Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 92167 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 461(@200wpm)___ 369(@250wpm)___ 307(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92167 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 461(@200wpm)___ 369(@250wpm)___ 307(@300wpm)
Emma’s too busy raising her gifted little girl to have a sex life that’s not battery-operated. Still, how could she resist being engaged to a guy who’s the sexual equivalent of her favorite dessert topped with whipped cream and a cherry, even if it’s just pretend? Emma knows all too well that if something seems too good—or too tempting—to be true, it definitely is…
Now it’s a game of pretend with a whole lot of chemistry between the guy who’s used to playing the field—and the woman who opted out of the game long ago. All that’s missing is one helluva curveball…
*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************
Prologue
The noise from Rock in the Green echoed louder than normal in his head. Linc blew out a breath. He had other things on his mind right now, but Tully needed him. Hell, he needed Tully and Mitchell as well. His best friends.
Demons nipped at the recesses of his mind, clamoring like a pack of wolves to be free. He shoved them down. This was about helping Tully get out of the mood that had swamped him since the blowup between him and Dawson Shay, the woman Tully had fallen in love with.
Linc strode over the hardwood floor, lips twitching as he watched the blue and green flashing lights ricochet around the room.
The crowd was raucous and he smiled as he dodged dancers and people yelling to hold conversations. Spotting his friends, he strolled over to them, clapping each on the shoulder.
“Not hard to find two of the ugliest mugs in here.”
Mitchell shook his head and tipped up his mug of beer. “You fucking adore me, so shut up.”
Tully grunted. Over his head, Linc shared a look with Mitchell. Their friend wasn’t in a good place.
Perhaps a bar isn’t the best place for him to be. It wouldn’t be for Linc, but he wasn’t paying attention to his issues.
As one, the three of them moved to a table in the rear. He nodded at people he recognized. Without speaking, he and Mitchell sat on either side of Tully. They waited. There wasn’t any conversation between the three of them. Linc didn’t push. Tully would speak when he was ready. Not more than five minutes had passed before Tully heaved out a groan then launched into a frustrated and dejected tirade.
Listening to Tully gripe about the woman he was head over heels for, Linc drained the rest of his drink. Mitchell glanced at him and jerked his chin at the empty mugs on the table. Without a word, Linc rose and went to the bar.
As he waited for their drinks, he scanned this side of the bar, his breath sharpening when he spied Dawson Shay sitting with her group of friends. She was a beautiful woman and he could see the spark that Tully never shut up about. Her personality just pulled people to her.
The women were laughing and enjoying their time.
“Here you go, Linc.”
“Thanks, Thad. Put it on my tab, please.” He reached for the six mugs of beer.
“You got it, boss.” A two-fingered salute and Thad moved down to help the next person at the bar.
Making sure he had good grips on the handles, he lifted them, three in each hand. He took the longer way around and opted to pass closer to Dawson and her group. He knew all of them, except one—Emma Henricksen.
She sat perched on a tall bar chair, her hair drawn away from her heart-shaped face in a French braid. Compared to most of the other women, her makeup was light.
God, she’s stunning.
He struggled to ignore the pull to her. Hell, he longed to put the drinks down and sink his fingers in her hair, tug it free, and let those strands fall over his skin.
Keep it together, Linc.
“Can we talk about your love life for a while?” Flora pointed to Emma, voice pitched to carry over the din of the gathered crowd.
Emma smiled as she shook her head. “Single mom. I don’t have a love life. What I have is an overactive imagination and a large supply of batteries.”
Holy fuck.
The floor opened beneath his feet and he nearly hit his knees. Years of playing baseball was the only thing that saved him from falling on his face. He slowed, took deep breaths, and allowed his gaze to trace over Emma’s profile. Gently. Tenderly.
Her features were soft and his fingers itched to trace them. Swallowing the huge lump in his throat, he continued on without stopping.
I’m going to spend all night thinking about her pleasuring herself with a vibrator. Emma, Jesus woman, you’re killing me.
He and his friends stayed at the bar for a while until Tully had had enough. Linc tossed some money down to cover their tab and they headed to the door. His gaze skimmed those dancing and he groaned again when he spied Emma in the middle of her friends, arms up as she danced with Dawson and the others. Linc bit his cheek, keeping his moan contained.
“Not the time or place.” Mitchell’s low tone snapped Linc from his own personal fantasy.
Snapping his focus back to Tully, he caught his response. “It’s public.”
Stepping in front of his friend, he held his angry gaze. “And you’ve been drinking.”
Thoughts of Emma, carefree and stunning, followed him home. Thoughts of her kept him awake until he brought himself to release later that night.
Chapter One
“Your meeting is in ten minutes, Mr. Conner. Mr. Stevenson said he will call you then.” Franklin “Linc” Conner paused midstride and leaned to peer at the woman at her desk. She stared at him as she fiddled with the mug by her right hand. The air held a hint of the lemon cleaner that had been used on the floors at the midday cleaning.