All He Ever Desired (The Kowalskis) Read online

  All He Ever Desired

  By Shannon Stacey

  A second shot at first love

  After college, Ryan Kowalski decided to leave Whitford, Maine, rather than watch Lauren Carpenter marry another man. Now his siblings need his help to refurbish the family-owned Northern Star Lodge and he’s forced to face the past sooner rather than later when he collars a vandal—and learns the boy is Lauren’s son…

  The last person Lauren needs back in her life is Ryan Kowalski. With a bitter ex-husband and a moody teenage son, she has enough man trouble already. But her son needs to learn a few lessons about right and wrong, even if Lauren has to escort him to Ryan’s door every day to work off his crime.

  With all this close contact, Ryan and Lauren can’t deny the chemistry between them is as powerful as ever. But can a few searing kisses erase their past and pave the way for a second chance at true love?

  70,000 words

  Dear Reader,

  Exciting things happen in November. It’s the month we first announced the creation of Carina Press, the month of my Harlequin employment anniversary and it’s the month when we in the U.S. get gorge-yourself-on-bad-carbs-and-turkey day (otherwise known as Thanksgiving). We also get Black Friday (I think they call it that because of the color of your bruises after you’ve been run over by crazy shoppers).

  This November, we’re excited to release our first Carina Press book in trade print format. The Theory of Attraction, an erotic BDSM romance collection featuring novellas from Delphine Dryden, Christine d’Abo and Jodie Griffin, is on shelves and available for order online.

  We also have fourteen new stories in digital for you to enjoy post-turkey coma, in that long, long line outside the mall on Black Friday or, if neither of those is your thing, to enjoy just because you like a good book! Try to avoid the crime and violence of some of those crazy holiday shoppers and enjoy some on-page suspense instead. Marie Force is back with her popular Fatal series and ongoing protagonists Nick and Sam, in her next romantic suspense, Fatal Deception. Also returning is author Shirley Wells with Dying Art, the next Dylan Scott mystery.

  I’m happy to introduce debut author Jax Garren’s new trilogy, which kicks off this month with How Beauty Met the Beast. This novella grabbed my attention when I read it on submission, with off-the-charts sexual tension, a wonderful, character-driven futuristic world, a smart, sassy heroine and a tortured, scarred hero who yearns for nothing more than to keep the woman he’s secretly falling in love with safe.

  Looking for something out-of-this-world to take you away from the pre-holiday madness? J.L. Hilton offers up her next cyberpunk science-fiction romance, Stellarnet Prince, continuing the adventures of futuristic blogger extraordinaire Genny. Meanwhile, Cáit Donnelly’s Now You See It gives a paranormal edge to a thrilling romantic suspense, while erotic fantasy romance Dark Dealings by Kim Knox is guaranteed to give you that “take me away” feeling.

  Joining Kim with erotic romance releases this month are Jodie Griffin with her next Bondage & Breakfast novella, Forbidden Desires, and Lynda Aicher’s first of a BDSM trilogy, Bonds of Trust. All three books in this trilogy are both smokin’ hot, while delivering a wonderful, captivating story.

  We have two authors with male/male releases this month, including L.B. Gregg’s contemporary romance Men of Smithfield: Adam and Holden. Also in the male/male niche, author Libby Drew has her first Carina Press release, paranormal male/male romance 40 Souls to Keep.

  Susanna Fraser’s An Infamous Marriage is our lone historical romance offering this month, but one that won’t disappoint. Anchoring us in the here and now are several contemporary romance titles. Jeanette Murray’s No Mistletoe Required aims to get you into a holiday mood and December Gephart bursts onto the publishing scene with her debut, the witty, fun and romantic Undercover Professor.

  And don’t miss the upcoming conclusion of Shannon Stacey’s second Kowalski family trilogy, All He Ever Dreamed.

  Wherever your reading pleasure takes you, enjoy this month’s variety of releases as we gear up for the holiday season.

  We love to hear from readers, and you can email us your thoughts, comments and questions to [email protected]. You can also interact with Carina Press staff and authors on our blog, Twitter stream and Facebook fan page.

  Happy reading!

  ~Angela James

  Executive Editor, Carina Press

  www.carinapress.com

  www.twitter.com/carinapress

  www.facebook.com/carinapress

  Dedication

  This one’s for Leah. You opened your heart to a thirteen-year-old girl and have been one of my life’s greatest blessings ever since. Thank you for being a wonderful stepmother, an amazing grammy to my sons and, most of all, for being my friend. I love you.

  Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  About the Author

  Copyright

  Chapter One

  Because hectic Monday mornings didn’t suck enough all on their own merits, Lauren Carpenter managed to miss her lashes and apply mascara straight to her eyeball. Cursing and blinking, she groped for a tissue.

  She wasn’t sure why she bothered making herself up anyway. Over her years working as the entire office staff for the only insurance agent in town, she’d seen communications swing from office visits to phone calls and faxes and then to email. Entire days could go by without anybody but her boss actually stepping foot in the place.

