After the Lights Go Down: A Workplace Reunion Romance


 
 
 
 Paul was here?
 He’d said he would never leave Charlotte, not even for her. But here he was, taking away what he knew she wanted more than anything. What could they have possibly offered him?
 Layne moved through the rest of her day in a daze, completing her tasks by rote and skipping the Paul Waverly meet and greet that had been set up at the end of the workday.
 Paul was a part of Layne’s life that she had tucked into a corner of her heart and soul.
 She shut the door to her apartment, kicked off her shoes, dropped her tote on the floor next to her discarded shoes and dragged herself to the living room. Her cell phone chirped. She dug in the back pocket of her jeans and pulled out the phone. Tina’s smiling face lit up the screen.
 Layne’s voice cracked when she tried to say hello.
 “Layne? What’s wrong?”
 “Paul. He’s here in DC. He got the anchor job.”
 For a moment, silence hung in the air. “When was the last time you spoke to him?”
 Layne sighed. “Been over two years,” she said, the words like pinpricks to her heart.
 “Well, at some point, you’re going to have to talk to him. He knows you’re here.”
 “Exactly! He knows I’m here. He knows how much I wanted this and yet—” She blew out a long breath of frustration. “You’re right. We will have to talk at some point. We’ll be working together.” She nearly choked on the word together. “I’m going to have to get my head...and my heart together for the inevitable.”
 * * *
 
 
 Dear Reader,
 I was always intrigued by what happens behind the scenes of everyday environments. As a former employee of ABC Television (many moons ago), my interest in the ins and outs of programming and office shenanigans was born. Fast-forward and I had the kernel of an idea for a novel about what happens at a daytime talk/news show after the lights go down. Enter Layne Davis and Paul Waverly.
 Layne and Paul are hot off-screen “secret” lovers until an opportunity presents itself to Layne, an offer she can’t refuse even though it means leaving her job, her home and her lover. She is certain this opportunity will take her to heights she’s dreamed of. That is, until Paul, many months later, is offered and accepts the job Layne believes was rightfully hers—and Paul knows it.
 Needless to say, Layne and Paul must come to terms with who they truly are, and what they truly want, all against the backdrop of a scandal that rocks the network and their lives.
 I do hope that you will simply love this sexy, fast-paced workplace romance with a twist!
 Until next time,
 Donna
 
 
 Donna Hill
 After the Lights Go Down
 
 
 
 Donna Hill began her career in 1987 writing short stories for the confession magazines. Her first novel was released in 1990, and since that time, she has more than one hundred published titles to her credit and is considered one of the early pioneers of the African American romance genre. Three of her novels have been adapted for television. She has been featured in Essence, the New York Daily News, USA TODAY, Today’s Black Woman and Black Enterprise, among many others. Donna is a graduate of Goddard College with an MFA in creative writing and is currently in pursuit of her doctor of arts in English pedagogy and technology. She is an assistant professor of professional writing at Medgar Evers College and lives in Brooklyn, New York, with her family.
 Books by Donna Hill
 Harlequin Desire
 After the Lights Go Down
 The Grants of DC
 Strictly Confidential
 Harlequin Kimani Romance
 The Grants of DC
 What the Heart WantsForever Mine
 Visit the Author Profile page at Harlequin.com for more titles.
 You can also find Donna Hill on Facebook, along with other Harlequin Desire authors, at Facebook.com/harlequindesireauthors!
 
 
 Mom, I miss you every day.
 
 
 Contents
 Chapter One
 Chapter Two
 Chapter Three
 Chapter Four
 Chapter Five
 Chapter Six
 Chapter Seven
 Chapter Eight
 Chapter Nine
 Excerpt from One Night Wager by Katherine Garbera
 
 
 One
 “This is Paul Waverly for WNCC’s News at Ten. Stay safe out there. Good night.” He flashed his signature smile and the network went to commercial.
 Layne sighed deeply from her cushy spot on the plush living room couch, pointed the remote at the television and turned it off. She lifted the glass of white wine to her lips and took a short sip. Pitch-perfect as always. But she would expect nothing less than perfection from Paul. He was the consummate professional. Audiences loved him. His rich brown handsomeness graced the covers of magazines across the country. His face lit up the screen every night at ten. He could go anywhere he chose in the television business. Rumor had it that he’d been courted by both ABC and NBC networks in New York, as well as cable news stations, and had turned them all down, touting that his roots were in North Carolina, not to mention that WNCC countered every offer. So, he stayed. As a result, WNCC bent over backward to give Paul Waverly whatever he wanted, including his penthouse in downtown Charlotte, an expense account and a six-figure salary.
 She rose from the couch and headed to the bathroom for a hot shower. She had an early call in the morning and it was already near midnight.
 After soothing her skin with her favorite body oil, she slipped into a pale peach satin gown that shimmered and reflected the light when she moved. She went back to the living room to refill her wineglass and returned to bed, just as the key clicked in the door.
 Her pulse skipped the way it always did. Part of the excitement was the secrecy, and the rest was the sheer thrill.
 “Hey, baby.”
 She set