Little Secrets--Secretly Pregnant Read online

  Secret Identity. Secret Baby.

  They’d worn masks! So after one wild night with a fellow Mardi Gras party guest, accountant Emma Dempsey never expects to see her mysterious seducer again. Her only reminders are a tattoo...and a positive pregnancy test.

  CEO Jonah Flynn feels a strange connection to his beautiful new auditor. Her tattoo—identical to his own—explains why. They vow to keep things professional, even as desire tempts them away from their good intentions. But when everyone’s secrets are revealed, will Jonah have to choose between his business, his lover and his baby?

  This month, Harlequin Desire celebrates its 35th anniversary! Thank you, reader, for being a part of our story!

  * * *

  Their lips met with an unexpected spark.

  She didn’t pull away. The old Emma would have. In her mask, she was someone else.

  She wrapped her arms around his neck, her lips clinging to his as he probed and explored her with his tongue. It was deliciously naughty. In that moment, Emma wanted it more than anything else in her entire life.

  “Come with me,” he whispered.

  Emma knew what he was offering and every inch of her body urged her to take him up on it. She’d never done anything like this. Ever. And yet there was something about her hero that insisted she go with him.

  So she did.

  * * *

  Little Secrets: Secretly Pregnant is part of Little Secrets series:

  Untamed passion, unexpected pregnancy...

  Dear Reader,

  Happy 35th anniversary, Harlequin Desire!

  It is hard to believe that Harlequin Desire is thirty-five years old. Time sure flies when you’re having fun reading the hottest books in the publishing world. I can remember when I picked up my very first Desire—I read it on my lunch break at work. I thought the same thing about it then that I do now. “Wow, this little red book is hot!”

  Little did I know that years later I would be one of the authors writing those “hot” stories. Doing so has been both an honor and a privilege. And I remain in the ranks of readers who often say “There’s nothing like a Desire.”

  I have written more than forty stories for Harlequin Desire, but my first one was Delaney’s Desert Sheikh. Delaney’s story is special because it is the book that kicked off my Westmorelands series. In it, Delaney Westmoreland conquers the heart of her desert sheikh, and you can still read her story wherever Harlequin ebooks are sold.

  Congratulations, Harlequin Desire! Happy 35th anniversary! And may you have many, many more!

  Andrea Laurence

  Little Secrets: Secretly Pregnant

  Andrea Laurence is an award-winning author of contemporary romances filled with seduction and sass. She has been a lover of reading and writing stories since she was young. A dedicated West Coast girl transplanted into the Deep South, she is thrilled to share her special blend of sensuality and dry, sarcastic humor with readers.

  Books by Andrea Laurence

  Harlequin Desire

  The Baby Favor

  Expecting the Billionaire’s Baby

  Brides and Belles

  Snowed In with Her Ex

  Thirty Days to Win His Wife

  One Week with the Best Man

  A White Wedding Christmas

  Millionaires of Manhattan

  What Lies Beneath

  More Than He Expected

  His Lover’s Little Secret

  The CEO’s Unexpected Child

  Hawaiian Nights

  The Pregnancy Proposition

  The Baby Proposal

  Little Secrets

  Little Secrets: Secretly Pregnant

  Visit her Author Profile page at Harlequin.com, or andrealaurence.com, for more titles.

  Join Harlequin My Rewards today and earn a FREE ebook!

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  To Dan

  Thanks for the inspiration

  Dear Reader,

  Back in 2012, when my very first Harlequin Desire was published, I knew that I would write this story. Not this exact story per se, but Emma’s story. The bubbly teenage sister of Cynthia Dempsey was destined to have her own book one day and now that day has arrived!

  Her older sister’s life and death was a cautionary tale that kept Emma on the straight and narrow. Until one night when she threw caution to the wind and fell into the arms of a heroic masked stranger. She never expects to see him again until he shows up in the most unlikely of places—as the sexy CEO of the company she’s been hired to audit. Emma has quite a few secrets to keep from Jonah, but the determined suitor is set on uncovering them all and having fun in the process.

  This is one of my favorite stories (I know we’re not supposed to have favorites, but I do) and certainly one of my favorite heroes, so it’s an honor to have it included as part of the 35th anniversary celebration of Harlequin Desire.

  If you enjoy Emma and Jonah’s story, tell me by visiting my website at www.andrealaurence.com, like my fan page on Facebook or follow me on Twitter. I’d love to hear from you!

  Enjoy,

  Andrea

  Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Excerpt from Fiancé in Name Only by Maureen Child

  Prologue

  Fat Tuesday

  Everyone was dancing and having a good time. Everyone except Emma. That wasn’t unusual, though. Emma Dempsey had forgotten how to have fun a long time ago.

  After her recent breakup, she was beginning to wonder if something was wrong with her. Her ex, David, had said she was boring both in and out of bed. She made the mistake of telling that to her friend and former sorority sister, Harper Drake, and the next thing she knew, she was at a Mardi Gras party at a loft in Tribeca.

