Dare to Seduce Read online

  DARE TO SEDUCE

  Book Eight in the Dare to Love Series

  NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR

  Carly Phillips

  Copyright © Karen Drogin 2015

  CP Publishing 2015

  Cover Design: The Killion Group Inc.

  Cover Photo: Sara Eirew

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  www.carlyphillips.com

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  Alpha billionaire businessman, Max Savage has had a thing for Lucy Dare for as long as he can remember but he values his long standing friendship with her brothers too much to cross the line. When Lucy shows up at an engagement party on the arm of another man, Max doesn’t like the changes he sees in her and vows to make her his own.

  It’s now or never. Max can think of one way to convince Lucy she’s with the wrong guy. He’ll dare to seduce her … no matter what the consequences.

  “Carly Phillips is synonymous with red-hot romance and passionate love.”

  —Lauren Blakely, NY Times Bestselling Author

  “Steamy, sexy and emotionally charged!”

  —J. Kenner, NY Times Bestselling Author

  * * *

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form by any means without the prior written consent of the Publisher, excepting brief quotes used in reviews.

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

  Dear Reader:

  Thank you for joining me for another visit with my DARE siblings and cousins. The New York Dare books are the cousins: Gabe (Dare to Surrender), Decklan (Dare to Submit) and Lucy (Dare to Seduce) are all exceptionally hotter content, including erotic BDSM elements, while at heart still being a Carly Phillips story.

  To the NEW to me reader – There are three branches of the Dare family. Ian and his siblings (the “legitimate” family), Alex and his siblings (the “illegitimate” family) and Gabe and his siblings (the NY cousins). Every Dare to Love series book can be read alone but as always, for broader enjoyment, I hope you will try the entire series. See the full booklist below and the Dare Family Tree on my website.

  Dare to Love Series

  Book 1: Dare to Love (Ian & Riley)

  Book 2: Dare to Desire (Alex & Madison)

  Book 3: Dare to Surrender (Gabe & Isabelle)

  Book 4: Dare to Submit (Decklan & Amanda)

  Book 5: Dare to Touch (Olivia & Dylan)

  Book 6: Dare to Hold (Scott & Meg)

  Book 7: Dare to Rock (Avery & Grey)

  Book 8: Dare to Seduce (Lucy & Max)

  Book 9: Dare to Take (Tyler & Ella)

  I hope you enjoy!

  All the best,

  Carly

  Chapter One

  Max Savage glanced across the lush green lawn of Gabriel and Isabelle Dare’s Bedford, New York, home, his gaze focused on the sexy brunette he couldn’t get out of his head. Lucy Dare, dressed in a conservative pants suit, her luxurious dark hair pulled into a bun, stood beside her date, a Hollywood director who was a douchebag of the first order.

  The last time Max had seen Lucy, she’d been her wild and free self. Then she’d hooked up with that guy and she’d changed. And not in a good way. He wanted fun, sexy Lucy back.

  “How badly do you want to punch that guy’s teeth in?”

  “So badly,” Max muttered, then glanced over, realizing the question came from Lucy’s brother, Decklan Dare.

  Max shook his head and changed his answer, because it would do no good to let his best friend know he was obsessing over the guy’s little sister. He’d kept it to himself for years, partially as an excuse to deny what he really wanted, but regardless, this wasn’t the right time to bring up the issue.

  “Who do you mean?” Max asked.

  Decklan rolled his eyes. “Oh, come on. I know you hate that Spielberg wannabe as much as we do.”

  “Can’t say he’d be my first choice for your sister.”

  “That’s rich considering it’s your fault she’s with him to begin with.” Decklan eyed Max with distinct annoyance in his gaze.

  “How the hell do you figure that?” Max asked.

  Decklan’s older brother, Gabe, joined them, and from the look on his face, he’d clearly caught the tail end of the conversation.

  “Face it, Savage. We know you have a thing for Lucy,” Gabe said.

  Just how the brothers had gleaned that bit of knowledge was beyond Max. Nobody had a better poker face than him.

  Decklan merely nodded in agreement.

  “You didn’t take your chance last time she was in town, and now she’s with that asshole,” Gabe added, angling his head toward where his sister stood with Lucas Kellan.

  “Well, fuck.” Max wasn’t about to deny what had clearly been more obvious than he’d intended.

  Both Dare brothers narrowed their gazes on him, waiting for an explanation.

  “What? I didn’t think you’d approve, and I wasn’t about to mess up years’ worth of friendship if you didn’t.” He was sticking to the tried-and-true excuse he’d told himself for years. In reality, Max had his reasons for staying away from Lucy for so long and for fucking up more than just his life in the process. But they were his, and he wouldn’t be sharing them.

  “The only way you’d compromise friendships would be if you used or hurt my sister. If your intentions are honorable, I have no issue,” said Gabe, the man who’d raised Lucy after their parents died in a car accident.

  Max glanced at Decklan. They both knew Max’s recent past. He’d married young, lost his wife, Cindy, in a car accident, and had a subsequent lack of serious relationships since. What Decklan didn’t know was the guilt Max harbored over the emotions he hadn’t been able to give his wife, due to the feelings he’d always had for Lucy. Hell, he’d married Cindy because he didn’t have those intense feelings, and everyone had paid a price.

