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Secret Designs Chapter One

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Hey-a!

Here's the date: September 20. So just a handful of days to go before Secret Designs is out! I'm getting excited. 🙂

The next post you'll see from me will be one that says “it's now available at Amazon”. In the meantime here is Chapter One, as promised. Enjoy!

Secret Designs (Secret Dreams Contemporary Romance 2)

Chapter One

Secret Designs (Secret Dreams Contemporary Romance 2)

Arielle Mitchell shook her head, unable to believe the passionate woman who had been unleashed last night. Was that really her? She'd never been that responsive, energetic, or—okay—damned horny with anyone else before. If she hadn’t known Dylan Summers beforehand, she might even suspect he had put an aphrodisiac in her drink or something.

Well, come to think of it, she really didn't know Dylan. She'd only met him once before, when her friend Jasmine Allen pleaded with her to accompany her to his birthday party six weeks ago. They only stayed for fifteen minutes, so she hadn’t  even talked to him that much.

Yes, Dylan could very well be someone who would put an aphrodisiac in a woman's drink. What else could have made her so lustful last night?

She snorted at her ridiculous thoughts. Don't blame someone else for your wild and wanton ways, Ari!

Okay, then. The truth was Dylan turned her on—really turned her on; turned her on enough that she found herself doing things she'd never done before.

“Hi, Ari!”

Ari jumped at the sound of Jasmine's voice on the other end of the line.

Oh, right. She’d almost forgotten the phone against her ear—almost forgotten that she’d called Jasmine. To confess. Geez.

“Hi, Jaz,” she responded. “Am I calling too early? Am I disturbing you guys?” She grimaced at the thought that Jasmine's boyfriend Kane might be listening in on their conversation.

“No, it's fine,” Jasmine answered. “Is everything okay?”

“Yeah, yeah, everything's okay,” she replied, trying to sound casual. “I just want to tell you something before you hear it from someone else.”

“Okay.”

Ari inhaled deeply, then spilled it out. “Last night when I went out with my workmates for Friday night drinks, I bumped into Dylan, Kane's brother. And, uh…well…I slept with him.”

“What?” Jasmine asked in surprise.

“It was just a one-night stand,” she explained hastily. “We're both very clear on that and we're both okay with it. I wanted to tell you because I'm not very good at keeping these things to myself. And it was already starting to bother me that you might hear it first from Dylan or one of his friends instead of me.”

“Okay,” Jasmine responded, still shocked from the news.

“You're fine with it, right, Jaz? And Kane would be okay with it, too?” she asked worriedly.

“Of course. As long as you and Dylan are okay with it.”

“Yes, definitely. Like I said, we're both very clear it was just a one-night stand and we're both totally fine with that,” she replied, feeling the need to repeat herself.

“Then there's no problem,” Jasmine stated.

“Good. Well, I'll let you go. Please let Kane know what I just told you. I'll see you in a few days.”

“Okay. Bye.”

Ari placed the phone down on her coffee table with a relieved sigh, glad that was out of the way. She stood up from the sofa and stretched. As she walked to the kitchen, the stiffness of her muscles and the delicious soreness between her legs made her blush. Unbidden, her recent physical exertions played back again in her head. Where the hell was the stop button for her memory banks?

Enough already, she berated herself as desire continued to unfurl within her.

“It was just a one-night stand, Ari,” she said out loud as she poured granola, then milk, in a bowl. “Forget about him. It won't happen again. It can't happen again.”

She plonked in a chair with a heavy exhale and knew it wouldn't be easy to push away the last ten hours from her memory. The image of a gorgeous, dark-haired, blue-eyed guy with a seriously hot, muscular body loomed large in her thoughts. Dylan Summers was way too hot to be forgotten quickly—especially when he’d just given her the best night of sex in her life.

She propped an elbow on her dining table and rested her chin on her hand, breakfast forgotten. She'd only had three hours sleep. She was tired, but if Dylan were still around she would be keen for more sex. Goodness, wasn't she the one who instigated the last round after they woke up? Well, she’d had to. She wouldn't have another chance. Dylan had only agreed to a one-night stand.

Last night was meant to be about celebrating the end of a busy week with her workmates in one of Sydney's popular nightspots. She didn't go with the intention of hooking up with someone. But how was she to know her ex-boyfriend would be there, too? With the woman she had once considered a good friend? The same woman she’d caught in bed with him while they were still together?

That had called for a third glass of wine. Two was her usual limit. Anything more than that and her good judgment went out like a light.

Dylan saw her first. He and his two friends had approached their group. Somehow the two of them had ended up in a corner talking and flirting with each other for close to an hour. She couldn't even remember ordering a fourth drink, but she must have had one, because her good judgment went comatose on her while she was still wide awake.

She blushed as memories of her forwardness came flooding back.

“How about you come home with me, Dylan?” she’d asked.

His handsome face had expressed a blend of desire and concern. “Are you sure, Ari?”

She’d placed a flirtatious hand on his arm. “Why not?”

“I'm only looking for some fun, Ari,” he'd replied warily.

Dylan's cautious reaction made her more determined to get him to go home with her. No doubt the alcohol was mainly responsible for such brazen behaviour, but more than that, she didn't want to feel like a reject all over again.

“Great. So am I,” she’d responded.

Dylan's eyes had flared with heat that had made her heart pound hard in her chest. “I'd love to go home with you tonight, Ari. But are you sure you don't have a problem with just a one-night stand? You're Jasmine's friend and I'm Kane's brother. It could be real awkward if we can't handle it.”

“No, I don't have a problem with it. Do you?” she asked breezily.

“Absolutely not.” 

After hasty goodbyes to their group, they got into a taxi. Dylan's hands were incredibly naughty during their trip to her apartment, creeping way up her thigh and burrowing under her top—at one point, successfully unhooking her bra. She lost count of the times she laughingly swatted a wandering hand away, conscious of the driver watching them from the rear-view mirror. She wondered if taxi drivers were used to having couples make out in the backseat of their cabs.

Their night together had been…amazing. Dylan was incredible and insatiable. So was she—insatiable, that was. Their morning sex had proven that.

Then he was gone.

Was it normal for someone to feel empty and at the same time have unstoppable fluttering butterflies in the stomach after a one-night stand? She hadn't done it before, so she didn't have anything to compare this reaction with.

Oh, well. She wasn't doing herself any favours by dwelling on the feelings swirling within her. Better to get on with her day than re-live her hot night with a hunky guy. There was no point stoking a desire that couldn't possibly be satisfied by the same man again.

*******

“Hello, darling. We've been waiting for you. We've already started dinner, like you told us to.”

“Hi, Mum,” Dylan said as he enfolded his mother Linda in a warm embrace. “Sorry I'm late. I was at a friend's birthday party and she wouldn't let me leave. I had to wait until she was drunk enough to not notice that I was gone.”

“Dylan! Honestly, I don't know why you surround yourself with immature friends. You're already thirty-two, in case you’ve forgotten. Don't you think it's time to tone down your social activities a little bit? Maybe find someone to settle down with?”

He playfully rolled his eyes at his mother's censuring tone, used to this mini-lecture for being the second-oldest of five siblings and having never taken a girl home to introduce to his parents.

He couldn't help it that he wasn't as romantically inclined as his three brothers and only sister. Wasn't there usually one in every family who went the opposite way from everyone else? It didn't bother him in the least that, in his family's case, he was the odd one out—the one who didn't want to settle down in a permanent relationship.

“Mum, you know I'm your black sheep,” he said, putting an arm around Linda as they walked to the dining room. “But you have to admit that my social life is the only thing you could complain about. In every other way, I'm the perfect son,” he joked, giving his mother a kiss on her forehead.

“I complain about some of your friends and I complain that you don't want a steady girlfriend. So that's two things I'm not happy with, not just one,” Linda retorted.

“Aww, but you love me anyway.”

This time his mother rolled her eyes at him. But she had a resigned smile on her face.

