Chapter One

Today’s wedding was officially on the record as the worst wedding Hailey Miller had ever attended.

Too bad it happened to be her own.

Her long white train dragged behind her like baggage she couldn’t abandon. The wind whipped her veil into her face, and if the ominous dark clouds overhead were a sign for the future, she’d say that it was going to rain any minute.

“Great. Just great,” she muttered. Eight more blocks, and she’d finally be at her hotel. Then she could grab her belongings and hightail it out of endlessly sprawling Houston before her ex-fiancé Evan found her.

It would have been an easy trip if her cab driver hadn’t kicked her out for lack of money. It was far more challenging in stiletto heels that bit into the tops of her feet with each step. No doubt she had blisters the size of quarters on each foot.

The scent of rain swelled in the air, and the humidity weighed her curls down. People brushed past her, dodging around her as though she was one more obstacle as they hurried to their destinations. The lights from the cafes and shops appeared warm and inviting compared to the cool temperatures outside.

She pushed past the pain in her feet. She needed to get to the hotel before Evan. There was no way she could face her ex. Not after spotting him behind the alter making out with her wedding planner. She should have trusted her instincts on that one. Instead, every time that nagging thought pushed its way into her mind, she had chalked it up to cold feet.

Part of her feared he’d still try to save face and tie her down. That was what Evan was good at, talking her into things she didn’t want to do. It was how she ended up in Houston, how she found herself only planning events for his company, and how she almost walked down the aisle despite her intuition telling her otherwise.

A roar of thunder ripped through the late afternoon sky. Seconds later, heavy drops fell, soaking her dress and hair. Her veil clung to her damp skin, trapping her arms against her body.

Houston felt even more overwhelming in the rain. Cars rushed by and the only other person on the sidewalk pushed past with their umbrella without a single thought or backward glance to the drenched bride marching down the street.

The wind whipped the veil around her, covering her eyes and blocking her vision.

“Argh!” She yanked the veil out of her hair and bunched it into a ball before shoving the whole thing into the nearest trash can. Whirling around, she kicked at the train.

Missed. Hailey stumbled forward, her feet landing in a puddle.

“Damn it, damn it, damn it.” Righting herself, she glared at the back of her dress. She had to have a train. Fighting against the hard boning in her corset, Hailey bent to gather the dirty clammy satin fabric in her arms.

Whoosh!

A cold wave of water washed over her. Her breath stuck in her lungs at the sudden shock of cold. Goose bumps pricked her skin as tiny rivulets ran down her back and through her hair.

She was in the middle of Houston, soaked and dirty and a runaway bride.

Shit, shit, shit. The tears battered at the emotional barriers she struggled to keep up.

What had she been thinking, walking so close to the gutter? She should have known to stay on the other side of the sidewalk.

Peering through the tendrils of hair glued to her face, Hailey spotted a dark gray Porsche stopped a few feet ahead. The car that ran through the puddle.

She straightened, her muscles stiff and her dress limiting every movement. Her throat constricted as she worked her tight jaw.

The driver’s door opened, and a tall, dark-haired man stepped out of the sleek sports car.

Stunned, she could only stare. And for some unexplainable reason, her heart began to throb, the pulse full and hard.

Before she could open her mouth, she found herself trapped in the piercing gaze of Jace Hartman, Evan’s business partner, and only an hour ago, the best man at her wedding.

“Damn it, Hailey, there you are.” Jace moved with quick, efficient strides and stopped right in front of her. He gazed at her warily, as though expecting her to bolt any minute. His mouth formed a hard, flat line. “What the hell were you thinking?”

“Of all the people to find me,” she muttered. Sharp, cynical Jace was the last person she wanted to see. Now would be the perfect moment for a bolt of lightning to come out and strike her. Or him. She glanced around desperately. Anytime now would be acceptable.

Nope. No lightning bolt. She was stuck facing Jace.

Well, she wasn’t helpless, and she didn’t need saving.

“Why are you here?” she demanded. “Are you bringing me back to Evan, or are you trying to save our events contract?”

Jace gazed down at her with that smug, knowing expression of his. “And here I’d thought you’d be happy to see me.”

