Lisa Renee Jones – Read Books Online Free Ebooks good best novels to read

Lisa Renee Jones – Read Books Online Free Ebooks good best novels to read http://www.ilovenovels.com Wed, 07 Jan 2026 10:40:20 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 http://www.ilovenovels.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/favicon.png Lisa Renee Jones – Read Books Online Free Ebooks good best novels to read http://www.ilovenovels.com 32 32 Junior Has a Secret Read Online Lisa Renee Jones http://www.ilovenovels.com/junior-has-a-secret-read-online-lisa-renee-jones Wed, 07 Jan 2026 10:40:20 +0000 http://www.ilovenovels.com/junior-has-a-secret-read-online-lisa-renee-jones Genre: Alpha Male, Mafia, Suspense Authors: Lisa Renee Jones Advertisement

Total pages in book: 53
Estimated words: 50820 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 254(@200wpm)___ 203(@250wpm)___ 169(@300wpm)

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In front of you, behind you, all around you, killers everywhere.
One, two, and three, is it for you or him or them?
Red, red, red, red, red, red...
What the F?

Junior is back and stupider than ever. It’s all of us and the nonsense is irritating. Of course, I have killers in front of me and all around me. I’m me. Kane is Kane. And both of us came by our bad habits honestly. We have crappy fathers.
In other words, I push harmless Junior aside and head to a crime scene, and when I kneel beside the wealthy victim, I glance up to spy a painting that is pretty and one tone—red. When I inquire with the house manager about the artist, she can’t remember who painted it, but she does know the name of the painting itself.

It’s called Red.
The color of blood.
And now Junior has my attention.

Book 11 in the Lilah Love series

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

Chapter One

I don’t think every man who cries is a pathetic loser, but my father has taken macho emotional meltdown to a whole new level. I mean no wonder Ghost ran after he broke my father’s finger. He probably didn’t want to hear the whimpers that would follow.

“Lilah,” my father sobs. “Lilah, help me.” He tugs at his legs, that appear attached to the chair and when I remain planted in front of the door, the real him comes out, the rabid him. “Cut me loose!” he snarls. “Now!” And then the fool sobs all over again.

Now.

He wants to be free now, and in that moment, I’m thrust back into the past, to my birthday and the night that changed me, and Kane, forever. I’m trapped beneath my attacker, the scent of salt and ocean and death in my nostrils, fighting for my life, the haze of the drugs someone had fed me doing nothing to erase the feel of the monster on top of me. I couldn’t fight. I couldn’t get him off me. The only person who helped me was the only person who’s ever helped me—Kane. And thanks to how screwed in the head I was over that night, I pushed him away and almost lost him.

Fuck you, father, I think. Fuck you.

As if he’s heard me, as if he knows it’s his blood I taste on my tongue, he tugs against the ropes attached to his feet all over again and screams out, holding his wrist, and showing me the purple swollen finger, his middle finger. I almost laugh with the certainty that the choice was not random, but rather Ghost’s way of saying “fuck you” as well.

“Lilah!” my father hisses, but it’s a hoarse whisper as if he’s become aware of the thin, temporary constructions of the wall, aware of the simple curtain Ghost used for his escape, aware of how foolish he’d look should anyone but me see him like this.

There’s a knock on the door and a shout of, “Almost time! We need you on stage in fifteen!”

“Lilah,” my father pretty much howls, verging on temper tantrum at this point. “I need free. I need out of here. I need a medic. Now. Now. Now!”

He wants attention. I’ll give him attention.

I close the space between me and my father, a title I assign him loosely, and squat in front of him. His face is bloated and eyes are red, a far and literal cry from the suave, good looking, and all too pulled together gubernatorial candidate the public has gotten to know, or rather, think they know. Is there a politician alive that is who they seem to be? My father was truly made to hold an office while pretending to serve. Pocher’s a fool if he thinks he’s employed a limp noodle, he will manipulate as he pleases, he’s misjudged yet another Love.

I settle on a knee in front of his chair, but I don’t reach for him. “What did he say to you?”

“How do you know him?” he demands.

“He’s the number one assassin in the world. It’s my job to know him.”

“You did this?”

“Why would I ask him to do this when I could do it myself? Welcome to the spotlight. He chose you all on his own. Killers are drawn to killers. You should remember that.” I reach down and release the simple tie at his right ankle and then his left. “Should I get the police?”

“No,” he says roughly. “I need a medic. And Kane. Get me Kane.”

His obsession with my husband running his security would be foolishly baffling if I didn’t believe it had something to do with his desire to control Pocher. “Good choice,” I comment. “Kane is how I first met Ghost.” The color of moments before drains from his cheeks, and with satisfaction in my heart, I push to my feet, turn on my heels and walk toward the door.

When I exit the dressing room, I’m only slightly surprised to find Kane leaning on the wall, oozing a Latin king vibe in his perfectly fitted tuxedo. I close the few steps between us and he straightens, towering over me, an arch to his brow. “What just happened?”

“He’s asking for you.”

“He can ask all he wants. They need him on stage. He’s the new governor of New York.”

God, I love this man. My father’s the governor and he’s still in “fuck you” mode. “And Ghost just made sure it’s a night to remember,” I inform him.

He catches me to him and turns me to press my back to the wall he was just leaning on, his big body sheltering mine, as if it’s a natural reaction to protect me. As if I haven’t faced off with Ghost, and the likes of him, many times over. “What the fuck, Lilah?”

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The Bargain (Dalton Family #2) Read Online Lisa Renee Jones http://www.ilovenovels.com/the-bargain-dalton-family-2-read-online-lisa-renee-jones Sun, 12 Oct 2025 20:51:54 +0000 http://www.ilovenovels.com/the-bargain-dalton-family-2-read-online-lisa-renee-jones Genre: Alpha Male, Contemporary, Erotic Authors: Lisa Renee Jones Series: Dalton Family Series by Lisa Renee Jones
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Total pages in book: 64
Estimated words: 61248 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 306(@200wpm)___ 245(@250wpm)___ 204(@300wpm)

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The enemy who seduced me tore my heart apart and then chased me down to do it again now wants to bargain with me.

Ethan Dalton is filthy rich, arrogant, and the man who crushed my father's hopes of saving his business. He's also gorgeous, a master of seduction, and charming. He wants something from me, and the bargain he offers is life changing, but there's one catch, at least from my perspective. I'm falling for him, and falling hard, but he doesn't have to know. He's not that forever guy. And if I remember that, the bargain means pleasure and adventure, and when it's over, the doors he's opening for me means a brighter future for my family.

