by Kenner, J.
“Hey, stud,” she said. “If you get the food, I’ll get the wine. I grabbed us a table near the band. And after the bride and groom do the first dance, we can go out on the floor, too. Less talking to people about our engagement if we’re lost in each other’s arms, right?”
He swallowed, imagining the feel of her against him during a slow dance. “Sounds good. I’ll meet you at the table in a—”
“Oh, hell. Red alert.” The harsh, almost scared, tone of her voice cut through him, making him want to hold her close and soothe her. “It’s my dad.”
His stomach curdled, his protective instincts now warring with a strong urge to just get the hell out of there.
But he couldn’t. The man was the entire reason he and Hannah were at this wedding together. Why they were pretending to be engaged. Why she’d been looking at him all gooey-eyed for most of the evening, and he’d been diligently reminding himself that it was fake. All fake.
“Let’s head over and talk to one of your friends,” Matthew suggested.
“Too late. He’s heading toward us. Dammit, I don’t want to deal with him right now.”
“You and me both.” He hadn’t had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Donovan yet, but he’d heard enough to already be wildly intimidated by the successful lawyer. Matthew knew his strengths, and he also knew that if Ernest Donovan wanted to discuss legal ideas, current events, or even great literature, Matthew was going to come across sounding like a goddamn idiot. Shit.
Why the hell had he said he’d do this? He didn’t think fast on his feet. Words always escaped him.
“Quick,” Hannah said. “If we’re already talking about something, he won’t ask us about the engagement. Um, the school voucher system everyone keeps talking about. I think the Legislature’s going to look at it again for Texas this year. What do you think about that?”
Terror ripped through him. He didn’t have a clue about vouchers, and since he had no kids, he didn’t much care at the moment, either. Anything he said would reveal to Hannah that he was a clueless fool, and that was one thing he didn’t want to be.
“Or you pick a topic,” she said urgently. “Just talk. He’s almost here.”
But there was no topic. There was nothing for him to do.
Nothing except one thing.
He left the brisket on the table, pulled her roughly against him, and kissed her.
For a moment, she was stiff with shock. Then she melted against him, her mouth opening under his.
He sighed, lost in the feel of her. Because this felt right. Not overwhelming like the rest of it. This—the woman, the kiss, the pressure of their bodies—this was the way it should be.
And for one brief, delicious moment, Matthew knew what heaven felt like.
Too bad he was about to get kicked right back down to earth again.
Keep reading for Chapter One of In Too Deep, book 10 in the Man of the Month series!
In Too Deep: Chapter One
“Well?” Easton asked. “What do you think?”
Hannah Donovan turned a slow circle in the sunlit reception area that took up one corner of the seventeenth floor of the Bank of America tower at the corner of Sixth and Congress. Her soon-to-be law partner, Easton Wallace, stood in front of her, a wide grin playing across his classically handsome face. Behind him, Selma Herrington, Easton’s girlfriend who had fast become a close friend of Hannah’s, stood with her back to them in cut-off shorts and spiky blue hair, her hands pressed to the glass overlooking Austin’s famous Sixth Street.
“It’s amazing,” Hannah said, still having a hard time believing this was real. Were they actually looking at property to lease? For that matter, were they actually opening their own law firm?
She grimaced. Apparently they were. After all, she’d already given notice at Brandywine Consulting where, until yesterday, she’d been gainfully employed as in-house counsel. But as soon as she gave notice, her prick of a boss had suggested that she go ahead and take her accrued vacation. Basically kicking her out the door without even time for cupcakes in the break room.
But that was okay. Because now she was free as a bird. A somewhat terrified bird, facing a brand new adventure.
A bird who didn’t have the money she’d counted on to fund this little venture. Because her pig of a former boss had managed to trigger a clause in her retirement plan, leaving Hannah with a retirement nest egg that she was absolutely forbidden to borrow from. And if she closed it out completely and took the money, the penalty was so stiff that she’d barely have enough to buy the whiskey in which to drown her sorrows.
Which meant she was looking at this fabulous office space without her share of the money for their new law firm’s start-up capital. Which, of course, included the down payment for this lease.
And that was a fact she hadn’t yet shared with Easton.
Now his brow furrowed as he peered at her. “You’re way too quiet. Do you not like it?”
Selma turned, her eyes wide. “Of course she likes it. She’d be an idiot not to like it.”
“If I didn’t, I’d hardly admit it now,” Hannah said, amusement overcoming her worries. Selma—in typical Selma fashion—merely shrugged. “And to be clear,” Hannah continued, “I do love it. I was—” She cut herself off with a shrug. “I just can’t believe it’s happening so fast.”
That, of course, was the understatement of the year. And she didn’t have a clue how to tell Easton that she had to scrape up another source of funds. How horrible to disappoint him that way, especially since she was the one who’d had the original idea for the two of them to form a partnership.
