Desire In A Kiss

Sweet deception

Ambitious, charming and heir to a food empire, Christian Chandler has no problem meeting women. If only more of them could see beyond his family’s fortune... On impulse, he creates a fake dating profile and quickly connects with petite powerhouse Serenity Williams. She’s smart, down-to-earth and ignites his fantasies from their first encounter. He has to tell her who he really is. But how can he admit the truth to a woman for whom honesty is everything?

Serenity has transformed her life—dropping a lying ex and starting her own nonprofit—and is finally ready to date again. Online, “Chris Mullins” is perfect. In real life, he’s even hotter. From extravagant dates to black-tie balls, Serenity’s falling fast...and then devastated to find she’s been taken in by another fraud. To rekindle their trust, Chris must prove that what they share is the deepest passion she’s ever known...

She’d anticipated kissing his full lips from the moment he picked her up. She already knew that when their lips touched, it would be divinely explosive.

She watched him with anxious anticipation as he walked around the car to her passenger door. Opening it, he held out his hand. She took it, and her pulse quickened. Serenity wondered if he could somehow tell. Placing one heeled foot out of the car, she looked up at Chris. That sexy smile of his made her giggle. He held her steady as her second foot hit the pavement. She stood but tripped forward and landed right against his chest. Her breath caught, and a shiver ran down her spine. Instead of being embarrassed, she felt aware of her femininity cradled by his frame. She liked it there.

“Oops.”

“I’ve got you.” Chris’s voice lowered. The husky tone was drowned in seduction.

For a moment neither of them moved. Chris wrapped his arms around her body. She could have lived right there.

“Mmm,” she moaned, nestling against him.

Serenity closed her eyes for a moment. She felt Chris’s hands run through her hair. She moaned again. With her head nestled in his chest, she could feel his heart rate quicken.

Dear Reader,

I’m so excited for you to take this journey into the lives of Serenity Williams and Christian Chandler. I wanted to take a very modern concept like online dating and explore the possibilities of a happily-ever-after, but with a little twist.

At first, Serenity and Christian are both opposed to the idea of finding love online. Serenity’s friend actually creates a profile for her on a popular dating app as an attempt to get Serenity back into the dating game. For Christian, it’s a different story. He simply wants to see what is out there and isn’t taking it seriously at all. In fact, he uses a fictitious name because the last thing he expects to do is find love.

To both of their surprise, they find each other, and the magnetism between them is impossible to deny. Christian is falling for Serenity faster than he’d ever imagined, and knows he has to tell her the truth soon. He plans to do just that, but one explosive night and an unexpected emergency get in the way. Now that the stakes have risen, he has to find a way to tell the truth and risk losing her all at the same time.

I hope you enjoy the journey as Christian finds his way back to Serenity’s heart. It is indeed a lovely journey that will take you halfway around the world.

Ciao,

Nicki

Desire in a Kiss

Nicki Night

www.millsandboon.co.uk

NICKI NIGHT is an edgy hopeless romantic who enjoys creating stories of love and new possibilities. Nicki has a penchant for adventure and is currently working on penning her next romantic escapade. Nicki resides in the city dreams are made of, but occasionally travels to her treasured seaside hideaway to write in seclusion. She enjoys hearing from readers and can be contacted on Facebook, through her website at nickinight.com or via email at NickiNightwrites@gmail.com.

This book is dedicated to my hero, who inspires me to share love with the world. I love you, Les Flagler.

Acknowledgments

As always, I must first thank the one who makes it all possible, my savior, my father, my comforter, God!

I can’t thank my editors and team over at Harlequin Kimani enough. Your guidance and patience are unmatched. Thank you, Glenda Howard and Keyla Hernandez.

To my calm, cool and collected agent, Sara Camilli, thanks for being my advocate.

To my sisters in the craft, Beverly Jenkins, Brenda Jackson, Zuri Day, Donna Hill, Tiffany L. Warren, Yahrah St. John, Sheryl Lister, Elle Wright, Sherrell Green, Angela Seals, Iris Boling and so many others. Thanks for being my mentors, partners, sisters and inspiration.

To my family, I adore you and am so grateful for your willingness to share me with my passion. I love you Les, Lil Les, Milan and Laila. To Shawana Kenner and Shannon Harper, thanks for indulging my contests and coming up with great names for my heroes.

To my street team, readers, book clubs and book lovers, I couldn’t be me without you. I’m eternally grateful! Keep reading and I’ll keep writing!

