Temptation Read Online Free

and shook her head. “No.”
    â€œNo? Why not?”
    â€œIt’s too easy,” she replied, a mischievous smile forming on her full lips. “I’d win too quickly. You’re no competition. By the time you arranged a blind date, I’d have my victim in my power.” She tossed her head back and laughed.
    Gabri stuck his tongue out at her. “That’s what I think of you. You’re all talk, Jessica. You’re afraid to compete with me. You know that girls can’t resist me.”
    â€œI can resist you,” she replied, crossing her arms over her chest.
    â€œThen why won’t you accept my challenge?”
    She reached out and playfully squeezed his chin. “Don’t get all pushed out of shape, Gabri honey,” she teased. “I just want to make the bet a little more even. You know, give you a tiny chance to win.”
    He jerked his chin from her grasp and uttered an exasperated groan.
    Jessica snapped her fingers. “I’ve got it! This’ll make our little bet more interesting.”
    He turned his eyes to hers. “Well?”
    â€œYou select the boy I’m to work on, okay?” she said, pleased with her inspiration. “You select my victim, Gabri—and I will select yours.”
    â€œYes!” he cried. “Excellent!”
    Before they realized it, they were spinning together, whirling with the wind beneath the smooth, steep rock cliff, whirling together—and then rising apart, rising into the dark sky, soaring high, then diving low over the beach, still dotted with groups of young people.
    Tender young people, Jessica thought hungrily, swooping low and hovering.
    Tender young people.
    Fluttering just high enough not to frighten them, she studied their full, happy faces.
    And tingled with excitement.

CHAPTER 4 JUMPED FROM BEHIND
    April Blair knew she was trapped.
    She backed helplessly into the corner and awaited her fate.
    â€œOh, no! Stop!” she cried, raising her hands to protect herself.
    But her two sisters, Courtney and Whitney, the Terror Twins, as April called them, closed in on her. Giggling madly, Courtney held April’s hands, while Whitney dived and began a ferocious tickling attack.
    â€œStop! Stop!” April cried through tears of laughter.
    The two blond-haired, round-cheeked, six-year-old monsters knew that April was extremely ticklish, and they made the most of their knowledge.
    â€œI can’t breathe!” April gasped, sinking to the floor. “Really! I can’t breathe!”
    That only encouraged them.
    April tried to roll away from them, but Whitney quickly jumped on her, pinning her against the straw mat that partiallycovered the living-room floor. Courtney continued her attack, concentrating on the most sensitive spot—the back of April’s neck.
    April was squealing with helpless fury when Mrs. Blair burst into the room, loaded down with shopping bags. “April—what are you doing?” she asked, sighing as she set the heavy bags down.
    Mom certainly has a flair for asking the obvious, April thought. “I’m being tickled,” she answered.
    â€œWe’re monsters,” Whitney explained, still straddling April’s back, her yellow sneakers digging into April’s sides.
    â€œI know that,” Mrs. Blair said sarcastically. “But, April, why aren’t you helping? There’s still plenty to unload from the car.”
    â€œSorry,” April said quickly, trying unsuccessfully to unload her little sister. “They won’t let me help.”
    â€œApril, you’re ten years older than they are,” Mrs. Blair said impatiently. “Why do you let them push you around the way you do?”
    â€œMom—” April cried, turning it into a three-syllable word. “They’ve got me outnumbered, you know?”
    â€œYeah!” Courtney agreed and resumed tickling April’s neck.
    â€œYou haven’t even opened