Tall Dark and Bossy: A Hate To Love Stand-Alone Romance Read online

  Copyright © 2021 by AM Hargrove

  AM Hargrove LLC—Up All Night Romance (UAN Publishing)

  Tall, Dark, and Bossy

  All rights reserved.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used factiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  No part of this book may be used or reproduced in form or any manner whatsoever by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or a book review. Scanning, uploading and distribution of the book via the Internet or via any other means without permission is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions and do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support for the author’s rights is appreciated. For information address to A.M. Hargrove LLC, UAN Publishing—[email protected]

  All rights reserved.

  Cover by Y’all That Graphic

  Editing Services: My Brothers Editor

  Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  Chapter Forty

  Chapter Forty-One

  Chapter Forty-Two

  Chapter Forty-Three

  About The Author

  Also by A. M. Hargrove

  For women who love reading about alphaholes and bossholes.

  Tall, Dark, and Bossy

  The first time I met sexy Stanton Baines, I nearly swallowed my tongue.

  But that was before he opened his mouth and directed his insolent comments at me.

  Not one to back down from a clash, I fired right back.

  From then on, Stanton pursued me with a vengeance.

  The first thing I learned was he discarded women like gum wrappers.

  Second, the control freak thought he could dominate me.

  That billionaire might be the boss of everybody else, but he was never going to be my bosshole.

  Nor was I going to be one of his crumpled-up gum wrappers.

  My heart had been trampled on enough.

  Mr. Baines would not be adding his shoeprints to it.

  Except he didn’t give up.

  The more I sassed, the more he chased.

  After he had me wrapped around his pinkie, he left … as in poofed right out of the country without so much as a farewell.

  I figured we were over.

  Boy was I ever wrong.

  I had completely underestimated the man and that alphahole was about to bring me to my knees ... unless I did it to him first.

  Tall, Dark, and Bossy is book one in the Baines Family Series. It is a complete stand-alone.

  A room without books is like a body without a soul.

  MARCUS TULLIUS CICERO

  Chapter One

  STACEY

  “Ooh, I’ll take one of those,” I said to the waiter bearing a tray laden with yummy looking appetizers.

  My best friend, English, and her sexy husband, Tristian, had renewed their wedding vows and were celebrating with a reception. They’d originally gotten married in Vegas so didn’t have a bona fide wedding reception the first time. They were making up for it with a bang tonight.

  The party was being held at Tristian’s family home, which was nothing short of a mansion. Everything was extraordinary. The courtyard, where the reception was held, looked like something out of a fairy tale. Tiny white lights adorned every possible tree and twinkled everywhere. The scent of lush flowers permeated the air. It was glorious.

  “You certainly have some fancy friends,” David said as he did a visual inspection of the place.

  I chuckled. “Tell me. English sure married up, even though she wasn’t exactly poor to begin with.” David was my current boyfriend. We were both attorneys and had met at the courthouse. We’d been dating for a few months now and things were going pretty well, or at least that was the image we projected. Deep down, I didn’t feel the spark I should have. In truth, there wasn’t very much chemistry between us at all. I’d been asking myself lately why I was even dating him.

  He tapped my arm and said, “I’m going to get us another round of champagne. I’ll be right back.”

  I was left standing, alone, until Tristian’s brother, Stanton, strolled up.

  “Looks like the party is a success,” he said.

  “Yes, it’s spectacular.” I was never one to be short on words, but this man was such a stunner, he left me speechless. I’d always thought Tristian was gorgeous, but Stanton left him in the dust. There was certainly a resemblance, but Stanton had that little something extra that made my ovaries do one helluva party dance. Tall, dark, and deadly, his startling blue eyes held more than a hint of mystery that had me curious to know more. Why couldn’t David do that to me?

  From across the courtyard, I glimpsed David walking toward us holding two glasses of champagne. Disappointment instantly blanketed me. I questioned those feelings. I should be happy, not sad.

  “By the way, you look exquisite tonight,” Stanton said before sauntering off. Exquisite? No one had ever used that word to describe me before. I was especially surprised because Stanton had seemed more stand-offish and broodier than to dole out compliments like that.

  David handed me the glass and asked, “That was Tristian’s brother you were talking with, right?”

  “Yeah, it was.”

  “He seems a bit arrogant to me.”

