Blurb!
Cat’s life is falling apart – her boyfriend’s dumped her, she’s lost
her home and she’s about to quit her job. Her boss, Brent, has a solution:
become his wife for a year, to help him land a big promotion. But Cat’s had a
taste of Brent before, and she knows he’s a bad boy who loves women and leaves
them. So she agrees to marry him, but tells him there’s to be no sex. He adds
his own condition: if she as much as talks to another man in that time, she
must pay, by acting out 12 of Brent’s kinkiest sex fantasies. When she breaks
the rule, the forfeit is on: but opening up and letting Brent into her heart,
as well as her bed, could be the most dangerous game of all …
Cat’s
Story
Why is it that every time you’ve got life
sorted someone or something comes along and screws it up? I thought I was in
that perfect place, with a job that I loved, even if the pay was rubbish, and a
man who I thought I loved even more. We had a great place to live, in his city
centre apartment, and a wedding planned - ours. I’d not quite got the dress
picked, but I was already half aboard on the idea of a few mini me’s and the
image of a cottage in the country and baking cupcakes. And then the bubble
burst. He suddenly decided I wasn’t the girl for him, all I did was try and
spice up our sex life a teeny weeny bit (and I do mean teeny), and I shocked
him straight out of bed and back into singledom.
Which kind of confirmed my idea that just when
the garden is rosy, a tidal wave always comes to wash it away. Life has always
been a bit like that, even when I was a kid. But you live and learn and I was
happy enough. And I’d decided that maybe I was better off young, free and
single – even if I was broke, homeless and in need of a better paid job.
So why did I sleep with the boss? Well
there’s a question. I could come up with all kind of excuses, but maybe it was
just because I fancied the pants off him and just for once in my life I wanted
to take a risk, throw caution to the wind, just act on instinct. And phew my
instincts were spot on. A night with Brent was well...well let’s just say that
it took every bit of willpower to be sensible and make sure I never did it
again. Except maybe you should never say never, isn’t that what they say?
Excerpt
‘What’s this?’ The deep, silky voice sent a shiver down her spine. He
flicked a long finger at the unopened letter on his desk, then looked up, his
blue gaze meeting her head on.
She tried to ignore the glow of heat that rushed to her cheeks. Tried
to ignore the way he was looking at her, as though he could read every
embarrassing thought that was racing through her head. Tried to ignore the way
her stomach was starting to do somersaults in response. She swallowed hard.
‘And there was I, thinking you’d be bright enough to read.’ Hoped he couldn’t
hear the husky edge to her voice.
‘Humour me.’ He was tieless, the top buttons of his shirt undone, just
enough for her to see a distracting patch of silky, tanned skin, the slight
hint of dark hair. Dark hair that she knew … She snapped her eyes back to his
face with a guilty start.
‘I’m quitting … It’s my resignation letter.’
‘You can’t just leave, no one does.’
Oh yeah? He was being so goddamned laid back, like he was about
everything; well, nearly everything. Did he expect her to just agree and walk
away? ‘Well, someone does now.’ She bit her lip, matched the challenge in his
stare. ‘A week’s notice, I think that’s all you can hold me to, isn’t it?’
‘I thought you liked it here?’ His eyes had narrowed.
‘I’ve been offered a better job, you don’t pay me enough.’ He was
beginning to annoy her, all he had to do was say OK and let her walk out, but
he had to play games,
didn’t he? To a man like him, power was everything.
‘Oh, don’t I?’ The edges of his mouth curled just
enough for her to notice, which annoyed her. The fact he was doing it and the
fact that she’d noticed.
‘No, actually you don’t.’ She glared. Which seemed to
amuse him even more; the man needed a slap. ‘This isn’t funny. Do you even know
what I get paid?’
‘I try to make sure people get what they’re worth.’
His voice was a lazy drawl; his eyes were drifting slowly over her body. Boy,
she really could slap him now.
‘Well I’m obviously worth more to someone
else.’
His eyes seemed to darken and for a second she thought
she’d gone too far, let her temper outweigh commonsense. He raised a hand and
she fought the urge to flinch, touched her lips nervously with the tip of her
tongue, and then watched as he ran strong fingers through his hair. His head
tipped slightly. ‘How about I make an offer you can’t refuse?’ His eyes never
left her.
She would have laughed normally at the melodramatic
words, but he looked deadly serious. And she did like her job here; it was
challenging but fun. It was just the seeing him bit that she didn’t like. And
the pay; she’d not been messing, it wasn’t enough for her to rent anywhere on
her own. And going home to mother wasn’t an option.
When Jamie had chucked her out her best mate had
offered her a room, but now her best mate had just announced the boyfriend was
moving in. The biggest dick out, and he hated her. Dick in, her out.
Brent seemed to be watching the thoughts run through
her head. She hesitated. She could cope with seeing him every day, she could
get over it. After all, it had only been one shag. ‘What kind of offer?’ She
waited; 2 per cent, 3, feeling like a horse at market. How much was she worth
to Mr Hotshot?
And then he smiled a wicked, toe-curling smile that
raised her internal temperature a notch. He leant back slightly in his chair,
the crystal eyes never leaving hers, and made her an offer she really hadn’t
expected at all.
‘How about you marry me?’
She stared, aware her mouth was slightly open, and not in an attractive
way. ‘How about you get serious?’
Available from - Xcite Books, Amazon (UK), Amazon (US), Barnes & Noble, All Romance and all other good e-book sellers.
About
the author
Zara is a writer and lover of all things
romantic, from the sensual to the sexual, who knows that naughty can be nice.
She lives in the UK, but whenever she can she heads off in search of some
sunshine and inspiration for her stories.
She love sexy high heels...good food....good wine....music...coffee (lots and lots of coffee)... and Italy. All things Italian from the countryside to the culture, the wine to the food...and of course the sexy men.
She's been a consultant, a teacher, a mother, a wife, a lover... and has always been a writer and she'd love to hear from you.
She love sexy high heels...good food....good wine....music...coffee (lots and lots of coffee)... and Italy. All things Italian from the countryside to the culture, the wine to the food...and of course the sexy men.
She's been a consultant, a teacher, a mother, a wife, a lover... and has always been a writer and she'd love to hear from you.
Where
you can find her-
Twitter:
@ZaraStoneley
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ZaraStoneley
Email – zarastoneley@gmail.com
