Risky Business. Jane Sullivan

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      “What in the hell are you doing here?”

      Jack folded his arms over his chest. “Sheer accident. I’m in town on business, and who do I see getting into a cab? The woman who walked out on me six months ago without so much as a goodbye. And now, for some reason, everyone thinks I’m your…husband?”

      Rachel squeezed her eyes shut. “Please, Jack. Will you just go?”

      “Oh, no. If you’re going to pass me off as your husband, I’ve got a right to know why.”

      “It was a harmless little…ruse. That’s all.”

      He eyed her carefully. “Why me?”

      She turned away. “The picture was handy.”

      “Is that the only reason?”

      “What other reason would there be?”

      Jack gave her a cocky grin. “I’m unforgettable?”

      Rachel shot him a look of disgust. Oh, he was so arrogant. And so conceited. And so right.

      Dear Reader,

      I’ve always loved those crazy stories where somebody tells a tiny fib, only to have that little falsehood escalate into a problem of major proportions!

      In Risky Business, architect Rachel Westover is desperate to land her dream job, but the big boss refuses to consider unmarried job candidates. She decides that Jack Kellerman, a fun, sexy, captivating man with whom she once had a scorching one-night affair, can become her imaginary husband, since he lives a thousand miles away and will never know. She gets the job. Her plans works perfectly.

      Then, out of the blue, Jack shows up at her office, quite amused that he appears to be married but can’t seem to remember his wedding.

      When everybody takes Jack to be her real husband, Rachel is forced to spend four days with him on an employee/spouse retreat at a romantic ski resort. Soon her one little fib has spiraled completely out of control. How can she, a serious, career-driven woman, be falling for a wildly spontaneous man who never takes anything seriously?

      I hope you enjoy Risky Business. Visit me on the Web at www.janesullivan.com, or write to me at [email protected]. I’d love to hear from you!

      Best wishes,

      Jane Sullivan

      Books by Jane Sullivan

      HARLEQUIN TEMPTATION

      854—ONE HOT TEXAN

      HARLEQUIN DUETS

      48—THE MATCHMAKER’S MISTAKE

      33—STRAY HEARTS

      Risky Business

      Jane Sullivan

       www.millsandboon.co.uk

      To my sister Mary Ann, my most enthusiastic fan.

      Thanks for loving my books, and for telling everyone else on the planet that they will, too.

      Contents

       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

      1

      JACK KELLERMAN WAS A BORN optimist.

      He couldn’t remember a time in his life when he hadn’t believed that the glass was half-full. That when a door closed, a window opened. That things always worked out for the best, that tomorrow was another day, and that life really was a bowl of cherries. And above all, that laughter was indeed the best medicine.

      But even at his most positive, no way could he have predicted a day like today.

      He’d caught an early morning flight from San Antonio to Denver. Nonstop. Arrived ten minutes early. Actual breakfast on the plane rather than a package of stale dry-roasted peanuts. Sat down next to a woman with a baby, and the child fell asleep when they took off and didn’t even wake when they landed. Gorgeous redhead from San Antonio in the seat to his left, literate, well-spoken and maybe even telling the truth when she said she was unmarried. She’d slipped her card into the pocket of his leather jacket as they got off the plane, giving him a smile that said, Anywhere, anytime, any way.

      As he exited the terminal, he got a picture-postcard view of the snowcapped Rocky Mountains in the distance. He picked up a cab with a functioning heater. The driver, who actually spoke English, drove him into downtown Denver, where a light sprinkling of snow blanketed the sidewalks with a soft white powder.

      And now, as Jack stood inside the lobby of the Fairfax Hotel, turning a slow circle and taking in every nuance of the late-nineteenth-century architecture and decor, he couldn’t help smiling. He’d wondered whether this trip would be worth it. He wasn’t wondering now.

      Man, oh man, what a beautiful sight.

      He checked his watch and saw that he was thirty minutes early for his appointment with the hotel manager. He stepped into the lounge, slid onto a stool at the bar and watched as a blonde sitting at the other end of the bar uncrossed her legs, then crossed them again, giving him an inviting smile.

      Nice. Very nice.

      The only thing that rivaled Jack’s passion for historic places was his passion for beautiful women. And right now, he was experiencing the best of both worlds.

      He returned her smile, knowing it never hurt to plant seeds. If she was still here by the time the manager finished giving him a tour of the place, he might just have himself a lunch partner. Maybe more. If this day got any better he wasn’t going to be able to stand it.

      But business first. Then pleasure.

      The bartender came by, and Jack asked for a cup of coffee. Then he pulled out his cell phone, tapped number one on the speed dial, and after a few rings, Tom came on the line. His cousin and business partner, Tom was holding down the fort in San Antonio while he made the trip to Denver.

      “You