Contemporary Romance
Date Published: May 6, 2014
Anything can be fixed with a little Duct Tape and sass…
At least that’s what celebrity fixer, Delilah Donovan, used to think. She prides herself on being able to handle anything. But when she’s asked to fix the new CEO of Synth Games, she never dreams she’ll come face to face with the only man to ever break her heart.
The past can't always be fixed...
When a friend calls in a long ago favor, reformed hacker, Nate Williams, worries that his shady past will come back to haunt him. As acting CEO of Synth Games, he needs to make the world believe he’s CEO material. Too bad the one person who can help him is the one woman he had to leave behind.
Will Nate bury his demons for good or will his past dictate his future? Can Delilah rise to this challenge or will Nate shatter her heart…again.
Excerpt:
“I'm a compulsive gambler. I'll be heading to an upstate
rehab facility tomorrow. My interim CEO has a month to convince the board that
he has the chops, or I'll lose my company to one of the vultures on the board.”
What? Delilah clamped her jaw
tight to keep it from hanging open. He was worth half a billion dollars. She
slid a gaze to Jake, but he nodded at her, encouragingly. When she finally was
in control again, she asked. “My first question is, how long will you be in rehab?”
Chase met her gaze directly. “Sixty days inpatient, then a
thirty day outpatient.”
“What prompted the need to check yourself in?”
He hesitated, but she prompted. “If we’re to protect your
interests, I need to know what I'll have to deal with. What prompted the rehab?”
He sighed, and for the first time, she realized how weary he
looked, as if he'd been up all night. “Last night, some associates of a bookie
thought it would be nice to tune me up.” His glance shifted to the man at the
window.
“Why?”
“I’d been a week late with a payment of half a million
dollars.”
Delilah blinked. Why would he owe anyone that kind of money?
She cleared her throat. “And this bookie, who is he? Is this an establishment
that will come out and attempt to tarnish your reputation?”
A frown marred his handsome face. “A back room game in the
city. Invite only. Hole in the wall place. He won’t be going public with
anything. It’s not in his interest to do so.”
Jake piped in. “They’ve been paid in full and will not come
after you in the future?”
Chase shook his head. “No. I'm covered. But I understand
your job will be difficult. Synth is already drawing a lot of media coverage
because of the release of the new game.”
Delilah sat forward. “It’s timed with the movie release,
right?”
Chase nodded. “Yes. Normally this wouldn’t be such a big
deal, but the game and movie combined are projected to do a hundred million in
the first week of release.”
Jake nodded enthusiastically. “We’re on it, Chase. We know
how important this is.”
Delilah quickly made a note for Willow before looking back
up. “We’ll do what we can to keep your recent run-in out of the news. We’ll
populate some misdirecting stories if anything should arise. In the meantime,
we’ll also start to draft the releases about your temporary step down. They’ll
go to the majors. We should also plan for your return and the interviews
following. We’ll want the important morning shows and outlets, like Anderson
Cooper and Piers Morgan. I have a contact at Oprah’s Network too. We’ll see if
we can get you on one of her shows.”
Quickly and efficiently she went through the plan for
keeping his recent run-in with meaty fists out of the media. She also ran
through the plan of communication to the public and shareholders. Of course,
every part of the plan boiled down to the final most important piece. “And what
do you plan to do about your company while you’re away?” She glanced briefly to
Lachlan.
Chase leaned forward. “We’ve called an emergency board
meeting for tonight. I can suggest a replacement, and the board will choose.
With the voting members present, it should be no problem making sure it goes my
way. The crux is, in another thirty days, the board can keep or replace.” He
glanced around. “It is in my best interest if the CEO I pick stays.”
Delilah studied the man seated next to Chase. Lachlan Murphy
was great CEO material. Honestly, this job would be a walk in the park with
him. There wouldn’t be much to do. “I assume you’ll be stepping in as Mr.
Channing’s CEO, Mr. Murphy?”
Lachlan’s eyes widened. “Me? Uh, no. And call me Lach. There
would be a conflict of interest with my other business interests. I will only
be acting in an advisory capacity, that’s all.”
Jake frowned. “I don’t understand. Who will be your
replacement?”
Chase gave them a sheepish smile. “I’d hoped he’d be here by
now. He was taking care of a quality assurance problem with one of our games. He’ll
be here shortly.”
Delilah chewed her bottom lip. What were the chances that
whoever Chase had picked would be as easy to mold and work with as Lachlan
Murphy? She slid a glance at Jake. His lips were pressed into a thin line.
She licked her lips. “Okay, then. What will we need to know?
Where will we need to focus my attention? What’s his background, what are his
strengths?”
