Jacquelin Thomas - Styles of Seduction

Love in high fashion…

Manhattan’s most successful, cutting-edge designer, Kyle Hamilton, has a flair for what’s hot and hip in the city’s competitive fashion world. And with his sensual good looks, the dedicated bachelor has his choice of any woman…except the one who got away.

Zoe Sinclair was a naive intern at Roger Hamilton Designs when she met Kyle. But she never forgot the forbidden kiss she shared with her hunky boss. Now she’s moving up the ladder at a rival house, sworn to stay away from the playboy whose touch she still craves—until a family crisis throws them together during New York’s Fashion Week. Working with Kyle to find his kidnapped sister, Zoe is falling once again under his seductive spell. And this time it’s more than just her job on the line….

“Take it easy, sweetheart,” he whispered. “Why does everything have to end with a fight when it comes to you and me?”

“You know why,” Zoe responded. “It’s what we’ve always done.”

“It doesn’t have to continue this way.” Kyle met her gaze. “All I know is that I don’t want to fight with you. Instead, I’d rather be kissing you.”

Her eyes strayed to his lips.

“We’ve been in this room for over an hour now. I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of bickering,” he said softly.

She nodded, unable to speak.

Zoe made a small gasping sound of surprise when his mouth drifted across hers, and for a moment, she stiffened in his arms. Her fingers trembled against his chest.

Kyle pulled away and looked down at her, as if expecting Zoe to protest. When she didn’t, he took it as enough encouragement to deepen the kiss. As his lips touched hers once more, it was like oxygen to a fire that had been smoldering for years. The heat had overcome the ice and soon blazed into a wildfire.

Unstoppable.

JACQUELIN THOMAS

has published over forty-five books in the romance, women’s fiction and young adult genres. When she is not writing, Jacquelin enjoys spending time with her family, decorating and shopping. Jacquelin can be reached at jacquelinthomas@yahoo.com. Visit her website, www.jacquelinthomas.net.

Styles of Seduction

Jacquelin Thomas

www.millsandboon.co.uk

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Dear Reader,

You are cordially invited to attend the launch of the Spring/Summer collection of Roger Hamilton Designs. New York becomes fashion’s playground two weeks out of the year—February and September. This much-anticipated event is the central backdrop for my story Styles of Seduction. Many of you were introduced to the Philadelphia branch of the Hamilton clan in my novel Laws of Love. Styles of Seduction introduces Kyle Hamilton and Zoe Sinclair, two people who are connected through their love of fashion design and the love they have for each other. However, they will have to learn that in loving someone, you give up a piece of yourself. I hope you will enjoy getting acquainted with this wonderful family and bearing witness to the marriage of love and fashion.

Best regards,

Jacquelin

Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Epilogue

Chapter 1

“This is the last one, Nelson,” Kyle Hamilton announced as he carried a large brown carton through the door of his fifteenth-floor apartment.

His cousin rushed over to relieve him of his burden. “Thanks for letting me move in with you. If things work out the way I hope, you will only have a roommate for a couple of months at most.”

Kyle wiped the perspiration from his forehead before saying, “Nelson, you don’t have to be in a rush to move out. You’re welcome to stay here as long as needed.”

“You’re sure I won’t be in the way?” Nelson Hamilton asked. “Fashion Week is only a couple of weeks away. I know this is a busy time for you. Mother has been driving her staff crazy for the past month getting ready for her show.”

“That sounds like Aunt Vanessa,” Kyle commented, a smile tugging at his lips. Vanessa Bonnard Hamilton was a renowned designer in her own right. She had worked briefly for Roger Hamilton Designs, his father’s business, before branching out on her own to build the Bonnard couture label.

He navigated around a stack of moving boxes and into the kitchen, retrieved a couple of bottled waters from the fridge and strode back to the bedroom, where Nelson was unpacking one of the boxes.

He handed a bottle to his cousin. “I’m going to RHD for a couple of hours,” Kyle announced. “I’m not completely satisfied with our collection. I want to go back over the final changes one more time.”

Nelson unfolded a sweater. “I thought everything was ready to go.”

“For the most part,” Kyle confirmed. “But I keep feeling like something is missing. I always get this way when it comes to Fashion Week.”

He walked over to the door. “I left some menus on the kitchen counter. The restaurants all deliver if you don’t feel like going out.”

Kyle was out the door before Nelson could respond.

He was happy sharing his huge three-bedroom apartment with his cousin. Nelson had moved to Los Angeles a couple of years ago to try his hand at acting, but had returned home to Philadelphia over the summer. Since then he had been commuting to New York for auditions. It was Kyle who’d suggested that Nelson move to New York permanently.

Nelson had returned home to family drama between his mother and the rest of the Philadelphia branch of Hamiltons. Kyle and Nelson both thought it best that Nelson put some distance between himself and the tension.

While other New Yorkers enjoyed the Labor Day festivities, Kyle drove to the offices of Roger Hamilton Designs in historic SoHo, a trendy neighborhood in downtown Manhattan that attracted artists, retailers and businesses alike.

When he arrived, he turned off the alarm and locked the door behind him. All of the RHD employees were celebrating the Labor Day weekend, so he was alone. He insisted that everyone take the weekend off because he worked better when there were no other distractions.

Kyle removed a dress from its protective covering and laid it on the mahogany table in his large corner office. Examining it with a critical eye, he reached for a piece of sheer voile fabric lying nearby and fashioned it into a collar around the top of the dress.

Smiling in satisfaction, he pinned the material in place and then returned the dress to the garment bag. Kyle went through each piece, tweaking hemlines, changing or adding buttons or fabrics. The new spring/summer collection had to be a Fashion Week hit—Kyle would accept nothing less. The RHD fashion show would be the talk of the industry if he had anything to do with it.

At thirty-four years old, Kyle was the oldest son of Roger and Lila Hamilton. He fully expected to inherit RHD one day, so he worked hard to prove to his parents that he was worthy of the inheritance. His designs had received rave reviews for the past three seasons. He had even received the prestigious Designer of the Year award.