Jack nodded to his sister, who was poised to hit the record button on her phone. When he reached the stage, he said thank you, and took the microphone.

  “It’s a pleasure to be here, and an honor to be able to contribute and give back. When my sister and I started this company several years ago, we had a simple mission—bring pleasure to people. Bring happiness to people. Make them feel good. I’ve learned a lot running it. I’ve had some amazing times, and I’d like to think we’ve done some good things, and brought many orgasms to women everywhere. Some men tell me I have the best job in the world. They’re right,” he said, and took a beat to look out at the sea of faces—employees, donors, charity supporters and many more.

  The hall was packed with women in evening dresses and men in tuxes, who stood for the same things, who wanted the same things—a world with more pleasure, less pain. The lights in the ballroom were bright, and he took a moment to imprint this scene in his memory, even though his sister was capturing it all on camera. He’d remember the din of the plates being cleared, the sound of footsteps from the waiters circulating, the rustle of fabric as women crossed and uncrossed their legs, waiting for him to say more.

  “I do have the best job in the world. But it’s also not everything, and as of now,” he said, stopping to look at his watch, “I did have the best job in the world. Now I have something else that I want more, so I’m announcing tonight that I’m stepping down as CEO of Joy Delivered. My sister, Casey, will be taking over. She’s already the brains and the beauty and the heart behind this company. I trust you’ll all be in good hands.” He gestured to his sister, who was beaming and crying happily as she held up her phone.

  “Come up here and say your first words as CEO,” he said.

  She walked up the steps, and he walked down, and they stopped to hug along the way.

  “I’ll send it in fifteen minutes,” she whispered.

  “Thank you.”

  He loosened his bow tie, and walked out the back door of the ballroom, quickly racing to the front door to hail a cab. He stopped at his home first to pick up something he needed, then headed back to Murray Hill for Michelle. All the problems she’d encountered had come from his job. All the trouble she’d suffered, the losses, and the collateral damage had been because of him. He could do this one thing for her.

  * * *

  The flashing light on her phone made her flinch. A knee-jerk reaction, and one she didn’t know she’d get over anytime soon. Most messages were friendly, but Michelle didn’t know that she’d ever look at email, or texts, or her phone as anything but a potential point of violation again.

  Davis raised his eyebrows as if to say, Is everything okay? She was at Speakeasy with him and Jill, who was in town for only a few days before she had to return to London for the opening night of her play. Julia was behind the bar, and Clay was here too, chatting with his wife as she poured a drink for Sutton. Nearly all her friends were here, and she was glad to be surrounded by the familiar. They were all part of why she was completely content with her choice to stay. She had friends, she had family, she had love. She was a lucky woman, indeed.

  Her wish in this moment was simple—that this note on her phone be from a friend, not a foe. When she saw Jack’s sister’s name on the email, she felt a sense of relief. She opened the note.

  Jack wants you to see this. I think you’ll like it.

  Her curiosity took over and she clicked on the link for the video, hitting play. It was all of fifty-three seconds, but by the end tears were streaming down her face, and her hand was on her mouth, and her shoulders were shaking. She didn’t know what to do next. Was she supposed to find him? Was he going to call her? And was this really, truly all for her?

  “What is it?” her brother asked as she wiped a streak of tears from her cheek. He stood up and moved closer. “Are you okay?”

  “I’m more than okay,” she managed to say, and thrust the phone at him, hitting play on the clip. She watched Jack’s speech again, and she watched her brother’s reaction, thrilling at the way his blue eyes shifted from inquisitive to delighted.

  “I told you, you should take the job,” he said playfully, then tapped the screen. “He’s calling.”

  He handed her the phone. With shaky hands, she answered it. “Hello?” she squeaked out.

  “It’s me. I’m at your apartment, but it doesn’t seem that you’re here.”

  “I’m at Speakeasy. It’s nearby,” she said, giving him the address.

