Copyright © 2005, Peggy Hunter
Published by Whiskey Creek Press LLC

Reviews For TEMPTING TARA by Peggy Hunter

".... characters are realistic and believable: definitely someone you are drawn to. With the additional characters, readers will be pleased with the many different personalities and depth of this story. Tara and Drake’s chemistry is explosive. Peggy Hunter has absolutely tempted me with this one. I can not wait for another story that features the infamous match-maker Cordelia Von Helt. Although she is but a small part in this tale, she is a genuine and loveable character. Tempting Tara is an outstanding love story of following one’s dream even when it leads them in a completely new direction. Peggy Hunter has done it again – great story well worth 5 Angels!"

Reviewed by: Jessica

Sample Chapter For TEMPTING TARA by Peggy Hunter

“Are you sure Richard’s going to show up tonight?” Tara asked anxiously as she let the beaded mask fall from her face. She waved the flimsy wooden stick in the air as she continued, “I don’t know if this was such a great idea after all.”

Cordelia Von Helt raised her hand and pushed the mask back in front of Tara’s face. “This is a masquerade ball,” she chided. “Anonymity is important until midnight.”

“Right,” Tara replied as she held the brilliant jeweled mask in place over her eyes. “It’s just that I’m so nervous. Even if he does show, what if Richard won’t listen to me?”

Cordelia smiled and nodded lightly to guests passing by. She leaned over slightly and spoke. “I think the question should be why you think he’s the only man for you?”

Tara tore the mask from her face and glared at her aunt. “Don’t tell me you disapprove, Aunt Cordelia! I told you about the dream I had before I started working for Lyons Development. You know how important this is to me.”

Cordelia raised a gloved finger to her lips and again pushed Tara’s mask in front of her face. “Please don’t raise your voice to me,” she said sternly. “And you know how I feel. I’m concerned Richard may not be the man you think he is.”

“I’m sorry, Aunt Cordelia,” Tara said. “It’s just that the dream was so vivid. And I’ve been his secretary for five years. I love him. I’ve never felt this way about anyone before and I need him to know how I feel.”

“Of course I understand,” her aunt said. “Rick is a good man, an honest man. But as his secretary, you’ve had a front row seat. You’ve seen the line of women parading through his life.”

“He just hasn’t met the right one,” Tara said stubbornly.

Cordelia smiled softly. “My dear, he met you five years ago and sees you every day of the week. Don’t you think if you were the right woman, he would have noticed by now? I just hate seeing you pine for a man that may never return your feelings.”

Before Tara could reply, Cordelia waved a delicate hand in dismissal. “I simply must mingle with the guests.” She watched as her aunt whisked away, the elaborate pink and white satin Victorian gown swishing in her wake.

Tara peered through the tiny holes of her mask. Aunt Cordelia was a player, no doubt about it. She threw the masquerade ball annually, opening her mansion to anyone who could afford to pay three hundred dollars a ticket. All the funds went to her charity of choice, this year being the Sunshine Children’s Hospital in downtown Toronto.

No one cared where the money went as long as they were able to secure tickets to attend. It was the event of the year. Everyone who was anyone attended Cordelia Von Helt’s charity functions.

Tara felt like a fish out of water. She belonged here about as much as a tuna salad sandwich belonged on a plate of escargot. But she was on a mission. Tonight, she would finally tell Richard Lyons that she was in love with him.

She’d played the moment over in her mind many times, in many different scenarios. Perhaps they’d be walking in Cordelia’s rose garden, or maybe find themselves alone on the balcony. She would be nervous at first but find strength in the love reflecting in his eyes. He’d felt it too and didn’t know how to tell her. They’d fall into each other’s arms.

Five years of longing, of waiting for the right time to tell him how she felt. Five years of heartache each and every time she saw Richard with his latest beauty. Tonight, he’d know the truth.

Tara smiled at the waiter as he paused with a tray of wine-filled glasses. She nodded lightly as she took a glass from the tray and focused her attention on the couples, dressed in formal Victorian clothing, as they danced to the twelve piece band’s waltzes.

As she lifted the crystal glass to her lips, her eyes strayed to the steps leading to the grand ballroom’s entrance. She froze in place as she saw the man bowing slightly to guests as a steward took his evening coat.

Richard!

