Don't get even. Get everything...

Even before her bad marriage ended, Lauren MacDonald lost everything—her job, her friends, her self-esteem, and her sexual appetite. Now that she’s finally free, she’s struggling to regain control of a life her ex did his best to destroy.

The plan: sex with Justin Scott, her ex’s business partner. The man her husband invited into their marital bed, forcing her to realize it was time to get out. Justin was the star of the fantasies that helped her endure her marriage, so she can’t deny she wanted him—but not like that. She wants him like this—alone. In her bed. For exactly three nights.

Justin screwed up with Lauren, and in the past she’s made no secret of the fact she loathes him. So when she walks into his office flashing miles of long, lean legs, his brain cells misfire. Three nights of meaningless sex? He’s all over it. Not only does he have the chance to unleash his desire for her, it’s the opening he’s been waiting for—to convince her to give him more.

Title: A Proper Seduction
Author: HelenKay Dimon
Series: Stand Alone
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Erotic Romance
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
Year of release: 2010, May 18
Format: eBook
Source: Bought via My Bookstore and More
First line: “I was surprised to see your name on my schedule this morning.” Justin Scott eased into his oversized desk chair, careful not to tip over backwards. Having his ass hit the floor in front of Lauren MacDonald…well, that was just not going to happen.
Memorable Scenes:
- Opening scene > real attention grabber

Quick & Dirty-review:

Summary:
Lauren MacDonald is out to take back the reigns of her life through a sexual encounter with the man she has secretly been craving for. Justin Scott has seen his business partner’s ex-wife go through hell in her marriage and divorce and was unable to do something about it until now so he accepts her proposition because it offers him the opportunity to show her a glimpse of the happiness she deserves.

Hero:
Justin is not comfortable with Lauren's demand for cold, meaningless, businesslike sex but is so eager to be with her that he grabs on to the opportunity. He is patient yet firm. He doesn’t take everything Lauren dishes out and subtly tries to steer their agreement into something more permanent. He also shows Lauren that she is the only one with the power to stand up for herself.

Heroine:
Lauren seems very cold and clinical about sex. It's associated with bad memories of being powerless and controlled by someone else. For Lauren it's time to grab back the power, regaining control and rediscover her sexual appetite but underneath there's a craving for Justin that makes it hard to stay as detached as she'd like to. It would've been easy to dislike Lauren because of the way she treated Justin but I didn't because I understood where her behavior came from and her internal thoughts showed that she wasn't the coldhearted woman she was trying to portray.

Writing:
This is the second shorter story I've read by HelenKay Dimon and going by them I really need to read her full-length books because the shorts are great and the full-lengths will satisfy my need for more. I love her clean and crisp writing style and with A PROPER SEDUCTION she demonstrates she’s got the erotic part covered quite well too.

Likes:
- Loved the quotes about sex at the beginning of every chapter:

Ch 1: “There is nothing safe about sex. There never will be.”
~Norman Mailer
Ch 2: “Women need a reason to have sex. Men just need a place.”
~Billy Crystal
Ch 3: “Lead me not into temptation—I can find the way myself.”
~Rita Mae Brown
Ch 4: “Sex is hardly ever just about sex.”
~Shirley MacLaine
Ch 5: “Sex alleviates tension. Love causes it.”
~Woody Allen
Ch 6: “Although humans tend to view sex as mainly a fun, recreational activity sometimes resulting in death, in nature it is a far more serious matter.”
~Dave Barry

Dislikes:
- My usual complaint: too short.
- There was no desk scene that was hinted at in chapter 1 or the robe stuff promised in the warning.

Verdict:
A PROPER SEDUCTION is another ebook I inhaled in one sitting. Lately I've been reading some mighty good ebooks and A PROPER SEDUCTION fits right in with its unusual yet not unknown premise, scorching sex scenes and lovely, well written characters.

Favorite Quotes:
Lauren to Justin: “I’m not looking for a commitment or a promise of any kind. This is about the act and bodies, heat and chemistry, not romance or feelings.”

“Why, Ms. MacDonald, are you asking me to go down on you?” On any other man, the remark might have sounded crude. Delivered by Justin, it made her toes curl.