Seducing the Playboy (A Hot Nights Series Book) (Entangled Brazen) by Amanda Usen Read Free Book Online Page B

at them. “At least your face isn’t visible, and they didn’t print your name.”
    “You’ve seen this?”
    “Just now when my mother read me the riot act.”
    That explained the mood swing. “It’s hardly the first time your picture has been splashed across the Internet, party boy. I would have thought you’d be grinning ear to ear. Isn’t publicity a good thing? All press is good press?”
    “Not when she’s trying to convince a conservative billionaire to back her last big project. I’ve been stashed at the beach until she convinces him my lurid reputation won’t jeopardize his investment. Apparently, that picture has caused her a significant setback.” He sighed. “There’s no help for it now, but she also informed me there’s been a change in plans for the charity dinner we’re doing in Las Vegas next week. I have a chance to redeem myself.”
    Max had returned his phone to his pocket and begun chopping onions. Now he looked up, raising his eyebrows in a silent question.
    “We’re doing the dessert .” Roman said the last word like it was a curse.
    Max burst out laughing. “No wonder you hired Jenna. Otherwise, we’d be screwed.”
    Roman flipped him the bird. Then he ripped the menu off the wall and stalked off the line.
    Jenna stared after him.
    “Be careful what you wish for, huh?” Max went back to chopping onions. “That charity event is going to be an ass-kicker. At ten thousand bucks a table, they’re going to expect a stripper to pop out of a cake…or at the very least a happy ending. Are you sorry you signed on now?”
    “I’m not sure yet.” Last night she’d convinced herself she could focus on Cooper’s and forget about her crush on Roman, but that was proving impossible today. Every time she looked at him, her pulse jumped. In her fantasies, Roman was amazing, but her imagination had not done his make-out skills justice. Even though she kept reminding herself of how the evening had ended, memories of his kisses and the way his hands had set her on fire kept running through her mind. It wasn’t fair she’d spent ten minutes kissing him and a dozen hours trying to forget the experience.
    Clearly, he was still furious with her, and the look that had turned her to jelly a few minutes ago probably hadn’t been the good kind of steamy at all. She carried her dirty dishes into the dish room, wishing Lila and Betsy hadn’t been too busy for their usual Sunday conference call this morning. She could have used some bolstering.
    Gathering a stack of clean bowls and more butter, she returned to the line. Max was so right. Be careful what you wish for. She had what she wanted—he’d hired her. But every moment working for Roman was going to be torture if she couldn’t tease him, touch him, and laugh with him.
    Max shot her a sideways look. “Speaking of happy endings, I saw you two sneaking down the beach last night. I guess Roman got over his big brother complex pretty fast.”
    “Not even close.” She felt her cheeks heat, even though she was used to small talk in kitchens centering on food and sex. Did she have Hot for Roman emblazoned on her forehead?
    Max patted his pocket. “Maybe I need to take another look at that picture. There was something very… telling about his profile.”
    She glanced up and saw mischief in his eyes, but also kindness. Max had been her champion when she’d first arrived in the kitchen. Maybe he could help her put it in perspective. “I gave it my best shot,” she admitted. “He said no.”
    Max scoffed. “Roman doesn’t say no.”
    “Marvelous.” She concentrated on cutting butter into half-inch cubes. “I must be really special.”
    “No kidding.” His voice was thoughtful.
    “You heard him yesterday—he thinks of me as Cole’s little sister.”
    Max swept the onions into a six-pan and walked over to stand beside her. He put an arm around her shoulders and squeezed. “See? This is brotherly.” He pulled his phone out of his