Single Dad Boss: A Small Town Romance Read online

  Table of Contents

  Prologue

  Prologue

  Epilogue

  Prologue

  Epilogue

  Author’s Note

  Other Bad Boy Books by Kara Hart!

  Prologue: Michael Vanderbilt

  Michael

  Emily Carter

  Emily

  Author’s Note:

  About the Author

  Prologue: Marshall

  Virginia

  Marshall

  Prologue: Jackson Leeman

  Fiona Breckinridge

  Jackson

  Fiona

  Lena

  Colt

  Payton

  Dakota

  Dahlia

  Lucas

  Bianca

  Hunter

  Single Dad Boss: A Small Town Romance

  Kara Hart

  Copyright © 2017 by Kara Hart

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  This is a work of fiction. Similarities to real people, places, or events are entirely coincidental.

  Contents

  Author’s Note

  Other Bad Boy Books by Kara Hart!

  Prologue: Michael Vanderbilt

  1. Michael

  2. Emily Carter

  3. Michael

  4. Emily

  5. Michael

  6. Emily

  7. Michael

  8. Emily

  9. Michael

  10. Emily

  11. Emily

  12. Michael

  13. Emily

  14. Michael

  15. Emily

  16. Michael

  17. Emily

  18. Michael

  19. Emily

  20. Michael

  21. Emily

  22. Michael

  23. Emily

  24. Michael

  25. Emily

  26. Michael

  27. Emily

  28. Author’s Note:

  About the Author

  Prologue: Marshall

  29. Virginia

  30. Marshall

  31. Virginia

  32. Marshall

  33. Virginia

  34. Marshall

  35. Virginia

  36. Marshall

  37. Virginia

  38. Marshall

  39. Virginia

  40. Marshall

  41. Virginia

  42. Marshall

  43. Virginia

  44. Marshall

  45. Virginia

  46. Marshall

  47. Marshall

  48. Virginia

  49. Marshall

  50. Virginia

  51. Marshall

  52. Virginia

  53. Virginia

  54. Marshall

  55. Virginia

  56. Marshall

  57. Virginia

  58. Marshall

  59. Marshall

  60. Virginia

  61. Marshall

  62. Virginia

  63. Marshall

  Prologue: Jackson Leeman

  64. Fiona Breckinridge

  65. Jackson

  66. Fiona

  67. Jackson

  68. Fiona

  69. Jackson

  70. Fiona

  71. Jackson

  72. Fiona

  73. Jackson

  74. Fiona

  75. Jackson

  76. Fiona

  77. Jackson

  78. Fiona

  79. Jackson

  80. Fiona

  81. Jackson

  82. Fiona

  83. Jackson

  84. Fiona

  85. Jackson

  86. Fiona

  87. Jackson

  88. Fiona

  89. Jackson

  90. Fiona

  91. Jackson

  92. Fiona

  93. Author’s Note:

  94. Lena

  95. Colt

  96. Lena

  97. Colt

  98. Lena

  99. Colt

  100. Lena

  101. Colt

  102. Lena

  103. Colt

  104. Lena

  105. Colt

  106. Lena

  107. Colt

  108. Lena

  109. Colt

  110. Lena

  111. Lena

  112. Colt

  113. Lena

  114. Colt

  115. Lena

  116. Author’s Note:

  Prologue

  117. Payton

  118. Dakota

  119. Payton

  120. Dakota

  121. Payton

  122. Dakota

  123. Payton

  124. Dakota

  125. Payton

  126. Dakota

  127. Payton

  128. Dakota

  129. Payton

  130. Dakota

  131. Payton

  132. Dakota

  133. Payton

  134. Dakota

  135. Payton

  136. Dakota

  137. Payton

  138. Dakota

  139. Payton

  140. Dakota

  141. Payton

  142. Payton

  143. Dakota

  144. Author’s Note:

  Prologue

  145. Dahlia

  146. Lucas

  147. Dahlia

  148. Lucas

  149. Dahlia

  150. Lucas

  151. Dahlia

  152. Lucas

  153. Dahlia

  154. Lucas

  155. Dahlia

  156. Lucas

  157. Dahlia

  158. Lucas

  159. Lucas

  160. Dahlia

  161. Lucas

  162. Dahlia

  Epilogue

  163. Author’s Note:

  Prologue

  164. Bianca

  165. Hunter

  166. Bianca

  167. Hunter

  168. Bianca

  169. Hunter

  170. Bianca

  171. Hunter

  172. Bianca

  173. Hunter