“Hello all!” he said to everyone squeezed around his parents' big dining table. He went around to give the women a kiss on the cheek and the men a pat on the shoulder. Everyone was there: his parents, his sister Faye and her fiancé Ray, his twin brothers Riley and Bradley and their girlfriends, and his older brother Kane and his girlfriend Jasmine.

Seeing Jasmine brought back memories of the night he'd had with a beautiful, chestnut-haired woman with expressive brown eyes. Phew, last night was easily one of the most incredible nights he'd ever had. Just thinking about it made him hot and bothered. If Ari Mitchell wasn't Jasmine's friend, he wouldn't think twice about propositioning her for another tumble or two.

But experience had taught him he couldn't remain friends with girls he'd had sex with for more than one night. For whatever reason, his track record was quite consistent: he didn't have problems developing friendships with women he'd had one-night stands with, but once it went beyond the one time, maintaining the friendship became difficult. So a repeat of last night with Ari was not in the cards, not if they would have to continue being friendly with each other because of Kane and Jasmine.

“Woo-hoo! Dylan! Are you listening?”

Kane's voice snapped him out of his musing. He sat on the empty chair and grinned at his brother. “Sorry, were you saying something?”

“I said, I'm sorry we dragged you out of your friend's party. But thanks for being here.”

“Oh, sure. No worries. I might head back there after we finish here. What made you call a family dinner tonight, anyway?” he asked Kane.

“Well, now that everyone's here, I can announce my good news,” Kane replied, a blissful grin settling on his face. There was a dramatic pause before Kane finally announced, “Jasmine and I are getting married.”

Cheers erupted around the table as everybody congratulated the couple.

“I had a feeling that was why you wanted to have dinner with all of us tonight, Kane,” Faye said. “I'm so happy for you guys. Do you have a ring yet?”

“Yes, it's here in my pocket,” Kane responded as he pulled out a small box. “We wanted to surprise everyone so Jaz took it off so no one would guess our news.” He took the ring out and placed it on Jasmine's finger before giving her a kiss.

“This is wonderful news,” Linda said, touching the corner of her eye to dab a happy tear away. “Have you set a date yet?”

“Not yet,” Jasmine answered. “But it would be a good few months after Faye and Ray's wedding.”

“What do you mean a good few months?” Kane asked with a frown. “Why couldn't we get married a month after them?”

Jasmine chuckled. “They're getting married in less than two months, honey. We need time to prepare for ours.”

“Isn't three months enough?” Kane persisted.

“I don't know,” Jasmine answered.

“It's possible,” Faye said. “As long as the venue and service providers you want aren't already booked. Jessa and I can help you prepare.”

“See,” Kane said to Jasmine. “Your sister and my sister have already done all the research for their own weddings. They can help organise the kind of wedding you want within three months. Right, Faye?”

“Sure. As long as Jaz wants to get married that soon, of course. Maybe she'd prefer to wait a little longer.”

Kane looked at Jasmine with a hint of concern.

Jasmine laughed and placed a hand on Kane's cheek. “Okay. A month after Faye and Ray's wedding.”

Kane smiled brightly and gave his fiancée another quick kiss.

