Simply Irresistible Read online

  Simply Irresistible

  Book #1 of Flatiron Five

  by

  Deborah Cooke

  Once upon a recession, five friends banded together to find success. Ten years later, their exclusive fitness club, Flatiron Five, is the hottest destination in Manhattan. People flock to F5 to get fit, to get lucky, and even, to fall in love. The founding partners have been immune to F5’s spell—at least, so far…

  Tyler McKay has had enough…

  Going to his fourth sister’s wedding without a date will only encourage his female relations to “help” him find romance. Ty’s ready to wait for Ms. Right and is busy enough as the finance guy for F5. When he learns that the cute woman who works in his building is in the same predicament, he’s sure that fake dates are the perfect solution. She agrees, but Ty soon realizes that there’s far more to Amy than meets the eye. When she enrolls in a bondage class at F5, he finds himself taking a disguise as dangerous Matteo to keep her safe. How far will he go to win the heart of a woman he finds…simply irresistible?

  Amy Thornton can’t get enough…

  Amy can’t resist another romance about a hot hero and the woman who steals his heart away with naughty games. When she decides to write her own book, she knows she needs to do research. Her fake date, Tyler, is gorgeous but too nice to play naughty games—unlike Matteo, Amy’s mysterious personal instructor at F5, who plays them so well. When Amy has to choose, will she pick the nice guy or the promise of the forbidden pleasures she finds…simply irresistible?

  Simply Irresistible

  by Deborah Cooke

  Digital Edition

  Copyright © 2016 Deborah A. Cooke

  All rights reserved.

  Excerpt from Addicted to Love © 2016 Deborah A. Cooke

  Excerpts from Her Dark Prince by Ella Ardent

  Copyright © 2016 Ella Ardent

  Used with permission.

  Cover by The Killion Group, Inc.

  Formatting by Author E.M.S.

  Without limiting the rights under copyright preserved above, no part of this book may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means, (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior written permission of both the copyright holder and the publisher of this book.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the Internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.

  Table of Contents

  Cover Copy

  Copyright

  Dear Reader

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Epilogue

  About HER DARK PRINCE

  An Excerpt from ADDICTED TO LOVE

  About the Author

  More Books by the Author

  Dear Reader;

  Many story ideas come out of the blue and many disappear just as quickly. Every once in a while, though, a story just won’t go away. Simply Irresistible is one of those books. Not only did the story come to me all at once, but the characters stuck with me. I dreamed of them. I heard their dialogue in my thoughts. I thought I didn’t have time to write their story, but Amy and Tyler haunted me until I did.

  One of the details I enjoyed about this story was Amy’s resolve to write a romance and publish it herself. I hadn’t written much of this book when I decided it would be awesome to include excerpts from Amy’s book. A collaboration was born of this idea: Ella Ardent has written a series of fairy tale romances called Euphoria, beginning with Her Dark Prince. We’ve agreed that I would present these as “Amy’s” books, and Ella has given permission for me to excerpt Her Dark Prince in Simply Irresistible. If you like the excerpts, Her Dark Prince is available for sale and you can learn more at Ella’s website.

  The five partners at F5 have moved into my imagination with a vengeance. Kyle’s book, Addicted to Love, is falling out of my fingertips and I’m loving the story of a bad boy whose resistance to commitment can’t withstand the attention of the right woman. Just like Amy, Lauren is a lot more passionate than expected. Kyle and Lauren had one night together before they went their separate ways. When she comes back for more, he can’t say no. Look for an excerpt from Addicted to Love at the end of this book.

  I continue to write medieval romances as Claire Delacroix and have a number scheduled for publication in 2017. The Champions of St. Euphemia series will be wrapped up with The Crusader’s Vow, and The Rose Legacy series will launch, too. I’m also writing dragon shifter romances, and you can learn more about my Dragons of Incendium on the series website. To keep up with my new releases, book sales, and free reads, please subscribe to my newsletter, sign up for my new release alert or follow my blog.

  Until next time, I hope you have plenty of good books to read.

  All my best,

  Deborah

  Also writing as Claire Delacroix

  http://deborahcooke.com

  Chapter One

  “And will we be seeing Giselle this weekend?”

  Tyler McKay winced, hearing a thousand shades of nuance and expectation in his mother’s question. Mrs. Lowell appeared in the doorway to his office, her reading glasses in her hand, and gave him an intent look. He nodded, understanding that his appointment had arrived, and his secretary pulled the door to his office so it wasn’t quite closed.

  Ty spun his chair so that he was looking out the window at Manhattan in all its spring glory. “I really have to go, Mom. My client is here.”

