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

by Milly Taiden

  It’s not so comical anymore.

  “You’ve truly never been involved with any of this before?” He smiles. “I think my first baby photos were even taken by them.”

  I shake my head. “I have no idea how you live the way you do. I’m not sure I’d want to if I had the choice.”

  “At least you’d have the choice.”

  He reaches over and lifts my chin to meet his gaze again. His hand, so soft yet powerful, matches the look in his eyes, and I can feel the heat radiating between us. “I like that about you.”

  “Like what?”

  “I know you’re not into all this. Yet, you’re curious what it would be like if this were your life.”

  Sure. What would it be like to date him? Are celebrities even the dinner-and-a-movie type of people? I highly doubt that. But I’m not the type of person who will find out. Even the fantasy of it all is too much.

  “I’m not curious. I’m perfectly content with my own...” I trail off, knowing whatever I said next would be a lie.

  And then Devon leans in, and his lips meet mine. My breath catches in my throat, and I give in to his kiss. Never mind, I am curious. I want to be a part of his life. I don’t care what goes with it. The cameras and the chaos. I’ll deal with it all if I can have this.

  ...If I can have him.

  Devon Stone kisses with a sense of mischief. His warm lips graze mine slowly at first. But then he doesn’t hesitate to add enough force to pull my mouth open and tease me with his tongue. Running it along my upper lip, he brings all my senses to life. Then he crushes his mouth against mine, kissing me with urgency, only to pull away and leave me wanting more. So much more.

  I’m breathless and can’t think straight. What was that? Why? He could have any other girl, yet after three days of his strange behavior with me, he proves he’s even more unpredictable.

  “Mark. Take us to the docks, buddy.” He turns to me, his fingers tracing a circle on my knee. “I’ll take you somewhere special.”

  Okay. I don’t even care to ask where. I’d go anywhere with him.

  Holy shit. I’d go anywhere with him.

  I feel myself stiffen from that terrifying realization. No. That’s not an option. I have to speak up. “I can’t,” I blurt out. “Sorry. I’m working. I need to get back, and...”

  “And let your boss treat you like dirt some more? It’s just one afternoon. You can work later.”

  “No. Devon. I...just. No.” I speak up for Mark. “I have to head back, but thank you.” He nods but returns to ignoring his passengers.

  Devon leans back in his seat. “Olivia. Come on. It’s not a big deal—”

  “It is. I have a job. I’m on the clock.” And I’m your employee. A middle-class worker. Not some rock star, supermodel. “Listen, I don’t know what you want from me.” I was right. He did have a motive. “I could tell you were up to something when—”

  “Up to what? We hung out. Things were fine. You—”

  “What about yesterday, when you barely knew my name? Or the day before when you blew me off? Or the day before that, when—oh that’s right, you didn’t even know I existed. So you’re suddenly nice to me now? You go with me to order flowers for a party you don’t care about. You kiss me? And I’m supposed to believe you have no intentions here?”

  “Right. Because I can’t just be a nice guy getting to know a nice girl?”

  He admitted his own violent streak. He’s been arrested. He’s got an entire history of not being a nice guy. “I don’t know what to think Devon. We don’t know each other. I’m not going to ditch my job—which is important to me—to do whatever it is you expect me to do with you.” No matter how much I want to.

  “You think I wanted to take you somewhere to fuck? Is that it?”

  “Am I that far off after the open invitation you gave me two days ago?”

  He laughs and shakes his head. “Maybe I had it wrong. Maybe you aren’t much different from others.”

  “Don’t say that. You don’t know me—”

  “And you’re not giving me much of a chance to.” He’s starting to raise his voice.

  “Was that part of the job description I missed—set aside time for Devon to get to know the assistant to the assistant? I don’t recall seeing that on Mr. Keenly’s to-do lists yet, so sorry. I haven’t given you a chance to know me when you had zero interest yesterday.”

