Red Hot Lovers: 18 Contemporary Romance Books of Love, Passion, and Sexy Heroes by Your Favorite Top-Selling Authors

by Milly Taiden

  “What are you doing?”

  He glanced over his shoulder, watching Ariana step around the pieces of plaster on the ground and make her way toward him. He held out a hand and helped her over a bigger piece of debris. “We need to get out of here. I’m hoping that this side, since it’s closer to the street, will have better reception.”

  She nodded. His chest ached from the number of emotions running rampant inside him, the first being fear. He was scared. Scared that his time with her would be up soon, and it was unfair. He yanked his phone out of his pocket and glanced at the screen. One bar. It felt like forever after dialing 9-1-1 before the call was connected. He almost fell to his knees in thanks when he got an operator.

  Another piece of the ceiling fell. He pushed Ariana behind him, into a corner, and explained to the operator that they needed help, that they were trapped. Ari’s warm breath caressed his back, making goose bumps flare all along his skin. He tried to stay calm. It was hard with the building rattling and knowing the one person he loved most in the world was in danger and he couldn’t do anything about it. He gave the operator instructions on where they were and was told help was on the way. She asked him to stay on the line if possible, which he was more than happy to do, except the reception cut off and he was once again without service.

  He cursed.

  “Is everything okay? They’re coming right?” Her voice was soft, but he heard the trembling fear in her tone.

  “They’re coming. We’ll get out of here soon.” He turned to face her, holding her loosely in his arms. There was a mixture of apprehension and concern in her gaze. He hated seeing her anything other than happy.

  “Nick…” She gulped, bit her lip and glanced at his mouth before meeting his gaze. “When we get out of here…”

  He knew what she was asking. The same questions were in his mind. Anxiety worked its way into his gut. Where did they go from there? “Tell me something, do you still want a divorce?”

  She swallowed. He held his breath and waited. “I’m not sure how to answer that. I never really wanted a divorce, but we lost our way.”

  He cupped her cheek and kissed her. She tasted so good, like the biggest temptation to ever touch his heart. She was his. The only woman his body craved. The only woman his soul had ever connected with and claimed as his other half.

  She pulled back. A frown marred her brows and hurt filled her eyes. “You can’t expect me to forget what happened between us. Where do we go from here?”

  “We start over.” After he said the words, he realized how true they were. There was no way he’d want to pick up where they left off anyway. Things had been much too messed up between them then. Not just that. In the past year and a half, he’d changed, and he was sure she had also.

  She licked her plump lips, nodding. “That sounds much better. How do you propose we do that?”

  A siren blared in the distance, growing closer with each second. The energy holding his muscles tense slowly dissipated. Help was almost there.

  He met her gaze. Words he really didn’t want to say tumbled out brokenly. “I have to travel for a few weeks, but when I return we can have dinner. Maybe spend some time together again?”

  Her gaze softened along with her features. She smiled. The soft upward tilt of her lips made his heart clench. All the love he’d always felt for her expanded inside him.

  “I think that’s a great idea. I have a lot of work to catch up on, and I also have a few trips coming up.”

  The sound of the ambulance and fire truck was right by the window now. They were informed via a loud speaker that the fire crew was going to remove some of the pieces blocking them inside before they could get them out. He held her while they waited. He knew the situation was rough. It didn’t matter. Having Ari in his arms again was the best feeling in the world.

  She leaned her head into him, her soft, dark curls tickling his jaw, and rubbed her cheek on his chest. “I missed you.”

  His heart pounded hard. She’d said the words softly, but he’d heard it through the noise outside. “I missed you too.”

  He wanted to tell her all would be all right between them. The reality was he couldn’t make that assurance without knowing what the future held. What she wanted. This was a new start. He was getting a second chance with the only woman he loved. He wasn’t going to mess up again.

  *

  “I’m not sure this is the right thing for you, Son,” his mother argued.