Dylan watched the obvious affection between his brother and Jasmine. He glanced around the table and saw the happiness in each of the person sitting there—happiness they shared with their significant other. He was the only one who sat alone and did not have someone to share a knowing look with, or a squeeze of the hand, or a peck on the lips. He scratched the back of his ear, strangely unsettled. Why did he feel left out, all of a sudden?

~~~~~~~

“Did you have a good time last night, Dyl?”

Dylan looked at Kane in surprise. His brother was lining up his shot at the pool table but arched an eyebrow at him when he didn't respond straight away.

“Last night was good,” he answered.

“Yeah? What did you do?” Kane asked as he hit the cue ball. He sank a solid.

“I was out with Trey and Adam.”

“Where did you go?”

“The Establishment. Then Ivy.”

“Okay. Anything exciting happened?”

Kane's questioning was too casual, Dylan thought. He positioned himself to take a shot after Kane missed.

“I saw Jasmine's friend Ari at Ivy,” he said after sinking a striped ball.

“Oh, right. How was she?”

How was she? Dylan couldn't help the smile that tugged his lips. “She was great.”

He concentrated on his next shot but missed. When he looked up, Kane was staring at him in a funny kind of way. He narrowed his eyes at his brother.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Like what?” Kane asked innocently.

“Like you know something.”

“Is there something to know?”

Ah. Kane did know something. Had Ari told Jasmine about last night, already?

“Ari and I hooked up,” he admitted to Kane.

“You like her?”

“It was just a one-night stand, Kane.”

Kane nodded, as if he knew it already.

“Is Jaz cool with it? Are you?” he asked with concern.

“Sure. As long as you two are okay with being in the same room after what happened. With Jaz and I getting married, I'm sure you'll see more of Ari.”

“I know that. You know me, Kane. I can be friends with women I've slept with.”

“That's not exactly a secret,” Kane said dryly. “I don't know how or why you do it.”

“Hey, I'm just a friendly kind of guy. I naturally get along well with girls I sleep with, otherwise, they wouldn't have attracted me in the first place. See, the trick is to limit the sex to one night only. Once it gets past a one-night stand, it's damn difficult to manage a friendship. Somehow, women's expectations change when you sleep with them too often. Remember that,” he told his brother.

Kane chortled. “Why on earth would I need to remember that? I'm getting married in case you haven't heard the news.”

He grinned. “Well, with you out of the market, that means more opportunities for me.”

“Oh, Dylan,” Kane said resignedly. “I don't know why you won't just find yourself a steady girlfriend instead of drifting from one girl to the next.”

He simply shrugged. “I'm still happy with my lifestyle.”

“Well, it's your life. As long as you don't make Jaz unhappy by playing games with Ari. But it looks like Ari's fine with it, too, anyway.”

“Ari told Jaz?”

“Yes, she rang this morning.”

“Okay, good. No one has to make a big deal of it, then.”

Dylan watched Kane concentrate on his next shot but his mind had already left the game. All this talk about Ari was disconcerting him.

It was a strange feeling. For the first time in a long, long time, he was missing a woman. He was missing Ari.

Damn, she was hot.

****************************

Secret Designs, available from September 20 at Amazon.

xx

 

 

Shhh…Here’s SECRET WORDS’ First Chapter

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In just a handful of days, Secret Words will be out!  On July 15, you can enjoy the first book in the new series Secret Dreams.  It's hot, sexy and yes, sweet :-).

But before that, here's the first chapter.  Enjoy!

Secret Words (Secret Dreams Contemporary Romance 1)

Secret Words by Miranda P. CharlesCHAPTER ONE

“No, no, no!” Jasmine Allen cried softly as she stared at the bold handwritten ‘Out of Order' sign stuck to the door of the ladies' bathroom.  Hoping against hope that a prankster put up the notice, she twisted the knob.  Locked.  Damn it!

Had she known that the car trip to Sydney's Royal National Park would take more than two hours, courtesy of the broken-down truck that created a traffic jam on the main highway, she wouldn't have drunk all that lemon and ginger tea for her sore throat before they left her sister's home.

She squinted at the map someone pinned to the door showing the directions to the nearest available ladies' room.  It indicated it was about a five-minute walk away.  But with her bladder close to bursting, she didn't have five minutes.

Well, there's the men's room, she thought desperately.

She walked around the small red brick building that stood amongst gum trees and chirping birds, hidden from the view of the picnic area where her sister Jessa, her fiancé Rob, and their friends were gathered for Rob's birthday.

She tried to listen for sounds from inside the men's restroom but couldn't hear anything.  With fingers crossed that no one was inside, she cautiously placed her hand on the door to push it.

She let out a short yelp as the door was yanked open from the inside.  Her eyes opened wide as they landed on a dark-haired man whose blue eyes stared back at her in horrified surprise.

Jasmine's mind went blank, forgetting for a moment why she was there.  There was no other way to describe the man in front of her.  He was a total hunk.  She gaped at him for a long second, until her body reminded her she needed to go.  Now.

“I think the ladies' room is around the corner to your right,” Mr. Hunk said, seemingly recovered from his shock.

“It's out of order,” she squeaked as she shoved him out of the way and ran for one of the cubicles.

Relief flooded her as she let go, followed by a sense of acute embarrassment.  Did she just rudely push someone so she could go to the toilet?  In the men's room?  She felt her face burn.  The fact that the guy she jostled was mega-hot and attractive didn't help her dignity and sense of femininity.

She finished her business and crept out of the cubicle, relieved that no one came in while she was there and disappointed that Mr. Hunk was gone.  Well, what was she expecting?  That he'd wait around for her?

She thought of blue eyes that belonged to a handsome face as she washed her hands.  Maybe he was here on a picnic, too.  If he used this particular bathroom, he must be hanging around close to her group's spot.  Didn't her sister say they chose this part of the park because it was a lot quieter?  A smile formed on her face at the possibility of bumping into him again.

The sound of male voices coming from outside prodded her to hurry up and leave the room she wasn't supposed to be in.  She hastily turned towards the door, eager to get out, when she felt her left foot slip from underneath her.

“Oww!” She landed on her butt awkwardly, her arms thankfully managing to stop her upper body and head from hitting the floor.

Gingerly, she braced herself up and tried to stand.  Pain shot up from her ankle and her face contorted in an ugly wince just as the door flung open.  To her delight and chagrin, there he was again.  Mr. Hunk.  How freaking embarrassing!

“Are you okay?” he asked.

“Uh, I think so.  I didn't notice the puddle.”

“Here, let me help you up.”  Her knight in sexy blue jeans leaned down to give her a hand.

She smiled her thanks as she accepted his assistance.

“Ahem,” a voice intruded, causing her to look away from Mr. Hunk's handsome face to find a middle-aged man poking his head inside the restroom.

“Excuse me.  May I go in now?” the man asked.

“Yes,” Mr. Hunk answered.  “Thanks for waiting.”

She gave her new friend a quizzical look.

“I told him not to go in until you came out,” he explained.

“You were guarding the door for me?” she asked in disbelief.

“Yeah.  I thought you might need a little privacy while you invaded the men's room,” he said with a teasing grin.

“Thanks.  That's very kind of you.”

“No worries.  There's not many people around in this part of the park and a pretty girl like you shouldn't be found in the men's room.  It always pays to be careful,” he said quietly, then turned his head towards the cubicles.  “Not that I think you're dangerous, sir,” he called out loudly to the older man.

“I understand,” the other guy responded.

“Aahh,” she cried softly as she put weight on her left foot.

“Your ankle?” her knight asked.

“Yes, I must have sprained it.”  Her eyes watered from the pain and the predicament she found herself in.  She prayed her ankle wasn't too bad.  Her sister's wedding was next week and she didn't want to be a limping bridesmaid on the day.

“Where do you need to go?” he asked.

“To the sink first.  I need to wash my hands again.”

Her heart raced as a muscular arm went around her waist as he helped her hobble to the washbasin.

“Why don't I help you walk back to wherever you need to be?” he offered.  “You probably shouldn't be putting much weight on that foot.”

“How do I know you're not dangerous?” she asked with a smile that conveyed she was joking.  She felt safe with him already.  But was that being too naive?

He laughed out loud.  “How about I introduce myself first?  My name's Kane and I work for Krand Architects.  I'm definitely not an axe murderer.”

“Where's your proof?” she asked with a mock frown.

He took his wallet from his back pocket and fished out a business card.  “Here.  See?  Ar-chi-tect,” he said with exaggerated enunciation as he pointed to the title ‘Director and Head Architect'.

She chuckled at his playfulness and snatched the card from him.  “Glad to meet you, Kane … Summers?  Are you related to Faye Summers?”

“Yes,” Kane replied in surprise.  “I'm her oldest brother.”

Oh.  She checked him out with new eyes.  She could now see the resemblance between him and Faye – one of her sister's best friends – especially their blue eyes and the fact that they were both extremely good-looking.

“And you are …?” Kane prodded.

“Oh, I'm Jasmine Allen.”

He lifted his eyebrows.  “You're Jessa's younger sister?”

“Yes.”

He grinned at her.  “Well, then, now you know for sure I'm not an axe murderer.  You live in Melbourne, right?  When did you arrive?”

“Yesterday.  I'm here for five weeks.”

“Wow, that's a good length of time to be away from work.  What do you do?”

“I'm a corporate trainer.  My boss wants me to consider moving here to Sydney to fill a position that will be vacant in three months.  Since I have plenty of annual leave up my sleeve, I thought I'd take it now so I could see if I'd like living in Sydney while I house-sit for Jessa and Rob when they go on their honeymoon.  Plus, I also wanted to come early for Rob's birthday.  Speaking of which, we should head back to the party.”

As Kane escorted her out of the men's room, she tried to hide the wince that formed on her face.  She was in more pain than she would like to admit.

“Do you think I should carry you?” Kane asked tentatively.

“Ah, no.  I think that would be too awkward,” she replied, her cheeks turning pink.  The thought of being in his arms heated her up all over and made her heart pound hard.  This guy was doing crazy things to her system.

“Okay,” Kane said.  “But you shouldn't use your left foot at all until you've had it checked by a doctor.  Hang on to me and I'll help you hop along with your right foot.”

“Thanks.”  She put her right arm around his shoulders as he kept a tight grip around her waist and held her against his side.

Whoa, this position won't help me cool down.  Not at all.

“I hope I can walk all right by next week,” she babbled, keen to distract herself from her ridiculous physical reaction to this man.  “I wouldn't want to ruin Jessa and Rob's big day by being on crutches during their wedding.”

“I'm sure you'll be fine as long as you don't do silly things while your ankle's healing,” he consoled her.

Yes, just continue to hold me and I'll be fine.

She decided not to respond in case something totally inappropriate came out of her mouth.

~~~~~~~

Jasmine exhaled her disappointment when they neared the place where the rest of their group was busy barbecuing, chatting and laughing.  Kane Summers would have to let go of her soon.

She couldn't understand it.  Why this intense attraction?  He might be one hell of a looker, but he was just one of the many handsome guys she knew.  What made him the most magnetic of them all?

“Nearly there,” Kane said.

She wanted to swoon at the husky tone of his voice.  Instead, she forced herself to focus on keeping her left foot raised while she hopped with her right.

“Jaz!  What happened?”  She looked up to see Jessa's worried face.

“I slipped and sprained my ankle,” she answered.

“Oh, no!  Are you okay?  Where did you slip?  In the bathroom?”

“Yes,” she responded in a small voice.

Their group gathered around them, wanting to see what was wrong.

“It's just a sprained ankle, guys.  Please don't worry,” Jasmine pleaded.

“Maybe we should take you to a doctor,” Rob said.

“Rob, seriously, I'm fine.  I'll just put my foot up and relax.  Please carry on with your party.  You'll only make me feel bad if you fuss over me.”

“You sure?”

“Yes.  Please.”  She looked around with embarrassment as about fifteen pairs of eyes stared at her.  She didn't even know who a few of the others were.  She had run straight for the bathroom as soon as they got there.

Fortunately, Jessa remembered to make the introductions before shooing her friends back to what they were doing.  “It's all right, guys.  We got this,” Jessa said.

Kane led her to the nearest bench and helped her sit down.  He squatted before her, gently picked up her left foot and took off her shoe.  He lightly caressed her swollen ankle and oddly enough, his touch made it feel a little better.

“Do you girls know how to treat a sprained ankle?” he asked Jessa and Faye, who stood on either side of him.

“You need to put ice on it and bandage it up,” his sister responded.  “But I don't think we have bandage.”

“We have ice!”  Jessa went to the portable drink cooler and gathered ice cubes.  When she walked back to them, Kane held out his hand for the cubes, wrapped in a tea towel.

“You want to do this?” Jessa asked in surprise.

“Sure.  I'm already holding her foot,” Kane responded, taking the makeshift ice pack from Jessa.

Jasmine flushed at the meaningful look exchanged by Jessa and Faye.  She wondered what they were thinking.  Would they have a problem if she and Kane dated?

