by Piper Rayne
“Let’s just say, there are not many substitutions for Dean, but that comes in second every time.”
“Really? A vibrator?” Getting the clue, Hannah whispers. “Now you’re piquing my interest.”
“I’ll buy you one. It saved me during my dry spell until Reed,” Victoria says.
Hannah’s interest definitely looks piqued now and I can’t believe a woman as independent and strong as her, hasn’t taken her orgasms more seriously.
“Not like I really have any other options at the moment,” she says.
“Hannah Crowley?” a dark-haired woman peeks her head in the middle of our table, whispering like Hannah’s name should never be heard.
We all look at the woman who’s dressed in a cute tank top and shorts. Tattoos down each of her arms. Her hair short and sassy. Ten shopping bags hanging off her arms.
“Lennon?” Hannah wipes her mouth and stands, putting her hand out.
The woman stretches her arm out and shakes it. “Guilty as charged.”
Hannah motions to the empty chair at our table. “Please join us. Do you want a sandwich or anything?”
“Well, those pickles look good.” Lennon laughs and we all glance to the jar of full-size pickles floating in juice on top of the counter.
“They’re delicious,” I comment.
She laughs, and points. “I have a feeling we have a lot in common.”
“I take that as a huge compliment since you’re the inventor of the Unicorn Cock. Can you tell me about the name?” I lean forward like I’m a keener in school and can’t get enough.
She sits back, crossing her legs. “Well, truth be told, it actually came out of my friend Whit’s mouth at first when she was dating her now husband. She was drunk and referred to his cock as magical. I still think it’s hilarious. Anyway, it turned into a joke with my friends.”
“What made you want to invent sex toys?” I ask. I hope I’m not coming off like a desperate fan girl right now, but truth be told I kinda am.
“Let her be,” Hannah urges. “Sorry, this is Chelsea and Victoria. They work at RISE as well.”
She nods and smiles at both of us. “You guys remind me a lot of me and my friends.”
I know I probably look like a complete loon right now because I’m grinning from ear to ear.
“Anyway, I wanted to say how impressed I am with your foundation. My husband is an investment banker and his partner, Drew, was telling me about it. I don’t even know how he found you guys, but I really wanted to help. I have a daughter myself, and I try to teach her to be a strong female. So much so that my husband thinks I’m making her twin brother too submissive to her.” She laughs. “He just hasn’t found his voice yet. Good thing he has an older brother. Brady will show him the ways of the world if he could stop doing the five knuckle shuffle for five minutes. He’s fourteen.”
All of our heads nod in understanding.
“Anyway, here is the check.” She digs into her purse. “I’d love to open up a branch in San Fran. Instead of my company name, we’d do it through my husband’s company. That is if you’re ever game.”
“Expansion already?” I glance to Hannah whose eyes are poised on Lennon.
“I think we could definitely talk more about it. We’re still getting on solid ground right now.”
Lennon smiles and slides the check across the table. Hannah never looks at it and pushes it Victoria’s way. She picks it up, stuffing it in her purse. You’d think we were doing a drug deal here.
“Great. I’m so happy you feel that way,” Lennon says, seeming really sincere.
“Would you like to come to our gala in September?” Hannah asks. “It’s like our coming out party.”
“I do love a good coming out party.” She winks.
As the lunch crowd slows down, there are more empty tables available and Lennon glances over the chalkboard menu. “My husband will be here soon. I’d love for you guys to meet him.”
“Let me buy you lunch,” Hannah says. “What would you like?”
“It’s funny because I feel like I should have Santora sausage.” She looks at our table. “It’s my friend’s family company.”
We all smile.
Then she stands. “I’ll be right back.” She heads to the counter, ordering her sandwich or sausage or whatever.
“What are you thinking?” I whisper.
Hannah shrugs. “I don’t know. I don’t really know her, but she seems professional.”
“And wealthy, wait until you see the amount of the check.”
We both raise our eyebrows to Victoria.
“What? I’m the bookkeeper, am I not? I saw a bunch of zeros before I put it in my purse.”
We laugh.
“Our mission is to reach as many girls as possible. So, I think it’s something we should consider.” Hannah leans back in her chair. “Now here are three guys who could probably put your Unicorn Cock vibrator to shame, Chelsea.”
I turn my head toward the door and in walks Mauro, Cristian, and Luca Bianco, all of them dressed in shorts and t-shirts. Sweaty but probably still smelling entirely edible.
Not as much as Dean though. No one can beat that guy in my books.
“Hey, Bianco brothers,” I call out.
They each stop, wide welcoming smiles on their mouths.
“Chelsea, I heard a rumor about you.” Luca eyes my left hand. “And it’s true, huh? Dean’s going to make an honest woman of you?”
“Again?” Cristian asks.
Mauro hits him in the stomach. “Great news.” He bends down and kisses my cheek.
“Thanks.”
