Fighting Temptation (Bay State Series Book 1) Read online

  Fighting Temptation

  Tiffany Hachey

  Copyright © 2015 Tiffany Hachey

  2nd Edition

  All rights reserved.

  ISBN:150843669X

  All rights reserved. This book may not be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission from the author.

  Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author's rights. All characters and story lines are the property of the author and your support and respect is appreciated.

  The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

  DEDICATION

  This book is dedicated to my family and friends who put up with me through this process.

  My husband who was very helpful and supportive. And most of all my two children, who have encouraged me to make a career out of writing.

  My beta readers, for helping me find my mistakes, thank you all so much.

  Lastly, to anyone and everyone who reads and enjoys my books and continue to purchase my work.

  Thank you, and enjoy.

  INTRODUCTION

  Ilyanna Sicliano's never had an easy life. Everything from school to her career she's encountered major problems, until one day she gets a huge break. Leaving the life she knew and despised behind her in Tennessee, she takes a risk for a new job in Boston.

  Braydon O'Donnell has it all, the perfect accounting business and the best of friends. Bachelor life's been the way for Braydon since college. But when he hires Ilyanna to be his new personal assistant as a favor to a college buddy, he begins to second guess himself.

  Could this be the life changing break for her? As sparks fly he begins to wonder if he's going to be able to keep it strictly professional.

  CONTENTS

  Decision

  1

  Favor

  11

  Curiosity

  19

  Complications

  31

  First Meeting

  40

  Desire

  51

  Mood Swing

  62

  On A Mission

  71

  Playing Games

  81

  Road Block

  91

  Overreaction

  100

  Breaking Down

  110

  Cloud Nine

  122

  Confessions

  132

  Miscalculation

  141

  An Honor

  152

  Change Of Heart

  162

  New Traditions

  172

  Fade To Black

  184

  Joyous Pain

  192

  Roommate

  203

  Secrets

  213

  Surprise

  222

  The One

  234

  Books by tiffany

  Fighting Temptation

  Book 1 in the Bay State series

  Fighting Desire *

  Book 2 in the Bay State series

  Fighting Control *

  Book 3 in the Bay State series

  * Coming Soon *

  DECISION

  “Urgh!! Seriously Rachel, something has to give!!”

  I look over at my best friend since junior year in high school and she's shaking her head with a sigh. Taking a sip of her fruity cocktail she looks me straight in the eye. “Ily, why don't you come with us to Boston, we can probably find you a job and we can be roomies.” She smiles that big smile I've grown to love.

  “Knowing my luck, I'll end up jobless and mooching off of you for God knows how long. I just can't do that to you. Plus, what about you and John's privacy? I wouldn't want to impose.” I'm almost shouting at her. I hate that she's leaving me. Her fiancé's accepted a new job and they're moving in three weeks.

  “Nonsense.” She gives me her best pouty face. “You know John loves you just as much as I do. Our new house is plenty big enough, we won't even know you're there half of the time.” She breaks out that cheshire grin again. “Who knows you might just find Mr. right.”

  “Yeah, sure Rach. I'll probably have just as much luck up there as I do down here. I swear I have loser radar.”

  This time while taking a sip, she starts to choke. When she recovers she's laughing and blurts out, “That's an awesome one. I promise if you come with us I'll have John on the lookout.”

  I gape at her. “Seriously, how pathetic do you want me to look? Having John find me a man.”

  “Oh, come on! Will you at least think about it? Pretty please.....?” She's giving me that damn pout again.

  “Don't you dare give me that look, I've been in on some of your schemes. And some weren't so great.” I pout back at her. Two can play this game. “I have to get home, my mom's waiting up and I have an early meeting”

  “Okay, please just promise me you'll think about it. And give your mom a big hug and kiss for me.”

  I smile at my best friend, “Alright, I promise.” Standing up to leave she does the same and follows me out into the parking lot. I stop when we reach my car. “I'll text you tomorrow, maybe we can do lunch.” She waves, walking towards her truck parked a little further down the lot.

  Waving back, I open my door, slip inside and exhale a long heavy breath. “Has she lost her mind? Move to Boston with them?” I mumble to myself as I start my car and pull out of the parking lot.

  As I walk in the door my mom must notice my unease. “Baby what's wrong?” I love my mother to pieces, but sometimes she's just way too perceptive. I try to force a weak smile for her.

  “Just stressing about my meeting tomorrow and thinking about an offer Rachel made me while we were at dinner tonight.” I tell her, not wanting to keep anything from her. Which I never do. “Rachel knows I've been having a hard time at work lately and seeing as it seems I have nothing but bad luck, she wants me to move to Boston with her and John. A fresh start I guess is the way she sees it. And I have to admit momma, it sounds pretty appealing right about now.”