  As she waited, her phone was passed around, and then Sutton threw her arms around her in a hug, Jill bestowed a kiss on the cheek, Julia toasted happily, and Clay beamed. But they weren’t the ones she was dying to see. She couldn’t take her eyes off the door. Every time she heard it open, she swiveled around, hunting for him. These five minutes were the longest of her life.

  Soon enough, the most beautiful sight greeted her. Jack, entering Speakeasy, and walking towards her with the biggest grin she’d ever seen on his beautiful face.

  He took long strides to reach her, his eyes on her, only her.

  “I didn’t expect to see you so soon. It’s only been an hour,” she said.

  “It seems I have a lot of free time now,” he said. He dipped his hand into the pocket of his jacket and took out a small gift, handing it to her.

  She unwrapped it to find a sapphire-blue perfume bottle. She gasped when she saw it.

  “You said there was one you wanted, but when you went to get it the shop was closed. It was closed too when I went back that day I found you in the Gardens. But I returned again the next day and bought one for you. I hope it’s like the one you had your sights set on.”

  “It’s gorgeous,” she said, cradling the small and elegant bottle.

  “Beauty for beauty’s sake. Love for love’s sake,” he said. “I was looking for the right time to give it to you. This seemed to be the right time.”

  “Did you really resign?”

  He nodded. “I want you to go to Paris. I want you to take the job.” He reached for her hand, clasping it tenderly.

  “You do?”

  “Yes. More than anything. Well, there is something else I want.”

  “What is it?” She didn’t want to assume anything. She wanted to hear it all from him.

  “What would you think about taking me with you? I’m no longer the CEO of a sex toy company. I’m just a man in love with a woman, and willing to go anywhere for her.”

  Her heart flew out of her chest. It soared on new wings, flying with radiant joy and happiness. She’d never expected to feel this way. She’d never expected a love like this. And she’d never imagined that a man would give up his business to be with her.

  “You gave up your business?”

  He nodded. “My business caused all the trouble. You could barely do your job here, given the job I had. I want you to have a private life, not just a public one. So I gave up my job to be with you, and you’re worth it, because you’ve given me everything. You’ve given me love. I didn’t even know that I could love, and now I know I can. Because of you. I just hope you don’t mind dating an unemployed man.”

  She laughed, and shook her head. “What are you going to do in Paris?”

  “Love you,” he said, confidently. “Take me with you. You haven’t said yes to me yet. You’re toying with me, right?” he asked, the corner of his lips quirking up in a smile.

  “I’m not teasing you. I’m just shocked. I didn’t think you’d make this kind of choice. Isn’t it an impossible choice?”

  He shook his head. “It’s not an impossible choice. It’s the only choice.”

  She felt as if she were dreaming. As if this moment was going to slip away through her fingers. She wanted to grasp it forever, to hold onto it for the rest of her life so she’d never forget how she felt.

  “You still haven’t told me if you want me to go with you,” he said, reminding her. Then, only then, did she look away from him to take in the scene unfolding before her. All her friends, her family, her brother, the man she once loved, they were all here, and they were all watching her and Jack. Everyone was waiting for her answer. They were all witnesses to her incandescent happiness.

  She turned to Jack. She gripped his hand tighter, pulled him closer, never wanting to let go. “Come with me to Paris.”

  EPILOGUE

  Lovely Rain

  Life wasn’t entirely perfect in Paris.

  Some days, for instance, it rained.

  Oh, wait. That wasn’t a bad thing. Even the rain in Paris was lovely. Especially the rain in Paris was lovely.

  While Michelle had missed her brother, she’d met him in London a few months ago, when Jill had performed in A Streetcar Named Desire. Jack had joined her. His schedule was much lighter these days.

  But it was starting to fill up. After a few months enjoying being a man of leisure, drinking espressos, and shopping for lingerie for her while she worked, he’d started up a new business.

  He’d begun advising several French companies, some specializing in lingerie, some in sex toys, on entering the American market and the particular challenges and opportunities across the pond. It was a perfect job for his strategic brain.

