PROLOGUE
Welcome to the Book Boyfriend Dating Agency
In a world where reality often fails to live up to the fantasies we find between the pages of our favorite books, one company dared to ask: What if you could actually meet your dream book boyfriend?
Enter the Book Boyfriend Dating Agency, the brainchild of a group of hopeless romantics and tech geniuses who believed that everyone deserves a chance to live out their literary fantasies. With cutting-edge technology and a vast database of eligible bachelors, the agency promises to match you with the book boyfriend of your dreams.
Imagine sipping coffee with Mr. Darcy, exploring the streets of Paris with a charming French aristocrat, or even spending an evening with a dangerous, yet alluring mobster. At the Book Boyfriend Dating Agency, the possibilities are endless.
But there’s a catch… The line between fiction and reality can blur when you least expect it.
So, if you’re ready to take a chance on love and embark on an adventure straight out of the pages of your favorite romance, look no further than the Book Boyfriend Dating Agency. Your dream date awaits.
Get ready to swoon, laugh, and maybe even find your own happily ever after. The Book Boyfriend Dating Agency is open for business, and your story is about to begin…
ONE
Grace
The flicker of my laptop screen cast a dull glow in the dark room as I drummed my fingers on the wooden desk. There was something brewing inside me. An itch for something that defied the confines of my ordinary life. With a glass of red wine at my side, I navigated to the website that held the promise of fulfilling the type of craving that had been clawing at me for too long.
Adventure.
Excitement.
A life more fulfilled.
“Okay, here we go. Let’s see what you’ve got,” I murmured in the room’s silence as I created my profile on the Book Boyfriend Dating Agency website. I began to type, each stroke on the keyboard a strike against my boring, ordinary existence. And it was time for me to do something else. Something bold.
I was nervous about taking this step, but it was time. So, I began typing. “Seeking a man who can match my thirst for adventure. Someone who dares to walk on the wild side.” My lips curved into a smirk. “Someone unafraid to play with fire and handle the heat.” I wasn’t even sure what I was truly hoped to find, but the right person would be intrigued by my words. Right?
As I filled in my details, I omitted the usual platitudes and simple things. No talk of long walks on the beach or cozy nights in. That was all bullshit and not worth mentioning. This was a different game I wanted to play—a dangerous one—and I was all in.
“Grace,” I typed for my username, a name as deceptive as it was true. Innocent on the surface, but anyone smart enough topay attention would see the glint of steel beneath the softness. At least once they met me.
I mentioned in the ‘About Me’ section that I would not settle for the average encounter. Smirking, I continued typing: “I’m not looking for mundane Sunday morning breakfasts or a picture-perfect suburban lifestyle. Give me thrill, desire, and a life filled with adventure. Reveal to me your deepest secrets that you’ve never shared with anyone else. Show me a world beyond my own, if you’re brave enough.”
With a deep breath, I clicked the ‘Submit’ button and sealed my fate. My profile now existed on a site that promised endless possibilities and connections. It seemed too good to be true, but I was willing to take a chance for the chance at finding something real. Why not? I couldn’t keep waiting in the shadows, hoping that love would find me. I wanted to take control and hold on to it tightly. I craved a connection that would ignite my fantasies and leave me breathless with passion and heat. Even if it only lasted for one night—which I hope it didn’t—I was ready to experience it all.
Being “ordinary” was not something I could ever settle for. I spent too many years trying to fit in, and I was done with that. Others saw me as someone who followed the rules, with a respectable job in marketing at a well-known company. My bills were always paid promptly, and I showed respect to my elders with polite words like ‘please’ and ‘thank you.’ However, that was all just a mask hiding my true self.
My book choices had become a more accurate reflection of the person I yearned to be. The life I wanted to live. Pages teeming with tales of mafia crime families, where men were fiercely protective of their women and had no issue with making people disappear. This was my escape from reality. And with my profile complete on the Book Boyfriend site—which I still approached with caution—I could finally immerse myself in afew chapters of my latest read, eagerly turning each page and losing myself in the world of organized crime and intense love, bordering on obsession.
I relaxed on the comfortable chaise in my bedroom, hungrily consuming every page of the book. My finger swiped furiously across the screen, turning to the next page, eager to see what happened next. I devoured each word as the anti-hero, who had a past full of dark secrets, swept the leading lady off her feet and into a thrilling night filled with danger and passion.
“Damn,” I said to myself, “that’s the kind of man I need. Someone who doesn’t give a fuck about anyone else but his family and woman.”
After reading a few chapters, I closed out of my ereader and put it aside. I imagined the thrill of being involved with a sexy as sin man, caught up in a hot ass affair. In all honesty, I wanted more than just lust, although that would be nice as well. I wanted a man who could match my freak in bed, but also give me some memories to get me through the night when my life returned to normal. Was that even possible?
With a stretch, I reached for my laptop, my pulse quickening as I clicked on the notification tab. There it was—a message waiting for me. His username was ‘Dillon,’ and the mere sight of it sent a ripple of anticipation through me.
“Well, Dillon. I hope you’re who I’m looking for,” I whispered to the screen, my voice laced with interest and a bit of yearning.
His first message was brief and to the point. “Grace, your profile called to me. I couldn’t look away. I don’t usually do this, but I wanted to take a chance.”
His words were brief, lacking any bullshit words that reeked of insincerity. My fingers hovered over the keyboard, my mind racing with what to reply.
“Well then, Dillon,” I murmured to myself with a smirk, “I suppose we’re both taking a chance.” My fingers danced across the keyboard as I responded to him. “We’re either brave or crazy. Hell, maybe a bit of both. Since we both know why we’re here, let’s skip the small talk.”