The Book Boyfriend Series Box Set

by Carly Phillips

  “Sure.” Olivia came around her desk, a slight frown creasing her brow as she watched Max walk down the hallway toward his office. “What’s up with him?” she murmured, more to herself than anyone else.

  Clearly, Olivia wasn’t used to her boss being so terse. Truth be told, Hailey had never seen Max this way, either—he was always so easygoing and good-natured—and even though she knew she was to blame for his brusque attitude, she wasn’t about to tell his secretary the reason and drag her into their current drama.

  Olivia led the way to the conference room. “Would you like something to drink?” she asked once they arrived.

  She wondered, just briefly, if she ought to ask for a shot of something strong and alcoholic but decided she needed to be clear-headed for this meeting . . . and the confrontation ahead.

  “A glass of water would be wonderful, thank you.” Hailey took a corner seat at the long mahogany table while Olivia set a cold bottle of water and a glass in front of her, then the younger woman excused herself and headed back to her desk.

  Hailey rubbed her fingers across her forehead, then poured herself a glass of water and took a much-needed swallow of the cool liquid. Now that she was alone, a nervous energy swirled inside of her because she knew she had to fess up all the embarrassing details of her deception to Max. And with it so quiet in the room, it gave her mind too much time to replay the encounter with Maureen, and Max’s response to it all.

  She was grateful that he’d gone along with the ruse without calling her out in front of Maureen—because he easily could have, and that would have really shot her credibility as a reputable matchmaker all to hell. Instead, he’d played the part of her loving fiancé—almost too well, she thought with a grimace. The man could certainly act, because his performance had been Oscar worthy and Maureen had fallen for Max’s charming personality and displays of affection.

  He’d gone above and beyond, but it was the change in him once they were outside the restaurant and alone again that she found perplexing. He’d gone from effortlessly winning Maureen over with his wit and sparkling conversation to cool and uptight on the power walk to his office building. But it was that hot, deep, spontaneous kiss in the elevator that still had her head spinning, because all that sexual tension he’d unleashed on her had seemingly come out of nowhere.

  Or had it?

  Confusion swirled through her, and she touched her fingers to her lips, still swollen from the deliciously aggressive treatment of Max’s mouth on hers. In three months’ time, he’d never given her any indication that he was attracted to her, but that kiss . . . well, it had bypassed basic attraction and had been filled with unmistakable lust.

  It was far easier for Hailey to believe that he’d kissed her out of anger or punishment. And truthfully, his behavior in the elevator might have been a result of his frustration with her, but there was no doubt in her mind that it hadn’t ended that way. By the time he’d withdrawn his lips from hers and she looked into his intoxicating gaze, the undeniable heat she saw there was laced with one hundred percent desire. For her.

  A shiver stole through her at that realization, and she pressed her thighs together to ease the persistent ache he’d started with that kiss.

  “Looks like everything on the purchase agreement is just as we discussed,” Max said from behind her as he entered the room, carrying a sheath of papers.

  Hailey had been so caught up in her thoughts that she didn’t hear him arrive and jumped in her seat when he spoke. He sat down at the end of the table, which put him diagonally next to her chair, and spread the papers out in front of him. She noticed that he’d taken off his suit jacket and had rolled up the sleeves of his shirt to reveal his strong forearms, which only made him look sexier.

  Other than his ruffled hair, he was a man in total control. Everything about him was all business, as if that kiss between them had never happened. His expression was devoid of any tangible emotion, and she realized that she wanted the old Max back. The one who was quick to smile and made her laugh. The one she felt comfortable around and at ease with. The one she’d come to think of as a friend.

  Had she completely screwed up everything by making him a part of her fake engagement? Her stomach hurt with the possibility.

  “We’ll go over all the terms before you sign the agreement,” he went on in a straightforward manner. “And then we’ll send it over to Daniel, the current owner of the property, for his approval and signature, as well. Once that’s done, we’ll start the title search, order an appraisal, and set up a property inspection.”

  She nodded. “Okay.”

  Hailey knew this was going to be a fairly fast process, especially with the owner asking for a quick turnaround on the sale of the property, which was what she also wanted. Her fifty percent cash down payment had already been verified, and she was pre-approved for financing. A thirty-day escrow was doable.

  Over the next half hour, Max explained all the pertinent details of the purchase and sale agreement in a professional and efficient manner. He was patient with her questions and treated the entire transaction like the business deal it was. Once she approved all the terms and signed the contract, Max pressed the button on the intercom on the table. A few seconds later, his secretary answered and he requested her presence in the conference room.

  She arrived, and Max handed her the documents. “I need you to email this offer to Daniel Morrison for his approval and signature, which he’s expecting. Let me know as soon as he returns the agreement and if he’s requested any changes, or if he accepts the terms as stated so we can get this property into escrow as quickly as possible.”

  “Sure thing,” Olivia said, and turned to go.

  “And please shut the door when you leave,” he added, his dark greenish-brown eyes focused directly on Hailey.

