Maid for the Billionaire
Book 1 of the Legacy Collection
Synopsis
Dominic Corisi knew instantly that Abigail Dartley was just the
distraction he was looking for, especially since having her took a bit
more persuading than he was used to. So when business forces him to fly
to China, he decides to take her with him, but on his terms. No
promises. No complications. Just sex.
Abby has always been the responsible one. She doesn’t believe in taking risks; especially when it comes to men - until she meets Dominic. He’s both infuriating and intoxicating, a heady combination. Their trip to China revives a long forgotten side of Abby, but also reveals a threat to bring down Dominic’s company. With no time to explain her actions, Abby must either influence the outcome of his latest venture and save his company or accept her role as his mistress and leave his fate to chance. Does she love him enough to risk losing him for good?
Abby has always been the responsible one. She doesn’t believe in taking risks; especially when it comes to men - until she meets Dominic. He’s both infuriating and intoxicating, a heady combination. Their trip to China revives a long forgotten side of Abby, but also reveals a threat to bring down Dominic’s company. With no time to explain her actions, Abby must either influence the outcome of his latest venture and save his company or accept her role as his mistress and leave his fate to chance. Does she love him enough to risk losing him for good?
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For Love or Legacy
Book 2 of the Legacy Collection
Synopsis
Nicole Corisi will lose her inheritance if she doesn’t find a way around the terms of her father’s will, but she will have to partner up with her estranged brother’s rival to do it. As pretense becomes painfully real, Nicole will have to choose between Stephan and the family he is driven to destroy.
Stephan Andrade has been planning his revenge ever since Dominic Corisi unscrupulously took over his father’s company. With Corisi Enterprises gambling its reputation on the success of a new software network for China, Stephan finally has his chance to take back his legacy. Dominic’s younger sister, Nicole, asks Stephan for his help and provides him with an opportunity to exact his revenge on a personal level.
It all goes smoothly until he falls in love.
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Bedding the Billionaire
Book 3 of the Legacy Collection
Synopsis
Lil Dartley’s life is upside down. Her previously steadfast and predictable sister is marrying an influential billionaire and needs help planning the wedding of the century in less than a month. Years of middle class rebellion have not prepared Lil for handling billionaires or paparazzi.
Jake Walton knows a train wreck when he sees one. Lil was trouble from the first day he met her, but since her sister is marrying his best friend, he has no choice but to help her or this wedding will be in the news for all the wrong reasons. Keeping Lil safe would be a whole lot easier if she didn’t drive him crazy both in and out of the bedroom.
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Saving the Sheikh
Book 4 of the Legacy Collection
Synopsis
Rachid bin Amir al Hantan is fighting for the sovereignty of his small
country. He needs to find some powerful allies - and fast. Attending the
wedding of Dominic Corisi is as much about reconnecting with old
friends as it is about celebrating nuptials. The last thing he needs
right now is the distraction of a woman.
Zhang Yajun is a self-made billionaire who can’t believe she accepted her friend’s dare to kiss Sheikh Rachid before the end of the wedding.
When impulsive words lead to even more impulsive actions, these two will discover that sometimes the last thing you were looking for is the one thing that can save you.
Zhang Yajun is a self-made billionaire who can’t believe she accepted her friend’s dare to kiss Sheikh Rachid before the end of the wedding.
When impulsive words lead to even more impulsive actions, these two will discover that sometimes the last thing you were looking for is the one thing that can save you.
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Rise of the Billionaire
Book 5 of the Legacy Collection
Synopsis
Dreaming of Alethea gave Jeremy Kater the strength to survive a
difficult childhood. Now that he has influential friends who owe him
some big favors, he’s determined to become the kind of man Alethea would
be interested in: rich and dangerous. Jeisa Borreto was hired to help
Jeremy morph into that man. It’s a job she would enjoy, if it weren’t
tearing her heart to pieces.
How can she help him change once she’s realized she’s fallen in love with the man he’s always been?
Hint: Sleeping with him doesn't help.
How can she help him change once she’s realized she’s fallen in love with the man he’s always been?
Hint: Sleeping with him doesn't help.
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Breaching the Billionaire: Alethea's Redemption
Book 6 of the Legacy Collection
Synopsis
Alethea is at a crossroad. For as long as she could remember, it was
her and her best friend, Lil, against the world. Now that Lil has met
Prince "I have my own helicopter" Charming and reconnected with her
family, Alethea is on the outside looking in, justifying who she's
always been to people who have never understood her. When she uncovers a
looming threat to Lil's family, she's determined to save them, even
after they tell her not to get involved and assign their best man to
stop her.
Marc Stone has been watching Alethea ever since she waltzed through his security system and right into his late night fantasies. As a decorated Marine, he's seen war, but nothing could prepare him for this wild redhead. Strong. Beautiful. Flawed, and fiercely protective. Hard to love, and impossible to deny.
If she'll stop fighting him long enough, he'll show her just how perfect they are for each other. That is, if she doesn't get them both killed first.
Marc Stone has been watching Alethea ever since she waltzed through his security system and right into his late night fantasies. As a decorated Marine, he's seen war, but nothing could prepare him for this wild redhead. Strong. Beautiful. Flawed, and fiercely protective. Hard to love, and impossible to deny.
If she'll stop fighting him long enough, he'll show her just how perfect they are for each other. That is, if she doesn't get them both killed first.
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Excerpts
Book 3: Bedding the Billionaire
“Looking for more about the Corisi/Dartley whirlwind romance? We have an exclusive interview with the bride-to-be's sister.” The promo from a Boston news station played on the phone Jake Walton had propped on a table in his room-sized closet as he was getting dressed one morning.
Jake paused briefly from looping his carefully chosen, blue silk tie in a full Windsor. Most men were aware of one or two ways to knot a tie, but Jake knew over eighty methods to perform that simple function and how each conveyed a subtle, yet different message.