Whoa, Jasmine, slow down.  You're getting ahead of yourself here.

At twenty-seven, she had dated plenty of guys.  But even though her family thought she fell in and out of love too often, the truth was she hadn't fallen in love with a single one of her past boyfriends.  She didn't see the point in extending the relationship when she was sure it had nowhere to go.

With her sister's upcoming nuptials, her desire to find that special someone had become stronger.  But finding that one guy might have become harder due to her fear of exposing her little secret – a secret only two other people in the world knew about.  She hadn't even told Jessa, although there were times she had wanted to open up to her only sibling.  But she still wasn't prepared for the repercussions.

She had a mental picture of people – of Kane – finding out about her secret activity and shivered at the thought.

“Too cold?” Kane asked, his concerned look quickly warming her up.

She shook her head and smiled at him.

“So did you two meet outside the bathrooms?” Faye asked.

“I heard Jasmine yell so I went back in and found her on her bottom.  Then we introduced ourselves to each other,” Kane answered, his eyes still fully on her flushed face.

“Back in?”

Kane grinned while her face reddened even more.  He raised an eyebrow at her.  She shrugged and gave a resigned chuckle.

“Jasmine slipped in the men's room,” Kane stated.

“What?” Faye and Jessa exclaimed.

“The nearest ladies' room was out of order and I was desperate to go,” Jasmine explained.  “So I used the men's.  I slipped as I was about to come out and Kane heard me.  He was waiting outside to make sure no one else went in while I was in there.”

“That's so sweet of you, Kane,” Jessa said.  “Thank you.”

“Aww, it was nothing.  I'm just glad I was there or one of your bridesmaids might not be able to walk down the aisle on your wedding.”

“If Jaz is still in pain next week then she doesn't have to walk.  Things don't always work out as planned,” Jessa said pragmatically.

“Don't say that, Jess!  I want to be fine for your wedding,” Jasmine insisted.

“Well, then, you have to make sure you rest your ankle until it's recovered.  It doesn't look too bad but we'll stop by a medical centre on our way back home.”

“If you're going to sit around for the rest of the afternoon, you better sit on a picnic blanket so you can keep your ankle raised,” Kane suggested.

“Good idea,” Jessa agreed.  “You can lie down and read a book or something so you won't get too bored while the rest of us play games.  But I'll sit and chat with you most of the time.”

“Don't be silly, Jess.  I'll be fine reading.  You guys should be enjoying yourselves with Rob and not worrying about me.  It's his birthday, and all I have is a sprained ankle.”

“Okay.  We better help you move to the blanket, then.”

“I'll carry her,” Kane said.  With easy movements, he scooped her up in his muscular arms and sauntered towards one of the picnic blankets under the shade of a tree.

Good heavens, this man is literally sweeping me off my feet.

~~~~~~~

Kane's heart thundered in his chest and his body hardened.  There it was again, that delicious reaction to Jasmine.  He'd known her for less than twenty minutes and he already craved being close to her.  What was this called?  Instant chemistry?

He pressed her closer to him, wanting to bury his face in her long black hair that smelled like some exotic flower.

He was glad he had stayed behind and waited for her while she used the bathroom.  He'd always been a sucker for damsels in distress, especially when the damsel was as beautiful and attractive as the one in his arms.

He gently laid her down the blanket and immediately felt bereft when he released her.

“All right?” he asked.

Jasmine nodded, her eyes locking with his with a look of wonder that seemed to reflect what he was feeling.  Did she feel it too?  That irresistible pull between them?  She looked so mesmerising and vulnerable sitting there that he had a great urge to kiss her.

“Here, put your foot up on this, Jaz,” Jessa said, placing a rolled-up jacket underneath Jasmine's left calf and breaking the spell that encapsulated them.

“Stop fussing.  I'll be fine,” Jasmine told her sister.  “All I need now is my handbag so I can read from my phone, then you can look after your birthday boy.  He looks lonely without you over there.”

“Which one is your bag?” Kane asked, wanting to continue to do something for her.

“Uh, that red one next to the white one,” Jasmine replied, pointing her finger at the location of her purse.

He went to retrieve it for her.  On his way back, he noticed the curious looks Faye and Jessa were throwing at him.  You're being too obvious, he berated himself.

If things were different, he wouldn't have cared if anyone thought he was interested in Jasmine.  But he was in a messy, difficult situation with Hannah and he needed to fix things with her before he could move on.  Faye knew that and, knowing how close his sister was to her best friends, he was certain Jessa knew that, too.  He would be frowned upon if he pursued Jasmine at this time, and he couldn't blame them if they did.

He smiled at Jasmine as he handed her her purse then went to join the boys by the barbecue table.  Right now, it was all too complicated.  So he knew what he had to do.  Stay away from Jasmine.

*****

Secret Words now available at Amazon.

 

 

It’s Ray of Love’s Time To Shine

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Ray of Love 3D coverIt's here!  My third book, Ray of Love (Lifestyle by Design Book 3) is now available.

Once again, completing this book has been a wonderful journey for me.  Writing about Faye Summers and Ray Thackery's love story kept me busy and holed up in my study for many days, but I enjoyed every minute of it.

This is the third and last book of the Lifestyle by Design series and, I must say, I have truly loved spending all that time with all the characters in this series.  They have become some of my favourite people.

My next series, Secret Dreams, will be coming soon.  The good news is that some of the characters from Lifestyle by Design will be featured in that series.  They were just screaming at me to tell their story so I have to write about them :-).  Watch out for the romance between Jasmine Allen (Jessa's sister) and Kane Summers (Faye's brother).  I can't wait to share their story with you.

But for now, enjoy the first chapter of Ray of Love.  (Warning: swear words coming up!)

Ray of Love (Lifestyle by Design Book 3) Chapter One

CHAPTER ONE

“You need to have a haircut soon, Ray,” Faye Summers said distractedly as she continued to gaze at the man sitting next to her.  The more she looked, the more she found little details she hadn't noticed before – like how his brown hair turned wavy when it was longer than its usual length, or how his deep blue eyes had specks of green in them, or how the right side of his mouth quirked into a cheeky, lopsided smile when he was being teased.

“Yeah, I know.  I just haven't had the time to get it done,” Ray Thackery agreed, running his sexy fingers through his longish hair.  “Is it that bad already?”

“Bad?  No, it's not bad, just a little long.  You still look hot but you look hotter when you wear it shorter.”

“You think I'm hot?” Ray asked in complete surprise, his brows lifting.

“Sure,” she responded nonchalantly.  “You must know you are.  Even Clarise and Jessa think so.”

“Oh.  And here I was thinking you were flirting with me,” Ray commented dryly.

She laughed and hurriedly changed the subject.  “Hey, since those two are both engaged now, how do you feel about them taking some time off for their weddings and honeymoons in a few months' time?”

“I hope they're not planning on being away from work at the same time,” Ray replied absently before jumping back to their original topic.  “So how short should I have my hair cut?”

“Hmm, about a couple of inches shorter, I think, and wear it spiky and a little bit messy like you do sometimes.”

He raised an eyebrow and smiled charmingly.  “You think it'll be easier for me to pick up women with that ‘do?”

“Yeah, absolutely,” Faye chuckled.

“Well, it would be nice if you picked me up,” he drawled.

“Why don't you have that haircut and I'll consider it.”  She was surprised at the husky statement that came out of her mouth but it was too late to take it back.

“Okay, I will,” Ray grinned.

Oops.

Faye didn't know why she was letting herself have this conversation with Ray.  Sometimes her mouth did get her into trouble.  She was someone who didn't have problems telling people what she thought or felt.  And, oh yes, she was a bit of a flirt.

Ease up, Faye.  He might take you seriously, she cautioned herself.

Even for just a one-night stand or a brief affair – no, especially for a one-night stand or a brief affair – Ray was not someone she would consider.  She shared too much of her personal life with her best friends, so that a sexual encounter of any kind with him would be complicated.

Her three closest buddies, Clarise Carson, Jessa Allen and Victor Michaels, all worked at Lifestyle by Design Publishing.  Based in Sydney, it published one of the most popular magazines in Australia for the entrepreneurial and professional set.  Clarise and Jessa were its senior writers and editors, while Victor was its head graphic designer.

And Ray Thackery was its owner.

So why in the hell was she flirting with her pals' boss right now?

Maybe it was the few glasses of wine she'd had.  She wasn't a big drinker but they were celebrating Jessa's twenty-ninth birthday and her surprise engagement to Rob Granger.

Or maybe it was because Ray was one of the most attractive men she knew that she just couldn't help herself.

“Hey, guys,” Jessa called as she stepped out onto her courtyard that was decked out with portable outdoor heaters.  While it was early spring in Sydney, the nighttime temperatures were still cool and the heaters offered welcome warmth for those who lounged outside.

Jessa held out bags to them.  “Here are some leftovers for you.  Everyone gets to take home some food; otherwise it'll go to waste.”

“Oh, excellent.  Thanks, Jess.  It’s really yummy.  I still can't believe how much food Rob ordered,” Ray replied.

“Is this your way of telling us it's time to go, Jess?” Faye teased.

“Yes,” Rob called from inside the house.  “My new fiancée just can't wait to properly thank me for giving her a surprise birthday party and putting a ring on her finger.”

Jessa rolled her eyes and blushed.

“We can take a hint,” Ray grinned as he stood up and got ready to go.  “You sure know how to throw a party, Rob.”

“Well,” Rob said as he leaned on the door frame, “I wanted to make it as hard as I could for Jess to say no when I proposed.”

“As if I'd say no,” Jessa replied as she walked over to Rob and put her arms around his waist.  Rob hugged her to him with a tender smile on his face and kissed her hair.

“Okay, guys,” Faye called out to Clarise, Victor and their partners.  “It's time for all of us to go and give these two lovebirds their private time.”

As Ray headed for his car, he turned to Faye.  “See you after I get my haircut, Faye,” he said with a wink.

Faye couldn't help but smile at his playful demeanour.  She suddenly became conscious of the fact that it had been a long time since she and Ray were this comfortable with each other.  It was good to joke around with him again.  She missed that.

