Simple Seduction

Chapter 1:

"Mallory, please! You have to do this for me!"

Mallory Leanna Evens stared at her older sister as if she had grown two heads.

"Macey, I can't just go on your blind date for you and tell this mystery guy that you aren't interested. It doesn't work that way. If you want to, you go and tell him yourself." she sighed. It was so like Macey to make her do the dirty work. Sometimes Mallory wondered how it was that they were sisters. Besides the fact that they looked nothing alike, they acted like polar opposites.

Macey was the one who'd gotten the looks of the two. She was tall and had a slender build with mile long legs that made her the golden girl of the modeling industry. Her hair was cut into a chin length bob that framed her face like a golden halo. Her eyes, the one thing Mallory had in common with her, were large and a dark emerald green that flashed gold in the right light. She'd gotten most of her looks from their father.

Mallory had gotten her share of looks from their mother. She was short, barely reaching 5'1" and had wildly curly bright red hair she usually kept tied back in a long braid. She was startlingly pale when compared to her perfectly golden skinned older sister. Mallory had no problem being the sister who'd gotten the brains of the two. She'd graduated top of her class in college, added to the fact that she'd started at 16, it was quite an accomplishment. She now worked as a pediatrician and loved every minute of her job.

"Mallory, if you love me at all you'll do this for me. Josh want's to get back together and this is his last night home before his band goes on tour in Europe for the next few weeks. I need to spend some time with him. Please Mal!"

Mallory looked at her sister who looked on the verge of tears. She knew she couldn't resist her sister when she cried. It just wasn't possible.

"Oh fine. But I'm just going to tell him sorry you weren't available and then I'm leaving." Mallory sighed and then laughed as her sister gave a shout of triumph and threw herself at her.

"His name is Ryan O'Connell..."

"Wait what?" Mallory felt her jaw drop. "You are not serious are you!"

"I'm very serious."

"You're going to stand up the most respected quarterback in the NFL?"

"I'm not standing him up Mallory. You're going! Besides the man has a reputation for being a man whore. If anyone can handle him it's you little sister. Now the reservations are at that fancy new Italian restaurant at seven sharp. Please Mallory wear something girly. No jeans and T-shirts. You will be representing me." Macey pleaded and Mallory rolled her eyes.

"Of course Macey now leave. It's already five and I need a shower."

Macey gave Mallory one last hug and left her alone. When Mallory heard the front door of her apartment close, she sighed and jumped in the shower. An hour and a half later she stood in front of the mirror and gave herself an approving nod.

The pale gray dress was both modest and sophisticated. The slightly plunging neckline gave a hint of cleavage that was both accentuated and disguised by the bright red stones that hung from around her neck. The hem line was a bit shorter than she would have liked, but she pulled it off. A pair of red pumps made the outfit pop. It wasn't that she didn't like dressing up. She just preferred being able to throw on a pair of jeans and a T-shirt and be done with it.

She'd decided on a whim to keep her hair down. It flowed down her back in a riot of gypsy curls that seemed both sophisticated and untamable.

Her makeup was soft and understated with a bit of emphasis on her eyes. Macey would be proud, Mallory decided and looked at the clock on her bedside table. It was a quarter till seven and a fifteen minute drive to the restaurant from her house. Mallory decided to wait about five minutes then leave. While she waited she walked into her living room and nearly trip on the monstrous mound of blue-gray fur laying in the middle of the floor.

"Lane!" she sighed and the huge Great Dane stared up at her. "You do know you have a bed for your snoozing don't you?" she said and bent down to pet the dog on his silky head. She'd had the dog for nearly two years, and he was her best friend. He even slept in the bed with her. Seeing as he was almost twice her size, he took up much more room than she did, however.

"Look, I'm going to have to leave you here for a little while, but don't worry. I will be back before you know it."

As if understanding, Lane shook his head and went back to his snoozing. Mallory smile and grabbed her clutch before leaving her apartment.

It was a little before seven when she pulled her black BMW into the parking lot of the restaurant and found a decent parking spot. She climbed out of her car and made her way inside.

There was a tall and unbelievably gorgeous brunette in a figure hugging black dress standing behind a glass podium. She gave Mallory a warm smile and Mallory smiled back.

"Do you have reservations?" she asked in a voice that could have seduced the Pope.

"Um, O'Connell?"

"Oh my God! You're here with Ryan O'Connell? Mallory best friends tell their best friends these things! They don't just show up at their best friend's work place and be all like 'yeah I have a date with Ryan O'Connell!"

