Jack shook Anderson's hand. "You won't regret it. We'll make magic together, I promise."

The lightness in his chest was a cause for celebration. Any other day, he would have accompanied this high with sex. Or what he used to think was sex.

Since spending time with Solana, he'd discovered those brief physical spikes were a pale comparison to the experience of being with a woman who accepted him for who he was, not what they wanted him to be. His mind and body sizzling at the thrill of not only touching her but knowing how to touch her in ways that brought about pleasure for her and somehow doubled his. The moments when they were one, in body but also in soul. The heat of her skin brushing over his torso, her fingers in his, her laughter burrowing into his chest. Soft skin and demanding grips. The need for more mixing with the satisfaction of her simply being in the room with him. The way she drove out the cold and filled his life with light.

All he wanted right now was to talk to her. Tell her she was right, being vulnerable had worked. He had less than a half an hour before a videoconference with the shareholders over quarterly results, but couldn't wait until tonight. Phone in hand, he tapped on the screen to see the missed text from her.

Sol: There's a surprise waiting on your desk.

She was the surprise. He picked up the pace, racing to get to her. He could already smell the orange spice of only her, the warmth of her lips on his. Maybe he could celebrate the old-fashioned way. Or start a new tradition.

He did not expect Wolfe to be in the room as well.

The air in his office sat heavy, and the lightness in Jack's chest dissipated. Solana's eyes flashed at his, and before he could smile back, they darted to the floor. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up and Jack sped across the room, the need to touch Solana burning his fingers. His hand slid to the small of her back as he leaned in for a kiss. "Hey sweetheart."

At the last second, her head shifted, and his lips landed on her cheek. That tiny movement sent white hot pokers into his gut. They twisted at the smallness of her voice. "Hi."

Jack tore his gaze from her and focused on Wolfe, hoping for an explanation from his second in command. "What's going on?"

The old man straightened his tie. "There's been a development." Code word for trouble. Jack stepped closer to Solana. "A video has surfaced."

Beneath his touch, she stiffened. "Of us. At the club yesterday." Her fingers tapped on his desk. "In the bathroom."

His heart accelerated. A sex tape. The paparazzi would have a field day if it got out. "What's being done?"

"We're negotiating with the seller." Wolfe reached into his pocket and retrieved his phone. "Luckily, they came to us before the press. We should be able to neutralize the incident."

A mixture of rage at Wolfe referring to sex with Solana as an incident swirled in his stomach with relief the recording would most likely never see the light of day. "Good." He concentrated on the crown of Solana's head. "There's no need to worry. Wolfe is good at this."

"I'm sure he is." The tapping stopped, and she wrapped an arm around her middle as if she needed to hold herself together. In an act meant to portray reassurance, he kissed the top of her head.

Wolfe held up his phone. "I need to take care of this. Sign the papers in the folder." Solana bristled under Jack's touch. He stroked her back, attempting to a send morse code "don't worry" with his touch.

"Open or closed?" Wolfe asked on the way out the door.

"Closed." The door clicked shut and Jack perched on the edge of his desk, his hands finding Solana's hips and twisting her to face him. "It'll be fine."

She stepped out of his grip, and a brick sank into his stomach. Afternoon sunlight illuminated her face, but the warmth stopped there. The rigid line of her mouth reminded him of her determined expression on the plane ride home from Las Vegas.

"I promise." He reached for her dangling fingers. "Make this like it never happened."

Her fingers eluded him, and she moved to the window. Her dark silhouette hid her reflection. "It won't work."

The chill in her voice echoed in his chest. "You don't know Wolfe. He'll have that video destroyed before dinner tonight."

Her shoulders slumped, and her hands covered her face. Jack's feet aimed for her, but before he made it a few steps, she spun and launched an arrow straight into his heart. "No. I mean us. We won't work."

The toe of his shoe caught on the carpet, and he had to stop and center himself to keep from falling. "Don't let this get to you. It happens all the time."

Her gaze shot up and met his eyes. The wounded organ in his chest seized at the jumble of emotions he saw. Fear. Anxiety. And something else he couldn't place. "That's the problem."

Heat pooled at the back of his neck, dampening his collar. He took a small step forward and Solana jumped like a scared rabbit. The arrow in his heart twisted.

"You live in a different world from me, Jack." Solana's hands fisted at her sides. "I'll never fit in."

He shoved his hands in his pockets to keep from picking her up and clutching her to him until she took the words back. "That's not true." His stomach cramped at the fear in his voice.

"You just don't see it now. But soon..." Her eyes flickered to his desk before locking back on his. Her shoulders straightened. "You'll come to regret being with me."

"Never." The word flew from him like a shot out of a cannon.

Her mouth softened, and the vice around his lungs loosened. Only to snap back in place when her bottom lip trembled. "What happens the next time I screw up? What if Wolfe can't fix it?"

It was his turn to be determined. "We'll weather it. Together."