  I shift in the seat so I can look out my window instead. What did he want from me? Suddenly we’re friends? Suddenly we’re more than that? What did I miss, and how the hell am I the bad guy for being responsible?

  We ride the rest of the way in silence, the heat between us long gone and replaced with suffocating tension. When we get back to the house, Devon doesn’t bother to play the gentleman role anymore, and instead, marches toward the back of the house as I make my way to the front doors. I hesitate on the steps trying to remember why I’m here. It’s a job. Just a job.

  I go inside knowing that the wrath of Keenly is now nothing compared to whatever just happened between me and Devon.

  ***

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  I didn’t warn Maddie about the spectacle she’d be walking into when she got home. I can’t stop thinking about Devon. I don’t know if I’m more angry or enamored. I’m pissed off from our argument and how he just disappeared after. But something happened today. He opened up to me, and he didn’t have to. He went out of his way to defend me in front of Keenly and then accompany me on a mindless errand. And he didn’t have to. I’m not an idiot. There’s something going on.

  And I have to figure out how to put a stop to it. For all I know, he’s done with me, but I need to convince myself I’m not interested in him at all. Unfortunately, I’m an awful liar, especially with myself.

  So here’s the sight Maddie sees when she gets home. Her pitiful roommate is lying on the couch staring at the TV that’s not only off, it’s unplugged too. But I hadn’t stopped there. Before falling into a comatose state on the couch, I disconnected the Internet, hid my laptop and cell phone in Maddie’s room, and I shoved the love seat in front of her door.

  “What’s going on here?” Maddie asks slowly, taking in the scene.

  I knew if I gave in, I’d spend hours obsessing over every article, gawking at every publicized photo, and overanalyzing every little thing that’s happened over the past couple days. Like any rational person would do, I removed all methods of research, leaving only my mind to relive today over and over. “He kissed me.”

  “Whoa. What?” She drops her purse on the love seat blocking off her door, and sinks down into the cushion next to it, hardly caring that I’ve rearranged our living space and locked her out of her room. “Spill, woman.”

  “I went to work. He talked to me. He kissed me. We argued. I blew it.” That sums it up.

  Maddie shakes her head. “But yesterday...”

  “Yesterday, he didn’t know who I was. Yeah, I addressed that in our argument. Didn’t seem to help my case.”

  “What did you fight about?”

  She sounds more impressed than surprised. Of course she would. I haven’t put myself in a situation to have guy trouble in over a year, and suddenly here I am, skipping the drawn out, stressful relationship, and diving head first into the “we need to talk” stage.

  “I...um...I guess I accused him of wanting to sleep with me.”

  “But he did, didn’t he?”

  “Which is why I accused him. But Number Three does not like to be questioned.” I laugh and throw a couch pillow over my face. “I don’t know what I’m doing Maddie,” I scream into the pillow.

  “I’m not sure I know either. But I don’t think disconnecting from all of technology is going to solve your problems.”

  I sit up and look at her. “Sorry. It’s just…he kissed me. And. Wow. It should be illegal to kiss like that because I was tempted to do whatever he wanted, and he wanted me to blow off my job to go with him.”

  “To have sex?”<
br />
  “Apparently not. But I didn’t get a chance to find out. He’s mad now. I’m mad now. Who does he think he is trying to get me to skip work, like my financial well-being doesn’t matter?”

  “A rich guy who doesn’t have to worry about that.” She keeps a straight face for a second before we both burst into a fit of giggles.

  “I would’ve been much better off getting a job at some Waffle House or something.”

  “Much better off and so, so bored.” She stands up and escapes to the kitchen, coming back a moment later with two beers and her eyes glued to her phone. “Drink this.”

  I accept the bottle and take a sip. “Thanks. But this isn’t going to solve anything either.”

  “No, but you’ll want it when you see this.” She’s still staring at her phone as she reads, “‘Roses Are Red and So’s Devon’s Blushing Brunette.’”

