Pretending in Paradise Read online

  Pretending in Paradise

  When travelwisdom.com assigns PR specialist Caroline Beckett and travel blogger Emma Morgan to cover a hot new couples retreat, they’re forced to fake a relationship to secure a reservation. Ten days in paradise would be a dream assignment, if only they’d stop arguing long enough to enjoy it.

  Reputations are Caroline’s business. Too bad she was forced out of her previous job when an ex smeared hers all over the office grapevine. She’s never getting involved with a coworker again, especially not one as careless and unprofessional as Emma.

  Emma knows that life is too short to play by the rules. But when she goes too far and a defamation lawsuit puts her job in jeopardy, she has to make nice with Caroline, the image police, and deliver the best story of her career.

  Only pretending to be in love sure feels a whole lot like falling in love. When their story goes public, ambition and privacy collide, and their chance at making a fake relationship real might just be collateral damage.

  Praise for M. Ullrich

  Love at Last Call

  Love at Last Call is “a very well written slow-burn romance. Another great book by M. Ullrich.”—LezReviewBooks

  “[I]f you enjoy opposites attract romances—especially ones set in bars—you’ll love this book! I’ll definitely be looking up the rest of the author’s work!”—Llama Reads Books

  Love at Last Call is “exciting, addictive (I was up all night reading it) and still gave me all the major swoon moments I’ve come to love from this author. Can I give it more than five stars?”—Les Rêveur

  “This book was like a well-crafted cocktail—not too sweet, not too bitter, and left me with a warm feeling in my body.”—Love in Panels

  “Love at Last Call is M. Ullrich’s fifth full-length novel and it’s truly excellent. The writing is smooth and engaging, with perfect pacing and a plot that’s sure to please fans of contemporary romance. If you’re looking for a book to sink into, have some fun, and get away from it all, you’ll want to pick this one up.”—Lambda Literary

  Against All Odds

  “Against All Odds by Kris Bryant, Maggie Cummings, and M. Ullrich is an emotional and captivating story about being able to face a tragedy head-on and move on with your life, learning to appreciate the simple things we take for granted and finding love where you least expect it.”—The Lesbian Review

  Time Will Tell

  “I adored the romance in this. I got emotional at times and felt like they fit together very well. They really brought out the best in each other and they had a lot of chemistry. I really did care whether or not they were together in the end…It was a very enjoyable read and definitely one I’d recommend.”—Cats and Paperbacks

  “Time Will Tell is not your run of the mill romance. I found it dark, intense, unexpected. It is also beautifully romantic and sexy and tells of a love that is for all time. I really enjoyed it.”—Kitty Kat’s Book Review Blog

  “M. Ullrich just keeps knocking them out of the park and I think she’s currently the one to watch in lesbian romantic fiction.”—Les Rêveur

  Fake It till You Make It

  “M. Ullrich’s books have a uniqueness that we don’t always see in this particular genre. Her stories go a bit outside the box and they do it in the best possible way. Fake It till You Make It is no exception.”—The Romantic Reader Blog

  “M. Ullrich’s Fake It till You Make It just clarifies why she is one of my favorite authors. The storyline was tight, the characters brought emotion and made me feel like I was living the story with them, and best of all, I had fun reading every word.”—Les Rêveur

  Life in Death

  “M. Ullrich sent me on a emotional roller coaster…But most of all I felt absolute joy knowing that in times of darkness you can still love the one you’re meant to be with. It was a story of hope, tragedy, and above all, love.”—Les Rêveur

  Life in Death “is a well written book, the characters have depth and are complex, they become friends and you cannot help but hope that Marty and Suzanne can find a way back to each other. There aren’t many books that I know from one read that I will want to read time and time again, but this is one of them.”—Sapphic Reviews

  Fortunate Sum

  “M. Ullrich has written one book. That one book is Fortunate Sum. For this to be Ullrich’s first book, well, that is just stunning. Stunning in the fact that this book is so very good, it was a fantastic read.”—The Romantic Reader Blog

  Pretending in Paradise

  Brought to you by

  eBooks from Bold Strokes Books, Inc.

  http://www.boldstrokesbooks.com

  eBooks are not transferable. They cannot be sold, shared or given away as it is an infringement on the copyright of this work.

  Please respect the rights of the author and do not file share.

  Pretending in Paradise

  © 2019 By M. Ullrich. All Rights Reserved.

  ISBN 13: 978-1-63555-400-7

  This Electronic Book is published by

  Bold Strokes Books, Inc.

  P.O. Box 249

  Valley Falls, New York 12185

  First Edition: April 2019

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without permission.

