Over Her Wed Body
by Alexia Adams
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Entangled: Indulgence
Release Date: March 8, 2021
Beckett Samuelson has had enough stepmothers to spot a gold digger when he sees one. So when his ailing father announces his engagement to the private nurse he’s only known for two months—who’s also forty years his junior—Beckett has to step in. But as he gets to know the woman, he realizes she’s the perfect next Mrs. Samuelson.
If only he was the intended groom.
Corazon Dela Cruz sends every spare penny she earns to her family in the Philippines. Then her latest nursing client offers her $25,000 to fake an engagement to convince his overprotective son to return to work abroad—he doesn’t need Beckett’s help. But as Corazon and Beckett spend more time together—from picnics on the beach to galas in fancy dresses—she starts to develop very real feelings.
Too bad she’s engaged to the wrong Samuelson.
She hesitated a moment more until Edith made a shooing motion with a dishtowel. Cora was still thinking about Edith’s overall health as she stepped onto the back terrace and lifted her hand to shade her eyes from the bright sun. Only she was a second too late—she ran into Beckett. He put his hands on her arms to steady her. And if he kept them there a fraction longer than necessary, she was grateful. He was wearing only low-slung board shorts plastered to his firm thighs and still dripping from his recent swim.
Forget the cinnamon rolls; she wouldn’t mind licking icing off those abs. Chester had told her that Beckett was a workaholic. But you didn’t get a body like that sitting behind a desk all day. The V where his hips met his pelvic bone called to her hands. Just one little touch…
“Oh, sorry,” she blurted out. Although she wasn’t sure if she was apologizing for her wayward thoughts or for bumping into him.
“No problem.” He dropped his hands but didn’t move. Not that he could move much with her standing inches in front of him.
“I was just, uh, coming to see, um, if…” God, why was she out here again? She had a sinking suspicion that Edith had seen Beckett emerging from the pool and decided to shove Cora is his way. She was beginning to suspect that the other household residents were in league to throw her and Beckett together as often as possible. How many times in the past week had she been asked to take Beckett a cup of coffee or check to see if he wanted a snack? Too many for it to be coincidence.
The snack she wanted raised an eyebrow, waiting for her to finish her sentence. A hint of a smile played about his decadent lips, like he was enjoying her confusion. She couldn’t even look elsewhere without it seeming obvious because her whole field of vision was taken up with rippling muscles. His chest was covered in a light dusting of brown hair, darker nipples jutting from well-formed pectoral muscles. Forget snack, he was a feast.
“You came out here to…” he prompted.
She managed to gather her scattered wits. “To see if it was too hot for Chester to do his exercises outside.” Yes, that sounded professional.
Beckett smiled. “I guess that all depends on what those exercises entail.”
“Nothing too strenuous,” she replied. Her brain was screaming at her to step back out of his way so that the man could go change into something less drippy, and clingy, and oh so very distracting. “It should be fine. I’ll just go see if he’s up yet.”
Beckett raised his eyes from hers. “No need. He’s right behind you.”
Great, another witness to her stupid infatuation.
He glanced toward his father, who had a huge smile on his face. He didn’t have the heart to disappoint the old man, although he would have a talk with him later. This was well beyond the scope of Cora’s duties. He did not need to get involved in a grievance with the nurses’ union. You’re clutching at straws now, man. “If you’re okay with this, we play along for now. I’ll sit down with my dad after dinner and remind him that you’re an employee and not his daughter.”
The smile completely disappeared from her face and he wanted to do more than mentally kick himself. For God’s sakes, Beck! The woman seemed to treat his dad like family and he kept reminding her that she wasn’t.
But rather than storm back into the house, she raised her chin. “I have no problem dancing with your father, if that’s what it takes to get him to exercise. You may regret having to teach me, however, because I really don’t know the steps.”
He was desperate to make up for his earlier gaffe in reminding her that she was paid to be here, so he waggled his eyebrows and puffed out his chest, despite the tightness that had come from dimming her joy. “Well, lucky for you, my pricey boarding school had a whole term on it. And I got an ‘A’. So you’re in expert hands.”
Her smile took his breath. “Why doesn’t that surprise me?” she said with more than a hint of sauciness in her voice.
“What can I say? I’m an overachiever. Plus, it was the only class that the boys had with the girls. You bet I showed up every day and applied myself to my studies.” He’d never been more grateful for dance class than he was at this moment.
Her gaze wandered down his body again. This time he was the one flooded with heat. So much for his cooling swim. At this rate, his suit would be dry within seconds.
When her eyes returned to his again, she said, “I’m wearing shoes and you’re not. Are you really prepared to risk your toes?”
“It’s not my toes I’m worried about.”
Her mouth dropped open as his meaning became evident, even though he hadn’t even put his arm around her yet.
“Are you two ready?” Chester asked.
Shit. He’d forgotten they had an audience. This woman was dangerous.
“Just about,” Beckett called. “Give me a minute to show Cora the steps, then you can start the music again.”
He took both her hands in his. They were so tiny. But still, they sent a tremor through him. He steeled himself not to react when he put her left hand on his bare shoulder. His right hand he kept in his. When his other arm went around her waist and pulled her against him, the breath whooshed from her lungs, making the hairs on his chest stand at attention. Now he was the one needing a reminder that she was an employee.