“Get out of here, Jace.” She shot him the darkest look she could manage. Unfortunately, it was difficult to feign toughness when she was shivering. “I’m not dealing with you. You just drowned me with a puddle.”

She moved to brush past him.

Jace blocked her path. “I don’t think the puddle is the worst thing to happen to you this afternoon.” His eyes held hers. “Dodged a bullet today, didn’t we?”

Hailey stiffened, and she dropped her gaze to his chest where his white shirt, growing damp from the rain, clung to the muscles of his pectorals. Rather impressive pectorals.

She pulled her gaze back up to his face. “You’re not taking me back to Evan.”

“You just dodged the bullet. I’m not shoving you back in front of it.”

That left one reason Jace was here. She should have known better. She’d been helping Jace’s company, Sun Tech, with the launch for their Houston office for the past six months, and their opening party was in three weeks. When it came to Jace, business always came first.

She shivered and her skin prickled, not from the cold air but at the idea of continuing to work for Sun Tech, and thus with her lying ex. “I’m quitting the contract.”

Jace didn’t even flinch. His eyes hooded as he looked her over. Oddly, something about his stance or expression didn’t feel accusing or superior. “So how did you find out about the cheating?”

Her head went light. For a split second, she stopped shivering as she tried to process what Jace had admitted.

“Excuse me?” Her voice sounded distant and far away.

Two vertical lines formed between Jace’s brows. “Evan didn’t tell you?”

“You knew??” Her stomach dropped with a sickening swoop. Jace had known all along. How many other people knew while she was the naïve fiancée?

She picked at a loose bead on the bodice of her wedding gown. Tightening her fingers around the decoration, she yanked. The thread gave with a snap, and she tossed the bead aside.

Of course, Jace would know. And after hours, days, and months working together, he had never mentioned a word.

“You’re an asshole.” To her horror, her voice cracked. As if this day couldn’t get any more mortifying. All she wanted was to go home, burn her wedding dress, and have an ugly cry in the shower. Instead, she had to hold it together in front of the man who hired her simply because she had been engaged to his friend and business partner.

Jace’s eyes were sharp and assessing, and his voice was in utter control when he spoke. “Hailey—”

“Save it. I don’t want to hear anything you have to say. This has been humiliating enough. Now if you don’t mind…” She hiked her sodden train up in her arms and walked past him with as much dignity as a runaway bride could manage in the middle of a rainstorm.

“Hailey...” Jace grabbed her arm. The motion was so sudden, she whirled around and bumped into his warm, broad chest. The wedding dress squished between them with a wet squick.

For a second, she froze, her chest pressed against his. His scent surrounded her, warm and musky and familiar. Then, to her surprise, and horror, a warm current sizzled from where Jace’s large hand circled her wrist.

She pulled away from him. “Go away.”

“Listen—”

“I can’t believe you knew and said nothing.” She yanked her wrist out of his grasp.

His gray eyes darkened, their depths suddenly as stormy as the clouds surrounding them.

“I didn’t know,” he growled at her.

Her round of insults halted on her tongue.

“Right.” She didn’t bother to hide the skepticism from her voice.

She rubbed the spot where his fingers had touched her as she considered him. For once, Jace’s face was readable—he was dead serious. He ran his fingers over his hair, but not a single strand fell out of place.

“How long have I known you?” he asked.

“Too long.” Since she had planned his company launch in San Francisco six years ago. Back when she thought he may be interested. Only to find out he wasn’t.

“Too long to bullshit you. I didn’t know until this afternoon. Evan told me when he realized you ditched him at the altar.” He glanced in the direction of her hotel. “Everyone is searching for you. Your parents are worried.”

A trickle of dread ran down her spine as she followed the line of his gaze. She wasn’t ready to face anyone. Not now. Not when she was trying to process this revelation about a man she had been engaged to for over a year.

She squeezed the train to her chest.

Jace sighed. “I have an idea. Let’s get out of the rain. Do you want to talk in a coffee shop?”

She shook her head. “I need to figure out where to stay tonight.”

She had sold her apartment in San Francisco to move in with Evan in Houston, her parents were at the same hotel as her honeymoon suite, and honestly, she didn’t want to face everyone. She couldn’t bear the looks of sympathy. Not right now.

She’d rent a room; except she’d conveniently left her ID and credit cards in the hotel she was now avoiding.