  She’d tried. She wore a pretty butterfly mask and a tight skirt, but this just wasn’t her cup of tea. Perhaps she should just call a cab and go so she didn’t ruin Harper’s night. She nibbled absently on a carrot stick as her gaze fell upon a tequila bar that had been set up on the kitchen island beside her. That was always a second option.

  Emma knew she had to make a choice. She could either go home and join a local Red Hat Society at the ripe age of twenty-seven or she could take this bull by the horns and have some fun for once.

  Feeling brave, she abandoned her plate and moved down the island. There was an assortment of small paper cups, slices of lime, a salt shaker and several bottles of tequila laid out. She prepared a shot and held it there, knowing once she leaped off the cliff, there would be no turning back.

  Being with you is like dating my grandma. The memory of David’s painful words pushed her over the edge.

  Without further hesitation, she licked, drank and sucked the lime furiously to cover the flavor of the liquor. It burned her throat as it went down, splashing in her stomach and sending a scorching sensation almost im
mediately through her body that a beer couldn’t even come close to.

  It tasted absolutely terrible, but within seconds, she could feel a pleasant change. Almost as though her spine had loosened. Slinky. Maybe feline. This wasn’t bad at all. With a smile of satisfaction, she poured a second shot as someone else came into the kitchen. A quick glance confirmed her worst fears.

  “Hey there, beautiful,” a creepy guy in a Batman-like mask said, leaning against the counter.

  The compliment fell flat considering 75 percent of her face was covered in an ornate Mardi Gras mask. Emma sighed and slammed back the second shot of tequila without salt or lime. She needed it. She started pouring a third, blatantly ignoring him.

  “Would you like to dance? I’ve got some sweet moves.”

  She doubted it. “I don’t dance, sorry.”

  Batman frowned. “Well, then wanna blow this party off for someplace quiet and dark where we can...talk?”

  A shudder ran down Emma’s spine. Being alone with him was bad enough. Alone in the dark was downright frightening. “No, I’m here with someone. Sorry.”

  Batman straightened up, his body language projecting the anger his mask hid away. “Who?”

  She opened her mouth to answer him when someone came up behind her and set heavy, warm hands on her shoulders. He leaned in, placing a kiss against her cheek, and Batman finally took a step back.

  A deep male voice rumbled near her ear. “Hey, baby, sorry I’m late.”

  Emma fought the urge to pull away from this second, undesired suitor, but the fingers pressing insistently in her shoulders begged for her cooperation. He wasn’t putting the moves on her; he was trying to save her from Batman. Relieved, she turned to face the man and moved without hesitation to say hello.

  Whoa. He was taller than she expected, a few inches over six foot, but she couldn’t look surprised and convince Batman to bugger off. She strained on tiptoe to reach up and kiss the lips that were the only part of his face visible with a gold-and-green Venetian mask obscuring the rest.

  The instant their lips touched, the simple greeting turned into something else. The electricity of the kiss nearly knocked her backward, but his firm, yet gentle grip on her arms wouldn’t let her fall away. Her senses were instantly overloaded by the scent of soap and a spicy men’s cologne, the soft brush of his lips against hers and the heat of his skin.

  Emma wasn’t sure if it was the tequila or his kiss, but she was suddenly very aware of her body. The nearness of the man made her skin tingle and her breath quicken. She felt her body leaning into him without her consent. It had to be the tequila. No wonder people got into so much trouble with this stuff.

  Regaining some of her senses, she pulled away to break the kiss, but he didn’t immediately let go. Batman must still be watching. “I’ve missed you,” she said, snuggling suggestively into him.

  His arms wrapped around her and hugged her tightly against the solid wall of his chest. He leaned in, breathing the scent of her hair and whispered, “He left, but he’s watching us from the other side of the room. Keep it convincing if you don’t want him coming back.”

  Emma nodded and pulled away. She reached up to affectionately rub a bit of lipstick from her white knight’s mouth. The gesture was intimate and quite convincing, she was sure. Once away from him, she had a better view. The mask obscured most of his face, so all she could really decipher was his tall, broad build, tightly fitting jeans and his attractive and bright smile.

  “Are we doing tequila shots?” he asked.

  “I was, but I think I’m done.” She’d had just enough to make this scene authentic, but too much more was trouble for sure.

  “Don’t be a quitter.” He poured himself a shot, and then paused only for a moment to smile wickedly before leaning forward and licking a patch of exposed skin just above her cleavage. Emma sucked a ragged, surprised breath into her chest and held it there. She couldn’t respond. Every impulse in her brain was telling her to step back and stop him, but she just stood there, the tequila rendering her mute.

  He hesitated, the salt shaker in his hand. His dark blue eyes connected with hers, awaiting her permission. Could she give it? She wanted to. This was what she’d set out for tonight, even if she hadn’t known it. Grandmas didn’t do body shots with strangers at parties. But the words still escaped her. All she could do was tip her head back to let him sprinkle the salt gently over the swell of her breasts and place the wedge of lime delicately between her lips.

