“No.” He grabbed her fingers and helped her to stand, taking Jinx’s leash. “I want you here. I just didn’t think you’d come.”
No other woman. She really needed to stop thinking all the bad things about him that came to her mind. He wasn’t Brandon. He sure as hell wasn’t Reed. Dante had never been anything but good to her. “I almost didn’t. Then I ran into Reed, and he made me realize just what a jerk I’d been.”
“No. I was the… Reed? What the hell? If that little shit is causing problems again, I swear I’m going to…” His face purpled for a moment, and then it was as if all the anger leaked out of him. “I swear I’m going to let you fight your own battles unless you ask for backup.”
“Well, that’s the other thing I realized after the Reed Russell run-in. I’m only afraid of letting people help me when they’re really close. And by really close I mean live-in close. My mother, Evan, Brandon…you. When Jade keyed Reed’s car, I wanted to high-five her. It never even occurred to me to be angry.”
“She keyed his car?”
Vicky couldn’t help but smile at the expression on Dante’s face. His eyes practically gleamed with joy. “And then she called the color douche bag red. I’m pretty sure he’ll be selling that Ferrari below market value very soon.”
“I’d tell all my friends, but none of them need a douche-mobile.” Dante reached a hand toward her slowly, as if he thought she’d bolt. She leaned into his touch instead. “I’m sorry I tried to take over your life.”
“You didn’t.”
“Yeah. I kind of did. I changed your job. I had you basically move in with me. Upended your schedule. I changed everything, and I tried to control everything.” His thumb traced her cheekbone. “I wanted so badly to help make your life better that I forgot to let it be your life.” He let his hand fall, stepped over to the console table near the door, and picked up an envelope.
Then, in a rush of air, Evan was there. “I need a car, and I need a plane ticket booked. Now, you two!”
Dante was digging for keys, and Vicky took in her brother’s panicked eyes. “What’s wrong? What happened?”
“My wife’s in labor, and I’m here listening to you guys debate your future. I’m going to go become a father. And my first bit of fatherly guidance is going to be to tell the two of you to work your shit out. Because if you’re still fighting when I show up at the hospital, it’s not going to be pretty.” He snatched the keys out of Dante’s hand and was out the door.
Vicky yelled after him. “Congratulations! And give Stasia my love!” She winced as she turned back around. “We did that, didn’t we?”
“Another thing that was my fault. I wanted you to be in my life so badly I concocted this party when I knew Stasia was due soon.” He picked the envelope back up and held it out to her. “Speaking of the party, this is for you. And before you say anything, it’s not a gift and it’s not a handout.”
Vicky eyed the thing warily as she took it. “What is it then?”
“After I canceled the contract with Elegant, I used your binder to make sure the party still happened. I took the final figure that I would have paid to your asshole boss, subtracted all the costs, and the rest is in there. For you.”
Shaking her head, Vicky tried to hand the check back to him. “I got paid for my time working on the party, Dante. You don’t owe me this.”
“You want me to give it to Mathew Collins?” He reached for the check. “Because I can do that. I just preferred the idea of giving it to the person who did all the work.”
Not a handout. Maybe a bit of a hand up, but she knew Mathew made a lot more than his employees ever saw. “No. I’ll take it. It’ll keep me in groceries and an apartment for a while longer.”
Hurt clouded his eyes. “I’d kind of hoped that you and I were bridging the gap we opened up.” He tipped his head toward Jinx. “I mean, she likes me okay, but the running tackle kind of proves she wants you around.”
“You mean she is yours?”
“I was thinking more along the lines of she’s ours. Unless I broke our relationship beyond repair.”
The dog rubbed her head against Vicky’s leg, tail moving a mile a minute. Dante was offering her the kind of home she’d always wanted. Security, love…a dog. She shook her head. “I’m not moving in. Not yet. We need to make sure we’re okay, and I need to find another job. I’m not going to be a kept woman again. I refuse.”
“Does that mean we’re breaking up?”
“Hell, no. It means you’re going to spend every day wooing me back. I don’t care how many hours you’re on set, if I’m pounding the pavement looking for work, I expect a foot massage before bed every night.”
“I thought you weren’t going to live here.”
She wrinkled her nose at him and his logic. “And then I’ll scratch Jinx on the head and drive home.”
“Every night?”
“Every night.”
Dante shrugged but couldn’t hide his smile. “That’s going to get old.”
“It sure is, so you better woo me back fast.”
Dropping the leash, Dante swept her into his arms instead. “How’s this for a first step: I don’t want to just be your life partner. I want to be your business partner. No…investor. There are at least ten people here who wanted the name of my party planner. If you’re willing to take a small loan from me—we can get you set up.”
Vicky caught her lip in her teeth. Her own business? But this was a handout. “It sounds great, but I don’t want your money. That kind of rescuing is what messed us up the first time.”