  “Oh honey,” my mother looks at me that same loving way she always does, “your twenty three, I know you've had a rough time of it for quite a few years now. I really don't want to see you go and I really hope you give it a lot of thought before you decide anything definite. But it's your life and you need to make your own decisions.”

  Getting just a little teary eyed, I confide in her. “Momma I'm so torn, I don't want to leave you. But at the same time I feel just as strongly about not ever going back into that awful place ever again. I don't know what my boss's problem's been but he's been taking it out on all of us.” I look around our small living room in the house we moved into after my father was killed in an off duty car chase. It's never felt like home. I know it hurt her to leave the old house. She'd told me she couldn't afford it on her own, but I'm sure there was a little more to it than that. “I love you momma, I'm gonna go to bed now and try my best to make it through work tomorrow.”

  “I love you too, just remember daddy would be so proud of you for finishing school. He wouldn't want you to be unhappy, and neither do I. Just remember I support your decision. You never know some day I might miss you so much I'll decide to follow you and head north myself. It just hasn't been the same since your father died, maybe I need a change of scenery too.”

  After giving my mother a hug and kiss on the cheek, I head down the hall to my room. Shutting the door behind me, I walk over to the bed, plop down onto
my back and let the tears take over. Tears for my father, tears for my lousy high school years, never having friends, nobody wanted to be friends with a cop's kid. And tears for my broken heart in college. The one guy I'd ever thought I loved had broke it in two when he told me there was someone else and that he didn't love me anymore.

  I know one thing's for sure. If I go with Rachel, they can try and hook me up all they want. My heart will be strongly guarded, with walls so high they'll probably never come down again. About five minutes after coming into my room, I fall fast asleep.

  Waking up the next morning, I roll over and turn my alarm off. Noticing it's seven forty five, I panic and jump out of bed in a frenzy.

  Having a thirty minute commute to work only gives me fifteen minutes to make myself presentable. And with a meeting first thing, I was so damn screwed! “Urgh!” I scream as I fling clothes out of my closet, looking for something that's not completely wrinkled.

  “Are you okay in there?” My mom calls from the hall.

  “Yeah mamma, just running late. I'll be out in a few minutes, can you make me a coffee please? I don't think I can survive today without it!”

  “Sure thing, I'll see you in the kitchen.” God bless her, I don't know how she's dealt with all of my problems on top of her own. When I'm satisfied with my appearance, I rush out of my room, down the hall, stopping in the bathroom for all of five minutes and into the kitchen. I grab my coffee and a kiss on the cheek from my mom.

  Rushing out the door I heard her yell, “Hope you have a good day baby. Call me at lunch.”

  “I will, I love you.” I think she responded with I love you too, but I couldn't hear her. I was too busy rushing to get to my car.

  *****

  I make it to work with one minute to spare. Which obviously wasn't enough for my boss Paul. He has that damn bully took my lunch money, pissy face on again. You know, now that I think of it, that expression has been pretty permanent lately.

  What the hell?

  I walk into the board room and take my usual seat next to Paul and try my best to take notes for the next hour. I'm obviously not doing a good enough job paying attention, because Paul keeps snapping at me.

  Finally, after what felt like the twentieth time I loose it, “You know what Paul? I'm sick of your shit. I'm done. I don't know what the hell your problem is, but you can take your own damn notes and when your finished, shove them up your ass!”

  Holy hell, did I just say that out loud? Yup, I sure did. Wow! I look around the room at the other twelve stunned faces, run to my desk to collect my things and high tail it home. Laughing hysterically the whole way.

  When I get home I'm between laughing and crying, I can't believe I just quit my job. And talk about going out with a bang.

  I run straight to my room and fling my self down on the bed. I can't stop crying. I feel the bed dip next to me and my mother starts to rub my back. When I finally calm down after about ten minutes, she asks, “You want to talk about it?” Patiently listening until I finish, she just smiles and says, “I know you've been unhappy there for some time now, but do you think it was very wise to leave that way?”

  “I know momma. I've been so torn up about it since I left the office, but there's no going back now is there?” I let out a big sigh. “I can only hope Rachel was serious when she offered to help me find a job in Boston. I think it's time I told her I'm going to take her up on her offer.”

  My mom gives me her best stern expression for a woman of all five feet four inches in height and one hundred and ten pounds on a bad day. My mother's very beautiful with bright olive skin and long wavy dark brown hair, showcasing our Italian heritage. And fortunately for me, I look just like her.

  “I just hope your not rushing this decision, but just know that I support you, whatever you decide. Your a strong, beautiful woman, and I'm so sorry for everything you've had to bare over the last long while. If anyone deserves a second chance it's you baby. Just know that I'll always be here if you need me. Now go call Rachel and tell her the news. The sooner you start planning the smoother it will go.”

  Grabbing my purse I dig to find my phone, hoping Rachel has a few minutes to talk. As I sit waiting for her to pick up I start to day dream about how perfect a new start could be.

