Seducing the Playboy (A Hot Nights Series Book) (Entangled Brazen)

by Amanda Usen

  “You’re enjoying yourself, aren’t you?”

  “Immensely.”

  It was years too late, but he had something that would wipe the grin off her face—an apology. “Alex, I’m sorry I was such a jerk to you when we broke up. I should have handled it better.”

  She arched a brow. “You mean you should have given a shit?”

  Roman sighed. “I did give a shit, but I cared more about work. I’m sorry I hurt you.” He hadn’t made her any promises, but his eagerness to get to work after graduation had made him callous, to say the least, and Alex had deserved more from him.

  Chefs and waiters hustled around them, cleaning up, clearing plates, and eating leftover cream puffs. Alex popped one into her mouth and chewed, slowly shaking her head. “I never thought I’d see the day Roman Gallagher got his heart broken, and I’m a little pissed I’m not enjoying it as much as I expected.”

  “Does that mean you forgive me?”

  “It means I’ll think about it, and only because I know your mother.”

  “What is that supposed to mean?”

  “It means the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Or at least it didn’t back then.” She put her hand on his arm and squeezed, surprising him with a smile as sweet as the ones she’d given him when they were dating. “Roman, work is work. A job is just a job. There’s a lot more to life than making money. Money is nice, don’t get me wrong, but you’ve got a lot of it. Just because your mother is driven every waking minute of her day doesn’t mean you have to follow in her footsteps.”

  He felt his jaw drop, and he blinked hard, staring at her, feeling like she’d just grabbed hold of his life and given it a hard spin. He shut his mouth, not knowing what to say.

  Alex let go of his shoulder and chuckled. “There may be hope for you yet.” She patted his cheek then headed for the dining room, still laughing softly as she called over her shoulder, “You’re forgiven.”

  As if summoned by the mention of her name, his mother sailed into the kitchen, hand in hand with a man Roman assumed was Jefferson Morgan.

  She’s counting on you.

  Jenna had been talking about his mother, but all he could think about was Jenna’s limitless faith in his abilities. She cheered him on, helped him succeed, and bolstered his confidence, but she also called bullshit when he was being stubborn, stupid, or just plain wrong. It felt like his world had ended when she walked out the hotel room door. Jenna couldn’t count on him because he was too busy working for his mother, who showed no sign that she was ever going to quit.

  His mother stopped in front of him. “I’ve been looking for you.”

  “I didn’t want to be found.” He’d only left the room to assemble the desserts today.

  She gestured to the man beside her. “I’d like you to meet Jefferson Morgan.”

  Morgan held out his hand. “Call me Jeff.”

  Roman shook his hand. “I’d say it’s nice to meet you, but I’m not sure it is.”

  Morgan’s nod was placid. “I get that a lot. You’ll get used to me.”

  Roman had to give him credit for having balls. Morgan kept hold of his mother’s hand as if staking a claim. Even more telling, his mother let him.

  “Be polite, Roman. We came back here to tell you dessert was spectacular.”

  He frowned. “Glad you liked it. Is that all?” Surely his mother had more to say to him than that. Her last message had been along the lines of shape up or ship out.

  “We’re getting married,” she blurted out.

  He stared at her, certain he’d misheard. When her cheeks turned pink, he knew it was true. “Over my dead body.”

  His mother let go of Morgan and put her hands on Roman’s shoulders. “I know I’ve been rough on you lately, and I don’t have any excuse except my world was turning upside down, and I didn’t know how to set it straight. I’ve never been in love before, and it made me a little nuts. I’m sorry I took it out on you. I don’t know if it makes it better or worse that it’s partly Jeff’s fault.”

  Morgan met his angry gaze head-on. “I’m sorry about all the press, son. Your mother only has one weak spot, and it’s you. I knew I could gain leverage with her by keeping tabs on you, and I had to keep her on the hook long enough for her to want more from me than money for Oasis. I wanted her to need me, too.”

  “What do you mean by keeping tabs on me? Did you have me followed?”