Solana shook her head. "But it's not up to us. How many times have you told me you are Blackhorne and Caldwell. I didn't see it until today. Every move I make will be under a telescope. My past will be blasted across the internet. Ximena's and Luc's too. My mother. Cassius." Solana scoffed. "He'll sell his story for a profit. All proving the Wilde's right. I am trash."

Confusion sparked. This was not his confident, sometimes over confident Solana. She didn't back down from a fight. He made a last-ditch effort to turn the conversation about. "Don't ever say that. You are perfect to me."

Her eyes glossed over. At last, she stepped forward, and he inhaled the spicey orange scent unique to her. The soft pads of her fingers traced his cheek in the lightest of touches. "You are too, Jack. All of you. Even the parts you don't let people see. Never forget that."

He didn't like the finality of her words. They sounded like goodbye. Acid bubbled in his throat, making it impossible to respond. Yet he forced the words out. "Don't let me." The warmth of her touch receded, her hand pulling away. He caught it and held their joined fingers over his wildly beating heart. "Tell me every day and I won't."

Lips he loved to kiss parted and Jack worried what words she'd use next. Moreover, he feared he might not survive them. "I wish I could."

"The choice is yours, my Sol." He couldn't help squeezing her fingers. "Always."

A fine line of red lava shot through the hazel eyes he adored, and her fingers flexed in his clutch. She inched forward, and the taut strings in his stomach eased.

Three quick raps on the door halted her progression. Jack ignored it and stepped closer, slipping his free hand onto her hip. He had her close now, and he wasn't letting go. Ever.

"I should leave," Solana whispered.

More knocks on his door. Jack growled. "Go away."

His assistant's voice squeaked through the door. "But Sir. The stakeholder meeting starts in 5 minutes. They're expecting you."

Solana blinked and attempted to move out of his grasp. "You need to go."

"Kiss me first." He dug his fingers into her skin. "For luck."

Her eyes searched his. "You don't need luck."

"Indulge a weak man."

"You're not weak." A trace of a smile etched her mouth.

"I am around you."

The smile fell away, and Jack braced for her retreat. Instead, she grasped his tie and yanked. Their lips crashed together, and his skin flushed with the fever of her. Her fingers dug into his hair and pulled in sync with her tongue in his mouth. Searing heat branded him, and he happily accepted the label. With passion like this, his confidence in his ability to calm her concerns rose.

His hands sought the luscious curves of her bottom and used the new hold to leverage her closer, erasing any space between them. The grip on the back of his neck tightened, and the kiss intensified, a hot sizzle running down his spine. Jack's lungs screamed for air, but he refused to pay attention. Something was happening here, and he needed to understand.

This didn't feel like any of their other shared kisses. A tinge of something like desperation coloured this one. He poured his love into each movement, silently speaking with his mouth on hers. Assuring her he'd take care of everything. Take care of her. That they could last.

Because he knew, then and there. He admitted to himself, as fire flamed in his lungs from lack of oxygen, that she was the one for him. The only one. The missing piece. His soul.

In his suit jacket, his phone buzzed. Solana stiffened, the passion of the kiss evaporating in an instant. Her lips left his, and she shrank away from him, panting. "Everyone's waiting for you."

Reluctantly, Jack pried his fingers off her body. "George will take you home." Unable to resist, he planted a kiss on her forehead. "I'll come by Ximena's after work. Okay?"

Solana stared at the ground but gave a short, quick nod. He laced their fingers again and walked her to the elevator. They stepped inside and he pressed the garage level for her and the 5th floor for him. Green electric numbers counted down the floors, and he squeezed her hand in time with the lurch of his stomach at the sudden drop of the elevator.

With a soft ding the doors opened, and Jack's gut told him not to leave the metal box, stay with Solana. Instead, after a quick squeeze of her hand, he let go and stepped out.

"I'll see you tonight." He turned back to catch her smile, but the metal doors slid together, blocking Solana from him.

Hey there. D. L. here. Well, Jack's good mood got squashed quickly. Do you feel bad for him?

Hate to leave you on a low note, so here's something good. As you may know, I publish under another pen name, Willa Drew. Our second book, WE Blend come out this week!

It's available on to buy on Amazon, B&N and other book sites.

Stage name. Secret plans. Real love.

Escaping the shadow of my famous rockstar step-father... and the paparazzi, is how I find myself microphone-in-hand at a bar off campus wearing a disguise and my heart on my sleeve.

I just want to sing. I need melodies like I need air to breathe. Music isn't just some hobby: it's my everything. And from the moment Wil steps on that stage next to me, I know my life won't ever be the same.

Our connection is instant. We want each other almost as much as we want the money. He's in the States on scholarship, and I'm trying to make my way in the industry. We forge an alliance, not knowing the secrets we both keep.

Even tangled in a duet of lies, we make sense . . . we blend. Together, we could have it all. Or lose our hearts.

WE Blend is the first full-length YA/NA romance in the WE Series about El and Wil. If you enjoy reading about music, forced partnerships, a bit of international flair, very slow burn, and friends-to-lovers, this one's for you.