Tempting the Artist (28 page)

The End

If you enjoyed this book
by Sharon C. Cooper,

please consider leaving a
review on any online book site,

review site, or social
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Other Titles by Sharon C.
Cooper:

Jenkins Family Series
(Contemporary Romance)

Best Woman for the Job (Short Story
Prequel)

Still the Best Woman for the Job (book
1)

All You’ll Ever Need (book
2)

Tempting the Artist (book
3)

Negotiating for Love –
(book 4) –
Coming Soon

Seducing the Boss Lady –
(book 5) –
Coming Soon

Reunited Series (Romantic
Suspense)

Blue Roses (book 1)

Secret Rendezvous (Prequel to
Rendezvous with Danger)

Rendezvous with Danger (book
2)

Truth or Consequences (book
3)

Operation Midnight (book 4)
–
Coming soon

Casino Heat (book 5)
–
Coming soon

Stand Alones

Something New (“Edgy” Sweet
Romance)

Legal Seduction (Harlequin Kimani –
Contemporary Romance)

Sin City Temptation (Harlequin Kimani
– Contemporary Romance)

A Dose of Passion
(Harlequin Kimani – Contemporary Romance) –
Coming October 2015

Connect with Sharon
Online:

Website:
http://sharoncooper.net

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http://www.facebook.com/AuthorSharonCCooper21?ref=hl

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https://twitter.com/#!/Sharon_Cooper1

Subscribe to her
blog:
http://sharonccooper.wordpress.com/

Goodreads:
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5823574.Sharon_C_Cooper

Award-winning and
bestselling author, Sharon C. Cooper,
spent 10 years as a sheet metal worker. And while enjoying
that unique line of work, she attended college in the evening and
obtained her B.A. from Concordia University in Business Management
with an emphasis in Communication.
Sharon
is a romance-a-holic - loving anything that involves romance with a
happily-ever-after, whether in books, movies or real life. She
writes contemporary romance, as well as romantic suspense and
enjoys rainy days, carpet picnics, and peanut butter and jelly
sandwiches. When Sharon is not writing or working, she’s hanging
out with her amazing husband, doing volunteer work or reading a
good book (a romance of course). To read more about Sharon and her
novels, visit
www.sharoncooper.net

Turn the page for an
excerpt of
All You’ll Ever Need
(Jada “JJ” Jenkins’ Story) book 2 of the Jenkins
Family Series

EXCERPT
FROM:

ALL YOU’LL EVER NEED, book 2
of the Jenkins Family Series (Zack & Jada’s story)

It is definitely raining
men up in here
. Jada Jenkins wove in and
out of the small groups of people, stopping periodically to greet
some of the guests at her cousin’s wedding. She took special note
of the handsome and hopefully single men hanging out near the bar
at the reception.

“
Girl, where did you find
all of these gorgeous men?” Jada yelled over the deafening music
pumping through the speakers a couple of feet away. She handed her
cousin, Toni Jenkins, now Mrs. Toni Jenkins-Logan, a glass of
ginger ale and claimed the seat next to her.

“
You have Craig to thank
for that.” Toni sipped from her drink. She squinted and scrunched
up her face. “Goodness this soda is strong.” She took another small
sip. “As for the gorgeous men, it turns out Craig has a lot of
friends, and you’ll be glad to know many of them are
single.”

“
Hmm, that is good to know.
I’ll have to talk with my new cousin-in-law, but right now, I still
can’t believe you got married before me.” Jada crossed her legs, a
coral five-inch rhinestone embellished sandal dangled from her foot
revealing the red bottom. “I’m the one who spends an arm and a leg
making sure I look like someone from Life Styles of the Rich and
Famous. Yet, you’re the one who lands a Prince Charming. Hell, you
didn’t even want to get married.”

Toni laughed. Her gaze landed on her
new husband who stood across the banquet hall talking with the
groomsmen. Jada didn’t miss the way Toni’s face lit up each time
she glanced at Craig, and she couldn’t ever remember seeing her
cousin this happy.

“
It’s not that I didn’t
want to get married, I just thought I never would.” Toni’s gaze
dropped to the table where she absently fingered a cloth napkin and
then lifted her sparkling eyes to Jada. “This has been a long,
exhausting day, but it has been one of the best days of my life.
I’m so excited that I get to spend the rest of my days with the
most amazing man I’ve ever met. It’s like a dream. Add having his
baby to the mix, and I feel as if I’m living someone else’s
fantasy.”

Jada reached over and squeezed Toni’s
hand. She was happy for Toni, or TJ as most of the Jenkins family
called her, but she couldn’t help but be a little envious. TJ was
three months pregnant after believing she could never have
children, and now she had married cutie-pie Craig Logan, an
all-around great guy who was madly in love with her cousin. Jada
wondered if she ever would experience the type of love and joy that
radiated from Toni.

“
I wish you years of
happiness, Cuz.”

“
Thank you.” Toni leaned
over and hugged Jada. “And thanks for all you did pulling the
wedding and reception together. Everything turned out
wonderful.”

Jada shrugged. “My pleasure. Just be
ready for my big day, whenever that might be.” Jada returned her
attention to the small group of men standing with Craig near the
bar. “I guess it’s true what they say. Beautiful people hang out
together.” All the men were as tall as Craig, at over six feet, and
just as good looking in their black tuxedos sporting cummerbunds
and bowties that matched the bridesmaid dresses.

“
It looks that way doesn’t
it?”

Jada nodded and then turned
to Toni. “Okay, answer this. What do I have to do to get a man
as
fine
as yours,
one who worships the ground I walk on, and is crazy wealthy?” She
rolled her neck and slapped her hand down on the table. “I’m
talkin’ stinkin’ rich as in lunch on the French Riviera and dinner
at
La Vague d’Or
in Saint Tropez.”