  Morgan nodded. “And I used my media contacts to make sure you hit the news. No offense, but you aren’t that newsworthy, even though I’ve heard the Beach House burgers are incredible. I apologize for meddling with your life, but a man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do when the right woman walks into his life. Maybe you know something about that?”

  Roman ignored him and turned back to his mother. “So what do you really think about the Beach House menu?”

  She squeezed his arms. “I love it. Venice Beach loves it. It’s perfect.”

  Roman shrugged out of her grip, feeling betrayed. “All I’ve ever wanted was for you to say it was enough. I’ve added a dozen restaurants to Gallagher Holdings, and it seems like you come up with one reason after another to keep from retiring. When you criticized my lifestyle, then my menu, then the croquembouche idea, I felt like there was something wrong with me, but this isn’t about me, is it?”

  “You’ve always been the one perfect thing in my life.”

  “It’s never going to be enough, is it?” he asked.

  Slowly, she shook her head.

  Relief then sadness crowded his heart as he realized he didn’t want his mother to retire so she could relax. He wanted her to retire so he could. It’s now…or never. “I don’t want to run Gallagher Holdings.” The words ripped from his soul and left him gasping.

  His mother hugged him tight. “Good—because you’re right. I don’t want to retire. I like working.”

  They held each other until his chest shook with a chuckle. She was laughing, too, huge, gulping giggles that set him off again every time he managed to catch a breath.

  Finally, Roman sobered. “Oh, man. Jenna. I totally fucked that up.”

  He could see it so clearly, now that he wasn’t tied to the necessity of his future. Jenna was home to him. She made home wherever she was, with her parents in Lambertville, cooking dinner for her landlady and her daughter, and serving homemade chocolate chip cookies at a beach party. If she had stayed to serve dessert tonight, she’d probably be in the dining room right now, making friends in a room full of famous strangers. She made everyone feel at home, but it went deeper than that with him because he and his mother had moved around so much when he was growing up, he’d never truly had one.

  A sudden thought struck him. “Is Morgan the reason you were so dead set on getting an investor for Oasis? Did you want to get to know him better?”

  His mother laughed again. “I’m afraid so.”

  Roman turned to Morgan and sized the guy up again. Shaggy head of dull brown hair, short, glasses, slight paunch, but his eyes gleamed with intelligence and just a little bit of malice. Of course, Morgan had gotten his girl.

  He nailed Morgan with a look. “You might have more money than God and every reporter in Los Angeles in your back pocket, but if you hurt my mother, I’ll kick your ass from one end of California to the other. And quit stalking me. I don’t care for your methods of persuasion, but I’ll put up with you as long as my mother is happy.” That was it—the thing that had been bothering him since they walked in the room together, holding hands. His mother was happy and relaxed. And he was jealous because this little number cruncher had accomplished what Roman had been trying to achieve his whole life.

  Morgan reclaimed her hand, tugging her away from Roman. “I respect that, I truly do. Actually, I should probably thank you for taking such good care of her up to this point, but I’ll take it from here. She’ll be fine, I promise.”

  Roman felt like he’d been put in his place, but instead of feeling resentful, he was joyous
. Morgan might not look like much but he exuded strength and confidence. His mother was happy, and Roman was free. He held out his hand, and Morgan shook it.

  “Are you even going to open Oasis?” Roman asked.

  His mother nodded. “Of course, although there’s no rush. I think I wanted an oasis for myself, and now I’ve got it.” She gave Morgan a sickening grin.

  He decided to leave them to it. “I’m going back to Venice Beach.”

  “Not New Jersey?” His mom looked surprised, and a little disappointed. “I really liked Jenna.”

  Roman shook his head. “Wait—when did you meet her?”

  “Last night in the kitchen. She made a few pointed observations that led to me giving Jeff a chance. I’d hoped to accomplish the same for her. I’m sorry to hear she’s gone. Can you go after her?”

  “Not just yet.” She was heading back to Cooper’s with guns blazing, and he wasn’t going to steal her thunder. He had goose bumps when she told him her plans for the family restaurant. She was dead right, on target, and he had no doubt she was going to nail her niche. He had to let her do it on her own. He thought he’d been living up to her teenage crush on him, but he’d been wrong. He had been indulging in his own fantasy of loving someone and having a home, a future family, and a steady source of comfort and security. No wonder he’d wanted to take it slow—he’d been in heaven. Living that fantasy with her had changed his life, and after she achieved her goal at Cooper’s, he planned to change hers, too.

