Chapter 1
Midnight, New Year’s Eve, Amesport, Maine, 2014
Hope Sinclair desperately tried to draw her eyes away from the most attractive man she’d ever seen, and failed miserably. She knew him, had known him for most of her childhood, but she wasn’t a child anymore, and sweet Jesus!—neither was he.
Dammit. I have to stop staring at him. I’ll look in another direction in just a minute. I will. I will stop drooling over him.
Still, her eyes stayed riveted on Jason Sutherland, unable to pull her gaze away from the most breathtaking man on the planet. Hope tried to be subtle by taking a sip of champagne while she stared, but she was fairly certain her lust was pretty obvious. He was enthralling when he sported a pair of ripped jeans and t-shirt. In a tux at a New Year’s Eve party, he was overwhelmingly beautiful, heart-stopping— in a very male, unconsciously seductive kind of way. It wasn’t just his gorgeous face and ripped body that made women stare; it was the entire package. Every action, every word that came out of his mouth exuded confidence, a bold masculinity that no woman could seem to resist. His expression was predatory and cautious as he conversed with another man at the party, no sign of the sweet, genuine smile she knew he was capable of flashing. Obviously, he wasn’t talking to someone he knew; it was probably someone who wanted something from him, like most people generally did.
Her breath caught as she watched him nod his head abruptly at the man and stroll over to her brother, Dante. His expression morphed, changed into the charming man that she knew Jason could be. He slapped Dante on the back and gave her brother a genuine smile; his eyes warmed as he appeared to joke around with Dante.
The many faces of Jason Sutherland.
She sighed, and finally ripped her gaze away from Jason, wonder- ing how many people actually knew the man beneath the billionaire exterior. Hope hadn’t seen Jason often in the last several years, but he couldn’t have changed that much.
Hope had decided long ago that she adored Jason. She had wanted to marry him at the tender age of seven, and her feelings hadn’t changed much over the last nineteen years—except for maybe the wanting to get married part. Oh yeah, and the lust part which had popped up suddenly when she’d seen him at eighteen. Now, at the age of twenty-six, she still thought he was the most devastatingly handsome, dangerous man she’d ever seen.
Granted, Jason wasn’t slaying her dragons for her anymore. He wasn’t stopping the bullies who’d picked on her in grade school because her hair was just a little too red, her freckles a little too noticeable, and she was just a little too awkward to fit into the popular crowd of kids at school. Back then, Jason had been larger than life to her: her older, wiser twelve-year-old superhero who came to her rescue any time she needed him. And one of the things she had adored most about Jason? He had never, ever told her older brothers about any of those humiliating experiences. The guy could definitely keep a secret. As close as he’d been to her brothers back then, Jason never divulged any information to Grady, Dante, Jared, or Evan if she’d asked him not to tell. If Jason had let her brothers know what had happened at the snobby, private grade school she’d been forced to attend at the time, her brothers would have gotten involved, and they would have ended up in trouble. Adding more strife to her brothers’ lives back then would have just given her alcoholic, abusive father more reason to create chaos—not that her constantly angry parent had ever really needed a reason. Still, Hope hadn’t wanted to rock a boat that was already sinking. Life in the Sinclair household had been plenty miserable without adding any of her childhood problems to the drama.
Then, when she’d turned twelve, everything had changed. Jason had gone off to college later that year, and she’d been devastated. But like any twelve-year-old girl, she’d eventually gotten over the loss of her idol, seeing Jason only during his brief visits back to Boston. During her teen years, he’d become more of a friend or acquaintance who she saw occasionally, someone who existed only on the fringes of her teenage years. At least…he had, until she’d seen him again at her high school graduation, a day when all thoughts about her childhood icon and casual friend shifted and completely altered the way she felt about Jason forever. He wasn’t a god or a buddy anymore after that day. Nope…her hero-worship had turned into something far more dangerous when Hope had turned eighteen:
Lust!
Mortified at her body’s reaction to seeing him, she’d managed to hide her attraction to him over the years. It hadn’t been that difficult. She rarely saw him, and usually avoided any event that she thought he might attend. She wasn’t always successful, and there were some meetings she couldn’t avoid, but she’d always had a boyfriend, and showing her carnal thoughts about Jason had been an impossibility. He lived in New York, and although she traveled for her crazy lifestyle, New York City was never one of her destinations, so casual encounters didn’t happen because of geography. It was a long way from her home in Colorado to New York City. More often than not, she ended up in the middle of nowhere to pursue her career, definitely
not places where Jason would be on business.
Hope was yanked from her thoughts as the volume of the party grew to a roar.
Five!
Four!
Three!
Two!
One!
The clock struck twelve and the large hall exploded with noise.
Happy New Year!
Hope smiled as she lifted the glass of champagne to her mouth and took a long, slow sip. Grady, her brother, gave his bride-to-be, Emily, one of the most passionate kisses Hope had ever witnessed.
