He dragged his hands through his hair. "I'm just angry."
"Do not blame this on me. I came there wearing what I was supposed to wear and acting the way I was supposed to act. You're the one who decided a fast fuck in the back room sounded like a good idea."
"And who do you think planted that seed in my head? The first time I see you after a decade you're groping me at my office or The Fix or in the ladies room of The Winston."
She swallowed, anger boiling so hot she thought her hair might catch on fire. She opened her door. It was the only thing she could manage. "Goodnight, Easton," she said as she got out, her eyes held wide as she fought tears.
He leaned toward her, calling something as she slammed the door shut. It might have been I'm sorry. But she couldn't hear him. And by that time, honestly, it was too little, too late.
"Wow," Hannah said as she peered at Easton's face. "That's quite a shiner. When did you get that?"
"Yesterday," he said. They were eating sandwiches in her office at the financial management firm where she worked. For the time being, he was avoiding eating out.
"Who?"
"That would be Matthew."
Hannah's eyes went wide. "Selma's brother?"
"I asked him to intervene for me with Selma. He punched me. Guess I know where he stands."
"Hmmm." She leaned back in her chair. "And where do you stand?"
"Well, I'm out of the judicial race. Judge Coale is officially disappointed in me."
"I'm sorry. I know you two were close."
"We've smoothed it over. I explained that I'm in love with her." Just saying the words made him feel good. What would make him feel better is if he could say them to her.
Selma, however, was avoiding him. And he'd never felt more useless, horrible, and generally downtrodden in his life.
Hannah sat up straighter. "Oh?"
"Not that it matters. She doesn't know how I feel. I was hoping Matthew could help me out. No such luck."
"So you haven't told her yet?"
"After what I said the night of the museum party, saying I love you in an email or a voice mail or a text seems tacky. And I haven't managed to talk to her in person since she stormed out of my car. Honestly, I deserve the smackdown. I know I do. I just want the chance to talk to her. Got any ideas?"
At this point he was open to most anything. He missed her so much his chest ached. And he was kicking himself on a daily basis for saying such stupid things to her. He'd been mad at himself, and he'd taken it out on her.
Honestly, though, he should have been thanking her. Because the very best thing that had come out of the whole fiasco was the certainty that he didn't want to be a judge.
He wanted what he'd always wanted--what he'd been sidetracked from. He wanted a small firm where he dealt with real people.
Hopefully, those real people wouldn't mind that he'd been caught feeling up his girlfriend in public. Idiot.
"So what are you doing now? Did you lose your job?"
"Remarkably, no. They're keeping me on conditionally. I think they're uncertain whether my notoriety will draw clients or push them away."
"And you're okay with that?"
"What choice do I have?"
She smiled wide and pointed to herself. "Offer still stands."
His brows rose. "You don't want to. I'm pretty sure at this point I'm toxic."
"The hell you are. This will blow over. I promise you. Especially once you and the supposed skank are back together."
"If," he said. "I'm honestly not sure we'll ever get back together." The thought made his gut clench. Surely he'd find a way...
"From what you've told me, you haven't tried groveling."
He cocked his head, trying to read her mind. "What are you thinking?"
"That tomorrow's Wednesday," she said. "And I have an idea."
Chapter Fourteen
The Wednesday night of the Mr. September contest at The Fix on Sixth was even more crowded than usual, probably because Hannah had leaked to the press that Easton was going to be there. She'd also told Selma that she should come, and now Selma sat on a bar stool, wondering if this was a good idea or a very, very bad one. Not because Easton apparently wanted to talk to her desperately, but because the press kept surreptitiously snapping pictures of her.
"I thought you said he wanted to talk to me," she said to Hannah as they sipped Loaded Coronas.
"He does. He will." She leaned closer. "Are you any less mad at him?"
Selma sighed. "I don't know. He hurt my feelings--a lot. But he was partly right. I did do stupid things early on. We could have just as easily gotten caught the time I made him go down on me in the ladies' room at The Winston."
Hannah's eyes widened. "You do know that I can't un-hear that, right?"
"Hey, he's going to be your law partner. That's like a marriage, right?"
Hannah grinned. "You are less mad at him."
"I just--he blamed me. And it didn't feel good."
"I promise you, he feels terrible about that. He knows it was a dick move. He has no defense."
"Then what does he want to talk about?"
But Hannah only lifted her shoulder, which meant that Selma had to wait until she found out. And Selma wasn't in the mood to wait.
She wanted to talk to Easton.
The truth was, as furious as she'd been after the museum, the bottom line was that he'd gotten into her heart. She wanted him. Hell, she needed him. And she was more than ready to talk to him.
So where the hell was he?
The music started for the contest, and she cast her eyes around, looking for him in the audience. But he was nowhere to be found, so she sighed and settled in to watch, figuring she'd find him after when the crowd thinned out.
