Head Over Heels (15 page)

“Them?”

“Miller too. Shelton insisted, and well…”

“I don’t mind at all.” As long as she was here, all was right with his world. He pulled her in tighter to him and let the music do the talking for a few seconds as he relished in the moment. All around them there were various couples dancing in their fable costumes.

He could see some laughing and others just swaying together. But in his mind, none could be as happy as he was at this very moment. She was in his arms once more, where 110

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she belonged. After a minute or so of silence he leaned forward and spoke softly into her ear, “Can I assume from your rush to be here on time that you have an answer for me?”

Cyn pulled back a bit until she was peering into his eyes. “Yes.” She smiled. “I want to live with you in your palace. I think it’s time to give Southern California an opportunity to try on a glass slipper.”

Parker’s heart swelled with love and happiness. “I couldn’t agree more.”

She gave a slight wry smile. “You do realize though, the press is going to have a field day with this. The Prince of Hollywood and the shop girl.”

He spun her out smiling in delight at the pure joy on her face. “They’re only going to say one thing about us.”

She laughed as he gathered her back into his arms. “What’s that?”

“And they lived happily ever after.”

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Lena Matthews

“If I didn’t know better I’d swear you were teary eyed.”

Miller shot MeShe—Shelton an unfriendly look. One of many he’d been sending the man since Shelton came up with the bright idea of the two of them joining Cyn on her little adventure. Now instead of cuddling up with a good book, he was stuck in Renaissance hell, with his former arch foe. His life was one step away from a cheesy sitcom. “I’m not going to cry.”

“Aww…it’s okay. You can let a tear slide. Hell, I don’t blame you. I’ve always been a sucker for a happy ending.”

“You really think they’re going to have a happy ending?”

“Of course they are. Look at them.” From where they stood on the balcony, Shelton pointed to Cyn and Parker slow dancing on the semi crowded ballroom floor. The party was apparently a rousing success. The ballroom was crowded with attendees and the two of them had escaped to the balcony to get a little air. “Have you ever seen a couple more in love?”

Miller watched the couple swing around on the dance floor with a smile on his face.

He had to admit Shelton was right. Cyn and Parker looked as if they were made for one another. The dress Shelton selected for her to wear tonight was the perfect complement to Parker’s royal garb. Tonight Cyn was definitely Parker’s Cinderella and he was truly her Prince Charming.

“Was that a sigh?” The amusement in Shelton’s voice wiped all traces of Miller’s smile away.

“No. I was just breathing heavy.”

“Sure you were.” Shelton snorted, his disbelief more than evident. “She looks just divine in that dress, doesn’t she? I, of course, look better in it. And out of it.”

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Miller was willing to bet he did, although he’d never admit it aloud. “She looks lovely.” Unwilling to let an opportunity to bust Shelton’s chops pass him by, he turned back and gave the man a once over. “I have to say that I’m surprised you didn’t pick one of the other dresses to wear yourself.”

Shelton cocked a brow. “Why would I wear a dress when you so obviously prefer me in pants? Besides…” Shelton ran his hands over his emerald velvet jacket, “…I look good no matter what.”

Once again, Miller found himself silently agreeing with Shelton. The emerald jacket with tiny gold beading and matching cape and pants looked spectacular on the dark skinned man. He looked every inch the regal monarch he was pretending to be, which made Miller once again question his own outfit, a royal blue tunic, black pants and knee length boots. “Who are we again?”

“I’m the prince, you’re the pauper.”

“Right, and explain to me why I have to be the pauper and you get to be the prince.”

“Some things don’t need explaining.”

“And you just so happen to have these costumes lying about.”

“I enjoy playing dress up, Miller. I’m surprised you haven’t noticed.”

Miller snorted in lieu of a reply, as he turned his attention back to the dancers. He stood next to Shelton in comfortable silence as he pondered over something the other man said. “Tell me something.”

“Okay.” Shelton responded without hesitation.

“Since when did you care what I prefer?” Despite the fact he was very interested in Shelton’s answer, Miller feigned indifference.