I’m glad I came. It’s so nice to see Grady so happy.
Hope had hesitated over leaving Colorado and coming to Amesport for Grady’s engagement and New Year’s Eve party, even though she owned a second, larger home here. It was a busy time of year for her, she was in a bad state of mind, and all Grady had to do was mention that Jason might be coming, and she’d balked. However, she’d wanted to see all of her brothers, and Grady had been the first brother to fall in love and get engaged. Now, she was grateful she’d taken the time off to come to Amesport. Her brothers were more important than some ridiculously embarrassing attraction she had for Jason. It wasn’t as if she and Jason were enemies. In fact, they were virtually strangers now, though they’d once been friends.
At important times like these, no matter how busy the Sinclair siblings might be, they were all united. Hope had needed to be here. She hated how separated she felt from her siblings because of the way she lived her life; that yawning distance hurt. Being able to witness Grady’s happiness was worth every uncomfortable moment of being in the same room as Jason.
Seeing Grady like this is so worth it.
Grady’s new fiancée was lovely, and Hope flushed with embarrass- ment as she thought about the problems she’d caused between the newly engaged couple. Her brother Jared was a manwhore sometimes and sent unwanted females in Grady’s direction. Hope had rescued Grady several times by calling his house and pretending to be his wife; she’d been bitchy enough to scare every one of them away.
Unfortunately, when Emily had answered Grady’s phone, Hope had mistakenly assumed that Jared had sent another woman in poor Grady’s direction, and she’d played the same part. Problem was, Grady had wanted Emily. Oops! Luckily, Emily had forgiven her, but Hope was still mortified.
One by one, her brothers came over and bussed her on the cheek, and she hugged every one of them tightly while she returned their embraces. Even though they all drove her completely insane with their highhanded older brother attitudes, she loved Evan, Grady, Dante, and Jared with every fiber of her being. If only they weren’t such royal pains in the asses sometimes. Being the only female in the Sinclair family, and the youngest, Hope was completely screwed when it came to protective older brothers. They had constantly bitched about her now ex-boyfriend, James, because he didn’t have a job. To them, anyone less than a successful, wealthy man who worked like a fiend, was a loser unworthy of her.
They’d forget all about James if they knew what else I was doing.
I’d get more than constant lectures.
Her heart ached that she couldn’t and wouldn’t share much of her life with her protective older brothers. It had put a certain distance between them that she’d never wanted, but had created by not sharing much of her life with any of them. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to. She ached to really have them be part of her life. But the price of telling them everything would be way too high.
Hope sighed and took a long swig of her champagne as she thought about her lonely existence. Somehow, her life had turned out way different than she’d imagined when she graduated from high school and had finally gotten free of the home that had been a prison to her.
If I’d only known back then how things would turn out, I might have done things differently.
Now, she wasn’t a prisoner of her critical mother anymore; she was held captive by her own deceit.
Merriment was rampant all around her, everyone ringing in a brand new year. She had a jovial smile on her face, but Hope had never felt more alone.
“Thank God Hope finally dumped the loser boyfriend.” Dante needed to yell to be heard over the loud roar of the partygoers as they cel- ebrated New Year’s.
Jason Sutherland’s head jerked up. His body tensed. “Hope broke up with her boyfriend?”
Dante nodded. “Right before she left Colorado. Asshole. Who breaks up with a woman at the holidays?”
Jason’s fists clenched in reaction. “Did he dump her?”
Dante shrugged. “She didn’t say much. I don’t think she wants to talk about it. I’m just glad he’s finally out of her life.”
Dante’s attention was taken by his brothers, and Jason turned his back on them. His eyes sought and found Hope as she stood alone by the bar and sipped a glass of champagne.
Jesus, she’s beautiful.
His chest ached, which wasn’t unusual when he saw Hope. It had been that way for him since the day he’d seen her at her high school graduation.
I should have stolen her away then.
Every event where he’d seen her after that day had been fucking torture, and this party was no different. He’d finally had to turn around just to keep himself from going to her, stripping her naked and making her his right here and now.
Hope Sinclair was his private obsession, a woman who could change him from a rational thinker to a possessive, compulsive maniac with just one look. She wasn’t trying to be provocative. She didn’t need to. Hope was provocation personified to him, just by standing where he could see her.
And for the first time since he’d seen her at her high school graduation, she was available.
Fuck. That made her totally irresistible.
Jason’s heart squeezed as he watched her: smiling, yet solitary, just like him. He wondered whether she felt as alone, restless, and edgy as he felt right now.
His eyes roamed over her, from her swept-up auburn hair, to her generously curved body, and finally to those sexy stiletto heels that made him have delusions of fucking her as those heels dug into his ass, her calling out his name as she tipped over the edge of a powerful climax.
