A tyrant by day, a playboy by night. That is the reputation that precedes Richard VanRyan. He lives life the way he wants, no concern for the opinion of others. He cares for no one, is completely unrepentant, and he has no desire to change his ways. Katharine Elliott works under Richard as his PA. She despises him and his questionable ethics, but endures all the garbage he sends her way, because she needs the job. Her end goal is far more important than the daily abuse and demands she tolerates from her nasty tyrant of a boss. Until the day, he asks her for something she never expected. A new role with a personal contract — fiancée instead of PA. What happens when two people who loathe each other, have to live together and act as though they are madly in love? Sparks. That’s what happens. Can the power of love really change a person? Will they survive the contract? What do you do when the one person you hate the most becomes the one person you can’t live without?
View MoreKaty tried to convince me to go home and sleep, but I didn’t want to leave either of them. I couldn’t. I wanted to be here with them and make sure they were both okay.My daughter slept in my arms. A tiny, fragile being, I already loved more than I thought was humanly possible. I couldn’t put her down. I watched as she squirmed, swaddled in a soft, pink blanket. Her rosebud mouth was pursed, her small fists fighting to escape the material. Katy had explained the whole swaddling thing to me, but I couldn’t resist loosening the cloth and letting out one of her hands. She gripped my finger with a strength that surprised and delighted me. My baby girl was strong. Her sleepy blue eyes, already so much like Katy’s, peeked up at me, then drifted shut, her grip never loosening.“She’s perfect,” Katy whispered. I looked up with a grin.“She is, Mommy.”Katy’s smile was wide and beautiful. “We have to name her, Richard.”“I know. None of the ones I liked suit her now that she’s here, and I can
She shifted to the side and I sat beside her, wrapping my arms around her body, spreading my hand wide across her stomach, and rocking her gently until I felt her relax.“Someone is anxious to meet you.”She laughed softly. “Meet us. It’s your voice he or she reacts to the most.”I smiled, dropping a kiss to her hair, then stroked her swollen belly.It had felt odd the first time I talked to her stomach. I felt like an idiot, lying beside her with my hand on her skin, muttering about silly things. Except, I liked it. I started reading books, humming music, talking about how much fun we were going to have when he or she was born—anything to connect myself to the life growing inside Katy. The first time I felt the push of a hand or foot against my skin, I actually wept. And for the second time in my life, I knew I was in love. Boy or girl, I would love and protect this child with everything in me. Knowing I would hold them in the next few hours, made my chest ache with a sweetness I sti
NEW SERIES SNEAK PEEKA peek at Richard and Katy in the future.How does Richard handle becoming a father?RICHARD TURNING INTO THE large entrance of the hospital, I slammed on the brakes so hard my car shuddered. My tires squealed and left black marks on the pavement. Flinging open the door, I lunged out of the seat, not even bothering to shut the door behind me. I was lucky I remembered to take the keys.A security guard stopped me before I made it to the sliding doors of the hospital, holding up his hand.“Sir, you can’t leave your car there. The parking lot is across the street—”I interrupted him, shaking my head. I tossed my keys in his direction.“Look, kid, I trust you. Park my car and bring me the keys.” “I can’t do that!”Reaching into my pocket, I grabbed a wad of cash. I had no idea how much it was, but to this kid standing in front of me, blocking my way, masking his youth by pretending to be forceful, I was certain it was a fortune. I shoved the money into his hand, sm
We made our way to the elevator, the hall deserted. I kept my arm around her, not only for the support she provided, but because I liked her close. In the car, I leaned my head back, shutting my eyes again, letting the cool seep back into my skin from the compress she tucked around my neck.I slipped my hand over hers. “Thank you.” Her lips brushed mine. “Always.”I drew in a deep, bracing lungful of air. I loved living this close to the water. Katy had gone to yoga, and after I woke up, I came outside, grateful the storm had passed, taking with it the worst of my headache. I glanced around the backyard, thinking of the changes that had occurred in the months since we moved in.A pool had been the first order of business, and it now sat to the one side, glistening and serene in the early evening light. Beside it was the pool house—Katy’s favorite part of the backyard. It was the cottage she shared with Penny on their brief holidays; bright blue, with white shutters, her memories still
