Janelle Denison: Tempted

Marc glanced at the magazine, then at Brooke. His eyes grew dark. “I’m game if you are. But no cheating.”

Brooke wrinkled her nose at him. “I don’t cheat.”

“That’s good to hear.” He stretched out on his side, propped his head in his palm and patted the sleeping bag in front of him. “Still, I think you’d better come down here so I can look into your eyes when you answer,” he said, grinning.

She hesitated for a moment, then scooted down until she lay on her side facing him. They weren’t touching physically, but a keen sense of intimacy surrounded them.

“Okay,” he said. “Let’s get started.” He paused over the questions, deliberating which one to choose. “Here’s a good one,” he said. “‘If someone completely turned you on, would you consider having a hot fling with them?’”

Brooke’s skin tingled. The question addressed an issue they’d been avoiding since yesterday morning’s kiss. With her new motto, Just Do It, ringing in her head, she answered, “Well…yes, I guess I’ve considered it.” She gathered up her courage and looked him in the eye. “With you.”

Dear Reader,

The title, Tempted, just about sums up the premise of this book. When my sensible heroine, Brooke Jamison, finds herself stranded with her very sexy ex-brother-in-law, Marc, she can’t resist the temptation to shed her inhibitions and indulge in a few of her favorite erotic fantasies. Two days of blissful confinement changes everything between them, but can she risk her heart on a man who is as commitment-shy as they come?

Hot, sexy, erotic…Those are the elements inherent in the BLAZE subseries that allowed me to push personal boundaries and make this one of my most sizzling books to date. I hope you enjoy Brooke and Marc’s story, their sensual journey and the passionate discoveries they make along the way.

And be sure to watch for my next ultra-sexy Temptation BLAZE novel, Seduced, available in December 2000. Meanwhile, I’d love to know what you think of Tempted. You can write to me at P.O. Box 1102, Rialto, CA 92377-1102. I always write back! For a list of upcoming releases, check out my Web site at www.janelledenison.com.

Fondly,

Janelle Denison

HARLEQUIN TEMPTATION

679—PRIVATE PLEASURES

682—PRIVATE FANTASIES

732—FORBIDDEN

759—CHRISTMAS FANTASY

Tempted

Janelle Denison

www.millsandboon.co.uk

To Carly Phillips and Julie Elizabeth Leto, for your extraordinary friendship and unending encouragement. Viva las Divas!

And to Don, for understanding that our astronomical long distance phone bill is a legitimate business expense.

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

“THIRTY-FIVE YEARS of marriage. Are you as impressed as I am?”

The deep, masculine baritone murmuring into her ear from over her shoulder caused Brooke Jamison to shiver. She turned and faced the owner of that sexy voice—her former brother-in-law, Marc Jamison. She met warm gray eyes framed in sooty lashes, and a mouth tipped in a lazy, sexy smile that was as natural as his gregarious personality. His thick, black hair, looking as soft and enticing as midnight, had been tousled by the slight breeze cooling the early August evening. In an attempt to maintain an executive image for his electrical contracting company, he wore his hair short, but the ends that curled over the collar of his sports jacket bespoke the rebel he was.

Startled by the unexpected flutter of awareness that tickled her belly, Brooke focused on his question and her answer. “Your parents’ marriage is amazing, and inspiring.”

Sliding his hands into the front pockets of his chocolate-colored trousers, Marc looked briefly to the guests gathered in his parents’ lavishly decorated backyard to celebrate Kathleen and Doug’s thirty-fifth anniversary. “So, are you having a good time?”

“Yeah, I am,” she admitted, glad that she’d accepted his mother’s invitation to join the celebration. She’d been hesitant at first, considering her and Eric’s divorce had been finalized two weeks before, but Kathleen and the rest of the Jamison family had made her feel welcome, including her ex-husband. Despite the inevitable end to their marriage, she and Eric still maintained an amicable relationship, rare among divorced couples. Still, Kathleen’s invitation had initially taken her off guard.

“I have to confess I’m surprised your family wanted me here, considering I’m technically not part of the family anymore.”

A small frown pulled at his dark brows, her admission obviously causing him concern. “Hey, once you’re a Jamison, you’re part of the family forever, didn’t you know that?”

Brooke smiled, liking the way that sounded. Unfortunately, in her experience families divided when couples split up. The dissension and emotional upheaval her own father had caused when he’d ended his marriage to her mother had been monumental. Without compunction, he’d shattered fragile family ties, forcing Brooke to mature beyond her thirteen years and leaving his other daughter hurt and disillusioned.

“That’s not usually the way a divorce works,” she returned, taking a sip of her drink.

“You divorced Eric, not the rest of us,” he countered easily. “My parents adore you, my mother thinks of you as the daughter she never had, and I think you’re pretty special, too.”

His complimentary words were simple and sincere, yet she was suddenly, inexplicably entranced by the warm glow in his gaze. Ignoring the odd racing of her pulse, she looked away and found her ex-husband trapped in a steady stream of one-sided dialogue with his uncle George, a boisterous man who reveled in dominating the conversation. The beefy hand resting on Eric’s shoulder guaranteed he wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

Eric’s hazel eyes met hers over Uncle George’s balding head and silently pleaded, “Have mercy on me, please.” He flashed her one of the endearing smiles that had won her over when she’d first met him, but now failed to elicit any stirring of desire or the inclination to help him out of his predicament.

Marc followed her line of vision to his brother and groaned. “Eric looks miserable, and we both know how long-winded, and boring, my uncle can be. Think we ought to go save him?”

An amused smile tipped the corner of her mouth as she considered Marc’s question for all of two seconds before breaking eye contact with Eric and leaving him in his uncle’s clutches. “No, I don’t believe I will,” she said without a hint of remorse. “It’s no longer my job to rescue Eric, or play the doting wife.” He was on his own, as she was. And she was pleased to discover she was fine with that.

Marc studied her expression intently. “You’re doing okay, then?”

“More than okay,” she verified, nodding. “Though after a two-year marriage, it seems strange to be single and available again.”

“I’m sure that status won’t last long.” He leaned toward her, so close she caught the faint scent of mint on his breath. “Between you and me, Eric never knew a good thing when he saw one. I was really hoping you’d be ‘The One.”’

She blinked up at him, not quite understanding what he meant. “‘The One’?”

“Yeah, the one woman who could make Eric settle down.”

Now it was her turn to frown. There was something in the depth of Marc’s eyes she couldn’t quite decipher. A hint of disappointment, she realized, but didn’t understand its source.