Information was power, even when applied to the details.The video clip his business partner, Dominic Corisi, had sent his phone a few moments earlier was not welcome information, but since the actual interview had yet to air there was time to squash it. Having a network of security in a variety of cities had paid off again.
This was an unfortunate distraction for Dominic at the very time when he most needed to regain his focus. Luckily the situation could easily be rectified with a few phone calls and would hopefully be quickly forgotten by the public.
No doubt, Dominic’s next step would be to call him, perpetuating the cycle they had fallen into years ago – Dominic made a mess and always expected Jake to clean it up.
Jake didn’t deny that there was a certain pleasure to be found in bringing order to the chaos his business partner often left in his wake. Normally something like this interview would be categorized as a minor nuisance. Dominic was famous for being volatile,
impulsive, and often the subject of legal inquires, certainly not a man who feared bad press, but with Corisi Enterprises having invested so much into one contract with China, the stakes were insanely high.
Jake resumed knotting his tie as he watched the rest of the video clip.
“Listen as Lil Dartley spills her true feelings about having billionaire and computer tycoon Dominic Corisi kidnap her sister. Hear her confess something that is sure to rock the Corisi camp. Think you know the whole story? You don’t know this. Don’t miss our
exclusive phone interview – tonight at seven.”
Surely Dominic hadn’t been careless enough to share the one piece of information that could topple Corisi Enterprises? If so, no amount of money could stifle her interview.
Was Lil making a grab for her five minutes of fame, or something more insidious? She was a young, single mother of twenty-five. It wasn’t unimaginable that she’d think the world owed her something since her sister had hit the proverbial jackpot by snagging a
billionaire.
Normally the exposure of human flaw did not elicit more than annoyance from Jake, but it was oddly disappointing to find it so soon in Dominic’s new family – Lil in particular.
Not that her character, or lack of, should matter one way or another to Jake. She was, and always should have been, off limits. A memory from the first time he’d met her came back to him with disconcerting clarity.
His body tightened and warmed as if she were once again standing before him, defiantly flipping her cascade of dark brown curls over one shoulder and waving her other hand back and forth as if underlying her words.
“You lied to me,” she’d accused. And waited, practically tapping a foot in displeasure. The details of the bowling alley she’d dragged him to that night had faded away, but the fullness of her pouting mouth remained painfully easy to recall.
“You asked me if I liked to bowl, not if I knew how.” A hint of self-satisfaction had spilled into his tone and it’d bothered him. Knocking over a set of pins with a spinning projectile was a simple process of aiming for a “pocket,” the space between the front pin and the one angled behind it to the right. Not a difficult feat if you understood angles and velocity. So why had he puffed up with pride over this achievement?
Lil.
His realization that he wanted to impress her had been the most unsettling part of the evening. There had been far too much going on with Corisi Enterprises to waste time on what the little sister of Dominic’s latest fling thought of him. He’d scowled down at her,
more in response to his own thoughts than to her words.
Money shaped how most people interacted with him, but it wasn’t something that he’d given much reflection to until he’d met Lil. Her displeasure with the reason for his visit had initially outweighed whatever most women found attractive about him. She hadn’t asked him to join her that night because she wanted to spend more time with him.
No, she’d taken him outside of what she’d considered his comfort zone with a less than noble goal, but she’d failed. “Disappointed that I don’t look ridiculous?” he’d asked.
She’d rested a hand on one jean clad hip, looking him up and down, smirking as she’d noted the clash between his Dayang suit and his colorful, rented bowling shoes; a perusal that had sent his blood rushing to places he thought he’d gained control of by his late teens.
“Oh, you still do, don’t worry.”
More than the way her yellow t-shirt had clung to her small but tempting endowments, or how her jeans had been tight in all the right places – what had driven his blood pressure higher had been the bold challenge in her eyes. He’d never been the type of man who
reached out, grabbed with passion, and took. But that night, he’d wanted to be.
Instead, he’d adjusted his tie and cleared his throat. “Then I suggest you beat my score or risk the same fate.”
She’d continued to assess him, shaking her head slightly. “I don’t get you. I mean, aren’t you Dominic’s second in command?”
The memory of that comment elicited the same tight smile it had the first time he’d heard it. “Something like that.”
“Don’t you mind babysitting me?”
Her question had highlighted the heart of the problem.
He should.
His business partner was having a very public breakdown in the middle of one of the most important business deals in the history of their company. He should have accompanied Dominic to China and ensured that his current altered state of mind didn’t leave him open to manipulation.
Instead he’d allowed Dominic to sidetrack him with a trip to Boston.
A trip that should have ended after he’d ascertained Lil’s safety from the security detail that Dominic had sent to watch her. However, something had happened when she’d opened the door of her house, baby on one hip, long rebellious tendrils framing her naturally beautiful face. He’d felt the floor sway beneath his usually steady feet.
Her growing irritation with him as he’d explained who he was had taken him by surprise; as had her blatant desire for him to leave. He wasn’t accustomed to women dismissing him quite so easily. Feeling a bit like he was peddling something door to door, he’d almost failed to gain entry to her house.
And he’d enjoyed every moment of it.Her irritation had returned with force at the bowling alley, but had softened to include a semi-apology. “Sorry, I shouldn’t take my bad mood out on you, but I am perfectly capable of surviving a few days without my sister. Wasn’t the nanny enough? How much supervision does she think I need?” When he’d opened his mouth to say something,
she’d said, “Don’t answer that. It was a rhetorical question.”
He must not have hidden his amusement well because her eyes had narrowed in the most adorable, piqued expression. “Laugh away but I just lost all sympathy for you.
You’re going down.”
Her comment had found its target. His breath had quickened in response as he’d met her audaciously bold, amber glare. “I never lose.”
She’d leaned closer as if testing something.He’d sucked his breath in surprise. Placing a hand on one of his shoulders, she’d stretched up on her tiptoes and whispered in his ear, “Neither do I.” Her hand trailed halfway down his buttoned shirt as she turned away.
