by Jenny Frame
Davina Trent lives for work. She spends her days at her prestigious family law firm, ending her clients’ marriages in divorce court and negotiating their hefty payoffs. Marriage is destined to fail, and family can’t be trusted. But when Trent’s cousin dies unexpectedly, Trent is the only relative left to care for his two small children. She needs a nanny fast.
All Wendy Darling ever wanted was a family. When her fiancée left her and cleared out her bank account, she didn’t think her heart would ever mend. After years abroad as a nanny, she returns to Britain to finish her degree and finally get her life back on track.
Wendy falls in love with the children, but her heart aches at the distance between Trent and the kids. Wendy’s determined to show Trent how fulfilling family life can be, and soon love begins to blossom. But will Trent have the courage to embrace her desire for Wendy and her unexpected family?
Praise for Jenny Frame
Wooing the Farmer
“This book, like all of Jenny Frame’s, is just one major swoon.”—Les Rêveur
“This is the book we Axedale fanatics have been waiting for…Jenny Frame writes the most amazing characters and this whole series is a masterpiece. But where she excels is in writing butch lesbians. Every time I read a Jenny Frame book I think it’s the best ever, but time and again she surprises me. She has surpassed herself with Wooing the Farmer.”—Kitty Kat’s Book Review Blog
Royal Court
“The author creates two very relatable characters…Quincy’s quietude and mental torture are offset by Holly’s openness and lust for life. Holly’s determination and tenacity in trying to reach Quincy are total wish-fulfilment of a person like that. The chemistry and attraction is excellently built.”—Best Lesbian Erotica
“[A] butch/femme romance that packs a punch.”—Les Rêveur
Royal Court “was a fun, light-hearted book with a very endearing romance.”—Leanne Chew, Librarian, Parnell Library (Auckland, NZ)
“There were unbelievably hot sex scenes as I have come to expect and look forward to in Jenny Frame’s books. Passions slowly rise until you feel the characters may burst!…Royal Court is wonderful and I highly recommend it.”—Kitty Kat’s Book Review Blog
Hunger for You
Byron and Amelia “are guaranteed to get the reader all hot and bothered. Jenny Frame writes brilliant love scenes in all of her books and makes me believe the characters crave each other.”—Kitty Kat’s Book Review Blog
“I loved this book. Paranormal stuff like vampires and werewolves are my go-to sins. This book had literally everything I needed: chemistry between the leads, hot love scenes (phew), drama, angst, romance (oh my, the romance) and strong supporting characters.”—The Reading Doc
Charming the Vicar
“Chances are, you’ve never read or become captivated by a romance like Charming the Vicar. While books featuring people of the cloth aren’t unusual, Bridget is no ordinary vicar—a lesbian with a history of kink…Surrounded by mostly supportive villagers, Bridget and Finn balance love and faith in a story that affirms both can exist for anyone, regardless of sexual identity.”—RT Book Reviews
“The sex scenes were some of the sexiest, most intimate and quite frankly, sensual I have read in a while. Jenny Frame had me hooked and I reread a few scenes because I felt like I needed to experience the intense intimacy between Finn and Bridget again. The devotion they showed to one another during these sex scenes but also in the intimate moments was gripping and for lack of a better word, carnal.”—Les Rêveur
“The sexual chemistry between [Finn and Bridge] is unbelievably hot. It is sexy, lustful and with more than a hint of kink. The scenes between them are highly erotic—and not just the sex scenes. The tension is ramped up so well that I felt the characters would explode if they did not get relief!…An excellent book set in the most wonderful village—a place I hope to return to very soon!”—Kitty Kat’s Book Reviews
“This is Frame’s best character work to date. They are layered and flawed and yet relatable. Frame really pushed herself with Charming The Vicar and it totally paid off…I also appreciate that even though she regularly writes butch/femme characters, no two pairings are the same.”—The Lesbian Review
Unexpected
Jenny Frame “has this beautiful way of writing a phenomenally hot scene while incorporating the love and tenderness between the couple.”—Les Rêveur
“If you enjoy contemporary romances, Unexpected is a great choice. The character work is excellent, the plotting and pacing are well done, and it’s a just a sweet, warm read…Definitely pick this book up when you’re looking for your next comfort read, because it’s sure to put a smile on your face by the time you get to that happy ending.”—Curve
“Unexpected by Jenny Frame is a charming butch/femme romance that is perfect for anyone who wants to feel the magic of overcoming adversity and finding true love. I love the way Jenny Frame writes. I have yet to discover an author who writes like her. Her voice is strong and unique and gives a freshness to the lesbian fiction sector.”—The Lesbian Review
Royal Rebel
