by Piper Rayne
“You spoil me, Annie. They’ll mean more if I do it myself. Plus, you helped me with that Nectar ad. I should be thanking you.”
Could my boss be any better? He’s in at nine, out at five. Never expects me to work on weekends or after hours. Mr. Beardsman took me under his wing two years ago, enabling me to gain the knowledge I’ll need to one day become a full-fledged ad exec.
He stands, collecting his briefcase and his umbrella. He eyes the clock and glances back at me. “You’re going to leave me soon and you’ll probably get promoted over me.” He smiles, like the thought of it doesn’t bother him in the least. Although, I don’t think he’s right about that.
“I’ll see you Monday.” I smile.
“Have a great weekend,” he shrugs on his coat, smiling at me briefly.
I walk out of his office and right into Shelby.
“Annie,” she sighs, relief in her shoulders like I’m her life preserver after treading water for hours.
“I’m off this afternoon Shelby. I can’t do it.”
“He needs someone.” She chases after me to the elevator.
“Not me.” I press the button to call the elevator.
“It’s just for one afternoon,” she insists.
We wait by the elevator and I look over to her at my side, examining her sweater vest, complete with sporadic cat hairs poking out. Will I be her one day? No, I’m choosing to be alone at this point in my life. It’s different.
“I have plans otherwise you know I would,” I say to fill the silence.
“Shelby!” Mr. Mancini bellows out as he walks down the hallway.
I press the down button on the elevator again, harder this time and glance to the stairwell sign. Tempting, but seventy-five floors isn’t ideal in my heels. I’ll be soaked in sweat before I make it onto the Manhattan street.
Shelby’s face pales as her eyes flicker to Mr. Mancini walking toward us.
“Please. I’ll give you two days off next week. I won’t even count them against you. Name the price,” she whisper-shouts at me.
“I’m sorry Shelby.”
The elevator doors ding open and I step in just as Mr. Mancini reaches Shelby. She throws herself in between the elevator doors before they shut, and they pop back open.
I catch Jake and Mae snickering as they watch on and I narrow my eyes, pressing the button to ground level.
“Who’s mine for the rest of the day?” Mr. Mancini holds a stack of papers in his hands.
Shelby shoots me pathetic and somewhat desperate eyes. She smiles at Mr. Mancini putting up her finger. “One moment.”
She turns to me, lowering her voice. “I’d do it myself, but I have to put Pinkie down later today. She’s in awful pain. They say she has a blockage.” Her eyes tear up.
I sigh. Using a sick cat is a low blow. But Shelby would never lie about that because she’d be worried about karma coming back to her or one of her precious cats.
I contemplate what my choices are. The pedicure I was getting before moving into my new place can wait. If I get out by four, I’ll be good.
“I can only stay until four.” I step out of the elevator.
The papers are still stuffed under Mr. Mancini’s arm and his thumbs move over the screen of his phone like a teenager.
“You know Annie Stewart, Ted Beardsman’s assistant?” Shelby touches his upper arm.
I bet it’s rock hard with muscle.
He nods without lifting his head, still entranced with his phone. A moment later he takes a break from texting and hands me his pile of papers, not bothering to look up at me. “I need this proposal copied and bound. There will be six people total.” He turns on his heel and walks down the hallway.
“See you, Enzo,” Mr. Beardsman says walking toward us, his forehead crinkling the closer he gets.
“Ted,” Mr. Mancini stops him. They talk about something I can’t hear, but Ted laughs, slaps Enzo on the back.
“Just remember come Monday she’s back to being mine.”
Mr. Mancini must say something else because Ted laughs again. Lorenzo Mancini, funny man. Yeah, right.
Mr. Beardsman joins us at the elevators, pressing the down button. “You’re too nice, Annie. Should’ve ran out of here.”
He steps into the elevator, smiling as the doors close while I stand here holding a stack of papers in my hand and instructions from a man who didn’t bother to look me in the eye.
“You so owe me, Shelby.” I stomp down the hallway, throwing my purse and my jacket onto my chair like a toddler having a fit. If I could I’d jump up and down, screaming.
Grabbing my cell phone out of my purse, I text Jake and Mae and head to the copy room.
I’m not in there for more than one minute when they both join me and shut the door.
I blow out a breath, organizing the papers in my hand.
“Sorry,” Jake says, sliding up onto the table.
“You could’ve taken one for the team.” I shoot the stack of papers through the color copier.
“I’m innocent. I’m in accounting.” Mae holds her hands up and joins Jake on the table, digging her hand into the bag of Twizzlers on his lap. Obviously, he hid out in the break room.
“I had somewhere to be,” I whine, grabbing my own Twizzler from Jake’s stash and biting off the top of it with more ferocity than necessary.
“And where is that?” Jake asks, tilting his head.
I roll my eyes.
Mae says nothing because she already knows.
“Nowhere, but if I don’t get out of here by four o’clock, I’m going to make a little voodoo doll of you Jake Hill and prick you right between the legs.”
Mae laughs.
Jake squeezes his thighs together. “Whoa. That’s harsh.”
The copies finish and I shift my attention to the binding area. Jake stays put but Mae hops down and puts her hand on my shoulder. “Sorry, Annie, but I’ll be over tonight to help,” she whispers.
“What am I missing? I thought this was a three-way friendship?”
Mae and I both look over our shoulders and laugh. I pop the rest of the licorice into my mouth.
“You wish it could be a three-way.” Mae leans across the small room, grabbing two more pieces of licorice and handing one to me.
“We are alone and there is a lock on this door...”
“Ever heard of sexual harassment?” I put my hand to my ear.
