MORE THAN PLEASURE YOU

Can I convince her our hot but temporary engagement should last forever? I’m Stephen Lund, confirmed bachelor…and son of a successful billionaire whose sins I can’t forget—or forgive. Though he insisted I get over his transgressions, I can’t. So I put space between us with a temporary getaway to Maui. My rental’s sexy caretaker, Skye Ingram, is a beautiful distraction. Yeah, it’s a terrible time to start a fling, but I can’t help wanting to give her every bit of pleasure she’s willing to take. When Skye needs a date to her ex-boyfriend’s wedding, I’m game to play her pretend fiancé. The jerk should see what he passed up…and that I’m holding her now. But our pretend engagement begins to feel real. Our passion certainly is. So are the consequences. When I’m confronted with the reality that our lives are now irrevocably entwined, I have to choose between leaving Skye to return to the life—and wealth—I’ve always known or abandoning everything familiar to start over with the woman who awakened my heart. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ "An outstanding, deliciously hot, fun and addictive plot that had me hanging on every word.” – The Sassy Nerd Blog Review **More Than Pleasure You is short novel in the Ruthless Devotion Contemporary Romance series, but every book can be read as a standalone. A HOT, romantic story with strong language, sexy times, no cliffhangers, and a guaranteed happily ever after!** ✔️ Instant download • Secure transactions • Read on any device Series: Ruthless Devotion Main Characters: Stephen & Skye Formats: Trade paperback Word Count: 33k Page Count: 87 pages Prior Reading Necessary? No Tropes: Billionaire, Fake Engagement, Surprise Pregnancy, Temporary Fling 🔥 Inside MORE THAN PLEASURE YOU 🔥 “What were you thinking? I can’t conjure up a fiancé out of thin air.” Who the hell is that? Despite the fact my head throbs, I look away from the calm blue ocean, glancing over my shoulder and above the rim of my sunglasses at whoever invaded my vacation rental uninvited. The source of the unfamiliar female voice isn’t hard to find. The blonde bustling around the living room fluffing pillows on the sofa has a cell phone pressed to her ear—and a really nice ass. “You’re not supposed to ask who I’m dating now,” she insists. “We broke up.” Is her ex sniffing around? I can’t see the blonde’s face, but the language of her very fine body tells me she’s annoyed. “I know you’re in a rough spot, Finn. Your wedding is this weekend. But you can’t ask me to fake-date any of your friends, even for a night. I know them all way too well. More importantly, so do your parents.” Her douchecanoe ex really just asked her to lie to everyone at his wedding by faking an engagement with some guy she doesn’t like? I haven’t caught a glimpse of the blonde’s face, but nothing I’ve seen leads me to believe she needs help finding someone new. Yeah, I shouldn’t eavesdrop, and she clearly has no idea I’m sitting on the lanai, but even if I had the energy to get up, I couldn’t manage it clandestinely now. She tosses her hand in the air. “It’s not like I hang out in a singles mecca where I can pick up someone for the hell of it and decide to get married three weeks later.” “Sorry.” She pauses, then sighs. “No. I really don’t care how you met Dana. You and I were never going to last, so I’m happy you found someone to spend your life with. I just wish you hadn’t told your parents I’d be bringing my nonexistent new fiancé.” He did what? As she paces the room, she listens, shaking her head. “I get that, but it’s not my fault they like me better than Dana.” Suddenly, she holds the phone away from her ear. “Don’t yell. I know. Apology accepted, but I’m working today. We have a guest arriving tomorrow. I’ll see what I can do once I’m off tonight. In the meantime, if my Prince Charming just happens to appear, I’ll let you know. Bye.” With a sigh, she ends the call, pockets the phone, then pivots for the kitchen. Halfway through her turn, she spots me on the lounger through the open door and gasps. “Oh, my god. I didn’t expect anyone here. You overheard my conversation, didn’t you?” My first full glimpse of her is a TKO to my solar plexus. Her big brown eyes and her kissable pink mouth compete for the most mesmerizing feature on her stunning, makeup-free face. Disheveled golden hair spills around her slender shoulders, one slim section swaying in a bohemian braid with the breeze, brushing her mouthwatering breasts, which are hugged by a form-fitting white T-shirt. Shapely tanned thighs extend from brief denim cutoffs and end in bare feet decorated with cheery aqua polish and a toe ring. She’s not my usual kind of woman, but she’s fucking gorgeous. Why would anyone ever think she needs help finding a date? “Hard not to,” I admit. She closes her eyes. “Are you our next guest, Mr. Lund?” I nod, then regret it instantly, holding a hand to my aching head. “Just Stephen.” “I’m both very sorry and incredibly embarrassed.” She heads outside, hand outstretched. “I’m Skye.” The name fits her—earthy, natural, sun-kissed. As I slide my palm against hers, something new hits me. It’s more than a vibe, more than mere interest. Even more than simple lust, though I feel that, too. “Nice to meet you.” She ends our handshake and slips into professional mode. “Welcome to the Aloha Rainbow house. I’ll be the property caretaker and your chef during your stay. I’m sorry the place wasn’t ready. I was told you wouldn’t be arriving until tomorrow.” “That was the plan…until I got a concussion. A friend of mine arranged an early check-in with the owners so I could recover in peace.” Bless Bethany for realizing I need some quiet and solitude—and not just to recover from my injury. Plus, my whack on the head buys me an extra day to evaluate whether this property is right for commercial development. “Oh, my gosh. I’m so sorry to hear that. Can I get you something?” Then she winces as if she worries her voice might be too loud and drops to a whisper. “Or do you just want me to stop talking?” I manage a smile. “You’re fine, but I spent last night in the hospital. The mattress was uncomfortable and the food was lousy.” “That