by Karen Booth
Zane went first as they joined both hands and faced each other. She peered up at him, allowing herself to get lost in his eyes as he spoke. “Allison, you are my everything. You are my reason for getting up in the morning and the thing I am most thankful for when I lay my head down at night. I promise to always hold you in my heart, to support you in all your endeavors, and most of all, I promise to always love you.”
“Allison, do you take this man to be your husband?” Scott asked.
“I do.” She sucked in a deep breath and embarked on her own pledge. She’d practiced it one hundred times or more, but she’d wanted to get it just right. “Zane, you were once only a dream to me. And now you are my reality. When we’re together, I feel nothing less than loved and cherished. When we’re apart, I’m sad, but you’re still there with me, in my head and in my heart. I promise to always keep you there, to support you in all your endeavors, and most of all, I promise to always love you.”
“Zane, do you take this woman to be your wife?” Scott asked.
“Do I ever.” Zane didn’t wait for Scott to make the final proclamation. He gathered Allison in his arms, picked her up to her tiptoes and laid an incredibly hot kiss on her. It might not have been totally appropriate for a family gathering, but she was glad it was a taste of things to come. Their guests all clapped, hooted and hollered.
“Well, then,” Scott said. “That makes you husband and wife.”
After a few minutes of hugs and congratulations, everyone gathered to board the boat, with Zane and Allison last in line. They were actually hanging back a bit, taking their chance to wade through these warm waters, hand in hand, husband and wife. Zane pointed to the honeymoon cottage up on the hill. “I can’t wait to spend the next few days with you up there.”
“No storm this time.”
“Not unless I manage to brew one up on my own.”
Allison laughed and swatted Zane on the arm. “It’s going to be perfect.”
“It’s where we fell in love,” he said, pressing another soft kiss to her lips.
Allison knew then that all those years she’d lusted after Zane, it hadn’t been love. Now it was nothing less. In fact, it was everything she’d ever wanted. “It absolutely is.”
* * * * *
WE HOPE YOU ENJOYED THIS BOOK FROM
Luxury, scandal, desire—welcome to the lives of the American elite.
Be transported to the worlds of oil barons, family dynasties, moguls and celebrities. Get ready for juicy plot twists, delicious sensuality and intriguing scandal.
6 NEW BOOKS AVAILABLE EVERY MONTH!
Love Harlequin romance?
DISCOVER.
Be the first to find out about promotions, news and exclusive content!
Facebook.com/HarlequinBooks
Twitter.com/HarlequinBooks
Instagram.com/HarlequinBooks
Pinterest.com/HarlequinBooks
ReaderService.com
EXPLORE.
Sign up for the Harlequin e-newsletter and download a free book from any series at
TryHarlequin.com
CONNECT.
Join our Harlequin community to share your thoughts and connect with other romance readers!
Facebook.com/groups/HarlequinConnection
For the members of the Backstage Antics with Karen crew on Facebook. You guys are the absolute best!
Special thanks and acknowledgment are given
to Karen Booth for her contribution to the
Dynasties: Seven Sins miniseries.
ISBN: 9781488062933
Forbidden Lust
Copyright © 2020 by Harlequin Books S.A.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
This edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.
For questions and comments about the quality of this book, please contact us at [email protected].
Harlequin Enterprises ULC
22 Adelaide St. West, 40th Floor
Toronto, Ontario M5H 4E3, Canada
www.Harlequin.com
She was exactly the kind of woman
he knew he shouldn’t want…
“You want to kiss me?”
He should say no…
After moving his lab to northern Maine, billionaire inventor Farrell Stone needs a live-in housekeeper. Single mother Ivy Danby needs a job to support her baby daughter. Both problems solved. Except Ivy fascinates Farrell, more than any temporary employee should. Widowed Farrell doesn’t do relationships, but would one sizzling night with Ivy be a huge mistake…or the fresh start they both need?
USA TODAY Bestselling Author Janice Maynard
She had marshmallow on her lips.
Before Farrell could think it through, he leaned forward and licked away the sweetness. “You’re welcome,” he said huskily.
Her eyes widened. “I didn’t understand you at first. I thought you were a serious scientist devoted to his work. But you’re really a renegade, aren’t you? A hedonist. A rascal.”
Farrell gave her a lazy smile. “Isn’t it possible to be all those things? Can’t I want to sleep with a fascinating woman in my spare time?”
She reached out and covered one of his hands with hers. Her smile was shy. “I hope there won’t be much
sleeping involved. Surely we can do better than that.”
His heart rate jumped. He twined his fingers with hers. “Don’t toy with me, woman. I need an unambiguous answer. Do you want to go to bed with me? Here? Tonight?”
* * *
Upstairs Downstairs Temptation by Janice Maynard is part of the The Men of Stone River series.
