Loving Miss Sassy: Mr. Wrong Series, #5

By A.M. Madden and Joanne Schwehm

A stand-alone rivals-to-lovers hilarious journey from accidental roommates to so much more. 

 

I am sure of four things:

I'm the most sought-after social influencer.
I'm prepared to kick ass and take names.
I'm going to conquer the Big Apple.
I wasn't prepared to have an unexpected roommate who happens to be drop-dead gorgeous.

Being the younger sister of two overprotective brothers taught me to be tenacious. Granted, that didn't fare well when I mistook my roomie for an intruder. Fine, maybe a right hook wasn't the most ladylike greeting, but his black eye only lasted a week. How was I supposed to know said intruder was also my advertising adversary?

The answer: I didn't.

And having a single wall separating our bedrooms only adds more angst to my list. I'm sure I'll never get a good night's rest wondering if he sleeps commando . . . if those are moans I hear or snores . . . if he imagines me in his bed as I imagine him in mine.

The list goes on and on.

The most shocking thing I wasn't prepared for was how he managed to capture my heart . . . right before he shattered it.

He called me Miss Sassy, and I proved him right.

• Language: English
• Publisher: MadJo Romance
• Release date: Nov 5, 2019
• ISBN: 9781393665625

Book preview

Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

Epilogue

Acknowledgments

About A.M. Madden & Joanne Schwehm

To the Reader

Chapter 1

Gianna

The cars zigged and zagged through the city, blaring their horns and barely stopping for red lights, making me feel as though I was taking my life in my own hands just to cross the street. I’ve heard all about the craziness New York City had to offer from my brothers, Dante and Luca, but finally arriving in the City That Never Sleeps almost felt surreal.

Living in Italy my entire life, being the only female in the family and the last Benedetto child in the house, meant my parents weren’t exactly thrilled I’d be heading to the States. The only thing that kept them sane was that I’d be living in the same city as my brothers. Of course, everything happened so fast that neither knew I’d be arriving today, but once I got settled, I’d tell them.

Although, once they heard I didn’t have the sense to bring extra backup charger packs for my phone, my brothers would be all over my case, telling me how I was in a big city now and needed to be prepared. I rolled my eyes at the thought of their words. Not that they’d be wrong, but I’m also not dead in a gutter because of it. If my family had their way, I’d be safely tucked away in an office building right around the corner from my parents’ home.

Thankfully, I’d written down the address, because as soon as I got into the car, my phone died. Considering I spent my life using my phone, you’d think I would have been smart enough to realize that I’d need more than one backup pack. Staring at a darkened screen drove me crazy.

When my car rolled up to the brownstone I’d be staying in courtesy of Elite Motors, I couldn’t wait to get started on the best advertising pitch of my life—the one that would show my versatility.

I dragged my suitcases up the steps, unlocked the heavy wood door, and let out a whoosh of relieved air as soon as I closed off the noise of the city. The modern-yet-classic home I’d be staying in made me smile.

Before looking around, I reached into my bag and grabbed my phone charger. While I waited for the phone to spark to life, I scanned the room. From what I understood about New York City, real estate wasn’t cheap. Since the home I’d be staying in wasn’t small by city standards, it had to be costing Elite Motors a pretty penny.

The plush sofa, love seat, and wingback chair surrounded a dark wood coffee table that matched the planks that made up the gleaming floor. A small dining table sat under a delicate crystal chandelier outside the kitchen.

Just as I was about to go explore upstairs, my phone began dinging. Walking over to it, I saw a slew of texts from my agent, Miranda.

We need to talk

I know your plane landed. Where are you?

Why isn’t your phone on?

Gianna this is important!

Releasing a huff, I flopped down on the couch, sinking into the cushion, and called Miranda.

It’s about time. Where have you been? she said in her British accent. We’d met at a conference in Rome, and ever since we’d been friends and business associates. Lucky for me, because Miranda happened to be one of the best agents in Europe.

My phone died, and before you scold me, I know, it won’t happen again. Now care to tell me what happened? Are you okay?

Her breathing regulated, and she paused before going into work mode. Gianna, it has come to my attention that Colton Teller is also pitching Elite Motors.

Okay, well, we knew I wouldn’t be the only one in the running.

No, you don’t understand. Colton Teller happens to be the most sought after ad executive in all of Chicago. He’s young, keeps his nose clean, and stays away from social media. The only time he’s online is if he’s photographed somewhere. Even though he’s in his late twenties, he’s old school when it comes to advertising.

Oh, well, then I’m not worried. We offer two different perspectives. Maybe I was being naive, but if I started to let my nerves get the better of me, I might as well head back to Italy.

He’s hungry, Gianna. From what I understand, if he lands Elite, he’s going to get a major promotion. I know your approach is better, but as your agent, I needed to let you know what you’re up against.