Shit! I can’t do this anymore.
His fully erect dick jerked with impatience and pushed powerfully at the zipper of his tuxedo pants. Luckily, he wore a jacket so the whole room couldn’t see his secret sexual fixation on a woman who should be taboo for him.
She’s Grady’s little sister.
Jason had been friends with the Sinclairs for as long as he could remember; he’d grown up close to them in a very exclusive neighborhood in Boston. Grady and Dante were very good friends of his, but that alone hadn’t kept his dick in his pants when it came to Hope, although it had been a deterrent. The biggest obstacle had always been her boyfriend. Jason didn’t share, and if he had Hope Sinclair, he’d never be able to tolerate thoughts of another man in her head while he was fucking her. Besides, he knew Hope well enough to know that she wasn’t going to screw him while she was still involved with another guy. Jason had suffered in silence, his deep-seated need for her kept in check—just barely—every time they met.
She’s available. No more boyfriend.
He almost literally felt the stopper on his desire pop free, leaving his body burning to bury himself inside Hope and claim her like a rabid caveman. His eyes narrowed as he watched her intently. It was beyond time for him to make his move.
Mine.
Determinedly, he set his drink on a table and made his way over to Hope, single-mindedly driven to claim her before he completely lost his mind.
* * *
“Happy New Year, Hope.” The velvety, rich baritone was so close that Hope could feel the hair at her temple flutter as heated breath hit her cheek. Her body shuddered with an involuntary response as large, warm hands landed on her shoulders firmly and turned her around to face the voice.
Yes, she’d watched Jason all evening, her eyes glued to his tall, muscular body, immaculately dressed in a black tuxedo that he wore as casually as he would a pair of jeans. But being this close to him was unnerving for her. Jason Sutherland was more than comfortable in his own skin, no matter what he wore. It was something that had always attracted her to him at any age. However, up close and personal, and with Hope way beyond the age of hero-worship, he made her pretty damn edgy.
He was too perceptive, too discerning, and his penetrating azure eyes always seemed to be able to look clear down to her soul. It was uncomfortable for her and made her uneasy around him for most of her adult life.
“Happy New Year, Jason,” she murmured and smiled at him politely.
Oh God, he smells good.
Hope felt the heat pulsating between her thighs just from inhaling his musky, woodsy scent, the essence of male pheromones that could make a woman drunk just from breathing him in. It was all she could do not to close her eyes and let herself drown in his fuck-me-now, deep voice and masculine smell.
She tilted her head back, and she was captivated by his liquid blue eyes. The color reminded her of the sky on a perfect summer day. At a fairly average height of five foot five, and adding on another three inches for the torturous heels she wore, Jason still towered over her and made her feel overwhelmed when he was this close to her. Defensively, she took a step back; his hands fell off her shoulders.
Jason registered a quick look of disappointment before it was gone, replaced by a mischievous grin, a smile that nearly melted Hope’s panties from her body.
“I want my New Year’s kiss,” he said, his voice nonchalant, though his eyes smoldered.
No. Not happening, big guy. If I get that close to you again, I’ll get lost in your scent, drown in those baby blues.
Hope knew if she let him too close to her, the carefully built façade that she’d worked so hard to perfect over the years would crumble. But she knew she couldn’t refuse completely. She had no reason not to kiss him. He was, after all, a family friend. Carefully, she took a tiny step forward and presented her cheek to him.
Jason closed the distance between them and took her champagne glass from her hand. He set it on a nearby table. “That’s not exactly what I had in mind, beautiful.” Taking her hand, he didn’t say another word as he led her to the balcony doors on the other side of the room, and spirited her outside.
Perplexed, Hope halted as he closed the door. They were alone on the patio. And it was damn cold out here! She was dressed in a fairly conservative black cocktail dress with long sleeves, but the hem flirted with her knees, and the cold air rushed up her skirt to chill her entire body. She rubbed her arms and shivered. She was rapidly turning into a block of ice. “What are you doing? Are you crazy? It’s freezing out here.” She ground her teeth from the cold.
Immediately, he divested himself of his tuxedo jacket and wrapped it around her upper body, using the lapels to draw her closer. “I needed privacy, and I’ll be more than happy to warm you up,” he answered, his voice husky and mysteriously urgent.
Hope luxuriated in the jacket, still warm from his body heat.
Dammit, it smells like him.
“Why did we need to be out here?” she asked, confused. “You could have
just—”
He brought her whole body, jacket and all, against his warm, solid form, and cut off any protests she was going to make when his mouth covered hers. Hope’s toes curled in her painful, three-inch heels as Jason took possession of her lips and speared a hand into her shoulder length auburn hair. The clips that had held it off her shoulders flew into the air as he devoured her. She gasped in surprise, which gave Jason the opportunity to deepen the kiss, tilt her head and explore the recesses of her mouth with his tongue so thoroughly that it took her breath away. Her damn treacherous body took over and responded as if her life depended on it; her arms wrapped around Jason’s neck and she surrendered to his embrace. He commanded, and she complied, letting him ravage every one of her senses as she responded to his dominant exploration, and reveled in it.
