Her Unexpected Valentine

His rules of engagement

Miami’s steamy fashion and beauty scene is finally taking notice of Nicole LeBlanc. She’s just landed a coveted gig as lead makeup artist and hairstylist on a series of Valentine’s Day commercials being shot in Hollywood. And once she locks eyes with the seriously sexy creative director, she’s certain he could fulfill her own secret romantic fantasies. Too bad Kendrick Burrstone doesn’t do relationships, despite their over-the-top chemistry.

After being burned by love, Kendrick lives by two unbreakable rules: dodge Cupid’s arrow and never mix business with pleasure. But both on and off the set, Nicole’s fiery touch is tempting Kendrick to take another chance. Until a vindictive ex and a nasty extortion plot ignite a media frenzy that could end his rising career...and cost him the heart of the sweetest and most passionate woman he’s ever met.

SHERELLE GREEN is a Chicago native with a dynamic imagination and a passion for reading and writing. She enjoys composing emotionally driven stories that are steamy, edgy and touch on real-life issues. Her overall goal is to create relatable and fierce heroines who are flawed just like the strong and sexy heroes who fight so hard to win their hearts. There’s no such thing as a perfect person...but when you find that person who is perfect for you, the possibilities are endless. Nothing satisfies her more than writing stories filled with compelling love affairs, multifaceted characters and intriguing relationships.

Also By Sherelle Green

A Tempting Proposal

If Only for Tonight

Red Velvet Kisses

Beautiful Surrender

Enticing Winter

Wrapped in Red (with Nana Malone)

Falling for Autumn

Waiting for Summer

Nights of Fantasy

A Miami Affair

Her Unexpected Valentine

Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk

Her Unexpected Valentine

Sherelle Green

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ISBN: 978-1-474-08072-9

HER UNEXPECTED VALENTINE

© 2018 Sherelle Green

Published in Great Britain 2018

by Mills & Boon, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF

All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, locations and incidents are purely fictional and bear no relationship to any real life individuals, living or dead, or to any actual places, business establishments, locations, events or incidents. Any resemblance is entirely coincidental.

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Version: 2020-03-02

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“We crossed paths at the bar for a reason,” he said to her when they neared what he assumed was her apartment complex.

“I know,” she said with a smile. “We are meant to help one another in some capacity. We just have to figure out what capacity that is.”

His eyes dropped to her red-colored lips of their own accord. Per usual, they looked appetizing and very suckable.

“You’re not going to ask me what flavor I’m wearing?”

Kendrick blinked a couple times. “Uh, flavored what?”

She giggled. “Your mind is in the gutter. I was talking about my lipstick. It’s cherry, in case you were wondering.”

“I love cherry-flavored anything,” he said, his eyes dropping to her lips again.

“Good to know.”

They both grew silent again, each staring at the other with a newfound curiosity that Kendrick hoped they’d explore one day. Kendrick, don’t forget that you work together. He’d had good reason for not dating—or kissing—coworkers, but at the moment, he could care less what that reason was.

Dear Reader,

I’m excited for you to get to know Nicole LeBlanc and Kendrick Burrstone. You originally met Nicole in Waiting for Summer. However, what you may find interesting is that Kendrick is the cousin of Imani, Cydney and Lex (the heroines of my Elite Events series).

Both Nicole and Kendrick have been unlucky in love, but it’s their unfortunate circumstances that make them more compatible than they think. Sometimes, love finds us when we least expect it, and no matter how hard we try to avoid it, fate always wins in the end.

I hope you enjoy Nicole and Kendrick’s Valentine’s story as the Bare Sophistication ladies take on Los Angeles, California!

Much love,

Sherelle

authorsherellegreen@gmail.com

To my friend Kaysha for inspiring the character of Nicole. One of the things that I’ve always admired about you is that when you love, you put your all into it. Whether it be friendships or relationships, you are constantly proving that you are someone who lets her heart be her guide. More importantly, you’re a great friend and we always have so much fun together. You also have the ability to style your natural hair better than anyone I know. We’ve known each other for more than fourteen years, and I’m grateful to have you in my life! Thank you for always being a supportive and amazing friend!

