Wanted: Wife
By Lacey Wolfe
Help Wanted: A Wife
Darcy White can’t believe she’s answering a help wanted ad from someone looking to hire a wife, but she’s hit rock bottom and is on the verge of being evicted from her apartment. When she learns that the guy she had a crush on in high school is the one looking to hire, she’d be crazy not to live out her fantasy.
Steven McDonald needs a wife, or at least a fiancée, before his grandfather retires or else he won’t inherit the family business. He knows not just any woman will do, and in a desperate attempt to find a solution, he places a help wanted ad in the local paper. The day Darcy White answers it, his dreams begin to come true.
As Darcy and Steven pretend they’re engaged, they make a promise to keep things platonic. But the more time they spend together, the harder it is to keep their hands off one another. With his grandfather’s retirement approaching, and the possible end to their fake engagement, can Steven and Darcy admit their feelings to not only themselves but each other?
Content Warning: contains adult language and sensual love scenes
Buy Links: Coming July 15
Amazon | Nook | Beachwalk Press
Excerpt:
“I’m making coffee, want any?” Darcy called from the kitchen.
As Steven entered the kitchen he said, “I’d love a cup.”
Steven leaned against the counter. Darcy poured water into the coffee maker and then scooped the coffee in. After she pressed the brew button, she turned and stared back at him.
“That wasn’t so bad,” he said.
She nodded. “Yeah, it was okay.”
Steven laughed. “Your parents were kind.” He reached his hand out toward her.
Darcy walked to him, taking his hand.
“Your dad gave us his blessing.”
“I had no doubt he would. Your family is well known.”
Steven wasn’t sure what had come over him, maybe it was the scotch he’d shared with her dad, but he couldn’t resist the beautiful woman in front of him. He tugged her to him, and her body molded against his perfectly. With his free hand, he pushed her hair behind her ear and then pressed his lips to hers. He expected resistance from her, but she opened up right away, wanting the kiss as much as he did.
Sliding his hand around her neck, he tilted her head so he could deepen the kiss. Her fingers danced around his waist and the little sensation went straight to his groin. Releasing her hand, he gripped her waist and pulled her into him. He was hard and it pressed into her and she didn’t seem to mind. Damn this woman! She should be pushing away from him, reminding him they were to stay friends, but instead he kept hoping her hand would find its way lower.
Could they do this once and then pretend it never happened? His erection was telling him yes, but his brain was telling him no. He started to pull away from the kiss, but Darcy wouldn’t let him.
God, he was turned on and wanted to touch her, taste her, explore her. He needed her!
“Stop, Darcy.” He pushed her off him.
She stepped back, a shocked look on her face.
“I can’t control myself. I want to take you to bed so bad.”
“I want that too.” She moved closer to him again and wrapped her arm around his neck and let her other hand dangle at his waistband. “Can’t we have a little fun?”
Do it or not? Yes or no? His core ached and taunted him. Taking a deep breath, he decided to listen to the head below.
He lifted Darcy up and sat her on the counter. His lips were everywhere. Her neck, collarbone. His hands were greedy as they worked the buttons on her blouse. “Stop me now, Darcy.”
She gazed into his eyes and then cupped his erection through his pants. “No.”
“No turning back?”
“No turning back.”
Character Interview with Darcy White
Lacey Wolfe
Thank you so much for having me on your blog today! Well, me and Steven from Wanted: Wife.
Steven: *Nods* Nice to be here.
Lacey: Why did you place an ad for a wife in the paper? Why not just find a woman a more usual way?
Steven: You want the truth?
Lacey: Yes!
Steven: I was drunk when I did it. My grandfather and I had a big argument at work and I felt like the walls were closing in with the retirement coming up. I drank a few beers and next thing I knew I was writing an ad and mailing it to the paper. They emailed me back the next day finding it hilarious and ran it for free.
Lacey: Seriously? What was the craziest email you got?
