Real Men Will
It was meant to be a one-night stand. One night of passion. Scorching-hot. Then Beth Cantrell and Eric Donovan were supposed to go their separate ways. That's the only reason he lied about his name, telling her he was really his wild younger brother. Hiding his identity as the conservative Donovan. The "good one."But passion has its own logic, and Eric finds he can't forget the sable-haired beauty with whom he shared a night of love. When Beth discovers that Eric has lied, however, she knows he can't be trusted. Her mind tells her to forget the blue-eyed charmer. If only every fiber of her being didn't burn to call him back.
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Praise for the novels of
USA TODAY bestselling author
VICTORIA DAHL
âA hot and funny story about a woman
many of us can relate to.â
âSalon.com on Crazy for Love
â[A] hands-down winner, a sensual story
filled with memorable characters.â
âBooklist on Start Me Up
âDahl has spun a scorching tale about
what can happen in the blink of an eye and what we can do to change our lives.â
âRT Book Reviews, 4 stars, on Start Me Up
âLead Me On will have you begging for a re-read
even as the story ends.â
âRomance Junkies
âDahl smartly wraps up a winning tale
full of endearing oddballs, light mystery and plenty of innuendo and passion.â
âPublishers Weekly on Talk Me Down
âSassy and smokingly sexy, Talk Me Down
is one delicious joyride of a book.â
âNew York Times bestselling author
Connie Brockway
âSparkling, special and oh so sexyâ
Victoria Dahl is a special treat!â
âNew York Times bestselling author Carly Phillips
on Talk Me Down
For my husband.
All the credit for this book goes to my family and
friends. The romance community is notoriously supportive, and I felt that support in full this year. I canât possibly name all the friends who helped push me forward, but Iâll have to do my very best. Thank you, Lauren, Jami, Courtney, Tessa, Carrie, Julie, Barb, Jeri, Louisa, Zoe, Meljean, Rosemary, Viv, Ann, Megan, RaeAnne, Anne and Carolyn. Jodi, Carrie P. and Lara, thank you too! Whew. It takes a village!
And to Jennifer Echolsâ
friend, therapist and critique partner extraordinaireâthank you for making me laugh in good times and bad. Youâre the best.
Thank you to Amy, Tara and Leonore
for all your hard work and patience. And thank you to all my wonderful readers!
But most of all, thank you to my amazing
husband and the best two boys in the world. Iâm so glad weâre in this together.
CONTENTS
BETH CANTRELL HADNâT thought about him in almost six months.
Well, that wasnât exactly true.
Beth cleared her throat and shifted, glancing around as if everyone in the brewery could feel the lie she was telling herself.
The truth was that sheâd thought about Jamie Donovan plenty of times. Sheâd remembered the hour or two theyâd shared, sheâd fantasized about what mightâve happened if sheâd stayed the whole night in that hotel room.
But in the past six months, sheâd never once let herself think about seeing him again. She hadnât considered calling him or making contact in any way. That had been their agreement, after all. One night. One time. No strings attached and no expectations. Sheâd had to abide by that, because she would never have let herself meet him in that hotel room otherwise.
He wasnât her type. He wasnât part of her social circle. And she definitely wasnât part of his. Beth Cantrell managed the White Orchid, the premiere erotic boutique in Boulder. Her friends were her employees: women she loved like sisters. They were bold and powerful and sexually progressive. And they dated people like themselves: tattooed, pierced, educated and cool. Absolutely cool, even when theyâd only reached the pinnacle of cool by being so incredibly nerdy that they actually circled around to cool again.
Beth, on the other hand, wasnât cool. She was just⦠Beth. But that was okay, because she was their manager and they loved her, and they did their best to pull her into their sphere. They fixed her up with guys. Friends of theirs. Men they knew and liked. Men who were cool and hip and progressive. And not one of those guys had ever pushed her buttons the way Jamie had.
She still flushed when she thought about him in his tidy polo shirt and khaki pants. His wide white smile and broad shoulders. Heâd looked even better in a business suit. The perfect vision of middle-class preppy beauty. And Beth had wanted him so much it hurt.
Theyâd been strangers, despite this small town. But in that hotel room, with the promise that it would happen only onceâ¦the isolation of the act had made it safe. Yet she couldnât stop thinking about him.
And right in the middle of the first good date sheâd had in years.
âHey,â her date said as he waved a hand in front of her face. âYou okay?â He smiled, taking any sting from the words.
âSorry.â Before sheâd started thinking about Jamie, her date had been talking aboutâ¦something. She racked her brain. Something artsy and important about Robert Mapplethorpeâs early career.
âIâm really sorry,â she finally said. âI didnât realize how tired I was until the glass of beer hit me. Iâm not usually so rude.â
