JUST ONE SPARK: A picture is worth...

Had Mason been teasing her about snooping, or did he really want her to? Hannah ran her fingers across the mismatched photo albums. If a picture was worth a thousand words… 

It would certainly serve him right. She hadn’t looked through his things at all in the week she’d been staying here. And tomorrow she’d agreed to meet his parents. She’d look through the pictures to make sure nothing surprised her. Look out for a two-headed aunt or something. Maybe see if she could find out where he got those eyes.

She curled up on the couch with an album of travel photos. He’d been almost everywhere. And from the looks of it, with quite a few women. It didn’t surprise her, but it stung. One day she’d wind up as nothing more than a snapshot tucked into an album. Fire training dominated another album. He’d told her he’d fought forest fires during the summers in college, but the pictures made it all too real. She slammed the album shut halfway through. She’d have to finish that one day when he wasn’t at work. 

An eight-by-ten of a beautiful brown-eyed baby girl stared out from the front page of the final album. Hannah smiled, immediately recognizing Ryan’s nose. This must be Rianna. Sure enough, the following pages were a testament to the McNally family devotion to the next generation. Anyone holding Rianna in the snapshots was smiling. There was one of Derek holding her at arm’s length because she was covered in spaghetti. One of Ryan with his face and her hands covered in finger paint. Mike having a tea party wearing a tiara, and one of an older woman who must be their mother brushing Rianna’s long blonde hair. A child would be so blessed to be part of this family. 

Her breath caught in her throat when she turned the page. A picture of Mason asleep in a recliner with a napping Rianna curled up on his chest. He’d be a wonderful father. She squeezed her eyes shut at the notion, hot tears prickling her eyelids. She just had baby on the brain because of turning thirty next week. That’s all.

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A Look Inside :: The Billionaire’s Reluctant Fiancée

From the beginning, there is such friction between Jake and Lily, it's no wonder that when things spark, they explode. 

Excerpt :

Jake made his way through the dark house without turning on any lights. The full moon provided just enough illumination to keep from bumping into things on his way to the kitchen. He pushed open the door and reached for the light switch, flicking it on.

Lily stood in front of the refrigerator, a carton of milk in her hand, at least until she spied him and dropped it with a gasp. His eyes widened at the sight of Lily in a pale pink nightie, her golden hair loose about her shoulders. The light material dipped low between her full breasts, delicately revealed the curve of her hips, and gave an alluring view of her bare thighs.


She wasn’t so mesmerized. She cursed, then reached for a towel on the counter and bent low to clean up the spill. Jake pulled his libido back in check and moved to help her. He took the towel from her and she stood. He had to bite back a groan at how the hem of her nightie came right into his line of sight.

“I’m sorry,” Lily said, walking around him and returning with another towel. “I didn’t expect anyone.”

“Obviously.” He finished the task and stood, enjoying the way her chest hitched with each breath as he looked down at her. “What are you doing down here?”

“Having a glass of milk, or trying to anyway. That’s what I do when I can’t sleep.” She kept her gaze locked on his, except for fleeting moments when it dropped to his bare chest.

He grinned, glad he wasn’t the only one hyper-aware after midnight. “That’s because you sleep alone.”

Her cheeks pinked, but she recovered quickly, narrowing her eyes. “You know, I think you may be right. It’s time I find someone willing to marry the penniless virgin and cure her insomnia.”

She tried to walk past him, but he caught her arm, turned her around and pulled her flush against him. “Try it, and you’ll find my patience exhausted quickly.”

“While you expect me to live a life in perpetual understanding of your need to go through mistresses faster than socks.” She tried to shake off his hold, but he pulled her closer.

“I’ve never claimed to be a saint. But I’m not going to spend my life feeding into your insecurity. I want you, only you, and have from the moment I saw you.

