Switching It On

By Lexxie Couper

If love were as easy as flipping a switch, the world would be full of happy lovers. Or not! Switching It On by award winning erotic romance author Lexxie Couper is an intoxicating contemporary romance about second chances. Secrets will be revealed and two lovers will try to switch it on...again!

Sports reporter Mike Bailey has been named "Sexiest Man on Television" three years running. His sinful smirk and naughty gaze make women all over Australia swoon. Despite his reputation, Mike was a happily married man, until an obsessed fan tore his world apart. He's still trying to recover from the heartbreak when he meets the new Executive Producer of his news program.

His ex-wife.

The second Lena Wilde lays eyes on Mike it all comes flooding back. What it was like to be in his arms, in his heart...and in his bed. But she knows as well as Mike that scorching sexual chemistry isn't enough to shore up a marriage. If they are going to rebuild what was shattered all their secrets will have to come out. But can Lena and Mike's rekindling relationship survive the painful truth?

This erotic contemporary romance contains adult language and situations; and is not intended for readers under the age of 18.

Previously published: (2015) 5x5 Publishing

• Language: English
• Publisher: Book Boutiques
• Release date: Mar 1, 2016
• ISBN: 9781944003203

Lexxie Couper

Lexxie Couper started writing when she was six and hasn't stopped since. She's not a deviant, but she does have a deviant's imagination and a desire to entertain readers with her words. Add the two together and you get erotic romances that can make you laugh, cry, shake with fear or tremble with desire. Sometimes all at once. When she's not submerged in the worlds she creates, Lexxie's life revolves around her family: a husband who thinks she's insane, an indoor cat who likes to stalk shadows, and her daughters, who both utterly captured her heart and changed her life forever. Contact Lexxie at [e-mail], follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/lexxie_couper or visit her at www.lexxiecouper.com where she occasionally makes a fool of herself on her blog.

Book preview

Switching It On

Stimulated, Book 3

Lexxie Couper

Published 2016 by Book Boutiques.

ISBN: 978-1-944003-20-3

Copyright © 2016, Lexxie Couper.

All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of Book Boutiques.

This book is a work of fiction. Any similarity to actual persons, living or dead, locales, or events is wholly coincidental. The names, characters, dialogue, and events in this book are from the author’s imagination and should not to be construed as real.

Manufactured in the USA.

Email [e-mail] with questions, or inquiries about Book Boutiques.

Blurb

Sports reporter Mike Bailey has been named Sexiest Man on Television three years running. His sinful smirk and naughty gaze make women all over Australia swoon. Despite his reputation, Mike was a happily married man, until an obsessed fan tore his world apart. He's still trying to recover from the heartbreak when he meets the new Executive Producer of his news program.

His ex-wife.

The second Lena Wilde lays eyes on Mike it all comes flooding back. What it was like to be in his arms, in his heart…and in his bed. But she knows as well as Mike that scorching sexual chemistry isn't enough to shore up a marriage. If they are going to rebuild what was shattered all their secrets will have to come out. But can Lena and Mike's rekindling relationship survive the painful truth?

Previously Published

(2015) 5x5 Publishing

Dedication

For an absolutely incredible group of readers who call themselves the Lexxettes. They help me with every book I write and I am lost without them.

And, as always, for Dawn Montgomery for speed-writing with me, and Val Meglis for talking me off the ledge more than once.

Acknowledgements

Cover: Valerie Tibbs, Tibbs Design

Chapter 1

Sydney, Australia

"They say she’s a real ball-buster."

Michael Bailey gave the man beside him a sideways glance, noting Julian was attempting to hide his mouth with a mug of steaming coffee. The fact the extroverted, in-your-face weather reporter was attempting to hide his mutter with a hot beverage from their new executive producer spoke volumes to Mike.

Returning his attention to the woman currently crossing the conference room on legs any hot-blooded male would give his left nut to feel wrapped around his hips, Mike felt a familiar knot twist in his gut.

It seemed he wasn’t as prepared for Lena Wilkes to be back in his life as he’d hoped.

Fuck.

I heard, Julian continued, his voice the epitome of a conspirator’s whisper, she fired the main cameraman on her old news program the day after his wife was told she had cancer because the poor bastard missed his cue by thirty seconds.

Unable to stop himself, Mike ran his gaze down Lena’s body. As always, it looked incredible. She’d never been skinny, but the voluptuous curves she had were toned by dedicated hours on a StairMaster. The silk, black sleeveless shirt she wore for today’s introductory meeting showed off her arms, shoulders, and breasts with just the right amount of professional flirtation. Her burgundy pencil skirt highlighted the subtle strength of her thighs and calves, along with the narrow dip of her waist and the perfect form of her butt.

On her feet were stilettoes Mike guessed to be somewhere in the six-inch range. That would put Lena at five feet seven. Barefoot, the top of her head reached his solar plexus.

And the network backed her up, Julian’s voice sounded both mortified and awestruck, because the news program jumped five points in the ratings the week she took over the EP role.

Mike’s gut knotted again, dragging his stare from Lena to his own lukewarm coffee.