Acknowledgments

Thank you to my aunties, Vallerie and Cassandra, for always being there when I need you! As a young girl, I never thought about the fact that my mom’s best friends were always at my birthday parties and special events. It wasn’t until I reached adulthood that I truly began to appreciate that I had two women in my life who loved me like a niece and would do anything to support my dreams and goals. Auntie Vallerie, you and I are alike in so many ways and oftentimes, I feel like even if no one else understands how I feel, you do! Whether it’s a happy dance for no apparent reason or having so much excitement that we can’t even go to bed before a fun event, we’ve always connected on a deeper, emotional level. Auntie Cassandra, I have greatly enjoyed the conversations we’ve had throughout the years about anything from careers and politics, to food recipes and random news. It’s not often that you find someone you can literally talk to about anything under the sun and know that they are as interested in a plethora of topics as you are. You have the unique ability to mix humor with any conversation and I love your positivity.

To two women who mean so much to me, I truly appreciate the love you’ve given me throughout my life. I don’t take it for granted that I can call either one of you at any time and know that you’ll be there. That kind of support is priceless!

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

About the Author

Booklist

Title Page

Copyright

Introduction

Dear Reader

Dedication

Acknowledgments

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

Epilogue

Extract

Extract

Chapter 1

“Baby, was that an earthquake I just felt? Because when you looked my way, I swear you rocked my world.”

Nicole LeBlanc cringed when the man wearing entirely too much cologne got a little too close to her personal space. She took a step closer to her friend Aaliyah Bai, who was trying to contain her laughter.

“They call me Romeo,” the man said as he ran his tongue across his teeth.

“Of course they do,” Nicole said sarcastically.

“I bet your lips have been lonely waiting for me to walk across the bar,” he continued. “I saw the way you were looking at me.”

Nicole rolled her eyes as she downed the rest of her drink. It never ceased to amaze her that the sleaziest of men always seemed to approach her when she was out at a bar. Granted, a bar wasn’t the ideal place to find a decent man, but come on. Why did she have to attract the slimy guys?

Nicole turned to face the man. “Listen, buddy, since I’m feeling generous today, I’m going to give you five seconds as opposed to three to get the hell away from me.”

“Damn, you’re feisty.” His eyes brightened, and he placed his unwanted hand on her shoulder. “I can only imagine how you’ll be in the bedroom.”

Time’s up. “You’ll never find out,” Nicole said as she grabbed his thumb and twisted the way she’d learned in her self-defense classes.

“Shit, baby, that hurts,” he whined. Nicole twisted his thumb a little more to prove her point, satisfied when the flirtation left his eyes and was replaced with pain.

“I was just trying to give you a compliment,” he said, shaking the hurt from his thumb when she let go. “Females these days are crazy.”

When he walked away, Aaliyah finally released the laughter she’d been holding in. “It’s only our first night being in LA, and already you’ve almost brought a grown man to tears. Not sure his horrible idea of flirting was worth you almost breaking his thumb off.”

“I didn’t apply enough pressure to break off his thumb,” Nicole said. “He was just being a wimp. I mean, who calls himself Romeo anyway?”

“Oh, my goodness,” Aaliyah said. “Hollywood isn’t ready for you.”

Nicole smiled as she ordered another drink. “I hope I’m ready for Hollywood.”

“You are,” Aaliyah said as she placed a hand on Nicole’s shoulder. “This is an amazing opportunity for you, and although I’ll miss you at Bare Sophistication back in Miami, I’m glad I can visit to help with the pop-up shop in LA.”

“Thanks, Aaliyah.” Nicole took a sip of her delicious cocktail as she thought about everything that was in store for her over the next couple months. She loved being the lead makeup artist and hairstylist for Miami’s Bare Sophistication Boutique and Boudoir Studio in addition to all her freelance work, but now it was finally time to spread her wings.

After making a connection with a television producer who was attending a beauty trade show where she was a vendor, Nicole was given the opportunity to temporarily uproot her life to Hollywood to be the lead makeup artist and hairstylist for a series of Valentine’s Day themed commercial ads being filmed. The commercials would all tie together as advertisements for a Valentine’s Day documentary about love and relationships. Since the previous makeup artist and hairstylist suddenly quit, Nicole had a lot to prove.

The hardest part about coming to LA was leaving behind her friends and business partners, Summer Dupree-Chase and Danni Allison, owners of Bare Sophistication Miami. Fortunately, the women were very understanding of the opportunity and even better, the ladies decided that Bare Sophistication would have a pop-up shop in LA with an opportunity to do a local commercial for the boutique. Kyra Reed, current assistant manager for the Bare Sophistication Chicago location, would be in LA as well to manage the shop. Nicole would assist with the pop-up when she wasn’t filming, while Aaliyah—the Bare Sophistication Miami boudoir photographer—would travel back and forth between Miami and LA to help with the boudoir portion of the business.

