by Leslie North
“Do you want to go inside?”
“No.” She grumbled, turning onto her other side. “I’ll just stay out here and complain a little.”
“You’re over forty weeks pregnant,” Meghan reassured her. “You deserve it.”
Brian’s friends Donovan and Nicholas came over. The three of them together were like some sort of long-lost businessmen brothers. College roommates who became fast friends. They all had the same impeccable air of money and success that clung to them like a fine cologne. But once they got past the bullshit talk about dividends and board members, they joked around about the same stupid stuff any old friends would talk about.
“Congrats again, man,” Donovan said, squeezing the back of Brian’s neck. “New house, new woman, new baby.”
“Not quite yet,” Connie interjected, shifting. Something warm flooded between her legs. She furrowed a brow, sitting up slightly to peek under the long flowy dress she’d worn. The warmth continued. It was practically a flood.
“Oh, God…” Meghan began.
“Uh, yeah.” She jerked her gaze up to find Brian’s. “About the new baby…I think my water just broke!”
Meghan squealed with excitement. Brian fell to his knees, immediately taking her hand in his.
“Are you serious?”
“I wouldn’t lie about that,” Connie said, eyes widening as the gushing went on. This was about to get weird. And in front of everyone, no less. Probably there was no better time to start the process though. The parties had officially happened, everyone was gathered. Why not bring the baby into the mix too?
“Oh my God.” Brian’s grin was contagious. He pressed kiss after kiss to her knuckles. “It’s happening. It’s really happening.”
She gazed at him, the genuine depth of his excitement filling her, like it did every day. Ever since they’d made the leap into couplehood—out in the open, living together, preparing to be parents together—they fell deeper and deeper into this relationship that just…worked. Like they’d been doing this for years already. Like there’d never been anyone else out there for either of them.
“Do you want me to call the doctor?” Brian asked.
“Yeah.” Connie pushed herself up, heaving with the effort. Meghan rubbed her back, frantically waving for her mother to come over. “Let’s do that. And probably get me in a car or something, too.”
While the news made the rounds of the party, Brian leaned close to her. He pushed his sunglasses up on his head, searing her with a meaningful look.
“Here we go,” he said softly, rubbing his thumb over her cheek. “I can’t believe the day has arrived. You’re gonna do great.”
“Aw, shucks,” she joked, allowing him to help her stand. There was so much moisture between her legs. It was practically a fountain. “And I haven’t even broken your hand yet from squeezing so hard or called you an asshole for getting me pregnant.”
“That’ll come later,” he said, kissing the top of her head. “And I won’t hold any of it against you.”
“Honestly, that’s the most romantic thing anyone has ever said to me.” She laughed despite herself, despite the uncertainty of what was yet to come.
But with Brian at her side, she knew she could handle it.
All of it and then some.
End of The Billionaire’s Accidental Baby
Billionaires & Babies: Book One
The Billionaire’s Accidental Baby, 28 March 2019
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Matchmaking the Billionaire, 4 April 2019
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Pregnant by the Billionaire, 11 April 2019
PS: Do you love bad-boy billionaires? Then keep reading for exclusive extracts from Matchmaking the Billionaire and The Billionaire’s Sham Girlfriend.
Thank you!
Thank you so much for purchasing my book. It’s hard for me to put into words how much I appreciate my readers. If you enjoyed this book, please remember to leave a review. Reviews are crucial for an author’s success and I would greatly appreciate it if you took the time to review the book. I love hearing from you!
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About Leslie
Leslie North is the USA Today Bestselling pen name for a critically-acclaimed author of women's contemporary romance and fiction. The anonymity gives her the perfect opportunity to paint with her full artistic palette, especially in the romance and erotic fantasy genres.
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To discover more about Leslie North visit:
LeslieNorthBooks.com
PS: Want sneak peeks, giveaways, ARC offers, fun extras and plenty of pictures of bad boys? Join my Facebook group, Leslie’s Lovelies!
BLURB
When single mother Haley Renault’s boss, Nicholas Hunter, makes a bet that he’ll get married before his buddy does, Haley sees the perfect opportunity. While Haley is no romantic, she firmly believes her dating app can find anyone—even self-centered, maddening Nick—a perfect match. If she can show Nick the app actually works, then he might approve it, and Haley’s dreams of success could begin. There’s only one hitch. The man Nick presents to the outside world is nothing like the caring, selfless one she’s getting to know—the one she’s starting to fall in love with.
Nick loves money and all the power and prestige that comes with it. With a cool million riding on a bet with his buddy, he’s determined to win, and Haley’s dating app is just the advantage he needs. But the app’s matches bore him—they’re only interested in his money. He can’t help but wish they were more like Haley—funny, sexy, intelligent, and a woman who sees the man behind the billions. But just as he realizes Haley just might be his perfect match, the app comes through with his “ideal” woman. It’s a chance—maybe the only chance—to show the world Haley’s app actually works.
All Nick wants is Haley, and all Haley wants is for her app to work. It’s a bind all the money in the world can’t fix, and Haley and Nick will have to unravel it before their perfect ‘match’ gets away.
