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About the Author

MAYA BANKS has loved romance novels from a very, very early age, and almost from the start, she dreamed of writing them, as well. In her teens she filled countless notebooks with overdramatic stories of love and passion. Today her stories are only slightly less dramatic, but no less romantic.

She lives in Texas with her husband and three children and wouldn’t contemplate living anywhere other than the South. When she’s not writing, she’s usually hunting, fishing or playing poker. She loves to hear from her readers, and she can be found on Facebook or you can follow her on Twitter (@maya_banks). Her website, www.mayabanks.com, is where you can find up-to-date information on all of Maya’s current and upcoming releases.

Tempted by Her Innocent Kiss

Maya Banks

www.millsandboon.co.uk

One

There came a time in a man’s life when he knew he was well and truly caught. Devon Carter stared down at the brilliant diamond solitaire ring nestled in velvet and acknowledged that this was one such time. He snapped the lid closed and shoved the box into the breast pocket of his suit.

He had two choices. He could marry Ashley Copeland and fulfill his goal of merging his company with Copeland Hotels, thus creating the largest, most exclusive line of resorts in the world, or he could refuse and lose it all.

Put in that light, there wasn’t much he could do except pop the question.

The doorman to his Manhattan high-rise hurried to open the door as Devon strode toward the street, where his driver waited. He took a deep breath before ducking into the car, and the driver pulled into traffic.

Tonight was the night. All of his careful wooing—the countless dinners, kisses that started brief and casual and became more breathless—was a lead-up to tonight. Tonight his seduction of Ashley Copeland would be complete, and then he’d ask her to marry him.

He shook his head as the absurdity of the situation hit him for the hundredth time. Personally he thought William Copeland was crazy for forcing his daughter down Devon’s throat. He’d tried everything to sway the older man from his aim to see his daughter married off … to Devon.

Ashley was a sweet enough girl, but Devon had no desire to marry anyone. Not yet. Maybe in five years. Then he’d select a wife, have two-point-five children and have it all.

William had other plans. From the moment Devon had approached him, William held a calculated gleam in his eye. He’d told Devon that Ashley had no head for business. She was too soft-hearted, too naive, too … everything to ever take an active role in the family business. He was convinced that any man who showed interest in her would only be seeking to ingratiate himself into the Copeland fold—and the fortune that went with her. William wanted her taken care of and for whatever reason, he thought Devon was the best choice.

And so he’d made Ashley part and parcel of the deal. The catch? Ashley wasn’t to learn of it. The old man might be willing to barter his daughter, but he damn sure didn’t want her to know about it. Which meant that Devon was stuck playing stupid games. He winced at the things he’d said, the patience he’d exerted in his courting of Ashley. He was a blunt, straightforward person, and this whole mess made him grit his teeth.

If she was part of the deal, he’d rather all parties know that from the outset so there would be no misunderstandings, no hurt feelings and no misconceptions.

Ashley was going to think this was a grand love match. She was a starry-eyed, soft-hearted woman who preferred to spend time with her animal rescue foundation over board meetings, charts and financials for Copeland Hotels.

If she ever found out the truth, she wasn’t going to take it well. And hell, he couldn’t blame her. Devon hated manipulation, and he’d be pissed if someone was doing to him what he was doing to her.

“Stupid old fool,” Devon muttered.

His driver pulled up to the apartment building that was home to the entire Copeland clan. William and his wife occupied a penthouse on the top floor, but Ashley had moved to a smaller apartment on a lower floor. Various other family members, from cousins to aunts and uncles, lived in all places in between.

The Copeland family was an anomaly to Devon. He’d been on his own since he was eighteen, and the only thing he remembered of his parents was the occasional reminder not to “screw up.”

All this devotion William showered on his children was alien and it made Devon uncomfortable. Especially since William seemed determined to treat Devon like a son now that he was marrying Ashley.

Devon started to get out when he saw Ashley fly through the door, a wide smile on her face, her eyes sparkling as she saw him.

What the hell?

He hurried toward her, a frown on his face.

“Ashley, you should have stayed inside. I would have come for you.”

In response, she laughed, the sound vibrant and fresh among the sounds of traffic. Her long blond hair hung free tonight instead of being pulled up by a clip in her usual careless manner. She reached for his hands and squeezed as she smiled up at him.

