Heated Moments

Opposites attract...and ignite!

When she’s dumped as the famous face of Espresso Cosmetics, Lola Gray does what any self-respecting diva would do: she throws a hissy fit and hits the road. Leaving Tennessee—and her family empire—in the dust, the cover model takes off for New York City. When a speeding ticket gets her in trouble in a small town in Ohio, the only bright spot is the hunky local police chief.

After the craziness of the big city, Dylan Cooper couldn’t wait to return to the peace and quiet of Cooper’s Place. Now the stunning tabloid beauty he is holding for questioning is charming his hometown, and seducing the former homicide cop. Dylan needs Lola gone before he gives in to temptation. But unexpectedly, Dylan’s discovering a woman of surprising talents, hidden depths...and intense passion. Is it possible their sizzling affair will become a lifetime of love?

Releasing his collar, Lola planted her palms on his chest and pushed, wrenching her mouth away from his. A foot of space now separated them, but their gazes remained locked.

Lola steeled herself against the obviously practiced look of surprise on his face. It didn’t matter how great of a kisser he was or that he had a body that would play a starring role in her fantasies for nights to come. She wasn’t about to give Celebrity Pranks the satisfaction or video footage of her looking like she was falling for a stripper.

Time to take back the control she’d momentarily lost along with her damned mind. Take this, Celebrity Pranks, she thought. She rounded the police chief and with her good hand, smacked him soundly on the butt.

“Now take off your clothes and dance!”

The sound of female laughter drew Lola’s attention to the doorway of the waiting room. The nurse she’d met earlier leaned against the doorjamb with her arms folded over her chest. “Now that’s a sight I’d like to see myself.” Avis winked. “I see you’ve gotten acquainted with our chief of police.”

Lola’s jaw dropped.

“P-police chief?” she croaked, hoping she’d heard the woman wrong.

“Yes, police chief.” The deep baritone of the man she’d assumed was a stripper rumbled behind her, confirming the fact that she’d really screwed up this time.

Dear Reader,

We’ve all seen them. Wild, wonderful, spirited women who were tamed by the love of a good man. Some call it growing up. I call it a shame.

It got me to thinking what-if?

What if the youngest of the Espresso Empire siblings, Lola Gray, didn’t change? What if her impulsiveness and over-the-top ways, which usually land her in a hot mess, became an asset? What if she met a man wise enough to realize the things everyone around Lola considers faults are actually her greatest strengths?

Small-town police chief Dylan Cooper was the hunky answer to all my questions. And as he works to help get Lola out of a jam and out of town, he realizes she’s the spark both his life and the town lacked—and nobody wants her to change or leave.

I hope you enjoy Lola’s story, which concludes the Espresso Empire series.

All my best,

Phyllis

Heated Moments

Phyllis Bourne

www.millsandboon.co.uk

A former newspaper crime reporter, PHYLLIS BOURNE writes romantic comedy to support her lipstick addiction. A two-time Romance Writer’s of America Golden Heart finalist, she has also been nominated for an RT Reviewer’s Choice Best Book Award and won the Georgia Romance Writer’s Maggie Award of Excellence. When she’s not at her computer, Phyllis can be found at a cosmetics counter spending the grocery money.

For Mom and Elizabeth, and authors Farrah Rochon, Michelle Monkou and Patricia Sargeant.

And as always, for Byron, you are my heart, and every day with you is a real-life romance novel.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

Introduction

Dear Reader

Title Page

About the Author

Dedication

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

Epilogue

Copyright

Chapter 1

“Son of a...!”

An uncharacteristic censuring glare from her father halted Lola Gray’s curse, but not her outrage. She glared at her family gathered in the boardroom of Espresso Cosmetics for their quarterly meeting.

“Calm down, baby girl,” her stepbrother and company CEO, Cole Sinclair, warned from the head of the conference room table. The endearment didn’t diminish the sting of his stern tone. Nor did it soften the blow of him using against her the voting rights she had entrusted him with.

“Calm down?” Lola asked, incredulous. Standing abruptly, she flung a head shot of the model they intended to replace her with across the boardroom table. “How would you feel if I gave your job to a drag queen?”

“That drag queen was nearly your new step-mother.” The gravelly voice of Espresso’s longtime secretary, Loretta Walker, chimed in.

A grunt sounded from Lola’s father’s direction. “Are you ever going to let that go?”

“Not as long as I’m still breathing,” Loretta retorted.