by Tasha Jones
Dedicated
To All The Readers Who Are Making My Dreams Come True
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictionally. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or to actual events or locales is entirely coincidental.
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Copyright © 2015 Tasha Jones. All rights reserved. Including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof, in any form. No part of this text may be reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the author.
WARNING: This book contains sexually explicit scenes and adult language. It may be considered offensive to some readers. This book is for sale to adults ONLY.
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Other Titles By Tasha (Free on Kindle Unlimited)
African Attraction
My Caring Cowboy
Books By Friends (Free on Kindle Unlimited)
Violet Jackson
Heart of Fire
Country Vibes
Doctor's Love
Falling For The Doctor
The Billionaire's Bodyguard
Jamaica, I Love You
City Vibes – Complete Series
About Tasha Jones
Hey,
I'm Tasha and thank you so much for taking the time to take a read through my book. I'm a young mother of one, with a loving husband, currently living in Jacksonville, and am a big reader. I've decided to turn my love for books into something more, and have started to passionately write more and more. I recently went on a trip to Africa with my fam, and got many ideas for stories on that trip. I also love traveling and cooking and hope it shows in my writing. I really hope you enjoy my writing and I can bring just a tiny bit of joy into your day.
Thanks,
Tasha
About This Book
Jasmine's life was not where she expected to be.
A young, aspiring actress, Jasmine Turner had decided that moving to New York would be the best way for her to catch a big break and become a star.
But after two years in the city, she found her savings completely depleted and she was working at a diner living paycheck to paycheck. On a night where she didn't even know how she was going to make rent, she got lucky and an extra shift came up at the diner, effectively keeping her off the street.
But when she came home after her shift, her room was a mess and she realized her roommate had a party with a bunch of people over. Looking through her tip stash she realized someone had taken all the cash she had been saving to cover rent.
With her back against the wall, she searches through the paper, looking for any acting gigs which could give her some quick cash. But a rather unusual ad catches her attention instead. The ad was looking for healthy females her age who would act as a surrogate to wealthy clients. With no other options she decides to contact the agency and see what they can offer her.
After going through the proposals she finds one potential surrogacy match with a single male in Texas. Only this surrogate contract is a little different, in that the client is also looking for a "paper marriage" as well. She wonders why, but considering how much they are offering she agrees.
A week later she finds herself on a flight to Texas headed towards a ranch to become the surrogate and wife to a wealthy Texas cowboy. She arrives and the lady of the house fills her in on the current situation. It seems like the cowboy's father had passed away, and left him their family ranch on one condition, that he get married and have a child within the year.
Jasmine finally meets Parker, her soon to be husband and client, and he lets her know this is strictly a business relationship. After the baby arrives and the ranch is transferred over to him they can dissolve the marriage and he would raise the child on his own.
But what he wasn't expecting was that love had bigger plans for them. While at first they were very formal with each other, as the days went by their infatuation continued to grow.
Their love grew stronger day by day, until a terrible accident threatened to keep them apart...
Will the power of love overcome adversity and bring them back together?
This hot and steamy BWWM romance is for adult audiences 18+ only
Chapter One – Jasmine
Jasmine Turner was exhausted.
She glanced around at the diner silently calculating how long it would take for them to finish up and let her go home.
She smiled at Carl. Somehow he was always popping in from time to time when she was working. He tipped his hat at her and went back to his coffee. Somehow he felt responsible for her, ever since she had started here he always had her back. He was probably in his mid-fifties and was a truck driver. His routes were scheduled the same and she always knew he would be around on Monday and Wednesday mornings. She had worked the night shift last night and she was tired.
At 25, she had been in New York for two years. She had high hopes of becoming the next Kerry Washington or even better, Halle Berry, but so far it hadn’t come to pass. She was attractive enough, her caramel-colored skin and light brown eyes made her stand out. She had long straight hair, something she took great pride in. It had taken her forever to get it just right. Now it was all being wasted as she had it pinned up while working in a diner.
Ten more minutes and she was out of here. She grabbed up the newspaper from where a customer had been sitting a few minutes before. She put it behind the counter knowing she would take it with her as she headed home. You never knew when you were going to find some great audition in there. She started to clean up as Marie came into the diner rushing to put on her apron.
“Hey girl, sorry I’m running late, the traffic ugh!’ she rolled her eyes and headed to the back to clock in. Jasmine said goodbye to Carl and made her way in the back following behind Marie.
“It'sok, it’s been kind of slow anyways, I’m just happy I’m headed home.” She took off her apron and snatched up her things from the small locker in the back. She gave Anna a hug and left through the back door.
