The Kept Woman by Susan Donovan Read Free Book Online

was the warm, spicy scent of her hair or the way her plump lips separated in surprise. But he wanted more than a dry peck, and he used one finger to lift her adorable little chin, and his mouth was suddenly on hers. The kiss lasted all of three seconds, but the buzz he'd felt back at Stuart's office had returned, only this time he was also buzzing below the belt—big-time.
    Samantha Monroe was as warm and moist and soft as she looked, and she let out the tiniest little mewl of shock as his lips covered hers. It was three seconds of buzzing bliss.
    Sam jerked back like she'd been seared by a hot brand. "Money first, then nooky," was all she said.
    Jack laughed and pressed her arm tighter to his side. He was relieved to see Sam smiling, and the two of them grinned all the way back to Stuart's office. Later, as Jack watched Samantha Monroe sign on the dotted line, the memory of that kiss sent a tingle to his lips and additional buzzing to his boxers.
    For a brief, thoroughly insane moment, Jack hoped Sam might have enjoyed the kiss, too, even a little bit, and even though it was only politics.

3
    "Shut up , or what? This place is humongous!"
    Lily was first to jump out of the van, and she stood stock still, her hands on her hips and her mouth hanging open dramatically.
    Greg soon tumbled out of the backseat and stood with his sister in the circular gravel driveway. "J-j-jeesh. Is that an indoor pool back there? And a greenhouse? No way!"
    Simon was right behind. He put a hand on Greg's shoulder and shook his head in slow appreciation. "Son," he whispered. "This could be Kobe's joint or somethin'."
    "You sure got the right address?" Monte took very slow steps to stand behind the kids. She blinked a few times in amazement. "'Cause this place looks like Buckingham Palace. You've even got yourself some turrets, girl."
    "Of course it's the right house, or the key card wouldn't have worked in the gate!" Sam listened to the "oohs" and "ahhs" as she tried to extricate a fidgety Dakota from his car seat, noting with annoyance that in the twenty-minute drive the child had managed to spill the entire contents of his juice box down his front and clumps of white dog fur now stuck to his jacket, creating an attractive mangy parka look.
    Sam sighed, knowing that this was no way to make a good first impression—not that she necessarily wanted to impress Jack Tolliver. But what was wrong with putting her little family in the best light possible? After all, that was the job she'd just signed up for—to improve Jack Tolliver's image. And she was going to be paid quite well for it.
    Dale barked and squeezed between Sam's legs, and as soon as Dakota's little feet hit the drive, he went running after him. Sam shut the van door and finally got a leisurely look at their new digs.
    "Holy f—." She slapped a hand over her mouth and stared at the looming limestone structure. Denny had mentioned that the estate was as imposing as houses got in Indianapolis, but Sam really had no idea it was this imposing. Sam wasn't aware that normal people lived in houses like this. Maybe that was the whole point—the Tollivers weren't normal people. They were abnormally rich people.
    She'd probably driven by this hidden lane a hundred times over the years and never even took note. It was studded by a dozen or so estates tucked behind woods, privacy walls, and strategically placed shrubs. People who lived in these houses obviously didn't want the riffraff to know what was back here.
    "Well? Do we go in the front door?" Lily was nearly jumping with excitement, and Sam couldn't remember the last time she'd seen her daughter jump. It was before puberty; that much she was sure of.
    Sam patted the front right pocket of her coat for the house key, just as the huge mahogany front door creaked open and the studly politician stood framed in its archway.
    She watched a warm smile spread across Jack Tolliver's face, and she couldn't help but think about how unexpectedly hot the