Dressed in formal Victorian suit, complete with a powdered white wig, his eyes covered with a black mask, most might not know who he was. But Tara knew. She had come to know his tall muscled stance, his square shoulders, the way he walked with an air of confidence. She recognized the slight nod of his head as he ascended the stairs into the ballroom. And that smile! The brilliant, five hundred watt smile that showed off tiny dimples in his cheeks and was likely the reason his land development company had done so well. People looked at Richard Lyons and were instantly drawn to him.

Tara’s eyes followed him as he moved around the room. When she lost sight of him for a moment, she craned her neck to see where he had gone. She breathed a sigh of relief when she finally spotted him, his head bowed slightly as he chatted with Cordelia.

When he and Cordelia stepped onto the dance floor, Tara watched in awe as he placed one hand on her waist while the other gently folded over her fingers. He stood ramrod straight, the tails of his suit slicing through the air as he whisked Cordelia around on the floor.

The time had come.

Tara downed the glass of wine in her hand. A passing waiter paused for a moment as she placed her empty glass on the tray. Just as he was about to walk away, Tara grabbed a full glass and nodded to him. She needed all the help she could get. Tara downed the glass of wine and placed it on a nearby table. She took a deep breath and walked into the crowd of dancers.

Spotting Cordelia and Richard on the far end of the dance floor, Tara quickly closed the distance between them and gently tapped her aunt on the shoulder. Cordelia looked at her in surprise.

“Do you mind if I cut in?” Tara said breathlessly, hardly able to believe she’d had the nerve to do it.

Cordelia peered up at the man she’d been dancing with. When he nodded, she stepped away.

“Of course, Tara,” she said. “Perhaps I should introduce you first.” She turned to the man towering over her. “This is my niece, Tara Ripley.”

“There’s no need for introductions,” Tara interjected.

Cordelia nodded lightly. “Of course. Enjoy your dance.”

As her aunt disappeared into the crowd, Tara wished she’d had the opportunity to have at least one more glass of wine. He stepped up to her and held his hand up.

Tara slowly placed her hand in his, careful to keep it close enough to her face to hold her mask in place. Her body hummed with desire as his other hand glided to her waist. He smiled down at her as they began to move to the music.

Tara never took her eyes off his exquisite face as they moved in unison. The music filled her senses as her gaze locked with his green eyes, so vibrant in contrast to the black mask he wore. She noticed his eyes were a bit lighter than she thought they were. She could see tiny gold flecks amid the green. Perhaps she’d never noticed because of the lighting in the office, perhaps because he had always stood a little distance away from her when they were working. All she knew was that she was grateful for this moment.

When the waltz ended, the band leader announced a short break. Tara reluctantly let her hand fall from his and took a slow step away from him.

Okay, Tara Ripley, don’t let him get away!

She took a deep breath. “We need to talk somewhere private.”

He cocked his head to one side. “About what?”

Tara frowned and gazed up at him. His voice seemed a little deeper, a little gravely. “Are you all right?”

He smiled. “Yes, I’m fine.”

Richard had been fighting a cold on Friday. Perhaps he’d succumbed to it, his voice affected. “There’s something I have to tell you,” she said. “Something I’ve waited a long time to say.”

He smiled down at her. “So say it now.”

Tara moved forward and placed her hand on his chest. “I think it would be much easier for me to say if we weren’t surrounded by people. Please, just give me a few moments of your time, Richard.”

His smile faded as he gazed down at her. He opened his mouth and then shut it firmly.

“Richard?”

He nodded. “All right,” he said as he placed a hand on her elbow. “Let’s find someplace quiet to talk.”

They pushed through the throng of people but when Tara turned to the balcony doors, he grabbed her hand and pulled her in a different direction.

“Where are we going?”

“To the library,” he replied as they headed toward the door the waiters had been coming and going through. He stopped briefly at a nearby table and grabbed a bottle of wine and two crystal glasses.

He nudged the door open and waited for her to pass through. She hesitated. This wasn’t what she had in mind. What about the balcony where they’d find themselves alone, or the rose garden under the starlit sky?

“Come on,” he said, nodding toward the door he held open.

Beggars can’t be choosers. That he agreed to take the time to listen to her had to be enough. Where she told him didn’t matter.

She passed through the door and gazed down the brightly lit hall. It was a stark contrast to the dim, alluring light in the ballroom. She could hear the muffled sounds of people working in the kitchen.

She’d come to visit Aunt Cordelia several times since she married Hendrik Von Helt but had never once been in this part of the house.

It seemed that Richard knew his way as he nodded toward a long corridor. “Follow me,” he said as he walked ahead of her. He didn’t look back to see if she was following.