Steven: I had a lady who wanted to tie me up and ride me. I had numerous offers of women who wanted to have my baby. Darcy’s email was the only normal one and when I discovered I already knew her, things began to look up.
Lacey: So come on. In high school you were the star football player and Darcy was the nobody. And yet you claim you had a crush on her. What stopped you from hooking up?
Steven: Mainly status. I liked her, don’t get me wrong. But it felt like I had to choose her or being the star athlete.
Lacey: Regret it?
Steven: I say you should never regret your past, but I do wish I had gotten over myself and gotten to know Darcy a lot better.
Lacey: How is your nutty grandfather?
Steven: *Chuckles* Nutty! He’s off in Florida right now. Something about hot older women in swim suits.
Lacey: *Laughs* Everyone needs love at any age.
Steven: I just hope if I’m as wacky as he is, Darcy’s still around to keep me grounded.
Lacey: And serve coke!
Steven: Coke is a regular drink at our dinner parties. Her parents have really made a change for the better.
Lacey: Music to my ears! Thanks for hanging with us today Steven and giving us a hot man to look at.
Steven: I have a wife to get back too and a company to run. But it was fun!
Review:
I love it when an author takes a trope like a fake engagement/marriage of convenience, mixes in friends to lovers and shake it all up. This is exactly what Ms. Wolfe does and its fabulous.
Darcy and Steven went to high school and harbored secret crushes on each other. See above for Steven’s explanation of it all. He never once thought that Darcy would actually answer the ad. Of course, Darcy didn’t realize that it was Steven until she showed up. Not wanting to put her tail between her legs and go home, needing the money, she took the job.
OMG…the chemistry between Darcy and Steven is off the charts but what I found was a sweet, sensual story about two people that complimented each other and encouraged each other. I would be remiss to mention Jared, Steven’s awful brother and Terri, Steven’s ex. Those two were something else and brought tension to an already tense situation between Darcy and Steven. Not to mention Darcy’s parents. The family dynamic was engrossing and I completely understand why Darcy didn’t speak to them for a year.
I really liked the sexual tension that built up around Darcy and Steven. Will they or won’t they? Yes, they seemed to kiss a lot and play around but the actual act was great and it was sensual. I don’t know why, but I really like a story that builds up the tension and show me a little bit and then fade to black. 🙂
Also, watching Darcy and Steven become friends, confidants and then lovers was good, too. Nothing was rushed in their relationship. Okay, maybe the car was in the beginning. Other than that, Steven wasn’t a bad guy. He was only fulfilling his grandfather’s wish. Too bad, he hired the one girl that he had fallen for so long ago.
Darcy had the most character growth in the book. She had to learn to stand up to her parents and at the same time, tame her libido with Steven. Knowing that her relationship with Steven wasn’t going to end well, she fled and told Steven that she needed time to figure out what she wanted.
If I had one thing that sorta bugged me was the final conflict in the book. Oooo, I really wanted to slap Terri and Jared. I never felt like I got the real reason why Jared did what he and Terri did at the engagement party. Steven seemed to accept Jared’s apologize too quickly for me. He didn’t forgive Jared, though. I got the feeling that there was more to their sibling upbringing but overall, Jared was the perfect catalyst to put a crimp in the relationship.
Run, don’t walk, don’t even think about it, buy this book. Its the perfect make you happy that you bought it book. There is no throwing of the e-reader, cussing out the hero or heroine for being stupid or the parents wanting to break them up. Its just about the perfect “tropy” book that Harlie has read this year. Thank you Ms. Wolfe.
About Lacey Wolfe
Lacey Wolfe has always had a passion for words, whether it’s getting lost in a book or writing her own. From the time she was a child she would slip away to write short stories about people she knew and fantasies she wished would happen. It has always been her dream to be a published author and with her two children now of school age, she finally has the time to work on making her dream come true.
Lacey lives in Georgia with her husband, son and daughter, their six cats and one black lab who rules the house.
You can find Lacey at the following places:
Website / Facebook / Facebook Page / Twitter
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