  It was the principle, she decided as she mopped up the damage and tried again. She’d long ago given up on giving a crap what anybody thought of her, but it made her feel good to look good. There was a limit, though, and she smiled as she shoved her feet into the battered leather loafers that were even older than Nick. Her feet were usually under her desk anyway.

  Thinking of Nick, she glanced at her alarm clock and sighed. Morning battle to commence in three...two...

  “Ma!” The bellow made her cringe.

  She’d asked him not to shout at her from across the house even more times than she’d asked him not to call her Ma. Ma made her think of calico dresses and aprons and churning butter. It also made her feel old, and being the mother of a sixteen-year-old was reminder enough of that, thank you very much.

  Lauren left her bedroom and went down the hall, purposely not glancing into the train wreck that was her son’s room, fastening small pearl earrings as she walked. “Don’t bellow, Nick.”

  “If I don’t, you won’t hear me.”

  He was in the kitchen, rummaging through his backpack at the table while a full bowl of cereal turned into mush on the counter. “You planning to eat your breakfast?”

  Shrugging, Nick pulled a crumpled ball of paper out of his bag. “Yeah. You n
eed to sign this.”

  “What is it?” She carried the bowl of cereal to the table and traded it for the paper. “Eat. The bus comes in five minutes.”

  When he kept his eyes down and shoved a heaping mound of cereal in his mouth, Lauren’s stomach sank. Whatever the paper was, it wasn’t good.

  Physically, Nick took after Dean, her ex-husband. Nick’s hair was darker than her blond and his eyes were a lighter brown. He’d gotten not only his dad’s good looks, but his struggles in school, too.

  It was a detention notice, assigned due to missing homework. “Nick, you’ve only had three weeks of school and you’re slipping already?”

  “I don’t like the teacher,” he mumbled around a mouthful of cereal.

  “You don’t have to like the teacher. You do have to do your homework.” He shrugged and the nonverbal whatever was the straw that broke Monday morning’s back. “I know which form I won’t be signing and that’s the driver’s ed registration.”

  “But, Mom—”

  “Save it. The bus is coming.”

  She signed the detention paper while he dumped his bowl in the sink, then watched him ball up the notice and shove it back in his pocket. The faint rumble of the bus came into earshot and he hefted his backpack.

  “Walk straight home after detention,” she said to the back of his head as he walked toward the front door. “And no video games.”

  “Uh-huh.”

  After the door closed behind him—he knew better than to slam it—Lauren leaned against the counter and blew out a breath. Something was going on with her son and she’d be damned if she could put her finger on what. He didn’t get a pass because he was a teenager or because of that boys-will-be-boys crap, so it was time for an attitude adjustment. And that meant talking to Dean, because if they weren’t on the same page when it came to Nick, she may as well find a brick wall to talk to.

  Of course, talking to Dean Carpenter was always like talking to a brick wall. Communication wasn’t his strong suit. Their son, though, was more receptive if his parents were giving him the same message. Usually.

  She’d have to find a few minutes to talk to her ex when he picked up Nick on Friday evening, which meant having an idea what she was going to say before he showed up. And she’d worry about that some other time, because now she had less than ten minutes to get to work.

  It took her twelve to drive across Whitford because she had to stop for gas, so Gary Demarest, insurance agent extraordinaire, was already in when she arrived. She’d worked for him since her divorce eight years before, when she’d been looking for a job in town with mother’s hours. Demarest Insurance had mostly fit the bill, though Nick got out of school a couple of hours before she left work. When he was younger, the neighbor had kept an eye on him. Now he was mostly on his own, though in a town like Whitford, somebody was always watching.

  “I left some notes on your desk,” Gary said. He was in great shape for a man in his mid-sixties and prided himself on being a smart dresser, despite the fact that the majority of his clientele wore jeans and T-shirts. “Paige Sullivan’s going to be renting out her mobile home, so she needs a price on adjusting the property insurance accordingly. I’ll let you know when I get the numbers together, but you can get started on the paperwork if you get a chance.”

  “No problem.” When Gary disappeared into his office, closing the door behind him, Lauren leaned back in her very nice office chair and sighed.

  Paige Sullivan was going to rent out her mobile home because she was marrying Mitch Kowalski and they were going to buy a house together. And, of course, thinking of Mitch naturally led her to think of his brother.

  Ryan Kowalski. Her what-if guy when she let herself indulge in ridiculous fantasy. What if she’d said yes?

  He’d been in town a few times lately, she knew, helping his brothers straighten out the Northern Star, their family-owned snowmobile lodge. But, as in the past when he’d visited, he stayed close to home and they never got close enough to speak. She wasn’t sure whether it was deliberate, but he’d managed not to run into her since he’d graduated from college.

  The phone rang before Lauren could give in to the what-if fantasy, which was a good thing. With Nick needing an attitude adjustment and Dean to deal with, the last thing she needed was another guy with issues. Her ex-husband’s ex-best friend could stay out of sight and out of mind where he belonged.

