Sample Sunday: Hot Undercover Bosses Box Set, coming July 5th

Twelve of the top voices in Romance have come together to create the box set of the summer!

 Hot Undercover Bosses! 

Today, take a sneak peek at Aja's novella, Breaking Her Rules. 

We need to talk.

She placed her phone back down on the honey wood bar, ignoring Troy’s plea for a conversation, when a movement to her right caught her eye. Everything about this man was gorgeous from his height, his broad shoulders, to his swagger that she could pick up just from his slow walk and he was looking directly at her like they had planned on meeting in this location and he was running a bit late and was coming to make it up to her. And as she continued to stare back, she realized she wouldn’t have minded being here waiting for him whenever it was convenient for him. The thought made her smile inwardly.

The way he approached her reminded her of a panther’s slow stalking strides, daring her to move from her spot near the bar, almost knowing that if she did, he’d still get to her somehow and that thrilled her.

She figured, based on his formal attire, he was part of the wedding that was indicated on the signs in the lobby area not even one hundred feet from where this bar was situated. Harper/Farrington, the signs read. She wondered who he might be to the couple with his nice charcoal grey tux and the soft lavender tie and handkerchief but whoever he was, he wasn’t the groom or else he wouldn’t be here looking at her like he had plans and those plans involved her; so that was promising.

Some years ago, she would have just dispensed with all the small talk other good girls went through before finally doing the thing they really wanted to do, and that was to be screwed; but this wasn’t a few years ago. Nowadays, she took a few rules from the good girl handbook that Sofiya, her sister, shared with her, to avoid some of the drama she was known for with her uninhibited behavior in her past.

But that was the past. The future or present, as it were, was standing right here getting ready to say something smooth. She just knew it.

But he didn’t say anything smooth. It was just, “Hey.” 

Not sure how else to respond, she responded with, “Hey.” 

And that made him smile. Goodness, she thought. He has dimples too.

They were the kind you didn’t know a person had until they decided to share them with the unsuspecting party by smiling and that made them the best kind. It was a surprise. She had always thought those deep grooves in people’s cheeks that that stayed there even when there was no smile, well it made their faces—interesting, but those indentations almost ruined the effect. But his, they were delightful and seemed to be for only her at that moment.

“So,” he started, “Truth is, I was trying really hard to think of something smooth to say on the way over here, but I’m ashamed to say that I couldn’t come up with anything. So I thought that I’d just ask if you would like to dance with me.”

That made her look around the sandy alcove where the little bar was set up and nope, there was no dance floor, so she looked back at him with amusement. 

Stating the obvious, she said, “I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but uh, there’s no place to dance and,” Savanah paused to make it clear she was listening for something with the tilt of her pretty head, “There really is no music playing.”

He got closer before sitting down on the stool next to her, giving her a brief smile. 

“There’s a wedding reception being held around the corner from here. That’s where we’d dance.” 

The emphasis he placed on we’d dance made her shiver a little. There was something behind the word that didn’t just make her think of music and moving her body to the rhythm of the beat. No, the rhythm she was thinking of was the type they would create to the chorus of her screams and hopefully his groaning.

Excusing her nasty pre-rules Savanah thoughts, she looked down at her sundress; casual, yellow and strapless, with thong sandals that were more appropriate for walking along the sandy beach than for crashing a wedding reception.

“I don’t think I’m properly dressed for a reception,” she pointed out to the gorgeous stranger who hadn’t stopped staring at her as if he had so many plans for her.

“It’s my brother’s wedding and you’d be with me, so you’d be dressed perfectly.”

He had a way of dominating her without her submission and that was intriguing, because she was used to being the one in charge. She was a manager of an advertising company and she usually had no less than thirty people reporting to her, looking for her direction and approval, not the other way around. 

She took the last sip of her drink, and then she looked back at him and his patience, which she decided was even more intriguing. 

Savanah took a moment to decide which Savanah should take the lead in this situation. Uninhibited freaky pre-rules Savanah wanted to forget dancing, forget the rules and screw him, right here, right now. But, new good girl Savanah thought that maybe it would be better to have the aforementioned small talk and get to know what kind of man he was. She settled for the combination.  

“So you don’t mind that we’ll be the center of attention.” It was a statement.

He smiled and then he stood up. 

“I’m sure that you’re the center of attention in every room you go in.” 

He extended his hand almost as if it was a requirement that she accept and go anywhere he wished.

Savanah slid off the stool and she accepted his hand. His palm was warm, his hand big enough to envelope hers, making her feel soft, feminine and cared for. She didn’t know this man, but there was something about him that made her want to find out.