  Provided she convinced her parents not to sell this week, the bank had given the Cooper’s four months to make up the payments. Jenna had spent almost two weeks with him. That meant he had three and a half months to wait. Fourteen damn weeks of alternately biting his nails and sitting on his hands. She would make Cooper’s a success…but what was he going to do?

  An idea occurred to him as he walked them out of the kitchen. “Jeff, I don’t suppose you have any media contacts in New Jersey, do you?”

  Jeff’s eyes gleamed. “I have contacts all over the world. You just tell me what, when, and where, and I’ll make it happen.”

  Roman grinned back at him. “I’ll be in touch. Meanwhile, keep the week of Christmas open. It’s lovely in New Jersey at that time of year.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  Christmas Day

  “Jesus, sis, what’s your problem?”

  Jenna scowled, blinking back tears as she sliced an eggnog cheesecake. “Nothing. We ran out of cheesecake. I need to cut these or the servers will butcher them. Mind your own business.” She glared at Cole until he left the kitchen.

  The new Cooper’s had reopened last month on Thanksgiving, and it was everything she’d envisioned and more, packed to the exposed wood beams every night with happy customers. She’d covered the tables with patterned tablecloths that didn’t show stains and the napkins were plentiful and absorbent. There was a selection of arts and crafts materials at every table and a fully staffed recreation room for parents who were comfortable sending their restless children off to play before dinner. Side stations were stocked with a wide range of condiments and extra silverware so no one ever had to wait for ketchup or get stressed out over a dropped fork.

  She’d trained her staff to smile while they cleaned up spills and paid them above minimum serving wage, so they wouldn’t rush lingering customers out the door in order to turn tables. The Lambertville Beacon had done a human interest story on the “family to table” movement that had been picked up by several national magazines. Apparently a lot of people with busy lives were looking to strengthen family ties over restaurant dinner tables. Her parents were jubilant. Even Cole was impressed, but Jenna felt nothing but misery.

  Cooper’s was amazing, but every time she looked out into the dining room and saw happy families relaxing, celebrating, and enjoying each other’s company, her stomach hollowed out and she ended up just like this—mourning a future that wasn’t going to happen. The Cooper legacy was secure, thanks to her, but she didn’t want it without the man who had inspired her vision.

  Roman hadn’t called. What did she expect? So what if he’d proposed? He’d been carried away by their bizarre situation and some really good sex. The minute she’d said no, he’d come to his senses and all but booted her out the door. He’d even given her a how-to manual and a ring she discovered, after an appraisal, would cover the cost of steep renovations.

  Slipping her hand into her pocket, she touched the stone. She hadn’t been able to sell it. Nope, instead she carried it around in her pocket, feeling like Gollum with her Precious, but unable to stop herself.

  She followed news of him as closely as ever. From his infrequent appearances in gossip columns, she gathered he was continuing to keep a low profile for his mother, who still hadn’t retired. There was no news of Oasis. No pictures of Roman with big-boobed celebrities or at outlandish beach parties, but somehow that made it worse because he hadn’t leaked the news of their broken engagement, either. She gleaned from Google that Roman was making the desserts at the Beach House, a fact too strange to be fiction.

  Her phone vibrated as if to chastise her, and she pulled it out of her pocket. “Merry Christmas!” Lila and Betsy said in stereo.

  “Right back at you, ladies. I’m stuffed to the gills and about to eat a big piece of very festive eggnog cheesecake with a cinnamon-oat crust,” Jenna said, forcing cheer into her voice. “What’s going on in your worlds?”

  “Oyster stuffing coming out my ears, and I’m having dessert, too,” Betsy offered.

  “The second seating at Inferno is about to start any minute, but I wanted to check in. Any word from the West Coast?” Lila’s voice was hopeful.

