Dear Addi

By Regina Cole

When Addison Laine discovers her famous late-aunt’s love letters, she never expects a lawsuit over the information they contain. Enter Jackson Poole, son of the woman responsible for the lawsuit. Addi knows any relationship with Jackson would be disastrous, but she can’t fight her attraction to his quiet intelligence and sexy-professor style. As Jackson works on authenticating the letters, he finds himself falling for the free-spirited Addi. His fierce need for her overcomes all his reservations—and his inhibitions. And sweet, exciting Addi is more than willing to help him explore his sensual side. With their families entangled in the court system, can love conquer all?

This spicy novella has been previously published, but is shined up just for you!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Regina Cole
• Release date: Jun 13, 2017
• ISBN: 9781386918905

Book preview

1

She’d never wanted to be famous. She wasn’t one of those girls who dreamed of having her picture taken, a huge house in Beverly Hills or a movie-star boyfriend. That just wasn’t Addi. But as she fought her way through the sea of flashbulbs, video cameras and fuzzy boom mics, she realized she didn’t have a choice at the moment .

"Miss Laine, what will you do with the

letters

now

?"

The Poole family has yet to be reached for comment. Ms. Laine, are you worried about their reaction?

Is it true that you’re an actress just like your late aunt, Adele Laine?

Great-aunt, she corrected them under her breath as she climbed into her red Ford Focus. She slammed the door harder than necessary, trying to shut out the buzz of reporters’ voices. The little car’s engine sputtered to life, and as she put it in drive she found herself wishing she could go all Britney Spears on them and flatten

a

few

.

Shaking the unfamiliar venom from her head, she left the reporters behind. The press conference hadn’t been a stellar idea but it was the only way she could think of to let the Poole family know about the letters. They hadn’t returned any of her phone calls, and all the notes she’d mailed them had gone unanswered. It wasn’t as if she were some kind of criminal or someone begging for money. She’d just wanted them to know about the secret marriage of her great-aunt, the late movie star Adele Laine, to Jasper Poole. It had been clearly outlined in the bundle of love letters she’d found in her grandmother’s house.

Addi shoved the dark bangs from her forehead as she leaned back into the driver’s seat. Other than their looks, which were eerily similar, she was as different from Adele as day was from night. Adele had been graceful, elegant, a true class act. Addi was awkward, outspoken and frequently klutzy.

Adele had lover after lover throughout her career as a movie star in the fifties. Addi had had exactly three boyfriends in her twenty-eight years of life. Adele had sworn up and down she’d never love a man, never be tied down by marriage. Addi had been planning her wedding to Justin Timberlake since she

was

five

.

Why did I think telling the press was a good idea? Addi smacked the steering wheel with the flat of her hand, cursing at the sharp pain. Damn the Poole family anyway. If they didn’t want to see the romance in those love letters, fine.

Their

loss

.

The silence of her house was blissful after the uproar of the press conference. She dropped her purse on the hallway table, and her kitten-heeled pumps clattered to the polished floor of the hall. Caffeine. Must have caffeine. She slogged her way to the kitchen, a barefoot zombie in a

dress

suit

.

She reached for the refrigerator door as the front doorbell rang. The sigh she released blew her bangs straight up from her forehead. Coming.

Thwarted in the attempt of a sugar-and-caffeine rush, she was in no mood to deal with whoever had rung the bell. She was going to give them a piece of her mind. This was private property and they didn’t have the right…

She flung the door open, caught sight of the sheriff’s uniform, and her bravado disappeared like chocolate cake at a Weight Watchers’ meeting.

Can I help you? Addi squeaked.

Are you Addison Laine? His eyebrow arched over the mirrored sunglasses

he

wore

.

Y…yes. She couldn’t stop herself from stammering. She’d never been in trouble for anything before. She’d never even gotten a speeding ticket. Why the hell was he at her house? What had she done wrong?

You are being served with notice of a lawsuit. From then on, he stopped making any sense. What he said sounded like, You are to appear in court at gobbledy gook blah-di-blah ham sandwich and tortoiseshells.

What? If her voice shot any higher, only the neighbor’s dog would be able to

hear

her

.

A probate lawsuit. From the Poole family. This is your summons. He handed her a pile of papers and dipped his head. Ma’am.

She stood alone on the rickety boards of her front porch, shakily holding a stack of paperwork that essentially said Addison Laine was the scum of the earth.

It took several minutes before she was able to go back into the house. After swinging the huge oak door shut behind her, she collapsed against it. The evil sheaf of papers fluttered from her nerveless fingers onto the floor, scattering like dead leaves in an

autumn

wind

.

She’d never expected this. Sure, her great-aunt Adele had been a huge star. Sure, she’d made crap-tons of money. Sure, that money had gone to Adele’s brother, Addi’s grandfather, when she died so young. But why would the Pooles do this? She’d thought the secret marriage between Jasper and Adele was romantic and tragic since it happened just a few short months before Adele died. Would people really sue her to get the money her relative had made more than fifty

years

ago

?

When Addi’s knees were steadier and she gathered the scattered papers back into an untidy stack, she realized they would. The proof was there in black and white.

Leaving the papers next to her purse on the hall table, she continued her quest for caffeine. She might even add some rum to that Coke now. Even though it was barely two in the afternoon, she needed a drink in the

worst

way

.

Damn it. Out

of

rum

.

With a virgin Coke in hand, she pulled her cell from her pocket. If ever she needed a friend, it was now. Sitting in the breakfast nook of her kitchen, she dialed her best friend Julie.

"Hey, Addi! How’d

it

go

?"

"You didn’t

watch

it

?"

No, I had customers.

"It went about like you’d expect it to. The media was there and everyone wanted the lewd and lurid stories of Adele Laine’s past. One douchebag even mentioned the Elvis thing. Like I’d know how her secret husband felt

about

that

."

Julie’s tongue clicked loud enough to make Addi pull her ear from the phone. "I told you this wasn’t a

good

idea

."

"Jules, the woman’s been dead for over half a century, how was I supposed to know anyone would give a flying fuck

about

it

?"

"The woman did every A-list movie star in the fifties, up to and including the married-and-possibly-gay Cary Grant. Elvis proposed to her and she turned him down. How could they

not

care

?"

Addi set her glass of Coke on the kitchen table with a thump and propped her forehead in her hand. "Okay, fine. You were right. It was a bottom-feeder frenzy. And now I’m

being

sued

."

What? Julie’s shriek nearly shattered Addi’s eardrum.

"Damn,

that

hurt

."

"Sorry. But what? Who’s

suing

you

?"

Jasper’s descendants, apparently. Addi scratched the polished wood of her grandmother’s old table. I just got served with a summons by the sheriff.

"Oh, Addi, I’m so sorry. You want me to come over? Kev can cover the office if you

need

me

."

"No, no, I’ll be fine. I’m just going to get some Photoshopping done anyway. Try to get my mind off

of

it

."

If you’re sure… Julie’s tinny voice sounded dubious.

"Yeah. It’s fine. Talk to you

tomorrow

,

okay

?"

Okay.

They both hung up without saying bye,