  “Hey what's up?” She says in way of greeting.

  “Hi, I was wondering if you had a few minutes to talk?”

  “Sorry, I can't right now, I'm in the middle of sending my boss an important document. You wanna meet for lunch? Say about twelve thirty?”

  I can tell she's excited about what I have to say. The sound of her voice is totally giving her away. “Sure how's the deli on Main sound?”

  “Sweet! See ya then. Bye”

  “Great,” I mumble to myself. What the hell am I going to do now that I have almost two hours to kill? Well I guess I can fix the mess I made of my closet this morning. After plugging my headphones into my phone, I set my playlist and get to work. My closet looks like a tornado hit. I'm pretty sure I looked like a cyclone this morning. I laugh to myself as I finish up.

  *****

  Walking into the deli a few minutes early, Rachel's already waiting for me, bouncing up and down, grinning.

  “Oh I hope this is about what I think it's about!” She says excitedly.

  Knowing it's been killing her since this morning, I just blurt it out so I can put her out of her misery. “Well if you think it's me telling you I'll move to Boston with you guys, your right!” I grin right back at her. If her squealing is any indication, she's pretty damn happy. Also the fact that she jumps up and hugs me, twirling me around like a crazy person while everyone looks on. Yeah I'd say she's one happy lady right now.

  “Oh em gee..... that was fast thinking Ily. I can sense a story here. So lets go order and you can tell me all about it.”

  Once we place our orders and go back to the table, I tell her all about my morning including all the details I left out while telling my mother. She's just staring at me, jaw on the floor. “Wow girl! What's gotten into you? I like it.” She asks with laughter in her voice.

  “I don't know Rach, I just snapped. Can you blame me? I knew it was gonna happen sooner or later. I'm just glad it happened before you up and left me.” I finish with a frown. Now I'm feeling sad that my best friend was going to move over nine hundred miles away without me.

  She opens her mouth to say something as the waitress walks up and asks if we're ready for our check. “Yes please,” I reply, pasting a small smile on my face.

  As the waitress walks away to get our check, Rachel looks at me shaking her sporty blonde bob that suits her so well. “Now you know I love you, but I love John soooo much. I couldn't even imagine not going with him. He's the best thing that's ever happened to me. Besides you of course. So what else could I ask for now? Huh? I have my best man and my best girl by my side. I couldn't be happier. We'll make it work, you'll see. So don't go worrying your pretty little head over anything. As soon as John gets home tonight I'll have him make some calls.”

  Still smiling through her speech, I thank her. When the check comes she pulls out her wallet for some cash, throws it down on the table and jokes about me being unemployed and she's not letting me pay a dime. This makes us both laugh as we head for the door. Once we're outside she gives me a big hug. “Love you Ily!”

  “Love you too Rach, give me a call later and let me know what John thinks about all of this.”

  I swear she's wearing a permanent grin now. “Don't even sweat him, he knows how happy this will make me. So he'll be super cool with it. Talk to you later.”

  On my way home I find myself day dreaming again of a new beginning. I don't think I stop smiling until I fall asleep.

  FAVOR

  “Hey John, what's up?” I ask, answering my phone.

  I'm stoked my old college buddy John Stevens decided to accept my job offer. Sure it took some coaxing, but in the end I made sure he couldn't say no. I was just about to offer him anything to ge
t his ass here.

  Having lost my most valuable team member due to his family relocating because his mother in law's sick, I really need someone I can trust to fill his shoes.

  John was the first person to come to mind when thinking of who to get as a replacement. Seeing as he's over nine hundred miles away, I figured it wouldn't be easy.

  “Yeah Braydon, listen buddy I have a huge favor to ask you. Rachel's best friend is planning to make the move with us and she kinda promised her we would help her find a job.”

  Fuck if she looked anywhere near as good as John's fiancé, I'll be in deep shit. Bachelorhood suits me just fine after being burned in college by some two timing slut. Fun is all I'm looking for, and I sure as hell don't mix business with pleasure. What the hell, he's doing me a favor. Might as well hear him out. “Well what's her story?”

  “She was an assistant to some dickhead at an advertising firm. I'm sure she would start an entry level position if that's all you had to offer.”

  Hmmm, I take a couple seconds to think about it. I could use some eye candy around the office. “Alright, I'll tell ya what, why don't you have her send me a resume. That way I don't put her somewhere she's way over qualified for. The least I can do is help you out. You're sure as hell saving my ass,” I finish with a laugh.

  “Yeah trust me, I know your ass needs plenty of saving.” Now he's laughing too. “Seriously though, I think you'll get along great with her.” Oh just fucking great, that's what I'm worried about!

  “Alright well I gotta get going, I have a late meeting with a client. I'll keep an eye out for that. Give her my office fax. I'll call her once I have a chance to look it over.” Looking at my watch I realize I'm running ten minutes late. “Have a good night and thanks again.”