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Modern Girl's Guide #.5
Hostile Takeover
All work and no play...
When Holly Carver stepped into the conference room to close her latest deal, love was the last thing on her mind. She’d put men on the back burner until she until she made partner.
But she hadn't expected Mike Brighton.
They may be on the opposite sides of the negotiating table, but behind closed doors, sparks fly. And despite telling herself that this was just a meaningless affair, Holly's loyalties are tested; risk losing her promotion or give up a chance at lasting love.
When Holly Carver stepped into the conference room to close her latest deal, love was the last thing on her mind. She’d put men on the back burner until she until she made partner.
But she hadn't expected Mike Brighton.
They may be on the opposite sides of the negotiating table, but behind closed doors, sparks fly. And despite telling herself that this was just a meaningless affair, Holly's loyalties are tested; risk losing her promotion or give up a chance at lasting love.
- GenresRomance
ebook
First published May 4, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
May 23, 2017
3.25 stars.
Had some fun humorous moments and some good banter but some editing issues.
“How did you hurt yourself?”
“I was kissing this pretty girl. And you know how they say when you find the right one, the ground moves,” Mike said and shot her a wink. “Well, when I stepped back, everything went sideways.”
The nurse sighed, not at all amused, so Holly filled in the details. “He tripped over his shoes and hit the coffee table.”
“Any nausea or dizziness?” the nurse asked.
“Only when she looks at me,” he said. Holly shot him a deadly look. “He was dizzy when I tried to help him up.”
“And before the fall?” she asked, concerned.
“No, I was just clumsy and ruined our evening,” he said.
“It wasn’t your fault,” Holly said. “I shouldn’t have told you to take off your shoes. I mean really, who does that? If you had them on, you wouldn’t have tripped.” Guilt rocked through her. He wouldn’t be there if weren’t for her. This was why it was never a good idea to mix business with pleasure; too many ways thing could go horribly wrong. He might sue her, the company. He might never kiss her like that again.
“You’ve got some skills.” Holly was leaning up on her elbow, watching him. “I don’t think I’ve ever come that fast from oral. What’s your secret?”
“Six years of the trombone.”
“Hmm,” she murmured and moved to straddle him. “Let me show you what twelve years of horseback riding can do.”
He hadn’t expected tonight. Hell, he hadn’t expected Holly Carver at all. Over the past few months of negotiations, he may have imagined taking her a million different ways, but nothing prepared him for the reality of it. And now that he’d had a taste, he wasn’t sure how he could ever go back to business as usual.
She’d never longed for domestic life. If anything, she avoided it vehemently. But waking up to breakfast, slow dancing in the kitchen with a man who totally rocked her world last night, had her yearning for something more in her life.
“Home doesn’t have to be a place,” he said, trailing kisses down her jaw to her neck, “it’s a feeling.”
Mike narrowed his eyes at Arnie and shook his head. “I’m just saying,” he said, hands raised, “it’s harder than it looks from the outside. But if this Holly does it for you, then you should make your move before it’s too late. Because if you don’t, you’ll always regret it.” Arnie was right. He couldn’t stop thinking about Holly no matter how hard he tried, and if he let this opportunity slip through his fingers, he’d be haunted with what ifs for the rest of his life. It was time to figure out if there was really something between them that could last beyond this brief encounter.
“Have you been plotting a hostile takeover all along? Was Saturday night part of your plan?”
“No!” She shook her head, feeling sick to her stomach. How could he think something like that? “I didn’t sleep with you as some kind of mind game. I did it because I—”
“I don’t care why you did it. Eff, Holly, I thought we connected,”he said, raking a hand through his hair. “I’m an effing idiot. Here I was trying to figure out how we could continue seeing each other—to have some kind of relationship, and all the while, you were gutting my company behind my back. Do you get off on the power trip?”
“Power trip?”Now she was on her feet. “I risked my job for you.
It all became too much. The way she felt when he looked at her told Holly this was more than just sex for him, and that scared the shit out of her. She pushed him away, despite every cell in her body screaming at her to hold on tight. She couldn’t breathe. She needed space. And those tears were dangerously close to breaking free. “I can’t do this.”
Even dressed, she felt completely exposed and vulnerable in front of him, and it went deeper than the sex. Sex she could handle. It was the powerful emotions that confused her.
“I’m sorry. I don’t know what just happened. Please, don’t go. Let’s talk.”
“I need to leave.”
“Holly…” He reached out to touch her, defeat in his expression, but she moved away. “Don’t run from me.”
“I’m not running from you. I’m trying to be rational,” she retorted, but it was a lie, and they both knew it.
“Well, I seem to have misplaced something.”
“Is that so?” she said, her words coming out breathier than she’d intended. “Are you looking to get it back?”
“No.” He walked a little closer to her. “But I can’t live without it either.” A small bit of hope lingered inside of her that he would say what she wanted to hear.
“What is it you lost?”
“Isn’t it obvious, Holly? You have my heart, and you took it with you. And I’m not going to let you go now that I’ve found it again.”
Had some fun humorous moments and some good banter but some editing issues.
“How did you hurt yourself?”
