My memory of Ella Hope didn’t do her justice. As she hesitates at the threshold of my office, I stand, taking in her simple cream-colored blouse and houndstooth skirt. None of it does a damn thing to disguise the swells of those pillowy breasts or the grippable curves of her hips.

As I swallow back lust, I seem unable to find my brain. All the blood in my body has rushed south. The sex drive I’d feared had died since becoming engaged to Kendra roars back to life with raging insistence after one glance at Ella and her sloe-eyed sultriness.

Cora, my assistant, hovers nearby, watching me carefully. She’s intensely loyal to this company. She might be old enough to be my grandmother, but she controls the flow of information in and out of my office with the skill of a PR master. With one act, I can set the right tone for Ella’s stay. All I have to do is get closer to this woman, like I’m dying to.

“Hello, Ella.” I speak the words like a caress as I walk around my desk. I can’t strip her down and get deep inside her since that wasn’t part of our agreement, but my tone says I’m waiting for that moment all the same.

“Hi, Carson.” She sounds breathless.

Wondering how much of her seeming attraction to me is real, I smile and fuse my stare to hers. Pink rises on her glowing cheeks.

“It’s good to see you.” I take her arm, pull her close. She’s soft. Shit, she smells like an olfactory aphrodisiac—lavender, vanilla, and something muskier I can’t place.

I have to work hard not to bury my head in her neck and inhale her.

Ella blinks up at me as if our gazes are too tangled to look away. “You, too.”

She’s got the breathless girlfriend act down. Even I believe she can’t wait another second for me to touch her.

“I’ve missed you,” I murmur, dropping my head while delving into those dark eyes and long black lashes. And her mouth. Dear god, her lips are a perfect rosy cushion to take my kisses, cry my name, envelop my cock. I’d forgotten how fucking innocent yet sexual she looks.

I want to seduce her. Now. I ache to remove every stitch she’s wearing and wrap my mouth around what I’ll bet are glorious nipples before I kiss my way down her body. I’m sure her thighs would be soft and tender and beautiful as they’re parting to reveal her succulent wetness between, which I would happily sink my mouth onto right now, regardless of the reason she’s here and whatever else is going on in my life.

But I can’t—at least not at the moment.

“I-I’ve missed you, too.”

The whispered worship in her tone is perfect, and I doubt it goes unnoticed by Cora, who will spread the word when I ask her to. Right now, I’m too distracted by Ella to think.

I bend to the gorgeous brunette. Her eyes shut. Her lips part. I can’t accept her unspoken invitation at the office, but if we have an audience at another time and in a more public place, I’ll absolutely indulge in a long, slow possession of her mouth and enjoy every moment of it before I have to turn her loose.

For now, I settle for brushing a kiss over Ella’s downy cheek, then look up at Cora. “Thanks for picking Ms. Hope up at the airport.”

“Of course, Mr. Frost.” My assistant gives me a crafty smile. Though she’s never said a word, I know she hates the idea of me marrying the competition. She’s never seemed impressed with Kendra, either. “You couldn’t miss the meeting with your production team.”

She’s right. I’m still trying to win over all the workers—management and assembly line employees alike. The face time with them is invaluable.

“Lovely to meet you, dear,” Cora says.

Ella smiles in return, still looking intriguingly dazed. “You, too. Thanks for the lift.”

Then my assistant shuts the double doors of my office. Her heels clack across the hardwood floors until she settles at her desk ten feet around the corner. Finally, I’m completely alone with the first woman to trip my libido in what feels like forever. I have to back away or I’m going to do something totally inappropriate that will fall well outside the realm of our agreement.

I slide behind my massive desk again to put distance between us. “Good flight?”

“Uneventful, so that’s the best kind.”

Ella seems more collected now. Has she dropped the act or simply regained her composure now that we’re not mere inches apart? An intriguing question to explore later…

“Good. I just need ten more minutes, then I’ll be ready to leave. Hungry?”

She looks away, her stare landing anywhere but on me. “No, but I’d like to hit the gym tonight. Is there somewhere nearby I can work out? I’ll do that while you’re eating, and then we’ll—”

“I didn’t bring you here to starve you, Ella. I doubt they fed you on the plane.”

“I had a protein bar. I’m fine.”

Frowning, I stare. What’s running through her pretty head? “Then you’re probably ready for real food.”

“You didn’t negotiate meals with me. Unless we have a command performance, I should be free to fuel my body as I see fit.”

There’s a wealth of meaning in what she said. I’m trying to figure it out as I stare, study, dissect. Then I realize… She’s an actress and she’s not a size double zero. Thank god. If anything, I want her more lush, not less so. Since I’m a big man, petite waifs I could break with one good thrust do nothing for me.