“Relax, I see you both as sisters.”
I wink and bind the third presentation together. There’s silence as I work except for the sound of each of us chewing our licorice.
“Come on guys. I feel like that loser friend no one talks to,” Jake whines and Mae shakes her head, eyeing me to see if I’m willing to share my news. The only reason I’ve kept it from him was because I didn’t want him making a big deal of it. Though it is a big deal to me, it’s not like people don’t buy condos every day.
I turn around and Mae takes over binding the next one for me. “I’m moving. I bought a condo.”
He jumps off the table, his arms circling around me, and begins dancing in the middle of the room.
“Relax,” I throw his word back at him. “It’s small. One-bedroom and in Inwood, so…”
He continues to sway us side-to-side with his arms around me, while Mae finishes my job for me.
“I have to call my dad to meet the movers now.” I groan.
“Your dad loves doing stuff like that,” Mae says.
“We need to celebrate.” Jake spins me just as the door opens.
He loses his grip on me and I twirl until I fall into a rock-hard body. One fleeting glance into his soft brown eyes and I slide down his body like he’s slathered in Vaseline landing in a heap at his feet.
“What the hell is going on in here?” Mr. Mancini’s loud voice booms through the small room.
Did God curse him because he’s so beautiful? When he was doling out attributes did he check the box next to ‘asshole’ to prove you can’t
have everything in life?
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Cockamamie Unicorn Ramblings
So??? Let us start by saying, secrets aren’t our thing and we didn’t really know how hard this was going to be. We had to be careful with our teasers not to name a dad, any excerpts we shared couldn’t have Rome’s name. Or Rayne’s famous slip of the tongue. She might be the worst secret keeper in the universe! How we were able to keep this secret for so long is surprising to both of us.
While writing Birth of a Baby Daddy, Rayne felt as though she was missing Rome’s voice, but she realized that just like our famous Lennon from Mad About the Banker, when a comical secondary character gets their own book, you’re seeing a very different side of them. The way Rome was able to weave in and out of the first two Bailey books usually bringing laughs with his dialogue is a whole lot different than the man who finds out he’s now a father.
Rayne begged for this secret baby trope to be in The Baileys repertoire. Not that Piper was opposed or even fought not to include it. But it’s a trope Rayne had been wanting to get into a Piper Rayne book for a long time so she was so happy when Piper coined the title Birth of a Baby Daddy.
As with Jilted though, navigating Rome and Harley’s story was hard because these two strangers had to get to know one another as well as tread through all the issues involved in co-parenting. We desperately wanted their relationship to develop naturally and not be a case of instalove. They obviously had the heat in the bedroom, what with Calista’s conception two years prior, but Harley had trust issues and Rome was a happy bachelor when his baby mama landed in Lake Starlight. It was important to see them coming together as a true couple in order to believe in their happily ever after.
* * *
Many thanks to everyone below. Without them we’d be lost!
Danielle Sanchez and the entire Wildfire Marketing Solutions!
Ellie from My Brother’s Editor for line edits.
Shawna from Behind the Writer for proofreading.
Sarah from Okay Creations for the cover and branding for the entire series.
Sara from Sara Eirew Photography for the loving picture of Brooklyn and Wyatt.
Bloggers who consistently carve out time to read, review and/or promote us.
Piper Rayne Unicorns who shout from the rooftops about our new releases and love our characters like we do.
Readers who took a chance on our book with so many choices out there.
* * *
I think you know who is coming next—our lovable Savannah Bailey (haha) and the man who loves to press her buttons, Liam. Unfortunately, we can’t get a preorder up on Amazon yet due to a three month out rule, so please sign up for our google sheet. We’ll only contact you once the preorder and book goes live!
That’s right we’re taking a quick dive into Manhattan to hang out with the Mancini brothers in the White Collar Brothers series. The first book. Sexy Filthy Boss, is up for preorder now and releases in June. But don’t worry, we’ll be back in Lake Starlight with the Baileys in the fall!
Hugs to everyone!
Xo
Piper & Rayne
About Piper & Rayne
Piper Rayne, or Piper and Rayne, whichever you prefer because we’re not one author, we’re two. Yep, you get two USA Today Bestselling authors for the price of one. Our goal is to bring you romance stories that have "Heartwarming Humor With a Side of Sizzle" (okay...you caught us, that's our tagline). A little about us... We both have kindle’s full of one-clickable books. We're both married to husbands who drive us to drink. We're both chauffeurs to our kids. Most of all, we love hot heroes and quirky heroines that make us laugh, and we hope you do, too.
www.piperrayne.com
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Also by Piper Rayne
The Modern Love World
Charmed by the Bartender
Hooked by the Boxer
Mad about the Banker
* * *
The Single Dad’s Club
Real Deal
Dirty Talker
Sexy Beast
* * *
Hollywood Hearts
Mister Mom
Animal Attraction
Domestic Bliss
* * *
Bedroom Games
Cold as Ice
On Thin Ice
Break the Ice
Box Set
* * *
Charity Case
Manic Monday
Afternoon Delight
Happy Hour
* * *
Blue Collar Brothers
Flirting with Fire
Crushing on the Cop
Engaged to the EMT
* * *
The Baileys
Lessons from a One-Night Stand
Advice from a Jilted Bride
Birth of a Baby Daddy
Operation Bailey Wedding (Novella)
Falling for My Brother’s Best Friend
Demise of a Self-Centered Playboy
Confessions of a Naughty Nanny
* * *
White Collar Brothers
Sexy Filthy Boss
Dirty Flirty Enemy
Wild Steamy Hook-up
