Tempt

By Jen Katemi

"This is the most exquisite story I ever read. I felt the throb of emotions so deep it was like a vein." ~ Booksprout reviewer

 

She'll do anything to save her life's work… Even tangle with the billionaire who broke her heart.

Addiction ravaged my body, battered my soul, and took my friend's life.
But I survived. Now I help others do the same.
My struggling charity has lost its funding. I'll do anything to save it.
Even tangle with a billionaire playboy—the man who stole my heart and ripped it to pieces.
This time I'm older, wiser. Immune to a man's charms.
But Riley Jaxx is no ordinary man.
His soulful eyes and sensual caress claim my heart once more.

 

Trusting again is a hell of a risk—one more crack and I'm bound to break.

This steamy billionaire romance features a hot alpha male and an emotionally guarded woman who will need to risk it all for a second chance with her first love. Guaranteed happy-ever-after ending.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Flourish Books
• Release date: Nov 30, 2017
• ISBN: 9781386346463

Book preview

Tempt

A Billionaire Romance

by

USA Today Bestselling Author

Jen Katemi

She’ll do anything to save her life’s work...

Even tangle with the billionaire who broke her heart.

Addiction ravaged my body, battered my soul, and took my friend’s life.

But I survived. Now I help others do the same.

My struggling charity has lost its funding. I’ll do anything to save it.

Even tangle with a billionaire playboy—the man who stole my heart and ripped it to pieces.

This time I’m older, wiser. Immune to a man’s charms.

But Riley Jaxx is no ordinary man.

His soulful eyes and sensual caress claim my heart once more.

Trusting again is a hell of a risk—one more crack and I’m bound to break.

This steamy contemporary billionaire romance features a hot alpha male and an emotionally guarded woman, who will need to risk it all for a second chance at love. A guaranteed happy ending with no cliff hanger.

Tempt (A Billionaire Romance)

Copyright © 2017 Jen Katemi

This Edition Copyright © 2020

All rights reserved

Published by Flourish Books

Edited by Deadra Krieger

Cover design by Charmaine Ross

This eBook is a work of fiction. Any names, characters, places, and events portrayed in this work are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, places or persons, living or dead, is coincidental. No part of this eBook may be used or reproduced in any form whatsoever in any country whatsoever without the express written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

The Love Interview – Chapter One

About the Author

Chapter 1

Kallie stood on the lightly undulating deck of the yacht and thanked her lucky stars she’d decided to wear comfortable flats today instead of the spiky heels she’d contemplated. The glass of sparkling wine clutched in her fist would likely have been all over the place by now if she’d added heels to this crazy mix. Even though the luxury vessel was still moored at the Melbourne Docklands marina, a fresh breeze had sprung up despite the autumn sunshine. Clearly, sea legs were not something she would ever possess.

She took another sip of her drink, savoring the delicious flavor and wondering how much it cost per bottle. Lots, I’m sure. Given the almost limitless financial reach of her host, it was no surprise that everywhere she turned the words expensive and extravagance sat at the forefront of her mind. She snagged a canapé from a passing waiter, feeling like she had more in common with him than with any of these guests. Everyone was dressed as if headed out for a night on the town, despite being early afternoon and a working day. At least, it was for Kallie. Her black pants and cream silk shirt seemed perfectly fine back at the office, but right now offered more affinity with the hired help than someone who’d been invited to meet the elusive Ryley Jaxx.

She glanced at her watch. Where is he? Twenty-five minutes past her scheduled appointment and she was yet to lay eyes on the owner of this water-bound establishment. Instead, she’d been welcomed on board by Ryley’s frighteningly gorgeous executive assistant, and then left alone to watch as a horde of mostly young, tanned, and truly beautiful people mingled, ate, and drank aboard this superyacht aptly named Temptation.

She knew this was a so-called superyacht, because she’d looked it up at the office, when the instruction arrived to meet Ryley Jaxx here instead of at his city office. Thanks to her quick research, she discovered that, at almost fifty meters in length, Temptation was at the larger end of the scale for Australian superyachts. Certainly, looking out over the water, Kallie could see it was by far the largest moored here today. What a waste. We could have set up a whole new division with the money he spent on this.

Kallie had come directly from her organization’s head office in South Melbourne. After today’s meeting—if it ever eventuated—she planned to head back to finish up paperwork, and then home to her apartment and her two cats, and probably more computer work until she fell into bed exhausted. That’s how it usually went for her. The work remained never-ending, and at times the number of people who needed help seemed almost limitless.

Her fingers tightened on the wine glass as a wave of fatigue washed over her. Do any of these people here today know what bone-weary feels like? Did any of them even need a job? How did one get so wealthy that hanging out on a billionaire businessman’s boat—albeit a very big, impressive one—became a regular afternoon activity? Come to think of it, what sort of man conducted business on a yacht during what was clearly a social occasion? A financially successful entrepreneur who places too much value on fun? A flutter of panic threatened. I’m so out of my depth here. This was a mistake. I should find some other way to save—

Mister Jaxx will see you now. The smooth tones of Ryley’s assistant interrupted her thoughts.

Crap. Too late. She took a deep breath, trying to steady her pulse rate, then turned to follow the perfectly coiffed woman down a short flight of stairs and along a corridor lined with dark paneled wood. Now that she was about to face him, the nerves were kicking in harder than ever. Her stomach roiled up in a knot so tight it felt like burning acid, and she pressed a hand to her middle as she walked. You can do this. They’re all counting on you...

Yeah, that thought was not conducive to relieving stress. She bit her lip as Miss Perfect Assistant opened a door at the end of the corridor and gestured her inside. Your two o’clock is here, the woman intoned. "Miss Smith. The Impact Program."

Okay, try again. Positive thoughts only. You can do this. You’re strong and smart, and it’s a damn good cause.

It was a damn good cause. Now that was a thought she could focus on. She straightened her shoulders and stepped into the room, expecting an office, but finding instead a superbly fitted-out lounge area. Miss Smith. The voice that greeted her sounded smooth yet remote, and caused a strange frisson across her skin. Take a seat and join us. Have a drink.

Kallie frowned. I already have a drink. He wasn’t even doing her the courtesy of looking in her direction. Instead, he sat on a leather chaise with one arm resting lazily across the shoulders of yet another tanned young beauty. A beauty who still clearly held his attention. This one had impossibly long eyelashes and blonde hair so smooth it looked like it’d been ironed, except for the stray lock currently curled around one of Ryley Jaxx’s long fingers. Kallie automatically raised a hand to smooth her own messy brown locks. Unfortunately, it was the hand still holding her forgotten drink. "Oh my God. Damn it!" Wine spilled everywhere, dripping down her face, even into one of her ears.

A female snicker from the direction of the couch compounded her embarrassment and her cheeks started to heat uncomfortably. She wiped