He doesn’t pull away right away. “I’ll leave the other rumor to myself.” He winks telling me his brothers haven’t heard that there’s a little one holding its own in my belly. So far so good. Knock on wood.
“Thank you for that.”
“Luca!” their mom yells and points from behind the counter.
“Seriously, have you not heard about the loser line?” Cristian follows his brother over to his mom. Once he’s hugged her, he heads to the back while Mrs. Bianco lectures her youngest son for the millionth time about giving his hookups the deli number.
“Aren’t you mackadocious.” Lennon looks up to Mauro.
He studies her for a second. “Thank you?”
“Definitely a compliment. I mean you don’t hold a candle to my man, but I imagine you’d make a great hero in a romance book.” She winks and then sits down in her chair.
“Doesn’t the hero always end up falling head over heels for a girl?” Mauro asks.
“Yep,” me, Victoria, and Lennon say in unison.
“Yeah, I’m not sure about that then.” His hand grips my shoulder. “I need to get to work, just stopped by for a sandwich. Have a great day ladies.” He nods.
“Your man?” Lennon asks, and I catch sight of Dean and Reed crossing over from the courthouse, already assuming we’d be here.
“No, that’s my man.” Dean walks in with a smile on his face as Reed’s going on about something. Probably baseball.
“Oh, I do love a briefcake,” Lennon says. When we all look at her for an explanation, she says, “You know a beefcake in a suit?’ “Truthfully, I like them in just about anything.”
Dean kisses me on the cheek and as usual, his hand runs over my stomach.
Reed grabs a chair and sits next to Victoria, pressing a sweet kiss to her lips. “How’s your day?”
“Better now,” she says.
I give the introductions, the guys shaking hands with Lennon. “You guys are so sick in love.” Lennon’s gaze pings around. “Where’s your man, Hannah?”
“Oh, I don’t need a man.” She waves off Lennon’s question.
“I agree with that, but a warm body is nice from time to time. My guess is you’re next?”
“Yeah, never again,” Hannah says.
“Oh, don’t worry, everyone knows you save the best for last,” Lennon says with another wink.
> “There’s always something unique with the first,” Victoria chimes in.
“Everyone knows the middle one is the best. The first is practice, the third they throw all rules out. The middle is where the gold is.” I laugh.
Lennon and Hannah look at one another. “Nah, last is the best.”
Just then a guy walks in. Tall, dark wavy hair, piercing hazel eyes, all decked out in a suit. It takes him no time at all for him to find her. Although she can’t see him, his smile widens, and he approaches the table, bending down to kiss the back of her neck.
She startles and whips around. “You’re lucky I didn’t karate chop your nuts!”
He laughs. “After eight years I would hope you’d know my lips from another man’s.”
“Oh, I know your lips, Mr. Banks.”
They share another kiss and it’s nice to see a couple together so long still so in love.
“Brady called and Bianca is acting like she’s the CEO, telling Evan what to do. Saying he’s the mail boy.”
Lennon can’t fight the smile. “I told you she’ll be the youngest female entrepreneur on record.”
“With her brother doing all the dirty work.”
We all laugh. “They have Santora sausage here. Want one?” she asks her husband as he grabs a chair from a nearby table and drags it over. Seeing the table shrinking, Reed and Jasper pull another table over. The guys go order their food and by the end of lunch, all of our cheeks hurt from spending time with Lennon and Jasper Banks.
Later that night, we walk into Torrio’s. I told them I’d only stay for a little while but after getting the news that our venue for the gala has pulled out for some unknown reason, Hannah needs some company and a few Vespers under her belt.
“I have no idea what to do. It’s July. Invitations were being printed which means I have to get them reprinted, but I don’t even have an address. Girls, we need to brainstorm.”
After our nice lunch, the shit hit the fan for the rest of the afternoon.
“We’ll figure something out,” Victoria says.
“As if I need anything else bad tonight,” she says.
I look over my shoulder, finding the silver fox walking in with a cocky smirk on his lips.
“Ignore him.” Victoria squeezes Hannah’s forearm.
Hannah takes her drink to her mouth and silver fox takes a seat at a table behind us. Why does he enjoy torturing her?
She rolls her eyes. “I’m sure we’ll figure something out.” She fluffs it off.
“We’ll find a venue. Don’t worry.” I drink my water with lemon that I’m already growing tired of.
I see Roarke stand and I keep my eye on him as he heads to the bar, waiting patiently for a drink.
Victoria and Hannah start talking about the possibility of pushing back the gala date and having a winter gala instead. Sounds like Hannah’s warming to the idea. All the while, my eyes are on the silver fox and my gut churns when I know for certain he’s heading toward our table.
“Ms. Crowley, I couldn’t help but overhear that you’re in need of a venue.” He places his drink down and eyes the spot next to me.
I slide over in the booth closer to Victoria. Hannah narrows her eyes at me.
“Thank you,” he says in a deep voice.
“Sure,” I respond and again Hannah gives me a death look.
“I’m not interested.” She sips her drink.