“Since when haven’t I?”

Miller was momentarily speechless in his surprise. No matter how much he might like to pretend differently, there was no way in the world he could deny his attraction to Shelton. Even when the other man pretended to be a she. Miller didn’t get it, he didn’t necessarily like it, but no matter what the over-exuberant man did, Miller couldn’t stop www.samhainpublishing.com 113

Lena Matthews

thinking about him. It was something that annoyed him to no end, yet there it was. They were Here. Together. The only question was, what did he want to do about it.

“Stop thinking so hard, old man, and dance with me.”

“Dance. Here?” Miller glanced around the balcony in surprised. Though this was Hollyweird, he wasn’t exactly comfortable putting his business on display.

Apparently though, Shelton didn’t have such qualms. “Can you think of a better place?”

Was he really going to see any of these people again except on the silver screen? No, he wouldn’t. Without another second of hesitation, Miller stepped to the other man.

Unwilling to allow Shelton to have the final word though, Miller placed his hand on the low of Shelton’s back and pulled him in close to him as he tightened his hold on his hand.

“I’m leading though.”

“In your dreams.”

Well, if Cyn’s dreams could come true, why not his. “Shut up and dance, Shelton.”

Shelton grinned and fell in line. “Whatever you say, Miller.”

Miller smiled. He could get used to this.

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About Lena Matthews

Lena Matthews spends her days dreaming about handsome heroes and her nights with her own personal hero. Married to her college sweetheart, she is the proud mother of two beautiful daughters, three evil dogs, and a mess of ants that she can't seem to get rid of.

When not writing she can be found reading, watching movies, lifting up the cushions on the couch to look for batteries for the remote control and plotting different ways to bring Buffy back on the air.

You can contact Lena through her website: www.lenamatthews.com

Look for these titles by Lena Matthews

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Joker’s Wild: Stripped Bare

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Something Borrowed, Something Blue

Can this beauty tame the beast?

Mistress to the Beast

© 2008 Eve Vaughn

Her father’s shop is more than just a family business. It’s the place they lovingly call home. When a powerful property development company stoops to barely legal tactics to force them to sell, Lila’s outrage spurs her straight to the source to fight the injustice.

A serious accident left Hunter Jamison’s body scarred. A bitter split from his latest lover has left the former playboy without faith in the female sex. Yet, confronted with Lila’s fiery beauty, he finds himself offering her a deal: If she’ll be his mistress for three months, he’ll allow her father to keep the shop.

A simple agreement? Hardly. It’s a battle of wills that flares into much more than either of them bargained for—a consuming passion that could heal Hunter’s soul-deep scars…or inflict new ones.

Warning: This title contains blackmail, vehicular sex, angry sex, light bondage and
graphic language.

Enjoy the following excerpt for
Mistress to the Beast: When he held out his hand to her, panic set in. There had to be a way to buy some more time. Lila shook her head. “Just give me tonight. I promise, I’ll be ready for you tomorrow.”

Nostrils flared as he narrowed his eyes. “Lila, I don’t make a habit of repeating myself. Get up now or by God, I’ll drag you upstairs.”

“Sir, is there anything else you’ll need?” Mrs. Coates poked her head into the dining room.

“Go away!” Hunter growled.

The older woman disappeared as quickly as she appeared.

Lila gasped. “Do you make a habit of talking to your staff that way? You are a hypocrite. How can you expect other people to be courteous to those who work for you, when you don’t know the meaning of the word?”

For his answer he grabbed her by the arm, practically yanking it out of its socket as he hauled her out of her seat and pulled her roughly against his body.

Her fighting instinct emerged. She didn’t care what kind of bargain they had, there was no way she’d let him get away with manhandling her. Lashing out, she smacked his broad chest. “Don’t ever do that to me again! You have no right—”

“That’s where you’re wrong, Lila. My house, my rules. You didn’t have to agree to the terms set before you, but you did so now you’ll have to deal with the consequences.

