Stud Finder (1001 Dark Nights) Read online

  Stud Finder

  By Lauren Blakely

  1001 Dark Nights

  Stud Finder

  By Lauren Blakely

  1001 Dark Nights

  Copyright 2017 Lauren Blakely

  ISBN: 978-1-945920-22-6

  Foreword: Copyright 2014 M. J. Rose

  Published by Evil Eye Concepts, Incorporated

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination and are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or establishments is solely coincidental.

  Book Description

  Stud Finder

  By Lauren Blakely

  Man seeking woman: Hot, rich, smart, witty, self-made multimillionaire Internet genius seeks classy, intelligent, sexy, fun-loving woman who’s interested in settling down and sharing all the good things.

  There. Best. Ad. Ever.

  I will absolutely find the woman of my dreams, someone who’ll love me for me. Even if my sister thinks I need help dating, I’m confident I can pull this off, courtesy of the great worldwide web.

  Let me just hit the upload button right now...

  * * * *

  No. Just no. As a woman and a professional matchmaker, I can't let Dylan Parker run this ad. He’s the catch of all catches. That’s why his sister has asked me to help her ridiculously good-looking, insanely rich, but socially clueless brother find a woman. As a broker of happily ever afters, I’m known as the Stud Finder since I make a great living pairing wildly successful women with men who won’t fleece them but will adore them. After all, what woman in her right mind wouldn’t fall in love with Dylan?

  I mean, besides me. It totally won’t be me.

  *Stud Finder is a standalone novella told in dual POV in the style of Lauren Blakely’s series of standalone rom-coms like Big Rock, Mister O and The Sexy One.

  About Lauren Blakely

  A #1 New York Times Bestselling author, Lauren Blakely is known for her contemporary romance style that's hot, sweet and sexy. She lives in California with her family and has plotted entire novels while walking her dogs. With fourteen New York Times bestsellers, her titles have appeared on the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestseller Lists more than 85 times, and she's sold more than 2 million books. She enjoys cake, comedy and cat videos. To receive an email when Lauren releases a new book, sign up for her newsletter here!

  Also From Lauren Blakely

  Click to purchase

  Standalone Male-POV books

  BIG ROCK

  Mister O

  Well Hung

  Full Package

  Joy Ride

  Hard Wood

  One Love Series dual-POV Standalones

  The Sexy One

  The Only One

  The Hot One

  Standalones

  The Knocked Up Plan

  Most Valuable Playboy

  Stud Finder

  Most Likely to Score (January 2018)

  Wanderlust (February 2018)

  Come As You Are (April 2018)

  The Real Deal (Summer 2018)

  Far Too Tempting

  21 Stolen Kisses

  Playing With Her Heart

  Out of Bounds

  The Caught Up in Love Series

  Caught Up In Us

  Pretending He's Mine

  Trophy Husband

  Stars in Their Eyes

  The No Regrets Series

  The Thrill of It

  The Start of Us

  Every Second With You

  The Seductive Nights Series

  First Night (Julia and Clay, prequel novella)

  Night After Night (Julia and Clay, book one)

  After This Night (Julia and Clay, book two)

  One More Night (Julia and Clay, book three)

  A Wildly Seductive Night (Julia and Clay novella, book 3.5)

  Nights With Him (A standalone novel about Michelle and Jack)

  Forbidden Nights (A standalone novel about Nate and Casey)

  The Sinful Nights Series

  Sweet Sinful Nights

  Sinful Desire

  Sinful Longing

  Sinful Love

  The Fighting Fire Series

  Burn For Me (Smith and Jamie)

  Melt for Him (Megan and Becker)

  Consumed By You (Travis and Cara)

  The Jewel Series

  A two-book sexy contemporary romance series

  The Sapphire Affair

  The Sapphire Heist

  Acknowledgments from the Author

  I’m grateful to so many people who are bringing this book to you. First and foremost, thank you to Liz Berry and MJ Rose for the amazing opportunity to be part of 1001 Dark Nights. Big thanks to KP Simmon for daily support, strategy, and encouragement. Thank you to Helen Williams for finding the lovely cover images. On the editorial side, I am fortunate to lean on Lauren Clarke, Kim Bias, Dena Marie and Jen McCoy for story guidance, and to Tiffany for eagle eyes. Thank you to Kelley, Candi and Keyanna for the day to day work that is so vital. As always, thank you to readers for making dreams come true.