  Max shifted uncomfortably and cleared his throat and glanced at Decklan, who, like Gabe, was extremely protective of his sister. “You too? You’re okay with this?” he asked.

  His best friend shrugged. “Well, you’re an asshole but you’re our asshole.” He slapped Max on the back, his expression sobering. “Look, Cindy died four years ago, and you haven’t been with anyone seriously since.”

  Neither one of them mentioned Max’s penchant for sex clubs on the weekends. It had been a way to fill the emptiness inside him, nothing more.

  “But Gabe is right,” Decklan said. “I see how you look at Lucy. You should do something about it if your intentions are solid.”

  They finally were. For years Max had denied his need for Lucy and the emotional bond he knew they would share if they took things to the next level. Fear had driven him. Now Max was finally ready to go after the woman he’d always wanted.

  “Just don’t blow it or we will have an issue,” Decklan cheerfully added.

  Max didn’t need to be told twice. He made his way across the lawn and veered between guests, coming up to where Lucy and her date stood by the bar. Before he could interrupt, he caught their conversation.

  “I hope we don’t need to stay much longer.” Lucas glanced at the ostentatious gold watch on his wrist, his impatience obvious. “I have calls to make, so I’d like to get back to the hotel soon.”

  Lucy’s eyes opened wide. “It’s my brother
’s engagement party! I’m staying until the end. Longer, even, so I can spend time with my family.”

  Lucas ran a hand over the top of his stylishly cut blond hair. Looked like Lucy had a type, too. Not that Max thought he had anything more in common with the director than hair color.

  “Come on, babe. You live in L.A., and your brothers are way across the country here in New York, so how much do you really want to spend time with them? We’ve been here an hour. I say we’re good to go,” Lucas said, cementing Max’s gut feeling. The man was an uncaring ass.

  What kind of asshole got between a woman and her family? Max wondered, curling his hands into tight fists. And how could Lucy be with the bastard if he didn’t understand what her brothers meant to her and why?

  Her pretty eyes filled with angry, frustrated tears. “You leave then. I want to be here.”

  Lucas studied her face for a beat, clearly assessing whether she was serious. “Fine, we’ll stay.” He didn’t sound gracious about the concession. “But I’m going to need to make a few calls from the car. Okay?” Before she could answer, he nodded. “Okay.” He had the gall to wink at her, then leaned over and placed a quick peck on her lips.

  Max’s fists grew tighter. Part of him was disgusted by the other man’s mouth on hers; another knew a woman like Lucy deserved more than that pathetic excuse for a kiss. If she belonged to him, he’d seal his lips over hers and thoroughly devour her luscious mouth. He’d make sure his tongue swiped through the deep recesses of her mouth so his taste lingered inside her long after they parted. And he’d damn well ensure that he left her lips puffy and well-kissed, so no other man would try to make a move on his female.

  Caveman mentality? Maybe. But those were the feelings Lucy Dare stirred inside him.

  Instead of waiting until lover boy walked away, Max strode over and slid an arm around her waist. “Hey, princess.” He’d been calling her that since she’d turned sixteen and spent the day wearing a crown. As she’d grown up, the nickname had stuck.

  “Max! I didn’t see you arrive,” she said, startled.

  “Business meeting. I ran late,” he explained.

  “And I want to hear all about the newest restaurant you’re planning and which chef you’ve managed to lure away and from which pissed off restaurateur.”

  Max grinned, excited to share the details with her. Very few knew about his plans. He was waiting to do a press release and promo op with his choice.

  “You know me well.” Since her boyfriend was busy glancing at his phone, Max cleared his throat and said, “Aren’t you going to introduce us?”

  Lucy blushed. “Max Savage, this is—”

  “Lucas Kellan,” the other man said, shaking Max’s hand in a limp grip. “I’m a director out in Hollywood.”

  “Oh? I thought you were Lucy’s boyfriend. Seems to me that’s what’s important here.”

  “Max,” Lucy chided, clearly not wanting him to cause trouble.

  Lucas frowned at Max. “I’m both. I just thought you might have seen my movies—”

  Max turned to Lucy. “We need to talk.”

  “But—” She glanced at her boyfriend.

  “Go on,” Lucas said. “He’ll keep you busy while I’m working. Hell, he can take my place with your family for a little while.” He dismissed Max, and his focus returned to his cell phone.

  Either he wasn’t smart enough to realize Max was a threat or he just didn’t care, because he strode off, heading for the yard exit.

  “What the hell are you doing with a dickhead like that?” Max couldn’t help but ask her.

  Lucy spun around to face him, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. “He’s in the middle of a big deal that’s stressful and—”

  “Don’t make excuses for him.”

  She folded her arms across her chest, and though she showed no cleavage, the movement pulled the silk material across her full breasts, revealing tight, perky nipples. Max’s cock shot to attention, and he shifted his stance to alleviate the sudden discomfort.

  She caught his gaze and frowned. “Quit staring at my breasts, you pervert.” She followed that statement with a roll of her eyes.