To all book publishing allies, editors, promoters, bloggers, booksellers and librarians, thank you, thank you, thank you! I can’t say it enough.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

Introduction

Dear Reader

Title Page

About the Author

Dedication

Acknowledgments

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Extract

Copyright

Chapter 1

Serenity Williams looked up at the man across from her in the swanky restaurant. His mouth moved as furiously as his animated gestures. A smile. Hearty laughter. A wink. Hands tossed in the air. Serenity forced a half-cocked smile. It was the most she could manage having no idea what he’d just said. She’d zoned him out several minutes before, hearing the voice but no longer making out his words. His voice droned on. She was sure he was still talking about himself. Had he even asked about her? They had to have been at the table for at least an hour.

Entertaining herself, Serenity allowed her thoughts to wander from her crazy work schedule to creating mini-stories about the people her eyes landed on in the restaurant. Still, she maintained some level of consistent eye contact with her rambling date. The shifts in his motions clued her in on when to tilt her head sideways to appear engaged or spread her lips into an attentive-looking grin.

Serenity felt cynical, a feeling that didn’t sit with her well. She loved people. Never had she been so uninterested in what a person had to say. But this man in front of her, the self-absorbed Mark Stapleton, had trampled on her attention span and hadn’t bothered to notice when she disengaged.

A lanky waiter with long blond hair pulled back into a low ponytail came to remove their plates. Her meal was only slightly touched. Serenity welcomed the interruption, smiling at the waiter as if she were happy to see him. Mark stopped talking long enough to allow the space for the young man to ask if she would like to take her meal home.

“And the check, please.” Mark dismissed the man’s presence and went right back to speaking highly of himself. He paused again to take a sip of wine. Placing the glass on the table, he sighed and grinned, seemingly impressed with himself. “There’s a nice lounge down the street,” he said matter-of-factly.

“Huh? Oh...uh...” Serenity shook her head, then smiled apologetically. “Sorry. I have to be up really early tomorrow to work with some of my kids. Maybe another time?”

“You have children?” Mark reared his head back.

“No. I’m referring to the kids I give music lessons to.”

“Oh!” He looked relieved.

Another turnoff.

The waiter returned with her carryout package and the check. Serenity was thankful the date was finally coming to an end.

Mark stood, extending to his full six feet of handsome tautness, and waited for her to get up from the table too. Strong features etched his face perfectly, drawing sharp lines in his jaw. Broad shoulders and a slim waist impeccably filled a well-fitting suit. He was undoubtedly attractive. Serenity also wouldn’t deny that his résumé was impressive. A proud engineer. A fraternity man. There was enough to admire about Mark, but Serenity was the type to regard others as much as she did herself, and he simply didn’t. They’d shared a meal, and he knew nothing about her. She wasn’t an attention-seeker, but she didn’t enjoy feeling discarded.

“Thank you for a wonderful meal.” Serenity was being honest. The food was delicious, despite the fact that she’d lost her appetite shortly after it arrived.

“I’ll just come by your place.” Mark closed the space between them and ran the back of his finger down her cheek.

Serenity’s skin tightened there. “Oh...I think it’s a little too soon for that.”

“Oh, you’re one of those.” Mark stepped back, pulled on his suit jacket and held his hand out, indicating that she should lead the way.

Serenity bit back a snide remark and headed toward the door. Mark saw her to her car, a practical crossover, filled with instruments and other items for the kids she taught. At first glance, it looked like the vehicle of a soccer mom.

“Thanks again, Mark.” She nodded politely, slipping into cordial professionalism as if she were at the end of a business meeting instead of a date.

“Good night.” He leaned forward, folding himself lower to meet her lips.

Curiosity led Serenity to let it happen. No spark. That sealed it for her. A second date wouldn’t be necessary.

Confidently, Mark said, “Call you tomorrow,” as if he’d be doing her a favor. He slid his thumb across her cheek, winked and opened her door. At least he had some gentlemanly qualities.

Mark was still standing beside her car after she’d closed her door, so she rolled down the window. He leaned into the opening. “Listen, we’re adults...” She thought she saw him lick his lips. “Why deny ourselves? It’s obvious that I like you and you like me.” Serenity resisted the urge to roll her eyes at the confident jut of his chin as he spoke. “How about I come with you? We’ll have another drink or two, and I’ll show you what a great lover I can be.”

Serenity cut her eyes, rolled up the window and jabbed the keys into the ignition. Mark jumped back when she revved the engine. The tires screeched as she jammed the car into Reverse and pulled off. Halfway down the block, she called her best friend, business partner and coworker, Rayne Alexander, through the car’s Bluetooth system.

“It’s over already?” Rayne’s voice boomed.

“No more matchmaking. Promise me!” Serenity pointed as if Rayne were right in front of her.

“Ha!” Rayne’s laugh was boisterous. “That bad, huh?”

“Yes!” Serenity said, rolling her eyes.

“De-tails!”

“Mark Stapleton is quite fond of Mark Stapleton. This arrogant man invited himself to my house so he could show me what a great lover he could be. I’ve known him for what—” she looked at the clock on the dashboard “—three hours. Ugh!”

