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The Blake Boys Series
For the Love of the Game (Book One)
MVP (Book Two)
The Blake Legacy (Book Three)
Texas Heat (Book Four)
Love Notes and Football (Book Five)
The Perfect Storm (Book Six)
Slow Burn (Book Seven)
Cowboy’s Heart (Book Eight)
Tempting Fate (Book Nine)
Executive Desires (Book Ten)
The Hollywood Heat Series
Star Crossed (Book One)
Hollywood Rush (Book Two)
Ebb Tide
Shutter
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“Masquerade” Halloween Heat MF
The Blake Boys Collection
The Blake Boys Collection II
Executive Desires
The Blake Boys Book Ten
Rhonda Laurel
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Published By
Etopia Press
136 S. Illinois Ave. Suite 212
Oak Ridge, TN 37830
Executive Desires
Copyright © 2015 by Rhonda Laurel
ISBN: 978-1-941692-90-5
All Rights Are Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except
in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
First Etopia Press electronic publication: July 2015
~ Dedication ~
To Bo. Welcome back.
CHAPTER ONE
Bo Jamison rolled over and slapped the button to silence his blaring alarm clock. He’d had a
late night at the wine tasting festival with Tania. She was just one of a string of women he’d dated
lately, and after turning down a very enticing offer to stay with her, he’d come home hoping to get a
few hours’ sleep before he got on with the day. The downside to his booming social life was that
there were not enough hours in the day to play and get adequate rest. He knew if he didn’t get out of
the bed right now he’d only pull the covers over his head and sleep for the rest of the weekend. He’d
had a grueling week at work preparing for his mandated month-long vacation.
Today he’d be attending a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Twelve Horseshoes Ranch to
commemorate the construction of Tyler and Channing Blake’s two new homes. He was looking
forward to spending time with his dad and chewing the fat with the guys before he got on the road.
Tomorrow he was headed to Albuquerque to visit his mom, a trip that was long overdue. Evangeline
Connelly was a force of nature, just like his father—that was the main reason they’d divorced. She
was a pretty, vibrant, fun-loving woman who loved, well, love. She wanted absolute happiness or
nothing at all. Unfortunately that motto was the reason she had three failed marriages. The minute
something became less than idyllic, his mom would start listing the reasons why she wanted to be
free.
She had been married to Bo Senior first, and they had five blissful years before they’d decided it
wasn’t working. His dad had wanted full custody of Bo, and she didn’t fight him on it. Then she’d
married Buck, a businessman, a few years later and had two more children, Wyatt and Corbett. She
divorced Buck after fifteen years. She met and married Pete, husband number three, on a singles’
cruise, but that lasted a mere six months before they realized they had absolutely nothing in common.
That was four years ago. Surprisingly, she’d remained single ever since. She’d told Bo one night that
her only regret in her no-guts-no-glory life was ending her relationship with his father, Bo Senior. She
said he had always been the one, and he’d always have a special place in her heart.
Bo loved spending time with his mom, but unfortunately, his half brothers didn’t make it easy.
The contentious relationship between Corbett, Wyatt, and him began in childhood, when it was clear
they were battling for their mother’s affections. Bo was the eldest, but found it hard to play the big
brother role the few times a year he visited. Corbett made no attempt to cover up his resentment for
being relegated to middle child when Bo was around. Corbett made everything competitive, from
grades to earning the title of mom’s favorite. He seethed when Bo got into an Ivy League school and
made the dean’s list every semester. His younger half brother, Wyatt, was friendly when Corbett
wasn’t around, and curious about Bo’s life in Texas. Bo got the feeling his mother’s romantic
reminiscing about the Twelve Horseshoes Ranch had something to do with Wyatt’s skewed idea that
Bo’s life was an Old West movie.
Bo got out of bed and headed into the kitchen. He was bringing Seth and Morgan’s boys a remote
control airplane and he’d need a big breakfast if he was going to keep up with them. Despite his
strained relationship with his own brothers, he never felt alone. He was part of the Blake family. He
had five brothers, beautiful sisters-in-law, and now a bunch of nephews were popping up
everywhere, and he was happy to be a part of it.
* * *
As soon as Bo turned down off the main road, he could see smoke from the grills, tables set, and
a huge banner flapping gently in the breeze. His eyes widened when he got close enough to read the
colorful, handmade banner: Happy Birthday, Uncle Bubba. He’d been tricked. His birthday wasn’t
for another two weeks. He climbed out of his SUV to be greeted by Jake, Connor, and Colby. Jack
and Matt, who were now walking, were ambling after their older cousins, accompanied by Jack’s
mother, Sam.
“Happy birthday, Uncle Bubba!”
“Thank you, guys.” Bo smiled as the boys made a grab at his kneecaps in an attempt to give him
a hug. “You ready to fly the new airplane today?”
“Yes!”
“How old are you?” Jake asked him.
“I’m older than all of your ages combined.” He retrieved the bags from the trunk. He’d gotten
more than a little carried away at the toy store and had bought robots, board games, and a science kit
in addition to the plane. Later he would have the boys collect specimens so they could view them
under the microscope.
“Wow,” Colby replied.
“Were there dinosaurs around when you were young?” Connor asked.
Bo laughed. “Just your father and uncles.”
“Hi, birthday boy.” Sam approached and gave him a kiss on the cheek.
“Hey, Sam. I hear congratulations are in order on your promotion.” Bo smiled. J.J. and Sam had
finally come up with a compromise about having her work a safer position at Regency. She was now
a training specialist for new agents in the security firm.
“Thank you. I must admit I’m enjoying it more than I thought I would. I get to keep my skills
sharp and I’m home at a decent hour every night.” She grinned.
“Good. I’m glad to hear you won’t be dodging bullets anymore. By the way, I brought the boys
another plane. Will I get security clearance on this one?” He raised an eyebrow. Sam had mistaken
the first plane for a drone and blew it out of the sky with her rifle.
Sam blushed. “Sorry about that.”
They joined the rest of the family who were having a great time. The blueprints for the homes
were displayed on a board. Tyler and Channing had picked a great spot for construction. The boys
had spent a lot of time on the design with Morgan’s brother Jared, an excellent architect and a good
friend. Channing’s floor plan called for extensive lighting for gardening and displaying the artwork he
and Cassidy were collecting. Tyler wanted big, open spaces and a vaulted ceiling and huge kitchen
for Michelle to film her cooking show if she wanted.
Seth and J.J. were busy unloading party supplies from the truck. Tate saluted him with a spatula
as he monitored the grills. Morgan and Isabelle were trying to wrangle the boys closer to the food
table. It didn’t look like his dad and John Jacob had arrived yet, but Teri-Lyn was setting down a
huge birthday cake on a table littered with presents.
“Auntie Lyn, I suppose this was all your idea?” He rounded the table and gave her a big squeeze.
“You know I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to throw one of my boys a party.” She kissed him
on the cheek.
“What did you get me?” Bo picked up a square, wrapped box with her flowery handwriting on
the attached card and shook it. She had a knack for getting him exactly what he wanted.
She took the gift from him. “You know the rule. Cake first, then presents. How was your date last
night?”
“She was nice.” Bo cleared his throat and shielded his eyes with his hand, pretending to look off
into the distance. He knew where the conversation was going. “Where’s my dad and Uncle John?”
“We’ll talk about your date later.” Teri-Lyn nudged him in the ribs. “They went out to get some
things for their fishing trip. Your daddy told me you were going to see your mom in New Mexico.”
“I’m overdue for a visit.” He rubbed the back of his neck. His mother had read him the riot act
last month about not seeing him often enough.
“How are your brothers? Corbett and Wyatt should be in their twenties by now, right?”
“We don’t talk.” He winced at the stern look she gave him. “It’s best for all involved. Every
time I make an effort, it blows up in my face.”
“Maybe things will be different this time.”
He grinned. “I have all the family I need right here.”
“You sure do. But maybe they need a little more family.” She patted his cheek and went over to
help Connor find his sneaker.
Channing Blake smiled as he approached with Cassidy. “Now that the birthday boy is here, the
festivities can begin.”
Bo shook his head. “No, this is your moment—breaking ground for the new house.”
“It was Mama’s idea to have the ground breaking today to get you here. She knew you scheduled
your vacation to escape having a surprise party.” Channing laughed.
Bo put his arm around Cassie. “Hey, how’s my favorite attorney?” Bo enjoyed the leering look
Channing was sending him when he put his arm around her.
“I’m doing great,” Cassidy answered. “I already have two clients—the boys, and your dad. I’m
going to do some estate planning for them.”
“That’s great. You can keep an eye on my inheritance.” Bo grinned.
Channing squeezed between them like a two year old. “Hugging time is over.”
“Years of payback, my friend. I do recall you ruining every tender moment I ever had with a girl
back in high school. Cassie, did he ever tell about the time—”
“She doesn’t want to hear about that,” Channing interrupted.
“Oh, but I do. We’ll talk later, Bo.” Cassie gave Channing a playful side-eye.
“Hey, old man.” Tyler approached. “I see the boys had to help you out of the car. No worries, I
got you a cane for your birthday.”
Bo punched him in the arm. “Mind your elders, Ty.”
Michelle giggled. “I can tell you your present is something of a culinary nature to help you get
ready for your next appearance on my show. I’m still getting fan mail from women asking if you have
a girlfriend.”
He’d had so much fun that day cooking with Michelle, he’d forgotten all about the cameras. “Is it
that fancy stand mixer I wanted?”
“Maybe. The ladies and I also chipped in and got you a special gift.” Michelle gave him a sly
grin.
“You did?” Bo gave her a quizzical look.
“What do you get the man who has everything?” Morgan placed an envelope on the table and
gave him a hug.
“Something he didn’t know he wanted.” Isabelle’s eyes sparkled.
He searched their faces. “Ladies, what did you do?”
“John Jacob and Bo Senior are here. Let’s get this celebration started,” Teri-Lyn yelled from the
food table.
* * *
It was seven o’clock when the party began winding down. Tyler and Channing both made
heartfelt speeches about why they chose the location and thanked everyone for supporting them.
Michelle and Cassidy were excited about the prospect of living in new spaces. Bo knew it wouldn’t
be long before the couples were married.
He received a barrage of gifts and couldn’t wait to open them all. One in particular piqued his
interest. John Jacob gave him a weighted box and told him they’d be talking soon.
He was staying at his dad’s house tonight. He had his bags in the car and would get an early start
on his road trip. Father and son settled in on the couch and had a drink.
Bo wiggled out of his boots. “Did you get everything you needed for your fishing trip?”
“Yep. I got a new deck of cards and poker chips. I’m going to take John Jacob for all he’s
worth.”
“That’s ambitious. He’s worth a gazillion dollars.” Bo laughed.
“No matter, I got the time.” Bo Senior sipped his moonshine.
“You plan on bringing any fish back?”
“I’ll do my best. When you leaving for New Mexico?”
“Tomorrow morning. I’ll be staying at a hotel near mom’s house, but I’ll have my cell phone if
you need me.”
“Why you staying at a hotel?” His father scratched his temple.
“Because I don’t want World War Three with Wyatt and Corbett.”
“Things haven’t gotten any better with them?”
“Silence is golden.” Bo swirled his drink in his glass. “The last few summers I spent there as a
kid were torture. Thank you for not making me keep going.”
“Well, it was clear visiting was stressful for a so-called vacation. But I always wanted you to
spend time with your mama.” Bo patted him on the shoulder.
“I know, Dad. She knows that too.”
“Is she still going by Evangeline or did she come to her senses let everyone call her Bonnie
again?”
“She said once she left you, a wave of maturity overcame her, and she wanted to use her first
name again. But I think Bonnie just sounds too much like Bo for her tastes.” He laughed.
“Well, it’s her middle name. I didn’t make it up.”
“You still call her Bonnie to torment her.”
Bo Senior huffed. “Has she started on marriage number four yet?”
“No. I think she’s decided three times was enough. Besides she probably can’t find any more
men who look like you.” Bo flashed him a cheesy grin.
“What are you talking about?” Bo sputtered.
“Come on, now. Don’t play dumb. Buck and Pete could have been your stunt doubles. She even
made them wear brown Stetsons and convinced them to smoke cigars. I don’t think she ever got over
you.”
“When your mother stormed out of here, her last words were that she never wanted another
bullheaded, conceited, pain-in-the-butt man like me ever again.”
“Maybe that was what she loved about you.”
“Maybe. I know that’s what I loved about her.” Bo Senior chuckled. “We did do one thing right.
The best parts of both of us went into making you.”
“I don’t know what it is with you two. She said she’d never forgive you after that accidental
bigamy incident years ago.”
“That was all a big misunderstanding.”
It had seemed like both his parents had moved on until the day his mother was sifting through her
important papers and discovered she never received the final divorce decree from her marriage to Bo
Senior. Unfortunately, she’d already been married to Buck for three years. Turns out Bo Senior never
had it filed and they had been married all that time. Each accused the other of intentionally not
following up with the final stage of the divorce. After a lot of yelling and getting lawyers involved,
they were truly divorced and she remarried Buck.
“She asks if you’re seeing anyone when she calls.” Bo noticed his father playing with a loose
thread on his work jeans. A telltale sign something was up. “Are you seeing someone?”
“I’ve been on a few dates with Francine.”
“Francine? The waitress at the Bright Star?”
“She’s a nice lady, and we have a lot in common. You think you’re the only Jamison getting
lucky these days?”
“Dad!”
“Unlike my good friend John Jacob, my foot doesn’t slip.” He winked.
“I thought we agreed that he was…changing a light bulb.” Bo did air quotes with his fingers.
Bo Senior chuckled. “You gonna open those birthday presents?” He pointed to the dining room
table.
“How about I cut us another piece of cake and we can go through them together?”
“Sounds good.” Bo Senior stood up. “Listen, Cassie is going to be helping me set up an estate,
and I’d like you to take a look at some papers. I want you to get an idea of my…what do you fancy
finance guys say? Net worth?”
Bo smiled. “Sure, I’ll take a look.”
Bo went into the kitchen and got the cake, forks, and something else to drink while Bo Senior
went into his bedroom. When he got back to the living room, there was an old shoebox and some
papers spread out on the coffee table.
Bo handed his dad the plate. “Let’s have a look.”
Bo sifted through the documents, not really knowing what to expect. His father had worked on
the Twelve Horseshoes Ranch most of his life and wasn’t frivolous. He was a salt-of-the-earth man
with basic needs. His father had owned one pick-up truck his entire life and his prized possession
was his horse Sundance. Bo never wanted for anything, and his father never made a fuss when he
needed something. Bo Senior didn’t bat an eye when he got accepted into four expensive Ivy League
schools. He told him to pick the one he wanted to attend and he was on his way.
As Bo perused the papers, it was becoming clear that the seemingly random pieces of paper
were anything but. Bo Senior had a hefty sum of shares in Blake Enterprises. He assumed they lived
on the ranch in the house rent-free, but his father had a deed to the house. There were statements from
an investment firm and a battered old savings passbook from the local bank. He flipped through it to
the find that his father had millions of dollars in the bank.
“I don’t know what to say.” Bo sank down on the arm of the couch.
“That’s pretty much everything and it all goes to you. The ownership papers for Sundance and
the recipe for my moonshine are in the cookie jar.” Bo Senior forked some cake into his mouth.
“If I knew you could make this kind of money being a ranch manager, I wouldn’t have bothered
going to college.” Bo shook his head. Just when he thought he knew everything about his father,
something new would crop up.
“Nonsense. College was a good investment. You put all that book smarts to good use. Look at
you now. CFO of Blake Enterprises. John Jacob wouldn’t trust just anybody with that job, even if you
are family. Now let’s get to opening those presents.”
Bo ripped into the boxes with fervor to find culinary utensils, electronic gadgets, books,
cologne, and clothes. He put the gift from John Jacob off to the side. It was a tradition that he opened
his gift from his surrogate uncle together. There was an envelope with a red ribbon on it from the
ladies, who’d all had jaw-breaking grins when they’d handed it to him. He cautiously opened it.
“You have been selected to receive a week-long vacation at Executive Desires, an exclusive all-
inclusive luxury resort for discerning wealthy businessmen. Please call your personal travel assistant
Amber when you are ready indulge in your wildest fantasies.”
Bo Senior grinned when he read the card. “Sounds fancy and frisky. You have time to book that
vacation?”
“I’ll be in New Mexico for a week and then I’m headed back home.”
“You have a month off, don’t you?”
“No thanks to J.J.,” he replied.
“I say go for it.”
* * *
Bo got on the road in the wee hours of the morning. He liked driving when traffic was light. He
blasted what he called traveled music, upbeat tunes that got the adrenaline pumping while he settled
in for the long ride. And if he needed a nerdy fix, he brought a few audio books he got for his
birthday. He promised himself he wouldn’t obsess about work. The company wouldn’t go out of
business while he was away, but Blake Enterprises was ingrained in his blood. J.J. had reminded him
that he needed to balance work with pleasure too, and he felt like he was making up for lost time with
his dating adventures.
He looked at his phone display. There was another voice mail from Connie, the woman he took
out last week. They’d had dinner, saw a movie, and had a great time. But when Connie sent out the
signals that she was interested in doing it again, he backed off. Dating was fun but he wasn’t making a
soulful connection with anyone. The minute he talked about the latest tech devices or the economy,
their eyes would glaze over like they were watching paint dry.
The minute Bo crossed over the New Mexico border a knot formed in the pit of his stomach. He
could do this. It was only a week and he hadn’t seen his mom in ages. He was certain Wyatt and
Corbett would be stopping by, if only to shoot him their trademark looks of disdain for being away so
long. He thought about what Teri-Lyn had said. It didn’t have to be a total train wreck of a reunion.
He could make an effort; he was the older brother after all. J.J. made it look so easy. Bo took a deep
breath. He could survive this blended family debacle for a week.
* * *
Bo pulled into the expansive driveway of his mother’s two-story Spanish-style home to find her
waving from the doorway. She was wearing a pretty pink top, jeans, her favorite hat, and a pair of
cowboy boots.
“What have you done with my son?” Evangeline scrambled down the walkway to his car and
gave him a big hug.
“I wasn’t aware I’d changed that much. I told you I got contacts.” He kissed her.
She looked him over. “You also got a new haircut and a whole bunch of muscles. How long had
I been telling you to lose the glasses and get that new laser surgery?”
“I’m not letting anybody go near my eyes ever since that incident with Tate and the blow torch
when we were kids.” It had seemed like a good idea at the time to weld the cracked chrome bumper
on John Jacob’s truck in the middle of the night when they’d got home from that party. Too bad they
forgot to wear eye protection. Bo Senior and John Jacob were spitting mad and they would have been
punished had the hilarity of their singed eyebrows not lightened the mood.
“Still, you look different. I noticed it when you appeared on that cooking show with your friend
Michelle.” She stepped back and got a look at him again. “You look just like your damn daddy.”
He’d noticed it too. Bo had gone into the kitchen for a glass of water in the middle of the night to
find his father had fallen asleep on the couch. Barring the graying at the temples and the weathered
lines on his face, Bo was a chip off the old block. He wondered why he hadn’t realized how similar
they were before. Perhaps it was because for years, he thought he was the odd man out at the ranch.
When everyone else was making repairs or helping with the horses, he’d had a book in his hand.
“Is that good or bad?” He raised an eyebrow.
“I’ll let you know. How was the drive?”
“Peaceful. I never get tired of the scenery. I just wanted to let you know”—he shuffled his feet
—“that I booked a hotel room a few miles away.”
“Why on earth did you do that?”
“Because,” Bo clamped up when he saw his brothers Corbett and Wyatt had exited the house. He
put his hands on his mother’s shoulders. “I’d like a peaceful visit.”
“You will do no such thing.” Evangeline looked at her approaching sons. “Boys, tell your
brother it’s ridiculous to stay at a hotel.”
He had five years on his younger brothers, who’d grown tremendously since the last time he’d
seen them, and they weren’t kids anymore. At first glance it wasn’t obvious they were brothers.
Corbett and Wyatt both had their father’s strong features.