sounds horrible.” She rushes forward to take my suitcase. “Would you like to go to bed?” “Wow, you move fast. I mean, we just met. Normally, I’d at least buy you dinner first, but…” I wink her way. Her big eyes slide shut again. “Every time I open my mouth today, I insert my foot.” I laugh. “I knew you weren’t hitting me up for sex. Clearly, you’ve already got problems.” “Those aren’t important. Let’s get you settled. I’ll take this upstairs to the master bedroom.” “I got it.” The gentleman in me prods me to my feet to take my suitcase from her. A wave of dizziness flattens me, and I stumble back on my ass. “How bad does your head hurt?” she asks. “Like someone gave a metal-thrash drummer a double dose of speed, a sturdy hammer, and a steel trash can lid.” She winces. “Sounds terrible. Let’s put something in your stomach first.” She sets my suitcase aside and helps me to my feet. I feel ridiculous for needing to lean on Skye, but the dizziness is no joke. But even if my head is protesting, the rest of me is perking up. After all, I’m injured, not dead. She smiles in understanding as she settles me on a barstool at the kitchen peninsula, then sets about cooking. “Did you have a car accident?” “No. A guy tried to bash in my head with a baseball bat.” Her eyes widen as she starts chopping. “Someone attacked you?” “I was defending a friend. It didn’t end as well as I’d hoped.” For anyone. But Bethany is all right. That’s what’s important. “Don’t worry. I’ll be fine.” “I’m also a licensed massage therapist. If you’d like an hour of my time…” The lure of relief—and yeah, her touch—is too much to resist. “How about after food?” “Sure. I have a table I can set up on the lanai.” She grins as she assembles whatever she’s cooking on a baking sheet. “You can have a romantic sunset massage for one.” While I’d love to get her naked, too, I’m in no shape to do anything but smile back. “I’ll take it.” I watch Skye toss together the small meat-covered slices of bread, then she shoves them under the broiler. “Is your friend okay?” “Fine.” “I’m sure she appreciates your help.” Bethany isn’t in a place to appreciate anything right now, so I just shrug. “What can I say? I care about the people around me. So why don’t we talk about your problem?” Skye stiffens as she removes the crostini from the broiler. “That’s not necessary.” “So you’ve already got a solution?” I challenge, knowing full well she doesn’t. She grabs a spatula from a nearby drawer, then plates the food while ignoring my question. “Finn is your ex, right? His parents don’t like his bride-to-be, Dana.” I frown. “Why would he invite you to his wedding?” “He didn’t; his parents did.” “So Finn’s folks invited you to the wedding, hoping…what? That he’ll see you and change his mind about marrying the ‘wrong girl.’ But since you’re over each other, he told them you found someone new. And now they’re expecting you to bring your new fiancé. Only you don’t have one. Does that sum up the situation?” She pushes a plate of crostini toward me. “Eat.” I dive in with gusto. Pleasure melts my taste buds. “This is amazing.” “Thank you.” “Of course. I’ll go get the massage table.” She disappears, then returns a moment later with a fluffy white robe and helps me to my feet, guiding me to a half bath off the living room. “Change here. I’ll set everything up.” When Skye shuts the door behind me, I shimmy out of my clothes. I’m a bit wobbly, but I manage to get naked and wrap the robe around me. When I open the door, Skye is tucking the last of the soft white sheets around the massage table. “Get on the table, face down. I’ll be back in a few.” Skye bustles away. My stare glues itself to the golden waves of her hair brushing her back, above the sensual sway of her ass. My usual hookups are ballbusters in pencil skirts and stilettos. I enjoy melting women with strong wills into tiny, moaning puddles. But I’m not looking for a fling now. And forget relationships. Yet…when I lay eyes on this woman, I’m tempted to make an exception. I squint against the afternoon sun as I peel off my robe and get supine on the massage table. Ocean waves crash, lulling me to a more relaxed state. A warm breeze skates over me. “Ready?” Skye asks from a few feet away. “Beyond. What are you charging me for this?” She pauses for the briefest of moments. “Nothing.” “I read the materials mentioned that massage was by appointment only and that there was an associated fee.” “Normally, but this one is on me since you stepped up to defend a friend. That’s amazing.” Skye is giving me this massage when she isn’t even the person I helped? “I just did what any friend would.” “That’s not true, but the fact you think so says a lot.” She makes me sound like some sort of saint. Nothing could be further from the truth. When her palm covers my nape and her fingers massage my seemingly concrete neck, I melt onto the table with a groan. “You’re fabulous at this.” As she slides her digits down the line of my aching spine, I groan. “Yes, right there. Oh…” Dutifully, she digs in and wrests another moan from me. If I’m honest, it’s not the reason I’d like to be groaning with her, but hopefully I’ll be capable of more than flirtation tomorrow. “You carry a lot of tension in your neck and mid-back.” “High-stress job.” Skye fans her knuckles under my shoulder blades, eliciting another raw sound of pleasure. “What do you do?” “I work with my dad. We have a global acquisitions and investments business.” Or we did. I don’t know what’s going on anymore. She digs her dainty elbow into the small of my back, wrenching another throaty groan from me. “If you keep that up the neighbors are going to think we’re back here getting freaky.” Her melodic laugh buoys me. “You’re in luck. Our long-term renters are away for the holidays.” “Good to know. But you’re so amazing at this, I’m going to need you to massage me again. I’m happy to pay you, but if you’re helping me with my problem, I should help you with yours. Why don’t you let me take you to Finn’s wedding?” She freezes. “You can’t be serious.” “You need a date, and I can make that happen. C’mon… I’ll be the best fake fiancé you’ve ever had, baby. What do you say?” 📚Start reading now!