The outing took on a life of its own before they even left Sapphire Creek. Instead of it just being Regan and Bethany, Gwen and Erin arrived and piled into Bethany’s SUV. Full of teasing and laughter, they all headed out, arguing about where to start their shopping adventure. There wasn’t a suitable shop nearby—or whatever Bethany considered a suitable shop to be—so they drove the winding roads into the closest city.

Regan’s hands were clammy and her stomach was doing somersaults. If she didn’t know better, she would have thought she’d eaten something funky rather than just stepping out of her comfort zone. Her very boring, bland comfort zone. Who knew that was the case? She’d thought herself a woman of the world, but this little field trip to a sex shop was proving her wrong.

Straightening her shoulders, she followed the others into the store, only to stop dead in her tracks once she caught sight of a display that featured a drawing of a very intimate moment.

“This is insane,” Regan whispered to Erin as Bethany and Gwen both dove into the racks of frilly and frothy teddies and what could only be described as outfits worn by exotic dancers. “I’ve never understood the point of lingerie. None of it looks comfortable and the whole goal is to have it removed as soon as possible. Why spend the money when being naked will do the same thing?”

Erin laughed before picking up a black gauze handkerchief draped over a hanger and holding it against herself. “It’s not so bad. And the point is to entice,” she said, wiggling her hips in a slow roll. “To tease. To highlight your best parts and the mystery that makes you a woman. It’s meant to drive your guy wild with the desire to unwrap you.”

Regan made a face at her friend, even though her insides quivered at the thought of Gavin being overcome with the desire to unwrap her. She tried to feign disinterest and continued to peek through the hangers of brightly colored panties. “And that piece of gauze is going to do that?”

Erin snorted back another laugh and threw the hanger to Regan, who caught it with one hand. “You should get that.”

Regan looked at the black bit of froth she was holding. “What is it? And how do you wear it?” This was more complicated than she’d anticipated. What was wrong with wearing yoga pants and a nice T-shirt?

Her sister’s voice rang in her memory—Chloe was truly fearless—and she scrunched up her nose. “I’m not a prude,” she muttered.

“Of course you aren’t,” Bethany agreed, pulling a royal blue bra and panty set off the rack and tossing them in her basket.

“When did I start acting like one?” Whatever it was that was happening between her and Gavin was happening fast. She didn’t know him all that well, not really. He seemed like a wonderful father from what she’d seen, was obviously a caring brother, but what else? She’d lost herself in her relationship with Todd the Jackass. The thought of doing that again made her cold.

But that was up to her, not him. And the way Gavin made her feel wasn’t the same as when she’d been with Todd. She wasn’t losing pieces of herself. Gavin was actually helping her find the pieces she hadn’t even remembered she had.

She let out a little sigh and felt her face warm. This little shopping trip wasn’t about her, and she needed to divert everyone’s attention before they noticed her blushing. “I just don’t understand how being wrapped up in transparent lace is going to give you the confidence to have the conversation with Connor.”

“It gives me the confidence in me. That I still have the power to distract him,” Bethany admitted with a smile. “That I’ve still got it.”

“I’m sorry,” Regan said, grabbing a bottle of lotion from the shelf and giving it a sniff before passing it to Erin to smell. “I don’t mean to be unsupportive.”

Bethany smiled her reassurance and gave her a quick hug. “I know this isn’t your thing. You’ve always been confident in your own skin. But some of us need a little extra to feel a bit boosted, to have a little extra ammunition to feel sexy.”

Regan looked at Bethany and shook her head. “You don’t need this stuff to be sexy. You are sexy.”

Bethany smiled a small smile. “It’s nice of you to say so, but I’m not the same girl I was when Connor fell in love with me.”

“I should hope not,” Erin said as she put the lotion back on the shelf. “You were sixteen when he fell for you. None of us are the same as we were at sixteen.”

Gwen bounded up to them holding a huge box. “I’m going to get this!”

Regan tried to see the front, horrified by the thought of what could possibly come in a box that size in a store like this. “What is it?”

