Californian Kings. Maureen Child

family wasn’t what she’d expected. Hardworking ranchers. Marines. And apparently they were all so close that it felt natural for Jesse to hang family photos in his office.

      She envied him that connection. That solid base with so much family. Lives intertwined, bonds strengthened by years of love. What must it be like, she wondered, to have so much? To know that it was simply there whenever you needed it?

      “Bella? You okay?”

      “Yes,” she said and looked at him. His blue eyes were narrowed on her and he was watching her as a soldier might keep a wary eye on a live grenade. “You just…surprised me, that’s all.”

      “Why? Because I have a family?”

      “No, because you love them so much.”

      “It surprises you to know that I love my family?” His features were as taut as his voice.

      “You just never seemed…” She broke off, shook her head and said, “Never mind. It was nothing.”

      “Uh-huh,” he said, moving in closer to her. “Well, if these pictures impressed you, you should know I have more.”

      She laughed shortly. “More?”

      “Lots more pictures of everyone at home,” he said, smiling again. “I ran out of wall space in here.”

      “This isn’t fair,” she said, looking from him to all the photos.

      “What?”

      “I thought I had you pegged,” she admitted. “A modern-day robber baron stomping his way through life, taking what he wanted and making no apologies.”

      “You weren’t completely wrong,” he said, “I do go after what I want and I don’t let anybody stop me.” He moved in even closer until all that separated them was an inch or two of space and Bella’s own firm resolve.

      Which was weakening, darn it.

      She felt the heat of him sliding off his body, reaching for her, and it was so tempting to stand her ground, let him close that last inch or two of space so she could feel his tall, lean body pressed against her. Her memories of their one night together were still so vivid, it was all she could do to keep from flinging herself at him. But if she did that, then she’d be lost and she knew it. So she did the only thing she could. She stepped back—mentally and physically.

      He sighed. “You don’t have to be afraid of me, Bella.”

      “I’m not. Afraid I mean. Just…cautious.”

      “Cautious is okay,” he allowed, giving her a small, wicked smile. “It just means that you take your time. But once you’re sure of your footing, you’ll move ahead.”

      She knew what he was talking about. There wasn’t much subtext there. He wanted her. And oh God, she wanted him, too. But she’d wanted him three years ago, too. And what had that gotten her? One night of glory and three years of misery. Was she really ready to set herself up for that kind of pain again?

      Jesse King wasn’t the “forever” kind of guy. Bella wasn’t the “temporary” kind of girl. So never the twain should meet.

      “Why don’t you go to dinner with me?”

      “What?” Okay, that offer had come out of nowhere.

      “Dinner,” he repeated. “Usually considered the last meal of the day?”

      His smile really was a weapon all its own. At least, for her, it was. “I don’t know if that’s a good idea.”

      “It’s a great idea,” he said, and closed the distance separating them again. “Look, you’ve been on a tour of the business. You’ve seen for yourself that the place isn’t a sweatshop. Happy, well-paid employees, I must be a halfway decent boss, yes?”

      “Yes…”

      “And I’m not that hard to spend time with, am I?”

      “No…”

      “So we have a meal. We talk. We…”

      “Jesse, I’m still not going to sell my business to you.”

      He cut her off, laid both hands on her shoulders and she felt the heat of his skin seeping through the fabric of her shirt and down, deep into her bones.

      “I’m not talking about the business right now. I want you, Bella. I’ve wanted you for three years.” His gaze moved over her like a warm caress. “Hell, I’ve dreamed of you for three years. You want me, too. I can feel it every time we’re together.”

      “I don’t always do what I want,” she told him, and kept thinking, Strong, Bella. Be tough. Be strong. Don’t give in. Unfortunately, her body wasn’t listening.

      “You should,” he said with a quick grin. “But that’s a talk for another time. Right now, I’ve got a deal for you.”

      Uh-oh. Making deals with a man who refused to lose could never be considered a good idea. Warily, she asked, “What kind of deal?”

      “A simple one. Perfect for both of us.” He stroked his palms up and down her arms and the friction he caused was enough to kindle a sort of sweeping wildfire that began licking at her insides. “You think you know me, right?”

      “All too well,” she said.

      He nodded. “Well, I think you’re wrong and I’m willing to bet on it. If I manage to show you something about me that truly shocks you, we have sex. Again.”

      That one, three-letter word—sex—conjured up so many different emotions and needs, she could hardly draw a breath for the strangling effect on her lungs. “Now just a minute—”

      “Come on, Bella. You’ve said yourself that you know exactly what kind of guy I am.”

      “Yes, but—” She waved a hand at the wall of family photos. “You’ve already surprised me there.”

      “Because I love my family,” he said, as if he still couldn’t believe that. “But I’m not talking about a surprise. I’m talking about shock. If I can really shock you, you have sex with me. Again.”

      “Stop saying again.”

      He grinned. “No reason to pretend you’re insulted or anything,” he pointed out a second later. “We’ve already had each other once. I’m just saying, it’d be nice to have each other again.”

      “You’re doing that on purpose. Reminding me.”

      “Damn straight. Is it working?”

      Yes, she almost shrieked. She was so out of her element here, Bella thought. Jesse King was a Major League Flirter. He could play this game in his sleep—probably did—where Bella was just lost. She didn’t do the flirting thing. She was much more the honesty-is-the-best-policy type. Which probably explained the dearth of dates in her life.

      Taking a deep breath, she met his gaze squarely, determined not to let him see just how rattled she actually was. But he’d know how crazy he was making her if she were too afraid to accept his deal, wouldn’t he? She gave an inward sigh. “This deal. I know what happens if I lose. What do I get if I win?”

      One eyebrow lifted and his mouth curved into a smile. “If I fail to shock you completely—and you’ve got to be honest—then I’ll quit bugging you about buying your business.”

      Well. She hadn’t expected that. This was too easy, Bella thought, watching him as he stood there staring at her with a smug smirk on his face. Clearly, he believed he would win this bet easily. But then, that was a part of who he was, wasn’t it?

      Hadn’t he just told her that Kings never expect to lose?

      And how satisfying would it be for her to knock him off his feet, so to speak? To beat him at the very deal