He remembered the incident Julian was referring to well. It turned out the cameraman had fabricated the cancer scare to avoid being fired for being drunk at work. Not a smart move. Mike had been there the night the drunken cameraman caused major problems during a live feed.

He’d been the program’s main sports reporter. He was sitting behind the desk, waiting for the camera to cut to him when the Ando—the cameraman—completely missed the cue. As a consequence, the female news anchor had been caught on live television scratching her nostril with a well-manicured nail.

He’d enjoyed working for that program. There’d been a real sense of fun there. He’d been earning almost six-figures back then just for talking about something he loved. He was earning more than that now, but it wasn’t the same. Nothing really was, since—

He killed the thought and took a sip of coffee. Was there any chance he’d get through this meeting without Lena acknowledging he was there?

No. What chance is there you’re going to get through it with your balls intact?

His balls. God, the last time his balls and Lena had been in the same thought, he’d been staring at a yellow-gold band sitting at the bottom of a loo.

"I also heard, Julian went on, obviously hell-bent on drawing attention to himself and Mike regardless of their new EP’s reputation, she took her ex-husband to the cleaners. Eviscerated the poor bastard through her lawyers. Took his dignity and his Maserati. All because of unsubstantiated rumours the guy had a thing with their dog-walker."

"There was no thing," Mike growled, before he realized what he was saying.

Everyone in the room snapped their attention to him. Everyone—News at Nine’s two news anchors, the program’s producer and associate producer, the news director, the social media manager, and N@9’s three news writers.

And Lena Wilkes.

At Mike’s side, Julian let out a surprised snort.

Mike bit back a curse, drew a deep breath, and met N@9’s new executive producer’s steady, ice-grey stare.

Lena, he said. He curled his lips into the patented Michael Bailey smirk, the one that had landed him the title of TV Week’s Sexiest Man on Television three years running.

He’d always found the accolade a laugh.

Until that title was used as a weapon against him, of course.

At the end of the table, Lena Wilkes raised an eyebrow, her own lips curling. Fuck, those lips… He hadn’t thought of those lips in quite a while.

Quite a while.

Bullshit. You thought about them last night. Wrapped around your—

Mikey, Lena said, her husky voice going straight for his jugular.

Mike slumped down in his seat, threaded his fingers behind his head and let his smile turn toothy. Ah, c’mon, Button. You know how much I hate the name Mikey.

Something dark flickered in Lena’s grey eyes. He’d only ever called her Button after crazy, wild sex. The kind of sex that left one person questioning how they’d existed without the other in their life.

For five years he’d questioned that very thing every time he and Lena lay together in their marital bed, sated and panting and glistening with sweat.

Five years.

And then seven and a half months ago, one psycho dog-walker with a serious crush climbs into said marital bed while Lena is out of town. Not just climbs in, but takes selfies of herself naked beside him while he’s equally naked and sound asleep.

Takes selfies and posts them on Instagram.

And before Mike knew it, he was being handed divorce papers.

Divorce papers he’d yet to sign. In fact, where the hell were they? Somewhere in his apartment.

Maybe.

Hmm, he should look into that.

Let’s get this meeting started, shall we? Lena’s voice filled the stretching silence. A silence Mike recognized as awkward and curious.

Yeah, when this was over, he was in for some interrogation. And ribbing.

Shit.

He looked around the room, noticing how everyone but Julian avoided making eye contact with him. Everyone in here apart from Julian knew he and Lena had been married. Everyone in here had kept silent about it when the head of the network announced she’d joined the team. That announcement had come—conveniently, in Mike’s jaded opinion—while he’d been in Brisbane covering the Cricket World Cup. All he’d gotten was a text message from N@9’s main news anchor saying Hey, you know the new EP.

It wasn’t until Mike returned to Sydney the next day that he found out it was Lena.

Twenty-four hours before this meeting now. Not enough time for Mike to tell the head of the network what he thought of the situation. Not enough time for Mike to tell the owner of the network what he thought of him either.

Apart from Julian, the team must have known how Mike was going to react. Julian only got a pass because a) he was an imbecile, and b) new to the team. New to the country, in fact. Julian still wore a Union Jack vest under his suit jacket whenever he wasn’t on-screen. In fact, he sometimes wore it even then.

The team must also have known long before Mike found out and hadn’t said anything.

There could only be one reason why the entire N@9 team, from talent to crew, had kept mum about the situation.

Because the owner of the network—a multi-billionaire media mogul who’d been born in Australia but now lived in the US, a man who got off on manipulating every living soul in his employ and was, in Mike’s opinion, a Grade-A wanker—had instructed them not to tell him.

One of these days, Mike was going to tell that Grade-A wanker exactly what he thought of him. That day might very well be this day. Possibly in the next hour.

Are you okay with that, Mikey?

He blinked at the subtle acerbity in Lena’s question.

He remembered that tone well. She used it to perfection back at their previous news program when dealing with the prima-donna behavior of the news anchor. Mike had always found it sexy.

And now here it was, directed at him.

Christ, was that a semi hard-on in his pants?

Fark.

What, Button?

Her eyes narrowed at the pet name.

"I said,