  They lived in the 6th arrondissement, not far from her work, in a flat above a leather handbag store and a macaroon shop. Joy Delivered was thriving back home, thanks in part to its continued business online and in stores with its biggest customer, Eden. The premiere vibrator boutique in New York had remained open and so had the BDSM clubs, thanks to Denkler winning the campaign on the power of a positive message. In some ways, the campaign wasn’t even about the candidate.

  It was about pleasure being more powerful than politics.

  It was about what happened behind closed doors being personal, and private, and not public at all.

  It was about doing good for a neighborhood.

  The law was a powerful thing too, though, and Michelle had a smart lawyer friend who’d tipped off the federal government about the phone hacking. Nick Bradshaw had been investigated for computer crimes. What he’d done to Michelle was only a misdemeanor, but it wasn’t his first time, and it turned out he had quite a sordid history of underhanded tactics in his arsenal as the Spin Doctor.

  So many that he’d been sent to prison.

  Michelle hoped he’d have a hell of a hard time spinning his jail time.

  One Tuesday morning in April, after a phone session with Shayla, who’d left her husband and was managing better than she’d thought she would on her own, Michelle caught a train to Giverny. Jack had been working in the countryside today, advising a wealthy client in Rouen, so they were meeting in the middle, and had nothing planned but lunch at a cafe in the quiet village where Monet had painted.

  When she arrived, she didn’t see him at the entrance. She checked her phone and saw he’d sent a message that he was already inside and to come find him on the bridge.

  She meandered through the gardens where ruby red, sky blue, and sun yellow petals were in bloom. Spring had coasted into Giverny, bringing along a blanket of new colors. The lily pond waters were blue and glassy, reflecting the last bit of midday sun before the gray clouds at the edge of the sky blocked it. Soon she spotted Jack on the bridge, one arm resting on the railing, the other in his pocket.

  “Fancy meeting you here,” she said, and dropped a quick kiss on his lips. She’d never grown tired of kissing him. She never would.

  “Thank you for meeting me here. I’m a lucky man to be able to play hooky with you. Do you want to walk around the gardens?”

  “I would love to.”

  “Oh wait,” he said, smacking his forehead. “There’s something I meant to ask you.”

  She cocked her head to the side. “What is it?”

  He dropped down to one knee, and her mouth fell open. His eyes met hers, blazing with love and passion.

  “Michelle, it only seems fitting to ask you this here, since this is your favorite place in Paris that’s not in Paris, and it’s my favorite place, too. Because it’s the place where I was finally able to tell you over and over how much I love you. And ever since that day I haven’t been able to stop saying it. Because I feel it everywhere. In every part of me.”

  Her hand flew to her heart. A tear of joy slid down to her cheek as he reached into his pocket and removed a small black box. “I do too,” she whispered.

  “I’ve always asked you to give yourself to me. And you have. Before I even deserved it. And I hope to keep deserving it, every day for the rest of our lives. And I want to ask you if you can give me one more thing. You. Always. Will you be my wife?”

  She dropped down to both knees and threw her arms around him, joy flowing through her bloodstream. “Yes. I’m yours. Always.”

  “Always is a very long time, and it’s exactly how long I want you,” he said, then slid a beautiful diamond onto her finger, and kissed her endlessly on the bridge. He didn’t even stop when it started to rain.

  Yes, come to think of it, there wasn’t a single thing wrong with Paris, or France. Not even the rain. The rain was wonderful too.

  THE END

  Thank you so much for reading Jack and Michelle’s sexy love story. I had so much fun writing about them, and I hope you enjoyed their journey! I have more planned in the Seductive Nights series and would love to hear from you about which characters you want to read about – Brent, or Casey, or Nate, or someone else! Leave a message on my Facebook wall! Be sure to join my newsletter list so you can be the first to know about new books, preorder promos, and special deals. I’ll send you an email when my next title is available, including Sweet, Sinful Nights in the Seductive Nights Series in early 2015, and 21 Kisses in the Wrapped Up in Love series. Click here to sign up for my newsletter.