Toni shook her head, and a wide grin
tilted the corners of her rose-colored lips. “I know suggesting
that you lower your standards is out of the question. So I won’t
bother. I will say though, when the right man comes along, it’s not
going to matter if he’s downright fine and stinkin’ rich. All
that’s going to matter, or should matter is that he treats you
right and loves you unconditionally.”

“
Uh, well, yeah, it
is
going to matter if
he’s fine and rich because if he isn’t he won’t be able to hang
with me.” Jada ignored the way Toni’s perfectly arched eyebrows
slanted in a frown. “Now what’s the scoop on the hunks who just
walked up to your new hubby? The one on the far right looks as if
he could carry a small car on his back.”

“
Those are the guys he grew
up with. Actually, today might be your lucky day.” Toni perked up,
a mischievous glint shined in her eyes as she adjusted the hem of
her beaded lace wedding gown. “Craig’s bringing Zack
over.”

“
How does that make it my
lucky day?”

“
Because he’s single and
he’s gawking at you.”

Jada sized him up as he approached. At
least six-one, broad shoulders that tapered down to a narrow waist,
dark, spiked hair, and a powerful stride - he was a walking
billboard for everything masculine. “Mmm, I don’t think so. He’s
definitely a cutie in that Channing Tatum kind of way. But I like
my men like I like my chocolate – dark and exceedingly
rich.”

“
Is that right?” Toni
placed her soda on the table and sat forward in her chair, her
elbow on the table and amusement danced in her eyes. “Well, did I
happen to mention that he’s a professional football player who
plays for the Cincinnati Cougars
and
has
just
renewed his contract for nine-point-five-million?”

Jada’s mouth dropped open.

“
Oh, and that’s only
for
one
year.”

“
Damn!
” Jada smoothed down the front of her bridesmaid dress that
stopped just above her knees and ran her fingers through her long
auburn streaked curls. She quickly pulled a tube of lipstick from
her strapless bra and ran the Coral Berry over her lips, and then
took another glance at Craig’s friend. “It’s a good thing I’m
switching over. I hear white chocolate, like milk, does a body
good.”

“
What?” Toni narrowed her
eyes. “I’ve never heard that before.”

“
Oh, hush up and tell me if
I have any food in my teeth.”

Toni shook her head and laughed.
“Girl, you’re a mess!”

“
Hey, baby, are you feeling
better?” Craig bent slightly and brushed Toni’s bangs away from her
forehead. “Did the soda help?” He extended his hand to help her
rise to her feet and rubbed his large palm over her barely-there
baby bump.

“
Between the soda and the
crackers you hunted down for me earlier, I’m feeling much better.
You take such good care of me,” Toni said in a baby-like
voice.

“
That’s my job. I plan to
spend the rest of my life taking very good care of you, Mrs.
Logan.” Craig lowered his head and his lips brushed against
Toni’s.

Jada rolled her eyes when the
newlywed’s lip-lock grew more intense and Toni’s arms snaked around
her husband’s neck.

“
You guys have a lifetime
to play kissy-face.” She stood and turned her gaze to the man
standing next to her cousin-in-law. He was even sexier up close,
and then he smiled. Her knees weakened.
Oh
my God, he has dimples.
A sucker for a man
with dimples, the once steady beat of her heart now pounded
double-time.
Her hand hovered over her
chest as she struggled to fill her lungs with air.
Okay, just breathe.
She
told herself over and over again.

“
Are you all right?” the
sexy gift from God asked, his palm at the small of her back sent a
spark of desire shooting through her veins. “Can I get you
something to drink?”

“
Uh, no. No, I’m fine.” She
definitely had to pull herself together. Never has a man seen her
sweat and she sure as hell wasn’t going to let a cutie with a
nine-point-five-million dollar contract see her off her
game.

“
Evidently we’re
invisible,” Craig’s friend said and removed his hand from her back.
His voice intoxicatingly deep sent an exciting shiver up her spine.
“I’m Zack Anderson.”

Craig abruptly broke off the kiss with
Toni. “Ah man, sorry you guys. Zack, this is Toni’s cousin, JJ. I
mean Jada Jenkins. JJ, this is one of my best friends, Zachary
Anderson.”

“
Nice to meet you, Jada.”
Zack kissed the back of her hand and held on to the tips of her
fingers while he stared into her eyes. “I’ve heard some nice things
about you.”

Jada swallowed hard and
tried to throttle the dizzying current that raced through her
body.
What the hell?
She had been in the midst of plenty of good-looking, wealthy
men but never had one affected her like this. She eased her hand
from his grasp and ran sweaty palms down the side of her dress as
she regrouped, quickly plastering a flirtatious smile on her
lips.

“
Nice to meet you,
Zachary.”

“
Please, call me
Zack.”

“
Listen you two,” Craig
said from behind them, his arm around Toni. “My beautiful wife and
I are going to greet our guest before the sendoff, and Zack,” he
leveled his friend with a pointed look, “behave
yourself.”

“
I always do.” Zack’s
piercing blue eyes roved and lazily appraised Jada, taking in all
of her as if trying to memorize every intricate curve of her
body.

Normally Jada would revolt
against a man who openly gawked at her. Instead, she had the urge
to stand perfectly still until he was done.
Damn, something is definitely wrong with me for enjoying the
way he’s sexing me up with his eyes.

“
Excuse me.” Steven
Jenkins, Jada’s grandfather and the patriarch of the family jarred
Jada out of her trance. He gave a quick nod to Zack before turning
to her. “Your Highness, you’re the only one of my granddaughters I
haven’t danced with yet. What do you say about cutting a rug with
your old grandfather?”