Armed with comfy pants, overpriced coffee, and a highly anxious emotional-support corgi, I prepare to face him.
Corporate boss.
Villain.I step into his office. His perfect mouth twists into a sneer.
There is no heart of gold beneath that suit, just a big black pit. He’s a shark in the frothy waters of high-stakes finance.
He might be the quintessential asshole CEO, causing all in his path to quake in fear, but he’s never had to face down a basic bitch in her thirties.I am exactly like the other girls—I adore Starbucks, greige home decor, and making snarky jokes with my bestie. I’ve even inherited a stalker from an ill-advised singles party.
Yeah, the stalker is… a problem, one I’m hoping will just go away if I ignore it.I can’t ignore him, though.
He’s all broad shoulders and snide comments, picking apart everything about me as he circles me, going for the kill.
He would never fire me, though. There’s no fun in that. He wants me to quit, to have a mental breakdown.
Well, he can get in line behind my crazy gold-digging sister, my guilt-tripping mother, and the aforementioned stalker.He pins me with his gaze.
I brace myself, waiting for the verbal blow to come…
Instead, he says, “I need a date tonight, and unfortunately, it has to be you.”This is a full-length, enemies-to-lovers romantic comedy, complete with smokin’ hot-but-morally gray heroes, a smidge of suspense, and of course the perfect happily ever after!
—
EXCERPT:
I can’t stop shaking, waiting for Jaxon to come back. I don’t dare move. Maybe it’s a trap? I can’t leave the loading dock. What if he’s waiting for me?
But what am I going to do? Should I try to make a break for it? What if he’s waiting by my car or at the end of the alley? Could I even call an Uber? He would notice, right, if an Uber just pulled up right outside the alley? I would never make it.
The clock is ticking. My stalker isn’t going to give up. Jaxon is going to see that I’m on the street and come back to search the alley. Then it’s over for me.
Should I call the police again? I tried to go to them before, but they didn’t do anything, just told me I needed to work it out with my boyfriend. They said there wasn’t anything they could do because all he’d done was send a few text messages, and it wasn’t illegal to send someone a text message—but I should call them if he ever broke into my house.
Lauren watched a lot of true-crime shows while she lived in my apartment rent-free. There were several women who, when they tried to get the police to help, were just handed back to the men who would eventually kill them.
This is crazy.
I’m now worried about the best way to not get killed. I should be at home cooking massive amounts of casserole, not trying to fight for my life.
For a second, I just want to give up. I’m so exhausted and cold and overwhelmed. I’m really starting to panic now. The tears come, and I can barely keep the sobs quiet.
I have no options. And this is never going to end.
The sobs I am trying to choke back escape my numb lips in pathetic little whimpers.
Pepper whines softly at my feet as hot tears roll down my face. I don’t know what to do. This is it. I’m at the end of the line.
Well, not quite. I do have one other option. It isn’t a good one, or a smart one, but it is an option.
As quietly as I can, I reach into my purse and pull out my phone to call the only man who terrifies me more than my stalker.
He’s annoyed when he answers the phone.
“You better not be calling to beg me to save your job.”
“No. Never mind. I shouldn’t have called.” I fight back the sob.
He stills over the phone.
“What is it?” His deep voice drops to a growl.
Something in me breaks and I’m sobbing and crying to my boss, even though I know he doesn’t care. But it’s so good to hear his voice. I feel safe, just for a moment.
“Mandy.”
I can barely get words out. “I, um… I’m sorry. I just— I hate to bother you, but he’s after me, and—”
“Where are you?”
Author Bio:
If you like steamy romantic comedies with a creative streak, then I'm your girl!
Architect by day, writer by night, I love matcha green tea, chocolate, and books! So many books…
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