by Box Set
“Bre?” He took a step toward her, confusion in his eyes. “What are you doing here? Is everything okay on the farm? Is it the horses?”
She shook her head, struggling to swallow, trying to find the words to say. “No, it’s not the farm. The horses are fine. I just talked to my brother, and he told me the truth. The truth about what happened that night.”
“He did?” He narrowed his eyes.
“Yeah, he did. He came up to your room and found me crying because I’d just read your letter. I found it in your Bible, and I know I shouldn’t have read it, but I did, and I was crying, and he must have felt bad, because he told me the whole story.”
“Wait. You read my letter?”
“Yes, but that doesn’t matter. I mean, it matters, it was beautiful, and I loved it, but what matters is that he told me the truth. That he’d been driving the car, and that you took the blame for the accident, and that my dad bullied you into leaving me.”
Trip shook his head. “Slow down, woman. You’re talking so fast, and I’m trying to keep up here. I still can’t believe he told you the truth. Not even an hour ago, he made me swear to never tell you. And for the record, your dad didn’t bully me—he just made me see the sense of what was best for you.”
“He didn’t know what was best for me. And you leaving me like that was nowhere in the category of anything that was good for me. You two decided what was best for me without even consulting me.”
“You’re right. I was a kid. A stupid kid. I never should have left you.”
“None of that matters now. We can’t change the past.” She took a step closer, her heart pounding in her chest. “But we can change the future, and that’s why I came to find you”—she paused and took a deep breath—“to tell you that I still love you, and I’m willing to fight for a future with you.”
A grin tugged at the corners of his lips. “You are, huh?”
“Yes, I am. I’ve spent too many years of my life without you, and now that you’re back, I don’t want to let you go ever again.” She pointed to the envelope in his hands, the decision coming to her in that instant, and knew it was how she really felt. “I don’t care about being in Montana. I can be a vet anywhere, and I can move my practice to Wyoming. I don’t care, as long as I’m with you.”
His smile faltered, and his brows knitted together in surprise. “You would do that? Move your practice to Wyoming? For me?”
“No, not for you. For us.”
“Well, you don’t have to.”
She froze, her heart stopping in her chest. She was a fool.
It didn’t matter what she said. He didn’t want her anyway.
“Oh,” she said softly, her gaze falling to the ground.
He stepped closer, taking her chin in his hands and tipping her face up toward his. “Bre, you don’t have to move your practice to Wyoming because I’m not going to be there. I’m staying in Montana. I’m staying here.”
“What? You’re staying?”
“Yeah, that’s why I came in to see my realtor. I told him I’d changed my mind on the land in Wyoming, and he found me something here. It’s a farm about twenty minutes outside of Saddle Creek, and only about ten minutes from your vet clinic.” He passed her the envelope. “See for yourself.”
She took the envelope but didn’t open it, too stunned to move. “You already changed your mind about Wyoming and decided to stay? Why?”
“Because I want a future with you as well. And I wanted to prove to you that you were worth fighting for. And that I was willing to stay.” He slipped his arms around her waist. “I wanted you to know that I was willing to give up everything to be with you. That nothing else matters to me. Except you.”
She couldn’t believe it. He was staying. He’d already made plans to stay. Even before she knew the truth, before she drove like a bat out of hell to find him, before she’d told him she wanted him back. He’d already decided to stay.
She pressed her lips to his, kissed him for all she was worth, pouring all of the lost years and heartbreak of missing him into that kiss.
He pulled her against him, matching the intensity of the kiss with a passion of his own. Then he pulled back and looked into her eyes. “Did I hear you say something about you coming to find me to tell me that you love me?”
She grinned, feeling her smile cover her face as joy filled her soul. “Yeah, that’s what I said. I love you, Trip Turner.”
“I love you too. I’ve loved you since I was sixteen years old, and I’ve never met another woman that has ever had a chance at owning my heart. Because it has always belonged to you.”