  My stomach seems to do a somersault as my mind pieces together what I’m about to see.

  Maddie keeps reading. “‘Devon Stone was seen today with an unknown woman as they ran a suburban errand at Exotic Blooms. Stone is better suited for the alternative location, but while there were no naked ladies in this flower shop, who knows what he’s being treated to tonight.’” I snatch the phone out of her hands to see it for myself. “What are they talking about? This nonsense is passed off as journalism now?”

  I’m not listening to Maddie as I see my first tabloid appearance. They used a shot of us leaving the store. Devon’s arm around me while I look horrified and awkward and embarrassed. Great. I guess it could be worse. At least I’m not scratching my nose or tripping on the sidewalk, but seeing us together in a photo—how could we ever be a match? It’s all too obvious that on the ladder of importance and belonging, Devon’s on top and I’m... across the street as the quiet observer.

  “You two are hot together.” Maddie sits next to me looking at the photo again. “He’s all close to you like he really likes you, and—”

  “Is this supposed to make me feel better?” I hold up the phone. “It all went downhill from here. I doubt he’d come this close again.”

  Maddie lays her head on my shoulder. “There you go, making assumptions about him again. Just wait until tomorrow before you go writing this one off.”

  ***

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  I probably would have called in sick this morning if it weren’t Thursday. But I have to take Maddie with me, so there’s no way I’d get out of going to the Stone mansion today. Instead, I’m counting on Devon being mad enough to not show up.

  We pull up to the mansion, and Maddie is just as wide-eyed as I was when I first saw the place. “Wow. What are my chances of scoring the other brother?”

  I park the car and glare at her. “You’re here to work. Take it seriously, please.”

  She straightens her face into a stern look. “Yes, ma’am. Very serious.”

  My phone buzzes with the 10:00 am alarm. Good timing. “Let’s go.”

  I lead her in through the front door, and all is quiet inside. Assuming everyone is in the back ballroom, we walk through the house, stopping every several feet while Maddie is taken aback by the luxury of it all.

  “A little different than our apartment, huh?” I say.

  “You’re telling me.”

  We walk past the kitchen where she freezes again. Devon’s in there. Time seems to stop as I see an identical replica of the first Lust List photo I saw of him. He’s leaning against the kitchen counter, casually eating an apple. Lucky apple. He’s wearing a black button-down shirt—currently unbuttoned—and cargo shorts. I never thought someone could carelessly look this good.

  “Good morning ladies.” He smiles that millionaire grin of his.

  “Oh good god,” Maddie mumbles next to me.

  I elbow her to snap her out of it. “Keep walking.” Devon holds my gaze for a moment longer before I break away and head toward the ballroom.

  Amidst all the party preparations, I spot Celia talking to Keenly. The room is almost ready for Saturday. I’m not sure what more work can be done, but I’m certain Mr. Keenly would think otherwise. He sees me walking over, says something quietly to Celia, and rushes away.

  After introducing Maddie to Celia, I turn to find Devon standing behind me.

  “You know, you’ll break my fragile little ego if you try to avoid me.”

  “I highly doubt that.” I notice Maddie is turned away from Celia and gawking at Devon. “Maddie, Devon. Devon, Maddie.”

  “Hey,” she says, keeping it unnaturally cool. I almost laugh seeing Maddie Lowell—for the first time ever—try to keep control of herself. “Nice place you got here.”

  “It’s not my place.” He doesn’t even look in her direction, and instead stares at me. “Can we talk?”

  Did that just happen? My super gorgeous roommate just tried to get his attention and he ignored her the same way he ignored me the other day?

  I turn to Maddie and spin her back to Celia. “Get to work.” I look to Celia, “Do you need anything from me right now?”

  She tries to hide a knowing smile. “Nah. We’re fine in here.”