Chase and Lach exchanged a quick glance. Lachlan spoke
first. “He’s loyal.”
Chase continued. “He actually designed a good portion of our
games, so he’s familiar with the technology.”
Delilah read between the lines. Games programmer usually
meant awkward nerd type. She’d have to roll up her sleeves on this one. “What
else?”
“He has an MBA, he’s smart, and he’ll keep my company
afloat.”
Delilah studied Chase carefully, unsure how to get the
honest truth out of both men. They were giving her the guy’s resume not the
overall feel of him. She sat back and asked, “What are we missing here? What is
it you don’t want to tell us? We need to know what deep dark skeletons we’re
going to have to incinerate so the public never finds them. Or at least doesn’t
find them until you’re back in your rightful seat and your profit margins are
up.”
Chase squirmed in his seat. Lachlan wouldn’t meet her gaze
and suddenly seemed to find his phone very interesting. Abruptly, Chase sat
straighter. “Looks like he’s here. You can ask him yourself.”
Through the opaque glass of the conference room, a tall
figure loomed at the door. Broad shoulders. There was an air of confidence
about him. She could work with that, but even as she stood, the fine hairs on
her arms stood at attention.
When the door swung open, Delilah catalogued him in an
instant. She caught sight of his Nike Air Force Ones first, then dark jeans. His
hands were big. Like they were made for playing basketball, not coding video
games. But they were unadorned with jewelry. His leather jacket was expensive,
well made and well worn. He didn’t wear it for fashion, rather for necessity. Under
it, he wore a black T-shirt that stretched over a well-defined chest.
Oh hell yes. She could certainly
work with this.
Her long dormant libido woke up and stretched languorously.
It wasn’t until she managed to drag her eyes from his defined pectorals that
her brain stuttered. A shadow of blond hair dusted his chin and strong jaw. Longish
blond hair curled at his nape. Lips shaped like a bow with a fuller lower lip.
High cheekbones. A slightly crooked nose that had been broken at least once. Deep-set,
aquamarine eyes framed by thick, sooty lashes.
A face she knew well. One that had haunted her for seven
years.
All air whooshed from her lungs as if she’d been hit in the
solar plexus.
Chase’s voice sounded like a distant echo. “Jake, Miss
Donovan. Allow me to introduce you to Nathanial Williams. He’ll be stepping in
as CEO while I’m gone.”
Oh. Hell. No. Her heart hammered,
and her lungs refused to operate properly. This
is not happening to me. Not him. Anyone
but him.
Her gaze collided with the man she’d thought she once loved,
and her stomach pitched. The last time she’d seen Nate was her sixteenth
birthday. The night he’d betrayed her family and broken her heart.
Review:
Delilah is about to receive a promotion at work. She is very good at what she does, helping celebrities to "go out fires" about their private lives.
Her boss, Jacob Park, promised to promote her as junior partner if she got over this endeavor: helping a CEO to pass an image of respectability towards his employees and the public.
The company was Synth Games, and its CEO was about to go away for over a month for a rehab because he was a compulsive gambler. In his place would be a person of his confidence. This trusted person who was someone who could give problems to Delilah...
Nathanial (Nate) Williams was named Synth Games' CEO, and was an old acquaintance of Delilah, his Lila.
Seven years ago he broke her heart and betrayed her family. Now Delilah would have to work with him over two months and pretend she did not know him before.
But how could she get all this time beside him? And how about the feelings that insisted on returning to the surface? And will he felt for her at least a little of what she felt for him?
The story has a great pace, it's funny at the right times, and the couple have a perfect chemistry.
Great book to read in an afternoon and have fun.
5 STARS.
About the Author:
USA Today Best Seller and iTunes Breakout Books author, Nana Malone's love of all things romance and adventure started with a tattered romantic suspense she borrowed from her cousin.It was a sultry summer afternoon in Ghana, and Nana was a precocious thirteen. She's been in love with kick butt heroines ever since. With her overactive imagination, and channeling her inner Buffy, it was only a matter a time before she started creating her own characters.While she waits for her chance at a job as a ninja assassin, in the meantime Nana works out her drama, passion and sass with fictional characters every bit as sassy and kick butt as she thinks she is.
Website: www.nanamalone.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/nanamalonewriter
Twitter:www.twitter.com/nanamalone
Contemporary Romance
Date Published: May 6, 2014
Anything can be fixed with a little Duct Tape and sass…
At least that’s what celebrity fixer, Delilah Donovan, used to think. She prides herself on being able to handle anything. But when she’s asked to fix the new CEO of Synth Games, she never dreams she’ll come face to face with the only man to ever break her heart.
