Seductive in Stilettos 2: New Adult Romance Read online

  Seductive in Stilettos 2

  New Adult Romance

  Nana Malone

  Nana O. Malone

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

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  Seductive In Stilettos 2 (Serial)

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  COPYRIGHT © 2015 by Nana Malone

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  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

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  Cover Art by Kimberly Killion

  Edited by Val Hatfield

  Copy Edited by Marcie Gately

  Published in the United States of America

  To Stilettos fans old and new. I can’t wait to start a new chapter with you.

  Nana Malone Reading List

  The In Stilettos Series (Contemporary Romance)

  Sexy in Stilettos (Alec & Jaya)

  Sultry in Stilettos (Beckett & Ricca)

  Sassy in Stilettos (Caleb & Micha)

  Strollers & Stilettos (Alec & Jaya & Alexa)

  (New Adult Contemporary Romance Serials)

  Seductive in Stilettos 1 (Shane & Tristia)

  **Sinful in Stilettos - Expected 2016

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  The Chase Brothers Series (New Adult Contemporary Romance)

  London Bound (Alexi & Abbie)

  **London Calling (Xander & Imani) - Expected May 2015

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  The Donovans Series (New Adult Contemporary Romance)

  Come Home Again (Nate & Delilah)

  Love Reality (Ryan & Mia)

  **Race For Love - Expected Summer 2015

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  Love Match Series (Contemporary Romance)

  *Game Set Match (Jason & Izzy)

  Mismatch (Eli & Jessica)

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  Chick-Lit With Sass (Erotic Chick-Lit Romance)

  Corporate Affairs

  Exposed

  The Flirtation

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  The Protectors Series (Superhero Romance)

  *Betrayed a Reluctant Protector Prequel

  Reluctant Protector (Cassie & Seth)

  Wounded Protector (Jansen & Lisa)

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  The Hit & Run Bride Contemporary Romance Series (Contemporary Romance)

  Hit & Run Bride (Liam & Becca)

  Hit & Miss Groom (Alex & Vanessa)

  **Book Three - Expected winter 2015

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  Don’t want to miss a single release? Click here: http://eepurl.com/2PeXb

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  *Free Read

  **Upcoming release. Dates Subject to Change

  Chapter 1

  Shane could feel Tristia’s eyes on him. From his peripheral vision, he watched as she and her friends stared at him. Yeah, right back atchya. Your name was supposed to be Sydney. You were supposed to be some cute girl, not an assignment.

  Well to be fair, that was the problem. Life would be infinitely better if she wasn't so damn cute. But whatever. This was the job. And he needed the gig. Needed the fresh start, so he was going to do his job and forget all about how Tristia Munroe tasted.

  He dragged his attention and focus to the crowd at large. "So, during the course of the year, I'll be around to help you with any questions you may have, anything you need. Even condoms."

  Some of the guys hooted and hollered at that, so he made a mental note to keep an eye on them. "Anytime you need to talk to someone, I'm around."

  His brain gave his eyes the command to focus and not look at her, but they were in a 'fuck you' kind of mood, so they strayed right to Tristia and her friends. Even seated cross-legged on the floor, she had that on-the-edge-of-her-seat, ready-to-bolt kind of tension to her. Just what he needed. If she ran, or asked for a transfer, they'd have to get someone else to watch her, and he'd fail his assignment. And that wasn't an option.

  "There’s one more thing they make me say. This is a co-ed dorm. So let me remind you there will be no inappropriate conduct tolerated between students and members of the student life staff on their floor."

  Several girls and a couple of the guys groaned. Oh, perfect. Maybe he was the wrong guy for this assignment.

  Tristia didn't respond, but she lost some of that "ready-to-flee" look on her face.

  "I'm here for you, but not in that way,” he continued. “And if at any point you feel uncomfortable, report it to the student life office." That little speech had been part of his RA training packet. Tomorrow, he also had a meeting with a counselor for how to handle some of the more sensitive topics that might come up while he was busy watching the girl.

  Thankfully, he’d had his own bout with therapy and knew some basics. But the school had told him it would mostly be alcohol-related shit and kids flunking out.

  He consulted his clipboard and addressed the other points they'd given him, reminding the kids about orientation booths, where they could experience the activities offered on campus, as well as the rules for fraternity and sorority rush. And then, finally, the university's drinking policy. Everyone groaned about that one.

  He studied their faces. For the most part, he could be one of them. He blended. He looked young enough they had no idea he wasn't a student. He had to wonder if this was what it would have been like if he'd been able to go to college properly. Sitting around making lewd jokes about condoms and checking out the hot girls, inviting them to the University Center for coffee. These guys seemed normal. They had no idea how lucky they were.

  When he dismissed the meeting, Tristia and her friends bolted. Good thing he'd already scouted the floor layout. Basically, the whole building was like a giant number eight. All paths led to the common lounge in the center. He and Tristia's rooms were at the top point of the eight.

  They went one way, and he went the other. She didn't look too thrilled to see him. Her friends, on the other hand, looked anticipatory. Like they'd been waiting for this moment.

