Harlequin KISS August 2014 Bundle

by Amy Andrews, Aimee Carson, Avril Tremayne

  ‘I can’t, Leo.’

  ‘Enough! I’ve had enough, Sunshine. You damned well can. I’m lonely without you. I need you.’

  Her heart ached, throbbed. But she shook her head.

  He ignored the head-shake, took her hand, dragged her to the ladies’ restroom.

  ‘A restroom?’ she asked. ‘We’re going to have this discussion in a restroom?’

  ‘Oh, it’s not just a restroom,’ he said. ‘It’s a restroom with custom-made blue and green toilet paper.’

  She stared at him. ‘With...?’ She whirled. Raced into one of the cubicles. Laughed.

  He’d followed her in and she turned. ‘Why?’ she asked.

  ‘Because I love you,’ he said.

  ‘What kind of juxtaposition is that? Toilet paper and love?’ She could hear the breathiness in her voice. Oh, God—oh, my God. Is this happening?

  ‘The toilet paper is a big deal, Sunshine. A very big deal. Because I said I’d never do it—and yet I did. People can do that, you know. Say they’ll never do something and then do it. Like fall in love when they say they have no room in their hearts.’

  ‘You s-said...you t-told me...you were not—not—besotted with me.’

  ‘I’m not besotted with you. Besotted is for amateurs. I’m madly, crazily, violently in love with you. It’s not the same thing. We’re talking a massive abyss, no parachute.’

  She swallowed. ‘Leo, I—I...’

  ‘Think about it,’ he urged, stepping closer. ‘You suck at making lists—I excel. Complementary.’

  Impossible laughter. Choked off. ‘Romantic,’ she said.

  ‘You do your best work at night, and so do I. So we’re synchronised.’

  ‘Very romantic.’

  ‘You know stupid stuff and I want to hear it.’

  She slapped a hand over her mouth, swallowing the giggle.

  ‘You eat,’ he said, starting to smile. ‘I cook.’

  ‘Hmm...’

  ‘Getting closer, am I? Because I will cook for you morning, noon, and night—sending people all over Sydney into a state of shock! I will name a cut of meat after you. I will teach you to cook paella. I will invent a five-course degustation dessert menu just so I can watch you devour sugar.’

  Half-laugh, half-tears. ‘Oh, Leo.’

  ‘I will play “Je t’aime-ich liebe-ti amor You Darling” in the bedroom.’

  ‘You will not!’ she said.

  ‘That was a trick one. But you can decorate the bedroom. The bamboo is ordered, just in case you want a Balinese honeymoon suite, but you can do it any way you want. Perhaps go easy on the pink, though. And— Look, don’t you get it? Do I really have to keep going?’

  She was almost breathless. Staring. Hoping. Wanting this—him. ‘What do I have to do in return?’

  He grabbed her hand, flattened it against his heart. ‘You get the easy bit. All you have to do is love me.’

  She looked into his eyes. Knew that there still wasn’t any room in her heart—because he’d taken up every bit of it.

  ‘That’s too easy. Because I already do love you.’ Her eyes widened. ‘Oh, my God, I said it. I love you. I’ve jumped. No parachute.’

  He closed his eyes, took a deep breath. Opened them. So serious. ‘I have a very particular kind of love in mind. I have to belong. To you. I have to belong to you, Sunshine.’

  ‘I know,’ she said. ‘You want me to throw myself off the cliff. Sink into that damned abyss. Pour my soul into you and drown in you so that you are everything. Live for you, die for you. Too easy, I’m telling you!’

  He let her hands go to pull her into his arms, kissed her mouth. ‘And I want you to look at our beach and know that your sister is at peace, and that I am always with you to bear whatever grief you have.’

  She was crying now, and he was wiping her tears with his thumbs.

  ‘And children,’ he said. ‘I want a daughter named Amaya Moonbeam.’

  More tears. ‘Oh, Leo.’

  ‘And a second daughter who can take on Allyn. And a son named whatever the hell you want. Only perhaps not Oaktree or Thunderbolt or Mountain.’

  How could you laugh and cry at the same time? ‘I can manage that.’

  He kissed her again. ‘And shoes. I want custom-made shoes. I’m not wearing any other kind from now on.’

  ‘Well, that goes without saying.’

  ‘And maybe a weekly haiku.’

  ‘Um—no! We are not encouraging my mother in that.’

  ‘Okay. But your parents get their own wing in the beach house, so they can be close to their daughters any time they want and teach me how to be the kind of parent who brings up wonderful kids.’

  Crying hard. ‘Leo!’

  ‘And I still want you to change your name. But only your surname—to make you mine, Sunshine Quartermaine. With a ten-tier coconut vanilla bean wedding cake to seal the deal.’

  Sunshine sighed and leant into him. Kissed him so hard his heart leapt. ‘The medulla oblongata,’ she said, rubbing her hand over his heart.

  He felt the laugh building. ‘The what?’

  ‘The part of the brain that controls the heartbeat,’ she said.

  ‘God, I love you,’ he said. ‘So! Let’s go and give the old medulla oblongata a real workout. Because what I really, really want right now, Sunshine, is assignation number five. And tomorrow morning we’ll go for number six. And I— God, someone’s coming in. What the hell are we doing in a restroom? Let’s blow this joint.’