  * * *

  Ryan Kowalski made very few mistakes when it came to running his business, but trapping himself in a pickup with an idiot definitely counted as one. “Put the phone on vibrate.”

  Dill Brophy snorted, just as the phone in his hand sounded another incoming text with the grating, electronic sound of a duck call. For almost five freaking hours he’d been listening to Dill’s phone quack, and if he had a shotgun he’d pull over and play an impromptu round of Duck Hunt. Not even a minute later, it quacked again.

  Ryan jerked the wheel hard to the left and had the satisfaction of hearing Dill’s head thump against the passenger window.

  “Ow! What the hell, man?”

  “Pothole.”

  “Matt wants to know if we’re almost there yet.” Quack. “Or if not, can we stop for lunch, because it’s after lunchtime.”

  Ryan put on his blinker and pulled over onto the shoulder. Once Matt Russell had pulled in behind him, he turned to Dill. “Let me see your phone.”

  Rather than throw it out the window and run over it repeatedly, as he wanted to do, Ryan took it and powered it down. Then he got out of the truck, slamming the door with Kowalski Custom Builders painted down the side, and walked back to the identical vehicle Matt was driving. Well, not totally identical. Ryan’s had heated leather seats and a custom sound system. It was nice to be the boss.

  Matt lowered the window. “What’s up?”

  “Give me your phone.” Since both guys carried company-provided cell phones, refusing wasn’t an option. When he had it, Ryan gave the young carpenter a stern look. “You text while driving one of my trucks again, you’re fired.”

  After he tossed both phones into his door pocket, they got back on the road and Ryan took a deep breath when, not long after, they passed the Welcome to Whitford, Maine sign. Home again. Dammit.

  A while back, when his youngest brother, Josh, had busted his leg and the oldest, Mitch, had gone home to give him a hand, the shit had really hit the fan. The Northern Star Lodge—which had gone from gentleman’s hunting lodge to snowmobiling lodge under the ownership of several generations of Kowalskis—was in bad shape, both financially and physically. Some rehab needed doing and, since Ryan was a builder, it was his turn to spend a little time in Whitford.

  Because he’d be away from his business for who knew how long, he’d left his top guys and most experienced builders down in Massachusetts to keep the jobs going, which was how he’d ended up stuck with two young, less-experienced pinheads to work with.

  That wasn’t quite fair. They were good kids and they worked hard. If they weren’t he wouldn’t have them on his jobs. But his current feelings toward them were colored a bit by four and a half hours of the quacking duck and the twinkly chime that sounded when Dill’s pregnant wife texted. And she texted a lot.

  For a second, he regretted shutting Dill’s phone off, but then he told himself that if there was an emergency, she’d call him or the office, looking for her husband. And when they got to the lodge, he’d give the phones back.

  As eager as he was to get to the lodge, he didn’t want to show up with two hungry guys looking to rummage through Rosie’s kitchen, Ryan decided to stop at the Trailside Diner and let them eat before driving the last few minutes to the Northern Star.

  Because it wasn’t quite two yet, Paige Sullivan—his future sister-in-law—was behind the counter and she smiled when she saw him.

  “Ryan! I didn’t
know you were coming in today.”

  He leaned across the counter to kiss her cheek. “It was kind of fluid. Had to wrap up some stuff and wait on a granite delivery, then I made a break for it today.”

  “Does Rosie know?”

  “I called her when I hit the road this morning.” Rose Davis was housekeeper at the Northern Star Lodge by title, but she’d helped raise the Kowalski kids after their mother died. Ryan knew better than to pop in without giving her enough advance notice to make his favorite dinner. Not that he expected her to, but Rosie liked to fuss. “Is Mitch at the lodge?”

  “He’s in Miami for a few days. I don’t think he expected you until at least next week.”

  He realized the guys were hovering behind him, obviously waiting for an introduction, so he gestured to each in turn. “This is Dillon Brophy and Matt Russell. They work for me and they’ll be helping out at the lodge. This is Paige Sullivan, my brother’s fiancée.”

  Matt and Dill straightened up, smart enough to catch his cue that Paige was as good as a member of the boss’s family. Both guys were in their early twenties, but the similarities ended there. Dill was tall—almost as tall as Ryan—and skinny, with sandy hair and an easy smile. Matt was shorter, more muscular, and had the dark and serious thing going on. Ryan watched them each shake Paige’s hand, both very respectful, before heading off to a table to look over the menu.

  “Rosie’s just going to eat them up,” Paige said, her eyes filled with laughter. “She’s always complaining she doesn’t have enough people to fuss over anymore.”

  “They’re employees, not grandchildren. She doesn’t need to fuss over them and I’ll kick their asses if they let her.”

  The look she gave him was pure skepticism, and he shook his head before joining the guys. They all had cheeseburgers and fries, and Ryan had to admit that, despite the fact he hadn’t wanted to stop at the diner, the food hit the spot. The mood was good all around, especially when he told them they could retrieve their phones while he paid. They were out the door before he got all the words out.