He’d stood immobile, watching the seductive sway of her hips as she sauntered over to retrieve her ball. Just before she’d released it, she’d looked over her shoulder at him, catching the guilty shift of his attention from her amazing ass to the sass in those brown eyes. Her wink had almost been his undoing.
His body had surged and craved.
Strike.
Triumphantly, she’d brushed by him, touching him only with her fresh scent. Normally he would have said that he had little preference regarding female perfumes, but that evening he’d discovered the lack of one to be strikingly attractive, sending his thoughts in wild directions – some that had included how the waxed lane would feel beneath their bare skin.
With what could only have been described as a saucy smile, she’d said, “Your turn.” He’d chosen his next ball at random.
Thrown it without thought. Barely registered that it had left most of the pins standing. Just as his second had. Her chuckle had removed his last shred of restraint.
Closing the distance between them, he’d placed a hand on either side of her face and tasted her smiling lips. Just a brief touch, a flick of a tongue, nothing that should have overshadowed his usual distaste for public displays of affection. Such banal behavior
was never necessary, but to his surprise he’d found it, oh, so pleasurable.
Her humor had melted beneath the heat of their connection and her tongue had begun a teasing dance of its own. He’d stopped hearing the blaring background music, stopped listening to the inner voice that warned him that he was losing control. He’d kissed her until her arms had curled around his neck, until her back had arched to press her closer to him, and until her breathing had become as hot and ragged as his.
Eventually the hoots of encouragement and echoing catcalls from players in other lanes had registered and Jake had ended the kiss. Heart pounding in his chest, he’d mentally scrambled to regain his decorum, but his body had continued to betray him by not releasing her.
Achieving his level of power and success so quickly meant that he spent most of his time in boardrooms with people almost twice his age. Around Lil, he’d felt impulsive and younger. Leaning in for one final taste of her lips, he’d whispered against them, “Your turn,” and had chuckled at how quickly her bemusement had been replaced by ire.
She’d spun away, picked up her ball, and presented him with her tempting ass and an over-the-shoulder smirk before strutting to the lane.
Game on.
“Looking for more about the Corisi/Dartley whirlwind romance? We have an exclusive interview with the bride-to-be's sister.” The promo from a Boston news station played on the phone Jake Walton had propped on a table in his room-sized closet as he was getting dressed one morning.
Jake paused briefly from looping his carefully chosen, blue silk tie in a full Windsor. Most men were aware of one or two ways to knot a tie, but Jake knew over eighty methods to perform that simple function and how each conveyed a subtle, yet different message.
Information was power, even when applied to the details.The video clip his business partner, Dominic Corisi, had sent his phone a few moments earlier was not welcome information, but since the actual interview had yet to air there was time to squash it. Having a network of security in a variety of cities had paid off again.
This was an unfortunate distraction for Dominic at the very time when he most needed to regain his focus. Luckily the situation could easily be rectified with a few phone calls and would hopefully be quickly forgotten by the public.
No doubt, Dominic’s next step would be to call him, perpetuating the cycle they had fallen into years ago – Dominic made a mess and always expected Jake to clean it up.
Jake didn’t deny that there was a certain pleasure to be found in bringing order to the chaos his business partner often left in his wake. Normally something like this interview would be categorized as a minor nuisance. Dominic was famous for being volatile,
impulsive, and often the subject of legal inquires, certainly not a man who feared bad press, but with Corisi Enterprises having invested so much into one contract with China, the stakes were insanely high.
Jake resumed knotting his tie as he watched the rest of the video clip.
“Listen as Lil Dartley spills her true feelings about having billionaire and computer tycoon Dominic Corisi kidnap her sister. Hear her confess something that is sure to rock the Corisi camp. Think you know the whole story? You don’t know this. Don’t miss our
exclusive phone interview – tonight at seven.”
Surely Dominic hadn’t been careless enough to share the one piece of information that could topple Corisi Enterprises? If so, no amount of money could stifle her interview.
Was Lil making a grab for her five minutes of fame, or something more insidious? She was a young, single mother of twenty-five. It wasn’t unimaginable that she’d think the world owed her something since her sister had hit the proverbial jackpot by snagging a
billionaire.
Normally the exposure of human flaw did not elicit more than annoyance from Jake, but it was oddly disappointing to find it so soon in Dominic’s new family – Lil in particular.
Not that her character, or lack of, should matter one way or another to Jake. She was, and always should have been, off limits. A memory from the first time he’d met her came back to him with disconcerting clarity.
His body tightened and warmed as if she were once again standing before him, defiantly flipping her cascade of dark brown curls over one shoulder and waving her other hand back and forth as if underlying her words.
“You lied to me,” she’d accused. And waited, practically tapping a foot in displeasure. The details of the bowling alley she’d dragged him to that night had faded away, but the fullness of her pouting mouth remained painfully easy to recall.
“You asked me if I liked to bowl, not if I knew how.” A hint of self-satisfaction had spilled into his tone and it’d bothered him. Knocking over a set of pins with a spinning projectile was a simple process of aiming for a “pocket,” the space between the front pin and the one angled behind it to the right. Not a difficult feat if you understood angles and velocity. So why had he puffed up with pride over this achievement?
Lil.
His realization that he wanted to impress her had been the most unsettling part of the evening. There had been far too much going on with Corisi Enterprises to waste time on what the little sister of Dominic’s latest fling thought of him. He’d scowled down at her,
more in response to his own thoughts than to her words.
Money shaped how most people interacted with him, but it wasn’t something that he’d given much reflection to until he’d met Lil. Her displeasure with the reason for his visit had initially outweighed whatever most women found attractive about him. She hadn’t asked him to join her that night because she wanted to spend more time with him.
No, she’d taken him outside of what she’d considered his comfort zone with a less than noble goal, but she’d failed. “Disappointed that I don’t look ridiculous?” he’d asked.
