Publication Date: March 8, 2021

Tropes: Fake Engagement, Opposites Attract, Bait and Switch

Genres: Adult, Entangled: Indulgence, Contemporary, Romance

Beckett Samuelson has had enough stepmothers to spot a gold digger when he sees one. So when his ailing father announces his engagement to the private nurse he’s only known for two months—who’s also forty years his junior—Beckett has to step in. But as he gets to know the woman, he realizes she’s the perfect next Mrs. Samuelson.

If only he was the intended groom.

Corazon Dela Cruz sends every spare penny she earns to her family in the Philippines. Then her latest nursing client offers her $25,000 to fake an engagement to convince his overprotective son to return to work abroad—he doesn’t need Beckett’s help. But as Corazon and Beckett spend more time together—from picnics on the beach to galas in fancy dresses—she starts to develop very real feelings.

Too bad she’s engaged to the wrong Samuelson.

Excerpt

“You feel it too,” he said. She had to acknowledge this thing between them.

“Yes,” her voice was still breathless, husky. She didn’t sound happy. “But Chester…”

His conscience pricked him. But desire beat the crap out of that part of his personality. “This has nothing to do with my father. This is between you and me. We’re both adults, Cora. You can’t tell me my dad makes you breathe hard or gets your heart racing like this.”

The couple in the other car had wandered over toward the picnic benches and were setting up a telescope, completely ignoring them.

He placed his hand over her heart, reassured that it beat as fiercely as his. When she gasped, he took her lips again in a passionate kiss. His fingers found a way under the fabric of her dress to tease and caress the tight bud of her nipple. She pressed herself against his hand, silently urging him on.

Why the hell had he taken her to a public place and not somewhere he could divest her of the beautiful dress and feast on the even more gorgeous flesh beneath it? His hand moved from her breast to wiggle under the slit in the side of the garment. He caressed her inner thigh and she parted her legs.

Before he could explore further, more headlights deluged them in light. She pushed against his chest and retreated against the door panel. Her chest heaved and her lips were wide open as she sucked in air like a drowning woman.

He switched on the car’s ignition, then pressed the button to put the top up. An audience was not required.

“No more. It’s not right,” she managed to say after a minute. Her hand shook as she readjusted the top of her dress.

He reached for her hand and placed it against his heart so that she could feel the rapid beating beneath her palm. “This is what you do to me, Cora. And not just now, when we’ve kissed. When you walk in the room, when you smile at me, when you laugh. I want you all the time. I can’t stand back and let you marry my dad.”

The guilt in her eyes probably mirrored his own. “Your father and I—”

“Tell him you changed your mind. He’ll understand. I’ll be there when you tell him you can’t marry him. Cora, you can’t marry him. You can’t…not when we have this between us.” He reached for her again, but she held up her hands.

“What do we have, Beckett? Passion? Lust? It doesn’t last. Soon you’ll tire of me. Then what will I do? Do you think your father’s offer will still stand if I sleep with his son? I’ll have nothing. Again. I’m tired of nothing. I can’t start over any more. This is a no-win situation for me.”

Was that all it was between them? Passion? Lust? He couldn’t imagine tiring of her. He wanted to learn everything about her, discover her favorite foods and what made her laugh. Touch her and hold her and be with her until…

Until what? His father offered her permanency. Was he willing to do the same? Was he ready to hand her the power to potentially destroy him?

Was his intense need to protect her just chivalry? Or was it a sign of something more, something scarier? And the damned warmth that flooded through him whenever she was near—was that also just a symptom of a physical attraction? He’d never felt it before. He had no frame of reference for an accurate diagnosis.

Beckett’s eyes lingered on Cora sleeping beside him. She’d tried to keep awake on the drive back. But the late night making the spring rolls and the fresh air from the lake, not to mention running after the boys most of the day, had her eyes drifting closed before they’d reached the Lougheed Highway. Not that he minded—it had allowed him to enjoy her beauty unnoticed.

He had an insane desire to fly her around the world for real and not on an old beach blanket pretending to be a magic carpet. He wanted to show her the world’s splendor—see its diversity through her eyes.

Dammit. He was getting too involved. Two more weeks and he’d be back in Dubai. That’s what he needed to focus on. The next project, the next advancement in his career. Not fanciful notions of jetting around the world with his father’s nurse.

He shut the car off and reached over to caress her cheek until she awoke, her eyelids fluttering open until all she saw was him.

“Cora, we’re”—Home was what he was about to say. But were they really? For her, home was a little village high in the Cordillera mountains in the Philippines. For him, it was… Was it Dubai? Did he really want to return there as much as Cora longed to go to the Philippines? Did he even belong anywhere?—“we’re back.”

She blinked, then her eyes locked on his. “Oh, I’m so sorry I fell asleep.” Her voice was husky and nearly his undoing. Insanity beckoned. As did her lips.

Just one taste. How good could it be? He’d kiss her once, get it out of his system, and move on. He leaned another fraction of an inch closer, giving her time and space to move away if she wanted. Instead, she crossed the tiny gap between them and placed her lips against his.

This was how addiction started. Curiosity, tinged maybe with a little desperation, making a person do something they knew wasn’t smart. He lifted his lips to check her reaction. Her eyes were dazed, a light flush tinted her cheeks a fraction darker. He went back for a second hit, just to make sure the first taste had been as good as he’d imagined. Their lips touched again, moved a little this time. Her tongue darted into his mouth, then retreated, a deliberate provocation. He invaded hers. The kiss turned carnal, unrestrained. She moaned his name. Before his mind completely snapped, he pulled back, retreating to his side of the car.

He didn’t dare kiss her a third time. If he did, he knew it would be over. He’d be enthralled. Trapped. Addicted.

He bailed from the car while he still could.

Before he could delve deeper, his father pushed his plate away. “I’m done,” Chester said. “And I think I’ll forgo the chess game tonight, Cora. I’m tired. Why don’t you play with Beckett instead?”

Cora’s eyes widened as if his father had just asked her to hold a rattlesnake. “I should do some studying,” she said.

“Are you sure?” Beckett asked. “’Because I think I’d enjoy a lightsaber battle in the backyard.”

“Ha!” A wicked gleam entered her eyes as she pushed back her chair. Gone was the sweet nurse who held her patient’s hand throughout the meal. Gone was the polite dinner guest inquiring about his work. Before him now stood a woman who took no prisoners. This fiery side of her intrigued him. He’d admired the way she’d stood up to him in the office earlier. “If we were to play chess, Mr. Samuelson, I wouldn’t need to cheat to beat you.”

As she strode from the room, the napkin that had been clinging to her dress fluttered to the floor.

“I see what you mean about her tossing down a gauntlet,” Beckett said to his dad.

Chester chuckled. “Welcome to the club, son.”

Beck wasn’t sure exactly what being a member of this club entailed, but he was sure as hell looking forward to finding out.

Corazon Dela Cruz was becoming more interesting by the minute.

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About the Author

A former world wanderer, Alexia Adams writes contemporary romance stories that reflect her love of exotic destinations and diverse characters and cultures. She currently lives near Vancouver, Canada with her husband and four children and dreams of a world without housework. As a flight risk mom, romance is her escape and she can often be found with her nose in a book, pretending she’s somewhere else. Check out her website at https://alexia-adams.com and sign up for her newsletter to find your next escape.

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