  I reluctantly follow Devon out of the room. We end up in the study at the front of the house—the same one Devon and his father argued in during my interview. This room matches the office across the foyer, only instead of a desk, there are couches and a coffee table. I settle into a leather chair, dropping my purse between my feet, and try to think of what I should say. I’m still not sure what I did wrong, but I feel like I owe him an apology.

  “I’m sorry,” Devon says before I can say it myself.

  “Me too.”

  He walks along the perimeter of the room, eyeing the walls of bookshelves. “You don’t need to apologize. I was being a jerk. I shouldn’t pull you away from your work.”

  Like you are right now? “No, you shouldn’t.”

  “And I shouldn’t throw last minute surprises at you. It seems like you don’t do well with them.”

  “No, I don’t.”

  Devon stops at a shelf focusing on a small box sitting on it. He opens it and shifts things around inside. Seeming disappointed, he closes it and continues walking. Again with the ulterior motives. What is he doing?

  “I have a boat.”

  He makes me want to scream. He rarely makes sense, and when he does, I’m the one who misinterprets him. “And?”

  “That’s where I was going to take you yesterday.” On the opposite side of the room from me, he stoops down and attempts to open a locked set of doors. He stands up abruptly and pulls a set of keys from his pocket. His attention is so far from me as he returns to those doors, trying out one key at a time.

  “Can you just stop?” I say, raising my voice.

  Taken by surprise, he whips back around.

  “I don’t know what you’re doing,” I say as he follows my gaze back to the locked doors. “Or why. But just stop and talk to me for a second without having other, more important things on your mind. Talk to me.”

  He stands up and leans against the shelves. “We have a family yacht. It’s available to all of us, anytime we want. I was going to bring you on it. Give you an afternoon to relax. Nothing else.”

  That wasn’t what I’d expected. “Thanks. I guess. But—”

  “You can go with me this afternoon. I’m meeting some friends on it, so it may not be as quiet as it would’ve been yesterday. But maybe that’ll make you more comfortable. A group instead of just the two of us.”

  Just the two of us. I like the sound of that. But no, I’m not being pushed around anymore.

  “Tell me what you’re doing first.”

  “I just said, we’re going on the boat.”

  “No. I mean right now. You expect me to go out on the ocean with you, yet I’ve been watching you play cat burglar all week. You’re looking for something. And you said you think your family has screwed you over. What is it?”

  He studies the little locked doors again. “My father�
��s will. I think he wrote me out.”

  “Why don’t you just ask him?”

  “I did. He told me to drop it.”

  Funny, I know how that one feels. “So you’re trying to find it anyway?”

  “I am.”

  “Is it in here?”

  “I’ve searched everywhere else. He doesn’t use this room much, but I suppose that makes it a good hiding place.”

  “But you have keys...”

  “That I’ve spent this week finding and copying.”

  That makes a little more sense. “So? Go ahead.” This isn’t my family drama, and that makes it a little exciting. It’s like we’re having a Bonnie and Clyde moment, and I’m loving the trust he just put in me.

  Devon tries a couple more keys before the door swings open. Inside is a safe. “Dammit,” he says. But then he starts hitting buttons, trying code after code. Something tells me he’s been snooping around his family for years. A long beep indicates he finally entered the right combination, and he hurries to go through the contents inside. “Yes!” He looks back at me. “You must be my lucky charm. I’ve been trying to get this thing for weeks.”

  He pulls out a sealed envelope and locks everything back up.

  “Won’t he notice it’s gone?”

  “Not in the time it takes me to make copies and return it.” He stands upright right as we hear footsteps coming from outside. “Shit.”

  He rushes over to me, kneels down, and shoves the envelope into my bag as the door to the study opens.

  I hear a man clear his throat and realize without context, it’s just Devon hanging out between my legs with a slight look of panic on both our faces. My reputation in this house is getting better by the day...

  In the doorway, Calvin Stone gives his son a cold stare. “I want to speak to you.”

  “Sure,” Devon says. He pulls the zipper of my purse closed and gives me a knowing stare before following his father out.