“I watched you, this golden angel gliding across a room, and I wanted you to be looking for me, not one of those worthless idiots you dated. We hadn’t even met, and I couldn’t get you out of my mind. Maybe I did use your father to get closer to you. It seemed kismet that we were in the same industry. Will became my friend, but he became my partner because of you. I had no other choice. I had to protect you somehow, and you never would have looked twice at me had I not thrown myself in your way at every opportunity.”

“You’ve been watching me?” Her haughty tone cut him to the quick. He was never going to be enough for her, never going to measure up to the vapid boys always trailing after her simply because he hadn’t lived their life.

“And you’ve been watching me, wondering what it would be like if you were only brave enough to step outside your perfect world for a minute and indulge in all I can offer you.” He took a step forward, moving them both until she was backed up against the kitchen table.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Her eyes flashed with an emotion he hadn’t seen in her yet. True fear, or excitement?

“What you’ve wanted me to do since you first started watching me. You think there’s something beneath what the world sees. Maybe it’s time I show you what that is.”

The Billionaire’s Reluctant Fiancée

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The Billionaire’s Reluctant Fiancée : Chapter 1

Chapter One

“So, we’re agreed?” Will Harris winced as he readjusted himself in the bed. His skin had gone yellow and paper-thin. Last month, he’d been healthy, sharp, unbeatable on the golf course. Now, he was days away from death.

“I will take care of Lily. She will have everything she needs.” Even if she’ll probably fight me every step of the way.Jake Tolliver had been drawn to Lily Harris the first time he’d laid eyes on her. Unfortunately, the more he cared for her, the more she avoided him.

“You’ll marry her.” It was a strange statement coming from the man who wouldn’t give his blessing two years ago when Jake had asked permission before pursuing Lily.

“Will, she’s a grown woman who can make her own decisions. As much as I’d like to tell her we’re getting married, it wouldn’t go over well.”

“But you have to.” Agitation worsened the tremors in Will’s hands, so foreign to a man who’d solved problems for a living. He had an amazing ability to look at any building and see possibility. What he’d taught Jake in the last four years of their partnership was priceless. It gave him a passion and skillset for architecture he’d always hoped to have. Tolliver-Harris was renowned for their ability to rehabilitate dilapidated buildings, to turn schools into hotels, churches into restaurants, the tunnels beneath Portland into a nightclub. That was the legacy Will Harris deserved to be remembered for.

Unfortunately, gossip and derision had taken hold. Will had made some horrid investment decisions, buying in to companies with little hope of return, spent money on gambling and women until his credit ran dry. A few years of frugal spending and completed projects would have corrected it. He just hadn’t planned on dying.

“Jake, you have to marry her. She is too vulnerable. Someone will take advantage of that, hurt her in ways…”

“She’s not the fragile flower you think she is. Lily is a brilliant woman.” Her intellectual confidence was second to none. It was everything else that had fallen behind.

Will’s head shook with the same twitching pace of his hands. “You don’t understand. She doesn’t have the experience someone her age needs to know who to trust. There hasn’t—”

“I’ve known her as long as I’ve known you. I know exactly what you mean, and I promise you, no harm will come to her. You know how I feel about her, but while she might spend hours inside the pages of Victorian society, she doesn’t live there.”

“No, she doesn’t. I have kept her so close to me, sheltered her, protected her. She’s my life’s work, Jake. And this—” His pale eyes went glassy as he gestured to the hospital bed, the bottles of pills lined neatly on the bedside table. “I’m leaving her with nothing but a mess to clean up. I’ve failed her, and for what? Selfishness.”

“Lily will always think of you as devoted. Bank accounts won’t change that.” Jake stood and turned to the window, unable to watch his mentor crumble. He’d long ago learned to quiet his emotional responses.

“She deserves to be happy.” Will’s voice thinned and slowed with each word, as if he were plucking them out one by one from his soul. “She’s lost so much, and now, even more. Even with how much you paid for my share of the firm, the house will have to be sold.”

