The Ladies Who Brunch Series by Harlow James

“I need you to pretend to be my girlfriend.”When those words left the lips of Damien Shaw, my childhood nemesis, I should have told him to kick rocks right then and there.But sadly, his scheme to impress his boss left me with something to gain from it too—getting my meddling mother, who was obsessed with my love life, off my back just in time for my parents’ thirtieth wedding anniversary celebration in Hawaii.You see, Damien and I grew up together, but we weren’t friends. No—we were rivals... more“I need you to pretend to be my girlfriend.”When those words left the lips of Damien Shaw, my childhood nemesis, I should have told him to kick rocks right then and there.But sadly, his scheme to impress his boss left me with something to gain from it too—getting my meddling mother, who was obsessed with my love life, off my back just in time for my parents’ thirtieth wedding anniversary celebration in Hawaii.You see, Damien and I grew up together, but we weren’t friends. No—we were rivals.And when we both moved out to California to go to different colleges, we promised never to think of each other again.It had been twelve years since we had been face to face, but when he kept popping up everywhere, I should have known that trouble would follow.And sure enough, during a lunch with my parents he told them we were dating.I was hellbent on exposing him, but then my mother’s reaction made it hard to say no. So, I ended up fake dating my enemy while trying desperately not to fall for him.My gut told me to keep my distance. But my heart? That bastard was falling for the man with every sweet gesture he made and every orgasm he gave me.But when the reason for our rivalry and our fake relationship comes to light, everyone and everything explodes, leaving one hell of a mess to clean up.I never thought I’d fall for Damien Shaw. I never thought my enemy could force me to figure out my life. But you know what they say—never say never. less

“I don’t think this complex is big enough for the both of us, Dr. St. Clair.”Staring up into the eyes of Ethan Fuller, the single dad and divorce attorney who opened his practice in the same complex as mine, I should have known he was bad news—for my business and my heart... more“I don’t think this complex is big enough for the both of us, Dr. St. Clair.”Staring up into the eyes of Ethan Fuller, the single dad and divorce attorney who opened his practice in the same complex as mine, I should have known he was bad news—for my business and my heart.But when has that organ in our chests ever listened to rational thought, huh, ladies?As a marriage and sex therapist, I take pride in helping couples revitalize their marriages, or women embrace their sexuality, focusing on empowerment and fighting for love.But Ethan Fuller stands for the opposite of everything I believe in with a mischievous smile that makes me weak in the knees, threatening my business and everything I’ve built, and eventually sparking a prank war between us. Until the day he kisses me—and then nothing makes sense besides the raw magnetism I feel for him, and the pure adoration I have for his son.My brain tells me to be cautious, but my heart leads the way as we give in to our feelings toward one another and visions of our future are all I can see. Until that vision is threatened by one admission that has us struggling to catch our breaths and acknowledging what we truly feel.And even though I know that walking away was the right thing to do, I fight to uphold the promises I made to his son and myself—the types of promises that have me realizing there is no other man I could see my future with.What do you do when the person you’re supposed to be with is too scared to admit it? What do you do when you refuse to sacrifice what you want and who you are for a man? And how do you move on when in your heart you know, there’s no one else? less

“Let me experience all of you tonight, Penelope…since this is all that we get.”That was the agreement between me and Maddox Taylor, the NFL’s most notorious playboy and mega-talented quarterback who happened to be out in California for one night—one night in which I broke all of my rules and gave in to the undeniable attraction I felt for the man. He wooed me with dirty jokes, 80s musical references, an obsession with Steve Harvey, and a very specific piercing... more“Let me experience all of you tonight, Penelope…since this is all that we get.”That was the agreement between me and Maddox Taylor, the NFL’s most notorious playboy and mega-talented quarterback who happened to be out in California for one night—one night in which I broke all of my rules and gave in to the undeniable attraction I felt for the man. He wooed me with dirty jokes, 80s musical references, an obsession with Steve Harvey, and a very specific piercing. How the hell was I supposed to fight that?However, I should have listened to my gut because my reaction to him wasn’t just physical—it was more, something I hadn’t felt since the last man I let in left me all alone, and I vowed never to fall in love again.Six weeks later, I find out I’m the new PR spokesperson for The Los Angeles Bolts football team, a team that just signed Maddox Taylor to their roster in hopes of a winning season.With his signature cocky swagger, he corners me in my office, intent on rekindling our connection, but the tables had turned—I was now working for his team which created a conflict of interest, and put my job and both of our reputations on the line.But that stubborn man wasn’t taking no for an answer, and before I knew it, I agreed to date him in secret even though relationships weren’t my thing.And when Maddox had finally had enough of me refusing to open up, I was faced with a choice—do I let go of the one man that I’ve ever contemplated letting in despite the rules I’ve lived under for the past twelve years?Or was now the time to face my demons so I could hold onto a future I didn’t know I wanted…TW: loss of a loved one, themes of grief less