He nodded to the envelope that she still clutched in her hand. “I picked this place with us in mind, hoping that one day it would be our home. Knowing that I would do everything in my power to win you back. It’s got a big farmhouse on it and a barn where I can build a woodshop and plenty of room for our five kids to run around. All it needs now is for you to say yes that you want to build a life there. With me.”
“Yes,” she told him, unable to control the huge smile on her face. “Yes. A hundred times yes.” Her smile faltered. “Wait, did you say five kids?”
“Five is negotiable.” He laughed and kissed her again. A kiss filled with promise and hope. And new beginnings.
A kiss that went straight to her soul, his love winding through her as it worked to knit together the pieces of her broken heart.
If you loved this story, or other stories about hot cowboys, cute cops, or hunky hockey players who fall in love with spunky heroines that bake cupcakes, ride horses, and have been known to play a mean game of strip foosball—then visit www.jenniemarts.com to find all of Jennie’s books.
Acknowledgments
My thanks always goes out first to my husband, Todd, for standing beside me, for making me laugh, for walking this crazy journey of life with me, and for loving me through it all.
Huge thanks to my sprinting sisters, Beth Rhodes and Cindy Skaggs. Your accountability and support is invaluable!
Special thanks to Kristin Miller, Susan Hatler, and Ginger Scott for helping me plot this one during two in the morning plotting session in a crazy and fun week of RT!
My thanks and credit for this fantastic gorgeous cover goes to Kim Killion and the team at The Killion Group.
Thanks to my editor, Arran McNicol, at Editing720, for your editing talents and for squeezing in my edits at the last minute.
For my fellow Heartbreakers sisters—thanks so much for your encouragement and support! This project was a fun and crazy ride, and I am so happy to have met all of you. Thank you Hayson Manning for your lovely words of encouragement and friendship. And special shout-out to Michelle Major and Sharla Lovelace, for your friendship and support and for always making me laugh! Love you girls! XO
About the Author
USA TODAY Bestselling author Jennie Marts loves to make readers laugh as she weaves stories filled with love, laughter, and happily ever afters.
She writes for Entangled Publishing, and is living her own happily ever after in the mountains of Colorado with her husband, two sons, two dogs, and a parakeet that loves to tweet to the oldies. She’s addicted to Diet Coke, adores Cheetos, and believes you can’t have too many books, shoes, or friends.
Her books include the contemporary western romance Hearts of Montana series, the romantic comedy/cozy mysteries of The Page Turners series, the hunky hockey-playing men in the Bannister family in the Bannister Brothers Books, and the small-town romantic comedies in the Lovestruck series of Cotton Creek Romances.
Jennie loves to hear from readers. Follow her on Facebook at Jennie Marts Books, or Twitter at @JennieMarts. And be sure to visit her at www.jenniemarts.com and sign up for her newsletter to keep up with the latest news and releases.
Her Heartbreaker Boss
By Carmen Falcone
Edited by Jayne Wolfe
Her Heartbreaker Boss
Billionaire Stefano Mercado takes over a tour company and is impl
ementing drastic changes to bring it into the 21st century, but he doesn’t count on working with the one woman he loved and lost. Even worse, she loathes him after he abandoned her without explanation.
Single mom Roxie Sullivan wants to prevent Stefano from turning her world upside down again. He’s guilty of hurting her and now his plans for the company could ruin her future, but her feelings for him are reignited the minute they reunite. Still, the last thing she needs is a sexy as sin, unreliable playboy bossing her around.
Soon resisting the heat flaring between them becomes impossible, but will succumbing to their passion lead to more heartbreak or the future they both deserve?
To Dina Bushrod, one of my favorite human beings. Thanks for all you do.
Rule #3: Never leave your woman unsatisfied.
Chapter 1
“Have you heard?” Carrie shouted from the other side of the busy street, and before Roxie could respond, her coworker shortened the gap between them.