***
People often complained about the city. There was always something to say about the sounds, smells and the people, but Jasmine loved it. There was an ever present excitement in the air and she loved the vibe. She walked the short distance to her apartment. She had found this spot by luck, one of the girls at the diner had gotten a commercial spot and had moved, leaving an open spot for her. The place was costing her a fortune, but what place didn’t in New York?
Her neat little apartment was off of Broadway and Newtown in Long Island City. It wasn’t the best of neighborhoods, but was far better than some. Fortunately, she had a roommate she trusted and cared for. She threw her keys into the bowl by the front door.
“Marie, you in here?” she glanced around the main part of the room but there was no answer. The apartment was a one bedroom, off to one side. The main part of the room was open with an eat-in kitchen and a place for a living room. They had hung a curtain in the room and blocked off an area that Jasmine used as a bedroom, leaving a small area where they could put a loveseat and a television. Her roommate was eccentric and creative. She had done all of the decorating and had live
d there for years. Jasmine knew she had a role on Broadway from time to time, but mostly it was her family money that kept things going for her. She had lived there for years before Jasmine had moved in and she loved being in the city more than Jasmine did.
It seemed like only yesterday when Jasmine had left her family home in New Jersey. Her father worked in construction and her mother had died in a car accident when she was 12.
Recently, her father had been injured on the job and they were struggling to make it, especially with her little sister still at home. She liked to think of her as little, but she was, in fact, 15. Jasmine had shared her dream with him and he hated to see her go, but respected her dreams to try. She had lived out here now for two years and her savings were depleted. Right now she was living day to day. She remembered the way he had looked at her when she left, as if somehow Jasmine were carrying her mother’s lifelong dreams as well. Her mother had been a singer, but never made it big. All she knew was that she couldn’t go home, she couldn’t fail.
She especially couldn’t add her troubles to the ones her father was already dealing with.
She changed into her pajamas and climbed into her bed and was soon fast asleep.
Chapter Two - Parker
Parker was torn between anger and sadness.
His father was dying and there was nothing he could do about it. No amount of money could fix the cancer that had eaten him up inside, not for lack of trying. He took off his hat and dusted off the brim again. He only wore it when he was home, or in a show. His lanky blonde hair hung low on his forehead as he wiped away the grime from the morning. He had worked the ranch with the farmhands this morning, hoping to burn off some steam. They had rounded up most of the cattle and had mended a fence in the north field. Still, he was angry.
His relationship with his father had always been good. His mother had died a long time ago when he was 8-years-old, and the two of them had only had each other to mourn the loss. She had been riding horses and been thrown suddenly. He had been so young.
This was different, this was harder. At 29, he was well aware that this was something his father had come to terms with a long time ago when he had first been diagnosed. He had simply pulled him aside after dinner one night and told him he was dying. The whole thing had been very matter of fact. The truth of the matter, he had known for months, but he hadn’t told Parker because he was on the rodeo tour and he had worried the distraction would bring him running home, which he didn’t want. But he would have come home, if he had known. Now he had days, and it wasn’t enough. He ran a hand through his hair and put the hat back on glancing at the Texas sky. The heat was getting hotter and it was only going to get worse. He decided to call it a day and headed towards the house to shower and sit with his father.
He knew something was different the minute he went in the room. There was a stillness that had settled over his father and the nurse stood and nodded as he entered before she left to give them some privacy. He should have never left him here this morning, but the ranch wouldn’t run itself. With his father in bed there was no one else. He made his way over to where he lay. Once a man huge in stature, he was almost swallowed up by the blankets that covered him. Parker sat down carefully on the chair by the bed. Much like his father, he stood tall at 6’1”. He was built tough and solid. He had grown up on this ranch and his love for horses had led him to the rodeo. As much as he loved the thrill of it, he loved this ranch more. He noticed his father was smiling at him and moved closer to the bed.
“You are a good boy, Parker… good boy, you are always on the move. I hate to put so much on you, but I need you now more than ever the son.” He moved his fingers as if he was reaching for him and Parker took his hand in his.
“I’m here dad, I’m here for good. Don’t worry about a thing.” He held his hand tightly and he felt the same old fear creep into his heart.
“You’re going to be mad at me son, but I had no choice. You never want to move forward.”
Parker frowned, what was he talking about?
“Dad, I’m not going to be mad at you, what are you talking about?”