Competition in the workplace did little to diminish my determination to succeed. If anything, it fueled it like gas on a flame. After I hung up with Miranda, assuring her I’d be on my toes and kick ass, I headed into the kitchen to grab a bottle of water out of the fully stocked refrigerator. The executive assistant at Elite Motors had told Miranda I wouldn’t need anything when I arrived at the brownstone—and they were right. From what I could tell at first glance, it’d be two weeks before I needed to go to a grocery store.

I grabbed my bags and headed upstairs to check out the rest of the place. Two bedrooms and a bathroom flanked the small hallway. Both rooms looked to be the same size, much smaller than the one I had back home. Deciding on the one with the better view, I opened my bag and began to unpack.

Thirty minutes later, I was sitting on the couch in my comfy clothes, snacking on pretzels while I brought my laptop to life. The first thing on my agenda… check out Colton Teller. I typed his name in the search bar, and a picture of a gorgeous, light-haired, blue-eyed man was the first result to populate. Well, let’s hope that’s not him, I thought to myself. But when I clicked on the link under his name, my hope went down the drain as I stared at the headline: COLTON TELLER WINS AD EXEC OF THE YEAR AWARD.

Great. I continued to read about the clients he’d amassed since joining Mainstay Advertising. Some called him their golden boy. I couldn’t help but wonder why landing Elite Motors would put him over the top and earn him a promotion when he’d clearly excelled at his job. Scanning the article, I realized all the partners at the agency were related. Breaking into that hierarchy would take something major. Too bad for Mr. Teller he’d need to figure out another way and find a different client to propel him to the top, because Elite Motors’ business would be mine.

Before posting anything on social media, I grabbed my phone and opened my group text app to let my doting older brothers know I was in the city. I had told my parents not to tell them, since I wanted it to be a surprise.

Hi.

It didn’t take long for Luca to reply—or, in his case, overreact.

Luca: What’s wrong? It’s late there. Is everything okay?

Granted, it was almost one a.m. in Italy, and maybe his reaction was justified, but it was typical for my brothers to be ready to pounce at the mere thought of something being wrong. At times I didn’t mind their overprotectiveness, but in some cases it got old quick.

Dante: I’m finishing up a shoot. What’s going on?

Me: I’m fine, relax. I wanted to tell you, I’m in NYC… surprise!

In an instant, my phone lit up with Luca’s picture, and as soon as I answered Dante beeped in. Hold on, Luca. I accepted Dante’s call, and before I said anything I clicked a button to merge the three of us. Can you guys hear me?

Yes, they said in unison.

Gianna, Luca said with concern in his voice. What do you mean you’re in the city? Where and why didn’t we know?

First of all, I’m twenty-three, and I wanted to surprise you both. I’m here for work.

Why didn’t you call? You could have stayed with me, Dante chimed in.

Or me, Luca added.

I let out a sigh. Guys, like I said, this is a business trip. The company I’m pitching has a lovely brownstone that I’m staying in… I only had to fight off two muggers, a purse snatcher, and a mime with oddly large hands. When they both remained silent, I laughed. I’m kidding. Geez, relax. And for your information I took self-defense classes and can take care of myself.

Gianna… Luca started lecturing me in Italian about the dangers of the city, sounding more like my father than my brother. You’re a beautiful girl, and there are crazy people out there.

Dante huffed. Listen to your brothers, Gianna. I need to go; my client is getting antsy. Welcome to the city, and text me where you’re staying. Love you.

Okay, love you too.

Gianna, Luca said in a softer, more appealing tone. I’m very happy you’re here and would like to see you. If I would’ve known you were coming to town, I would have cleared my schedule. How about this weekend we get together for drinks? You can meet the rest of the gang. Where are you in the city? When I told him my address, he sounded relieved. Good, not far from us. Mikey has a sleepover this weekend, so we can all meet then. I’ll call you after I talk to Sabrina.

Both of my brothers were happily married. Luca to Sabrina, who had the cutest little boy, Mikey. I’d only met him once, when they got married, but we would video chat often. The sweet boy put my brother on a pedestal. Not that he shouldn’t be there, because Luca was an amazing man, husband, and father.

Okay, sounds good. You might want to check with Dante and Cassie too.

Dante and his wife, Cassie, had spent time in Italy while Dante worked there, so I was looking forward to seeing her again. In truth, I was looking forward to seeing everyone, and as long as it didn’t turn into a lecture-fest of brothers know best, I’d be fine.

Will do. I’m sure Jude and Kyle would like to see you. The last time they did you were just a kid.

Yeah, a kid who drooled over both of them at their college graduation, because that wasn’t embarrassing. That’d be nice. I’ll talk to you soon.

Jet lag started to seep into my bones. I closed my laptop, headed upstairs, and crawled into bed. It didn’t take long for sleep to claim my body. I knew I’d be up at the crack of dawn, but that was fine with me. It’d give me a chance to work on my pitch.

