Christopher Rossmore has one dream: to run Rossmore Wineries, the vineyard that has been in his family for generations. Despite preparing for the role since birth, Christopher finds himself competing with his estranged father’s gold digging fiancee for the job.
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In order to become CEO, he has to convince celebrity couple Michaela Hamilton and Hunter Lawrence to hold their star studded nuptials at the vineyard.
He can run a business with his eyes closed, but public relations is not his jam.
He’s gonna need some help.
Isobel Brooke Taylor has one dream: to run Taylor Made Hair Care, the family run hair care brand currently helmed by her father. Despite traveling all over the world to solidify Taylor Made’s status as an international brand, the board is worried that her reputation as a party girl & socialite would make her unsuitable to take over.
In order to get the top job she has to convince the board that she can balance business & pleasure.
Walking into a crowded party and walking out with everyone eating out of the palm of her hand? Easy. Doing the same thing in the boardroom? Not so much.
She’s gonna need some help.
When Izzie and Chris discover that Michaela and Hunter are hosting a couples only retreat, the perfect plan emerges. These childhood best friends will pretend to be lovers, while Izzy helps Chris woo the future Lawrences and Chris helps Izzy woo the board.
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But, can Christopher and Isobel get through the retreat without wooing each other?
ABOUT
EXCERPT
Izzie wakes up with a hangover. She feels like a block of cement. Her throat is dry, and her head is pounding. She examines the room, and nothing looks familiar. It is then she realizes she isn’t in a deluxe suite at the Park-Barrington in Trinidad anymore, she’s back home, just not her home. She’s in the main bedroom of Chris’ condo.
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She sits up, thanking God her meeting with the board members of Taylor Made isn’t today. If it was she’d be in deep shit.
The night before slowly trickles into her memory. Ah, yes! She and Chris are a couple. At least for the time being. They just need to get him that promotion.
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God, Blake Rossmore is a real piece of shit.
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Izzie knew that “I’m sick and ready to be a father” schtick he had going wouldn’t last. She anxiously waited for the other shoe to drop but she didn’t imagine it would happen like this. That man makes Satan look like Jesus. Izzie would never say this to Chris’ face, but moments like this make her even happier and more grateful to have a father who trusts her and knows what she’s capable of. Chris used to have someone like that in his life, but Grandpa Sam died six months ago. Izzie feels an overwhelming sense of guilt for not making it to the funeral. Her schedule wouldn’t allow it. Still, she can’t help but think that if she had been there to console Chris all this shit wouldn’t be piling up on him.
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Making her way across the room, Izzie notices her dress slung over Chris’ desk chair. She’s wearing an oversized t-shirt and boxers. Her hair is wrapped, and a bonnet is on her head.
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Chris.
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She smiles. As tipsy as he was, he still made sure she was taken care of. That’s Chris in a nutshell, he always puts others before himself. His exes could never appreciate that quality which is why they all sucked. The thought of Chris with another woman causes a surge of jealousy to course through Izzie. Her unconscious must think that she and Chris are a real couple because she’s never felt anything like this before. Not liking anyone he dated is one thing, this is something altogether different. Her disapproval of his exes came from a place of protection. Chris has always been kind-hearted and mild mannered. The type that can be easily taken advantage of. Izzie took it upon herself to make sure he wasn’t used by any gold-digging skanks, convincing him to dismiss them at the first whiff of deception. Coming back to reality, Izzie shakes her head—she needs to keep that shit in check.
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In the kitchen, Izzie grabs two bottles of water and wanders around the house in search of the guest room Chris fell asleep in. Down the hall, she could hear the ceiling fan whirling. He must be in there. And that’s where she finds him; sprawled on the bed, passed out on top of the covers in just his draws with his glasses still on.
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Izzie giggles and thinks back to how she and Chris first met. They were fifteen and attended the same high school, Blythe-Wood Academy, a predominantly Black school for the wealthy. Chris was new and was being bullied constantly. It was hard to witness. Izzie couldn’t take seeing this poor kid get treated like shit, especially since he was really smart and sweet. They shared a few classes and one day Izzie approached the lunch table where Chris was sitting. As usual, he was being hassled when she asked him to sit with her and Heather. Later, Chris told her that he knew she was only being nice out of pity, but also that he didn’t care if she was. Folks at school said it was like watching Lisa Turtle—Izzie—and Hilary Banks—Heather—become friends with Steve Urkel. And lucky for Chris, Izzie and Heather, especially Izzie, couldn’t care less what everyone else thinks. Besides, she had so much cachet that she could afford to become friends with a lesser-known student, all it did was make Chris popular.
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“Are you staring at me, Sunflower?” Chris mumbles still half asleep.
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Izzie laughs. Chris has called her that since their school trip to Half Moon Bay. Izzie was enamored with the sunflower fields to such an extent that they almost missed the bus. She in turn calls him Tiger like his favorite superhero Spider-Man is called by Mary Jane Watson.
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“I was just waiting for you to wake up so I could give you some water, Tiger.”
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Chris rolls over onto his back and leans up. Izzie notices his six-pack. He was a late bloomer and didn’t start to gain muscle until he was at least twenty-one. When that happened, he hit the gym like a demon. She spies his happy trail and feels flushed. Her pussy pulsates at the idea of seeing what’s beneath the waistband of his boxers.
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What the hell? This is Chris. My best friend. What is happening?