The Room Mate (Roommates #1)(53)



I slid the white thigh-high nylons up my legs, satisfaction blooming in my chest. Maybe this would give me the boost of confidence I needed to get out of my funk. I just prayed Cannon would play along. I added the inappropriately short white skirt that barely skimmed the top of my thighs and the matching top, which was so tight and low cut, it hugged every curve of my waist, forcing my breasts to spill out over the top. Then I faced the full-length mirror and smiled at my reflection.

Do I look silly or sexy? I couldn’t tell.

The click of the front door opening hit me like a tidal wave, and panic rose in my chest.

“Paige?” Cannon called from the front hall.

The rich timbre of his voice sent me spiraling toward desire as I stepped through the doorway and stopped. He stood in the hallway, and his mouth dropped open when he saw me.

“Wanna play doctor?” I asked, using my most sultry tone.

Cannon didn’t answer—just continued feasting his eyes over my skin, his expression growing darker.

The thin cotton scrubs he wore left little to the imagination, and as he became aroused by what he saw, his erection tented the front of his pants.

The situation was so playful, so silly, that with anyone else, I would have giggled. But not with this man. Cannon stalked toward me like a cheetah stalks a gazelle. He was all intense masculine energy, his gaze penetrating and possessive.

He took me in his arms, kissing me deeply. “Fuck, you look hot,” he groaned when he finally pulled away.

“Did you have a good day at work, handsome?” I smiled up at him, loving the way he looked in his scrubs, loving the way his strong hands settled on my waist. I loved everything about him.

“Let’s just say I’m happy to be home.”

I smiled again. Home. It really was. We’d built a home together, and it had all happened so fast. But all of our routines fell into place, all of our hopes and dreams aligned. All that was left to do was enjoy it.

I couldn’t imagine a day would come where I wouldn’t want this man with every fiber of my being. And no matter what life might throw at us, I knew without a doubt that together, we would always make lemonade.





Up Next in This Series




Smith Hamilton has it all—he’s smart, good-looking, and loaded. But he remembers a time when he had nothing and no one, so he’s not about to mess up, especially with his best friend’s little sister. That means keeping Evie at arm’s length . . . even though the once pesky little girl is now a buxom bombshell. A sexy blonde who pushes his self-control to the limit the night she crawls into bed with him.

Evie Reed knows she’s blessed—with an exclusive education, a family who loves her, and a new job managing social media for her family’s lingerie company. But she wants more, like a reason to wear the sexy lingerie herself. She has just the man in mind to help with that. She’s crushed on Smith forever. Surely tricking her way into his bed will force him to see her in a new, adult way.

Except that when Evie’s plan leads to disaster, she and Smith must decide—ignore the attraction sizzling between them, or become play mates and risk it all.





What’s sexier than a bad boy? A badass man who’s got his shit together.

Max Alexander is nearing thirty-five. He’s built a successful company and conquered the business world, but he’s never been lucky in love. Focusing so much time on his business and raising his daughter, adulting has come at the expense of his personal life.

His social skills are shit, his patience is shot, and at times, his temper runs hot.

The last thing he has time for is the recently single, too-gorgeous-for-her-own-good young woman he hires to take care of his little girl. She’s a distraction he doesn’t need, and besides, there’s no way she’d be interested.

But you know what they say about assumptions?





Acknowledgments


I would like to thank my dedicated team for helping this book come to life, each in your own way. A big thank-you and a tackle-hug to these fabulous ladies: Danielle Sanchez, Natasha Madison, Meghan March, Pam Berehulke, Beverly Tubb, Amy Bosica, Sara Eirew, Rachel Brookes, and last but not least, Franci Neill.

An immense amount of gratitude goes to my readers. I love writing about all the bumps in the road on the way to a happily-ever-after, and I’m so thankful that you love reading about them. Let’s never break up, okay?

I would like to thank my family for standing by my side and supporting my dreams, no matter how “out there” they might have seemed. Of those, my husband is my biggest and best supporter, and my rock. He believes wholeheartedly that I can do anything I set my mind to. I know I don’t deserve his never-ending love and devotion, but I’m so thankful for it.

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