This will be good. They worked for the largest receptive tour company in Miami, and Carrie had dirt on every single employee. Her mind was a blackmailer’s dream. “Mr. Luther sold the company.”
Sold. The. Company.
Roxie stopped in her tracks. A chilly strand of fear zapped down her spine. “He has? Are you sure?”
She nodded quickly. “His PA told me we’re doing a low-key happy hour. It’ll be official on Monday, but the new owner wants to quietly shake hands. Some big wig I bet.”
Roxie’s stomach clenched. “Are they saying anything about downsizing?” Her worst nightmare. The hours were great, the pay decent, the tips better. She had been promoted to lead tour guide the previous year, which meant she had a reliable schedule compared to others, and managed to tuck Adam into bed most nights. She had free-lanced before, but it didn’t offer her steady money or much security—at thirty years of age with a three-year-old son, she needed a good health insurance plan and a company that offered matching 401k.
“No. Well.” She glanced around before leaning in and nudging her elbow for added drama, a la Carrie style. “The PA said they have plans to update the way we do tours. Something about a modern, digital system.”
Update usually meant letting people go. A knot lodged in Roxie’s throat. “That doesn’t sound good.”
Carrie made a face. “We’ll find out soon. The happy hour is in twenty minutes. In the conference room. You going?”
“Yeah.” What option did she have? If she missed it, she’d be thinking about the possible ramifications all the way home. She retrieved her cell phone from her pocket, and texted her mom that she’d be late to pick up Adam. Hopefully not too late, but she had to know the status quo of her job. She hated change.
She’d thought her life had been tied up in a nice, neat bow when she’d gotten married to Charlie. How wrong had she been? When her marriage started to crumble, her ex took up fantasy football. Yeah right. She found out the hard way the only fantasy Charlie participated in involved the next door neighbor and a skanky French maid costume.
As Roxie stepped into the imposing Floridian Tours building, she squared her shoulders. She was the lead tour guide with more positive feedback than any other employee. Most of all, she enjoyed what she did. She’d handle whatever happened.
When she entered the conference room, her pulse spiked. She smoothed her ponytail, then she took a breath that stretched the cotton of her bright orange Polo shirt. She removed a piece of lint from her khaki Bermuda shorts.
She glanced around. Most of her coworkers wore the same uniform—except for the managers, and a few executives. Executives. This was a big deal, and she didn’t like any of it.
“Did you see him?” Carrie asked, lifting a spinach tartlet to her lips. An elegant spread of canapés and tropical fruit stretched on a linen clothed table, and Roxie noticed bottles of white wine and Champagne too. Strange. Mr. Luther never spent that kind of money in employee’s gatherings.
“Who?”
Carrie took a bite of the morsel, then pointed at their left. “Him,” she whispered, covering her mouth.
Roxie’s gaze followed the direction of Carrie’s long French nails. A group of people gathered around a man; she recognized Mr. Luther immediately, with the signature salt-and-pepper hair parted to the side like some sort of Old Hollywood grandparent. A few executives that made all the big decisions—men and women she usually saw at the annual Christmas party—stood next to him.
They all smiled and had their eyes lasered at the man in the middle of the group. One glance at him, and Roxie’s stomach sank to the floor. Her heart hammered in her ears, the thumping the only sound she heard.
Couldn’t be. The six foot, four-inch gorgeous male with a chiseled, athletic build and dressed like he just stepped out from an Italian designer’s runway show looked just like Stefano Mercado, her best friend from high school. The jerk who had screwed her and left her like the lyrics of some bad country song.
A light grey jacket covered his broad shoulders, and there was a white shirt underneath. No ties. The top buttons were casually open, flashing his dark olive skin.
Carrie whispered something to her, but Roxie couldn’t make out the words. She blinked. Once. Twice. Three times, hoping she would either disappear into thin air, or he would. Some Narnia type furniture would be handy right now.
