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

by Milly Taiden

  And if she were keen, you wouldn’t be, because you’re a bastard. He couldn’t deny it. He’d always been a fan of pursuit. Seduce, conquer, move on.

  He wouldn’t move on right away, of course. She’d be wary of him, and that would keep him hooked. They’d date. He liked dating. It made sense to him. Orderly and mutually satisfying, with clear boundaries and multiple exit opportunities.

  But this…disgruntlement he felt, this didn’t make sense. He shoved back from his breakfast bar and stalked to the sink. He dumped what remained of his cereal in the garbage under the counter and washed the bowl. This was the first Saturday in a month he didn’t have any work to do. He should write articles for his website or go to the market and glad-hand there. Always be networking. The mantra rolled through his head. But he didn’t feel like it. He felt like finding a certain brunette bombshell and dragging her into the nearest dark corner.

  He recognized the itchy heat crawling up his back. He’d felt the same way about working in sports broadcasting when he was in college. He’d wanted that television internship in a painful way, been desperate for it…and when he lost out, and ended up at a radio station instead, he’d been gutted. Almost hadn’t made the most of that opportunity.

  But he’d talked sense into himself then, and he would here.

  Wanting Beth wasn’t going to take over his life.

  He needed a solid dose of reality so he threw on some running clothes. He’d head over to one of his sisters’ houses and let the chaos refocus his mind on what really mattered.

  *

  Beth hovered her thumb over the green button on her screen. She’d assumed Peter had moved on when she turned down his next few invitations, but this morning’s voice mail invitation to join him in the city for a group picnic and ultimate frisbee game was too tempting to pass up.

  Putting herself back on the market would be a good first step to getting over Finn’s kiss.

  To getting over Finn.

  She rubbed her chest, as if she could reach the sad ache from the outside and erase it with her touch. She knew it didn’t work like that.

  She was in charge of her own happiness. She needed to replace that sadness with something better. Healthier. Something good and fun like a picnic. She pressed call and committed herself to another kick at the can.

  *

  “Unca Finn, you can be the boy Barbie. Here you go.” Tasha pressed a naked Ken doll into his hand.

  Finn looked down at the poor dickless bastard. “Boy Barbie needs some pants, Tasha.”

  “No.” The four-year-old shook her head solemnly. “He’s potty training. Just like Jake.”

  Her younger brother cruised by at that moment, his naked bottom making more sense now, and Finn surreptitiously glanced around for puddles.

  From behind him, Sienna laughed and he twisted to give his middle sister a stern look. It didn’t work. “Jeez, Finn, scared of a little pee?”

  Yes, and the diapers and college tuition that come with it. “To each their own.”

  “Has anyone ever argued you on that point?”

  He shrugged and walked Ken over to the outdoor grill behind Barbie’s mansion. Fire and naked plastic crotch seemed like a good combination. “Who wants steak?”

  His little sister ruffled his hair as she swept past him. “Do you want to stay for dinner? We could do steaks for real. Janine’s bringing her kids over for a movie night.”

  “I’ll come back for the movie, but I’ve got some work to do this afternoon.” He’d made his bed. To each their own, and his own was being a workaholic. At least he could take some solace in the fact he was good at it.

  *

  “This was a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon.” Beth grinned at Peter over the cooler she was packing up.

  He returned the smile and nodded at the field. “Do you want to learn how to play?”

  She shook her head. “I’m good with being a cheerleader.”

  His gaze raked down to her bare legs and back up again and she blushed. “Works for me, too.”

  “Pete—”

  He held up his hand. “I know. Nothing wrong with a little flirting, though. It’s good practice.”

  “Flirting leads to kissing.”

  “How presumptuous, Ms. Stewart.” He waggled his eyebrows.

  She waved her hands in defeat and laughed. “You win, flirting is allowed.” She glanced around the picnic area. “It looks like someone stole the garbage can. I think I have some garbage bags in my trunk. I’ll be right back.”