  Credits

  Editor: Jerry L. Wheeler

  Production Design: Stacia Seaman

  Cover Design By Sheri ([email protected])

  By the Author

  Fortunate Sum

  Life in Death

  Fake It till You Make It

  Time Will Tell

  Love at Last Call

  Pretending in Paradise

  Against All Odds

  (with Kris Bryant and Maggie Cummings)

  The Boss of Her: Office Romance Novellas

  (with Julie Cannon and Aurora Rey)

  Acknowledgments

  I always feel like I have a million people to acknowledge and thank, and every single time I forget at least 500,000 of you all. I’m sorry if I do, but know you’re in my heart.

  The team at Bold Strokes Books is extraordinary. I feel like I have an extended family, a group of friends, and professional coworkers all wrapped up in one. Radclyffe and Sandy, I thank you for everything: the opportunity to work for and with you, to be a part of this growing world, and the brilliance you put into this company and each book. There are many people who work very hard to bring a book to life, and I’m grateful to have some of the best on my side. Thank you to everyone involved, the ones I’ve never met, and the ones I’ve bugged one too many times.

  My friends, the ones who listen to me stress, the ones who encourage my procrastibaking, and the ones who help me iron out my wrinkles…I don’t want to know what kind of writer I’d be without y’all. I’d struggle with names and titles so much more and never get a word written! Maggie, I’ve been meaning to tell you…thank you for every discussion about inspiration, where we’d be without slayers and Earps, and the trillions of laughs we share. Speaking of laughter, Kris, I’m grateful for your sense of humor and all the weird places we go when we talk. I’ll never look at a cactus the same again. I have so many treasured memories that bring me happiness when I need it most.

  Angie, I look forward to our next discussion. (On company time)

  Heather, time and time again, I’m unsure of how to properly thank you for all you do. I’d wither away on the weekends without your expertly prepared breakfasts, I’d lose my way without your constant reassur
ance, and I’d never be able to write about love without yours as a constant reminder of how wonderful it is.

  My readers, new and old, are some of my favorite people on this earth. Kristy, Tiff, Jenn, Rach, Victoria, Karen, Ann, Dani, and so many more I know I’m forgetting and feel awful about it! You reach out and share your enthusiasm with me, and it helps fuel every single word I write. Thank you.

  And finally, to the person holding this book, I appreciate you more than I’ll ever be able to express on this page.

  To Heather,

  My best baby and the real deal from day one.

  Chapter One

  Caroline hated firsts. Her first day of school was a haunting memory of pink polka dots and tears. She still felt embarrassment and an itch on her chin from her first kiss during truth or dare with a boy who had a pubescent soul patch. And today, her first day at a new job was no different. Caroline’s palms were sweating, and she rehearsed her opening words over and over in her head. She checked her small watch and frowned. She hated waiting, which was what she’d been doing inside her new boss’s enclosed office for nearly thirty minutes.

  Not one person poked their head in to check on her, but that was to be expected. Chances were no one except the assistant who greeted Caroline knew she was in the office. She tugged at the hemline of her black skirt for the fourth time since taking a seat. She knew treating herself to a new suit for her first day had been unnecessary, and her measurements had clearly changed since her last workwear purchase.

  “I’m sorry to have kept you waiting, Ms. Beckett.”

  Caroline jumped at the sudden deep voice behind her. She turned and recognized Ronaldo Vasquez immediately from her online research. He took a seat across from Caroline.

  “It’s okay, and please call me Caroline. There’s no need for formalities,” she said, almost kicking herself. That wasn’t part of her rehearsal. Ronaldo smiled. His dark eyes turned soft, but the lines surrounding them highlighted his age. Caroline would pin him at forty-five, maybe fifty, but he dyed his goatee and thinning hair, so she wouldn’t put any money on her guess.

  “Very well, Caroline. I’m Ronaldo Vasquez, and, boy, am I glad to see you.” He chuckled softly and loosened the Windsor knot of his pink tie. “I have to thank you for agreeing to start right away. I know Wednesdays aren’t the most traditional days to begin employment, but we were eager to get you started given the circumstances.” He nodded slightly.

  Caroline watched his nervous behavior closely, knowing it worked to her advantage. “What are we dealing with?” Caroline slipped into work mode, which pushed all of her first-day jitters and rehearsed dialogue to the side.

  Ronaldo looked momentarily surprised. “Are you sure you don’t want the introductory Travel Wisdom tour first?”

  “I can learn as I go. I prefer to jump right in, if that’s okay with you.” Caroline picked up her leather briefcase. She took out a legal pad and her favorite fine-tipped pen. “Person, company, or group?”

  “What?”

  “Are we dealing with negative press from a person, company, or group of people?” Caroline looked at Ronaldo expectantly, but he just sat back and tapped his fingertips to his lips. “Mr. Vasquez?” she said, puzzled.

  He held up his index finger. “Ah, now who’s using unnecessary formalities?” Ronaldo shifted in his chair and seemed to settle in more comfortably. “I’m not sure how to answer your question because it’s a little bit of all three. I run a large travel website, so when we’re under fire, it comes from all angles.”