He’d never realized how many stalled projects Will had invested in, how much credit casinos would sign over to a man who owned an estate this size. Will had bought the land, built the house, and then designed an exclusive set of neighboring estates. It had made him rich and made him a gambler. Many of his investments would have amazing returns in time, but Will’s had run out.

“You could make her happy.”

“I’d love nothing more.” Absolute truth, and not likely to happen. He took every opportunity to get closer to her, just as she did her best to keep her distance. She was guarded with everyone, but more so with him. Or she tried to be. There were times her walls slipped, and he caught a glimpse of absolute perfection.

Will’s voice had weakened to barely a whisper. “She needs someone who understands her. And I know how you feel for her.”

Jake turned back to his friend, wishing the older man hadn’t been so hung up on the age gap between him and Lily two years ago. Everything would be settled by now, and he could go in peace.

“You’ll marry her. Make sure she’s loved.” His eyelids drooped, the pain meds having kicked in enough to let him sleep.

“You have my word.” An easy promise. He’d love her, always. Marry her tomorrow if she wanted. But she didn’t.

At least, not yet.

The Billionaire’s Reluctant Fiancéeby Jenna Bayley-BurkeFebruary 12, 2018Entangled Publishing, Indulgence

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Captivating The Cowboy - Release & Reviews

She's the last thing he needs...but everything he wants.

No matter how often fourth-generation cattle rancher Slade Weston tips his hat on NotMyFirstRodeo.com, he’s found no woman worthy of a second date, let alone the life-long love he seeks. After his last date seemed more interested in his bank account than him, Slade decides to throw in the towel and face the coming summer alone.

Fashion designer Jules O'Connor is counting the days until she leaves the three-stoplight town of Opal Creek. Her life will finally start in New York, where she can focus on building her career instead of layer cakes. There’s just one last thing she wants to know before she makes her escape: why has sexy rancher Slade Weston brought in a different date every Friday for months?

When Slade's string of first dates gets comical, Jules offers to be his wing-woman, which inevitably leads to horizontal schmexytimes. She doesn't want to be a wife and mom; he doesn't want to move to New York City. With no strings to get tangled in, it should be easy for Jules to escape and follow her dreams. But they’re indulging an attraction that grows deeper every day, and they’ve both started to dream of a different future.

Warning: Will whet your appetite for Better than Sex cake, fabulous dresses, and a family full of hot cowboys.

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First Look :: First Night

I did not want to put the book down at all! – Barbara, Babsbookbistro

Hot, sexy, alluring, tantalizing, intriguing... – The Book Junkie Reads

I absolutely LOVED this story!! It's a whole lot of goodness packed into a little more than 100 pages making it a fun, sexy, quick read that will grab you by the heart from the first page.  - Bette Hansen, Goodreads

Full of fun and humor and wonderful, loving people. This is a perfect book to brighten your day and make you smile. In fact, I can’t wait to read about the other brothers! - Lisa Parker, Goodreads

I wasn't just captivated by the cowboy, I fell in love. - Pennie Morgan, Goodreads

Captivating The Cowboy Excerpt: Knock, knock

Slade knocked on the weathered red door and then pulled his fist back. What the hell was he doing? Never in his life had he started the night with one woman and ended it with another. Hell, he couldn’t recall a single sober one-night-stand. And the two beers with dinner hadn’t been enough for him to catch a buzz. He ought to take those same stairs he’d just climbed back to the street, to his truck, and home.

Jules opened the door, her deep blue gaze as wide as her smile and charged with desire. “I thought you’d got a better offer,” she teased, ushering him inside.

Her apartment was all high ceilings and wood floors, with windows on one side looking out onto Main Street below. A large bed sat in one corner, the rest of the place devoted to racks of clothes and fabrics, tables and sewing machines.

“Pay no attention to the sweat shop I live in. I’m trying to get ahead on orders before we move.” She pulled open the mini-fridge of the wet-bar that must serve as her kitchen. “Beer, wine, or whiskey?”

