Cosmo Red-Hot Reads Box Set: CakeFearlessNaked SushiEverything You Need to Know

by Lauren Dane

  She stopped and threw up her hands. “What are we doing here?”

  “Work.”

  “You’re sitting there, waiting to read whatever Forest says in his interview. Call and ask him.”

  She’d tried that several times, but he wouldn’t budge off that question. The more he asked, the more entrenched she became. “He has the power to unmask me.”

  “Something you should have done.”

  A part of Jordan knew that was true. She’d traveled down this weird, lonely road for so long that she didn’t know how to step off.

  She got up and headed for the kitchen. “We’re not having this argument again.”

  “You’ve been kicking around here, sad and depressed for days. Since I love you, I will say what you should already know, what with you being a smart girl and all.”

  Jordan held up a hand. Not that a gesture would ever stop Elle. “Don’t.”

  “You have feelings for him. Serious feelings. Like, falling-for-him feelings.”

  The words sliced through Jordan. The truth cut right to the bone.

  It took her until this morning to realize that’s what all of this was about. She’d been hurt and unsure coming out of her last train wreck of a relationship. She’s been so sure about the kind of man she needed next. Not someone like Forest. The exact opposite was the answer. But her heart flipped when she saw him, and the sound of his voice had the power to make her weak.

  Her vulnerability, her attraction to him, scared the hell out of her. It shouldn’t be like this. “I’ve only known him a short time.”

  Elle snorted. “Because that’s the test.”

  Jordan walked to the kitchen and back to her chair. It was mindless, aimless movement. “I made a promise not to tell.”

  “It is your secret. You can tell whomever you want, and he gave you the opening to tell him.” Elle sat on the arm of the couch and stared at Jordan as if willing her to believe.

  “He practically demanded it.”

  “I know trust is hard for you.”

  “I don’t want to talk about this anymore.” Every word hammered a crack in Jordan’s defenses. She had so little shield left.

  The days without seeing Forest broke her. In such a short amount of time she switched from not knowing him to not wanting to be without him. And how sick was that? Maybe she was more like her mother than she pretended to be. So easily caught up in a man that she forgot her promises and moved his needs to the top of her list.

  Her computer dinged. “Here it is.”

  Elle came around to Jordan’s side of the computer. “The article?”

  “It’s a video clip.” The little start arrow was right there, taunting her.

  Elle reached across the keyboard. “Hit Play.”

  “Yeah, I know how this works.” Jordan got to it first. Her finger hovered, but she didn’t push.

  Elle sighed. “You’re stalling.”

  With a deep inhale, Jordan clicked the link. Forest’s face filled the screen. He stood there in his sharp suit, looking in command and a little tired. She wanted to touch the screen, but knew that bordered on pathetic. After a few introductory remarks, they got to the good stuff. Forest’s deep voice broke through her small condo.

  “Despite all the accusations, I ended the deal with Ryan Peterson and his company due to performance evaluations. I am trying to be respectful here, but this had to do with management flaws and financial concerns. This was a business decision unrelated to his personal life.”

  Elle lifted a fist in the air. “Score one for the hottie.”

  Jordan wasn’t quite ready to celebrate. Every word he spoke was the truth, but he still held the power to mess up her world. And when he opened his mouth again, she feared the end was coming.

  “But I would like to say that I find nothing wrong with the Need to Know site. Dating isn’t easy and women do need to protect themselves, because not every man is worth trusting. But some of us are.”

  He looked straight into the camera as he delivered that last part. She expected a rush of relief, but it never came. The flipping sensation in her stomach didn’t ease. He supported her and she walked away. The reality of that disparity made her dizzy.

  The final question had to do with his dating status. She held her breath, waiting for him to declare he was single.

  “I’m in a relationship, but that’s all the comment you’re getting on that.”

  Jordan had to grab on to the edge of the desk to keep from falling over. A relationship. The scared and insecure part of her shouted that he meant someone else, but deep down she knew that wasn’t true. He was talking directly to her.

  Elle slapped her hand against the desk. “Well, there you go.”

  Too stunned to say anything coherent and still reeling, Jordan went with the obvious. “He didn’t out me.”

  “That man just made a huge gesture. He kept your secret and gave you that flirty smile through the camera.”

  Jordan saw it all the same way. “I don’t—”

  “Don’t think. Don’t try to reason it all out. Feel.” Elle slipped to her knees beside Jordan. “You deserve this. You get to be happy, too, and I’m thinking this guy could be it.”

  The denials died in her throat. “He’s everything that’s always scared the crap out of me.”

  “And he’s proven over and over that he’s worth the risk. If I were you, I’d go to his office and drag him back to bed. Or finally try that desk chair.” Elle shrugged. “Your choice.”

  “I’m just supposed to walk in there and spill it?” Jordan knew that would be the scariest walk of her life.

  “The man made his big play. Now it’s your turn.”

