Bought Bride

By Sam Crescent

~Editor's Pick~

Rafe Shawl needs a wife. In order to inherit his father’s company, he has to be married, and the moment he bumps into Ellis Johnson, spilling coffee down her, he knows she’s the perfect woman for the job.

Covered in coffee, Ellis knows there’s no way she’s going to get the job that she’d been about to be interviewed for—but the guy who’d just done the damage is offering to pay her a million dollars just to have coffee with him. She can’t refuse, especially when she realizes his offer is legit—one coffee and then becoming his wife.

Ellis sees no other alternative, so she agrees to be his wife, and help him win back his father’s company. Five years, that’s all she has to do. Five years, pretending to be in love with him.

But five years will never be enough when she’s really fallen in love with him.

But what will happen when she finds out that he lied to her? Not only does she have to give him five years, but he also needs an heir...

• Language: English
• Publisher: Evernight Publishing
• Release date: Dec 28, 2017
• ISBN: 9781773395203

Book preview

Published by EVERNIGHT PUBLISHING ® at Smashwords

www.evernightpublishing.com

Copyright© 2017 Sam Crescent

ISBN: 978-1-77339-520-3

Cover Artist: Jay Aheer

Editor: Karyn White

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.

This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, and places are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

BOUGHT BRIDE

Curvy Women Wanted, 9

Sam Crescent

Copyright © 2017

Chapter One

Ellis Johnson really needed to get to this job interview. She’d been out of work for a few weeks, and she couldn’t stand another second without earning her income. Companies were in a time of struggle, so there was more competition now than ever before. Being the chubby alternative to a slim, beautiful woman, she often didn’t get the job.

She didn’t mind most of the time. All of her life she’d been overlooked as the mousy, fat girl. She was pretty, but most people just saw her size eighteen curves, and often didn’t give her another look.

Rushing across the street, she did everything she could to avoid bumping into other people, as she hated the heated argument that often came with that.

I need this job.

She was tired of being out of work, and she’d gone to so many interviews that it wasn’t even funny anymore.

Don’t be late!

She’d spent all morning getting ready, ironing her shirt so that it was crisp white, and talking to herself over and over, explaining her qualifications, and smiling. Her advisor told her to smile. Apparently, it made her face light up, and people were a sucker for a woman with a beautiful smile. She had a nice smile but she didn’t think it would get her a job; still, she had to wait and see.

Come on, you can do this.

She stepped up the pace, and rounded the corner of the block when she suddenly hit a solid wall of male, and the entire front of her very white shirt was suddenly wet, and not only that, it was hot.

Glancing down at her shirt, she cried out. The white was gone, and all that remained was a very large, brown coffee stain.

Oh, no, oh, my God. No, this cannot be happening. She felt tears well in her eyes, and she tried not to think about how bad this was.

Shit, if you’d been slower, and watching where you were going, that wouldn’t have happened, the very masculine voice snapped.

Turning her attention to the owner of that voice, she was struck by how handsome he actually was. Short, black hair, shocking blue eyes, and firm lips that seemed to be pressed into a scowl.

I’m the one in the wrong? she asked, pulling the shirt away from her body. It was still hot, and she didn’t want it to hurt her. I can’t believe this.

He grabbed her shoulders and forced her to stand in front of him.

When he made to cup her cheeks, she pulled away. What the hell are you doing? she asked, trying to jerk out of his hold.

Oh, wow, you’re perfect.

I don’t care what you’re thinking. You’ve just ruined everything. I need to go to a job interview, and tell me exactly how am I supposed to do that? she asked, hands on her hips.

She was so angry, and it was a struggle to not just burst into tears. This was not going her way. She’d planned for everything that was going to happen, but having coffee spilled down her shirt wasn’t the plan.

This was, like, the biggest disaster of her day so far.

I thought I was looking for a miracle, and right now you’re standing in front of me.

Ellis just stared at him, wondering if he was crazy.

He began to circle her, and the weird thing was, she didn’t feel threatened.

I was heading toward a job interview, and they’re known for their neatness, and you’ve just created—

He waved a hand in front of her face. No, you don’t need to worry about that.

Are you for real right now? Her anger was growing.

You’re so cute. Right, how about we head to somewhere private? I know this fantastic coffee shop, and I think we’ve got a lot to discuss.

We’ve got nothing to discuss. I’ve lost a job because of you, and I need to work.

She went to walk away, but he grabbed her arm.

"What if I told you I had a job for you, and not