  “But I just wondered, dear. You know that we’re finalizing the table settings.”

  “It’s a potluck buffet,” Ty protested and forced his tone to turn teasing. It was better than letting his mom guess the truth. “You just want to know.”

  “Of course, I want to know,” Colleen McKay huffed. “You’re not getting any younger, Tyler, and I want to see some grandchildren one of these days.”

  “You have one.”

  “I want more.”

  “Ask the girls.”

  “A son of a son, Ty. You know it would make your father happy. And Giselle is just lovely. So glamorous and charming…”

  Ty interrupted the list of Giselle’s attributes. He’d made a serious mistake letting her survive in his mother’s imagination after their single date, although it had seemed like a good idea at the time. That’s what he got for taking advice from Kyle. “Are you seeing Aunt Maureen any time soon?”

  “She’s coming on Sunday. Of course! It is a family bridal shower, Tyler. You know, Katelyn is so worried about everyone getting along, but I think it will be just fine. It’s been a year since Stephanie’s shower, after all. Don’t you think your cousin Maxine will have forgotten the toilet paper stuck to her shoe?”

  “Not in this lifetime.”

  “Well, she should.”

  “She might, if Paige stopped reminding her.”

  His mother ignored that comment. “These things happen, and there was n
o cause for making such a scene…”

  Mrs. Lowell cleared her throat. Mr. O’Neill could get impatient, and rightly so, given how much capital Ty managed for him. “Gotta go, Mom. I’ll talk to you later.”

  “You certainly will, young man. You might have grown up but that doesn’t mean you can evade a question…”

  “Bye, Mom.” Ty ended the call, telling himself he’d given his mother fair warning. It was only 9:30 in the morning, after all, and this had been her third call of the day. He hesitated only a moment before sending all incoming calls to voice mail.

  Then he turned off his cell phone. He might not turn it on anytime soon.

  What was he going to do? Giselle was long gone from his life, but if he went alone to any of the events leading up to Katelyn’s wedding—never mind the wedding itself—an entire army of well-intentioned female relations would be determined to play matchmaker.

  Ty had been there and done that, and he wasn’t going to endure it again.

  He certainly wasn’t going to ask Kyle for advice again.

  Ty needed a date. Fast. For self-defense.

  What about the Librarian?

  What about Mr. O’Neill? Ty straightened his tie and strode to the door of his office, giving his client a welcoming smile. “My mother,” he said, then shook his head. “My sister is getting married in a month and everything is a crisis.”

  Mr. O’Neill chuckled as he rose to his feet, a leather portfolio tucked under his arm. “I thought you were going to say that you were getting married.”

  Ty shook his head. “Not soon.”

  “Maybe that’s your mother’s plan.”

  “Probably. I’m willing to wait for the right woman, though.”

  Mr. O’Neill nodded agreement. “That’s sound thinking.”

  “Have you given any thought to our discussion about risk?”

  “I have,” Mr. O’Neill acknowledged. “Your argument was persuasive but I have a few questions. I watched those stocks you mentioned…”

  Ty ushered the older man into his office, then exchanged a glance with Mrs. Lowell who had returned to her desk.

  Thirty? She mouthed, guessing how long he wanted to be undisturbed.

  Ty wiggled his hand that it might take longer. He’d been suggesting a change of perspective in the management of Mr. O’Neill’s portfolio and knew that his client would have a lot of questions. His secretary nodded agreement, then her phone rang. Ty shut the door and gave the older man his undivided attention.

  Except for his one thought about the Librarian. Would she do it? Or would she think he was insane? Maybe he was nuts. He didn’t even know her name.

  The worst she could do, Ty figured, was to decline.

  He could survive that.

  And if she agreed, he wouldn’t be at the mercy of his family for the next month.

  * * *

  There he was.

  Finally.

  Better late than never.

  Amy peeked over the top of her book and watched the guy from the wealth management firm on the top floor come into the common area, just the way she did five times a week. Her heart was beating faster, even though that was stupid. She was too old to have a crush on a stranger.

  Even one who looked like this. The object of her attention could have stepped out of the pages of one of the books she gobbled up like candy. Tall, athletic, handsome, wearing yet another killer suit that probably cost as much as she earned in a month. Make that two months. No pretension. He was totally at ease and moved with an athletic grace that made her salivate. Confident. Maybe even masterful.

  Amy bit her lip. He was almost too good to be true. She watched him surreptitiously, yet again, seeking the inevitable flaw. She didn’t find it on this day either.

  Perfectly knotted silk tie, French cuffs, Italian shoes. There was no business casual dress code in this guy’s world, and Amy liked it.

  A lot.