“Really, Devon, what could happen to me? Alex is right here, and he watches over me worse than my father does.”

Alex, the doorman, smiled indulgently in Ashley’s direction. It was a smile most people wore around her. Patient, somewhat bemused, but nearly everyone who met her was enchanted by her effervescence.

Devon sighed and pulled Ashley’s hands up to his waist. “You should wait inside where it’s safe and let me come in for you. Alex can’t protect you. He has other duties to attend to.”

Her eyes sparkled merrily, and she flung her arms around his neck, startling him with the unexpected show of affection.

“That’s what you’re for, silly. I can’t imagine anyone ever hurting me when you’re around.”

Before he could respond, she fused her lips hungrily to his. For God’s sake the woman had no sense of self-control. She was making a spectacle here in the doorway to her apartment building.

Still, his body reacted to the hunger in her kiss. She tasted sweet and so damn innocent. He felt like an ogre for the deception he was carrying out.

But then he remembered that Copeland Hotels would finally be his—or at least under his control. He would be a force to be reckoned with worldwide. Not bad for a man who had been told that his sole ambition should be not to “screw up.”

Carefully, he pulled her away and gently offered a reprimand.

“This isn’t the place, Ashley. We should be going. Carl is waiting for us.”

Her lips turned down into a momentary frown before she looked beyond him to Carl, and once again she rushed forward, a bright smile on her face.

He shook his head as she greeted his chauffeur, her hands flying everywhere as she spoke in rapid tones. Carl grinned. The man actually grinned as he handed Ashley into the car. By the time Devon made it over, Carl had already reverted back to his somber countenance.

Devon slid into the backseat with Ashley, and she immediately moved over to nestle into his side.

“Where are we eating tonight?” she asked.

“I planned something special.”

As expected she all but pounced on him, her eyes shining with excitement.

“What?” she demanded.

He smiled. “You’ll see.”

He felt more than heard her faint huff of exasperation and his smile broadened. One thing in Ashley’s favor was that she was extraordinarily easy to please. He was unused to women who didn’t wheedle, pout or complain when their expectations weren’t met. And unfortunately, the women he usually spent time with had high expectations. Expensive expectations. Ashley seemed happy no matter what he presented her with. He had every confidence that the ring he’d chosen would meet with her approval.

She nestled closer to him and laid her head on his shoulder. Her spontaneous demonstrations of affection still unbalanced him. He wasn’t used to people who were so … unreserved.

William Copeland felt that Ashley needed someone who understood and accepted her nature. Why he thought Devon fit the bill Devon would never know.

When they married, he would work on getting her to restrain some of her enthusiasm. She couldn’t go through her entire life with her emotions on her sleeve. It would only get her hurt.

A few minutes later, Carl pulled up to Devon’s building and got out to open the door. Devon stepped out and then extended his hand to help Ashley from the car.

Her brow was creased in a thoughtful expression as she stared up at the building.

“This is your place.”

He chuckled at her statement of the obvious. “So it is. Come, our dinner awaits.”

He ushered her through the open door and into a waiting elevator. It soared to the top and opened into the foyer of his apartment. To his satisfaction, everything was just as he’d arranged.

The lighting was low and romantic. Soft jazz played in the background and the table by the window overlooking the city had been set for two.

“Oh, Devon, this is perfect!”

Once again she threw herself into his arms and gave him a squeeze worthy of someone much larger than herself. It did funny things to his chest every time she hugged him.

Extricating himself from her hold, he guided her toward the table. He pulled her chair out for her and then reached for a bottle of wine to pour them both a glass.

“The food is still hot!” she exclaimed as she touched the plate in front of her. “How did you manage it?”

He chuckled. “My super powers?”

“Mmm, I like the idea of a man with super cooking powers.”

“I had someone in while I was gone to collect you.”

She wrinkled her nose. “You’re horribly old-fashioned, Dev. There was no reason to collect me if we were spending the evening at your apartment. I could have gotten a cab or had my father’s driver run me over.”

He blinked in surprise. Old-fashioned? He’d been accused of a lot of things, but never of being old-fashioned. Then he scowled.

“A man should see to his woman’s needs. All of them. It was my pleasure to pick you up.”

Her cheeks pinkened in the candlelight, and her eyes shone like he’d just handed her the keys to a brand-new car.

