—not with a naked woman in his arms.