Tempted By His Best Friend

By Cari Quinn

Previously released as part of the Lovers Unmasked anthology. Now available individually!


Real identity optional...

Kindergarten teachers aren't known for breaking the rules, but Steph is ready to go undercover—and get under the covers—to work her magic on her best friend, Landon. Sexy costume necessary, multiple orgasms crucial, real identity optional.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Macmillan Publishers
• Release date: Nov 3, 2014
• ISBN: 9781633751323

Book preview

Real identity optional...

Kindergarten teachers aren’t known for breaking the rules, but Steph is ready to go undercover—and get under the covers—to work her magic on her best friend, Landon. Sexy costume necessary, multiple orgasms crucial, real identity optional.

Cari Quinn

Table of Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

About the Author

Discover Cari Quinn’s Love Required series...

No Dress Required

No Flowers Required

No Romance Required

If you love sexy romance, one-click these steamy Brazen releases…

One Night of Sin

Dirty Trick

Lover Undercover

No Strings Attached

Seducing Mr. Right

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.

Copyright © 2013 by Cari Quinn. All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce, distribute, or transmit in any form or by any means. For information regarding subsidiary rights, please contact the Publisher.

Entangled Publishing, LLC

2614 South Timberline Road

Suite 109

Fort Collins, CO 80525

Visit our website at www.entangledpublishing.com.

Brazen is an imprint of Entangled Publishing, LLC. For more information on our titles, visit www.brazenbooks.com.

Edited by Tahra Seplowin and Heather Howland

Cover design by Heather Howland

Photography by iStock

ISBN 978-1-63375-132-3

Manufactured in the United States of America

First Edition September 2013

Chapter One

She’d come dressed…to come.

A nervous laugh nearly escaped Stephanie Price as she slammed her car door shut. She tugged at the short, fringed skirt that hid her crotchless tights and hoped the weather report of a stormy evening proved wrong. One strong breeze and she’d be flashing the neighborhood more of her than she preferred.

She already felt way too chilly in places that weren’t used to being so exposed. Really exposed, since she’d had her first Brazilian three days ago. Only for Landon Grant, her best friend and object of her ardent affection, would she make such extreme sacrifices.

For the decade since meeting at college at Syracuse University, she, Lan, and their mutual best friend, Craig Connolly, had been a trio.

When she’d first noticed her interest in him veering toward the friendship no-man’s-land of physical attraction about two years ago, she’d done what she did best—ignore how she felt. At first she’d thought maybe it was just lust. No arguing the guy was gorgeous. But no, it wasn’t just desire. Lan had always been by her side. They had so many things in common, from movies to music to what they liked on their pizza. He got her. And when he grinned at her… Lord, even Kevlar didn’t make panties strong enough to douse those flames.

At first, she’d tested the waters by spending more time alone with him without Craig. She’d also tried to subtly change the tone of their activities to something more intimate than their usual friendly fare. Since Landon had then proceeded to put way more distance between them than had ever existed before, she had to declare her first attempts at growing their closeness unsuccessful.

As Lan’s reassuring presence had faded from her life over the past year, she’d come to terms with what had been in front of her all along. He was why she’d never been able to find the perfect guy. And she suspected she was the reason he’d never met the perfect girl.

Tonight Landon would see he’d met his match.

She’d prepared for this seduction well. That included practicing talking sexy. She’d finally nailed the smoky low tones she would use to blow Lan’s mind. Or embarrass herself senseless.

Let me suck your cock. Eh, not hot enough. She tried again. I want your cock in my mouth.

Wow, really?

Steff looked up to find a grim reaper blocking her path and nearly choked in her haste to mutter an apology. No, God, no. I’m sorry. I wasn’t— I didn’t mean—

The reaper deflated like a pensioner when the Viagra ran out. Figured. That never happens to me. He shuffled off before she could apologize again.

She sighed and hurried toward the door, a chill sneaking through her as crisp dried leaves skittered around her mile-high stiletto boots. Hurrying was a relative term. Kindergarten teachers didn’t get much chance to practice walking in super high heels. The Keds in her closet got a lot more of a workout than her Jimmy Choos.

But Halloween smexy times required a bigger commitment. Like a leather bustier with lots of extra padding, long red gloves, and tiny pointy ears. Then there was the ornate red fox eye mask that covered half her face, the green contacts, and the wavy red extensions she’d carefully added to her long brown hair. Sparkly powder and exotic makeup completed her transformation to a sexy fox. Oh, and mustn’t forget the bushy red tail.