“Am I?” she asked huskily.

He cocked his head to the side as he set his wineglass down. “Are you what?”

“Your woman.”

Something unfurled inside him. He wouldn’t have considered himself a possessive man, but now that he’d decided that she would be his wife, he discovered he felt very possessive where she was concerned.

“Yes,” he said softly. “And before the night is over, you’ll have no doubts that you belong to me.”

A full body shiver took over Ashley. How was she supposed to concentrate on dinner after a statement like that? Devon stared at her across the table like he was going to pounce at any moment.

He had the most arresting eyes. Not really brown, but a warm shade of amber. In the sunlight they looked golden and in the candlelight they looked like a mountain lion’s. She felt like prey, but it was a delicious feeling, not at all threatening. She’d been waiting for the moment when Devon would take their relationship a step further.

She’d longed for it and dreaded it with equal intensity. How could she possibly keep pace with a man who could seduce a woman with nothing more than a touch and a glance?

He’d been a consummate gentleman during the time they’d been dating. At first he’d only given her gentle, nonthreatening kisses, but over time they’d become more passionate and she’d gotten a glimpse of the powerfully sensual man under the protective armor.

She had a feeling that once those layers were peeled back, the man behind them was ferocious, possessive and … savage.

Another shiver overtook her at the direction of her thoughts. They were fanciful, yes, but she truly believed her assessment. Would she find out tonight? Did he plan to make her his?

“Aren’t you going to eat?” Devon prompted.

She stared down at her plate again. What was it anyway? She wasn’t sure she could eat a bite. Her mouth felt as if it was full of sawdust, and her entire body trembled with anticipation.

She moved the shrimp with her fork so that it gathered some of the sauce and slowly raised it to her lips.

“You aren’t a vegetarian, are you?”

She laughed at the look on his face, as if the idea had just occurred to him.

“Tell me I haven’t been serving you food you won’t eat all this time,” Devon said with a grimace. “You would have said something, wouldn’t you have?”

She put the shrimp into her mouth and chewed as she put the fork down. When she’d swallowed she reached over to touch his hand.

“You worry too much. I would have told you if I was a vegetarian. A lot of people assume since I’m so active in my animal rescue organization that I refuse to eat meat of any kind.”

The relief on his face made her laugh again.

“I’ll eat chicken and most seafood. I’m not crazy about pork or the more uppity stuff like veal, foie gras and stuff like that.”

A shudder worked over her shoulders.

“There’s something about eating duck liver that just turns my stomach.”

Devon chuckled. “It’s actually quite good. Have you tried it?”

She wrinkled her nose in distaste. “Sorry. I have a thing about eating any sort of innard.”

“Ah, so no cow’s tongue for you then.”

She held up her hands and shook her head back and forth. “Don’t say it. Just don’t say it. That’s beyond disgusting.”

“I’ll make a note of your food preferences so that I never serve you animal guts,” he said solemnly.

She grinned over at him. “You know, Devon, you’re not as stiff as everyone thinks you are. You actually have quite a sense of humor.”

One finely arched eyebrow shot upward. “Stiff? Who thinks I’m stiff?”

Realizing she’d put her foot solidly in her mouth, she stuffed another shrimp in to keep the foot company.

“Nobody,” she mumbled around her food. “Forget I said anything.”

“Has someone been warning you off of me?”

The sudden tension in his voice sent a prickle of unease over her.

“My family worries for me,” she said simply. “They’re very protective. Too protective,” she finished with a mutter.

“Your family is warning you about me?”

He acted as though it was the very last thing he expected. Was he so sure that her entire family was pushing for a match between them?

“Well no, not exactly. Definitely not Daddy. He thinks you hung the moon. Mama approves but I’m sure it’s because Daddy does. She thinks he can do nothing wrong so if you have his stamp of approval you have hers.”

He seemed to relax in his chair. “Who then?”

She shrugged. “My brother wants me to be careful, but you have to understand he’s been saying the same thing about all the guys I’ve ever dated.”

Again that eyebrow went up as he raised the glass of wine to his lips. “Oh?”

“Yeah, you know, you’re a philanderer, a player. Different woman on your arm every week. You aren’t serious. You just want to get me into bed.”