I can do this. And I can walk away.

What could go wrong?

Book two in the Dalton Family Trilogy

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

Dear Readers

We first met Sofia Cameron as she was discussing her aspirations for her Zoey fashion brand with her father who owns Cameron Brewery. Sofia’s Zoey brand, named after her late mother, has caught the attention of Moore’s Department Store, and they’ve invited her to pitch a new luxury line to them. After her father praises her, the conversation turns to his recent investment presentation with Ethan Dalton from Dalton Liquors, which did not go well. After a tirade about what a prick Ethan is, father and daughter depart with plans for their respective, burgeoning companies.

Sofia’s meeting with Moore’s doesn’t go the way she anticipates, instead of leaving with a deal or even an offer, the team invites Sofia to Hawaii to a fashion show that will pave the way for Sofia to come up with a full plan and angle for Moore’s next season. During this luxurious trip, Sofia runs into the one and only Ethan Dalton, only he thinks her name is Zoey because her friend was hyping up her brand to him, but never shared her name, just the brand’s. The two share a wickedly hot connection across a bar, and then later, have a meal. Him still thinking she’s Zoey, and her weighing her options, but still taken aback by how much she enjoys his company. But the complications are many, including the fact that he’s on the board of Moore’s, and while he helps her craft her next pitch to them, he adds a level of complication she can’t forget. One thing leads to another, and after a night of hot passion, Sofia parts ways without a backward glance. One night. That’s all they could ever be with how much her father hates him, his connection to her hopeful business ventures, and how different they are.

Imagine Sofia’s shock and terror when Moore’s is interested in her luxury line pitch, but they want to change their offer for next season to a permanent line. The proposition would require a heftier investment and the board’s approval. The board that Ethan Dalton sits on. Her one night stand who doesn’t even know her real name now holds her professional fate in his hands. And when he finds her again sitting in the hotel bar, he is none too happy.

While he may not care for being left high and dry, and with a wrong name, even Ethan cannot deny the connection to this woman is still there, and he’s not ready to make their last night together the end. He wants more. If only he can convince Sofia they could work. That convincing comes in the form of seduction and showing her his life. Unfortunately, while he’s a master in the bedroom, in more ways than one, he’s not as in control when it comes to his family. As shown when his ex-fiancée ambushes him with her now husband, who just so happens to be Ethan’s half-brother. His brother, the maker of poor decisions, and bad business deals. And who resents Ethan’s very existence. Both Grant, said brother, and Anna, said ex-fiancée, show the true colors of Ethan’s drama-laden family, and at first that doesn’t bother Sofia. Especially when she knows the tension between her father and Ethan over their non-venture is going to be a hurdle she’ll have to face soon if she and Ethan do decide to make a go of this.

Sofia is swept up in the romance and even the mentorship in Paris Ethan has secured for her as part of her contract with Moore’s. She just needs to sign on the dotted line, and the whirlwind will continue in France. But before Sofia can make that jump for both herself and her business, she finds Ethan and Anna in a heated exchange that looks more like passion between lovers than a family disagreement. And she once again runs…

I will leave you with the last chapter of My Enemy, My Obsession to help you get back into the story and we will start right where that left off…

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Agent vs Assassin – Lilah Love Read Online Lisa Renee Jones http://www.ilovenovels.com/agent-vs-assassin-lilah-love-read-online-lisa-renee-jones Tue, 28 Jan 2025 08:14:49 +0000 http://www.ilovenovels.com/agent-vs-assassin-lilah-love-read-online-lisa-renee-jones Genre: Alpha Male, Crime, Suspense Authors: Lisa Renee Jones Advertisement

Total pages in book: 54
Estimated words: 51900 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 260(@200wpm)___ 208(@250wpm)___ 173(@300wpm)

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Lilah's enemies love to taunt her. For some reason, they don't seem to understand how much such things amuse her.

For the first time, she faces an opponent just as cold, and highly calculated.

Lilah. Ghost. A battle between killers.

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

Characters

Lilah Love (28)—dark-brown hair, brown eyes, curvy figure. An FBI profiler working in Los Angeles, she grew up in the Hamptons. Her mother was a famous movie star who died tragically in a plane crash, which caused Lilah to leave law school prematurely and eventually pursue a career in law enforcement. Lilah’s father is the mayor of East Hampton; her brother is the Hamptons’ chief of police. She dated Kane Mendez against her father’s wishes. She was brutally attacked one night, and Kane came to her rescue, somewhat, and what unfolded that night created a secret between the two they can never share with anyone else. This eventually caused Lilah to leave and take a job in LA, away from her family, Kane, and that secret. Lilah is back in the Hamptons now, married to Kane Mendez, and working as part of a special FBI task force to take down the Society— an underground organization with deep pockets, and fingers in all the wrong political pots.

Kane Mendez (32)—brown hair, dark-brown eyes, leanly muscled body. He’s the CEO of Mendez Enterprises and is thought to be the leader of the cartel that his father left behind when he was killed. But Kane’s uncle runs the operation, while he runs the legitimate side of the business. Lilah’s ex from before she left for L.A., and now her husband since they’ve reconnected.

Director Murphy (50s)—gray hair, perfectly groomed. Former military. Lilah’s boss. The head of the L.A. branch of the FBI. Sent Lilah back to the Hamptons to follow an assassin case, then kept her local in NYC working on a cold-case task force. Is known to have had strong feelings for Lilah’s mother, and as head of the task force Lilah is on, continues to point her in the direction to take down the Society.

Jeff “Tic Tac” Landers—Lilah’s go-to tech guy at the FBI. She’s pulled him onto the task force with her.

Grant Love (57)—blue eyes, graying hair. Lilah’s father, the mayor, retired police chief of East Hampton. A perfect politician. Charming. He’s being groomed by Ted Pocher to run for New York governor.

Andrew Love (34)—blond hair, blue eyes. Lilah’s brother and the current East Hampton police chief. Andrew is protective and seems to be the perfect brother. The problem is that he’s perfect at everything, including being as macho and bossy as their father. There’s more to Andrew than meets the eye. Now an advisor for his father, the future Governor of New York.

Lucas Davenport—tall, and looks like a preppy version of Tarzan. A very successful and good-looking investment banker, and addicted to hacking. He is a cousin of sorts to Lilah and Andrew. His father was the stepbrother of Lilah’s father. His father was also known to have been with Lilah’s mother, Laura, on the night they both disappeared in the plane crash. He flirts mercilessly with Lilah, seeing as they’re not blood-related, but she always shoots him down.

