BEST FRIENDS WITH THE BILLIONAIRE is Book 2 in Coleen Kwan's "Rochesters" series. Cassie Cooper has been in love with Kirk Rochester since the days they roomed together in college. This book has everything I love -- unrequited love, a "friends-to-lovers" theme, a fake girlfriend, a sexy CEO, and an equal balance of humor, angst, and eroticism. Also thrown into the mix is the fact that Kirk is a widower and Cassie feels as though his late wife is haunting Kirk and standing in the way of their happiness together.
Cassie is visiting the U.S. for her estranged sister's upcoming wedding. For much of BEST FRIENDS WITH THE BILLIONAIRE, Cassie's mother and sister treat her like Cinderella. The family drama adds another layer to the characters as well as the story. I like how Coleen Kwan makes Cassie a flawed heroine with insecurities and family troubles like most people have. I was able to relate to the character on a personal level, as will other readers, because of Cassie's body image issues. This combination of self-doubt and strength made me root for Cassie to get her man and assert herself with her family.
Cassie's heartbreak and longing for Kirk made my eyes water at times. Getting Kirk's perspective in BEST FRIENDS WITH THE BILLIONAIRE helped me to understand him better, as well as get some crucial info that Cassie never had about his relationship with his wife. I love stories in which the heroine and hero put on a pretense of a romantic relationship to fool somebody. Cassie pretending to be Kirk's girlfriend leads to some fun and super sexy moments, as well as getting Kirk to look at Cassie in a different light and out of the friend zone. Coleen Kwan creates delicious sexual tension leading to some truly hot scenes.
BEST FRIENDS WITH THE BILLIONAIRE will inflame your senses and occasionally bring a tear to your eye. I like the realistic contradiction of Cassie bucking the traditional female mold in so many ways and being an independent woman, while also sometimes allowing niggling fears to get the better of her. This book has made me eager to go back and read the first book in the series about Kirk's cousin Lex. I look forward to reading the next book by Coleen Kwan.
Cassie Cooper has never been the kind of girl noticed for
her looks. But around billionaire Kirk Rochester, her
best friend from college, Cassie wishes she could turn
just one headβhis. So when Kirk asks her to be his
pretend girlfriend to thwart another woman's unwanted
advances, Cassie embraces the opportunity to prove to him
that she does have a feminine side.
Disillusioned by a rough marriage that had an even
rougher end, Kirk values friendship more than romance.
Heβs always had a good thing going with Cassie. But he
canβt ignore how sexy she is now playing the role of his
girlfriend, and soon heβs fighting a dangerous attraction
to her. Even though their time between the sheets is
scorching hot, he refuses to take it beyond βfriends with
benefits.β Heβs learned the hard way that loving someone
is the first step to destroying his heart, and he wonβt
risk losing the best person in his life by falling in
love with her.
EXCERPT
Kirk finished his beer then visited the restroom. When he
returned, a man was talking to Cassie. The stranger stood
next to her bar stool, one arm propped up on the counter,
leaning over her. He was well-groomed, probably in his
thirties, and the way he was blocking Cassie off from the
rest of the crowd indicated he was definitely interested
in her.
Kirk stopped dead in his tracks. A strange, barbed
feeling twisted in his gut as he stared at Cassie, trying
to gauge her reaction to the dude. She sat straight, legs
crossed, looking up at the guy hitting on her, and the
small grin on her face said she wasnβt exactly
discouraging him. Why the hell did she have to smile at
him like that?
As he watched, Cassie straightened her Giants T-shirt,
and the movement drew his attention to her breasts. Heβd
never studied her breasts before, but now he couldnβt
help noticing they were round and firm and generous. He
found himself noticing other things about her, like the
soft fullness of her lower lip, the thick sweep of hair
brushing her eyes, the curve of her upper thighs encased
in denim.
The prickling in his gut intensified and rippled through
his limbs. His fingers spasmed, and the muscles in his
back contracted. Heat sparked and bloomed in him and
spread to his groin in a hot, inexorable tide.
Shit, what was going on with him? He was staring at
Cassieβleering at herβlike a man whoβd just gotten out of
prison. Why hadnβt he ever noticed how sexy she was? Not
glaringly sexy, not in a pouty, mincing, cleavage-
thrusting way, but in a subtle, fresh, natural way, a way
that snuck up and hit him on the head like a sledge
hammer.
He rubbed the back of his neck, confused and dismayed by
these novel sensations. How could he be turned on by
Cassie now, after all these years? She was his best
friend, she trusted him, relied on him. Sheβd never shown
any amorous interest in him, not once in all the years
theyβd known each other. If she knew what was going
through his head, if she knew he was sorely tempted to
touch her, kiss her, run his hands all over her, sheβd be
horrified. Or frightened.
He couldnβt risk it. Heβd already decided that he valued
friendship over sex. Lust was transitory, and Cassie was
too important to him to risk scaring her off. He had to
forget how much he wanted to hold her.
The guy chatting her up let out a braying laugh, at the
same time slipping an arm around her waist.
That does it! Kirk strode up to Cassieβs bar stool,
jostling the manβs arm so it dropped to his side.
βAre you ready to go?β he asked Cassie, acting like the
other man didnβt exist.
βHey, dude, whatβs your problem?β
Kirk kept his focus on Cassie. She glanced between the
two of them, bewildered. βUh, sure.β As she stood, she
looked at the other guy. βSorry, we have to go.β
βBut I donβt have your number.β
Kirkβs lips tightened. βItβs 1-800-in-your-dreams,β he
snapped before he took Cassie by the arm and ushered her
out the bar.
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