Everyone seems to be in love but me. Why is that? Relationship after relationship, and nothing. I'm always the bridesmaid, but never the bride. It's getting old. Fast. And just when I start to give up, he walks into my life. Sexy, strong, older. The father of one of my students. It's against the rules to feel the way I do about him, but I can't help myself. A single father with a sexy demeanor and deep pockets. But that's not what gets me about him. It's the way he looks at me. As if he already owns me. The relationship can be our little secret. Or can it?
Lanie
"Deep breath, and exhale as you transition into cat-cow." The yoga teacher's smooth voice wafted across the room, and I closed my eyes, losing myself in the gentle piano music. Everything was good and right. Smooth. Easy.
Until a short giggle interrupted my flow.
I cracked an eye, taking in Erica, who stretched on the mat next to me. She had her ass pressed as far back as it would go and was wiggling it slightly under the facade of stretching.
There goes my inner peace.
Following Erica's eyes, I clocked Dirty Pirate Guy watching from across the room. His mouth hung open as he stared at Erica, and I swear a bit of drool dripped onto his mat.
"This is yoga," I hissed at my best friend. "Not Tantric Sex 101."
Erica bit back a giggle and went into downward dog. I followed suit, allowing my head to collapse forward. Some days, there was just no trying with Erica. The girl lived to get a rise out of people. As annoying as that sometimes could be, it was also the reason I loved her.
"Namaste," the teacher said, and everyone echoed the word that meant class was over.
Everyone except for Erica, of course.
"Nay, I'ma stay right here," she whispered, bumping me with her elbow.
I rolled my eyes as Dirty Pirate Guy, wearing a grin, walked toward us. As his gaze fell lower, though, it hit Erica's hand-and the Claddagh ring showing she was taken.
Just like that, his trajectory switched, and he veered toward the exit.
"You must get off teasing men like that." I rolled my pink yoga mat up and stuck it in the waiting tote bag.
"Yeah, actually, I do."
"Oh my god. Don't tell me you're actually attracted to Dirty Pirate Guy." With most of the class already departed, I headed for the door.
Piling her long, blond hair into a messy top-bun, Erica fell into step next to me. "Don't call him that. It's mean."
"He's the poor man's Jack Sparrow, Erica. Did you not see the earring and the dreads? And 'mean' is you flirting with dudes when you have a perfectly amazing guy at home. What would Matt say if he saw you doing that?"
"He loves it." Lies. She really never flirted with anyone. Matt was too much for her as it were.
Erica pushed the yoga studio's front door open, and we emerged onto the street. The chilly Seattle air struck my sweat-slicked skin, cooling me down immensely. Though the pedestrians darting to and fro all wore sweaters or jackets, I was entirely comfortable in only a tank top and windbreaker. It had been a cold September, just the kind I loved.
"You remember when Matt came to this class with us and the instructor totally made him do all that crazy crap for talking?"
Erica snorted and laughed. "He still talks about it."
"You think he'll ever come back?" I couldn't help but chuckle at the memory. The guy was a total goof, and yet, he complimented Erica in a way her ex, Tanner, never could have.
"No." She laughed. "He's meeting us next week after we're all done, but there was no getting him to come inside. I think he still has nightmares about it." Erica winked.
"You're crazy." I laughed again. "Or maybe he is."
"We both are?" she offered.
With a shrug, she looped her arm around mine, and we crossed the busy intersection, making a beeline for the tapas bar on the corner. It went without saying that we were headed there. Like yoga, cocktails were a Sunday-evening staple.
"I hope I'm crazy with someone eventually. Now I just need to get a man that meets some of my standards and doesn't look like a teenager, a homeless person or a girl."
"Not going there." Erica smirked and bypassed the boyfriend conversation all together as we plopped into seats at the end of the bar. "The usual?"
Shauna, the Sunday bartender, must have seen us coming from across the street because two glasses of red were on the bar in no time at all. I slowly took the first sip, relishing the relaxing effects of the alcohol mixing with the relaxing effects of the yoga.
Yep, Sunday rocked.
"So. Are you excited?" Every one of Erica's teeth showed in a giant smile.
There was no need for a segue. Tomorrow's big event had been on my mind all day long. At this point, it was like there was a giant ticking clock over my head, counting down the seconds till my new job began.
"Yeah." I took in a long breath. Oxygen didn't help. Nope. I needed another sip of wine.
"Don't worry. You'll do a great job."
I looked at her over the rim of my wine glass, not quite sure what to say to that. How could she know whether I would perform well or not? This would be my first job as a counselor. I'd done all right in grad school, yeah, but this was the real world.
"It's not kindergarten."
"No," Erica agreed. "It's not kindergarten. And your point is?"
