The Boyfriend Experience Read online

  THE BOYFRIEND EXPERIENCE

  NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHORS

  Carly Phillips

  Erika Wilde

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form by any means without the prior written consent of the Publisher, excepting brief quotes used in reviews.

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

  Copyright © CP Publishing 2019 and © Janelle Denison, Inc. 2019

  Kobo Edition

  Cover Design: Melissa Gill Designs

  Formatting: BB eBooks

  He’s the total package.

  Except . . .

  Eric Miller isn’t looking for a long term relationship. And he definitely isn’t thrilled when a friend signs him up for The Boyfriend Experience app behind his back. It’s not like he has a problem getting women on his own. But when he gets a notification that someone is in need of his . . . services, he’s intrigued enough to check out her profile and can’t resist the sexy, sassy little brunette who only wants him as a decoy for a family event.

  Evie Bennett needs a boyfriend, stat. Someone who can accompany her to her family reunion so she doesn’t have to explain that she’s been recently dumped. Again. She’s perfectly happy being an independent woman, but what’s a girl to do when her new fake boyfriend starts to feel like the real deal?

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  Cover

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  About the Book

  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

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Epilogue

  About the Tall, Dark & Sexy Series

  About the Knight Brothers Series

  About the Authors

  CHAPTER ONE

  “Does anyone know a hot single guy they could set Evie up with for a weekend?”

  Evie Bennett shot Jessica—her good friend and one of her business partners—a what-the-hell look, though she couldn’t say she was completely shocked by Jessica’s impulsive question to the women in their salon and spa since her friend had little to no filter. But seriously, Evie didn’t need their clients knowing her personal business.

  “Why do you need a hot single guy, Evie?” the young, twenty-something girl sitting at Jessica’s nail table asked. Her name was Lacey and she was adorably ditzy and clueless. “Aren’t you already dating someone?”

  Ahhh, the drawbacks of working in a small, open-concept salon, where no topic was off-limits, including Evie’s love life . . . or lack thereof, she thought with a grimace as she continued flat ironing her client’s hair.

  “Was dating someone,” her other friend and business partner chimed in as she walked toward the reception area to greet her two o’clock facial. Scarlett was the spa portion of Beauty and Bliss Salon and Spa. “But he ended up being a shady, two-timing jerk.”

  Asshole was a more apt term, in Evie’s opinion. After four months of dating Eric, she’d discovered that he’d been living a double life and she’d been his dirty little secret. And in a desperate attempt to appease his furious fiancée, he’d devastated Evie in the process with his insistence that she’d meant nothing to him. Even a month later, that embarrassing recollection and those words still stung like a fresh slap to the face.

  As far as dating and relationships with men went, she couldn’t seem to get it right. Her judgment when it came to their sincerity and fidelity sucked and she was clearly too easily charmed. Seriously, how had she allowed Eric to fool her so completely when she should have been more cautious and aware of all his excuses, last-minute changes of plans, and the fact that he preferred that she call before just dropping by his place?

  Now she knew why. It would have been too much of a risk of her finding him with his fiancée. Instead, she’d run into the two them, hand in hand and being very affectionate, at the movie theater. He’d told her he was going out with the guys for the night, and at the last minute, Evie had decided to join Scarlett and Jessica in seeing the latest blockbuster romantic comedy. Needless to say, seeing Eric with another woman had led to a confrontation that had put a damper on the evening and left her feeling used.

  “Men can be such dogs,” Jessica said vehemently as she filed down her client’s nails.

  “I agree,” the younger girl sitting across from Jessica said. “We should kidnap him and tar and feather his dick and balls.”

  The idea made Evie laugh and lightened her mood. Yeah, she could definitely get on board with that.

  “Not all men are dogs,” Peyton, the pretty, blonde-haired woman sitting in Evie’s chair getting her hair done, interrupted. “Trust me, there are some really great guys out there.”

  Scarlett snorted in disbelief. “Finding a great guy these days is like trying to find a needle in a haystack. They are a rare breed.”

  “True,” Peyton agreed with a smile. “And yes, sometimes you have to kiss a lot of trolls to find your prince, but it’s so worth it.”

  Both Jessica and Scarlett stared at Peyton as if she was from another planet, and Evie quickly interjected, “Don’t mind Peyton. She just recently married her prince, so she’s a little biased about the whole dating scene and everyone getting their happily ever after.”

  “Ahhh,” Jessica said, nodding in understanding. “That explains it.”

  Peyton blushed, and Evie met her gaze in the mirror in front of them and smiled. She wasn’t best friends with Peyton, but as her client, they’d gotten to know one another fairly well. Evie had heard all about how Peyton and Leo Stone had ended up together. It was a cute story, and sort of similar to Evie’s current predicament of needing a guy for a family function. Peyton had managed to persuade her college crush to fill in as her fake boyfriend for a wedding, and their attraction from years ago had evolved into love.