From what his mom had told him during their conversation the other day, Corbett had a great job
with a brokerage firm and he’d gotten engaged last month. Wyatt was a sophomore in college and
hadn’t declared a major yet.
“Corbett, I told you Bo would be here ahead of schedule. He’s compulsive about punctuality.”
Corbett rolled his eyes. “Of course he did. The perfect son always does everything right.”
“Corbett. Wyatt. Good to see you again.” Bo extended his hand.
“What’s the handshake for?” Wyatt lunged at him and gave him a bear hug.
Corbett didn’t look like he was in the hugging mood. Bo shook his hand instead. “Corbett, mom
told me you got engaged, congratulations.”
“Wow. You too busy with your flashy job to call?” Corbett huffed.
“I think the last time you picked up the phone and called me, you still had braces.” Bo countered.
“That’s not fair, Corbett.” Wyatt quipped. “Communication is a two-way street. Bo and I send
the occasional text to keep up with each other.”
Corbett shot Wyatt a killer look. Bo sighed. He hadn’t been there half a day and they were
already bickering.
“Quiet, all of you.” Evangeline put her hand on her hip. “I will not have one of my babies staying
at a hotel just because there’s a little friction. We’re family. There’s always going to be friction.”
“Mom, didn’t you hear? There’s no tension on that magical ranch he lives on that’s off-limits to
the public,” Corbett said.
Bo tensed. “What the hell are you talking about?” So what if he didn’t live there full time
anymore, it was still his home, and nobody insulted the Twelve Horseshoes Ranch.
“Corbett rode by one day when he was in Texas on business and they damn near shot him at the
gate for trespassing. I heard there’s several hundred acres there. Is that true?” Wyatt’s eyes widened.
“Security is pretty tight.” Bo winced, thinking of Sam shooting his toy plane out of the sky
because she mistook it for a spying device. “If you’re ever in Texas, I’d be happy to give you a tour.”
He nodded.
“See, problem solved.” Evangeline threw her hands up in the air. “Corbett, tell your brother that
he doesn’t need to stay at a hotel because my children are going to conduct themselves like happy
little lambs this week. We’re going to have fun and get along, if it kills us.”
“Mom’s right.” Wyatt smiled.
“What mom said,” Corbett mumbled.
“OK.” Bo removed his bags from the trunk. “What’s on the itinerary for the week?”
“I have a ton of activities we can do, but I thought we’d definitely do lunch, go shopping, and I
made us appointments at this new spa that opened.”
“Is it Cactus Springs?”
“Yes.”
He grinned. “Mom, that’s a Blake property, you didn’t need to make a reservation. I put you on
the VIP list and you get free services for life. I was going to give it to you as a surprise.”
“Bo, that’s delightful!” She hugged him.
“I’m glad you like it. I’m going to put my things away and then I’d like to take everyone to lunch.
Corbett, your fiancée is welcome to join us.”
“Thanks, but Courtney is busy helping out with a fundraiser at her church.” Corbett softened his
tone.
“Bo, you remember where your old room is, right? I’ll get changed for lunch.” She turned to
Wyatt. “Please change your shirt. I don’t know why you college kids like to look homeless. See how
neat and fashionable Bo looks?”
“Yes, Mom.” Wyatt grabbed a bag. “Come on. I’ll help with your bags.”
As Bo followed Wyatt upstairs, he noticed there were a few changes to the décor, but the place
was essentially the same as he remembered it. His mom didn’t go overboard with the southwestern
motif, but it was a nice blend of New Mexico culture and New York chic.
“Corbett usually has better manners. I think he’s stressed from planning his wedding.” Wyatt
dumped the bag on the bed.
“I hear impending matrimony can do that to you.” Bo smiled. It was nice for Wyatt to offer up an
excuse, but he and Corbett never had much to say to one another.
“I don’t know what he sees in her. Courtney is a little prissy for my tastes. She won’t drink beer
out of a bottle and she eats pizza with a fork and a knife. Everything has to be ‘just so’ or she goes
ballistic.”
Bo chuckled. “He’s in love. He probably finds all those things delightful.”
“How about you? You have a girlfriend?”
“I’m happily single these days.” Bo plopped his suitcase on the bed and began putting his things
away.
“I would have thought you’d be married by now.”
“I’m in no rush. What about you?”
Wyatt laughed. “I’m having too much fun in college. Why tie myself down now?”
“You have plenty of time for love after you’ve finished school. You any closer to choosing a
major?”
“Mom’s been bending your ear.” Wyatt sighed.
“Something wrong?”
“No, it’s just that I’ve been thinking about the future and I’m not sure if I know what I want to do.
I have a lot of interests and I want to pick the right career.”
“That doesn’t sound so bad. You still have some time to find your passion. Just don’t take too
long.” Bo put a dress shirt on a hanger and placed it in the closet.
“You can’t be serious?” Wyatt looked at him like he was crazy.
“What?”
“Not a day goes by that I don’t hear about how put together you are. Ivy League college,
prestigious business school, then going to work for a few Fortune 500 companies before you joined
Blake Enterprises and worked your way up to CFO. Mom made a scrapbook of your magnificent
feats. You should check it out. It’s on the bookcase next to her bible.”
Bo held up a hand. “My plan worked for me, and you don’t have to use my life as some sort of
model. I remember being unsure of what I wanted to do after graduation. I’m a good listener, if you
ever want to talk.”
“Thanks.” Wyatt smiled.
“Now let’s get something to eat.”
* * *
His mom made sure his time with her had been jammed packed with activities. She just
happened to take him out to dinner twice where a group of her lady friends was dining. He was
mortified when she introduced him as her handsome, rich, successful son from Texas who was
currently single. A few of the ladies gushed about available daughters and nieces, but he declined the
invitation to spice up his nightlife while visiting. When she wasn’t showing him off to her friends, she
was taking him shopping for his birthday, insisting he needed to spruce up his wardrobe. He thought
his reserved wardrobe had improved tremendously; he’d even bought a colorful tie that looked like
one of those abstract paintings Cassidy loved. He wore dark, expensive tailored suits that
complimented his physique. Still, he wanted people focused on him, not his attire when he spoke in
business meetings. But his mother insisted that a man of his status should have a sharp look. He
thought her choices were more Seth’s style, but he was open to trying something new. Swapping out
glasses for contacts had made such a dramatic change to his appearance already; people reacted as if
he’d gotten cosmetic surgery.
He knew she was just making up for lost time and the mothering felt good. If only his
reconnection with his brothers could be as smooth. Corbett was still giving him the cold shoulder,
watching him like a hawk when he tried to engage in conversation with his fiancée. Maybe it had
something to do with him bringing her over the day he and Wyatt were cleaning out the garage. It was
hot and he’d taken his shirt off.
Courtney commented on how handsome he was and rambled on like a teenager for about a half
hour until his mom, tired of her ogling him, called her into the house to ask about the wedding
invitations. She was so busy grinning and waving that she walked into the door. Corbett was a little
upset, while Wyatt got a hearty laugh out of it. But Wyatt seemed genuinely happy to see him,
especially after they tabled the college talk.
Bo would have normally gone kicking and screaming to a pottery class, but he’d resigned
himself to following his mother’s lead. Bo was doing his best to make a vase for Teri-Lyn, but he was
having trouble getting the hang of the pottery wheel. At the rate he was going, he would consider
himself lucky if the end product was an ashtray. His mother was on her third decorative piece that she
planned to put in her study.
“So how’s that cantankerous old wind bag doing?” Evangeline blew a loose strand of hair out of
her eyes.
“You mean my dad? The love of your life?” He suppressed a smile. “He’s doing just fine. He
told me he’s seeing someone.”
“Really?” His mom’s hand slipped, ruining her candy dish.
“Yes. I think it’s a waitress from the Bright Star.”
“Please tell me it’s not Francine. She’s been looking at your dad like he was a pork chop for
over three decades. Does she still dress like a two-dollar whore?” She huffed.
“Now, Mother. That wasn’t very nice. Have you been dating?”
“I thought I’d try my hand at Internet dating. There’s a site for seniors. Who knows, maybe I’ll
end up on one of their commercials as a success story.”
“Mom, that’s not a good idea. There are some weirdoes using those sites. I don’t want you
dating a psychopath.”
“Nonsense. They vet people. I had to answer a thousand questions for the profile.”
Bo stopped molding the vase and looked at her. “I don’t like it, but I know you’re going to do it
anyway. Do me a favor? If you find a potential suitor, let me have J.J.’s wife, Sam, check him out
before you get married again.”
“Sam? Isn’t she like a trained killer or something?” Evangeline wiped her hands on a towel.
“She’s a security specialist. She takes very good care of the family, and I trust that she’d know
how to screen potential suitors and spot red flags.”
She put her hands on her hips. “You sound like you’re sure you know another marriage is down
the pipeline for me.”
“Mom, I love you and I accepted a long time ago that you don’t like to be alone. Just like I know
dad will probably never get married again. I can see why you got divorced. The two of you are so
different it’s frightening.”
“So you don’t think he’ll get married again?” She scrunched her nose. “I’m going to make you
something to take back to your dad. Maybe that will cheer him up.”
Bo couldn’t help but laugh. The only thing she’d heard was that his father was against
remarrying. Somehow he had the feeling it wasn’t over between the two of them, no matter how much
time had passed. Meanwhile, his pottery project was looking so pathetic he attracted the attention of
the young lady behind the register. Actually, she’d been watching him ever since they’d arrived. She
was pretty, polite, and was extremely helpful, but she was way too young for him. She slapped on an
apron and came over.
“I don’t know what you were planning on making, but you have a fine doorstop there.” She
smiled.
“I give up. Clearly I didn’t get my mother’s artistic flare.” He motioned to his mom getting ready
to mold her clay gesture to his dad.
“I’m Stephanie.”
“Bo.” He focused on her face. The top button on her shirt, which was concealing very generous
cleavage, was dangerously close to popping off and hitting him in the eye.
“I may have a solution for you. I give private instruction to exceptionally good-looking
customers after hours if you’re interested.”
Bo blinked. “Thanks for the offer, but I’m visiting my mom and she won’t be happy if I find
something else to do with my time.”
“Too bad. If you change your mind, here’s my number.” She tucked her business card into Bo’s
top shirt pocket and sashayed back to the counter to ring up a customer.
Evangeline shook her head. “You are just like your damn daddy.”
“What? I did not instigate that.” Bo held up his hands.
“Exactly.”
CHAPTER TWO
Bo had to admit the week turned out better than he’d hoped. He was happy to see that his mom
was doing well and she was content being single. She brought up the online dating site again and he
made her promise that if she found anyone she wanted to date, she’d let his friend Sam do a
background check on the guy. He was skeptical about whether she’d go through with it. After getting
an update on his father’s love life, she seemed to have a renewed interest in getting back out there and
mingling.
Bo found the perfect engagement gift for Corbett and Courtney, matching Omega watches, which
Courtney loved. Corbett didn’t like the thank-you hug and kiss on the cheek she gave Bo and was
never too far away when his fiancée struck up a conversation with him. He hoped Corbett was paying
attention to her enthusiasm for expensive things like the Mercedes she drove and her perfectly coiffed
appearance. Everything screamed high maintenance. The night before Bo left, Corbett apologized for
being so abrasive when he’d arrived. He had a feeling their mother had been working on him to make
peace, but it was a start.
He went out to dinner with Wyatt, and it was clear the young man was a chick magnet—and
enjoyed it. Bo had to fend off a few women too, opting to set a good example for his little brother in
being discriminating. His reconnection with Wyatt was refreshing. He was young, driven, and wanted
to conquer the world, but he wanted some time to find himself before he delved into a career.
All the same, it was good to be back home. Bo had talked to J.J. while he was driving back, and
although he refused to talk business, they’d prattled on like teenagers about other things. Jack was
always up to some new hijinks, and J.J. enjoyed every minute of it. The guys were all itching for a
night out, so a night at the Bright Star was proposed for when he got back.
The ding of the elevator brought him out of his daydream. Bags in hand, Bo walked out of the
elevator looking forward to a hot shower and ten hours of sleep. That was until he tripped on a box
and toppled onto a couch that was blocking the hallway. He scrambled up, trying to get a sense of
what was happening, when a woman in jeans overalls leaned in to get a better look at him. Whoever
she was, she was gorgeous. She wore her dark hair in a braid, with the tip of it sloping over her
shoulders. She had amazing hazel-colored eyes that gave her a mysterious look, and a plump lower
lip that made him think of biting into a juicy apple. From where he lay, he got a bird’s-eye view of
her ample cleavage. The pink lace bra she was wearing held two perfect globes in place. His once-
over concluded, he knew the most important thing about her: she wasn’t wearing a wedding ring.
“Do you mind giving me a hand, or are you going to take a nap on my couch?” she breathed.
He got to his feet. “Give you a hand with what?”
“A resolution for world peace.” She rolled her eyes and motioned to the open door. “Getting my
couch into my apartment.”
Ah. He’d heard the unit had been sold last month, but the owner was taking their sweet time
about moving in.
“Don’t you have movers?”
“Of course I have movers. They’re on a break.”
“I’m sure they’ll be back any moment.”
“The government could fall in the time it will take them to eat their lunch.” She put her hand on
her hip.
He raised an eyebrow. “Patience isn’t your strong suit?”
“I like to get things done. I have a mercurial mind, as my dad would say.”
He laughed. “Isn’t that a parent’s nice way of saying their child is hyper?”
She gave him a once-over. “What’s the matter? Scared you’ll get a wrinkle in those designer
jeans?”
“I’m cautious about heavy lifting.”
“Let me guess. You don’t lift anything heavier than your cell phone.”
“I have a rule. I don’t exhaust myself unless there’s a really satisfying pay off in the end.” He
winked at her.
“You’ll get to your destination faster if you help.”
“That’s the best you can do?” He folded his arms over his chest. “I’m Bo Jamison, your new
neighbor.”
“Don’t tell me you live across the hall?” She sighed.
“Yes. I’m a good neighbor. I keep to myself. I don’t throw rowdy parties and I adhere to the
noise level restrictions in the association by-laws.”
“Aren’t you the grown-up boy scout? Do you mind helping a new neighbor?”
“If you tell me your name. I bet it’s something pretty.” He leaned against the wall.
“You flirt with all the women in the building?”
“Only the ones who aren’t married.”
“What makes you think I’m not married?”
“Because no man on this planet would let a wife as beautiful as you move a sofa by herself.”
She rolled her eyes. “Good grief. My burly boyfriend could be in the apartment.”
“Burly Dude would never leave couch-lifting to his woman.” Bo sat his bags against the
opposite wall to avoid someone else suffering the same fate as he did exiting the elevator. He
couldn’t believe half the things that had come out of his mouth. He owed Tyler a beer or possibly a
consulting fee for half the flirtatious things that came out of his mouth these days.
“Before we do this, I have to add the verbal disclaimer that I don’t think you should be helping
me. For one, I’m bigger than you. Two, it may sound chauvinistic, but you are a woman and shouldn’t
be lifting things this heavy.”
“No worries, I have help.” She gave him a devious smile. “Hey, sis, our new neighbor’s going
to help us move the couch.”
Bo’s eyes widened when a woman came out of the apartment, dressed much sexier than her
sister did in a tight, V-neck sweater that left nothing to the imagination. She had her hair up in a bun,
immaculately manicured nails, and looked like the heaviest thing she picked up daily was a carrot.
The kicker was that she was the identical twin of the first woman.
“Hello there, handsome.” She rounded the couch to get a better look at him. “I’m Autumn
Waverly.”
“Autumn. My favorite time of year. I’m Bo.” He grinned.
“And this is my sister, Summer.”
Bo laughed to himself. His day just kept getting better. “Ladies, let’s get this couch into your new
home. When you’re finished moving in I would be honored if you let me cook you a welcome-to-the-
building dinner.”
“That sounds delectable,” Autumn cooed.
“But we’re pretty busy. Thanks for the invite,” Summer said.
“We don’t want to be rude to Bo,” Autumn countered. “It’s a nice gesture, and he can give us all
the dirt on everyone in the building.”
“I’m a good cook, and I promise I have intimate knowledge of the goings on in the building.”
“It better be good. I’d hate to get food poisoning my first night in our new place.” Summer shot
him a look.
Bo stroked his chin. “I promise. It will be a culinary party in your mouth.”
They managed to wrangle the couch inside their apartment, and after five changes of location, it
was finally placed where Summer wanted it. Autumn was more interested in chatting. The contrasts
between the two women amazed him. His experience with twins were the Martin sisters in high
school and the most recent twins in his life: Connor and Colby. Colby was the angel. Everyone
prayed Connor wouldn’t set any of the houses on fire.
The movers came back from their break and resumed their duties, so Bo excused himself so he
could get ready to entertain. So much for sacking out, but this definitely made for a much better
evening.
His cell phone pinged. It was Amber returning his call from the Executive Desires resort. He’d
left a message that he was ready to book his trip, but now he wasn’t so sure. He might have a better
time trying to figure out his gorgeous, and unusual, new neighbors.
* * *
Summer Waverly fiddled with the hem of her jean dress, trying to get it to cover her knees. After
a grueling day of moving they should have been ordering a pizza and pigging out on the couch, not
going to a dinner party at the hunk across the hall’s apartment. And he was a hunk. When he’d stood
up from the couch, she hadn’t expected him to be six-foot-two and all muscle.
Although hectic, moving into a new home was the least of her troubles. Her company, NuWave
Gaming, had just relocated their company headquarters to Dallas. It was a bold move, and she was
fortunate that most of her employees were able to make the transition. The new location was a chance
for the company to stretch its wings while it went through a huge expansion. The little company that
had started out in her study was now a multi-million dollar juggernaut that was taking the electronics
world by storm.
For seven years she’d nurtured her dream of creating innovative software, apps, and kick-ass
video games. She worked the conventions and practically went door-to-door to every video game
reseller she knew, looking to get her foot in the door of a male-dominated and competitive arena.
Now she was in the spotlight as an up-and-coming businesswoman in a big way, and it frightened her.
Thank goodness she had an identical twin sister who loved being the center of attention. Summer was
the brain, while Autumn happily played the part of company spokesperson. Her sister was beautiful
and articulate and commanded attention wherever she went, which offset Summer’s reserved nature.
They’d been doing it their whole lives.
She didn’t have any proper dinner party attire unpacked, but leave it to her sister to have every
bit of her super model wardrobe put away in her new spacious closet. Not that what she wore would
matter anyway. The new neighbor would probably spend the evening staring at Autumn. She was used
to men being drawn to her sister while she sat on the sidelines and watched the show. Summer had
been having fun flirting with him, something she didn’t normally do, until Autumn came out into the
hall. He’d barely looked at her after that.
Besides, he wasn’t her type. He looked a little too rugged for her. He’d taken her jab about how
he didn’t lift very much, but it was obvious by his definition in his biceps that he kept in shape. So
what if he had sparkling, playful eyes and a dazzling, shy smile. He’s obviously too good-looking to
have a brain. She liked a guy who didn’t fall asleep when she talked about programming code.
Autumn leaned against the door frame. “You look pretty snazzy. You have on earrings and dare I
say it, perfume?”
“Shut up. I do make an effort to look presentable from time to time.” Summer put her hairbrush
down.
“True, but you usually make the effort for business. Visiting that luscious specimen across the
hall is not work. You were kind of mean to him today.”
“No, I wasn’t.”
“You browbeat him into helping us with the couch.”
“It worked.” She laughed.
“Still, it wouldn’t hurt to apologize. We don’t want any bad vibes between our neighbors.”
“You just want an open stage for your shameless flirting.”
“Why wouldn’t I want to flirt with a man like that? He’s gorgeous, single, and chivalrous. That’s
three of the things on Mom’s ‘good man’ checklist.”
“I told you about getting caught up with people’s looks. He could be a serial killer for all you
know. The good looks is a distraction from the fact he’s going to carve us up after dinner.”
Autumn rolled her eyes. “I told you to lay off watching those true crime documentaries. Bo’s not
like that. I intend to get to know him, so lay off in case he becomes your brother-in-law.”
Summer looked at her sister. “I see you’re wearing your traffic-stopping halter dress.”
