Let Them Talk

He also agreed with her friends that she’d changed the way she dressed, though the differences were subtle. Tonight she wore a red gingham sundress that flared at the hips. The classic style and modest scooped neckline suited her, but it was rare to see her bare, toned arms.

What really grabbed his attention, though, was that she was barefoot. Her feet looked soft and he imagined her stroking them down his legs. And the bright red varnish on her toes surprised him. He’d expected a pale or clear color, but it didn’t explain why he couldn’t stop looking.

“One of the things this book has going for it is that you can use the information,” Laura continued. “There is nothing you can take from the erotic diary and apply to real life.”

“I have to disagree,” Sydney said as she grabbed for her wineglass. “You should try keeping an erotic diary and see what happens.”

Laura made a face at Sydney’s statement. “You’re only saying that because that’s how you and Matthew hooked up and now you are practically engaged. That doesn’t count.”

“You can’t apply these seduction techniques in real life,” Isabel said. “It will only make you look like a fool.”

“Have you tried?” Sean asked.

There was a beat of silence. He felt Sydney’s curious gaze on him and he wondered if he had revealed something in his tone.

“I don’t have to,” Isabel announced as she folded her hands in her lap. “Men are simple creatures. It doesn’t take much to seduce them. They already have sex on the brain. Most of them, anyway.”

As Laura launched into an explanation on why all men think about sex all the time, Sean pondered what Isabel had said. He hadn’t realized she was so cynical about men. Or had her comment been strictly for his benefit? Was she trying to shut him out of the discussion? She had allowed him into her apartment earlier tonight, and while she had been a gracious hostess, she had tried not to directly discuss the book with him.

Tonight had been the first time he’d been to her home, and he had to admit that he had been curious to see her apartment. He wasn’t sure why, but he’d expected to see an explosion of pink, lace and ruffles. Instead her apartment was refined and comfortable, from the muted blue and green walls to the well-loved furniture.

“Sean, back me up,” Isabel said. “Men don’t care about the lingerie or the perfume. They just want sex without the frills.”

All three women turned and waited for his response.

“You’re on your own with that argument,” Sean said. “Men want the fantasy, as well. Engage all the senses and celebrate the differences between a man and a woman. Also, it’s a turn-on to know that a woman is wearing lingerie for your pleasure. That she made an effort for you.”

He wondered what Isabel would choose to wear for him. His body hardened at the image of her in something simple and feminine like a white satin-and-lace slip. He would be so aroused that the straps would snap under his shaky hands.

“So lingerie is a turn-on for you?” Isabel asked.

Sean paused as he recognized his mistake. He struggled to rein in his thoughts. This was supposed to be a fact-finding mission for him. He needed to find out if her book club and her friends were influencing Isabel in any way. Instead, Isabel had made the provocative comment to gauge his reaction.

He should have anticipated that. Isabel was smart and a fighter. He had always been impressed with her quick mind and he looked forward to their Sunday night debates.

“My turn-ons depend on the woman,” he said, refusing to look away from Isabel. He heard Sydney groan and imagined Laura was rolling her eyes.

“Typical nonresponse,” Isabel murmured.

Sean smiled at their reactions. “But I disagree with the primary thesis of the book.”

“No kidding,” Sydney said as she finished off her wine. “You’ve disagreed with almost everything about this book.”

“The author ignores one important detail. If a man isn’t interested in a woman, none of these tricks will work.”

Isabel bristled. “They aren’t tricks.”

“Manipulation, then?” Sean asked coolly as he locked his gaze on her dark blue eyes. “You’re trying to get a guy to do something he wouldn’t normally do.”

“These are tips designed to enhance the experience,” Isabel replied, thrusting out her chin. “These suggestions help uncover what is already there.”

Sean leaned forward, resting his arms on his knees. “At the expense of turning the woman into something she isn’t. Not all women are aggressive or on the hunt. Nor should they be.”