Breaking His Rules (Feeling the Heat #4) Read online

  Breaking His Rules

  By Alison Packard

  Losing fifty pounds is an incredible achievement. But for Melissa Atherton, progress doesn’t come with praise—a scathing comment from an evil cousin at a bridal shower threatens to crush her new self-esteem. Who will she bring to the upcoming wedding? Showing up without a date would be humiliating. It just isn’t an option.

  Personal trainer Jake Sawyer was attracted to Melissa before she lost weight, but her progress has him floored. When she admits she plans to hire a male escort—and why—his heart all but breaks. Melissa’s come too far to be knocked down, especially by her own family. He’ll go as her date...and figure out a way to keep his hands to himself.

  But when a steamy hotel room encounter takes them both by surprise, Jake balks. He’s sworn never to date one of his clients, not again. And Melissa can’t bear to be just friends with the man who treated her so tenderly, even if it was only for a weekend. Jake’s helped her see she’s strong enough to stand up for herself, but will she find the strength to pursue the only man who’s ever seen the real her?

  70,000 words

  Dear Reader,

  September might herald the end of summer fun and the vacation season, but the one thing you and I both know, as avid readers, is that we can always escape the daily grind thanks to books! This month, Carina Press is placing extra emphasis on the mystery genre, with the last week of September dedicated to not only our entire backlist of mysteries, but also four brand-new frontlist releases in four different subgenres of mystery.

  Within the mystery program, we welcome debut author Ricardo Sanchez with his novel Elvis Sightings. In this unique mystery that absolutely delighted our team from the first moment we read it, Floyd is a private detective who lives his life the way he thinks Elvis would have wanted him to—fast and hard in a sequined jumpsuit—and if he can avoid the billy clubs of government agents, a Viking reenactment and the amorous attention of the bearded lady sheriff, he just might prove, once and for all, that Elvis is still alive.

  Rosie Claverton brings us the second book in The Amy Lane Mysteries (a series that has some of my favorite Carina Press covers!). Welsh amateur sleuths Amy and Jason return in Code Runner, with Jason framed for the murder of a gang runner. When his prison transport is broken open, Jason is caught between the police, the gangs and the mastermind behind Jason’s downfall, while Amy races to prove his innocence.

  In Mistress of Lies, a historical mystery by Holly West, a young beggar girl claiming to be Isabel Wilde’s niece—previously unknown to her—shows up unexpectedly and reveals that Isabel’s brother Adam was murdered, compelling Isabel to take up an impossible task: discover the truth about her brother’s death, twelve years later.

  And joining these three in the mystery category, with a new release in her Patience Price Mystery series, Julie Anne Lindsey brings us Murder in Real Time. When a popular reality show host is murdered at the local bed-and-breakfast, Patience’s small town is overrun with grieving fans, paparazzi and a gunman who puts Patience in the crosshairs.

  If mystery isn’t your favorite genre, we have nine new releases in September in romance subgenres. Starting with contemporary romances, first up is Breaking His Rules by Alison Packard. If you love the friends to lovers trope as much as I do, you’ll love this story of two good friends pretending to be a couple at a coastal wedding, who find things get passionate when their true feelings rise to the surface.

  Rebound flings are supposed to have soft landings, but one sexy cop is about to fall hard in Christi Barth’s fun romantic caper Love on the Boardwalk. And in Emma Barry’s Private Politics, when a glamorous non-profit fundraiser becomes entangled in a political scandal, she turns to a savvy DC blogger for help clearing her name. As their hearts and ambitions collide, they find that everything in Washington comes with a price.

  If you like contemporary romance with an edge, reach for new adult romance Losing Streak by Kristine Wyllys. Rosemary Young was just another bartender until her boyfriend, Brandon Williams, lost a bet, leaving them with no choice but to sell their souls to the Lane’s crooked king.

  Author Stina Lindenblatt returns with Let Me Know, a contemporary romance with a new adult flavor. College freshman Amber Scott is propelled into the media spotlight when love letters she supposedly sent to her stalker surface prior to his upcoming trial.