“We need every moment to get to know one another. We’ll be attending a charity benefit on Friday night. Gregory and Kendra Shaw will both be there. We have to be well acquainted and very comfortable with each other by then.”

Ella crosses her legs, and her pose shows off the swell of her calf, the soft curve of her knee.

Am I really waxing poetic about her damn knee?

“We’ll have all the time necessary after you finish eating. It’s not as if we can talk much while we actually chow down.” She raises a brow at me. “Unless you’re telling me you chew with your mouth open?”

“Let me rephrase this. I’ve bought all your time for the next two and a half weeks. You’re coming with me.”

“I want a salad.”

That’s not dinner. It’s a snack for a rabbit. “No.”

Ella gives me a delicate grit of her teeth. “Nothing in your contract stated that I had to eat anything other than what I choose.”

She’s not budging, and this argument is wasting time. “A hundred bucks if you sit down with me and eat the dinner I order for you.”

“If you keep it under five hundred calories and low on carbs, that’s acceptable.”

My voice drops, and I lean across the desk. I’m sure she believes her job is dependent on her weight. I get it. But the idea of her starving for someone else’s shallow notion of beauty pisses me off. “If I’m paying you to have dinner with me, you’ll eat a decent meal.”

Her eyes narrow. “You’re being argumentative.”

“I’m being strategic. Some of Shaw’s friends should be at the restaurant I’ve chosen. They’ll tell their pal everything they see. You can’t look like an actress.”

She sits back in her chair and stares at me, plush mouth pursed. “Not every woman who watches her weight works in Hollywood. One fifty. Or you can let me choose my own meal, and I’ll accompany you for free.”

This may be a waste of money, but I’m not even remotely tempted to agree. “One twenty-five and you have a deal.”

“Fine.”

I can’t deny I enjoy getting my way. “Excellent.”

I shove a few things into my briefcase. I’ll have to work tonight to make up for leaving the office a bit early, but this time with Ella is critical. Nothing else I do for Sweet Darlin’ matters without it.

She looks away and fidgets. I don’t know what’s making her jumpy, the job…or me. In either event, I can’t let her visible nervousness continue.

Falling in love—even pretending to—virtually overnight won’t be easy.

After I shut down my laptop and zip up my briefcase, I cross the room and hold out a hand to Ella. She swallows and slides her slender fingers onto mine. As she rises, she releases my grip and stands beside me. I’m struck by how small she is—even in heels.

“How tall are you?”

“I’m on the petite side, but I always wear shoes that maximize my vertical appearance.”

Clearly, she’s heard pushback about her height before. Tinseltown values women who are tall, beyond thin, and look as if they could fall prey to a stiff wind. “That’s not what I asked.”

She raises her chin defensively. “Five-three and proud.”

I repress a smile. She is a tiny thing. Of course, since I’m six-four, most women I date seem small by comparison. And this one I’m pretty sure I could pick up in one arm and still finish a 10K.

“I’m not finding fault with you, Ella. Just asking a question. Since I’m supposed to know enough about you to be in love with you, I’ll ask a lot of them until I’m confident we can pass muster in public. I expect you to do the same. People will test us, Shaw especially. We have to make sure he can’t trip us up.”

Ella relaxes. “You’re right. Sorry. Defending my height is a reflex.”

“You hear about it when you audition?”

She nods glumly. “A lot. Nicole Kidman is five-eleven.”

I grab my phone from my pocket and do a little Googling. “Eva Longoria is five-two. Victoria Beckham is five-four.”

A smile creeps across Ella’s mouth. “Thanks. I’ll bet you can be charming when you need to be.”

Once, I probably was…when I lived in LA and my most pressing problem was finding a pretty girl to seduce on a Saturday night so I could let off a little steam after a long workweek. Since Edward Frost’s death and learning he named me heir of his enormous candy conglomeration, I’ve been sucked into a totally different life. For months, sex has been on the back burner. Hell, after grueling days and weekends of trying to wrap my arms around this business, I’ve barely had the energy for masturbation, much less getting laid.

Until Ella Hope walked through my door.

“I try.” I escort her out the door and lock my office behind me.

Cora is already gone. In fact, the halls seem largely empty as we head for the parking lot.

“I did some research before I came. I hope you don’t mind. I thought I’d get a head start on learning you.” She looks up at me to gauge my expression, so I nod. “I’m sorry about your father’s recent passing.”

