Secrets from Her Past: Scandalous, Book 2 (22 page)

“Dylan seemed excited we were working together,” she told him. “But he’s a little bummed I just got home and left again.”

“We won’t be gone long.”

Vin gripped the arm of the seat as the plane hit an air pocket. He held his breath for a moment, then blew it out as he focused on her.

“You okay?” she asked. She’d never seen him act so…scared almost. What was up with that? “You seem a bit shaky.”

“I’m fine.” He gripped his bottle in the cup holder, cracking the plastic. “I tried calling him, but he was busy. I guess with fixing up your old house he’s got his hands full.”

“I just hope he doesn’t regret staying there during the process.”

Vin shrugged. “The memories will be there no matter when he goes back. Don’t worry about him.”

“The memories of our parents will certainly be the hardest,” she told him. “But there’re also the memories of Corinne. There’s so much heartache in that house, Vin. I just hope he doesn’t regret purchasing it.”

Evelyn hated the girl who had broken her brother’s heart and nearly killed his spirit in the process. But Vin was right. Dylan was a big boy and he’d be fine…even if his world-renowned model ex-girlfriend returned to their tiny town.

“It’s understandable that you’d want to protect him,” Vin told her. “Especially after what he did for you when your parents died. Between him, Rick and Alan, you were fortunate to have people to take care of you.”

She refused to give an ounce of gratitude. Rage toward the man who murdered her innocence and continued to plague her life bubbled up in her.

Evelyn straightened her shoulders, tilted her chin. “I never needed anyone to care for me.” She came to her feet to look down at him. “I’m more than capable—”

Another air pocket jerked the plane, sending her stumbling onto his lap.

Vin merely quirked a brow and smiled. “You were saying?”

Oh no, she couldn’t be in his lap, not with that sexy mouth so close. Not with that thick, muscular body molded to hers with only their thin layers of clothing separating them. And certainly not when she was seething with anger on top of these newfound urges of desire. How could she trust her own judgment?

His heavy-lidded gaze dropped to her lips.

“Vincent.” Her plea came in a whisper, not strong like she needed it to be. This couldn’t happen. On so many levels this spark of intimacy was wrong.

But on the only level that mattered right now, this feeling in his arms was so, so right. They’d hugged countless times over the years, but nothing like this. No hold had ever felt so…safe and electric at the same time.

With one arm firmly around her, he brought his other hand to her lips, stroking the bottom one with the pad of his thumb. Without her consent, her breath hitched. The man had too much power over her. Power was something she couldn’t lose control of. For her own peace of mind, she needed to stay in control at all times.

Cupping the side of her face in one strong hand, he closed the gap between them. As his lips claimed hers, he stroked the side of her face. Evelyn couldn’t recall what her fantasies of kissing Vincent were like, which just went to prove that reality was much, much better.

Being bad never felt so good…

Born to Be Wild

© 2012 Elle Kennedy

Welcome to Paradise, Book 3

Bree Lockhart was always the good girl—on the surface. During her senior year of high school, however, her inner bad girl was lured out to play by reckless, carefree Jake Bishop. Her parents’ worst nightmare, and the man she she’s never forgotten.

Twelve years later, she’s home for a charity event and up for auction. The highest bidder? Jake. This time around, he wants more than a wild ride—he wants it all. But she’s not about to risk her heart on another fling that’ll just leave it in pieces.

Jake once reveled in showing Bree how good it is to be bad. But convincing her he can be good for her is going to take some very special tactics…

Warning: This book features a bad boy soldier determined to chip away at a good girl’s resistance with hot sex, hot sex, and…more hot sex.

Enjoy the following excerpt for
Born to Be Wild:

Stepping into the ballroom, Bree searched the crowd, needing to get this over with as soon as possible. So what if her body had been consumed with heat when she and Jake had made eye contact? She wasn’t a horny teenager anymore.
She
controlled her hormones now, not the other way around.

Sighing, she weaved through the throng of people, then came to a standstill when she caught sight of Jake by the refreshment table.

God, he looked good. Really, really good. A white dress shirt clung to his broad chest, black trousers encasing his long, trim legs. And his face—man, he’d grown even sexier with age. Ruggedly gorgeous features, gray eyes smoldering with seductive heat. The man oozed sex and masculinity. He always had, and probably always would.

When their eyes locked, that same surge of desire she’d experienced on stage made a reappearance. Steeling herself against his potent maleness, she strode over to the drink table and managed a faint smile. “Hey, Jake,” she said, keeping her tone light.

“Bree,” he said in that husky voice of his. His stormy silver eyes swept over her. “You look good.”

She swallowed. “So do you.” So good that her nipples were already hardening against the front of her lacy bra.

Damn it. Twelve freaking years later, and her libido still kicked up a notch in the presence of this man.

“It’s been a long time,” he added.

“Yeah,” she agreed. “How’s military life?”

Something indecipherable flashed across his chiseled face. “Same as always. How’s lawyer life?”

“It’s great,” she admitted. “I love my job.”

“I’m glad to hear it.”

Was he? Because as she recalled, he hadn’t seemed too concerned when he’d persuaded her to skip the SATs so they could spend the day in bed.