"My point is this." I went to twist some hair around my finger, something I did when nervous, and then remembered I'd chopped my locks off weeks ago. The wispy pixie cut, though everyone said it looked great, was still taking some getting used to.
"Mm-hmm?"
"I'm just worried." My shoulders slumped, and I curled my fingers tight around the glass stem. For a brief moment, I missed kindergarten. The six years teaching it had been a whirlwind. While that kind of environment was probably too chaotic for some people, it was comforting for me. It was what I knew.
And what was headed my way the next day? Something I wasn't familiar with. Not at all.
"It's high school," I pointed out.
"It's what you wanted," she said, nearly cutting me off.
I pursed my lips, and Erica followed suit, mocking me. She'd known what I was going to say before I even opened my mouth. That was both a perk and a downside of having the same best friend since first grade.
Erica unzipped her sweatshirt and flapped it around, getting some air on her sweaty skin. Though it was September outside, the tapas bar was incredibly warm. "You always wanted to get into counseling. Kindergarten was never part of the long-term plan."
"I know."
She was right, and another thing was true as well. I would have never taken the steps to become a school counselor if Erica hadn't encouraged me. Change wasn't in my nature. Maybe it had something to do with my standard, happy upbringing, where the greatest mix-up in routine involved taking the family camping trip in June one year instead of July. Or maybe staying stagnant was just inherent for me. Either way, shaking things up could be terrifying.
Which is probably why I had a best friend who thrived on the new and exciting.
If only I'd known what was right around the corner....
This guy could offer me the moon, and I’d hand it right back. Never in a million years did I expect to run into the biggest crush of my childhood. But, of course, I have. And I’m reporting to him at the new company I landed a big-time job at. Arrogant. Hot as hell. Total jackass. Why he’s still single is no mystery to me. He’s not willing to settle down. He’s always been that way, and as far as I’m concerned, he always will be. But, boy, is he beautiful to look at. Every part of me screams "run" as my insides turn to mush. No. Not me too… Not again. I should be immune by now. I know him far too well to fall into this hopeless pit of adoration again. But maybe there’s a way around it. It’s his power that drives me over the edge of insanity. If I were the boss instead of him, I’d hold all the cards. Good thing I’m always up for a challenge. Funnily enough, this guy thinks he’s going to score. He might have to redefine what getting lucky looks like after me. At least, that’s the plan.
Ethan Lewis has been in the bright lights for as long as he can remember. He’s just turned the cusp of celebrating his twenty-fourth birthday, and yet he feels more like eighty. Living the life of a celebrity isn’t all it is chalked up to be, and dealing with the unruly number of women who are more interested in his billions than who he is as a person is getting old. He has resigned himself to giving up on love and focusing on the only thing that truly gives back – his career. Riley Phillips has always dreamed of being on a big stage with the warmth of the spotlight baring down on her, but she just couldn’t seem to catch the right agent’s attention. After giving a quick commencement speech as Valedictorian of her graduating class at Billmore High, she’s offered something she can’t refuse... The chance to work in Hollywood. It’s not all it’s chalked up to be, but she works hard and finally gets her big break four years down the line. There is a new movie that her agent wants her to audition for, and her co-star? The dreamy Ethan Lewis. She scores the part, but soon regrets it due to his callous, overbearing persona. He’s nothing like the public touts, and she for one isn’t impressed. Funny enough, he is - immensely. This is book 1 in a continued series. All books are available
He said I couldn’t do it, but he was wrong. An old professor at UCLA promised me that I would make nothing of myself, so I made sure I did. To the tune of billions. I’m only a little cocky about it. Yachts, parties, and one-night events pretty much spell out my life. And all of it works well until I run into a beauty I can’t get out of my head. But we’re keeping it friendly and casual until we aren’t. There’s just one problem. Her old man hates me. And for good reason. He was my UCLA professor. He’s dead set against me becoming anything important to his little girl, but the old man’s got it all backward. I’m not looking to make an example out of our passion or prove a point. This isn’t about hit it and quit it. His daughter is mine, and he might kick me out, but she’s letting me all the way in.
My Needs. My Demands. Your Pleasure. You're Welcome. She had one year left of college when our parents got married. And thanks to being raised in poverty, she needed help with her expenses. My dad, being the benevolent billionaire, stepped up without question. But there was a catch. She had to intern at the firm for a year. With me. As her boss. Poor sweet little thing. She has no clue what she’s up against, but she’ll figure it out soon. I don’t play typical games, but the ones I do play, I always win. And regardless of how taboo our relationship might become, I’m all in. The reward is worth the risk. I just hope she can keep up with my many demands.