"Layla, calm down! You were doing so good that time too. Well at least your getting better. Now don't let that creepy manager of yours see that your talking to me or he might downgrade you to waitress!"

Layla tossed back her hair and rolled her eyes. "The slime." she growled.

"He's very nice looking slime."

Layla shrugged. "Your date is much much nicer looking. Didn't he get named the sexiest man in America by Sports Illustrated or something like that?"

"Yes, but he's not really my date. I'm here to tell him that Macey is not interested. It was supposed to be a blind date, if I'm not mistaken."

"Oh Lord. Well follow me then, and I'll show you to the table."

Mallory walked beside Layla who led to her a table in the back corner of the restaurant. It was dimly lit and candle light sparkled everywhere.

"Mr. O'Connell, Miss Evens is here."

Mallory looked down at the man who was eyeing her with confusion. "Umm no it's not. I'm expecting someone blonde and a good bit taller than five feet."

The man looked even better in person than he did on television or on the cover of a glossy magazine. He had broad shoulders and was tall, she'd read somewhere that he was just over 6'4". His hair was strait and almost black, and his eyes were nearly the same color. He was tan and had a face made to melt heart with his slightly crooked nose and full mouth.

"Technically yes I am; however, it was my sister Macey you are expecting. She sent me here to tell you that she's sorry she can't make the date. Now that you know, my work here is done." she said and turned to walk away.

"Hey wait! Sit down!" he ordered.

"I beg your pardon?" Mallory asked turning around and raising an eyebrow.

"Sit and explain. I've already wasted money on dinner so I might as well share it with someone."

"Sorry I'm not interested dollface." Mallory told him. "And there really isn't all that much to explain."

"Yeah, except the fact that I was expecting a six foot tall blonde bombshell and got stuck with her carrot top munchkin of a sister."

Mallory took a deep breath and turned to Layla who'd been quite for the past few minutes. "Just tell cook I want my regular." she growled and sat down.

"Alright." Layla said and turned to Ryan with a smile. "After the munchkin comment I'm surprised that you're still alive."

Mallory didn't miss the way Ryan's gaze followed the sway of her best friends hips as she walked away. For some reason that pissed her off. "You can quit staring at her ass." she said.

"A woman doesn't wear a dress like that unless she want her ass to be stared at." he shrugged.

"That woman is my best friend. I don't like you looking at her like she's a piece of meat."

Mallory sat back in her chair and eyed the man sitting in front of her. "You don't much look like the rough and ready football player I'm used to seeing on TV."

"You watch football?"

"I do."

"Hmm." Ryan said and took a sip out of the beer bottle that was opened in front of him.

"What?"

"You just don't seem like the type."

"Ha! More the type than my darling sister."

"Speaking of your sister, what happened?"

Mallory smiled as a young waiter set a large glass of coke in front of her causing him to blush. "Well, she's getting back together with her ex."

"The rockstar?"

"Yes that would be the one. He's leaving for a European tour tomorrow and they wanted to spend time together." Mallory said and rolled her eyes.

"I personally can't see your sister with Josh Omega. She doesn't seem the type."

"Well, she loves him. I don't know why, but she does."

"Oh, well her loss. Your gain." Ryan said and flashed her a disarming smile. Mallory would have bit off her tongue rather than admit it sent shivers down her spine.

"My gain huh? Someone's full of them self."

"Well I mean I am pretty great."

"As a quarterback I am forced to agree. As a person, I'm not so sure." Mallory told him a took a long sip of her coke.

"I'm sorry. Maybe we got off on the wrong foot."

"Hah! You think?"

"Look I've had a bad day and I was looking forward to spending my night with a gorgeous woman."

"Sorry to disappoint you bud."

"Oh I didn't mean it like that. You are gorgeous, maybe even more so than your sister, but I like my woman tall, tanned, and blonde."

"Of course you do. Most men do." Mallory said and rolled her eyes.

"Well since you're here, tell me about yourself." Ryan said and sat back in his seat.

"Umm my name is Mallory Leanna Evens. I turn 24 on Augest 16th. I am a pediatircian at my own clinic, and I love my job. I love sports, especailly football. My favortie color is blue. I have a Great Dane named Lane. Layla Kennedy, the stunning brunette working the front desk, is my best friend and has been since kindergarden. I'm a very laid back person, though some would argue. And I would do anything for my older sister."

"You, Miss Evens, seem like one interesting person."

"I like to think so."