The Seduction Request Read Online Free PDF Page B

when she invited other men into her apartment? If Emily were Matt’s girlfriend, she wouldn’t be hanging out with other men. And she wouldn’t be living in a matchbox. She would have the best of everything—anything her heart desired.
    If she were his girlfriend?
    Where the hell had that come from? As unfit as this Alex guy was for Emily, Matt was no more properly suited. God only knows where he’d squeeze her into his schedule.
    His cell phone rang and Matt checked the display, cursing under his breath. His lawyer. He was awaiting information on the code-violation issue. This could be either really good or really bad news.
    â€œI have to take this.”
    He answered the phone, and, as he’d expected, it wasn’t what he wanted to hear. The violation was legitimate, and their only recourse at this time would be to meet the inspector’s demands, or file a lawsuit against the city. Suing Chapel would guaranty the restaurant’s failure.
    Emily made an impatient noise beside him and Matt had the feeling she wasn’t thrilled with the interruption. Now was not the time to be getting on her bad side. Though it was against every principle of business he’d learned, he told his lawyer he’d call him back later, shut the phone off and hooked it back on his belt.
    â€œSorry about that,” he said.
    â€œSo, Conway.” Emily twisted the top off her beer. “You’ve got me here. What do you want?”
    â€œWhat do you mean?”
    She took a bite of her pizza and washed it down with a swallow of beer. “After eleven years and noword from you, there has to a reason why you’ve suddenly popped back into my life.”
    He’d thought he’d be able to flub his way through this and skirt around the truth. She never had been one to sit back and let life happen around her. He should have known she would come right out and bluntly ask him what he was up to. He should have expected it.
    â€œI’m reconnecting,” he said, which wasn’t completely untrue. “The relationships I’ve been finding myself in lately have been…unsatisfying.”
    â€œWhat’s wrong, the California girls aren’t putting out? Or have you slept with them all already?”
    â€œNo, there are a few I’ve yet to violate.” Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the edge of her mouth lift. “By unsatisfying, I mean shallow.”
    â€œSo what, you expected to come back and just pick up where you left off?”
    â€œThat was sort of the plan. I’d like us to be friends, Emily.”
    She made a huffing sound. “I’m not crazy about your definition of friendship, Conway.”
    â€œLook, I know I should have kept in touch. You probably won’t believe this, but I never wanted to hurt you.”
    â€œBut you did.”
    The accusation felt like a knife in his gut. He pushed his plate away, his appetite a memory. “People make mistakes. You could cut me a little slack.” The second the words were out, when her eyes turned stone-cold, he knew it was a mistake.
    She got up and walked to the door, pulled it open and motioned outside. “Goodbye.”
    â€œYou’re kicking me out?”
    â€œI said you could stay for dinner. And I don’t know about you, but I’ve lost my appetite.”
    He rose from the love seat, balling his napkin and tossing it onto the table. “You were never one to play games, Emily.”
    â€œI’m not the one playing games, Conway.”
    He had a lot of nerve, coming here, manipulating her, then accusing her of playing games. He wanted her to cut him some slack. She wasn’t the one who’d stopped writing, stopped calling. She wasn’t the one who’d stayed away for eleven years.
    She opened the door wider.
    â€œIs this your way of saying you don’t want to be friends?”
    â€œI was your friend. That’s one mistake I won’t be making