“I was kissing this pretty girl. And you know how they say when you find the right one, the ground moves,” Mike said and shot her a wink. “Well, when I stepped back, everything went sideways.”
The nurse sighed, not at all amused, so Holly filled in the details. “He tripped over his shoes and hit the coffee table.”
“Any nausea or dizziness?” the nurse asked.
“Only when she looks at me,” he said. Holly shot him a deadly look. “He was dizzy when I tried to help him up.”
“And before the fall?” she asked, concerned.
“No, I was just clumsy and ruined our evening,” he said.
“It wasn’t your fault,” Holly said. “I shouldn’t have told you to take off your shoes. I mean really, who does that? If you had them on, you wouldn’t have tripped.” Guilt rocked through her. He wouldn’t be there if weren’t for her. This was why it was never a good idea to mix business with pleasure; too many ways thing could go horribly wrong. He might sue her, the company. He might never kiss her like that again.
“You’ve got some skills.” Holly was leaning up on her elbow, watching him. “I don’t think I’ve ever come that fast from oral. What’s your secret?”
“Six years of the trombone.”
“Hmm,” she murmured and moved to straddle him. “Let me show you what twelve years of horseback riding can do.”
He hadn’t expected tonight. Hell, he hadn’t expected Holly Carver at all. Over the past few months of negotiations, he may have imagined taking her a million different ways, but nothing prepared him for the reality of it. And now that he’d had a taste, he wasn’t sure how he could ever go back to business as usual.
She’d never longed for domestic life. If anything, she avoided it vehemently. But waking up to breakfast, slow dancing in the kitchen with a man who totally rocked her world last night, had her yearning for something more in her life.
“Home doesn’t have to be a place,” he said, trailing kisses down her jaw to her neck, “it’s a feeling.”
Mike narrowed his eyes at Arnie and shook his head. “I’m just saying,” he said, hands raised, “it’s harder than it looks from the outside. But if this Holly does it for you, then you should make your move before it’s too late. Because if you don’t, you’ll always regret it.” Arnie was right. He couldn’t stop thinking about Holly no matter how hard he tried, and if he let this opportunity slip through his fingers, he’d be haunted with what ifs for the rest of his life. It was time to figure out if there was really something between them that could last beyond this brief encounter.
“Have you been plotting a hostile takeover all along? Was Saturday night part of your plan?”
“No!” She shook her head, feeling sick to her stomach. How could he think something like that? “I didn’t sleep with you as some kind of mind game. I did it because I—”
“I don’t care why you did it. Eff, Holly, I thought we connected,”he said, raking a hand through his hair. “I’m an effing idiot. Here I was trying to figure out how we could continue seeing each other—to have some kind of relationship, and all the while, you were gutting my company behind my back. Do you get off on the power trip?”
“Power trip?”Now she was on her feet. “I risked my job for you.
It all became too much. The way she felt when he looked at her told Holly this was more than just sex for him, and that scared the shit out of her. She pushed him away, despite every cell in her body screaming at her to hold on tight. She couldn’t breathe. She needed space. And those tears were dangerously close to breaking free. “I can’t do this.”
Even dressed, she felt completely exposed and vulnerable in front of him, and it went deeper than the sex. Sex she could handle. It was the powerful emotions that confused her.
“I’m sorry. I don’t know what just happened. Please, don’t go. Let’s talk.”
“I need to leave.”
“Holly…” He reached out to touch her, defeat in his expression, but she moved away. “Don’t run from me.”
“I’m not running from you. I’m trying to be rational,” she retorted, but it was a lie, and they both knew it.
“Well, I seem to have misplaced something.”
“Is that so?” she said, her words coming out breathier than she’d intended. “Are you looking to get it back?”
“No.” He walked a little closer to her. “But I can’t live without it either.” A small bit of hope lingered inside of her that he would say what she wanted to hear.
“What is it you lost?”
“Isn’t it obvious, Holly? You have my heart, and you took it with you. And I’m not going to let you go now that I’ve found it again.”
August 24, 2017
Absolutely loved this novella! It's a wonderful addition to the MGG series!!!
November 20, 2017
It was...okay
It wasn't bad but I got bored and tired at some point because of how predictable and cliché this story was..
It wasn't bad but I got bored and tired at some point because of how predictable and cliché this story was..
January 23, 2018
I received a free copy of this from the author. A quick read but kind of bland.
July 6, 2017
This novella falls into the "alright" category for me. Believe it or not, I got bored with it, like it was taking to long to get to the point....IN A NOVELLA! I don't know, I am a little confused by this too.
It is written in the third person which typically does not concern me but felt a little off here. It just didn't flow too well.
There were a number of editing errors throughout this novella as well.
The story itself was pretty good. I also enjoyed the characters both primary as well as secondary.
Overall, it was ok but needs polishing. This was a freebie so hopefully this author's for purchase works are of a higher quality as her story and characters definitely had great potential.
It is written in the third person which typically does not concern me but felt a little off here. It just didn't flow too well.
There were a number of editing errors throughout this novella as well.
The story itself was pretty good. I also enjoyed the characters both primary as well as secondary.
Overall, it was ok but needs polishing. This was a freebie so hopefully this author's for purchase works are of a higher quality as her story and characters definitely had great potential.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews