Exposed (Erotic Romance Novella) Read online

  Exposed

  by

  Q. Malone

  Copyright © 2013 by Nana Malone

  All rights reserved. This copy is intended for the original purchaser of this book. No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without prior written permission from the author except by reviewers who may quote brief excerpts in connection with a review. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author's rights. Purchase only authorized editions.

  This book is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to institutions or persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

  Editing by Finish The Story

  Cover Design by Go On Write

  http://www.goonwrite.com/

  Dedication

  To T. Thank you for more than you’ll ever know.

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Other Books by Q. Malone

  About Q. Malone

  Chapter 1

  Despite all her best intentions, Megan Rhodes stood on her neighbor’s porch with sweaty palms, doing the whole awkward teenager impersonation. It’s just Jase. And she was just there to thank him—again—for only the third time this month. Jase Collins had that annoying habit of swooping in and fixing things for her, even though she told him she was perfectly capable of fixing them herself. And if she couldn’t, she hired out.

  It wasn’t like she particularly enjoyed hard labor. It generally didn’t go with her Prada pumps, but she did like knowing that she stood on her own two feet. She wasn’t a fan of depending on anyone, especially not someone with the last name Collins. She knew what a slippery slope that was. She used to date Jase’s older brother, Matt, and it hadn’t ended well.

  Yet Jase was always there, being helpful and nice and sexy. This time he’d repaired the storm shutters on her back porch. But truth be told, it was the sexy part that equally enthralled and annoyed Megan. He had no right to run around looking that good shirtless, all broad shouldered and muscled. Jase’s half naked body was enough to give a girl a heart attack. One more half naked viewing, and she was likely to jump his bones—or faint. Well if she did faint, she was in good hands since he was an ER doctor at Gables Medical. But he was all kinds of off limits and she had to remember that.

  The heat already reaching record temperatures, sweat popped on Megan’s brow as she rang the doorbell. It took Jase several moments to come to the door. She frowned and glanced again at his car parked in the driveway. She was pretty sure it had been there when she went to bed, so he probably hadn’t been on rotation at the hospital last night, and she wasn’t waking him up.

  She skimmed her forefinger over the doorbell again when he yanked open the door—shirtless.

  Megan gaped at all six-foot two-inches of him. She begged her brain to work, but her synapses kept fizzing out as she took in the light dusting of blond hair on his chest, every defined abdominal and—Oh God. His faded, well-worn jeans clung to his body in all the right places. Megan swallowed hard as her eyes dipped to the slightly darker hair just below his belly button.

  Fuck her, his jeans were unsnapped, as if he’d yanked them on in a hurry. Oh wow. She’d seen him shirtless dozens of times. Hell, summer was her favorite season because it meant Jase would be in his backyard working on the yard—shirtless. But this glimpse was just added fuel to the very best wet dream.

  It took her several seconds to realize he was talking to her.

  “Megan? What’s the matter? Is everything okay?”

  Still, she could do little else but stare, drinking in his sheer beauty. Maybe her best friend Kyra was right. She should jump his bones and get it over with. At least then she’d know what it was like and she could stop fantasizing.

  Like that would help. Screwing Jase was a complication she didn’t need.

  But it’s one you want.

  No. She squeezed her eyes shut. Thinking that way would only lead to frustrated nights with BOB and many, many cold showers. Never going to happen anyway. Hell, she’d almost married his brother for the love of God. She shook her head to clear the momentary sexual fog.

  “Uh, yeah, sorry. Just daydreaming for a second there.” She frowned. “I’m sorry. I hope wasn’t interrupting or anything. I was pretty confident you didn’t work last night, but I’m never sure.” His position as an ER doctor made his schedule impossible to predict with any accuracy.

  His smile was easy as always, and Megan’s heart started a full scale sprint.

  “No, you didn’t wake me. I was just in the shower. Do you want to come in and grab some coffee while I toss some clothes on?”