Laura Love—Lilah’s mother. Famous actress. Died four years ago in a horrific plane crash, which has now been discovered to be a murder at the hands of the Society. She infamously portrayed Marilyn Monroe in an Oscar-winning performance.

Ted Pocher— A thin, tall man in his fifties, with salt and pepper hair, and an air of arrogance and authority to him, which he wears like a second skin. Billionaire CEO of the world’s fifth largest privately held conglomerate, Pocher Industries. Has taken a liking to Lilah’s father in hopes of furthering her father’s political career. He tried to do business with Kane and Mendez Enterprises but was turned down because of his rep for shady business deals. One of the leaders of the Society.

Jay—Lilah’s bodyguard, courtesy of Kane. His voice is heavily accented, ugly scar ripped down his cheek. Thick, dark hair. Has taken a bullet for Lilah. Mexican.

Chief Houston (30s)—NYPD Chief. Lilah’s contact when she needs a police presence or liaison while in the city. Lilah knows him from back in the day. Linebacker, fit frame.

Kit—tall, brooding, fit Mexican man who smiles big and used to guard the front desk of Kane and Lilah’s building before he became a personal bodyguard for both of them as needed. He kills easily. Kane trusts him.

Jack Cox (36)—Wavy, slick-backed hair, a sculpted but somehow weak jawline, and glasses. Chemist, with a Ph.D. who worked at NYC Health and Hospitals right out of college until last year when he became a forensics tech. Has been stalking Lilah online with a huge mass of people, and tracked her down (by stealing her information from Rollins’ Rolodex) to get her involved in the Horror Movie killings.

Ghost—One of the deadliest assassins on the planet. Went up against Lilah once before during her first case back in the Hamptons when she faced off with the Society. Tall, muscular, and confident, his grace is that of a practiced soldier. His dark brown hair is short, but not short enough to read as military. His temples are streaked gray, perhaps thirty-six or seven. Pale green eyes. High cheekbones, straight nose.

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He Is Jensen Part One (Windwalkers #4) Read Online Lisa Renee Jones http://www.ilovenovels.com/he-is-jensen-part-one-windwalkers-4-read-online-lisa-renee-jones Fri, 06 Dec 2024 20:23:49 +0000 http://www.ilovenovels.com/he-is-jensen-part-one-windwalkers-4-read-online-lisa-renee-jones Genre: Alpha Male, Fantasy/Sci-fi, Paranormal, Suspense, Thriller Authors: Lisa Renee Jones Series: Windwalkers Series by Lisa Renee Jones
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Total pages in book: 36
Estimated words: 33658 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 168(@200wpm)___ 135(@250wpm)___ 112(@300wpm)

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He loved only one, but he was never what she needed, never the right man for her. The best thing he ever did was walk away from Layla before he destroyed her life. Proven over and over again, most recently when he ended up tricked by his own government into taking an “immunization” that turned him into something not quite human, a super soldier, a GTECH.

But as a threat develops that could destroy the world, he believes one beautiful, talented scientist might be able to help them find much-needed answers. That woman is Layla. The problem is that the enemy knows this, too, and he must get to her before they do. And once he finds her, will she hate him too much to accept his help and to offer hers? Because what neither of them can know, is that they might just mean life or death to each other.

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

Glossary

Area 51—Another name used for Groom Lake.

Blood Exchange—A part of the lifebond process done by choice after the lifebond mark appears on the female’s neck. This completes the female’s transformation to GTECH and links the two lifebonds in life and death. (See Lifebond Process.)

Dreamland—Though Groom Lake/Area 51 is often called Dreamland, in The Renegades series, Dreamland is the fictional military facility opened eighty miles from Area 51 by General Powell to take a stand against the Zodius, who overran Area 51.

Green Hornet—Special bullet that is so powerful it not only shreds human muscle and bone, it permeates the thin bodysuit armor that the GTECHs—both Zodius and Renegades—wear, when no other bullet can do so.

Groom Lake—Also known as Area 51. This is the military base where the Project Zodius experiments with alien DNA took place, which was later taken over by the Zodius rebels.

GTECH—The super soldiers who were created under Project Zodius and divided into two groups—Zodius and Renegades. GTECHs are stronger, faster, and more agile than humans; they heal rapidly and have low fatality rates. They can windwalk. Over time, many are developing special gifts unique to them, such as telepathy, the ability to communicate with animals, and more.

GTECH Body Armor—A thin bodysuit that fits like a second skin. Extremely light and flexible. The material is made from alien technology recovered from a 1950s crash site. Until the Green Hornets were created, no standard-issue ammunition could penetrate the suits.

GTECH Serum—The serum created from alien DNA that was gathered at a crash site in the 1950s and then used to create the GTECHs. The original sample was destroyed. Since the alien DNA will not allow itself to be duplicated, there can be no new serum created without new scientific discoveries. The remaining serum disappeared the day Area 51/Groom Lake was taken over by the GTECH rebels, known as Zodius Soldiers. The GTECH serum cannot be created from GTECH DNA. This has been tried and failed.

Lifebond Mark—A double circle resembling a tattoo appears on the back of the female’s neck after the first sexual encounter with a GTECH, but only the female meant to be that GTECH’s lifebond. After the mark appears, the female feels a tingling sensation whenever the male lifebond first approaches.

Lifebond Process—A lifebond is a male and female who are bonded physically for life and death. If one dies, so does the other. This bond allows the GTECH male to reproduce, and it offers the female the same physical skills as their male lifebond. The lifebond mark, a double circle resembling a tattoo, appears on the back of the female’s neck after the first sexual encounter. A blood exchange is required to complete the physical transformation of the female to GTECH if the couple makes that decision. There is physical pain and illness for the female during conversion.

Neonopolis—The Las Vegas satellite location for the Renegades, covertly located in the basement of the Neonopolis Entertainment Complex off Las Vegas Avenue.

PMI or “Private Military Intelligence”—A company run by General Powell, the officer who created Project Zodius. PMI is used as a cover for top-secret military projects that the government doesn’t want to officially show on the books.

Project Zodius—Code name for the government’s top-secret operation—two hundred Special Operations soldiers who were assigned to Groom Lake (Area 51) and injected with what they believed to be immunizations, but which was, in fact, alien DNA.

