Sweet Sinner (Tyler & Bella Book 2)

Dear Readers:

If you have not read the Necklace Trilogy yet, that story is about Dash and Allie, and it’s smoking hot☺ But for now, we focus on Tyler and Bella, and I always like to help recap the previous book to help bring you into the story. So here we go...

If you remember in Bastard Boss, Bella works as an agent and attorney for Hawk Legal. Hawk Legal represents some of the biggest names in country music and entertainment in general. Tyler Hawk is Bella’s direct boss, but Tyler reports to his father. Tyler made the mistake of dating one of the staff members, Allison, but it wasn’t serious. But this led to her secretly having an affair with his father.

Another Allison, Allie, took Allison’s job after Allison took a leave of absence. But the new Allie thought it was fishy and dug around. In the process, Allie meets Bella’s half-brother Dash, a famous author, and that is all part of The Necklace Trilogy. If I say more, I’ll spoil the story for those who have not read that trilogy.

The bottom line is that Tyler’s father did bad things and ended up dead.

Tyler’s father was pretty rough on Tyler. His death was sure to cause mixed emotions.

Meanwhile, Bella represents her brother, and Tyler and Dash are friends, but the friendship is bumpy. However, they both have a dark past, and a turbulent relationship with their fathers. These things affect their lives, and they tend to save each other from stupidity. Bella works quite closely with Tyler and she’s one of the few people who don’t find his hard, arrogant persona intimidating. She knows things about him she shouldn’t from talking to Dash, as Bella and Dash are extremely close.

Dash lost his father not long before Tyler lost his father.

Bella watched Dash struggle with mixed emotions.

The day of the memorial for Tyler’s father, Bella is concerned about Tyler suffering through this event alone. She isn’t even sure he will attend the memorial based on the bad things his father did. Bella just can’t sit back and do nothing. She shows up at Tyler’s apartment and stays to comfort him but there is heat between them. This leads to a fight, and her abrupt departure. But the heat between these two is just getting started.

They’re ready to combust and one night at the office, the explosion happens. Bella ends up with him on his knees between her legs, right there in her office, but she’s determined to never let it happen again. She goes into avoidance mode but suddenly Dash’s Hollywood contract is on the line, which forces her and Tyler to travel together.

In the meantime, Tyler is dealing with his father’s will, which holds him and the company hostage. When Tyler was a new attorney, he second-chaired a case that his father indicates was not handled with proper ethical conduct. Now if Tyler doesn’t do as his father’s will bids, those case details will be made public. If that happens, every case Tyler and the firm have touched will be questioned, and convictions likely overturned. His father’s will declares if he doesn’t find a fiancée, court her publicly, and then marry her, that’s exactly what will happen. Tyler doesn’t want to do this, but if he loses the company, jobs will be cut, people will be hurt, and consequences will be had, such as innocent lawyers being connected to this and destroyed. Forced to comply with the will, Tyler has his attorney, Gavin, begin compiling a list of fake fiancée candidates who won’t screw him.

But the only woman on Tyler’s mind is Bella, who is as perfectly fuckable as a woman can get but also his employee and friend, not to mention his close friend’s sister. She’s hands-off. Until she isn’t. She is absolutely not a fake fiancée candidate. Such a thing would ruin her reputation and her career. Everyone would think she slept her way to the top.

That doesn’t stop the sparks between Bella and Tyler from flying.

One night in LA, they combust.

Tyler and Bella end up in a hotel room, naked and lost in each other, and they don’t want it to end. Somehow, they still plot a way to win Dash’s contract, move him to a new studio, and sign the deal. To celebrate, they stay longer in LA and don’t leave the hotel room.

Bella reacts in shock and accuses him of turning her into a whore. She kicks him out, and as he leaves, her brother and his wife are at the door with a puppy to gift her.

Bella and Tyler are over.

Or so it seems.

I’m going to start you out with the final chapter of Bastard Boss to fully reengage you in the story...

I hope you enjoy Sweet Sinner!

xoxo,

Lisa Renee Jones

The final chapter of Bastard Boss

I walk into my front door and lean on the hard surface and exhale with relief.

Somehow, I survived this day, but it was hard. Seeing Tyler first thing outside Gavin’s office was awkward and emotional. And Gavin was weird, too. He kept staring at me, almost as if he knew something he should not know, but that’s crazy. Tyler is a private person. I don’t believe he would talk about me to anyone. My cellphone rings, and I snake it out of my jacket to find Dash calling.