  He shook his head at her reaction. If he were at Paradis, the BDSM club he attended in Manhattan, he’d pull her over his knee and give her a good spanking. Another reason he’d stayed away from Lucy recently. In the years since his marriage, he’d discovered his tastes weren’t always purely vanilla. But as he’d watched Lucy mature, he’d sensed she’d suit him fine. Outside the bedroom, she gave him hell, but his gut told him that once he showed her how good they could be together, she’d submit nicely in the bedroom. Hell, if he had Lucy, he wouldn’t care about domination or submission. Those things had let him control something when the rest of his life felt out of control. All he really needed with Lucy was really good, hot sex.

  He reached out and placed his hand beneath her chin, tipping her face until she met his gaze. “Admit it. You like the way I’m looking at you.”

  She blinked in stunned surprise because he was changing the game. They’d always sparred… and steered clear of the underlying sexual tension that surrounded them, which often led to arguing over nothing. Not this time. He intended to confront that sexual tension head on.

  “Come with me.” He grasped her wrist and tugged.

  She resisted, then finally gave in, following him across the lawn and around the corner of the colonial-style house, where they could be alone. He stopped at a large cypress tree that probably predated construction and pulled her behind the trunk.

  “Max, I don’t think this is a good idea.”

  He spun her around until her back was against the trunk and stepped in close. Her delicious scent surrounded him, a mixture of peaches and something else. His gut twisted while his cock swelled even more.

  For the first time, he wasn’t fighting what he felt for her, what he needed.

  “I think this is the very best idea.”

  Her cheeks flushed a healthy pink, her eyes bright with confusion. “I don’t understand.”

  He reached up and sunk his hands into her hair, dislodging the staid up-do she wouldn’t be wearing if not for her asshole boyfriend, and tugged his fingers through the long strands.

  “Max!”

  She reached up to fix herself, but he caught her wrists in his hands and backed her farther into the tree, his body firmly nestled against her softness. His erection settled between her thighs, hot and hard, begging for relief and release. No way could she miss how much he wanted her.

  She met his gaze, her eyes wide with surprise and darkening with desire.

  “Answer my question, Lucy. What are you doing with that guy?”

  “Oh my God. Lucas!” she said. Obviously she’d forgotten all about the man, and now she shifted in an attempt to get free.

  Max held her firmly in place.

  “I shouldn’t be here with you,” she said, but the heat in her eyes didn’t match her words.

  “You should definitely be here with me. So you can feel us, then take a good look at that so-called relationship you’re in and do something about it.”

  Lucy heard his words and tried to fight her body’s opposing response. Panicking, she tried once more to wriggle out of his grasp, but Max’s strong, hard body held her in place.

  His sandalwood scent enveloped her and softened places in her body she barely acknowledged these days. Her nipples were tight and hard, poking through her silk blouse, and her sex pulsed with unaccustomed need. This was Max. And yes, she’d had a crush on him for years, but that was a long time ago, and she’d been forced to accept that he didn’t see her that way.

  Hell, he’d married someone else when she was twenty-three and so available she’d have done anything to make him her own. His engagement had been a blow, one that had hit her already-bruised heart harder than she ever could have imagined. She’d lost her parents and built stupid forever dreams around Max Savage. He may not have known, but when he’d married som
eone else, Lucy had been devastated.

  She’d grasped on to another dream, being in charge of décor for the family clubs, and headed to California. Not only hadn’t she come home for Max’s wedding but, on seeing the invitation, she’d decided to remain in L.A. for good. She’d suffered enough loss and pain to last a lifetime. With her brothers moving forward, finding good women to love, Lucy knew she wasn’t needed here.

  Losing Max—though she’d never really had him—had forced her to toughen up. She chose men she didn’t have a chance of falling head over heels in love with, men whose loss wouldn’t gut her. She had forced herself to return home for Max’s wife’s funeral, understanding all too well what grief and loss were like.

  That was four long years ago. They’d since returned to their sibling-like bickering whenever they were together. Her last trip home, she’d actually wondered if the arguing was a way to cover sexual tension, but she’d pushed the idea deep down and far away, telling herself she was crazy. He’d never really given any indication he thought of her that way.

  Until now.

  When his chiseled, muscled body held her prisoner against the tree and her body thrummed with such intense need, she was seconds away from wriggling her hips and moving shamelessly against him. From grinding herself into his thick, hard erection and taking what she needed until she came—screaming—and the party guests surrounded them to find out what the ruckus was about.

  She couldn’t cross that line with Max. They shared a complicated relationship as it was, with a depth of emotion and caring she’d never felt for another man. And that made him dangerous to her mental and emotional well-being.

  She gathered her strength and met his gaze. “What’s going on, Max? You see me with another man and you decide to get jealous all of a sudden?”

  His dirty-blond hair fell over his forehead, and she curled her hands into fists, resisting the urge to brush it back. Heck, it wasn’t just his hair she was dying to touch.

  “Am I jealous?” He shrugged. “Only that you’re here with him. I’m not particularly worried you’re going to stay with him though.”