  Her car was in the parking lot on the far side of the gazebo and swimming pools and it took her a few minutes to walk across the park. On the way, she reflected on the new friendship she’d settled into with Peter. Not necessarily lasting or close, but comfortable. Maybe nice had its uses after all.

  She remotely popped the trunk of her car, grabbed a garbage bag and a spare bottle of water, and turned to head back, only to stumble over her footsteps as Finn jogged across her path. He slowed to a stop and lifted his hand in greeting, but didn’t say anything.

  Time slowed as excitement from the unexpected encounter slammed into panic. They’d kissed and she’d dodged his calls. Like a coward. What could she say to him? “Hi,” she offered lamely.

  He looked far too delicious for someone in the midst of exercising. A dark grey technical t-shirt stretched across his shoulders and stuck to his long, flat stomach. Black shorts hinted at strong thighs and led to sculpted calves covered evenly in dark hair. Blood pounded in her ears as she took in the masculine totality of him. She didn’t hear him say her name until he repeated it and reached out to touch her shoulder.

  “What are you doing here?” His expression shifted, like a mask sliding into place, and he offered an easy grin that covered a lot of unspoken questions. “You’re far from home.”

  “Picnic with friends.” It wasn’t a lie. Peter’s friends were nice, and she’d probably see them again at some point. Since her luck was exactly that awful, though, Peter took that moment to come strolling down the path with the cooler. They’d parked next to each other. There was no way Finn wouldn’t see him. Her heart slammed against her chest wall and she wiped her hands on her shorts. “You remember Peter?” She gestured toward the other man. “His friends.”

  Finn stiffened and glanced over his shoulder, taking his time turning away and then sliding back. And when he did, the easy smile was gone and his eyes glittered with cold injury. The hurt there took her breath away but then he blinked and it was gone, leaving just cool acceptance in its place. “The boyfriend.”

  She opened her mouth to—confirm? Deny? She couldn’t find either set of words, and then Peter was abreast of them.

  He nodded to the cooler. “We’re wrapping up quickly—thought I’d stash this away.” He glanced between Beth and Finn and set the cooler down, extending a hand to Finn. “Hey, I’m Peter. A friend of Beth’s.”

  “Finn.” No explanation, but he accepted the greeting.

  “We work together,” Beth offered, desperately wanting the awkwardness to be over. Wishing she’d stayed at home and done laundry or painted her toenails instead of coming to Windsor.

  Finn slid a look at her reminding her that they’d leapt over the colleagues line a week earlier and she owed him a conversation at the very least. The possession and demand in his eyes made her want to scream even as the memory of their kiss swept warmth through her core. As if he could tell, he shifted half a step toward her. Their arms brushed and that her first reaction was to slide her fingers into his was for sure a sign she’d gotten too much sun.

  Finn Howard didn’t hold hands. He devoured women, probably with decadent and impressive talent, then moved on. His possessive play here was only because he hadn’t yet possessed. She didn’t need to comfort him. He didn’t have a heart. Couldn’t be hurt, not really. Wounded pride wasn’t her problem.

  “Nice to meet you.” Peter stowed away the cooler, then turned back to Beth, doing a bang up job of ignori
ng the simmering tension he’d stumbled across. She flashed him a small smile. “I’m going to give Stacey a ride home. If I don’t see you before you head out…today was fun.”

  She murmured a quiet agreement and he disappeared. Nice guy. Damn. She took her time rolling her gaze back to Finn’s face. When she got there she was shocked to find something that looked a lot like desire.

  “Were you expecting me to be upset about your little lie?” he asked thickly, closing the space between them. He smelled like sports wash with a faint salty edge, and she wanted to lick him up.

  “I didn’t lie,” she whispered. “You assumed.”

  “He’s not your boyfriend.”

  She shook her head. No, Peter was definitely not her boyfriend.

