Hate To Love You

HATE TO LOVE YOU Written by Shayla Black Includes: MORE THAN TEMPT YOU © 2019 by Shelley Bradley LLC SEDUCING THE ENEMY © 2020 by Shelley Bradley LLC WATCH ME © 2007 by Shelley Bradley LLC This book is an original publication by Shayla Black. Copyright 2022 Shelley Bradley LLC Cover Design by: Rachel Connolly Edited by: Amy Knupp of Blue Otter Proofread by: Fedora Chen Excerpt from More Than Dare You © 2020 by Shelley Bradley LLC Excerpt from Seduced by the Bodyguard © 2020 by Shelley Bradley LLC Excerpt from Naughty Little Secret © 2014 by Shelley Bradley LLC ISBN: 978-1958075166 The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictional. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental and not intended by the author. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form by an electronic or mechanical means—except for brief quotations embedded in critical articles or reviews—without express written permission. eBooks are not transferable. They cannot be sold, shared, or given away, as it is illegal and an infringement on the copyright of this work. All rights reserved. CONTENTS More Than Tempt You About More Than Tempt You Foreword Prologue Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Chapter Nine Chapter Ten Chapter Eleven Chapter Twelve Chapter Thirteen Seducing the Enemy About Seducing the Enemy Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Epilogue Watch Me About Watch Me Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 What to read next! Other Books by Shayla Black About Shayla Black ABOUT MORE THAN TEMPT YOU I romanced her for revenge…but what if she’s not the enemy? I’m Clint Holmes—hands-on business owner and a beast in the bedroom. Life was great—until fate ripped my father from my life. Now the only thing that matters is finding the woman responsible and making her pay. But beauty Bethany Banks is a Harvard-educated shark used to playing dangerous corporate games. How can a blue-collar guy like me outsmart her? One glance, and the answer is obvious. I seduce her. During our slow-dance of secrets and lies, I get to know the supposed ballbuster…only to discover her ambition and tough exterior hide a woman who’s vulnerable and heartbreakingly alone. Instinct urges me to protect her, but I came for retribution. Night after night, I ply her with my burning touch until I drown in her pleasure. Suddenly, I’m addicted and questioning everything, especially the fine line between love and hate. But when the past comes back with a vengeance, exposing the truth, can I prove that I’m more than tempted to make her mine forever? FOREWORD There are infinite ways to tell someone you love them. Some of the most powerful don’t require words at all. This was the truth rolling through my head when I first conceived of this series, writing about a love so complete that mere letters strung together to make sentences weren’t an adequate communicator of those feelings. Instead, for this series, music was my go-to choice. I love music. I’m always immersed in it and spend hours a day with my ear buds plugged in. I write to music. I think to music. I even sleep to music. I was thrilled to incorporate songs into the story I felt were meaningful to the journey. I think of it this way: a movie has a soundtrack. Why shouldn’t a book? So I created one. Some of the songs I’ve selected will be familiar. Some are old. Some are newer. Some popular. Some obscure. They all just fit (in my opinion) and came straight from the heart. I listened to many of these songs as I wrote the book. For maximum understanding (and feels), I seriously recommend becoming familiar with these songs and either playing them or rolling them around in your head as you read. Due to copyright laws, I can’t use exact lyrics, but I tried to give you the gist of those most meaningful PROLOGUE June Rural North Dakota Clint “Come home.” I groan as I glance across the room at my father. Not again… “Dad, we’ve talked about this.” “No, you’ve talked about it. I haven’t said my piece.” “But I know your spiel. Look, I’ve transplanted, and my roots are here now. My business is growing again. I’m still a newer kid on the block in the oil industry around here, so it’s taking time.” I lean back in my chair and grip my cold beer. “But I’m okay with that. Besides, you don’t need me; you still have Bry at home.” My father huffs, then takes a drag of his cigar. “Until he goes off to college in the fall. Besides, when do you think your youngest brother is ever home? He’s a seventeen-year-old boy who’s just graduated from high school and has his own wheels. At that age, when were you home?” He’s got a valid point, but… “I know it’s been hard since Mom’s death. The last eighteen months have been an adjustment for everyone.” “It’s not that. Open your eyes, son. The oil boom will likely bust again. Five years ago, this was a great business, and you were in the right place at the right time. Even Bethany agreed,” he says of his investment advisor, whom he constantly raves about. “But now,