Jake Caine wants a second chance at love. Convinced Kelly is the perfect woman for him, he is thrilled when she reignites their passionate affair, until she makes it clear their relationship ends at the bedroom door. Committed to showing Kelly he wants more from her than sex, he begins to rebuff her advances. But when Kelly responds by launching a no holds barred sensual ambush, will he be able to resist her? Will he break before he can convince her that, this time, he wants to love her forever?
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Excerpt from This Time Forever (Finding Forever, Book 3)
Chapter 1
Kelly Rawlins knew one thing for sure. When you get home from work on a Friday, you are not supposed to find the man who took your virginity and dumped you the next day sitting on your couch. So, when she saw Jake Caine lounging against the cushions, his eyes caressing her with bold familiarity, she froze for what felt like an eternity before her gaping mouth closed with an audible snap.
He stood to approach her with long, lazy strides. “It’s good to see you, Kelly.” His voice was deep and husky, just as she remembered, and her breath caught at the sound of it.
Making sure to lace her own tone with the perfect amount of sardonic amusement, she replied, “I’d say the same to you, but we both know I’d be lying.”
He lifted an eyebrow in surprise, even as a grin stole across his face. “Well put.”
Satisfied she’d caught him off guard with her bluntness, she dropped her work bag on the coffee table before facing him again. “I assume Trina is around here somewhere?”
He nodded. “She said she needed something from her room. I imagine she’s frantically trying to contact you right about now.”
Kelly allowed a small laugh to escape her. “Whatever for? Do you think she feels the need to warn me the great Jake Caine is once again gracing us with his presence?”
He chuckled, sliding his hands casually into his pockets as he took a step closer. “Actually, I was thinking more along the lines of her not wanting you to toss my arse over the balcony the moment you saw me. I am family, after all.”
A faint smile tugged at the corners of her mouth as she considered his suggestion and found it decidedly appealing. Against her will, her eyes trailed down his body. He hadn’t changed much. His dark hair was shorter, and there were some new laugh lines around his eyes, but he was still gorgeous. Still held himself with the same quiet confidence that had impressed her all those years ago.
He dressed better these days. A respectable business suit had replaced the old denim jeans and faded t-shirt that had been his trademark. He looked every bit the successful architect she knew him to be. She cursed silently. Why the hell didn’t she run a brush through her hair before leaving the office?
Turning away, she picked the day’s mail up off the nearby sideboard to flip through it. She couldn’t have read the names on the front of the envelopes to save her life, but at least it gave her hands something to do, and it meant she didn’t have to keep looking at him.
“What are you doing here, anyway?” She tossed the question over her shoulder in what she hoped was a casual manner.
“I’ve been offered a job in the city. I’m moving back to Melbourne—for good.”
Despite her best intentions, Kelly’s gaze snapped back to his. “How nice for you.” Hearing the quiver in her voice, she glanced down at the mail to find the envelopes crushed in her hands. She dropped them back on the sideboard. “Welcome home.”
“Thank you, Kelly.” He had the nerve to sound sincere and she felt like poking him. But that would involve touching him and that was… not a good idea.
“You’re still an interior designer, right?” he asked. She was surprised he remembered what she’d been studying when they met.
“Yes,” she replied with a nod. “I work in the city too. It’s a small firm, but busy.”
“And you’re living with Trina again now?”
She gave a curt nod, preferring not to explain that part.
“I heard about you and Simon. I’m sorry things didn’t work out.” He said the words, but didn’t sound particularly sincere this time.
Kelly shrugged, though she felt a flush of annoyance bloom on her cheeks. Apparently she didn’t need to explain. Five minutes back in town and already he knew about the shambles that was her love life.
“Don’t be. The decision was mutual. There are no hard feelings between us.” The blatant lie rolled off her tongue with surprising ease. Simon Peterson had dumped her after a perfectly good five year relationship she had thought would lead to marriage and children. Until, of course, he decided the younger, and apparently more sexually compatible, new girlfriend he already had presented a more appealing option.