“Biological father,” I correct. “He and my mother had a college romance and married briefly when she discovered she was pregnant. It didn’t last until my first birthday. Edward resented having to drop out of school to support us. My mother knew he had big dreams and didn’t want to stand in his way. But it all ended for the best. Edward began experimenting with candy making and perfected his recipes while his grandmother was still alive to help. In fact, Sweet Darlin’ is named for her.”

“And your mother remarried a couple of years later.”

I nod. “Craig was ten years her senior and came from a wealthy family, so that made her decision easier. But they were very much in love until they died in a car accident five years ago.”

She frowns softly. “I read that. I’m sorry. Were you close to your mom and stepfather?”

“Very. Craig was my father figure growing up. Edward was always busy and lived on the opposite coast. He had priorities other than parenting.” I pause. “I was a little shocked when he left the company to me.”

“Did he have other children?”

“No.” I hit a button on my key fob and open the door to my black BMW for her. “And he never remarried. After Sweet Darlin’ took off unexpectedly just before his thirtieth birthday, he was committed to work for life.”

Once she slides into the car, I shut her inside and walk around. Ella already has more questions by the time I ease into the driver’s seat. “Why didn’t he leave it to his younger sister, Sherry? Everything I read on the internet said she declined to get involved—”

“Totally.” I start the car with a shrug. “She lives in Northern California in what can only be described as a hippie commune. Her son, Jagger, tried to take over between Edward’s accident and the time he actually passed away. He made a mess of it, which is why I find myself compelled to hire someone to pretend to break my heart.”

“That must be frustrating,” she muses as I back out of my space and leave the lot. “Have you thought of selling the company? Then it wouldn’t be your headache anymore. It sounds as if Gregory Shaw would buy it.”

I tense beside her. “I won’t let the company Edward devoted his life to building slip through my fingers. It seems like a poor way to honor his memory. Besides, it’s the kind of challenge I’ve been wanting. There’s no other organization that would hire me as CEO with my current experience. It’s been a rough learning curve, but I’m starting to see light at the end of the tunnel. It’s an exhilarating adventure.”

“That makes sense.” She stares out the windshield as the scenery zips past. “So…we need to know about each other, I guess.”

“Yeah. How long did you date Shane?” I grimace. “At least I assume you’re not dating him anymore. Or anyone else?”

Strictly speaking, it’s not the first question I need to be asking. I should know shit like her middle name and where she went to high school, what she wanted to be when she grew up, her favorite color and food. But I find myself compelled to know if she’s truly single.

She laughs, her dark curls sliding over her delicate shoulder. “Actually, I was with Shane that night on a blind date. When he saw the way you looked at me, he gripped my hand really tight…but nothing else happened between us. And I never saw him again. No chemistry.”

The irresponsible parts of my brain are doing the samba. It’s a relief that I can stop wondering if Shane ever convinced her to get horizontal with him.

If I had known they hadn’t been dating—if Shane had mentioned that even once—I would have tracked Ella down. Well, I would have wanted to. But two weeks after his bash, I was called back to North Carolina to attend Edward’s funeral and assume the reins of Sweet Darlin’, so my life utterly changed.

But Ella is here now. With me. I want the lay of her romantic land. I know it shouldn’t matter to me. But I won’t lie to myself. It does.

“You didn’t seem like his type,” I remark.

She frowns. “Why? He’s an astrophysicist. Am I not smart enough?”

“That’s not it.” I smile. “Quite the opposite. You’re not bimbo enough. He likes them compliant and, um…dim.”

She doesn’t respond for a long moment. Does she somehow think I’ve insulted her? I can’t imagine the insinuation that she’s smart would upset her. But who knows how the female mind works? I jerk my stare from the road and glance over to her.

Rather than scowling, I find her laughing behind her hand, mirth sparkling in her dark eyes. “Seriously?”

“Oh, yeah.” I nod. “Shane is a buddy. Really smart, obviously. But a complete asshole when it comes to dating.”

That makes her laugh out loud. “I understand now why, despite his good looks and intelligence, he’s single. My friend works with Shane, and when she found out he was dateless for his own birthday party, she insisted I would be perfect for him. I went skeptically but determined to be nice. It was his thirtieth birthday, after all. My first impression was that Shane is easy on the eyes and well employed, but not someone I could see myself with.”

“How did the evening end?”

“I told him I had an early morning audition.” She winces. “It was a lie. And he seemed fine with it. I hadn’t even pulled my car out of the driveway when I saw him come on to a blonde in a dress the size of a tube sock.”

Her description makes me laugh outright. “That’s Shane. He’s the kind of friend who would give you the shirt off his back, but a real douche with women.”

“Hence the reason I never saw him again.”