Before he could answer he had fallen asleep again. Parker hated seeing him like this, in pain. It was too much to watch. He leaned back in his chair and thought about his mother for a moment. His father had loved her so much it nearly killed him when she died. Love made people do crazy things and he never wanted any part of that. He’d had his share of women. Especially on the road, there was always a new girl in every city, but nothing serious. He never wanted to love anyone like his father had. It hurt too much when they left, and ultimately someone always left. He watched the slow, shallow breathing of his father’s chest and settled into the chair a little deeper.
Chapter Three - Jasmine
It was a rare thing when she got to sleep in and today as one of those days.
Jasmine turned over in her bed and smiled to herself. Marie had put the coffee on already and left to start her day leaving Jasmine there alone. She sighed, as much as she was enjoying having some quiet time alone, she had a lot on her shoulders. She had just enough money hidden in her room to pay her share of the bills but that was it.
She’d had big plans for where she would be by now, instead she was struggling to make it. She made her way into the kitchen and picked up the newspaper from the day before. She scanned it for local auditions and found that there wasn’t much to speak of. Her eye caught an ad for something different.
Apparently, there was a need for surrogates, and the pay was extreme. She had never given it much thought, but she sat back in her chair and thought about the possibilities. She was still young and was in no hurry to start a family of her own. With the kind of money they were offering she could live comfortably and put back a nice nest egg. It was something to think about that was for sure.
She put the paper on her bed and went about her day, cleaning and laundry nothing special. She glanced down at her phone, noticing the red light flashing and rolled her eyes when she was that Jamal had texted her again. They had dated for almost two years when she had finally ended it for good. He was a notorious rake and Jasmine had been one of many women he had sweet talked into believing she was special. The problem for her was that she had been in love with him and had given him more of herself than she should have. He had broken her heart and she had walked in on him having sex with her best friend, and that had been the last straw. She went out of her way to not speak to either of them again. Occasionally, he would reach out and despite knowing who and what he was, she had to wrestle with herself not to respond.
That may have been the reason she never dated, and made it her mission to never fall in love again, at least not for many years, until she had made something of herself. Love was a painful thing and she would just as soon avoid it at all costs. Her phone rang and she took a deep breath before looking at the number, it was work and she felt a sense of relief.
“Hey there, Frank,” she answered cheerfully. Frank has been always good to her.
“Hey Jaz, I hate to do it, but I need you tonight.” She smiled into the phone, he needed the help and she was all but broke aside from next month’s bills, it only made sense to go in.
“That’s cool Frankie, I need the tips.”
She gave him an idea of when she could be there and got ready, methodically changing into her uniform before she headed down the short walk to work,
One thing she was happy about was that she was going to miss Marie’s party later that night. Marie was always entertaining her friends and tonight was one of her get-togethers. They usually started at the apartment and then moved on to a bigger and better venue. Never one for the party life, Jasmine just as soon would be at work when they all showed up. Since it was a Thursday she expected the evening to move slowly and it did. By the time she went home, she wasn’t sure if it had even been worth going.
She crept into the apartment late and was greeted by a mess that was certainly a part of the party that had tak
en place earlier. She stepped over the mess with a sigh until she stopped at her curtain. Everything was moved inside. Someone had been in her space and she felt a sense of panic rise up within her. She immediately went to the place she hid her money and felt around frantically. It was gone. Someone had taken it and she had nothing left. She sat down in a huff on her bed and felt the tears well up. She had no idea what she was going to do now. She felt something rolled up under her and she pulled up the newspaper she had put there that morning. Maybe she did have a solution after all.
Chapter Four - Parker
This was crazy, absolute nonsense. How could they really hold him to this? His father had been buried last Tuesday and he had assumed he would stay at the ranch and keep things running. Now this imbecile lawyer was telling him that he had a list of rules he had to follow through on or the ranch was turned over to charity on his 30th birthday. He felt the heat rising up in his face again as he slammed his hand down on the desk in front of him.
“My father made that ranch with his bare hands, there is no way he would want to take a chance of losing it… of not keeping it in the family.”
The lawyer hadn’t moved a muscle. Garrett Jackson had not only been someone he worked for but he had also been his friend. Long before this day came, he had been warned of Parkers enthusiasm for things he didn’t agree with. He gave Parker a once over. He was so much like Garret it made him silently overjoyed. He would do the right thing, despite his protests right now, he had no doubt of it. He cleared his throat to continue on.
“As the will mentioned, before you are 30 Parker you have to have a child and a wife. He is very clear about that, however, he didn’t give any instructions about how you get either of these things. I suggest you get the ball rolling soon since you just turned 29. You don’t have a whole lot of time left. You can stay at the ranch and have full access to the finances.”