Red Dart—A red crystal found at the same 1950s UFO crash site where the GTECH DNA was discovered. The crystal creates a red laser beam that enters the bloodstream and creates a permanent tracking beacon that is sensitive to sound waves. These sound waves can also be used for torture and control of the GTECHs. Thus far, U.S. military attempts to use Red Dart have been fatal.

Renegade Soldier—A GTECH who protects humanity and stands against the rebels known as Zodius. The Renegades are led by Julian Rain’s twin brother, Caleb Rain.

Shield—A mental barrier that a GTECH uses to block their psychic residue from being traceable by Trackers.

Stardust—An alien substance that is undetectable in human testing and causes brain aneurysms.

Sunrise City—The main Renegade facility. An advanced, underground city located in Nevada’s Sunrise Mountain Range.

Trackers—These are GTECHs with the special ability to track the psychic residue of another GTECH or a human female who’s been intimate with another GTECH. If a female possesses this residue, then only that female’s lifebond can shield her from a Tracker.

Windwalking—The ability to fade into the wind, like mist into the air, and invisibly travel far distances at rapid speed.

X2 Gene—A gene that appears in some, but not all, of the GTECHs by the fifteenth month after injection of the GTECH serum.

Zodius City—Still known as the top-secret U.S. military facility often called Area 51 or Groom Lake, located in Nevada, it was taken over by the rebel GTECHs led by Julian Rain. This facility is both above and beneath ground level.

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My Enemy My Obsession (Dalton Family #1) Read Online Lisa Renee Jones http://www.ilovenovels.com/my-enemy-my-obsession-dalton-family-1-read-online-lisa-renee-jones Wed, 30 Oct 2024 13:05:47 +0000 http://www.booksnovels.com/my-enemy-my-obsession-dalton-family-1-read-online-lisa-renee-jones Genre: Alpha Male, Billionaire, Contemporary, Dark Authors: Lisa Renee Jones Series: Dalton Family Series by Lisa Renee Jones
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Total pages in book: 62
Estimated words: 57779 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 289(@200wpm)___ 231(@250wpm)___ 193(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >62

I have plenty of reasons to dislike the hard-edged, ridiculously good-looking, arrogant Ethan Dalton, who did my father wrong, and I’d do anything for the chance to tell the billionaire that and more to his face. So when I’m selected to attend Moore's Department Stores annual conference in Hawaii, with an invitation to submit my designs for their new fall line, the last person I expect to come toe-to-toe with is Ethan himself. I had no idea he was on the board, and despite the fact that he won’t know who I am, I’m in avoidance mode, and failing. I end up sitting several feet away from him, spellbound by how ridiculously hot he is, for an arrogant jerk, when he feels my stare, and I end up locked in his. I’m officially busted, the amusement in his eyes, is somehow charming, rather than infuriating, but when I have the chance to meet him, I run for the hills.

But not for long.

The next thing I know, he’s standing in front of me, in another chance encounter that becomes oh so intimate, and when he thinks my name is well, not my name, I don't correct him. Because once he knows who I am, we’re at war. And what happens that night is anything but war. It’s the most intense, incredible night of my life, but come morning, I do the only thing I can do. I sneak out before he figures out who I am. Besides, I’m saving myself an awkward goodbye.

Only running from the gorgeous, intense billionaire never seems to work, and I fail miserably again.

It’s not long before our paths and my future collide, and my little bedtime lie is not so little anymore and threatens all that I love. And the only way to save myself, is to get down on my hands and knees and beg a man my father once called the devil himself.

Book one in the Dalton Family Trilogy

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

Chapter One

Sofia

“What do you think?” I ask, shutting down the slideshow and waiting for my father’s reaction.

We’re sitting in the conference room of the Cameron Brewery, his growing beer company, and I’ve just finished showing him a test presentation for my new clothing line I’m pitching to Moore’s, the biggest department store in the country, tomorrow morning. It would be a big step to have my brand in their stores rather than just my one little shop.

He grabs the remote and displays a photo of me in one of my creations. “You look beautiful, honey.”

“Says my father.” I laugh. “It feels weird making myself a model, but I can’t afford anyone else yet.”

“This needs to be all about you anyway. They need to see you and your designs, and not have things muddied up by other faces.”

My father is always all about the positive spin, but as I study the image he’s displayed for us, I’m pleased to realize that I’m not drawn to me in the picture at all. I don’t notice my make-up or my long blonde hair draped around my shoulders. I am one hundred percent focused on the ankle-length pink gown that is a creation plucked right out of my mind, quite literally. The question is, will my designs and presentation be good enough to take me to the next level in my career?

“It’s better than good enough,” my father says, almost as if he read my mind. He appears over my shoulder, offering me a loving smile. “Not only are you a talented designer, you’ve put in the hard work to get your name out there, which is why you’ve been invited to do this presentation.”

“Well, that was mostly persistence, I think,” I say. “I wouldn’t take no for an answer.”

“Your mom would be proud, honey, and honored that you named your store and your brand after her. She really would. The Zoey brand is going places, honey.”

My heart squeezes with the mention of the woman we both loved and adored. I’m still just as angry as I was two years ago that a drunk driver could steal her from us and end up on probation. “I just hate that she never got to see your dream of this place come to life. I also hate that you’re still alone five years later.”

He’s forty-nine and good-looking, with ambition and charm to boot. A real woman magnet. He literally launched his own brand of beer the year after my mother died, which I think had a lot to do with his need to have something other than grief in his life.

“I’m dating here and there,” he says. “That’s a big step for me.” His cellphone buzzes with a text, and his expression tightens, his lips forming a flat line, a soft curl sliding through them. He pants out a breath and sets his phone down. “What time is the meeting tomorrow?”

“Nine. What’s wrong?”

“A work thing. That’s all.”

Which I might believe if he was looking at me. “What is it, Dad?”

He sighs and presses his hands to his thighs. “Expanding takes cash. When we started being picked up in locations outside Denver, the demand was a boom. I got into a little debt keeping up the pace. I was in talks with Ethan Dalton from Dalton Liquors, which would have made them limited partners. I’m telling you, honey, be careful what you promise. Big orders take big cash, and you have to float that cash for a good, long while.”

“So, it fell through?”

“Yeah. Ethan’s an arrogant prick. It’s for the best. I don’t want to be in business with an ass like that man.”

“Dad, is the company in trouble?”

“Dalton isn’t the only company we are talking with. They were just the one I felt brought the most value to our brand. You, little one, need to go relax. Tomorrow’s a big day. You got this.” He stands, grabs my hand, and pulls me to my feet. “Go get ‘em, tiger. Call me after, and we’ll celebrate.”

