PRAISE FOR MELISSA FOSTER
“With her wonderful characters and resonating emotions, Melissa Foster is a must-read author!”
—New York Times bestseller Julie Kenner
“Melissa Foster is synonymous with sexy, swoony, heartfelt romance!”
—New York Times bestseller Lauren Blakely
“You can always rely on Melissa Foster to deliver a story that’s fresh, emotional, and entertaining.”
—New York Times bestseller Brenda Novak
“Melissa Foster writes worlds that draw you in, with strong heroes and brave heroines surrounded by a community that makes you want to crawl right on through the page and live there.”
—New York Times bestseller Julia Kent
“When it comes to contemporary romances with realistic characters, an emotional love story, and smokin’-hot sex, author Melissa Foster always delivers!”
—The Romance Reviews
“Foster writes characters that are complex and loyal, and each new story brings further depth and development to a redefined concept of family.”
—RT Book Reviews
“Melissa Foster definitely knows how to spin a tale and keep you flipping the pages.”
—Book Loving Fairy
“You can never go wrong with the heroes that Melissa Foster creates. She hasn’t made one yet that I haven’t fallen in love with.”
—Natalie the Biblioholic
“Melissa is a very talented author that tells fabulous stories that captivate you and keep your attention from the first page to the last page. Definitely an author that you will want to keep on your go-to list.”
—Between the Coverz
“Melissa Foster writes the best contemporary romance I have ever read. She does it in bundles, topped it with great plots, hot guys, strong heroines, and sprinkled it with family dynamics—you got yourself an amazing read.”
—Reviews of a Book Maniac
“She has a way with words that endears a family in our hearts, and watching each sibling and friend go on to meet their true love is such a joy!”
—Thoughts of a Blonde
MORE BOOKS BY MELISSA FOSTER
LOVE IN BLOOM ROMANCE SERIES
SNOW SISTERS
Sisters in Love
Sisters in Bloom
Sisters in White
THE BRADENS
Lovers at Heart, Reimagined
Destined for Love
Friendship on Fire
Sea of Love
Bursting with Love
Hearts at Play
Taken by Love
Fated for Love
Romancing My Love
Flirting with Love
Dreaming of Love
Crashing into Love
Healed by Love
Surrender My Love
River of Love
Crushing on Love
Whisper of Love
Thrill of Love
THE BRADENS & MONTGOMERYS
Embracing Her Heart
Anything for Love
Trails of Love
Wild, Crazy Hearts
Making Her Mine
Searching for Love
BRADEN NOVELLAS
Our New Love
Daring Her Love
Story of Love
Love at Last
A Very Braden Christmas
THE REMINGTONS
Game of Love
Stroke of Love
Flames of Love
Slope of Love
Read, Write, Love
Touched by Love
SEASIDE SUMMERS
Seaside Dreams
Seaside Hearts
Seaside Sunsets
Seaside Secrets
Seaside Nights
Seaside Embrace
Seaside Lovers
Seaside Whispers
Seaside Serenade
BAYSIDE SUMMERS
Bayside Desires
Bayside Passions
Bayside Heat
Bayside Escape
Bayside Romance
Bayside Fantasies
THE RYDERS
Seized by Love
Claimed by Love
Chased by Love
Rescued by Love
Swept into Love
SUGAR LAKE
The Real Thing
Only for You
Love Like Ours
Finding My Girl
HARMONY POINTE
Call Her Mine
This Is Love
She Loves Me
TRU BLUE & THE WHISKEYS
Tru Blue
Truly, Madly, Whiskey
Driving Whiskey Wild
Wicked Whiskey Love
Mad About Moon
Taming My Whiskey
The Gritty Truth
BILLIONAIRES AFTER DARK SERIES
WILD BOYS AFTER DARK
Logan
Heath
Jackson
Cooper
BAD BOYS AFTER DARK
Mick
Dylan
Carson
Brett
HARBORSIDE NIGHTS SERIES
Catching Cassidy
Discovering Delilah
Tempting Tristan
STAND-ALONE NOVELS
Chasing Amanda (mystery/suspense)
Come Back to Me (mystery/suspense)
Have No Shame (historical fiction/romance)
Love, Lies & Mystery (three-book bundle)
Megan’s Way (literary fiction)
Traces of Kara (psychological thriller)
Where Petals Fall (suspense)
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, organizations, places, events, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
Text copyright © 2019 by Melissa Foster
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.
Published by Montlake Romance, Seattle
www.apub.com
Amazon, the Amazon logo, and Montlake Romance are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc., or its affiliates.