“There’s nothing wrong with being playful and sexy. One of these days you’re going to unclench
and have some fun.”
“I don’t have time for games. I make them for a living.” Summer clipped a barrette on her hair.
“I know you’re nervous about the company announcement next month, but everything’s going to
be fine.”
“Do you think so?”
“I know so. We’ve worked hard, and it’s about to pay off.” Autumn hugged her. “It’s been a
hectic month. Why don’t we go and enjoy what I’m sure will be a good meal with a hot guy.”
“What makes you so sure he’s a good cook?”
“He looks like he’s good with his hands.” Autumn waggled her eyebrows. “I think a little fling
with a Texas cowboy is just what I need to clear out the cobwebs.”
“It’s not good to date neighbors. Especially ones that live directly across the hall. If it doesn’t go
well you’ll spend all your time avoiding him.”
“Or if it does, it’s really convenient.” Autumn laughed.
Summer followed her sister into the living room and stopped when she passed a box labeled
promo items. Maybe there was a way to make up for the cold reception she’d given him. She pulled
out a gaming console and ten of the latest games.
* * *
Bo decided on an artichoke dip with crostini and a veggie platter for the appetizers. He forgot to
ask the sisters if they ate meat, so he settled on lamb chops with a salad on the ready if one of them
was a vegetarian or vegan. He entertained often; he didn’t know why he felt so nervous tonight. The
doorbell rang. He opened it to find a double vision of beauty. Each of the ladies clearly had their own
style, but both looked fantastic. Too bad he couldn’t remember which sister was which.
“We brought wine.” The sister in the stunning red halter dress held up the bottle.
“Thank you. Come in ladies.”
“Summer has something to say.”
Ah. Red halter dress, Autumn. Chic and reserved jean dress just hitting the knee, Summer.
“I’m sorry I was abrasive earlier. My sister inherited the social skills and diplomacy. Thank you
for inviting us to dinner. Everything looks so delicious. This is for you.” She thrust the bag at him.
Bo reached into the bag to see what kind of peace offering the feisty Summer had conjured up. It
was the N-Genius III, the latest version of the hottest gaming console on the market. Luke, Seth, and
Tyler’s manager had been able to snag one for each of them, but it wasn’t due out to the public for
another six months.
“Thank you.” He perused the game titles.
“You’re welcome.”
“You usually give out gaming consoles that aren’t on the market yet as an apology?”
“I work for the company,” Summer blurted out.
“My sister is being very modest. We own NuWave Gaming.” Autumn beamed.
“Cool.” Bo smiled.
“How long have you lived here?”
“Three years in July. It’s a lovely building. The staff is nice. Some of the neighbors are a little
eccentric, but not completely crazy. There’s a scientist on the second floor who will only leave his
place on the half hour. There’s a couple on the sixth floor who keep getting reprimanded for having
sex on the rooftop lounge. Word of caution, just knock on the door real loud before you go outside. It
usually startles them. Mrs. Wilson on the ninth floor likes to go swimming in the pool naked.”
“She sounds like a free spirit,” Summer replied.
“She’s also eighty-six,” he added. “I hope you’re hungry. I made grilled lamb chops, sautéed
Brussels sprouts, and a beet salad.”
“Wow. It sounds good, but I hope you didn’t go through a lot of trouble,” Autumn replied.
“No trouble at all. Let’s eat, ladies.”
Bo enjoyed hearing more about NuWave Gaming during dinner; unfortunately the wrong sister
was telling him all about it. Autumn went on about the company while Summer nibbled on the food.
He totally got the geeky vibe coming from her because he’d been there himself. Autumn dazzled and
shined while Summer was shy and only talked when necessary.
“So Bo, what do you do for a living?” Summer asked.
“I’m CFO of Blake Enterprises. It’s—”
“We’ve heard of it.” Autumn dabbed the corner of her lips with her napkin. “The Blake family
owns most of Texas.”
“It was voted best company to work for in Dallas five years in a row,” Summer chimed in.
“Which is no surprise since your business model focuses on the value of strengthening core
relationships between business partners, customers, and staff. Not to mention the rate of return on the
expenditure of training and aggressive tuition reimbursement for employees to allow them
advancement opportunities.”
“What?” Autumn said.
Summer cleared her throat. “They treat their employees really nice and pay them well.”
Bo blinked. Summer had just summed up the company in a few words.
“See, I told you he wasn’t a serial killer.” Autumn stuck her tongue out at her sister.
Bo got a chuckle out of Autumn’s statement, which took Summer by surprise. Unfortunately she
had just put a forkful of food in her mouth. Summer began to clutch at her throat and gasp for breath
while holding her hand out and motioning for everyone to stay away. It was ridiculous to sit there
while she figured out how to administer first aid to herself. Bo pulled her out of the chair and pushed
it out of the way. Autumn started screaming at her sister, asking if she were OK and giving her a
hearty slap on the back. He got behind her and asked Autumn to go get a glass of water. He
remembered his first aid training and immediately began giving her the Heimlich maneuver. After a
few seconds she coughed up the Brussels sprout. She was taking big gulps of air, but Bo kept his
hands positioned near her diaphragm. As her breathing returned to normal, she leaned into his chest to
steady herself. Bo realized the intimacy of the position when she nestled even closer to him and he
steeled himself to keep his mind clear of dirty thoughts. She must have felt it too because she tried to
pull away from him, but he turned her to face him.
“Are you all right?” He caressed her face.
“I brought you some water, sis.” Autumn came back into the room with a glass and sandwiched
herself between them.
“Thanks,” Summer mumbled.
“Oh, my gosh. You saved my sister! You’re a hero.”
Bo shook his head. “I just followed the training I received.”
“She means the world to me. Thank you.” Autumn planted a big kiss on him.
* * *
Bo made sure the ladies got into their apartment and bade them a goodnight. He knew it was
silly, but he wanted to make sure a woman got home OK even if it was only across the hall. He
cleaned the kitchen, trying to make sense of the wacky evening. Autumn was sexy, direct, and loved to
laugh. Summer was just as alluring, but she hid it. He got the feeling that outfit she had on was
borrowed from her sister because she kept playing with the hem. As if an exposed kneecap was a
crime.
The feel of Summer in his arms and the kiss from Autumn kept replaying in his head. Would it be
wrong to ask one of them out on a date? If it was OK, which one would he ask out? They lived right
across the hall. If it didn’t go well, he’d be sneaking out of his condo for the rest of his life.
CHAPTER THREE
Bo couldn’t help but smile as he got into the elevator at Blake Enterprises. He’d spent another
night with the lovely Waverly sisters. When Autumn said she’d never seen his favorite science fiction
movie, Star Wars, he was flabbergasted. But it was no surprise Summer had seen it, and thus sparked
a heated debate about the plot of the movie. The next thing he knew, the trilogy was cued up on their
big screen television, Autumn had popped popcorn, and the three of them had settled on the couch for
the night. Autumn had plenty of questions and Bo tried to answer them, but Summer shushed them
repeatedly. Autumn told her sister to relax, it was just a movie. Bo, sensing her irritation and perhaps
that she was feeling left out of the banter, suggested they discuss it afterward.
He called Amber at Executive Desires and was happy when she told him it was an open-ended
vacation package and he could go whenever he wanted. He sent a group text to the Blake women to
give them an update; he didn’t want to seem ungrateful about the present, especially when they were
so excited about giving it to him. He’d sent thank you notes for the rest of the cool gifts he’d received.
Michelle and Tyler did get him that mixer that he wanted. He’d made a fruit torte and an apple pie for
his new neighbors.
The only gift left unopened was the one from John Jacob. He was looking forward to their
tradition of riding out to Bo’s favorite spot on the ranch, a clearing high enough that you could see all
of the houses, to open his present. He found it comforting knowing that he could see everyone he
loved safe in their homes, enjoying the serenity that the ranch offered. He and John Jacob would talk
for hours and then he’d give Bo some words of advice. It was during one of those birthday talks that
John Jacob offered him the job as CFO of the company.
“Welcome back, Bo.” Anna Beth smiled as he approached her desk. “How was the vacation?”
“Wonderful. I got to see my mom and brothers.”
“How did that go? I know you weren’t too thrilled about heating up the old sibling rivalry.” She
cringed.
“Better than expected. Corbett is getting married soon so he didn’t have nearly as much time to
throw digs at me as he would have liked. Wyatt is too handsome for his own good, thinks dating is a
sport, and has yet to declare a major, much to my mother’s dissatisfaction.” Bo scratched his beard.
Being with Wyatt felt familiar. He was a good-looking kid who didn’t take anything seriously. It was
clear the ladies loved him, but he needed a little direction. “You know, he reminds me a lot of Tyler.”
She giggled. “I thought you were the new Tyler.”
Bo thought about it for a moment. “I’m kind of a hybrid of J.J. and Tyler. Did you miss me?”
“Of course. Things aren’t the same when you’re not around. Petra in accounting keeps dropping
by to see if you’d returned from vacation under the ruse that she needs to review the maintenance
budget. I think her crush on you is worse than we thought. As a pre-emptive measure I told her you
have a strict policy about not dating co-workers.”
“Thanks for the rescue.” He turned to head to his office then stopped. “Anna Beth, tell me the
truth. Have I really gone through some big transformation? All I did was ditch the glasses and get an
expensive haircut.”
“Not to mention you’ve been working out more.” She cleared her throat. “But those are minor
things. If you don’t mind me saying, you were just as handsome before. The big difference is your
change of attitude.”
“Good to know.” He winked and continued down the hall to see Channing coming out of his
office with his leather satchel over his shoulder.
“Hey, Bubba, you look well rested. How was the vacation?”
“Great. Where you off to?”
“Cassie’s taking the bar today. I thought I’d cheer her on before she took the exam.”
“How was the follow up with her doctor last week?”
“Everything’s fine. She’s healthy and happy. Next month we’re going to Ohio so I can meet the
rest of her family. They’re having a reunion.”
“Another big step. Nervous?”
“Nah, her grandma loves me. She calls me her little red-haired cutie pie.” He laughed. “We
want you to come to the guest house for dinner one day this week.”
“It’s a date.” Bo smiled.
The first thing Bo did when he entered his office was hit the button on the console on his desk.
Six televisions on the opposite wall came to life. He kept the financial channels on at all times and
the sound of the various analysts and reporters talking may have sounded like jumbled garbage to the
average person, but to him it was music to his ears. He sat down in his chair and perused the folders
on his desk that Anna Beth had organized in order of importance. The folder on top of the pile had a
birthday card in it that was signed by what looked like most of the staff in the building. There was a
sticky note on his monitor with J.J.’s handwriting on it. It said cake, conference room at three
o’clock. He fired up his computer and there were over a hundred emails and fifty of them were
marked urgent. His eyes glazed over after reading the third one, which wasn’t urgent in his opinion.
Maybe he should ease back into things the first day. He’d go visit J.J.; surely his friend had another
amusing story about Jack.
Bo sauntered down the hall, gave a quick knock, and opened the door. J.J. had the phone up to
his ear and was listening intently. But instead of J.J. barking orders about deadlines, his best friend
was engaging in baby talk.
“Jack, are you and Matt being good for grandma?” J.J. looked up and waved him into his office.
“We can play with the cars after dinner. Guess who’s here in my office? Uncle Bubba.”
“Hey, Jack. I have a present for you from my trip to New Mexico,” Bo yelled as J.J. pointed the
receiver in his direction.
“You and Matt are you going for a ride with grandma? OK, I’ll see you tonight.” J.J. hung up.
“That kid is something else.”
“My mom went nuts over the photos of Jack. Unfortunately it reminded her that she didn’t have
any grandkids and then she commenced to lecture me for two hours about settling down.” Bo sighed.
“Aside from the stern talking from your mama, how was the rest of the vacation?”
“Wyatt’s great. Corbett’s getting married to an Eden-type. Mom is taking some time for herself
before finding husband number four, that was until I told her my dad was dating. That seemed to stick
in her craw.”
“One of these days those two are going to get it right.”
“Oh and I finally got some neighbors. They were moving in when I came back from New
Mexico.”
“They? Uh oh. Don’t tell me he’s an investment banker and she’s a dental office manager. They
don’t have any kids and are pissed they had to give up their prized cocker spaniel, Poochie, because
of the building’s no pet policy. He works too much; she’s lonely so she drops by your place and
plants a drunken kiss on you one night. She confesses she thinks you’re hot and her husband will never
know about the affair.”
Bo raised an eyebrow. “You’ve developed quite the imagination.”
He laughed. “I’ve read Jack every story in his bookcase. I have to make something up when
we’re waiting for a new shipment from Morgan and Michelle’s bookstore.”
“I hope you’re telling him more wholesome stories. That sounds like a soap opera plot gone bad.
And no, my new neighbors aren’t a loveless couple.” He shifted in his seat. “They are beautiful twin
sisters. Summer and Autumn Waverly. They own NuWave Gaming. I cooked them a welcome-to-the-
building dinner.”
“You do that for all the people who move into your building?” J.J. gave him a skeptical look.
“I was just being a good neighbor.” He grinned. “They’re lovely ladies. Autumn is sexy,
outgoing, and sultry. Summer is intense, an introvert, and very tech-savvy.”
“Why does it sound like your life just got delightfully complicated?”
“What do you mean?”
“Sounds like you have the hots for both of them.”
* * *
Summer loved that one of the perks of having a twin sister was that while Autumn was the
stunning face of the company, she got to stay in the office and test out all the cool games and gadgets
that made the final design cut. She had been learning to delegate more, but it was hard. Her startup
company was blossoming, and she wanted to be everywhere. Today she would be working out the
kinks of their upcoming soccer game that two time World Cup winner Dante Costas was endorsing.
The soccer star’s name alone was going to drive the sales, but having a kick-ass interactive game
would be the icing on the cake.
The downside to the venture was working with the arrogant jerk. Dante was an insatiable
womanizing flirt. His worldwide popularity had gone to his head and he thought every woman in a
hundred mile vicinity wanted him. He’d been hesitant to sign on at first. There were much bigger
companies vying to get his name on their product, but it was Autumn’s pitch that finally wrangled him
in.
He was coming next week for a demonstration, and she wanted everything to be perfect. She dug
out her old high school soccer uniform and thought she’d give it a go. She kicked the ball around a
little bit, but she was off a step. Perhaps if she stopped thinking about their gorgeous new neighbor,
she could get something done today.
She still had trouble looking him in the eye after that mortifying evening when she’d choked on
the Brussels sprout. It had been ages since she’d been that close to a man. She lay awake thinking of
the way he’d held her when he was saving her life. His grip was strong, firm and gentle, and
according to Autumn he had lips soft like butter. Her sister’s spontaneous kiss had been even more
shocking than choking on the food. Summer took aim at the soccer ball and almost knocked the
lighting down with her kick. She held up her hand to let Benji, the programmer, know she needed a
time out.
“Blowing off some steam?” Tom, her assistant, bellowed as he entered the side door of the
testing room.
“Something like that.” She laughed.
“I’m afraid I’m going to make a bad day worse. Dante Costas and his entourage have entered the
building.”
“What! I thought they were on the schedule for next Wednesday?” She bit her lip.
“Dante was in town hitting the talk show circuit and decided to drop by.”
“Where’s Brent? He’s the point person on this.” Summer rubbed her throbbing temples. Brent
was the vice president and loved meeting the high profile people they worked with.
“Brent’s at the dentist getting a root canal, remember?”
She had to think fast. “Where’s Autumn? She can handle him.”
“She had a meeting today with Mayfield Toys.”
“Yes, that’s right.” She sighed. “Take the pompous ass into the main conference room. I’ll get
cleaned up. Think you can get someone to cater lunch on such short notice?”
“Already on it. Food should be delivered in a half hour.”
She laughed. “I knew there was a reason I hired you.”
“It wasn’t because you wanted devilishly handsome eye candy at your disposal?”
“Isn’t that written on your resume?”
“In big bold letters.” He closed the door behind him.
So much for working out the kinks of the game. Now she had to go play nice to an arrogant
soccer player who gave her leering looks. There had to be another way to get rid of this pent up
energy she had. She kicked the ball again and hit her mark. This time she broke the light.
* * *
Autumn kept her smile in place while she glanced at her sister’s urgent text. Dante had arrived a
week early and expected a full court demo of his new game. She knew Summer didn’t care for Dante;
she never took to guys who exhibited too much machismo, but Dante was mostly all talk. His
newfound popularity in the soccer world had major retailers clawing at him to get his face on their
wears, but she’d promised him NuWave could give him something no one else could. Dante had more
romantic aspirations in mind and had tried to kiss her during their business dinner meeting, so she
threw her drink in his face. She definitely wasn’t offering Dante anything like that. He was a
conceited jerk who thought he could have any woman he wanted. It wasn’t until the next day that
Dante had called her and apologized and agreed to work with them. She did confess the full story
when she returned home, and Summer agreed that she’d handled it well.
Summer was always the level-headed one, that’s why her behavior toward their new neighbor
had taken Autumn by surprise. Bo was gorgeous, successful, sensitive, and smart and had a pretty
sculpted body for someone who worked in an office all day. She’d checked him out from every angle
and she liked what she saw. But Summer was looking for a reason not to be friendly to the guy.
She concluded her meeting with Mr. Fitzgerald, who was pleasantly surprised at the number of
games they had under their belt as well as their expansion plans. He told her he felt good about their
budding business relationship because he doubted a company owned by women would produce
misogynistic video games objectifying them. And he was confident that NuWave wouldn’t cause him
worry or embarrass his company by association. He said in a world of controversy and shock, it was
nice to see something that renewed his faith in media directed at the youth of the world. That made her
smile. Now all she had to do was get back to work before Summer tried to score a goal by kicking
Dante in the nuts.
CHAPTER FOUR
Bo’s quick return phone call to Wyatt lasted the entire length of his commute home. Wyatt had
questions about good business courses he should take next semester and ended up chatting about
everything under the sun, including giving him an update on their mother’s Internet dating progress.
Wyatt seemed to be hesitating, like there was something else on his mind. Bo decided not to push. He
remembered his mom’s plea to talk to him about school. There had to be a way to get him to open up
without feeling like a rat for reporting back to their mom.
He was winding down for the evening when he heard the light tapping on the door. He opened it
but didn’t know which twin stood before him. They looked so much alike that he usually had to let the
conversation flow for a few minutes before he knew who it was.
“Hello, there.” Bo smiled.
“Hi, handsome. I come with an invitation.”
Bubbly and flirty. It was Autumn. “Sure. Come on in.”
“I would, but Summer has decided to give herself a trim and shouldn’t be left alone.” She
giggled and held up the invitation. “We’re having a launch party for the new console and would love
if you could make it. You’ve been so nice to us and you saved my other half.”
“I’d love to attend.”
“It’s a black tie affair, so you’ll need a tux, which I’m sure you already have.”
He grinned. “I do have one on the ready for spontaneous invitations like this.”
“Then it’s a date.” Autumn bit her lip.
* * *
Bo knocked on the door and when it opened, a vision in blue appeared before him. This twin
wore a stunning strapless dress that hugged her luscious curves. Her hair was done up in pretty,
layered curls that fell on her shoulders. There had to be a way to distinguish the sisters aside from a
lucky guess. And he usually guessed incorrectly.
“Autumn, you look amazing.”
“Wrong sister.” She rolled her eyes.
Ah, it was the gamer. “I may have gotten the name wrong but the compliment stands.”
“Thank you.” She motioned for him to come in. “Autumn should be ready in a few minutes. Can I
get you anything to drink?”
“No, but can you answer a question?”
“That depends. If I like the question, I’ll give you an answer.” She came closer to him.
“OK.” Bo lost his train of thought as Summer stopped within a few inches of him.
“What’s the question?” She smoothed his tuxedo lapels and caressed his cheek.
“Uh.” Bo stammered. Damn she smelled good, like she’d been running in a field of lilacs all
day.
“Did you shave?”
“I thought I’d ditch the serial killer vibe for tonight. And it was fitting for the occasion,” he
murmured. “Do you like it?”
Summer straightened his bow tie. “There. Perfect.”