  “No!” Why the hell would he put clothes on? Then realizing she’d nearly shouted, she cleared her throat and amended, “Sorry. No, thank you. I uh, I’m on my way to work.”

  “Okay.” He braced his arms between the door jamb. “So what’s up?”

  Shit. Right, she’d come over for a reason. And it wasn’t to ogle him. Damn him for not making small talk easy on her. For all his sex appeal, he was also quiet by nature. Calm and collected, he was an observer. Such a contrast to her.

  “I, uh, wanted to say thanks again for the storm shutters. You know you didn’t need to. I’d like to make it up to you. Maybe a couple of beers. Maybe dinner?”

  “I told you, you have nothing to make up for.”

  “Yeah, you keep saying that, but you keep doing these things for me. So I want to do something nice for you.” Like lick you all over. She flushed and bit the words back.

  “Okay, it’s not necessary, but okay.” He shrugged. “Besides, who am I to turn down beautiful company and a couple of beers? But I’m going to have to insist on take out.”

  Megan scrunched her nose. It was true—she had zip-zero talent in the kitchen. If it weren’t for a readymade meals service and take out, she’d starve. “Okay, fair enough. Poisoning you would be the wrong way to say thank you, so take out it is. When are you free? I know your schedule can be a bit crazy.”

  He rumpled his hair with his hand, and Megan held her breath. Every movement made his muscles tense and bunch and his abs flex. Hell even his abs had abs. She chewed on her bottom lip to keep anything inappropriate from tumbling off her lips.

  His gaze dropped and fixated on her mouth. “I’ll know my schedule today. Okay if I let you know?”

  “Sure, no problem.” Realizing her voice sounded too bright and way too loud for eight in the morning, she modulated. “I’m home all week, so just stop by whenever’s good for you.” Fantastic. She’d just told him she had no life. Idiot.

  “Sounds good. I’ll bring the beer. You pick that take out.”

  “Sure. See you later.”

  Just as she was about to turn around, she heard a familiar voice from within his house. Dread clenched an icy fist around her gut.

  “Hey, Jase, just promise me you’re not going to wear that old tux for my wedding. Get a new one, would you?” Megan’s ex, Matt halted as he reached the open door. “Oh, Megan. Hi.”

  Megan froze. Ice washed over her previously flushed body. Hi? That’s all the ass wipe could come up with? She forced her mouth out of the cement threatening to seal it shut. “Matt.”

  “Actually, I’m lucky you came over just now. I still have some stuff at your place I wanted to pick up.” Matt looked between her and Jase, then added, “I’ve got a ton of wedding stuff to do, so it’ll have to be tomorrow.”

  What the hell? She’d tried to get him to come and collect his shit for weeks after they br
oke up. She’d eventually just given up, shoved it all in her spare room, and forgotten about it. Now he was dictating when he would pick it up? And she didn’t miss that he’d taken an opportunity to mention his wedding again.

  She tucked her hair behind her ear as she shifted from foot to foot. “Push comes to shove I can drop it off here with Jase.”

  “Well I want to make sure I get it all. Becca and I will be moving to Cali for my job, so last chance and everything.”

  “Becca?” She glanced at Jase, silently pleading for help.

  Jase’s gaze, however, remained impassive.

  Her mind played the video reel of Matt telling her he realized he could never marry her over and over in her head. Now he was off to the alter. Apparently it hadn’t been marriage he was allergic to. Just her. The burn started in her gut then spread throughout her body. It wasn’t like she wanted Matt anymore. Their break up was the best thing that had happened to her. Though seeing him was like getting the inoculation against bird flu—it stung and made her a little sick—in the end, she’d be much better off.

  Matt nodded. “My fiancée. I uh, meant to call and let you know, but I guess I never really know about protocol.”