Your fault, not his
.

Fine, there was some truth to that. Jake hadn’t forced her to miss the test. She’d done that all by herself. So wrapped up in his sexual spell that she’d been willing to drop everything for just one more second with him.

God, back then she would’ve done anything for Jake Bishop. He was the guy who’d shown her how much fun life could be, that under the surface she was a good girl just waiting to be bad. And lord, she’d been bad. Not just in exploring her sexuality with Jake, but neglecting school, rebelling against her parents.

But she was older now. Wiser. A successful lawyer, the proud new owner of a beautiful bungalow in Denver’s Cherry Creek neighborhood, a woman who was completely happy with her life.

Yet as she looked into Jake’s hypnotic gray eyes, she realized that no matter how happy she was, her life still lacked one thing: Passion. She’d slept with other men since Jake, but she couldn’t remember the last time a man’s mere proximity made her heart gallop like a racehorse. Or when the simple sound of a man’s voice brought such a delicious ache to her core.

Only Jake managed to evoke that response in her, which was really freaking annoying.

“So…” She cleared her throat. “You didn’t have to spend a thousand bucks to have dinner with me, you know. If you wanted to catch up, we could have done it over breakfast at the diner, free of charge.”

“Is that what you want to do tonight? Catch up?” His voice held a mocking note.

Bree’s heart did a little flip, but she caught herself before her pulse sped off into oblivion. “It would be nice,” she said noncommittally. “I’d like to hear what you’ve been up to all these years.”

“Really?” He edged closer and his masculine scent grabbed hold of her senses. Soap and spice and something woodsy. “So you want to listen to my anecdotes and share life stories?”

“Y-yes.”

He chuckled.

The sound sent a shiver up her spine.

“Come on, Bree, we both know conversation isn’t on the agenda for tonight.”

Indignation hardened her jaw. “We haven’t seen each other since high school, Jake. Did you honestly think I’d take one look at you and fall into bed with you again?”

“Yes.”

Cocky bastard.

But damn if her thighs didn’t quiver at the thought.

You’re not a bad girl anymore. You never were.

She lifted her chin, gathering up her resolve. No matter how gorgeous Jake was, no matter how much her body responded to him, she wouldn’t sleep with him tonight. That ship had sailed a long time ago, and falling back into old habits—bad habits—wasn’t something she could afford to do right now. She had an important lawsuit about to go to trial, a house she was still in the process of decorating, a life that didn’t include Jake Bishop.

Or sex with Jake Bishop.

“Sorry to disappoint, but the only thing that’s on the table is dinner,” she said firmly.

The sultry heat of his silver eyes penetrated her body. “What happened to the Bree Lockhart who used to be up for anything?”

“She grew up.” Bree rolled her eyes. “Evidently, you haven’t.”

He flashed her a grin, that crooked badass grin that never failed in making her melt. “Growing up is overrated, sweetheart.”

“If you say so.” She slanted her head. “So, dinner?”

He shrugged. “Dinner it is.” He looked around the crowded ballroom, focusing on the auction in progress. The bachelors were taking their turns on the stage, but Jake didn’t seem the slightest bit interested in the festivities. “Wanna get out of here now?”

Her heart skipped another beat and she had to chastise herself for getting excited. This was nothing more than dinner. Dinner between old friends. Old lovers. Just because Jake was eyeing her like he wanted to get her naked didn’t mean she’d let him. She was thirty years old, for Pete’s sake. A strong, resilient woman who could surely fight off the advances of one Jake Bishop.

Right?

“Sure,” she agreed. “But I’m serious, Jake, this is
dinner
.”

He reached for her arm, and the warmth of his touch seared her skin and sent shockwaves of desire through her body. “Of course,” he assured her. The wolfish twinkle in his eyes totally betrayed his casual tone.

“I mean it,” she insisted.

“Uh-huh.”

Bree gulped and followed him out of the ballroom.

Secrets from Her Past

Jules Bennett

Wishful thinking never fixed anything…but it’s better than facing the truth.

Scandalous, Book 2

Cori’s automatic response to trouble has always been to run in the opposite direction. The last time she left her hometown of Pebble Cove, it was to escape the kind of heartbreak no sixteen-year-old should have to endure.

Now she’s back, mostly to help out with a family crisis. But partly to escape a scandal that the unrelenting eye of the media has blown out of all proportion, and wait for the dust to settle.

People have disappointed Dylan nearly his whole life, but he’s a big boy; he’s learned to move on. Except when it comes to the love of his life, the now-famous, one-name supermodel Corinne. Despite what she put him through—abandoning him when he needed her most—to him she’ll always be just Cori.

When a series of events throws them together, they fall back into old patterns—and into each other’s arms. But even as love rekindles, Cori fights the rising urge to run…before the truth of the night she ran away shatters both their hearts beyond repair.

Warning: Contains a flight-risk heroine who must learn to stand her ground, and the man whose love still burns bright enough to guide her home.

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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

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Secrets from Her Past

Copyright © 2013 by Jules Bennett

ISBN: 978-1-61921-549-8

Edited by Lindsey Faber

Cover by Kanaxa

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.

First
Samhain Publishing, Ltd.
electronic publication: May 2013