“Ahem.” Autumn stood in the doorway. “Bo, what do you think?”
Bo tore his gaze away from Summer. “You look absolutely stunning.”
“Summer, stop that.” Autumn wedged herself between them. “My sister will groom you within
an inch of your life.”
“I was just making sure Bo passed the fifteen-point inspection test you have for all your dates.”
The phone rang. It was the doorman letting them know their transportation had arrived.
“Summer, is your date meeting you at the party?” Bo blurted out. “If he is, it’s very rude.”
“No, silly. We’re sharing you tonight,” Autumn replied.
Once the apartment was locked up, the ladies stood on either side of him and locked arms with
him. He had a feeling it was going to be an interesting night.
* * *
As soon as they stepped out of the limo, the paparazzi honed in on Autumn, while Summer was
able to slip by unnoticed. The frenzied attention continued inside, but this time Summer couldn’t
escape. She began spouting orders to her assistant Tom while Autumn agreed to start mingling with
the guests. They both gave him an apologetic look, but he assured them he’d be OK on his own. Bo
grabbed some champagne from a passing server and wandered around the headquarters of NuWave. It
was like being in a luxurious arcade. There were games and gadgets littered about the rooms. There
were stars there from various sports like surfing, cross country racing, golf, and baseball.
The executive lunchroom was equipped with an ice cream parlor, and there were televisions in
the restrooms. The Waverly sisters had certainly put a lot of hard work into building their company.
He’d done an Internet search on them after their initial meeting and he was impressed. The company
was valued at sixty million dollars after the rollout of their latest games, apps, and business software.
In the near future, they were bound to skyrocket even further. No wonder Summer was wound so
tightly all the time.
Bo did a quick scan of the room to see who was shadowing him tonight. Just as he thought,
Kendrick was in the corner blending in with the crowd, wearing a tux and chatting up a lovely
brunette. Regency agents traveled in pairs, so that meant someone else had eyes on him too. Being
followed around by bodyguards didn’t bother him that much anymore. Sam made sure every member
of the family was assigned a detail, and sometimes he recognized the faces. He missed looking up and
seeing Sam’s familiar, comforting face on the job, but Kendrick was with them so much these days, he
was becoming family too. He gave a slight nod to Kendrick and continued to look around. Bo stopped
at the food table and dabbled on the massive spread, thinking of what he would’ve done differently if
it were his party.
He enjoyed becoming a proficient cook and had even surprised his mom with a few dishes he’d
made for her while visiting. His only disastrous party incident to date was Summer choking at his
dining room table, and that was only partly his fault. Autumn’s quip almost did her own sister in, but
if Summer hadn’t choked, he wouldn’t have been able to administer first aid. Of all the erotic
fantasies he could have nightly, giving Heimlich to Summer was the most bizarre and tantalizing.
The joint speech the ladies made when they took the stage was inspiring. They certainly were a
complementary pair in their business dealings. He looked for them after the champagne toast and
found them talking to some slick-looking guy who kept smiling like a Cheshire cat at them. Bo could
tell from their stiff body language that neither woman was happy to talk to him. He’d stumbled a few
times and bumped into Autumn, and now the idiot had his hand on Summer’s shoulder. Bo didn’t
know who this guy was, but it was time to go find out.
“There you are, ladies,” Bo said as he inserted himself into the group.
Autumn made the introduction. “Bo Jamison, I’d like you to meet renowned soccer player Dante
Costas. He’s going to be endorsing our soccer game that’s releasing in a month.”
“Nice to meet you.” Bo gave him a painful handshake that made Dante twitch a little.
“I was just telling Summer I was invigorated by the workout she gave me last week.” Dante
flashed a devilish smile.
“He’s referring to our match in the VR room. I held my own. Dante’s prone to spontaneous
soccer games. I’m surprised he hasn’t kicked a ball into a punch bowl by now,” Summer quipped.
Bo’s jaw ticked. “There’s a time and place for everything, and I’m sure he knows this definitely
isn’t the setting for such games.” He didn’t like the way Dante was looking at either of them.
“I promise not to do that,” Dante replied. “Tonight is all about pleasure. I can’t believe these
two beautiful women are in the cutthroat world of software design. Surely you could put all that
beauty to better use.”
“Beautiful and savvy business women,” Bo countered. “There’s nothing sexier than a woman
who knows what she wants and has the drive to pursue it.”
“I would be lying if I said I wouldn’t want to see Summer or Autumn in bikinis, sunning
themselves on my yacht. They could easily marry celebrities; they have the looks for it. Toiling away
in an office is the last thing they should be doing.”
Bo hauled off and decked Dante in the jaw so hard the soccer pro lost his balance and crashed
into a passing waiter. Fancy clothes or not, Dante was in for a good old-fashioned Texas ass-
whooping tonight. The soccer player’s manager and bodyguard were helping him up when and he was
back on his feet, he lunged at Bo. Kendrick appeared out of thin air.
“Mr. Jamison, are you all right?” Kendrick restrained Dante with what he called his Texas lasso
hold while his partner told his entourage to back off.
“Who the hell is this guy?” Dante struggled to get out of the bodyguard’s grasp.
Bo got in his face. “I’m the guy who’s going to knock your ass into next Sunday if you don’t
apologize to these ladies.”
“That’s none of your business!”
“The hell it isn’t. You apologize for that sexist remark and trying to discount their business
skills. You may be thinking of them inappropriately, but I assure you they are focusing on your ass as
well and whether you can enhance the bottom line of this company. Ladies, if Dante doesn’t think he
can work with you in a professional capacity, I can always get my good friends Seth Blake, the
football player, and Tyler Blake, the race car driver, to collaborate on a game with your company.”
Dante’s eyes widened. “No! That won’t be necessary. Ladies, I apologize. What I said was
completely out of line and I should show more respect for our business relationship.”
“And I’m sure it won’t happen again in the future.” Bo straightened his bow tie.
“Right.” Dante huffed.
The ladies looked like they were mulling it over. Autumn gave Summer a look and they both
nodded in agreement.
“Apology accepted,” Summer replied.
Their assistant Tom joined the group. “Autumn, James Brody is ready for an interview, but I
must forewarn you, he’s more interested in what just transpired.”
“I’m on spin control. Dante I’m going to tell that reporter that he just witnessed a big
misunderstanding. I suggest you do the same unless you want a video of the CFO of Blake Enterprises
punching your lights out to go viral.” Autumn pointed to the camera in the ceiling above them and
went off with Tom.
After Bo assured Kendrick and his partner that everything was fine, he let go of the soccer star.
“I need a drink,” Dante mumbled.
“How about a coffee to help you get some clarity?” Summer quipped.
Kendrick shot Bo an amused look and insisted on escorting Dante over to the bar to help him
sober up, leaving him and Summer alone.
Summer touched his hand. “Do you need some ice for your hand?”
Bo tore his gaze away from the Regency reps and returned his focus to her. “No, I’ll be all right.
I know it doesn’t look like it, but I’ve been in a few scuffles in my time.”
“It’s nice to see chivalry isn’t dead.” She straightened his bow tie.
“I’m sorry if I overstepped, but that guy is a sexist jerk. No one has a right to undermine what
you’re trying to achieve. On behalf of my gender, I apologize.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “I
meant what I said. Seth and Tyler are good friends of mine.”
“Thank you. That offer to work with a bigger sports star definitely changed Dante’s attitude.”
She waggled her eyebrows.
“I thought it would. Not bad for an axe-wielding killer, eh?”
She scrunched her nose. “The friendly neighbor is always a psycho in the movies. I had to
confirm you weren’t some scary killer. I may have misjudged you at first blush.” She chuckled.
“Speaking of.” He cupped her face and ran his thumb across the pink sheen spreading across her
face.
Summer moved out of his grasp. “I’ve encountered idiots like Dante since we started this
company. The nerve of people thinking it was ‘cute’ that we wanted to own a video game empire and
that I was biding my time until I landed a rich man. I take my career very seriously and I don’t work
twelve hour days so I can bait myself a husband that will take me away from all this.” She rolled her
eyes.
“So beauty can be a curse?” he countered.
“You tell me. Being a handsome executive ever put a cramp in your business dealings? When
Autumn announced that you were coming to the party, half the women in the office got out their man-
catching nets,” she quipped.
Bo let out a hearty laugh. “No, as a matter-of-fact our CEO J.J. gets objectified, while I get to do
my work in peace.”
Bo had been delightfully comfortable in the backdrop the last few years while J.J. was fawned
over by the media. Now women had been taking notice of him in a big way. Teri-Lyn told him it
wasn’t that they were noticing him more because of the subtle makeover, but that he was now more
aware of their reaction to him.
“You don’t fool me for a minute. You fit right in with the handsome, rough-and-tumble Blakes.
Funny, you didn’t strike me the brutish type. I would have put my money on a stern talking to and I got
the fight of the century.” Summer bit her lip.
“What type of guy do you think I am exactly?” He folded his arms over his chest.
“A good one.” She gently put her hands on his arms and made him lower them back down.
“Don’t do that. You’re going to wrinkle your nice tuxedo. I hope you know that you just scored major
points with Autumn.”
He flashed her a devilish smile. “What about you?”
“You’re forgiven for the Brussels sprout that almost claimed my life.”
“That’s a start.”
“You want to get out of here?” She looked around. “I’ve done my obligatory seventy-eight
minutes of face time, and Autumn has things under control.”
Bo scanned the room for Autumn. She was holding court in a crowd of people wearing media
badges. Kendrick was working the room.
“What do you have in mind?”
“Now we go to the real party in my private office. You can tell your security detail I’m not
kidnapping you.” She winked.
“How did you know?”
“Sam from Regency dropped by to give us a courtesy notification that a Blake Enterprises
executive would be attending the party and they wanted to insert a few people in posed as party
goers. I was very impressed.”
Bo nodded. “You should consider using them. I can personally attest to their dedication to
protection, discretion, and professionalism.”
“I liked that I couldn’t pick them out of the crowd until that guy tried to turn Dante into a
pretzel.” She laughed.
“I’m all yours. Where are we off to?” He held out his arm for her to grasp.
“Just one thing. We’re going to have to get you out of that tux.”
“Will this involve a walk of shame later on in the evening?”
“Follow me.” She grinned.
* * *
Summer thought the party was going exceptionally well, especially after Dante had his arrogant
ass handed to him. Not that she couldn’t have handled him herself, she thought it was sweet of Bo to
come to their defense. She’d been dealing with men like that for the longest time, and Dante’s
attempts to make her feel grateful that he’d decided to work with them fell flat.
Being around Bo felt familiar and comforting. She didn’t have to keep her guard up for anything
nefarious because he was a stand-up guy. He looked downright sinful in his tuxedo, his good looks
magnified by the elegant clothing, and his clean-shaven face was even more handsome now that he
wasn’t hiding it behind a beard.
She took Bo’s hand and headed for her sanctuary: a game room designed specifically for her.
This was her quiet place where she enjoyed testing her skills so she could stay a step ahead of the
competition.
“Welcome to my world.” She hit a button and two panels opened up on the wall to reveal a
massive big screen television and a console that rose up from the floor.
Bo whistled. “Holy cow.”
“Every game currently in our catalog and in the conception stage is loaded into this console.”
She pulled her hair back into a makeshift bun and took off her shoes. “Do you play games?”
“I prefer to be direct.”
Summer smiled. “Do you play video games?”
“I don’t look like I know how to play?” He raised an eyebrow.
“No, you have this subtle geek vibe going on and you have a lot of cool toys in your apartment,
but I didn’t want to assume.”
“Well, you are correct. I can proudly say I’m third in the tournament we have going at the ranch.
Seth’s football game is addictive.”
“I hate to give kudos to the competition, but I love the graphics on that game.” She handed him a
headset. “You pick.”
“Let’s see.”
Summer watched as Bo continued to hit the cursor on the screen. After five minutes she started
getting a little antsy. He settled on Street Dreams, a racing game, which was no surprise.
“Just because you know a pro racer doesn’t mean you have the advantage,” she huffed.
“OK, Waverly. You’re about to get schooled in the art of racing. I have to warn you, I can get
pretty competitive. I ordered an arcade-style racing game to practice on so I could beat Tyler, the
reigning champ on the game we have at the ranch. It’s the best five grand I ever spent.”
“I thought I was bad.” She shook her head. “Pick a name speed demon.”
Summer rolled her eyes when he typed in the user name Hot CFO 69.
He winked at her. “Let’s get this party started.”
“First.” She walked up to him and slid the tuxedo jacket off his arms. He smelled good; she
detected a hint of sandalwood. It was earthy and intoxicating. “Let’s get you out of this.”
“You have a thing about things being in their proper place,” Bo mumbled as he flexed to get out
of the jacket.
“Kind of.” She smiled. “I like things neat and in order. It drives my family crazy, but it helps me
relax.”
“So.” Bo pulled on his bow tie until it unraveled. “This won’t mess with your concentration,
will it?”
“I don’t care if you strip down naked and cover yourself with honey; my mind is a steel trap
when it comes to winning.” She put on her headset and pressed play.
She got off to a good start and left Bo in the dust. She got into to it and was trash-talking him,
then glanced over when she didn’t see his car in her rear view mirror. She looked on the right side of
the screen to see Bo was still at the starting line.
“Hey, I can’t have decent bragging rights if you don’t get in the game.” She pouted.
Bo gave her a boyish smile. “I’m still thinking about the honey.”
* * *
Autumn didn’t expect that by the time she was free to flirt that Bo would be missing. She asked
around and it was Tom that informed her that he’d gone off somewhere with Summer. That meant he
was in her sister’s private game room. Of all the things to do with a hot man, getting him to play
videos games should have been last on the list. Still, a leopard didn’t change its spots, and Summer
was still the uber geek she’d been all her life. Autumn wanted to show her appreciation for Bo putting
Dante in his place. He’d made several apologies after he’d sobered up. She didn’t think he was
sincere, but he’d been put in his place in a very public arena. She informed him that one more misstep
and she’d get their lawyers to dissolve that contract and look for another soccer star. He’d agreed that
there would be no more funny business.
Autumn snagged a bottle of champagne and two flutes and climbed the steps, certain she was
about to rescue Bo. She opened the door to find Summer and Bo playing one of their virtual dancing
games. She could tell they were on level eight. They were both sweating, trying to keep up with the
music, but more importantly they looked like they were having a good time. She put the bottle and
glasses down on the table and joined them. So much for seduction tonight.
* * *
Bo couldn’t believe they’d played most of games in the NuWave catalog, including a heated
dance off in Ballerina Battle. He knew she was surprised at his skills; he was doing his best to
impress her. She even shared an idea for a new game. The premise of Corporate Hijack was that a
businessman starts a normal day heading to work and mistakenly gets kidnapped. He’d have to escape
and navigate his way through the mean streets of a criminal enterprise to get back to his office. The
concept sounded wonky until she described the scenarios he’d be put through before the game could
be won. Then it sounded like fun, and by the end of the minipitch he was hooked. He offered to help
her test it if it ever went into production.
He turned to see Autumn standing by a table. She seemed a little pissed that she’d missed out on
the fun but said the night had been a huge success. The ladies were ready to leave around midnight.
By the time they made it back home, Summer had retreated back to her distant self and Autumn was
talking a mile a minute. The chattier sister asked him in for a nightcap but he declined. They each
gave him a kiss on the cheek and bade him a good night.
Bo looked at his phone, which he’d put on silent mode when he was in the private gaming room
with Summer, to find he had a few missed calls and text messages. There was one from Wyatt. He
didn’t want anything specific, but it was nice that he’d reached out.
He’d had fun tonight. He washed his face and changed into a T-shirt and pajama bottoms,
looking forward to getting some rest. Tomorrow was Saturday and he was hanging out at the ranch. It
was two in the morning when his body was finally relaxed enough to fall asleep. He was drifting off
when he thought he heard his doorbell. When the ding-dong sounded again, he got out of bed, hoping
everything was OK. Who on earth was visiting at this hour? Nothing good ever happened in the
middle of the night.
He opened his door to find one of the ladies standing there, dressed in a T-shirt and a pair
shorts. Both of them had curly hairdos this evening, but the woman before him had her hair in a
ponytail. It was late and his brain couldn’t process the subtle differences he was beginning to learn
about them. She stood there and didn’t say a word.
“Is something wrong?” He reached up and touched her face.
No, something was definitely right. Bo braced himself when she reached up and grabbed his hair
to bring him closer to her and kissed him. He put his hands on her waist, pulled her inside the
apartment, and shut the door. Their tongues met playfully at first, but she kissed him with such ferocity
he thought she was going to devour him. Bo backed her against the wall and reached under her shirt to
caress her breasts, the lacy fabric of the bra was soft but not as soft as her skin. She returned the
sentiment by pulling his T-shirt over his head, throwing it on the floor, and caressing his pecs. His
cock got hard and his breath hitched when she pushed him against the wall and kissed him on the face
and nipped his ear and along his jawline. When she rubbed him through the thin material of his
pajama bottoms, he grasped her butt and pulled her flush against his erection. She wrapped her legs
around his waist and moaned when he sucked on her nipple through the material of her T-shirt. He
didn’t want to stop, but he had to get to the condoms quick. They were in his bedroom, so he started
walking, with her legs still locked around his, down the hallway.
Suddenly she broke away from him, opened his door, and fled back into her own apartment. He
made sure she was safe inside before he closed his door and banged his head against it.
He wouldn’t be getting any sleep tonight.
* * *
Bo thought he’d dreamed last night, but it had felt too damn good for it not to have been real.
When he’d answered the door, that was the last thing he’d expected to happen, but he was glad it had.
The electricity between them had sizzled as they’d explored each other; he’d never experienced a
connection like that with a woman. The only thing left to do was find out which sister came over to
his apartment last night. He took a quick shower, threw on some clothes, and walked across the hall.
Here goes nothing. He knocked lightly on the door and the sister that answered was wearing yoga
pants and a T-shirt and had a pedometer strapped to her arm. It had to be Summer.
“Good morning, Summer. Late night, eh?” He searched her face for a reaction.
“Good morning, Bo. I didn’t think you’d be up this early.” She motioned him into the apartment.
Yes! He got her name right on the first try, but she didn’t move one facial muscle at the late night
crack. He made a mental note never to play poker with her.
“I feel like I could run a marathon.” He smiled.
She smiled back. “You gave me the workout of my life. We’ll have to do it again.”
Ah ha! He was positive it had been Summer until Autumn appeared.
“I can’t believe you bored him to death last night with virtual dancing.” Autumn sauntered into
the room wearing short shorts and a tank top with a bowl of cereal in her hand. “There are better
ways to pass the time with a man.”
Bo swallowed the huge lump lodged in his throat. Why did he think getting to the bottom of this
erotic dilemma would be a breeze? Ok, he’d take another tack. He’d simply throw out an invitation to
the symphony. Isabelle was performing next Saturday and he’d already told her he’d attend. The sister
who visited him last night would surely accept the invitation.
“I was wondering since we had such a great time last night, maybe we can do it again. Would
you like to join me next Saturday night at the symphony? Tate’s wife, Isabelle, is a violinist, and I
have tickets to her performance. We can make a night of it. There’s a really nice restaurant inside the
concert hall; we could have dinner afterward. So what do you say?”
It looked as if Autumn was about to say something, but she clammed up. Summer was fidgeting
with the pedometer and wouldn’t make eye contact. Then suddenly it happened. It was as if they were
talking to each other through telekinesis. The sisters nodded at each other then looked at Bo.
“Sure.” The sisters said in unison.
“Great. Uh… It’s a date.” Bo’s heart thudded against his chest as he went back to his place.
Well, that worked like a charm, he was right back where he started. Considering his options, it wasn’t
really a predicament. Spending time with both of them was the only way to get closer to the truth.
Because of one of was dangerously close to capturing his heart.
* * *
Bo Senior sent a text asking him to pick up a special hot sauce he liked at a store in Dallas
before he came to the ranch. He missed him and couldn’t wait to drop off the present his mom made
for his father at the pottery class.
