She heard a noise in the other room, and heavy boots scraping over the old plank floor heralded someone’s approach.
“I’ll be with you in a moment,” she called out over her shoulder, and wiped the sticky flour from her hands. She caught her reflection in the glass refrigerator door as she hurried to the dining area. Good God, she had flour on her face, and strands of hair, once neatly piled on the top of her head, had fallen out and were jutting out in all directions. Cripes, she looked like she’d styled her hair with an egg beater.
Concentrating on trying to stick the wayward locks back into place, she rushed through the swinging door and, not looking where she was going, collided with a solid brick wall. Air rushed from her lungs with a whoosh, and she stumbled backwards. Strong hands slipped around her waist to right her, and she glanced up only to discover that the brick wall was none other than Trent Parker.
Oh God…
“Hey,” he said, as capable arms packaged her tight against his body. Dark, intense eyes met hers and they exchanged a long, heated look, one that spoke of want and desire. One that nearly shut down her brain. A tremble moved through her as delicious warmth spread over her skin.
“Hey yourself,” was all she managed to get out as his hands slipped from her back to rest on the sides of her hips. His touch was shockingly intimate and did the most naughty things to her libido. He splayed his hands wider, and the feeling was so sensual, so damn erotic, her skin flushed hotly and she had to remind herself to breathe.
Trent continued to hold her to him, chest to chest, stomach to stomach, and groin to groin. A low breathy moan sounded in her throat and there wasn’t a damn thing she could do to stifle it.
His glance raced over her and he placed his mouth so close to hers she could taste the sweetness of his breath. “You okay?” The tenderness and genuine concern in his voice produced a familiar fullness in her chest, right around the vicinity of her heart.
“Yes. No. I don’t know,” she answered.
Good God, with the way he was meshing their bodies together, she could barely breathe, let alone think. But the one thing she did know was that she was not okay. How could she be? The man she left ten years ago, the same man who was staring down at her with equal measures of disdain and desire, held her so intimately and so possessively it was all she could do not to tear her uniform off and beg him to take her right there on the restaurant floor.
A shiver of need ran through her as she carefully extricated herself from his arms. She stood back and took a moment to gather her composure, no easy task considering Trent was standing in front of her looking like sex incarnate. Her knees wobbled and she grabbed the edge of the counter for balance.
Trent took a step closer. “Well, which is it? Are you okay, or are you not okay?”
She fussed with her hair and wiped the flour from her face as her glance devoured him. Dear God, the boy from her past had grown into one hell of a handsome man, dark eyes, short brown hair, rugged features, sun-kissed skin and a beautiful mouth she instantly longed to kiss. Her pulse leapt as she breathed in his familiar earthy scent, and when she detected the clean smell of his favorite soap beneath the surface, warm and wicked sensations stirred her libido.
She cleared her throat and prayed her voice wouldn’t fail her. “I’m okay,” she lied. “But how about you?” Her question sounded rushed and breathless, even to herself. “I crashed into you pretty hard, and I’m not a lightweight anymore,” she teased, trying to lighten the mood.
Looking sexier than ever, he grinned down at her, but didn’t answer. Instead he took a measured step back and stared at her with dark, sensual eyes that made her blood burn in a way it had never burned before. After a long, lingering look, he drove his hands into his jean pockets, pushing them lower on his hips. Katy’s glance dropped to his sexy oblique muscles, which were peeking out from beneath his untucked shirt, and tried not to think about the way her fingers itched to trace each sinewy striation.
He made a noise and her gaze darted back to his face in time to see the sadness in his eyes when they clashed with hers.
He quickly blinked it away, but his voice was a little low, a little rough with emotion when he asked, “How are you, Katy? Or should I say Kathleen?”
Katy swallowed, and felt the sting of his words all the way to her core. She couldn’t fault him for his comment, but it didn’t make it hurt any less. She stiffened and adjusted her apron, understanding how things were going to be between them, and wondering how she could possibly make it right again.
The relationship is pretend. The chemistry…isn’t.
Sweet Deal
© 2012 Kelly Jamieson
After her last job ended with a broken heart and a humiliating exit from the company, Shelby Leighton’s project management career is back on track with a new job and a high-profile project. The problem: her new boss is a little too friendly, and the staff is talking. Can you say, “déjà vu?” The solution: casually mention a fictional new boyfriend.
New problem: she’s expected to bring her new man to the upcoming corporate picnic.
Jake Magill doesn’t do relationships. It’s casual or nothing, but the hot blonde he’s been eyeing at the coffee shop sure is something. Especially when she confesses her problem, and he finds himself offering to act as her date.
Sounds simple. Stroll around the party with Shelby’s sexy curves clinging to his arm? He’s all over it. Until he meets her boss—the man who once stole and married the one woman Jake thought he loved.
Now Jake’s the one with a reason to pretend. If only to save his own pride…and Shelby from the predatory gaze of the man who could ruin her, and any chance of finding out if their fake connection is the real thing.
Warning: Contains one desperate lady in need, and a pretend boyfriend who shows impressive dedication to nailing all—and then some—elements of his role. Oh my!
