Seducing the Playboy (A Hot Nights Series Book) (Entangled Brazen) (17 page)

He wrapped his arms around her and buried his face in her neck, taking deep, gulping breaths of her sweet scent. Joy washed over him. “I’m sorry you were unhappy, but I’m so glad you missed me. I love you, Jenna. God, I love you so much.”

“I love you, too. I always have, ever since we went sledding six years ago and you didn’t kiss me.”

He crushed his lips to hers, and tasted cinnamon, oats, and heat. For long moments he luxuriated in her scent, taste, and touch, and then he grinned. “You’re stuck with me now. Do you know how hard it was not to butt in? I almost had to stake myself to the beach to keep from calling the bank and putting in a good word…or opening a credit line for you.”

Her eyes narrowed. “You didn’t call the bank, did you? I got a loan to cover the renovations. It was almost too easy—”

“Nope. They knew a good idea when they heard it.”

She snuggled closer. “I think that makes me love you even more, but I also want to kill you. I can’t believe you waited so long.”

He kissed her again, almost getting lost in the pleasure of being near her. Then he remembered there was more he needed to say. He pulled back. “I grew up in kitchens, one after the other, as my mother made a name for herself. When I looked into my future with Gallagher Holdings, that’s all I saw, more kitchens. I didn’t have anything other than money to share with a woman, so I never got involved in a serious relationship, I never thought about having kids because I didn’t want them to grow up like I did, lonely and working from the minute they could do something useful. My life was empty, and I filled it with work and partied hard so I could make connections and fill it with more work. Then you walked into my kitchen, reminding me of happy times spent around the table with your family, and everything changed.” He gestured around the room, festooned with holly garland, lit from the inside, and shining with love. “I want this. I want you. Please let me show you I can be the man you need.”

A tear spilled down her cheek. “Never in a million years did I think you would give up Hollywood for Lambertville.”

“Give me a chance. I promise you won’t regret it.”

Laughter and heat shimmered in her eyes. “I remember saying something similar to you a while ago. Does this mean you’re looking for a job, Chef?”

“You bet I am.” He struggled to recall what she had said to him that afternoon in the Beach House kitchen, grinning when it came to him. “Give me a few decades, I promise I’ll knock your socks off.” He bent to whisper for her ears only. “And your pants, your shirt, and whatever scandalous lingerie you happen to be wearing.”

She cocked her head to the side and batted her eyelashes, eyes glinting with golden light. “I don’t know…there’s nothing wrong with our desserts. Our pie crust is delicious, and our sauces don’t come out of a can. How far are you willing to go to get this job?” A few chuckles broke out around the room.

“All the way and then some,” he said firmly. “I’ll work beside you in the kitchen. I’ll sit down with you for dinner every night. I’ll walk the dog, and I’ll put the kids to bed if we are lucky enough to have any. Your happiness will be my full-time job.”

“Say yes, or I will,” a woman called from the next table.

Jenna grinned. “Sorry, but I think I’ll keep him.” She pulled something out of her pocket, and when he saw the blue glint of a diamond, gratitude filled his heart. He took it out of her hand, glancing quickly at her parents who nodded their blessing.

His throat tightened, and he had to swallow before he could speak. “Jenna Cooper, will you marry me?”

“Yes, I will.” She held out her hand, and he slipped the ring on her finger. She lifted her chin, and her eyes darkened to his favorite color, caramel just on the edge of burnt. “But don’t expect me to take it easy on you just because I love you.”

“Darling, I’d be disappointed if you did.” He kissed her, and then pulled out her chair at the table. His mother and Jeff joined the family, and while introductions were made, Roman took his seat beside Jenna, and knew he was finally home.

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Acknowledgments

I owe my love of food and cooking to my wonderful parents. My mom is a great cook, and would you believe she gave me free run of her kitchen from an early age, even though disaster often (always) ensued? In fact, Mom had a standing date with the plumber every time I threw a dinner party for my friends. Apparently, you can’t put just any old thing down the garbage disposal. Every so often, I relearn that lesson, much to my husband’s chagrin. (Sorry about the potato peels from the latkes a few years ago, honey! I promise I’ll only do that a couple more times in our lives.) My dad is a hell of a cook, too—especially on a campfire. From him I learned never to make scrambled eggs in a cast iron skillet and to start everything with bacon. Rules to live by.