  174. Bianca

  175. Hunter

  176. Bianca

  177. Hunter

  178. Bianca

  179. Hunter

  180. Bianca

  181. Hunter

  182. Hunter

  183. Bianca

  184. Hunter

  Epilogue

  Author’s Note

  Other Bad Boy Books by Kara Hart!

  Author’s Note

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  Other Bad Boy Books by Kara Hart!

  Most girls wouldn’t run from the richest man in the city. I guess I’m not most girls. He has a dark secret, and no amount of money can keep it hidden. Then again, I have a
secret of my own. I had his baby, and now both our worlds are crumbling to pieces.

  I’ve never backed down from a challenge, and I’ve had my share... But Helena Rollins is in a league of her own. She thinks I’m damaged. Broken. She thinks I’m trouble. Well, maybe she’s right, but she’s wrong about one thing… She’s mine forever, and I’m going to make sure of it this time.

  I promised her I'd never let her go. That's why I brought these handcuffs.

  Come on, Kitten. Let's go for a ride.

  The hardest men take what they want

  I play hard. On and off the field.

  Lust is HARD. Love is DEEP.

  Ripped SEAL. Filthy mouth. Big… gun. What else does a woman need?

  You want to play rough? Be careful what you wish for.

  I made one big mistake that almost ruined my life -- I had the quarterback’s baby.

  Prologue: Michael Vanderbilt

  “I want this to be our little secret,” I whisper. My heart is beating at an undeniable pace. No, it’s pounding against my chest, ready to break through my sternum. The cards are stacked against me. This is too much. She is too much.

  Her chest against mine, our hands clawing with anticipation. Our lips smash together, our tongues curl and hold on with all their might. We’re tired from lust. She’s ready to be taken.

  “Just hold me closer,” she whispers back. “Please. I want this to last forever.”

  Emily Carter is the woman every man dreams about. On those lonely nights, I hear that feminine whisper and I can’t help but feel her close to me.

  “I’ll never let go,” I tell her. Our lips tuck under each other, vowing promises we know we can’t fulfill. Yet, we lie all the same. We yearn for the struggle of misunderstanding, in hopes that it can all be perfect, just for one day. This perfect thing we’ve built… it can’t last forever.

  She doesn’t know where the pain leads. Up the stairs of my house, past the divorce papers of my ex-wife, all the way to my daughter’s room. And I’m left struggling to hold on. I move backwards, lower myself down to the bed, and pull the covers over my head. No one knows my needs. When I wake up, she’s gone. I’m gone. It’s all fucking gone.

  1

  Michael

  I don’t feel a thing anymore. What’s worse is that I still love you. But I’m not in love with you, Michael. If you want me to stay, I’ll simply be a roommate. Let me go. Just let me go, already.

  The words of my ex-wife Susan still reverberate in my mind, like it just happened. I didn’t know what to say or do. I just felt cold. No, I felt numb, like all the energy had been sucked out of my body. I always thought divorce would end with rage, with utter animosity. Instead, it ended with absolute-nothing.

  She didn’t want anything from me. I had my house, my money, my car, and my child. Joint custody is what we agreed on. Well, it’s what she wanted anyway. She could have taken all my material possessions. None of that mattered to me. Still, she didn’t want any of that. She just wanted to be away from me.

