Risky Business
After a hot–and very rare–one-night stand, Rachel Westover knows her life's never going to be the same. For one, she tells everyone at work she's happily married to that sexy fling, Jack Kellerman, to get a promotion.She's never going to see him again, so it's not as if her little white lie is hurting anyone! Of course, she didn't count on her imaginary husband suddenly showing up at her office.…Jack had been wondering what happened to the gorgeous creature who slipped away from him six months ago. He's always wanted to see her again and find out why. When he finds out everyone thinks they're married, and he's asked to go on Rachel's annual company retreat, Jack can't say no. Spend four days in a secluded cabin with a gorgeous woman? Life doesn't get any better… or any more complicated!
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âWhat in the hell are you doing here?â
Jack folded his arms over his chest. âSheer accident. Iâm in town on business, and who do I see getting into a cab? The woman who walked out on me six months ago without so much as a goodbye. And now, for some reason, everyone thinks Iâm yourâ¦husband?â
Rachel squeezed her eyes shut. âPlease, Jack. Will you just go?â
âOh, no. If youâre going to pass me off as your husband, Iâve got a right to know why.â
âIt was a harmless littleâ¦ruse. Thatâs all.â
He eyed her carefully. âWhy me?â
She turned away. âThe picture was handy.â
âIs that the only reason?â
âWhat other reason would there be?â
Jack gave her a cocky grin. âIâm unforgettable?â
Rachel shot him a look of disgust. Oh, he was so arrogant. And so conceited. And so right.
Dear Reader,
Iâve always loved those crazy stories where somebody tells a tiny fib, only to have that little falsehood escalate into a problem of major proportions!
In Risky Business, architect Rachel Westover is desperate to land her dream job, but the big boss refuses to consider unmarried job candidates. She decides that Jack Kellerman, a fun, sexy, captivating man with whom she once had a scorching one-night affair, can become her imaginary husband, since he lives a thousand miles away and will never know. She gets the job. Her plans works perfectly.
Then, out of the blue, Jack shows up at her office, quite amused that he appears to be married but canât seem to remember his wedding.
When everybody takes Jack to be her real husband, Rachel is forced to spend four days with him on an employee/spouse retreat at a romantic ski resort. Soon her one little fib has spiraled completely out of control. How can she, a serious, career-driven woman, be falling for a wildly spontaneous man who never takes anything seriously?
I hope you enjoy Risky Business. Visit me on the Web at www.janesullivan.com, or write to me at [email protected]. Iâd love to hear from you!
Best wishes,
Jane Sullivan
Books by Jane Sullivan
HARLEQUIN TEMPTATION
854âONE HOT TEXAN
HARLEQUIN DUETS
48âTHE MATCHMAKERâS MISTAKE
33âSTRAY HEARTS
To my sister Mary Ann, my most enthusiastic fan.
Thanks for loving my books, and for telling everyone else on the planet that they will, too.
Contents
1
JACK KELLERMAN WAS A BORN optimist.
He couldnât remember a time in his life when he hadnât believed that the glass was half-full. That when a door closed, a window opened. That things always worked out for the best, that tomorrow was another day, and that life really was a bowl of cherries. And above all, that laughter was indeed the best medicine.
But even at his most positive, no way could he have predicted a day like today.
Heâd caught an early morning flight from San Antonio to Denver. Nonstop. Arrived ten minutes early. Actual breakfast on the plane rather than a package of stale dry-roasted peanuts. Sat down next to a woman with a baby, and the child fell asleep when they took off and didnât even wake when they landed. Gorgeous redhead from San Antonio in the seat to his left, literate, well-spoken and maybe even telling the truth when she said she was unmarried. Sheâd slipped her card into the pocket of his leather jacket as they got off the plane, giving him a smile that said, Anywhere, anytime, any way.
As he exited the terminal, he got a picture-postcard view of the snowcapped Rocky Mountains in the distance. He picked up a cab with a functioning heater. The driver, who actually spoke English, drove him into downtown Denver, where a light sprinkling of snow blanketed the sidewalks with a soft white powder.
And now, as Jack stood inside the lobby of the Fairfax Hotel, turning a slow circle and taking in every nuance of the late-nineteenth-century architecture and decor, he couldnât help smiling. Heâd wondered whether this trip would be worth it. He wasnât wondering now.
Man, oh man, what a beautiful sight.
He checked his watch and saw that he was thirty minutes early for his appointment with the hotel manager. He stepped into the lounge, slid onto a stool at the bar and watched as a blonde sitting at the other end of the bar uncrossed her legs, then crossed them again, giving him an inviting smile.
Nice. Very nice.
The only thing that rivaled Jackâs passion for historic places was his passion for beautiful women. And right now, he was experiencing the best of both worlds.
He returned her smile, knowing it never hurt to plant seeds. If she was still here by the time the manager finished giving him a tour of the place, he might just have himself a lunch partner. Maybe more. If this day got any better he wasnât going to be able to stand it.
But business first. Then pleasure.
The bartender came by, and Jack asked for a cup of coffee. Then he pulled out his cell phone, tapped number one on the speed dial, and after a few rings, Tom came on the line. His cousin and business partner, Tom was holding down the fort in San Antonio while he made the trip to Denver.
