Past Reviews
"All I can truly stress about Seduction of the Senses by Kay Wilde, is not to stop reading it until the very last word is read!! This is an author I am finding to be one that gives her readers more than they ever expect, keeps things hot and heavy, brings us undeniable romance and her stories usually come with a surprise or two. Seduction of the Senses is blazing hot. It tantalizes the senses, sends us into over-drive and ready for more quickly. This holiday romp is a true delight that keeps one wondering and has the reader remembering all the things that are important in life. Not many authors can do sexual tension like Kay Wilde, and she does it splendidly. Seduction of the Senses will make one even feel a bit guilty for enjoying it so much…readers must read it to understand why!" The Road to Romance
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"A great romance for couples, Seduction of the Senses is a great way to put a spark back into any relationship." The Romance Studio - Five Hearts
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Kay Wilde has an extraordinary way with words. The heat of passion and the climatic results make this hot romp a holiday delight. Find something cool to drink rather than your hot cocoa as you follow Allison Beckett through her encounters with this handsome, hunky mystery man. If this is the way one should go about Tempting Fate then count me as tempted. They say that changes and new experiences make life delightful……after reading this short story, I will agree." Just Erotic Romance Reviews - Four Stars
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"For starters, be warned, do not read this book at work, lunch break or no. It will get the reader caught up in the web of sensation the characters are experiencing. This story is all about the details, and anticipation. Each feeling invoked in Allison is vividly described, so well in fact, that the reader will, see, taste, and hear everything along with her. Sexual tension escalates with each page, and the fantasy builds, driving one forward to the volatile ending, guaranteed to make the reader squirm in the seat. Make sure to have a cold glass of water nearby for putting out the flames after this enticing read. Looking for a guilty pleasure or some interesting ideas to try out? Then this story is going to hit the mark." Love Romances - Four Stars
This is a revised, expanded, version of the story previously published as part of the Tempting Fate Holiday Fantasies Collection.
WARNING: This book contains hot, explicit love scenes.
Excerpt
Allison Beckett checked the time on her wristwatch and glanced around her boutique. The constant ebb and flow of frantic holiday shoppers appeared to have slowed to a manageable pace, which made this as good a time as she was likely to get for a break. Catching the eye of her assistant manager, she pointed toward the store entrance and mouthed the words, “I’m going to lunch.” Nodding her understanding, Cyndy excused herself from the customer she’d been assisting and headed toward the rear of the shop to man the register.
At the entrance Allison took a deep breath as she prepared to step into the fast paced pedestrian traffic flow in the mall’s concourse. She was relieved yet disappointed at the same time to discover the inevitable crush of humanity was not as heavy as would normally be expected for December twenty-first, which meant she would possibly be able to find a table in the restaurant instead of being forced to settle for the food court. Fewer people also meant sales were down. Although her shop was doing well enough, profits for the year had fallen, which was often the case in an election year when consumers watch to see how changes in Washington will affect the economy. In an attempt to cut expenses, she’d taken on less seasonal help, and instead of working only part time, she was pulling twelve-hour days to pick up the slack.
Allison was tired and irritable, and she freely admitted, less effective at home as a mother and as a wife. Not that her husband was home any more than she was. As a financial consultant, her husband’s hours were just as long if not longer than hers. Too often lately he’d been forced to go out of town on business or had canceled out on family plans at the last minute.
Despite the fact that her situation was seasonal and only temporary, her children were spending too much time in the care of their grandparents or sitters, and her relationship with her husband was suffering from the neglect, on both sides.
“It isn’t worth it,” Allison muttered under her breath, for the first time seriously considering the offer she’d received for the purchase of her boutique.
Lost in thought as she was, Allison wasn’t watching where she was going and was momentarily stunned when she walked headlong into a wall of solid muscle.
Strong arms went around Allison’s waist to steady her and her eyes traveled slowly up a black leather jacket until they clashed with coffee dark eyes which were not only amused but glinting with the heat of an unmistakable predatory gleam.