So far my words have had no effect on you so I think the time calls for action.”

Before she could utter another word of protest, Hunter bent over to lift and toss her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. The wind whooshed out of her lungs, making it difficult for her to speak. Stunned, she hung helplessly as he strode out of the dining room, took the stairs two at a time and carried her to a bedroom she assumed was his.

Once her feet touched the floor again, her ability to talk had returned and she was pissed!

“Who the hell do you think you are? I’m not a rag doll you can lug around as you please.”

Hunter’s response was to loosen his tie and shrug out of his black dining jacket. His outward calm only served to enrage her further.

“Did you hear me?” she yelled.

He unbuttoned his shirt, revealing a chest Mr. Olympus would have been proud of.

Her gaze slid along the crested hills of his torso, sprinkled liberally with dark blond hair that trailed down the center of hard rippled abs. He’d seemed huge with his clothes on, but topless, he was a hulk.

Lila gulped, taking a step back. Shaking her head as though to deny what was happening, she held her hands out in front of her. “Don’t.”

He unbuckled his belt and pulled it out of the loops of his pants. “As we’ve already established, there’s no backing out.”

“No. You established it. I didn’t. I don’t think it was asking too much of you to give me a little time to adjust to this situation.”

“But I believe it was. Just as it was a lot for you to ask me to rearrange my plans for a multi-million dollar project, which took weeks of finagling to get the board to agree to.

I complied with your plea because I thought you to be a woman of your word. Was I wrong about you, Lila? Are you the type of woman who’ll make pretty promises until she gets what she wants and then doesn’t fulfill them?”

“No. When I say I’ll do something I will…” With a groan, she covered her mouth.

She’d basically backed herself in a corner. If she didn’t go through with this, she would look like she was reneging and, judging from the smug smirk tilting those sensually curved lips, Hunter knew it too.

Damn him.

“That’s what I thought.” Kicking out of his pants, he placed his hand on the elastic band of his black boxers.

Lila shook her head, closing her eyes at the sight of his cock tenting his silk underwear. She wrapped her arms around her body, letting her mind wander to any place other than here. Once he touched her, there would be no going back. She’d be no better than a whore.

A cry escaped her lips when he reached out and grazed the side of her cheek with the back of his hand.

“Open your eyes, Lila. I won’t allow you to pretend I’m someone else.” Once again there was steel in his soft words, daring her to disobey his order.

Slowly she raised her lids, her insides churning with nerves. Why couldn’t she stop shaking and dear Lord, why was he so—naked? Though she attempted to keep her gaze above waist level something drove her to look down.

Her mouth fell open. His dick was huge! It jutted forward, not a few inches away from her, long, proud and obscenely thick; she couldn’t tear her eyes away from it.

“Do you like what you see?”

“No.” The word had come out a little too quickly, even to her own ears.

“The mouth says one thing, but the eyes don’t lie. This is what you did to me. Have you any idea how many nights I’ve lain awake thinking about this moment? When you came downstairs for dinner, I could barely sit still. I’m so fucking horny, I can’t promise our first time together will be as nice and slow as I’d like it to be.”

Hunter pulled her against him, grinding his hardness against the juncture of her thighs before burying his face against her neck.

She stiffened.
I will not like this.
He can do what he’d like to my body, but he’ll
never have all of me
, she silently vowed. Unfortunately, her body wasn’t in tune with her mind. To Lila’s utter shame, warmth worked its way from her core and spread throughout her being at the gentle press of his lips on her flesh.

What had she expected? That he’d fling her on the bed, hump her a few times and be done? That’s exactly what she’d believed.

Calloused hands slid across her shoulders and pushed the spaghetti straps of her dress down. “Beautiful chocolate skin,” he murmured, caressing her with what almost seemed like awe.

A tremble made its way up her spine. No! This couldn’t be happening to her. She didn’t want to like this, didn’t want it to feel good. Keeping her arms firmly at her sides, her fists clenched tight, she tried to maintain a steady breathing pattern.