  Discover 1001 Dark Nights Collection One

  Click here to explore

  FOREVER WICKED by Shayla Black

  CRIMSON TWILIGHT by Heather Graham

  CAPTURED IN SURRENDER by Liliana Hart

  SILENT BITE: A SCANGUARDS WEDDING by Tina Folsom

  DUNGEON GAMES by Lexi Blake

  AZAGOTH by Larissa Ione

  NEED YOU NOW by Lisa Renee Jones

  SHOW ME, BABY by Cherise Sinclair

  ROPED IN by Lorelei James

  TEMPTED BY MIDNIGHT by Lara Adrian

  THE FLAME by Christopher Rice

  CARESS OF DARKNESS by Julie Kenner

  Also from 1001 Dark Nights

  TAME ME by J. Kenner

  Discover 1001 Dark Nights Collection Two

  Click here to explore

  WICKED WOLF by Carrie Ann Ryan

  WHEN IRISH EYES ARE HAUNTING by Heather Graham

  EASY WITH YOU by Kristen Proby

  MASTER OF FREEDOM by Cherise Sinclair

  CARESS OF PLEASURE by Julie Kenner

  ADORED by Lexi Blake

  HADES by Larissa Ione

  RAVAGED by Elisabeth Naughton

  DREAM OF YOU by Jennifer L. Armentrout

  STRIPPED DOWN by Lorelei James

  RAGE/KILLIAN by Alexandra Ivy/Laura Wright

  DRAGON KING by Donna Grant

  PURE WICKED by Shayla Black

  HARD AS STEEL by Laura Kaye

  STROKE OF MIDNIGHT by Lara Adrian

  ALL HALLOWS EVE by Heather Graham

  KISS THE FLAME by Christopher Rice

  DARING HER LOVE by Melissa Foster

  TEASED by Rebecca Zanetti

  THE PROMISE OF SURRENDER by Liliana Hart

  Also from 1001 Dark Nights

  THE SURRENDER GATE By Christopher Rice

  SERVICING THE TARGET By Cherise Sinclair

  Discover 1001 Dark Nights Collection Three

  Click here to explore

  HIDDEN INK by Carrie Ann Ryan

  BLOOD ON THE BAYOU by Heather Graham

  SEARCHING FOR MINE by Jennifer Probst

  DANCE OF DESIRE by Christopher Rice

  ROUGH RHYTHM by Tessa Bailey

  DEVOTED by Lexi Blake

  Z by Larissa Ione

  FALLING UNDER YOU by La
urelin Paige

  EASY FOR KEEPS by Kristen Proby

  UNCHAINED by Elisabeth Naughton

  HARD TO SERVE by Laura Kaye

  DRAGON FEVER by Donna Grant

  KAYDEN/SIMON by Alexandra Ivy/Laura Wright

  STRUNG UP by Lorelei James

  MIDNIGHT UNTAMED by Lara Adrian

  TRICKED by Rebecca Zanetti

  DIRTY WICKED by Shayla Black

  THE ONLY ONE by Lauren Blakely

  SWEET SURRENDER by Liliana Hart

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  As a bonus, all subscribers will receive a free

  1001 Dark Nights story

  The First Night

  by Lexi Blake & M.J. Rose

  Table of Contents

  Book Description

  About Lauren Blakely

  Also From Lauren Blakely

  Acknowledgments from the Author

  Discover 1001 Dark Nights Collection One

  Discover 1001 Dark Nights Collection Two

  Discover 1001 Dark Nights Collection Three

  Foreword

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Interlude

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Epilogue

  Another Epilogue

  Big Rock Character Connections

  Big Rock Series Character Connections

  Discover 1001 Dark Nights Collection Four

  Discover the World of 1001 Dark Nights

  Discover More Lauren Blakely

  An excerpt from Hard Wood by Lauren Blakely

  Special Thanks

  One Thousand and One Dark Nights

  Once upon a time, in the future…

  I was a student fascinated with stories and learning.

  I studied philosophy, poetry, history, the occult, and

  the art and science of love and magic. I had a vast

  library at my father’s home and collected thousands

  of volumes of fantastic tales.

  I learned all about ancient races and bygone

  times. About myths and legends and dreams of all

  people through the millennium. And the more I read

  the stronger my imagination grew until I discovered

  that I was able to travel into the stories... to actually

  become part of them.

  I wish I could say that I listened to my teacher

  and respected my gift, as I ought to have. If I had, I

  would not be telling you this tale now.

  But I was foolhardy and confused, showing off

  with bravery.

  One afternoon, curious about the myth of the

  Arabian Nights, I traveled back to ancient Persia to

  see for myself if it was true that every day Shahryar

  (Persian: شهريار, “king”) married a new virgin, and then

  sent yesterday's wife to be beheaded. It was written

  and I had read, that by the time he met Scheherazade,

  the vizier's daughter, he’d killed one thousand

  women.

  Something went wrong with my efforts. I arrived

  in the midst of the story and somehow exchanged

  places with Scheherazade – a phenomena that had

  never occurred before and that still to this day, I

  cannot explain.

