(Prices go up to the regular price of $3.99 on May 10.)
In GLITTER ON THE WEB, Eli Blake is one of the hottest names in popular music thanks to penning ode after ode to all the Big Girls. Funnily, he has never, y'know, actually dated one. When a bitter ex decides to "out" his disdain of the very fans he courts, he gets the beyond brilliant plan to fake a relationship, the same as he faked his image. The nearest Big Girl is a woman named Carly Reynolds, who works for his agent. Because of the dismissive way he has treated her in the past, she knows what kind of lying faker he is. To say she hates him is putting it mildly...
That doesn't stop Eli.
“Need any help?” he asked when we were practically at the car.
I glared at him. If I had been Julie, he would have never let her lift a finger. But because I was voluptuous, zaftig, Rubenesque—fat—he let me do all my own heavy lifting. The driver of the limo, however, was quick to assist me, putting the last heavy box into the trunk while Eli scooted inside. He was pouring himself a glass of champagne when I joined him.
“Care for a glass?” he asked, surprising me.
“No thanks,” I muttered. “I’m working.”
He toasted me with the plastic flute. “As am I.”
I rolled my eyes and stared out of the window, waiting for this charade to mercifully end. Eli, however, had other plans. He tapped the privacy pane after the driver got back into the car. “Can you stop us by a drug store first?”
I smirked at him. “Forget your condoms?”
He chuckled. “Maybe.”
It was only after our impromptu stop that I realized what he was really up to. He handed me the bag, which was filled with makeup. “What’s this?”
“I got all pretty for this shindig. I figured you might want to do the same.”
I thrust the bag back at him. “No, thanks.”
Undaunted, he handed it back. He glanced over my dressed-down appearance, from my sensible ponytail to my fresh face, all the way down to my comfortable work clothes. I was all practical, all the time. This, apparently, was not good enough for the Great Eli Blake. “You’re not an ugly woman. You just need to try a little harder, that’s all.”
My teeth ground together. “God, you’re such a dick.”
He withdrew one of the packages. “Come on. A little lipstick at least.” I refused to take it, so he added, “This is part of your job in marketing, Carly. You look good, I look good.”
If nothing but to provide positive reinforcement for his getting my name right, I grabbed the lipstick from his hand. It was a much bolder color than I would ever wear, given I had pretty full lips myself. But the deep merlot color matched my top, which surprised me that he had even taken notice. I took a compact from my purse, the one I kept on hand to diminish that shiny forehead look I still got from time to time. I applied the lipstick, the only compromise I was willing to make. This seemed to please Eli, who remained (blissfully) quiet for the rest of our trip to Universal City.
In fact, he seemed to get “in the zone” from the time we made our turnoff from the 101. He did some breathing exercises to prepare, singing just in mid-range to warm up. He had switched from wine to water, practically killing a full bottle before the limo came to a stop. As much as I despised the man, he did work hard at his craft. He never missed any small detail—or opportunity. He took the business of singing seriously, if nothing else in his life. He could have such integrity if he only tried.
As if he felt me soften, he spared me a big smile as the car came to a stop. “Let’s go kick some ass,” he grinned.
I nodded and placed my hand on the door handle. Before I could open it, I felt him shift closer, as though he was going to exit through my side of the car instead of his own. Instead, his hand snaked across my lap and pulled the door closed and kept it there. I gasped in surprise as I faced him, realizing in that moment how close his face was to mine. My eyes widened. “What are you doing?”
Those blue eyes were as clear as cool water. “Kiss for luck?” His gaze dropped to my mouth as he whispered, “Carly?” And just like that, with no preamble, he leaned forward and crushed his lips to mine.
If you had told me just that morning that I’d end up lip to lip with Eli Blake, I would have had you committed. But there he was. And there I was. And it was happening.
And it kept happening. He pressed me back against the seat, his mouth covering over mine, luxuriating in this stolen kiss. Those full lips tried to nudge mine apart slightly so that his eager tongue could snake its way inside.
It was a step too far. I pressed both hands on his chest, and his muscles rippled under my fingertips. Finally I shoved hard and broke away. His face hovered over mine, his lips swollen from the kiss, my freshly applied lipstick smeared around his mouth, telltale evidence to our unexpected encounter.
“Now you have lipstick all over you, Einstein."
My snarky comment was met with a smirk. That was when it hit me, why he had done what he had done, from buying the lipstick to taking that kiss I knew damned well he didn’t want.
“I know,” he continued to grin before he swung open the door without wiping his mouth. He shoved me out first, jumping out after me.
Before I could turn to grab the merch from the trunk, he wound a powerful arm around me and kept me plastered to his side as paparazzi snapped photo after photo.
I was still shell-shocked as the press yelled for him, but he kept us moving down the line, answering only one question as we went.
“Who’s your friend, Eli?”
“Carly!” he shouted back. He even spelled it out for them, just to make sure they’d note it properly.
Great, I thought. Now he gets my name right.
Pre-order GLITTER ON THE WEB today! Eli is waiting.
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