ISBN-13: 9781542014540
ISBN-10: 1542014549
Cover design by Letitia Hasser
Cover photography by Regina Wamba of MaeIDesign.com
For my brothers
CONTENTS
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHAPTER TWENTY
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
EPILOGUE
A NOTE FROM MELISSA
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
CHAPTER ONE
THE BRIGHT LIGHTS of New York City shimmered against the backdrop of tall buildings and the midnight blue sky as the driver pulled up in front of the Ultimate
Hotel for the Hearts for Heroes fundraiser. In the privacy of the black sedan, actress Remi Divine scanned the entrance. Wealthy couples decked out in floor-length gowns and handsome tuxedos, every bit as breathtaking as the city itself, smiled for the photographers as they made their way up the steps. Remi was surprised her overprotective much-older brother, Aiden, wasn’t standing at the entrance waiting for her as usual—as if the two gorilla-like bodyguards he’d hired weren’t enough.
Remi had received threatening letters a couple of months ago, and then someone had broken into her house in LA. She hadn’t been home at the time, and although her award cabinet had been smashed to pieces, nothing had been stolen other than some lingerie. Though the incidents had died down and she was now staying in Harmony Pointe, New York, while filming the movie In the Aftermath, Aiden wasn’t taking any chances with the sister he’d raised since she was twelve years old, after their parents were killed in a tragic car accident. Remi owed everything good in her life to Aiden. He was the kindest, most determined man she knew, and she considered herself lucky to have him as her brother and her business manager.
She turned away from the flashbulbs coming from the eager paparazzi and looked past Merrick, the stone-faced bodyguard sitting beside her, to enjoy the beauty of the city for one last moment as she awaited her turn to exit the car. She watched people across the street admiring the hoopla of the event and taking pictures with their cell phones. Sometimes Remi fantasized about being one of those people, rather than the woman in the expensive Jillian Braden gown, draped in diamonds. She loved acting, and she was grateful for her success, but being America’s Sweetheart had come at no small price. Over the last couple of years Remi had begun feeling stifled by the scrutiny.
The stalker and the bodyguards had amplified that oppression, which was why she was planning to take a year off after filming wrapped.
The car inched forward, stopping before the entrance.
“Are you ready to exit the car, Ms. Divine?” Porter, the bodyguard sitting in the front of the sedan, asked rather stoically.
Remi’s pulse quickened as flashbulbs took aim at her window. “Yes, thank you.”
Without another word, the two bodyguards exited the car, swiftly moving into place, flanking her door. She inhaled deeply, silently counting to twenty—the length of time it took the dynamic duo to scan the crowds at these types of events—and her mother’s voice sailed through her mind. Just breathe, Remi. Everything’s going to be okay. Remi sat up straighter, a measured smile sliding into place, and she gazed out the window with ten seconds to spare. Her eyes caught on a broad-shouldered man moving through the crowd with an air of authority. He strode with powerful fluidity, like a puma claiming its territory, parting the crowd with nothing more than a look of sheer confidence and determination.
Porter opened Remi’s door, blocking her view of the handsome man she’d spotted. The humid late-August air clung to her skin as she quickly grabbed her clutch and pushed to her feet, forgetting the importance of an elegant entrance. She craned her neck to get a better look at the gorgeous creature who was avoiding the press like a pro. Her breath caught in her throat. He was tall and darkly handsome, as broad and muscular as her burly bodyguards. He stepped into the aisle like he owned it, his eyes moving just as furtively over the crowd as Porter’s and Merrick’s were.
Just breathe . . .
“Who are you wearing?” A redheaded reporter thrust a microphone in Remi’s direction, snapping Remi’s brain into gear.
“Jillian Braden, from her Multifarious line.” Even as she smiled for the cameras, her mind was weaving a path straight to Mr. Tall, Dark, and Handsome. Her heart had never thudded so hard over the sight of a man. She had to find out who he was.
She scanned the entrance, hoping to catch up to him and strike up a conversation. But he was gone as swiftly as he’d appeared, as if she’d conjured him from wishful thinking. Her shoulders slumped. Story of my life . . .
She had the world at her fingertips. She was offered all the best roles, begged by designers to wear their diamonds and dresses. She could buy anything she wanted, but the things she really wanted weren’t for sale, and they were always just out of reach.
Porter and Merrick ushered her through the hotel entrance and into the ballroom, where the event was already underway. Merrick stood guard at the entrance to the room, while Porter stuck to Remi like glue. Remi’s eyes swept over the sea of black ties and fancy dresses, and she spotted Aiden across the room talking with his business partner, Ben Dalton. Ben’s sister Willow was the first true friend Remi had ever had. Through Willow she’d become close with Ben’s other sisters, Bridgette, Piper, and Talia, and his fiancée, Aurelia Stark. Those women had become like sisters to her. They were her lifelines, there for her in good times and bad.
Remi’s heart skipped at the sight of her best friends heading her way. Happiness bubbled up inside her as she lifted the hem of her strapless red dress and rushed toward their open arms, swept into a group hug that had her bodyguard circling like a vulture.
“Remi! You look gorgeous!” Bridgette gushed, her burgeoning baby bump requiring more space than usual as she moved in for another hug. She looked beautiful in a tea-length black dress, her fair hair twisted up in an elegant knot.