  * * * * *

  Keep reading for an excerpt from HOW TO BAG A BILLIONAIRE by Nina Milne

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  ONE

  She could get arrested for this.

  The thought pounded her temples as Olivia Evans glanced around the dark and thankfully deserted London alleyway at the back of Masterson Mayfair, the flagship of Masterson Enterprises hotel portfolio.

  Why had she thought gatecrashing one of London’s most exclusive parties was a good idea?

  A bead of perspiration prickled her forehead. Swiping it away with an impatient gesture, she pressed her lips together hard. This was a good idea because it was the only idea left. It was imperative that she see Adam Masterson before he gallivanted off on yet another business trip. She had tried every conventional method of contacting him, but the man was more closely guarded than the president of the United States. There was every possibility his PA doubled as Head of National Security.

  Desperate times called for desperate measures; hence Operation Break and Enter.

  Olivia hauled in a breath; with any luck that would push the panic down. One final glance around and, standing on her tote bag, she applied herself to the task of picking the window lock. Amazing how some childhood skills didn’t desert you. Even those learnt from one of the more unsavoury of her mother’s boyfriends. The thought of her mother had her shoving the hooked pick deeper into the lock until she felt it butt into the mechanism; she would not give up now.

  Nerves knotted inside her before giving way to a buzz of exhilarated relief as the lock gave. Pocketing the pick, she pulled the window open, then jumped off the tote bag.
She thrust the bag through the gap a minute later.

  So far, so good. Her reconnaissance of the hotel had been spot-on; the room she had chosen as an access point was a small conference room which wouldn’t be in use tonight as the hotel was being exclusively given over to a charity gala. Hosted by Adam Masterson. Finally she had him in her sights.

  She scrambled up onto the window ledge and her nerves retied themselves right back up. What her recon hadn’t bargained for was the size of the window gap.

  Logic. Angles. Weight. Mass distribution. Those were the things to focus on—because, come hell or high water, Olivia would get inside. Never mind that it looked to be physically impossible.

  So should she wriggle in forwards on her tummy or try to get in backwards? There were so many things that could go wrong: she could get stuck, she could fall into the arms of a waiting security guard... Maybe this wasn’t such a brilliant idea.

  But if she gave up now then she wouldn’t get a chance to talk to Adam Masterson.

  That was unacceptable.

  Good thing she was flexible.

  * * *

  Adam Masterson perched on the edge of his security officer’s desk and scowled at the CCTV footage of the woman balanced on the windowsill.

  What the hell was she doing? Apart from an excellent impersonation of Catwoman. Dressed completely in black, with a beanie pulled low over her forehead, it was impossible even to know her hair colour.

  More to the point, who the hell was she? Journalist? Photographer? Wishful thinking... He’d already arranged publicity for the event. Which meant here was yet another hopeful player in the new party game Bag a Billionaire. Bad enough that he knew the ballroom would soon be awash with legitimate guests scheming how to waylay him over the canapés. At least they’d paid for the privilege, with the money going to a more than worthy cause.

  Tendrils of memory threatened and he cut them off before they could take hold. He’d had his daily surfeit of grim memories already today, following his earlier conversation with his ex-wife and the news that she was remarrying. He was happy for Charlotte, but the exchange had brought back recollections of a time in his life he was less than proud of. Way less.

  Plus, it had highlighted the way their lives had gone in the eight years since their disastrous union. There was Charlotte, with the happy-ever-after she had always wanted; here was Adam, being pursued by a bunch of women mining for his gold.

  Speaking of which, right now he had to contend with his gatecrasher. He bit back an exasperated groan; he didn’t need this. The entire billionaire-bagging thing was getting old.

  ‘Do you want us to apprehend her?’ Nathan asked.

  Adam pulled himself into the present and focused on the screen. The woman appeared to be engaged in some sort of internal Q and A session before she wriggled limbo-dancer-like through the gap in the window.

  An arrow of desire shot straight through him.

  He ran a hand over the top of his head. Talk about misplaced. A probable stalker, a definite intruder, was breaking into his hotel and his libido had decided to come to the party. The woman landed on the floor, glanced round the empty room and opened the bag she had pushed through earlier.

  Adam opened his mouth to instruct his security chief to get a team down there.

  And closed it again on a strangled gargle, unable to wrench his eyes from the screen as the woman pulled the black beanie from her head and shook out a mane of extraordinary hair. Strawberry blonde tresses, with the balance towards strawberry, fell past her shoulders.

  Crossing her arms, she hoisted her black jumper over her head to reveal a white tunic top, and then with a little twist pushed her jeans down her hips.

  Misplaced or not, desire pulled his libido’s strings. Time to get a grip; better yet, maybe it was time to get a date. Clearly it had been too long—ever since that article had appeared and the baggers had emerged from the woodwork he’d put himself on a stint of enforced celibacy. Partly because the thought of being chased for his money brought a tang of distaste, and partly because he wanted any press attention to be focused on his charitable activities and not his bedroom ones.