He didn’t answer my question.

He’s in trouble, and the only way I can help is to get my clothing line on a big retailer’s shelves tomorrow. Then I can take a loan, too. I can help him.

Chapter Two

My meeting the next morning isn’t the big presentation I expected. It’s just coffee and conversation with two Moore’s Department Store executives that concludes in what I can only call indecision. I don’t leave with a solid yes to my designs becoming part of their next season line-up, but I don’t leave with nothing, either. I’m offered an invitation to a fashion show in Hawaii at a resort hotel, all expenses paid, where I’m to analyze the fashion trends Moore’s has glommed onto this season and come up with a full plan for next season.

That night, while cozied up to a fire with hot cocoa in hand, I chat out my mix of excitement and frustration with my father by phone. “What if I spend all my time designing again and come up with nothing?”

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Wicked Submission (Scandalous Billionaires #9) Read Online Lisa Renee Jones http://www.ilovenovels.com/wicked-submission-scandalous-billionaires-9-read-online-lisa-renee-jones Sat, 05 Oct 2024 02:31:00 +0000 http://www.booksnovels.com/wicked-submission-scandalous-billionaires-9-read-online-lisa-renee-jones Genre: Alpha Male, Contemporary, Erotic Authors: Lisa Renee Jones Series: Scandalous Billionaires Series by Lisa Renee Jones
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Total pages in book: 144
Estimated words: 138522 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 693(@200wpm)___ 554(@250wpm)___ 462(@300wpm)

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I have no idea why I kissed the sexy stranger in a perfectly fitted suit right there in the corner of a deserted bar in the middle of the day. But I needed that kiss. I'd been lost for so many reasons and that kiss had woken me up. After the kiss, I'd simply thanked him and left before he could stop me. Not that I think he would have followed. I could read him, the arrogant, good looking, kind of guy, who women lined up to kiss. It was probably just another normal day for him.

But nothing was normal for me at all that day, certainly not my boldness. But my life is being turned upside down, and desperate people do desperate things, to feel something other than panic and fear. That's what I wanted that day. To feel something else. And can I not want that? I'm under attack by a volatile ex in all kinds of ways I never believed possible. I'm alone in the battle, so very alone, and I need help. I decide that means an attorney. That has become impossible to avoid.

That's when I walk into one of the top firms in the city, the only caliber of firm that can face the power behind my ex, and there is the man I kissed, one of the partners himself. The kiss wasn't nothing to him at all and he's as obsessed with me and I am him. Which is bad news and a bad idea right now. The problem is that he's everything I need right now—strong, passionate, good looking—but I am everything he doesn't need.

I tell him, too. The trouble I'm in is dangerous.
But he won't listen.
He won't stop kissing me. He won't stop protecting me.
But who will protect him?

Previously published as the Dirtier Duet (His Demand and Her Submission).

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

Part One

Chapter one

Gabe

My brother is now officially married.

He’s also gone, headed off to his honeymoon, while I remain in the apartment that he now shares with his new wife, Carrie, and not by intent. It just sort of happened. They left for the airport and I never left their apartment. Even the dog and cat they recently adopted and now call their children have gone home with my sister and her husband.

Children.

My brother.

Fuck.

I tear away the tie at my neck, the jacket of my tux long ago gone, and walk to the liquor cabinet, perusing the selection of fine whiskey. “Don’t mind if I do,” I murmur, pouring myself a twenty-year whiskey, a luxury drink that we can all afford these days thanks to how damn well the merger between companies went—ours and that of Reid’s new wife. When my brother gets married, he does it forever. He even pulled their two companies into one.

Forever.

That will never be me. I thought it would be once, but that was a long damn time ago. Now, I just fuck and move on, but I do like that dog my brother adopted. Maybe I’ll have a kid of my own, aka a dog, forever and ever. My mind goes painfully back to our old family dogs, and I ax that idea. Dogs die. I don’t need to fall in love with anyone that could die on me. On that note, I need out of this happily-ever-after apartment. I down my whiskey, pull on the jacket to my tuxedo again and head for the door, grabbing my trench coat as I leave. I flip the light out and for a moment, I stare into the darkness, feeling the emptiness open an ancient wound. I shut the damn door.

A few minutes later, I exit their building into a cold December New York City night, and rather than walking to my apartment on the other side of Battery Park, I call a car. I don’t need more empty space to fill up with thoughts better left long buried, better left in the quicksand of my past. I’m at my office building in ten minutes, and I plan to go upstairs and work, but instead, I find myself in the bar of one of the popular restaurants next to our building. A high-end joint that sports the kind of high-end bar offerings my mood requires right now.

I enter the dimly lit spot and wave to the pretty brunette hostess, who’s about ten years too young to get my attention. At thirty-seven, I like my women confident and preferably worldly, not trying to figure out what essay to write for a college paper. Not that it should matter. I fuck and move on and yet somehow—it does. I absolutely need to know that the woman I just got naked with can hold an intelligent conversation, layered with life and experience, even if I don’t want to actually have that conversation. It’s just a thing to me I can’t seem to shake.

I cut right into the bar, lights flickering on small round tables, and for two days after Christmas, the crowd is heavier than I expect. Almost every seat in the place is taken, but the bar is bare and calling my name. I head that direction, order my favorite whiskey and bullshit with Kevin, the bartender who’s been here every day of the last five years. I, on the other hand, have practically lived at the building next door since I was a kid, actually since I was five. That’s when my father moved the law firm he founded here. “That brother of yours really got married, then,” Kevin says after I shed my coat and give him an eyeful of my tuxedo.

“He took the plunge,” I say, accepting my whiskey and making small talk I really don’t feel like making, but he lures me in with football and the Super Bowl coming up in a few short weeks that might actually be a month.

When he finally heads away to attend to another customer, I give the bar my back, my elbows resting on the wooden surface, when my gaze catches on a woman in the corner by the window, and something about her stirs the man in me. An unexpected reaction to a redhead with long, wild curls, when I don’t normally like redheads.

She’s thirtyish, I’d guess, maybe a tad younger, her features delicate and beautiful. She’s also alone on a Thursday night, a MacBook in front of her, and she’s intensely studying whatever is on the screen. That says commitment to her career. That says single, and that works for me. I don’t do married women. In fact, any married woman that wants to do me pisses me the fuck off. My pretty redhead must feel my attention because her gaze lifts and her eyes meet mine. She doesn’t blush and look away. She looks right back at me. She studies me. Bold. Confident. My cock is officially hard. I want this woman, but she cuts her gaze abruptly, as if she’s decided to end the connection with finality.