  “She’s my wife, mom. I love Ari. What could be wrong with me and her working out our differences?” He held on to his patience by a thread. He loved his mother, but she’d never liked that Ari had a career and wanted to do more than just be a wife to him.

  “She completely pushed you away when she couldn’t get pregnant. If she’d stopped her desperate need to go have a career, she’d have been able to get better medical treatment for her fertility issues,” his mother said, placing her cup of tea on the glass coffee table.

  “Mom, you know I love you, but those are issues that were mine and hers alone. We’ve talked. Neither one of us wants a divorce.” At least he still hoped she didn’t. It had only been a few hours since he’d dropped Ari off at her home after taking her to the hospital to get checked out. His mind was firm in his belief that he didn’t want to lose her. With his schedule pushing him to travel. In fact, he wouldn’t get a chance to see her for a few weeks.

  “And what happened with Kevin?” His mother asked, showing more concern for his lawyer than for his wife.

  “Kevin’s fine. I told you, he and his assistant were able to get out of the building without a scratch. We were the only ones left inside.”

  She leaned forward and patted his cheek. “Are you sure about this? I don’t want to see you hurting again.”

  He knew she didn’t mean any harm. His mother loved him and had her own views on what a wife should be doing. “Yes, I’m sure.”

  “What about Kristina?” She raised her delicate brows, eyes filled with curiosity.

  “What about Kris?”

  His mom shrugged. “She said you’ve been seeing each other often. Doing a lot of things together.”

  He barked a laugh. Kris was his life-long friend. They’d known each other since they’d been kids and had grown up with their families as friends. “Mom, you know I’m not seeing Kris like that. I’m sure she meant as friends. She’s my employee. We go visit potential clients together.”

  “As long as she knows that,” his mother muttered.

  *

  He rushed to his hotel room. It was time for his nightly video conference call with Ari. He’d been doing this daily for the past four weeks. The day they ended up trapped in their lawyer’s office had been like a new chapter for them. He’d taken her home and knowing he was going overseas, promised to stay in touch via text, calls, and a nightly video conference. It was one of the things he looked forward to after a day packed with meetings. His business was growing, but he wasn’t going to put Ari in the back burner for it again.

  He wasn’t sure if Kris had been talking to his mother. He hadn’t been prepared for Kris’s questioning when he told her about the budding new relationship with Ari. Though she hadn’t been rude, she’d asked very personal details. Things he wasn’t interested in sharing with anyone. It wasn’t like he’d ever given her the wrong impression. They’d been out a few times casually, as friends.

  He set up the computer while removing his suit jacket and tugged at the uncomfortable tie. He hated the silk choking devices. He’d been dying to remove it the minute he put it on. This trip, while long, was a major project his company had undertaken. He couldn’t very well show up in jeans, a T-shirt, and work boots—as much as he wanted to—to a big meeting with a major client.

  The computer turned on to a photo of him Ari and Harley in the background. He grinned every time he saw the photo. It was taken right before they’d started trying to conceive. At the time, he swore they could handle anything that came their way, but
he’d been so wrong. He didn’t want to be wrong again, not when it came to his relationship with her.

  Clicking keys, he watched the video connection come to life. The moment he saw Ari’s face, alarm filled him.

  “What’s wrong?”

  She rubbed her temples and blinked. “Nothing. I just have a bad headache. I’ve been working on this new campaign. To be honest, it’s kicking my butt. I can’t sleep.”

  He heard Harley bark, and all of a sudden, her big golden body was taking over the screen.

  “Harley, calm down.” Ari giggled.

  After a momentary struggle, where Harley sniffed at the camera area of the laptop, she was able to haul her back. He watched her hold Harley in her arms and pet her head with a sigh.

  He wanted to be there for her, hold her, and let her know she wasn’t alone. “What is it about the campaign that’s not letting you sleep?”

