Victoria Dahl - Real Men Will

“A hot and funny story about a woman

many of us can relate to.”

—Salon.com on Crazy for Love

“[A] hands-down winner, a sensual story

filled with memorable characters.”

—Booklist on Start Me Up

“Dahl has spun a scorching tale about

what can happen in the blink of an eye

and what we can do to change our lives.”

—RT Book Reviews, 4 stars, on Start Me Up

“Lead Me On will have you begging for a re-read

even as the story ends.”

—Romance Junkies

“Dahl smartly wraps up a winning tale

full of endearing oddballs, light mystery

and plenty of innuendo and passion.”

—Publishers Weekly on Talk Me Down

“Sassy and smokingly sexy, Talk Me Down

is one delicious joyride of a book.”

—New York Times bestselling author

Connie Brockway

“Sparkling, special and oh so sexy—

Victoria Dahl is a special treat!”

—New York Times bestselling author Carly Phillips

on Talk Me Down

www.millsandboon.co.uk

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For my husband.

All the credit for this book goes to my family and

friends. The romance community is notoriously

supportive, and I felt that support in full this year.

I can’t possibly name all the friends who helped

push me forward, but I’ll have to do my very best.

Thank you, Lauren, Jami, Courtney, Tessa, Carrie,

Julie, Barb, Jeri, Louisa, Zoe, Meljean, Rosemary,

Viv, Ann, Megan, RaeAnne, Anne and Carolyn.

Jodi, Carrie P. and Lara, thank you too! Whew.

It takes a village!

And to Jennifer Echols—

friend, therapist and critique partner

extraordinaire—thank you for making me laugh

in good times and bad. You’re the best.

Thank you to Amy, Tara and Leonore

for all your hard work and patience.

And thank you to all my wonderful readers!

But most of all, thank you to my amazing

husband and the best two boys in the world.

I’m so glad we’re in this together.

COVER

PRAISE

TITLE PAGE

DEDICATION

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

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

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

COPYRIGHT

BETH CANTRELL HADN’T thought about him in almost six months.

Well, that wasn’t exactly true.

Beth cleared her throat and shifted, glancing around as if everyone in the brewery could feel the lie she was telling herself.

The truth was that she’d thought about Jamie Donovan plenty of times. She’d remembered the hour or two they’d shared, she’d fantasized about what might’ve happened if she’d stayed the whole night in that hotel room.

But in the past six months, she’d never once let herself think about seeing him again. She hadn’t considered calling him or making contact in any way. That had been their agreement, after all. One night. One time. No strings attached and no expectations. She’d had to abide by that, because she would never have let herself meet him in that hotel room otherwise.

He wasn’t her type. He wasn’t part of her social circle. And she definitely wasn’t part of his. Beth Cantrell managed the White Orchid, the premiere erotic boutique in Boulder. Her friends were her employees: women she loved like sisters. They were bold and powerful and sexually progressive. And they dated people like themselves: tattooed, pierced, educated and cool. Absolutely cool, even when they’d only reached the pinnacle of cool by being so incredibly nerdy that they actually circled around to cool again.

Beth, on the other hand, wasn’t cool. She was just… Beth. But that was okay, because she was their manager and they loved her, and they did their best to pull her into their sphere. They fixed her up with guys. Friends of theirs. Men they knew and liked. Men who were cool and hip and progressive. And not one of those guys had ever pushed her buttons the way Jamie had.

She still flushed when she thought about him in his tidy polo shirt and khaki pants. His wide white smile and broad shoulders. He’d looked even better in a business suit. The perfect vision of middle-class preppy beauty. And Beth had wanted him so much it hurt.

They’d been strangers, despite this small town. But in that hotel room, with the promise that it would happen only once…the isolation of the act had made it safe. Yet she couldn’t stop thinking about him.

And right in the middle of the first good date she’d had in years.

“Hey,” her date said as he waved a hand in front of her face. “You okay?” He smiled, taking any sting from the words.

“Sorry.” Before she’d started thinking about Jamie, her date had been talking about…something. She racked her brain. Something artsy and important about Robert Mapplethorpe’s early career.

“I’m really sorry,” she finally said. “I didn’t realize how tired I was until the glass of beer hit me. I’m not usually so rude.”

He smiled in a way that told her he hadn’t taken offense. “I’m glad you didn’t mind coming to the party with me. Faron and I have been friends for years. I didn’t want to miss it. And I figured you knew her, too.”

“Yes, we have mutual friends.” The party wasn’t the problem. Or the guest of honor. The problem was that Beth had had no idea the party would be at Donovan Brothers Brewery. Not until her date had pulled into the parking lot, and Beth’s heart had sunk to her toes.

It wasn’t his fault that the party he’d decided to take her to just happened to be at Donovan Brothers.

She’d spent the forty-five minutes since scanning the line of customers and servers at the bar, but Jamie wasn’t there. It was pure luck on her part. Jamie Donovan was an owner of the brewery, but he was also a notoriously friendly bartender. Or so she’d heard. When she’d spent time with him, he’d struck her as serious and intense.

She didn’t want to see him again like this. Didn’t want him to think she’d bring another man to his brewery. She kept expecting Jamie to walk by at any moment, and she couldn’t think past the torture of that.

“I’m going to run to the restroom,” she blurted out. She watched as her date took a beer from the waitress, giving her a warm, open smile as he said thank-you.

“Do you want me to order you another beer while you’re gone?” he asked Beth.

“No, thank you….” Her mouth hung open for a moment. Oh, God, she’d forgotten his name. Yes, it was their first date, but he’d been so nice. “No, thank you,” she repeated, grabbing her clutch purse and sliding out of her chair so quickly that she nearly stumbled. “I’ll be right back.”