âTessa, come on. Lie down.â
Only a moment ago sheâd been holding it together just fine, and then Reilly had to bring that long, sleekly muscled body of his close. Didnât he know what that magnificent near nudity did to a woman?
Tessa shook her head, not sure whether she was refusing his command or trying to rid herself of the images his husky voice brought to mind. Images of hot summer nights, satin sheets and wild, sweet lovemakingâ¦
Reilly took matters into his own hands. He led her to the cot and helped her sit. âJust lie down, right here.â
His head was bent close to hersâ¦his lips definitely within kissing distance. The room shrank in size until it was just about the two of them, their breaths mingling.
âSo, tell me, Reilly.â She licked her suddenly dry lips. âIf I lie down, do I get a good-night kiss?â
Dear Reader,
Itâs Harlequin Temptationâs twentieth birthday and weâre ready to do some celebrating. After all, weâre young, weâre legal (well, almost) and weâre old enough to get into trouble! Who could resist?
Weâve been publishing outstanding novels for the past twenty years, and there are many more where those came from. Donât miss upcoming books by your favorite authors: Vicki Lewis Thompson, Kate Hoffmann, Kristine Rolofson, Jill Shalvis and Leslie Kelly. And Harlequin Temptation has always offered talented new authors to add to your collection. In the next few months look for stories from some of these exciting new finds: Emily McKay, Tanya Michaels, Cami Dalton and Mara Fox.
To celebrate our birthday, weâre bringing back one of our most popular miniseries, Editorâs Choice. Whenever we have a book thatâs new, innovative, extraordinary, look for the Editorâs Choice flash. And the first oneâs out this month! In Cover Me, talented Stephanie Bond tells the hilarious tale of a native New Yorker who finds herself out of her element and loving it. Written totally in the first person, Cover Me is a real treat. And donât miss the rest of this monthâs irresistible offeringsâa naughty Wrong Bed book by Jill Shalvis, another installment of the True Blue Calhouns by Julie Kistler and a delightful Valentine tale by Kate Hoffmann.
So, come be a part of the next generation of Harlequin Temptation. We might be a little wild, but weâre having a whole lot of fun. And who knowsâsome of the thrill might rub offâ¦.
Enjoy,
Brenda Chin
Associate Senior Editor Harlequin Temptation
A NOTE FROM THE AUTHORâ¦
I love books where the hero and heroine are forced into proximity right from the get-go. So I really had fun with this heroine who walks into a burglary and ends up locked in a tiny room with a tall, gorgeous man without his clothes. Tessa and Reilly have one thing in commonâthey want out. Only, a little thing happens along the wayâ¦this almost unbearable attraction.
I feel really fortunate to be included in the twentieth anniversary along with some good friends. Happy birthday, Temptation!
Happy reading,
Jill Shalvis
P.S. I love to hear from readers! Visit my Web site at www.jillshalvis.com.
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Epilogue
TESSA DELACANTRO ALWAYS PAID her taxes, ate at least one serving of fruit or veggies a day and generally was a rule follower. But that didnât mean she didnât yearn for adventure.
In fact, she yearned a lot.
It was why sheâd agreed to watch her bossâs posh house in La Canada for the weekend while he took his latest fling to Cabo San Lucas.
Tessa had her own place but it didnât have ten thousand square feet or cable or even a degree of poshness, so she looked forward to living like the rich and famous for two nights. As an Art History major without a lot of prospects in the field, sheâd spent the past few years as an office clerk here and there, doing some accounting, doing some secretarial work, learning how to run Microsoft programs without crashing anyoneâs system.
What she hadnât done was figure out how to work in any of that adventure and excitement she wanted, but this was California, Southern California, to boot. The land of opportunity. She was open to anything, and liked to keep her options free. She had high hopes for her latest job as a temp in an agency run by the colorful Eddie Ledger. The sharp, debonair, electrifying man had a myriad of businesses in his empire, most of which ran themselves, leaving him free to do things like go to Cabo on a whim.
She could get into that lifestyle. She parked her car at the top of Eddieâs long, curvy driveway, which protected the Tudor-style mansion from view of the street. It had a beautiful yellow-and-white front, with flowers everywhere, lining the grass and steps to the porch.
Letting herself in with the key Eddie had given her, she dropped her purse and keys on the tiled foyer that was bigger than her entire apartment and sighed. From here she could see the large living room and so many windows showing off stunning views of the Angeles Crest Mountains she felt a little dizzy.