Bringing Down Sam Read Online Free Page A

and breathy, like someone doing an obvious Marilyn Monroe impression, nothing like the deep tones he thought he'd heard earlier. Then again, maybe he'd been so captivated by how she looked that he'd imagined the sexiness of her voice.
    Disappointment swept through him. "It's nice to meet you, too," Sam said as she took his hand in a limp grip. "I'm sorry, I don't think I caught your name."
    The blonde widened her eyes and drew a hand to her chest, pulling his attention there. "Sorry. Silly of me. I guess those hot lights just fried my brain and I've forgotten my manners. Why do lights get so hot, do you think? I swear, I wish somebody would come up with cold ones."
    Sam felt his spirits sink as she chattered. Yes, she was absolutely the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. But, damn, she sure didn't seem too bright.
    "We've been working so hard, and I want so much for the layout to turn out right. You just can't imagine how hard it is to get the right expression on my face, to make sure I'm posed in just the perfect way to match the article." She giggled. "But to tell you the truth, I can't even remember which article it is I'm goin' to be featured with most of the time!"
    Finally, when she stopped her breathless recitation, Sam forced a weak smile to his lips. "I'm sure you've been working hard. Tough job. Uh, did you ever tell me your name?"
    The woman laughed, a sultry sound that slid over his body, making him think of the voice he'd imagined he heard earlier. He stared piercingly at her, searching for something to confirm his suspicion that there was more to her than she was letting on.
    She batted her lashes again, and leaned heavily against his arm. Completely distracted, Sam glanced down at her body, pressed so closely against his he couldn't form a rational thought and barely heard her response. 
    "It's Eve," the woman purred. "My name is Eve Barret."
    Eve hated playing dumb. But remembering what she'd heard about Sam's book, she swallowed hard and pitched her voice up an octave. "I hope we didn't put you out. Our shoot ran long this morning. I am afraid the first gown they had me wearing was just too revealing, and I insisted something else be found."
    Eve let the terrycloth robe gape open a bit, knowing he would look.
    He did.
    She smoothed her hand down the bodice of the silk nightgown, flattening the material as she slid her palm across it. The man didn't appear capable of speech. It's almost too easy . 
    For a brief second, when she'd first seen Sam Kenneman walking across the studio toward her, Eve had wished he was anyone else. She didn't want to play games with him, because he was altogether too attractive.
    No one had warned her. Of course, every woman on the planet talked about Sam Kenneman and his nasty book that men quoted like the Bible. She'd heard he was good looking, but Eve had not bothered to open the back cover and look for a photo of the author. She wished she had. Then maybe she wouldn't have been so totally unprepared for the man in the flesh.
    What a hottie . He was tall, which was good. Since Eve was only two inches shy of six feet, she appreciated a man who stood a good bit taller.
    His hair was thick, short, and sandy brown, with streaks of golden blond. She imagined in the middle of winter it would mellow to a deep honey color. She saw he had tiny curls behind his ears which probably drove him crazy. They probably drove women crazy too, for a different reason. The face was strong--jaw square, lips just delicious-looking. 
    "So, are you writing this big new feature, Sam?" Eve asked, trying to insert more of a southern accent into her voice. She found it easier to imitate a vamp when she drawled.
    "Actually, uh, I'm one of the men."
    Forcing herself not to simper, Eve stared up into Sam's green eyes. He had lovely eyes, of pale springtime green, and she saw specks of gold scattered like stardust across them. She felt another stab of regret. Too bad the man was such a rat.
    Remembering her