Read Online Hope Entangles: A New Adult Romantic Comedy (Book 2 of 3) by Alice Bello - Free Book Online Page A

was
maddening!
    “ Out of nowhere my boss has
decided to hold a little party, in one of the Hilton’s big old
ballrooms, where I’m going to be on display—with my work—to try and
lure a bunch of bestselling authors to the publishing
house.”
    “ And?” he said, cutting me
another piece of zucchini bread.
    I bit my lip. Why was I telling him all
this?
    I let out a long, slow breath. “I’m an
artist… a photographer.”
    He nodded.
    “ I’m not some kind of
performer. I can’t sing these people a song and charm them into
anything.”
    He smiled wryly, “You’re right on that
count.”
    Oh, screw you!
    “ I… I just don’t know what
I’m supposed to do. Janine’s counting on me.”
    “ Janine’s your
boss?”
    “ Yes. And somehow she’s
gotten it into her head that I’m going to be able to get these
women to leave their rather successful self publishing careers and
sign with her.”
    “ And you’re feeling some
performance anxiety?”
    I glared at him. He and Bette could
make anything sound perverted.
    “ You could say that.” I let
my head fall back as the other weight pressed down on my shoulders.
“Plus one of the authors is bringing her personal cover artist with
her. And… he’s famous, and successful, and utterly brilliant at
what he does. A real artist. And if I don’t wow the crowd more than
he does…”
    I just couldn’t say it.
    “ Then he might replace
you.”
    My head fell so far forward that my
chin touched my collarbone.
    “ Pretty much.” I took
another mouthwatering bite of zucchini bread, and mumbled, “I’ve
gotta find a sexy dress and a sexy date by next week for this party
too.”
    He nodded.
    Oh god this was hopeless.
    But the zucchini bread was getting
better with every bite. “Can I take some of this home when I
leave?”
    He nodded again. “Sure. I was saving
those bananas for tomorrow,” he pointed to a bowl that
held—ick!—some rotten bananas.
    I looked to him, horrified. “I don’t
want you to have to eat rotten fruit.”
    His eyes went wide.
    “ I can go buy you some more
food if there’s a… a problem?”
    He started to smile, and then he
started to laugh. “No, I’m not out of food. You just have to let
the bananas get over ripened before you can make them into banana
nut bread.”
    Oh…
    “ You don’t cook much, do
you?”
    I shook my head. “But I’m great with a
phone and a carry out menu.”
    He stood there for a beat, just staring
at me. “I’ll bet.”
    I had to remember to breathe. I took a
step back.
    He chuckled.
    “ I can’t help you with the
dress. Maybe Bette… or one of my sisters could take you
shopping.”
    “ That’s a good idea.” And
way better than trying to find one myself.
    “ But I can help you out with
your other problem.”
    I stared at him, waiting, but he just
stared back.
    “ What other problem?” I
finally asked.
    “ Finding a sexy date for the
party,” he said.
    I still just stared. “Who?” I hoped he
wasn’t considering hiring one of his construction crew to take me
to the party.
    His brow furrowed and he made a fairly
displeased sound.
    “ I meant me.”
    I blinked, suddenly not understanding
simple English. What on earth was he saying?
    “ Huh?”
    He scowled and tilted his head, looking
at me like I was mentally challenged, crossing his un-tattoo
adorned arm over his tattoo adorned arm.
    I licked my lips just watching the
muscles in his forearms—his biceps and triceps—flex
enticingly.
    Then I looked up into his gorgeous
face. Dark brown eyes—almost black—accented by the longest
eyelashes I’d ever seen on a man or woman. Flawless deeply tanned
skin that seemed to glow with health, and the most kissably thick,
curvaceous lips.
    Then it hit me what he was
saying.
    I closed my eyes, inwardly saying every
curse word I knew. I couldn’t take him to the party. Except for the
last ten minutes he had been the biggest asshole I’d ever met. If I
let him anywhere near my career he’d