~~~~~~~

“So what did Ray mean he’d see you after he gets a haircut?” Clarise asked as she glanced at Faye seated in the back of the car while her fiancé, Will Matthews, smoothly navigated the streets to Faye's apartment.

“Oh, we were just joking around.  I kind of said I'll consider picking him up after he gets one,” Faye answered dismissively.

“Pick him up?  To go where?”

“Not that kind of pick up,” she clarified to her confused friend.  “We were just flirting around.”

“Right.  So what does all that flirting mean?”

“Nothing.  Like I said, we were just joking around.  You know what I think about going out with your boss, Clarise.”

“Not interested, Faye?” Will asked, peeking at her through the rear-view mirror.

“If he wasn't my best friends' boss, maybe,” she answered with usual frankness.  “But he is and I don't want any drama with my closest relationships.”

Clarise raised her eyebrows in surprise.  “You never said anything about being interested in Ray.  When he asked you out sometime last year, you didn't even hesitate to say no.”

“I know.  I had just met Steve then, remember?  Besides, even before he asked me, I'd already considered the complications of having a relationship with him and decided it wasn't worth it.  Imagine the drama if I cried to you about my personal issues with him, or if he needed me to listen about work problems involving you guys.  It would be very awkward, to say the least.”

“But if you're really attracted to him …”

“I'm not that attracted.”

“So, you're interested but not interested enough to do something about it?” Clarise quizzed.

“Yes, that's exactly how I feel.”

“Okay.  You do know Ray might get the wrong impression?  We think he might still have a little crush on you,” Clarise admitted.

“Really?  What makes you think so?”

“Remember about two months ago when you went speed dating?  He asked me and Jess where we were going and we said we were escorting you to this speed dating thing.  There was just something about his reaction when he discovered you'd broken up with Steve and that you were available again.”

“You guys didn't tell me about that,” Faye said, her brows furrowing.

“No, we didn't.  We knew you weren't looking for anything serious and we didn't want Ray to hope for anything, so …” Clarise shrugged her shoulders.

Faye nodded.  It was clear as day that her friends were also protecting Ray's feelings and she could understand that.

Before she met Steve, her last boyfriend, Ray was their frequent lunch buddy.  It surprised her that he joined them as often as he did, seeing he was her friends' boss.  She eventually learnt that he did make it a point to socialise with his staff to get to know them better.  But it also appeared that he had lunch with the four of them far more often than he did with his other employees.  It was when he asked her out that she guessed the reason why.

She enjoyed Ray's company and at one point even toyed with the idea of going out with him.  But she was also witness to the great relationship her best friends had with him as their boss.  Dating Ray could upset that.  That was exactly why she decided not to get involved with him.

“I'll be more mindful next time I'm around him,” she promised Clarise.

They stopped at a red light and Will reached out for Clarise's hand and lifted it to his lips before setting it down on his thigh.  Clarise smiled at him and left her hand where he placed it, stroking him innocently.

Faye sighed silently.  It was very sweet and she was happy that Clarise had found the man she was going to spend the rest of her life with.  They were so in love.  She wanted that, too.

She gave herself a mental shake.  It was the impatience in finding ‘the one' that got her diving into new relationships before she was truly ready to move on.

No rush.  There's nothing wrong with enjoying being single for a while, even at twenty-nine.

After breaking up with Steve four months ago, she'd decided to just date around and not plunge into anything that would mean commitment.  Her last three relationships moved into serious territory pretty quickly, and none of them lasted more than a year.  She figured part of the problem might be that she was too quick to fall in love with the next guy without fully getting over her issues with the previous one.  So this time around, she promised to give herself plenty of time to heal whatever conscious and unconscious wounds she had.  For a few months – maybe another six or so – she'd focus on simply having fun while dating and leave it at that.  Fun.

With her straight, silky blonde hair, long-lashed blue eyes, flawless skin and slim body with gorgeous curves, Faye was considered stunning by most people.  There was no shortage of interested men who would give their right arm to date her.