  “I’m not sure it’s the campaign alone. The customer is very demanding, and I’m finding myself nauseous whenever I think of meeting with her.” She cocked her head. Her ponytail fell to the side in disarray, making her look even more tired.

  She wore a tank top and sat on her bed with the laptop across from her. He’d guess it was on a pillow. Dark circles marred the undersides of her eyes. He frowned. She looked exhausted.

  “You have quite a few employees now, Ari. Why don’t you pass this client off?” He removed his shirt, propped the laptop on a pillow, and sat down.

  A yawn escaped her, and she shrugged. “She says she’s not comfortable dealing with anyone else. Which I can understand since this is supposed to be a big campaign for her small business, but…”

  He waited for her to continue, but instead she leaned back and lifted a hand to her lips. He gulped. The way she stared at him made his fingers itch to touch her. He was sure she wasn’t aware she was doing it. A soft smile split her lips and made emotions expand in his chest.

  “But?”

  She blinked. “It’s so exhausting.”

  He could tell she was having a hard time staying awake with the number of times she yawned.

  “Get some sleep. I’ll be back in just a few days.”

  She jerked her head up in attention. Her smile went wider. “I thought you said next week?”

  He had, but he didn’t want to be away from her any longer, and if they were going to try to work things out, he needed to make an effort to be there. The most important parts of his meetings were almost over. Mark, his right hand man and chief of operations could take care of things. He had to go clear the air with Kris as well. Make sure she understood he wasn’t seeking her approval.

  “I finished some things early, and I really want to see you.”

  Her smile lit her face with joy. “I want to see you too.”

  He wanted to tell her he missed her. Hell, he’d been missing her every day for the past two years and he couldn’t wait to be near her, holding her again.

  She yawned.

  “Go to sleep. I’ll see you soon.”

  She blew him a kiss. He did the same. She smiled every time he did. He’d never done that in the time they’d been together, so it was probably something she didn’t associate with him, but he’d try it all this time round if it made her happy.

  “Good night, Nick.”

  “Good night, beautiful.”

  He touched the screen for long moments after she’d cut off the video. She was working too hard, and he wanted to do something to make it a little easier on her. He dialed his mother.

  “Mom?”

  “Nick what in the world? Where are you, son?”

  He laughed. His mother must be exhausted if she had no idea where he was. “Did you forget I’m in Japan?”

  “Of course I didn’t forget. I’m just confused why you’d call me at this time of the night. Well, my night. I spent the day trying to explain to grandfather who I am again. It’s exhausting.”

  His grandfather was suffering from Alzheimer’s and didn’t recognize his own daughter on the best days. It was really tough on his mom to have to explain to her dad daily that his wife had passed away and that she was little Gracey.

  “I’m sorry, Mom. I wanted to ask for your help.”

  “Oh? What kind of help do you need?”

  He wasn’t sure asking his mother was the best idea, but he didn’t want to wait until he returned to do something. He wanted to help Ari now.

  “I was talking to Ari and she seems exhausted with her latest project. I wanted to do something to help her relax, any ideas?”

  “I knew she should focus on being a wife instead of that whole career bit. It’s not like you don’t have enough money to take care of her. I’m sure she’s doing this just to be difficult. Anyway, I’ll mind my business and stick to the question at hand.”

  “Mom…” His mother had never minded her own business a day in her life. She’d lived to tell him for the past six months to move on with his life. To find a woman who would give him the family he craved.

  “Sorry, honey. Okay. Well, with her talk of career and work, I am assuming she’s not cooking or taking care of her household. I do recall a couple of times I came over to your place, and you were the one doing the cooking and cleaning so she could work those crazy long hours.”

  He groaned. “Not the point, Mom.”

  “It is the point. Have you thought about sending her some pre-arranged meals? Only god knows if she’s even got food in that house.”