  "Hey, do you mind if I talk to you for a minute?" He was careful not to use her name, because as far as he could tell, she’d given him her roommate’s name.

  Her eyes were wide as she slid a glance to her friends for help. But they quickly made themselves scarce. The tiny one, Xia, said, "You go ahead, Tris. Sydney and I were just, erm, going to go eavesdrop from the room."

  Shane's lips twitched, but he somehow managed to keep from laughing. Tris tried to grab Sydney's arm, but the statuesque one deftly slipped her grasp.

  "Xia's right. Busy busy."

  When they were left in the hallway together, he cocked his head. "So wait, there are two of you named Sydney. Must make for confusion in the room. Oh wait, your other roommate, she just called you Tris. Pretty name. On my roster it says Tristia."

  She flushed and screwed her eyes shut. "In all fairness, I didn't think I'd be seeing you again. It's complicated."

  "Apparently, so is this. You want to do this in my room, so your friends don't eavesdrop?"

  She sighed, but nodded, looking like she would rather have a root canal. He didn't need the other students listening either.

  "It'll only take five minutes."

  His stupid body pumped adrenaline into his veins as he led her into his room. Stupid mistake. He should have suggested coffee in the University Center or something. At least that way, the scent of her shampoo wouldn't permeate the room. Good thing he wouldn't actually e
ver be attempting sleep in here.

  For several long moments, they stood and stared at each other, neither daring to speak. She wrapped her arms around herself and looked everywhere but at him.

  Finally, she said, "Most awkward morning after ever."

  His lips twitched. "Tell me about it." Scrubbing a hand down his face, he added, "Of all the college dorms in all the world."

  A hint of a smile lit her lips.

  He sighed and thought back to what Caleb had said. Put her at ease, make her comfortable. "Look, Tris. This doesn't have to be awkward."

  Her brows shot up. "What, and totally forget you've had your mouth on my—" She cut herself off abruptly, covering her face with her hands.

  Shit. Just what he needed, the mental image of her perfect, mocha-tipped tits on offer for him. He rubbed at the back of his neck. "I'm not saying it's not awkward."

  "Did you know the other night? That I was one of your students?"

  Establish the boundary. "If I'd have known, I couldn't have touched you. This job matters to me." At least he could answer that honestly. "I had no idea until I ran into you this morning. You were just a pretty girl who could dance. And I'm actually the replacement RA. The other guy got a huge internship last minute, so I was slotted in this morning."

  "Oh." Her voice was softer now. "Look, I'm sorry about running out on you the other night. I realize I probably looked crazy. It was just intense, and I..." Her voice trailed.

  "It's okay. In hindsight, it's probably for the best." The fuck it was. "But it's going to be okay. This doesn't have to be weird. It's not like we slept together." Or like he still wanted to, so much that his hands shook.

  "Right." She spread her hands. "Zero weirdness. Totally fine."

  "Maybe we'll even be friends, if that's possible. I'm going to see you every day."

  Her furrowed brow spoke of disbelief, but she said, "Sure. Friends. Friends who've seen each other..." She shook her head. "Totally. Friends. Done."

  He sighed, unsure of exactly what he'd expected. Then he tried for a dose of honesty. "Look. I think you're super sexy. And right now, your fucking shampoo is driving me insane. But I need this job, and there are rules I have to follow, so I'm going to have to pretend I don't know how you feel under my fingertips. It's better for everyone that way."

  She sighed. "I'm sorry. I just freaked out when I saw you."

  "I know. I had an inkling, this morning, when I ran into you. But I thought it might just be a coincidence." He shuffled a foot. "Look, I need to get ready to TA my class. Maybe we can talk about this later?"

  "Sure. What class are you TAing?"

  "Gifford's Human Sexuality, section A." He let that information sink in a little.

  She dropped her head into her hands and laughed. "You know that thing, where when you buy a new car, and all you notice after that is the same kind of car on the road?"

  He nodded. "I know you're in that section. I didn't know your name till this afternoon. If you want to switch out..."

  She shook her head. "I'm a big girl. I don't need to switch out. Besides, it's not like it's your fault. This is just my luck."

  He shoved his hands into his pockets. "Does it help that I wish things were different?"

  One side of her lip tipped up in a small smile. "Not really."

  Chapter 2

  "Dude, Tris, how could you please the shoe gods but anger the serendipity gods?" Sydney whispered as they took their seats in the classroom. This was one of the smaller sectionsjust ten of them. Xia had a photo lab, so her section was in the morning.

  "Are you asking me? I called one of my aunties last night just to see if she believed in juju magic," Tris said.

  Syd sighed sympathetically. "Well, maybe it won't be so bad. I mean, you said he was cool right?"

  "Yeah, he's cool. Doesn't really help though, because now in addition to being the first guy that...doesn't freak me out"—she slid a gaze around—"he's also my RA and my TA. So double whammy. If I switched sections, that wouldn't even solve it. I'd have to move too."

  Syd nodded. "I guess that is overkill just so you can get some."

  "It's fine. I'm here to learn anyway. And I’m taking up running, so I’ll be busy."