“And here I’d hoped to take advantage of Trina’s extra bedroom tonight,” Jake said. “I guess that’s out of the question now.”
Kelly snorted. “You guess correctly.” She gestured toward the brown monstrosity behind him and added, “If you’re desperate enough, there’s always the couch.”
“How generous of you.” His knowing smile, and the way his eyes travelled over her with wicked delight, gave Kelly the distinct impression he saw her words as a hopeful invitation rather than the sarcastic retort they were meant to be. Her blood began to boil at his arrogance. How dare he assume she would care where he slept at night?
She squared her shoulders, raising one imperious eyebrow. “Truly. It makes no difference to me.”
His smile only widened and Kelly felt like stomping her foot in frustration. All this time and the man still had an ego the size of the Sydney Opera House.
He came to stand in front of her, all traces of humour fading from his expression. The faint muskiness of his cologne teased her nostrils and she fought the urge to inhale the enticing scent deep into her lungs.
“Kelly, I want to thank you for being so welcoming.” She snorted again, but he continued as if she hadn’t made a sound. “I know you have every reason to hate me, even after all these years. What I did to you—”
“Is in the past,” she cut in, stepping around him to escape to the other side of the room. It was bad enough his last memory of her involved her sobbing her heart out, begging him not to break up with her. The last thing she wanted to do now was reminisce about the experience. “We were both young and more than a little stupid. There’s nothing else to say.”
He stared at her for a long moment, a deep frown drawing his brows together. She lifted her chin a notch higher and stared right back. No way would she back down on this and if he pushed the issue she would happily fight him on it.
Finally, he gave a deep sigh. “If that’s the way you want it.”
“It is.”
A tense silence fell between them. Kelly began to fidget with a button on her jacket, unsure what to do next. Jake cleared his throat, his gaze dropping away, and she wondered if he felt as uncomfortable as she did. The thought, though doubtful, should have made her feel better—it didn’t.
“Damn it. Where the hell is she?” They both turned in surprise as Trina burst into the room, swearing at the mobile phone in her hand.
Kelly cringed inwardly. “Were you looking for me?”
Trina’s head snapped up, her eyes horrified. “Oh, crap. You’re home.”
“I got in a few minutes ago.” She forced a bright smile, while trying desperately to convey with her eyes the need for her friend to calm down. “Is there a problem?”
Trina’s gaze flickered from her to Jake and back again before she let out a bark of laughter. “N-No. Of course there’s no problem. I… ah… wanted to ask you to buy milk on the way home.”
Despite the dubious recovery, Kelly turned to Jake with smug satisfaction. He crossed his arms over his chest and smirked his disbelief. The urge to poke him returned with a vengeance.
“My phone is flat,” Kelly said. “Silly me, I forgot to recharge it last night.” She stalked into the kitchen and poured herself a glass of water. The extra distanc
e didn’t help much, given the whole living area was open plan, but at least with the kitchen counter between them she had less chance of being charged with assault. “Jake and I were getting reacquainted.”
“That’s right,” Jake added. “Kelly’s been reminding me what a prick I am.” He winked at her and she rolled her eyes in response.
“Well, hell, I clued you in to that truth when you were nine, cousin,” Trina said with a nervous laugh.
“So you did. And because we’re family, you’ll do me a huge favour. Right?”
Trina’s eyes narrowed. “Depends on the favour.”
“Let me crash on your couch tonight.”
Kelly felt the bottom drop out of her stomach. He wants to stay here? She looked at Trina, whose eyes had widened to the size of dinner plates. And the night keeps getting better.
“Are you insane?” Trina asked. “You can’t stay here.”
“It’s just for one night, I promise. I’ve booked an apartment not far from here for the next month but I can’t pick up the keys until tomorrow.” The plaintive look he gave his cousin had Kelly rolling her eyes again. “You don’t want to leave me homeless do you?”