She’d rested a hand on one jean clad hip, looking him up and down, smirking as she’d noted the clash between his Dayang suit and his colorful, rented bowling shoes; a perusal that had sent his blood rushing to places he thought he’d gained control of by his late teens.
“Oh, you still do, don’t worry.”
More than the way her yellow t-shirt had clung to her small but tempting endowments, or how her jeans had been tight in all the right places – what had driven his blood pressure higher had been the bold challenge in her eyes. He’d never been the type of man who
reached out, grabbed with passion, and took. But that night, he’d wanted to be.
Instead, he’d adjusted his tie and cleared his throat. “Then I suggest you beat my score or risk the same fate.”
She’d continued to assess him, shaking her head slightly. “I don’t get you. I mean, aren’t you Dominic’s second in command?”
The memory of that comment elicited the same tight smile it had the first time he’d heard it. “Something like that.”
“Don’t you mind babysitting me?”
Her question had highlighted the heart of the problem.
He should.
His business partner was having a very public breakdown in the middle of one of the most important business deals in the history of their company. He should have accompanied Dominic to China and ensured that his current altered state of mind didn’t leave him open to manipulation.
Instead he’d allowed Dominic to sidetrack him with a trip to Boston.
A trip that should have ended after he’d ascertained Lil’s safety from the security detail that Dominic had sent to watch her. However, something had happened when she’d opened the door of her house, baby on one hip, long rebellious tendrils framing her naturally beautiful face. He’d felt the floor sway beneath his usually steady feet.
Her growing irritation with him as he’d explained who he was had taken him by surprise; as had her blatant desire for him to leave. He wasn’t accustomed to women dismissing him quite so easily. Feeling a bit like he was peddling something door to door, he’d almost failed to gain entry to her house.
And he’d enjoyed every moment of it.Her irritation had returned with force at the bowling alley, but had softened to include a semi-apology. “Sorry, I shouldn’t take my bad mood out on you, but I am perfectly capable of surviving a few days without my sister. Wasn’t the nanny enough? How much supervision does she think I need?” When he’d opened his mouth to say something,
she’d said, “Don’t answer that. It was a rhetorical question.”
He must not have hidden his amusement well because her eyes had narrowed in the most adorable, piqued expression. “Laugh away but I just lost all sympathy for you.
You’re going down.”
Her comment had found its target. His breath had quickened in response as he’d met her audaciously bold, amber glare. “I never lose.”
She’d leaned closer as if testing something.He’d sucked his breath in surprise. Placing a hand on one of his shoulders, she’d stretched up on her tiptoes and whispered in his ear, “Neither do I.” Her hand trailed halfway down his buttoned shirt as she turned away.
He’d stood immobile, watching the seductive sway of her hips as she sauntered over to retrieve her ball. Just before she’d released it, she’d looked over her shoulder at him, catching the guilty shift of his attention from her amazing ass to the sass in those brown eyes. Her wink had almost been his undoing.
His body had surged and craved.
Strike.
Triumphantly, she’d brushed by him, touching him only with her fresh scent. Normally he would have said that he had little preference regarding female perfumes, but that evening he’d discovered the lack of one to be strikingly attractive, sending his thoughts in wild directions – some that had included how the waxed lane would feel beneath their bare skin.
With what could only have been described as a saucy smile, she’d said, “Your turn.” He’d chosen his next ball at random.
Thrown it without thought. Barely registered that it had left most of the pins standing. Just as his second had. Her chuckle had removed his last shred of restraint.
Closing the distance between them, he’d placed a hand on either side of her face and tasted her smiling lips. Just a brief touch, a flick of a tongue, nothing that should have overshadowed his usual distaste for public displays of affection. Such banal behavior
was never necessary, but to his surprise he’d found it, oh, so pleasurable.
Her humor had melted beneath the heat of their connection and her tongue had begun a teasing dance of its own. He’d stopped hearing the blaring background music, stopped listening to the inner voice that warned him that he was losing control. He’d kissed her until her arms had curled around his neck, until her back had arched to press her closer to him, and until her breathing had become as hot and ragged as his.
Eventually the hoots of encouragement and echoing catcalls from players in other lanes had registered and Jake had ended the kiss. Heart pounding in his chest, he’d mentally scrambled to regain his decorum, but his body had continued to betray him by not releasing her.
Achieving his level of power and success so quickly meant that he spent most of his time in boardrooms with people almost twice his age. Around Lil, he’d felt impulsive and younger. Leaning in for one final taste of her lips, he’d whispered against them, “Your turn,” and had chuckled at how quickly her bemusement had been replaced by ire.
She’d spun away, picked up her ball, and presented him with her tempting ass and an over-the-shoulder smirk before strutting to the lane.
Game on.
Book 4: Saving the Sheikh
Just do it. Zhang planted her feet firmly in the lush grass. No turning back now.What if he doesn’t follow me?Shaking off the negative question, Zhang reminded herself that nothing positive came from worrying about what might not happen. Success came from charging forward. Or, in the words of the American motivational speaker Tony Robbins, from taking “massive, determined action.”
That’s what this situation needed before their reason for standing together disappeared and she lost what might have been her only chance. One kiss and her side of the bargain would be done.She held her breath and waited.Light footsteps approached.Her heart jumped in her chest when Rachid stepped around the corner of the tent and into the privacy the temporary cloth alley created.
His brows met in question as he walked toward her. “Zhang?” he asked, his tone concerned, a glass of champagne still in either hand.She closed the distance between them with a few determined strides and grabbed him by the lapels of his tux, pulling him down toward her. She grated, “I’m done trying to be subtle. Let’s just get this over with.”Rising to her tiptoes, she met his lips with a force that stunned them both for a moment.Heat exploded between them, and what was supposed to be a brief touch lingered.