Bo made his trek out to the ranch in record time. He rode by the construction sites for the houses
and was pleased with the progress. It reminded him of the summer Bo Senior had wanted to add a
room to the house and recruited the boys to do it. At first he thought his dad was nuts to want his non-
mechanically-inclined son to build anything. But he’d learned so much about construction and the
materials, and it had been fun hanging out with the guys who had designated him project manager. His
father didn’t fuss that it took them all summer to complete it. He had a feeling there was a hidden
lesson in there.
“Hey, Dad.” Bo stepped over Rowdy, who was taking a nap in the kitchen doorway.
“Well, if it isn’t my son the stud.” Bo chuckled as he dissected a fish with a boning knife.
“I see you did some actual fishing in between poker hands.”
“A real man can do both. So how was Albuquerque?”
“Still in New Mexico. Mom sent you a present.” Bo pulled the decorative vase out of the gift
bag and placed it on the counter. His father’s eyes lit up at first, but then he went back to cleaning
their dinner.
“That’s nice. How is she?”
“She’s still a fireball with her projects and fundraisers. She took me to a pottery class, that’s
where she made the vase. She asked about you.”
“Did she want to know if I was dead?” Bo Senior grinned.
Bo raised an eyebrow. “She wanted to know if you were seeing anybody.”
“As if she cares. Is she on marriage number four yet?”
“No, as a matter-of-fact she’s taking a break from finding her next husband. Why do ask? You
gonna stop the next wedding at the altar?” He shook his head. For two divorced people, they sure
liked keeping tabs on each other.
The front door opened. “Bubba, you here?”
It was Channing and Tyler.
“Just follow the smell of fish guts,” he yelled back.
“Bo, Daddy said he’s gonna start grilling in an hour, so you better get a move on with the main
course.” Channing opened the fridge, looking for something to drink.
“So how was your date last night?” Tyler asked.
“I had a good time.” Both father and son said in unison.
“You had a date?” Bo eyed his father.
“You first,” Bo Senior countered.
“Tyler told me you had a date with Autumn,” Channing said. “She’s the hot, fun twin that looks
like she stepped off the cover of a magazine, right?”
“Well, turns out I had a date with Autumn and Summer. I took both of them to the party,” Bo
replied.
At first he was flattered that he’d managed to render three very chatty men speechless, but after a
few moments it became insulting.
“Somebody say something,” he grumbled. “It’s not like I caught Big Foot.”
Channing smirked. “It’s just a little surprising, is all.”
“But it is possible,” Bo replied.
“Sure it is.” Bo Senior snickered. “Did I ever tell you boys about the time—”
“Dad, you’ve done enough sharing for two lifetimes these last few weeks. Why don’t you take a
break today?” Bo turned to Tyler. “I think you’d be proud of me, Ty. I did learn from the master.”
“Ah, the challenge of dating twins. Brings back fond memories of a dalliance I had in Cabo with
the Poole triplets. That was a fun long weekend.” Tyler sighed.
“The bad old days before Michelle saved your wretched behind from pointless encounters.” Bo
Senior threw another gutted fish onto the pile.
“Who would have thought our resident nerd would blossom into a ladies’ man. You dog.”
Channing held up his hand for a high five, which Bo reciprocated.
“The pupil becomes the teacher. My work is done.” Tyler did an exaggerated bow.
“Channing Blake, did you just high five Bo for dating twins?”
The men all jumped and turned around to find Cassidy standing in the doorway.
“Cassie, when did you get here?” Channing gulped.
Cassidy folded her arms over her chest. “Just in time, it seems. A messenger came by the house
with the updated floor plans from Jared. I was headed to the construction site when I saw your truck
parked outside.”
“Bubba, you should be ashamed of yourself,” Tyler said loudly and looked past Cassidy.
“Save it Tyler, Michelle is back at the house. I wonder if she’s ever heard the story about the
Poole triplets,” Cassidy quipped.
“I said giblets,” Tyler croaked. “I was telling the fellas about the time I had giblets for lunch.
It’s a real delicacy.”
“Baby”—Channing caressed her arms—“we were just congratulating Bo on stepping out of his
comfort zone and—”
“How is Bo going to find a nice woman if you men encourage deviant behavior? Clearly he
needs some guidance.” She went over and gave Bo a hug. “Bo, after dinner the ladies and I will be
happy to give you pointers on romance.”
“Thanks, Cassidy. I could use some good advice.” Bo embraced her and widened his eyes as the
men looked on in amazement.
“We’ll talk later.” She smiled at him but gave both Channing and Tyler a slap on the arm as she
exited the house.
“How does he come off smelling like a rose?” Tyler said.
“Better not tell the ladies you fooled around with one of the twins last night,” Bo Senior said.
“How on earth do you know that?” Bo stammered.
“You have some slight bruising just behind your ear.” Bo Senior pointed to the spot. “If you
weren’t with a woman, we need to have a talk about the proper way to use a vacuum.”
“So, you and Autumn are starting off hot and heavy, eh?” Channing asked.
“Actually, I don’t know which sister came over after the party last night.” Bo sighed.
“How the hell don’t you know?” Tyler scratched his temple.
He shrugged. “My doorbell rang in the middle of the night. I answered it and before I knew it,
one of them was all over me.”
“Come on, Bubba, they’re identical twins, but surely they have obvious differences,” Channing
replied.
“How long was it before we could distinguish Connor from Colby if Seth and Morgan weren’t
around?” He gave Channing an expectant look.
“Fun times.” Tyler nodded. “I don’t see why Morgan was against a small brand on the bottom of
the boys’ feet so we could tell them apart.”
“You had a brand on your forehead for a few weeks after she hit you with that lemon for making
the suggestion,” Channing countered.
“And I guess asking for a name would have ruined the moment?” Bo Senior chuckled.
“I kind of assumed it was Autumn, the invite to the party came from her. I went over there this
morning, but she wasn’t acting like we’d,” Bo waggled his eyebrows, “you know, shared a special
moment, so then I got to thinking maybe it wasn’t her. And Summer was being a lot nicer than usual.
So I threw out an invite to see Isabelle perform with the symphony next Saturday and they both said
yes.”
They heard the front door open, this time they waited to see who it was before they continued
talking. It was Tate.
“Bubba, I hear you had an interesting night.” Tate rubbed a now awake Rowdy under his chin.
“He was just telling us about his women troubles, if you can call it that,” Channing replied.
“I guess he left out the part where he decked some soccer player at the party for being a jerk.”
Tate grinned.
Bo turned his head. He was going to leave out that part of the story. “Who told you about that?”
“I just came from J.J.’s house. Kendrick reported the evening’s events to Sam.”
“Aren’t you full of surprises? Dating two women like you’re some kind of playboy and punching
out sports stars.” Bo Senior shook his head.
Tyler grinned. “I think I created a monster.”
* * *
By the time the brainstorming session with her design team for Corporate Hijack ended, Summer
was very optimistic that she had a hit on her hands. Running her ideas by Bo that night at the party
was very helpful. He’d even given her some clues that she could incorporate into the game. It was a
tangible reality and she loved it when random thoughts manifested into awesome products. Since the
meeting disbanded earlier than she expected, she was going to do something she hadn’t done in an
awfully long time. She was going shopping for a dress to wear to the symphony.
“Tom, I’m going out to run a few errands. I should be back in two hours.” Summer waved to her
assistant as she walked past his desk.
“You’re going out?”
“Am I not allowed?” She squinted her eyes at him.
“Of course you are. I can’t remember that last time you ran errands. Did I screw something up
the last time you sent me out?”
“Relax. I’m not trying to downsize you. I was invited to the symphony and I need a dress. I feel
like…looking around for the right one.”
Tom let out a sigh of relief. “Why don’t you hit up Autumn’s closet?”
“Because it’s time to fill my own.” She stuck her tongue at him.
“Does this have something to do with that guy that escorted you to the party?”
“I’ll be back by three.” She waved good-bye.
Bo’s invitation to the symphony was great, but she knew she didn’t have anything to wear. Sure,
she could invade Autumn’s closet, but for the first time in long while she wanted to find something
elegant to wear that was her own style. Autumn’s wardrobe consisted of plunging necklines and
disappearing hemlines. She wasn’t as bold as her twin, but there were subtle ways to be sexy.
Unfortunately Autumn’s fashion approach got the most looks, particularly Bo’s. His eyes locked on
her the minute Autumn entered a room.
She didn’t want to admit that Bo inspired the desire for a change. It felt like it would be too
shallow to say the words. She was the head of a thriving software company for heaven’s sake; she
didn’t need the attention and validation from a man. But she was growing fond of the smart, handsome
guy across the hall who, underneath that sexy façade, was just as geeky as she was and gave her a
warm feeling inside.
Summer shopped for a half hour on her own in the department store and was soon feeling
overwhelmed. She found a bubbly sales clerk named Tiffany and gave her the specifics. She wanted
something chic and classy with a business edge but with a hint of sexy. If it happened to turn a certain
CFO’s head, then that would be a bonus.
CHAPTER FIVE
Bo was already antsy about going to the symphony, but the prospect of Summer and Autumn
meeting Tate and Isabelle made him downright nervous. When he mentioned to Tate and Isabelle that
he would be attending the performance with both women, they insisted on having dinner afterward.
He hadn’t seen much of them lately. They were working hard with an upcoming promotion, and Blake
Enterprises was working on another huge land deal. He’d had some late nights, and J.J. insisted that
he not overwork himself. But the deal was coming together fast, and if one of them was going to work
late, Bo preferred it to be him so his friend could get home to Sam and Jack. He also needed some
time to figure out his next plan of action. The sisters were tight-lipped and neither said anything that
might give him a clue about which one of them had come to his apartment.
Both ladies looked elegant when he went to their apartment to pick them up. Once George
retrieved his Jaguar, Bo didn’t know which twin would want to sit up front with him, so he held the
door open and it was Autumn who jumped in the front seat. He also held the door open for Summer,
who was doing her quiet thing again.
At the concert hall, he spotted Isabelle crouching by the stage talking to Tate. Bo ushered
Autumn and Summer down the row.
“Bo, so glad you could make it.” Isabelle awkwardly leaned over to give him a hug and kiss him
on the cheek.
“Baby, be careful,” Tate mumbled.
“Oh, he worries about me.” She sighed. “These must be your new neighbors, Autumn and
Summer. Thank you for coming to the performance.”
“Autumn and Summer Waverly, I’d like you to meet my family, Tate and his wife Isabelle.”
“It’s very nice to meet the two ladies who are spicing up Bo’s social life.” Tate grinned.
Bo shot him a look. The ladies both looked at him, as if they expected Bo to fill in the details,
but he turned his attention to the instruments on the stage. He was going to get Tate for that one.
“I’m a big fan of yours.” Summer beamed. “I have a CD of you with the symphony in Georgia
and I can’t wait for your duet debut with your husband.”
Isabelle broke out into a grin. “Thank you! You just made my day.”
“I’m more of a country western fan, Tate’s my favorite,” Autumn said. “But Summer has taught
me to appreciate classical music. I think she puts it on when she thinks I need to relax.”
Summer smiled. “And I hear musical talent runs in the family. Bo played us the video of Matt’s
wonderful rendition of Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.”
“Wasn’t he adorable? He’s got a great pitch for his age. He’ll be playing the violin in no time.”
Isabelle beamed.
“Baby, you mean the guitar?” Tate gave his wife an expectant look.
“Why don’t we table the great McGill violin versus guitar debate until after the performance?”
Bo interrupted. “I can make a great case as to why he should play the drums.”
“So you will be joining us for dinner? You didn’t respond to my text the other day,” Isabelle
said with an innocent smirk as she stood and smoothed her skirt.
“We don’t want to intrude,” Bo said.
“Nonsense, we’d love to get acquainted with Summer and Autumn,” Tate fired back.
“That settles that.” Isabelle returned to her seat onstage.
The ladies continued to stand and chat with Tate—no surprise they liked being in his company.
Bo held his breath with each question he asked, praying he wouldn’t say something crazy. The cue
that the show was about to begin sounded ten minutes later, and as they took their seats, Bo didn’t
know what would be the best seating arrangement for the three of them. But the ladies settled it and
sat on either side of him. He could see Tate’s smile from the corner of his eye and he wasn’t sure if
Isabelle had snapped a picture with her camera phone before she took her seat. He’d never been so
happy to see the conductor. The music brought the opera hall to life, and most importantly, no one was
talking anymore.
* * *
Later that night as he brushed his teeth and took his contacts out, it happened again. He’d
grabbed the remote, pulled back the bed sheets, and settled in for the night when his doorbell rang.
It was too late to put his contacts back in. He raced to the door, ready to tell her a thing or two.
“What kind of game are you playing?” he grumbled.
She responded by throwing her arms around his neck and laying a toe-curling kiss on him. Bo
closed the door and gripped her waist, pulling him to her. This was insane, he thought. She guided
him over to his couch until they toppled onto it. He pulled her shirt over her head and tried to cup her
breasts, and that’s when he saw it. She had a small birthmark shaped like a seashell on the lower part
of her stomach. She pushed him against the cushions and trailed kisses down his chest. Bo’s breath
hitched as she tugged on his shorts and ran her thumb over the tip of his penis. It felt too good for
words, the way she took him into her mouth and sucked as she gently caressed his balls. He could feel
the sexual tide rising from deep within him as she caressed his shaft. The tortuous pleasure seemed to
go on forever, and when he felt he was about to explode, he stopped her.
“I need to get a condom. Don’t leave,” he breathed.
She reached in her back pocket and produced one.
“Thank god.” He laughed.
He reached for it, but she pushed his hand away. She opened it and took her sweet time sheathing
him. He knew she was prolonging it on purpose. The wicked look on her face was a dead giveaway.
Finally when she was done, he raised her up and sat her flush on him. Her eyes widened as she
adjusted to his girth. He reached between them and stroked her clit, and she clenched his shoulders
and began a slow rhythmic motion. Bo matched her timing and soon they were both moaning together.
He cupped both her breasts and brought her forward and suckled on one nipple, then gave equal
attention to the other. He looked up into her eyes, wondering what she was thinking. Why did she feel
the need to hide her identity?
She leaned in for a kiss. Their tongues met playfully at first, but then he deepened the kiss. It felt
like their souls were connecting. She rose up a little bit, then plunged back down on him, making him
lose his train of thought. He lifted her up, breaking their connection, only to place her on her back. Bo
slid back into her and began manically thrusting into her. She held on to him, still unwilling to say a
word. He found her clit again and massaged it with his thumb. She gripped him and he began to
spasm. He continued the massage until they were ready to climax together. When they did, he finally
closed his eyes, confident he was in way over his head, and he loved it.
CHAPTER SIX
Bo knew he needed help understanding the strong bond between twins, so he called Morgan, the
family twin expert. As luck would have it, she and Seth were in town spending a few days on the
ranch. Morgan said she would drop by his condo because she was out running errands anyway, so he
was expecting her in the next half hour. He was still “dating” both Autumn and Summer. The three of
them would go out and have a good time, but he and one of them were pretending they weren’t
screwing each other’s brains out in the middle of the night. He’d never had so much fun and confusion
in his life. When the doorbell rang he expected to see not only Morgan, but Sam, Isabelle, and all of
the Blake children too.
“Hey, Morgan. Sam. Isabelle. I see you’ve brought your entourage.” He gave them all a kiss on
the cheek.
“I never leave home without them.” She giggled as she plopped the bags she was carrying on a
nearby chair.
“Hey, boys.”
“Hi, Uncle Bubba.” The boys made a beeline for his latest toy, an arcade-style racing game in
the corner.
“So, that’s how you’ve been giving Tyler a run for the money lately playing those video games.
Bo, this is cheating,” Sam mused as she helped Jake get into the driver’s seat.
“Just a little.” He laughed.
“Look at all this cool stuff you have. Your home is better than going to an amusement park,”
Isabelle said as she peered through his high-powered telescope. “We’ll be back in a few hours.
We’re going to have lunch and go shopping.”
“Have a good time.” Bo did a double take at what she said. “Wait. What? Are you leaving the
kids here?”
“Yes, you wanted the twin experience, you got it. You did a pretty good job taking them to the
science center. The other three are just the icing on the cake.” Morgan laughed. “We brought food.
Isabelle packed a Cobb salad for you. They’ve had a busy morning, and after lunch you may get a nap
out of Jack and Matt. You couldn’t take Jake, Connor, and Colby down with a tranquilizer gun, so
don’t bother. But if you put on the DVD in the bag you may be able to get a half hour’s peace.”
“Ladies, it’s not that I don’t like watching the boys but how is this going to help me with my
problem?” Bo asked.
Morgan put her hand to her chin. “I could just tell you why, as a mother, I know the signs to look
for, but I know you brainy types like applied psychology. After one day with them I’m sure you’ll get
answers to your twin dilemma.”
Bo raised an eyebrow. “And you get a babysitter for the afternoon?”
“Exactly.” Morgan pinched his cheek.
* * *
At first Bo thought he was going to have a panic attack when the ladies left him alone with all
five of the kids. But what was he worried about? He’d watched them before. Besides, he was in
charge of hundreds of people at work, how hard could it be taking care of five munchkins who barely
came up to his waist?
The question was answered an hour later when the boys had exhausted him with their curious
questions and active minds. When they weren’t asking for something to eat, one of them would have to
go to the bathroom. He didn’t have a potty chair, so he had to get the stepstool out of his kitchen
pantry for the boys to use. They played the racing game for a while, were mesmerized by the plasma
ball on the desk in his office, and were ready to watch the DVD, but he decided to feed them first.
Jake was a great big brother and cousin, assisting Bo with getting everyone situated so they
could eat their lunch. It reminded him of the good old days when he and J.J. were in charge of making
sure everyone washed their hands before dinner. Once everyone had clean hands and selected what
they wanted to eat, Bo opened the fancy dish that contained the salad Isabelle had made for him. His
favorite dressing was on the side and he dug in and got messy with the kids. It was fun to hear them
laugh, talk about school and their favorite ice cream flavors. Jake said his teacher Ms. Tisdale had
asked about him, but Bo almost choked when Jake added that Morgan had told the teacher he’d moved
to Alaska. Tate called to check up on everyone and offered to drop by and pitch in, but Bo was
confident things were fine.
Bo watched Connor and Colby intently. As the afternoon wore on, he was beginning to realize he
was focusing on the external when it was the internal things about them that set them apart, just like
Morgan said. Connor was a ball of energy, while Colby was more relaxed and opted to sit still and
play. Connor was left-handed, while Colby used his right. Colby asked if he could call Morgan to say
hello, while Connor came in on the tail end of the conversation and yelled a quick greeting to his mom
as he went in search of something new to play with.
Bo had to think of a way to get them all to take a nap so he could recuperate. So he told them
they were playing a game where everyone took off their shoes and huddled on the floor in the living
room. Matt had already beaten everyone to the punch—he’d preferred to go barefoot ever since he
was a baby. Tate was the same way. He was always going without footwear when he wasn’t doing
ranch work.
Bo hit the button to lower the shades in the room and lay on his back. Immediately Jack nestled
closer to him, which meant he was moments away from taking a good nap. Fifteen minutes later the
boys and Bo were drifting off into a peaceful sleep. That was until the doorbell rang and pulled
everyone out of their hazy state.
“Hi, there. I see you have company.” She waved at the five faces that were standing behind him.
It was one of the Waverly sisters. Now was a perfect time to apply what he’d learned this afternoon.
He could do this. He could see beyond the physical and make an educated guess. Scratch that, he
had to listen to his heart. Her smile was bright but a little enigmatic, like she was a million miles
away surf gliding or climbing a mountain in her mind. It had to be Summer.
“Boys, say hello to Ms. Summer. She lives across the hall,” Bo said to the curious brood.
“All of you are so handsome. Has your Uncle Bo been showing you a good time?”
“Yes.”
“And I see a pair of twins. I’m a twin too.” Summer turned toward her door. “Autumn, come
here.”
Autumn came out of the house dressed in a jade-colored jumper.
“This is my sister, Autumn.” Summer smiled.
The boys were gaping at the ladies, but he couldn’t tell if it was because they had never seen
another set of twins or because the ladies were just plain beautiful. Bo ushered everyone into the
apartment.