Enjoy the following excerpt for Sweet Deal:
He straightened and glanced at his watch. One minute before three o’clock. He paced to the back of his vehicle, watching the parking lot, hands shoved into his jeans pockets.
It had been fun until suddenly out of the blue, it was as if she’d thrown up a wall of ice and had practically sprinted out of the bar. He’d racked his brain the rest of the evening trying to figure out what he’d said that had shut things down so fast, and couldn’t come up with a damn thing.
Far be it from him to pretend to understand women. His track record in that area was pretty pathetic.
A car turned into the lot, a little silver Pontiac GT convertible, exactly on time, and his body went on alert, a small adrenaline rush singing through his veins. The car slowly approached, pulled into the spot next to his and he recognized that gleaming blonde hair.
She emerged a moment later, slammed her car door shut and, as she walked toward him, held her remote over her shoulder and locked the doors with a chirp. She wore jeans, like he did, sitting low on her hips and rolled up above her ankle. Instead of pink heels, today she wore pink flip flops, and a modest tank top hugged her body, not hiding her impressive chest but certainly not displaying it in an overtly sexy way. She was sexy nonetheless. Christ, she could dress in a sack and she’d still be sexy as hell. What was it about her? Yes, she was pretty, with a sweet oval face, plump lips and big eyes, and yes, she was blonde, though her long hair was straight and silky, not teased and bimbo-big. And though she was small, she was definitely stacked and probably had a cute ass, too, in those jeans.
But there was more to it than that, and damned if he could put his finger on what it was.
She greeted him with a determinedly cheerful smile. “Hi. You came.”
He lifted a brow. “You thought I wouldn’t?”
“I wondered. I still don’t know why you’re helping me like this.” She gave him an assessing glance. “But I do appreciate it.”
“Wait till the day’s over,” he said, setting his fingertips on her lower back and directing her around to th
e passenger side of his vehicle. “If we convince your boss you’re taken and get him to lay off, then you can thank me.”
She laughed. “Okay.”
He drove the short distance to Pacific Park, the big, beachside park where the picnic was being held, and soon they pulled into another parking lot, already half-filled with vehicles.
“It’s a nice day for this,” Shelby commented as they walked toward the crowd of people. The scent of hot dogs and hamburgers floated in the warm summer air. The laughter and cries of children could be heard from a distance, and as they approached the group, Jake saw the kids being organized into some kind of race.
“Seems like a good turnout.”
He reached for her hand and she started as he closed his fingers around hers. She shot him a glance and he smiled reassuringly. Hey, they had to make it believable.
Her hand, small and cool, relaxed in his.
As Shelby began to mingle with her coworkers, Jake trailed after her, being introduced to a bunch of strangers. He didn’t know a soul there. This could be a long evening. Ah well. Maybe they’d get a chance to be alone for a while and…
And what?
All they had to do was convince the boss they were in a relationship—they didn’t have to actually have a relationship. But the memory of how much fun he’d had talking to her last night tugged at him and made him strangely want more.
And where was the slimeball boss anyway? Shelby had never mentioned his name so how was he going to know when she introduced them to each other? She’d likely say something. He checked out the crowd.
Lots of people—men, women, kids—laughed and talked in the sunshine. This was a nice corporate event.
Shelby introduced him to more people and he couldn’t help but notice that everyone treated her very…carefully. They were polite and friendly, yeah, but distant. Almost cool. And then he remembered her comment about how things were getting uncomfortable at work because of the favoritism her boss was showing her.
Anger surged in him. Didn’t the asshole realize what he was doing to sweet little Shelby? Jesus. He wanted to curl his hands into fists and his fingers tightened around Shelby’s so much she shot him an inquisitive glance. He smiled as they made small talk with her coworkers.
And then across the crowd he saw her.
His old girlfriend. The one who’d dumped him for his best friend. His heart lurched into a wildly unsteady rhythm and his gut tightened painfully. Christ. What the hell was she doing here?
He didn’t want to see her. Ever again.
Jesus. He had to get the fuck out of here. Now. He looked down at Shelby and opened his mouth, but she was laughing at something someone had said.
They couldn’t leave. He’d committed to this, and they were here and he had to see this through. He swiped a hand across his sweaty forehead.
But wait. Maybe it would be good for his ex to see him with a hot little blonde on his arm. Show her he was over her.
He wasn’t. He wasn’t over her betrayal and he wasn’t over being betrayed by his best friend either. The two of them had screwed him over so badly and the old anger, humiliation and hurt rose inside him. He wasn’t listening to the conversation, had no idea what was going on, just stood there in a fog of growing panic, until Shelby finally pulled him away from the group.
“You’re breaking my hand,” she muttered, trying to extricate her fingers from his. “Geez, Jake.”
“Sorry.” He released her fingers and dragged a hand through his hair, trying not to look at Gianna, and failing.
“Are you okay?” Shelby demanded in a low voice, though she kept a smile firmly in place.
“Yeah. Yeah, of course.” He was sweating as if he’d just run 20K of a triathlon.
“My boss is over there,” she whispered. “Let’s go say hi.”