  “So I don’t need to feel guilty for wanting to kiss you again.” He cupped her cheeks in both of his hands and dusted a light kiss across her lips. Double damn. He should feel guilty, but not for leading her astray. For being irresistible despite having zero future potential. Finn would never be her boyfriend, either, so he shouldn’t taste so perfect. It was rude.

  “This is a terrible idea.” Even as she said it, she was leaning into him for another PG-13 caress.

  “I agree. We’re in the middle of a public park. I can’t kiss you the way you want to be kissed until we’re in private.”

  Yes. “No. Finn, we can’t do this.”

  *

  He immediately took a step back. Beth was conflicted on that boundary, but no meant no. It didn’t mean walk away with his tail between his legs, though. “I’d like a chance to convince you we can.”

  She tilted her head to the side in wary consideration. “Now?”

  He glanced down at his running gear. It would have to do. She was wearing shorts that showed enough of her shapely calves and lush thighs that he’d been actively talking his dick out of a chubby since he first saw her, and a navy blue t-shirt that snugged around her curves in all the right ways. She looked better than him, by a long shot, but they weren’t so mismatched they couldn’t grab a cup of coffee or something. “I’m pretty sure I heard your friend say he was heading out soon. Now might be the perfect time. We could go to a coffee shop, or you could come back to my place.”

  She laughed, an honest trill that he wanted to feel vibrating through her skin. “I’m not going to your place.” If I do, we’ll do a lot more than kissing, her eyes warned. Ha. Warned. That felt like a promise, one he wanted to hold her to.

  “Coffee, then.” He liked the idea of sitting down with her and talking about something other than work. Indecision creased her brow and he leaned forward, close enough for his words to be intimate but not crossing that line she’d drawn. “What’s the worst that could happen?”

  It turned out the worst was forty-five minutes of watching Beth lick foamed milk from the top of her latte while she asked him questions about his family. Pure torture on many levels. He reached across the table and snagged her hand. “Listing all my nieces and nephews and their various after school activities is not what I was thinking about when I suggested we get a drink.”

  Her eyes danced with laughter but her pink cheeks and a flutter at the base of her neck reminded him he made her nervous. Tread lightly. “I’m jealous. I don’t have a big family.”

  “No?” What the hell, Finn? You shouldn’t care about her family. Maybe not, but she did.

  “I’m an only child to two only children. I have pseudo cousins—my dad’s best friend’s kids—but they live in Vancouver.”

  “You’re from the west coast?”

  She nodded. Every time she did that her dark brown ponytail bounced over her shoulder in one glorious curl, practically begging him to wrap it around his hand and tug. Toward him for a kiss. Back so he could kiss down her neck. Down…his brain stuttered on that particular fantasy and he realized she was talking. Answering your question. “And after three years in Calgary, I put everything I owned in my Ford Escape and came east. I was headed for Halifax, but I wanted to visit Pelee Island.”

  Finn smirked. “I’ve lived here my entire life and I’ve never been.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Why am I not surprised? It’s the southern most tip of Canada—you have to go!”

  “I’ve heard it’s quaint.”

  “You say that like it’s a bad thing.” She smiled. “You can rent bicycles and ride around the island.”

  “That sounds awful.”

  “Hmmm.” She turned the appraising noise into a sensual challenge. “You’re an interesting guy.”

  That wasn’t at all what he expected her to say, and he burst out laughing. When he wasn’t pissing her off, Beth found him interesting. Instead of sending fear straight to his heart, that made him want to share more. Make her eyes twinkle. She won’t find your mercurial ways interesting for long. Maybe that would be okay. Maybe they could go into this with eyes wide open. “Maybe I need to tell you all the other things I don’t appreciate in this world.”

  Her lips curled into a soft smile. “Small children, slow drivers and jogging pants as everyday wear?”

  “Three for three. But none of those make you hum like you did before.” He leaned forward and traced his index finger from her delicate wrist up the swell of her forearm. Her skin was soft and silky, her curves endless and addictive.