  Jenna had come clean to her friends about what had happened in California—or rather, they had dragged it out of her word by word. “Not a peep. Just my usual Internet stalking.”

  “I’m sorry, sweetie.”

  “I’ll live. Give Jack my love.” She was happy everything was working out for her friend in spite of her own broken heart.

  “I will. Bye, girls.” The background noise of Inferno disappeared, leaving Betsy on the line. The sound of a trolley bell broke the silence.

  “Where are you?” Jenna asked.

  “Drowning my sorrows in caffeine and powdered sugar at Café Du Monde. I had no idea opening a café would be this challenging.”

  “Stick to the plan. I know you can do it.”

  Betsy sighed. “Honestly, I’m not sure if sticking to the plan is possible anymore.”

  “Now you tell me.” Jenna’s laugh was humorless. Too late for her. “You gonna be all right?”

  “Always…one way or another. And so will you. Keep the faith, and I’ll talk to you this weekend.”

  “Bye.” She ended the call and tucked the phone in her pocket.

  Faith, huh? How appropriate on Christmas. Tears welled in her eyes, but she ignored them. Tears didn’t help anything. On normal days she handled it better, but it was Christmas, it was snowing, and all she could think of was kissing the snowflakes off his goddamn eyelashes.

  She picked up the knife and continued to cut the cheesecake. The scent of bourbon rose from the spiked whipped cream on top, and the knife slipped, breaking the piece in half. “Damn it.”

  Cole had returned to the kitchen for the pot of coffee and took the knife out of her hand. “That’s it. I’ve had it. What’s wrong?”

  She gritted her teeth. “Nothing. Everything is fine. Sunbeams and rosebuds.” She moved to reclaim the knife, but he slid it out of reach.

  “Bullshit. You’re crying over cheesecake.”

  “I am not,” she said as another tear slipped down her cheek.

  “No shit. So tell me why you’re such a mess.”

  When Cole got that obstinate look on his face, she usually gave in because she knew he wasn’t going to give up. Today she didn’t care. “You don’t want to know.”

  “Don’t be so sure about that.” He advanced. “I’m bigger than you are.
I could always hold you down and tickle you until you crack.”

  She scowled. “You wouldn’t dare.”

  “Try me.” He took a step toward her, and she shuddered, helplessly flashing back to childhood when he had tormented her in any way he could think of that didn’t leave a mark.

  “Last chance to start talking.” He stepped closer.

  She rolled her eyes, knowing he wouldn’t really do it but also sensing he wasn’t going to let it go this time. Fine—he’d be sorry. By unspoken agreement, neither one of them had mentioned Roman since she got home, and she had a feeling Cole hadn’t heard from him, either. Knowing she’d damaged their friendship made her feel even worse. “I fell in love with Roman, damn it. Happy now?”

  “Only if you can give me a good reason why you left him in Los Angeles.”

  “C’mon, Cole, seriously.” She crossed her arms. “He’s taking over Gallagher Holdings. I want to work at Cooper’s. It was just a friendly hookup. End of story.”

  “Cole?” His wife poked her head into the kitchen. Angela’s brow furrowed when she saw them. “What’s taking so long? It’s time for dessert. I’m eating for two here, you know.” She patted her burgeoning belly then disappeared back into the dining room.

  “I need to finish cutting the cheesecake before Angela starves to death.” She turned her back and picked up the knife, figuring she might as well give a full confession now. Otherwise, Cole was going to end up hating Roman forever, and she didn’t want that. Plus, she wanted credit for pulling out of her nosedive and coming back to Lambertville without needing a lawyer to help her file for divorce.

  She told him everything. Then she put her tools in the sink, slid the last cheesecake into the reach-in, and turned to face him.

  Scorn was etched on his face. “Typical Jenna move.”

  Fury overtook her so completely angry tears filled her eyes and her throat closed. She fought to master her emotions. “No, not typical, for once I didn’t make things worse. Mom and Dad were going to sell Cooper’s, and I wanted to prove I could make it a success, which I did, thank you very much, and I expect some goddamn appreciation. Marrying Roman would have been a huge mistake.” She spoke through gritted teeth. “Love isn’t everything.”