If only those bridal magazines had mentioned the importance of carrying your wallet to the wedding, this whole situation could have been prevented.

“Stay at my apartment.”

The train fell from her slack arms and landed with a splat at her feet. “What?”

The side of his mouth quirked up. “Is that a no?”

“That’s a hell no.”

The smirk remained on his face, but she ignored it. That smoldering look may work on some woman—okay, pretty much on all woman—but it wasn’t going to work on her.

“Then get in the car, and I’ll drive you wherever you want,” Jace said.

Her feet cheered in response.

“It won’t make me change my mind about the contract.” She tried, and failed, to ignore the anxiety bubbling up into her lungs. Her contract with Sun Tech was by far her most important, and thanks to Evan’s suggestion that she only work on one contract while she planned their wedding, it was her only contract.

And she was walking away from it.

He shrugged his shoulders. “I’m offering dry clothes, a warm bed, and a place to hide for the evening. In return, we can talk a little business. We’re both adults here.”

Do it, her feet screamed at her, demanding relief from the too tall, too tight heels.

A warning bell clanged in the back of her mind but was quickly dulled by one image: a place to hide for the evening. A place to regroup and figure out her next steps.

“My own bed, no doubt.” Not that she was concerned Jace would try anything.

“I have a fold-out futon with your name on it.”

Jace did know how to sway people to his side. Then again, after the events of today, it wasn’t going to take much to talk her into his side of thinking.

She eyed him warily. “All you have to offer is a futon?”

“That or my bed.”

“The futon will do.” She could hide out there, at least for tonight. Tomorrow, after she had a plan laid out, and got her clothes and wallet back, she could make a final decision on the Sun Tech contract and buy a plane ticket home.

“Did I mention I have a warm shower?” Jace added.

That sealed the deal.

Hailey lifted her chin. “I’m going to ruin your car’s interior.”

He shrugged and opened the door for her. “I don’t care.”

Of course he didn’t.

“Thanks,” she muttered before she climbed into the vehicle. The interior smelled of new car and leather, and a digital touch-screen console glowed softly from the center of the dash.

Her feet celebrated the second she sat in the passenger seat and kicked her shoes off. However, her relief was short-lived as Jace got in the driver’s side.

She tried to ignore how much room Jace’s broad shoulders took up in the sports car’s small interior, or how good the mingled scent of Jace and leather smelled.

Jace twisted to buckle his seat belt, his arm brushing against hers. She jumped at the contact.

“Are you okay?” Jace asked.

“I found out Evan is cheating on me and ran out of my wedding. I’m grand. Thank you for asking.”

“Just don’t run out on me,” Jace said, his voice that sexy, low register that always caught her attention.

Hailey forced her gaze away from Jace and out the passenger window. Unsure of what to do with her hands, she twisted her fingers into her damp gown.

One night. What was one night with her cheating ex’s friend and business partner?

Of all things Jace thought he’d be doing tonight, taking the runaway bride home was not one of them.

Drink expensive scotch? Sure.

Flirt with the bridesmaid who kept glancing his way? Definitely.

Hit the dance floor? Without a doubt.

Take the bride home? Only under dire circumstances.

And this situation was dire. Hailey knew Sun Tech inside and out. She knew how to get inside the minds of potential customers. Her past launches for Sun Tech were so successful, he didn’t trust anyone else to pull it off.

Jace studied Hailey’s reflection in the chrome elevator doors as they rode toward the top floor. A woman in a wedding dress should not be this attractive. Especially soaking wet in a ruined wedding dress.

“I know you’re looking at me.” Hailey pulled her tangled red curls over her shoulder and twisted her hair into a rope with pale, slender fingers.

Her stiff body and nervous energy made him want to reach out and touch her. To offer some kind of comfort.

He swallowed hard and kept his hands firmly in his pockets.

Now was the time to focus. Noticing Hailey’s nervous tics and her curves in a white dress was not going to get him any closer to keeping her on board with Sun Tech.

Jace pulled his gaze away. “That’s because you’re the first specimen of runaway bride I’ve ever seen.”

“This isn’t a zoo.” Hailey turned her face so he could only see her profile.

He cursed silently to himself. This was one more mess Evan created that he was stuck cleaning up.