  Syd grimaced. “Are you still serious about that? I mean, I’m behind you if you really want to do a run, but maybe you should start small, you know, with a 5k or something. No need to sign up for a marathon.”

  “Come on, Syd. Have a little faith. I mean, sure, I’ve never been super athletic.” At her friend’s raised brow, she sighed. “Okay, so I’m not athletic at all, but it’s something Mom always wanted to try, so I’m going to do so in her memory. I think I saw there were student discounts on Rock ‘n’ Roll marathon registrations.”

  “You’re insane.”

  Tris shrugged off the fear of future aches and pains. “Yes, but the way I figure it, between school and training, and a future job that I need to get, I’ll be too busy to think about Shane.”

  "Yeah, but you’re also here to have some fun. You didn’t fight your father for your freedom just to bury your face in a book. Remember, say yes. It's okay. Between Xia dragging us to various activities and my total lack of shyness about anything, we'll find you someone else even hotter and better."

  Tris raised an eyebrow.

  Syd had to concede. "Yeah, okay, maybe not hotter."

  Tris’s body overheated just thinking about Shane. With his strong jaw, his dusting of stubble, and all that inky black hair paired with his piercing blue gaze, they'd be hard pressed to find someone hotter.

  When Shane walked in, the class went dead silent, and he grinned. "Relax, you guys, I'm not going to bite."

  "Pity." Came a voice from the back.

  Everyone, including Shane, laughed, breaking some of the tension.

  "I'm Shane Atkinson, and I'll be your TA. Some of what you'll be asked to do by Dr. Gifford will be uncomfortable. Some of it will be fun. Some of it will be emotional. Some of it will challenge your beliefs about sex and sexuality."

  As he talked, he didn't look at her once, and that worked perfectly fine for Tris. The last thing she needed was him looking directly at her as he talked about sex. Because if he did, she might spontaneously combust.

  He continued. "So, I know this morning's lecture talked about the theories of attraction. Why don't we start first with some of the globally accepted things that we see in the media as attractive in a potential mate."

  They all called out answers. "Tall."

  "Good body."

  "Intelligence."

  "Symmetrical face."

  And so they went until he stopped them. He pointed to a red-headed girl blinking up at him with doe eyes. "Okay, Amber, if you were to describe your perfect-ten guy, what would he be?"

  She fluttered her lashes. "Six feet, at least." She eyed him more carefully. "Actually, more like six two. Athletic. A six-pack is a must. Stubble is so super sexy, a cleft chin, strong jaw line."

  Next to Tris, Syd made a gagging noise, and Tris bit back a giggle. Not like she could blame the girl.

  Amber continued. "Bow-shaped mouth, white teeth."

  Shane smirked and held up a hand. "Thank you for your thorough description. Now, can I have a show of hands? How many of the rest of the women and men in the class recognize her description of Ted Bundy?"

  There was silence, then laughter erupted.

  "Now, while I don’t know about Bundy's six-pack, and I think his eyes were brown, I do know he was a very good-looking dude. People found him attractive. So knowing what you know about Ted Bundy, how many of you still find him attractive or physically appealing?"

  No one raised their hands.

  "Sydney, why don’t you tell me why not."

  "Because serial killers make my skin crawl."

  Tris smirked. Gotta love Sydney.

  "And I'm sure you're not alone. No, this isn’t a class in criminology, though that would be an interesting mash up, but it does pose questions as to h
ow much physical attractiveness matters in mate selection and what factors can cancel that out."

  Tris offered up, "But that's because different things matter to different people. The attractiveness is just the packaging. It's like a pretty present; when you unwrap it, then you figure out if you like what's inside."

  His gaze met hers directly for the first time, and she had to hold her breath. You cannot have him. You cannot have him. But it didn't mean she didn't want him.

  Before he moved on to the next part of the day’s syllabus he added, "The key thing to remember about true attraction is that it's about the honesty of how you feel. How many of you have dated somebody because someone else thought it was a good idea?"

  Several hands shot up.

  "How did that work out for you?” There were several sheepish glances around. He continued, “So I have a take-home exercise for you."

  Everyone groaned.

  He laughed. "I get it. But look, like today's lesson, enjoy it. Don't take it too seriously."

  "So what are you going to do? Are you considering dropping?" Xia asked Tris as they left the student center.

  Tris shrugged. "I don't know. I mean, I told Syd the same thing, he was cool about the whole thing. And according to him, he wishes it didn't have to be this way."

  Xia chewed her croissant thoughtfully. "I mean, maybe there's some way around this. Giving up cannot be our only option. What if you guys were discreet?"

  Tris slanted her friend a look. "First, I think that ship has sailed. He didn’t look interested at all. More like he looked interested in keeping his freaking job. Second, not only is he my RA, he's also my TA, strictly verboten. And third, it's not like I can walk up to him and be all, 'hey, I'd like to lose my virginity before everything down there mummifies. Care to do the honors?' I can't do that. Besides, this is his job, and he seems to want to keep doing it. I'm not that girl. I'm not ballsy enough to just stroll into his room and be all, 'I know you want me.' Who does that?"