  Of course, if he had been like her recent book boyfriends, he’d be emotionally scarred, hiding his wounds from the world. He’d be ruined inside, a wreck of a man who could only be cured by the love of the right woman. She’d be the one to see past his scars and trust him enough to surrender fully to his darkest fantasies. To his needs. He’d give vent to his deepest desires because of that trust, and by the end of the book, he’d be healed.

  True love would conquer the obstacles and win the day.

  Amy sighed at the perfection of it all. It was a story she never tired of reading. Beauty and the Beast, with a little pain and a lot of pleasure.

  In reality, this guy would never notice her, except maybe to excuse himself if she stepped into his path. He’d certainly never talk to her, and maybe it was better that way. She wouldn’t have to lose the fantasy, and this one was good enough to defend.

  Still, Amy was curious. Even without knowing his name, she’d gleaned a few details. She knew he worked at Fleming Financial, the private banking and investment firm on the top floor of the building, not because she’d stalked him or anything, but because she’d been in the elevator with him once. Fleming Financial had expensive offices, presumably to encourage the sense among their clients that they could be trusted with the management of enormous sums of money.

  It seemed to work.

  Amy’d nearly had heart failure when she’d realized they’d be the only two in the elevator that day and forgot to push her floor. He’d reached past her to push nine, giving her a delicious whiff of sexy masculinity. Her toes had curled in her shoes. She’d been achingly aware of how rare that scent was in her life and had been ready to just enjoy, but he’d cast her a questioning look. She’d hurried to push five, nearly falling over her own feet, and blushed like a teenager for being an idiot.

  That he’d bitten back a smile had only made her feel like more of one. The silence had been painful and the ride eternal, especially since she’d been too mortified to breathe. There’d been a time when she hadn’t been a complete moron with other people, or even with gorgeous guys. She could barely remember it.

  Maybe his aura of power had unnerved her.

  No, it was what he did in her imagination that made her blush.

  It was probably a blessing that he’d barely noticed her.

  Amy propped her chin on her hand and kept reading about Melissa’s misadventures with her new dom. These erotic romances were like crack. Amy couldn’t get enough of them. They offered vicarious sexual adventures, ending with the promise of eternal happiness. They were her addiction and she read dozens of them. She wrapped them carefully in book covers, the way she’d done in school with her textbooks, to disguise her reading taste.

  That meant she could read anywhere.

  She liked print books too much to use her e-reader, even though the keepers had taken over her bookshelves at home. So many of them had a great juicy bit—or twenty. Her dad, the English teacher, had spoken often about censorship and the right to make your own reading choices. The way Amy saw it, buying print books with cash meant that no one could track what she was reading or take her books away.

  She’d die if she lost these stories.

  Amy’s particular weakness was when the master said something tender and hot that it turned his submissive’s knees to butter, and her own knees got a bit weak. She liked the trust and capitulation—and the transformation. It was magical how the characters gave each other just what was needed to make them both whole.

  Who could resist a happy ending? Not Amy.

  The really intriguing thing about Mr. Private Banking was that he read, too. Scottoline, Grisham, Cornwell, Patterson—pretty much always a mystery or suspense story, but she liked that he read women authors as well as men. Was it the violence? The mystery? The knowledge that justice would triumph? Did he see himself as the serial killer or the intrepid hero, ensuring that villains got their due? It was easy to imagine that he was living vicariously too, having an adventure with his choice of fiction. She wanted to ask him why he read what he did. It would have
told her a lot about him.

  It was also reassuring that at least one other person was as rabid a reader as she was. Observation had revealed that it generally took him two days to read a book. She liked that he didn’t cover his up, so she could spy on his tastes. She peeked again to see what today’s choice was, but he was in the line at the sandwich bar.

  Weird. He usually brought a lunch, just like she did.

  Maybe the staff at the mansion had called in sick.

  She smiled at that and returned to Melissa’s cries of agony and ecstasy. The poor girl was in major trouble this time, having been locked in the dungeon in her master’s house. No one knew where she was, and he had her blindfolded and shackled in nothing flat. Of course, she’d been very, very naughty in defying his express command.

  And now she was at his mercy. Mmmm. Amy already knew this master didn’t have much of that commodity, but Melissa was loving it. Who wouldn’t?

  Oh, the nipple clamps. Amy bent over the book, fascinated by the description of how they felt. Would he use the riding crop? She tried to savor the sensual build-up, admiring that the author had done a good job, but she turned the pages all too quickly. God, the master was doing that tender-tough thing that just about finished her! Would a man ever talk to her in a gravelly voice? Amy shivered at the prospect and turned the page, desperate to know what would happen next.