After only the slightest hesitation, his mouth settled on hers and began a quest of its own. His tongue teased, then plundered. As her knees buckled beneath her, Zhang was suddenly steadying herself against Rachid rather than pulling him to her. Drowning beneath a wave of passion, she forgot the wedding, forgot the dare, and left the world behind. The thud of glasses dropping to the ground was followed by the heavenly feeling of Rachid’s hands closing around her waist and pulling her closer. His lips moved across her cheek and down her neck, his hot breath tickling as it excited.
Impatiently, her hands sought more of him. They slid beneath his jacket and closed around the warm muscles of his back. His mouth returned to hers, demanding a submission that she gave gladly as he lifted her off her feet and the kiss intensified.The sound of the wedding planner calling for them brought Zhang quickly back to reality.
She turned her head to one side, breaking the kiss off, and took a shaky breath. “You can put me down now,” she said.“I could,” he said, and smiled against her neck.Awkward didn’t begin to describe how she felt. She could only imagine what he thought of her. “Put me down,” she said coldly. He eased her gently back onto her feet but didn’t release her. “If you wanted to get my attention, you have it now.”
Zhang squirmed a bit in his embrace, but his hold only tightened on her.
“They’re looking for us.” He nuzzled her ear and she shuddered. “Let them look.” She put her hands between the two of them and pushed against him a bit. “You may have gotten the wrong impression of me.”He raised his head and studied her upturned face. “I don’t think so. You’re an incredibly intelligent, spirited woman who takes what she wants.”
One of his hands shifted down to span the small of her back. “I could enjoy that for a night.”With one firm shove, Zhang pushed away from him. “Thanks for the offer, but I must decline. All I needed was the kiss.” She straightened her clothing. In response to the surprise in his face, she said, “You wouldn’t understand.” She stepped toward escape.
He blocked her path. “Try me.”Ignoring how his nearness sent flutters through her stomach, Zhang said, “If you must know, it was a dare.”He grabbed her wrist, the lines of his face becoming harsh.
“Like a joke?”She tried and failed to free herself from his grasp. “No, not a joke. It was supposed to – I really can’t explain it. All I can do is say that weddings make women a little crazy.” She sent him a harassed glare. “Can we leave it at that?” He turned her hand over in his. “You intrigue me, Zhang Yajun. Is this normal for you, or am I your first wedding ambush?”
Her cheeks warmed with embarrassment. “What are the chances we could forget this happened?”
“Pretty close to zero.”
“And what exactly is it going to take to get you to let go of my arm?”
He smiled and said, “I’d settle for an explanation.” When she let out a relieved breath he laughed, “What were you thinking the price would be?”
Zhang couldn’t help it – she returned his smile. “You have a dirty mind.”His smile widened. “Says the woman who jumped an unsuspecting man who had simply come back here to make sure she was okay.”She rolled her eyes and laughed. “Poor man.”“Lucky man,” he said softly, and she blushed again. With a tug, he pulled her against him.
She craned her neck back to look up at his face, the wild beating of their hearts synchronizing. “Are you going to tell me, or should I kiss it out of you?”Zhang gulped.Tough choice.Her body quivered in anticipation even as her mind listed all the reasons why a hasty retreat was the wisest option.
“How do you know you’d succeed?”He leaned down until their lips almost touched and said, “The fun would be in trying.”Yes, it would be.A glimmer of sanity returned.No, it would not.This has already gone too far. Maybe a little honesty was just what this situation needed.
“I wanted to prove something to myself.”
“And did you?” he asked in a whisper.Yes, that all of my bits and pieces are still functioning perfectly, even if my brain is temporarily on the fritz.
“Yes,” she whispered back.
“You really want to end this with one kiss?” She wondered how many women had melted and surrendered when he’d asked that question in that husky tone. She was sure she didn’t want to know. The thought of him with another woman gave her the strength to resist.
“It seems like the wisest course of action.” Rachid shook his head in mock disappointment. “I thought you were braver than that, Zhang.”
“You don’t even know me.”
“I’d like to.”
“For one night.” His expression sobered. “I don’t have more than that to offer.”
Honestly, neither did she, at least not to a man who had his own overwhelming amount of responsibility. She may have, in a moment or two of weakness, researched the prince online. What had stemmed from mere curiosity had become more intense as she’d learned more about his country. Anything long-term between them was out of the question. He would never relocate, and she couldn’t imagine herself in his country any more than she could imagine herself moving back to her old village. Still, what woman wouldn’t be tempted by a gorgeous and confident man like Rachid? Unlike so many of the men she met who wanted something either financial or political from her, Rachid was promising her a night of mutual pleasuring without asking for anything in return. No strings. No regrets. Tempting, but not a wise choice.
“It would be incredibly reckless.” He ran a hand gently over one of her cheeks. “Why don’t we start by simply enjoying the wedding together.”Although it was highly unlikely that more time with this man was going to make the decision easier, Zhang was powerless to deny him.
“I could do that.” His hands slid lower, closing over the curve of her behind and pulling her against his excitement. “The cost of your freedom is one kiss.”
“You said it was an explanation.”
“I changed my mind,” he murmured and his lips descended down onto hers again – testing. Instantly, feverishly, they clung to each other. His strong hands lifted her to fit her more tightly against him. Had it not been for the length of her gown, she would have wrapped her legs around his waist. As it was, their clothing did little to stop either of them from exploring.With an expletive Zhang didn’t understand, Rachid set her back from him and said, “Come, let’s return to the wedding before I lose control and take you here on the grass.”
Not exactly a threat when I’ve considered doing the same.Zhang quickly collected her thoughts and kept her features tightly controlled. If she was careful, she could spend an amazing and passionately charged evening with this incredible man and call it to a halt before it went too far. A few kisses. A little flirtation. Isn’t that what Lil said happened at an American wedding? Hadn’t she been careful long enough? She’d denied herself anything intimate and kept her focus on her business. What would one evening hurt as long as no one knew?
“You go first. I don’t want anyone to know we were alone back here.”