“Beer is fine.” She handed him a bottle before uncorking her wine with a pop and pouring herself a healthy glass. Brightly colored fabrics were piled high in a stack on the closest table. “I’ve never seen you in neon.”

She gave a quick laugh. “I love hot pink, but I have to keep it to gray or black at the restaurant. Uncle Ben’s orders. Someday I’ll design dresses all day, but for now dress-up aprons pay the bills.”

“Dress-up aprons?”

She nodded and crossed the room to open a large box. She set her wine on a table before digging inside and then turning to show him a small blue and brown apron. “Can you guess?”

He stalled, and then it came to him. “Cinderella?”

She nodded. “Before the fairy godmother.” She selected a pale blue version. “And this is after. They’re my best sellers, though every time a new princess movie comes out I get a boost.”

He shook his head, inadequacy hitting him anew. He’d never thought to get April dress-up anything. And he probably should. “Do you have really small ones?”

“Is it going to put you in dad mode if I say yes?” She walked back to her boxes and pulled out a tiny one with a cow print skirt and fringe.

“It doesn’t go away.” He rubbed the back of his neck, trying to tamp it down.

Jules folded the apron, then picked up her wine and came back to where he stood. She held out her hand. “Keys?”

He dug them out of his pocket, feeling his brow furrow. She set the apron on the counter and placed his keys on top.

“You’re a good man, Slade Weston.” She looked at him over her glass as she took a slow sip. “But we can’t do this if you’re going to do something stupid like fall in love with me.”

“I could say the same to you.” He took a long pull from his beer, a lighter brew than the one he’d enjoyed downstairs. Chick beer. Which meant she didn’t do this often enough to keep her fridge stocked. With as easily as she’d suggested this, he’d wondered about that.

“Oh, not a problem. You’re everything I don’t want.”

“Um, okay?” He couldn’t help the grin.

“I mean, physically you’re delicious. But two kids and a cattle ranch?” She placed a hand on her waist and cocked her hip out. “Do I look like that kind of girl?”

He shook his head. Not in a million years. Her strappy heels alone tossed her out of the running. And then there was her slight frame, the sexy dress, flashy jewelry, makeup, and not a hair out of place. Not to mention the eight-year age difference. She wouldn’t fit into any of the boxes he’d checked on Not My 1st Rodeo.

And yet, here he stood, his body tight with desire and smoldering with heat. She was stunning, determined, and heading out of town in a matter of weeks. He needed someone modest, practical and within reach. Two people couldn’t be more different. She was an adventure straight off the pages of a fashion magazine, and he was rooted to the land, a fifth generation cattle rancher. He’d never leave, and she’d never stay.

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CAPTIVATING THE COWBOY *first look*

Slade Weston’s broad shoulders led the way as he pushed through the heavy mahogany doors and into the wood-paneled lobby at Cattlemen’s, the only steakhouse in the three-stoplight town of Opal Creek. Jules’s stomach dropped as he glanced behind her, to the table he’d vacated minutes ago. With as busy as they were on a Friday night, she’d reset it as soon as he’d cleared the sidewalk.

“Did you forget something?” She didn’t have to check the seating chart to know they were full; there were two tables about to turn, but they were reserved for the couples waiting patiently in the lobby. Sure, people could drive the half-hour from here into Mollalla for more selection, or even the hour into Portland for a food cornucopia, but just as many people made the trip in the other direction. Her uncle had made a name for himself with his blue-collar brand of upscale dining. Cattlemen’s topped the list of the best steakhouses in Portland every year, all the way out in Podunk.

Slade closed his eyes and shook his head, his light brown gaze piercing through her when he opened them. “I should have mentioned I was coming back.”

Yes, but that didn’t solve the problem. She snagged a leather-bound menu and crooked her finger at him to follow. “Don’t worry. I’ll take care of you.”