  Olivia did as he asked, and as soon as the two of them were alone in the silent room, Max leaned back in his leather chair, looking very much in charge and emanating a confidence that made her pulse escalate a few beats. While she’d always enjoyed his lighthearted side, this controlled version made her very aware of him as a man, and mostly on a sexual level. And now, after that kiss and having intimate knowledge of how it felt to have his strong, hard frame pressed up against hers, her sorely deprived body wanted more.

  Max tipped his head, regarding her in a way she couldn’t define. “Now that the most important thing is taken care of and out of the way, and I’ve had the chance to really think about what happened at the restaurant, you and I have a few things to discuss.”

  She didn’t miss the small smirk on his lips that told her he liked having the upper hand, and she clasped her hands in her lap to keep her fingers from fidgeting. Let the mortification begin. “What would you like to know?”

  “We’ve already established that there is currently no man in your life, fiancé or otherwise,” he said, dropping his gaze to the mouth he’d ravished a short while ago before slowly raising his eyes back to hers. “So why are you wearing a ring on your finger that leads people to believe you’re engaged?”

  There was no judgment or criticism in his tone, which chased away some of her anxiety, but certainly not all of it because she still had to explain her reasons for doing something so extreme. Not an easy feat when her logic for creating a fake fiancé was humiliating to admit. Then again, she’d never believed she’d ever be in the position to have to confess the pretense of being engaged to anyone.

  “I’m a reputable, high-profile matchmaker, and my own track record with men kind of sucks, which completely contradicts what I do for a living,” she said, pushing out the shameful truth. Or most of it, anyway. There were some things that didn’t need to be a part of this conversation—like the fact that she was the one responsible for every one of those failed relationships.

  “After my last break-up about six months ago, I decided to take a sabbatical from dating and focus on building the Ellison Agency instead,” she continued, absently tapping the toe of one of her sh
oes on the floor. “I didn’t want any distractions, and it was just easier to put a ring on my finger and to perpetuate the lie of being engaged and to ward off any interest my clients might have in me, which has happened a few times.”

  “Well, the ring certainly fooled me,” he said, his features softening a bit.

  She was happy to see the old Max resurfacing, and was grateful that he didn’t ask about her inability to sustain a relationship with a guy. The answer to that was far more complicated and wasn’t something she wanted to discuss with Max. It was hard enough that she was self-conscious about her body image, even after losing so much weight, and her insecurities weren’t relevant to this conversation, anyway.

  He drummed his fingers on the leather armrest of his chair, his body seemingly more relaxed, as if he’d found her reasons for the pretense somewhat justifiable. “So, I guess we’re at the part where you tell me how my name got pulled into your little charade.”

  Before she even said a word, a warm flush crept up her neck and swept across her cheeks. Feeling restless, she pushed herself out of her chair and walked over to the windows in the conference room that overlooked the city of Chicago. God, this part of the story was, well, awkward, to say the least. But again, she owed Max an explanation, and after crossing her arms over her chest, she turned around and forced herself to give him the answers he deserved to hear.

  “For the first few months of wearing the engagement ring, none of my clients questioned it or asked about my significant other.” Some of them had offered congratulations, but surprisingly no one asked for a name, which had made it easy for her to get complacent about the fiancé fabrication.

  “What about family and friends?” he questioned curiously as he swiveled his chair to face her, presenting her with a full-length view of his big body sprawled so casually before her. “What do they believe?”

  “My family doesn’t live in Chicago,” she told him, forgoing the fact that her parents were dead and her aunt and uncle had been the ones to raise her. Another story for another time, if ever. “They live in Springfield, so I only see them once or twice a year, so it’s not an issue. My best friend and assistant at the agency, Brielle, is the only one who knows the truth.”

  He nodded, and she finished answering his initial question. “Anyway, it was shortly after you and I met three months ago when I ran into Maureen, who has a lot of connections and has referred quite a few clients to me since her son started dating Tiffany. The first thing she noticed was the ring on my finger, and she demanded to know who the man in my life was. I tried to be evasive, but you saw for yourself how persistent she can be.”

  He chuckled, the sound deep and amused, just how she liked it best. “Yeah, just a little bit.”

  She breathed a sigh of relief, that he was coming around and she was seeing glimpses of the Max she knew and loved . . . crap, not loved as in love, she quickly amended for the second time that day. But she’d definitely grown very fond of him and his swoon-worthy traits and quirks over the past three months. After the kiss in the elevator, she’d feared that it would be a while before she saw that engaging man again, and she was thankful that he’d returned so quickly.

  “It was that day you took me to see that building in Avondale,” she reminded him, back to twisting the engagement ring around her finger again. “I’d just left your office, so you were on my mind and I just blurted out your name . . . ” Her eyes immediately widened. Oh, shit. Too late, she realized just how much she’d revealed in that one little sentence.

  Max arched a brow as he slowly stood and strolled over to where she was standing. “Am I on your mind a lot, Hailey?” he asked in a low, husky murmur.

  His voice made her insides quiver and caused her nipples to tighten into hard points. Now that he knew there wasn’t a fiancé, he didn’t even try to disguise the fact that he noticed her body’s reaction, and he liked what he saw.

  “I’m not sure what you mean?” she said, trying to keep her own voice steady.