“Are you all right, miss?” he asked, the husky rasp of his voice sending a vibration of awareness slithering down her spine. His compelling dark eyes held hers and for the life of her Allison couldn’t force herself to look away. Her hands rested gently upon his chest and she could feel the warmth of his body through the leather jacket he wore.
“I’m sorry,” she apologized, not realizing how breathy her own voice sounded. “I wasn’t paying attention to where I was going.”
“No need to apologize, sweetheart. It was my pleasure. I assure you.”
“I um...”
“Get a room.” The crude remark sounded behind Allison, snapping her befuddled senses back to reality. For the first time she realized he still had his arms around her and was holding her tightly against him, too tightly, too close. She was a mature woman, in the middle of a busy mall, in the middle of the day, in what looked like a heated clench. Who was she trying to kid? It was a heated clench.
Pushing gently against his chest, she attempted to take a step back. He released her immediately, but not without a deliberate sigh of regret. “You appeared to be in a hurry.”
“I’m on my lunch break,” she responded, consciously swallowing back her own sigh of regret.
He reached out and with his thumb beneath her chin, tilted her head upward, forcing her to meet his gaze. “Then I mustn’t keep you,” he replied as he used his forefinger to trace her lips. Then with a knowing chuckle and a wink, he turned and walked away, leaving her to stand there staring at an incredible ass displayed to perfection in tight blue jeans.
At first the Christmas carols being sung by the high school choir and the chatter and grumbles of the shoppers strolling past her sounded as if it came from a great distance, then gradually clearer and louder.
“Get a grip, Alli,” she chided herself, unable to believe she had reacted to the encounter like an adolescent in a hormone-induced stupor. Yet, there was no denying that the physical awareness sparking between them had been instantaneous, nearly overwhelming.
As Allison had hoped, there were several tables available in the second floor Lookout restaurant overlooking the lower level concourse. Seated at a table for two beside the plate glass wall, she discovered she no longer had an appetite.
While studying the menu for something that looked appealing, a pair of jean clad thighs strolled past her table. She looked up and instantly recognized the ass, and the jacket. He seated himself facing her at the table directly across from hers. With an acknowledging nod of his head, he picked up his menu.
She ordered a small house salad and a cup of herbal tea for its calming effects.
He ordered a club sandwich and a glass of wine.
Allison tried to eat her lunch without looking directly at the man seated at the next table. It was nearly impossible not to respond to what seemed to be some form of mental telepathy between them, as if he were mentally compelling her to look at him. Toying with her salad, barely able to get down a couple of bites, she watched the hustle and bustle of the mall shoppers below and tried to concentrate on the piped-in Christmas carols. She was successful, for the most part, until she picked up her cup to finish her tea.
He watched her, as she watched him play with the moisture beading the side of his wineglass with the tip of his finger. Her nipples tingled, then beaded. Remembering she was wearing her lightweight, off-white, cashmere sweater, Allison didn’t have to look down to know that despite the bra she was wearing the results would be noticeable. He, on the other hand, was obvious in his appraisal of the hard pebbles protruding beneath the soft fabric. His lips curved into a smile, which could only be described as smug, then lifted his glass to her in a toasting gesture before he carried it to his lips and downed the remaining contents.
He rose to his feet and walked slowly toward her table, pausing only long enough to allow her to see the unmistakable bulge straining the front of his jeans. He made a point of letting her know he was as affected by her as intensely as she was by him. Her empty teacup slipped from her hand, shattering when it hit the saucer. Allison again heard him chuckling as he walked away leaving her to pick up the pieces. When she attempted to pay her check, the hostess informed her with a speculative grin that the gentleman had taken care of it along with a generous tip for the cost of the broken cup.
“He said to wish you a Merry Christmas,” the hostess informed her.
Allison took her time returning to the shop, this time making a point of watching where she was going, as she attempted to figure out why she had reacted so strongly to the encounters. They’d been unexpected, making her feel more desired as a woman than she’d felt in a very long time. The lure of the forbidden fantasy was more exciting than she would have believed possible.
