Once wont be enough to get this out of our systems.
A tale of out-of-control chemistry from New York Times bestselling author Lauren Hawkeye.
From the moment they met, Meg Marchande and John Brooke have had the kind of chemistry you bow down to, give thanks for and find the nearest bed to release. Despite a magnetic attraction, their timing has never been right. But passion waits for no one.
Moving from city to city for his powerful career, John doesnt see himself in a traditional relationship. Still, he cant get Meg out of his mind. Meg is more than happy to meet up with him for increasingly erotic encounters, but she doesnt let herself think about a happily-ever-after. After all, her business means she has to stay, and his means he has to go. She doesnt want to give up the things shes fought for any more than John does.
With both of them set on their own paths yet helplessly drawn to one another, they must discover whether love is enough. Or is their relationship doomed to never be about more than sex?
Mills & Boon DARE publishes sexy romances featuring powerful alpha heroes and bold, fearless heroines exploring their deepest fantasies.
Four new Harlequin DARE titles are available each month, wherever ebooks are sold!
New York Times bestselling author LAUREN HAWKEYE never imagined that shed wind up telling stories for a livingthough shes the only one whos surprised. She lives in the Rocky Mountains of Alberta, Canada, with her husband, two young sons, a pit bull and two idiot cats. In her nonexistent spare time, Lauren partakes in far too many hobbies! She loves to hear from her readers through email, Facebook and Instagram! Sign up for Laurens newsletter here: eepurl.com/OeF7r.
Also by Lauren Hawkeye
Between the Lines Playing Dirty
Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk.
Sweet Temptation
Lauren Hawkeye
www.millsandboon.co.uk
SWEET TEMPTATION
© 2020 Lauren Hawkeye
Published in Great Britain 2019
by Mills & Boon, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF
All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, locations and incidents are purely fictional and bear no relationship to any real life individuals, living or dead, or to any actual places, business establishments, locations, events or incidents. Any resemblance is entirely coincidental.
By payment of the required fees, you are granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right and licence to download and install this e-book on your personal computer, tablet computer, smart phone or other electronic reading device only (each a Licensed Device) and to access, display and read the text of this e-book on-screen on your Licensed Device. Except to the extent any of these acts shall be permitted pursuant to any mandatory provision of applicable law but no further, no part of this e-book or its text or images may be reproduced, transmitted, distributed, translated, converted or adapted for use on another file format, communicated to the public, downloaded, 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.
® and are trademarks owned and used by the trademark owner and/or its licensee. Trademarks marked with ® are registered with the United Kingdom Patent Office and/or the Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market and in other countries.
www.millsandboon.co.uk
Version: 2020-03-02
MILLS & BOON
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For Patience
Contents
Cover
Back Cover Text
About the Author
Booklist
Title Page
Copyright
Note to Readers
Dedication
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHAPTER TWENTY
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
EPILOGUE
About the Publisher
CHAPTER ONE
TO ANYONE ON the outside looking in, John Brooke had one hell of a night planned.
Hed been seated at a low table in Grapes of Wraththe new nightspot that was essentially a wine bar with dancingfor over an hour. At the table with him were Theo Lawrence, his friend and the man whose company hed been working for over the last six months, as well as Theos live-in girlfriend, Jo. They were having one final hurrah before John left. He had a week until his next job, the next place he would temporarily call home.
Hed sampled several of the fantastic vintages that the bar offered and was feeling loose and warm, and the attractive blonde waitress had made it clear that shed be off at midnight if he was interested.
Hed flirted with her in return, thinking that some hot, sweaty sex would be the perfect way to cap off a great day, but for some reason, he wasnt quite as interested as he should have been. He couldnt even remember her name, which embarrassed him more than a little.
Thanks. Automatically, he flashed her a smile when she brought him his newest drink order, but when she lingered, bending over to give him an eyeful of her cleavage, he found himself winking at her on autopilot. His body appreciated the view, but that was where his interest ended, and he wasnt quite sure what to think about that.
It had been happening more and more often lately, this hint of dissatisfaction over things that were the norm in his life. John was an independent contractor, his specialty was mentoring start-up companies through successful launches. Hed lived a nomadic lifestyle for over a decade and had always felt a thrill when it was time to move on. Tonight, though, the expected buzz of excitement was hovering just out of reach.
To John! Across the table, Theo toasted him with his glass, which contained only sparkling waterTheo was several months sober, all thanks to the spitfire of a woman sitting next to him, who raised her glass, as well. Were sad to see you go, man.
Thanks, Theo. John nodded, then sipped his winea nice, full-bodied red. Christ, was he ever going to have a headache tomorrow. Hed indulged more than he usually did to compensate for these weird feelings that he couldnt seem to banish.
For the first time in memory, he had friends. He cared about someone other than himself.
What was happening to him? He didnt let people in. The second they tried, he was gone, and for good reason. He traveled, he enjoyed the money from the career hed built off his sweat and blood, and he rarely spent more than a few nights with the same woman. But since meeting Theo and Jo, seeing the way theyd overcome their demons to find a connection that made them both shine... Well. Hed fought against it, but John couldnt deny that somehow, someway he was now aware that he maybe wanted something more.
I have a break coming. The waitress was back. The clubs uniform was a skintight blue dress that showed off the womans lean figure, and John knew that in five minutes, he could have the skirt lifted and the womans long, tanned legs wrapped around his waist. His cock didnt hate the idea.
That was it, then. Hed indulge in a quickie, and maybe it would break him out of this mood.
His decision must have shown on his face, because the woman smiled, catlike, and bent to whisper in his ear, The staff bathroom is at the end of the hall. Ill be waiting.
His smile frozen on his face, he watched her sashay away. Theos low whistle broke him out of his trance.
Guess youre leaving, then? Theo grinned at him before pulling the woman next to him in close to nuzzle her hair. Jo rolled her eyes in Johns direction, pursing her lips with disapproval.
You can do better, she informed him, tipping her head back to catch the last drops of whiskey in her glass. Her boobs dont even move. I mean, you cant deny that they look good, but make sure she doesnt hit you in the head with one of those things. Shell knock you out cold.
Duly noted, John replied dryly, finishing the dregs from his glass. Standing, he checked his pockets to make sure that he had a condom, which he didof course he did. He was the master of details, noticing things that other people were utterly unaware of...such as the fact that he probably should have felt a little more enthused at the moment. He was heading off to have sex with an attractive woman, but as he left Jo and Theo behind to pursue said woman, he found himself thinking that hed rather go home.
Stopping halfway across the dance floor, he debated it for a moment, which was yet another thing that was utterly unlike him. He prided himself on being decisive, on being a man who took action, who always had a plan, and this unsureness left him feeling unmoored.
Make up your mind, John!
He started walking toward the door, away from the waitress waiting for him with her skirt around her waist. That was when he saw her, a split-second glimpse of her from behind before she was swallowed up by the crowd.
He turned toward her, as though he were a satellite set to orientate in her direction. He was a tall man, over six feet, but she was nearly ten inches shorter than him, and try as he might, he couldnt catch another glimpse from where he was.
It didnt matter. Even without a second look, he knew that the petite woman packed some serious curves into her small frame. Curves his hands itched to touch. He knew that her hair fell in chocolate-brown ribbons to her waist, making him imagine how it would look spread out over the white sheets on his hotel room bed.