He pulled another door open and waited until she passed through. More long halls but this time, the light was a little more muted. He walked ahead of her again, guiding them to a staircase. He vaulted up, taking the steps two at a time. She clamored to keep up with him, her long dress rustling as she moved.

Another door and another hall but this time, Tara found herself in familiar territory. They’d come out just down the hall from the massive parlor, where Cordelia served tea to her many guests. Tara pressed ahead of Richard and walked further down the hall to the library. She felt his presence as she walked inside.

The massive oak door slowly closed behind him as he placed the bottle and glasses on the ornate coffee table and sank down on the antique settee.

Tara was too nervous to sit and busied herself looking at the thousands of books, both new and old, that filled the shelves around the room. “I’ve always loved this room,” she said absently.

“Come sit with me,” Richard said.

She felt her heart leap into her throat as she whirled around to look at him. He patted the seat beside him on the settee and smiled. “You’re not afraid of me, are you?”

“No,” she stammered, “Not at all.”

“Then toss that ridiculous mask aside and come sit beside me.”

Tara hadn’t realized that she continued to hold the mask to her face until he mentioned it. She reluctantly pulled it away and placed it on a table near the shelves.

She walked to the settee and slowly sat down. She kept her hands firmly in her lap, her body turned straight ahead as he pulled the loosened cork out of the bottle and filled the two glasses. When she took the glass he offered, he slowly reclined against the back of the settee.

“So, what was so urgent you wanted me alone?”

Oh dear! This wasn’t at all how she planned to tell him. She searched her muddled mind for the words she knew she’d said in her head time and time again over the last five years. Nothing seemed to surface.

Tara swallowed hard. She lifted the glass to her lips and drained it in one long swallow. Her mind whirled, her body tensed. Even with the alcohol she’d consumed, her brain would not relax enough to say the words.

“I’m sorry, Richard,” she said sadly. She placed her empty glass on the table and began to rise. “I shouldn’t have bothered you.”

She froze when she felt his hand grab her hand and pull her back down to the settee. His fingers grazed her cheek and pulled her chin to face him. Beneath the mask, his green eyes bore into her. “I know this wasn’t easy for you. You gathered a lot of nerve to ask me to be alone with you tonight,” he said.

Tara closed her eyes as his hand glided from her cheek to softly knead the back of her neck. “Tell me what you wanted me to hear,” he whispered hoarsely.

His hand pushed the powdered wig from her head and pulled the rubber band that bound her long, curly, light brown hair. It cascaded into his hand. He leaned in close to her as his fingers threaded through her hair. She tilted her head back to accept his touch.

Her heart stopped when he leaned forward and touched his lips to her throat. She moaned as his tongue grazed a path from the hollow in her throat to her chin. He rained kisses over her cheek before his lips finally settled on hers. His tongue pushed against her lips until she opened her mouth and allowed him in.

Tara felt herself sink into the settee as he pressed his body over her, pinning her to the needlework cushions.

He pulled his mouth from hers and grazed a path to her ear as his hands found her breasts and gently kneaded them through the satin fabric.

“Tell me why I’m here,” he whispered into her ear. “Tell me what you need.”

Tara cried out as she felt his fingers pinch her nipples through the thick fabric of her gown. His legs nudged against her, begging her to spread her thighs to allow his touch.

“I need to tell you how I feel about you,” she said as her hands slid down his back.

“Tell me,” he said as one hand left her breast and reached her knee. It slowly slid up under the folds of her dress and rested on her thigh. “I need to hear it.”

She shivered as his hand grazed over her core, pressing lightly against the cotton fabric of her panties. She felt her body react, dampen with need for him.

“I need you,” she cried.

“That’s a good start,” he said as he pressed forward. His fingers snaked under her panties and stroked her. “What else?”

Tara tried to find the words but Richard’s touch, his warm fingers pressing against her, was too much. She arched her back and opened her legs wider in an effort to urge him on.

He obliged, his fingers slid over the curls of her pubic hair and pushed inside to find her moist warmth. They slid slowly over her clitoris and then slid over the opening of her vagina.

“Is this what you want?” he said against her ear as he pressed a finger into her moist warmth.

Her hands wrapped around the back of his head, pulling his mouth to hers as she raised her hips to force his finger deeper. “Yes,” she sighed.

Richard kissed her deeply before he pulled his mouth away from hers. His breath fanned her face as he peered down at her. She sincerely wished he’d remove the mask but couldn’t find the words to ask when he slipped a second finger inside her.

