E.F. Dodd

All he wants for Christmas is her. Dave Richardson's life hasn't turned out the way he thought it would. He never expected to slink back to his hometown of Rochester two years ago and take a bartending job, nor did he expect he'd still be tending said bar. Everyone thought he would achieve great things. Hell, he'd believed he would achieve great things. But when Vivian Walters walked into his bar, wearing that dress, on a random Wednesday night . . . things were looking up for the first time in a long time. And they looked even better when he got her number, even if it was obvious she didn't see things between them lasting beyond her night out on Sunday. If he wanted to keep a woman like her, he'd need to become the man he was supposed to be, and fast. If there was one thing Vivian "V" Walters liked almost as much as designer heels, it was checklists. They'd served her well her entire life- first with college, then med school, landing the perfect internship followed by an even better residency, and, finally, her dream job. So far, her checklist for the perfect man hadn't panned out the same way. But that didn't mean she would lose her ever-loving mind and chuck it all out the window for a hot, sweaty weekend with a bartender . . . right? No matter how good he looked in those worn jeans, or how his blond hair curled just so at the nape of his neck, or the way his deep-brown gaze made her stomach somersault. And even if she gave in to her purely physical attraction to him, it wouldn't be anything other than a fling . . . would it?

READER ADVISORY: THIS BOOK CONTAINS OPEN DOOR INTIMATE AND EXPLICIT SCENES. IF YOU PREFER A CLOSED DOOR ROMANCE WITH NO SEXUAL DETAILS OR DESCRIPTION, THEN THIS IS NOT THE BOOK FOR YOU. IF YOU LIKE OPEN DOOR ROMANCE WHERE THERE IS EXPLICIT CONTENT, SPICE AND A LITTLE DIRTY TALK, THEN I HOPE YOU ENJOY! Boston real estate developer Jamie Standard is about to close one of the most important deals of his life when a gossip rag releases an article painting him as a modern day rake. The bad press threatens to torpedo the deal and tank the largest green building project his company has ever undertaken. With the deal circling the drain, his business partners advise him to escape the limelight and visit his sister, Jocelyn. She happens to be the hospitality manager of L ’Atelier, a hot new resort hotel on the Vegas Strip, so as exiles go, it’s top tier. Especially when he runs into a gorgeous redhead at the airport. Coral Triton has reached the pinnacle of her career as a professional mermaid by landing a new job at L ’Atelier. Not just to headline a live action mermaid show, but also help create a vision for everything from set design to choreography. Things are on a definite up-swim for her, and only get better when the hot blond guy she bumped into at the airport turns up at her hotel. But, she’s in Vegas for a job – the job – not a guy, so anything beyond one night is out of the question. With a brief note and one last look, she bails the next morning. Only to be introduced to him days later as her boss Jocelyn’s brother. And Jocelyn thinks Coral is the perfect person to help solve Jamie’s PR problem back in Boston. If Coral will agree to fake a relationship with Jamie, it can restore his reputation, save his business deal, and slingshot Coral higher into the public eye. A win-win-win, right? But when there are no cameras and fake starts to feel all too real, can they keep their heads above water, or will love pull them both under?