RICHARDTHE FAMILIAR ACHE FORMED BY degrees in my head, my eyes became heavy, my shoulders and neck sore. I stared out the window at the gathering storm, wondering if I would make it home before it and the massive headache hit.The three raps that Amy always used sounded like gunshots to my achinghead. I slouched back against the cool leather of my chair, shutting my eyes. “Come,” I called as loudly as I dared.“Do you need anything, Richard?”I didn’t bother to lift my head. “Can you cancel Board Tech?” “I already did.”“Great. You might as well take off the rest of the afternoon, Amy. I’m going to be useless.”“Can I do anything else?”I sighed, keeping my eyes closed. “If it wouldn’t offend you, a cup of coffee and a couple of pain relievers would be appreciated. If you can get my wife on the phone, it would be great.”Her chuckle was low. “I think I can handle it, Richard.” “Thank you.”She left, and I rubbed my temples. I knew when I spoke with Katy, she would tell me to leave my
RICHARDJENNA BENT FORWARD, TAPPING A mock-up. “I like this one.”I shook my head. “No, it’s flat.” I shifted through a pile of heavy stock, grabbing one near the bottom. “This one gets your attention.”“It’s too in your face.”“It needs to be in your face, Jenna. We’re selling fun here. It has to grabyou.”She pursed her lips, and I took the chance to take a sip of my coffee. I’d been “back” for almost three months. My relationship with all the Gavins was on solid footing, both professionally and personally. My career had never been as fulfilling as it was now.My life with my wife was amazing. Katy brought a peace to my world I never realized I was missing or needed. She was my nucleus, and everything I did revolved around her in some way. She spent her time volunteering, and two days a week, she worked at The Gavin Group—but not for me. She assisted Laura, and the two of them made a great team. It was a win-win situation for me since I could see her in the office and still have her
The sadness of her words made my heart tighten.“What about some volunteer work besides the shelter? You know so many of the residents at Golden Oaks—maybe you could spend some time there. I’m sure they’d appreciate the help.”“I thought of that.”I shifted forward, pulling her close. “Katy, I want you to do whatever you want to do. Volunteer, work, whatever makes you happy. But, listen to me, sweetheart. The past few months have been one thing after another for you. Everything you said earlier about how I changed your life is true.” I stroked the softness of her cheek with my knuckles. “And although it’s turned out well, I know how stressful it all was on you. Everything changed in your life,and you lost Penny. I know, at times, it must overwhelm you, so I’m going to ask you to think about it. Don’t rush into anything. Please.”Her eyes were fathomless as our gazes locked. I didn’t know how to express how important this was to me.“I want . . .” I swallowed and breathed deep. “For th
RICHARDI CARRIED THE TRAY TO the kitchen, leaving Laura and Katy talking. Graham followed me, carrying the box and waited so we could go into the den and talk more. He glanced at the papers on the counter, picking up the job listing for Calgary.“Really, Richard?” He smirked. “You would have died of boredomthere.”“I couldn’t take Katy to Toronto. She’d be miserable.”He studied me for a moment, a smile crossing his face. “How you’ve changed.”“Grown up, you mean.”He nodded, clapping me on the shoulder. “It’s good to see.”I glanced over his shoulder to where Katy was standing, hugging Laura. “It feels good,” I admitted. “I never thought it was something I would experience.”“The right person can open our eyes to many things, Richard.” He was right.He held out my new contract. “Let’s go sign some papers.” “Why did you bring my things if you planned on rehiring me?”A strange look crossed his face, and he flipped open the lid. “The box is empty, Richard.”I gaped at him. “What? Why
Although I didn’t want any of them, I was sure the writing was on the wall, in regards to my place at The Gavin Group. It was time to look at my, our, options. I wanted Katy to be happy, and I knew she wouldn’t be in a large, crowded city like Toronto. Also, I had no desire to start commuting hours to get into the office. I had to put away my pride and choose what would be best for us.I stood up, heading to the kitchen. I needed coffee and to show Katy what Brian had sent over. She looked up from the huge cookbook she was studyingand smiled at me. “What are those?”I tossed the pile of sheets on the counter and reached for the coffee pot. “Job leads.”“Oh.” She tugged the papers closer. “Okay. Anything good?” I tapped the top page. “This is interesting.”She looked it over, frowning. “It’s pretty small compared to what you’re used to.”I sat down, sipping my coffee. “I’m going to have to make some concessions.”“Do you have to jump right away?”“No,” I acknowledged. “I don’t want to
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