A blast of heat surged into her cheeks and she ducked her head. Stupid thing to blurt out. Stupid!

“Sounds like a typical older brother,” Devon said blandly. “But he’s right about one thing. I do want you in my bed. The difference is, once you’re there, you’re going to stay.”

Her lips popped into an O.

He smiled, a lazy, self-assured smile that oozed male confidence.

“Finish eating, Ashley. I want you to enjoy your meal. We’ll enjoy … each other … later.”

She ate mechanically. She didn’t register the taste. For all she knew she was eating cow’s tongue.

What did women do in situations like these? Here was a man obviously determined to take her to bed. Did she play it cool? Did she go on the offensive? Did she offer to undress for him?

A bubble of laughter bounced into her throat. Oh, Lord, but she was in way over her head.

Firm hands rested on her shoulders and squeezed reassuringly. She yanked her head up to see Devon behind her. How had he gotten there?

“Relax, Ash,” he said gently. “You’re wound tighter than a spring. Come here.”

On shaking legs, she rose to stand in front of him. He touched her cheek with one finger then raised it to her temple to push at a tendril of her hair. He traced a line over her face and down to her lips before finally moving in, his body crowding hers.

He wrapped one arm around her waist, and cupped her nape with his other hand. This time when he kissed her there was none of the restraint she’d seen in the past. It was like kissing an inferno.

Hot, breathless, so overwhelming that her senses shattered. How could one kiss do this to her?

His tongue brushed over her lips, softly at first and then more firmly as he forced her mouth to open under his gentle pressure.

She relaxed and melted into his embrace. Her body hummed. Her pulse thudded against her temples, at her neck and deep in her body at her very core. She wanted this man. Sometimes she felt like she’d been waiting for him forever. He was so … right.

“Devon,” she whispered.

He pushed far enough away that he could see her, but he still held her firm in his embrace.

“Yes, sweetheart?”

Her heart fluttered at the endearment.

“There’s something I need to tell you. Something you should know.”

His brow furrowed, and he searched her eyes as if gauging her mood.

“Go ahead. You can tell me anything.”

She swallowed but felt the knot grow bigger in her throat. She hadn’t imagined it being this difficult to say, but she felt suddenly silly. Maybe she shouldn’t say anything at all. Maybe she should just let things happen. But no, this was a special night. It needed to be special. He deserved to know.

“I—I’ve never done this.” She gripped his upper arm with nervous fingers. “What I mean is that I’ve never made love with a man before. You … you’d be the first.”

Something dark and primitive sparked in his eyes. His grip tightened around her waist. At first he didn’t say anything. He kissed her hungrily, his lips devouring hers.

Then he pulled away, savage satisfaction written on every facet of his face.

“I’m glad. After tonight you’ll be mine, Ashley. I’m glad I’m the first.”

“Me, too,” she whispered.

Some of the fierceness in his expression eased. He leaned forward and kissed her on the brow and held his lips there for a long moment.

His hands ran soothingly up and down her arms, stopping to squeeze her shoulders. “I don’t want you to be afraid. I’ll be very gentle with you, sweetheart. I’ll make sure you enjoy every moment of it.”

She reached up on tiptoe to wrap both arms around his neck. “Then make love to me, Devon. I’ve waited so long for you.”

Two

Ashley stared up at Devon, unsure of what to do now. He didn’t suffer any such problem. Dropping another kiss on her brow, he bent and lifted her into his arms and carried her to the large master bedroom in the corner of the apartment.

She sighed as she laid her head on his chest. “I’ve always dreamed of being carried to bed when the big moment came. I probably sound silly.”

Soft laughter rumbled from his chest. “Glad I could fulfill one of your fantasies before I even get you naked.”

She blushed but felt a giddy thrill at the idea of him undressing her. That was number two on her fantasy list for when she lost her virginity.

After listening to so many girls in high school and college talk about how utterly unremarkable their first times were, Ashley had vowed that her experience would be different. Perhaps she’d been too picky as a result, but she’d been determined to choose the right man and the right moment. So she was feeling pretty damn smug because it didn’t get any more perfect than Devon Carter right here, right now.

He set her down just inside the doorway and she glanced nervously around his enormous bedroom. A person could get swallowed up in here. And the bed was equally huge. It looked custom-made. Who needed a bed that big anyway? Unless he regularly hosted orgies and slept with ten women.