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Wicked Secrets (Scandalous Billionaires #7) Read Online Lisa Renee Jones http://www.ilovenovels.com/wicked-secrets-scandalous-billionaires-7-read-online-lisa-renee-jones Mon, 23 Sep 2024 09:22:22 +0000 http://www.booksnovels.com/wicked-secrets-scandalous-billionaires-7-read-online-lisa-renee-jones Genre: Alpha Male, BDSM, Erotic, Suspense Authors: Lisa Renee Jones Series: Scandalous Billionaires Series by Lisa Renee Jones
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Total pages in book: 70
Estimated words: 66515 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 333(@200wpm)___ 266(@250wpm)___ 222(@300wpm)

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A sexy, suspenseful standalone...

There is a moment we all secretly crave, the moment when we look into another human's eyes, and feel the world spin beneath our feet. And it happened to me. I fell in lust and love, and everyday with him was passion and happiness. He was the other half of me and I trusted him more than I trusted myself at times. Then the truth came out and the truth was that he'd lied about his identity. He was not the man I thought he was at all. He was dangerous, so very dangerous, and I soon learned that I'd been a dove in a wolf's mouth, trusting I wouldn't be eaten alive.

The truth is that hiding would have been smart, I know this, of course, I know. But I wasn't giving up my life for a man who likely used me as a cover. He wouldn't be back and certainly didn't care that I was glass, slowly shattering inside, never healing, bleeding and bleeding some more.

Then one day it happened.
He came back.

Ashley's story - you met her in Dirty Boss, and now she's ready to tell her story. You do not need to read any book prior to this one.

Previously published as Dirty Rich Secrets.

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

Part One

Chapter one

Ashley (Sandy for now)

Witness protection sucks.

After three months, I haven’t settled into acceptance of this new life at all, and most definitely haven’t stopped looking over my shoulder. A strong pull has me fighting that urge now, but I resist. Instead, I nervously huddle into my coat, pushing through the short walk home from work, the chill of one of the few cold days in Austin, Texas catching between the downtown buildings, the sun dipping behind the steel high rises. All the while, I’m wishing that I could turn back time. Wishing I never met Noah. Wishing I’d never fallen in love with a man who destroyed my life. Wishing I was back in New York City, still a paralegal, still an aspiring attorney, still named Ashley, still the right hand to one of the partners for the powerhouse law firm that had transferred me there from Houston.

But no, now, I’m a travel agent named Sandy, fighting that urge to look over my shoulder.

Because they even took my name, the only thing I had left that my parents gave me, except for my memories. Of course, being alone made me a target, no one to miss me and all that stuff. It also made me stupid silly for a hot man who went so far as to propose to me, when he ultimately would have killed me. I should have killed him. And I would have done it with the gun he taught me to use, all poetic justice perfection. A fantasy that’s interrupted by the increased intensity of that tingling sensation.

I scan the area, and my unease makes the few blocks to my apartment feel too far. I cut right toward a busy Mexican restaurant that won’t be kind to my waistline, but I need to just sit, calm down, and take some time to breathe. I’ll blow my diet without hesitation if it allows me to do those things in a busy restaurant where no one can grab me.

I enter the spacious location with wooden chairs and tables and soft Mexican music that adds to the environment. Mexico and Mexican food are a part of this city’s culture, which I might enjoy if I didn’t just want to be back in New York, where I had a job and friends. The hostess greets me and offers me a table by a wall of windows, but I decline when I would normally accept. I don’t need another way someone can watch me. I’m not sure I’ll ever feel safe by a window again.

I end up at a table in the corner that allows me to see the entire restaurant which is now packed with about thirty people, fifteen of whom are all at one big party table that sits between me and the door. A waiter, who is in his mid-thirties with dark curly hair, greets me, and I’m relieved when he barely looks at me. I spent a big portion of my life wanting to be the gorgeous redhead my mother was and feeling as if I wasn’t. Now, I’ve ensured I never will be as I’ve gone brunette, even though I was told I didn’t have to, but it feels like an extra shield. Just like the karate and weapon handling classes I’m taking do as well. Classes he of all people convinced me to take back in New York, and ones I’ve continued here in Texas. That fact still makes no sense to me. None of it makes any sense.

The waiter reappears, and I order food that I don’t really want and then sink back into my seat, scanning the restaurant again and frowning at the man sitting in the opposite corner of the restaurant behind the bar. I can only see his hands, and this bothers me. They’re strong hands, and as silly as it might seem, they feel familiar.

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He is Creed Three (Windwalkers #3) Read Online Lisa Renee Jones http://www.ilovenovels.com/he-is-creed-three-windwalkers-3-read-online-lisa-renee-jones Mon, 23 Sep 2024 09:21:11 +0000 http://www.booksnovels.com/he-is-creed-three-windwalkers-3-read-online-lisa-renee-jones Genre: Alpha Male, Contemporary, Fantasy/Sci-fi, Paranormal Authors: Lisa Renee Jones Series: Windwalkers Series by Lisa Renee Jones
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Total pages in book: 69
Estimated words: 64702 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 324(@200wpm)___ 259(@250wpm)___ 216(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >69

With Creed battling the darkness inside him and an injury the only person who can save him is his true mate — Addie. But their trust is fragile, while their enemies are strong. It’s a passionate, intense battle of good and evil, nowhere near over.

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

Chapter One

Addie

I don’t call for help for Creed.

At this point, I simply don’t know who will kill him or help him, and so I comfort myself with my knowledge that he will heal. GTECHs survive. Their bodies defy all odds. But as time passes and his illness does not, I fret over my next action.

But it’s hours later now, and he’s still passed out on the bathroom floor while I huddle up next to him, holding a cool rag to his head, scared for him. I don’t want to care about him, but I can’t deny that I do. I’ve seen the GTECH healing process many times and documented the process, which ranged from tingling skin as a small cut healed to violent muscle spasms for more intense injuries. But never, ever, have I witnessed the kind of torture Creed’s body is putting him through. He’s burning up with fever, his muscles jerking and spasming just beneath his skin.

I rest my head on his chest, listening to the thundering of his heart. How much more can it endure? What if the bullet had been poisonous?