  Switching gears to three books outside the contemporary romance genre, I’d like to turn your attention to Tyler Flynn’s newest male/male historical romance, Hunting the Spy. Nathan Kennett is hunting down a traitor who is selling the secrets of England’s defenses to the French rebels—could it be Sir Peter Ross, the man he loves?

  Don’t miss the final book in Jeffe Kennedy’s fantasy romance Covenant of Thorns trilogy. In Rogue’s Paradise, our scientist heroine discovers the origin of the fae and of her own nature, and whether she can make true love actually work. And it’s not too late to catch up with the first two books in this fantastic trilogy, Rogue’s Pawn and Rogue’s Possession.

  Eleri Stone’s Gun Shy has a wonderful Firefly-esque Western feel in a paranormal romance world. When criminal boss Gideon Moore sends men to steal the fort’s dwindling supply of Reaper cure for sale on the black market, Jane Fisher offers to guide Lieutenant Lyle Dalton through the shady side of Storm King Territory in an attempt to recover the serum.

  And last this month, we’re thrilled to present Shattered Bonds, the final book in Lynda Aicher’s Wicked Play erotic romance series. At the same time, we’re sad to see these characters go, as Lynda has captivated us with the emotional ups and downs of the relationships between this compelling cast of characters. Don’t miss this book, in which everything could change when the past comes back to destroy the members of The Den. Look for Game Play, the first book in Lynda’s new erotic romance trilogy, in spring 2015.

  Coming in October 2014, Dana Marie Bell returns us to the world of Maggie’s Grove, we welcome co-authors Eileen Griffin and Nikka Michaels and their incredible male/male romance duology, and R.L. Naquin is back with her urban fantasy Monster Haven series.

  Here’s wishing you a wonderful month of books you love, remember and recommend.

  Happy reading!

  ~Angela James

  Editorial Director, Carina Press

  Dedication

  For Johanna “Suzy” Packard

  An amazing mother and friend

  We will miss you always

  Acknowledgments

  Angie Shiroff, Tera Lynn Childs, and Jodi Henley: I’ve learned so much from all of you. Thank you for your support and friendship.

  I’d also like to thank my editor, Angela James, for making every manuscript I send to her a heck of a lot better. This is our fifth book together and it’s been an honor and pleasure working with her. And a super-size thanks to the entire Carina Press team—a wonderful group of people who truly care about making each release a success.

  Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  About the Author

  Copyright

  Chapter One

  Off the top of her head, Melissa Atherton could list at least ten other things she’d rather do than attend her cousin’s bridal shower. And she wasn’t the only
one. Next to her, her fraternal twin picked up her wine glass and downed what was left of it in one long gulp.

  “Just kill me now and put me out of my misery,” Paige said in a low voice and pinned Melissa with accusing green eyes. “This is your fault.”

  “My fault?” Melissa raised a brow. “How do you figure that?”

  “If you would have ejected out of Mom’s womb first, I wouldn’t be going through this hellish nightmare.”

  Melissa hid a smile as she picked up the crystal water pitcher in the middle of the table and poured the ice cold liquid into her water goblet. “What’s Bridezilla done now?”

  Paige set her glass down. “While you were at the shelter this morning, I got another stupid email. Shauna’s latest edict is any bridesmaid with a tattoo that might be seen has to cover it with makeup.”

  “You’re kidding?” Melissa returned the pitcher to the table.

  “No. And get this. She also wants all the groomsmen to be clean shaven.” Paige rolled her eyes. “No mustaches, beards, scruff or soul patches allowed. Oh, but she did back down on the acrylic nails. Now we’re only required to get a manicure the morning of the wedding. But we all have to wear the same color nail polish.” Paige let out a sound of disgust. “What a control freak.”

  Melissa shook her head. “And to think I was the tiniest bit disappointed when she said she could only pick one of us to be in the wedding party.”

  “I’d love to trade places with you. You know how much I loathe weddings, and considering Shauna hates my guts, I’m surprised she chose me.”