The past can't always be fixed...
When a friend calls in a long ago favor, reformed hacker, Nate Williams, worries that his shady past will come back to haunt him. As acting CEO of Synth Games, he needs to make the world believe he’s CEO material. Too bad the one person who can help him is the one woman he had to leave behind.
Will Nate bury his demons for good or will his past dictate his future? Can Delilah rise to this challenge or will Nate shatter her heart…again.
At least that’s what celebrity fixer, Delilah Donovan, used to think. She prides herself on being able to handle anything. But when she’s asked to fix the new CEO of Synth Games, she never dreams she’ll come face to face with the only man to ever break her heart.
The past can't always be fixed...
When a friend calls in a long ago favor, reformed hacker, Nate Williams, worries that his shady past will come back to haunt him. As acting CEO of Synth Games, he needs to make the world believe he’s CEO material. Too bad the one person who can help him is the one woman he had to leave behind.
Will Nate bury his demons for good or will his past dictate his future? Can Delilah rise to this challenge or will Nate shatter her heart…again.
Excerpt:
“I'm a compulsive gambler. I'll be heading to an upstate
rehab facility tomorrow. My interim CEO has a month to convince the board that
he has the chops, or I'll lose my company to one of the vultures on the board.”
What? Delilah clamped her jaw
tight to keep it from hanging open. He was worth half a billion dollars. She
slid a gaze to Jake, but he nodded at her, encouragingly. When she finally was
in control again, she asked. “My first question is, how long will you be in rehab?”
Chase met her gaze directly. “Sixty days inpatient, then a
thirty day outpatient.”
“What prompted the need to check yourself in?”
He hesitated, but she prompted. “If we’re to protect your
interests, I need to know what I'll have to deal with. What prompted the rehab?”
He sighed, and for the first time, she realized how weary he
looked, as if he'd been up all night. “Last night, some associates of a bookie
thought it would be nice to tune me up.” His glance shifted to the man at the
window.
“Why?”
“I’d been a week late with a payment of half a million
dollars.”
Delilah blinked. Why would he owe anyone that kind of money?
She cleared her throat. “And this bookie, who is he? Is this an establishment
that will come out and attempt to tarnish your reputation?”
A frown marred his handsome face. “A back room game in the
city. Invite only. Hole in the wall place. He won’t be going public with
anything. It’s not in his interest to do so.”
Jake piped in. “They’ve been paid in full and will not come
after you in the future?”
Chase shook his head. “No. I'm covered. But I understand
your job will be difficult. Synth is already drawing a lot of media coverage
because of the release of the new game.”
Delilah sat forward. “It’s timed with the movie release,
right?”
Chase nodded. “Yes. Normally this wouldn’t be such a big
deal, but the game and movie combined are projected to do a hundred million in
the first week of release.”
Jake nodded enthusiastically. “We’re on it, Chase. We know
how important this is.”
Delilah quickly made a note for Willow before looking back
up. “We’ll do what we can to keep your recent run-in out of the news. We’ll
populate some misdirecting stories if anything should arise. In the meantime,
we’ll also start to draft the releases about your temporary step down. They’ll
go to the majors. We should also plan for your return and the interviews
following. We’ll want the important morning shows and outlets, like Anderson
Cooper and Piers Morgan. I have a contact at Oprah’s Network too. We’ll see if
we can get you on one of her shows.”
Quickly and efficiently she went through the plan for
keeping his recent run-in with meaty fists out of the media. She also ran
through the plan of communication to the public and shareholders. Of course,
every part of the plan boiled down to the final most important piece. “And what
do you plan to do about your company while you’re away?” She glanced briefly to
Lachlan.
Chase leaned forward. “We’ve called an emergency board
meeting for tonight. I can suggest a replacement, and the board will choose.
With the voting members present, it should be no problem making sure it goes my
way. The crux is, in another thirty days, the board can keep or replace.” He
glanced around. “It is in my best interest if the CEO I pick stays.”
Delilah studied the man seated next to Chase. Lachlan Murphy
was great CEO material. Honestly, this job would be a walk in the park with
him. There wouldn’t be much to do. “I assume you’ll be stepping in as Mr.
Channing’s CEO, Mr. Murphy?”
Lachlan’s eyes widened. “Me? Uh, no. And call me Lach. There
would be a conflict of interest with my other business interests. I will only
be acting in an advisory capacity, that’s all.”
Jake frowned. “I don’t understand. Who will be your
replacement?”
Chase gave them a sheepish smile. “I’d hoped he’d be here by
now. He was taking care of a quality assurance problem with one of our games. He’ll
be here shortly.”