  At the moment, Evie’s heart and emotions were far too battered and bruised to even consider falling for another guy anytime soon.

  “You know, I could set you up with my best friend’s older brother and you can see how that works out,” Jessica’s client offered enthusiastically. “He’s thirty-two, very good-looking, super successful, and single.”

  “Good-looking and successful are definite pluses,” Scarlett said, adding her two cents as she led her appointment back toward the private spa room. “You might want to consider it, Evie.”

  “What does he do for a living?” Jessica asked, voicing the question that Evie was wondering herself. Successful could mean anything from a lawyer to a drug dealer.

  “He’s an ob-gyn.”

  The salon went quiet, and Evie met Peyton’s wide-eyed stare in the mirror, both of them telegraphing the same thought . . . no fucking way.

  “Oh my God. Are you kidding me?” Jessica stopped filing the girl’s nails to gape at Lacey in shock. “Nobody wants to date a guy who spends most of his day with his face and hands up in a woman’s business!”

  Evie and Peyton struggled not to burst out laughing, and Evie failed as a small snort managed to escape past her lips, which in turn made Peyton snicker.

  “I was just trying to be helpful,” Lacey said, her face scrunching up as she tho
ught about the guy’s profession. “I think that’s why he’s had such a hard time finding, and keeping, a girlfriend. They’re all intimidated by the amount of pussy he’s seen. But ob-gyns need love, too.”

  Evie groaned. She was so done with this conversation. “I appreciate everyone’s help, but I’ll be just fine. Really.”

  But really, she wasn’t fine. Not when she was beginning to seriously question her taste in men. Eric wasn’t the first guy to string her along, only to blindside her with the realization that he’d never intended for her to be anything more than a convenient side piece for him to fuck when the mood struck. Not that she was opposed to having a friend-with-benefits kind of agreement, as long as she was clued in to the terms of the relationship beforehand and the guy she was sleeping with was single.

  So, while Eric’s delivery might have been different than previous guys, the end result was the same. She was left feeling like crap about herself . . . and back to square one when it came to finding a decent man who wanted a committed relationship with her.

  “So, you never answered that girl’s question,” Peyton said, her voice low to keep their conversation private. “Why do you need a single guy, Evie? Is it for that Fourth of July family reunion you mentioned you’re going to in a few weeks?”

  “Kind of?” she replied, not sure how to explain her situation.

  An understanding look passed through Peyton’s eyes. “Is your family pressuring you to settle down and you want to avoid the hassle?”

  Done straightening Peyton’s long blonde hair, Evie finished off the style with a glossing spray that added a nice shine to her locks. “Actually, no. That’s not it at all.” Her reasons were more complicated and personal, and since Peyton had been through a similar scenario, she decided to confide in her.

  “My parents are actually great. They’re supportive and have a very open-minded approach to relationships, and they’ve never made me feel as though they expect me to get married at any point in my life.” They were also a little eccentric and unconventional, which was a conversation for another day. “The truth is . . . I just don’t want to deal with those pitiful looks and comments when my relatives find out I’ve been dumped. Again.” That was the simple explanation to something that was far more complex.

  “I might have a solution for you,” Peyton said, and she must have seen the skeptical look on Evie’s face, because she quickly held up a hand and added, “Hear me out. My brother-in-law, Dylan, is an app developer, and he recently created one called the Boyfriend Experience.”

  “Okay . . .” Evie frowned. “Is it an escort service?”

  “No, nothing sordid like that,” Peyton assured her with a small laugh. “It’s a legit app for women who want or need a guy for a special occasion or event. There is a fee for their services, but it’s not for a sexual exchange or a hookup. It’s actually kind of cool because you have the ability to choose the perfect man for you, based on what you need him for.”

  Evie unsnapped the black hair-cutting cape secured around Peyton’s neck and shook it out. “Sounds way too good to be true, but I’ll admit I’m intrigued.” A temporary boyfriend would go a long way in making the reunion much more bearable, not to mention, it would help her having to face yet another ex-boyfriend who’d broken up with her and was now engaged to Evie’s cousin, Raquel. She wasn’t looking forward to that awkward meet and greet, either.

  “All of the applicants are vetted through background checks,” Peyton went on, a tinge of excitement in her voice now that she’d piqued Evie’s interest. “The app hasn’t officially launched yet. It’s in the beta testing phase, but since Dylan is my husband’s brother, I’m sure I could persuade him to add you to the app now as long as you participate in the questionnaire you’ll receive once the date is complete. What do you think?”

  Evie thought she was crazy for seriously considering the idea, but the notion of spending a long weekend with her relatives, and her cousin, who always made her feel lacking, outweighed the embarrassment of hiring a fake boyfriend so she didn’t have to deal with any drama.