“No!”

“Oh, yes!”

“What did you say?”

“I let my tires do the talking.”

“What a pig!”

“Great minds...” Serenity realized she was speeding. Both her driving and her heart rate were accelerated. “And his love for himself is unnatural. In that short amount of time, I already know which name brands fit him best. He drives a Range Rover that he bought all-cash. He’s the best engineer his company has seen in decades. His employers didn’t actually say it, but that’s what he believes and felt compelled to share with me. That man’s arrogance is off the charts. When I told him I had to go home because of early appointments, he was clearly annoyed. You should have seen his face twist when he thought I had kids. Let’s just say we’re not compatible.”

“Shame! He’s so damn good-looking!”

“I won’t deny that. But I need more than a gorgeous face. How about a man that I can actually hold a conversation with, one who’s willing to hear what I have to say and doesn’t expect me to have sex with him on the first date? I have a feeling that if I had met Mark before I lost all the weight, he wouldn’t have given me a first look.”

“You were beautiful then, and you’re beautiful now.”

“Of course,” she said, chuckling.

Several moments of silence passed between them.

“Are you upset that it didn’t work out?”

Serenity could detect the caution in Rayne’s question. “Nah.” She waved off Rayne’s concern virtually. “You know my schedule is nuts. I’m trying to spend any extra time I have working off these last ten pounds.” Serenity threw her head back and grunted. “These suckers are clinging to me like a leech.”

Serenity talked with Rayne until she reached home. Their conversation turned from Mark to weekend plans to Rayne’s upcoming engagement party.

“Hey!” Serenity perked up at Rayne’s sudden excitement. “I could introduce you to one of Ethan’s friends at the party.”

“Rayne, no!” Serenity laughed as she pulled into her apartment complex. “Conversation over, lady. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.” Serenity cut off Rayne’s snicker by ending the call.

Rolling to a stop in her designated parking spot, Serenity shut the ignition off and flopped against the back of her seat. Reflecting on the horrible date, she thought about what characteristics she’d actually like in a man. She didn’t mind confidence and ambition. In fact, she found those traits rather attractive, but intelligence combined with a little humility and compassion made for a winning combination. She didn’t require a male supermodel. More important than anything was honesty. After uncovering a few lies her ex-boyfriend, Jason Ruffin, had told, which he had labeled as misunderstandings, she felt compelled to add that to the list of must-haves in a relationship.

Casting those thoughts aside, Serenity climbed out of the car and made her way to her apartment. Closing the door behind her, she looked around, treasuring the coziness of her space. The decor was personal, reflecting the things she loved—music, art and kids. The living room had an energetic feel, with instruments propped on floating shelves, mix-matched yet eclectic furnishings stylishly pulled together. Every item held significance. Warmth radiated there.

She’d been alone for a while now—a little over a year. Not lonely, just alone. For the first time in a long while, she wondered what it would be like to carve out space in her life for a man.

Chapter 2

Christian Chandler sailed through The Reserve wine bar and headed toward the back offices, taking in the tempo of the jazz music that flowed through the sound system. Inside his office, he tossed his car keys on the desk, one of three in the rectangular room. The other belonged to his partners, Kent Adams and Raymond Gray. Chris looked at his watch. Kent would be walking in any moment, but Ray would be late as usual.

Picking up a pile of mail, Chris sorted through it absentmindedly, as the music faded into the background. Last night’s date moved to the forefront of his thoughts. He wished it had gone better. He was sure the curvaceous beauty had a lot going for her, but the only thing he remembered being on display were her voluptuous boobs. He’d grown enough in his years since grad school to desire more than just a set of impressive curves. The old Chris would have continued dating her, but recently he found himself wanting something different.

Chris placed the mail back on the desk, when their restaurant manager knocked on the door. Sitting down, he called for her to come in.

“Hey, babycakes.” Trina was also the establishment’s equal-opportunity flirt. Her tall, shapely frame made it easy for men to receive her harmless advances. She always had an ego-enhancing compliment handy. “How’s it going?” Trina sat on the edge of his desk.

“Pretty good. What about you?”

“Just marvelous. I’d be even better had my date ended well last night.”

“You too? That seems to be going around.”

Trina rolled her eyes. “It’s getting harder to find good ones these days. I’m glad Ray found someone that he seems to adore. You and Kent are the last two great catches standing. Too bad I don’t date my bosses.” Her snicker made Chris laugh. “Anyway, I didn’t come to complain about my dating misadventures. A gentleman stopped by to ask about playing a live set. He’s a violinist.”

Chris narrowed his eyes.