The contest positively dragged for her, however, because she wasn't interested. And when the final contestant came on stage, she leaned over and told Hannah that she was going to the ladies' room.
"No, wait."
"I really need to get out of this crowd." She slipped off her stool before Hannah could protest again, and was fighting her way to the back when the emcee, Beverly Martin, told the crowd to "give it up for our unexpected bonus contestant--Easton Wallace!"
She froze by the hall, then turned to see Easton strutting down the red carpet, looking more than a little sheepish.
He took the mic from Beverly, then looked out at the crowd. "Those of you who don't know me will probably Google my name after this announcement, but here it is. First, I'm officially pulling my name from any judicial races. Not just because of the recent scandal, but because it's not my dream. I got caught up in the frenzy and forgot to think about my real goals."
The crowd had gone silent. Selma stepped closer.
"I've always been a little scared to follow my dream. What I wanted to do seemed impulsive. But I've learned a bit about not being scared of making a leap. Not everything I do needs to follow lockstep on the corporate or legal path. And every once in a while I need to look around and see if I'm living the life I want ... or someone else's that I put on like a suit jacket. Because even if it fits perfectly, that's not my jacket."
He cleared his throat and searched the crowd--and the instant his eyes found hers, she felt the heat of connection. "I also learned that sometimes you need to make the grand gesture. To really throw yourself out there. Selma, baby, this is for you."
And then, with the audience howling and clapping, he yanked off his slacks--obviously the velcro kind that strippers wear--then repeated the process with his shirt until he was standing there in only his loafers and briefs.
She clapped her hand over her mouth so hard she almost bruised her lips, and as she tried to hold back laughter, she saw a dark line on his chest, but couldn't make out what it was from so far away.
"I walked away from one election today. Now I'm going to walk away from this one. Vote for me, don't vote for me. I'm done campaigning. There's only one person I want to win over. And I'm going to go see if I c
an do that right now. And I hope that this is some tiny bit of proof that I mean what I say."
He pointed to the dark line, and camera flashes popped.
"I had it done today. It's a tattoo. It says please."
Her heart skipped a beat, and she gasped.
"I got it for you, Selma. It means this--please let her be the one. And please let it last."
He inclined his head, and as the crowd started to applaud, he walked back down the red carpet, grabbing a duffel bag from next to the wall before turning toward her.
She met his eyes, nodded, then walked into the hallway, her heart pounding in her chest.
"I should get dressed," he said when he found her by the shelves of paper products outside of Tyree's office.
She shook her head as she looked him up and down, fighting her smile. Then she stepped forward and put her hand on the tattoo. "Scandalous," she said.
"I'm so goddamn sorry."
The apology filled her, and she smiled.
"I was an idiot," he continued.
"Yeah, you were."
"But I have something going for me."
"What's that?" she asked.
"I'm a hard worker. And right now, my number one priority is you."
"Oh, really?" She forced herself not to smile. "How's that?"
"I'm going to convince you to stay with me. That you belong with me. That I'm a man who will never stop doing whatever I can to make you happy. To make every day together an adventure."
"Oh." She licked her lips, trying to stave off tears. "How are you going to do that?"
"Not sure, but I know I'll never stop trying."
"I like the sound of that."
"And there's one other thing," he said, then cupped her chin. "I love you, Selma Herrington."
Happiness flooded through her. "I love you, too," she said, then grinned as she bit her lower lip.
"What?"
She reached for the door to Tyree's office, then pushed it open. "I'm feeling a bit scandalous. You?"
His chuckle filled the hall. "Always," he said, then tugged her inside the room and shut the door.
This time, she noticed, he locked it.
Epilogue
Matthew was filling his plate with sliced brisket and potato salad when Hannah stepped up beside him, her mere proximity sending awareness coursing through him. She pressed her palm against his back, then leaned close, her manner so casual it almost seemed as if they really were dating.
She was good at deception, that was for sure. Matthew, however, was not. About the only thing he was managing to pull off successfully was an air of being head-over-heels for the woman who was his pretend fiancee. But since Hannah Donovan had mesmerized him from the first moment he'd met her, that really didn't strain his meager acting skills.
"Hey, stud," she said. "If you get the food, I'll get the wine. I grabbed us a table near the band. And after the bride and groom do the first dance, we can go out on the floor, too. Less talking to people about our engagement if we're lost in each other's arms, right?"
He swallowed, imagining the feel of her against him during a slow dance. "Sounds good. I'll meet you at the table in a--"
"Oh, hell. Red alert." The harsh, almost scared, tone of her voice cut through him, making him want to hold her close and soothe her. "It's my dad."
His stomach curdled, his protective instincts now warring with a strong urge to just get the hell out of there.
But he couldn't. The man was the entire reason he and Hannah were at this wedding together. Why they were pretending to be engaged. Why she'd been looking at him all gooey-eyed for most of the evening, and he'd been diligently reminding himself that it was fake. All fake.