  Until now it hadn’t been an issue.

  ‘So what next?’ Nathan asked.

  It was a good question.

  The woman was now fully clothed in an outfit that at a glance resembled the uniform worn by all hotel employees; she’d obviously done her research. White tunic top, black trousers—she’d even got a clipboard. The intent look on her face backed up the determined set of her jaw as she swept her magnificent hair into an efficient bun.

  Picking up the bag, she opened the door and walked down the corridor. Her stride confident, she looked as though she knew exactly where she was going and why.

  Of course there was no way he would allow her access to his guests; it was just fascinating to watch her at work. The first bagger to catch his interest and certainly the most resourceful.

  But enough was enough. Time to mobilise the troops.

  Before he could say anything Nathan’s massive body tensed as she ducked into the ladies’ restroom. ‘Better hope she is a bagger. For all we know she could be building a bomb in there.’

  Staring at the screen, Adam concentrated on unclenching his jaw. It was an outside chance, but it was still possible that the intruder was armed. And he had let a moment of inappropriate attraction blindside him. A pulse started to beat in his cheek and he closed his eyes, grounded himself, before pushing himself away from the desk in a single lithe movement.

  ‘Close the ladies’. Be discreet. Say it’s a plumbing problem and send your men down there in cleaners’ uniforms.’

  Nathan nodded. ‘I’ll go in and get her out,’ he said.

  Adam shook his head. ‘I screwed up. I’ll go in.’

  ‘But...’

  ‘No buts,’ Adam said. ‘We could’ve stopped her by now. That was my call and I didn’t make it.’ Too busy stewing over the past whilst lusting over a stranger. Who said men couldn’t multitask?

  ‘I still think...’

  Adam shook his head. If he didn’t sort this one out himself the strawberry blondee stranger would haunt his dreams for too long. Best to make her real. Expose her as the avaricious gold-digger she undoubtedly was whilst avoiding the baggers no doubt waiting to hunt him down in the ballroom.

  He picked up his tux jacket and gave Nathan his best impression of an action hero. ‘I’m going in.’

  * * *

  Olivia mentally ran through her entire and extensive repertoire of swear words. This was ridiculous! This was supposed to be the easy bit. The bit where she locked herself into a cubicle and transformed herself from faux hotel employee to fake ballroom guest. All she had to do was change into a party dress. Good grief! What sort of personal shopper couldn’t get herself into a dress? A dress she’d tried on at home with no problem.

  But now the stupid zip on the stupid little black blend-right-in dress was stuck. Worse, she couldn’t get out of the skintight concoction to unstick it.

  As she twisted she lost her balance and the back of her knee thunked the lip of the toilet seat. ‘Ouch!’ Biting her lip, she stilled. Please let there be no one out there. Though...surely there should be someone out there? Guests must have arrived in droves by now so it made sense that someone would want to freshen up in the ladies’ restroom.

  That was the essence of the last stage of her plan. Guests would only be allowed entry into the hotel on production of an invitation, embossed and coded and impossible to duplicate. This was a private party, an annual gala that raised hundreds of thousands of pounds for Support Myeloma, thanks to the auctioneering powers of Adam Masterson. But she was already in the building, and as the invitations were inspected at the foyer of the hotel Olivia figured she should be safe.

  Particularly as the pla
n was to leave the ladies’ with a group of other women who would serve as camouflage. Then she would find a large potted palm and lurk unnoticed until the moment arrived when she could snag Adam Masterson.

  After all, she was good at lurking at parties.

  Memories skittered through her brain as echoes of raucous laughter peppered with the pop of champagne corks reverberated in her eardrums. How she had hated the numerous shindigs her mother had hosted, even as she’d understood Jodie Evans’s desperate need to extract fun out of every second of a life that had stacked the odds against her. Olivia hadn’t begrudged her mother one of those seconds of fun; she had wished with all her heart for Jodie to be happy. The knowledge that she could never repay everything she owed her mum was always with her.

  Closing her eyes, she sucked air into her lungs. For goodness’ sake! This was not the time for a trip down memory lane. Any minute now someone was bound to come in here so she had better hurry up. How hard could this be? She was flexible, remember? She reached round for the zip.

  ‘Need a hand?’

  Olivia froze as an unmistakably male voice drawled out the question.

  In slow motion she forced herself to look up at the man observing her over the top of the cubicle. He must be standing on the toilet in the next door cubicle, her brain told her dully, trying to operate past the volcano of panic about to erupt in her chest.

  Dark hair, light brown eyes, square jaw, a nose that was ever so slightly off-shape... Recognition slammed her like a sucker punch. ‘It’s you,’ she breathed.

  His eyebrows pulled together in a deep frown as his lips tightened. ‘In the flesh,’ he said.

  Olivia opened her mouth but the words evaporated under the heat of his gaze. Plus, she was damned if she knew the best way to explain her presence. Blurting out her reason for being there whilst standing half-dressed in a toilet cubicle had not been part of the Masterson Master Plan.

  Still, she was going to have to work with what she had; this was an opportunity. ‘Mr Masterson,’ she began. ‘I can expl—’

  ‘I need to check your bag,’ he broke in.