So I can put to rest any thoughts of losing a pal over this beauty I’m lusting for. “Good to know. Do you have any food allergies I should be aware of?”

“Fat, carbs, and sugar.” She’s doing her best to sound stern.

“So a prime steak, a baked potato, and something decadent for dessert it is.”

Her dark brows knit into a little frown. “Carson, I—”

“We agreed on this.”

“No. You twisted my arm. You know, you’re not always going to get your way.”

I plan to often enough that I’m not going to sweat the times I don’t. There are perks to being the boss.

“Of course not.” I toss a smile her way.

“Liar. You think you are.”

“I didn’t say that.”

“It’s all over your face. You totally think you are.” She cocks her head. “How long did your last relationship last?”

If Ella is suggesting that my ex and I didn’t make it because I was stubborn… Well, I’m sure that didn’t help, but that wasn’t the cause of our breakup. “About four months. Alexis was driven. When she received a job offer in Stockholm, she jumped at the chance.”

“Oh.” Ella nods like that’s totally understandable. “Then tell me about your longest relationship.”

I think back and back…and back some more. “High school. I dated Laura from the middle of my sophomore year until we graduated.”

“Then what happened?”

Frowning, I try to brush the thoughts aside. But they’re pesky, like weeds. When I yank them out, they only come back. Also like weeds, I have no idea where they stem from. They simply appear, full-grown, as if they sprouted and bloomed in a blink. “She wanted a deeper commitment before we both went off to college. She seemed determined to get engaged, if not married. We were eighteen. Too young.”

“Did you love her?”

“As much as I knew how to back then. But we had different futures in mind. Her parents were high school sweethearts still happily married. She believed her life should follow the same path. When I looked at her folks—neither went to college because her mom got pregnant with her older brother—working tough jobs, living paycheck to paycheck, always dreaming about the weekend so they could all spend time together… That wasn’t what I wanted. Plus”—I shrug—“marrying early hadn’t worked out for my mom and Edward. Mom struggled financially until she met my stepdad, and even then we weren’t super rich. Edward was ambitious, and despite the fact he didn’t raise me, I still had that fire in my blood to make something of my life. Laura didn’t understand why I wouldn’t settle for a mere job. If we had married and made it through college, we’d be long divorced by now.”

“That’s a difficult situation. Neither of you was wrong…”

“Just different.” I nod. “Our relationship was great when it revolved around football games, junior proms, and our first time in the backseat of a buddy’s SUV. But we weren’t ready for the real world. Or at least I wasn’t.”

“What happened next?”

I drag in a deep breath. “She married the boy next door—literally. They had two kids together. Last time I saw her, she wasn’t very happy.”

In fact, I remember the night my phone rang late. It was maybe three years ago. Laura wanted to get together for old times’ sake. She said she wanted to clear the air between us because she needed closure. I drove across the Valley and agreed to meet her for coffee near our old neighborhood. Two minutes into our reunion, she teared up and admitted that she was talking to an attorney about divorcing her husband. Apparently, she’d never gotten over me. With her marriage in shambles and my own life being devoid of a significant someone, I wondered if maybe I had never fallen in love because I was somehow hung up on Laura. So I kissed her—once. I had to know if something still simmered between us that I had simply overlooked. But I felt nothing. I never saw her again. I heard through the grapevine that she went through with her divorce.

“I’m sorry. And none of your other relationships have been serious?”

“No. I’ve been career building. I’ve dated a lot of women doing the same. Coupling up hasn’t been a priority.” When did this conversation become about me? We’re supposed to be learning each other. “How about you?”

“No one really serious.” She gives me a self-conscious smile. “Toward the end of my sophomore year, I gave my virginity to a really hot, popular senior, thinking that would show him how crazy I was for him. The experience was terrible, and the next day he went back to the girlfriend he’d broken up with the week before. Then I dated the class president of our rival high school as a senior. But he got accepted to Berkeley, and I was set to attend UCLA. They have a great dramatic arts program, as well as a killer film school. So we did the usual ‘I’ll see you during school breaks’ thing. But it wasn’t long before he had a girlfriend up north. I was too busy working to put myself through school, finding time for auditions, and keeping my grades up to do much more than casually date now and then. Since graduating a few years ago, it’s been more of the same—with a good exercise regimen thrown in. Trying to pay off student loans and keep the roof over my head is a full-time job, so guys have taken a backseat. Besides, have you met some of the men in Hollywood? Famous or not, they’re unreal.”

I laugh. “I assume they’re all about their looks?”

“Exactly. And I’m selective because I make it a policy never to date a guy who has better hair than I do.” She winks as if she realizes the mood in the car has gotten heavy and wants to lighten things up.

