New York Times bestselling author Monica Murphy
concludes her sexy Billionaire Bachelors Club series with a fiery romance that
refuses to be left at the office…
Bryn James can’t take much more. Smart, sexy Matthew
DeLuca is everything she wants in a man, but he’s also her boss—the youngest,
hottest vineyard owner in the Napa Valley—and he doesn’t see her as anything
more than his shy assistant. That’s all about to change. Armed with a hot new
look and an attitude to match, Bryn is determined to catch Matt’s eye…
professionalism be damned.
With his winery’s grand reopening approaching, Matt
is trying to stay focused, but Bryn is suddenly making it very difficult. He’s
always thought her prim demeanor effortlessly sexy, but Matt can’t deny that
her transformation is jaw-dropping …and going to make it very difficult to keep
his hands to himself.
But when one thing leads to another and suddenly
Matt is stripping Bryn bare, he’ll be faced with the biggest risk of his
career—and his heart. Can he convince her—and himself—that this might just be
more than a no-strings office affair?
“Don’t be so cranky. It’s okay to admit you have a
thing for Bryn.” Ivy leans forward in her chair, a secretive smile curling her
lips. “I have a feeling she has a thing for you too, you know.”
I do know. And I can’t act on it. Bryn James works
for me. She’s my assistant. She’s by my side constantly; we spend more time
with each other than probably anyone else in our lives, especially lately what
with the winery’s grand reopening approaching. She’s a representative of my
business. If I were to fuck around with the help and the relationship fell
apart, I’d be in huge trouble. She could screw me over financially every which
way by suing me for sexual harassment and I’d be left with a limp dick in my
hand and a ruined business.
Yeah. Not going to take the chance. Saw it happen
with my father. Not going to let it happen to me.
“It doesn’t matter. Nothing can happen.” I send Ivy
a stern look. “And this conversation can never leave this office.” Glancing
over her shoulder, I try to see if Bryn is at her desk but the chair is empty.
Thank Christ.
Ivy’s expression goes solemn and she holds up three
fingers. “This conversation stays here. Scout’s honor.”
“You were never a scout,” I mutter, afraid she’s
making a promise on an untruth. She’ll probably just blab to everyone. Or
specifically Archer and Gage. I don’t need to hear their shit.
And I am worrying way too much over this.
She laughs again. “I won’t say a word, I promise.
But I need to tell you something, Matt.” She leans in close, her voice
dropping. “She’s got a major crush on you. You might not see it but it’s
there—sounding in her voice, shining in her eyes, every time she looks at you,
talks about you. The way her body turns into yours every time the two of you
are together . . . it’s pretty obvious. A body language
expert would have a field day with you two.”
Body language expert? What the hell is Ivy talking
about? “I have no idea what you’re referring to, but office crushes are just
that. Crushes. Harmless attractions no one ever acts on. Period. End of story.”
This is what I keep telling myself. I can’t pursue
anything with Bryn, no matter how much I’m tempted to. Not only would it be
wildly inappropriate, dating my assistant, but we come from two different
worlds. She seems nice and normal, quiet and unobtrusive, and I am anything
but. My life has been a circus sideshow for years.
“I get it. You’re trying to do the right thing, and
I admire that. So, of course you don’t see anything beyond an efficient
assistant in Miss James.”
Well. Ivy’s not too far off the mark. When I first
met Bryn, she hardly said two words, kept her head bent when I spoke to her and
offered lots of yes-sir and no-sir answers. She had this way of
almost blending in with the walls, like she didn’t want anyone to notice her.
So I didn’t.
As we got comfortable working together though,
something happened. I’m thinking Ivy had a hand in Bryn’s slow transformation.
She actually makes eye contact when she speaks to me, and she’s become somewhat
animated. Started to wear bolder colors as well, drawing my attention to her
chest though I keep my eyes averted as best I can.
These subtle changes made me notice all of the
little things—like the color of her eyes (blue), how her hair looks (like silk
and I want to touch it), and the tempting fullness of her lips (they’re
spectacular).
Her gaze lingers when she looks at me and sometimes
so does mine. Her smile softens, her voice drops lower when she speaks,
sparking my imagination. Would she sound like that right before I kissed her?
Took off her clothes? Took her to my bed?
Yeah. All of those are dangerous thoughts. I almost
prefer the old Miss James. The one who was like the wallpaper—boring and
nondescript. Mean to say, but hell, the last thing I need is a distraction.
And she’s become the biggest distraction I’m
currently facing. The very last one I need.
New York Times and USA
Today bestselling author Monica Murphy is a native Californian who lives in the
foothills below Yosemite. A wife and mother of three, she writes New Adult and
contemporary romance for Bantam and Avon. She is the author of One Week
Girlfriend and Second Chance Boyfriend.
No comments:
Post a Comment