She gasped as she bucked against his hand, silently begging him to reach deeper.

His breath was hot against her ear. “You’re so tight, so damn hot,” he said as his fingers plunged harder. “I want to taste you.”

Before she could reply, the folds of her satin gown flipped over her face. She felt his fingers quickly push the crotch of her panties aside. She cried out when she felt his mouth cover her. He pulled the lips of her vagina open with his fingers as his tongue stroked her clitoris. Pushing two fingers inside her, he pumped his hand against her flesh as his lips drew her clit into his mouth. He sucked hard, making Tara cry out in painful delight. Her hands flew to his head, pressing him harder against her as she raised her hips to receive all of his sweet, torturous touch.

Tara’s hands left his hair and slowly glided up her body. Her fingers pressed against her nipples through the fabric of her dress. She so wished she was completely naked. And yet, the feel of Richard’s cool mask against her abdomen as he lapped at her fed her excitement.

“Oh,” Tara breathed raggedly as she felt her body lift toward a pinnacle of desire. She sucked air into her lungs and hissed as she let it out slowly. Richard’s mouth and fingers kept working, kept plunging endlessly. When she felt his teeth graze her clit, she knew she couldn’t hold on much longer. He nipped again as a third finger slid inside her, stretching the walls of her vagina, hurting yet glorious.

“Oh God,” Tara gasped as her hands flew to his head again. “Oh my God!”

He pulled away from his task and gazed over the folds of satin to her face. “I think you’re about to come,” he said, his brilliant smile barely registering as she bucked against his fingers.

Tara moaned as his soft, gravely words urged her on. “I love finger fucking you,” he said. “Your pussy is so hot, so damn tight.”

Tara cried out as she felt her body give way. “Come on, my sweet,” he said. “Come for me.”

As Tara felt her body release, Richard lowered his head and sucked her clit. She cried out with white hot passion, something so close to agony, she wasn’t sure where the line was drawn. But when she reached the ultimate pinnacle, she knew.

Her body collapsed against the settee in sheer exhaustion as Richard rose. He smiled down at her as he settled his body over her chest. His face glistened with her moisture as he pressed a soft kiss to her face.

Tara sighed. No fantasy she’d concocted had come close to what she’d experienced tonight. “I love you, Richard Lyons.”

The words tumbled from her lips. “I have always loved you. I knew even before you interviewed me for the secretarial position. And now I know you feel the same.”

Richard frowned as he pulled away from her. She smiled; he was hesitant to express his own feelings. But after what they had just shared, she knew he felt the same way she did.

When he sat on the edge of the settee, she pulled herself up and wrapped her arms around him. “I know it’s hard for you to admit,” she said. “I know this has come as a shock to you.”

He peered at her. “You’re right,” he said, his voice scratchier than she’d ever heard it. “I need some time to think.”

Tara didn’t know how to reply. She watched as he got up and quickly left the room. The huge oak door sighed as it slowly closed behind him.

Tara smiled as she rose and pressed the creases out of the layers of satin fabric. She bent to pick up the wig Richard had pulled off her head.

She slowly walked out of the library, certain she had reached him. Richard knew how she felt. While his departure didn’t match her fantasy, it was understandable he’d need a little time to absorb what she said to him and realize his love for her.

* * * *

When Tara found her way back to the ballroom, the evening had come to an end. Cordelia chatted amicably with the last few guests as the staff removed glasses and empty dishes from the buffet table.

“There you are,” Cordelia said as she sashayed to Tara and wrapped her arms lightly around her shoulders. “How did you enjoy the evening?”

Tara smiled triumphantly. “It was wonderful, Aunt Cordelia. There’s so much I have to tell you.”

Cordelia smiled. “I’m so glad you had fun in spite of what had to be a disappointment.”

Tara frowned. “I wasn’t disappointed.”

“Well, I’m glad to hear it. I thought you’d be crushed when Richard didn’t show up.”

Tara shook her head. “I don’t know what you mean,” she said. “I was with Richard tonight.”

Cordelia’s smile faded. “Tara, that’s impossible. He called soon after you disappeared and said he couldn’t make it.”

Tara felt her stomach drop to the floor. “But I was with him tonight. I cut in when you were dancing with Richard.”

Cordelia’s eyes widened. “Oh dear,” she said. “That wasn’t Richard. That was Drake, his twin brother.”

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