The chrome elevator doors slid open, revealing a small foyer with double doors to his penthouse. Hailey lifted her chin. A barely perceptible movement. A man less aware of her would not have noticed.

He wasn’t that man.

“This way,” he growled, taking the lead. A small black scan box was inset in the wall just to the side of the double doors. Jace pressed his thumb against the screen, and the dead bolt threw back with a click.

“What happens if the scanner breaks?” Her dark brown eyes were serious.

He shrugged. “I can unlock the place with my phone.”

She gave a soft snort. “Of course. The Great and Powerful Oz can’t live life like the common man.”

“Can’t sell high-tech residences if I don’t live in one.” He cleared his throat then pushed the door open. The lights blinked on inside, dimming to accommodate the fading light outside. Stepping aside, he let her in.

He could hear her soft gasp as she entered.

“Wow,” she murmured, turning to take in the sleek, modern, minimalist setting. It was the exact impression he wanted when people walked into his place, should he ever let someone in besides his aunt and Evan.

He followed her into the living room.

Even though he’d moved in a month ago, the scent of new building still hung in the air. The couch and TV were barely used, and the photos on the walls felt more decorative than personal. His place may as well be the staging area instead of a home.

Hailey’s flame-colored hair stood out against the dark hardwood floors and the clean white lines of his living room.

“I’ve never been to your place before. Not even in San Francisco. It’s so—” she tilted her head to the side and pulled out a pearl-encrusted comb “—monochrome.” She said the last word like she had ended up with oatmeal for breakfast when she was expecting cake.

Her eyes landed on the giant TV mounted on the wall, the stereo system he spent hours setting up, the black and white cityscape photos, then finally on the guitar he kept in one corner.

She set the comb on an end table and moved to the instrument, as though drawn to the one personal item in the entire room. Her fingers caressed the warm wood and brushed over the strings before she moved to the floor-to-ceiling windows. She leaned her head against the window frame, her long tendrils cascading down her back, tempting and innocent at the same time.

“Thanks for letting me stay.”

“It was a business decision.” A partial lie. Mostly a business decision. At least that’s what he kept telling himself. Because it was safer than telling her he couldn’t leave her abandoned in the rain.

She glanced over her shoulder. “It’s always business with you.”

“Because business makes sense.” It was something real he could sink his teeth into. It was never flighty and would never leave when you needed it most.

“Your place is exactly what I expected,” Hailey continued.

“How’s that?”

“Sparse. Impersonal.” She gestured toward the living room. “Expensive. It must impress the women.”

“I don’t bring women home.” The conversation was a little too personal for his tastes.

Her eyes widened, but before she could say anything, he spoke. “Let’s get you into dry clothes, then we can talk about the contract.”

He didn’t miss the contraction of muscles right below her jaw. Her shoulders tensed, and her nipples—Jace closed his eyes and tried not to notice how hard they were or how hard it was making him.

“There is no contract,” Hailey deadpanned, successfully refocusing his thoughts.

That wasn’t an option. He needed her on board.

“Let’s talk after your shower.” After she had time to relax.

Hailey shook her head. “You’re not going to convince me.”

“I know this is the only contract on your plate.” Thanks to Evan, who convinced her to focus solely on her wedding and Sun Tech. A mistake in his opinion. “Maybe we can come to an agreement.”

“That’s unlikely to happen. Evan is part owner of Sun Tech, and after today, I’m not helping Evan.”

Shit. He smoothed his hand over his hair.

There had to be some way to convince her. He had devoted too much money and made too many promises to their investors to have her back out now. “Just think about it.”

Before she could argue, he headed down the short hall that led to his master suite and the two spare rooms.

His bedroom was dark and cool. The shades were still drawn, blocking the last rays of sunlight for the day.

Jace flipped on the light and moved to his dresser. He pulled out a pair of sweats, some gym shorts, and a couple tees.

He turned to find Hailey standing in the doorway. Her fingers toyed with a bead on her dress, drawing his attention to the swell of her pale breasts where they dipped into the bodice of her gown.

The sooner he got her into his clothes, the better. His oversize shirt would easily drown her curves.

He held up her options. “Which ones?”