"Let's head over and talk to one of your friends," Matthew suggested.
"Too late. He's heading toward us. Dammit, I don't want to deal with him right now."
"You and me both." He hadn't had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Donovan yet, but he'd heard enough to already be wildly intimidated by the successful lawyer. Matthew knew his strengths, and he also knew that if Ernest Donovan wanted to discuss legal ideas, current events, or even great literature, Matthew was going to come across sounding like a goddamn idiot. Shit.
Why the hell had he said he'd do this? He didn't think fast on his feet. Words always escaped him.
"Quick," Hannah said. "If we're already talking about something, he won't ask us about the engagement. Um, the school voucher system everyone keeps talking about. I think the Legislature's going to look at it again for Texas this year. What do you think about that?"
Terror ripped through him. He didn't have a clue about vouchers, and since he had no kids, he didn't much care at the moment, either. Anything he said would reveal to Hannah that he was a clueless fool, and that was one thing he didn't want to be.
"Or you pick a topic," she said urgently. "Just talk. He's almost here."
But there was no topic. There was nothing for him to do.
Nothing except one thing.
He left the brisket on the table, pulled her roughly against him, and kissed her.
For a moment, she was stiff with shock. Then she melted against him, her mouth opening under his.
He sighed, lost in the feel of her. Because this felt right. Not overwhelming like the rest of it. This--the woman, the kiss, the pressure of their bodies--this was the way it should be.
And for one brief, delicious moment, Matthew knew what heaven felt like.
Too bad he was about to get kicked right back down to earth again.
A note from JK:
I hope you enjoyed All Night Long!
Be sure to grab Matthew and Hannah's story, In Too Deep, book 10 in the Man of the Month series!
* * *
If you want your very own Man of the Month calendar, you can grab it now! (While supplies last!)
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Guess what? I have even more exciting things coming in 2018, including more Nikki & Damien Stark! Keep reading for details!
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Subscribe to my newsletter or text JKenner to 21000 so you'll be among the first to know when fab things happen!
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Check out all of my books at www.jkenner.com and be sure to join my Facebook fan group!
In Too Deep
Be sure not to miss Matthew and Hannah in In Too Deep!
* * *
Hannah Donovan is not my type.
* * *
Intellectual and career-focused, she's a lawyer, and an intimidatingly beautiful one, at that. I'd rather pump iron than open a book, and the only reason I'd go to court would be for a traffic ticket.
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She's the most gorgeous woman I've ever seen. So how can I turn down her plea that I pretend to be her fiance for one weekend?
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But I never expected our pretend kisses to feel so real -- or for it to lead to a wild night in bed that will forever stand out as the highlight of my sex life.
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Our performance convinces everyone, but it was never meant to be more than a fantasy. A short term gig before reality sets back in.
* * *
I can't imagine ever being good enough for her, but I'm hooked. And now I'm determined to do whatever it takes to make this fake engagement real.
* * *
Meet Mr. October -- he's out to win her heart.
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Grab your copy now: In Too Deep
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Who's Your Man of the Month?
When a group of fiercely determined friends realize their beloved hang-out is in danger of closing, they take matters into their own hands to bring back customers lost to a competing bar. Fighting fire with a heat of their own, they double down with the broad shoulders, six-pack abs, and bare chests of dozens of hot, local guys who they cajole, prod, and coerce into auditioning for a Man of the Month calendar.
But it's not just the fate of the bar that's at stake. Because as things heat up, each of the men meets his mat
ch in this sexy, flirty, and compelling binge-read romance series of twelve novels releasing every other week from New York Times bestselling author J. Kenner.
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"With each novel featuring a favorite romance trope--beauty and the beast, billionaire bad boys, friends to lovers, second chance romance, secret baby, and more--[the Man of the Month] series hits the heart and soul of romance." New York Times bestselling author Carly Phillips
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Down On Me
Hold On Tight
Need You Now
Start Me Up
Get It On
In Your Eyes
Turn Me On
Shake It Up
All Night Long
In Too Deep
Light My Fire
Walk The Line
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and don't miss Bar Bites: A Man of the Month Cookbook!
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Want your own Man of the Month calendar? Grab it now! (While supplies last!)
The Men of Man of the Month!
Are you eager to learn which Man of the Month book features which sexy hero?
Here's a handy list!
Down On Me - meet Reece Hold On Tight - meet Spencer Need You Now - meet Cameron Start Me Up - meet Nolan Get It On - meet Tyree
In Your Eyes - meet Parker Turn Me On - meet Derek Shake It Up - meet Landon All Night Long - meet Easton In Too Deep - meet Matthew Light My Fire - meet Griffin Walk The Line - meet Brent
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and don't miss Bar Bites: A Man of the Month Cookbook that includes a short story featuring Eric, slices of life, and bonus scenes for all the men!
Want your own Man of the Month calendar? Grab it now! (While supplies last!)