He's the One by Jane Beckenham (ready to read books .TXT) 📗

a quirky “I told you so” smile.

"Stubborn as a mule."

"We're from the same gene pool, Cade, so don't forget to look at yourself."

Cade exhaled. His sister's determined look spoke volumes. “Taylor's ... a business associate,” he said. “She's going to help me promote the new cocktail bars."

"Her! She doesn't look the bar type. What's in it for her, besides a big consulting fee?"

"There doesn't have to be."

"Cade Harper, I know you, don't forget,” Katie said wiggling her finger at him.

Ten, long minutes later, Katie thankfully gave in and left him, though peace didn't come. He warred internally. Intuition told him to run a mile. Yet instinctively he knew he wouldn't walk away from Taylor. She needed him.

She needs to lose her virginity. I can help in that department.

Eyes squeezed shut, Cade tried to block Taylor from his mind and his body. Everything hummed with a heat so damned urgent it took all the willpower in the world to hold back. He wanted to jump into bed with her right now. To make love, long and slow and sweet, then hot and fast, over and over until he could erase his need for her.

Why so fierce? Why so urgent?

Hell if he knew. He wasn't some pubescent school kid needing to get his rocks off. Yet, the thought of Taylor with another guy gnawed a path straight to his gut.

Damn it, he didn't want to care, but he did. And that spelt danger, big time.

Chapter Three

"Looks like you had a long night.” Nita sidelined Taylor the moment she walked into her office the next morning.

"Forget it.” Taylor held up her hand. “You can stop hinting right there. Nothing happened."

"You mean you ... didn't?"

Taylor colored and buried herself in her diary. “No, we didn't. In fact, Cade Harper was the perfect gentleman."

Nita dropped the morning mail in front of her. “Darn. You don't want a gentleman; you want fantasy."

And there lay the problem. Taylor had fantasies and dreams all night. Hours and hours of vivid imagery, a heat coiled way down low, when she believed she could feel Cade's touch, needy and urgent. It had been a long and lonely night.

"Right, let's get down to business,” she said, trying to hide her mood. She dropped her briefcase beside her desk and switched on her computer.

And what about your dreams?

The question he'd asked her last night replayed—again.

She had dreamed—a long time ago. But Taylor had learnt that reality and dreams didn't mix. Death had come along, and she'd been given a sad reprieve, wrapped in a shroud of guilt. It had stolen the chance to dream—until now.

Now, she dreamed of something quite different.

Sex with Cade. Hot, burning and wonderful sex.

Taylor squeezed her eyes shut. Oh, Lord, she was a wreck.

Morning passed in a whirl of messages, paper plans for seating arrangements for an upcoming wedding and tied up with tangled dreams. By the afternoon, unable to concentrate, Taylor found herself glancing at the phone every few minutes. Her nerves were shot, and her hands shook as she picked up her cup and sipped her mochaccino.

"Here are the monthly accounts.” Nita placed them in front of her. “Still no call?” she questioned.

"No.” Taylor refused to look Nita in the eye. “All afternoon I've played the will he, won't he game, just like when we were kids, picking the petals off a dandelion. He loves me, he loves me not...” her voice trailed off.

"This isn't about love."

"I know. It's about straight sex.” Oh, my goodness, had she said that?

"Well, not necessarily,” Nita countered, giving Taylor a knowing wink. Taylor blushed vividly, and Nita giggled.

"Taylor, you work too much. You need to get out, get a life."

"I have a life.” Taylor picked up the accounts. The absolute last thing she wanted to work on right now.

"You have work, that's all."

"It is my life, Nita."

"Yes, but sometimes we need a shake up."

"I don't think I'm up to another shake up,” Taylor admitted.

"I never thought you'd give up, Taylor."

Her denial came automatically. “I'm not."

"Really? So why haven't you phoned him?"

Yeah, why?

Because she was scared witless, got herself in too deep. Scared of how Cade made her feel—with just one kiss.

"It's a stupid idea, he's..."

"Everything you've ever wanted."

"I don't want him."

"Liar,” Nita countered, laughing. “Maybe not, but you really need him. You made a mistake with Rob."

"Leave him out of it.” Taylor dropped the folder of accounts back onto her desk.

"Why? It all boils down to Rob, doesn't it? You mistook liking and tenderness for love. You thought you had fallen in love with the boy next door. That's all."

But there was more to it. Deep stuff. Emotions Taylor didn't know how to deal with. Or if she wanted to.

Her shoulders sagged and she slumped back in her seat. “Okay, I agree, Cade is one hunky guy; he oozes charm, sex appeal and has a body to die for."

"Are you listening to yourself? You're bonkers about the guy."

"Am not."

Nita rubbed her hands together with blatant glee. “Oh, Taylor Sullivan, I can read you like a book. Time to move on and test the waters again."

Nita was right—sort of. But in truth, Taylor knew she was different from her family. They married their first loves, were hyper-achievers with mega brains. Her parents were mathematicians, her brother a scientist and her sister, a doctor—and she became a wedding planner. Talk about a square peg in a round hole.

As the clock edged past four, Taylor found herself staring into nothing, lost in a world of “what ifs” as the peal of the phone dragged her from her reverie. Scooping up the hand-held, she punched the talk button.

"Creative Weddings."

"Taylor?"

Her mouth opened. It shut. It opened again.

"You there?"

Suddenly hot all over, her belly did flip-flops and her breasts felt heavy with need. “Um, yes."

"It's Cade Harper."

Oh, yeah. She knew that.

"I would've called earlier, but had a problem at the bar."

Think of something, anything. “Can I help?"

Cade chuckled, a heavy velvet sound that rumbled from deep down in his chest. She'd heard it yesterday,