“Allie and I are on our way over. We got you a little celebratory gift. We just wanted to make sure you were home.”

I grimace at the idea of company despite how much I love them both, but then again, maybe company is exactly what I need. “I’m here. I just got here.”

“See you in thirty to forty-five minutes.”

“Perfect. I have time to change and get comfy.”

We disconnect, and my doorbell rings. I frown because I’m not sure who would be here. Perhaps this time I really do have a package delivery, or a neighbor visiting with a package meant for me.

I grab the things I’ve set on the floor, place them on the entry table, then open the door. I blanch, and my heart lurches at the sight of Tyler standing there. His suit jacket is gone, and his white shirt sleeves are rolled up to display powerful forearms. He smells so good I want to lick him all over, and I hate him for stirring such thoughts in me. “What are you doing here?”

He lifts a folder in his hand. “I need to go over some contractual information with you.”

My eyes go wide. Damn it, I must have missed something in the contract, and Dash is on his way over here. “What is it?” I ask urgently.

“Can I come in?”

I hesitate but I nod and back up, allowing his entry. I shut the door and lean on it again. He turns to face me. “Let’s go sit.”

He motions me forward. “Lead the way.”

I move ahead of him, my knees weak with the heaviness of his eyes on my progress. The walk across the living room feels far and wide, but finally, we reach my table, the smaller one off the actual kitchen rather than the large dining room table. I stand on one side and wait for him to sit. His lips quirk as if he knows I’m waiting to choose my seat, based on where he places himself. He goes opposite of me, and we both settle in. The table is smaller than it seems normally, and we are closer than I intend.

“I thought this was better done away from the office.” He slides the folder in front of me.

I can only assume he means due to distractions.

I blink and my gaze jerks to Tyler’s. “What is this?”

“We’re not going to stay away from each other, Bella. I'm going to be followed by a PI, looking for me to screw up. If I touch you, and you are not my fiancée, I lose everything. The company loses everything.”

“That’s not what I’m saying at all. I trust you. I know you won’t screw me, Bella. I need to trust the person I call my fiancée. And that gives us time to fuck each other out of our systems.”

He might as well have stabbed me right in the heart. “Right. Because it’s all about sex.” He opens his mouth to speak and I hold up a hand, anger churning in my belly. “Everyone will think I slept my way to the top. No.” I shut the folder and slide it to him. “I don’t need to fuck you out of my system, Tyler. You just finished this for me.”

I swear I can feel my heart shattering into pieces and then exploding into anger. My voice quakes and I say, “The crazy part is I would have done this for you, as a friend. For you and the company because you know—I just would have. And I didn’t need a contract to go away. I learned the hard way that love is rare and my parents were lucky to have it. I don’t want to get married. I don’t want to fall in love and be burned by nastiness like this.” I lose control and throw the folder at him, before standing up. “I’m done. We’re done. And, no, I’m not going to quit my job. I’m going to stay and congratulate your new fiancée on her future happiness. Everybody will think I mean her life with you, but I’ll mean her big payday.”

“Bella—”

He is on his feet rounding the table. “No.” I point at him and back away. “Don’t even think about touching me.”

He curses and scrubs his jaw, and somehow, he manages to look tormented, like I really matter to him. How many women has he made think they mattered to him when they were just sex? “Forget the contract,” he says. “Just do this with me. Date me. Marry me. This isn’t how I wanted this to work out. I thought we’d both have the freedom—”

My doorbell rings and I say, “That will be Dash and Allie.”

“Of course, it is,” he says. “Now I have to leave, but this isn’t over. We are not over.”

“We are so over, Tyler. You insulted me and tried to pay me off. I feel like a whore. You made me feel like a whore.”

“Bella,” he breathes out. “God, woman. I don’t think—” The doorbell rings again, and he huffs out a breath. “I’m going.” He rotates on his heel and strides toward the door.

I follow him, and why on Earth do I want to scream for him to stop? Why do I hurt so badly at the idea of him leaving? I reach the edge of the foyer as he opens the door to face Dash and Allie.

“What the hell are you doing here, Tyler?” Dash demands.

“Ask your sister,” is all Tyler says, and then he disappears out into the hallway.

Dash and Allie step into the foyer, and Allie is holding a Golden Retriever puppy. I’ve wanted a Golden Retriever since I was a kid, but my mom was busy, and often traveled all over the place with my father. I just couldn’t have a dog. In my mind, when I think of getting a dog, it’s a Golden.

“Surprise!” Allie says, while Dash counters with, “What the fuck is going on, Bella?

I burst into tears.