“Yeah. Let’s do it.”
Let’s get this the hell over with and get the fuck out of here. But what if…what if…
And then his “what if” became reality as Shelby led him over to—Gianna. And Andrew. Ex-girlfriend and former best friend. Standing there, their smiles fading as Shelby approached and they saw him.
“Hi, Andrew.” Shelby stopped in front of them. “Hi, Gianna, how are you?”
Gianna gazed at Shelby, glanced sideways at Andrew, then focused on Jake. “Hello, Shelby. I’m fine, thanks.”
“I want you to meet my…boyfriend, Jake Magill.” The hesitation was barely perceptible. “Jake, this is Andrew Haddon, my boss, and his wife, Gianna.”
“We know each other,” Andrew said, his expression wary.
Jake plastered on a smile. “Andrew! Gianna! Good to see you!” He could not fucking believe this was Shelby’s boss. His mind worked furiously to process all that was happening.
“You’ve met?” Shelby repeated, a cute crease between her eyebrows. “Really?”
“Long time ago,” Jake said breezily, waving a hand, still smiling so hard his face hurt. He did not want to get into all that old shit right then and there. Jesus. Sweat trickled down his back and his underarms prickled. “How are you?”
“Great,” Andrew said, though he kept looking back and forth between Jake and Shelby. “I can’t believe Jake is your new boyfriend, Shelby.”
Shelby smiled and Jake had to hand it to her—out of all of them she was the only one who seemed relaxed and at ease. She was apparently a talented actress. He, meanwhile, was totally screwing this up, flummoxed by learning who her boss was.
He flicked a glance at Gianna, as stunning as ever, her glossy, dark hair sliding over her shoulders, bare in a little baby doll top with narrow straps and a pair of short shorts that showed off her long, tanned legs. When he met her eyes, dark and delicious, what he saw there made him freeze. Pity.
She fucking felt sorry for him!
That was hard to swallow. He’d tried to so hard to be big about the whole thing, to not let on how heartbroken he’d been when she dumped him. He’d tried not to stand in the way of “true love”, had stepped aside as graciously as he could so they could be together. But still, she pitied him? Argh. That really blew.
The tension was as thick as chowder, but Shelby chatted on about the beautiful day and the great turnout, thankfully not asking questions about how he and Andrew and Gianna knew each other.
“I thought you weren’t coming,” she said to Gianna.
“Oh?” Gianna dragged her gaze away from Jake and lifted a brow. “Why would you think that?”
“Oh, uh…” For the first time, Shelby stumbled. “Something Andrew said.” She quickly changed the subject.
Finally Jake got a grip on the situation. He wasn’t helping Shelby much, standing there with his mouth open. He dragged his gaze away from Gianna’s dark beauty and slid his arm around Shelby’s waist. Gianna didn’t need to feel fucking sorry him, for Chrissake, and having a hot, little blonde under his arm would show her that. Show her that he was so over what had happened.
Andrew’s scowl could have singed his hair, startling Jake. What the hell was he upset about? Jake was the one who’d been dumped. Betrayed. Now Andrew was trying to cheat on Gianna? Jesus! Focusing his thoughts, Jake zeroed in on the remembrance that Andrew and Gianna’s marriage might be in trouble, from what Shelby had told him.
Well, there was no fucking way Andrew was going to cheat on Gianna with Shelby! Not for Gianna’s sake and not for Shelby’s sake either. He tightened his hold on her and dropped a kiss to the top of her silky blonde head for good measure, deepening Andrew’s scowl and causing a funny look on Gianna’s face. He smiled at them, to show them how happy he was.
This was so screwed up. How the hell had he gotten himself into this mess?
Wild
Mackenzie McKade
Memories made her run. Family forced her home. Only love can make her stay.
Whispering Cove, Book 1
Ten years ago, a tragic accident drove Andie Adair away from her family, friends and fiancé in Whispering Cove. A dark secre
t has kept her away from the sleepy seaport village, until she receives an ambiguous telephone call from her grandfather. He’s in the hospital. Desperate to cling to her only living relative, she races home—and straight into the arms of the one man she can’t bear to face.
Sheriff Brody McGrath built a life without the woman of his dreams, but when the prowler he catches turns out to be Andie, he isn’t prepared for the onslaught of emotions—grief, regret, heartache, and love. There is no denying the old spark between them still burns brightly, but love may not be enough to defeat Andie’s demons and allow her to live again.
This book has been previously published
Warning: Add one part high school reunion, one part poker bet, mix with three meddling, matchmaking grandfathers. Result, one long-overdue romance with enough heat and sparks to burn up the pages.
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This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locale or organizations is entirely coincidental.
Samhain Publishing, Ltd.
11821 Mason Montgomery Road Suite 4B
Cincinnati OH 45249
Wild
Copyright © 2012 by Mackenzie McKade
ISBN: 978-1-61921-167-4
Edited by Sue Ellen Gower
Cover by Lyn Taylor
All Rights Are 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.
Original Publication: 2011
First Samhain Publishing, Ltd. electronic publication: July 2012
Wild: Whispering Cove, Book 1 Page 10