Grab your copy of Matchmaking the Billionaire
April 4 2019
www.LeslieNorthBooks.com
EXCERPT
Nicholas sighed as he stared out the window into the asphalt parking lot outside his company’s building. It was a far cry from the palms and white sands of the Yucatan Peninsula, where his best friend Brian had just married the love of his life. His other best friend, Donovan, lobbed a similar sigh through the speakerphone on his work desk.
“Sucks to be back, brother.”
“Sure does.” Nick jingled the change in his pockets. Every cell of him wanted to go back to that idyllic week in Mexico. “I can’t believe we married him off.”
Donovan’s chuckle trickled into Nick’s office. The three of them had grown up together, both in childhood and in business. They’d previously prided themselves on their work ethic, their success—and their lack of family. Now Brian was firmly out of the Successful Bachelor Club and newly entrenched in the Successful Family Man Club. It still didn’t seem real. He even had a baby.
And almost worse than that, Nick thought their little girl was cute.
He’d never once found a baby cute before.
“So who’s next?” Nick asked, intending it to be a joke. Even though it didn’t feel like it.
“Well…” Donovan began, but trailed off when a knock sounded on Nick’s end. Nick knew who it had to be; he had a one o’clock appointment with one of his app developers. Haley Renault. She was a cool girl, someone he felt safe being himself around.
“Come in!” he shouted, not bothering to end the call.
“You got a meeting?” Donovan asked.
“Yeah. It’s fine.” The door cracked open, and Nick waved Haley in. He offered a small smile, unable to hide the way his gaze shivered up and down her body. She wasn’t just a cool girl—she was a hot girl, known for her form-fitting business suits and four-inch heels. Somewhere between a nerd and a pin-up model, Haley had always been Nick’s pers
onal favorite—his favorite developer. His favorite colleague. Definitely the most gorgeous, too.
But she was an employee. And even though Nick prided himself on his outstanding number of one-night stands and fun flings, he wouldn’t go there with an employee. Not even the hottest one.
Nick waved her toward the seat facing his desk as Donovan went on. “Let’s draw straws. Whoever gets the short one goes next.”
Nick rolled his lips inward to fight the smile. Haley lifted a perfectly painted dark brow as she settled into the seat in front of his desk. Her lavender perfume reached him, and for a moment he couldn’t look away from her.
“I think between the two of us, I’ll find my wife first.” Nick couldn’t fight the grin as Haley’s brow arched even higher. “I’m much less picky, after all.”
“Yeah? You’re not picky, all right. You’ll take about anyone. And I think half of San Diego would agree.”
Haley stifled a laugh. Nick shook his head.
“Fine. Let’s make it official, then.” Nick sat back at his desk, noticing the jiggle of Haley’s breasts beneath her silky work shirt as she held in laughter. “I’ll bet you money that I find my wife before you do.”
“How much?”
Nick leaned over his desk, locking eyes with Haley. In a low voice, he asked, “How much should I bet?”
Haley’s hazel eyes widened. She shook her head furiously. “Don’t get me involved. I don’t—”
“How much, Renault?”
She pursed her lips for a moment, then said, “A million.”
“You hear that, Donovan?” Nick leaned back in his chair. Haley smirked like she’d gotten him, but she didn’t know how little a million mattered to him. Especially when he was going to win. “Game’s on. You in or not?”
Donovan sighed heavily, and then a moment later, he conceded. “Fine. But you should know…I’m gonna fucking win.”
Nick laughed haughtily. Their trio of friends had always been hellbent on competing. Winning made one a god—and Nick never intended to be a mere mortal. He and Donovan were already behind, now that Brian had transitioned to the next phase of life without so much as a turn signal.
“Sorry, but you won’t. And just so you know for later, I’ll take my earnings in cash. I don’t want to have to claim it on my taxes.”
“Asshole.”
Nick grinned and ended the call. Haley watched him with wide eyes.
“Wow.”
“What?”
“You can’t be serious about that bet,” she said.
“Why not?” He crossed his palms behind his head, leaning back in his chair. “Not the most I’ve ever wagered. Besides, Donovan doesn’t know what’s coming. He doesn’t know about my secret weapon.”
“Oh, yeah?” Haley’s playful smirk made his belly tighten. If only she could put those bright red lips anywhere on his face…they’d have an amazing time together. But no. Business first. Always. “What’s the secret weapon?”
“You.”
Her lips thinned. “I don’t follow. You’re not planning on marrying me, right? Because I’d like a little more notice than this.”
Nick laughed, though the words out of her mouth made his heart race. He wasn’t sure why. “Of course not. I’m going to ask you to revive your side project. The matchmaking app.”
Haley’s stunned look was the stuff of movies. Picture-perfect shock. “Um…seriously? How do you know about that?”
“I do read the proposals sent my way, you know.” He fanned a business card back and forth over his fingertips. “Your app wasn’t right for the company at the time. But it could be in the future. And if you can use it to find me a wife, it might become the next headliner for this place.”
