Shine Your Love on Me

Manhattan Dinner Club, 3

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A Moonlight Books Novel

Sensual Romance

Shine Your Love on Me

Copyright © 2014 Jean C. Joachim

E-book ISBN:
978-1-62622-817-7

First E-book Publication: May 2014

Cover design by Dawné Dominique

Edited by Tabitha Bower

Proofread by Renee Waring

All cover art and logo copyright © 2015 by
Moonlight Books

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED:
This literary
work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any
means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole
or in part, without express written permission.

All characters and events in this book are
fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is
strictly coincidental.

PUBLISHER

Moonlight Books

For Jack Drucker,

a special friend whose unflagging support is
dear to my heart.

Thank you for your help and support:

Marilyn Lee, Tabitha Bower, Renee Waring,
Sandy Sullivan, Ariana Gaynor, Larry Joachim, The Tuesday Tales
writers, Kathleen Tighe Ball, Elaine Raco Chase, and Homer.

In Memory of:

Buster Amante, a pug who shined his love on
the world.

FIRST & TEN SERIES

GRIFF MONTGOMERY, QUARTERBACK

BUDDY CARRUTHERS, WIDE RECEIVER

PETE SEBASTIAN, COACH

DEVON DRAKE, CORNERBACK

THE MANHATTAN DINNER CLUB

RESCUE MY HEART

SEDUCING HIS HEART

SHINE YOUR LOVE ON ME

TO LOVE OR NOT TO LOVE

HOLLYWOOD HEARTS SERIES

IF I LOVED YOU

RED CARPET ROMANCE

MEMORIES OF LOVE

MOVIE LOVERS

LOVE’S LAST CHANCE

LOVERS & LIARS

His Leading Lady (Series Starter)

NOW AND FOREVER SERIES

NOW AND FOREVER 1, A LOVE STORY

NOW AND FOREVER 2, THE BOOK OF DANNY

NOW AND FOREVER 3, BLIND LOVE

NOW AND FOREVER 4, THE RENOVATED HEART

NOW AND FOREVER 5, LOVE’S JOURNEY

NOW AND FOREVER, CALLIE’S STORY(series
starter)

MOONLIGHT SERIES

SUNNY DAYS, MOONLIT NIGHTS

APRIL’S KISS IN THE MOONLIGHT

UNDER THE MIDNIGHT MOON

LOST & FOUND DUET (with BEN TANNER)

LOVE LOST & FOUND

DANGEROUS LOVE, LOST & FOUND

SHORT STORY

SWEET LOVE REMEMBERED

Lloyd Simmons, Brooke Felson’s boss and
lover, summoned her to his office for a private toast. All smiles,
Lloyd closed the door, crossed the room, and took Brooke in his
arms for a passionate kiss.

“We did it. We got the account.” He nuzzled
her neck and unbuttoned her blouse. When her lacy white bra was
revealed, he wasted no time dipping his hand in and scooping up her
breast.

Brooke freed herself from his grasp to get
another drink. Glee bubbled up in her chest, she couldn’t stop
smiling.
We won the Lady Gray gourmet food account. Biggest
account at the agency! And I’m the account supervisor!
She took
a huge swig from the bottle of champagne on his desk and giggled
when the fizz tickled her nose.

The victory party was still going on in the
conference room. Brooke pulled at the knotted scarf around her neck
and left it hanging loose. Even with her top open, she fanned
herself.
Hot in here.
Lloyd came up behind her and cupped
her breasts again. He kissed her neck this time, slipping the silky
fabric off her shoulders.

Brooke faced him and clasped his arms. “Here?
Not here. Wait. Come to my place…” she said, nipping at his
earlobe.

“That tiny hole-in-the-wall? We’re alone
here. Let me sit down, and you can—”

Before he could finish, there was a sharp
knock on the door. Brooke jumped, pushing off from his chest and
grabbing the ends of her shirt.

But she was too late. Without waiting for
permission, Evelyn Meriwether, Lady Gray herself, swung the door
open and stood there, staring. The president of the company
frowned, her browed creased. She cocked an eyebrow as she cast her
gaze at Lloyd, then Brooke, then back to Lloyd again. “What’s going
on? Trying to seduce the boss? That’s a pitiful way to get a raise.
Improve your work instead.”

Lloyd raised his hand to Brooke before she
could respond. “What can I do for you, Ms. Meriwether?”

“First, you can call me Evelyn, since we’ll
be working so…closely…together. Second, there’s something I wanted
to discuss with you. Can you let your secretary go?”

Heat that had been traveling slowly up
Brooke’s neck burst into her face. “I’m not—”

Again, Lloyd silenced her. “Brooke is the
supervisor on your account.”

Evelyn made an ugly face. “Bother. I don’t
want a girl working on my business.” She shot a cold look at
Brooke, who had buttoned up by then.

“We can make a change. I’m sure we have
another account supervisor who would meet with your approval.
Brooke can handle other business that would benefit from her
expertise.”