Autumn winked at Bo. “My, my. It’s a heartbreaker’s convention in here.”
“We were going to take a nap,” Bo said to the ladies.
“I thought we were playing a game?” Jake said.
“Uh,” Bo stammered. “We were doing a little bit of both.”
“Boys, Uncle Bo looks a little tired. How about we play a video game?” Summer said.
“Yay!”
“No worries, it’s called Froggy’s Grand Adventure and it’s suitable for kids two and up,”
Summer murmured to Bo as she kept her smile in check.
“And I can make some popcorn. How does that sound?” Autumn said enthusiastically.
“They just ate.” Bo laughed.
“There’s always room for popcorn. Let’s go.” Autumn ushered them over to her place.
Bo grabbed his phone in case Morgan called. Summer was waiting by the door.
“I see you’re getting better at telling the difference. I’m impressed.” She smiled.
There was that smile again and it made him feel warm inside. “Sorry it’s taking so long.”
“That’s OK. My mom is usually the only person who can tell us apart.”
“Is that right?” Bo thought of Morgan.
“Yep,” Summer said as she picked up Jack and gave him a squeeze.
When she bent down to put him back on the floor, his sneaker got caught on the end of her shirt.
As she was untangling, Bo caught a peek at the skin of her stomach. His breath caught in his throat.
A seashell birthmark. The same birthmark he’d seen on his midnight visitor.
It was Summer. He could barely contain his delight. But why the hell hadn’t she wanted him to
know it was her?
* * *
Summer was impressed with the way Bo interacted with the boys. He had all the makings of a
good parent. He was attentive, loving, and kind. Jack bumped his knee and it wasn’t anything too
serious, but Bo kissed it anyway to make it feel better. Matt sat on his lap and played with his cell
phone and he wasn’t fazed by it. They were all great kids who adored their Uncle Bo.
She was taken aback that he’d known who she was when she’d rung the doorbell. It was nice
that he was learning that she and Autumn were obviously two different people. All their lives people
treated them as one person split in half instead of looking for their individual attributes.
The boys were going strong when their mothers came to pick them up. Bo nervously introduced
them as if someone was going to say something wacky. She already knew Isabelle and complimented
her again on her awesome performance with the symphony. Sam had dropped by the office with
literature about Regency and they’d ended up chatting with her for an hour. She was sold on the
security firm with its excellent worldwide reputation, but it was the information Sam shared about Bo
that was the most interesting.
She hadn’t met Morgan before, but she felt like she knew her. The wife of Seth Blake made the
news periodically and had been featured in a few magazines. It was obvious the women loved Bo and
were very protective of him. The boys gave big hugs as they left and promised they would visit again.
Once it was just the three of them, she asked Bo if he wanted to stay and hang out, but he declined.
His mood had changed dramatically over the course of the afternoon and she couldn’t understand
what was wrong.
“Good thing you baby-proofed the house for Sabrina’s visit with the kids,” Autumn quipped.
“See, I told you it was a good idea.” She stuck her tongue out at her.
“Those boys were so cute, it almost made me want to have kids too.”
“Well, caring for children for one afternoon is a little different from having one full time.”
Autumn scrunched her nose. “I still think it would be fun.”
“If you have a partner that’s supportive and sharing equally in the parenting.”
“Bo would make a great father. He has the magic touch with kids. His sexy stock just went up
another fifty shares.”
“I suppose he would. Did you notice a change in his mood?”
Autumn shrugged. “No, he was the same as always with me.”
Oh no. He knew. Somehow he knew it was her coming to his condo those late nights. And he
apparently he wasn’t happy about it.
* * *
Bo purposely worked late hours and even spent time at the ranch, anything to keep from running
into Summer and Autumn. Now that he knew it was Summer, he was angry with her for not telling
him. She was direct and told it like it was, right? Then why the charade? Maybe it was all just a big
game to her, and she didn’t care about him at all. He felt used and foolish. She’d sent him a text
asking him if he wanted to demo Corporate Hijack, but he didn’t answer her.
But he missed her. He had an hour between meetings and it would have been the perfect time to
call her and ask her if she wanted to go to the comic book convention. But he decided to catch up with
his parents instead. He picked up his office phone and dialed his mom.
“Hey, Mom, been on any Internet dates lately?”
“Not a single one, no thanks to you. Every time I send a name to your friend Sam, she rejects it.
How am I supposed to get a date?”
“I’m more concerned with you getting abducted or worse. Sam is very thorough. If she says
something’s not right, then it isn’t.” Sam promised she wouldn’t give the all clear to any potential
suitor who couldn’t pass the security clearance test to meet the president.
“I have a feeling you’re behind this. You’re not too old to get put over my knee.”
“How are things?” It had been a week since he’d talked to his youngest brother.
“I’ve been helping my friend Maxine redecorate her guest room. She’s having family over and
wanted to spruce up the place. Did I mention she had a daughter who’s a dentist?”
“Yes, Vivian the gentle dentist. You told me about her. How are Corbett and Wyatt?”
“Corbett is planning a brunch for the families to mingle. You’re invited.”
Bo chuckled. “Am I really invited or did you force him to invite me?”
“Let’s call it a tie. It would be nice for you to see our family. It’s been ages since you’ve
attended a family function.”
“I get what you’re saying, but I think I’ll sit this one out. Corbett and I have to come to terms in
our own time.” Bo glanced at his cell phone when it vibrated. There was a new text from his father.
He was on snack duty for the game on Sunday.
“I just wish you and Corbett could get close like you and Wyatt. He talks about you all the time.”
“Really?” Bo stammered.
“Yes. I think it’s nice that he looks up to you.”
“Well, Wyatt will always be the baby; there’s no challenging his position. When I come around,
Corbett is pushed from the oldest to the middle child. That has to suck. But I’ll keep trying.”
“Thank you for extending the olive branch.”
“You’re welcome, Mom.”
“So”—she coughed—“how’s your daddy? Still wasting his time with loose women?”
“You know Bodine Jamison doesn’t believe in wasting time. He would say that it was a waste
of time.” He laughed.
“Tell him I said hey.”
“Will do.” Did they know they both still had feelings for each other? He felt like he was in the
middle of junior high kids passing love notes. It was corny and sweet at the same time.
“So how’s your love life going? You figure out which twin you’re in love with?”
“What?”
“You heard me.”
“Mom, that’s ridiculous.” If only it were, he’d feel a lot better.
“Then why are you spending all your free time with them? You’ve lived across the hall from
them too long not to know, in your heart, which one has stolen your heart. You have a chance to do
something about before it gets even weirder.”
The intercom suddenly buzzed on his phone. Saved by the bell. It was Anna Beth. Maybe
Anthony, the director of acquisitions, had arrived early for their meeting.
“Mom, I have to go.”
“Funny you always have to hang up when I ask about your love life.”
“No, I don’t.” He scratched his beard. “And it’s complicated. I feel like I’ve been lied to.”
“You ever stop and think she had a really good reason for the twin deception? Not so long ago,
you weren’t exactly putting yourself out there. You were in a cocoon until one day you stepped out
and decided to take a chance and find love.”
“Mom, I really have to go. I’ll call you tonight. Promise,” he said quickly. He hung up the phone
before she could protest and hit the blinking button. “What’s up Anna Beth?”
“There’s someone here to see you.”
“Send him back.”
“I think he may need an escort.”
“OK.” Bo furrowed his eyebrows. Why would Anthony need to be shown the way to his office?
He could hear Anna Beth’s bubbly voice through the thick oak doors. She sounded like she was
giving a tour. She knocked on the door twice then entered followed by none other than his younger
brother Wyatt.
“Wyatt, what are you doing here?”
“It’s good to see you too.” Wyatt gave him a quizzical look.
“Of course.” Bo looked at Anna Beth. “Thanks for escorting him to my office. When Anthony
arrives, tell him to give me a few minutes.”
She nodded. “Sure thing.”
“It was very nice meeting you Anna Beth. You brightened my day.” Wyatt grinned.
“Oh, stop it.” Anna Beth was all smiles when she closed the door.
“She’s pretty. I wouldn’t mind working with her every day.” Wyatt waggled his eyes.
“She’s off limits.” Bo folded his arms over his chest. Wyatt’s libido never shut down.
“You two never?”
“No!” Bo blurted out.
“So what’s the problem if I—”
“Listen you little horn ball, Anna Beth’s like a sister to me so by default she’s your sister too.”
“Our family just keeps getting bigger.” Wyatt smirked. “Awesome office. You can keep up with
six broadcasts at the same time?”
“It all seeps into my mind. Half the time I don’t realize they’re on.” Bo picked up the remote and
lowered the volume on the televisions. “I just talked to Mom. She didn’t mention you were in Texas.”
“She doesn’t know. I felt like getting out of Albuquerque for a bit.”
“Is everything OK?”
“Yeah. I was curious about where you worked, so I thought I’d come for a visit. I hope you don’t
mind?” Wyatt replied.
“No. It’s good to see you.” Bo relaxed and smiled.
“Hey, Bubba, I’m leaving for the rest of the day unless you think I need to sit in—” The office
door swung open. It was J.J. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know you had company.”
Bo took a deep breath. “J.J., this is my brother Wyatt.”
“Nice to finally meet you, Wyatt.”
Wyatt beamed. “Same here, Mr. Blake. I’m a big fan of your football career.”
“Call me J.J. Despite the fancy décor, we’re very down to earth around here.”
“I can handle the meeting with Anthony,” Bo said. “Jack’s doctor’s appointment is today, right?”
“Yes, so we’ll be stopping for ice cream on the way home. One lip quiver and Sam gives him
whatever he wants.” J.J. laughed.
“Wyatt, I’m afraid I can’t cancel this meeting. Would you mind hanging out until I’m done?”
“Sure. I can grab some lunch or something until you’re ready to go.”
“Why don’t I take Wyatt to the ranch?” J.J. suggested. “I’ll deliver him into the good hands of my
mama. You were coming to poker night, right?”
It was poker night! How could he have forgotten? “Wyatt, do you mind?”
“No.” He shook his head. “I’d love to visit the ranch.”
* * *
Bo hoped Wyatt was having a good time. When J.J. sent him a text that his mama was at the
nursery getting more flowers to plant, Bo Senior offered to show Wyatt around, and it was a shock to
his system. He was tempted to leave work early just to see that for himself. Bo Senior wasn’t exactly
the tour guide type. He thought it had something to do with making sure Bonnie’s boy had a good time.
He finished up with meeting in record time so he clocked out early and headed out to the ranch.
The guys were all at J.J.’s house waiting for Bo to start the poker game. Channing dealt him in as
soon as he sat down. Wyatt seemed to be enjoying himself hanging out with his favorite quarterback,
Seth. He had a goofy look on his face while eating potato chips and chatting with Seth by the bar. Bo
wondered if Wyatt had told Seth that he had one of his jerseys hanging in his closet at home. Bo did a
casual glance at his phone, tempted to call Summer, but he changed his mind.
“All right, boys, here’s my game schedule.” Seth handed him a piece of paper. “Pencil in the
dates you want.”
“What’s that for?” Wyatt asked.
“We try to get to Seth’s away games to show support. So we pick dates. Sometimes we can all
make it, sometimes we can’t. We do the same with my racing schedule and Tate and Isabelle’s
performances.” Tyler took a swig of his beer.
“Tate is wrapping up in the recording studio. He said to deal him in next hand.” J.J. bounced his
son on his knee. “Jack, can you tell your Uncle Tyler to stop fooling around so we get this game
started?”
“Game start, boys!” Jack yelled out.
Sam came into the room and picked him up. “But the game is over for you, little boy. We have a
date with a bath and a new bedtime book.”
“Jack, let me rub your head for good luck.” Channing gave his nephew a good head scrub.
“Lay it on me, Jack.” Bo bent forward so Jack could rub his head. Jack gave him a kiss on his
cheek when he was done.
“Who needs a fancy two-hundred dollar haircut? Jack just improved your hairstyle,” J.J.
quipped.
Bo laughed. “I’m not married; I can’t get my wife to cut my hair.”
“It was just the one time.” Sam grinned. “Come on, kiddo, let’s see if we can keep the rubber
ducks in the tub tonight. And say goodnight to our guest, Wyatt. What am I saying, he’s not a guest,
he’s Uncle Bubba’s brother so he’s family.”
“It was nice meeting you, Jack.” Wyatt waved at him.
“Good-night,” Jack said, then buried his face in his mother’s shoulder.
“So why do you call him Bubba?” Wyatt asked.
Everyone burst out laughing. It was J.J. who regained his composure long enough to speak.
“Grandpa Blake had nicknames for all of us. He started calling your brother Bubba because he
reminded him of an old navy buddy of his, Bubba McPherson, who saved his life. Bubba was kind of
nerdy, wore glasses, and always had a book in his hand. The guys on the ship used to kid him all the
time about being such a straight arrow until the day Book Smart Bubba saved their lives by disarming
a bomb. Grandpa said Bo was like Bubba. Quiet and unassuming, but when your life was on the line,
he was the one you wanted saving your ass.” J.J. raised his beer bottle. “He’s been saving all of our
collective asses for as long as I can remember.”
“To Bubba.” The rest of the Blake men raised their drinks in salute.
* * *
A half hour later Tate joined them. They were having fun and recalled stories of their childhood
in an active effort to embarrass him. The boys didn’t show the newcomer any mercy, and after a while
it was like he was one of the gang. Wyatt relented after five hands, stating he’d have to dip into his
college fund to keep playing. Channing tapped out of the game and chatted with him a while. Bo was
touched at the effort everyone was making to help Wyatt feel comfortable. Perhaps being in the thick
of things would debunk some of his assumptions about his life at the ranch. The boys made comments
about the twins living across the hall and that perked up Wyatt’s ears. He’d have to make
introductions when they got home.
Sam came back after Jack was asleep to tell Bo she’d vetted and rejected yet another potential
date for his mom. Later, Bo turned around to comment to Wyatt, but he was gone. Bo excused himself,
went out to the car, and drove around the ranch looking for his little brother. He couldn’t have gotten
too far and the ranch was safe, so why was he worried? He was an adult and there was no crime in
getting some fresh air. He turned off the main road in the direction of the stables. Wyatt leaned against
a fence, watching the horses graze.
Bo hopped out of the car. “Hey, I’ve been looking for you. What are you doing out here?”
“I was just taking a break from the party.”
He laughed. “Too animated for you? The Blakes can get a little rowdy.”
“No, they’re great people. It’s almost surreal being around them. The house is filled with rich
sports stars and country western singers and they still seem so down-to-earth.”
“That’s not an act; it’s just the way we were raised. It’s the simple things in life that give us the
most pleasure. Spending time with the people you love and respect. Enjoying everyday moments like
eating barbecue and trash-talking each other.”
“I guess that’s why you never came around so much. You didn’t really get any of that with us.
Just competition with Corbett and me asking you a million questions.” He sighed.
“Corbett and I get along just fine,” Bo said.
Wyatt burst out laughing.
Bo laughed too. “You don’t always have perfect relationships. I accept that he and I don’t get
along, that’s why, well…we’ve been getting along so well lately.”
“Mom wants to see more of the three of us together and says the animosity needs to stop.”
Bo winced. “I’ll ask her to ease up on the hard sell, but she has a point.”
“No wonder you hated visiting in the summer. You may not have missed having brothers, hell
you had five. But I missed out on having a big brother. I’m not discounting Corbett—I love him, but he
was always trying his best to be perfect and popular all the time. You had this great life with friends
and your gruff cowboy daddy.”
Bo shrugged. “I felt like I didn’t fit in. My family was ripped apart, and Mom had a new life
with a new man and children. There really wasn’t any room for me.”
“I remember.” Wyatt nodded. “I cringe at some of my behavior. Think you can ever forgive me
for being a brat?”
“Why would I need to forgive you? We’re brothers; its water under the bridge.” Bo patted him
on the shoulder. “We weren’t in each other lives nearly enough growing up, but I’d like to change
that. I know we can’t undo the past, but we can shape the future. What do you say?”
“I’d like that. And who knows, maybe one day Corbett will come around.”
Bo raised an eyebrow. “Which also means I get to be nosy and ask questions about college and
your plans for the future. Meddling is part of the big-brother gig.”
“Just what I need.” Wyatt bit back a smile.
“So, how was the tour with my dad?”
“It was fun. He’s not nearly as crotchety as Mom describes him, but he still looks like he
stepped out of an old western movie.”
“I suppose he does.” Bo scratched his beard.
* * *
Bo and Wyatt returned home to the condo in the early evening. They ran into the Waverly sisters
in the lobby, who were headed out for dinner. Bo introduced them to his baby brother, who didn’t
hide his enthusiasm for meeting two beautiful women. He reigned in Wyatt’s overzealous greeting
with a deadly look that his brother quickly obeyed. The twins asked if they would join them, but Bo
thought it was best that he get Wyatt settled in and call their mom to let her know he was in Texas.
He searched the twins’ faces, and what do you know, a subtle flash of disappointment appeared
on Summer’s face. She seemed to know having a midnight rendezvous would be hard if he had a
houseguest. But she recovered well, and he was proud that he caught her reaction.
He gave Wyatt a tour and made up a guest bedroom for him. The day had taught him that they
were more alike than he ever would have thought. It was kind of cool to have a little brother. The
conversation at the ranch replayed in his head as he got ready for bed. Wyatt had made a good point,
that he’d always had brothers in the Blake men. He loved each and every one of them and felt good
that he’d had such good friends his entire life. The Blakes never chided him because he was kind of
nerdy. They accepted who he was and protected him. He was the rational one of the group, as Tate
pointed out. The one who could come up with a solution or offer good advice.
He was just starting to wonder if Summer would be making an appearance tonight when he heard
the light knock on the door. Had Wyatt not been here, it would have been a great time to confront her
and tell her he knew the truth. Bo let her in, but stopped her from advancing to the bedroom.
Bo sighed. “We need to talk, and I’d like to do it when my brother’s not here.”
She took his hand and continued the trek into the bedroom. Bo pulled back the covers and they
slid in together. She nestled close to him and put her head on his chest. Bo put his arm around her
waist and gave her a good squeeze. He wanted to be sure his instincts were right, so he casually ran
his hand up her stomach and felt the faint raised scarring of the birthmark. It was Summer. It had
always been Summer. They lay there for a while silently, in an intimate cocoon that that was so
comfortable they began to drift off to sleep.
The soft sounds of her sleeping put him in a trance. He wanted to stay awake, but the feel of her
in his arms was too enticing. Bo drifted off to sleep with a million questions in his mind, but right
now he was satisfied that he had the answer to the biggest one.
Hours later he felt the covers moving as she sneaked out of bed. He lay still for a moment to see
if she’d try to wake him this time, but when she didn’t, he jumped out of bed and followed her.
“Hey, wait a minute.” He couldn’t let her leave like this. He needed to get something off his
chest.
She turned to him, but didn’t speak.
“Before you go, I have something to tell you. I don’t know about you, but this bizarre
relationship we’re having is driving me crazy. I can’t concentrate on work because I’m so wound up,
waiting for the night like I’m a damn vampire. Because that’s when I have the most fun. The sex has
been phenomenal, but there’s more to it. I need more.”
She stepped up to him and ran her hand over his cheek.
“You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen in my life, but you’re more than that. You’re
smart and pretty and have a great sense of humor. Believe it or not, I haven’t laughed so much in my
entire life since I met you. It’s been fun and exciting, partly because I’m falling in—”
She placed her hands on his shoulders and kissed him. It was a tender kiss at first, and it felt a
hell of a lot like rejection, but then she wrapped her arms around his neck and deepened it, conveying
the passion that had been brewing between them for months. He lifted her off her feet and held her in
a tight embrace. When they finally separated, he felt like they’d just had a three-hour conversation.
She caressed his face, then without a word, turned to go. He watched as she opened the door to
her apartment. She smiled and waved to him before she closed it.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Bo started his workday at the office by asking Channing for a favor. He decided he was going to
have the ever-important chat tonight with Summer, but he needed to do it with Wyatt out of the condo.
