Sweet Talk Boxed Set (Ten NEW Contemporary Romances by Bestselling Authors to Benefit Diabetes Research plus BONUS Novel)

by Novak, Brenda

  “Even better,” Jaime confirmed. “You’ll have to come to Miami with me sometime and try hers.”

  She gave him an odd look, but didn’t bother debating the out-of-the-blue suggestion.

  Jaime regarded her with amusement. “You know, Emma, just because I’ve stopped asking questions, doesn’t mean I’ve forgotten them. One of these days you will tell me the story of your life so I’ll understand what put that wariness in your eyes.”

  “Not today,” she said with a touch of defiance. “Probably not any other day, either. Sometimes the past is best forgotten.”

  “Is it ever truly forgotten?” Jaime asked. “I think we’re all shaped by the lives we’ve lived. One of these days I’ll put some serious effort into changing your mind and getting you to open up.” He winked at her. “Bet I can.”

  She shuddered a little at that, but she didn’t look away. That was enough for Jaime. She might be scared, but now that he’d called her on it, she wasn’t going to run. He’d have to be sure he didn’t give her any reason to regret that.

  ***

  Emma had barely walked into the house after her disconcerting and surprisingly pleasant lunch with Jaime, when Shanna called to see if she was available for an impromptu book club meeting that night at the store.

  “We’ll make it a quick, getting acquainted meeting tonight,” Shanna said. “We can decide how often we want to meet and pick our first book.”

  “That was fast.”

  “A couple of my regulars happened to stop by today and immediately said yes. I made a few more calls and it turned out everyone was eager to get started and available tonight at seven. So the store now has its first official book club. These are real readers, who are actually eager to talk about books. Are you in?”

  “I’ll be there,” Emma promised, looking forward to the distraction from her very wayward thoughts about Jaime. The possibility of making some new friends appealed, too. “Do you need any refreshments? I can run by the Inn at Eagle Point and see if they have any cookies or pastries they can spare.”

  “That’s okay. I spoke to Nell earlier. She baked today. She’s sending cookies with Bree.”

  “So Bree’s coming?” Emma said.

  “Why did you say it like that?”

  “Just that her hand took a little dip into the matchmaking pond earlier today. No big deal.”

  Shanna laughed. “Matchmaking is what we do around here. I learned a long time ago when people were pushing me together with Kevin to accept it in the loving spirit in which it was intended.”

  “I’ll try to remember that.”

  In fact, she hung onto Shanna’s words with a determined grip that night as she watched a car pull up outside the bookstore and saw Jaime emerge with a little assistance from Mick O’Brien. She turned to Shanna.

  “You, too?”

  Shanna shrugged. “Family curse. O’Briens can’t help themselves.”

  Emma just shook her head, poured herself a cup of coffee and dragged a chair into a cluster of people who were already chatting excitedly about possible books to read. The fact that her mother happened to be one of those people made her cringe a little, but Jessica Hastings did know her books.

  And judging from the way her sharp-eyed gaze was darting between Emma and Jaime and back again, she knew her daughter, too.

  ***

  Jaime knew it had been a mistake to ask Mick for a ride when he saw him grab a cup of coffee and take a seat right in the thick of things. Since he doubted Mick had read a book for the sheer pleasure of it in years, he was hanging out on a reconnaissance mission. Apparently he hadn’t bought Jaime’s explanation that Shanna had simply sweet-talked him into coming tonight.

  Given his boss’s avid interest, Jaime made it a point to steer clear of Emma. He sat on the opposite side of the room and introduced himself to the others who’d come. When Bree arrived, she set a tray of desserts on a table, then glanced around. She gave a little nod of satisfaction when she spotted Emma, then frowned when she caught sight of Jaime nowhere near her. She made a beeline in his direction.

  “Don’t start on me,” Jaime warned.

  “But how are you supposed to woo Emma if you’re sitting clear across the room?”

  He gave her a dark look. “Who said anything about me wooing Emma?”

  “Oh, give it a rest. I know she’s the one you were hoping would come to lunch, and Shanna told me the two of you would be here tonight.”

