Sweet Deception

Sweet Deception
Rochelle Alers

Law professor Myles Eaton knows a lot can happen in ten years. A decade ago, Philadelphia's finest bachelor was a hotshot attorney engaged to a woman he swore he'd love forever–until she left him to marry a powerful politician.The only thing more difficult than forgiving her has been forgetting the searing heat they shared. And just when Myles is sure he's over her, Zabrina Cooper arrives back in his life.Nothing could stop Zabrina from loving Myles, not even when she was blackmailed into becoming wife–in name only–to another man. And as her secrets are revealed, Zabrina has one summer to convince Myles that beyond their incredible chemistry is a soul-deep bond that never faded.

“What about you, Brina? What do you want for yourself?” Myles asked.

Zabrina said the first thing that came to mind. “Sex.”

Myles lowered his head, unable to believe what he’d just heard. “You’re kidding, aren’t you?”

“Do I look like I’m kidding?”

Surprised by her admission, Myles stared at her in disbelief.

“Why are you looking at me like that? Would it be less shocking if the roles were reversed, and you were the one saying that you wanted to have sex with me?”

“Is that what you want from me?” he asked, recovering his composure.

“Sure, but only if you’re up for it,” she countered with a smile. “It would just be for the summer.”

ROCHELLE ALERS

has been hailed by readers and booksellers alike as one of today’s most popular African-American authors of women’s fiction. With nearly two million copies of her novels in print, Ms. Alers is a regular on the Waldenbooks, Borders and Essence bestseller lists, and has been the recipient of numerous awards, including the Gold Pen Award, the Emma Award, the Vivian Stephens Award for Excellence in Romance Writing, the RT Book Reviews Career Achievement Award and the Zora Neale Hurston Literary Award. A native New Yorker, Ms. Alers currently lives on Long Island. Visit her Web site at: www.rochellealers.com.

Sweet Deception

Rochelle Alers

www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)

Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

—Matthew 5:5

Dear Reader,

How many times have you wished for a second chance with someone you loved then lost?

Zabrina Cooper’s wish is granted when she reunites with Myles Eaton at his sister’s wedding. But will the secrets she has coveted for more than a decade bring them closer—or destroy a future that promises forever?

In the second installment of the Eaton family miniseries, I continue the theme of second-chance love. However, unlike Belinda and Griffin Rice, Myles only has the summer to uncover why—just two weeks before the wedding!—Zabrina ended their engagement to marry an influential Philadelphia politician. As you read Sweet Deception, please keep in mind what Zabrina has had to sacrifice in order to protect her family.

Look for Chandra Eaton’s Sweet Dreams early 2010 when the former peace corps teacher misplaces journals filled with her erotic dreams.

Visit my Web site at www.rochellealers.com.

Rochelle

Contents

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 1

The buzz of the intercom echoed throughout the spacious co-op. “I’ll get it,” Myles Eaton announced loudly from the bedroom. Pressing the button on the intercom, he spoke into the speaker. “Yes?”

“Mr. Eaton, there’s a take-out delivery in the lobby for you.”

“Please send it up.”

Zabrina Mixon stepped inside the apartment from the terrace, closing the sliding-glass door behind her. She liked seeing her fiancé dressed casually in T-shirts, shorts and sandals rather than a business suit. Suits always made him appear staid, standoffish. Her gaze lingered on his muscular calves before moving up to his broad chest and finally his ruggedly handsome face. His face was symmetrical with a dark brown complexion, deep-set eyes and a lean, angular jaw that became more pronounced whenever he smiled. His gorgeous smile drew attention to his perfectly aligned white teeth.

She couldn’t remember when she hadn’t been in love with Myles Eaton. He’d taught her to ride a bike, and whenever she fell he’d brushed off the dirt from her scraped knees and elbows, then helped her to get back on. Her infatuation began in childhood when Myles became her prince.

“I’ve finished setting the table,” said Zabrina.

Myles smiled at his fiancée. He hadn’t believed his luck when he’d finally opened his eyes to his sister’s best friend. He’d thought of her as a younger sister until her eighteenth birthday. It was the first time that he had kissed her. A few years before that she had kissed him before he left Philadelphia to attend Penn State. Her excuse was that she hadn’t wanted him to miss her.

Zabrina kissing Myles had left him feeling unsettled, because at eighteen he was an adult—a sexually active adult, and he had not wanted to take advantage of a teenage girl. However, several years later, they both had changed. Zabrina left home to attend Vanderbilt University School of Nursing in Tennessee while he was headed to Pittsburgh to enroll in Duquesne University School of Law.