  “You are the eldest. And it’s been a long time since she’s liked either of us,” Melissa said as she sat back in her chair and surveyed the room.

  The East Terrace Room at the Arden Hills Resort was filled with Shauna Atherton’s thirty closest girlfriends and the obligatory family members. The shower hadn’t been a surprise. Shauna didn’t like surprises, and Melissa was sure Shauna and Aunt Beverly had worked closely with an event planner to make sure every detail of the bridal shower was picture perfect. From the upscale Sacramento venue to the vintage cloisonné enamel compacts encased in small silver mesh bags that were placed at each place setting, the shower screamed extravagant—just as Shauna and her parents intended. Nothing was too good for Darren and Beverly Atherton’s precious little girl.

  “If we don’t leave soon I think I’m going to lose my mind,” Melissa whispered, aware of Shauna huddling nearby with her maid of honor and two of her six bridesmaids.

  “Let’s go,” Paige whispered back. “No one will notice.”

  “Mom will.” Melissa craned her neck to look past the elaborate floral centerpiece at her mother, who’d left their table to chat with a friend sitting two tables over.

  “We can tell her I need to study for the police recruit exam. It wouldn’t be a lie. I really do need to study.”

  “And Mom always said studying came first.” Melissa turned to share a conspiratorial smile with her sister. “I think that excuse might work. You go tell her we’re leaving. I’ll meet you outside the ladies’ room. I need to make a pit stop.”

  After saying a quick goodbye to Shauna, who didn’t seem at all perturbed that Melissa and Paige were leaving early, Melissa left the bridal shower behind and made her way to the women’s restroom. A few minutes later, as she was finishing up inside the stall, she heard the door open. Thinking it was Paige coming in to tell her to hurry it up, she lifted her purse from the hook on the stall door and was about to unlock it when her cousin’s voice caused her to stop cold.

  “Thank God I had the good sense to ask Paige to be a bridesmaid instead of Melissa.”

  “Paige is the obvious choice.” The voice belonged to Shauna’s best friend and maid of honor, Denise. Mean and meaner—the two had been besties since grade school.

  “Truthfully, I didn’t want either of them in the bridal party but my father insisted that I had to ask one of them. Paige was the lesser of two evils—there’s no way I want Melissa standing up at the altar with me and Kurt. Can you imagine her fat ass in the wedding pictures? I’d have to Photoshop her out.”

  “Paige may be crass, but she’ll look better in the pictures than Porky Pig,” Denise said snidely.

  Melissa sucked in a silent breath and kept completely still. Porky Pig was only one of the cruel nicknames Denise and Shauna had taunted her with when they were younger.

  “She has lost some weight,” Shauna conceded.

  “Not enough. If I had to guess I’d say she’s a size twelve or maybe even a fourteen.”

  “Can you imagine?” Shauna’s tone was edged with horror. “Double digits.”

  Melissa gripped the strap of her purse and fought the urge to yank the door open and confront the bitches. Instead she shifted to peek through the sliver of space next to the stall door and spied Shauna and Denise standing in front of the mirror primping.

  “No. I can’t imagine.” Denise opened her designer purse and pulled out a tube of lipstick. “Has she ever had a boyfriend? I know she didn’t when we were in high school.”

  “I doubt it. What guy in his right mind would want to date Two-Ton Tessie?”

  Angry tears blurred Melissa’s vision as Denise let out a soft snort of amusement. Shauna’s comments didn’t surprise her, but what did was that after all this time they still had the power to wound.

  To this day she couldn’t understand why Shauna had turned on her. When they were kids she, Paige and Shauna had been as thick as thieves and christened themselves The Three Musketeers. The Shauna of today was nothing like the one Melissa remembered from her childhood.

  Shauna leaned toward the mirror and examined her reflection. “I’ll bet if she somehow manages to find someone to escort her to the wedding—and I doubt she will—it’ll be some loser.”

  “Or another fatty like her,” Denise said, and they both laughed.