  “I don’t really know him that well. Maybe he’s shy.” The truth was, I’d only met him last night for the first time at the family dinner and nearly swallowed my tongue when we were introduced. Gah, the man emanated sex and all sorts of naughty things had popped into my head. I didn’t think he was shy. It was more like he couldn’t be bothered with things that held no interest for him. Maybe a party and making small talk was a part of that. Whatever the case, the man certainly had a way with my reproductive organs. I imagined he had women by the dozens, chasing after him, tossing their underwear at him.

  “What’s that grin all about?” David asked.

  “What grin?”

  “You were grinning.”

  “I was? Probably because I was thinking about how lucky my best friend is.”

  He shrugged and down
ed the rest of his champagne.

  “Hey, you should go easy on that. It’ll hit you before you know it.”

  He scoffed. “Champagne is just fluff. I can handle it.”

  “Fine, but don’t say I didn’t warn you when your head’s exploding tomorrow. Besides, you know how I feel about getting drunk, especially tonight.” Men could be so stubborn.

  Easton, English’s seven-year-old daughter, ran up to me and grabbed my hand. “Aunt Stacey Bear, let’s dance.”

  “Yeah, let’s go bust some moves.”

  We pranced onto the dance floor and goofed off like two fools. We did the bunny hop, and skipped around, then made a train and coerced everyone to follow us. We were finally pooped after five songs and I said, “I need something to drink.”

  “Me too. Let’s get some Smurf Cocktails.”

  I had something stronger in mind, but I could handle one Smurf. We traipsed over to one of the bars and I let Easton do the ordering. She carried a wand wrapped in flowers and told the bartender to sprinkle fairy dust and put extra cherries in our drinks. I almost gagged at the sickly-sweet concoction but managed to choke it down.

  “Aren’t these delicious, Aunt Stacey?”

  “Er, yes, they are.”

  “Do you want to get another one?”

  “I’m fine for now. I better go find David.”

  Easton frowned. “Are you gonna marry him?” Her tone held a hint of disapproval.

  “Well, I don’t know.”

  “Do you kissy face with him?”

  “Easton, why do you ask that?”

  “Cuz I wanna know.” Then she leaned closer and asked, “Have you seen his weenus yet?”

  Good thing my Smurf cocktail was gone, or I would’ve spit it out all over my dress. “Easton! I can’t believe you’d ask me that.”

  “Why not? Mommy sees Daddy’s.”

  “That’s because they’re married.”

  She crossed her arms and said, “You don’t got to be married to see someone’s weenus.”

  “Who told you that?”

  “The kids at school. They say grown-ups show each other their weenuses all the time.”

  “Let me tell you, young lady, don’t you ever do that. Never show—”

  “I know. Mommy says, never to show my pirates to anyone.”

  “That’s right. And not all grown-ups go around doing that. The kids at school are wrong so don’t listen to them.”

  “Ohhhkayyy.”

  “Now go and play. I think other kids might be dancing.”

  She looked out on the dance floor and saw her aunt, so she ran out to join her. English walked up and asked what we’d been talking about.

  “Weenuses.”

  “Say what?”

  “Your daughter wanted to know if I’d seen David’s weenus yet.”

  English opened her mouth, but nothing came out.

  “What are you two doing at home?” I playfully nudged her side.

  “We’re not running around naked, with Tristian’s weenus dangling in the wind, if that’s what you mean.”

  Then we both cracked up. The idea of it was too hilarious.

  “Your daughter comes up with the craziest things.”

  “She’s obsessed with the idea of weenuses. She stares at Jameson’s when I change his diaper.” Jameson was their six-month-old son.

  I snapped my fingers. “That’s why. I never thought of that. Curiosity, I suppose. Seeing one for the first time has to be intriguing when you’re her age.”

  English nudged my arm. “Some things never change.”

  My brows arched. “I suppose not. And I have a huge bone to pick with you. Why did you not tell me Tristian’s brother was so hot?”

  “Which one? They both are.”

  “True, but Stanton is a complete breath stealer. I get tongue-tied around the man.” I fanned my face.

  “Stace, you’re a taken woman. Watch out.” Her voice held a warning.

  “I know, but that doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate a hottie when I see one.”

  She gazed around and then said, “He’s a stunner all right, but definitely has issues from the accident.” English told me he’d been driving with his father in the car when they were in a wreck. Tragically, his father didn’t survive.

  I leaned in and whispered, “Maybe he needs someone to console him.”

  She gawked at me. “I thought you and David were close.”