Dear Reader,
Farrell and Ivy have both been hurt by love. But they are so perfect for each other, I promise!
For each of them, falling in love again is out of the question. Each is very happy alone, or as happy as they can be under the circumstances. Life is safer that way.
I hope you enjoy this tale of two people who try their best to go it alone but find out that two hearts are better than one.
Happy reading,
Janice
Upstairs Downstairs Temptation
Janice Maynard
USA TODAY bestselling author Janice Maynard loved books and writing even as a child. After multiple rejections, she finally sold her first manuscript! Since then, she has written fifty-plus books and novellas. Janice lives in Tennessee with her husband, Charles. They love hiking, traveling and family time.
You can connect with Janice at www.janicemaynard.com, www.Twitter.com/janicemaynard, www.Facebook.com/janicemaynardreaderpage, www.Facebook.com/janicesmaynard and www.Instagram.com/therealjanicemaynard.
Books by Janice Maynard
Harlequin Desire
Southern Secrets
Blame It On Christmas
A Contract Seduction
Bombshell for the Black Sheep
Texas Cattleman’s Club: Inheritance
Too Texan to Tame
The Men of Stone River
After Hours Seduction
Upstairs Downstairs Temptation
Visit her Author Profile page at Harlequin.com, or janicemaynard.com, for more titles.
You can also find Janice Maynard on Facebook, along with other Harlequin Desire authors, at Facebook.com/harlequindesireauthors!
For Ainsley.
You’re smart and
creative,
and you always make me laugh!
I love you bunches…
Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
CHAPTER ONE
Farrell Stone didn’t like asking for help. Rarely would he do so when it came to business, and even less in his personal life. He went his own way. Handled his own affairs. Kept his own counsel.
Unfortunately, his administrative assistant, Katie, was a pro at butting in…which was why he now found himself in the midst of this odd interview with Katie’s protégée.
The woman who sat quietly across the desk from him was thin and not too tall. Barely five-three, perhaps. Her thick, shiny hair, the color of rich chocolate, was cut short in choppy layers that emphasized her pointed chin.
Huge, long-lashed eyes seemed too big for her face. The expression in her wary feminine gaze was equal parts fearful and hopeful. Hazel irises sparkled with flecks of gold and green.
Though she was not traditionally beautiful, there was something compelling about her. Farrell was drawn to her soft femininity and her almost palpable aura of vulnerability. She was exactly the kind of woman he found sexually appealing. The fact that he felt a flutter of physical response alarmed him.
He had trained himself to ignore sexual need. Now was not the time to break that habit.
Though she was originally from here in Maine, Ivy Danby had spent most of the last two decades in South Carolina. The résumé in Farrell’s hand was so slim as to be nonexistent. Graduated high school. Worked a handful of jobs. Married. Then nothing. Although the fact that the woman held a sleeping baby in her arms pointed to a few details that might have been omitted.
He dropped the single sheet of paper and drummed his fingers on his desk. “I appreciate you coming in for an interview, Ms. Danby, but—”
She leaned forward urgently, taking him by surprise. Halting his polite brush-off. “Whatever you need me to do, I can learn,” she said. She stared at him, unblinking. As if sheer determination could manipulate him.
He liked her confidence, but with every minute that passed, he became more sure that he didn’t need the complication of being attracted to an employee.
The woman’s voice was husky and slow as honey in winter. Whatever you need me to do… It was only Farrell’s surprisingly naughty libido that added the sexual subtext.
It irked him that he wasn’t entirely ready for this conversation. But opportunity had come knocking, as they say. He sighed. “I haven’t advertised for this position. You understand that, right?”
Ivy nodded. “I do. But your administrative assistant, Katie, apparently knows something is coming available. And she also knows I need a job. I’m currently sharing an apartment with her sister.”
Farrell rubbed the center of his forehead with two fingers, trying to stave off a headache. “My admin is now my sister-in-law. She and my brother Quin were married three months ago.”
The woman lifted an eyebrow. “And she still comes to work every day?”
The question struck Farrell as odd. “I think Quin assumed she might quit. But Katie is very much her own person. She likes running the R & D department. I honestly don’t know what I would do without her.”
Ivy Danby nodded. “I’ve only met her once, and it was a wonderful conversation. She’s an amazing person.”
“That she is.” Farrell hesitated. “Here’s the thing, Ivy. The job is in the middle of nowhere in northern Maine.”
She blinked. “Oh.”
Farrell was an engineer. An inventor. Traditionally, he had worked from his state-of-the-art lab here in this building in Portland…on this floor. In the past twenty-four months, though, he had seen his best and newest ideas pop up in the marketplace before he had a chance to get them there.
Though it was possible he was paranoid, the prospect of corporate espionage was something he couldn’t rule out.
“My brothers and I each own homes on the northern coast,” he said. “I’ve recently built a small lab and a guesthouse on my property. As soon as possible, I’m going to move my work up there.”
