Seduction on the CEO's Terms Read Online Free PDF Page A

singing your praises to anyone who’s willing to listen.”
    â€œAnd is that all he says about me?” The question slipped out much to her surprise “Sorry, I shouldn’t have asked you that.”
    â€œNo need to apologize. As far as I’m concerned, Joe’s got rocks in his head.” Nick winked. “Come on, I’ll take you to him.”
    Nick led her outside to a covered stone deck overlooking a swimming pool that blended into the landscape so well it appeared born of the earth rather than man-made.
    â€œJoe does laps in the pool every day. Clears his mind for all the numbers he crunches,” Nick explained.
    Ali spotted Joe gliding through the pool. Sleek and well-muscled, Joe dipped in and out of the smooth blue waters, and Ali’s heart swelled.
    â€œHey, Joe. You have company,” Nick called out. Heturned to Ali. “Unfortunately, I’ve got a plane to catch. Thanks for helping Joe out. He needs it.” Again, Nick winked, and before he turned to walk away, he offered one last parting comment. “Just so you know, my brother isn’t as noble as he seems.”
    â€œMeaning?”
    â€œDon’t give up on him.”
    Ali opened her mouth in denial, but Nick’s astute look spoke of the futility in that. He wouldn’t buy it, and Ali wasn’t all too sure she could sell it to him.
    Oh God, was she that obvious?
    â€œI’ll be right there,” Joe called to her from the far end of the pool.
    Joe bounded out of the pool, and she caught her first real glimpse of another side of Joe—the stunning, well-built, tanned and gorgeous man who looked as if he could conquer an enemy in one fell swoop.
    Ali’s throat constricted.
    Her Clark Kent had just transformed into Superman.

Three
    M orning sunshine cast a golden sheen over Joe’s entire body as he stood by the pool’s edge. Water dripped from his hair to his shoulders and then slowly drizzled down his rock-hard torso. She could compare him to a Greek god, but nothing topped Superman in her estimation.
    She watched him towel off, then throw his arms into a shirt and head her way. Ali got a grip real fast. She couldn’t be caught drooling.
    â€œSorry,” he said as he approached. “I didn’t realize the time.”
    â€œHow many laps do you do?”
    â€œOne hundred.”
    Her mouth gaped open. “One hundred? Every day?”
    â€œJust about.”
    â€œNo wonder.”
    â€œNo wonder what?” He looked puzzled.
    Ali had to learn to stop thinking out loud. “Oh, um. Iwas thinking about your stamina…you must have great stamina.”
    Joe smiled. “I’ve built it up over the years.” He walked over to a large inlaid stone and iron patio table and picked up his glasses. Taking a second to clean them with the end of his shirt, he narrowed his eyes. “So what do you think?”
    â€œAbout your stamina? Very impressive.”
    â€œNo,” he said, running a hand through his hair. He put his glasses on, and this was the Joe Ali had come to know. “I mean, about using this place for the wedding.”
    â€œAre you kidding? It’s a girl’s dream come true, Joe. Your home is amazing, and I’ve only seen a small part of it.”
    â€œI’ll rectify that in a few minutes. First let me shower and change. In the meantime, have a cup of coffee. I cooked you up some breakfast to have during our meeting.”
    â€œYou cook, too?” Ali couldn’t believe Joe had culinary skills, as well as his other talents.
    â€œI get by. After my father died, our longtime cook retired, and we just never replaced her. Tony’s living at Purple Fields now, and Nick and I are rarely home.”
    Joe walked over to a coffeepot on the patio counter. “What’ll you have?”
    â€œI’ll get it, Joe. Don’t worry about me.”
    â€œOkay, I’ll be back in five, then I’ll give you the