She stepped into the room and glanced around. Except for a photo of him and his aunt at his college graduation, and a wood box he had made in high school, his bedroom was as bland as the rest of the place—carefully thought-out and impersonal. Yet the way Hailey examined his few possessions, running her fingers over the frames, made his room feel personal.

It was unnerving.

He shook the bottoms at her. “Sweats or shorts?”

“Shorts.” Hailey pulled the shorts out of his hands. He held up two tees, and she grabbed the gray one, clutching it close to her chest. “Thank you.”

He jerked his head toward the bathroom. “Shower’s in there.”

She looked in the direction he indicated. “The shower is in your bedroom?”

“Unfortunately.” He scratched at the back of his neck. “You can use the shower at the end of the hall, but it isn’t stocked, and the showerhead still needs to be fixed.”

“There’s no door.”

He forced himself not to notice the throaty quality of her voice. He knew there was no door to his bathroom. It had never been an issue before. But Hailey’s pink blush that started at her chest and bloomed to her cheeks had his mind going to places that it didn’t need to go. Images of Hailey’s lush body covered in suds as the water caressed her skin began to form.

No, no, no. Hailey was a consultant he had hired. He couldn’t go there with her. Ever. Even if he wanted to.

Which he didn’t, he reminded himself for what felt like the hundredth time.

“I’ll wait in the living room.” With a glass of whiskey. Thinking unsexy thoughts about accounts and contracts. “Towels are under the sink.”

He’d take the time to figure out how to convince her to follow through with the launch. Sure, she’d had a shock with Evan at her wedding today. However, everyone had a giving point. He needed to find hers.

With that goal in mind, he moved to leave.

“Jace?”

His hand froze on the doorknob.

“Can you undo the zipper in the back?”

Her voice. Something about her voice froze him in place.

Slowly, warily, he turned to face her. Hailey’s arm bent around her back, her fingers coming short of the zipper.

“Please?” She glanced at him over her shoulder, her dark eyes tempting. “I want out of this awful, itchy thing.”

Jace didn’t blame her. Nothing about the garment appeared comfortable. It looked stiff, a snare meant to trap whoever stepped inside.

He moved closer, feeling edgier than necessary as he stopped inches away from her.

He could smell the sweet fruity scent in her hair. Bright, sexy citrus. Hailey pulled her long curls over one slim shoulder and waited.

He raised his hand to the zipper and hesitated, a mere half-inch away.

“Any time now.” She shifted from one foot to the other.

“Hold your horses.” His voice was harsh. He was far too aware of her, and the fact she’d be naked in his shower in a few minutes wasn’t helping.

Damn it. He was overthinking this zipper situation. This wasn’t rocket science. He just needed to keep this clinical. A simple pulling down of a zipper. A two-second procedure.

His fingers brushed the soft skin of her back as he grasped the ridiculously tiny pull. Tooth by tooth, he eased the pull down, revealing the gentle curve of her spine, followed by the twin dimples above her hip bones, and stopped at the curve of her rear.

Her skin was creamy, luscious. Begging for him to taste her.

As if sensing the direction of his thoughts, her breaths came faster. He could sense it more than hear it. And if he wanted to keep his wits about him, he would hightail it out of here.

But he stood, rooted in place, his fingers on the zipper, unable to step away from the soft temptation before him. Then, before he could stop himself, he traced the line of her back, savoring the feel of her soft skin along each ridge of her spine. Her ribs expanded and contracted under his touch, and her head dipped back a fraction.

“Jace?” Hailey clutched the dress to her body as she twisted to face him. He could see the confusion and question in her eyes.

She was so close, he could kiss her. Drop his lips to hers and take control, like he had done hundreds of other times with hundreds of other women.

But that was a risk that he just couldn’t take.

Hailey wasn’t just any woman. She was the now-ex of his business partner. The woman who had successfully launched Sun Tech both in San Francisco and LA. The woman they needed for their launch in Houston so he could meet the demands of their investors to whom he had made so many promises. He needed to sell every condo in this building, and she was the woman to help sell them.

She was the one woman he could never have.

He dropped his hands and stepped away, his feet heavier than lead.

“I’ll be in the living room.”

Before she could say a word, he crossed the room in three long strides.

With a soft click, he shut the door firmly behind him, trapping the siren tempting him closer to the rocks inside.