She didn’t know who she felt worse for, Slade or his ditched date. For almost a year now, he’d been coming in every Friday night with a different woman each week. There weren’t that many available women in Opal Creek, but apparently everyone from the neighboring counties had gambled for a chance at his glass slipper.

The whole town knew sexy Slade wanted to get married. At least that was the rumor going around. But a man who looked like that wouldn’t have any trouble tying the knot if that’s what he genuinely wanted. Any red-blooded woman would exchange her panties for a ring from a Weston brother. Well, marriage-minded women. Which she was not.

Tucked behind the bar were four high-backed leather booths. They kept the one in the back corner empty for employees, loyal customers who needed a favor, and situations like this. She set the menu in front of him as he slid into the booth.

“Do you need some time with the menu, or should I have them walk a rib eye near the grill?”

Oh, that smile. Yes, he must be a player of the first order. Because his grin was irresistible.

“Am I that predictable?”

“Apparently not, since I was sure you’d left with your lady of the evening.” She tucked the menu under her arm. Curiosity niggled at her to find out what his obsession was with first dates. He might be toying with his parade of women, but she sensed something more.

He pushed back his sun-streaked hair. “Isn’t that a hooker?”

“Where?” Jules scanned the sedate restaurant. Nothing exciting ever happened here, even on the busiest nights.

“A lady of the evening. That’s what they called hookers in the westerns my dad and granddad used to watch.” He tilted his head, and she couldn’t tell if he were amused or annoyed. Amused she could work with, but she couldn’t let him leave tonight displeased. Weston Ridge provided the prime beef for Cattlemen’s and her uncle would have her head if he lost the deal.

“Oh, that’s not what I meant. You’d never have to pay for it.” Her eyes widened, her common sense slapping her upside the head as he laughed. “And now I owe you a beer as well as dinner. I’m going to go put in your order before I put my foot in it again and wind up having to sign over my first born.”

Jules clutched the menu to her chest as she sped to the bar. She keyed in his order, grateful the bartender wasn’t busy and could deliver the draft. Thank goodness she only had a few more weeks in this town before she finally got to head back to New York. No telling what she might say next week when Slade Weston brought in yet another first date. She sure as hell wouldn’t be giving away his table again, even if he bailed before the entree.

CAPTIVATING THE COWBOY

Available at all retailers. 💙❤️❤️💚

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Anything For A Cowboy - Release & Reviews

Anything For A Cowboy is now available as an individual release! I love that readers have the option to grab the Not My 1st Rodeo anthology or choose just the book that interests them.

Her plan was for them to fall in bed, not in love.

When veterinarian Jacy Weston changes her location on her western dating website profile, she thinks it’s no big deal. Opal Creek…Myrtle Creek…what’s the difference? As little white lies go, this one barely qualifies. Besides, since her brothers have chased off every guy within a hundred miles, the expiration date on her virginity is way past due.

Ray Mitchell is not inclined to waste his time on something as unnecessary as dating, but it’s much easier to take a woman to coffee than to explain to his mother why he’s in no hurry to get married again. Despite NotMy1stRodeo.com’s promises, he doubts he’ll find any woman willing to find herself stuck on a remote ranch raising rodeo stock.

But Jacy is different. She isn’t afraid to get her hands dirty. Or to get down and dirty. Ray’s thinking he’s found the one, until the truth comes out…and he realizes the divorcee from the next county he’s been dating doesn’t exist.

Warning: Contains a virginal heroine looking for the nearest exit for the horizontal highway to heaven, and a cowboy willing to go the distance for the right woman.