“We have a big family, Jake,” Trina argued. “There are other places you could stay.”
“Yeah, but, I’m already here and I haven’t seen you in forever. Plus, Kelly already offered.” He turned to her for corroboration. “Didn’t you?”
Kelly balked. “I did?” What the hell was he talking about? At that moment, her earlier joke about the couch resounded in her ears and she had to stop herself from groaning aloud. “I guess I did.”
Jake’s devilish grin returned full force as he faced Trina once more. “See? If it’s okay with Kelly, it’s okay with you, right?”
Trina looked at Kelly, a frown creasing her brow. “Are you sure?”
Kelly knew she either had to say yes or admit to both of them Jake’s presence in their home would bother her.
Would it bother her? It wasn’t like she’d spent the last ten years pining over the tragedy that was their misguided romance. She’d gotten over it years ago—mostly. But, holy hell, couldn’t he have aged badly or something? A pot belly would have been nice, or maybe a big bald patch on his head. She’d have found either one enormously helpful in dealing with this situation. But no, he had to be all gorgeous and successful and turn her insides to mush with a single glance. Several traitorous parts of her body chose that moment to pulse with warmth. Apparently her libido was all sorts of bothered by his presence, though she’d be damned if she would ever admit it.
Kelly lifted her chin and gave a disinterested shrug. “If you want to sleep on that lumpy, old thing, then you’re welcome to it.”
“Great.” Jake rubbed his hands together in delight. “I’ll go grab my bag from the car.” A moment later, the front door clicked shut behind him.
Kelly and Trina gawked at each other in disbelief.
“What the hell just happened?” Trina whispered.
Kelly shook her head in dismay. “I have no idea.”
This Time Forever (Finding Forever, Book 3) is now available on Amazon
Also by Rebecca Raine: Our Little Secret (Finding Forever, Book 1)
How does a sensible, modern woman indulge in a three-way relationship without getting all tangled up?
Julia Hearst is a practical, responsible accountant with no tolerance for salacious thoughts in the workplace. Even if those thoughts, inspired by her two incredibly hot gay employers, are running rampant through her own head. Julia is ready to embark on a new job and leave all these lusty feelings behind.
Long-time lovers, Derek Carrigan and Scott Mason, have always known they were meant to share their lives with a woman. As far as they’re concerned, they found her the day Julia walked in looking for a job. Now she’s leaving, and will no longer be under their employ, it’s time to make their move.
Although shocked by their advances, Julia is seduced by the idea of indulging in a few weeks of sensual adventure before she starts her new job. Then, with the restless side of her satisfied, she has every intention of returning to her safe, predictable life with no one the wiser. It will be their little secret.
Derek and Scott, on the other hand, have their own agenda. Now they have Julia exactly where they want her, they’re not about to let her go.
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Excerpt from Our Little Secret (Finding Forever, Book 1)
Chapter 1
“All I want for Christmas is those two hunks naked and slathered with whipped cream.”
Julia Hearst frowned as she looked up from her computer monitor. Her friend, Amber, stood in the doorway of her office. “It’s September. You’ll have to wait. Did you need something?”
The other woman continued staring out the door, toward the conference room on the far side of the hall. “Maybe I’ll add a cherry on top, just so I can have the pleasure of scooping it up,” she added, her tone dark with mischief and lust, “with my tongue.”
“Stop!” Julia cried out at the blatant words. “Are you trying to get charged with sexual harassment?”
“It would be worth it if I got what I wanted.” Amber walked into the room with a longing sigh and dropped a file into Julia’s in-box.
“May I remind you, when I agreed to recommend you for a job here, you agreed to leave your libido at the door?”
“Hey, you extracted that promise under false pretences. Why didn’t you tell me your bosses were so freaking hot?”
Julia stared at her in pointed silence.
“All right, fine.” Amber placed one hand over her heart and declared, “I hereby promise to be a good little boring accountant.”
