Read an #Excerpt from Fraud by J.L. Berg + #Giveaway

Fraud
by J.L. Berg
ebook, 326 pages
Published May 1st 2017 by JL Berg, LLC
ISBN139780998391212

From USA Today Bestselling author J.L. Berg comes a sexy standalone about love, lies and every dirty little thing in between.

It wasn’t just a job.
It was my way back to the top.

After losing my position as a journalist for one of the biggest news publications in the world, I knew I’d do anything to get it back.
Even if it meant breaking a few hearts to get there.
She was the hottest author in the country. Known only by a pen name, there wasn’t a person alive who wasn’t dying to discover her true identity.
And I’d figured it out.

Her real name was Kate O’Malley and not only did I plan on finding her, but I fully intended on learning every dirty secret she had and exploiting it for my own gain.
But I underestimated my prey.
I didn’t anticipate how her words would intoxicate me, or how the curves of her body would consume me.
I never meant to fall in love.
And now I had a choice to make.

Do I give up everything for the woman I set out to destroy, or walk away, making me the biggest fraud of all? 

AMAZON | B&N

Excerpt:

The downside to my impromptu run to Starbucks earlier this morning was that I felt compelled to drink every last drop of my venti iced Americano on the way back to my second-floor apartment that was situated just on the outskirts of town. 

By the time I made it into the parking lot, two things were happening. 

I had to pee, and I was buzzing with caffeine. 

Great. 

So much for going back to sleep. 

Quickly making my way inside, I didn’t bother waiting for the elevator, choosing to tackle the stairs instead. Within minutes, I was through my door and raiding my kitchen— after making a pit stop at the bathroom. In my haste to make it to work on time, I’d skipped breakfast, and by the way my hands were shaking from the onslaught of coffee, I was pretty sure I was going to blast off into space. 

Finding some milk and a box of cereal, I grabbed a bowl and curled up on the couch. 

It didn’t take long for Loki to find me— or the milk rather. 

Loki was my rescue kitty. I’d picked him up about a year ago after a particularly bad date. The guy had looked at his watch a grand total of forty-three times and yawned twice. It had barely lasted through the entrees. After crying myself to sleep, wondering why I even bothered, I’d headed out the next day to buy groceries, and instead, I’d come home with Loki. 

He’d been the one and only man in my life since. 

He was also a pain in the ass. 

But, according to my married and committed coworkers, that was an accurate description of most males, so I guessed I’d done my job correctly. Of course, most husbands didn’t use furniture as a scratching post either. 

After a second bowl of Lucky Charms, I settled in to watch a couple of movies for the rest of the day. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d had a day off. Renee was right; it had been a while. 

People with lives probably took time off. 

They probably took actual lunch breaks and flew on planes to go on trips. 

I was sure they at least didn’t spend their days off lying on the couch, watching Netflix. Alone. 

The caffeine slowly began to wear off around two o’clock, and my eyes started to feel heavy. It took nearly three full rings for me to realize the sound coming from my coffee table was my phone. Rubbing my tired eyes, I quickly hit mute on the TV and froze as I stared down at the display. 

Killian Townes. 

Holy…

He’d asked for my number last night, and I’d reluctantly given it to him. 

He was gorgeous and charming— everything that made a woman go weak in the knees. So, what did he want to do with me? 

Honestly, I had thought I’d never hear from him again. Certainly not less than twenty-four hours later. 

Should I answer it? I continued to stare at the phone, listening to it beckon me, waiting for me to respond. 

It finally fell silent. 

I guessed I didn’t have to make a choice after all. A twinge of sadness found its way into my chest at that moment, but I tried to ignore it. I didn’t have time for good-looking strangers with lightning-quick reflexes and mesmerizing eyes. 

I had a career and a… cat. 

And… The phone chirped once more, causing me to yelp. 

Looking down, I found myself grinning. 

One new message. 

As I was no longer tired, my agile fingers went to work, bringing the voice mail to life. 

“Hi, Kate… Katelyn. Do you like to be called Katelyn better? Both are beautiful. I’m rambling, aren’t I? I drank a lot of coffee. Anyway, this is my roundabout way of asking you out to dinner. I’m hoping you’ll call me back and say yes. I’m also hoping you might have a place in mind since I’m new to town, and so far, my knowledge of food around here doesn’t really go beyond my hotel. Thanks. I mean, good-bye. Talk to you soon.” 

I couldn’t help but smile at his awkward attempt to ask me out. 

It was a vast difference from the suave guy I’d met the night before, as if there were two distinct sides to Killian. This new, slightly clumsy side oddly appealed to me. Flashy guys were much more Jane’s style. She preferred her men tall, dark, and rich. 

Me? 

Maybe it was time for me to figure that out.

About J.L. Berg

J.L. Berg is the USA Today bestselling author of the Ready Series, The Walls Duet, and the Lost & Found Duet. She is a California native living in the beautiful state of historic Virginia. Married to her high school sweetheart, they have two beautiful girls that drive them batty on a daily basis. When she's not writing, you will find her with her nose stuck in a romance novel, in a yoga studio or devouring anything chocolate. J.L. Berg is represented by Jill Marsal of Marsal Lyon Literary Agency, LLC.  http://jlberg.com/ 

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