Getting Down to Business. Allison B. Hanson

Чтение книги онлайн.

      LYRICAL SHINE

      Kensington Publishing Corp.

       www.kensingtonbooks.com

      To the extent that the image or images on the cover of this book depict a person or persons, such person or persons are merely models, and are not intended to portray any character or characters featured in the book.

      LYRICAL SHINE BOOKS are published by

      Kensington Publishing Corp.

      119 West 40th Street

      New York, NY 10018

      Copyright © 2017 by Allison B. Hanson

      All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the Publisher, excepting brief quotes used in reviews.

      All Kensington titles, imprints, and distributed lines are available at special quantity discounts for bulk purchases for sales promotion, premiums, fund-raising, educational, or institutional use.

      Special book excerpts or customized printings can also be created to fit specific needs. For details, write or phone the office of the Kensington Sales Manager: Kensington Publishing Corp., 119 West 40th Street, New York, NY 10018. Attn. Sales Department. Phone: 1-800-221-2647.

      Lyrical Shine and Lyrical Shine logo Reg. U.S. Pat. & TM Off.

      First Electronic Edition: December 2017

      eISBN-13: 978-1-5161-0339-3

      eISBN-10: 1-5161-0339-4

      First Print Edition: December 2017

      ISBN-13: 978-1-5161-0340-6

      ISBN-10: 1-5161-0340-8

      Printed in the United States of America

      Dedication

      To all the people at DAS who spend their days on the job with me.

      Thank you for your support in my writing job as well.

      Chapter 1

      Shutting the door as quietly as possible, Alyssa turned for the stairs to complete her escape. The phone in her bag buzzed as her feet hammered down the familiar steps. Once outside her building, she breathed in a lungful of freedom and frowned at the humid heaviness of the air.

      It was going to be a hot day in Manhattan. Her lips pulled up, remembering how hot the night before had been.

      “Morning, sunshine.” She answered her friend’s call knowing Mia would be anything but sunny this morning.

      “Shut up. I hate you.”

      “Remember, it was your idea to go to ladies’ night on a Wednesday when you had to be at work this morning. I said it was stupid.”

      “Are you outside already?” Mia brushed over her responsibility in their predicament.

      “I’m going to the gym to shower. My apartment was…crowded this morning.”

      “The guy stayed?”

      Yes, the guy stayed.

      Grayson Hollinger III had sat down next to Alyssa the night before and offered to buy her a drink immediately. When she politely refused, he let out a breath of defeat and explained that his friend had promised him hordes of desperate women. She found his honesty intriguing. Paired up with the sexy smile and haunting blue eyes, she was more than interested. While she hadn’t been desperate, she was willing to have a little fun on a Wednesday night.

      Having nothing to lose but time, she proposed a simplified method to get them from point A to point B. She laughed now, remembering the shocked look on his face when she suggested they enjoy each other’s company for the evening with no expectations or bullshit afterward.

      The sex had been phenomenal. He’d even managed to get her to point B—something that had been nearly impossible for the last few years. When he asked to stay longer, she agreed, greedy for another chance with him. She hadn’t been disappointed.

      But now it was morning. Time to get back to reality.

      Sure she wished she could have more with a man. Who truly wanted a life filled with strangers and uncertainty? Unfortunately, the option had been taken from her five years ago. These brief encounters for pleasure were all she was capable of now. She didn’t deserve a happily-ever-after.

      “Yes, he stayed,” she answered Mia’s question. “Which is why I’m going to the gym, so I can shower without waking him.”

      “So courteous,” Mia chuckled, knowing it was more cowardice than courtesy.

      “I’ll see you at work.”

      “Yeah, about that.”

      “You’d better get your ass to work,” Alyssa threatened.

      “Travis stayed too. He suggested we spend the day in bed together. I have to say, his offer sounds better than yours, so…I’m calling in.”

      Mia was the opposite of Alyssa in most every way. From her short, black hair and chocolate СКАЧАТЬ