Rachid looked down at her quickly. “Concerned about your reputation?” His question stung. People made assumptions about her and her morality based on her lifestyle. Normally she shrugged it off as a price she paid for being free. She wanted – needed – Rachid to understand. “I may live by my own rules, but I have a family and I won’t dishonor them. ”
He touched her cheek again softly. “Anything we do will be discrete. I promise you that.” When she opened her mouth to respond to him, he gently placed one finger over her lips and said, “And if nothing happens at all, my opinion of you will remain the same – you are one fascinating woman, Zhang.”
A female voice called out from a short distance. “Zhang? Are you back here?” Damn.Zhang looked into those amazing black eyes and said, “That’s Lil. She shouldn’t find us like this.”After one last brief kiss, Rachid nodded his agreement and walked away in the opposite direction of Lil’s voice. Zhang let out a long breath and brought a shaky hand to her mouth, savoring the lingering warmth of his touch. If this is a dream, don’t wake me up yet.Lil bounded around the tent and stopped dead when she saw Zhang.
“There you are! Abby wants a picture with the whole wedding party and no one could find you.”Zhang straightened her dress and boldly lied. “I needed a moment alone.”
Instantly, Lil’s expression changed and she swept closer, making Zhang regret her choice of excuses. “I’m so sorry. I know how you feel about weddings.”A secret smile tugged at the corners of Zhang’s lips. I may have just changed my opinion of them. “Please do not be concerned, Lil. I’m fine.”
Lil looked around, saw the glasses of champagne at Zhang’s feet and drew her own conclusion. “I’m an ass. I shouldn’t have dared you to kiss that sheikh. It was childish and stupid. Forget I even said it.” Real concern clouded her friend’s eyes and tore at Zhang’s composure. This wasn’t fun if it hurt someone. “It wasn’t childish, Lil. You wanted to give me a reason to smile today and you did.”
Lil countered, “Really? Then why are you hiding back here drinking by yourself? “I wasn’t . . .” Lil shook her head sadly, clearly not believing her. After all, the evidence was at her feet.“I was with Rachid.”
Lil’s jaw dropped open. “The sheikh?”
Zhang kept her expression serene, although some amusement filtered into her tone. “Is there more than one here tonight?” A slow grin swept all worry from the brunette’s face. “Holy crap! You kissed him, didn’t you?”Zhang nodded, a proud smile bursting forth.Lil hopped in excitement and hugged her. “You are one hot shit, Zhang! I love it!”Pulling back slightly from her over exuberant friend, Zhang repeated the label. “Hot shit.” She mulled the term. “I can’t say I’ve been called that before. It’s a compliment?”
Lil was practically dancing with excitement and might have hugged her again had Zhang not taken another step back. She enjoyed Lil, but the constant touching was something she wasn’t quite used to. Lil said, “From me, it’s a huge one. You’re my new hero.”Now I know I’m in trouble.Suddenly sobering a bit, Zhang asked, “Can we keep this between the two of us?”
“Absolutely,” Lil said. She linked arms with Zhang and together they started walking toward the wedding party. “I can keep a secret.”
Zhang paused, causing Lil to come to an abrupt halt beside her, and simply looked up at her until the younger woman blushed.“When it’s important,” Lil qualified. Zhang’s eyebrows rose in challenge.
“Do you want me to pinkie-swear?” Lil asked in growing offense.Zhang started walking again, but this time she was smiling.
“No, one per wedding is all I can handle.” Lil hugged Zhang’s arm to her side and laughed as they strolled together. She added in a stage whisper, “I can’t believe you did it.” Lil’s enthusiasm was impossible to resist.
A light laugh burst from her as Zhang conceded, “I can’t either.” She gave her friend’s arm a slight squeeze. No matter how the evening ended, Zhang had taken a risk, and the result was that she felt more alive and hopeful than she had in years. Life shouldn’t be a story about what the world did with you; it should be about what you did with the world. “Thank you.”Nearing the grassy area where the wedding party was already standing in position, waiting to complete the photos, Zhang couldn’t help but sneak a look at Rachid.
He was standing with the other groomsmen on one side of Dominic. Composed. Looking every bit the visiting monarch he was.
Lil announced, “I found Zhang! She was . . .” Her hesitation hung heavy in the silence as everyone waited. “Lost,” she finished lamely.All eyes flew to Zhang. Thanks, Lil, now people are wondering if I’m drunk. Agreeing was easier than attempting another cover story, so she shrugged and concurred, “So many tents that all look alike.”
Abby broke the awkward pause that followed. She waved Lil and Zhang toward her side. “Well, come on! We’ve been waiting for you. Get over here. Just a few more photos and then we can go eat.”
Lil took her spot near her sister. Zhang headed toward the other bridesmaids, looking over at Rachid one last time as she joined them. His expression gave nothing away as he stared back at her. It would be easy enough to convince herself that she had imagined the entire alley exchange. He was right to pretend nothing had happened. Nothing had. Not really. Just one meaningless kiss. Better forgotten.Then Rachid winked at her and the photographer recorded Zhang’s happy responding flush. In the words of one expressive American: Holy crap.
Just do it. Zhang planted her feet firmly in the lush grass. No turning back now.What if he doesn’t follow me?Shaking off the negative question, Zhang reminded herself that nothing positive came from worrying about what might not happen. Success came from charging forward. Or, in the words of the American motivational speaker Tony Robbins, from taking “massive, determined action.”
That’s what this situation needed before their reason for standing together disappeared and she lost what might have been her only chance. One kiss and her side of the bargain would be done.She held her breath and waited.Light footsteps approached.Her heart jumped in her chest when Rachid stepped around the corner of the tent and into the privacy the temporary cloth alley created.
His brows met in question as he walked toward her. “Zhang?” he asked, his tone concerned, a glass of champagne still in either hand.She closed the distance between them with a few determined strides and grabbed him by the lapels of his tux, pulling him down toward her. She grated, “I’m done trying to be subtle. Let’s just get this over with.”Rising to her tiptoes, she met his lips with a force that stunned them both for a moment.Heat exploded between them, and what was supposed to be a brief touch lingered.