  He came closer, shot in hand. Her entire body ached with anticipation as his hot breath hovered over her skin. He licked slowly, taking longer than she ever expected to remove every grain from her chest. Surely Batman wasn’t watching that closely. When he tipped the glass back, swallowing the tequila in one sip, she was finally able to release the air she’d held painfully in her lungs. Then he set the cup down.

  Emma tensed, not quite sure what to do aside from holding perfectly still as his hand slipped around her neck to cradle her head and tip her mouth up to him. He dipped his head, his lips brushing hers briefly before biting down and sucking the lime juice. A cool, tart stream of it flowed into her own mouth before his teeth tugged the rind away.

  When he took a step back, Emma did the same. It had taken everything she had not to moan aloud when he’d touched her this time. The best thing she could do was to get out of this situation before she lost what little control he’d left her with. Never mind that her face had to be flushed with embarrassment and unexpected arousal.

  Her hand self-consciously came to her face and brushed the rough, glittery surface of her mask. She’d forgotten he couldn’t see her. Even if she was beet red, he wouldn’t know it. She was anonymous tonight. Somehow the knowledge made her bolder and she fought her flight reflex to hold her position by the bar.

  He picked up her full paper cup from the counter and held it up in a dangerous and silent offer. It was her turn.

  A quick glance confirmed that Batman had disappeared and there was no reason to continue with the show. Aside from her not wanting to stop. “He’s gone,” she said, giving him the opportunity to stop if this was still just a ruse.

  “I know,” he said, and handed her the salt shaker.

  Given that he was wearing a long-sleeved button-down black shirt, the only real option she had was his neck. She stood on her toes, straining in her heels to reach him. Emma leaned in and left a moist trail from the hollow of his throat to just over his Adam’s apple, where her tongue ran across the rough stubble that had grown in since his morning shave. She could feel his pulse quicken as she hovered near to him. This time, she noticed his skin smelled more distinctly male. Salty and slightly musky. She couldn’t help lingering to take in a deep breath and commit the scent to memory. Her body’s reaction to it was almost primal, parts deep inside of her clenching with a building need.

  “Here,” he offered as she pulled away to apply the salt. He lowered onto his knees and looked up at her with big blue eyes, his hands resting on the swell of her hips.

  Emma could hardly see enough of his face to piece together an expression, but his intense gaze urged her on. As he knelt, it almost felt as though he were worshipping at her feet. She liked it.

  She tried to focus on doing the shot properly before his skin dried and the salt wouldn’t adhere. She didn’t want to give away her inexperience with this. She’d never even dreamed of doing anything as blatantly sexual as body shots. She didn’t think she had it in her.

  She sprinkled the salt on his throat and positioned the lime between his full, soft lips. Nervously gripping the tequila in one hand, Emma leaned in a second time to lick off the salt. She could feel the vibration of a growl in his throat as her tongue slid across his skin. Pulling away, she quickly threw back the drink and placed her hands on each side of his face. Just before she was able to bite into the fruit, he spat out th
e lime. Emma didn’t have time to stop and their lips met with another unexpected spark.

  She didn’t pull away. The old Emma would have. In her mask, she was someone else.

  The second kiss blew the first out of the water. His fingertips dug into the flesh of her hips as he tugged her close against him. She melted against his mouth, slowly slipping down until she, too, was on her knees in the kitchen. The island shielded them from the crowd only feet away. She wrapped her arms around his neck, her lips clinging to his as he probed and explored her with his tongue.

  It was deliciously naughty. In that moment, Emma wanted his kiss more than anything else in her entire life.

  Just when she’d convinced herself that the kiss might never end, they parted. His quick breath was hot on the skin of her neck as he pressed his cheek against hers and sat there for a moment to recover. Their arms were still tangled around one another, neither grip loosening. There was an intensity in him that excited and frightened her, but she matched it with her own.

  “Come with me,” he whispered, then stood and offered his hand.

  Emma wasn’t ignorant. She knew what he was offering and every inch of her body urged her to take him up on it. She’d never done anything like this. Ever. And yet there was something about her hero that insisted she go with him.

  So she did.

  One

  Three Months Later

  “Where the hell is Noah?” Jonah Flynn growled into his telephone and gripped his coffee mug fiercely in his free hand.

  “He’s...n-not in, sir.”

  His brother’s administrative assistant, Melody, was audibly startled by his tone and he immediately chose to correct it. Jonah didn’t raise his voice to his employees, ever. Honestly, the only person he ever shouted at was Noah. And he would direct his anger at his brother if he could find the bastard.

  “I’m sorry for yelling, Melody. I didn’t think he would be there. He’s never in the office. What I really meant was do you know where he’s gone to? He isn’t answering his home phone and his cell phone goes directly to voice mail like he’s got it turned off.”