Page 1 of The Boyfriend Material Novellas

HIS PROLOGUE

Vaughn

When I started my new business, I made three pledges.

First: always kick ass for my clients.

Second: leave the past far behind.

Third: run like hell from entanglements of theromantic kind.

I don’t just mean taboo trysts with clients or coworkers. My rule has always been to avoid those like a communal bowl of pretzels at a bar.

A communalanythinganywhere,for that matter.

When I say “entanglements,” I mean of any sort with any woman to any degree—whether that is love, sex, or dating.

Yeah, the whole shebang,bangand all.

I’m no good at balance anyway. I’m an all-or-nothing kind of guy, and I need to give my all to my new gig.

So the other side gets nada.

I don’t discriminate in my sidestep-women-at-all-costs strategy—clients, coworkers, and business partners are off-limits, and so aretheir sisters, cousins, and any other female relatives. The “nothing” side means no women from Match, Tinder, or any dating app; no women friends, friends of friends, or friends of my sisters who they would love to set me up with; no women I meet in my building or my gym or on my route to work, not even that cute woman who arranges flowers at the shop where I order a bouquet delivered to my mom in Florida every Sunday.

Maybe it sounds hard to go cold turkey—or, let’s be honest, more like full-on frozen turkey.

But romance isn’t that difficult to dodge if you have a strategy.

And I don’t mean a playboy plan; that dip-the-wick-daily lifestyle never interested me.

I think of it like a diet, and I damn well need it if I’m going to be in fighting shape for work. The last time I fell hard for someone, I spent the better part of a year cleaning up the mess that it made of my work life. I have no desire to venture down that path again.

That means no cheat days. No sneaking into the pantry for a kiss with a sexy lady here or snagging a tasty-looking cookie from the one-night-stand jar of treats.

Fine, sometimes dessert seduces me, and I’ve always been a sucker for sweets. But as a former pro athlete, I have excellent discipline, and I’m feeling pretty cocky about my ability to resist temptation.

At least, Ihad been. Then I met someone who makes me want to devour her—à la mode with a layer of hot fudge.

Only, I suspect Quinn would be sweet on her own.

Sexy, clever, witty, captivating Quinn.

Since I met her, I want every day to be a break from my diet. I want to indulge my sweet tooth at breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

It won’t be easy, but the solution is obvious. I need to go on aQuinn fast.I’ll simply abstain from seeing her.

Ever again.

Then I find out we’ll be working side by side through the holidays.

Deck the halls with my greatest temptation, and fuck me sideways with a nutcracker.

Fa-la-la-la-la.

HER PROLOGUE

Quinn

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