Six winners. Six fantasies.
SIX MILLION DOLLAR SECRETS
Plain Jane Kurtz is going to use her winnings to discover
her inner vixen. But whats it really going to cost her?
She Did a Bad, Bad Thing by Stephanie Bond Available from Mills & Boon® Blaze® in July 2008
* * *
New girl in town Nicole Reavis is on a journey to find
herself. But what else will she discover along the way?
Underneath It All by Lori Borrill Available from Mills & Boon® Blaze® in August 2008
* * *
Risk taker Eve Best is on the verge of having everything
shes ever wanted. But can she take it?
The Naked Truth by Shannon Hollis Available from Mills & Boon® Blaze® in September 2008
* * *
Young, cocky Zach Haas loves his instant popularity,
especially with the women. But can he trust it?
For Lust or Money by Kate Hoffmann Available from Mills & Boon® Blaze® in October 2008
* * *
Solid, dependable Cole Crawford is ready to shake
things up. But how shook up is he prepared to handle?
Tall, Dark and Filthy Rich by Jill Monroe Available from Mills & Boon® Blaze® in November 2008
* * *
Wild child Liza has always just wanted to belong.
But how far will she go to get it?
What She Really Wants for Christmas by Debbi Rawlins Available in the M&B collection Her Christmas Temptation in December 2008
KATE HOFFMANN
lives in a small town in Wisconsin, where she spends her days spinning stories for books. Before penning her first romance novel, published in 1993, Kate was a teacher, an assistant buyer for a department store chain, the head of alumni relations at a university, and an advertising executive. When she isnt writing, she enjoys gardening, golf and genealogy.
Dear Reader,
When the concept for this book, For Lustor Money, was presented to me, I had some reservations. Id never attempted an older woman/younger man story. But as I thought about the possibilities, I decided that it might be fun. After all, as a single woman over thirty (and forty, too!), I could relate to the fantasy of falling for a younger man.
Zach Haas isnt just any younger man. Hes smart and funny and handsome oh, and he has millions. How could Kelly Castelle keep from falling in love? Well, it wasnt hard to find reasons I simply asked myself what would keep me from falling for a guy eleven years younger than me.
Still, by the end of the book Id managed to convince myself that it would be possible. Now I just have to find the guy! I hope you enjoy ForLust or Money. I certainly enjoyed the challenge of getting these two together for you.
Happy reading,
Kate Hoffmann
FOR LUST OR MONEY
BY
KATE HOFFMANN
www.millsandboon.co.uk
MILLS & BOON
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1
KELLY CASTELLE was in hell. At least, this was exactly what she imagined hell to be, minus all the traffic and the sidewalks and the buildings. She brushed a wayward strand of hair out of her eyes and dabbed at her damp forehead with her wrist. Shed had her share of awful jobs in the past, but this time, she truly believed shed find Beelzebub behind the camera.
Is it always so hot here?
The driver glanced at her in the rearview mirror. Its the middle of August, miss, he said. And its Atlanta. What did you expect?
Something a bit more like L.A., she muttered. Back home it was warm, but shed never experienced humidity like this. Her clothes clung to her skin and her hair had gone limp the moment shed stepped off the plane. Wilted would barely do justice to the way she felt. And if she looked even half as bad as she felt, theyd fire her on the spot and hire another actressone who knew how to look crisp and composed in ninety-five-degree heat.
Maybe this was all just a sign, Kelly mused. Just a week ago, shed decided that it might be time to get out of Hollywood and show business and find a new life for herself. Shed worked on her acting career, first in New York and then in L.A., for nearly fifteen years and had nothing to show for it. Sure, shed made a few guest appearances on TV series that had long been cancelled. Shed done some commercials and had a bit part in a cheesy horror movie. Shed even worked on a soap opera for two years before her character got killed off when a meteor fell on her trailer home. But shed never been able to land a decent agent and she was fast approaching the age when no one would even bother calling her to read.
Thirty-five. There were plenty of actresses who would kill to be her age again. But over the past couple of years, Kelly had heard her career clock ticking down. Women in Hollywood had a short shelf life and she was beginning to mold around the edges.
Just last month, her agent had called to ask if shed ever considered doing soft-core porn. Kelly would have fired Louise DiMarco on the spot had she not offered a national hemorrhoid commercial in the same breath. Shed turned them both down before Louise made casual mention of a small job in Atlanta, performing in a skit for the talk show Just Between Us.
Though it didnt pay much, Kelly didnt care. It was a free trip to Atlanta and a night in a nice hotel and enough money to pay the grocery bill for a few more months. Desperate to get out of L.A., if only for a day or two, shed jumped at the chance. Though this could hardly be called her big break, at least it wasnt soft-core porn.
But was she fooling herself? A bit part in a six-minute skit on a talk show could hardly even be compared to a walk-on in a feature film with a third-rate director. Shed have to make some firm decisions about her future once she got back to L.A. For now, shed just have to focus on doing the best job she could.
Here we are, the driver said as he pulled up to the curb. CATL studios. Need help inside with your bag?
Kelly shook her head and handed him a twenty from her purse. No, Im fine. Thanks.
He waved his hand. The fare is taken care of by the show. The tip, too.
The driver popped the trunk and jumped out of the Town Car, then helped her out of the backseat. Kelly drew a deep breath and stepped out into the heat. She stared at the exterior of the studio, a modern mix of glass and redbrick. Silver letters, spelling out the call sign, gleamed in the noonday sun. She glanced down to see her bag sitting on the curb as the car roared away.
The show must go on, she muttered.
