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ACCIDENTALLY MARRIED

Wanted: Fake Girlfriend

Madison Nichols, an aspiring actress, is floundering. Her rent is due and she needs a job. Desperately. After getting a tip about an open position, she rushes to Jameson Technologies and meets CEO Jared Jameson. Unfortunately, due to a misunderstanding, she is put in the awkward position of pretending to be his girlfriend. Not the job she was applying for. And when she finds out Jared lied to her to get what he wanted, she decides to get back at him. In front of his family.

Jared is stunned when Madison announces they are getting married. She pushed her revenge too far. How can he tell them it’s all a lie? And when his sick aunt asks them to be married before she dies, Madison comes up with a hair-brained plan to hire an actor and stage a fake wedding.

What they both don’t know is Jared’s father has found out about the fake wedding. And he’s got his own hair-brained plan.

Accidentally Married is a sweet romance.

RELUCTANTLY MARRIED

He's her enemy. Too bad she has to fake it for the camera.

Megan Holloway can’t stand her local morning show co-host, Adam Warner, even though he’s a total hunk. He goads her on-air until she says things she regrets. But since ratings increase each time they have an on-air fight, the producer encourages his behavior.

When a relationship specialist comes onto the show purporting that Adam has hidden feelings for her, she reluctantly agrees to go out with him—on camera. What starts out as one date turns into a viral dating show with Megan and Adam alternating between locking lips and knocking heads.

As Megan fights her growing attraction to Adam, their popularity increases and ABC takes notice, offering them their own program. Not a morning show like Megan is hoping, but a dating show in which she and Adam must marry at the end. With the promise of a hundred thousand dollars and the possibility of scoring what she really wants, her own national program, she signs on.

What she doesn’t know is that Adam has fallen in love with her, and his objective is to get her to do the same.

MISTAKENLY MARRIED

It was only a business arrangement. She wasn’t supposed to fall in love.

When her online boyfriend stands Penny up at the altar, she ends up marrying the wrong man. Oops. But Harrison needs to be married to get his inheritance so they concoct a crazy plan.

Too bad her heart races every time he’s around.

William just needs to prove to his stepmother that he’s married. But things don’t go as planned. And Penny breathes life into his world.

He finds himself wishing their fake marriage were real.

Madison pulled her car into the
parking spot, relieved she found an empty space so close to the building. Even
though it was only mid-morning, the temperature had risen to an uncomfortable
level. A long walk would make her look like a melted ice cube by the time she
entered Jameson Technologies. And she couldn’t give a bad impression. She
needed this job.

Three weeks of handing out
résumés and filling out applications, and she hadn’t gotten anywhere. She’d
promised Carrie she would pay her half of the rent this week, but her bank
account was empty.

She shoved the car into park, and
it sputtered, choked, and then died. Running the air conditioner always made it
feisty. At least the poor thing didn’t die on her while driving...most of the
time.

She picked up her satchel and
stepped out onto the pavement. Heat assaulted her, and she ran a self-conscious
hand through her hair. The last few days her horoscope had the theme of
something new on her horizon. This was it. Her something new was this job, she
was sure of it. She squared her shoulders and tried to put more confidence in
her step.

The tallest building in Crimson
Ridge stood before her in all its horrific, shiny glory. The impersonal glass
reflected the sun into her eyes. The rest of the business district held older
buildings with detailed architecture. Jameson Technologies was an eyesore.

As much as she hated the
building, she hated mooching off Carrie even more. Her heels clicked on the
sidewalk as she neared the glass doors. Her stomach clenched.

Even though she’d never been an
administrative assistant, it couldn’t be hard. As an actress, she had played
several small roles, one of them a secretary. Granted, she had only been on
camera for ten seconds before the building blew up, but she had answered the
phone and stared at her nails, and she felt like she had embodied the part.

She pulled the smooth metal
handle, and the glass door glided open. The lobby felt cold and impersonal with
its sleek lines and modern fixtures. Everything was either silver or beige. Down
a short hallway to the right, an elevator caught her eye, and a large reception
desk sat on the left, which she approached. The woman behind the desk gave a tight-lipped
smile.

“May I help you?”