  She blinked. Protocol. Right. Her guess—he’d gone ahead and conveniently forgotten that she dumped him. They’d been dating nearly a year when he informed her he would never marry her, no matter what. She shook her head. “Nope. Didn’t need to tell me. But that’s great for you. Congratulations.” That sounded sincere, right? After all it wasn’t like this was a conversation she ever imagined having on Jase’s front porch. Her eyes scanned Jase’s body as if pulled in by gravity. “Uh, yeah. So come on by tomorrow and get your stuff. I gotta go. Jase, just let me know about dinner, okay?”

  What she meant to do was turn around in a sophisticated manner and flounce off like the encounter and Matt’s news was no big deal. But she couldn’t drag her eyes from Jase’s bare chest and her left Stuart Weitzman shoe slid on the slate stone walk. In her head, she recovered gracefully, falling in an agile and demure position with her legs closed. Not on her hands and knees, her skirt up around her back, and her palms smarting from smacking the stone so hard. Fucking perfect.

  Jase caught her around the midriff just as her hands made contact with the ground. His strong arms had her upright in less than a second. But she overcompensated her counterbalance and they toppled backwards. He had her on his lap so quick vertigo kicked in.

  “Megan, are you okay?” He checked her palms and her knees for scrapes and bruises. “That could have been a bad fall.”

  Face flushed, her world finally steadying, she mumbled, “Nothing wounded. If I had some pride left it might be, but since that’s gone. I guess I’ll live.”

  He frowned as he dusted debris and dirt off her palms. “To be certain, make sure you spray antibacterial spray onto these. If it doesn’t sting, then you’re in the clear. If it does, you’ll want to get some bandages on them.” He ran his thumbs over her knees. “I don’t think your knees made contact. If you want, I have some spray in the house and—”

  She shook her head vehemently. She was not going in his house where he would be naked or half naked, but also where Matt would be. As tempting as being in Jase’s half naked presence sounded, she’d humiliated herself enough for one day. The sooner she escaped his presence, his still shirtless with his jeans unbuttoned presence, she’d be fine. “Nope. I’m good. I just need to call it a day and not accidentally run over your foot or something. I swear, I’m okay. I appreciate the bedside manner.” That’s not all she appreciated. His warmth enveloped her, along with his earthy scent. He smelled clean and fresh with a hint of evergreen. So good. She wanted to lean back into him and let his scent wrap around her.

  Jase leaned into her and whispered, “I’m sorry about Matt.”

  Megan again shook her head. “Don’t be. He’s just being Matt.” She shifted her hips in an attempt to get up, and Jase hissed. It was then she realized her skirt was still up around her back and her nearly bare ass had just been grinding on his—Oh God. The thick length of his erection jutted against his jeans and poked at her flesh.

  Through clenched teeth he muttered, “It’s probably better if you don’t move for a second.” Gently, he eased her up and quickly followed in a lithe, graceful movement.

  Was she supposed to apologize for that? His rock-hard state hadn’t been entirely her fault. But the way he met her stare directly with hooded eyes, told he wasn’t in the mood for apologies.

  Oh, wow. “I’m just going to go now.”

  He nodded slowly. “See you later, Megs.”

  Chapter 2

  Why was he so fucking nervous?

  Jase wiped his palms on his jeans. Megan had invited him over for a friendly dinner—not sex—especially not the steamy, sheet clawing, neighbor waking variety that he thought about every time he saw her. Except he’d been thinking about Megan in his lap through his entire shift at the hospital.

  Never mind that she’d given him a fantastic view of that heaven-sent ass this morning and an inadvertent lap dance. A smile tugged at his lips before he could quell it. She’d probably be insulted as hell if he told her, but there was something so cute about her. Her long red hair was all rumpled sex appeal, but her lively green eyes were almost always smiling and twinkling with mischief. Too bad she still had a thing for his brother. He’d seen it on her face the moment she’d heard Matt’s voice. What women saw in Matt, Jase would never understand. Sure, his brother had the Collins looks, but he was an ass. Even Matt’s fiancé Becca seemed like a nice girl that should know better than to deal with Matt’s bullshit. But apparently not. She was dead-set on marrying him.