He smiled at someone. Then, maybe he noticed she watched him, because he raised his gaze and locked onto hers. Every tiny hair on the back of her neck stood on end. She drew back, as if oxygen caught in her lungs.
Those eyes. Dark brown and just as sexy as when she’d last seen them, blinked. She imagined he didn’t expect to see her there. Stefano Mercado, the prick to whom she lost her virginity. She’d trusted him… as her former best friend. But he’d squashed her heart in a million pieces the moment he beat the shit out of Donny and disappeared. Stefano Mercado had been the first crappy change of her life, and hell did she dislike him for it.
***
Stefano swallowed. Hard. His new employees talked to him, but it turned into background noise. Moisture evaporated from his throat, and even before his brain named her, his body responded. Roxie Sullivan. Those two words were the blood thrumming through his veins. They were the tight string stretching across his shoulder blades.
He stepped toward her. A smile spread across his face. “Roxie.”
Dios mío. The atrocious orange uniform did no one favors, but she still looked beautiful despite wearing the ugly outfit. Her hair was up in a ponytail, and the light caught the same several shades of blonde he remembered.
When she lifted her chin, he recognized the small little mole on her smooth long neck. The tips of his fingers burned to touch her as if he had never left. But a lot had happened since he’d last seen her. To pretend otherwise would be crazy—body response or not.
She offered him a close lipped smile. “Stefano.”
“Been a while.”
She placed her hands at her waist, her emerald green eyes narrowing like she wasn’t willing to put up with any bullshit. “What are you doing here?”
“Mr. Mercado. I see you’ve been mingling with the employees already. Nice,” said a voice behind him. He didn’t turn to see, just kept his focus on her as if they were completely alone. Somehow, being in her presence brought memories of that scorching hot summer night when they’d had sex. When he had finally given in to the crush that had suffocated him for months. And all the consequences as a result of that act tangled in his brain even today.
That night had changed his life forever.
“Roxie is our top awarded guide and she has great rapport with colleagues and customers. Some companies request her whenever they have out-of-town clients.” Mr. Luther smiled, a silent hint that Roxie was the one Stefano should seek out if he wanted to save the company as he had promised Luther—who had sold his company under the condition that Stefano would keep it alive.
Executives, accountants, and transition teams were great, but S
tefano relied on the active, blue collar workers to get on his side to prepare for the real changes.
“I’m sure she’s always been wanted by many,” he said, without much thought.
Mr. Luther cleared his throat, then fixed his glasses. “Excuse me?”
A flush spread across Roxie’s cheeks. She opened her mouth, then closed it and chewed her lip—no doubt trying to keep from telling him to go to hell.
“I’m just teasing. We took the same biology class in high school.” Until my mother and stepfather sent me to a boy’s ranch six months shy of graduation. His mother probably meant well, but he suspected his stepfather had intended to get the snarky teenager out of the way.
“Interesting. Well, I’ll let you two catch up then,” Mr. Luther said, tapping his back. “Roxie is a great asset to the company. She’ll be a great help to you. When you have some time later, I’ll introduce you to the general manager.”
Mr. Luther left, and Stefano couldn’t help but smile. He leaned closer, taking in her scent of jasmine and warm vanilla and home. His gut clenched, and a shiver zapped down his spine. He stretched to his full height, telling himself to leash those sensations teasing him. “You look… good,” he said. Good didn’t even cut it. But he had on a damn suit, and she acted like he was a dentist about to pull her tooth out. Without anesthesia.
She shook her head. “You didn’t answer my question. What are you doing here?”
I could ask you the same thing. What were the chances he’d run into Roxie after all those years? He glanced around before answering, “I’m taking over Floridian Tours.” And her presence there was as much a surprise as a liability. He had to keep his head on the game. Even though he had a long history of success in the virtual wholesale in the tourism field, this would be the first receptive tourism company he’d take over hands on.