  The beginnings of a wicked smile curved his lips, and he lifted his hand and wound a strand of her long, blonde hair around his finger, ensnaring her in more ways than one. “I’m sure you know exactly what I mean,” he countered, his gaze holding hers hostage. “I’ve spent the past three months thinking about you, more than I should have, considering I believed you were engaged. Want to know what I fantasized about?”

  Her lips parted, but she was suddenly unable to speak. Her mind knew she ought to tell him no, but when his free hand settled on the curve of her waist and he stepped closer, the only thing that managed to escape her throat was a soft, needy moan of acquiescence.

  Satisfaction gleamed in his eyes. “I’ll take that as a yes.” His head moved to the side of hers so that his lips were at her ear. “I thought constantly about kissing you, and now that that I know how sweet you taste, I want so much more. I’ve wondered what your naked breasts look like, how your nipples would respond when I scrape my thumbnails across those hard points.”

  “Max,” she breathed heavily, both shocked and thrilled by his explicit descriptions.

  The hand at her waist skimmed along her hip and around to her backside in a seductive caress that left tingles of warmth in its wake. Completely aroused, she wavered on her feet and stumbled back a step, only to have the window ledge behind her bring her up short. Which gave Max the perfect opportunity to crowd in closer.

  She realized he was playing by his own rules now, and she was suddenly on the losing end of the game. She wasn’t used to a man’s single-minded determination to seduce her, and it was hard for her to believe that it was gorgeous, sexy Max who was touching her so provocatively and tempting her with his dirty talk. How was she supposed to resist his brand of persuasion?

  “This is one big mess and I’m so sorry,” she said, desperately trying to keep him at bay. “I . . . I never thought it would come to this.” She wasn’t sure if she meant the truth being exposed about her using Max as her fake fiancé or this attraction between them that was making her so weak with wanting him. No, she hadn’t seen that one coming at all, and his interest in her that way threw her completely off-kilter.

  “Ahhh, but it did come to this,” he refuted, his full, generous mouth easing into a too inviting smile. “The big question is, what are we going to do about it?”

  Chapter Four

  Max knew he had Hailey cornered, literally and figuratively. He had his body situated in front of hers and the hand he had firmly on her ass kept her from breaking free like he sensed she was on the verge of doing, and he knew her flight instincts weren’t because she didn’t want him. No, there was no doubt in his mind that his attraction to her was fully reciprocated. A woman didn’t let a man kiss her the deep, thorough way he had in the elevator without some basis of desire driving her response.

  Yet there was something about the undeniable chemistry between them that was making her anxious. He could feel it in her tense body language when he touched her, could sense it in the sensual push-pull between them. And he could definitely see it in her wide blue eyes as they stared up at him right this moment, filled with a wealth of doubts.

  It was as if she found it difficult to believe he could want her. She’d mentioned that her track record with men wasn’t great, and he was suddenly curious to know more but was smart enough to realize that asking such a personal question would probably do more harm than good right now.

  So, instead, he focused on their current predicament and where they were going from here now that the cat was out of the bag, so to speak. He took a step away from her, sliding his hand from her backside and releasing the silky hair still entwined around his finger.

  She exhaled a deep breath, looking relieved . . . and disappointed that he’d moved away. “You don’t have to go to the charity event, Max,” Hailey said on a rush, clearly attempting to cut any ties to him beyond business. “I’ll come up with some kind of believable excuse to appease Maureen.”

  He tipped his head an
d pushed his hands into the front pockets of his trousers. Did she really think he was going to let her off so easily? Apparently so. However, he’d already decided that if posing as her fake fiancé was the only way to see if whatever was between them could develop into something more, then he had no qualms using the pretense as an excuse. Besides, he realized that this whole fabricated engagement scenario could work to his advantage, as well.

  “I’m not about to let you disappoint Maureen,” he said, resting his backside against the edge of the conference table behind him. “And since you conjured up our fake relationship, and I’m going to help keep your reputation as a matchmaker intact, I think you owe me something in return.”

  She blinked at him, that wariness returning. “And what would that be?”

  “This fake engagement of ours is going to help me get rid of Addison and make my mother stop with her awful matchmaking attempts. She doesn’t pre-screen like you do, which is how I ended up with a stalker,” he said with a humorous grin, and was gratified to see her mouth tip up in a smile, too. “My mother is throwing a big party for my father’s sixtieth birthday. It’s a casual outdoor barbeque, and Addison and her parents will be there as well, so it’s the perfect opportunity to introduce you to everyone as my fiancée.”

  She chewed on her thumbnail for a few moments as she considered his request, her expression skeptical. “Your family would believe that you got engaged to a woman so quickly?”

  “They should.” He shrugged and braced his hands on the edge of the table. “My grandparents got married six weeks after they met, and my parents eloped three months after their first date, so quick engagements run in the family.”

  Her brows rose in surprise. “Wow. Okay,” she said, his explanation convincing her. “But at some point, we’re going to have to figure out a way to end our engagement. I mean, this can’t go on forever.”

  He laughed, and she grinned impishly. “Did you not think about that when you initially came up with this whole fake fiancé idea?”