“I’m here to see Mr. Jameson.”
She tried to sound confident, like she belonged in a place like this.

The woman’s eyes traveled the
length of her, and she pursed her red lips. “He’s been waiting for you.”

“He has?” Madison tried to keep
her mouth from falling open. When Carrie told her a position at Jameson
Technologies was about to open up, she didn’t realize her roommate had set up
an interview. What luck.

The receptionist nodded, the
corners of her mouth pulling down in disapproval. “Go straight up to his
office. Twenty-third floor.”

Madison strode across the
expensive tile floor to the elevator. She pressed the up button and stepped
back. Her heart fluttered in her chest. If she played this right, she could be
employed by noon.

Carrie was a life saver. Last
night she overheard a woman at the shopping center talking about how she was quitting
her job. Like a true friend, she asked around until she found out the woman was
Mr. Jameson’s administrative assistant.

The elevator dinged, and the
doors slid open. Madison stepped inside and pressed the button for the
twenty-third floor. According to Carrie, the woman indicated she would waltz
into Mr. Jameson’s office this morning and quit. If the stars aligned, Madison
would secure the position before they even called a temp agency.

Her stomach dropped as the elevator
lifted and the numbers above the door rose. She smoothed her black skirt and
forced herself to think about being an administrative assistant. Answering
phones, filing, and…answering phones. Exactly what she was born to do.

The silver doors opened, and she
stalked out into another lobby. This one was smaller, but decorated in much the
same way. The woman behind the desk reminded her of a bull frog. Large round
eyes set wide, a double chin, and a frown that went from one side of her face
to the other. A silver name plate revealed her to be Darlene.

For a split second, Madison panicked.
What was the assistant still doing here? Carrie made it sound like the woman,
Darlene apparently, was going to quit first thing. But her worries fled when Darlene
motioned for Madison to pass. “Mr. Jameson wants to speak with you right away.”

Darlene must be sticking around
to train the next employee. A rush of excitement shot through Madison. That
could be her.

She straightened her spine and walked
past the desk and entered the office. Huge windows took up the entire east
wall, and a fantastic view of the town spread forth. The rest of the spacious
office held filing cabinets, an expensive mahogany desk, and some leather
chairs. The man behind the desk was much younger than she had imagined the CEO
of a large company would be, probably only a year or two her senior. His stormy
grey eyes focused on her, and then narrowed.

“You’re late.” A scowl formed on
his face and he stood, his gaze traveling over her. He wore a tie and a white
dress shirt, which showed off his muscular physique. His jet black hair was
neatly styled, probably some kind of corporate cut.

Confidence, she reminded herself.

Madison crossed the room and
extended her hand. “I’m sorry, Mr. Jameson, I was not aware Carrie had set up—”

“And what are you wearing? You
look like you’re going to a business meeting.” His scowl deepened, which she
thought wasn’t possible.

“I uh—”

“Never mind. You’ll do.” He
grabbed a briefcase from the floor and strode across the room, past her, and
out the door, which he left open.

Madison stared after him. What
happened? You’ll do? What did that
mean?

He stuck his head back into the
office. “You want the job, or what?”

Her pulse raced. She got the job!
“Yes, sir!”

“Come on, then.” He motioned with
his head.

She jumped into motion, following
him until he stopped at the elevator. He must want to give her a tour of the
place. Unnecessary, but it didn’t matter, she got the job. She felt like doing
a little leprechaun dance, but settled for a satisfied smile.

They stepped into the elevator,
and she became aware of their close proximity. Masculinity rolled off him. He
smelled of aftershave and expensive soap, and she had to step back in order to
clear her head. He was her boss. She couldn’t think of him as anything else.

He pressed the button marked B2. He
must want to show her everything, from the basement up. She shrugged. Okay. After
they descended, the doors opened and Mr. Jameson disappeared into the parking
garage.

Warning bells sounded in
Madison’s head. What was going on here?

“Come on,” he called, his voice
echoing through the dim space. “We’re already late.”

She stuck her head out of the
elevator and spotted him stalking toward a black luxury car. It beeped and the
doors unlocked. “Wait...I—”

“What? Are you having second
thoughts?” He stopped and glared at her. “I don’t have time for this. I’ll
double your pay. A thousand dollars for a few hours of your time.”

