Torn between loyalty and lust...
A relationship so off-limits,
It could cost her everything...
Real estate agent Tara Sterling jumps at the chance to start fresh when she inherits part of her late ex-husband’s company. But claiming her rightful place at Sterling Enterprises means working side-by-side with CEO Grant Singleton, her ex’s best friend. Their long-simmering heat spells trouble as both vie for control of the business—and lose control of their thirst for each other...
“The view is so much better close-up.”
You’re so much better close-up.
He sat back and draped his arm across the back of Tara’s seat. He’d worked too hard to let a romance with Tara get in his way.
Still, he was all kinds of tempted. He couldn’t take his eyes off her, even when she was distracted by the game and everything going on around them.
A chant of voices broke out, growing louder and louder. One word, over and over again. Tara looked up. She pointed at the mammoth television monitor nearest them and laughed. Grant followed her line of sight and there they were on-screen, just the two of them. They looked amazing together.
Before he knew what was happening, Tara’s mouth was zeroing in on his. “We have to kiss.”
“What?”
“We’re on the kiss cam.”
* * *
Once Forbidden, Twice Tempted by Karen Booth
is part of The Sterling Wives series.
Dear Reader,
Thanks for picking up book one in The Sterling Wives trilogy, Once Forbidden, Twice Tempted!
The series starts when a wealthy, enigmatic man dies unexpectedly and leaves controlling interest of his company to his current wife, along with his two ex-wives. The three women are thrust into a partnership, but none of them are sure they can trust the others.
In Once Forbidden, Twice Tempted, Tara, the first wife, who is fiercely independent, is vying with her ex-husband’s best friend, Grant, for ultimate control of Sterling Enterprises. Tara never banked on Grant having carried a torch for her for years. Their chemistry is off the charts, but the company is already on unstable ground. Will they connect or won’t they? And what happens when the other wives find out? I can’t wait for you to discover the answer!
I hope you enjoy Once Forbidden, Twice Tempted and continue to read the trilogy. In the meantime, drop me a line anytime at [email protected]. I love hearing from readers!
Karen Booth
Karen Booth
Once Forbidden, Twice Tempted
Karen Booth is a Midwestern girl transplanted in the South, raised on ’80s music and repeated readings of Forever by Judy Blume. When she takes a break from the art of romance, she’s listening to music with her college-aged kids or sweet-talking her husband into making her a cocktail. Learn more about Karen at karenbooth.net.
Books by Karen Booth
Harlequin Desire
The Eden Empire
A Christmas Temptation
A Cinderella Seduction
A Bet with Benefits
A Christmas Rendezvous
Dynasties: Seven Sins
Forbidden Lust
The Sterling Wives
Once Forbidden, Twice Tempted
Visit her Author Profile page at Harlequin.com, or karenbooth.net, for more titles.
You can find Karen Booth on Facebook, along with other Harlequin Desire authors, at Facebook.com/harlequindesireauthors!
For my agent, Melissa Jeglinski, who never fails
to come up with the craziest good ideas.
Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Excerpt from Secret Crush Seduction by Jayci Lee
Excerpt from Here to Stay by Adriana Herrera
One
The greatest joy of Tara Sterling’s professional life was watching happy clients sign on the dotted line for a multimillion-dollar home.
“The family is over the moon about the house.” That might have been the case, but today, this particular family wasn’t on hand to complete the purchase. The Bakers were spring skiing in Aspen and had sent a woman from their escrow company as proxy. “They’re so thankful you got it for them at such a good price.”
“I’m happy to help.” Tara waved off the compliment as her assistant gathered and reviewed the paperwork. “It’s my job.”
“Very well done. There were an awful lot of bidders on this property.”
Tara smiled and nodded, thankful for this blip of appreciation. Even if it wasn’t directly from the buyer, she’d always accept some gratitude. Tara worked incredibly hard for it—her reputation in San Diego real estate was that of miracle worker. She had a knack for hunting down dream homes, and the negotiation skills to get them at the right price. Reportedly, other agents hated having to face her. They whispered words like ruthless. Tara felt that was an unfair characterization. She saw herself as simply unwilling to lose. She’d already lost so much—her mother when she was only nine, her marriage seven years ago, and last year, her beloved father.
The death of her dad had been an especially crushing blow. He’d been her guiding light through childhood and adolescence, a presence so solid that it had been devastating to lose him. It had been fourteen months and she couldn’t forget one of the last things he’d said to her—Don’t wait to be happy. She hadn’t realized it until that moment. She wasn’t happy. Despite meeting new people every day, her world had somehow become smaller—more acquaintances, fewer true friends, and zero love life. Most men were intimidated by her success, and she was disappointed by their lack of vision. If she was ever going to find love again, she needed a trailblazer. A maverick, like her ex-husband, Johnathon Sterling. He had vision. He was passionate and exciting. Unfortunately, he also had a wandering eye and was easily bored. Their marriage had only lasted three years. Half of it had been thrilling; the other half made her feel as though she’d never measure up. At least not as a woman.
So she’d turned to her career for fulfillment, and for a while, it worked like gangbusters. She made piles of money. She took the beautiful home she and Johnathon had shared, and she’d given it a complete redo. She’d bought closets of designer clothes and leased a brand new Mercedes every year. She’d done her best to show the world that her divorce had not slowed her down. One