   

First Date -- Second Date

• Fun, entertaining, sexy with just a wee bit of drama Anything For A Cowboy is another incredible contemporary romance from one of my favorite romance writers! ~ Guilty Pleasures 
• Hot chemistry a quick, cute, easy read with a nice bit of heat. ~ Book Gannet
• I LOVED the final line of Anything for a Cowboy! ~ Crystal's Many Reviewers
• A cute story with an ending that leaves you filled with happiness. ~ East Sleep Read Review
• Anything for a Cowboy has the right amount wit, angst and emotional appeal to have any romantic comedy lover begging for more. ~ Hopeless Romantic

Anything For A Cowboy

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Anything For A Cowboy excerpt

Who's ready for a peek at Ray & Jacy's second date?

Ray knew his smile was probably a bit too wide, but it matched Jacy’s. He pulled off his gloves and stuck them in the back pocket of his jeans as he crossed the gravel yard to meet her beside her mammoth truck. Just like earlier, he felt that instant tug of desire, the urgent longing of man for woman. Every stray thought since he’d left her had been about her naked. And standing here with her flaming-red hair, worn jeans and a white tank top, she slid into every fantasy he’d ever had.

“You found me,” he said, instead of asking to skip the ride and take things indoors.

“The directions were spot on.” She put her hands in her back pockets, drawing his attention to her breasts. He forced his gaze up to the watercolor swirl of her hazel eyes. “How long do you think we’ll be out for? Should I take a coat?”

“I’m not taking one.” He rubbed his hand against the back of his neck, suddenly all hot and prickly. He’d prefer she not cover up, but that was for selfish reasons. Good thing one of them was practical.

“Then I won’t either. I tend to run hot.”

Her words hit him right in the libido. But like this morning, he didn’t know how to read it. He didn’t want to jump too far ahead and risk getting kicked out of the game entirely. He nodded and walked back towards the stable. She fell in step beside him.

“Who am I riding today?”

Him, if he had anything to say about it. He clenched his fists and dragged his dirty mind out of the gutter. Since he’d sworn off dating-site hookups six months back, he hadn’t bothered with sex, a fact his body had decided to alert him to today. He hadn’t been this focused on bedding a woman since his first time.

Ray cleared his throat as they entered the paddock. “I saddled Little Joe for you. He knows this place better than I do. Plus, he’s as smooth as we’ve got since Candy’s getting ready to foal.”

She stopped beside him and reached for the gelding paint. “And who is this handsome fella?”

“No flirting with my girl, Hoss.” He patted the horse’s neck and undid the cross ties keeping the youngster in place. Joe whinnied in his stall.

“Let’s make him jealous,” she mock-whispered before mounting his horse in a smooth movement.

“Seriously?” He spoke more to Joe than anything, since Jacy had ridden Hoss smoothly into the corral. He climbed onto the horse his mother usually rode. “You better keep up, old man.”

Anything For A Cowboy

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Cooking Up A Seduction

THE BILLIONAIRE'S HOLIDAY ENGAGEMENT excerpt ::

Billionaire on the menu....


Lauren knew how to tease a man insane. Everything about her tonight seemed to be trying to seduce him, even the promise of getting whatever he wanted in return for tasting her food. Since the flow of air through the dining room felt like her caress on his skin, no doubt the salad, a strange concoction of weeds, seeds, avocado and oranges, was charged with the same sexual energy.

She couldn’t expect him to eat and talk at the same time. He pushed the salad around with his fork, hoping to make it look like he’d eaten as he tried to keep the conversation at the table flowing. But he felt the weight of her narrowed gaze, though he avoided it since he saw the challenge she set in front of him. Avoided her and the golden wrap dress she’d donned. It tied with a sash, making him wonder if he untied it, would the whole thing fall away?

To keep sane, he focused on work. Far easier to understand the motivations of the attorney, professor, former CEO, and the two men trying to convince them all no better investment existed than using recycled restaurant grease to fuel automobiles.

“We’re turning an environmental burden into a conservation benefit.” Even in a suit, Henry Moss looked like a college senior who’d rolled out of bed and jumped into the only thing clean left.

