by Angel Payne
I loved people watching. I’d done a good amount of traveling in the last few years, and often times I was alone. Making up people’s backstories had become one of my favorite pastimes. I didn’t even try to get it right. I just tried to make it interesting.
My own parents were two of the most boring adults I’d ever met. They met in high school and had been stuck with each other ever since. When I’d come along as an unwelcome party favor from their senior prom night, any hope of leaving that small town and making something of their lives went down the toilet with the first flush of morning sickness.
If the rest of middle-class America were in the same boat, I’d have begged that sucker to pull a Titanic. In the stories I created, people were happy, had adventures, and made the most out of every day.
A nasally voice broke through I Prevail’s rendition of “Blank Space” being belted into my ear canal. “Anyone sitting here?” Judging by the “annoyed mom” look on the woman’s face when I opened my eyes, she had already asked more than once. I pulled the little white pod from my ear and gave my practiced grin.
“Oh, excuse me. I didn’t realize you had— Hey, what is that?” She pointed at my AirPod.
“They’re the new AirPods. Perfect sound without the bothersome cord. They connect to your phone or any other device by Bluetooth.”
“Well, I’ll be… Janine, check this out!” She looked over her shoulder to her three approaching friends. Apparently, the leader of the posse was named Janine.
The bedazzled word Diva on her impossibly white ball cap threw tiny rainbows on her friend’s face and chest as she spoke to her. “Honey, don’t point at him like he’s a piece of meat. I’m sure he has a name. And I saw him the minute we walked in. You’d have to be unconscious not to.” Janine gave me a conspiratorial wink, like we were sharing a joke at her friend’s expense. Except, when I thought about it further, it was really at mine.
She pushed her way past her friend and offered her hand. “Forgive my friend here. She doesn’t get out much. We signed her out for a few hours before the nurses came by with her medication.”
I took the offered hand and turned it over to place a light kiss on the slope of her inner wrist, but not before noticing the enormous pear-shaped diamond on her ring finger. And I’m talking enormous, as in “my husband works like a dog and we never have sex, but he buys me whatever I want” enormous. The way her mouth hung open after I grinned at her reinforced my assessment.
“Pleased to meet you, Janine. Oliver—”
“Connely. Shit! You’re Oliver Connely!” She stammered and stared, and I had to admit, the effect never got old. For all the emotional scars they’d dealt me, I was eternally grateful to my parents for the physical attributes they’d bestowed upon me. Gene pool for the win.
“I am.” I grinned again, motioning to the ladies to make themselves comfortable in the neighboring lounge chairs. It was becoming clear we were going to be spending the afternoon together.
“You live here? In this complex?” Janine commandeered the seat next to mine.
“I do. I’m sorry, but I think you ladies have me at a disadvantage. You already knew my name, and now you know where I live. How about some introductions?”
* * *
Continue reading Misadventures with a Book Boyfriend…
Acknowledgments
Thank you to the entire Waterhouse Press team. Your belief in this series has been amazing, and we’re so grateful!
Martha Frantz: you’re a gift from the gods. So thankful for your constant support and organization!
Also by Angel Payne
Secrets of Stone Series:
(with Victoria Blue)
No Prince Charming
No More Masquerade
No Perfect Princess
No Magic Moment
No Lucky Number
No Simple Sacrifice
No Broken Bond
No White Knight
No Longer Lost
* * *
Shark’s Edge Series:
(with Victoria Blue)
Sharks Edge
Sharks Pride
Sharks Rise
* * *
The Bolt Saga:
Bolt
Ignite
Pulse
Fuse
Surge
Light
* * *
Honor Bound:
Saved
Cuffed
Seduced
Wild
Wet
Hot
Masked
Mastered
Conquered
Ruled
* * *
Misadventures Series:
(by Victoria Blue)
Misadventures with a Book Boyfriend
Misadventures at City Hall
(by Angel Payne)
Misadventures with a Time Traveler
* * *
Cimarron Series:
Into His Dark
Into His Command
Into Her Fantasies
* * *
Temptation Court:
Naughty Little Gift
Pretty Perfect Toy
Bold Beautiful Love
* * *
Suited for Sin:
Sing
Sigh
Submit
* * *
Lords of Sin:
Trade Winds
Promised Touch
Redemption
A Fire in Heaven
Surrender to the Dawn
* * *
For a full list of Angel’s other titles,
visit her at
AngelPayne.com
About Angel Payne
USA Today bestselling romance author Angel Payne loves to focus on high-heat romance starring memorable alpha men and the women who love them. She has numerous book series to her credit, including the action-packed Bolt Saga and Honor Bound series, Secrets of Stone series (with Victoria Blue), the intertwined Cimarron and Temptation Court series, the Suited for Sin series, and the Lords of Sin
historicals, as well as several standalone titles.
Angel is a native Southern Californian, leading to her love of being in the outdoors, where she often reads and writes.
She still lives in Southern California with her soul-mate husband and beautiful daughter, to whom she is a proud cosplay/culture con mom. Her passions also include whisky tasting, shoe shopping, and travel.
For more information, please follow Angel Payne at:
AngelPayne.com
About Victoria Blue
International bestselling author Victoria Blue lives in her own portion of the galaxy known as Southern California. There, she finds the love and life-sustaining power of one amazing sun, two unique and awe-inspiring planets, and four indifferent yet comforting moons. Life is fantastic and challenging and every day brings new adventures to be discovered. She looks forward to seeing what’s next!
For more information, please follow Victoria Blue at:
VictoriaBlue.com