Born to Be Wild: Welcome to Paradise, Book 3 (18 page)

The smile reached her mouth. “Wow. I have to say, I’m shocked.”

“But there’s just one thing missing,” he said softly. “One thing that every grown man should have in his adult life.”

Her throat tightened. “Yeah, and what’s that?”

“A woman who loves him.”

His quiet answer hung in the air and brought another flood of heat to her belly. The sincerity in his eyes made her want to throw her arms around him, but she resisted the urge. Jake might be radiating this new sense of maturity, but he’d still acted like a total jerk and she wasn’t ready to hand over her forgiveness until she knew without a doubt that he wasn’t screwing her around.

As if reading her mind, Jake chuckled and said, “I know it’ll take a lot more than heartfelt words to show you that I’ve changed. Don’t worry, I’ve got a whole plan of action ready to go.”

She had to laugh. “You do?”

He nodded. “First, I’m going to say some more heartfelt things. And after you’ve agreed to give me another chance, I’m going to prove to you that I can be the kind of man you deserve. Dates, dinners, flowers, whatever it takes, Bree.” The arrogance that both thrilled and aggravated her made an appearance. “Sweetheart, I’m going to prove that I’m boyfriend material, and once I convince you of that, I’ll prove that I’m husband material, and then, you know, daddy material.”

This time her laughter lasted for several long moments. “I see. So this action plan of yours consists of us not only dating, but getting married and having babies.”

He grinned. “And your father said I had no ambition, huh?”

Her humor dissolved into uncertainty. “Where is this coming from? Why are you so determined for us to give it another shot?”

“Because I love you.”

All the air left her lungs. “You love me,” she echoed.

“I love you,” he confirmed. “You keep me real, Bree. You…
soothe
me. I know, it sounds weird, but I swear, when we’re together, I feel…at peace. Like I’m right where I’m supposed to be.”

She knew the feeling. In the twelve years since she’d graduated high school, she hadn’t met anyone who made her feel the way Jake did. He was the only man she’d ever felt truly comfortable with, in and out of bed.

“We’re good together,” he said thickly. “You’ve got the whole good girl lawyer thing going on, I’m a bit of a badass, yet somehow we complement each other.”

She shivered when he cupped her chin with his big, warm hands and rubbed his thumbs over her lower lip.

“I’m so sorry for the way I acted at your parents’ house,” he murmured, gazing at her with regret. His fingertips grazed the side of her mouth. “And I promise you, I
will
make a real effort with your family. It took a lot of courage for you to bring me home, even knowing how they would react, and I was too much of an ass to appreciate just how hard it was for you.”

Bree drew in a shaky breath. “What happened last month won’t be the last time, Jake. They’ll continue to be jerks to you, and to be honest, I don’t know if they’ll ever accept you.”

“I don’t care.” Determination hardened his jaw. “All that matters to me is whether
you
accept me. I won’t bend over backward to gain their approval, but I promise you, I’ll always treat them with the utmost of respect, even if I don’t get the same in return. And if they cross the line the way they did last month, I will find a way to call them on it without dropping F-bombs and bringing up dirty little secrets.”

He stroked her bottom lip again, then outlined the curve of her jaw before lowering both hands to her waist. His touch was warm, gentle, and Bree’s heartbeat sped up from his nearness. “So what do you say, sweetheart? Can we start over?”

Instead of answering, she looped her arms around his broad shoulders, stood up on her tiptoes and kissed him. When he deepened the kiss, she parted her lips and lost herself in the sweet sensations of his tongue swirling over hers. By the time she broke her mouth free, she was gasping for air and her heartbeat was out of control.

“Was that a yes?” Jake teased.

The big goofy smile that filled her face would’ve been embarrassing, but she was too damn happy to care. “That’s a yes,” she answered softly. “I would like nothing more than to start over.” She brushed a kiss over his clean-shaven cheek. “I love you, Jake.”

He bestowed her with his own version of a goofy smile. “You do?”

“I do.”

He searched her eyes. “You realize I’m always gonna be a little bit of a bad boy, right? That’s not gonna change.”

“I know.”

“And you’re okay with that?”

“I’m more than okay with it. In fact…” She shot him a seductive look. “I’m looking forward to being bad together.”

His sexy gray eyes drifted toward the desk, then back to her. “Ever done it on that desk?”

“Nope.” Her smile widened. “But I’ve always been dying to.”

Jake was already marching across the room. “I’ll lock the door.”

With a laugh, Bree swept her arm over the files cluttering the desktop, sending papers sailing onto the carpet. As her pulse raced in anticipation, she hopped onto the desk and waited for her bad boy to show her that actions did indeed speak louder than words.

About the Author

 
A RITA-award-nominated author, Elle Kennedy grew up in the suburbs of Toronto, Ontario, and holds a B.A. in English from York University. From an early age, she knew she wanted to be a writer and actively began pursuing that dream when she was a teenager. She loves strong heroines and sexy alpha heroes, and just enough heat and danger to keep things interesting!

Elle loves to hear from her readers. Visit her web site
www.ellekennedy.com
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[email protected]
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Look for these titles by Elle Kennedy

Bad Moon Rising

Dance of Seduction

Midnight Encounters

Going for It

Red Hot Summer

Hot Summer Nights

Hidden Desires

Out of Uniform

Heat of the Moment

Heat of Passion

Heat of the Storm

Heat It Up

Heat of the Night

The Heat Is On

Welcome to Paradise

Welcome to Paradise

Take Me Home Tonight

Coming Soon:

Hot and Bothered

Feeling Hot

One unforgettable night…a lifetime of regret?