She just needed to be extra selective so she didn't end up going out with someone who'd be in a hurry for a relationship before she was ready.

~~~~~~~

Ray discreetly checked out Victor Michaels' office as he walked past it.  He spied Victor there with his eyes glued to his computer.  Good.  That was Victor accounted for.  As for Clarise and Jessa, they were out on assignments.  Clarise was meeting with the owner of Sydney's fastest growing beauty spa chain and Jessa was sampling the culinary delights of one of the city's newest Japanese restaurants.

None of them was having lunch with Faye today.  With a little bit of luck, he would be having lunch with her.

When he found out two months ago that she had broken up with her boyfriend, he had convinced himself not to go down the path of asking her out again.  But after spending that time with her at Jessa's birthday party, all that swirled in his head was the question ‘why not?'

He shoved his hands in his pockets and strode purposefully out of his office building.  It was absolutely silly.  Hell, it was crazy.  But for the life of him, he just had to give it another try.  Maybe this time she'd agree to go out with him so he could either get her out of his system for good or make her fall in love with him.

Okay, who was he kidding?  There was only one choice that mattered and it was the second one.  After more than a year of searching for a woman who would make him forget about Faye Summers, he hadn't succeeded yet.  Now that she was available again, he simply couldn't resist grabbing this new opportunity.

He was still kicking himself for not being persistent enough sixteen months ago.  But when she told him then that she just started dating another guy, he backed off straight away.  It was clear she preferred the other man and he wasn't desperate for a date.  After all, he had his fair share of female admirers.

But how was he to know that he had already fallen for her and was just too proud to admit it?  When he realised the extent of his feelings, the relationship she was in was already serious.  She seemed happy and he didn't want to ruin her bliss.

He still couldn't believe how he had fallen for someone he hadn't even slept with.  Jesus, they hadn't even gone out on a real date!  But from the very first time he met her he was totally bowled over, not just by her captivating beauty but also by her personality.

Faye was a confident, funny, outgoing, smart, loyal, caring and straight-to-the-point woman.  But beyond that, there was something about her that called to that deep, hidden part of him that no one else had ever touched – except her.  She had cast a spell over him and he couldn't seem to escape it.

There were no explanations for how he felt.  He had already questioned and analysed his feelings until his brain hurt but he couldn't deny the fact that every time he saw her, even if it was simply bumping into her on the street, his heart raced and he wished with everything he had that he was with her – that she was his.

He'd given up trying to fight it.  Instead, he'd resigned himself to the fact that he could be spending the rest of his life feeling incomplete and unfulfilled.  That was until he learnt she was single again.  And heavens above, he would be more persistent this time in getting her to give him a chance.

He walked to the vicinity of Faye's office, where she worked as a senior career consultant for one of Australia's largest career consulting firms, and stationed himself outside a coffee shop across the road from her building.  He got there at exactly twelve noon.  He didn't know what time Faye would be taking her lunch break but he would stand there until she came out.  He just hoped he didn't have to wait around for too long.

And what if she had brought lunch with her and didn't have to leave her building?

He knew if he missed her today he'd just try again tomorrow.

He shook his head, unable to believe what he was willing to put himself through.  But then again, patience, resilience and tenacity were some of his major traits that enabled him to build a highly successful business, even after a number of failed attempts that almost bankrupted him.  He was determined to succeed when it came to Faye, too.

It would be mortifying, though, if Faye rejected him again.  So for now, he would have to be sneaky and make everything look as if it was pure coincidence.

He checked the time and noticed fifteen minutes had passed.  He was tempted to order coffee while he waited for her but a woman walking out of the building he was watching made his heart pound like mad.  There was Faye, looking just as beautiful as always, strolling towards the nearby food court.

He sighed with relief and quickly followed her.  All of a sudden, he found himself more nervous than he had been for a long, long time.

For fuck's sake, Ray.  You're thirty-four, not fourteen.  Relax!

*****************

To get your copy of Ray of Love, click here.

 

Heart Robber Is Out Now To Steal Your Heart

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It's out!  The second novel of the Lifestyle by Design series, Heart Robber, is now available on Amazon.

I have truly enjoyed writing the story of Jessa Allen and Rob Granger.  Just like I did with Will and Clarise from Will To Love, I have fallen in love with these two passionate main characters from my second novel.

Let me introduce to you this book that would heat up your reading device and truly warm your heart.  Here is the first chapter and I hope you enjoy it. 🙂  (Warning: some swear words are in this chapter 😉 )

Heart Robber (Lifestyle by Design Book 2) Chapter One

CHAPTER ONE

Jessa Allen was vaguely aware she was staring with undisguised interest at the most attractive man she had ever had the pleasure of laying eyes on.  But it was just that – vague.  If someone shoved a mirror in front of her so she could see her dreamy eyes, dilated pupils and slightly open, almost drooling mouth, she would have blushed darker than beetroot red.

She wasn't the type to openly gawk at handsome men.  She was more subtle and reserved than that.  But this hunk with jet black hair and mischievous gray eyes that exuded masculinity affected her with unexpected potency.  She hadn't even noticed that she'd stopped mingling with the other guests who attended Megan Carson's charity fund-raising event.  From the moment they were introduced to each other by the host after dinner, she had been stuck to his side, unable to move a single step away from his magnetic force.

“In so many respects, I just got really lucky,” Rob Granger said with a self-deprecating smile that pulled her attention to his lips.  “I still remember the moment when I realised how quickly my business had grown.  I got a big jolt.  So I decided I better treat it more seriously.  Anyway, enough about my business.”  Rob changed the subject.  “It must be fun writing for a magazine as popular as Lifestyle by Design.”

“Oh, it is,” she answered distractedly.  For the umpteenth time, she wondered what it would be like to be kissed by those full, sexy lips.

“If I wasn't running a marketing consultancy firm, you know what kind of work I'd love to have?” Rob asked with a twinkle in his eye.

“What?”  She gave herself a mental shake and tried to focus on what was coming out of Rob's mouth instead of what it would feel like against hers.

“I was thinking it would be great to have a job where not only do I get to interview owners of top restaurants, tourism businesses and high-end professional services in Australia but I also get to sample their offerings so I could write about them.  Imagine getting paid to do that.”  Rob paused as if he remembered something.  “Oh, that's right.  That's what you do,” he teased.

She laughed.  “I must admit I do have a great job.  That's why when the opportunity arose I didn't hesitate to move from Melbourne here to Sydney.”

“I read your article on David's on this month's edition of Lifestyle.  Sounds like a great restaurant to try out.”

“Yes, you really should go there one time.  Their food's great.”

“Maybe you and I can go.”

Huh?  Jessa was momentarily speechless, unable to believe what she'd just heard.  “Sorry, what did you say?”

“I said, maybe you and I can go have dinner at David's.  Are you free, say, Tuesday?”

“Uh, yes, that would be great.”  She was thankful she was able to respond without showing the astonishment she felt.  Men like Rob didn't look twice at someone like her.

She came to Megan's charity event to support a good cause, not to get a date, but she was definitely not complaining!  To think that before tonight, she was feeling melancholy that she was still single, while her three closest friends had all found someone special.  Then, the most gorgeous man at the function asked her out to dinner.  Who would have thought?

“Rob!  There you are!”

They both looked to see Megan approach them with a lady who looked to be in her early sixties.

“Sorry, are we interrupting something?” Megan asked.

“No, of course not,” Jessa answered.

“I just want to introduce Rob to the lady from whom he bought the box of wine,” Megan said with a big grin.  “Rob, this is my future aunt-in-law, Bonnie Smithson.  She donated that box of wine you won at the auction.”

“It's great to meet you, Bonnie.  Thank you for donating the wine.  They're one of my favourites.

“Well, thank you for bidding for them, Rob.  Just make sure you don't drink them all in one sitting,” Bonnie said with a hearty laugh.  “Now, I heard you run a successful business.  How old are you?”

“Thirty-two.”

Bonnie shook her head in awe.  “So young.”  She proceeded to tell them the story of how she and her husband George almost went bankrupt twice while trying to build their business, just as Jessa's attention was caught by her friends Clarise and Faye motioning for her to come over to them.

She dragged her feet away from Rob to walk towards her friends.

“Hey, girls, what's up?”

When Jessa moved to Sydney to take up a senior writing and editing role at Lifestyle by Design magazine four years ago, she instantly bonded with her work colleague Clarise Carson and Faye Summers, Clarise's best friend.  These two women plus Victor Michaels, the head graphic designer at the magazine, were now her best and dearest friends.

“You tell us, Jess,” Faye said teasingly.  “You seem to be busy with a certain someone tonight.”

Her eyes lit up with wonder.  “You wouldn't believe this, girls.  I don't believe it myself.  But that sexy man, Rob Granger, asked me out to dinner.”

