Title: Little Secrets: His Pregnant Secretary
Series: The McNeill Magnates #4
Author: Joanne Rock
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Harlequin Desire
Release Date: December 1, 2017
Publisher: Harlequin Desire
Release Date: December 1, 2017
Blurb
The boss’s baby bargain…
Becoming a father was never part of Jager McNeill’s plan, until the heat between him and his luscious assistant turned into searing passion. Now Delia Rickard is carrying his baby. After growing up without a father, Jager’s determined to be there for his child. And marriage would ensure that. But despite their chemistry, Delia’s unwilling to marry for anything less than love.
A trip with Jager to Manhattan could change all that. For in this enchanting city ablaze with Christmas lights, romance begins to blossom. And a kiss under the mistletoe just might turn into lasting love.
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Excerpt
“Are you okay, Delia?” The voice in her ear was familiar; she’d heard it nearly every day for the past year, even if she hadn’t seen the man in person for weeks on end.
Her boss.
Jager McNeill.
“Fine,” she spluttered, the word ending in a cough. Of course, it was foolish to be embarrassed since she had dived in the water to save a child. And yet, it still felt terribly awkward to be caught with her dress up around her waist today of all days when she’d wanted to make the perfect professional impression. Also, she’d scratched him.
Coughed all over him. If she hadn’t had a crush on him once upon a time, maybe she wouldn’t be tingling from head to toe right now in spite of everything. But she feared if she tried to swim away from him to escape all the feelings, she just might drown. She was surprised to notice how far she’d drifted from the dock in her search. Behind
them, she noticed the transport skiff that Cyril had sent out to meet Jager’s seaplane. Jager must have been arriving at the same time she’d jumped into the water.
them, she noticed the transport skiff that Cyril had sent out to meet Jager’s seaplane. Jager must have been arriving at the same time she’d jumped into the water.
“Hold onto my shoulders,” he told her, shifting their positions in the water so he faced her. “I’ll tow you to the dock.”
Nose to nose with him, Delia stared up into his steel-blue eyes. She thought she’d gotten used to his good looks in the past two years that they’d known each other. His dark hair and sharp, shadowed jaw made for enticing contrasts to those incredibly blue eyes. His hair had grown longer in the past months, as if barber visits were the last thing on his mind. But the way the damp strands curled along the strong column of his neck only added to the appeal.
This close, she had the benefit of sensing the wealth of muscle in his athletic body where he held her. Feeling the flush of heat course through her, she ducked deeper into the cold water to hide her reaction to him.
“I can make it.” Shaking her head, she scattered droplets from her wet hair. “I just needed to catch my breath.”
She attempted to paddle away, but Jager only gripped her tighter. Oh. My. Feeling the warmth of his chest through their clingy clothes roused an ache she should not be feeling for her boss. Adding to the problem, the strapless bra she’d been wearing had shifted lower on her rib cage where it did absolutely no good.
“Humor me,” he ordered her, his voice as controlled as his movements. “You’re exhausted and dry land is farther away than it looks.” He took one of her hands and placed it
on his right shoulder. Then, turning away from her, he very deliberately set her other hand on his left shoulder. He began to swim toward the dock with measured strokes, towing her along behind him. Water lapped over them in light waves. She felt every ripple of his muscles under her palms as the light waves swished over them. She debated fishing one hand down her dress to haul up her bra before they reached land, but decided the potential scolding from Jager if she let go of him wasn’t worth it. So she clung to him and gritted her teeth against the friction of her pebbled breasts rubbing against his back. By now he had to be as keenly aware of her as she was of him.
on his right shoulder. Then, turning away from her, he very deliberately set her other hand on his left shoulder. He began to swim toward the dock with measured strokes, towing her along behind him. Water lapped over them in light waves. She felt every ripple of his muscles under her palms as the light waves swished over them. She debated fishing one hand down her dress to haul up her bra before they reached land, but decided the potential scolding from Jager if she let go of him wasn’t worth it. So she clung to him and gritted her teeth against the friction of her pebbled breasts rubbing against his back. By now he had to be as keenly aware of her as she was of him.
The only positive of this awkward reunion? Any anxiety she had about talking business with him was utterly eclipsed by physical awareness. So when they reached land, she clamped onto the dock, evenly met his blue gaze and said, “I definitely deserve a raise.”
Ever read a series and can’t wait for the next book to come out? Yep, this is that series for me. I’ll never forget when Ms. Rock offered me the first book in the series (Quinn’s book) and asked me to review it. Oh.My.Gosh. I was completely hooked. Then we get to Cam’s book (#3) and at the last 1/4 of it, we are told that there are 3 more McNeill’s to drool over and read about. I waited with bated breath when it came to reading about the others. And trust me, Ms. Rock does not disappoint. Next month, I get to drool over Damon’s story next. In fact, we get a bit of the backstory about him and what has happened. *sigh*So now we have the “beginning” of the “other” McNeills. *sigh* This trio is going to be even more interesting and feisty that Quinn, Ian, and Cam…if that’s possible. Of course, we get a trope that I liked. Boss/Assistant/Accidental Pregnancy but with Delia and Jager it’s much more than that. As Jager’s assistant, Delia doesn’t see him much. In fact, it’s been at least a year since they have seen each other so the scene above is priceless. These two have a work history but the romance part is so new to both of them. In fact, in the beginning, I couldn’t get into it but eventually, Jager had me believing in his true feelings for Delia. These two at major “daddy” issues and it affected how they saw marriage and especially with a baby on the way. I loved how Ms. Rock brought a resolution to Delia’s issue but we are not done with Jager at all. *spoiler alert * That’s the whole story ARC between the six books. 😉
What sold me about their relationship is how Delia was able to get Jager to go to New York and at least meet with his “other” brothers. I especially liked how the other girls were there for Delia from the beginning. They had all been there before, so they knew. And Malcolm is just great. Of course, Cam at the gate of his estate on the island is hilarious and trust me, only Cam could get away with it. That’s when I knew that Ms. Rock sold me on Jager, Damon, and Gabe. I can’t wait to see how the rest of the series plays out with all six of the brothers.
Ms. Rock cannot write a bad book. I’ve been reading her since her early, early Harlequin days (remember Spice? She wrote some historical shorts for that line and yes, I still have them on my old Nook) Plus, regardless of the trope, I always believe in the story. I might have had a bit of trouble in the beginning but once the story really started moving, I was sold. Bring the rest of the brothers. However, I will be really sad when it’s all over. I miss the lugs already.
Author Bio
Four-time RITA nominee Joanne Rock has never met a romance sub-genre she didn’t like. The author of over eighty books enjoys writing a wide range of stories, most recently focusing on sexy contemporaries and small town family sagas. An optimist by nature and perpetual seeker of silver linings, Joanne finds romance fits her
life outlook perfectly–love is worth fighting for. A frequent speaker at regional and national writing conferences she enjoys giving back to the writing community that nurtured and inspired her early career. She has a Masters degree in Literature from the University of Louisville but credits her fiction writing skills to her intensive study with friend and fellow author Catherine Mann.
life outlook perfectly–love is worth fighting for. A frequent speaker at regional and national writing conferences she enjoys giving back to the writing community that nurtured and inspired her early career. She has a Masters degree in Literature from the University of Louisville but credits her fiction writing skills to her intensive study with friend and fellow author Catherine Mann.
When she’s not writing, Joanne enjoys travel, especially to see her favorite sports teams play with her former sports editor husband and three athletic-minded sons.
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