“Frame’s stories are easy to follow and really engaging. She stands head and shoulders above a number of the romance authors and it’s easy to see why she is quickly making a name for herself in lesfic romance.”—The Lesbian Review
Courting the Countess
“I love Frame’s romances. They are well paced, filled with beautiful character moments and a wonderful set of side characters who ultimately end up winning your heart…I love Jenny Frame’s butch/femme dynamic; she gets it so right for a romance.”—The Lesbian Review
“I loved, loved, loved this book. I didn’t expect to get so involved in the story but I couldn’t help but fall in love with Annie and Harry…The love scenes were beautifully written and very sexy. I found the whole book romantic and ultimately joyful and I had a lump in my throat on more than one occasion. A wonderful book that certainly stirred my emotions.”—Kitty Kat’s Book Reviews
“Courting The Countess has an historical feel in a present day world, a thought provoking tale filled with raw emotions throughout. [Frame] has a magical way of pulling you in, making you feel every emotion her characters experience.”—Lunar Rainbow Reviewz
“I didn’t want to put the book down and I didn’t. Harry and Annie are two amazingly written characters that bring life to the pages as they find love and adventures in Harry’s home. This is a great read, and you will enjoy it immensely if you give it a try!”—Fantastic Book Reviews
A Royal Romance
“A Royal Romance was a guilty pleasure read for me. It was just fun to see the relationship develop between George and Bea, to see George’s life as queen and Bea’s as a commoner. It was also refreshing to see that both of their families were encouraging, even when Bea doubted that things could work between them because of their class differences…A Royal Romance left me wanting a sequel, and romances don’t usually do that to me.”—Leeanna.ME Mostly a Book Blog
Blood of the Pack
“[A] solid entry into the expanding Lesfic urban fantasy/ paranormal romance genre. I look forward in seeing more from the Wolfgang County series.”—Colleen Corgel, Librarian, Queens Public Library
Soul of the Pack
“I enjoy the way Jenny Frame writes. Her characters are perfectly suited to one another, never the same, and the stories are always fun and unique…there is something special about her urban fantasy worlds. She maximises the butch/femme dynamic and creates pack dynamics which work so well with those.”—The Lesbian Review
Heart of the Pack
“A really well written love story that incidentally involves changers as well as humans.”—Inked Rainbow Reads
Someone to Love
Brought to you by
eBooks from Bold Strokes Books, Inc.
http://www.boldstrokesbooks.com
eBooks are not transferable. They cannot be sold, shared or given away as it is an infringement on the copyright of this work.
Please respect the rights of the author and do not file share.
Someone to Love
© 2019 By Jenny Frame. All Rights Reserved.
ISBN 13: 978-1-63555-469-4
This Electronic Original Is Published By
Bold Strokes Books, Inc.
P.O. Box 249
Valley Falls, NY 12185
First Edition: December 2019
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without permission.
Credits
Editor: Ruth Sternglantz
Production Design: Stacia Seaman
Cover Design By Sheri ([email protected])
By the Author
A Royal Romance
Courting the Countess
Dapper
Royal Rebel
Unexpected
Hunger For You
Charming the Vicar
Royal Court
Wooing the Farmer
Someone to Love
Wolfgang County Series
Heart of the Pack
Soul of the Pack
Blood of the Pack
Acknowledgments
Thank you to Rad and all the staff at Bold Strokes Books for your hard work and dedication.
Huge thanks as always to my editor, Ruth. Your infinite patience and guidance are greatly appreciated.
Thank you to my family for their support in everything I do.
Lou, without you I’d be even more unorganized than I already am. Thank you for your help and unwavering support.
Finally, thanks to my Barney Boy for always keeping me company and lying by my side. xx
For Lou.
My dreams never came true until the day I met you.
Prologue
“Ashes to ashes, dust to dust, in sure and certain hope—”
Eight-year-old Davina Trent tuned out the vicar and looked around the graveside, panic growing in her chest. What was happening? What were they doing here? This was wrong. Everyone said her mama had gone to heaven, but she hadn’t. The last time Davina saw her mother, she was sitting up in bed reading her a story. She had been ill, but she would get better. Now everyone said she was dead. It couldn’t be true.
Davina looked at the faces around the grave—stern, solemn looking men and women, some with a tear in their eye, but most just staring into the ground where they had lowered her mother’s coffin.
This was wrong. Her mama was not dead. The panic turned to anger and she shouted, “My mama is not dead.”
Everyone looked at her, and her father gave her a deadly stare, the one that she feared, so she turned and ran across the graveyard, tears streaming down her face. Davina found a large old oak and hid behind it.
She touched a bandaged wound above her eyebrow and took out a picture of her mother, then said through her tears, “Mama, I don’t believe them. Come back for me. Don’t leave me with him.”
Davina heard footsteps, and then her nanny was suddenly upon her.