  “You know I’m terrified.” He could turn her away. He could be a jerk. Anything could happen. The interview went well, but Jordan knew how quickly the wind could change.

  “The only worthwhile risks are the big ones.” Elle hugged Jordan. “But you know that.”

  Jordan held on. “Really?”

  “You are a woman who created a business and is building something on your own. You get risks.”

  Her friend always knew the right thing to say. “I love you, you know.”

  “Then listen to me and go after your man.”

  * * *

  THREE HOURS LATER Forest sat in his office and tried to ignore Wen. The man wasn’t making that task easy, since he kept hovering and even now leaned in the doorway with one leg crossed over each other.

  “That interview was impressive,” he said.

  Not exactly what Forest was going for, but he appreciated the support. “Yeah, you’re not the one I was trying to win over.”

  “I’m hoping I was.” Jordan’s voice cut through the room.

  Forest’s head popped up and he jumped from his chair, nearly knocking it over behind him. “Jordan?”

  Wen smiled down at her as she brushed past him wearing one of those dresses that held together with a tie in the front. He looked her up and down, then winked. “About time you showed up.”

  She stopped long enough to place a hand on Wen’s crossed arms. “I’m slow, but I make up for that with staying power.”

  As far as Forest was concerned there was one too many people in the room. “Wen, disappear.”

  “Yes, sir.” Wen didn’t even try to hide his grin as he shuffled out and closed the door behind him.

  Forest wanted to rush to her, but he forced his body to stay still. She needed to make all the moves this time. He’d laid it all out there, gave as much of a public plea for her as he could without causing more trouble for her business. “You heard the interview.”

  “Yes, but I didn’t need to, to know I owed you an apology.”

  Shit. “That’s not what I want from you.”

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nbsp; “You’re getting it anyway.” She pointed to his chair. “Sit.”

  Now, this was the Jordan who haunted his dreams all week. Feisty and in charge, knowing what she wanted and how to get it.

  So, he obeyed. Hell, right now he’d do just about anything to get them back on track. “Fair enough.”

  “As you’ve probably guessed, I’ve spent my life trying not to be my mom.”

  “You are not her.” He had no idea how she could think that. The differences were so obvious. He didn’t have to spend even a second to come up with the list. “You might have her charm, but your drive and will are your own.”

  “I love her and would fight to protect her, but growing up with her affected me.” Jordan came around to his side of the desk and leaned against it, right at the side of his leg. “I saw what was happening and let it taint how I dealt with relationships. I rushed to do the opposite of what she did, to not look to men for security.”

  “You pushed me away.”

  “I did and I’m sorry.” She stood there. “I was just so sure the answer was to limit the uses in my life for men.”

  “We do have some skills.” He was working on listening and accepting. “Sometimes, if you let us, we can be a partner.”

  “Definitely.” She slid in closer.

  He held her face in his hands. “And, for the record, you are independent and fierce. You are not someone who wants other people to pay for her.”

  She smiled. “You get me.”

  “I have been proud of you, impressed by you, since day one of meeting you.” Forest hated to walk into a bad topic, but the words needed to be said. “And if Ryan somehow still outs you, you’ll handle it because that is who you are.”

  “You’ll stand by me.”

  “Always.”

  He thought she’d wiggle her way to stand between his legs, but she did something even better. She pushed him back into his chair and dropped into his lap. One hand went to the back of his neck and the other pressed against his chest.

  He shifted to get more comfortable. “I like this position.”

  “Shh.” She put a finger over his lips. “My turn for admitting things isn’t over yet.”

  He nodded, afraid to say the wrong thing and scare her away. He went for draping his arm across her legs and pulling her in tighter instead.

  “When you came along, I got it in my head that wanting you so much, so fast, meant I was turning into her. I was ready to put aside all my personal vows about keeping the website quiet and mine and private. I wanted to share with you.”

  The last bit of tension twisted in his gut broke free. A feeling he could describe only as hope spiraled through him. “Why didn’t you?”

  “Because I wanted it to stay mine.”

  “And now?” He’d pull every word out of her if he had to. With her history, he knew this level of intimacy was hard for her. Having lost so much of his family, he craved it. Being burned by family, she revolted.

  “I wanted to keep you at a distance.” She spread her fingers against his shirt and the coolness of her skin seeped into him. “But not anymore.”

  “Sweet hell, I hope not.” His free hand traveled up her back, soothing even as he dragged her closer.

  “I own the website. It’s all mine.” She smiled as she said the words. The pride bubbled up and out of her and flowed all over both of them. “It’s not part of some revenge scheme as people are saying. It’s about filling a need. Building something.”

  A concept he understood well. “I know.”

  “Yeah, you do, don’t you?” She leaned in and kissed him, but pulled back before he could stop her.