  Caroline started to write. “Tell me about your current situation.”

  “Travel Wisdom is known for our no-nonsense reviews, and that’s partly due to our top reviewer, Emma. She just knows how to walk into a place and read between the lines.”

  “Emma’s last name?”

  “Morgan.”

  Caroline nodded but never looked up from her notepad. She recognized the name. “Is it fair to assume Emma’s more negative reviews get backlash from the hotels and resorts she writes about?”

  “Absolutely. Which is why we have the best public relations specialists on payroll.”

  Caroline looked up just in time to catch Ronaldo’s wink but chose to leave it unacknowledged. She turned her attention back to her notes.

  “When we started this company over ten years ago, we knew we’d have to do something to set us apart from the hundreds of travel sites out there,” Ronaldo said. He stood, closed his office door, and started to pace. “We combined the search results you’d get from Expedia, the rate comparisons from Trivago, and the reviews you’d expect from Yelp. On top of that, we send out staff reviewers to experience as much as possible firsthand.” He wiped away a light layer of sweat from his forehead with the cuff of his creased shirt.

  Caroline gave him her undivided attention. Ronaldo was now her boss, and if he was panicking about the state of his company, her duty was to ease his mind. “You don’t have to sell your company to me, Ronaldo. I did my share of research before I applied for this job and went back for a second round before I accepted the position. I love working in public relations, but I’m not going to join a company I don’t believe in.”

  “Thank you for saying that.” He smoothed down his tie and sat back down. “This thing with Emma is,” he looked around before staring at the door of his office, “it’s a different situation for us. We’re being hit with a lawsuit this time.”

  “For what exactly and by whom?”

  “For defamation by the Empress Resort and Casino in New Mexico. Emma went out there earlier this year because we hadn’t done many reviews about casinos. Las Vegas and Atlantic City are popular, but we wanted to give some attention to the lesser known sights in the country. Turns out, our choice wasn’t a very good one. Here,” Ronaldo said, sliding a folder across his desk to Caroline. “There’s a copy of her review and the photos she took.”

  Caroline opened the folder and read the first line of the review aloud. “‘There’s a reason why New Mexico isn’t known for their casinos or much else, for that matter.’ Ouch. Would you stand by her review?”

  “Absolutely,” Ronaldo said without hesitation. “At least the bit about the casinos. The comment about New Mexico in general was uncalled for. It’s a beautiful state, but the people who visit our site have come to expect that kind of brashness from Emma. She reviews what she sees, and she only saw the casino and its surrounding area.” Ronaldo’s tone was firm and defensive. Caroline observed him for a moment longer and wondered if there was more between him and Emma than she was led to believe.

  “Getting the lawsuit thrown out shouldn’t be a problem.” Caroline shuffled through the photos of water-damaged ceilings, rows of broken slot machines, and people loitering in front of the building. “With Travel Wisdom’s reputation and these photos, you have enough ground to stand on.” Caroline tucked her jet-black hair behind her ears and started to pack up.

  “There’s more,” Ronaldo said, looking uneasy.

  I knew it. She sat back and nodded for Ronaldo to spill it.

  “Emma’s extracurricular activities during her stay have complicated things.”

  “Meaning?”

  Ronaldo cleared his throat. “After the review was published, the Empress had a decrease in business and was forced to lay off a handful of employees. One of those employees came forward saying Emma’s attention was on them the whole time and not the resort itself.”

  Caroline sighed heavily. “So she was busy with a bellboy instead of doing her job. Great.”

  “Cocktail waitress, actually, but I still believe Emma produced an accurate review.”

  Caroline’s pen stilled briefly before she finished. “When did you find out about the lawsuit?”

  “Yesterday, but online buzz started before that. The waitress commented on the review until she finally got the attention she was looking for. After the fifth or sixth comment, we started to get a lot of emails. Most are from past resorts Emma has negatively re
viewed. They’re calling for the reviews to be removed immediately.”

  “That’s to be expected.”

  “And a few messages from other people,” Ronaldo said abruptly. His face turned from concerned to shameful. “Hate groups are ridiculing us for condoning gay activity.” He leaned forward on his desk and folded his hands together. “I want to make myself clear when I say this is an equal opportunity workplace. What my employees do with their personal time is none of my business, but this is attracting the wrong kind of people. I don’t want my name or my company to be associated with such groups. I want everyone to feel safe and comfortable.”

  Caroline’s throat tightened. She had to remind herself none of this was about her, not Ronaldo’s speech or the issues at hand. Her job was to be detached and impersonal with her focus on the big picture. She swallowed roughly and forced herself to smile. She hoped her bright red lipstick didn’t make the artificial grin look clownish. “Where’s Emma now?”

  “She comes in around ten or eleven when she’s needed in the office.”

  “Nice hours. Is she aware of the situation?”