“I’m not giving you the money, Vicks. I’m offering you a loan. I’ll charge interest if you want. But if you pull off half a dozen parties like this, you’ll be able to pay me back and then some. I’m not giving you your future, I’m just trying to remove the roadblocks in your way so you can earn it. And before you ask why…you know why. I love you, and I want to see you succeed at this. Will you do that for me? Will you let me be there to watch you shove your new company in Mathew Collins’s face?”
Now that would be a dream come true.
Who was she kidding? Her dream was standing right in front of her and had been all along. Only this time she was awake, and she finally realized she got to keep him.
“I love you, too, you crazy man. Let’s do it. Let’s take on the damn world.”
“Together?”
“Definitely.”
Epilogue
Dante had cursed the traffic for the last hour. He was so fucking late it wasn’t even funny. First filming had run over by days. Then his flight to the States was delayed. And now Los Angeles traffic. He couldn’t cut a break.
And he’d promised Vicky he’d be back for this.
Finally he managed to find a parking space and then raced to her brand-new office. In only the few months he’d spent on location, she’d built her business enough to pay him back and get a bank loan in her own name to rent the space. Hiring a secretary was next on her list.
But tonight was the ribbon cutting.
He opened the door just in time to see her take a pair of giant scissors to the gold ribbon wrapped around the company logo. It fell open to reveal a red-and-gold fire. He’d argued against the name—loudly. But she’d insisted that since he’d been the one to help her get her start, she was naming the place after him. Besides, she’d argued, that was how other people had found her in the first place.
Thus, Inferno Party and Entertainment was born.
Vicky spoke to the friends and family and clients gathered, owning the space.
He might have promised he’d be here, but this was her show, and he sure as hell wasn’t going to steal her spotlight. She’d dressed to match the logo, her halter shifting from black at the bottom through shades of red right up to the gold wrap around her shoulders. Just as she finished her speech, she caught sight of him near the door and broke into a grin. “Once again, thank you all for coming. You have no idea how much this company means to me
. Enjoy your food and champagne.”
She didn’t rush across the space. He could tell she wanted to by the way she kept jerking to a stop every time someone caught her attention with a question or a compliment or whatever they were saying. If he didn’t intercede, he’d never get his welcome-home kiss.
Dante strode through the crowd, people naturally moving aside as he walked, making way for his bulk. “Excuse me, mind if I steal the CEO? I have a party I need to discuss with her.”
“You can steal me anytime.” Vicky grinned up at him, then nodded at her guests. “I’ll be right back.”
“Take your time,” the woman said. “I know I would.”
Any thought their interlude might be secret was dashed, but he didn’t care. He wanted to kiss his girlfriend properly, and he didn’t feel like having a damn audience. She pulled him through the door at the back of the space and into her actual office—the other room serving as entrance and meeting area.
“I thought you’d never get here.” Vicky wrapped her arms around his neck and stood on tiptoe to press her lips to his.
“Believe me, I debated skydiving as a quicker means of arrival, but I was afraid I’d miss my mark.”
Her hand cupped him between his legs. “Oh, I don’t know. I think if we give it a try, you’ll hit your mark.”
Dante’s eyes rolled back in his head. He wanted her more than he wanted to breathe, but he’d convinced himself he could wait. “Your party…”
“If they can’t get along without me for a little while, I don’t know how to do my job anyway. Besides, I have a gift for you.”
The way she was rubbing his growing erection was all the gift he needed. “I’ve got you. That’s more than enough.”
“I know, but remember how I asked you for your tattoo artist’s information?”
She lowered his zipper, freeing him and cupping his balls. He couldn’t see straight, much less think. “Yeah. You schedule me an appointment for something?”
Leaning closer, she whispered, “No. I scheduled one for me.” She turned around, faced her desk, and let her wrap fall to the floor. A pair of black wings sprouted from her spine, the shading of the ink making them look as if they actually stood out from her body. And flames licked the tips of both wings, making them glow. “Do you like it?”
Dante reached forward and traced the tattoo with his fingers. It was some of the most intricate work he’d ever seen. “It’s beautiful, but I thought you told me once that you didn’t ever want a tattoo.”
“That was the old me.” Vicky shrugged, then reached down and started inching the skirt of her dress higher and higher. “The old me was afraid of being dependent on a man. The new me…she wants everyone to know she belongs to the Inferno, that being with you makes me better, stronger. And she also wants him to take her on this desk right now and christen the office properly.”
As the last words left her mouth, she stopped moving, her perfect ass on display before him as she bent over the top of her desk and spread her legs wide. There was no chance of him saying no. He stepped forward, easing between her slick folds and burying himself deep. There was nothing—nothing—that was going to keep him from being with his amazing woman another second.
Not the party in the other room.
And not even the ring burning a hole in his pocket.
Those things could wait.