Nicole and Aaliyah had arrived in LA hours prior to scope out the location of the pop-up shop and get Nicole settled in her temporary apartment. Her first day on the job didn’t officially start for another couple days, and although she’d never say the words out loud, she was nervous about her first major position on a television set.

Aaliyah hopped off her stool. “I’m going to head to the bathroom. Can you order me another mango margarita when the bartender returns?”

Nicole nodded in agreement before returning to her drink. Just shake off the nerves, LeBlanc. You’ve got this. She had no doubt that she’d spend the entire weekend chanting those words to herself.

She ordered Aaliyah’s drink and began planning her next few days in her mind. Her thoughts were momentarily interrupted when a man approached and sat in Aaliyah’s recently vacated stool.

“Magnificent,” she heard him say when he was seated.

Not again, she thought. Aaliyah hadn’t even been gone two minutes before another guy decided to hit on her.

“I’m not interested,” she said, turning to face him. The man in the sleek navy blue suit looked up from his phone.

“What are you talking about?”

Nicole raised an eyebrow. “I heard you call me magnificent, and although I appreciate the compliment, I’m not interested.”

Instead of acknowledging what she just said, he simply stared at her. Hmm, he is kind of cute. She wasn’t really attracted to the business-suit-and-tie-wearing, clean-cut all-American, but she had to admit that his good looks caught her attention.

“You must be confused,” he said. “I was referring to this.” He turned his phone to show her an image.

Nicole squinted. “You were referring to a wine bottle?”

“Yes, I was.”

Talk about embarrassing. “I’m sorry, I think I misunderstood you.”

“There’s no thinking needed on this,” he said in a monotone voice. “You assumed I was flirting with you and I wasn’t. So, you shouldn’t have said that you think you misunderstood me. You know you misunderstood me.”

It took all her effort not to let her mouth drop open.

“And it’s not just any bottle,” he said. “It’s a rare 1935 merlot that one can only hope to get their hands on.”

“Sounds like one of a kind.”

The man gave her a blank stare. “It is.” He briefly looked her up and down, and Nicole struggled not to fidget under his stare. “Although I wouldn’t expect someone like you to understand,” he finally said.

Tonight she’d chosen to wear a pair of high-waisted jeans and a light peach blouse. Her curly dark brown hair was pulled on the top of her head in a high bun, and her jewelry matched her blouse. She knew she looked good, but she also knew that she didn’t seem to fit the type of woman Buttoned-up Suit was interested in.

Is this jerk for real? “Excuse me? Where do you get off making assumptions about me?”

“You’re one to talk,” he said. “Considering you assumed I was flirting with you when I sat down, although I gave you no indication that I was interested.”

Nicole was about to give him a piece of her mind when the man stood abruptly after receiving his drink and walked away.

If she’d been back home in Miami, she probably would have told him off even if that meant yelling across the bar. Given that she was new to LA, she felt it best to compose herself.

Maybe I should wait near the bathroom for Aaliyah before I get myself into more trouble. Grabbing her cocktail and the margarita she’d ordered for her friend, she stood and turned to leave only to bump into a solid six-foot-three-inch wall.

“Oh, crap,” she said as her feet, encased in peach three-inch pumps, slipped from under her and her drinks went in the air. As she tumbled to the hard-tiled floor of the bar and stumbled to catch her balance, Nicole briefly noticed that the solid six-foot-three-inch wall had a good-looking face and arms to match a deep, throaty voice that was currently warning her to watch her step.

“Shit,” he said as part of the liquid in one of the glasses spilled on his white dress shirt. Unfortunately for her, the rest spilled all over her peach blouse.

“Watch out,” he said when the second glass dropped from her hand and clacked on the floor. As the music blasted in the background, Nicole thought about those scenes in movies where a damsel in distress stumbled and tried to catch her balance only to be encased by a pair of powerful arms that caught her and pulled her to safety.

When the tall mouthwatering stranger reached out his arms, only to completely miss her outstretched hands, causing her to land even harder on her backside, she realized just how false those movie scenes were.

“Are you okay?” he asked, trying to help her up.

No, sexy guy, I’m not okay. “I’m fine,” she said, waving away his hands. She knew she should probably accept his help, but a part of her was too over the events of the night to accept any help. I must have done something wrong within the past week because karma is not on my side.

“Oh, God, are you okay?”

She turned to the sound Aaliyah’s voice.