He’s going to make me break my number one rule. And possibly lose my job. How dare he? It’s pretty simple, though. Don’t date students. Which is normally easy to stick to. Who wants to date an eighteen-year-old boy? Not me. I much prefer an older man with rough hands that knows what he’s doing. Enter Mr. Evans. A single father billionaire with more time on his plate than he knows what to do with. And the man is brilliant and wickedly delicious. Much to my surprise, he’s quickly becoming my star pupil, which means he gets more of my time than necessary. But I can’t help myself. He’s exactly what I need in my life, in my bed, kissing me at the stroke of midnight… And the best is even though he’s older than me, he’s more than willing to let me teach him a few new tricks. Let's just hope we don't get caught.
I need a wife. Now. It doesn’t have to do with love and living the good life. This is all about getting the money my billionaire father left to me. And I’m running out of time. But who proposes to a stranger after the first date? Me. That’s who. As if I have another choice. Luck is on my side though, and a beautiful model shows up in my office. Single? Gorgeous? Funny? All of the above. Our first date goes so well that I feel unsure about my decision to do this thing with her—you know, fake it. I put it off and decide to do it later, to ask for her help after we get to know each other better. But I like her more and more each time we meet, and eventually, offering her a ring isn’t for my dad’s money—it’s because I want her more than anything else in the world. Besides, who’s going to know if it’s fake or real? And does it really matter? Yeah. It does.
On her wedding day, Khloe’s sister connived with her groom, framing her for a crime she didn’t commit. She was sentenced to three years in prison, where she endured much suffering. When Khloe was finally released, her evil sister used their mother to coerce Khloe into an indecent liaison with an elderly man. As fate would have it, Khloe crossed paths with Henrik, the dashing yet ruthless mobster who sought to alter the course of her life. Despite Henrik’s cold exterior, he cherished Khloe like no other. He helped her take retribution from her tormentors and kept her from being bullied again.
Ethan always viewed Nyla as a compulsive liar, while she saw him as aloof and insensitive. Nyla had cherished the notion that she was dear to Ethan, yet she felt coldly rejected when she realized her place in his heart was insignificant. No longer trying to break through his coldness, she stepped back, only for him to alter his approach unexpectedly. She challenged him, "If you trust me so little, why keep me around?" Ethan, who had once carried himself with pride, now stood before her with a humble plea. "Nyla, I've made mistakes. Please don't walk away from me."
Leanna's life had been full of hardships until her Uncle Nate, who wasn't related to her, offered her a home. She fell deeply in love with Nate, but as he was about to get married, he ruthlessly sent her abroad. In response, Leanna immersed herself in the study of andrology. When she came back, she was renowned for her work on solving problems like impotence, premature ejaculation, and infertility. One day, Nate trapped her in her bedroom. "Seeing various men every day, huh? Why don't you check me out and see if I have any problems?" Leanna laughed slyly and quickly unbuckled his belt. "Is that why you're engaged but not married? Having trouble in the bedroom?" "Wanna try it out for yourself?" "No thanks. I’m not interested in experimenting with you."
It was supposed to be a marriage of convenience, but Carrie made the mistake of falling in love with Kristopher. When the time came that she needed him the most, her husband was in the company of another woman. Enough was enough. Carrie chose to divorce Kristopher and move on with her life. Only when she left did Kristopher realize how important she was to him. In the face of his ex-wife’s countless admirers, Kristopher offered her 20 million dollars and proposed a new deal. “Let’s get married again.”
Rena got into an entanglement with a big shot when she was drunk one night. She needed Waylen's help while he was drawn to her youthful beauty. As such, what was supposed to be a one-night stand progressed into something serious. All was well until Rena discovered that Waylen's heart belonged to another woman. When his first love returned, he stopped coming home, leaving Rena all alone for many nights. She put up with it until she received a check and farewell note one day. Contrary to how Waylen expected her to react, Rena had a smile on her face as she bid him farewell. "It was fun while it lasted, Waylen. May our paths never cross. Have a nice life." But as fate would have it, their paths crossed again. This time, Rena had another man by her side. Waylen's eyes burned with jealousy. He spat, "How the hell did you move on? I thought you loved only me!" "Keyword, loved!" Rena flipped her hair back and retorted, "There are plenty of fish in the sea, Waylen. Besides, you were the one who asked for a breakup. Now, if you want to date me, you have to wait in line." The next day, Rena received a credit alert of billions and a diamond ring. Waylen appeared again, got down on one knee, and uttered, "May I cut in line, Rena? I still want you."
After three secretive years of marriage, Eliana never met her enigmatic husband until she was served with divorce papers and learned of his extravagant pursuit of another. She snapped back to reality and secured a divorce. Thereafter, Eliana unveiled her various personas: an esteemed doctor, legendary secret agent, master hacker, celebrated designer, adept race car driver, and distinguished scientist. As her diverse talents became known, her ex-husband was consumed by remorse. Desperately, he pleaded, "Eliana, give me another chance! All my properties, even my life, are yours."