Not only that, but she knew him well, and it was obvious that he’d fallen in love with this space. Hell, she had, too. Just this quick look around and she was convinced that this suite was as perfect for their venture as they’d ever find.
A truly breathtaking space, the suite formed a U that took up half of the east wall, all of the north wall, and the entire west wall. The tiny bit of remaining space was used as storage for the bank that owned the building—which meant that only the employees and clients of Wallace & Donovan, Attorneys At Law, needed to get off at this floor.
A set of double glass doors opened onto the luxurious reception area that faced east and looked out over Sixth Street. But right beside reception was a large conference room—also with glass walls—that faced north and looked down on the historic Driskill Hotel and a tiny hint of the Texas Capitol building. Because of the glass, the room was bright and airy and full of light. But the conference room was designed with automatic blinds, so clients and counsel could work in privacy if necessary.
Offices for associate attorneys—when they hired some—lined the north and west walls, and would also be used for the legal assistants. The northwest corner office boasted a stunning view straight down Congress Avenue, and the southwest corner had a view of the river in the distance. All in all, the space was incredible.
“Nothing wrong with fast when it’s right,” Easton said to her, though he added a wink to Selma, obviously in honor of their whirlwind romance. “And I really do think it’s right. This whole idea is right. This space. Our firm. You and me as partners.” He crossed to her and gave her a one-armed hug, the same way he used to congratulate her in law school whenever she got an A or nailed a particularly tricky concept during one of their study sessions. “I’ve had a good feeling since we took the leap and agreed to do this. Even my crazy notoriety has played into our favor. I’m getting all sorts of calls about folks wanting to talk about representation.”
Easton and Selma had been caught with their pants down—or, more specifically, Selma had been caught with her skirt up—not too long ago. The scandal had cost Easton his chance at a judgeship, but as it turned out, he was okay with that. What he really wanted was to practice law—and he’d pulled his name from the race and taken Hannah up on her suggestion that they both quit and open a firm. A suggestion that had been absolutely seaworthy at the time she’d made it, bu
t which had recently begun to spring a few leaks.
“I have a good feeling, too,” she assured him. “I swear, I’m not bailing.” She wouldn’t do that to him. This was too important to them both. This firm was their future. And it represented the kind of law career she wanted. A vibrant practice doing interesting work with a partner she trusted. She’d loved the people at her old job, and she was going to miss seeing her friends everyday. But she’d been about to rot in that environment and had been bored to tears with the actual work.
The in-house job at Brandywine Finance and Consulting had been her second law job. The first had been at a giant law firm where she’d worked for years on cases so huge that she was often only aware of one legal issue—the big picture of the overall litigation wasn’t even shared with her.
Some of the work was interesting, but she’d had little client contact, and even less contact with the overall battle plan. She knew she was paying her dues, but after a while she couldn’t take it anymore, and she’d accepted the in-house position at Brandywine.
That was better for a while, but after time, the work became rote, and it was no longer about the job but about a steady paycheck. She’d realized almost too late how much she wanted to be out there handling actual cases. Writing detailed briefs that argued real law. Building a practice and making a reputation.
Fortunately, Easton wanted the same thing.
Unfortunately, she’d lost time—most attorneys her age who went out on their own already had a handful of clients in their pocket. Which meant that if she wanted to build the firm up into something successful, she had to put all her focus and energy into this firm. Into making certain that she and Easton succeeded.
“I know you’re not bailing,” Easton assured her. “But we need to lock this down. If we take too much time, someone will snatch it out from under us. I got first look because the guy who handles leasing for this building owes me a favor. But he’ll only hold it open for us to Monday morning. After that, we won’t be the only interested parties. Besides, the sooner we commit to this place, the sooner we can start meeting with clients.”
Hannah turned in a slow circle, taking it all in. And, yes, coveting this suite. “This place will definitely wow them.” The space had previously housed a defunct law firm, and they had even left their law library behind, a spacious room filled with all the necessary resources, nestled in the interior of the building.
“And you can have your pick of corner offices,” Easton said. “Capitol or river view. No drawing straws.”
“Really?” She shot a quick glance at her friend.
“Of course you get first dibs. Without you, this wouldn’t be happening. ”
Her stomach twisted. Because the truth was that even with her it might not be happening. Not unless she could come up with her share of the money.
She drew in a breath and was gathering the courage to tell Easton the hard, cold truth, when Selma threw her hands out to her sides and twirled her way over to Easton in that vivacious Selma way she had. “Well, I love it. But darling, can you afford it?”
“We,” he said, smiling at Hannah as he brushed his thumb over Selma’s lips and pulled her close. “And of course we can. Yes?”
“Absolutely,” Hannah said, aiming her smile at both of them and taking a great deal of pride in the fact that her voice didn’t crack. Because, dammit, she’d figure out a way. “We’d be crazy not to grab it,” she added, as much to convey her enthusiasm as to convince herself. Because it really would be nuts to walk away from such a fabulous deal. Especially when the only tiny stumbling block was Hannah’s own lack of funds.