Evelyn raised an eyebrow again. “Expertise?
Really? Seems like her expertise can be found on any street corner
in Hell’s Kitchen.”

“How dare—” Brooke’s anger was ready to
explode, but Lloyd grabbed her, sliding his hand over her
mouth.

“Come, come, Evelyn. Appearances can be
deceiving. Brooke is very capable, mature, and experienced in
dealing with clients.”

Brooke picked up on his pointed references
and stuffed her outrage down. She sucked in two deep breaths
through her nose and relaxed. Lloyd removed his hand. She picked up
her purse, snatched her jacket from the back of his chair, and
moved toward the door, leaving without a word.

Once in the hall, she strode to the elevator,
anxious to make her escape before her temper blew. The car seemed
to take forever to arrive at the lobby. The tops of her ears were
hot and indignation burned in her chest.
Don’t think I’ve ever
been this angry.
When she hit the street, she whipped out her
cell, waiting for her hand to stop shaking before she dialed.

Miranda answered on the first ring. “What’s
up?”

The story poured out of Brooke’s mouth as
fast as a runaway train.

“Slow down, slow down. I can’t understand
you.”

“Can you come over?”

“Sure. Let me leash Romeo and Juliet, and
we’re on our way.”

Anger seeped out of Brooke little by little.
Knowing her friend Miranda was coming over helped. The Monday Night
Dinner Club women always made her feel better.

Every Monday, Brooke joined her friends—Bess,
Rory, and Miranda—at Bess’s house for dinner. Bess, a baker with
her own television cooking show, brought home the leftovers from
rehearsal for the women to feast on. All pug owners, they had met
originally in Central Park, introduced to each other by their dogs.
They had become Brooke’s best friends. She confided in them and
trusted their advice.

Brooke hopped in a cab and headed north to
her studio apartment in a brownstone on 74
^th
Street. She
opened a bottle of wine, poured two glasses, and peeled off her
work clothes—white silk blouse, turquoise linen skirt, and matching
jacket. She brushed her long, brown hair and peeked into the
mirror.

Her dark green eyes were bloodshot from too
much champagne.
So what if I get drunk? It’s Friday. I have
tomorrow off. That bitch! And after I worked so hard to win her
account. Lloyd better make this good. I don’t want to work for
anyone else.
She pulled a shift over her head.

Brooke had been with Gibbon & Walters
Advertising for four years. It had been her first job out of grad
school. She had worked hard to get promoted. A newly-minted Account
Supervisor, she was proud of her accomplishment.

A sardonic smile curled her lips when she
thought about her parents’ reaction.
They’d probably say—good,
time to leave the corporate prison and get a worthwhile job.
They had been killed in a car accident when she was ten. She’d been
raised by her maternal grandmother, Ruth Quincy. She called her
“Nan,” short for Nana, which Brooke felt too old to call anyone.
I’m twenty-eight, not five. No more Nana.

Brooke’s parents had been counter-culture
types, aging hippies, leftover from the 70’s. They had believed in
legalizing marijuana, were vegetarians, and recycled everything
they could lay their hands on. Her father, Simon Felson, had been a
teacher. Her mom, Mary Lou, had been a social worker. Brooke had
been their only child because they didn’t believe in contributing
to over-population.

When the police had found pot in the car,
they surmised that the drug had caused the accident. The levels in
her dad’s blood had confirmed their finding. Since that information
had been leaked to Brooke, she had become enraged and ended up
hating everything they had stood for.

She had adored her parents with every fiber
of her being. After they were taken away, she had been almost
comatose. When she found out it might have been entirely their
fault, her sadness had turned to anger. She resented what she
called their “irresponsible attitude” and strove to be their
opposite—a mature, responsible, corporate success story.

The buzzer sounded the arrival of Miranda and
her pugs, Romeo and Juliet. Brooke handed her friend a glass of
Cabernet. The pugs drank from the water bowl Brooke kept filled for
guest dogs then curled up on the area rug. The two women got comfy
on the sofa.

After explaining what happened—slower this
time—Brooke settled back into the cushions. “It’s not like Lloyd
didn’t try…”

“Did he? Are you sure about him?”

“What do you mean ‘sure’?”

“How long have you been dating him?”

“Six months.”

“And yet, he doesn’t stick up for you?”

“It’s a client. You have to do what they
want.”

“Do you? What about love? Devotion?
Support?”

“Lloyd has other strengths.”

“Like what?” Miranda took a sip.

“He’s good in bed.” Brooke blushed at her own
admission.

“That’s not enough. Now, what’s going to
happen?”

“I don’t know.” Brooke moved her wine glass
from hand to hand.

“You won’t get fired, will you?”

“Of course not! God. That would be a
disaster. No way. Lloyd’d never fire me.”

“Never say never. No one’s
indispensable.”

Tears filled Brooke’s eyes. “Would he do that
to me? After everything we’ve shared?”

Miranda put her hand on Brooke’s arm. “I
didn’t mean to get you upset. But sometimes, life sucks. All I’m
saying is it might not be a bad idea for you to think about finding
a new job.”