Dragging her suitcase behind her, Kelly crossed a small courtyard and stepped through the wide glass doors into a cool, quiet lobby. A pretty receptionist sat at a sleek modern desk in front of a glass wall. Sofas and chairs were scattered about in small conversation groups and a bank of television monitors hung from the ceiling behind the receptionists desk.
Kelly pasted a smile on her face and stepped up to the desk. Hello, Im
Miss Castelle, the receptionist completed. She quickly punched a button on her switchboard. Hi, Jane. Its Mindy. Miss Castelle is here. The receptionist looked up. Shell be right out.
Is there somewhere I could freshen up?
Oh, theyll be taking you right back to wardrobe and makeup.
Kelly blinked in surprise. Makeup?
Youre scheduled to start shooting at Mindy peered at her computer screen. In a half hour.
II thought wed have a meeting or a read-through. I didnt think wed
They work on a really tight schedule back there, Mindy said, a hint of an apology in her tone.
Kelly bent down and frantically searched through her carry-on for her script. Shed glanced at it on the plane, but if she was expected to start taping in thirty minutes, then there was still work to do. She hadnt even thought about her characters goals and motivations. Shed assumed theyd cover that at the read-through.
Oh, hell, what was she worried about? It was skit. A six-minute skit for a local talk show. It would air once and then fade into television obscurity.
Miss Castelle?
Kelly struggled to her feet, the script clutched to her chest. Yes? The woman standing in front of her was dressed in a funky vintage shirt and black jeans that hugged her slender legs. Her bleached hair was cut in an asymmetrical bob that only makeup artists and wardrobe stylists could pull off.
Im Jane Kurtz, she said. Welcome to Atlanta. Im just going to take you back to wardrobe and then well get you into makeup. She glanced at her watch. How was your flight? Hartsfield can be a nightmare but you seemed to have survived it all right.
She held the door open as she let Kelly pass, then led her through a maze of hallways. They came to an open door and Jane stepped inside a large room filled with floor-to-ceiling racks of clothing. This is Karen Carmichael, my new assistant, Jane said.
Kelly smiled at a dark-haired woman in her late twenties, dressed in a wildly patterned smock. A purple streak colored her ragged bangs and a tiny diamond glittered from one of her nostrils.
Size two, Karen said. And five-six?
Kelly nodded. Good guess.
Jane grinned. See, Karen, I knew there was a reason I hired you. Although your ability to guess my weight to the pound is not a talent that I want you to cultivate.
One hundred and sixteen, Karen said, with another glance at Kelly.
Kelly gasped. Wow. Thats incredible.
Karen looked at Jane. Couldnt you just kill her? The last time I weighed one-sixteen I was in seventh grade.
Jane chuckled. Ill kill her after were done taping.
Kelly glanced between the two of them and saw the humor in their eyes. You can take some solace in the fact that Im probably at least five or ten years older than each of you. She paused, then held up three fingers, followed quickly by all five.
Nicole is going to flip out, Karen said. You dont look thirty-five. And youre supposed to be the older woman in this skit.
Dont worry, Jane said. The guy shes working with looks really young. Itll work. And the lights always add five years.
They continued down the hallway to the makeup room. Jane placed Kellys bag beneath the counter, then sat her down in a chair in front of a wall of mirrors. A television monitor hung from the ceiling, the sound barely audible.
Kelly stared at her reflection. My hair looks horrible.
Ive got some miracle hairspray. Well just tip you upside down and give it a shot and then touch up with a curling iron. Jane ran her fingers through Kellys hair. Lovely color, she said. Who does your color?
No one, Kelly replied.
You do it yourself?
No, I dont color my hair. Why, do you think I should color it?
No. Dont touch it. Im just surprised you havent found any gray yet with your hair as dark as it is.
In truth, Kelly had found more than a few gray hairs at her temples. And shed been methodically plucking them out, rather than admit that it might be time to visit a good colorist. But now that she wasnt going to be an actress anymore, she wouldnt have to worry. Women had gray hair in the real world. Not yet, she lied.
As Jane worked, Kelly reviewed the script. Just BetweenUs was an interesting hybrid of all the best elements of talk shows. The host, Eve Best, presented sexy topics, laced with humor and spontaneity, ranging from celebrity gossip to the latest trends in fashion to personal relationships. Lately, the producers had been using skits that resembled reality television, with small scenes interspersed through the show to highlight an upcoming segment. The title on Kellys script was In Praise of Younger Men. The smaller segments pointed out the pitfalls and pleasures of an affair with a younger man.
Hello. You must be the older woman.
Kelly glanced over to find her younger man standing in the door. She wasnt sure what shed expected, but seeing the typical Hollywood himbo as her acting partner brought a twinge of disappointment. The guy was gorgeous in that obnoxiously pretty way that was sure to make him look ten times better on screen than she did.
Hi, she said, forcing a smile. Kelly Castelle.
Bryan Lockwood, he countered with a nod and dazzling white smile. Say, can we move this along? Ive got an 8:00 p.m. flight back to the coast and I cant miss it. Im meeting with Hankss people tomorrow morning about a part in his new film.
Tom Hanks? Kelly asked.
Its a big part. My agent says Im perfect for it. And later this week Ive got a meeting with Cruises new production company. The last thing I want is to screw that all up because of this silly job.
Were almost ready, Jane muttered.
Cool. Ill see you on set, he said, giving Kelly another dazzling smile.
What an ass, Jane muttered a few moments after hed left the room. That guy was a nightmare in the chair. I had to redo his foundation three times until I got that sun-kissed, west-coast, Laguna Beach shade that he wanted. She placed her hands on Kellys shoulders and met her gaze in the mirror. Ill let you in on a little secret. Hes got a receding hairline. I give him two more years before hes going to need plugs.