Alarm rang through her. What kind
of job was this? She gripped the elevator door jamb, keeping the doors open. “I
think there’s been some kind of—”

His phone rang and he held up his
hand to silence her. “Yeah?”

He opened his trunk and slung his
briefcase into the back. “Wait, what?” His piercing gaze traveled over to her
and froze. “Okay. Thanks for calling.” He jammed his finger on his phone to
hang up, then he slipped it into his pocket.

“You’re not Nathan’s cousin.” His
glare was accusing, and he folded his arms across his chest.

She shook her head, confused.

“Who are you?” he demanded.

“Madison Nichols. I’ve come to
apply for the administrative assistant position that recently became available.”
Her voice sounded paper thin to her ears.

Mr. Jameson’s shoulders slumped
and one corner of his mouth twitched. “I’m sorry. I’ve made a terrible
mistake.”

“I’ll say,” she mumbled.

He started toward her but stopped
when she shrank back. “Listen, I’ve got to go to a family function this
evening, and it would ease the tension if I brought a date.”

It was Madison’s turn to narrow
her eyes. He was going to pay someone to date him? Who does that?

He stuffed his hands in his
pockets. “Sounds weird, but I’m not really the dating type, so I was going to
hire someone.” Color touched his cheeks. At least he had the good sense to look
embarrassed.

When she didn’t speak, he
continued. “That was Nathan on the phone. His cousin is sick...so I’m left
without a date.”

She glared at him. What exactly
was he asking her to do? “I’m here to apply for the administrative assistant position,” she repeated.

He clenched his jaw. “I have no administrative assistant positions open
at this time.”

Heat rose to her face. The jerk.
“So, now there is no job unless I agree to be your paid escort?” Her voice rose
in pitch.

He sighed. “It’s only a family
dinner. My father’s birthday. And it’s more like an acting job than anything.”

Her head snapped up. How did he
know she was an actress?

Mr. Jameson took a step closer.
“A thousand dollars, and all you have to do is eat my stepmother’s cooking,
laugh at my father’s lame jokes, and act like you don’t hate me. That’s it. I
swear.”

“Where does your family live?”

“Highland Falls. It’s a three-hour
drive. We’ll get there around…” He checked his watch. “One-thirty. We spend
some time with the family, eat dinner, and leave. I’ll have you back here by
ten at the latest.”

She eyeballed him. He didn’t look
like he was lying. With his clean-shaven face and well manicured nails, he
appeared quite sophisticated. Was she really considering this? A thousand
dollars would pay her half of the rent for a couple of months. She really
needed the money. “And if I agree, maybe an administrative assistant job would become
available?”

He frowned, scrubbed his hand
over his chin, and squinted at her. “Maybe.”

“Deal.” Did she say yes? She must be out of her mind.

A smug look flashed across his
face before he opened the driver’s side door and slid onto the seat. “Well come
on, then. We’re late.”

How rude. This guy was something
else. He didn’t even open her car door for her. But she figured she could
ignore his rude behavior if it meant paying the rent.

She left the protection of the
elevator doorway, which caused the doors to swish shut as if angry at being
held open for so long. The sound of her heels on the cement echoed through the
parking garage. She yanked open the passenger door and plopped down, hugging
her satchel to her chest.

He scowled at her for a second.
“Toss it in the back.”

As they drove, Madison figured
out why they called them luxury cars. The plush seat molded to her body, the
ride smooth and quiet. Mr. Jameson even seemed to relax a bit.

“There are a few things you
should know, in order to play this part correctly. First, we’ve been dating for
four months.”

Madison turned to him, forcing
herself not to make a face. That’s why he needed a date so bad. He’d lied to
his family. And now they were demanding to see his mystery girlfriend. She
pursed her lips.

“We’ve been to the opera, the
ballet, and we frequent the art museum.”

What kind of a person lies to
their family? Her opinion of him dropped. “Uh huh.” She nodded.

“You’re refined, so it’s
important you act the part.”

Did he just call her unrefined? What
a colossal jerk. She narrowed her eyes. “Sure.”