After only the slightest hesitation, his mouth settled on hers and began a quest of its own. His tongue teased, then plundered. As her knees buckled beneath her, Zhang was suddenly steadying herself against Rachid rather than pulling him to her. Drowning beneath a wave of passion, she forgot the wedding, forgot the dare, and left the world behind. The thud of glasses dropping to the ground was followed by the heavenly feeling of Rachid’s hands closing around her waist and pulling her closer. His lips moved across her cheek and down her neck, his hot breath tickling as it excited.
Impatiently, her hands sought more of him. They slid beneath his jacket and closed around the warm muscles of his back. His mouth returned to hers, demanding a submission that she gave gladly as he lifted her off her feet and the kiss intensified.The sound of the wedding planner calling for them brought Zhang quickly back to reality.
She turned her head to one side, breaking the kiss off, and took a shaky breath. “You can put me down now,” she said.“I could,” he said, and smiled against her neck.Awkward didn’t begin to describe how she felt. She could only imagine what he thought of her. “Put me down,” she said coldly. He eased her gently back onto her feet but didn’t release her. “If you wanted to get my attention, you have it now.”
Zhang squirmed a bit in his embrace, but his hold only tightened on her.
“They’re looking for us.” He nuzzled her ear and she shuddered. “Let them look.” She put her hands between the two of them and pushed against him a bit. “You may have gotten the wrong impression of me.”He raised his head and studied her upturned face. “I don’t think so. You’re an incredibly intelligent, spirited woman who takes what she wants.”
One of his hands shifted down to span the small of her back. “I could enjoy that for a night.”With one firm shove, Zhang pushed away from him. “Thanks for the offer, but I must decline. All I needed was the kiss.” She straightened her clothing. In response to the surprise in his face, she said, “You wouldn’t understand.” She stepped toward escape.
He blocked her path. “Try me.”Ignoring how his nearness sent flutters through her stomach, Zhang said, “If you must know, it was a dare.”He grabbed her wrist, the lines of his face becoming harsh.
“Like a joke?”She tried and failed to free herself from his grasp. “No, not a joke. It was supposed to – I really can’t explain it. All I can do is say that weddings make women a little crazy.” She sent him a harassed glare. “Can we leave it at that?” He turned her hand over in his. “You intrigue me, Zhang Yajun. Is this normal for you, or am I your first wedding ambush?”
Her cheeks warmed with embarrassment. “What are the chances we could forget this happened?”
“Pretty close to zero.”
“And what exactly is it going to take to get you to let go of my arm?”
He smiled and said, “I’d settle for an explanation.” When she let out a relieved breath he laughed, “What were you thinking the price would be?”
Zhang couldn’t help it – she returned his smile. “You have a dirty mind.”His smile widened. “Says the woman who jumped an unsuspecting man who had simply come back here to make sure she was okay.”She rolled her eyes and laughed. “Poor man.”“Lucky man,” he said softly, and she blushed again. With a tug, he pulled her against him.
She craned her neck back to look up at his face, the wild beating of their hearts synchronizing. “Are you going to tell me, or should I kiss it out of you?”Zhang gulped.Tough choice.Her body quivered in anticipation even as her mind listed all the reasons why a hasty retreat was the wisest option.
“How do you know you’d succeed?”He leaned down until their lips almost touched and said, “The fun would be in trying.”Yes, it would be.A glimmer of sanity returned.No, it would not.This has already gone too far. Maybe a little honesty was just what this situation needed.
“I wanted to prove something to myself.”
“And did you?” he asked in a whisper.Yes, that all of my bits and pieces are still functioning perfectly, even if my brain is temporarily on the fritz.
“Yes,” she whispered back.
“You really want to end this with one kiss?” She wondered how many women had melted and surrendered when he’d asked that question in that husky tone. She was sure she didn’t want to know. The thought of him with another woman gave her the strength to resist.
“It seems like the wisest course of action.” Rachid shook his head in mock disappointment. “I thought you were braver than that, Zhang.”
“You don’t even know me.”
“I’d like to.”
“For one night.” His expression sobered. “I don’t have more than that to offer.”
Honestly, neither did she, at least not to a man who had his own overwhelming amount of responsibility. She may have, in a moment or two of weakness, researched the prince online. What had stemmed from mere curiosity had become more intense as she’d learned more about his country. Anything long-term between them was out of the question. He would never relocate, and she couldn’t imagine herself in his country any more than she could imagine herself moving back to her old village. Still, what woman wouldn’t be tempted by a gorgeous and confident man like Rachid? Unlike so many of the men she met who wanted something either financial or political from her, Rachid was promising her a night of mutual pleasuring without asking for anything in return. No strings. No regrets. Tempting, but not a wise choice.
“It would be incredibly reckless.” He ran a hand gently over one of her cheeks. “Why don’t we start by simply enjoying the wedding together.”Although it was highly unlikely that more time with this man was going to make the decision easier, Zhang was powerless to deny him.
“I could do that.” His hands slid lower, closing over the curve of her behind and pulling her against his excitement. “The cost of your freedom is one kiss.”
“You said it was an explanation.”
“I changed my mind,” he murmured and his lips descended down onto hers again – testing. Instantly, feverishly, they clung to each other. His strong hands lifted her to fit her more tightly against him. Had it not been for the length of her gown, she would have wrapped her legs around his waist. As it was, their clothing did little to stop either of them from exploring.With an expletive Zhang didn’t understand, Rachid set her back from him and said, “Come, let’s return to the wedding before I lose control and take you here on the grass.”
Not exactly a threat when I’ve considered doing the same.Zhang quickly collected her thoughts and kept her features tightly controlled. If she was careful, she could spend an amazing and passionately charged evening with this incredible man and call it to a halt before it went too far. A few kisses. A little flirtation. Isn’t that what Lil said happened at an American wedding? Hadn’t she been careful long enough? She’d denied herself anything intimate and kept her focus on her business. What would one evening hurt as long as no one knew?
