Take Me Down (Suits in Pursuit) Read Online Free PDF Page A

sarcastic slip past her lips. “How about you? How long will you be in the Keys?”
    “Depends.”
    “Depends on what?” Head tilted to one side, she frowned.
    “Depends on whether or not there’s a reason for me to stay longer than I do normally.”
    Good-looking. Smart tongue. Sexy as hell. Yep. Dangerous. He had to go… but not yet.
    “That’s not an answer,” she said, looking him squarely in the eyes. “Oh, I see. You’re one of those men who can’t give a straight answer.” Pride swelled up inside Ashley. She would outdo him in a duel of sharp-tongued exchanges and send him running.
    He scrunched his face, cocked his head sideways. A spark of mischief flashed in his eyes. And without warning, he threw his head back and released a gut-wrenching laugh.
    Ashley jerked and tucked stray strands of hair behind her ear. I can’t believe he’s laughing at me. Heat burned her cheeks. She pursed her lips and didn’t crack a smile.
    “I travel to the Keys quite a bit for work, and I come and go as I please. At least six times a year.” Sebastian shuffled in the seat, positioned himself closer to Ashley until lightly grazing her ear with his lips when he spoke. “I know the Keys very well. Ashley, I would love to take you out one evening, either in the Keys or back in Atlanta.”
    The corners of her lips twitched. A coy smile emerged. “I’ll think about it.”
    “You do that.” He reached into his pocket and retrieved his wallet. “I’ll give you my card. Do you have a pen?” he asked.
    “Sure.” Sebastian’s fingers danced against Ashley’s as she handed him a pen.
    His bluish-gray eyes pinned her. “Here’s my cell phone number, and this is the hotel’s main number. Ask for me and they’ll put you through. Or, we could set up a date right now. What are you doing tomorrow evening?” Sebastian’s intense eyes made her flesh tingle.
    Ashley gritted her teeth. “I don’t know. We haven’t discussed any plans yet.” She glanced at Kerrigan, who had drifted asleep. “This trip was forced on me.”
    “I see. So you’re the desperate, single friend.”
    Ashley glared at him. “That’s rude,” she said, her tone seeded with annoyance.
    “I didn’t say that to be rude. I make observations. Looks like the odds are in my favor, Ashley.”
    “After that comment, I don’t think you have any odds.” She leaned away. “You’re a jerk.” She muttered through clenched teeth.
    “No, I think the odds of me taking you out and screwing you are pretty good.”
    Well, damn. There it was. No pretense. Simple. Raw. Honest.
    “I’m sorry. What did you say?” Ashley’s voice raised high enough to shatter glass.
    “You heard me, Ashley. I’m going to take you on a date. We’ll enjoy a nice gourmet meal. Share a few laughs. Then I’m going to take you to my room and fuck your brains out.”
    Fists balled at her sides, she turned to the right. The wings of the plane sliced through thick puffy clouds reminding her they were thousands of feet in the air. Ashley lifted a few inches off the seat and glanced around at faces of potential witnesses to a midflight homicide.
    Exhibiting control over her natural instinct to kill, she lowered into the seat. “Wow! Does that line actually work on other women? I’ve never been spoken to so…”
    “Honestly.” He finished her sentence. “Why get upset with me for telling the truth? I saw the way you looked at me in the gift shop. There’s no point in playing games or lying to you. You did say you weren’t a damsel in distress. That’s what traditional dating is about—men rescuing lonely women to make them feel better about wanting to be fucked.”
    Ashley’s temper blazed hotter now. Perspiration coated her burning skin, and heat emitted from her pores. Hands squeezed into tightly wadded fists at her sides. “Since you’re breaking the rules of convention, why bother taking me out at all? Why not just invite me up to your room for the five-minute