Dante and Vicky couldn’t. They’d already waited long enough.
Did you love this Brazen? Check out more of our steamy titles here!
And for exclusive sneak peeks at our upcoming books, excerpts, contests, chats with our authors and editors, and more…
Be sure to like us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter
Acknowledgments
The feeling of holding a new book in my hands and seeing my name on the cover never gets old, but there are so many more people than just me who deserve credit for getting the book to this point.
Janelle and Lola were invaluable. Between gangs and neighborhoods and getting from point A to point B…L.A. is almost a foreign country to me. Thank you both so much for not thinking my questions were stupid. Whoever runs the Twitter account for Pacific Park, I owe you, too. It was kind of a stupid question, but you answered me anyway. My amazing street team, the Renegades, for holding my hand as I battled with this book and my own self-doubt. You guys are the best people ever. Thanks for always having my back.
My editor, Karen, and all the other awesome people at Entangled have taught me so much. Thank you for putting up with my bouts of I-can’t-itis. I am incredibly blessed to be surrounded by such fantastic people and be part of such an amazing company.
The biggest thank-you, however, goes to my family—especially my children. You two put up with my writerly insanity and support me no matter what. Every single day you remind me how important following this dream is. I hope when the time comes, it will have taught you that your own dreams are worth chasing, too. I love you.
About the Author
Julie Particka was told to get serious about her future in junior high. Several years after getting a bachelor’s degree in chemistry, she realized being serious was overrated and went back to her first love—writing. Now rather than spending her days in the drudgery of the lab or teaching science to high school students, she disappears into worlds of her own creation where monsters sometimes roam, but true love still conquers all.
She can most often be located in the Detroit area with her favorite minions (the ones who know her as Mom), where she is currently hatching a plot for world domination. It involves cookies for everyone, so she’s pretty sure there’s no way it can fail…except the minions keep eating the cookies.
Sign up for our Steals & Deals newsletter and be the first to hear about new releases from Julie Particka and other fantastic Entangled authors!
Reviews help other readers find books. We appreciate all reviews, whether positive or negative. Thank you for reading!
Discover the Gone Hollywood series…
Tempting Her Fake Fiancé
Journalist Stasia Grant is in Vegas for the biggest interview of her career…and grappling with a broken heart, her cheating ex-husband, and a serious need for revenge. Her salvation comes from the most unlikely place—charming and sexy action star Evan Stone. After spending his life playing superhero, Evan has a plan for delicious satisfaction: a fake, week-long engagement and some no-strings fun to show Stasia’s ex just what he’s missing. Together, they’re about to pull off the performance of a lifetime…but will they fall for their own con?
Also by Julie Particka
Fall with Me
If you love sexy romance, one-click these steamy Brazen releases…
Even the Score
a Tall, Dark, and Texan novel by Kate Meader
Actress Tess McKenzie really wants to start a theater of her own. Then Tess receives an offer she can’t refuse. She’ll get her funding…if she pretends to be the fiancée to her nemesis, Texan property tycoon, Hunter Dade. He hasn’t quite forgiven Tess for ruining his wedding, but when chemistry goes from combative to straight-up lust, the rules of their mutually beneficial arrangement are tested. And if Tess isn’t careful, she’ll go from breaking a leg to breaking her heart…
To Tempt a SEAL
a Sin City SEALs novel by Sara Jane Stone
For the first time in her life, art therapist Lucia Lewis is ready to live. And the masquerade ball in Las Vegas is just the place to find a ridiculously hot guy to complete her wicked to-do list. The only rule? That the mask concealing her scars stays on. Navy SEAL Cade Daniels is on a mission to keep his best friend’s little sister out of trouble, but instead, he finds complete and absolute temptation. And it could cost him the one thing he isn’t willing to risk…his heart.
Recipe for Temptation
a Madewood Brothers novel by Gina Gordon
Penn Foster wants a lot of things, but mostly she wants her sexy boss naked in her bed. Now, on a Hawaiian vacation w
ith her family, she’s desperately trying not to think about how he’d sound whispering dirty things in her ear. Penn is the only person able to drag Cole Murphy out of his shell. Which is why he follows her to Hawaii and accepts her proposition for no-strings sex. But is the inescapable heat building between them a delicious temptation, or will it end in total disaster?
Tempting the Corporate Spy
a Sleeping with the Enemy novel by Angela Claire
Whiz kid Liv Altman is working on Internet anti-piracy software that could be huge. And someone wants it badly enough to blackmail only the very best hacker—reclusive Jonathon Crestwell—into stealing it. Liv finds it hard to ignore her hot new corporate consultant, who makes her think the naughtiest of HR-violating thoughts. When she finds him unexpectedly in her office, things take a turn for the sexier. But come morning, Liv will discover the truth about her new employee…and what he really wants.
Blackmailed by the Hero Page 17