Haley’s eyes widened again, and this time he could tell he’d seriously made her day. He still remembered her proposal for Married Ever After, a dating app that purported to match people with their one-and-only within the first year, or guaranteed money back. He had passed on it for a variety of financial and social reasons, but the idea had intrigued him. Now, it could prove to be incredibly useful.
“Are you going to say anything?” he asked after she’d been staring slack-jawed at him for too long.
“Holy shit,” she gasped out. “Are you serious?”
“Of course. Find me my mate with your app, and I’ll make sure it gets the green light for distribution.”
“Okay!” she squeaked.
“But here’s the catch.” He paused, swiveling back and forth in his chair. “I need to find this woman within two months. I can’t spend a year looking for her.”
Haley blinked rapidly, nodding as she focused on something on the surface of his desk. “Yeah. Of course. I mean, I’ll have to work closely with you. Get a really good handle on your likes, dislikes, personality, preferences—”
He sat up a little. “Bedroom or otherwise?”
She yanked her gaze up to meet his, and he swore he saw a flush in those pale cheeks. “Uh, otherwise.”
“No problem. I’ll be an open book, if it means I win this bet.”
Haley stared at him for a few more moments. “I can’t believe this.”
“Can you do it? And quickly?”
“Yeah. I have all the coding done—that’s been ready since I submitted the proposal. All I’d have to do to really get it launched is put a better interface on there, make it look a little polished. We can leak it to the office here first. Offer it for free for the first three months, put it on blast to a specific market.” She blinked, nodding. “This is basically done.”
“You better make it work. Because if not…well…it’s back to the Working Mom app for you.”
Haley set her jaw, rolling her eyes a little. “Yes. Even more incentive to get you shackled to an old ball and chain.”
Nick smiled. He appreciated Haley in a lot of ways, and part of him wished she was an option on her dating app. But no employees allowed. And besides, this isn’t about happily ever after. This is about appearances and winning.
That’s what it was always about.
Not just keeping up with the Joneses but demolishing them.
Grab your copy of Matchmaking the Billionaire
April 4 2019
www.LeslieNorthBooks.com
BLURB
Gregor Beaumont is in a world of hurt that all the charm in his gorgeous, well-toned body can’t fix. His late grandfather, God rest his soul, wanted to make sure Gregor and his two playboy brothers settle down. He had the brilliant idea of buying up a huge share of the brothers’ engine company and using that as incentive for each brother to find Mrs. Right. Settle down or lose the company to a competitor. Well, that’s just not happening to Gregor, not when life’s so good at the moment. Gregor likes racing fast cars and seducing fast women, and not necessarily in that order. Settle down? Not a chance. Gregor has his own brilliant idea: find some wholesome and desperate girl to pretend to be his girlfriend. No harm. No foul. Unless things start getting a little bit too real.
Kara Alerby knows she’s a sucker for blues eyes and a great smile, so when Gregor comes into her theater wanting to hire her to act the part of his adoring girlfriend, she’s already got her defenses on high alert. But Kara’s a practical girl, and Gregor’s offering a boatload of money that would go a long way toward making her dream of creating a fine arts school for gifted kids a reality. She can ignore his smiles, his charisma, and his kiss-me mouth if it means she’ll get her school. All she has to do is remind herself, every second of every day they’re together, that it’s all make believe—even when it doesn’t always feel that way.
When Greg’s love of racing puts his life in jeopardy, Kara isn’t ready to watch another person die in front of her like her father did. And Greg isn’t about to stop doing the one thing that makes life worth living. The two are on a collision course, one that could break them apart forever if they don’t change directions…
Grab your copy of The Billionaire’s Sham Girlfriend (The Beaumont
Brothers Series Book One) from
www.LeslieNorthBooks.com
EXCERPT
Kara lurked in the back row of the grand old theater as students filed in. It was the first afternoon of a new session of summer improv, but inside, shadows clung to the corners and wings, casting the nearly one-hundred-year-old theater in a somber, reverent mood.
As more students filed in, filling the first three rows sporadically, Kara checked her email for what she promised herself would be the last time that afternoon.
She’d been waiting for news for what felt like an eternity, but really it had only been a semester. In the middle of last school year, she found out that her beloved community theater would be put up for sale—and the owner was motivated to sell. Too motivated for Kara’s tastes, since her long-held dream was to buy this space and open her own school for the arts. Maybe she’d held the dream too close to her heart, because the past six months had been a crush of grant applications and community pleading. Foster the Arts and Save Our Theater had been practically the only words on her lips since January.
And this week the grant decision was due to arrive.
The little circle spun in the middle of her screen as the app checked for new mail for the billionth time that day. Her belly clenched as her inbox refreshed. No new emails. Christ on a stick. She pocketed her phone with a sigh. The email should have arrived Monday, and now it was Wednesday. Every minute she had to wait for this decision was another minute when someone else might buy the theater and ruin her dream.
Because this was it. This was all she had. Acting, directing, teaching. She was born only to do this.