This is what she’d wanted, what she’d needed from Jason since her high school graduation, the day she’d finally admitted to herself that she was hot for him. He’d never made a move on her, never treated her as anything other than a friend, but she’d wanted…this. She’d felt the sexual tension between them since the day she’d seen him at her high school graduation party. Not sure if the longing was just coming from her or both of them, she’d avoided any kind of close contact or intimate conversation with him ever since she realized she wanted him. Now, she knew the attraction was mutual. The proof was hard and firm against her lower abdomen. She wasn’t sure whether she wanted to celebrate or run for the hills. The sensations she experi- enced from his carnal embrace were new to her, as exhilarating as they were frightening.
In the end, Hope’s traitorous body made the decision all by itself. Her female hormones did a victory cheer as she let her fingers slide into the coarse texture of his hair and yanked his mouth harder against her own.
Closer. I need to be closer to him. I need this. I need him.
She let her tongue duel with his, gave herself up to the moment. Jason was taboo, her secret fantasy come to life, and she let herself wallow in the passion of the desperate touch of his lips as he con- quered her mouth. He brought her body to life for the first time in a very long time, and with far more intensity than she’d ever experienced. With Jason, there was no slow burn from his passionate kiss; she felt incinerated, overpowered by his masculinity, the heat between them completely consuming.
Finally, he pulled his mouth from hers. Both of them panted from the out of control encounter.
“That’s why I needed privacy,” he told her hungrily. His face was buried in her hair and she quivered from the heat of his breath on her neck. “Watching you from across the room was killing me.”
Coming back to reality, Hope tried to pull away from him. “Jason, I—”
“Don’t,” he growled. His arms tightened around her. “Don’t tell me that you didn’t want that and a whole lot more as much as I do.” She couldn’t tell him that, because it would have been a lie. There had been enough lies in her life. She hadn’t expected her body to respond to desire like this, but she had a volatile reaction to Jason. “I did want it. If I didn’t, you’d be screaming in pain right now from
me nailing you in the balls with my knee.”
And God help me, I do want more. But I can’t. I can’t do this.
She would never give herself over completely to physical desire, and she knew instinctively that with Jason, it would most likely be all or nothing. He was never tepid in anything he did, and she was fairly certain he’d want everything from her.
A low husky chuckle vibrated against her ear. “I’m happy to know you haven’t changed much,” he said, amused.
Oh yeah, I have—you’d be surprised how different I am. “You don’t know me anymore.” She pulled back slowly, to wean herself off the incredible feel of his body against hers.
He grasped her by the shoulders, and wrapped her more tightly in his jacket. “Maybe I don’t,” he conceded. “But I want to catch up. I want you. Spend time with me tonight, Hope. Let’s go on an adventure together like we did when we were kids.”
That comment hit like a bolt of lightning to her heart. Her little adventures with Jason had been the highlights of her childhood. Granted, most of their so-called adventures ended up in the local candy store because Jason was addicted to chocolate, or the ice cream shop because she’d begged him to take her, but Jason had always made those simple excursions seem like crazy expeditions. Looking back, he’d been a very good sport about playing a sea captain or an explorer when he was already in high school, just for her amusement. “I’m not ten years old anymore,” she muttered unhappily.
“Believe me, I’m well aware of that fact,” Jason replied darkly, enigmatically.
Hope put her hands on his muscular biceps. She looked up at him and searched his expression, able to decipher very little in the dim lights of the patio, except for the hint of desire that lingered in his eyes. “Why? You have women falling at your feet on a daily basis. Why me? Why now? You could pick the most gorgeous woman in the room back there if you want to kill some time.” Jason Sutherland was a billionaire investor, and at the age of thirty-one, he was one of the most sought-after bachelors in the world. Even if she was an old family friend, why did he want to spend any time with her? Although Hope owned a home here in Amesport, Maine, she didn’t live here, and Jason had flown in just to attend Grady’s engagement and New Year’s party. Both of them would leave in the morning. Maybe he was just restless and bored. Still, there were plenty of attractive women inside for him to pick from if he just wanted a one-nighter. She couldn’t give him what he wanted, and she wanted more from him than she was capable of accepting. Jason made her crave him like a highly addictive drug, but she knew she was unable to absorb him like she wanted to do.
Jason shrugged. “I did pick the most attractive woman at the party, and I don’t need to kill time. I just don’t feel like pretending tonight, Hope.”
We hope you are enjoying the book so far. To continue reading...
Copyright © 2024 All Rights Reserved
Please log in to recommend or discuss...