“Davina Trent, stand up and stop making a spectacle of yourself,” Nanny Wilson said. “What would your mama think of you?” She pulled Davina up and brushed down her clothes. “Look at the state of you.”
Davina couldn’t stop the tears from falling down her cheeks. This was all wrong and she didn’t understand. There was a crunch of gravel and her father appeared at her nanny’s side.
“I’m so sorry about this, Mr. Trent,” Nanny Wilson said.
William Trent looked at her and said firmly, “Pull yourself together, Davina. People are watching.”
“Mama isn’t gone, Papa. Don’t leave her here,” Davina said through her tears.
William didn’t respond to her. He turned to Nanny and said, “Take her straight home—she’ll just cause a scene at the wake.”
“Yes, Mr. Trent. Will you be home after the wake, sir?”
“No, I’m going to the office. I have work to do.”
Davina watched him walk away and felt her heart hurting so badly. She broke free from her nanny and ran.
Chapter One
Davina Trent smiled smugly at the computer screen in front of her. The Osbourne divorce deal was done, and Trent got exactly what she’d set out to get. As a family lawyer, Trent dealt primarily with divorces, and she often wondered why on earth people got married in the first place. The first flush of married bliss in the rich always ended up here—in the London offices of Trent, Trent, and Masters—and making her a wealthy woman.
She sat back in her leather armchair and said to herself, “Marriage is good for business.”
Trent looked around the large office that had once been her father’s. It had changed little since he’d started working for his own father, many years ago. Her gaze trailed over the familiar oak bookcases filled with legal books, the antique furniture and old, valuable paintings, and the drinks cabinet across from her desk.
She had wondered many times if she should move to more modern offices, which would suit her style much better, but then again, the demographic of her clients was such that they lived in a world where musty paintings and antique furniture were the norm, so she always concluded this suited them better. She drew clients from the upper echelons of English society. The aristocracy, rich businessmen and women, foreign diplomats, and the odd celebrity kept her in business, wealthy, and in the sharpest of suits and the best of champagne.
Since taking over the top job from her father fifteen years ago, she had added some junior partners and expanded the size and scope of the firm. Her professional life couldn’t be going better.
Trent’s mobile beeped with a text. She checked the screen—it was from her closest friend, Rebecca Harper. Lunch on Saturday at 1 o’clock. Don’t try and wriggle out of it again. We miss you. Becca x
Trent got up and walked over to the window and looked out at all the people coming and going. Business was going well, but her personal life not as much. Becca was the only woman she had ever loved, and she had let her slip through her fingers. Becca had wanted a family and that had filled Trent with terror.
They’d gone their separate ways, and soon Becca had her son Jake. But Trent had never quite let go of her love for Becca, and until about a year ago, somewhere in the back of her mind she’d thought they might get back together one day. Then Dale McGuire came along and gave Becca the love and family Becca had always wanted.
At first Trent tried to turn Becca against Dale, but as time went on she realized what a good, honourable person Dale was. They called a truce and became friends, and Becca insisted they all become one big, unusual family unit.
Becca invited her to dinner and lunch often, but lately Trent had used excuses to get out of the visits. Watching Becca and Dale with their perfect happy family reminded Trent that she had let go the one woman she had trusted, and she didn’t think she could find that with someone again.
Trent saw a chauffeured car pull up outside and her next client get out. Lady Claudia Osbourne was a beautiful woman in her mid-fifties. She understood her sex appeal and used it to get what she wanted. She’d gotten a title and now a handsome divorce settlement from Lord Osbourne.
Claudia saw her at the window and waved. Trent smiled back and walked to her desk. Claudia had tried to seduce her all through the divorce process. Trent found the older woman attractive, but she wasn’t some aristocratic old duffer, ready to give Claudia what she wanted because of her smiles and compliments. No, Trent had a solid rule. Never get involved with a client
while on the case. But despite Trent trying to keep her distance, Claudia didn’t give up.
Trent’s office phone buzzed. She picked it up and her secretary said, “Lady Osbourne to see you, Trent.”
“Show her in, India,” Trent replied. She quickly straightened her tie and put her suit jacket on over her waistcoat.
The door opened and Lady Osbourne glided in. Today Claudia was dressed in a red dress that clung to her body. She had a fantastic figure and large full breasts—fake, no doubt, as a lot of Lady Osbourne was, but still extremely attractive.
“Darling Trent.” Claudia gave her a kiss on each cheek, then lingered and breathed in her ear, “So good to see you.”
The voice and the closeness of her breath, along with the smell of her perfume, turned Trent on. She hadn’t slept with anyone in a month, highly unusual for her. Since Rebecca’s wedding, at which she gave her away to Dale, Trent had tried to lose herself in sex, but it made the empty feeling inside her worse, so much so that she’d given up on her usual wine bars and went home each night after working late.