  He scrubbed a hand over the back of his neck. She was right. Not only was Ari slimmer the last time he’d seen her, but he could tell from how exhausted she looked, that she wasn’t going into the kitchen to make a meal for one. Heck, she never liked cooking while they’d been together. He’d always cooked, and she’d always baked. It had worked out perfectly.

  “You’re right, mom. I didn’t think of that. I’m worried she’s overdoing it. She looked really tired on our conference today.”

  “You can also send someone to tidy her house.” Grace cleared her throat. “Not that Ariana’s a pig or anything. At least I hope she isn’t one, but if she’s as busy as you’re saying, the last thing she wants to think about is cleaning up after Harley or doing house work.”

  The plush bedding dipped with his weight when he leaned back into the mattress. “Thanks, Mom. Those are really helpful ideas.”

  “Well, if you’re still set on this whole getting back together with her, maybe you can talk her into finally slowing down on the job and try her hand at giving you a baby.”

  “Thanks for your concern, Mom. We’ll figure things out. I don’t need a child to be happy with Ari.”

  “I’m just saying that she could be a bit less selfish and think of you this time around,” his mother mumbled.

  Anger grew dark wings in his chest. He knew his mom didn’t mean to hit a sore spot, but it annoyed him to hear her talk about babies like it had been Ari’s fault they didn’t have any. After the things they’d been through, babies were the last thing he’d talk to her about. “Don’t worry about us. We’ll figure things out. I’ll have Liz set something up for me on the cleaning side.”

  “Alright, son. I’m going to sleep. Call me during normal brain function hours, okay?”

  “You got it mom. Thanks for answering so late.”

  “Anything I can do to help you.”

  He hung up and immediately set a reminder to the middle of the night so he could wake up and call Ariana’s favorite restaurant and set up some food for delivery. Some of the anxiety lessened now that he had a plan of action and could help her cope with the added stress of a difficult client.

  ***

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Ariana opened her eyes and groaned. She felt like shit. Working long hours and stressing over this latest campaign was making her sick. Her head hurt, and her stomach rolled. Shit, she probably had an ulcer at this point. She laid there, thinking of Nick and the many calls, text, emails, and video conferences and couldn’t help but smile.
He’d been trying so hard to stay in touch with her that it was hard for her to find any flaws with his being gone for so long. Her stomach rolled again, and the urge to vomit became overwhelming. She ran to the bathroom and heaved. She’d skipped dinner, feeling stressed, so there was nothing to dump.

  “Ari?” Tricia’s voice sounded from inside her house.

  “In the bathroom,” she answered, her throat feeling raw.

  Her best friend, who also happened to be her neighbor, came and went every morning with the extra key Ari had given her. Ari sighed in the crouching position in front of the toilet. Struggling past the urge to gag again, she got in the shower. She needed to buy some antacid pills.

  She dressed in sweats. It was a Friday, and she was working from home, taking care of the design for her difficult client before, hopefully, cleaning up around the house and doing some food shopping.

  “Hey, I made coffee,” Tricia said the moment Ari stepped into the kitchen.

  She scrunched her nose at the scent. Her stomach was still making waves. “Thanks, but I think I’ll have tea.”

  Tricia frowned. “What’s wrong? You look kind of pale. And sick.”

  She sat down, placed her arms on the kitchen table and cupped her cheek with her hand. “I’m exhausted. This client is sucking the life out of me. I swear I’ve never wanted to sleep more than I do right now.”

  “So go take a nap.” Tricia glared at her as if she’d committed a crime by not getting enough sleep. She opened cupboards and put on the kettle. After that, she grabbed a bag of bread and set it to toast.

  Gratitude filled Ari to have such a great friend. “I can’t. I have to work, and I need to clean this place up, and go buy some food. I have—”

  A knock sounded at her front door. Tricia shook her head. “I’ll go get it. You sit there and relax for a minute while I make your tea.”

  Moments later, Tricia sauntered back into the kitchen with a big smile and a delivery person behind her.