  Jase wiped his hands on his jeans again. This was totally low key. It was just Megan. Because it's Megan. He'd been over a million times. With your brother--when he was sharing the house with her, sleeping with her.

  Jase shook his head to clear it. No big deal. It was just beer. He was checking on her. Being friendly.

  Who the hell was he kidding? He wanted to see her. Ever since he’d moved in two years ago he’d hadn’t been able to keep his eyes off of her. She was such a contradiction. Every day she went to work in designer clothes and killer shoes, then he’d see her fixing stuff around her house and on her car. Though by her own admission, all she could really do was change a tire and her oil. Jase could tell when it was a fix stuff around the house day, because she’d always don a pair of barely-there shorts, a ponytail, and her glasses. And she’d have her nose in some manual.

  She never seemed to want any help. He’d eventually stopped asking. Now, when he saw stuff that was wrong or needed fixing that she hadn’t addressed yet, he just went ahead and fixed it. Not because he thought she couldn’t. She was more than capable. But he liked helping. Besides, his mother had drilled chivalry into his head for too many long years.

  Inhaling deeply, Jase knocked on Megan’s front door. His stomach twisted and bunched as he waited. He didn’t even realize he'd been holding his breath until she answered and it all whooshed out of him.

  She carried a screwdriver and a manual of some kind in her hands. She wore her dark red hair in a ponytail, and nothing but a tank top and the ittiest, bittiest shorts he'd seen in a long time. His mouth watered. Speech wasn’t even possible. Like an idiot, he stared.

  “Oh, hi, Jase. Sorry it took me a minute. I'm in the bedroom fighting with the air conditioner. I didn’t realize you’d be over tonight. Come on in, and I’ll call for take out.”

  Jase tried to start his brain again, turning over his internal engine. On the first try, it wheezed then chuffed to death like an old car in the dead of winter. “The air conditioner?”

  “Yeah, it broke last night. I couldn’t get a lick of sleep. When I called the repair guy, he said with this heat wave he couldn't get to me until next week, so I busted out the manual.” She shrugged.

  “Here, hold the beer. I'll take a look.” He handed her the beer and let himself i
n, glad his brain finally decided to get on the job again.

  “Thanks, but you don’t have to try and fix it. I’m pretty handy.”

  “Two brains are better than one, right? With any luck, we’ll be done before the food arrives.” Besides, tinkering with her air conditioner gave him something to do with his hands besides touch her.

  “That's really sweet of you, Jase, but honestly, I'm capable of fixing it.”

  Her soft smile churned up his insides. It also made his dick twitch, but he could ignore that—mostly. “I know you can, but let me do it. I'll feel better.”

  Megan shrugged. “Suit yourself. It's this way.” She put the beer in the fridge and snagged the cordless phone.

  Jase followed her down the narrow hall to the two bedrooms at the back of the house. His shoes barely made a sound on the dark hardwood floor. The whole way along, she put him through his own personal erotic torture. Her shorts were so skimpy that with every step she took, the fabric pulled tight over her ass. With the well-worn hem barely reaching the top of her thighs. And given the gentle movements of her breasts, he’d guess she wasn’t wearing a bra. He was so screwed.

  When she opened the door to her bedroom, he froze. Her room was ultra-feminine and smelled of flowers and perfume. There were shoes piled in a corner and clothes strewn on the bed. His gaze fixed on the bed, and he forced himself to look away. He'd fix the AC unit and then get the hell out of here. Forget dinner.

  He glanced at the pile of twisted metal and parts at the foot of her bed. “I'm surprised you haven’t upgraded your AC unit to central air.”

  She groaned as she plunked herself in a chair in the corner. “I know, I know, but it always seems like a hassle, and I'm never home. The individual units have worked fine till now.” She held out a manual. “Do you want to look at this?”

  “That's okay. I think I know the basics. Mom used to have one just like this and refused to buy a new one, so I have a few tricks up my sleeve.”