“You go first. I don’t want anyone to know we were alone back here.”
Rachid looked down at her quickly. “Concerned about your reputation?” His question stung. People made assumptions about her and her morality based on her lifestyle. Normally she shrugged it off as a price she paid for being free. She wanted – needed – Rachid to understand. “I may live by my own rules, but I have a family and I won’t dishonor them. ”
He touched her cheek again softly. “Anything we do will be discrete. I promise you that.” When she opened her mouth to respond to him, he gently placed one finger over her lips and said, “And if nothing happens at all, my opinion of you will remain the same – you are one fascinating woman, Zhang.”
A female voice called out from a short distance. “Zhang? Are you back here?” Damn.Zhang looked into those amazing black eyes and said, “That’s Lil. She shouldn’t find us like this.”After one last brief kiss, Rachid nodded his agreement and walked away in the opposite direction of Lil’s voice. Zhang let out a long breath and brought a shaky hand to her mouth, savoring the lingering warmth of his touch. If this is a dream, don’t wake me up yet.Lil bounded around the tent and stopped dead when she saw Zhang.
“There you are! Abby wants a picture with the whole wedding party and no one could find you.”Zhang straightened her dress and boldly lied. “I needed a moment alone.”
Instantly, Lil’s expression changed and she swept closer, making Zhang regret her choice of excuses. “I’m so sorry. I know how you feel about weddings.”A secret smile tugged at the corners of Zhang’s lips. I may have just changed my opinion of them. “Please do not be concerned, Lil. I’m fine.”
Lil looked around, saw the glasses of champagne at Zhang’s feet and drew her own conclusion. “I’m an ass. I shouldn’t have dared you to kiss that sheikh. It was childish and stupid. Forget I even said it.” Real concern clouded her friend’s eyes and tore at Zhang’s composure. This wasn’t fun if it hurt someone. “It wasn’t childish, Lil. You wanted to give me a reason to smile today and you did.”
Lil countered, “Really? Then why are you hiding back here drinking by yourself? “I wasn’t . . .” Lil shook her head sadly, clearly not believing her. After all, the evidence was at her feet.“I was with Rachid.”
Lil’s jaw dropped open. “The sheikh?”
Zhang kept her expression serene, although some amusement filtered into her tone. “Is there more than one here tonight?” A slow grin swept all worry from the brunette’s face. “Holy crap! You kissed him, didn’t you?”Zhang nodded, a proud smile bursting forth.Lil hopped in excitement and hugged her. “You are one hot shit, Zhang! I love it!”Pulling back slightly from her over exuberant friend, Zhang repeated the label. “Hot shit.” She mulled the term. “I can’t say I’ve been called that before. It’s a compliment?”
Lil was practically dancing with excitement and might have hugged her again had Zhang not taken another step back. She enjoyed Lil, but the constant touching was something she wasn’t quite used to. Lil said, “From me, it’s a huge one. You’re my new hero.”Now I know I’m in trouble.Suddenly sobering a bit, Zhang asked, “Can we keep this between the two of us?”
“Absolutely,” Lil said. She linked arms with Zhang and together they started walking toward the wedding party. “I can keep a secret.”
Zhang paused, causing Lil to come to an abrupt halt beside her, and simply looked up at her until the younger woman blushed.“When it’s important,” Lil qualified. Zhang’s eyebrows rose in challenge.
“Do you want me to pinkie-swear?” Lil asked in growing offense.Zhang started walking again, but this time she was smiling.
“No, one per wedding is all I can handle.” Lil hugged Zhang’s arm to her side and laughed as they strolled together. She added in a stage whisper, “I can’t believe you did it.” Lil’s enthusiasm was impossible to resist.
A light laugh burst from her as Zhang conceded, “I can’t either.” She gave her friend’s arm a slight squeeze. No matter how the evening ended, Zhang had taken a risk, and the result was that she felt more alive and hopeful than she had in years. Life shouldn’t be a story about what the world did with you; it should be about what you did with the world. “Thank you.”Nearing the grassy area where the wedding party was already standing in position, waiting to complete the photos, Zhang couldn’t help but sneak a look at Rachid.
He was standing with the other groomsmen on one side of Dominic. Composed. Looking every bit the visiting monarch he was.
Lil announced, “I found Zhang! She was . . .” Her hesitation hung heavy in the silence as everyone waited. “Lost,” she finished lamely.All eyes flew to Zhang. Thanks, Lil, now people are wondering if I’m drunk. Agreeing was easier than attempting another cover story, so she shrugged and concurred, “So many tents that all look alike.”
Abby broke the awkward pause that followed. She waved Lil and Zhang toward her side. “Well, come on! We’ve been waiting for you. Get over here. Just a few more photos and then we can go eat.”
Lil took her spot near her sister. Zhang headed toward the other bridesmaids, looking over at Rachid one last time as she joined them. His expression gave nothing away as he stared back at her. It would be easy enough to convince herself that she had imagined the entire alley exchange. He was right to pretend nothing had happened. Nothing had. Not really. Just one meaningless kiss. Better forgotten.Then Rachid winked at her and the photographer recorded Zhang’s happy responding flush. In the words of one expressive American: Holy crap.
About the Author
Ruth Cardello was born the youngest of 11 children in a small city in northern Rhode Island. She spent her young adult years moving as far away as she could from her large extended family. She lived in Boston, Paris, Orlando, New York–then came full circle and moved back to Rhode Island. She now happily lives one town over from the one she was born in. For her, family trumped the warmer weather and international scene.
She was an educator for 20 years, the last 11 as a kindergarten teacher. When her school district began cutting jobs, Ruth turned a serious eye toward her second love- writing and has never been happier. When she’s not writing, you can find her chasing her children around her small farm, riding her horses, or connecting with her readers online.
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