  “Can I talk now?” He trapped her hand against his chest. “Because if I can, I want to say you’re quite the entrepreneur. It’s pretty amazing what you’ve accomplished. You have most of D.C. watching.”

  “I could use some advice about expanding and when to reveal my identity, if at all.”

  This is what he wanted. The give and take. “Ask anything. We’ll talk it through. Just the two of us.”

  “And Elle.”

  He chuckled. “I figured she was in on this.”

  “I do need you to know I trust you.”

  Tension eased out of him. “I know that from the way you’re talking now. From the fact you came to the office.”

  She brought their joined hands to her mouth and kissed the back of his. “It scares me to need you and I’ll probably mess up and get plowed under by all my insecurities, but with you I want to try. All I’m asking for is time and understanding.”

  “The fact you’re sitting here, telling me all of this, proves you trust me.” He couldn’t hold back another second. He leaned in and kissed her. Not deep, but firm to let her know he wanted more but could wait. “That’s all I wanted.”

  “All?”

  “Well, there’s some naked stuff and the part where I am dying to pull the end of this knot, but for now I’m good with trust.” He toyed with the material belt around her waist, wondering the whole time if she wore anything underneath. He sure as hell hoped not. “You see, we need that if we’re going to go forward, and I am desperate to move forward with you. We’ve built businesses. Now I want something deeper, just for us.”

  Her smile almost sparkled now. “You’re comparing my site to your multimillion dollar business?”

  One more insecurity he needed to help her conquer. “We all start somewhere. I’m betting you work as hard, if not harder, than I do.”

  “I want you to know I believe, deep to my soul, you’re different.”

  He didn’t know how desperate he was for the words until he heard them. Something deep and dark inside him burst open. All those years of looking in and missing what he’d lost, no matter how dysfunctional it was. With the comfort of family gone, he leaned on Wen. Now he wanted to lean with her.

  “Any chance that’s a sign you’re falling for me.” It actually hurt to force the words out. They were new and his feelings grew and shifted as the days went by, but he knew the truth. She was the one. It would take time and some healing, but she was it.

  She wrapped her arms around his neck. “I’m definitely falling.”

  The last of his worries washed away. He could handle scandal and Ryan and anything else their relationship brought down on them. “Good, because I didn’t want to jump alone.”

  Her hand brushed over his hair. “So, we’re dating.”

  “Only each other.”

  “Then I have one more thing to give you.” She dipped her hand into her bra.

  “Does it have something to do with the tie to the dress, because I’m having a hard time concentrating on anything else at the moment.” She shifted her position and his erection fit into the space between her thighs. “Oh, that works.”

  “Here.” She held something between her fingers.

  He tried to focus, but the combination of her body and her smell had his brain misfiring. He blinked a few times. “A key?”

  “To my condo. My life is there—business and personal—and I want you to have it. No locked doors. No restrictions on what you can see or where you go.”

  The gesture was about so much more than easy entrance to her place. It was a vow of sorts. “I’ll have one made for my place for you tomorrow.”

  She laughed. “I haven’t even seen your house yet.”

  “We’ll go there. Later.” He glanced at the closed door. “First, I want to show you what I can do in this chair.”

  She reached for his hand and put it on the end of the belt tie. She gave it a gentle tug. “You’re the boss.”

  Subject Request for Forest Redder: Heard rumor he’s seriously dating. Please say it’s not true! —Member 8

  Need to Know staff: Confirmed. He definitely is not available.
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  Books by HelenKay Dimon

  From Carina Press

  The Holloway Series:

  IT’S NOT CHRISTMAS WITHOUT YOU

  LEAN ON ME

  WE’LL BE HOME FOR CHRISTMAS

  JUST WHAT HE WANTED

  From Harlequin Intrigue

  1196—UNDER THE GUN*

  1214—NIGHT MOVES

  1254—GUNS AND THE GIRL NEXT DOOR*

  1260—GUNNING FOR TROUBLE*

  1297—LOCKED AND LOADED*

  1303—THE BIG GUNS*

  1352—WHEN SHE WASN’T LOOKING

  1369—COPY THAT

  1387—SWITCHED

  1434—FEARLESS**

  1440—RUTHLESS**

  *Mystery Men

  **Corcoran Team

  Sexy, contemporary romance stories for today’s fun, fearless female.

  On sale November 12, 2013

  Aftershock by New York Times bestselling author Sylvia Day

  On sale November 25, 2013

  Ripped by Sarah Morgan

  Definitely Naughty by Jo Leigh

  Two Red-Hot Reads available in ebook format each month!

  Visit www.harlequin.com/Cosmo today.

  Cosmo Red-Hot Reads from Harlequin

  ISBN-13: 9781459245983

  EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW

  Copyright © 2013 by HelenKay Dimon

  All rights reserved. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of publisher, Harlequin Enterprises Limited, 225 Duncan Mill Road, Don Mills, Ontario, Canada M3B 3K9.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental. This edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.