  “I hear you on the Sunday drivers, and I appreciate a tailored suit. But kids are a deal breaker for me.” She pressed her hand on top of his, stilling his exploration of her skin. “I’m at an age where dating has become…purposeful.”

  He opened his mouth, but no response came out. What could he say? Who said anything about dating? Except he’d thought about it, just not with the same focus she had. Beth wasn’t saying anything he hadn’t told himself many times over. She wasn’t that type of woman. And the thought of someone using her for a quick roll in the hay made him see red. What a joke. The only asshole considering that was sitting right there. Being shot down before he’d even suggested it.

  “It’s not that I don’t like kissing you—” She cut herself off abruptly and turned pink. That flush ran a live wire to his groin because he was a total bastard. But it also sparked something new and unfamiliar in his chest. A protective instinct he thought he’d only ever feel for his sisters. Maybe that’s what fate intended for them…their paths weren’t meant to ever intersect, but run parallel.

  Their relationship had changed so much in a few short weeks. Even as she let him down, he wanted to hang on to the delicate friendship they might be able salvage from the wreckage of their almost fling.

  “Maybe the chemistry between us means something else,” he offered, his voice gruff and foreign to his own ears. He reached across the table and pulled her hand back to his, tangling their fingers together. “Like we should be…friends.”

  She glanced at their hands twisted together, then back up at his face. Doubt radiated off her. “Friends?”

  “What about that do you find so unbelievable? I have friends.” None that he wanted to strip naked and lick from head to toe, but there was a first time for everything. “You were telling me about what kept you here.”

  She wrinkled her brow and cleared her throat. “Finn, this is—”

  “This is worth a try.” He offered his most winning smile. “Come on. Did you meet Evan on the island?”

  She pressed the tip of her tongue to her upper lip for a moment, then sighed and smiled. Gotcha. “Nothing that coincidental. I went for a tour of the winery on the island, and was surprised to learn just how many different wineries there were in region. It seemed like a good match for my work experience and college diploma.”

  “Hospitality and Tourism?” Her eyes widened in surprise. “Someone told me.” Because he’d asked.

  “Ah. Yes. And there was a flyer for a job fair on the bulletin board. The rest, as they say, is history.” She took a sip of coffee before segueing the conversation back to Finn. She grilled him on how he’d moved from broadcasting to marketing and his plans for a c
onsulting firm.

  Before he knew it, another hour had passed and their coffees were long gone. Beth yawned, and immediately apologized. “I should get going.”

  The look on her face told him she felt the same reluctance to leave he did, like the stars aligning and allowing them to have a nice conversation might never happen again. No. He was done antagonizing her. Done goading her just to feel the heat of her gaze tearing into his skin. Their future didn’t lie in passion and he needed to let that go.

  The consolation prize of her friendship would have to be good enough.

  ***

  CHAPTER FIVE

  “What’s going on with you and Finn?”

  Beth looked up from the schedule she was revising with a start. Evan West loomed large in her doorway, a frown on his face. Handsome in a totally different way than his brother, although they shared the same wavy hair—and probably the same expensive salon stylist—and piercing blue eyes. But Evan was dark and intense to Ty’s laid-back personality, and it started with the heavier-than-usual furrow between his eyebrows.

  “Nothing…” She pursed her lips and put down her pen. “Why?”

  “He was nice to you at the meeting this morning.” Evan prowled into her office and looked over her shoulder. “Is that next week’s schedule?”

  “Yes. Don’t change the subject. If you’re going to meddle, do it right.”

  “I’m multi-tasking.” He circled his finger around a penciled in name. “You’ve hired little Stella Nixon?”

  “She’s twenty-three.”

  “Shit, I’m old.”

  She burst out laughing. “Sure are. Can we get back to why you’re interrupting me?”

  “I liked Finn better when he was busting your chops.” Evan worked his jaw back and forth, and understanding dawned.

  Beth pushed back from her desk and stood, staring her boss and friend in the eye. “Are you here to warn me about Finn’s philandering ways?”