  “As is your father,” he said, nodding at Mick, who was regarding the two of them suspiciously.

  Bree blinked, clearly startled by his presence at a gathering to discuss books. “What’s he doing here?”

  “I stupidly asked him for a lift,” Jaime said. “Now he’s spying on me.”

  She tried in vain to swallow a laugh. “I’ll take care of it,” she told him. “Two minutes.”

  Jaime watched as she took her cell phone out of her pocket and made a call. She quickly tucked it away, looking extremely pleased with herself. Mick’s phone rang within seconds. He frowned as he listened, glanced suspiciously at Bree, and crossed the room.

  “It seems my wife has some sort of problem at her art gallery that requires my immediate attention,” he informed Jaime. “How long do you figure this thing will last? I’ll come back for you.”

  “Not necessary, Dad. I’ll see that Jaime gets home,” Bree offered cheerfully. “You run along and help Mom. I’m sure she wouldn’t have bothered you if it weren’t urgent.”

  Mick simply shook his head. “You’re not fooling me, young lady. This is your doing. What I can’t quite figure out is what you’re up to. Jaime, you okay with Bree getting you home?”

  “Absolutely,” Jaime said, thoroughly amused by Mick’s obvious frustration.

  When Mick had gone, Jaime turned to Bree. “Nicely done.”

  “Years of practice. Now if I can just get Emma over here, my mission will be complete.”

  Jaime was about to tell her to back off, but he was too late. She was already on her way to Emma’s side. He caught Emma casting a quick glance in his direction, a frown on her lips. Then she sighed and nodded. And Bree, after casting a smirking look in his direction, walked out of the bookstore.

  As Emma approached, he studied her wary expression. He definitely had his work cut out for him. He doubted that Bree’s slick maneuver just now had helped the cause. He decided to make light of it.

  “Two sneaky O’Briens gone,” he remarked. “If only there were a way to get Shanna out of her own bookstore, there’d be no more prying eyes to worry about.”

  “You’re wrong about that,” she said wearily, turning to the woman who’d just slipped up to join them. “Mom, have you met Jaime Alvarez? Jaime, my mother, Jessica Hastings.”

  Jaime almost choked on his sip of coffee. “Mrs. Hastings. I’d get up, but as you can see, I’m in a bit of a bind when it comes to mobility right now.”

  “Don’t you worry about that,” the older woman said, regarding him with sympathy. “Emma mentioned you fell off a roof.”

  “A foolish misstep,” he acknowledged. “Given the number of roofs I’ve been on over the years, I’m lucky it hasn’t happened before.”

  “Well, if you need anything, anything at all, don’t hesitate to call. Emma lives right up the street. You have her number, don’t you?”

  “Actually I don’t,” he said, shooting a pointed look at Emma.

  “Emma, dear, what were you thinking? You’re probably closer than Mick or any of Mr. Alvarez’s other friends. He should know how to reach you in an emergency.” She reached into the depths of an enormous tote bag and pulled out a fancy, clothbound notepad with its own gold pen. She quickly jotted down a few words, then handed him the slip of paper. “There you go. I put my name and number on there, too. I’m a few blocks away, but I could still get to you quickly. I’ve taken several CPR and first aid certification classes, too.”

  “Good to know,” Jaime said, suddenly envisioning Emma’s lips -
- not her mother’s, please God -- on his for some mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

  Thankfully before that disturbing thought could have a predictable effect, Shanna called the book club meeting to order.

  “Has everyone had a chance to get acquainted?” she inquired cheerfully.

  Jaime’s gaze caught Emma’s, saw the color rise in her cheeks. She might not be entirely happy about it, but they were getting acquainted. Heck, he’d even met her mother now. He couldn’t recall the last time he’d ever met a woman’s parents. He usually ducked and ran long before they ever made that suggestion.

  Maybe Mick had been right. Perhaps he had deliberately avoided relationships over the years. Was he honestly willing to consider one now? It was evident that Emma was a woman who needed serious intentions. By her own all-too-brief account, she’d been seriously burned by a jerk. She didn’t need another man treating her badly and adding to her conviction that men weren’t to be trusted. That would be a crying shame.