  Now I am trapped in that ancient past. I have

  taken on Scheherazade’s life and the only way I can

  protect myself and stay alive is to do what she did to

  protect herself and stay alive.

  Every night the King calls for me and listens as I spin tales.

  And when the evening ends and dawn breaks, I stop at a

  point that leaves him breathless and yearning for more.

  And so the King spares my life for one more day, so that

  he might hear the rest of my dark tale.

  As soon as I finish a story... I begin a new

  one... like the one that you, dear reader, have before

  you now.

  Prologue

  Once upon a time, in a wonderfully romantic land known as Manhattan, there was a woman who possessed a particular skill. She had the uncanny ability to match—clothes and colors, food and wine, and most importantly, people. She was so skilled that she was sought out far and wide across the city by those seeking to find their true soul mate.

  At the same time, there was a most handsome man who was brilliant, funny, and, let’s call a spade a spade, a wee bit socially clueless.

  Fine. More than a bit. Perhaps, a lot. But he was a hot nerd, and his brain worked quite well for everything else, and he was in demand as a mate.

  He was also ready to settle down, and because he had learned to depend on machines, he was certain a machine would find his true love for him.

  When the woman heard of such an insane notion, she could simply not abide by it. She made him an offer to show him how to find a match in real life, without relying on an algorithm. Because he was a natural risk-taker, he gave her three chances to prove what she could do.

  Determined to help find him true love, she took on this challenging assignment. Even though she found him handsome, and even though, for the first time ever, she felt the faintest stir of attraction for a client, she bore no risk of that admiration turning into something else. Both online and in the real world, the man and woman could agree that opposites didn’t attract at all. And who could ever fall for someone with such a vastly different view of life and love?

  But things are not always what they seem…

  Chapter One

  Dylan

  The Internet and I are best friends. We’ve done everything together. We’ve grown up together. We’ve downloaded music, we’ve ordered food, we’ve learned new languages, we’ve discovered women, and we’ve made millions.

  As I turn toward the entrance for Chelsea Piers on a Friday afternoon, my phone in my hand, I see no reason why I can't find a woman here.

  Not Chelsea Piers.

  Please.

  Who meets people in person anymore?

  That’s crazy talk.

  I mean here. On this fantastic device I’m holding. This is where everyone finds love these days. Swiping left, swiping right. Hitting this button. Liking that button. Okay fine, maybe they're finding other things. But I'm determined to discover happiness the same way I've discovered everything else. Online.

  “This ad is a winner.” I brandish my phone at Mia, one of my closest friends, and my teammate on my laser tag team when she’s in town. “Any second now, I will be this much closer to finding Mrs. Right, don’t you think?”

  Her hazel eyes stare intently at the screen, and her answer comes in the form of a perfectly arched eyebrow. “Wow. That’s pretty much on the nose.”

  I reach the door and yank it open, a blast of cool air conditioning greeting us. “Isn’t it best for me to go all in? Why fuck around?”

  She laughs. “I suppose because perhaps not revealing all your cards at once can be a good thing when it comes to dating.”

  I scoff. “No need to hold back. I’m ready for the real thing.” I push my glasses higher up on the bridge of my nose. “Besides, don’t you know me by now? Do I do anything half-baked?”

  “You’re usually fully roasted
.” She places a hand on my arm. “But don’t you honestly want to try a softer touch? Maybe hold a little something back?”

  As we stride to the check-in counter, ready to tackle all forms of entrepreneur enemies in our weekly CEO club game, I shake my head. “Look, the great thing about the Internet is you can be completely direct. You can say exactly what you want. It’s not like when you meet somebody in person and have to worry about following the right protocol, saying the right thing, discussing or not discussing the right topic. When you find someone online, you can 100 percent be yourself and speak the truth. So that’s what I do.”

  Besides, this is The. Best. Ad. Ever.

  Man seeks woman:

  Hot, rich, smart, witty, self-made multimillionaire Internet genius seeks classy, intelligent, sexy, fun-loving woman who’s interested in new experiences and sharing all the good things, from eating out, to movies, to softball, to savoring the adventure of this amazing world together.

  Who wouldn’t answer that ad?

  “Let me get this straight,” Mia says as the attendant hands us our weapons and we head into the laser tag arena, ready to save Gotham from the bad guys. “Do you think everyone is speaking the truth online?”

  I laugh as I take off my Yankees ball cap and set it in a locker. I turn off my phone and tuck it in the hat. “That’s not what I’m saying. What I am saying is there is no empirical evidence that meeting someone IRL”—I stop to sketch air quotes—“improves your chances at love.”

  “Nor is there evidence that meeting someone online improves your chances.”