Coldhearted Boss(87)

He nuzzles his head against my neck. “Just a little,” he says, shattering my heart into a million pieces.

There’s no way we’re walking out of this room without telling him a story first. The boy has us wrapped around his finger.

“Okay, come lie down.”

Once we’re all settled on his bed with him tucked under the covers between us, Ethan starts us off.

“One time, there was a beautiful princess—”

Andrew cuts him off. “You’re supposed to say ‘Once upon a time’!”

“Ah.” Ethan nods reverently. “Of course. Once upon a time, there was a beautiful princess named Taylor.”

“That’s Mommy’s name!” Andrew says, eyes wide with wonder.

I smile and shake my head, resting my head beside Andrew’s on his pillow and closing my eyes as I listen to Ethan’s deep voice when he continues.

“She was smart and clever, but her kingdom had fallen on hard times and she was the only one who could save it.”

“What did she do?”

“She got a job so she could make money to help save the kingdom and all its people.”

Andrew cracks up. “Princesses can’t work, Dad!”

“Of course they can,” he insists.

“What was her job?”

“She helped build castles—at least she wanted to help, but there was an evil coldhearted dragon standing in her way.”

I chuckle, aware of where he’s going with this.

“Oh no,” Andrew gasps, fully invested.

“The evil dragon was mean to her and tried to stop her from saving her kingdom, but the princess didn’t let that deter her—”

“Deter?” Andrew asks.

“She didn’t let that stop her. She kept working hard, even when the dragon snarled and stomped and growled. And you know what happened?”

“What?!”

“Her bravery saved her kingdom after all, and on top of that, she managed to soften the heart of the dragon so much he fell in love with her.”

“But he’s a dragon!” Andrew protests. “Dragons can’t love princesses!”

Ethan’s hand gently strokes my hair as he replies, “This one did.”





I hope you enjoyed sharing a cabin with Taylor and Ethan ;)! If you love enemies-to-lovers, handsome jerks, and witty banter, keep reading for an excerpt from my bestselling romantic comedy

ARROGANT DEVIL.





SYNOPSIS




Everyone in Cedar Creek, Texas, knows Jack McNight is an arrogant devil. Physically, I get it: he’s tan and fit, with coal-black hair that’s clearly been scorched by hellfire. Oh, and his personality? It burns just as hot.



When I show up on the doorstep of Blue Stone Ranch, I’m run-down and rockin’ my last pair of underwear. I’m hoping for a savior, but instead, I find him.



My opinion of Jack is marred by a dismal first impression, but his opinion of me is tainted even before I arrive. He’s heard I’m a spoiled princess there to take advantage of his goodwill. To him, I’m more trouble than I’m worth.



Our button-pushing banter should get under my skin. His arrogance should be a major turn-off. Problem is, devils are known to offer their own form of temptation.



Every one of his steely glares sends a shiver down my spine.



Every steamy encounter leaves me reeling.



Sure, it could be the Texas heat messing with my head, but there’s no way I’ll survive the summer without silencing him with a kiss and wrestling him out of those Wranglers.



Who knows…going to bed with the devil might just be the salvation I’ve been looking for all along.





Chapter 1





Meredith





I left my husband last night. There’s something so nice about the past tense—left. He’s still in California. Meanwhile, I’m standing in a gas station in Middle-of-Nowhere, Texas. I have no money, no car. I pawned a gaudy diamond tennis bracelet to purchase a plane ticket to San Antonio, and to its credit, the bracelet also paid for the taxi currently fueling up at the pump outside. However, my cash has run out and my stomach is growling.

I eyeball the shelves lined with an array of sugary junk food. It’s the good stuff: half-dozen packs of white powdered donuts that are messier than glitter bombs and stacks of sad, deflated honey buns. It all seems like what aliens would come up with if tasked with recreating human food. In spite of this, my mouth waters just looking at it all. I want to tear open a bag of Doritos and waterfall the chips straight into my mouth. I want to double-fist the ancient, desiccated hot dogs destined to forever spin on greasy rollers—that’s how hungry I am.

I didn’t plan my departure very well. I didn’t plan it at all, in fact. Last night, I was lying on my side of the bed, wide awake. Andrew was snoring loudly beside me, just as confident as ever that the sun would rise in the morning like it always does. An hour earlier, he’d come in late from a work dinner with lipstick smeared on his cheek. His white collar, meanwhile, was pristine.

I had a million reasons for leaving him—enough to fill this entire gas station snack aisle, enough to make any marriage counselor put a big down payment on a vacation home—but last night, I only needed one. I left, and that’s all that matters. There’s half a country between him and me, and the only thing I have to worry about now is putting my next foot forward…well, that and the fact that I have nowhere to go, no money, no job, and no food. I’m also rapidly running out of sellable accessories, but let’s not get bogged down by the details.