“I know. I told him that we focus on jazz, but then he whipped out his instrument...” Trina paused and let the innuendo hang in the air. She smirked, obviously amused with herself, and then continued. “His violin, that is,” she said, winking. “He proceeded to play the most beautiful rendition of the latest release of that hot new R&B artist, Champagne. I had him leave his contact information and then looked him up online.” Trina handed Chris the musician’s card. “He’s a-mazing!” Her eyes rolled back, emphasizing her appreciation for the man’s work. “He’s pretty popular for his creative renditions of songs, from pop to jazz to classical. I’d love to have him come in and give us a preview, but I wanted to run it by you guys first.”

Nodding his head, Chris turned the card between his fingers. “Thanks. Set it up. How’s everything else?”

“Outstanding! Also, I received another call from that magazine editor. She’s scheduling interviews and photo shoots with the honorees and wanted to get the three of you on her calendar.”

“Really!” Chris’s brows lifted, and a smile swept across his face. “Check with Kent and Ray, and let’s settle on a date soon.”

“Cool. You deserve the recognition. You three are doing a great job at making The Reserve a hot spot. It happened so fast.”

“Thanks, Trina!” He grinned with a modest amount of pride.

Tilting her head, Trina gave Chris a delightful smile. “Seriously. I’m very proud of you guys.” She patted his hand. “And I’m happy to be a part of the team.”

“You are part of this. Thanks for all you do.”

“You’re welcome, babycakes. See you at the staff meeting. This girl has some real work to do. I can’t just stand around being pretty.” She blew a kiss as she left the office.

Things were going well for Chris—the family business, their foundation and this fairly new venture with his longtime friends. Every area of his life seemed to be thriving with a flowing momentum. Dating was the only aspect that was still uncertain. Recently he hadn’t met women he was interested in seeing beyond the first few dates. His access to beautiful ladies was still plentiful, but lately most seemed interested in his pedigree. He was over women who wanted him to be attached to the Chandler legacy. Something was changing, and Chris wasn’t sure if it was the women or him.

Ray entered their office with the force of a hurricane. “What’s up?” His energy charged the room.

“You’re here early,” Kent kidded, walking in behind him.

“It’s three o’clock.” Ray’s brows furrowed.

“Yeah. On time is early for you!” Chris jumped in on the joke, sharing a laugh with Kent.

“Ha!” Ray clapped his hands. “Let’s get this party started.” He removed his suit jacket, tossed it on the back of his chair and sat down with his feet up on the desk.

Kent plopped in his chair and swiveled to face Ray. “You seem happy. What’s good?”

“Everything!”

Chris laughed, shaking his head. “How’s Brynn?”

Ray’s smile nearly split his face at the mention of his girlfriend’s name. “Brynn’s good. I just left her.”

“I still can’t believe you two met online. I’ve always been skeptical of that.” Chris shrugged, reaching for a notepad.

“Me too, man,” Kent agreed.

“I was too, until I found Brynn. I can’t believe our paths never crossed before—especially after discovering that we knew so many of the same people. I keep telling you guys to give this online thing a try.”

“Maybe I should!” Chris said jokingly. “Do you think it would stop my mother from trying to hook me up with her friends’ daughters?”

“Dates chosen by mothers never work out well.” Kent chuckled.

“Try it. What can it hurt?” Ray asked.

“It’s just not for me.” Chris sucked air through his teeth.

“Sounds to me like regular dating isn’t working out so well either.”

“Very funny, Ray!”

“He’s got a point, Chris. We’re the ones who are still single.”

“By choice,” Chris said pointedly, with a lifted index finger.

“Exactly! That’s because you’ve already dated most of the women you know, player!” Kent howled. “Save some for the rest of us, man.”

Laughing, Kent offered Ray a high five.

“I can’t help it if I’m in demand.” Chris gave his collar a smug tug.

Kent and Ray looked at each other and burst into laughter once again. Chris couldn’t help but join them. The irony was evident. As eligible a bachelor as he was, his options were narrowing.

“You may have a point, Ray. Maybe it’s time for Chris and me to look outside our usual circles. This can be a way to meet new women. It’s not as creepy as it used to be. Some pretty decent relationships started online—like yours.”

“See? It’s not so bad, Chris. Brynn isn’t crazy at all.” Ray’s comment generated another round of laughs.

“Trina said Eclipse magazine called. The editor wants to set up an interview.” Chris was happy to change the subject. He had too many reservations about this online thing, and he also had a reputation—no, a legacy—to protect.

What would a Chandler look like, searching for a mate online? He didn’t express his thoughts aloud in order not to offend Ray. Chris, Ray and Kent had been close friends since high school. Finding beautiful women to date had never been an issue for any of them, so when Ray said that he was trying the online thing, Chris and Kent were shocked. They teased Ray through the entire process but shut their mouths when he introduced them to Brynn. Not only was she beautiful but also grounded, intelligent and apparently completely sane. Kent asked if she had a sister, cousin or mother that he could date. After that, Kent was open to online dating, but Chris still had his reservations.