“Fine. You’ll find another house and a different school. Just let me know what you need.”
“Jake…”
“No arguments, Paige. I’ll make sure it’s taken care of.”
“Thank you,” she said softly.
I downed half of the water, then searched the cabinet for some ibuprofen. I needed to send the woman in my bed home so I could clear my head and get my shit together. Unfortunately, I still couldn’t remember her name and didn’t have the patience to deal with her right now. The last thing I needed was a one-night stand asking about my personal business. As a rule, I didn’t share that sort of thing with anyone, and I damn sure wasn’t about to start now.
“I need you here,” Paige pleaded.
“I know. And I’m coming home. I promise.”
“Okay.” Paige sighed. “One more thing…”
“What is it?”
“Please don’t mention this to anyone? The last thing we need is for this to become public news. Your life’s an open book and everyone seems to know everything—”
“No one will know,” I assured her.
“Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me, Paige. You’re my sister. I’m here for you and Abby. Always.”
After I hung up the phone, I stood there, staring into space. This was something I had to do, but I couldn’t help wondering whether or not this would be the change that I couldn’t bounce back from.
Chapter One
Jake
One year later—January 15
Present day
Where, oh where did he disappear to?
Perhaps you’re asking yourself the same question I am, “Why haven’t we seen anything from Jacob Wild in a while?” Remember him? The hunky author who took the nation by storm, the one whose seductive eyes and dirty words quite literally make women’s panties fall off. Yeah, you remember him now. I knew you would.
It’s been nearly two years since we all anxiously awaited this mysterious, bad boy author’s release of FORBIDDEN and close to a year since the movie premiered. I still remember the day the book downloaded on my Kindle. There I was, sitting on the edge of my seat, breathing hard because I knew the heat that would accompany Jill and Justin’s truly forbidden love story.
Oh, what I wouldn’t give to live inside Mr. Wild’s mind for a day. What fun that must be.
Anyway … I certainly wasn’t disappointed when I grabbed up a handful of girlfriends and we went to the theater to watch Jill and Justin come alive on the big screen, seeing for myself how Jill’s world ignited when her boss showed her the true meaning of a “hands on” workplace. Only now, I want more from this sexy bad boy. A lot more.
If you’re like me, you devoured FORBIDDEN, possibly even in one sitting, and maybe watched the movie three or four times. I did. I won’t lie. And after, as with any uber-sexy love story, I was chomping at the bit for the next. Only … it’s been roughly a year since we’ve seen or heard from him, and still there is no sign of the sexy, reclusive Jacob Wild.
Has anyone else wondered what happened to him?
Where did he go?
“Not again.”
Leaning back in my chair, fingers linked behind my head, elbows wide, I continued to stare at the screen long after I’d finished reading the article questioning where I was. The article my editor, Liz, had sent me via email, insisting that I read it.
Well, I read it, but I wasn’t sure what she expected me to do now.
I glanced down at my phone.
Three…
Two…
One…
The familiar ring tone sounded and I smiled. Liz McCowan was nothing if not predictable. Sometimes I wondered if she was monitoring me through my web cam just so she could call me at times like this. Honestly, I wouldn’t put it past her.
“Hey,” I greeted, lifting the phone to my ear. “Kinda late for you to be calling, huh?”
“It’s only ten,” Liz replied.
“It’s also Friday night.”
“Yeah, well, I’m bored. So, did you read it?” Liz’s excitement was palpable.
“Yep.”
“And…? What’d you think?”
What did I think? First of all, I’d never thought I’d see the day when people whom I did not know would wonder what had happened to me. But that was what my life had become over the past seven years, and though it was strange, it was still … humbling, I guess you could say.
But I didn’t tell Liz that. Just to get a rise out of her, I said, “I thought it was entertaining.”