“So do all of you! I’m sorry I’m late. Filming has been crazy these last few weeks.” Remi hadn’t seen her besties since early summer, which was far too long. “I’ve missed you all so much. I’m bummed Talia couldn’t make it.” Talia was the oldest of the Dalton siblings. She and her fiancé, Derek, cared for his father, Jonah, who suffered from Alzheimer’s.
“Between work, Jonah, and getting ready for the grand opening of their adult-day-care center, they have no time for anything else,” Willow explained. She was a vivacious, curvy blonde, and the owner of Remi’s favorite bakery, Sweetie Pie.
“I’m sure. They must be so excited to see it finally coming to fruition,” Remi said. “Speaking of new businesses, Aurelia, how’s your new bookstore?”
“The bookstore is great! You should stop by when you can.” Ben and Aurelia lived above Aurelia’s bookstore, Chapter One, in Harmony Pointe, though they also owned a large home in Sweetwater, the neighboring town where the rest of Ben’s family lived.
“I will. More importantly, how’s my favorite little girl? I bet Bea misses me.” Bea was Ben’s daughter, who he hadn’t known existed until she was left on his doorstep a few months ago.
“Of course she misses you,” Aurelia exclaimed. “We all do. Wait until you see her again. She’s growing so fast, and she’s just . . . perfect. She and Louie are with Ben’s parents tonight, being spoiled rotten, I’m sure.” Louie was Bridgette and Bodhi’s six-year-old son.
“Can you believe we got Aurelia to ditch her Converse and get all dolled up?” Willow teased.
“Check these out.” Aurelia lifted the hem of her sparkly pink dress, showing off a pair of spiked nude heels.
“Wow! Those are hot,” Remi said.
“Now that Bea’s sleeping through the night and Chapter One is up and running, I actually have the energy to occasionally try to look nice for my man.”
“What she really means is now that Bea is sleeping through the night, my brother is no longer blue-balled and grumpy,” Piper said with a smirk, leaning in to hug Aurelia again. Piper was only about five two and was thin as a rail, but her brazen personality made her seem much bigger. She and her father owned a contracting business, and she was tough as nails.
“Oh, please. Ben gets more action than any guy around here,” Aurelia said.
“Not that I want to compete with my brother. Ew,” Willow chimed in, glancing across the room at her handsome husband, Zane Walker, an actor-turned-screenwriter. “But my man is very well taken care of.”
Aurelia nudged Remi and said, “Zane’s been eyeing the plunging neckline of Willow’s dress all night. That man wants to dive into her cleavage and eat his way out.”
“If I swung that wa
y, I’d want to dive in, too. Willow’s got the best boobs of all of us.” Remi winked at Willow.
“I think mine are pretty hot.” Bridgette blushed and rubbed her baby bump. “And for what it’s worth, Bodhi thinks pregnancy hormones are the best.” She lowered her voice and said, “I’m like a sex maniac these days!”
“Who needs pregnancy hormones?” Piper looked hot in that sexy tight gold dress. Her pin-straight blond hair gave her a dignified air that conflicted with the lascivious look in her eyes as she ogled Porter. She could have any man she wanted.
“You’re all getting more action than me, so consider yourselves lucky.” Remi had enough pent-up desires to last her a lifetime. She’d been intimate with only two men in her life, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t aching for more with the right man. A good man. Someone who could see her for who she was, not only for her fame or how much she was worth.
Piper’s brow wrinkled. “You have two sexy beasts at your beck and call. What’s the problem?”
“Ugh. Don’t get me started.” Remi spoke quietly so as not to hurt her bodyguard’s feelings. Although with how stoic he was, she wasn’t sure he had any. “They are so not my type. I like men who communicate with more than grunts or commands.”
“I happen to love commands,” Piper said. “And grunts, if made in the bedroom. Want me to take the delicious ‘Men in Black’ off your hands?”
Remi envied Piper’s sexual confidence. She’d give anything to know what she liked in the bedroom, much less to go after it. She glanced around the room, hoping to catch a glimpse of the mysteriously sexy man she’d seen outside, but it appeared she must have imagined him after all, because he was nowhere in sight.
“Good luck with that,” Remi said. “I swear I’m going to lose my mind if Aiden doesn’t call them off soon. It’s a shame, really. If they weren’t such robots, I might not mind having them around. It gets lonely in that fortress my brother rented for me.”
“Aw, Remi.” Bridgette frowned. “I’m sorry you’re having such a hard time. Has anything happened with the stalker since you’ve been here?”
“Not a peep. As I’ve told Aiden a dozen times, I’m sure he’s moved on to his next obsession. If only Aiden would put his laser focus into finding me a boyfriend . . .”
The girls all talked over one another about how Aiden would give Remi a chastity belt if he even thought she was prowling for a man. In his eyes she’d always be the little sister he had to protect.