“I’m going to undress you, sweetheart,” he said in a husky voice. “I’ll go slow and you stop me if you feel uncomfortable at any time. We have all night. There’s no rush.”

Her heart melted at the tenderness in his voice. He seemed so patient, and she warred with appreciating this unerringly patient side of him and being frustrated because she wanted to be ravished.

It’s your first time only once.

She could hear herself issue the reprimand. And she was right. She had plenty of time for down-and-dirty, hot monkey sex. But she would only have this night once and she wanted it to be a night she’d always remember.

“Turn around so I can unzip your dress.”

Slowly she turned and closed her eyes when he gently moved her hair over one shoulder so he could reach the zip. A moment later, the light rasp of the zipper filled the room and the dress loosened precariously around her bust.

She slapped her hands over the strapless neckline just before it took the plunge down her body.

Devon’s hands closed around her bare shoulders and he kissed the curve of her neck. “Relax.”

Easy for him to say. He’d probably done this a hundred times. That thought depressed her and she made herself swear not to dwell on how many bed partners he may have had.

He turned her back around, his smile tender enough to melt her insides. Carefully he pried her fingers away from their death grip on her dress until it fell down her body, leaving her in only her panties.

She flushed scarlet. Why, oh, why hadn’t she just worn the strapless bra? She felt like a hussy for not wearing anything but it wasn’t as if she had a huge amount of cleavage and the dress fit tightly over her chest so she hadn’t been in danger of flopping out of it.

And it wasn’t as if she knew she was going to be seduced tonight.

She’d hoped. But then she’d hoped every time Devon took her out. She’d given up on trying to predict when or if the day might come.

“Very sexy,” Devon breathed out as his gaze raked up and down her body.

Thank goodness she’d worn the lacy, sexy panties and not the plain white cotton ones she sometimes wore when she was feeling particularly uninspired or just didn’t give a damn whether she felt girly and pretty or not.

“You’re beautiful, Ash. So damn beautiful.”

Some of her trembling stopped as she absorbed the look in his eyes. The eyes didn’t lie and she could read arousal and appreciation in those golden depths.

He took her shoulders, gently pulled her to him and kissed her again. Hot. Forceful. In turns fierce and then gentler as though he had to remind himself not to overwhelm her.

She wanted to be overwhelmed.

She may be a virgin but she was no stranger to lust, desire and extreme arousal. She wanted Devon with a force that bordered on obsession. He’d fired many a fantasy that had kept her up at night.

And it wasn’t as if she hadn’t been tempted in the past. She’d been courted by other men. Some she felt absolutely no desire for but with others she’d experienced a kernel of interest and had wondered if she should pursue a sexual relationship. In the end, she hadn’t been sure and if she wasn’t absolutely sure, she’d promised herself she wouldn’t take the plunge.

Not so with Devon. She’d known from the moment he introduced himself to her in that husky, sexy-as-hell voice that she was a goner. She’d spent the last weeks breathless in anticipation of this night. Now that it was here, her entire body ached for him to take her.

He pulled away for a moment and she stared at him with glazed eyes. He touched her cheek, tracing a path down her face with his fingertip. Then he kissed her again. And again.

Hot. Breathless. His tongue slid between her lips and feathered over her own. Warm and decadent, his taste seeped over her tongue and she drank him in hungrily, wanting more.

His harsh groan exploded into her mouth and the rush of his exhalation blew over her face. “You make me crazy.”

She smiled, some of her nervousness abating. That she had this effect on this gorgeous, perfect man infused her with a sudden rush of feminine confidence.

He fastened his mouth to her jaw and kissed a line down to her neck. He pressed his lips just over her pulse point and then lightly grazed his teeth over the sensitive flesh.

Shivers of delight danced over her shoulders. His hands glided up her arms and then gripped her just above the elbows. He held her in place as his mouth continued its downward trek. Over the curve of her shoulder and then down the front.

He went to his knees in front of her so that his mouth was barely an inch from her nipple. She sucked in her breath, afraid to move, wanting so badly for him to touch her there. His mouth, lips, tongue … She didn’t care. She just knew she’d die if he didn’t touch her.