“A massager.” Gwen turned the box so Regan could see a huge…thing. It was two feet long with a bend in the middle. “It bends and twists so I can put it over my shoulder like this.” She pointed to a picture.

“Or you can sit on it,” Erin laughed, pointing to another picture.

“Tomato, to-mat-o. It’ll get the job done.” Gwen grinned and shifted the box to her hip, holding it there with one arm like she would a baby.

“Holy hell.” Regan’s face was on fire. She’d seen crazy things when she did her ER rotation, but this was unlike anything she’d ever imagined. What was wrong with her that she couldn’t embrace this part as easily as they did?

“There’s nothing wrong with you,” Gwen said, reading her mind and slinging her free arm around Regan’s shoulders. “It’s perfectly okay for you not to be into any of this stuff.”

Another thought hit Regan from out of nowhere. “It doesn’t bother you, does it? That I’m spending time with your brother? And we’re doing…whatever it is that we’re doing.”

Gwen smiled and gave her another squeeze as she steered her back toward some of the less alarming displays. “No. It doesn’t bother me. He’s happier than I’ve seen him in a long time. And you are back, which I’m ecstatic about even if we haven’t been able to spend much time together yet. Once school lets out and I’m not tutoring every night, you and I are going to have a girls’ weekend.” Gwen was a special education teacher at the local elementary school and went above and beyond in her duties. No child left behind wasn’t just a pithy political phrase for her. It was a personal mission.

“That sounds great. But for now, I think I want to step out of my comfort zone a little.” She held up the black teddy Erin had tossed her way. “Do you think he’ll like it?”

Gwen smiled what Regan used to think of as her victory smile. “I think you’ll like it. And he likes you so that’ll be enough. Now, I’m going to tell you that his favorite color is red and pretend I know nothing at all about the fact that you’re shopping to entice my brother.”

As Gwen moved away, Erin slid next to Regan, taking the black bit of lace from her hands and replacing it with a red one. “You really think this will work?” Regan asked her.

“It depends on what you’re trying to do. If you’re putting that on only to seduce Gavin, then sure, it’ll work. But like you said before, you could show up nude and it’ll do just as well.”

Erin paused, “But if you’re doing it for you, you have to like how you feel in it, how you look to a degree. You can do it if you think it’ll make him happy and that’s what you want to do. But you need to remember, the end goal of this isn’t the sex. It’s the snapshot.”

With Erin having left for California when they were young, she’d always seemed more worldly somehow. Regan was amused to realize she still felt like Erin had all the answers. “What snapshot? I’m barely onboard with the idea of getting myself into this thing. I’m certainly not going to let any pictures be taken.”

Glancing over to make sure Gwen and Bethany were still occupied in another area of the store, Erin lowered her voice, as though she was imparting a secret. “Not a real snapshot, but a moment. You’re creating a special moment for you both, just one heartbeat of a memory that’s only for the two of you. It’s private, which is what gives us the courage to wrap ourselves up in these things in the attempt to create a live version of our men’s fantasies.”

Regan was swept up by what Erin was saying. What did it say that about her past experiences that, at the age of twenty-eight, she still had no idea about the art of seduction? “You make it sounds so easy.”

“Not easy, but it can be fun if it’s with the right person.”

Some of the excitement that Gwen and Bethany had been feeling started to creep into Regan too and she felt the edges of her lips pull upward. “And have you found the right person?” she asked Erin. “You seem to know an awful lot about this.”

“Aw.” Erin shook her head, a rueful smile on her lips. “No right person for me. Instead, my job is to do this on a less personal degree. I’ve had to figure out how to create these snapshots with a huge audience, not just one on one.”

Something in Erin’s tone gave Regan pause and had her looking hard at one of her oldest friends. “But you love it, right? It’s what you’ve worked so hard for, for so many years.”

“Yes, of course. But being back here always reminds me of the life I had before.”

“Do you miss it?” it had never occurred to her that the sacrifices Erin had made while chasing her dreams could have cut that deeply. What type of friend had she been all these years to not even suspect such a thing?

“At times. I think I miss the idea of it more than the reality,” Erin confided in a low voice, continuing to play with the colorful bottles of lotions and lube. “I wouldn’t trade what I have for anything. It’s just one of those things. We always seem to want something we don’t have, you know?”

