Hardy

HARDY Genevieve Jasper Copyright Copyright © 2023 Genevieve Jasper All rights reserved. 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. No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher. Cover Designer: Coffin Print Designs Editor: R. A. Wright Editing Proofreader: Nay’s Notations Formatter: KB. Row Contents Dedication Foreword CHAPTER ONE Margot CHAPTER TWO Austin CHAPTER THREE Margot CHAPTER FOUR Austin CHAPTER FIVE Margot CHAPTER SIX Austin CHAPTER SEVEN Margot CHAPTER EIGHT Austin CHAPTER NINE Margot CHAPTER TEN Austin CHAPTER ELEVEN Margot CHAPTER TWELVE Austin CHAPTER THIRTEEN Margot CHAPTER FOURTEEN Austin CHAPTER FIFTEEN Margot CHAPTER SIXTEEN Austin CHAPTER SEVENTEEN Margot CHAPTER EIGHTEEN Austin CHAPTER NINETEEN Margot CHAPTER TWENTY Austin CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE Margot CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO Austin CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE Margot CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR Austin CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE Margot CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX Austin CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN Margot CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT Austin CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE Margot CHAPTER THIRTY Austin CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE Margot CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO Austin CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE Margot Also by Genevieve Jasper About the Author Dedication You know how they say it takes a tribe? Well, it takes a girl gang to publish a romance novel. To Rachelle, for your never-ending support in a million different ways. To Vic-Vee, for always being there to brainstorm with when my words run dry. To Kayles, for making my baby oh so pretty. I couldn’t, and wouldn’t, do it without you. Foreword Hardy is Genevieve Jasper’s darkest work yet and contains scenes some readers may find distressing. This is a work of fiction. Genevieve Jasper in no way condones, encourages, or recommends these behaviors. Please look after yourselves and each other. Contains jealous/possessive themes, coercion, consensual non-consent, strangling, and breath play (including with water). CHAPTER ONE Margot Blowing my bangs out of my face, I once again curse the old building that I work in. Yes, its high ceilings and original architecture are stunning, but it’s like a sauna in here as soon as we even approach the warmer months. As I’m juggling a stack of books up the winding staircase, my phone buzzes in my pocket. I ignore it, but when it starts up again after a short pause, I worry it might be something important. Leaning the stack precariously on the banister, I snatch my phone out of my pocket and balance it between my ear and shoulder before quickly getting both hands back on the possible murder weapon. Imagine that headline: “Elderly woman bludgeoned by falling tomes while browsing literary classics.” Before I can even greet her, my best friend is frantically quizzing me down the line. “Hey, what are you doing tonight?” Her tone makes me pause so I can focus on the conversation. “Nothing much, why?” I’d gone out for Memorial Day weekend without her as she was busy, and we also have plans for tomorrow with the girls, so I was planning to recuperate my social battery tonight. But she’s my bestie, so I am more than happy to check in with her if she’s free. “I need you to do me a huge favor, please, please, please . . .” I’m definitely not going to want to do it if she’s already begging. I shouldn’t have shown my hand so soon. “What is it?” “I need you to go on a blind date.” “What?” I ask, exasperated at the lack of emergency. “Something’s come up and I can’t make it.” “So cancel.” “I can’t. My boss set it up, and I don’t want it to be a whole thing.” She sounds out of sorts and mildly panicked. I get it—she’s been desperate to impress her boss for ages now. Kaya is always on call and often leaves events to run errands for her work. I know the fashion business is demanding, albeit most of my information comes from The Devil Wears Prada, but still, it shocks me. “Eurgh . . . but he’s going to be expecting you,” I whine. “Yeah, so you’d need to use my name, but we get mistaken for sisters all the time, and people never look identical to their photos.” This is true. With both of us having brunette hair, brown eyes, and a similar stature, we’re not exactly distinguishable women, and we’re often assumed to be related. “You just said you had nothing else on, and I’d love you forever . . .” “You already love me.” “Fine, I’ll owe you.” I sigh loudly, knowing already that I’ll do this for her. She hardly asks me for anything ever, and she is my best friend. “What would I even wear?” I say. “That’s easy! Your green minidress.” I’m not convinced about that for a first date, although I know the one she means. “That’s a bit . . .” “Perfect, classy, sexy, amazing?” It is all of those things, and I’ve been waiting to wear it since I bought it on a whim. It’s a deep-green velvet with a modest neckline and long sleeves but a slit on one side that ends in line with my hip. “I was gonna say much.” “Please? It’ll be a one-time thing, and I’ll tell my boss it didn’t work out.” “I feel like this is only going to end badly.” I huff at my diminishing reluctance, and the books on the banister wobble perilously under my weight. If that’s not a premonition, I don’t know what is. “Well, that’ll be my fault. Come on, it’s a free dinner at the very least, and it’s at Zoki—” “What?!” The over-the-top dress makes sense now. “Oh, yeah. I probably should’ve led with that.” “You should have! I’d meet the devil himself for a dinner reservation there.” “Wow, I forgot what a food geek you are. Be there at eight, and remember your name is Kaya, okay?” The books really do slip