Sitting up, I decide I should call for help. Caleb is a good man. He won’t kill Creed. Cellphone, I think, grabbing Creed’s phone again. But as I stare at the call log again, as I stare at Caleb and Julian in his history, I pause. The fact that he called Julian right about the time he cornered me in the public bathroom sits all kinds of wrong. He had me talk to Caleb on the phone, but what if it was really Julian?

Suddenly, Creed sits up, and I gasp at this unexpected action, certain he was about to grab the phone before I use it. Instead, he’s on his knees, and a moment later, he’s hugging the toilet and throwing up. I’m on my knees now too, and with this development far from a positive one, I’m back to considering that call to Caleb.

Call for help, or wait it out?

I watch helplessly as Creed throws up over and over, so sick—too sick. I heard Lucian clearly state that Creed is no longer with Zodius, but what if it’s a setup? What if he hasn’t left Julian at all? That alone should drive my readiness to call Caleb, but Lord, help me, it doesn’t. Because no matter how good a man Caleb is, he’s a soldier and a leader. And what will he do to Creed if he’s still Zodius? And more importantly, why do I care?

Creed’s body crumples onto the floor and passes out again.

Chapter Two

Creed

I blink awake with a jolt, unsure of my surroundings—unsure if I should be fighting. I groan against the ache of my body and yank myself to a sitting position, only to realize I’m on the bathroom floor, and so is Addie. I grab her, checking her for injuries. “You’re okay?”

“Yes. Easy,” she whispers, her hand going to my chest, where I can feel the light spasms of the healing sickness.

The scent of her—soft, female, deliciously Addie—insinuates into my nostrils and draws me back into the present. Memories rush over me. The attack, the bullet. Hugging that damn toilet while Addie soothed me by just being present. “How long have I been out?”

“About six hours,” she says.

“Damn,” I murmur, scrubbing a hand over the back of my neck. I need to call Caleb. I reach into my pocket for my phone, but to no avail.

I intend to push to my feet when Addie grabs my arm. “You were sick like I’ve never seen a GTECH sick before, Creed.”

“I’m fine,” I assure her, touching her cheek. Damn. “The healing sickness has been getting worse for a lot of us. But once it’s over, it’s over.” This time, I stand, feeling on the mend. “I’m nearly healed, just weak and in need of food.” I offer Addie my hand to help her up.

She stares at my hand and then, in rejection, pushes to her feet on her own. Damn it, we’re still there in that shitty place where she doesn’t trust me. “What’s the cause of the reaction?” she asks, her face pale, dark shadows etched beneath her eyes. “It was bad, Creed. I was afraid your heart couldn’t handle what your body was doing to you.”

“The doctors don’t know the cause, but they’re working on it. The best they’ve come up with is an extreme vitamin C deficiency that is much more severe during the healing process.” I pat my pockets. “Have you seen my phone?”

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Burned Dynasty Part Two (Wall Street Empire – Strictly Business #5) Read Online Lisa Renee Jones http://www.ilovenovels.com/burned-dynasty-part-two-wall-street-empire-strictly-business-5-read-online-lisa-renee-jones Sat, 31 Aug 2024 08:14:00 +0000 http://www.booksnovels.com/burned-dynasty-part-two-wall-street-empire-strictly-business-5-read-online-lisa-renee-jones Genre: Alpha Male, Contemporary, Erotic, Insta-Love Authors: Lisa Renee Jones Series: Wall Street Empire - Strictly Business Series by Lisa Renee Jones
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Total pages in book: 68
Estimated words: 64501 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 323(@200wpm)___ 258(@250wpm)___ 215(@300wpm)

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The explosive finale of Damion and Alana’s story is coming soon… with twists, turns, and undeniable passion.

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

Part One

Chapter One

Alana

I did it.

I declared war on West Senior, on Damion’s father. I named him the man who murdered my father, and I did so with a live audience on live television.

There’s no turning back now, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

I exit the stage to find Craig, the private bodyguard I’ve hired to facilitate my escape, waiting on me. He’s a tall man with sharp features and a fit body that declares him capable of fighting off Damion’s father. I’m not sure about the goons West Senior might hire, though, and Craig is no match for Walker Security, but the fact that he’s an off-duty police officer represents trouble I don’t believe anyone wants. You kill a cop, you live with the consequences, but then I’m not sure Damion’s father believes in consequences.

But he will when I’m done with him.

I’ll be his consequence.

There’s no escape for him now. He’ll have to deal with me. Of course, I have to deal with him as well, and that means attorneys and money that will drain me, but I don’t care. The police will have to listen to me now that the masses have heard my voice. Which is why that’s exactly where I’m headed: to the police station to force them to listen to me.

Craig quickly ushers me forward toward a rear door of the building, where a car awaits us, ready to deliver me to a detective he knows well, someone he believes will be able and willing to take my accusations seriously. I’m nervous, yes, but after what I just did on national television, I’m all in and committed to my plan to take down Damion’s father. And then, just maybe, Damion can clean up the West empire and live his own life.

Without me.

A gut-wrenching idea where a necessary reality lives.

I know what I’m doing ends the two of us, but I love him enough to want the best life for him, even if that means I can’t be with him. I take comfort in the certainty that I’m doing the right thing for everyone I love. And despite my anger at her, the ones I love include my mother, who is still in the wrong bed, brainwashed to the point of it becoming terrifying. She’ll be dead next, and I have to ensure the world knows that if she dies, Damion’s father made it happen. My only comfort in her protection is that both of my parents dying close together would be suspicious, and being West Senior is not a stupid man, he’ll know this. But he can’t hide the affair with my mother, and that makes him suspicious to the public, even if law enforcement has blown me off to this point.

They can’t blow me off now.

We reach the exit door, and Craig holds up a hand, indicating I need to wait to exit until he’s cleared a path. He eases outside to scan our surroundings, and just then my cellphone vibrates in my pocket for maybe the third time at this point, and I snake it out to find Damion’s number. Just the idea of speaking with him, of hearing his voice, shreds me inside. I’ve ended us. There is no way around it, and it hurts in a deep, soul-wrenching way.

But so does the idea of Damion’s father holding him captive and ruining him.

Craig motions me forward, and I shove my phone back inside my pocket and do so with firm resolve. There is no me and Damion anymore. And that’s simply a fact that cannot be changed, and I will not allow him to talk me into backing off of my plan with his own demise as the endgame. With nerves jumping about in my belly, I exit the building to find a man standing next to a black sedan with an open door.