  But why?

  That’s the question I keep asking myself. Why? It’s fucking torture following that train of thought. I never knew myself, that’s why. I never realized what it took to be a husband. Hell, we got married young. We didn’t know what we were doing.

  Years later, I’ve realized a lot about myself and my spouse. Susan didn’t give me what I wanted, so I didn’t give her what she needed. Now, I’m alone.

  The terms of the divorce were simple: Leave her alone, take care of Lisa, and run the business. Only problem is we own the business together. Till death do us part, right? Well, sure. Except for the fact that she hasn’t seen the inside of the shop in years. She got out and she got what she wanted. I won’t fight her on that. I’m too damn tired to fight that woman anymore.

  Hanson takes off his glasses and wipes the sweat off his forehead. “You still thinking about that bitch?” he asks me.

  “Come on,” I laugh. “Me? No. But don’t call her a bitch, okay?”

  “Whatever, man,” he sighs and goes back to sanding the wood.

  I’ve owned Vanderbilt Carpentry for over five years now and still, Hanson talks back to me as if I’m not his boss. I can’t deal with the man right now. Besides, we have a new position we’re trying to fill and I need to keep my head clear.

  “So, are you ready to do the interviews?” I ask. “We’ve got about a week left before the big jobs start.”

  “I’m ready, as always. I still don’t get why you need another hand around here though. You know I can handle myself around the shop. What’s another couple of jobs going to do to me?” he asks.

  “It’s a liability,” I tell him. “Plus, I’ve got the kid soon, for like three weeks.”

  “Three weeks? You serious?” he asks.

  “Yeah, Susan is going to Bimini or something. I don’t know. Her boyfriend is taking her on a romantic getaway. She’s practically rubbing it in my face because I could never afford to do that for her.” I laugh, but it’s hardly funny.

  “You mean, she’s using the business money to buy margaritas, while you slave away and give the kid her milk,” he says.

  “It’s just for a little while. I’m using the money too, Hanson. Fuck off.” I smile.

  “On what? New Scholastic books for the kid? Dude, you really need to go out with me tomorrow night. I think it’ll be good for you. We’ll hit the bar. Who knows? Maybe you can bag some pussy, for once in your life.”

  “I have too much shit to take care of,” I protest.

  “Look, I know for a fact women are obsessed with you. You’ve had countless offers from them, like every single time we go out. I shouldn’t even be offering to go with you because it only hurts my chances, but as a friend, I need you to not be so arrogant all the time. Stop turning these women down!”

  I laugh and nod my head. It’s true. I’ve never had a hard time with women. I’m a carpenter, I take care of my body, and I’ve got a confidence most men kill for. It’s just that, ever since the divorce, it has all seemed so pointless. “Honestly, there’s just no one that really stands out. They’re all pretty… boring.”

  “You don’t have to like their personality to fuck them, you know.” He rolls his eyes and goes back to sanding the stool he’s been working on.

  I’m not like that. Sex? Yeah, I live for it. But I’d rather get to know the person before they ride my cock raw. That’s just the way I am. I want a connection. I want to fuck their mind, soul, and body.

  I want more than a cold fuck. I want true satisfaction.

  2

  Emily Carter

  Losing him was like losing everything. Punched in the stomach, a knife in the back… call it what you will. In the end, I knew it was all my fault. That’s why I came here to Kentucky. I needed to get away as fast as I could. I needed a breath of fresh air. Chicago just wasn’t cutting it for me.

  I have to admit, I haven’t found my place here yet. I haven’t even found a job, let alone too many friends. Though, I have faith in things that don’t seem all too clear to me yet. A girl has to have some hope. Otherwise, what would I end up with?

  Today is, what I hope to be, the last day of my job searching. I’ve applied everywhere. Clothing stores, restaurants, bars, but now I’m taking drastic measures. I click on the link for a part-time entry level position to become a carpenter. I know. It’s not my first pick.