My love of romance novels was born long before I met my husband, but I have him to thank for turning my fantasies of everlasting love into my everyday reality. And for making me endless cups of coffee. And dinner. And…other vital stuff. I’m glad our kids are going to grow up thinking it’s normal to make out in the kitchen.

There are few things I love more than getting lost in a good book, and I don’t know what I’d do without my book boyfriends and best friends! My everlasting gratitude to all the authors who have created worlds for me to enjoy over the years, and many thanks to Entangled Publishing for helping me bring my own stories to life, especially Liz Pelletier for taking me under her rockin’ editorial wing, Lewis Pollak and Alethea Spiridon Hopson for the trope-tacular revisions, and Heather Howland for the smokin’ Hot Nights covers. Big love to my copy editors, formatters, and proofreaders (because sometimes commas are harder than math). Squeezes to my publicists and all the other people who make my books look delicious. A lifetime supply of sea-salted caramels to my intrepid agent, Nalini Akolekar, who saves me. A margarita for Jessica Topper, wine for Natasha Moore, and a nondairy hot mocha for Alison Stone, who deserve many drinks for sharing the writing life with me. L’chaim! A henna tattoo for Erin Kelly-Park, who made me get one on Venice Beach when we were celebrating our fortieth birthdays, and a sun salutation to Melissa Cook who picks me up for yoga even when I tell her I should be working. A never ending supply of ripped abs and hot tattoos for Kimberly Kincaid, Robin Covington, and Avery Flynn for keeping me inspired every Friday with their FB Man Wars. Everyone wins!

And thank
you
for reading Jenna and Roman’s story. Without you, sweet reader, this writing journey would be so lonely. Thanks for keeping me company!

About the Author

Amanda Usen
knows two things for certain: chocolate cheesecake is good for breakfast, and a hot chef can steal your heart. Her husband stole hers the first day of class at the Culinary Institute of America. She married him after graduation in a lovely French Quarter restaurant in New Orleans, and they spent a few years enjoying the food and the fun in the Big Easy. Now they live in Western New York with their three children, one hamster, two guinea pigs, a tortoise, and a new-to-them beagle. Amanda spends her days teaching pastry arts classes and her nights writing romance. If she isn’t baking or writing, she can usually be found chasing the kids around the yard with her very own hot chef husband.

Want chimichurri, chocolate cake or Chicken Alighieri? Visit Amanda at
www.amandausen.com
, where you can find recipes for many of the yummy dishes in her books. She can also be found on
Facebook
and
Twitter
if you want to chat about romance, writing, or recipes.

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Discover the
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Into the Fire

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Heir to the Calabrese restaurant empire, Jackson Calabrese can buy whatever he wants, but if his new restaurant is going to succeed, he’ll need help. There’s only one chef with the culinary creativity to reinvent their menu: former rival—and lover—Lila Grant. Seducing her back into his bed—and his kitchen—should be easy. But after the way things ended between them, Lila wants revenge, and she’ll take it served
hot
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Famous bad boy restaurateur Jack Vaughn is trying to find his way back to the living when he meets the beautiful Sterling Andrews, a professional organizer hell-bent on seducing the tattooed hottie as part of her fresh take on life. Too bad she’s Jack’s newest employee, and totally off-limits.

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Bad boy Neil Harrison may have sexy body and an even sexier smile, but there’s no way in hell architect Carson Kelly is falling for the elusive bachelor. He’s battling personal demons in one of the most dangerous ways possible: illegal street racing. But as their antagonistic work relationship ignites a passionate affair, Carson must decide if distracting Neil from his need for speed is the perfect outlet for her own restless desire, or if they’re on a one-way path to destruction.

If you love sexy romance, one-click these steamy Brazen releases…

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Chandler Gamble has one rule: don’t protect anyone you want to screw. So when take-no-prisoners publicist Alana Gore receives chilling notes from a stalker, he’s caught between his job and his increasingly hard libido. Chandler wants nothing more than to take the hot volcano of a woman in hand, to make her writhe in pleasure, until she’s at his complete mercy. But the moment the line is crossed, all hell will break loose…

Dare to Resist

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Colton Brooks is in hell. Being trapped in a tiny motel room with Kady Dresco, the object of his darkest fantasies, will require every ounce of his restraint. She’s his best friend’s brilliant little sister, not to mention his competition for a lucrative military security services contract. Craving her submission is
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