“We are on the verge of being
serious, but don’t worry, I won’t have to see the family again until Christmas,
and by then we’ll have broken up.” He gripped the steering wheel and glanced at
her. “Got all that?”

What did he think she was, an
idiot? It’s not like he was teaching her trigonometry. “Dating for four
months...refined...and on the verge of a break up. Got it.”

He grimaced. “You don’t have to
think about the break up. That won’t happen for a few months.”

She lifted an eyebrow. “I should
portray a hint of discord between us, so when you eventually tell them, it
seems more believable, don’t you think?”

He signaled and changed lanes to
pass a slow moving semi truck. “I suppose.”

Madison closed her eyes for a
moment, trying to get into her part. She imagined herself being a woman who
liked the finer things in life. Someone who would date a wealthy CEO like Mr.
Jameson. Her eyes snapped open. “What’s your name? I can’t really call you Mr.
Jameson in front of your family.”

“Jared.”

The name fit him somehow. A power
name. Muscular. She shook her head. She shouldn’t be thinking about his muscles.
“How did we meet?”

His jaw muscles twitched. “I
didn’t tell them how we met, so it’s irrelevant.”

“What if someone asks?”

“No one will ask. And if they do,
make something up. It doesn’t matter.” He stared straight ahead.

Madison fiddled with her fingers.
He wasn’t very friendly, was he? She could see now why he had to pay someone to
go out with him. If this was how he treated women, he’d be alone the rest of
his life. Even with his handsome face. It’s what’s inside that truly attracts.

She wondered if he was always
this uptight. There had to be something she could say to make him loosen up, or
this would be a very long evening. “Since I might be working at Jameson
Technologies, why don’t you tell me a little bit about your company?”

“We design and build technology
like semi-conductors and virtual memory, and we invest in other innovative companies.”
The corner of his mouth lifted a little. Not a full smile, but she decided it
was progress.

“And Darlene, how long was she
working as your administrative assistant before she handed in her resignation?”

His eyebrows raised and he jerked
his head in her direction. “What?”

Her face grew warm and she
shifted uncomfortably in her seat. Darlene had not quit yet. Great. Now what
was she supposed to do? “Um, a friend of mine overheard Darlene talking. She
said she was going to quit her job today. Sorry to break it to you. I guess she
hasn’t done it yet.”

Deep laughter bubbled up from his
chest, and he smiled – an actual real smile. He continued to chuckle while
swerving into the other lane to pass another car.

She couldn’t fathom why he was
laughing. Losing an employee was not humorous. She had a sneaking suspicion he
was laughing at her. “What’s so funny?” she snapped.

“Darlene threatens to quit three
times a week. Never actually follows through.”

Anger festered in her like an
ulcer. Jared had no intention of hiring her. “I guess there’s no position for
me at your company.” The words came out clipped.

Jared stopped laughing and grew
serious. “I said maybe. I didn’t say yes.”

Madison clenched her fists, her
fingernails digging into her skin. “And because you wanted me to pretend to be
your girlfriend, you lied.”

“You’re overreacting.”

Maybe she was. But he had lied,
and she wasn’t going to let him get away with it. “You knew I wanted a job.”

“I’m giving you a job. What’s the
matter with you?”

The condescending way he said it
made her blood boil. He had manipulated her into doing this. She suddenly felt
cheap. Used. And cruising down the interstate miles away from home, there was
nothing she could do about it.

She folded her arms across her
chest and glared at him. If he wanted her to play a part for his family, she
sure would.

But maybe not the refined girlfriend he was hoping for.

A Possibility of an Unexpected Second Chance

Some people are just meant to be together. Too bad Lana didn’t believe in fate.

When Lana got the lead role for a romantic comedy to be shot on location at the Cayman Islands, she was thrilled. That is, until she saw her ex, Hayden Sterling, working on set. She’d fallen hard for Hayden five years ago, but then he ruthlessly dumped her.

Hayden’s been in love with Lana ever since he first laid eyes on her when they worked together on a film. But the last thing he wanted to do was ruin her career, and the public made it clear they didn’t like her dating a lowly prop man. So, he stepped back.

But he regrets that decision. And seeing Lana again was only bringing up his long-buried feelings.