Delilah chewed her bottom lip. What were the chances that
whoever Chase had picked would be as easy to mold and work with as Lachlan
Murphy? She slid a glance at Jake. His lips were pressed into a thin line.
She licked her lips. “Okay, then. What will we need to know?
Where will we need to focus my attention? What’s his background, what are his
strengths?”
Chase and Lach exchanged a quick glance. Lachlan spoke
first. “He’s loyal.”
Chase continued. “He actually designed a good portion of our
games, so he’s familiar with the technology.”
Delilah read between the lines. Games programmer usually
meant awkward nerd type. She’d have to roll up her sleeves on this one. “What
else?”
“He has an MBA, he’s smart, and he’ll keep my company
afloat.”
Delilah studied Chase carefully, unsure how to get the
honest truth out of both men. They were giving her the guy’s resume not the
overall feel of him. She sat back and asked, “What are we missing here? What is
it you don’t want to tell us? We need to know what deep dark skeletons we’re
going to have to incinerate so the public never finds them. Or at least doesn’t
find them until you’re back in your rightful seat and your profit margins are
up.”
Chase squirmed in his seat. Lachlan wouldn’t meet her gaze
and suddenly seemed to find his phone very interesting. Abruptly, Chase sat
straighter. “Looks like he’s here. You can ask him yourself.”
Through the opaque glass of the conference room, a tall
figure loomed at the door. Broad shoulders. There was an air of confidence
about him. She could work with that, but even as she stood, the fine hairs on
her arms stood at attention.
When the door swung open, Delilah catalogued him in an
instant. She caught sight of his Nike Air Force Ones first, then dark jeans. His
hands were big. Like they were made for playing basketball, not coding video
games. But they were unadorned with jewelry. His leather jacket was expensive,
well made and well worn. He didn’t wear it for fashion, rather for necessity. Under
it, he wore a black T-shirt that stretched over a well-defined chest.
Oh hell yes. She could certainly
work with this.
Her long dormant libido woke up and stretched languorously.
It wasn’t until she managed to drag her eyes from his defined pectorals that
her brain stuttered. A shadow of blond hair dusted his chin and strong jaw. Longish
blond hair curled at his nape. Lips shaped like a bow with a fuller lower lip.
High cheekbones. A slightly crooked nose that had been broken at least once. Deep-set,
aquamarine eyes framed by thick, sooty lashes.
A face she knew well. One that had haunted her for seven
years.
All air whooshed from her lungs as if she’d been hit in the
solar plexus.
Chase’s voice sounded like a distant echo. “Jake, Miss
Donovan. Allow me to introduce you to Nathanial Williams. He’ll be stepping in
as CEO while I’m gone.”
Oh. Hell. No. Her heart hammered,
and her lungs refused to operate properly. This
is not happening to me. Not him. Anyone
but him.
Her gaze collided with the man she’d thought she once loved,
and her stomach pitched. The last time she’d seen Nate was her sixteenth
birthday. The night he’d betrayed her family and broken her heart.
Delilah is about to receive a promotion at work. She is very good at what she does, helping celebrities to "go out fires" about their private lives.
Her boss, Jacob Park, promised to promote her as junior partner if she got over this endeavor: helping a CEO to pass an image of respectability towards his employees and the public.
The company was Synth Games, and its CEO was about to go away for over a month for a rehab because he was a compulsive gambler. In his place would be a person of his confidence. This trusted person who was someone who could give problems to Delilah...
Nathanial (Nate) Williams was named Synth Games' CEO, and was an old acquaintance of Delilah, his Lila.
Seven years ago he broke her heart and betrayed her family. Now Delilah would have to work with him over two months and pretend she did not know him before.
But how could she get all this time beside him? And how about the feelings that insisted on returning to the surface? And will he felt for her at least a little of what she felt for him?
The story has a great pace, it's funny at the right times, and the couple have a perfect chemistry.
Great book to read in an afternoon and have fun.
5 STARS.
USA Today Best Seller and iTunes Breakout Books author, Nana Malone's love of all things romance and adventure started with a tattered romantic suspense she borrowed from her cousin.It was a sultry summer afternoon in Ghana, and Nana was a precocious thirteen. She's been in love with kick butt heroines ever since. With her overactive imagination, and channeling her inner Buffy, it was only a matter a time before she started creating her own characters.While she waits for her chance at a job as a ninja assassin, in the meantime Nana works out her drama, passion and sass with fictional characters every bit as sassy and kick butt as she thinks she is.
Website: www.nanamalone.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/nanamalonewriter
Twitter:www.twitter.com/nanamalone
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