Channing happily offered to invite Wyatt to dinner with him and Cassidy so Bo could have some time
to set his scene. Once that was settled, he got back to work and focused on the upcoming business trip
with J.J. He was so engrossed in going over the details of their trip that he jolted when the office
phone rang. It was Anna Beth calling to say one of the Waverly sisters was there to visit him.
When he got to the reception area, he was relieved that he knew immediately who it was.
“Autumn, how nice to see you.” Bo kissed her on the cheek.
“I’m sorry to just drop by like this. You can’t get away from me at home, now I’m at your work.”
She smiled.
“I look forward to seeing you, no matter where you pop up.”
She scrunched her nose. “That’s what I like about you. You always know what to say.”
Bo turned to see Anna Beth hunkered down in her seat, sipping on the contents of her coffee mug
like she was watching a movie.
Bo cleared his throat. “Anna Beth, can you hold my calls?”
“Sure thing.” She grinned.
He knew the second he turned his back she was going to alert J.J. and Channing. It was amazing
they got anything done in that office.
Bo nervously chatted with Autumn about some of the artwork as they made their way down the
corridor to his office. Once there, he offered her something to drink, then took a seat on the leather
couch. “Is everything OK?”
She nodded. “As you’ve witnessed, I can get pretty animated in a crisis.”
He remembered the way she panicked when Summer was choking.
“Well, we can’t all be calm and collected in an emergency. You feel things quickly, so you react
externally. No biggie.”
“You have excellent analytical skills. The only other person who understands me like you do is
Summer. She’s been explaining my behavior to me since we were born. It’s nice to have someone in
your life who gets you. I’m afraid I’ll never find another person who can do that with me. I guess
that’s why we stick together.” She sighed.
“I think you enjoy each other’s company. You know how many people would kill to have a twin?
It must be mind blowing to have a 3D version of yourself looking back at you,” he mused.
“But we’re different.” She bit her lip.
“Of course you are. But your differences complement each other.”
“Good, because I hope you know she’s the one you’re in love with.”
Ah, so this is why she was here. The sisters must have discussed his interrupted declaration of
his feelings.
“Yes, I do. I think I fell in love with her that night she coughed up that Brussels sprout. How’s
that for romantic?” He laughed.
“I know it’s meddling, but I felt like you had to know that before you went any further. I told
Summer you weren’t going to leave it be. I don’t want my sister to get hurt, so I wanted to talk just in
case. She seems tough, but on the inside she’s just a sweet person who hasn’t had much love in her
life.”
“I understand. I confess for a long time I couldn’t tell the two of you apart. But that was by
design, right?” Bo gave her a knowing look. He’d come to the conclusion after the lusty haze cleared
from his eyes that maybe the sisters were doing it on purpose. He wasn’t supposed to learn their
differences for a reason.
“I’m afraid we played an unintentional trick on you, but it was cruel just the same. We haven’t
done the ‘which twin is which’ act since we were kids. It was easy because you met us on the same
day.” She flashed a cheesy grin. “We’re normally more mature than that.”
He smiled. “It was fun getting relentless attention from two gorgeous women. But only one of
them makes my heart beat out of my chest.”
“Good. When we got to know you, I knew you and Summer were two nerdy soul mates.”
“I intend on laying it all on the table tonight. Wyatt’s going to be out.”
“Great. I’m going out of town on business.” She lunged at him and gave him a tight hug. “Good
luck.”
* * *
Summer didn’t know why she suddenly had a case of the jitters. She’d knocked on Bo’s door
hundreds of times since moving across the hall. She’d been pacing in her foyer since she’d seen him
through the peephole going into his condo. She’d been reduced to stalking the man. But what else
could she do since he’d all but disappeared? Autumn was out of town on business, so there was no
buffer. He’d had something important to say to her the other night; hopefully those tender, heartfelt
words were still on his lips.
She bolted out of her place and knocked on the door before she lost her nerve. He answered
wearing workout clothes and dripping with sweat.
“Hey.” Summer bit her lip.
“Hey. What’s up?”
“Autumn is out of town on business so I thought I’d order takeout and you could demo Corporate
Hijack. I’d love to hear your thoughts. There’s a new Chinese restaurant that opened down the street.
Here’s the menu.” She handed it to him.
“I was going to stop by after my workout. We need to talk.” Bo wiped his face with his shirt
revealing washboard abs.
“What are you in the mood for?” Summer stammered.
“How about a sampler’s feast? I have to take a quick shower and change.”
“OK. I’ll be waiting.”
Bo headed to the shower delighted that half of his plan to confront Summer tonight was already
in motion. He’d thought a workout would help clear his head so he’d know what to say. His heart had
skipped a beat when she’d opened the door. After mulling over what to wear, he dressed in a T-shirt
and a pair of jeans and went through painstaking lengths to get his hair under control. Then he went
across the hall to her place.
“Perfect timing. They dropped off the food five minutes ago.” She placed plates on the coffee
table.
He smiled. “Don’t you love it when things fall into place?”
“I hope you don’t mind, but I’d like to pick your brain some more about Corporate Hijack. So far
there are twenty levels, and I was thinking the mastermind villain wouldn’t be revealed until level
eighteen or so.” She took a seat on a cushion on the floor and grinned sheepishly. “I don’t mean to be
rambling. How’s work? You’ve been pretty busy.”
“No, work is fine. It’s what I’ve been doing in my off time that had me perplexed.” He took a
seat too.
“Well, let’s get some grub in you and see if we can work the problem out.” She opened the
container of egg foo yong.
“I want to talk about it now.” Bo took her hand. “How long are we going to keep playing this
game?”
“Corporate Hijack should be finished in a few weeks.” She pulled her hand away. “I’m sorry if I
keep bugging you. I thought we were having fun.”
“We are having fun, and I’m not talking about the video game. I’m talking you tiptoeing over to
my place when you feel like it and making love to me. And don’t say it’s not you because I now know
the difference between the two of you.”
“I guess you’re disappointed.” She bit her lip.
He gave her a curious look. “Why would I be disappointed?”
Summer stood up. “I know you want Autumn. It’s obvious by the way you stare at her. But you’re
not the first. Everyone always wants her. She’s fun, sexy, polished and I don’t think she’s worn
sneakers in five years. I’m the identical shadow in the backdrop that fills in the blanks of her
personality.”
“That’s not true. I look at you the same way, you just don’t want to believe it.” Bo stood and
grasped her arms.
“The other night when you were saying those beautiful things to me, I thought it would cruel for
both of us if you said it to the wrong twin.”
“You didn’t let me finish. Your name was on my lips, like it’s always been. What do I have to
do to prove to you that I want you? Stop hiding behind your sister. It’s about you owning up to what
you feel for me. I love you. The question is, do you love me?” He took her hands.
“Yes, I love you too.” She sniffed. “But I have a confession to make. I have no idea how to have
a relationship. I’ve lived in my head all my life.”
“Guess what? So have I. My recent transformation notwithstanding, being in love is kind of new
to me too. I had a few near misses, but turns out they weren’t right for me. But the hardest part was
putting my heart out there, hoping no one would step on it.”
She smiled. “If you give it to me, I will hold it with gentle, steady hands.”
“I know you will.” Bo slid his arms around her and kissed her.
“So we’re going to give this a try?”
“I challenged you to Ballerina Battle and made a complete fool of myself. I don’t humiliate
myself for just anybody. I love cooking for you because we have such great conversations. The
intimacy we share when you come over in the middle of the night haunted my days.”
“Who wouldn’t love a guy who can recite the elemental table like he does the alphabet?” She
sighed.
“So that nerdy stuff turns you on?”
She waggled her eyebrows. “You have no idea.”
“Did you know that summer was my favorite time of year?” Bo kissed her lips and backed her
toward the couch.
“You used that line on Autumn when we met.” She put her hand on her hip.
“That was to get back at you for insinuating I couldn’t lift a couch.” He laughed. “Speaking of
couches. We’ve had fun on mine. Let’s christen yours.”
Bo smothered her with a kiss and eased her backward until her legs bumped the couch and he
followed her fall, toppling onto to her. Summer grabbed at his T-shirt and pulled it over his head as
he carefully positioned himself between her legs. He placed a trail of wet kisses down her neck,
across her collarbone, and continued south until he’d finally reached his goal, the soft mounds of flesh
being held captive by a white satin bra. It seemed more like a nuisance than pretty dressing designed
to keep her ample cleavage in place. Every inch of her was gorgeous, her skin was so smooth and soft
and he intended, by the night’s end, to explore every inch of it. There was no mistaking it was
Summer. His Summer. Bo continued his journey down her stomach and heard her gasp when he
pulled at the waistband of her matching white panties with his teeth. He looked up to see her looking
at him with those pretty eyes that always seemed to be looking through to his soul.
Bo stood up and removed a condom from his jeans pocket and kicked them to the side. With
lightening precision he sheathed himself and returned to his business of trailing kisses down her thigh
while liberating her from her lace chastity belt. He kissed back up the other thigh and gently pushed
her thigh to the side, then he felt her tug his hair, but it was too late. His tongue had already landed on
its intended target and all he could hear was her ragged breaths while he worked his magic. The
sounds of Summer calling his name as he rose up and entered her sounded like a symphony. Her
fingertips were like feathers on his back as she worked her way down to his ass and gave him a good
squeeze. He increased his thrusts and soon began to feel that wonderful anxiety anticipation well up
inside of him. When she finally gave in to the overwhelming feeling rising within her, she said his
name one last time at a fever pitch, and he let himself explode with her.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Bo decided to stop at his dad’s place before his meeting with John Jacob. Bo Senior was an
early riser, so it was odd that he wasn’t in the kitchen eating oatmeal. There were wine glasses on the
coffee table and dishes in the sink.
“Dad, did you have a late night? You’re usually not this messy,” Bo called out. When he didn’t
get an answer, he walked toward his father’s bedroom. He opened the door to find clothes strewn
about on the floor.
“Dad, are you OK?” Bo called out again.
“Boy, don’t you know how to knock?” Bo Senior pulled back the covers.
Bo Senior wasn’t alone. He had a lady friend over and the worst part was that it was his mother
entangled in the sheets with his dad.
Evangeline moved a strand of hair out of her eyes and pulled the covers up to her chin. “Hi, Bo.
How was your talk with Summer?”
“Fine,” he stammered. “What’s going on?”
“We had that talk when you were ten.” Bo Senior chuckled.
“Mom, what are you doing here?”
“I was anxious to find out how it went with Summer, so I thought I’d come to town. I called your
daddy and we got to talking and he invited me over for dinner.”
Bo folded his hands over his chest. “You don’t have dinner in bed.”
“But you can have dessert.” His father grinned.
“I’m going to meet John Jacob in the stables. When I get back we’re all going to have a long
talk.” Bo headed for the door.
“Son, can you come back in an hour?” Bo Senior said.
“Or two?” Evangeline chimed in.
“I like the way you think.” Bo Senior tickled her.
Bo closed the door before he was subjected to seeing anything else. He didn’t want to read too
much into it but it was nice to see them together. He’d deal with his parents later.
* * *
“Hey, Uncle John.” Bo tapped on the office door.
“Bubba, on time as usual.” John Jacob closed the ledger he was reading. “You were the only one
of the boys that didn’t need a cattle prod to get ready for school.”
“I guess I’m still that predictable.”
“No, you were disciplined. I always admired that about you. You had your own set of rules of
conduct and you stuck to them even when you were a little boy.”
“I learned from the best. They don’t make men like you and my dad anymore.” He smiled.
“I’m sorry we haven’t been able to open your birthday present until now.”
“I should be the one apologizing. I’ve been preoccupied lately.”
“I know. Summer is her name, right?”
“Yes. Her name is Summer Waverly and she owns a software company, and I am absolutely
smitten with her.” He blushed. There was no other way to say it.
“Love looks good on you.”
“It feels good too.”
“You ready to take a ride?”
They saddled their horses and rode out to a clearing that was one of Bo’s favorite spots.
“I’ve always loved this view.” Bo exhaled.
“Your dad was supposed to join us, but he’s a little tied up at the moment.” John Jacob broke out
into a broad grin.
“I know what he’s doing too. I walked in on them a little while ago. I think I’m traumatized.”
“Try to take it easy on them. Your mama and daddy have been doing that dance for years. It
wasn’t a big surprise that either of them forgot to follow up on the finalization of their divorce.”
“Do you think they’ll get back together?”
“Son, I don’t think they ever were apart.” John Jacob patted him on the back. “Open that
present.”
Bo retrieved the box out of his satchel and tore off the wrapping. It was a beautiful mahogany
box with a lacquer finish. He unhitched the latch and opened it to find dirt of all things.
“I gave your dad a box like that over thirty years ago, now I’m extending the same invitation to
you. You always liked this clearing; I thought it would be the perfect location to build on when you’re
ready.”
Bo’s eyes widened. “I don’t know what to say.”
“Your father and I have been friends since the beginning of time. I wouldn’t be the man I am
today without him having my back. There are no words to thank someone who has been such a big
part of my existence, but I try my best to show it. I know you have a daddy, but I’ve always thought of
you as one of my boys. We raised you together. We loved you together. That’s what’s important.”
Bo nodded. “Thank you.”
“No thanks necessary. I know you’ll do something great with this spot.”
* * *
Bo would have preferred sleeping in with Summer, but he got a text this morning that there was a
big announcement being made and his attendance was required at the ranch. He had the feeling
something important was happening. The sun seemed to shine brighter when someone in the family
had good news. He and Summer had been dating for a blissful two months and he’d loved every
minute of it. This would be the first time she’d be meeting the entire family.
They were almost at the ranch when Summer turned to him. “So what do you think the big news
is?”
“I don’t know but it’s something huge. My dad said he was combing his hair for the event.”
“Maybe he and your mom—”
“I don’t know. They seem to be happy with their long distance relationship.” Bo pulled up to the
house, helped Summer out of the truck, and kissed her hand. Then he opened the door and helped
Autumn.
Autumn straightened her dress. “Are you sure you don’t mind me tagging along?”
“Of course not. The Blakes would be insulted if you didn’t come. Family is very important to all
of us.”
Summer cleared her throat. “I’m glad you said that because…our parents are coming for a visit
and I wanted to introduce you to them. But if you think it’s too soon we can wait until their next visit
—”
“I’d love to meet the parents of the troublesome Waverly sisters. We have a lot to talk about.”
He smiled.
“Good, maybe we could have a dinner party and invite your mom and dad too.”
The moment they entered the house, the Blake ladies descended on them with hugs. Funny how
everyone one of them knew Summer from Autumn. Bo said hello to the guys, but he could tell
everyone was excited about the announcement. John Jacob shushed the crowd so they could get down
to business. Bo’s eyes widened when he gave the floor to Tyler and Channing, who had Michelle and
Cassidy beside them.
Tyler spoke first. “As you all know, the homes that Channing and I built are near completion and
we’re happy to say they should be in move-in condition next month. My baby brother and I did a lot of
talking during the construction and decided that there was something else we wanted to collaborate
on, with the approval of Michelle and Cassidy, of course.”
Channing took over. “It is with great pleasure that we announce that Cassie and Michelle have
agreed to marry two handsome, loveable, troublemaking cowboys on the same day. We’re having a
double wedding.”
The family began whooping and hollering, even Rowdy got in on it. Bo made his way into the
massive crowd and congratulated both couples. He’d known it was coming but this was a pleasant
surprise. Bo squeezed Summer’s hand and he got a warm feeling inside when she squeezed his in
return. The happiness that they just bore witness to was definitely something worth striving for.
Bo Senior came over. “Summer, did Bo tell you that I’m just dying to bounce some grandkids on
my knee?”
“Dad!” Bo’s cheeks lit up a bright pink color.
Summer laughed. “Mr. Jamison, my mother has been rallying for my sister and me to ‘get it
together’ as well. It doesn’t matter that my older sister and two brothers already have children.”
“Summer and I are—”
Bo Senior held up his hand. “You don’t have to map out a plan for me. You love each other.
That’s a good beginning.”
Teri-Lyn came over and gave them another hug. “Here’s the happy couple.”
“Auntie Lyn, it’s a big day here on the ranch.”
“Five down, one to go.” Teri-Lyn winked at him and turned to Autumn. “Autumn, Bo tells me
you’re single.”
“I’m just waiting for the right person, Mrs. Blake. Like my sister did.”
“Let’s get you some lemonade and a piece of cake and talk about it.” Teri-Lyn led her over to the
food table.
“Auntie Lyn is going to make it her mission in life to find Autumn a good mate.” Bo sighed.
“Well, she knows a thing or two about a good man. She raised a room full of them,” Summer
mused.
“Want to get some air?”
“Sure.” Summer picked up her cake and followed him onto the veranda.
Bo escorted her to the porch swing. Summer nibbled on her cake while he rocked them back and
forth. It was nice to sit there in silence enjoying the revelry coming from inside.
“I got a call from Wyatt. He’s thinking about transferring to a school in Texas.”
“That would mean you’d see him more often.”
“My mom wasn’t happy, but she likes that he’d be close to me.” He shrugged.
“She’d feel better if his big brother was looking out for him.”
“So would you mind if Wyatt were around more?”
Summer nestled closer to him and put her head on his shoulder. “I say the more the merrier.”
“And Corbett invited us to his wedding, but I wouldn’t go out and buy a dress just yet. Something
tells me he and Courtney are on shaky ground.”
“OK.”
“And.” Bo took a deep breath.
“There’s an and?” She giggled.
“John Jacob gave me a box of dirt for my birthday. It was symbolic for the house he’s inviting
me to build here on the ranch someday.”
“That’s quite an offer.” She lifted her head up.
“I know it’s early days, but I felt like I had to say this because I can see us being together
forever. And this is my home. I may have gotten away from it for a while but this is home.”
Summer looked into his eyes for a long time. “When the time is right, it’ll be my home too.”
Bo kissed her hard. He loved her so much. “So are we still on for the comic book convention
next week?”
“You bet. And I have an electronics expo next month. Since Corporate Hijack’s release, it’s
been a full-throttle press campaign. Autumn has been handling things like a pro.”
The new games were selling out everywhere, and like he predicted, NuWave had catapulted into
a new category. The Waverly sisters were on fire.
“I already have it in my planner. But I warn you; I won’t be responsible for my actions if
someone makes some sexist remark to you or Autumn.”
“Well, we have Regency to handle situations like that, but you never know when I’ll need a
handsome cowboy to defend my honor.” She bit back a smile.
Bo stood and pulled her up with him. “Let’s get back to the party and get you another piece of
cake. I love you, Summer Waverly.”
“I love you too, Bo Jamison.” She got up on her tiptoes and kissed him.
Bo returned to the party happy that there was a lot of celebrate. He informed the ladies that he
wouldn’t be using his vacation to Executive Desires, but he wanted their blessing to pass it on to
someone he knew could use a vacation: Jared. The ladies agreed that was a good idea and he’d call
his friend tomorrow and give him the good news.
For so long he thought he needed to get away from the ranch to find himself, when the core of
who he was was right there all along. He nodded at his dad, who was talking to John Jacob. He knew
his dad wouldn’t admit it, but seeing his mom again had given him a brighter smile and an extra pep in
his step. Bo was hopeful that they could be happy together in whatever capacity they deemed fit. He
was happy to be back to his roots. He was happy to be back home.
~ About the Author ~
Rhonda Laurel is a contemporary interracial/multicultural romance writer whose two great
loves are writing and landscape photography. She uses both as a vehicle to convey the complexity of
the human spirit and the beauty of the world around her. Ebb Tide, For the Love of the Game and
Masquerade were released in 2012. Shutter, Memories of You, Star Crossed, MVP, California
Bored and Tourism and The Blake Legacy in 2013. The print anthology, The Rhonda Laurel
Collection, featuring Ebb Tide, For the Love of the Game and Shutter released June 2013. Texas
Heat, Love Notes & Football and The Perfect Storm, books 4, 5 and 6 in The Blake Boys Series
released in 2014. Slow Burn, Hollywood Heat, Cowboy’s Heart, and Tempting Fate released in
2015.
