Boyfriend for Hire

Also by Gail Chianese

Bachelorette for Sale

Lyrical Press

Boyfriend for Hire

Gail Chianese

LYRICAL SHINE
Kensington Publishing Corp.
www.kensingtonbooks.com

All copyrighted material within is Attributor Protected.

Table of Contents

Also by
Title Page
Dedication
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Epilogue
Fiancé for Keeps
Teaser chapter
Copyright Page

For Devin, Brenden, and Connor
My life would be nothing without the three
of you in it.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

So many people have helped bring this book to life and I’m eternally grateful to all of them. Please bear with me for a moment while I say thanks . . .

My family, who has stood by me from when I first uttered those words, “I think I’d like be a writer.” Every day they remind me why I do what I do, and fill me with strength and confidence and make me laugh.

My very lovely editor, Mercedes Fernandez—sometimes fate works in mysterious ways and actually gets it right, like putting us together at a luncheon. Here’s to cocktails, ice cream sundaes, and taking a chance.

The team at Kensington/Lyrical Shine for their support and hard work (love my covers).

To my pal, Susannah Hardy who pimped, I mean talked my story up to my future editor.

Always to my writing chapters CTRWA and LIRW, who rev me up on a daily basis. I don’t know what I’d do without Sadie Hartwell, TL Costa, Kristan Higgins, Laura Moore, Casey Wyatt, Jamie K. Schmidt, Jamie Beck, Regina Kyle, Jeannie Moon, Jennifer Gracen, Jolyse Barnett, Patty Blount, Megan Ryder, Lisa Hayden, Lucy Farago, Sugar Jamison, Roxanne St. Claire and Virginia Kantra. You’ve all been there at one time or another and your friendship means the world to me.

To Cindy Mark, a fabulous beta reader with a sharp eye and encouraging words.

To Jessica Andersen/Jesse Hayworth, my friend, mentor and the mom of my honorary nephew Wallaby, who is always there to talk plot points, answer questions, listen to me vent, and share molten chocolate cake. Thank you for everything.

Last, but never least, I thank you wonderful readers for choosing my story. I am honored and forever grateful.

Chapter One

S
ome days it didn’t pay to get out of bed.

Today was not one of those days, or so Tawny Torres had thought a few hours ago. Now, as she made her way back from lunch to her desk, she had some doubts on the matter. Determined not to let getting stood up spoil her mood, Tawny shoved all thoughts of what’s-his-name out of her mind and focused on her to-do list.

She crossed off “blind date.” So maybe it was with more force than necessary. A girl’s entitled to a little anger.

Now she could focus on the next item, “get promoted.” Today was the day. For the past two weeks, her new boss, Mr. Leduc, at Powers Bank & Trust had promised he’d name the new loan officer, and this morning he’d finally posted a notice for a staff meeting. This was it. After eight long years, countless hours of overtime, bending over backward, and kissing ass, she was going to get her reward. Not that being a loan officer was her ultimate goal. Nope, but it was the next step in “the plan.”

Powering up her computer, she glanced around the bank, letting her gaze linger on the empty office to her right. A month ago, her friend, mentor, and immediate supervisor Jane Flannery had transferred to Boston, paving the way for Tawny’s move up the corporate ladder. Jane had even recommended Tawny as her replacement when she left. Her former boss assured her the position was hers. A done deal, or would be if the new manager would stop putting off the inevitable.

“Tawny.” Emma called to her from across the lobby as she hurried over to Tawny’s desk. “I know it’s not official yet, but congrats on the promotion. Really, they should have promoted you to bank manager when Mr. North retired, instead of the guy they brought in. You know how to do everyone’s job around here, and no one works harder than you do.”

“Thanks. I’ll settle for head loan officer for now. Are you still interested in moving over to this side of the house?” The young woman had been hinting for the past couple of years about her desire to move away from the teller department, but since her return from maternity leave a couple of weeks ago, her interest seemed to have waned.

“Definitely. With little Ava’s arrival, it’s even more important to me now than before. To be honest, if I could, I’d be a stay-at-home mom. It’s the best job in the world and I worry about her every minute I’m away. You should have heard the horror stories some of the other moms told in my Mommy and Me class. The thing is, my husband doesn’t make enough on his salary alone. Not for our goals. We have preschool to think of so we can get her in the right primary school, or she won’t get accepted into an Ivy League university.” She started pacing back and forth in front of the desk. “Some of the moms I met at playgroup had started preparing for this stuff before they were even pregnant. I’m so behind the curve.”

Tawny laid a hand on her arm, stopping her in her tracks. “Relax, Ava will be fine and I’ll be happy to put a good word in for you with Mr. Leduc.”

