Too Friendly To Date (Bluff City #2)

 Too Friendly to Date is Book 2 in the Bluff City series. Book 1 is Too Close to Resist. A free online read is Too Much to Handle, and  Book 3 is Falling for the New Guy . All books can stand alone.

Blurb: 

One little white lie…one big explanation! 

Okay, pretending her sexy boss is her boyfriend is more like a huge white lie. But electrician Leah Santino will take the risk. If her parents think she has someone, they won’t go back to smothering her, and they can all be a family again.

Problem is, Jacob McKnight isn’t just her boss—he’s her friend. And faking a relationship when the Santinos come to visit means those sparks she’s always tried to ignore are hotter than ever. This thing between them is starting to feel real, but Leah has a very good reason to stay independent. Unless that’s one lie that’s outlived its purpose…

 

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Praise for Too Friendly to Date:

“I read this book in almost one sitting – it’s fun, made me smile and takes place over Christmas which I enjoyed. Definitely watching for more from this author.” –Mandi, Smexy Books

“A novel storyline and nicely developed characters make this a good read. Leah, in particular, is quite realistic in her determination to care for herself. Jacob’s reaction to her revelation and his subsequent wrestling with his protective instincts also ring true.” 4 stars from RT Book Reviews

Excerpt:

“How can you be afraid of babies?” Jacob demanded, smiling broadly at Presleigh.

Leah was pretty sure this was killing her. “I’m not afraid. They’re just all soft and…bobbly. I don’t know what I’m doing.”

“It’s easy.”

“Oh, don’t push her. It is something to get used to if you haven’t been around babies much. I think it took me a week to stop shaking every time I picked her up.” Kelly gave Leah a reassuring smile.

Presleigh fussed and Jacob easily maneuvered her onto his shoulder, crooning soothing words and patting her back.

Leah was pretty sure her ovaries exploded.

And then the baby spit up a bunch of white curdly goo down Jacob’s shoulder and back. Ick. Ovaries back in place.

“Well, that is unpleasant,” Jacob said, though his tone was amused rather than upset. He handed the baby off to Susan, grabbed a rag out of a drawer and tried to wipe off the offensive fluids.

“Give me a hand here, huh?”

Aw, crap, he meant her. Leah crossed to him and took the rag and gingerly wiped at the spot on Jacob’s back. He glanced over his shoulder at her, and for the love of God, why was she blushing at that? Because you are loony tunes, Santino.

“There,” she muttered, handing the rag back to him, avoiding all eye contact.

Jacob’s phone dinged. “Conference call,” he said, and since she refused to look at him she had no idea if he was looking at her or what. And then he left, thank God. Her whole body relaxed, until she turned to face Kelly and Susan.

Susan stood next to a sitting Kelly, who was now bouncing the baby on her lap, but all three of them were staring at her, heads cocked in identical scrutiny. Okay, not the baby, but Leah wouldn’t put it past the itty-bitty creature with big blue eyes to be scrutinizing, too.

“So…” Kelly offered.

“So what?” Leah crossed her arms defensively.

“Did you guys sleep together or something?”

“What?” Leah screeched.

“That was weird. Like…sex weird.”

“No, it wasn’t. We did not have sex, and we’re not going to have sex, you nut jobs. I just…asked him a kind of weird favor and we’re still working everything out.”

“Was the favor sex?”

“Good Lord. Do you have sex on the brain? And should you even be talking about sex around your baby? Isn’t that kind of wrong?”

Kelly shrugged. “Maybe.”

“He’s…just going to pretend to be my boyfriend while my family is here. It’s nothing. Except a little weird. But definitely not sex weird.”

Kelly and Susan exchanged a look and Leah groaned. “Save me your married looks and your disbelief. It’s just…it’s just…”

Kelly and Susan waited expectantly, but Leah didn’t even know what she was arguing at this point. She was flustered and embarrassed and about two seconds away from confessing the weird pseudokiss last night. Because these were her friends and usually she confided in them about all manner of man stuff, but this was all wrapped up in stuff she told nobody.

Besides, if she confessed the fake kiss, then they’d really think this was about sex. “It’s nothing. I have work to do.” She stomped off and repeated those seven words over and over in her head, hoping desperately that they were true.

Extras:

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