“Okay, before I say what I have to say, why are you so surprised?” Clarise asked with a hint of challenge in her voice.

“Clarise, I know you only have eyes for Will, but have you seen Rob?”

“Yes, and?”

“He's gorgeous!”

“Sure, and?”  Clarise's impatience was obvious.

Jessa turned to Faye, who was looking at her with a censuring look.  She shook her head at them fondly.  “You know what I mean.  Men like Rob, who look like they belong on the pages of a magazine, don't usually go for someone average like me.”

Faye put her hands on her hips and Clarise folded her arms across her chest.  Both glared at her.

“Okay, granted I'm not unpleasant to look at–maybe I'm even pretty to some people–but you have to admit I'm still quite average.  In the looks department, I'm not in the league of women such as you two.”  She smiled at her stunning friends with a tinge of envy.  They were truly hot.  And so were their boyfriends.

Clarise and Faye stared at her like she was growing horns.

“Jessa Allen, are you kidding me?  We obviously still have a lot of work to do with your self-esteem issue!” Faye said incredulously.

“Hey, I'm just stating a fact.  The last two guys I went out with were blind dates introduced by Aunt Evelyn.  I hardly ever get asked out.  So when a seriously gorgeous guy asks me out, I'm shocked.  Thrilled, but shocked.”

Clarise shook her head in disbelief and exchanged a look with Faye.  “We need to do the JAB again.  I'll get Victor.”  Faye nodded gravely.

Jessa sighed, resigned to what was about to happen.  She watched as Clarise walked towards the bar area where Victor was chatting with a group of people.  Before Clarise got to Victor, her boyfriend, Will Matthews, stopped her for a quick kiss and a hug.  His reluctance at letting her go was obvious.  He watched her longingly until she reached Victor before going back to his friends.

Jessa felt a certain sadness mixed with envy envelop her.  She wanted that, too – wanted someone to love and look at her like that, like she was the only woman in the world.

At twenty-eight she had had two boyfriends.  They were nice enough, but the relationships she had with them didn't have much passion.  It didn't take long for the little spark that was there to die down.  There was nothing to fan it to flames.

When Clarise came back with Victor, Faye dragged them all inside the house and into the quiet living room, away from the party going on outside in the manicured gardens of Megan's future parents-in-law.

Jessa's palms started to sweat.  She knew her friends meant well.  It got irritating sometimes but she loved them for it.  But they hadn't been and wouldn't be able to convince her that she was as much of a man-magnet as they were.

Her life story had proven that to her.  She was always surrounded by people more attractive and vibrant than she was.  She had learnt to accept she would never command attention like her younger sister did, or her school friend Iris, or her previous flatmate Anna, or her three best friends, who were now ready to put her through another round of JAB – the Jessa Allen Booster.  They believed she had low self-esteem issues when it came to men and relationships.  Well, sure, she probably did.  But for good reasons.

“Won't Megan mind that we're in here when she has a function going on outside?” she worried.

“I could call my sister right now and she would be happy to join us for the JAB,” Clarise said, knowing Megan wouldn't mind at all.  “The charity auction is finished.  Everyone's in party mode now.”

Jessa took a deep breath.  “Okay, then.”

“Why don't we do it differently this time?  I'd like to try something different.”  Faye had a determined look about her that she often had when she was ready to whip someone's ass with her words.

“Sure,” Clarise and Victor responded readily, while Jessa winced.

Faye was a lovely person with a sharp tongue that could cut you with its honesty.  She would tell you what you needed to know, not what you wanted to hear.  As a senior career consultant at one of Australia's leading career consulting firms, this trait had been very effective and beneficial to her clients.

“Don't worry, Jess.  I'm not going to bite you.  I just want you to answer me this,” Faye said in a quiet voice that demanded a no-bullshit answer.  “Why do you think you're so average that it was such a surprise to you Rob asked you out to dinner?”

“Why?” Jessa repeated with a surprised look.  This wasn't the usual Jessa Allen Booster.  The JAB typically had her friends taking turns telling her where they thought she was beautiful and attractive to the point that she got embarrassed enough she would pretend to agree with them so they would stop.  Now Faye wanted her to talk about the ugly truth?  Okay, not so ugly but definitely not so beautiful, either.

“Yes.  Why, Jessa?”

“Well … because men as good-looking as Rob tend to be attracted to women who are as attractive as they are.  You know–the model types.”

“And apart from your height, which is admittedly a little too short for the runway, why do you think you're not attractive enough to be a model?”

She snorted at Faye's reference to her height.  Whichever way you looked at it – five foot three or one hundred sixty centimetres – she undeniably didn't have a model's height.

“I need an answer, Jess.”

“I don't look like one.”

“And why is that?”

“Why don't I look like a model?”

“Yeah.”

“What do you mean?  I just don't look like one.”

“So tell me exactly why you don't look like a model, Jessa.”

Jessa turned to Clarise and Victor for a bit of help but they appeared riveted at the conversation going on between her and Faye.  They were content to let Faye run this the way she wanted.  She couldn't blame them.  Faye had helped them work on some of their issues just by being blunt, direct and relentless.

She squirmed in her seat.  What did Faye want to hear?  What else could she say?  She was simply not attractive enough.

“My face is not that pretty,” she said.

“Really, now?  Do you remember the magazine we were looking at the other day?  The one where this girl had a make-over?  Wasn't it you who said she went from drab and daggy to hot and sexy?”

“But that's different!  She had some professional help.  And who knows?  Maybe they airbrushed her picture or something.”

“Haven't we encouraged you to have a make-over, Jess?  We're more than ready to bet you'd be surprised at the result.”

“What good would that do?” she scowled.  Every once in a while she would dress up, especially when she went to important client meetings and special occasions, like tonight.  But she didn't see the point in having a make-over.  It would be a waste of time, money and effort.

“See, this is the problem,” Faye said with an exasperated sigh and a sweep of her arm at her.

“What?” Jessa whined.

“You don't make an effort because you don't believe it's worth it, right?”

“Hmm,” she replied cautiously in a non-committal way.

“Why isn't it worth the effort?” Faye asked in a demanding tone.

“Who'd notice, anyway?”

“Ah!  So how come Rob asked you out, huh?”

“That's why I'm so surprised by it!”

She couldn't believe they were having this conversation.  Rob asking her out was a big surprise.  It wasn't something that happened all the time.  She wasn't like Faye or Clarise, who never lacked male admirers.

A thought occurred to her.  “Hey, I think I know why Rob asked me out.  It seems I'm the only single girl here tonight.”

Loud groans came out from all three of her friends.

“Look, guys, that's just the way it is,” she said with a shrug.  She wasn't very pretty and there was nothing she could do about that.  It certainly wasn't a crime.  She couldn't understand why her friends wouldn't accept it.

“Jess, the only reason why we're always at you about this is because we want you to see what we see,” Faye said, as if reading her mind.  “Quite frankly, it's annoying when you mope around and say you want to find ‘The One' but you hold yourself back with your lack of self-confidence about your looks.  You're not just brains.  You're beauty and brains.  You are attractive.  We have eyes, you know, so we know what we're talking about.  We just don't know what you see when you look at yourself in the mirror.”

Tears sprang to her eyes.  She was lucky to have friends who see her as beautiful.  But there was nothing special about her straight, long black hair, hazel eyes and petite frame.  She was simply plainer than what they said she was.  Wasn't that the reason Jasmine, her pretty younger sister, attracted four guys she had huge crushes on and that Jasmine even ended up dating all of them?  Or why her big infatuation Michael chose to go out with her previous best friend even though she was the one who had the guts to approach him at the bar?  All Michael could say to her was ‘your friend's really beautiful'.  That said it all.  She wasn't.  She had known it since she was a kid.

She stood up and threw her arms wide open.  “Group hug.”

“Oh, Jess!” her three friends cried at the same time as they gave her big bear hugs.

“Are you okay?” Victor asked.

“Of course, I'm okay.  Listen, there are only a very few people in this world who are truly gorgeous inside and out.  For some bizarre reason, I'm lucky enough to be best friends with three of them.  Equally bizarre is the fact that one of the hottest men I've ever seen asked me out.  I'm not going to question that and ruin my fun.  I'm just going to enjoy the fact that it happened.  I certainly don't get that every day.”

Clarise and Faye looked at each other.

“Jess,” Clarise said gently, “just thought I'd let you know Rob recently broke up with his girlfriend.  He's not looking for a serious relationship at this point, just some fun.  He said as much to Will earlier today.”

“Oh.”  She was surprised at the pang of disappointment that hit her.  She had learnt long ago not to get her hopes up with any first dates, but she felt a connection with Rob she couldn't quite put a finger on.  It's my attraction to his face and body.  He's too good-looking, she thought to herself.

“Yeah,” Clarise continued.  “I mean, you can still go out with him and enjoy being taken out to dinner.  He seems like a nice enough guy as long as you don't expect anything more than just to have fun with him.”

“Well, it's not an issue with me.  I wasn't expecting someone like him to fall for me, anyway.  It'll just be great to have dinner with someone seriously gorgeous.”