Regan nodded, sensing Erin didn’t want to keep talking about it. To change the subject, Regan eyed the bit of lace she was holding. Did guys really like this stuff? Taking a deep breath, she puffed out her cheeks and slowly blew the air out. “So, how does this work? Do I get to try it on before I buy it, or do I just hope for the best?”

After shopping, the girls headed back to Sapphire Creek, stopping at the Bitterroot for a late lunch and stiff drink, teasing Regan about her need for a little liquid courage before dropping her off back at Gavin’s house.

Gwen used her key to let her in, closing the door behind them to keep the cold wind out. When she didn’t step further into the house, Regan turned to her. “There’s a basket in the hall closet,” Gwen told her.

“A basket of what?”

“I put it there earlier. It contains everything you need for tonight.”

Puzzled, Regan lifted the bag that held her purchases from earlier in the day and gave it a small shake. It held massage oils, which claimed to be vanilla flavored and safe to ingest, what claimed to be an erotic dice game, and the red teddy that had made her feel completely unlike herself when she’d tried it on were inside. “I think this is all I’ll need tonight.”

“Gwen laughed. “That’s a start, but the basket has some wine, candles, and some sheets that have such a high thread count they feel like silk.”

“When did you do that?” Regan was surprised that her friend would go to such great lengths to help her seduce Gavin, yet not surprised at all. Gwen had always been a planner and was the one person who knew her better than anyone. She was Regan’s biggest cheerleader in everything and it made Regan laugh to think that she would be cheering her on even now.

“When Bethany told me you were going to the shop with us I figured you’d come back here tonight.” Gwen shrugged and leaned against the doorjamb. Some of her humor seemed to disappear as she opened the door again and the wind whipped her hair around her face.

“You deserve this,” she said so quietly Regan almost didn’t hear her. “You deserve to have someone love you for you, to stand by you, no matter what. And even though he can be a jerk, Gavin’s a good man. He can be what you need. And as much as he drives me crazy, he deserves it too. Someone to be there for him, through it all.”

Without another word Gwen hurried back outside to the SUV, where Bethany was waiting to drive her home. Warmth filled Regan as she watched her friends drive away. Who knew getting her friend’s blessing would mean so much? Gwen had gone to a fair amount of trouble to help with a seduction that Regan hadn’t even been aware she’d be planning.

A grin tugged her lips at the thought of how surprised Gavin was going to be to find her waiting for him. Anticipation had her laughing out loud. She had a seduction to stage.

With her heart in her throat while her belly did flips, she raced to the hall closet and found the basket, exactly where Gwen described. Suppressing a giggle of excitement, she pulled out the sheets, which really were the softest things she’d ever felt. She was going to owe Gwen something major for doing this for her. For them.

Springing into action, Regan raced to Gavin’s room, skidding to a halt right inside. His scent hung in the air and her smile widened. She was going to do this. Really do this. It wasn’t just about the seduction or sex, but she was going to try having a relationship with Gavin. Giving him her all and seeing where it went.

Butterflies raced through her stomach as though carried by gale-force winds while she made the bed and smoothed the sheets in place and set the candles up on every available surface. Hopefully, he’d understand that this night meant more than just having fun—not that she begrudged the fun they’d been having. His patience showed her hints of what having a healthy relationship would be like.

The slamming of a car door jolted her from her daydreaming. Shit. She wasn’t ready. Maybe she could fix him a drink and get him to agree to hang out in front of the television while she finished setting the stage. Wiping her suddenly sweaty palms on her jeans, she closed the door to the bedroom behind her, hoping to save the surprise, and made it to the entryway just as the door opened and Jackson and Savannah spilled in, followed by their father.

Regan felt her mouth drop open as the kids’ excited chatter filled the air.

“Hey.” Gavin stepped over the threshold and kicked the door closed behind him, shutting out the cold air. “I didn’t expect you to be here.”