He lowered his head and kissed her belly instead. Just above her navel. She sucked in her breath, causing her stomach to cave in. He moved up an inch and kissed her again, tracing a path between her breasts until finally he pressed a kiss directly over where her heart beat.

A slow smile turned his lips upward, the movement light against her skin.

“Your heart’s racing,” he murmured.

She remained silent. It didn’t require acknowledgement from her—her heart was beyond racing. It was damn near about to explode out of her chest.

But her hands wouldn’t remain still. Drawn to the light brown wash of his hair, she threaded her fingers through the short strands. In a certain light, she could see the shades of his eyes. Amber. Golden. That warm, liquid brown.

Her fingers moved easily through his hair. No styling products stiffened the strands. A little mussed. Never quite the same from day to day. He paid as little attention to his hair as he did to the other things he deemed inconsequential.

He glanced up, her fingers still thrust into his hair. “Are you afraid?”

“Terrified,” she admitted.

His gaze softened and he wrapped his arms around her body, pulling her into his embrace. The shock of her naked body against his still fully clothed one sent shivers up her spine.

“I’d feel less afraid if you were naked, though.”

He blinked in surprise and then he threw back his head and laughed. “You little tease.” He pushed upward to his feet until he towered over her. “I’m happy to accommodate you. More than happy to accommodate you.”

She licked over suddenly dry lips as he pulled away and began unbuttoning his shirt. He tugged the ends from his slacks and unfastened his cuffs before shrugging out of the sleeves.

She swayed precariously because oh, Lord, was the man mouthwateringly gorgeous. He was lean in an “I work out” way but he wasn’t so muscled that he looked like he got carried away with the fitness regimen. He was hard in all the right places without being a neckless, snarling, swollen, knuckles-dragging-the-ground caveman type.

A smattering of light brown hair collected in a whorl in the center of his chest and then tapered to a fine line that drifted down his abdomen and disappeared into the waist of his pants.

She wanted to touch him. Had to touch him. She curled her fingers until they dug into her palms and then she frowned. There weren’t rules to seduction, right? She could touch. No reason for her to stand here like a statue or an automaton while he did all the work. While taking things slow did have its good points, there was simply too much she wanted to experience to stand idly by while seduction happened. She wanted to take an active part.

He’d only began to undo his pants, when she slid her hands over his chest and up to his shoulders. He went still and for a moment closed his eyes.

His response fascinated her. Did her touch bring him as much pleasure as his touch brought her? A sudden rush of power bolted through her veins, awakening the feminine roar inside her.

She moved in closer, wanting to feel his naked flesh against hers. Hot. She gasped when her breasts pressed against his chest. It was an electric sensation that was wildly intoxicating. She wanted more. So much more.

“What are you doing?” he asked hoarsely.

“Enjoying myself.”

He smiled at that and remained still, his hands still gripping the fly of his pants. She ran her palms openly over his chest, exploring each muscled ridge, enjoying the rugged contrast between his hardness and the softness of her own body.

“Take them off,” she whispered when her hands drifted perilously close to where his hands were positioned.

“Has the blushing virgin turned temptress?”

On cue, she flushed but he smiled and then let go of his pants to frame her face in his palms. He kissed her, nearly scorching her lips off with the sudden heat. “You take them off me,” he murmured into her mouth.

Sudden nerves made her fingers clumsy as she fumbled with his pants, but he stood there patiently, his hands caressing her face, gaze locked with hers as she pushed his pants down his legs.

Swallowing, she chanced a look down to see his erection straining hard against the cotton of his briefs. Plain, boxer briefs. Somehow she’d imagined something a little more … She wasn’t sure. She just knew she hadn’t imagined plain boxer briefs but then he was a no-fuss kind of guy. Yes, he wore expensive clothing, but it was comfortable expensive clothing. The kind you only knew was expensive because you recognized the label. Not because it looked terribly pricey.

Simply put, Devon Carter looked like a man who’d made money but wasn’t overly concerned with appearing as though he was wealthy. It wasn’t as if he couldn’t look the part. She’d seen him in full business attire with the sleek designer labels and the polished, arrogant look to match. But she’d spent much more time with him privately. When he was relaxed. Less guarded. That was the word. In public situations, he was intensely guarded at all times. Almost as if he was determined to let no one in. It thrilled her that he trusted her enough to see his more casual side.