A blaring siren pulled me out of a deep sleep. Blinking my eyes open, I had to take a minute to recall my surroundings. My stomach growled, reminding me that I hadn’t eaten dinner, and clearly the pretzels I’d snacked on hadn’t been enough to sustain me until morning. When I glanced at my phone, sitting on the nightstand beside me, I saw it was barely past midnight.

Rolling out of bed, I stretched my arms, reaching toward the ceiling and awakening my muscles beneath my short pajama set. Needing to satisfy my hunger, I used the glow from the city street, mingled with that of the moon, and made my way downstairs to the kitchen.

Goose bumps pricked my skin as I pulled open the stainless steel door to retrieve a bottle of water. The sound of something near the front door and the brass knob jiggling had me sprinting barefoot toward the sound. Armed with only a recycled plastic water bottle and my fists, I braced myself against the wall behind the door.

Like lasers, my eyes were trained on the door handle, and watching it turn made me feel like a star in my own horror movie. A dark figure broached the entryway. I needed to think fast. He had a bag in his hand, most likely filled with weapons to kill me, and the bag might even be used later to hide the evidence—in other words, my dead body.

Not giving him the chance to harm me, I kicked the door closed, startling the intruder enough to turn toward me. He was tall, probably about six foot two—almost a foot taller than me. A wave of urgency washed over me. Using what I’d learned in class, I stepped forward, whirled around, and connected my foot with his midsection, which felt more like a rock than a body. He bent over and in the dim light angled his face upward, giving me the opportunity to ball my right fist and deliver a resounding right hook.

Chapter 2

Colton

Jesus Christ! I looked up to see the shadowy figure of my assailant staring down at me in shock, her fists poised and ready to go another round. What in the actual fuck?

If you know what’s good for you, you’ll stay where you are. I’m calling the police. If I hadn’t already been on my knees, her sexy-as-fuck accent and hot little body would have brought me there.

Stumbling to my feet and bracing myself for her to unleash more unearned violence, I put my hand up. Look, you psycho, I don’t know who you are, but you need to relax. I’m staying here. She flipped the light switch next to the door. My pupils contracted at the bright intrusion.

My nemesis was a gorgeous little thing. Her raven locks draped over her shoulders as she drilled into me with mesmerizing dark-brown eyes. It took a second or two for me to place the face with a name.

I’m Colton Teller. She tilted her head like a cute puppy trying to understand its master. Eyes that were narrowed slits widened into saucers. And my guess is you’re Gianna Benedetto. I’d say it’s a pleasure, but… At the sight of me pressing my palm to the spot she’d clocked, a tiny bit of remorse flitted through her expression.

The beauty in front of me had been my research project on the plane ride to New York. Young and sassy would be the perfect way to describe her. She used social media to gain followers and sponsorships for products. Although not much older than her, I was old school and took the standard advertising approach, which had little or nothing to do with social media. In fact, I despised it, where Gianna apparently lived for it.

Rather than flip out, she cracked open the bottle of water in her left hand and took a healthy swig, ignoring the fact that my left cheek felt like it had grown to twice its normal size. The crazy ninja who’d attacked me disappeared, and in her place was a calm, beautiful brunette who wanted nothing to do with me. Couldn’t say that I blamed her. We were vying for the same client, and if she knew anything about me, she didn’t stand a chance.

After a weighted pause she straightened her spine. I know who you are, and you’re most certainly not staying here.

Beautiful and headstrong… two of my favorite qualities in a woman.

"Listen, Gianna. May I call you that? I asked, earning me a silent nod. It appears that Elite Motors put us both up in the same place, making us roommates. You’re welcome to change locations. Unless, of course, you’d like to bail out of the pitch session altogether, because it’s most likely a waste of your time anyway."

Gianna gave me a smile that almost knocked me back onto the hardwood floor. "Look, Mr. Teller, she said, emphasizing my last name enough to earn her a crooked smirk. The only person who will be wasting their time is you. You and I will not be staying in the same home. I suggest you call yourself a cab and go to a hotel."

I couldn’t help but chuckle. Where I’m going is upstairs. Now… I grabbed the handle of my suitcase. "If you’ll excuse me, I’ve had a long day, and I’d like to go to my room. Either you can tell me which one is yours or I’ll take my best guess."

Her sexy-as-fuck mouth dropped open, and before I could tell her what she could do with those perfectly plump lips, she said, The first room on the right is mine.

See, that wasn’t too difficult. I’ll see you in the morning. That glare she favored appeared again. Sweet dreams, Gianna.

As I took the steps up to my room, the sassy Italian beauty mumbled something in her native tongue, bringing a smile to my face. Something told me having Gianna Benedetto not only as an adversary but also as a roommate would prove to be very interesting.