  Seconds after Shauna and Denise finally left the restroom, Melissa unlatched the door, moved to the sink and turned on the water. The sound of her cousin’s cruel laughter still rang in her ears as she furiously scrubbed her hands. She’d hoped Shauna had matured since high school, but almost eleven years later her cousin was as mean and petty as she’d ever been.

  After turning off the water, she jerked a paper towel from the dispenser and as she was drying her hands, Paige entered the restroom and gestured to her impatiently. “Let’s get while the getting’s good. Mom’s cool with us leaving.” Paige’s smile faded. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing.” Melissa fired the paper towel into the waste receptacle with more force than necessary.

  Paige crossed her arms over her chest and narrowed her eyes. “Wrong answer. You’re upset. Does it have anything to do with Shauna and Denise? I ran into them outside the restroom.”

  “I just overheard why I wasn’t asked to be a bridesmaid.” Melissa slung the leather strap of her purse over her shoulder and blew out an angry breath. “Evidently, I’m too fat.”

  Paige’s eyes blazed murderously. “That bitch,” she exclaimed hotly. “That’s it. I’m done. She can find another stinking bridesmaid. I’m out.”

  “You can’t. She’s our cousin.”

  “So what? That didn’t stop her from insulting you.”

  “She’s insulted me for years. What else is new?”

  “I say we sabotage the ceremony.” The corners of Paige’s lips tipped up in an evil grin. “How about it? You know she deserves it. We could somehow find a way to trip her as she’s walking down the aisle and then post the video on the internet.”

  “And start World War III in the Atherton family?” Melissa shook her head. “I appreciate the gesture, but she’s not worth it.”

  “You’re right, she’s not,” Paige grumbled, and then put her hand on Melissa’s arm. “Wait. I just thought of a better plan.” Her eyes gleamed with devious intent. “Let’s boycott the ceremony.”

  “No. That’s what she wants. If we don’t show up she wins.”

&n
bsp; Her sister’s expression darkened. “God, I can’t stand her. She’s the most superficial person I’ve ever met. Come on, let’s confront her before we leave.”

  Melissa raised her hand. “Calm down. It’s not a big deal.”

  “Why do you always say that?” Paige demanded. “You always turn the other cheek.”

  “It’s easier that way.” Melissa sighed. She’d learned a long time ago that pretending the hurtful barbs about her weight didn’t bother her was the best way to navigate through life. She glanced at her watch. “Let’s get out of here. While you study, I’ll go to the gym and work out. There’s a kickboxing class starting in an hour. I’m sure Jake will appreciate the extra effort.”

  “And how is Mr. Hottie these days?” Paige waggled her dark brows.

  Melissa’s cheeks grew warm. “Stop calling him that. He’s my trainer.”

  “So? He’s still hot. And don’t tell me you haven’t noticed.”

  Of course, she’d noticed. She’d have to be blind not to. Jake Sawyer was blessed with broad shoulders, dreamy hazel eyes, golden brown hair he kept cut short, and a killer smile. He was possibly the most gorgeous man she’d ever laid eyes on and although he’d been her personal trainer for almost a year, her pulse still fluttered like a hummingbird’s wings each time she came anywhere near him.

  “Why don’t you come with me?” Melissa suggested, and forced Jake from her mind. Even as nice as he was, he probably dated women that looked like supermodels.

  “I’ve already worked out today.”

  “Were you up at the crack of dawn again? I don’t know how you do it,” Melissa said, and nodded to the bellman holding the door for them. The air-conditioned air gave way to the sweet smell of springtime and the sound of birds chirping back and forth to each other from the surrounding trees.

  Paige wrinkled her nose. “I hate to exercise, but it’s a necessary evil—especially if I get into the police academy. If I get it out of the way in the morning, I won’t blow it off later.” Paige looped her arm through Melissa’s and as always, Melissa was grateful she wasn’t an only child like Shauna—Paige wasn’t just her sister, she was her best friend. “Hey, I have an idea,” Paige continued, “When you’re in that kickboxing class you can pretend you’re punching Shauna in the face. That should make you feel better.”