Moonlight illuminated the curved walk that led up to the imposing mansion where the law firm of Kenney and Kilborn had chosen to hold its annual costume bash. Craig and Lan both worked as divorce lawyers for K&K, and the Halloween party was known in their crowd as the most excitement to hit their small town of Warner, New York, all year. Especially to her always-up-for-a-good-time best pals. Both men left a trail of dented hearts in their wake, though Craig did it with good humor. She’d heard that Lan left his easygoing nature behind at the bedroom door, and he redefined the word fickle.

Apparently that fickle behavior now extended to his friends, too.

She frowned. Hurt feelings aside, she refused to let this particular holiday pass without a resolution. The three of them had met at a Halloween horror movie fest during their freshman year of college, and they’d celebrated the holiday together ever since. They had two weeks until Halloween. By then, she hoped to have Landon back in her life, one way or another.

Preferably the other.

Maybe she wasn’t brave enough to seduce Lan as regular old practical, innocent-seeming Steff, but Stephanie the minx in leather and lace was a different story. Her original plan had been to come tonight as herself, but she’d rationalized that since she’d gone all-out with the costume, high-end makeup, and even a new beachy scent, she’d become a new sexy, daring version. She was desperate enough to connect with Lan to try anything. Even to try forging that connection with him under a different persona, at least at first. Despite how wrong it was to lie, she hoped the ends would justify the erotic—very erotic, please God—means.

She made it up the steps to the front door without tripping. Just as she was about to lift the brass knocker, her cell dinged from where it sat nestled against her chest. She didn’t have a purse that went with this outfit, so she’d tucked her phone, her car key, and a twenty between her breasts. As she tugged out her phone, she saw Craig’s latest text.

U sure u can’t come? Thought u wanted 2 c Lan. Lame.

Despite Craig calling her lame, she couldn’t stop the rush of guilt that flowed through her, hot enough to combat the cool northern New York breeze. She hated lying about not coming tonight, but she had no choice. What was she supposed to tell Craig? That she’d decided she couldn’t settle for the latest lukewarm guy who drifted into her life? How she hadn’t had a worthwhile orgasm since the last appearance of Halley’s Comet, and if she didn’t have one soon, spontaneous combustion would become a real possibility? And, oh yeah, she had way more than friendly feelings for Lan and she couldn’t stuff them down any longer?

She slid the phone back between her breasts. Avoiding Craig was the only option.

She frowned. Lovely. Now she was turning into Lan.

But this situation was different. If she accomplished what she came to do, Craig wouldn’t ever have to worry about her and Lan being distant ever again. The plan was simple. Once she’d demonstrated her ability to rock Lan’s world, she’d confess her identity. Unless she didn’t crank his motor. In that case, she’d resume her kindergarten-teacher-on-her-way-to-spinsterhood persona without saying a word. And possibly grow out the Brazilian.

She touched one of her rose quartz earrings, the final magic touch to her costume. Lan didn’t know their significance—she’d bought them with the gift certificate he’d given her to a jewelry store for their college graduation—but she did. She’d only worn them twice and never around him. She’d saved them for just the right moment. The crystal’s supposed power to attract love would help provide that extra little spark of help she needed tonight.

Throwing back her shoulders, she lifted the knocker. Landon better be ready for her bag of tricks. And treats.

…

In the forty-five minutes Landon had been at the Halloween party, he’d knocked back half a beer, been hit on twice, and heard approximately six far-fetched sex stories from his best friend. Whether any of them were even slightly factual was anyone’s guess.

What about her? Craig inclined his chin, nearly dislodging the face mask tipped back on his head. He was so lazy he’d used his college team uniform as his costume, much to the obvious delight of the ladies. Hockey was pretty popular in northern New York. She wants you. Look at those baby blues.

Landon glanced at the woman his friend was not-so-discreetly gesturing toward. The tall, statuesque blonde dressed as a Greek goddess looked his way and her eyes were a clear blue. Except he had a preference for a darker denim shade. Like Steff’s.

His chest clenched. Not going there. His saving grace was that Steff wouldn’t be at the party. Getting to see her would be both the highlight and lowlight of this month, and he was already cruising at land altitude. If he descended any further, he’d end up with his nose in the dirt.

Twenty-eight was too early for a midlife crisis, so at first he’d chalked up his blahs to a desire for a change at work. The switch from divorce to family and children’s law had helped some. It still didn’t explain why the pattern he’d developed years ago of working hard and partying harder had lost its appeal, especially since it had occurred right around when he’d started putting distance between him and Steff.

And there was the problem. Steff, his best friend who brought out feelings in him that went way beyond friendship. His cruise down the river of Denial had only been able to last so long. Then, when he’d caught her staring at him during some romantic poetry reading she’d dragged him to last winter, he’d begun to delude himself she might feel the same.

Which was infinitely worse, because it wasn’t happening between them. Ever.

She was sweet and steady and dependable…and he was none of those things. Short-term relationships he could