  Jaime tried to focus on the conversation swirling around him about books, but all he could think about was whether he was making the worst mistake of his life by pursuing Emma…or finally doing something exactly right.

  Chapter Four

  “You were surprisingly quiet during the meeting,” Emma commented as she drove away from the bookstore with Jaime settled awkwardly in the passenger seat. The seat had been pushed back as far as it would go to accommodate the cast because he’d stubbornly refused to sit in back where he could prop his leg across the seat. “Are you in pain?”

  “Nope.”

  She glanced over at him and caught a dark expression in his eyes. “In a mood?”

  His frown deepened. “I don’t have moods,” he growled.

  She laughed at that. “Really? Evidence would suggest otherwise.”

  He sighed heavily. “Sorry.”

  “You don’t have to be sorry. Anything you want to talk about?”

  He gave her a lingering glance that heated her blood and made her heart race.

  “Not unless you’d care to discuss my sudden obsession with the idea of kissing you,” he responded.

  Emma was so taken aback, she came way too close to missing the light that was changing to red. She hit the brakes so hard, Jaime nearly slid off the seat. Only the seat belt saved him. “Excuse me?”

  He shrugged as he straightened in the seat. “You asked what was on my mind. I’m thinking about kissing you. I can’t seem to get the image out of my head.”

  Thoroughly flustered, she simply stared. When she could finally speak again, she only managed to ask, “But when? Why?”

  “Something your mother said.”

  Her mouth gaped. She didn’t even notice the now-green light until an impatient driver honked behind her. Still rattled, she pulled into a parking space on the far side of the town green. Thankfully it was well away from the tourists walking around downtown and any lingering O’Briens.

  With dusk falling and a few lingering pink and purple streaks reflecting on the calm bay waters, it was a lovely night, but Emma barely spared a glance for the view right in front of them. Instead, she seemed to be laser-focused on the man seated next to her and his mouth. His mouth on hers. A kiss that was tender, yet intensely passionate. And complicated, she reminded herself sternly. It wouldn’t do to forget complicated. Oh sweet heaven, now she was obsessing about a kiss? It was her turn to sigh heavily and try to get a grasp on her straying thoughts.

  How her mother had gotten involved in this particular scenario was beyond her, but thinking about that was definitely enough to clear her head of wicked images.

  “My mother said something about kissing me?” she said in a voice that sounded only a tiny bit breathless. “How’d I miss that?”

  “Not exactly,” he said, his mood seeming to lift just a little. “She mentioned CPR and first aid and my mind took a leap.” At Emma’s still incredulous look, he fought a grin. “I’m a man. It happens.” He looked into her gaze, a hopeful glint in his eyes. “Maybe if we just did it, that would put the whole thing to rest.”

  “You want me to kiss you so you can stop obsessing about kissing me?” she asked, trying to make sense of his ridiculous and thoroughly self-serving suggestion. “Are you thinking it will be really, really terrible?”

  He sighed. “It’s not going to be terrible, Emma.”

  Emma thought she heard a touch of regret in his voice, possibly because he knew as well as she did that once the deed was done, chemistry would kick in and common sense would fly right out the window. Nope, it definitely wasn’t going to be terrible. She was as sure of that as he was.

  “Then what purpose would this experiment serve?” she asked, trying to cling to reason and steer away from temptation. “What if it gets us all stirred up?”

  He seemed a little too intrigued by the possibility. “Would that be so horrible?” he asked, his tone deadly serious.

  She actually found herself considering that, then mentally kicked herself. “You’re leaving, Jaime. Maybe not right away, but eventually. It would be crazy to start something that’s not going anywhere, especially with a whole town of interested parties watching our every move. I don’t want to be left behind to deal with the fallout.”

  “Fair enough,” he agreed. He glanced over and held her gaze. “So, that’s a no on just one little experimental kiss?”

  Emma chuckled at his attempt to suggest she’d left room for doubt. “Definitely a no.”