  Turn the page for a chance to win a night at a Ritz Carlton hotel near you!

  Be Seduced Quiz!

  You’ve been along for the Julia and Clay ride through poker, pearls and balconies, and you’ve spent time with Jack Sex Toy Mogul Sullivan, so let’s see how well you know your Seductive Nights characters! Act fast! This contest is only available through Saturday November 15th and most of the questions will focus on Nights With Him so make sure you’ve read Jack and Michelle’s story. Everyone who takes the quiz will be automatically entered to win a night at the Ritz Carlton! Click here to take the quiz and be entered.

  • Grand Prize: $500 gift card to the Ritz Carlton and $100 gift card for a Lelo product (maker of fabulous sex toys)

  • Second Prize: $50 gift card to the book retailer of your choice

  • Third Prize: $50 gift card to the book retailer of your choice

  You don’t need to answer all the questions correctly but you do need to enter answers to be eligible. Please note: If you are the winner and there is no Ritz Carlton near you, you may opt to receive a $500 gift card to any Marriott property, or Marriott-owned hotel.

  Check out my contemporary romance novels!

  The New York Times and USA Today

  Bestselling Seductive Nights series including

  Night After Night, After This Night,

  and One More Night

  Caught Up In Us, a New York Times and

  USA Today Bestseller! (Kat and Bryan’s romance!)

  Pretending He’s Mine, a Barnes & Noble and

  iBooks Bestseller! (Reeve & Sutton’s romance)

  Trophy Husband, a New York Times and

  USA Today Bestseller! (Chris & McKenna’s romance)

  Playing With Her Heart, a

  USA Today bestseller! (Davis and Jill’s romance)

  Far Too Tempting, an Amazon

  romance bestseller! (Matthew and Jane’s romance)

  Stars in Their Eyes, an iBooks bestseller and

  the start of the new adult series Wrapped Up In Love!

  (William and Jess’ romance)

  My USA Today bestselling

  No Regrets series that includes

  The Thrill of It

  (Meet Harley and Trey)

  and its sequel

  Every Second With You

  My New York Times and USA Today

  Bestselling Fighting Fire series that includes

  Burn For Me,

  (Smith and Jamie’s romance!)

  and Melt for Him

  (Megan and Becker’s romance!)

  Coming Soon!

  Stay tuned for Sweet, Sinful Nights in the Seductive Nights series in early 2015! Here’s a teaser...

  “And that’s why you should never shave your own balls.”

  Laughter rang out across the club as Brent Nichols delivered the punchline to one of his final jokes of the evening. There was no better sound than this. Than the crowd unable to stop laughing. Than the pause he had to take as he paced across the stage of the comedy club in Vegas, giving them time to come down from the temporary high of a joke well told.

  He lifted the microphone back to his mouth, ready to move into the last few bits in his act, when he zeroed in on a blond at the back table.

  At first, he was sure he was seeing things, and conjuring up a far-too familiar face. One who had tripped through his dreams far too many times. One he’d tried to banish over and over. He blinked but she was still here, her hair a wild, wavy tumble, her lips so full and soft, her blue eyes fixed on him with that knowing, naughty stare, her body even better than before.

  Curvier, sexier. Wilder.

  His breath fled. His heart stopped. He hadn’t seen her in years. But here she was, in his club, on his turf.

  She was the one that got away.

  EXCERPT OF

  PLAYING WITH HER HEART

  Dear Readers: Now that you’ve met Michelle’s brother Davis, I hope you’ll check out his love story! He falls in love with an actress in Playing With Her Heart, a USA Today Bestseller that’s available across all retailers. Here’s an excerpt.

  Xoxo

  Lauren

  “I’m going to ask a lot of you, Jill. I have ridiculously high expectations for the show, and everyone has to meet them, and that includes the understudy for the leading role.”