At least the lease had a two-week escape clause, or so Easton had said. Which meant that she had two weeks to either get the money or fess up to Easton.
Surely she could get the money. It wasn’t as if she was entirely out of options, after all. There was always her mother and the money that Mom used to call The Hannah Fund. It was out of reach now, true. But maybe, just maybe, she could change that.
She was pondering how to approach her mom—and, more importantly, her stepfather—when she felt the weight of Selma’s eyes on her. She glanced up, only to see a glimmer of curiosity cross Selma’s face before she turned to Easton and gave him a little shove. “Okay, mister, we’re all done here. Go. Do manly things.”
His eyes widened, and his lips twitched with obvious amusement. “Trying to get rid of me?”
“Um, duh. Hannah and I have plans,” she announced, which was total news to Hannah. “We’re off to drink cocktails and ogle hot men. Or women,” she added with a glance toward Hannah. “If you’d rather.”
Hannah lifted a shoulder, forcing herself not to smile. “Either way, I’m good.”
Selma laughed, as Easton cocked one brow. “Just ogling?”
“Don’t worry,” Selma assured him. “With other men, I only look.” She pressed herself against him, her arms going around his waist. “But sometimes that makes the touching later all the more fun. And in case you need it, here’s a preview. So you can remember why it’s me you come home to.” She kissed him—hot and deep and so slow that Hannah was starting to feel like she’d fallen down the rabbit hall into an NC-17 movie.
But when Selma grabbed Easton’s ass, it was time to cut the show short. “Okay, you two. Get a room.”
As Selma backed away, her expression smug, Easton held his hands out to his sides and indicated the huge, empty reception area. “A room?” he repeated. “Isn’t that why we’re here?”
Hannah parked one hand on her hip and cocked her head. “There will be no wild sex on the desks in our law office. Especially since one of us doesn’t have anyone to have wild sex with.”
On top of everything else, Hannah had been single—and sadly hook-up free—for well over six months now.
Sadly, that state of affairs showed no signs of changing any time soon. A particularly unfortunate fact since an upstanding boyfriend with a good job and decent manners might be the key to solving her current financial crisis.
And, honestly, she missed the fringe benefits, too.
Grab your copy now: In Too Deep
Are you eager to learn which Man of the Month book features which sexy hero?
Here’s a handy list!
Down On Me - meet Reece
Hold On Tight - meet Spencer
Need You Now - meet Cameron
Start Me Up - meet Nolan
Get It On - meet Tyree
In Your Eyes - meet Parker
Turn Me On - meet Derek
Shake It Up - meet Landon
All Night Long - meet Easton
In Too Deep - meet Matthew
Light My Fire - meet Griffin
Walk The Line - meet Brent
* * *
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J. Kenner Series In KU
Check out these blurbs for KU first-in-series books
by J. Kenner!
Because books are constantly being added to KU (and sometimes leave KU for a period of time) you can always find an updated list of JK’s Kindle Unlimited books here!
Born in Darkness
Fight and redeem myself … refuse and suffer an eternity of torment.
I intended to kill him—to avenge my sister by destroying the vile human who’d tortured and broken her. My plan was simple. Foolproof.
Except somehow I ended up dead.
Now the joke’s on me, because I’ve been resurrected as an assassin and given a choice: Fight the forces of darkness and redeem myself … or refuse and suffer an eternity of torment.
The choice seems clear. But I’m unprepared for the depth of the evil I must face. And I’m unsettled by my attraction to the darkly sensual man whose words seduce me, but who is hiding secrets of his
own.
All I know is what I’m told. I’m afraid I’m a pawn in a much larger game where I can’t tell my enemies from my allies. I just hope it’s a game I can win.
* * *
Down On Me
With his tight muscles and vibrant ink, certified bachelor Reece Walker is the kind of man who’s used to having any woman he craves in his bed—except Jenna Montgomery. She’s been his best friend for years, and that’s a line he just can’t cross.
Until a wild, stolen kiss changes everything. Now anything goes, and Reece is determined to use every wicked skill in his sensual repertoire to claim Jenna as his friend, his lover, his everything.
* * *
Carpe Demon
Kate Connor is your average, everyday mom with two kids, a husband, and one very big secret ... she used to be a Demon Hunter for a secret arm of the Vatican. Now retired, she's more interested in the domestic than the demonic. So when she catches sight of a demon in Wal-Mart, she tells herself it's some other Hunter's problem. But when that demon attacks her in her kitchen, retirement is no longer an option.
Now Kate has to kick a little demon butt, figure out why the creatures are trying to take her out and take over her home town, and at the same time take care of her 2 year old, deal with a hormonal 14 year old, get the family to Catholic Mass on time, and try to keep her past a secret from her daughter and her husband.
She's a little out of practice, but hey ... if she can juggle two kids and an impromptu dinner party, ridding the town of demons should be a piece of cake. Like the saying goes, Carpe Demon ... and Kate intends to do just that.