He talked her through the steps, trying desperately to keep his mind on anything other than the feel of her body sliding against his. After a circuit of the terrace, Frank started the music. Beckett’s hand slipped fractionally down Cora’s spine and he pulled her a bit closer. Rookie mistake. That was all the adjustment needed for a certain part of his anatomy to flare to life.
Cora’s eyes widened when she glanced up at him, but she didn’t pull away. The music stopped not a moment too soon. He hauled in a deep breath, hoping his voice was steadier than he felt. “I think you’ve got the steps now.” He turned his head toward his dad, but he didn’t meet his eye. “You can take it from here, Dad.”
Beckett released Cora, then stepped around her and strode into the house, heading for a cold shower.
Walking away from her was getting harder and harder.
Kind of like another part of him.
Forget the cinnamon rolls; she wouldn’t mind licking icing off those abs. Chester had told her that Beckett was a workaholic. But you didn’t get a body like that sitting behind a desk all day. The V where his hips met his pelvic bone called to her hands. Just one little touch…
“Oh, sorry,” she blurted out. Although she wasn’t sure if she was apologizing for her wayward thoughts or for bumping into him.
“No problem.” He dropped his hands but didn’t move. Not that he could move much with her standing inches in front of him.
“I was just, uh, coming to see, um, if…” God, why was she out here again? She had a sinking suspicion that Edith had seen Beckett emerging from the pool and decided to shove Cora is his way. She was beginning to suspect that the other household residents were in league to throw her and Beckett together as often as possible. How many times in the past week had she been asked to take Beckett a cup of coffee or check to see if he wanted a snack? Too many for it to be coincidence.
The snack she wanted raised an eyebrow, waiting for her to finish her sentence. A hint of a smile played about his decadent lips, like he was enjoying her confusion. She couldn’t even look elsewhere without it seeming obvious because her whole field of vision was taken up with rippling muscles. His chest was covered in a light dusting of brown hair, darker nipples jutting from well-formed pectoral muscles. Forget snack, he was a feast.
“You came out here to…” he prompted.
She managed to gather her scattered wits. “To see if it was too hot for Chester to do his exercises outside.” Yes, that sounded professional.
Beckett smiled. “I guess that all depends on what those exercises entail.”
“Nothing too strenuous,” she replied. Her brain was screaming at her to step back out of his way so that the man could go change into something less drippy, and clingy, and oh so very distracting. “It should be fine. I’ll just go see if he’s up yet.”
Beckett raised his eyes from hers. “No need. He’s right behind you.”
Great, another witness to her stupid infatuation.
He glanced toward his father, who had a huge smile on his face. He didn’t have the heart to disappoint the old man, although he would have a talk with him later. This was well beyond the scope of Cora’s duties. He did not need to get involved in a grievance with the nurses’ union. You’re clutching at straws now, man. “If you’re okay with this, we play along for now. I’ll sit down with my dad after dinner and remind him that you’re an employee and not his daughter.”
The smile completely disappeared from her face and he wanted to do more than mentally kick himself. For God’s sakes, Beck! The woman seemed to treat his dad like family and he kept reminding her that she wasn’t.
But rather than storm back into the house, she raised her chin. “I have no problem dancing with your father, if that’s what it takes to get him to exercise. You may regret having to teach me, however, because I really don’t know the steps.”
He was desperate to make up for his earlier gaffe in reminding her that she was paid to be here, so he waggled his eyebrows and puffed out his chest, despite the tightness that had come from dimming her joy. “Well, lucky for you, my pricey boarding school had a whole term on it. And I got an ‘A’. So you’re in expert hands.”
Her smile took his breath. “Why doesn’t that surprise me?” she said with more than a hint of sauciness in her voice.
“What can I say? I’m an overachiever. Plus, it was the only class that the boys had with the girls. You bet I showed up every day and applied myself to my studies.” He’d never been more grateful for dance class than he was at this moment.
Her gaze wandered down his body again. This time he was the one flooded with heat. So much for his cooling swim. At this rate, his suit would be dry within seconds.
When her eyes returned to his again, she said, “I’m wearing shoes and you’re not. Are you really prepared to risk your toes?”
“It’s not my toes I’m worried about.”
Her mouth dropped open as his meaning became evident, even though he hadn’t even put his arm around her yet.
“Are you two ready?” Chester asked.
Shit. He’d forgotten they had an audience. This woman was dangerous.
“Just about,” Beckett called. “Give me a minute to show Cora the steps, then you can start the music again.”
He took both her hands in his. They were so tiny. But still, they sent a tremor through him. He steeled himself not to react when he put her left hand on his bare shoulder. His right hand he kept in his. When his other arm went around her waist and pulled her against him, the breath whooshed from her lungs, making the hairs on his chest stand at attention. Now he was the one needing a reminder that she was an employee.
He talked her through the steps, trying desperately to keep his mind on anything other than the feel of her body sliding against his. After a circuit of the terrace, Frank started the music. Beckett’s hand slipped fractionally down Cora’s spine and he pulled her a bit closer. Rookie mistake. That was all the adjustment needed for a certain part of his anatomy to flare to life.
Cora’s eyes widened when she glanced up at him, but she didn’t pull away. The music stopped not a moment too soon. He hauled in a deep breath, hoping his voice was steadier than he felt. “I think you’ve got the steps now.” He turned his head toward his dad, but he didn’t meet his eye. “You can take it from here, Dad.”
Beckett released Cora, then stepped around her and strode into the house, heading for a cold shower.
Walking away from her was getting harder and harder.
Kind of like another part of him.
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