Kate Hoffmann - The Charmer

KATE HOFFMANNhas been writing for Mills & Boon since 1993. She’s published sixty titles, most with the Blaze® imprint. Kate lives in south-eastern Wisconsin with her cats, Tally and Chloe, and her trusty computer. When she’s not writing, she works with local school students in music and drama activities. She enjoys talking to her sister on the phone, reading Vanity Fair magazine, eating Thai food and travelling to Chicago to see Broadway musicals.

Dear Reader,

The Charmer marks my sixtieth title. It’s difficult to believe I’ve reached that milestone. It seems like just yesterday I was sending off my first manuscript and hoping that a publisher might be interested!

I’ve loved writing stories for Mills & Boon readers and I hope to continue to do so for many years to come. I’ve been lucky to find a home here, now with the Blaze® line, and you’ve helped by watching and waiting for my stories—especially for the Quinns.

I also owe a special thanks to my ever-patient editor, Brenda Chin, who has been with me through most of these books and always helps me give you a story that you’ll enjoy.

So, this book is for you, the readers. Thank you for all your support over the years, for your letters and e-mails, and for the opportunity to do work that I love so much. There are two more books coming, The Drifter in March and The Sexy Devil in May, making this another trilogy.

Happy reading!

Kate Hoffmann

www.millsandboon.co.uk

For all my readers, everywhere!

Cover

About the Author About the Author KATE HOFFMANN has been writing for Mills & Boon since 1993. She’s published sixty titles, most with the Blaze® imprint. Kate lives in south-eastern Wisconsin with her cats, Tally and Chloe, and her trusty computer. When she’s not writing, she works with local school students in music and drama activities. She enjoys talking to her sister on the phone, reading Vanity Fair magazine, eating Thai food and travelling to Chicago to see Broadway musicals.

Title Page The Charmer Kate Hoffmann www.millsandboon.co.uk

Dedication For all my readers, everywhere!

Prologue

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Epilogue

Copyright

Angela@SmoothOperators.com

January 6, 5:30 a.m.

Heading out for my 7:00 a.m. interview on Daybreak Chicago. Hope you all remember to tune in. I’m a bit nervous, but excited at the same time. Call in with questions! I’ll post more later.

ANGELA WEATHERBY GLANCED up at her image in the video monitors, squinting into the bright television lights that illuminated the studio. She looked worried. Quickly, she pasted a cheery smile on her face.

The chance to make an appearance on Daybreak Chicago had seemed like a good idea when it had first been offered. But now, faced with the prospect of airing her dirty romantic laundry, Angie wasn’t so sure.

With her Web site, SmoothOperators.com, she could be anonymous, just another jilted lover with a score to settle. But on morning television, for all of Chicago to see, she might come off looking like a first-class bitch, out for revenge.

She glanced over at Celia Peralto, her Web master and best friend, who stood next to one of the cameramen. Ceci grinned and gave her a thumbs-up.

A sound technician approached her from behind and clipped a microphone to her collar. “Just tuck the wire under your hair,” he advised, “and set the pack on the chair next to you.” With trembling fingers, Angie did as she was told.

“Thirty seconds,” the producer called.

“Just relax,” the host said as she took her place in the opposite chair. “This isn’t the Spanish Inquisition. Just a fun segment on single life in Chicago. And it’s great publicity for your Web site—and for the book you’re planning to write.”

The book. Her publisher was expecting the manuscript in three months and though she had gathered all sorts of anecdotal research from her Web site, the book still had to be written.

“Good morning, Chicago! I’m Kelly Caulfield and I’m here with our next guest. About two years ago, Angela Weatherby founded a Web site called SmoothOperators.com and it has become a national sensation. What began as a way for single girls in Chicago to network over their dating horror stories has evolved into something akin to the FBI’s most-wanted list for naughty men.”

“I wouldn’t put it that way,” Angela said. “These men aren’t criminals.”

“I suspect some Chicago bachelorettes would disagree. Through the Web site, women are helping each other avoid those men who make dating miserable for all of us. And the trend is spreading—the site adds new cities every week. So, tell us, Angela, what gave you the idea for your Web site?”

Angie shifted in her chair, then drew a deep breath. If she just focused on answering the questions, her nerves would eventually calm. “After a series of not-sonice boyfriends, I felt there had to be a way for me to avoid guys who weren’t interested in an honest and committed relationship. I started blogging about it and before long I had over a thousand subscribers. They added their stories and my friend and Web master, Celia Peralto, put their comments into a database. Now, you can check out your date before you even step out the front door. As of last night, we have files on almost fifty thousand smooth operators in cities all over the country.”

“Don’t you think this is unfair to the men out there? An ex-girlfriend might not be the most objective person to provide commentary.”

“You’d check out the plumber you wanted to hire or the doctor you planned to visit, right? We offer information and leave it to our visitors to decide the truth in what they read. And I think we’re doing a service. We’ve even unmasked a number of cheating husbands.”

Kelly leaned forward in her chair. “Well, I looked up my cohost, Danny Devlin, and he wasn’t very well reviewed on your site. Your rating system goes from one to five broken hearts, with five being the worst. And he’s rated a four. Care to comment?”

Angela opened her mouth to reply, then snapped it shut. A glib answer here might turn the interview in a different direction. “Mr. Devlin is always welcome to defend himself. We’re open to differing opinions. We just require that the discourse be civilized.”

Kelly flipped to her next note card. “Well, that leads us to the book you’re writing. Tell us about that.”

Angela drew a deep breath and focused her thoughts. She’d practiced her pitch more than once in the mirror at home. “I hope the book will be a guide to the different species of smooth operators out there. Most of these men fall into one of ten or twelve categories. If women can learn to spot them quickly, maybe they’ll save themselves a bit of heartbreak.”

“And what professional credentials do you bring to the table?” Kelly asked.

“I have an undergraduate degree in psychology, a masters in journalism and experience as a freelance writer. And I’ve dated a lot of very smooth operators myself,” Angie replied, allowing herself a smile. “I’m curious as to why they behave the way they do, as are most women.”

“Let’s take a few questions from callers,” Kelly said. For the next three minutes, Angie jousted with a belligerent bachelor, commiserated with two women who’d just been dumped and fended off the evil glares of Danny Devlin, who had wandered back onto the set. When the six-minute segment was finally over, she sat back in her chair and breathed a sigh of relief.