Once I’d closed the door behind me, I unpacked my necessities, stripped down to my black boxer briefs, and climbed beneath the soft duvet covering the king-size bed. The sound of stomping on the stairs, a door opening and slamming shut, and more banging from behind the wall we shared forced me to chuckle.

Soon enough, exhaustion began to seep into every cell of my body as I closed my eyes and let sleep claim me.

Although it felt like only a few minutes later, my alarm proved otherwise. Like all Saturday mornings, I woke early, getting ready to go for a run. Granted, running in New York would be a bit different from my place in Chicago. Since I didn’t live in the heart of the city, my suburban streets were easier to navigate. The only good thing was that the sun had barely broken the horizon, so most Manhattanites were probably not out and about yet.

I rolled over and winced when my left eye brushed up against the cotton pillowcase, reminding me of the gorgeous prizefighter who’d greeted me last night. Fuck. I raised my hand and gingerly ran it over my swollen, tender skin, causing me to flinch at my own touch.

Doing my best with one good eye, I changed into my running gear, which consisted of nothing more than a pair of split-leg shorts, a tank top, and the best running shoes money could buy. Quiet filled the narrow hallway, indicating my demure roommate must have still been asleep.

Making my way downstairs, I was hit with the smell of freshly brewed coffee just before I saw her sitting at the small kitchen table, eating a slice of jam-covered toast while typing away on her laptop.

Good morning, Miss Sassy. I see you’re up bright and early. The nickname rolled off my tongue as I peered over her shoulder, trying to get a glimpse of what she was so engrossed in. But before I could her petite hand closed the screen with a resounding click.

"My name is Gianna, and stop being nosy. She then raked her attention up and down my body. Going for a swim?"

Plump lips quirked up at the sides before she took a sip from the small cup. Damn, she’s beautiful. The woman didn’t have a stitch of makeup on, her ebony waves were pulled into a messy knot on top of her head, and she still had on those sexy-as-fuck pajamas. Living with her would no doubt keep my mind racing, just as it had been last night while I lay in bed thinking of her next door.

"No, I’m going for a run. It’s the second-best way to relieve tension. I don’t know you well enough to resort to my favorite way… yet. Care to join me?"

Four little lines appeared on the bridge of her nose. No, I prefer kickboxing, she said with a smirk. Her gaze fixated on the bruise she’d gifted me with last night. By the way, you may want to ice that. When I ignored her, she added, "And if I were to relieve tension in other ways, it wouldn’t be with you."

Suit yourself. I’ll be back in about an hour.

Gianna lifted her cup in the air. Thanks for the warning.

Are you always this hostile, Miss Sassy?

No, you seem to bring it out in me. I’m actually quite lovely. Out of nowhere, she reached up, almost causing me to flinch. But instead of moving her hands in my direction, she freed her hair and with ninja-quick moves had it back up in an instant. Meanwhile, Gianna’s small top pulled tightly over her firm, round breasts, giving me a bird’s-eye view of her ample cleavage. My dick stirred beneath my nylon shorts, and I knew if I didn’t step away, he’d break through the thin fabric.

She leveled me with a bored expression. You’re still here.

Placing my hand right beside where hers rested on the demitasse cup, I leaned over close enough to catch a hint of lavender on her skin. Her pupils dilated, doing their best to focus on me. I think living with you, although temporary, is going to be fun. Maybe if you relaxed a bit, we could become friends.

Look, Mr. Teller, I’m here for business, not to make friends. I have plenty of friends in the city already. Why don’t you go on your run and not worry about my personality traits? You’ll have enough to worry about trying to land Elite Motors. Speaking of which, I hope you didn’t unpack, because you’ll be moving out soon. There’s no way you’re staying. My people set this up with them for me to live here until I acquired Elite’s business.

This woman, although even prettier when she was pissed off, was beginning to annoy me. "I’m perfectly comfortable here. My assistant was told that everything I’d need, from ad logos to their latest commercials, would be available in the spare room so I could work on the creative for my pitch. It sounds like you’re the one who shouldn’t be here. Maybe you should contact your people and tell them they’re in error, because if anyone is leaving, it’s you, not me." I stood tall and crossed my arms in front of my chest while her eyes narrowed into tiny slits.

In your dreams.

Sweetheart, if I dream about you, it will have nothing to do with a professional connection. I swiped her bottom lip with my thumb, gathering a small red glob that had been distracting me, before sucking it off. Hmm… raspberry. I figured you more as a cherry girl.

Not giving her a chance at rebuttal, I made my way outside and pounded the pavement to release the tension she’d caused.

An hour later, I walked my sweaty body into the brownstone. I was met with silence and wondered if Gianna had gone out for the day. Her breakfast dishes remained on the table, surrounded by a trail of crumbs. Not being