“I’m fine, just help me up.” She reached for Aaliyah, ignoring the smirk on the man standing next to her. She hadn’t even gotten a good look at him, but based off what she’d seen on her journey to landing on her butt, he was delicious. Judging by the wide-eyed look Aaliyah was giving him, Nicole assumed she’d noticed how attractive he was too.

“I thought you didn’t need help,” the deep, throaty voice said.

“I meant I didn’t need your help,” Nicole said, using a napkin she had in her back pocket to dab the liquor from her blouse.

Aaliyah cleared her throat. “Really.”

Nicole glanced at her, immediately recognizing that motherly tone in Aaliyah’s voice. Taking a deep breath, Nicole turned to face the man. When she did, she had to remind herself to breathe. “Thank you for the offer.”

“You’re welcome.” His mouth widened into a full grin. “And I apologize. I wasn’t watching where I was going.”

Even his pearly white teeth are sexy. “Maybe you should be more careful next time.”

“Seriously?” Aaliyah huffed. Nicole just shrugged. Was she coming across a little rude? Yes. Was the sexy guy standing before her making her nervous? Yes. Did she get a little rude when she got nervous? Unfortunately, yes. She either got rude or extremely quiet. Apparently tonight, rudeness won.

Sexy Guy stepped a little closer to her. “If being reckless means I’ll run into beautiful women such as yourself, then I’ll have to take a pass on being careful.”

Oh, he’s good. Pickup line or not, she had to admit that she liked how good it felt to hear him say those words.

Nicole crossed her arms over her chest, fully aware that she was probably giving him more of a show than she intended since she’d spilled liquor on her blouse. To his credit, he didn’t look down.

“Did you run that line on many women tonight or am I the lucky victim?”

He squinted his eyes before leaning closer to her ear. “I know you don’t know me,” he said in a low voice. “But I’m not the type of man to waste time running lines on women. You’re either interested, or you’re not.” He lifted his head so that he could look into her eyes. “In case you can’t tell, I’m interested, and based off how you were checking me out even as you were in the process of falling, you’re interested too. My guess? This whole diva attitude of yours is a way to redirect your attraction so that you don’t feel vulnerable.”

Nicole sighed. Sexy Guy: one. Me: zilch. She wasn’t sure if it was the trusting look in his eyes or if the fall on her butt had somehow short-circuited her brain cells, but she found herself smiling at his comment instead of denying it.

“Maybe you should buy her another drink,” Aaliyah suggested to the man. She then turned to Nicole. “You should go with him to the bar, and I’ll find someone who works here to clean up the mess.”

Nicole’s eyes grew wide at Aaliyah before she turned to the man. She studied his eyes to see if she saw any hint that he’d rather not buy her a drink.

“Sounds good to me,” he said, ending her observation.

She took a deep breath as she turned to walk toward the bar, fully aware that he was close behind her.

“What would you like?” he asked as they sat down on two stools.

“Rum and Coke.” If he was going to be sitting this close to her, she needed something stronger than a fruity cocktail.

“So, does Miss Slip ’n Slide have a name?”

Nicole smirked. “Cute.”

“I try,” he said with a shrug.

I doubt you have to try very hard. He seemed to be one of those men who women just flocked to.

Nicole briefly thought back to their previous interaction to recall if Aaliyah had stated her real name. She was satisfied when she concluded that Aaliyah hadn’t.

“It’s Bianca,” she said, extending her hand. Nicole rarely gave out her real name at bars, no matter how attractive a man was.

“Nice to meet you, Bianca.” He accepted her hand. “My friends call me KD.”

“Nice to meet you, KD.” Nicole couldn’t help but glance down at his hand, which was still holding on to hers. I wonder what the KD stands for? Even though she assumed it was his initials, the KD made him seem mysterious...edgy.

She immediately missed his hand when he released hers as their drinks arrived. “Are you new to the area?” he asked.

Nicole took a sip of her rum and Coke. “Do I give off a vibe like I’m not from the area?”

“No, you don’t. But I frequent this bar, and I’ve never seen you here before.” His eyes quickly roamed her face. As much as she tried to ignore it, her skin heated under his gaze. “And there’s no way I would have forgotten a breathtaking beauty like you if you were a regular.”

“Here you go with these lines again.” Nicole shook her head. “I hope you realize that I’m not going home with you.”

“I’m offended,” KD said as he placed a hand over his heart. “Can’t a man compliment a woman without her assuming he is only giving compliments to get her naked?”