One Sinful Night in Sao Paulo

By Amber Belldene

Cassie Wilson has traveled to Brazil for her brother's wedding; yet she's the one with cold feet. She's all set to begin seminary, but she's sick and tired of being treated like a saint, especially by the best man. What she really needs is one sexy night with him to ease her jitters and give her a taste of normal life.

Adam Forrester crashed and burned at his dream job, screwing up all his hopes for a better life. Now he's moved home to start over, but first he must confront the irresistible Cass, apologize for whatever happened on that drunken night he can't remember, and make damn sure it doesn't happen again. Only she has other plans.

He has typecast her as the good girl in his heart. Can she force him to see her as a real woman, desires and all?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Macmillan Publishers
• Release date: Jan 5, 2015
• ISBN: 9781622667512

Amber Belldene

Amber Belldene grew up on the Florida panhandle, swimming with alligators, climbing oak trees, and diving for scallops—when she could pull herself away from a book. As a child, she hid her Nancy Drew novels inside the church bulletin and read mysteries during sermons—an irony that is not lost on her when she preaches these days.   Amber is an Episcopal Priest and student of religion. She believes stories are the best way to explore human truths. Some people think it’s strange for a minister to write romance, but it is perfectly natural to Amber, because she believes the human desire for love is at the heart of every romance novel and God made people with that desire. She writes paranormal, historical, and contemporary romance in every spare moment, and she lives with her family in San Francisco. To hear about Amber’s new releases, sign up for her newsletter at http://eepurl.com/WF3j5. You can also find Amber online at www.amberbelldene.com, www.facebook.com/amberbelldene and twitter.com/AmberBelldene.

Book preview

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Because this Seminary student can’t always be the good girl...

Cassie Wilson has traveled to Brazil for her brother’s wedding; yet she’s the one with cold feet. She’s all set to begin seminary, but she’s sick and tired of being treated like a saint, especially by the best man. What she really needs is one sexy night with him to ease her jitters and give her a taste of normal life.

Adam Forrester crashed and burned at his dream job, screwing up all his hopes for a better life. Now he’s moved home to start over, but first he must confront the irresistible Cass, apologize for whatever happened on that drunken night he can’t remember, and make damn sure it doesn’t happen again. Only she has other plans.

He has typecast her as the good girl in his heart. Can she force him to see her the real woman, desires and all?

One Sinful Night in São Paulo

Amber Belldene

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.

Copyright © 2015 by Amber Belldene. All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce, distribute, or transmit in any form or by any means. For information regarding subsidiary rights, please contact the Publisher.

Entangled Publishing, LLC

2614 South Timberline Road

Suite 109

Fort Collins, CO 80525

Visit our website at www.entangledpublishing.com.

Select Contemporary is an imprint of Entangled Publishing, LLC.

Edited by Candace Havens

Cover design by Starla Huchton

ISBN 978-1-62266-751-2

Manufactured in the United States of America

First Edition January 2015

Chapter One

Cassie dug through her tote bag in a frenzy. She’d only changed her dollars for reals forty-five minutes ago, and already she’d misplaced her cash. Could she have left it at the airport? Usually, she loved traveling, but nothing about this trip had gone right, starting with packing. It had been impossible with nearly everything she owned still in moving boxes. She couldn’t find her pantyhose, her strapless bra, or the antique hair clip she’d promised to lend the bride.

And the cab ride alone. Sheesh. According to her travel guide, an hour’s drive all the way to the posh suburb of Alphaville—which sounded so much more exotic with Gabriella’s Brazilian accent, Alfa-Villi—was going to break her meager travel budget.

"Senhorita, can I help you with your bags?"

Just one more second. Oh, God. How humiliating.

There is maybe a misunderstanding? he asked. The car has already been paid for.

Oh. She met his kind eyes in the rearview mirror, then glanced back in her purse, as if a tip might magically appear there.

"Even the gratuity, senhorita."

She smiled, grateful for his help. "Obrigado."

Don’t speak of it. I will carry your suitcase to the door.

She tried to restore order to her bag and slid out of the cab. Even this far out of the city, a hint of rank smog tinged the air, confirming her grim expectations of São Paulo. Then, through the dark she glanced up to see a gorgeous white Spanish-style house, surrounded by a perfectly manicured tropical garden. She smoothed her UCLA sweatshirt, wishing she’d dug something nicer to wear out of the moving boxes. But, the one holding the contents of her closet sat buried under a stack of milk crates full of books. So, she had only a party dress, a bridesmaid’s dress, and the sweatshirt and ratty jeans she was wearing. Not even a pair of pajamas.

She rapped on the gorgeous, carved hardwood door. Had some ancient Amazonian tree been chopped down to make it?

Knock it off, Cassie—nobody likes a self-righteous liberal.

The driver set her suitcase at her side.

"Obrigado," she said again. She didn’t need him to wait with her in this fancy-schmancy, gated neighborhood.

His eyes flicked to the door, as if she’d insulted his honor by implying he shouldn’t.

Fine. His choice.

She looked at her sneakers, sighing. Why couldn’t her brother have chosen to get married in their family church in Palo Alto? It would have been so much more convenient. Instead, she’d traveled all this way to stay in the smelly armpit of Brazil—no beaches, no rainforest—only a polluted megalopolis full of cars and skyscrapers. And she had all those boxes to unpack, books to buy, new classmates to meet. She would hardly be on the ground in São Paulo longer than the hours of travel it took to get there and back to Berkeley for her first day of class. And she would probably spend the whole time hiding behind curtains to avoid a certain someone she really did not want to see.

The door opened, and Gabriella spread her arms and her shiny red lips in a glamorous smile. Cassie melted, instantly recalling exactly why she was there—her big brother was going to marry this amazingly wonderful woman.

Finally. She kissed both of Cassie’s cheeks. We have been waiting hours for you.

Cassie let herself be gathered into a hug. My flight got delayed in Texas.

"Come in. Mamãe is mixing caipirinhas." Gabriella stepped back, winking.

She knew Cassie’s weakness for them, and thank God she also knew a wicked hangover helper she called the São Paulo Special. Cassie would swear by it, but didn’t want to know what it consisted of—probably eye of newt—in case she ever needed to drink the foul stuff again.

"Obrigado, Mauricio," Gabriella called to the driver.

Oh, wow. Cassie reared back at the sight of a small crucifix hung opposite the door, the body of Jesus carved in exquisite, bloody detail.

"I told you, mamãe is very Catholic."

It’s…wow. Cassie swallowed a lump in her throat—this devout woman would probably think her career choice was blasphemous. Will she hate me?

Gabriella rolled her eyes. She will adore you.

The entryway of the house didn’t reveal much of the interior, but the sound of chatter and João Gilberto singing drifted down the hall. A little shiver of pleasure seized her. Caipirinhas and bossa nova—she really was in Brazil. Maybe armpits got a bad rap. The inviting buzz drew her toward the gathering.

A loud knock sounded on the door behind them and she jumped. Gabriella opened it to reveal Mauricio with a garment bag dangling from his fist.

Cassie cringed. "Obrigado," she said for the millionth time, unwilling to meet his eye.

Gabriella’s musical laugh soothed her embarrassment.

I would never forgive you if you lost that dress. It looks too good on you.

Cassie wouldn’t forgive herself, either. When she and Gabriella had found the red halter for the rehearsal dinner, no arm-twisting