There weren’t enough words to describe Samaire. He could only choose a few… Intense. Wild. Serious. Beautiful. Strong. Wonderful. Loving. Determined. Sexy. Perfect. But the list could go on and on. He would sing Samaire’s praises but there were many things he didn’t want to share with Brian. He knew the douchebag would not appreciate her strengths and vulnerabilities. Connolly would search for her flaws, real and unimagined.“What is it you want to know about her?” Dominic asked.“She works on your social media…” Brian said before he quaffed the wine. “What does that entail?”“We had no social media presence until we hired Samaire. She built our strategy… Connected us with the world.” Dominic quickly ran down the list of Samaire’s duties and realized it was a lot. Somehow Samaire managed to put all of the pieces together and create excitement for his business.“Have you seen any results?” Brian asked as he leaned back in his chair. “I’m sure you can’t dir
Samaire’s hands shook as she tried to unlock her car door. A howling pain raged inside her, ready to tear free. She had to lock down the bitterness and the dark, swirling emotions. She was just a hook-up for him? A quickie? Someone to bang and left on the side of the road? Her heart was in pieces and she needed to get out of the parking lot… Of the city, for that matter. “Leaving town? Really? That’s your solution… That’s the best you can do? Damn it, Samaire!” she scowled herself. “You knew the fling was a bad idea, and you did it anyway. You knew you’d get your heart broken… Well, congratulations! You are in love with the man who broke your heart forever!” Okay, running away wasn’t a solution but she won’t stay there and show him or the world how much the words he said to Brian Connolly had hurt her or how she thought she had meant something to him. Giving no reaction had been her only defense for years and it came automatically to her.“Sam! Where ar
‘Everything we shared was fake.’ Two weeks later, Samaire’s words still haunted Dominic. She had said some other things that had stung but that statement bothered him the most. If what they’d had was fake, he wouldn’t feel this depressed and alone. He would sleep at night and function through the day. If what they had wasn’t real, then why did he feel as if he’d lost something special? Dominic slowly got out of his car and bent his head to ward off the cold and misty rain. He strode to the small coffee shop where he knew Samaire was waiting for her friend Deanna. He wasn’t sure if it was a good idea to confront her in public. Samaire didn’t like surprises and she withdrew into herself when she was cornered. She was going to hate what he was about to do but he had tried to reach her for weeks. Samaire was avoiding him... she was hiding from him. Dominic’s stomach turned at the thought. Hiding because of him. Samaire had just begun to step off the
Dominic pulled out of the parking spot but stopped when he heard a bang on the back of the car.“Dom! Wait! Don’t go!” ‘She was there… Samaire came to him…’ He got out in a second. Her hair was free from the knot and was getting wet and she squinted as the rain hit her face. The bag dangled from her shoulder, and Samaire took deep breaths as if she had sprinted from the coffee shop.“Please…” she added almost whispering.“My darling…” Dominic exclaimed.“I don’t want you to stay away…”“Are you sure?“Yes…”“Look, I know you don’t need my protection,” he said in a rush. “Lena always complains about how overprotective I am. I guess it’s because I was the big brother and I had to show her the way. Once you and my sister became friends, that protection covered you, as well. I don’t know how to stop trying to look out for you, Sam… It’s how I take care of the people I love.”“I don’t want you to stop, Dom,” Samaire said as her expression softened. “But I also
Samaire Grainger’s hands kept shaking while her chest tightened with anticipation as she turned her car into the parking lot. She took a deep breath and looked at herself in the rear-view mirror.“You stop it, Sam… Keep your mind on what’s important! Focus!” she muttered, trying to motivate herself. “Besides, he’s your best friend’s brother. He is only a client and nothing more.” Well, her brain was saying that, but her body wasn’t listening to a word. It never did when Dominic Weston was involved. Dom, the town’s golden boy now operated his family’s wine bar and tasting room. He was also the star of her wildest fantasies… and her wicked thoughts had become more frequent since they’d started working together. It was getting embarrassing. The
She was tempted to watch him walk away, but that might give all her… steamy thoughts about him and her away. Instead, Samaire grabbed her cellphone and checked her messages as if her life depended on it. A text came in just as she entered her password. ‘How’s the transformation going?’ While reading that text for the second time, Samaire grimaced. It was from Brian Connolly, the social media legend to the stars.“Damn it!” At a conference, last month, she’d been flattered that he’d singled her out, and he’d even dangled the possibility of working for him. But first, he’d challenged her to create and manage an image. And he gave he
Dominic watched Samaire with growing concern. She shoved her hands in her long light brown hair. Her golden eyes were dull and her full lips were pinched. Her fair skin had gone white. The woman had always been uptight but he had never seen her this upset before. He glanced at the message on her phone.“‘Transform’?” he asked as he curled his arm around her shoulders. She felt soft and delicate against him.“What is he talking about, Sam?”“Nothing… Never mind…” she whispered.“You are white a sheet, so stop with the nothing nonsense and tell me what the hell is going on.” Samaire sighed and shrugged.“Brian Connolly helps celebrities manage their public image on social media. He is a big deal and he&rsquo
“Really? Are you really in?” Samaire was surprised by Dominic’s answer. He was obviously not thrilled about her plan and she’d figured she’d have to do a lot more convincing. She doubted he would go back on his word but she couldn’t take any chances with so much at stake.“Dom, you need to think really hard about this. Because once you’re in, you’re in… I can’t afford for you to have second thoughts.”“What’s there to think about?” Dominic asked as he sat down on the barstool. “One hand washes the other. You scratch my back and I scratch yours. You need my help and I need yours.” She frowned. Was it really that simple for him?“That’s it?”“That’s it, Sam.”&nb