“That’s better.” Julia rose from her chair, intent on closing the office door before anyone overheard them. They’d been friends since university, but Amber’s direct way of speaking was sometimes more than Julia could handle.
The moment she reached the doorway, she spotted the targets of the inappropriate comments through the conference room’s full-length glass wall. Her gaze ran over the long, lean bodies of the two business owners as they pored over a set of blueprints laid out on the table in front of them. One was an architect, the other a builder. Between them, they had created one of the most innovative new design and build housing companies in Melbourne.
Derek Carrigan, the architect, was the dark one. With his chiselled features and chocolate brown eyes, he could make women swoon with just one of his rakish smiles. Julia had clicked with Derek from day one. He was easy to talk to and quick to laugh. If she didn’t know him to be otherwise committed, she’d probably be half in love with him by now. But only probably.
Beside him stood Scott Mason, the builder. On the surface, Scott was the light to Derek’s shadows. Close-cropped blond hair and startling blue eyes. Cheekbones so sharp they could cut ice. Julia had no doubt his smile would be just as devastating, but as far as she knew his lips just didn’t work that way. At least, not when they were directed at her. The intensity of his gaze had always disturbed her in ways that made her stomach flutter and confused the hell out of her all at the same time. She’d given up trying to figure him out.
It no longer mattered anyway. Her one-year contract finished in a week and she would be moving on. When they’d asked her to stay she’d declined, instead accepting a position with an investment firm on the other side of the city. She had enjoyed working for the two men but, honestly, there was only so much fluttering her stomach could take on a daily basis and being around Derek and Scott always seemed to lead to a preponderance of, well, fluttering. Leaving was the only logical choice, given the circumstances.
“Careful,” Amber said with a smug tone, “you don’t want to be caught ogling the bosses.”
Jerking to attention, Julia pushed the door closed and returned to her desk. She took a deep breath and smoothed one hand over her hair. Her bun was still neat and secure, just the way she liked it.
“Even if seducin
g your employers wasn’t an inherently bad idea, you wouldn’t have any luck with those two.” Julia adjusted her wire-rimmed glasses and forced her attention back to the report she’d completed this morning. Sending it to the printer, she listened for the hum of the machine as it warmed up. She had a meeting with the aforementioned ‘hunks’ in five minutes and didn’t want to be seen as unprepared because of her glitchy printer.
“Why not? I’m sure my wiles could ensnare one of them.” Amber straightened, pulling her shoulders back until her breasts thrust out proudly. “I’m an attractive woman.”
Julia was pretty sure that was the understatement of the year. Amber was gorgeous, with thick dark hair that cascaded over her shoulders. Yes, that’s right. Cascaded. How many women actually had cascading hair? Not her, that was for sure.
“That’s exactly the problem,” Julia muttered as she emailed the report to both Scott and Derek.
The other woman lifted an indignant eyebrow. “What do you mean?”
“Nothing. Forget I said anything.” Julia busied herself retrieving her report from the printer and stapling the pages together before she placed the stapler back in its place in the drawer of her desk.
She looked up to see Amber staring at her, arms crossed over her chest. “Don’t leave me hanging here. What do you know that I don’t?”
“Oh, all right,” she said, rolling her eyes. “The problem is you’re a gorgeous woman.” Her friend looked at her blankly and she added, “As opposed to a gorgeous man.”
Amber’s eyes widened and her jaw dropped. “You mean they’re gay?” she screeched. “Both of them?”
“Keep your voice down,” Julia begged, praying the men in question were oblivious to the fact their sexual preferences were being discussed just across the hall. She began to gather the materials she needed for her meeting. Last month’s report had to be here somewhere. A quick time check showed she had two minutes to find it. “I knew the moment I met them. Honestly, I’m just surprised I’m the only one who’s realised it.”
Lost in Amber: Steamy Contemporary Romance (Finding Forever Book 2) Page 16