The author is happily building her backlist.
Discover more about Rhonda Laurel here
http://www.facebook.com/authorrhondalaurel
http://www.twitter.com/rhondalaurel
http://pinterest.com/rhondalaurel/
Also by Rhonda Laurel
The Blake Boys Series
For the Love of the Game
The Blake Boys Book One
Rhonda Laurel
This quarterback is making the greatest play of his life…
Quiet bookstore owner Morgan Reed can’t wait to lie on the beach on her much-needed tropical
vacation, but getting tackled by a tall, green-eyed stranger playing touch football isn’t exactly what
she had in mind. Neither is falling for said stranger, or going along with the eccentric islander who
sends them off with a mock wedding. But all’s fair when it comes to vacation romance, and Morgan
has plenty of time to get back to reality when she gets home.
When he slams into the beautiful Morgan on the beach and sends her to the infirmary, superstar
quarterback Seth Blake insists on helping her recover—if she agrees to share his bungalow with him.
Seth is nothing less than smitten, and the best part is that the beauty has no idea who he is.
But when he finds out that their little “wedding” was the real thing, Seth finds himself in a sticky
situation. Especially when Morgan finds out the man she fell for isn’t at all who he made himself out
to be…
Buy For the Love of the Game here
http://www.amazon.com/Love-Game-Rhonda-Laurel-ebook/dp/B00A3X2NS6/
MVP
The Blake Boys Book Two
Rhonda Laurel
The game has just begun…
Morgan Reed-Blake discovers that being the wife of MVP quarterback Seth Blake has its
perks…and its challenges. Thrust into Seth’s high-profile world, she must wade through the celebrity,
status, and the ghosts of girlfriends past. So when Seth takes Morgan home to his ranch in Texas and
introduces her to his family and friends, she’s not surprised when his high school sweetheart comes to
call. Morgan suspects she wants to rekindle the flame, and how can she blame her? Distraught over
the changes their relationship has caused for Seth, Morgan wonders if maybe he’s better off without
her.
Pro quarterback Seth Blake is elated that his wife Morgan is giving their “fake” marriage a real
chance. But he doesn’t anticipate running into the woman who broke his heart years ago. He hasn’t
told Morgan about the complicated relationship with his ex, but as he guides Morgan through the maze
of his celebrity lifestyle, can he convince her the past is in the past? The MVP does not accept defeat,
and he’s determined not to lose. But winning Morgan might be the most difficult game of his life…
Buy MVP here
http://www.amazon.com/MVP-Rhonda-Laurel-ebook/dp/B00DI9WD3W/
The Blake Legacy
The Blake Boys Book Three
Rhonda Laurel
Two lovers. Two dreams. One hell of a hard decision…
NFL quarterback Seth Blake is having an unbelievable hot streak—he’s won his third Super
Bowl title the same day his wife Morgan gave birth to their son. Life couldn’t be better for the new
father and MVP. His contract with the Philadelphia Titans expires in a year, giving him a chance to
make a professional dream come true: to play in his home state for the Texas Wildcats and return to
his much-missed Twelve Horseshoes Ranch—this time, for good.
Morgan Reed-Blake has never been happier. She’s got the best husband, the cutest baby, and
she’s successfully juggling career and family. Her bookstore is expanding, her charitable organization
is growing, and she’s been offered her dream job on the literacy council. Everything in her
Philadelphia world is coming up roses. Until Seth’s contract with the Titans expires, and his dream of
returning home comes close enough to touch…and the powers that be in Texas start romancing Seth in
earnest. Morgan and Seth both have dreams. But a choice has to be made…
Buy The Blake Legacy here
http://www.amazon.com/Blake-Legacy-Boys-ebook/dp/B00GO4J81I/
Texas Heat
The Blake Boys Book Four
Rhonda Laurel
Isabelle Reed is having a bad year. The classical violinist is struggling with a divorce, and a
broken arm has left her unable to play. So when she receives a wedding invitation from her cousin
Morgan, her heart just isn’t in it. Going to the wedding will mean seeing everyone from back home,
and seeing everyone back home will mean facing the music about her divorce. Unable to miss her
cousin’s wedding, she bites the bullet and takes off—and lands right in the arms of Morgan’s brother-
in-law, country western music star Tate McGill. She’d heard about the singer and his bad-boy
reputation, but there’s something about those storm-filled eyes that made her yearn to look deeper.
Even though she should know better than to risk being the subject of a song on his next album.
Country western singer Tate McGill is living the good life. He’s surrounded by beautiful
women, hit music, and a great family. But he gets more than he bargained for when he agrees to
babysit his nephew Jake for his brother Seth Blake, and finds a beautiful woman in his way. Isabelle
Reed is talented and strong-willed, and she’s a natural with little Jake. But she’s keeping a secret
from Tate, and he’s determined to find out what it is...
Buy Texas Heat here
http://www.amazon.com/Texas-Heat-Blake-Boys-Book-ebook/dp/B00JRFGIQY/
Love Notes and Football
The Blake Boys Book Five
Rhonda Laurel
New baby. New adventures. Love deluxe.
Philadelphia Titans quarterback Seth Blake couldn’t be happier. Toddler Jake is growing like a
weed, and Seth’s wife Morgan is expecting another baby. He’s just signed a new contract to play
football for five more years and has a plan for retirement. Things couldn’t be better...until an
unexpected family crisis turns the world upside down for them all.
Morgan Blake is ecstatic to become a mom again. The bookstore owner is happily balancing
work life, homelife, and love life while preparing for their new arrival. But the family is keeping a
secret from her. And the secret will threaten the very happiness she’s worked so hard to find.
Buy Love Notes and Football here
http://www.amazon.com/Love-Notes-Football-Blake-Boys-ebook/dp/B00MPTF2HA/
The Perfect Storm
The Blake Boys Book Six
Rhonda Laurel
Sometimes you have to tear everything down and start over…
Private security specialist Samantha Jane Carson gets the surprise of her life when she arrives at
Blake Enterprises for the annual security audit. Instead of her usual contact, she’s greeted by the
company president himself, the sexy and elusive J.J. Blake. It’s her job to know everything about the
Blake family, and J.J.’s recent divorce is the talk of the town. Women are lined up to become the next
Mrs. Blake, and who wouldn’t want to be? J.J.’s gorgeous, rich, and has stormy green eyes that hold
women captive.
J.J. Blake is making some major changes in his life. Freshly divorced from ex-wife Eden, he’s
building a new house, coming to terms with the injury that ended his NFL career, and is ready to start
fresh—without romance complicating things. His friends and family encourage him to get back into
the dating pool, but he’d rather not be sucked into those rough waters again. Work is the obvious
diversion, and he opts to handle the security audit himself for some good old-fashioned guy/tech
work. But when Sam Carson walks into his office, J.J.’s brought up short. The “Sam” he was
expecting turns out to be Samantha—beautiful, smart, and a tough-as-nails ex-cop in a polished,
professional package. And she’s just the kind of woman who could drag him under…
Buy The Perfect Storm here
http://www.amazon.com/Perfect-Storm-Blake-Boys-Book-ebook/dp/B00OMCEPGW/
Slow Burn
The Blake Boys Book Seven
Rhonda Laurel
Tyler Blake is making quite a name for himself in the racing circuit and has everything he’s ever
wanted—fame, the support of his family, and hot women clamoring for his attention. But he can’t get a
certain bookseller out of his head. The passionate night he spent with Michelle Bradley on the eve of
his brother’s wedding still haunts him. He’s too busy living the dream to want commitment, but when
he hears Michelle is seeing someone, it bothers him more than he’s willing to admit.
Michelle Bradley is making some major changes in her life. Fed up with months of pursuing the
elusive Tyler Blake, she’s ready to throw in the towel. The night she spent with Tyler might as well
never have happened, because he doesn’t seem to know she’s alive. But when a cooking class
inspires Michelle to funnel her passion into the fine art of cuisine, she finds a new outlet: writing a
food blog. Until a glimpse of Tyler on television kissing a woman after a big win sends her into a
tizzy. With the help of the Blake women, Michelle kidnaps Tyler and takes him to a secluded cabin so
they can have it out once and for all. She hopes the fabulous meal she’s prepared will entice him to
stay, at least long enough for dessert…
Buy Slow Burn here
http://www.amazon.com/Slow-Burn-Blake-Boys-Book-ebook/dp/B00RHB6VEO/
Cowboy’s Heart
The Blake Boys Book Eight
Rhonda Laurel
Reconciling the past. Speeding toward the future. Can a cowboy's heart survive the now?
Country singer Tate McGill has never been happier. He's engaged to Isabelle, the woman of his
dreams, and his music career has shot him straight to the top. With his adopted Blake clan gathered in
Las Vegas for the last leg of his world tour, Tate's excited to publicly announce his engagement. But
his excitement is bittersweet. Isabelle has found a collection of beautiful, unpublished country songs
by Tate's late birth mother and a lifetime's worth of letters between her and his adopted mother, Teri-
Lyn, matriarch of the powerful Blake family. Tate's given all he has to overcome his abusive past and
build a future for himself and Isabelle, but he's not sure if his birth mother's words will bring him
closure, or more pain.
Isabelle Reed has a wonderful secret—and terrible timing. She's engaged to her sexy country
music star, Tate McGill, and after months of physical therapy to heal the arm broken by her abusive
ex-husband, she's finally able to play her violin professionally again. But best of all, she's pregnant!
Unfortunately, her timing couldn't be worse. Tate's afraid to have children, fearing he'll perpetrate the
cycle of abuse he suffered as a child. And with the shadows of his birth mother's letters, and
Isabelle's disapproving father coming to meet “that cowboy,” Tate has enough on his plate. His entire
career is riding on this last gig of his tour and on the film that’s being made about him and his band.
He can't be distracted by the ghosts of his past that Isabelle knows her news will raise. If she can just
hide her morning sickness until after Vegas…
But Isabelle's father won't be appeased, and when Tate’s past follows him to Vegas, it only fuels
her father's disapproval. With the baby coming, Isabelle wants everyone to get along. Will she really
have to choose between her new life with Tate and her father's love?
Buy Cowboy’s Heart here
http://www.amazon.com/Cowboys-Heart-Blake-Boys-Book-ebook/dp/B00UY4LBUU/
Tempting Fate
The Blake Boys Book Nine
Rhonda Laurel
Love can heal the most stubborn heart…
Attorney Channing Blake is looking forward to a new chapter in his life. He’s graduated law
school in Washington, DC and has returned home to the Twelve Horseshoes Ranch to take a job with
Blake Enterprises. But he’s not the only one who’s back in town. Emma Winterbourne, his on-again,
off-again girlfriend, has failed to make it in the Big Apple and is back in Texas, looking to pick up
where she left off with good old Channing. Although the chemistry between them has always burned
hot, Channing isn’t sure he wants to be her whipping boy any longer.
But when he heads back to DC to attend a friend’s engagement party, he becomes sure of it. A
chance meeting with the beautiful Cassidy Shaw dredges up all the old feelings he’d felt for her in
law school. He’d dated her once or twice, but she’d mysteriously disappeared without a word. His
attempts to find her had come up empty. He’d had no choice but to move on. Now, with Cassidy right
there, looking at him with that same longing he was feeling, he knew he owed it to himself to follow
his heart. But when Cassidy disappears again and won’t take his calls, he knows something isn’t right.
Cassidy is keeping something from him, and he’s not above using Blake resources to find out what.
Buy Tempting Fate here
http://www.amazon.com/Tempting-Fate-Blake-Boys-Book-ebook/dp/B00Y1OYCGO/
The Hollywood Heat Series
Star Crossed
Hollywood Heat Book One
Rhonda Laurel
When Hollywood’s sexiest secret explodes, stars are born.
Music mogul Kate Garrison’s husband is a leading Hollywood director. He also happens to be a
cheat. When he’s caught having an affair with an actress, Kate becomes the talk of the town—and not
in a good way. So when she stumbles into Hollywood’s new golden boy, Chris Cavanaugh—in the
men’s room, of all places—the gossip mill starts working overtime. Especially since Chris is starring
in her husband’s next film.
Chris Cavanaugh couldn’t imagine a woman would have such an effect on his life. But amid the
gossip and Hollywood politics, his only option is to ride out the media storm and play house. He
never expects to actually fall for her, but when illusion begins to look more and more like reality,
Chris has his hands full keeping his career intact and his eye on the target of making the Hollywood
A-list. So why does spending time with Kate suddenly seem more important?
Buy Star Crossed here
http://www.amazon.com/Star-Crossed-Rhonda-Laurel-ebook/dp/B00CB5J544/
Hollywood Rush
Hollywood Heat Book Two
Rhonda Laurel
High stakes. High Passion. Winner takes all.
Atlantis Records mogul Kate Garrison is elated to have married her soul mate, actor Chris
Cavanaugh, a crazy counterpart to her uptight nature. After a scandalous meeting that set the paparazzi
on fire, and a whirlwind courtship and wedding, she and Chris return to their Hollywood life of
movie sets and power struggles. She’s busy with the new business ventures she inherited, which
include another record label and part ownership of Pinnacle Studios. As she struggles to adjust to her
new elite position in Hollywood, not everyone is happy with her new-found power. And in
Hollywood, power is something everyone wants a piece of.
Chris Cavanaugh’s luck keeps getting better and better. He married the woman of his dreams and
his talent is finally getting recognized. The movie roles and award nominations are pouring in. Now if
he could only convince himself that he deserves all the attention. But rumor has it that Kate’s pulling
strings behind the scenes to launch her husband to stardom, now that she owns a majority stake in the
movie studio. And rumors like that could threaten everything they have...
Buy Hollywood Rush here
http://www.amazon.com/Hollywood-Rush-Heat-Book-ebook/dp/B00PWO0W84/
Ebb Tide
Rhonda Laurel
Simmering passion at play.
Natalie Griffin is an attorney who is practical, smart and good at her job. Legalese is the least of
her worries, for much of her time is spent keeping her employer, playboy extraordinaire Evan
Darchon, out of trouble. Natalie has managed organize everything for him--his company, his home,
and his women--but if she could teach him to control some of his wilder impulses, her job would be a
heck of a lot easier.
But what about her impulses? Her cool, controlled demeanor is the perfect complement to
Evan’s wild side, but she craves the carefree way he makes her feel. His attraction is obvious, but
can either of them afford to rock the boat of their professional relationship?
Buy Ebb Tide here
http://www.amazon.com/Ebb-Tide-Rhonda-Laurel-ebook/dp/B008HQEIZC/
Shutter
Rhonda Laurel
Photographer Antonio De Soto’s life is out of focus. Everyone in his family thinks it’s time for
him to settle down. He doesn’t want to be strong-armed into domesticity, even if he does feel the
bachelor lifestyle is starting to wear thin. So when his friend invites him to do a pictorial on the
community theater, Antonio’s prepared to do his thing and follow his normal womanizing M. O.
Instead, he finds himself sparring with the resident artist, Lucy Marceloni. Lucy’s dime-store analysis
of his love life—and him—leaves him angry and shaken, but it’s too close to the truth to dismiss. The
quirky artist is not his type, but their passionate fights generate a deeper heat between them he can’t
ignore…
Lucy wants a man who’s sensitive and intellectual, the exact opposite of Antonio De Soto. The
moment she meets the handsome photographer she pegs him as arrogant and self-centered, but that
doesn’t protect her from the sizzling chemistry between the two of them. Being drawn to the rogue’s
charm and subtle seduction tactics is the last thing she wants. Working with him on the community
theater fairytale production could prove to be more than she can handle...
Buy Shutter here
http://www.amazon.com/Shutter-Rhonda-Laurel-ebook/dp/B00BJ8M4SI/
“Masquerade” Halloween Heat IV
Rhonda Laurel
An Anthology of Erotic Contemporary Romance
Four erotic stories of contemporary romance with just the right amount of Halloween spice to warm
up those cool autumn nights.
“Party Games” by Mina Carter
“Punished by the Cowboy” by Sue Lyndon
“Unmasked” by Brooklyn Wilde
“Masquerade” by Rhonda Laurel
Buy Halloween Heat VI here
http://www.amazon.com/Halloween-Heat-VI-Mina-Carter-ebook/dp/B009MBUIJ6/
More Romance from Etopia Press
Midnight Diamonds
The Rivers Brothers Book One
Cynthia Hampton
Three Talented Brothers. Three Passionate Loves. The Rivers Family—A New Series full of
romance, passion, and music.
Life is looking good for Justin Rivers. After winning a country music contest, a top agent from
Nashville wants to make a deal, and making it big could help Justin win back his family’s respect
after the tragedy he’s caused.
Life stinks for Silver Madison. She loves her teaching job, but the school has been threatened by
a vicious scandal, and she’s just been jilted by her fiancé.
So when Silver catches the eye of the up-and-coming country star, romance—and the paparazzi
—are the last things she needs. But as much as she tries to avoid the limelight, she can’t avoid
Justin’s touch—or the passion that sizzles between them. Justin’s determined to protect his family and
win Silver’s trust, but when a vengeful talent mogul and a crooked manager get involved, scandal
carries Justin and Silver into the national spotlight. Silver’s school can’t take any more bad press,
and Silver’s career is on the line. But when a woman appears claiming to be Justin's wife, Silver’s
not sure if her heart take any more, either…
Buy Midnight Diamonds here
http://www.amazon.com/Midnight-Diamonds-Rivers-Brothers-Book-ebook/dp/B00UXP1NFS/
Requiem for the Living
The Reanimation Files Book Two
A. J. Locke
Selene is slowly dying...too bad that’s the least of her problems.
You could say that Selene Vanream has a lot of problems. First there’s the Rot that’s slowly
killing her, despite everything Ilyse and Micah are doing to find a way to save her.
Then there’s Andrew, the ghost of her boss who is anchored to the living world. Selene would
like to ignore him, but anchored ghosts with unsettled business turn into anchored beasties, so she
can’t write him off. The government has sent a team to post up at Affairs of the Dead and keep an eye
on her, which includes making sure she plays up to Andrew to keep him from turning.
On top of that, someone is using Selene’s new power to create anchored ghosts for their loved
ones to keep around. Not good since the culprit doesn’t have a clue about that whole anchored beastie
angle. Now Selene has a criminal to catch while trying to stay out of the hands of government goons
who have stripping her reanimation power on their agenda.
When Micah and Ilyse finally find a way to save her, Selene thinks she can cross one bad thing
off her list--until she learns the terrible price that must be paid to keep her alive. Full plate doesn’t
cover it. Overflowing plate doesn’t cover it. Selene’s plate has damn near exploded.
Buy Requiem for the Living here
http://www.amazon.com/Requiem-Living-Reanimation-Files-Book-ebook/dp/B00XK6SM1K/
Love Yoga
Serge de Moliere
Morgan Love is one of the few African American yoga instructors in town. After her studies in
India with the legendary Swami Monda, students flock to her classes. But without her own studio,
money remains tight, and her personal life is a wreck after the last man in her life cheated on her.
When an attractive man enters her yoga studio, Morgan is instantly drawn to him. When she
discovers the attraction is mutual, things quickly escalate, taking a dramatic and passionate turn. Eli is
like no other man she's ever met, and that includes his incredible sexual prowess.
But when Morgan's past comes back to haunt her, she finds herself forced to turn to Eli. Are her
hopes and dreams safe with this seemingly too-perfect man? Or will Morgan end up once again as a
man’s sex toy?
Buy Love Yoga here
http://www.amazon.com/Love-Yoga-Serge-Moliere-ebook/dp/B00WZMJTNU/
Table of Contents
Look for these titles from Rhonda Laurel
~ Dedication ~
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
~ About the Author ~
Also by Rhonda Laurel
More Romance from Etopia Press
Document Outline
- Look for these titles from Rhonda Laurel
- ~ Dedication ~
- CHAPTER ONE
- CHAPTER TWO
- CHAPTER THREE
- CHAPTER FOUR
- CHAPTER FIVE
- CHAPTER SIX
- CHAPTER SEVEN
- CHAPTER EIGHT
- ~ About the Author ~
- Also by Rhonda Laurel
- More Romance from Etopia Press
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