Melt Into You
Praise for the novels of Lisa Plumley
HOLIDAY AFFAIR
“Secrets and subterfuge add complexity and zing to this well-crafted, heartwarming story that features a wealth of engaging characters, including five remarkable, memorable children, and great sexual tension. A deliciously satisfying, cocoa-worthy holiday read.”
—
Library Journal
“Lisa Plumley’s latest holiday novel delivers. It has warm gooey holiday moments complete with happy children, Christmas traditions such as caroling and decorating Christmas cookies, and, oh yeah, hot and steamy romance. Loaded with fun pop-culture references and witty dialogue,
Holiday Affair
delivers on entertainment!”
—
The Romance Reader
(5 Hearts!)
“A delightful story with utterly charming characters. It brings to life the sounds, smells, and tastes of Christmas as it brings together more than just the two main characters for a joyous holiday season.”
—
Romantic Times BOOK Reviews
(4½ stars)
MY FAVORITE WITCH
“In keeping with Plumley’s tradition of lively romantic comedy (
Home for the Holidays
), her first foray into the paranormal-witch-world subgenre is quirky, sexy, creative, and hilarious.”
—
Library Journal
“Humorous adventures and unexpected romance with a sprinkling of heartwarming moments will keep the reader well entertained in this delightful tale, skillfully crafted by the clever Plumley.”
—
Booklist
HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS
“Lisa Plumley once again gifts readers with a Yuletide story sure to put you in a holiday mood. This is vintage Plumley. She’s created a cast of characters that are a bit eccentric, quirky, and likeable, and spun a story that will make you smile.”
—Lezlie Patterson,
McClatchy
-
Tribune News Service
“A delightful secondary romance adds to the fun in this upbeat romp that is touching, hilarious, and lightly dusted with seasonal charm.”
—
Library Journal
LET’S MISBEHAVE
“Once again, Plumley shows her fine flair for comedy as Marisol learns that there is life beyond Rodeo Drive, and the Connelly triplets discover that they can’t scare away every nanny. Full of witty dialogue and hilarious situations, this romp with a heart is certain to please readers.”
—
Booklist
(starred review; named one of the
Top Ten Romances of 2007)
“Plumley not only delivers a fun-filled premise, clever dialogue, and a delightfully sexy sports-loving hero, she brings to life a memorable, hilarious, and utterly unique heroine readers will adore. This is pure romantic fantasy and an absolutely entertaining novel from start to finish.”
—
Romantic Times BOOK Reviews
(4½ stars; Top Pick!)
“
Let’s Misbehave
is funny, romantic, heartwarming, and sexy. It’s fantastic!”
—
Joyfully Reviewed
MAD ABOUT MAX
“A cool cast of secondary characters adds much to the story as clever Plumley, who is already known for her entertaining romantic comedies, presents another winner in this humorous and engaging tale about a man who literally loses his shirt, but finds his heart.”
—
Booklist
(starred review)
“
Mad About Max
kept me laughing from beginning to end. What great characters! Very highly recommended, especially for fans of romantic comedy.”
—
Romance Junkies
JOSIE DAY IS COMING HOME
“Turning not-so-perfect, unlikely characters into romance heroes and heroines is Lisa Plumley’s forte, and she once again delivers a zany cast who will make you laugh!”
—
The State
newspaper
“In this heartwarming, often humorous story, the feisty Josie proves that you can go home again—if you’ve got the right stuff. And once again, the talented Plumley, whose books include
Perfect Switch
, proves that when it comes to writing romantic comedy, few do it better.”
—
Booklist
Also by Lisa Plumley
MAKING OVER MIKE
FALLING FOR APRIL
RECONSIDERING RILEY
PERFECT TOGETHER
PERFECT SWITCH
JOSIE DAY IS COMING HOME
ONCE UPON A CHRISTMAS
MAD ABOUT MAX
SANTA BABY
(anthology with Lisa Jackson,
Elaine Coffman, and Kylie Adams)
I SHAVED MY LEGS FOR THIS?!
(anthology with Theresa Alan,
Holly Chamberlin, and Marcia Evanick)
LET’S MISBEHAVE
HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS
MY FAVORITE WITCH
HOLIDAY AFFAIR
Published by Kensington Publishing Corporation
Melt Into You
L
ISA
P
LUMLEY
ZEBRA BOOKS
KENSINGTON PUBLISHING CORP.
http://www.kensingtonbooks.com
All copyrighted material within is Attributor Protected.
Table of Contents
Praise for the novels of Lisa Plumley
Also by Lisa Plumley
Title Page
Dedication
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Dear Reader,
Together for Christmas
,
Copyright Page
To Peter Senftleben,
with thanks for all his enthusiasm,
encouragement, and insightful editing!
And to John Plumley,
with all my love, now and forever.
Chapter 1
September 2002
La Jolla, California
Damon Torrance believed in a lot of things.
He believed in perfect surf, unassailable integrity, and the ultimate Baja fish taco. He believed in making connections, making things happen, and making a never-fail margarita (it was all about the blue agave tequila). He believed that nudity was better than wearing ... anything at all, no matter how pricey the clothes were or where you happened to be going.
He believed that rules were made to be broken and that whoever had said virtue was its own reward probably hadn’t tried hard enough to be bad first. He believed that person shouldn’t have made that decision so damn hastily. Or so publicly. Because that idiot had ruined it for everyone else who just wanted to have a good time.
When it came right down to it, more than anything else, Damon believed that life was too short to waste time with anything less than hundred-percent pleasure. Plain and simple.
That’s why, when he found himself spending a week with an attractive, capable, flirtatious, and ultra-available journalist (she made it bluntly, sexily, one-step-short-of-manhandling-him obvious that she was single) who was writing a profile of him and his family’s company, Torrance Chocolates, for
Oceanside Living
magazine’s “Getting to Know ...” feature, Damon took the only reasonable action.
He let her seduce him. On his desk. In full view of the glittering Pacific Ocean outside. Right between his stapler and his office phone, with his brand-new, full-size desk calendar for a cushion. Not that Kimberly (the journalist) bothered to scout a prime location before she smiled, dropped her notepad, and lunged at him.
It would have been rude to say no, Damon reasoned. So he met her kiss with a sliding, seductive, nice-to-meet-you lip-lock of his own ... and before he knew it, they were “Getting to Know ...” each other pretty damn well. Kimberly’s warmth was a sharp contrast to the brisk ocean breeze coming in off the Pacific. Her perfume added synthetic flowers and spice to the sugary smells of the confectionary shop downstairs. Her breath panted over him. Her I’m-a-professional suit jacket hit the floor. So did his I’m-supposed-to-be-working shirt. They kissed a little more. Then they kissed again, more passionately.
A discordant electronic jangle startled them both.
Kimberly quit kissing him. She frowned. “What was that?”
“Who cares?” Right on cue, it happened again. At the sound, Damon glanced sideways. “Oh. It’s my father’s BlackBerry.”
At her mystified expression, Damon nodded at the device.
“It’s used to get e-mails and appointments on the go. I gave it to my dad as a birthday present, but he didn’t take to the technology the way I hoped he would. That’s why it’s in here and not with him.” Damon smiled at her. Confidingly, he added, “I think he’s afraid he’s going to drop ‘that expensive gadget’ into a vat of bittersweet chocolate ganache or something.”
It was semi-likely. Jimmy Torrance spent most of his time and all his creativity on the family business. That’s how he’d turned a tiny seaside sweetshop into one of San Diego’s favorite “hidden treasures” for thirty years running. That’s how he’d earned himself the very office that he shared with Damon today.