“So you’re single?” “Are you seriously hitting on me right now while I have breastmilk all over my shirt?”When Grant Thomas, the handsome stranger standing in front of me in line at the coffee shop, stripped his uniform shirt off and handed it to me, I could have sworn I was on an episode of Punked... more“So you’re single?” “Are you seriously hitting on me right now while I have breastmilk all over my shirt?”When Grant Thomas, the handsome stranger standing in front of me in line at the coffee shop, stripped his uniform shirt off and handed it to me, I could have sworn I was on an episode of Punked. Not only was the man Gabe Kapler’s doppelganger, but he was also a pilot and good with babies, which my six month-old daughter could attest to as she settled in his arms while I changed into his shirt, contemplating all of my life choices at that moment.Being a single mom is a lot harder than I thought it would be, but that was the decision I made when I chose to have a child via sperm donor since I was tired of waiting on Mr. Right.But suddenly, Mr. I’m-Too-Sexy-for-my-Shirt appears in my life—not only once, but twice—and has me wondering where the hell he’s been and why I didn’t meet him sooner?Grant demonstrates time and again that he’s invested in me and my daughter, shows up for me when I need him the most, and makes my toes curl in a way I didn’t know was possible.He’s perfect. Our relationship is perfect. Until it’s not.When the inkling that I’m missing something comes to fruition, there’s only one question I need to answer…Will my heart end up broken like every time before, leaving me destined to be alone?Or could our path to find one another prove that not everything happens as planned? less

“Come on. What’s the risk of getting to know me if I’m just some dorky guy that’s hopeless when it comes to dating? I mean, it’s not like you’re going to fall for me.”But hey, a guy could hope, couldn’t he?That was my idea when I met Ariel Logan—my sister’s new assistant on her talk show—to get her to agree to be my relationship tutor in hopes that she’d realize I’m the man she needs... more“Come on. What’s the risk of getting to know me if I’m just some dorky guy that’s hopeless when it comes to dating? I mean, it’s not like you’re going to fall for me.”But hey, a guy could hope, couldn’t he?That was my idea when I met Ariel Logan—my sister’s new assistant on her talk show—to get her to agree to be my relationship tutor in hopes that she’d realize I’m the man she needs. You see, I’m the nice guy—the guy who’s the third or fourth or hundredth wheel, the king of the friend zone and the goofy side character, if you will. And up until meeting Ariel, I thought that was the role I was destined to play. But damn it—I knew I could be the man of her dreams if she would just give me the opportunity. Her grumpy disposition and hatred of the male population made me realize that if I wanted a chance with this girl, I’d have to be strategic. So I took a risk, asked her to coach me on dating hoping it would pay off, and decided to star in the most important pursuit of my life.Of course, nothing went smoothly. From dating faux pas to watching Ariel fighting her desires, it felt like years before I finally laid my heart on the line. And I thought I had her. I thought she felt the same way, until my risky choice came back to bite me hard and threatened the hold I finally had on the woman of my dreams.Would she realize that I only made that decision because I wanted her?Would she understand that I never cared about dating other women, only her?Would she finally allow me to no longer be the guy on the sidelines, but the MVP?And prove to her the nice guys may finish last—but at least they still finish. less