Her coworker thanked her and hurried back to work. Tawny shook her head and brought up her e-mail. If Mom had her way, Tawny would be an Emma clone, popping out babies right and left and worrying about nannies, tuition, and the future of someone whose sole agenda was sleeping, eating, and pooping. She wouldn’t even be Tawny anymore, simply someone’s mom or wife. She’d cease to exist.
If
she followed her mom’s wishes. For now, she had enough on her plate worrying about her career. Besides, marriage and kids would come in time. She had it on her list.

“Hey, the Martins stopped in to sign their loan papers while you were out. They were walking on cloud nine. Thanks again for helping me get the paperwork done and getting them approved.” Mark James stopped in front of her desk, drumming his fingers.

“No problem, any time.”

Little stress lines dug in deep at the corners of his eyes, between his brows, and at the corners of his mouth. “Mr. Leduc wants to see you.”

“Okay, thanks.”

“I guess I better learn to handle them on my own.”

“It’ll come in time. Is everything okay, Mark?” Tawny looked to the manager’s office and back to her coworker. Was the new guy axing employees already? “You look upset.”

“I’m fine. Everything’s fine. It’s all going to be fine,” he mumbled as he walked away.

Ignoring the happy souls around her in the pub, Tawny lined up her target, focused on one image and one image only, and let her weapon of choice fly.

Bull’s-eye!

Right in the schnoz, or where she’d pictured her former boss’s big, fat nose would be on the dartboard. That made three in a row. Maybe another three or three thousand and she’d be able to release the remains of the anger radiating through her body. She downed the rest of her Cosmo, flagged the waitress, and ordered another. She’d rather be home chilling with her favorite guys, Ben & Jerry, but she’d been summoned. Epically crappy day or not, she wouldn’t let her best friend down.

Of course, there was nothing in the BFF rulebook that said a little liquid fortification couldn’t be called upon. Just enough to enable her to plaster on her yay-it’s-hump-day smile and not ruin everyone else’s day. Not enough to plot out acts of revenge and end up wearing orange coveralls for life. Orange was seriously not the new black.

Caressing the sharp tip with her thumb, Tawny studied the board and imagined her next target. Visual firmly pictured, she let that baby fly with everything she had, taking great satisfaction as the needle embedded in the soft material.

“You’re leaning a little to the left when you release. Hold steady and you’ll get a bull’s-eye.”

Tawny turned to the luscious, but taken male specimen giving her advice and smirked. “Actually, I hit exactly where I was aiming.”

“Oh yeah, and what were you picturing?” Her best friend, Cherry Ryan, studied the board as she laid her purse on the table next to Tawny’s empty glass. “Or should I not ask?”

“Doglover12’s left nut sack.”

Jason, the luscious male specimen and her bestie’s fiancé, flinched. “I think that’s my cue to hit the bar for drinks. Tawny, what are you drinking tonight?”

“Already got one on the way, sweetums, but thanks.” She planted a wet one on his cheek before he scurried off.

Cherry picked up the next dart, lining up the target. “So what did Doglover12 do to deserve losing half of his pride and joy?”

Tawny waved her off as she took the drink from the waitress. “It’s nothing. Don’t worry about it. Already forgotten. Besides, you called saying you needed me, not the other way around. What’s up?” She took a sip of her drink, savoring the burn as the vodka slid down her throat. “By the way, you look pretty hot in that sundress. I like how the purple brings out the blue in your eyes, and you’re going to have to show me how to do that braid thingy with my hair.”

“Nice try, sister. We’re not talking about me until I know why you’re slicing and dicing some guy I’ve never heard of before now.”

Propping her elbows on the tall table, Tawny rested her chin on her laced fingers. “Really, it’s nothing. Not even the
bad
part of my day.”

“Which is why you’re sucking down Cosmos like they’re Kool-Aid. You may as well spill your guts because you know I’m not going to give up until you do.”

“Dios! A Chihuahua with a bone has nothing on you. Fine. He stood me up at lunch today. Actually, that’s not true. Apparently he showed, saw me in person, and left. Then he sent me a text saying, ‘Sorry, I like my women a little less voluptuous.’”

Cherry flinched. “Where do I find the jerk and how do you want him to die?”

And that was why Tawny loved her friend. Not only would she bail you out when needed, she’d hide the body for you.

“I can see why you were on the verge of giving up dating when you met Jason. Hey—” Tawny looked over toward the bar. Over six feet of deliciousness, with spiky dark brown hair, serious blue-green eyes, and one of the best hearts she’d ever known. Yeah, the world could do with more of his kind. “Do you think we could clone him? You know, with a different face, of course, because otherwise that’d be creepy.”