“Do you mind me asking why?”
“Aspects of my designs are highly confidential. I’ve decided I need to be more vigilant in protecting my research. Not only that, but I like being on my own, and I work best in solitude.”
“Then why does Katie think you need to hire someone?”
He grimaced and ran his hands through his hair. “I’m single-minded when I’m in the midst of a project. I’ve been known to work for thirty-six hours straight if I’m in the zone. I need someone to run my house and prepare meals. Particularly a person who can be discreet and trustworthy.”
An odd expression flashed through her eyes. Something dark. Something that surprised him.
“I can keep my mouth shut, Mr. Stone. I can keep secrets.”
Finally, he asked the question he’d been putting off. “Why would you want a job like this, Ivy? We have internet and TV up north, but nothing else. Not even a convenience store nearby.”
Was it his imagination, or did she clutch the baby more tightly? For the first time, she revealed agitation. Anxiety.
“I have to be honest with you,” she said.
That sexy voice affected him in ways he couldn’t explain. “Please do.”
Her bottom lip trembled the slightest bit. Her eyes sheened with moisture. “I’m desperate, Mr. Stone. My husband died a few months ago. He left me nothing. No life insurance. Nothing. The house was sold, and the money went elsewhere. My parents are gone. I have no other family. I need a job where I can have Dolly with me.”
“Dolly?”
Ivy stroked her baby’s head. “Dorothy Alice Danby. That’s a mouthful, so Dolly for short.” Ivy paused. Stared at him with an intensity that took him off guard. “I know you don’t remember me from our childhood. We were at the same elementary school. But everybody in Portland knows your family—your father, your brothers, Zachary and Quinten. Stone River Outdoors provides hundreds of good jobs. I’m only asking for a chance. I’m a hard worker. And the baby still takes two long naps every day. I also have an infant carrier, so she can stay on my back while I’m cooking or cleaning. If you hire me, I swear you won’t regret it.”
Ruefully, Farrell realized he was regretting it already. His life needed fewer complications, not more. As far as he could tell, Ivy Danby with her artless sex appeal and her tiny daughter was a whole huge bundle of complications.
With an inward sigh, he admitted defeat. “You make a compelling argument. But for the record, I do remember you, Ivy. We were both in Mrs. Hansard’s third-grade class together. You had pigtails. Your desk was in the row beside mine two seats back. I gave you a valentine that year. One I made myself.”
Her eyes widened, and her cheeks flushed. “Oh,” she said. “You do remember.”
“Give me twenty-four hours to think about it. I’ll call you tomorrow and let you know what I’ve decided.”
He saw on her face that she wanted an answer right now. Wanted it badly, in fact. But she swallowed the protest on her lips and managed a wobbly smile. “I understand. Thank you for the interview.”
As soon as his guest departed, Farrell stabbed a button on his intercom and barked an order. Moments later, Katie Duncan Stone appeared in his doorway. The blue-eyed blonde was both beautiful
and competent. She was also stubborn and dogged about helping people, whether they deserved it or not.
Farrell folded his arms across his chest and glared. “Really, Katie? A new mom with a baby?”
“Don’t be so sexist, Farrell Stone.” She took the comfy seat at his desk that Ivy had recently vacated. “New moms can work.”
“If they have access to childcare. My house is in the woods on a cliff above the ocean.” He ground his teeth, haunted by the memory of entreaty in Ivy’s hazel-eyed gaze, but even more disturbed by how very much he wanted to say yes to this idea.
Katie visibly dismissed his protest. “A hundred years ago, regular women didn’t have childcare. But they worked their asses off. It can be done.”
“Why are you pushing this so hard?” His brother Quin had warned him about Katie’s penchant for rescuing humans and the occasional animal, too. She had a huge heart.
“I met Ivy when I dropped by my sister’s apartment over on Kimball Street the other day. In conversation, we realized that you and Ivy were in school together.”
“Elementary school,” Farrell said with a sigh. “That’s hardly a character reference.”
His new sister-in-law was not to be deterred. “Ivy moved in with nothing, Farrell. No furniture. No belongings. She had two suitcases, a port-a-crib and a diaper bag. Nothing else. Don’t you think that’s kind of strange?”
“Maybe, maybe not.”
“She’s hurting. And alone. Surely you, of all people, can sympathize. Losing a spouse changes your whole world.”
Farrell took the hit stoically. Only Katie would have the guts to bring up his past. It had been seven years since Sasha died. Even his own brothers didn’t go there. “Dirty pool,” he muttered.
Katie stood and kissed him on the cheek. “You and I are family now. I get to meddle. But in this instance, I’m begging you, Farrell. Ivy Danby needs a fresh start. She needs a home and security. She needs exactly what you have to offer. Please give her a chance.”