Take Me Home Tonight

© 2011 Elle Kennedy

Welcome to Paradise, Book 2

Three years. That’s how long Maddie’s been running the reception desk at Owen Bishop’s construction company—and waiting for her sexy boss to wake up and realize she’s more woman than the airhead bimbos he seems to prefer.

Even after her friends spring an ambush makeover on her, Owen barely notices. Apparently shedding her one-of-the-guys, tomboy looks isn’t enough. Looks like it’s time to step up her game, even if it means looking for lessons in all the wrong places.

While Owen can’t help but notice Maddie’s stunning transformation, the truth is, he likes her just the way she is—polished up or dressed down. Like his playboy father, though, he’s always been restless when it comes to women. Maddie’s friendship is too important to risk hurting her.

When Maddie shows up at his door ready to rock his world, all his resistance crumbles. But in the back of his mind, the question remains…how can she trust him with her vulnerable heart, when he’s not sure he can trust himself?

Warning: Contains a girl who’ll do anything to please her man, even if it means signing up for a master class in seduction with the town bad boy. Plus a man who may let the “sins of the father” stop him from accepting the gift of a lifetime. 

Enjoy the following excerpt for
Take Me Home Tonight:

Owen could tell Maddie was still angry with him. Even the delicious dinner he’d had delivered—his treat—hadn’t lifted her spirits. Their empty food cartons littered the desk, but neither of them had made a move to get back to work. They were sitting cross-legged on the hardwood floor, and he noticed she was fidgeting an awful lot, a scowl on her face.

“You can’t still be mad at me,” he finally sighed. “We’re almost at the Rs. It’ll only take another hour or so to finish.” By then it would be ten-thirty, and too late for her to meet up with Wyatt. Mission accomplished.

To his surprise, she shook her head. “I’m not mad. I’m antsy. The after-dinner cigarette used to be my favorite, and the cravings for it are always the worst.”

That startled him. He’d known Maddie had quit smoking a couple of years ago, but he hadn’t realized she still got cravings. In fact, there were a lot of things he didn’t know about her. What did she do when she left the office and went home in the evenings? He knew she watched football on Sundays, but he suddenly realized he had no clue what else she did for fun.

“But you wouldn’t know,” she grumbled. “Mr. Perfect here has never had a drag of a cigarette, has he?”

“Nope,” Owen admitted proudly. “Jake smokes, though.”

Looking interested, Maddie met his gaze for the first time in days. “When is he showing up, anyway? I haven’t seen Jake in more than a year, maybe longer.”

“He’s flying in a few days before the wedding. He’ll miss Nate’s bachelor party tomorrow night, but at least he’s coming home.”

“It’s so weird, how different you two are.” She cocked her head in curiosity. “Were you ever tempted to join the Army when he enlisted?”

“Not in the slightest.” He grinned ruefully. “Getting shot at isn’t something I ever wanted to experience.”

Maddie gasped. “Has Jake ever been shot?”

“Half a dozen times, at least. Ask him to show you the scars—he likes bragging about them.”

He immediately regretted the remark as he remembered that several of his twin’s scars were in places Maddie had no business looking. That weird jolt of possessiveness startled him, and the following rush of jealousy didn’t help much either. He wished she didn’t look so damn good in that yellow dress. She was no longer cross-legged, she now had her legs stretched out, and they were so long and smooth he curled both hands into fists to refrain from reaching out and touching all that silky skin.

He forced his eyes back to her face, noticing the faint blush on her cheeks. “Were you just checking out my legs?” she demanded.

Of course she just had to go and point it out, didn’t she?

“You’ve got nice legs,” he said lightly, feeling his own cheeks go hot.

She opened her mouth to say something, then closed it, her lips tightening in a harsh slash. To his disappointment, she got to her feet and headed toward the file cabinets. He heard her mumble something under her breath, but didn’t catch a single word.

“What did you say?” he asked.

Maddie began rifling through the S files, thoroughly ignoring him.

Owen’s shoulders stiffened as he marched over to her. Her muttered remark hadn’t sounded all that pleasant, judging from the tone of her voice, and he got the feeling it had been directed at him. She bent down, and her long brown hair fell over her shoulders like a silk curtain, a few strands disappearing in her cleavage.

He gritted his teeth. “If you have something to say to me, just say it.”

She lifted her head and shot him a cool look. “I’d rather not.”

As irritation gathered in his gut, he reached out and clasped his fingers over her arm. Instantly, heat suffused his palm. “Say it,” he ordered.

Brown eyes flashing, she met his gaze head-on. “I was just commenting on the fact that my
nice legs
are being wasted here, in this office, when I could be having drinks with someone who actually appreciates them.”

His mouth fell open.

“But you took care of that, didn’t you?” she said with an annoyed huff. “One question, Owen—why don’t you want me going out with Wyatt? And don’t give me that employee-fraternizing bullshit.”

Owen just gaped at her, unable to come up with a single argument in his defense. She was right, of course. He’d purposely ordered her to work late so she would miss her date with Wyatt. But he’d done it for her own good. Wyatt Killington was a sleazy player—Maddie deserved way better than that.

He opened his mouth to explain, but she didn’t give him the chance. Her cheeks were flushed with anger as she unleashed one of her infamous Maddie Wilson attacks.

“You know what? I don’t care what your reasons were,” she burst out, slamming the drawer so hard the metal cabinet rattled. “You had no right to purposely sabotage my date. That was a total asshole thing to do—and
mean,
damn it! It was mean and I don’t appreciate you interfering in my love life. It’s none of your damn business who I go out with, and if you pull a stunt like that again, I
will
quit. For good, this time, and trust me, Owen, without me, you’ll…”