  My hand swished through the air. “I was just joking.”

  “Right. Tread lightly with that one, my friend. He goes through women like nobody’s business and can be a total dick about it.”

  David walked up, juggling three glasses of champagne, ending our Stanton talk. “Here you go, ladies. Bubbly for the beauties.”

  “Aww, that’s sweet.” I grabbed two, handing one to English. Then I watched David down his in one gulp. English did too, and then turned a curious gaze toward me. I shrugged as I’d never seen him behave like this. He usually was careful with his alcohol consumption around me.

  I poked him playfully. “Hey, don’t forget, we have to drive home tonight,” I reminded him.

  “No, we don’t. I’ve arranged for transportation.”

  “That’s a relief. With the way you’re chugging the bubbles, we might need a wheelbarrow to get you out of here.” I chuckled, a bit uncomfortably.

  His eyes narrowed, only a tiny a bit, but enough that I caught it. It was plenty to make me uneasy though. I decided a change of subject would do us some good. “How about we dance?”

  “Sure.” He grabbed my glass, of which I had not taken a sip, downed the entire contents, and then pulled me onto the dance floor. It may not have been evident to most people, but I knew he was intoxicated.

  “Wanna tell me what’s going on with you? I’ve never seen you drink this much,” I asked.

  “It’s only champagne, and besides, we’re celebrating, aren’t we?”

  “Well, yeah, but I’d rather not see you drunk. You know how strongly I feel about that.”

  He laughed. “I’m not even close.”

  “Um, David, you’ve been downing champagne like water. It’s definitely had an effect on you. And not the good kind.”

  “Aww, come on, babe. Don’t be a party pooper. Have fun with me.”

  He suddenly threw me into a dip that shook me to my foundation. David wasn’t tipsy. He was smashed. Normally, he was reserved and would never do something like this. The fact that I almost landed on my ass and the only reason I didn’t was my fingers clenched on to his arms for dear life, saved me.

  “Okay, Fred Astaire, time to sit down.”

  “Why?” He pouted, exactly like Easton had when I told her not to listen to the kids at school.

  “Because I don’t want to land on my bottom while dancing with you.” I led him toward a chair, but he dragged his feet the entire way there. As we walked, I glanced up to see Stanton eyeing us with an arched brow. I guess we made a good impression on him. But why should I care? I had David, my twinkle-toed boyfriend. Except something about Stanton made me shiver, and David never did that to me. Ever.

  “I always had you figured for a party girl and here you are a huge disappointment.”

  A huge sigh left me. “Thanks for the vote of confidence.” It was useless to have a serious discussion with an inebriated person. This would have to wait until tomorrow.

  Chapter Two

  STANTON

  During dinner the night before, I’d pulled Tristian aside to give him hell for not telling me his wife had such a hot friend.

  “She’s dating someone, as if you didn’t notice,” he’d answered sourly.

  “Duh.” I’d aimed a finger at him and said, “But you were holding out on me. You’ve known about her for how long? And was she dating that dud for all that time? Besides, she deserves someone better than him.”

  Tristian laughed. “Someone better? I suppose you mean yourself?”

  I’d shrugged. “I could show h
er what a good time is all about.”

  His eyes had darkened as he drilled a finger into my chest. “Keep your hands off her, Stanton. She’s English’s best friend and if you do anything to her…”

  “Such as?”

  “You know damn well what I mean. You have enough women chasing you down for your one-and-dones that you don’t need to mess with Stacey.”

  I’d held both hands up. He’d been right. Getting involved with her for a night of hot sex would only complicate things and my life was complicated enough as it was. “Okay, bro, don’t worry. I won’t touch your little friend.”

  “She’s my wife’s friend, and I’m holding you to that.” I’d caught the warning in his tone, loud and clear.

  Tonight though, at the reception, I couldn’t keep my eyes off her. I picked out the ideal place to stand, tucked next to one of the hedges, and watched her. When I dissected her features, none of them were what could be called extraordinary. Deep auburn hair framed her oval face, which was topped off with hazel eyes. She had an average nose, but when pieces of the Stacey puzzle came together, she was stunning. I finally concluded it was her mouth that hooked me. It wasn’t that her lips were particularly plump, but they were perfectly formed and when she smiled, they revealed a set of impeccable teeth. I found myself smiling along each time.

  Her height was also striking. Not as tall as English, she was still at least five nine. And like English, she didn’t have a pretentious bone in her body.