“But this is currently a niche market. I can’t power my car with cooking oil.” He speared what looked like an orange and hoped for the Moss would delve into the sales pitch long enough for him to take a few bites. Avocado first. It would melt in his mouth.

“With the slightest adjustments, it can. Making those adjustments available to everyone is what we provide.” Moss’ partner, John Pratt barely looked more presentable with his shaggy hair and fuzzy goatee.

“But what kind of traction can you show?” Dean Walters laid his fork across a clean plate and leaned back in his chair. The man had acted as smug as befit a former CEO of the largest vehicle manufacturer in the country.

“For our size, we have generated significant revenue.” Moss said, leaning forward. “Our profits will be exponential. The more people who take on the responsibility of alternative fuels, the higher the demand, and the easier they are to access.”

“It’s admirable gentlemen.” Professor Volk laid his napkin next to his empty plate. “We all wish consumers would be environmentally accountable for their choices. But Americans go for cheap and easy. The gas station on the corner is simply more convenient than the one alternative fueling station in the metro area. There are many fuel alternatives – ethanol, natural gas, propane, hydrogen, fuel cell, electricity, methanol, and the list goes on. You have a double challenge, getting people to choose biodiesel, and choose your method.”

To keep from answering the question himself, Cameron shoved and orange section into his mouth. Except it had to be the most acidic, bitter orange he’d ever tasted. Swallowing it down he realized it wasn’t an orange, but a grapefruit. Leave it to Lauren to find the one fruit he detested to make him look like a finicky eater.

Pratt cleared his throat. “What we are offering is ease and economy, a way to convert a consumer’s existing car into a more efficient model. It’s an investment that pays them back in just over a year for the average person, sometimes as quickly as six months for commuters and sales people who rack up the mileage.”

Lauren stood, collecting the plates. Everyone else was as enthralled by the debate as he should be, if he weren’t so distracted by Lauren. He had two options to get his focus back at dinners. Either end the arrangement now, or sleep with her to take the edge off. Really, he had no choice at all.









AVOCADO CITRUS SALAD
1 avocado sliced
1 grapefruit, supremed Reserve the juice (or use the pre-sectioned grapefruit in the deli case)
1 orange, supremed. Reserve the juice (or use a can of mandarins, discard the water)
2 T pine nuts, toasted
1 bag pre-washed Mesclun mix

Toss the sliced avocado in the citrus juices. In a large bowl toss together all ingredients. That's it! There's no dressing to this salad. The ingredients meld so well there is no need!

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A Bit of My Latest Billionaire

 THE BILLIONAIRE'S HOLIDAY ENGAGEMENT

* blog exclusive excerpt * 

Cameron Price preferred to sit on the sidelines at parties and watch everyone else show their colors. But tonight, he was the one on display, the one under everyone’s microscope. He’d barely unpacked his suitcases, could hardly make it into the office without getting lost, and he already had to put on a show for the team of people who probably all thought they should have been given his job.

He stood on the landing and leaned over the railing, taking in the view of the downstairs. Come For Dinner catering earned every penny, no matter what they charged him. The house looked better than he’d ever seen it. Sonja Anders had decorated everything in white. Sterile, stark, cold. Now the rooms were washed in warm light, red scarves covering the lampshades and adding to the ambiance.

It was intimate, without being romantic. Classic, without being feminine. Everything he needed it to be. A weight lifted from him as he descended the stairs. He liked that it looked different, not wanting to seem like junior filling in for the old man.

The change in lighting, red pillows and throws on the couches, lush green plants in shiny silver pots, and little vases overflowing with red roses lining the dining room table and scattered on every other open surface made a statement. Saying to all who entered he was here to make his mark on the company. He’d never let on it really meant he’d gotten lucky when he hired a caterer.

At the base of the staircase he checked his watch. Ten minutes until the party started, guests would be arriving any minute. He wiped his damp palms against the gray wool of his slacks and closed his eyes, enjoying the solitude while he could.

