Valentine's Lottery: Good With Numbers, #5

By Rose Bak

"Valentine shmalentine – count me out!"

Valerie Robinson isn't a fan of Valentine's Day or matchmaking services, so when her friend bullies her into attending a Seasoned Singles mixer, she figures it's highly unlikely that she'll find Mr. Right. But she's not expecting to be matched up with Mr. Wrong. Simon Constantine is the bane of her existence. It was hate at first sight when he walked into her office five years ago. He's too young.  Too cocky.  Too good-looking.

 

Little does she know that Simon has been in love with her for all these years, and now he's ready to finally make his move. When Valerie resists his charms, Simon needs to pull out all the stops. He's done waiting for her to come around, and if he has to channel his inner alpha to get her attention, that's what he'll do.

Can Simon melt Valerie's heart and get her to see that love was right in front of her all along?

"Valentine's Lottery" is the fifth book in the Good with Numbers Workplace Romance series.  Each book is a steamy standalone featuring strong women and alpha males finding love in midlife, meddling matchmaker friends, a little bit of humor, and a sweet happily-ever-after.  Download the entire series today.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Rose Bak
• Release date: Jun 30, 2021
• ISBN: 9798201593605

Rose Bak

Rose Bak has been obsessed with books since she got her first library card at age five. She is a passionate reader with an e-reader bursting with thousands of beloved books.  Rose's contemporary romance books focus on strong female characters over age 35 and the alpha males who love them. Expect a lot of steam, a little bit of snark, and a guaranteed happily ever after.

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About This Book

Valentine shmalentine – count me out!

Valerie Robinson isn’t a fan of Valentine’s Day or matchmaking services, so when her friend bullies her into attending a Seasoned Singles mixer, she figures it’s highly unlikely that she’ll find Mr. Right.  But she’s not expecting to be matched up with Mr. Wrong.

Simon Constantine is the bane of her existence.  It was hate at first sight when he walked into her office five years ago.  Little does she know that Simon has been in love with her for years.  When Valerie resists his charms,  Simon needs to pull out all the stops.  He’s done waiting for her to come around, and if he has to channel his inner alpha to get her attention, that’s what he’ll do.

Can Simon melt Valerie’s heart and get her to see that love was right in front of her all along?

Valentine’s Lottery is book five in the Good with Numbers holiday novella series.  This steamy standalone workplace romance is a fun short read featuring a seasoned independent woman, a cocky younger man, meddling friends, and a holiday HEA.

This book includes a special except from Until You Came Along,  book one of the Oliver Boys Band series, available now from select retailers.

Be sure to join Rose’s mailing list and get a free book.  Click here to be the first to hear about all the latest releases and special sales.

Valerie

Valentine’s Day is this week. You have to come with me to the Valentine’s Day singles mixer!

My friend Susan beamed at me excitedly across the table in the break room.  I put my turkey sandwich down and looked at her. 

Valentine shmalentine – I hate Hallmark holidays! I grumbled. Count me out!

You keep saying you want to date someone, Susan reminded me.  A singles mixer is the perfect place to meet some guys.

I’m not going to a mixer Susan, I said patiently.  I’m forty, not fourteen!

Susan leaned forward, giving me an earnest look.  That’s the best part, it’s specifically for people 35 and over.  It’s sponsored by this new online matchmaking service called Seasoned Singles.

I was shaking my head before she even finished her sentence.  No way.  I hate that kind of stuff!

What do you hate? a deep voice drawled behind me.  Besides me, that is?

I turned around and glared.  Simon freaking Constantine.  He turned a chair backwards and sat in it with the back rest facing the table, as if he was a high school jock instead of a grownup accountant at one of the largest accounting firms in the country. I scooted my chair farther away.

I couldn’t say why, but something about Simon got on my nerves.  In a big way. 

For one thing, he was way too good looking with his thick black hair, that dark scruff that grew darker as the day went on, and those piercing blue eyes framed by thick eyelashes that were wasted on a man.  He was tall, probably around 6’1", and had the lean muscled body of a swimmer.  He showed no evidence of any of that middle-aged paunch you usually saw starting in men somewhere around their mid-30s.

For another thing, he was a jerk.  A smug, snarky, rude jerk who seemed to go out of his way to annoy me.  He was always showing up wherever I was.  Case in point, his eavesdropping on our conversation and sitting down at our table uninvited. 

He had a habit of sitting next to me in meetings, standing too close when we talked, and staring at me like he was starving, and I was a juicy steak.  I didn’t believe for a minute he was really attracted to me.  He was younger and hotter than me, a far cry from the kind of guy who was usually interested in me. 

I was sure he was a player. I had been married to a player once, years ago. I was never making that mistake again.

Simon looked from me to Susan and gave us his most charming smile. He had a great smile, not that I had noticed it or anything. What were you ladies talking about?

Susan returned his smile.  I was trying to convince Valerie to come with me to the Seasoned Singles Valentine’s Day mixer, she explained.  It’s for singles over 35 to meet people and have some fun on the holiday, instead of sitting home alone.

Simon gave me an appraising look, his eyes filled with heat, and I consciously tried to not squirm under his perusal. The jerk had been undressing me with his eyes for five years now, just to get under my skin.

I knew I looked pretty good for forty, and I credited it to yoga and the liberal application of moisturizer.  My chestnut brown hair was neatly cut just above my shoulders and my face was still pretty smooth, although I was starting to get some laugh lines around my brown eyes.  I was plumper than I would like to be – I could stand to lose twenty pounds – but my legs were shapely, and I knew how to dress to accentuate my curves.  Good clothing, and a supportive bra, did a lot for me.

I’m 35, Simon shared, winking at me for no apparent reason.  And single.  Maybe I should come too.

NO! I said emphatically at the