He had his arms full of grocery bags and the kids were struggling to take off their boots, mittens, and coats. Why hadn’t she considered the fact that he’d already have plans? Or that his children might be with him tonight? She’d been so wrapped up in her own plans and ideas that it never occurred to her that he would be otherwise occupied. “I, um…” What could she say? I came to seduce you, but I see you’re on daddy duty tonight, so I’ll just go?

Gavin leaned in and gave her a quick peck, still holding the bags of groceries. “You okay?”

“Yeah, I—crap.” She could feel the heat flooding her chest and rapidly working its way up her face. “I should have called first.”

The kids slammed into her with hugs and shouted greetings before they took off running to the living room. Seconds later a cartoon theme song blared. Before she could decide what she should do, Gavin had somehow steered her into the kitchen and was putting the groceries down on the counter. “You never have to call before coming over,” he told her as he started to unload the bags, handing her a box of stuffing. “The kids and I are celebrating Thanksgiving early since they’ll be with Kathy this weekend. She’s picking them up in the morning to head out of town.”

“Oh.” Her earlier excitement fizzled. Suddenly her seduction felt juvenile. He was a father, a responsible adult, and here she was trying to sow her wild oats. Gavin didn’t seem to have a clue about the direction of her thoughts as he continued.

“We were actually going to call and invite you to have dinner with us. Jackson was hoping he could talk you into making turkey kabobs instead of my buying the whole precooked turkey and the fixings.”

Regan shook the box of stuffing she was still holding, a smile tugging her at her lips. “This is kind of sad, Gavin.”

“Hey, it’s good.” He reached out and took the box from her, setting it on the counter behind her and leaned in, caging her between his arms and body. Regan could feel the heat radiating off him and resisted the urge to sway into him, to press herself against his chest. “You want to tell me what’s going on?”

His question was like a bucket of ice water.

“I—don’t know how to say it.” Her voice was small. She hated the embarrassment that crept in. If she couldn’t even say the words, how was she ever going to be able to actually put on that lacy teddy and talk him into letting her use that edible massage oil on him?

This time the flush headed south and Regan clenched her thighs together. There were children in the other room and she was picturing licking their father up one side and down the other. What was wrong with her?

Gavin shifted, framing her face with his hands and giving her a soft kiss. “Just say it, whatever it is.” He laid his forehead against hers and gave her another small kiss. “Today has been a shit show of epic proportions. Having you here when we got home was a wonderful surprise. There’s nothing you can say that’s going to change the fact that this, right here, is the best part of my day.”

The smile she’d been wearing earlier bloomed again at his sweet words. “I came over to seduce you,” she whispered, once again feeling heat rush up her cheeks.

His entire body stilled. “Please tell me you haven’t changed your mind.” His voice had gone husky and raked over her skin, making her nipples stand at attention. The words soothed her, which was crazy if she thought about it, but the warmth in her belly was spreading and pooled between her thighs.

“Not even a little bit.”

A quick boost had her sitting on the counter with Gavin standing between her legs. His chest was pressed against hers and his kiss robbed her of her breath. He used his teeth to nibble along her jaw before gently sucking on her earlobe. The bulge he pressed against her core had her throbbing in all her most interesting places. She wrapped her legs around him to pull him even closer.

“Daddy, did you ask her to make the bobs?”

Regan’s legs dropped like weights had been tied to them, thudding against the cupboards under the countertop. How could she have forgotten, even for a second, that the kids were in the other room? Gavin’s breathing was uneven as he dropped his head to her shoulder, and then he started to laugh.

His laugh was infectious and soon she was laughing with him. They’d been cockblocked, quite effectively, by a pair of five-year-olds.

“No, I didn’t get a chance to ask her about the kabobs yet, buddy. But we’re celebrating Thanksgiving, right?” He lifted his head and sent Regan a wink before stepping away, letting his hands drag over her hips and along her legs before he turned to face his children. “I think we should all just ask Regan to please stay and have dinner with us.”

A chorus of small voices rang out with their pleas for her to join them, their hands replacing their fathers on her legs as they rushed to the room to express their sincerity.

“I’ll be happy to join you,” she told them as she hopped off the counter. “And after dinner, we’ll have dessert.”