Jenna wanted to cry, âStop!â But the word simply wouldnât come.
Mark gave her a long, speculative appraisal from beneath his lashes. His tender smile had melted her insides. âYou realize, of course, if you go now, youâll never find out.â
âFind out what?â Her voice sounded detached and foreign.
His mouth widened into a grin. âWhether itâs boxers or briefs.â
She stared at him in mute misery. The dark, heavy truth descended on her in full force. She might as well acknowledge the terrible inevitability of this moment, that something was breaking like a cord in her mind.
Jenna nodded slowly. âYouâre right, damn you. I have to know.â
She tossed her remaining shoe over one shoulder. By the time it hit the floor she had lifted her arms around Markâs neck and pulled him to her. She kissed him, thoroughly. And he responded.
If this was a mistake, sheâd find a way to make it right somehow. And if there were regrets, sheâd never lay claim to them. A premonition of danger flared at the edges of her mind, but her body was already on a wild journey, and the feeling didnât last long enough to become a nuisance.
Dear Reader,
Itâs wonderful to feel safe in the life youâve built for yourself. We should all be so lucky as to have stress-free, secure, peaceful lives that never cause us a moment of concern.
But sometimes that kind of complacent existence can getâ¦well, boring. You get stuck in a rut. You never feel challenged. You stop taking chances. And the people you love? They think they know you inside and out.
Which is why sometimes your life needs a swift kick in the pants. Or, as in the case of my heroine, you need to shake things up a bit. Thatâs what Jenna Rawlins decides to do one night when she meets Mark Bishop. Something new. Something unexpected and out of character. And that adventurous decision results in big changes in both their lives.
Resolving their problems was a great way for me to shake up my own little world, too. Iâve never written a story about two people who are drawn to one another so quickly, with such life-altering consequences. I hope Iâve met the challenge, and that youâll find Jenna and Markâs story interesting and fun.
May all your challenges in life be exciting, rewarding and, as always, may they make for wonderful stories!
Sincerely,
Ann Evans
For my good friends Lanny Reddick and Sherri Angell,
who never say âNoâ when I want to play âWhat ifâ¦?â
I couldnât do it without you.
Wellâ¦I could, but it wouldnât be nearly as much fun.
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
EPILOGUE
JENNA RAWLINS really disliked Atlantaâs Regent Street Grill. The restaurant, situated in the upscale suburb of Buckhead, was too sleek, too cold and too uncomfortable. The waiters thought they were doing you a favor by taking your order. And the prices!
Jenna swallowed as her eyes drifted down a dessert menu as thick as a Russian novel. Where did they get the nerve to charge so much?
Of course, she had to admit that Vic was right about one thing. This place was the latest trendy eatery in the city for that important business lunch. Already two of the magazineâs advertising clients had stopped by their table to say hello and buss everyone on the cheek. But honestly, with the small portions they served, what good did it do you to make contacts in the restaurant if you were too weak from hunger to remember their names?
She must have been scowling, because Victoria Estabrook, seated beside her, snatched the menu out of her hand and closed it with a snap.
âStop that!â Vic commanded. âI donât want to hear about how the company canât afford this right now. This is a celebration, and weâre all having dessert.â
They were celebrating the anniversary of Fairy Tale Weddings, the specialty magazine she, Victoria and their friend Lauren Hoffman had founded three years ago. As a CPA and the person who kept the books for the magazine, Jenna knew perfectly well whether the company budget could stand the cost of an expensive lunch for its three partners. It could. Just not too many of them. Vic, however, had been in a contrary mood all through lunch, so it was probably pointless to argue.
âI didnât say a word,â Jenna said.
âYou didnât have to. We can see it on your face. Itâs always given you away.â Victoria looked at Lauren, seated across the table. âAm I right?â
Lauren offered an agreeable shrug and sent Jenna an apologetic glance. âSheâs got you there, kiddo. How do you think we could always tell when things werenât going well with Jack?â
Jenna didnât want to talk about her ex-husband. More than five minutes, and sheâd have a headache for certain. âBe nice, you two,â she warned. âIâm still trying to get over last nightâs argument with Dad.â