~~~~~~~

“When do you go back to Melbourne, Rob?”

“Next Saturday,” Rob answered Will Matthews, his long-time friend.  They'd known each other since their early teens, having gone to school together.  When he moved to Melbourne five years ago, they kept in touch and remained close friends.  “But I'll be back here again pretty soon, probably in three weeks' time or so,” he continued.  “I'd really like to establish a strong client base here.  I'd like to target some of the larger Sydney-based corporate firms.”

“Well, let me know what I can do to help you,” Will replied.  “You've been a big help to me for my Melbourne branch.  I already have some high profile clients lined up to use my company's travel services because of your marketing strategy.”

“Thanks … I'll definitely … let you know,” he responded in a distracted tone, his attention shifting elsewhere.

“Granger!”

He was startled by Will's call.  “Huh?”

“What's going on?”

“Nothing.”

“You better not be staring at Clarise.”

He chuckled.  “C'mon, Will.  Would I do that to you?”

Will narrowed his eyes at him.  “It's Jessa then.  You do know Jessa is one of Clarise's best friends, so I hope you don't have her on your list of potential playmates.  I don't think she's that kind of girl.”

“Hey, I just find her work fascinating.  Maybe I can have an article written on my business in Lifestyle.”

“Oh, right.  That's a great idea.  A good article there can attract loads of new clients for you.  Mine's coming out in a couple of months.”

“I've asked her out to dinner,” Rob blurted out.

“Oh?  To butter her up so she’ll do a good write-up for you?  They don't work like that, you know.  They don't do any favours when it comes to their work.  They're pretty objective.”

“And Clarise is being objective with you?” he ribbed Will.  “When it's so obvious the two of you are so hopelessly in love it's gag-worthy?”

Will grinned, clearly enjoying the thought of Clarise being hopelessly in love with him.  There was no denying he was hopelessly in love with her.  “Clarise isn't writing the article for me, Jessa is.  And both of them have warned me several times they're not going to treat me differently from anyone else.  It's their careers and reputations on the line, after all.”

“I'm not looking for favours.”

“So, then, you want to go out with her because …?”

Rob shrugged.  He asked Jessa out because he found her attractive.  She wasn't the type he usually dated but there was something alluring about her.  From the way she looked at him earlier, it was clear the attraction was mutual.

It just occurred to him that there could be complications because of her friendship with Clarise.  He didn't think about that.  But that shouldn't matter if Jessa also found him attractive, should it?  And it was only going to be one dinner – and maybe some fooling around in bed if she was okay with it.  If she wasn't up for that, then no problem.  There'd be other takers.

“I'm sure she can look after herself, Will.  She can suss me out and make her own decision.  I won't deliberately mislead her.”

After Andrea, his last girlfriend, Rob had made a decision to be upfront with the women he asked out.  He thought Andrea knew the score perfectly well so it came as a shock to him when she demanded they get engaged.  He only agreed to be exclusive with her because it served them both.  Theirs was a relationship of convenience tied with sexual compatibility, not commitment.  That was the only kind of relationship he was interested in.  It was a pity Andrea forgot that.

“How exactly are you not going to deliberately mislead her?” Will quizzed.

“How?  Well, before I end up in bed with her – with any woman, for that matter – I'm going to let her know I'm not looking for a serious relationship.”

“Okay, that could work, although you'll only be with women who only want casual sex.”

“Yeah, so?”

“What about finding a nice girl you could potentially be in a serious relationship with?”

Rob’s roaring laughter startled some of the people standing nearby.  “You are fucking kidding me, right?” he said in a lower voice only Will could hear.

“What?  Why?” Will asked in bemusement.

“Just because you're blinded by love doesn't mean you have to drag me down that path with you,” he replied with an upward roll of his eyes.

“Drag you down?  You don't know what you're missing!”

“Will, come on.  You know all this love shit isn't for me.”

While he was happy for his friend, Rob didn't believe everyone found the kind of love Will and Clarise had found with each other.  Relationships like that were the exception rather than the rule.  Besides, he couldn't see himself wanting to be tied down in a serious relationship with any woman.  That would be way too constricting.  He valued his freedom, first and foremost.

“Okay, okay.  Whatever you think suits you,” Will acquiesced.  “As long as you're frank and straightforward with Jessa about your intentions, Rob.  Before you end up in bed with her,” his friend warned him.

“Don't worry about that.”

********

To get your copy of Heart Robber (Lifestyle by Design Book 2), click here.  Enjoy!

 

Loving The Sweet Things

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Photo by MJ Carlos of muchamunch.com

I love food, I love eating out and I loooove dessert.

One of my all-time favourite desserts is Tiramisu.  I can't go past it if it's on offer.

I'm not a very good cook of anything so when I tried making my first Tiramisu from a recipe I found in an Italian cookbook, I was very pleased that it turned out great.  But the second time I made it, it wasn't as good as the first time even though I tried to follow the recipe to a “T”.

I think that's why I made Clarise Carson, the main character of my free romance novel Will To Love, an expert in making Tiramisu. 😀

One day, I found this recipe of the most beautiful Tiramisu Cake I've seen.   It was from a website called muchamunch.com.  Boy, if I could make my Tiramisu look like this, I'd be a very happy gal.  It really looks enticing, doesn't it?

Photo by MJ Carlos of muchamunch.com

Here's the link to the full recipe if you'd like to give it a try.

Much A Munch's Tiramisu Cake

So guess what?  This is the Tiramisu that Clarise had perfected.  This is the recipe she followed when she made her Tiramisu for her family and for Will's family.  No wonder it was such a hit!

The first time Clarise made her famous Tiramisu for Will's parents, he almost didn't notice it.  To his defence, he did have a good reason to be distracted.  Here's a short extract from the novel:

*************

Clarise paced her living room as she waited for Will to pick her up.  She was meeting his parents tonight and she was nervous.  She hoped they'd like the tiramisu she made for dessert.  It was a dish she had perfected and the only one she felt confident enough to bring to dinner.

She heard the buzzer and told Will she'd meet him downstairs.  She prayed she wouldn't bump into anyone on her way out.  She was wearing a short-sleeved dress that zipped all the way down the front and exposed a great deal of her cleavage.  It was all for Will's benefit, of course.

Will gawked at her as she exited the building.

“Hi, honey,” she said and kissed his lips.  From their close proximity, she knew he had the best view of her breasts covered by a pink, lacy bra.

“Baby …” Will said hoarsely.  His breathing had quickened.  “Baby …” he said again, swallowing hard and still looking down her chest.

“Yes?”

“I think my parents will have the shock of their lives when they see you in that dress,” he croaked.  He lifted his hand and slowly ran a knuckle over the exposed swell of her breast.

Her breath hitched and her skin tingled where he touched her.

A car drove past, breaking the spell.  They were out on the street!  Fortunately, no one was around apart from some passing cars.

“Oh, this is just for you.  Now that I've greeted you, I can make myself look more modest,” she explained as she tugged the zipper up to cover herself.  “Did you like that?” she couldn't help whispering to him sensuously.

Will's eyes darkened and a seductive smile touched his lips.  “So you mean this zipper can go all the way up and … all the way down?” he asked lasciviously.

“Yes, all the way down,” she whispered.

He licked his lips.  “I'm sure my parents won't mind if we get there an hour late.”

She chuckled even as she felt herself go wet.  Oh, she was tempted to take him up on that offer, but she'd prefer delayed gratification.  She didn't want Will's parents to have a bad first impression of her if they turned up late.

“No, I think we have to go there now, honey.  And my arm is getting tired from carrying this tiramisu.”

It was only then that Will noticed the dish she was holding up with one arm.  He seemed to have gotten too distracted by the sight of her breasts.

“Sorry, my sweet,” he said as he took the dish from her.  Then he bent down to capture her mouth.

“Let's go,” he said after a passionate but all too brief kiss that left her wanting more.

*************

Enjoy the sweet things in your life!

Want to read my romance novel for free?

Yes, Will To Love is free to download. Click here to check it out now.

Will To Love by Miranda P. Charles