A warm force plowed into his chest, opening his eyes with a start. He gripped the whirlwind by her slim shoulders and looked into her large round eyes framed by long blonde eyelashes. He couldn’t help but grin at the startled look in that gold flecked green gaze. Without letting her go, he pulled back taking in the smattering of freckles crossing her button nose, the long strawberry blonde hair pulled tight into a braid, and the milky skin of her shoulders, bare but for the thin spaghetti straps of her gauzy black dress. He blinked hard, bringing himself out of shock and dropped his hands, running one through his hair.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t realize anyone had arrived yet.” Cameron looked about the room for her date, but saw no one. She looked vaguely familiar, but both of the female executives invited were old enough to be this woman’s mother. “Who did you come with?”

An impish grin played on her pouty pink lips. She held out her hand. “I’m Lauren Brody, with Come For Dinner catering.”

“Oh. I apologize for assuming.” Stupid ass. Caterers could be pretty and well dressed. “I just never expected…wait, have we met?”

Her head jerked back and she gasped, her hand pressing against her stomach. Then just as quickly as she reacted, she calmed. “No we haven’t been introduced. But I’ve catered parties for the Anders’.” Her voice was breathy, almost to the point of a whisper.

“Have you decorated this way before?” His stomach sank. He’d look like a Bob Anders clone, the king of suck-ups.

“No.” She shook her head. “Mrs. Anders had her own sense of style. But I assumed since you had so little time to organize the dinner, you wouldn’t have time to decorate as well. It’s a service we provide for many of our single male clients.”

He quirked an eyebrow. “How did you know I was single?” And did she care?

“I asked your assistant. I needed to know if you would have a date for the evening, for the seating arrangements.”

He nodded furiously. Right, seating arrangements. Couldn’t just tell people to plop down wherever at a formal dinner. Thank goodness Lauren had him covered on that end. For two years Sonja Anders had been gently reminding him he should have a wife, but lately her approach grew more direct. As in blatantly telling him he couldn’t handle his new position without a wife. As if he had the time or energy to devote to a relationship.

Sonja Anders was obviously wrong. He didn’t need a wife, just Come For Dinner catering.

“If you’d like,” Lauren began, “I could give you a run through of how the night will go.” She crossed the room, turning on the stereo and picking up butane lighter from an end table. Cameron had to smile as the sounds of Pink Martini filled the large room.

“Isn’t that a little loud?”

“You want it just a smidge to loud at the beginning. Nothing is worse than stepping into a silent house. Gets the social swirl moving. Do you like it? I have six CDs in the rotation if it’s not your style.”

“No, I’m a fan. The founder went to Harvard, so they’re pretty big back there.”

“You went to Harvard?” Cameron nodded. “Impressive. And a relief. I have two more of their albums in the rotation.”

Cameron liked her before, but with eclectic tastes in music mirroring his own, she was dancing in dangerous territory. If he had time, or cared to risk his reputation with trying a relationship, she’d be an option. But showing his vulnerability to the world was not.

“I’ll turn it down as we start serving cocktails. Raspberry martinis, and of course, Chivas for Mr. Anders. We’ll be serving potato crisps with a caviar dip.” She slid about the room lighting candles. Did she know he needed to romance the team into trusting him?

“For dinner I’ll lower the volume more. Anita Baker should get us through the salad, and beef filet. I’ll crank it when it comes round to Pink Martini again and serve a flourless chocolate cake with raspberries for dessert.”

He watched as she walked around the room like she owned the place, far more comfortable there than he was. But then, she knew how to throw a party. He was in uncharted territory.

“Thank you for putting all of this together tonight. It’s exactly what I needed.”

A gleaming smile lit her face, lifting her rosy cheeks. “I’m glad to hear that. I hope –”

The shrill peal of the phone interrupted her. Cameron held up a finger so she would hold that thought and stepped to the side table lifting the receiver. Before he got out so much as a hello, the doorbell chimed.

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