Kelly Jamieson + Giveaway

Today I am featuring one of the sweetest ladies I know on the blog today. I met her last year at RT11 in Los Angeles. This women is hard to miss from her fiery red hair, to her infectious smile, and all the way to her CRAZY Ass Heels, she is a force - Kelly Jamieson.

Kelly Jamieson

Sweet Deal – available June 12, 2012

The relationship is pretend. The chemistry…isn’t.

After her last job ended with a broken heart and a humiliating exit from the company, Shelby Leighton’s project management career is back on track with a new job and a high-profile project. The problem: her new boss is a little too friendly, and the staff is talking. Can you say, “déjà vu?” The solution: casually mention a fictional new boyfriend.

New problem: she’s expected to bring her new man to the upcoming corporate picnic.

Jake Magill doesn’t do relationships. It’s casual or nothing, but the hot blonde he’s been eyeing at the coffee shop sure is something. Especially when she confesses her problem, and he finds himself offering to act as her date.

Sounds simple. Stroll around the party with Shelby’s sexy curves clinging to his arm? He’s all over it. Until he meets her boss—the man who once stole and married the one woman Jake thought he loved.

Now Jake’s the one with a reason to pretend. If only to save his own pride…and Shelby from the predatory gaze of the man who could ruin her, and any chance of finding out if their fake connection is the real thing. 

Product Warnings

Contains one desperate lady in need, and a pretend boyfriend who shows impressive dedication to nailing all—and then some—elements of his role. Oh my!

EXCERPT:

Sweet Deal

Copyright © 2012 by Kelly Jamieson

“Hi,” he said with a smile as he approached her, carrying his coffee. “Mind if I join you? There are no empty tables.”

She returned the smile, though the shadow he saw in her eyes had him pausing. “Sure,” she said. “I was just leaving anyway.”

“No, no, stay. I don’t want to disturb you. I’ll sit somewhere else.”

A lie. He wouldn’t mind disturbing her. He started to turn away.

“That’s okay,” she said. “Have a seat. Please.”

He slowly pulled out the chair and sat. “Okay, but don’t run away on my account.”

“I’ll finish my coffee.” She lifted the cardboard cup with its domed plastic lid.

“Your skinny cinnamon latte.” The faint cinnamon scent drifted across the table.

They shared a smile. “Yes.”

“My name’s Jake,” he offered.

“Shelby.”

“We’ve sort of already met, but it’s nice to know your name.”

“Yeah.”

He watched her assess him, felt the tug of attraction, the flare of interest.

“On your coffee break?” he asked, removing the lid of his cup and setting it on the small table. The rich, dark-roasted aroma rose to his nose.

“Sort of.” She made a face. “I just needed to get out the office for a few minutes. I kind of had a run-in with my boss.”

“Uh-oh.” He lifted a brow and sipped his coffee, hot and black. “Everything okay?”

She gave a heartfelt sigh and the emotion behind it pulled at something inside him. “Yeah, things are okay. I was just given a great new project to manage. If I do a good job, it’ll probably get me another promotion.”

He tipped his head and gave her a curious look. Okay, not a sexetary, apparently. “And the problem with that is…?”

Her wry smile held a hint of uncertainty, though intelligence gleamed in those blue eyes. “It’s a long story.”

“Go ahead.” He waved a hand. “I have time.” He tried to encourage her with his smile, curious about why she was so clearly upset over something she should be celebrating.

“I’m afraid my boss is…I don’t know how to explain it.” She looked down at her cup, both hands wrapped around it. “I think he’s…”

Her glum expression had him leaning closer, concern swelling inside him. “Is he harassing you?” His voice went rough and he frowned.

Her ocean-blue eyes flew back up to meet his. “No! No, not really. It’s just…he keeps giving me the best assignments, the best projects to manage, even when I think someone else might be more qualified. He calls me into his office and sometimes he just wants to talk. He takes me out for lunch. People are noticing and it’s making things…very uncomfortable.”

The shadows in her eyes and the way her voice went a little shaky told him how much this disturbed her.

“At first I was happy,” she confided. “I was glad he liked my work, and I was doing so well. Then I started to realize what was going on. Now he’s given me this big, high-profile project and he says we—he and I—have to go to New York together next month. I really don’t want to do that.” She bit her bottom lip.

“I see.” His frown remained in place.

“Oh heavens, why am I talking about this to a total stranger?” She gave a light laugh and shook her head.

“Hey, sometimes it helps to talk about it. And sometimes strangers are the best ones to talk to.”

“I suppose.”

“What are you going to do?”

“I don’t know. But I kind of screwed up this morning. I told him I have a new boyfriend. I thought that might get him off my back. But he actually got…kind of annoyed, I think.”

“Hell.” His shoulders tensed. What kind of scumbucket did she work for?

“I know.” She shook her head, her eyes troubled. “This weekend is the big company picnic. It’s a schmooze-fest and I have to go. He’s going to expect to meet this nonexistent new boyfriend.”

“That was a good idea, though. Maybe the boyfriend could be sick that day. Or out of town on business.”

“Yeah. I guess that’s what I’m going to have to do, make up some excuse. If my boss was bringing his wife, it’d be better. With her there, he wouldn’t try anything. But he says she doesn’t like coming to company functions.”

“He’s married.”

“Yeah.”

What a rat bastard. Jake shook his head. “That’s shitty.”

“I get the impression things aren’t so great between him and his wife. But I don’t know if he’s ever really cheated on her. Maybe I shouldn’t complain. I’m probably reading too much into all this. It’s just…” She hitched one small shoulder and another soft sigh escaped her pretty mouth. “I know people are talking and jumping to conclusions, and I hate that. I’m good at my job and I want to be judged on my work.”

“Absolutely.” Guilt stabbed him at how he’d thought she was a sexy secretary. Little blonde-bimbo sex kitten. Maybe that was exaggerating, but she was definitely giving him a different impression than he’d had before they’d talked. “He shouldn’t be doing that to you. Even if he doesn’t mean anything. And I hope to Christ he doesn’t, because if he is looking for more than just a professional relationship, he should be punched. He should know people talk. Asshole.”

She wrinkled her nose and smiled. “Thanks.”

“Wish I could help somehow.”

“Oh, I’ll be fine.” She straightened her shoulders and smiled with a determined optimism.

Their eyes met with an almost physical force. Her smile faded and he knew his did too, and with sudden sureness he knew they both had the same idea.

The words came out even though he knew it was crazy. But she was so sweet and pretty and distressed, her good reputation being trashed by a jerk-off boss. “I can come and pretend to be your boyfriend.”

Now available at:

Samhain Publishing  

Amazon

Barne&Noble

Over the past year Kelly has been busy writing her lil' heart out. She has put out 9 books since 2011 and let me tell you not one of those books disappoints!! She is currently on a Book Tour for her latest release Sweet Deal, so stop on by the other stops for your chance to win one of the other fabulous prizes.

6/12 - The Book Tart
6/20 - Day Dreaming
6/18 - The Geeky Bloggers Book Blog
6/20 - Under The Covers Blog
6/25 - Scorching Book Reviews
6/28 - Romance Rakes For The Love of Romance
6/29 - Happily Ever After
7/2 - My Secret Romance Book Reviews
7/3 - Books-n-Kisses
7/5 - International Heat
7/9 - Smutketeers 

7/11 - Cassandra Carr

Kelly is offering up a copy of her new release to one lucky winner who answers the question below. Contest will be close on 6/22 at 12:01 am and winner will be announced on 6/22. All entries must have a valid email to be entered to win.

Have you ever had a friend pretend to be your boyfriend to discourage advances? 

a Rafflecopter giveaway