“What if I can get you not only a venue, but the venue?”
We all wait for the rest of his offer because none of us were born yesterday.
“I’m sure your price is more than we can afford,” Hannah says with a saccharine smile.
Hannah is so impressive. So cool. So collected. But I think she may have found her match.
“Oh, Ms. Crowley, you have it all wrong. You know as well as I do that the art of negotiation is simple. I give you something you want, and you give me something I want in return.”
She twirls her glass around by the stem. “And what is it that you want, Mr. Baldwin?”
Victoria and I look to Roarke with intrigue.
“You.”
Can you imagine how Hannah reacted
to Roarke’s offer?
Keep Scrolling!
Cockamamie Unicorn Ramblings
Let’s see, what can we tell you about Afternoon Delight…
We’ll start with Chelsea Walsh. Her character was supposed to be similar to Chelsea Handler’s character in This Means War when we introduced her in Break the Ice. Hence the reason for her name. In Breaking the Ice we wanted her to test Beckett and give him hell for sitting back and not acting on his feelings for Skylar for so long. The kind of character that knocks on the hero or heroine’s head saying wake up and see what you’re missing out on.
As things often do with us, things changed. We decided midway through that Chelsea would be one of our Divorcee Dating heroines (see Manic Monday). Which meant she had to have been married. So we threw in a quickie marriage in Break the Ice, wiped off our hands and said done. Or so we thought. At this point the hero was not going to be her ex-husband! Uh-oh!
Dean matured from a bad boy to having the stuffy exterior of tax attorney to being her ex-husband. Originally, at the end of Manic Monday, Victoria got a message from Chelsea saying that she’d messed up again by marrying her ex in Vegas a second time. They were going to be there for Skylar’s bachelorette and that would have been perfect because they could have met Lennon and Jasper at a blackjack table (perfect scenario if only it would have worked out). But there were timeline issues and we just couldn’t make it work in a way that allowed us to do what we wanted to with Hannah’s story in Happy Hour. Needless to say, Chelsea and Dean’s story changed—A LOT!
And for any readers wondering about Chelsea and Dean’s first marriage. We purposely didn’t do any flashback scenes because we wanted their story to be about the here and now…how they’ve both grown and how Chelsea was finally able to open her heart again at the risk of having it broken again. BUT…that would make PERFECT box set material, don’t you think?
That’s about all the 411 on Afternoon Delight.
Our usual dream team plus a few new additions who need a round of applause.
Letitia from RBA Designs.
Ellie from Love N Books.
Shawna from Behind the Writer.
Sarah Ferguson and Social Butterfly PR
All the bloggers who continue to make room for our books!
Heather and Angela for being (not so early) readers. One of these days we’ll be ahead of the game. LOL
All our early ARC readers.
And of course, all our unicorns. <3 Without you we wouldn’t be able to keep doing what we do. This industry becomes more challenging every day, but we push on because we have you in our corner shouting from the rooftops and encouraging other readers to try our work. <3
Be on the lookout for Happy Hour. As with the entire series, our hero, Roarke Baldwin has a lot of ground to make up if he wants to win Hannah Crowley’s heart! Should be interesting!
xo,
Piper & Rayne
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
© 2018 by Piper Rayne
All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever.
Cover design: RBA Designs
Line Editor: Gray Ink Editing
Proofreader: Shawna Gavas, Behind The Writer
The perfect man for her is the one she hates most. #gofigure
Dating is hard.
Dating in your thirties is even harder.
Dating in Chicago is harder still.
I haven't given up on finding my happily-ever-after, but in the age of swiping right and Netflix and chill, I'm wondering if everything is as temporary as my marriage t
urned out to be.
Truth is, there is one guy I can't get my mind off of.
Roarke Baldwin has salt and pepper hair I've dreamed of running my hands through and I'm pretty sure that if I checked he really does have a six pack of abs underneath his suit. And I've always wondered what that stubble on his face would feel like between my thighs.
The problem? He's the one man I hate more than my ex-husband…
His divorce attorney.
Chapter One
What are the worst four words to hear in the English language besides ‘we need to talk?’
‘We overbooked. You’re out.’
Especially six weeks before you’re hosting a gala to pop the cork on the new charitable foundation you started.
Normally, the buzz of the alcohol would’ve lifted my spirits, or at least let me have an ounce of optimism in this shitty situation. There has to be a venue in one of the largest cities in America that has availability on short notice. Weddings get canceled all the time. Not that I’m wishing a broken heart on anyone so I can steal their venue spot, but if I’m being cynical—and I’m speaking from experience here—it’s a lot better to never say I do, than to say it then have half your worldly possessions stolen from you in divorce court.
Let’s all be honest, love fogs up a sane mind more than a bottle of tequila on a Mexican beach. One minute you’re all ‘woohoo,’ licking salt and sucking back limes under a makeshift tiki hut poolside. The next you’re hunched over the trunk of a palm tree with your stomach rejecting the good times you promised.