  “Too bad. I’m thinking it would be spectacular.”

  Unfortunately, so was she.

  ***

  “Last night was very interesting,” Jessica said when Emma risked being in close proximity to her mother for the first time since she’d arrived at the library. “Didn’t you think so?”

  “You know how I love to talk about books,” Emma agreed cheerfully. “So do you. I’m surprised you haven’t started a book club here at the library.”

  “I tried a few times, but it never seemed to work out.”

  “Nobody wanted to read the classics that you wanted them to read?” Emma guessed.

  Her mother frowned. “I’m more open-minded than that, but what’s wrong with the classics?”

  “Not a thing, but isn’t the important thing that people read and get excited about books? Then, every once in a while, you can sneak in a bit of great literature.”

  For a moment her mom looked taken aback. “You’re absolutely right,” she said. “It’s ironic really, because I’ve said precisely that to parents who won’t let their children read some of the popular series, because they consider them junk. I’ve reminded them that any book that holds a child’s interest and gives them a break from all their electronics is a good thing.”

  She gave Emma a sharp look. “I know what you’re trying to do, you know.”

  “What’s that?” Emma asked innocently.

  “Distract me so I won’t ask too many questions about Mr. Alvarez. He’s an attractive man,” she said slyly. “Don’t you think so?”

  “Hard to deny,” Emma agreed, suddenly thinking of his sensuous, tempting mouth again. She quickly shook off the image, though there was no way to hide the heat it put on her cheeks.

  “Interesting, too,” her mother continued, all innocence.

  “He is that.”

  “Have you made plans to get together again?”

  “Mom, Jaime is just here until his leg heals and he’s back on his feet. Then he’ll be heading back to Seattle or wherever his next project takes him.”

  “I hear the Pacific Northwest is beautiful. Wouldn’t you love to visit?” her mom persisted.

  “Sure. I’d love to see Seattle, the San Juan Islands, take a ferry up to Victoria, maybe even go to Vancouver or Alaska one of these days.” She couldn’t seem to keep the wistful note out of her voice. She quickly added, “That has absolutely nothing to do with Jaime. It’s always been on my travel bucket list.”

  “Well, now you know someone who could make t
hat happen,” her mother said. “That’s all I’m saying. It’s always more fun to explore a new area with someone who knows all the best spots to see. Remember how much fun I had when I flew to Hawaii to see my old college friend. We saw the sights, for sure, but I had the chance to feel like a local.”

  Emma knew her mother wasn’t suggesting Jaime be her travel guide. What she was really suggesting was something much more complicated and long-term. Boy, she’d have to give Jaime credit. He’d charmed her mom in just a couple of hours without even trying. Derek the weasel had never won her over. Maybe that was something Emma ought to think about one of these days. Her mom did have exceptionally good judgment.

  “I need to shelve some more books,” Emma said, eager to escape. She turned and walked away, well aware that no matter how much more her mother might want to say on the subject, she wouldn’t interfere when there was work to be done.

  ***

  Though Jaime spent the afternoon on his front porch, Emma never strolled by. Nor did she drive past. Clearly she’d found a new route home or intended to wait until she could pass by under the cover of darkness. Since he could hardly go chasing all over town after her, the odds of her avoiding him were in her favor. He was going to have to get creative, if he truly wanted to pursue her.

  Unfortunately, under the circumstances, even his sneakiest approach would have to rely on some of the very people he most wanted to stay out of the situation: the O’Briens. He sighed. It was just a question of deciding which one might be the lesser of all the evils. Bree had proven herself to be a good co-conspirator yesterday, but over-dependence on any one person would probably be a mistake, too. Emma would guess what he was up to a little too easily. She was a smart woman, and very wary.

  Immediately he thought of Nell, Mick’s mother and probably the most trusted person in all of Chesapeake Shores. She’d always treated Jaime like one of the family and chided him all the time for not finding the right woman and having a whole slew of babies she could fuss over. As if the O’Briens hadn’t kept her well-supplied on that front, he thought.