  As a bonus, she wouldn’t have to worry about any complicated or messy emotional attachments with a hired boyfriend. Once he’d fulfilled his end of the bargain, they could go their separate ways, because Evie definitely wasn’t in the market for anything serious, and especially not with a guy who was on an app that essentially made him a serial dater.

  “Okay, I’ll give it a try,” Evie said, and hoped she didn’t come to regret her decision.

  By the time Evie arrived home after work, there was an email in her inbox from a Dylan Stone, owner of Stone Media, letting her know that Peyton had contacted him to ask that Evie be added to The Boyfriend Experience app. In his message, Dylan explained how the program worked since it was still in its beta stage. The men were required to provide a recent headshot and personal profiles that included their physical characteristics, personality traits, and what kind of role they were willing to take on as a boyfriend for hire.

  He assured her that all the men went through a rigorous background check before being approved, and once she found someone she felt was a match for what she needed, she could ping them and discuss the details from there. All of the “boyfriends” adhered to the same flat-rate charge for an evening of their services, and any more time than that could be negotiated between both parties.

  At the end of the email, Dylan provided a link to download the beta version of the Boyfriend Experience app so she could create an account.

  Needing a bit of liquid fortitude before she went on the hunt for a temporary boyfriend, Evie poured herself a tall, generous glass of wine, and with her cell phone in hand, she curled up against the corner of the couch and tucked her legs beneath her. After a few long drinks of wine, she put her glass down on the end table and started setting up her account.

  Surprisingly, she was only required to input her basic personal information, along with a profile picture. No physical characteristics or personality traits necessary. Since she was essentially the customer, shopping for the perfect guy based on her needs, there was no reason to list her attributes. She liked that the women had all the leverage since they were the ones doing the hiring.

  After uploading a recent photo for a headshot, she glanced through the search terms listed on the app to define what kind of guy she was looking for. There was arm candy, the charmer, the guy next door, businessman, bad boy . . . The list was endless. She steered clear of the bad boy and clicked on the charmer.

  Next, she selected the top three character traits that were most important to her. Confidence, because he needed to be convincing enough to pull off the whole fake-boyfriend charade. Kind and considerate, because if she wanted to introduce her family to an asshole, she would have taken the cheater home. She skipped over passionate and romantic because she wasn’t looking for a man to sweep her off her feet, and opted for a good sense of humor. He was going to need one to deal with her offbeat parents.

  While she took another drink of wine, the app went to work finding matches based on her selections. Once that was done, she scrolled through the names and photos of the guys that appeared on her screen. She wasn’t looking for a love match, but the first few men did nothing to stir her interest. If she was going to spend a weekend with a stranger, she wanted to make sure she felt some kind of attraction so they at least looked convincing as a couple.

  Then she found him. Eric Miller. The fact that he had the same first name as her ex would make it easy to keep his name straight so they weren’t outed. But honestly, it was his profile picture that appealed to her the most and not just because he was drop-dead gorgeous. His face, expression, and appearance summed up his personality. His dark brown hair was a little longer than what was the norm and appeared disheveled, so he clearly wasn’t an uptight metro-sexual kind of guy. His eyes were stunning—a deep vivid green rimmed in gold, but it was the glimmer of amusement in their depths that conveyed that he didn’t take life too seriously. And the
slight, flirtatious curve to his lips was potent enough to charm the panties off of a nun.

  So far, he checked off all the attributes she’d listed.

  Intrigued, she clicked on the link that took her to his profile page and the bio he’d written about himself.

  Looking for a temporary boyfriend for hire? Then I’m your guy. I’m friendly, outgoing, and depending on your needs, I can take on any role you require. I make an excellent wedding date and/or I can impress your boss at a business-related function with my wit and charm. I’m happy to make your ex jealous by focusing my full attention on you, until you’re blushing and he’s fuming. I can play the doting boyfriend and convince your family and friends that you’re in a solid, committed relationship, complete with public displays of affection if requested. No matter what type of boyfriend you hire me to play, I always aim to please!

  By the time Evie finished reading the blurb, she was grinning—something she hadn’t done much of since her ugly breakup a month ago. The whole bio seemed very tongue-in-cheek, and there was something about this guy’s humor she found appealing and irresistible. It didn’t hurt that he was gorgeous and his eyes alone made her stomach flutter with awareness.

  He had the potential to be exactly what she needed to make her family reunion more tolerable, and before she lost her nerve, she finished off the last of her wine and pressed the link to send him a notification that she was interested in hiring him.

  CHAPTER TWO

  Now that Eric’s best friend and business partner, Leo Stone, was in the midst of wedded bliss with his new wife, hanging out after work didn’t happen very often anymore. But once a month, Leo and his two other off-the-market brothers, Dylan and Aiden, made it a point to have beers and a burger at a local joint with Eric, just to keep their man card intact, Leo jokingly told him.