Without hesitation, I cross the space between us and slide into the vehicle. Craig follows quickly and shuts himself inside the backseat with me. The driver claims his place, and we are off to the police department. My phone buzzes with a text, followed by two more. I tell myself to ignore the messages, but find myself removing my cell from my pocket to find messages from Damion and not one, but two different reporters.

I click on the message from Damion that reads: I need you to come to me, Alana, come home, and if you won’t do that, go to the Walker offices. I don’t trust my father not to do something crazy right now. You poked the bear, baby, and he’s got really big claws and fangs. Please. I’m begging you. We can do this together.

Only together wasn’t how he tried to protect me in the past, now was it? And I understand the divide he placed between us now in ways I never did before.

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Dirty Rival (Scandalous Billionaires #6) Read Online Lisa Renee Jones http://www.ilovenovels.com/dirty-rival-scandalous-billionaires-6-read-online-lisa-renee-jones Wed, 07 Aug 2024 09:50:26 +0000 http://www.booksnovels.com/dirty-rival-scandalous-billionaires-6-read-online-lisa-renee-jones Genre: Alpha Male, Billionaire, Erotic, Insta-Love Authors: Lisa Renee Jones Series: Scandalous Billionaires Series by Lisa Renee Jones
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Total pages in book: 224
Estimated words: 215705 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1079(@200wpm)___ 863(@250wpm)___ 719(@300wpm)

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HE'S A MAN OF CONTROL. SHE'S THE WOMAN ABOUT TO TAKE IT.

Reid Maxwell is one of the top corporate attorneys and one of the most eligible bachelors in New York City. He likes his wins big, his women beautiful and in bed, not out, and most importantly the deep burn of his past buried. Until one woman, a most unexpected woman, challenges him in ways that might just destroy the invincible Mr. Maxwell.

Carrie West is captive to Reid Maxwell and a debt between their families she doesn't know exists. It should be so simple for Reid Maxwell. Claim the company that is now his. The problem: he's now obsessed with Carrie, the daughter of the man he's destined to destroy.

Now who's captive to who?

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

Chapter one

Reid

“You’re a true-blue prick, Reid Maxwell.”

“Finally, something we agree on,” I say, leaning back in my leather chair, the phone at my ear. A real estate investor who just lost his ass on the line. “And my client likes that I’m a prick. It works for him, not you. The thirty-day notice stands. We’re taking over that complex September first.” I hang up, my gaze lifting to the doorway to find my pain in the ass sister standing in the doorway, holding a garment bag.

“Forget it, Cat,” I say, tossing the pen in my hand onto the desk and leaning forward. “I’m not going to the party.”

“You have to go to the party,” she says, hanging the bag behind my door. “You’re being auctioned off for charity.” She stops in front of my desk, her dress a sparkling mix of pink and purple, while her blonde hair is draped over her shoulders. My sister is a beautiful pain in the ass. “Tonight,” she adds, stopping in front of me. “It happens tonight, and you’ve known about it for two months.”

“I said no about ten times.”

“This is me doing PR for the firm. It’s a big deal with lots of press. And you need good PR since our dear uncle and father got in all that legal trouble, because in case you didn’t know Maxwell, Maxwell, and Maxwell is a law firm.”

“That dear uncle, wasn’t our uncle, but a ‘friend’ of dad’s, he made us call him uncle as kids. And I use the term friend lightly, considering he committed crimes while working for us which is why he’s long gone and so is the scandal he created. And thankfully, since he recovered from his stroke, the only thing our father’s guilty of is being an ass.”

“Like you?”

“Yes,” I agree without hesitation. “I’m an ass, but not like him.”

“Your own very special version of asshole,” she says. “Right. Check.”

I ignore that remark that. Where Cat is concerned, I deserve it and with growing regret. “Cat.”

“Yes?”

“You write true crime novels and your ‘Cat Does Crime’ column. Exactly why are you heading this PR operation for a problem two-years old? You don’t work here. I tried to get you to work here, but you refused.”

“You tried to bully me into doing what you wanted, yes,” she agrees. “And I’m heading your PR efforts because obviously, you cannot. Asshole and PR are not two terms that fit together.”

“Well then, how does having me auctioned off help?”

“Women foolishly love arrogant asses,” she says. “You’ll get big bids and attention for the firm. Bids for charity which means good press. That means, we hope, good press about you and the firm. And since I know what motivates you, good press means more money for the firm and you. The biggest names in New York City will be present. I’ve already said all of this. If Reese wasn’t married, he’d do it for his firm, too. It’s the most eligible bachelor thing, and as you know, at thirty-eight, you’re still a bachelor.”

“I prefer most ineligible bastard, and as for Reese, I couldn’t give a shit what your asshole husband would do.”

“Is that right?”

I glance beyond Cat to find Reese standing in the door in a damn tuxedo that looks like a James Bond costume. Shoot me the fuck now. “If you don’t see asshole as the compliment I do,” I say, “you aren’t half the attorney I thought you were.”

“I’m a criminal law attorney,” Reese says, “not a corporate raider like you.”

“I don’t raid,” I correct. “I help those who do, and in the end, the companies become bigger and better thanks to my efforts.”

“Put your tuxedo on,” Cat says. “We leave in fifteen minutes.”

My brother, Gabe, appears in the doorway next to Reese, and of course, he’s wearing a tux. “Aren’t you pretty?”

“Prettier than you,” he says. “How about a wager to prove it? If I auction off for higher than you, I get that bottle of whiskey you’ve been hoarding. The Dalmore 50 Crystal Decanter.”

“That’s a twenty-thousand-dollar bottle,” I say.

“And?” Gabe presses.

“And bring it on,” I say, standing up and looking at Cat. “This is my last PR event ever.”

“It’s your first PR event.”

“Exactly,” I say. “Now all of you. Leave. I’ll meet you in the lobby in fifteen minutes.”

Everyone leaves but Cat. “The good press has already started.” She sets her phone in front of me, and I read the headline: The blond, thirty-something hunks of Maxwell, Maxwell, and Maxwell give it all for charity. I stop reading and look up at her. “Is this supposed to convince me to go or stay here?”

She laughs. “Oh, you blond hunk you. We both know you’re going.” She sobers abruptly. “Too bad dad won’t come.”

“If the idea is to keep the attention on us and off his misdeeds,” I say dryly, just as damn sober as her now, “then I think that’s smart. He’s not a dumb person. He had to suspect what his best friend, who was like his brother, was up to. I damn sure know what Gabe is into at all times.”

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