Boss Me by Michelle McCraw

He’s finally found The One. Too bad it’s his boss. Ben has spent his life with his heart on his sleeve, only to have it trampled. After one bad breakup too many, he’s done. No more romance for him. He’s focused on his career, his delayed college degree, and saving enough to finally move off his sister’s couch.

The only problem? His frosty boss haunts his fantasies. Cooper has always kept his heart under lock and key. He’s too toxic to love. And as an executive at the company he founded, he can’t afford to give in to temptation, especially when that temptation is his indispensable assistant. After a crisis at work forces Cooper to take a long-needed break, Ben – ever the caretaker – follows him to his Caribbean getaway. When they’re no longer boss and assistant, they finally give in to the passion that’s been burning between them.

Can their relationship survive their return to the office? Should it? Boss Me is a romantic comedy featuring an off-limits boss-assistant fling, umbrella drinks, wardrobe malfunctions, and a scene-stealing stray dog. It can be read as a standalone and is the fourth book in the Synergy series.

Give us the one to two sentence tagline for your book.

He’s finally found The One. Too bad it’s his boss.

What surprised you the most while writing this book?

One of my main characters is bisexual. While writing this book, I was surprised by some of my own attitudes toward my own bisexuality. I learned how to accept myself and my choices while writing the book.

Why did you pick the setting you used for your book?

Boss Me is set on a Caribbean island. Like many, I haven’t traveled much during the pandemic, and writing the setting was like a vacation in my brain.

What is the sexiest trait of your hero(s)?

One of the heroes, Ben, is unafraid of asking for what he wants. I find that sexual confidence incredibly sexy!

What is your favorite scene/moment in your book?

I love adding pets to my books. Boss Me features an adorable stray dog, Coco. I loved writing the scene where the hero who was hesitant to adopt the dog ends up inviting him into his home and playing fetch with him (because he misses the other hero, aw!).

What did you have to cut out of your book but wish you could have included?

I really don’t regret cutting anything out of the book. I like a lean read, and I made sure to cut anything my editor said didn’t add to the story.

Tropes get a bad name, but they’re often the biggest draw for readers. What tropes do you love to write and read?

Unrequited love is huge in Boss Me. I also love enemies to lovers and opposites attract.

What are your favorite genres/sub-genres to write in? Are there any you love to read but cannot write in?

I love contemporary romance and rom-com. I also enjoy fantasy romance but could NEVER write it.

Which do you love to write best: dialogue, setting, action, love scenes, or other?

I love to write dialogue, especially banter.

Which do you hate to write: dialogue, setting, action, love scenes, or other?

Writing description is a challenge for me. I always want to get on with the story! (Sometimes I skim description while I’m reading, too.)

“It’s really beautiful here,” Ben said, his sneakers crunching over the shells. “Is that why you come? The—the scenery?”

Ben was my assistant, I reminded myself. Not my friend. So I gave him part of the truth. “I have some connections here on the island. It feels comfortable.”

“Connections…like Luis?” He watched the path ahead. Smart, as sometimes a turtle or a hutia wandered onto it.

“Sure, Luis. And others.” Luis had been my best friend on the island when my mother brought me here as a kid. And Mamá’s family—at least the ones who hadn’t gone to the U.S. like she had—lived nearby. I couldn’t walk into town without seeing at least three cousins and being invited for coffee or a meal. So I hadn’t gone into town.

“Others?” Ben stole a glance at me. Was it the sunset, or were the tips of his ears red? Maybe he’d gotten sunburned.

“Others.” I never talked about my family. The business press would have a field day with it, sending reporters to the island to talk to the people who knew Cooper Fallon best. Then they’d dig up my father, and that was the kind of publicity no one needed.
Ben bit his lip and scanned the darkening path. We crunched along in silence for a minute until the resort’s main building came into view.

“If you, um, meet one of those others and want me to, um, give you some space, just let me know. I understand this isn’t a social thing, Mr. Fallon.” He waved between us but carefully didn’t look at me.

“Ben.” I finally understood what he was saying. I stopped walking, and after a second, he stopped and faced me. “You graciously invited me to dinner. Of course it’s a social thing. And I wouldn’t leave you alone to hook up with someone else.”

The thought of hooking up at all was laughable. I wasn’t sure I remembered how.
But Ben and his Mr. Fallons tempted me to think about it. Why was that Mr. in his mouth so fucking sexy? It had to stop or I’d do something I’d regret, like caress his hand. “Look, we’re not in the office. You might as well call me Cooper.”

Slowly, a smile spread across his face and lit up those whiskey-brown eyes. “Okay. Cooper.”

My chest twinged. Maybe it hadn’t been such a great idea to have him call me by my first name. My name—in any form—on his lips lit up nerve endings I thought had died long ago.

“Come on.” My voice was gruffer than I’d intended. “Let’s eat.”

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Michelle, a real-life information technology geek, writes steamy contemporary romance featuring characters who unashamedly love science, engineering, and technology and also lots of sex. Her novels have been finalists in the RWA Vivian Contest, the Contemporary Romance Writers’ Stiletto Contest, and the Windy City Romance Writers’ Four Seasons Contest.

A native Texan, she now lives where her family considers her a Yankee, but she’ll never stop saying y’all.
For updates about her upcoming books and free reads – plus guaranteed puppy pics – subscribe to her newsletter at michellemccraw.com/joinme.

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