“Are you insinuating my hair isn’t as nice as yours?” I say in mock challenge.

“I’m congratulating you for not wearing a ton of product or sporting a man bun.”

“Then it’s all good.” I pull off the road and into the parking lot of the restaurant. “For the record, what made you finally decide you should settle down and that I might be the one?”

It’s my sly way of asking her what, if anything, she likes about me. Sure, I could coach her on an appropriate reply. After all, I’m paying her to be my adoring new girlfriend. But, smart or not, I want to know what she thinks of me. It’s possible she doesn’t give a crap and has only taken this job for the money. But I’m hoping otherwise. For a reason I can barely fathom, I want her to want to be with me.

That thinking is dangerous. I have my whole life on the line. Technically, I can’t afford to be worried about Ella’s feelings. I can spare even less thought about my own.

“Well, you’re devastatingly handsome. That’s a bonus,” she assures with a wry grin. “You’re kind but definitely not a pushover. You’re strong without being overpowering. You’re supportive and funny. And I like that you have goals and want to make a difference. I’m the same, by the way. We…click. What was it about me for you? In case people ask…”

“Of course. Just in case.” I hold my smile in. I get the vibe that she wants to know what I like about her, too. That has to be a good sign. “You’re beautiful. And not in that plastic, spray-tanned, need-a-lot-of-makeup way. My first thought when we met was how much I wanted to kiss those lips. Incidentally, that’s true.” I stop the car in a parking spot and turn to find her flashing me a flirty smile. “You’re beside me unfailingly but you’re not clingy. You’re assertive without being bitchy. You’re generous and sweet and patient. And yeah, I like that we’re both passionate about our jobs and our lives. Like you said, we click.”

Ella must like my answer because she flashes me a pretty pair of dimples.

God, she really might be the prettiest woman I’ve ever real or fake dated, not simply in outward beauty. She’s completely authentic.

“Well, since we’re so freaking happy, we should head inside and celebrate.”

After her quip, I exit the car and jog around to open her door. She swivels in her seat to face me. Her legs emerge first, smooth and bare and shapely. I swallow as I hold out my hand to help her up. When she lays her fingers over mine, there’s a jolt again. My heart starts to chug. What is it about this woman that’s doing it so thoroughly for me?

I’m still trying to answer that question as we make our way inside the steakhouse. I come here often, and they know me, so we bypass the others waiting and are seated in under five minutes.

“Hello. I am Shen. I’ll be taking care of you tonight.” He’s familiar and takes our drink orders. I notice he’s trying hard not to look at Ella, but her blouse has shifted to reveal a hint of cleavage so it’s tough not to stare.

As she orders water with extra lemon and inquires about the chef cooking her food without butter or oil, I study her. She really is classic. The curves of her face are softly female. Her sloe- eyed stare is so emotive. For instance, she’s merely talking to this man about her food, and yet I see her concern, a bit of discomfort, and more than a hint of determination. I love that she’s an open book to those who take the time to read her.

I wonder what her expression would tell me if I could hold her under my body and gaze into her eyes while I sink deep inside her?

“And for you, sir?”

“Water, as well. And…” I scan the wine list, then order a nice bottle of Pinot Noir. “Do you like that, Ella?”

“I do.”

Her tone is both polite and dismissive. She thinks she won’t be drinking any.

Shen nods and makes to leave.

“You can take my wineglass,” she tells him.

When he reaches for the stem, I shake my head. “Leave it.”

I’m polite, but I make sure he can’t fail to hear the command in my voice. Immediately, Shen straightens and turns away, evaporating into the dark recesses of the restaurant again.

Ella stiffens. “You were lying earlier. You expect to get your way. You’re used to it.”

“Very,” I confirm.

“I’m not a doormat.”

“Not at all. It’s one of the things I like about you,” I assure her.

She meets my gaze and frowns. “I don’t understand you, Carson.”

Yeah, I don’t understand me that much right now, either. “Well, that’s what the next few days are for. Still game?”

The air conditioning kicks on. The artificial breeze tugs at a few strands of her hair, sending a lock to skate across her mouth. Reflexively, I reach over and push the skeins aside. And since I’m there, I can’t help but caress Ella’s bottom lip. Fuck, I want to kiss her.

Out of the corner of my eye, I catch some of Gregory Shaw’s country club and corporate buddies entering the room through an arch on the far side. No one waves in my direction, though. They’ve already spotted me touching another woman. It won’t take long for this news to get back to their pal.

“Yeah.” Her voice is breathy. “I have a feeling you’ll keep this interesting.”