The What If Guy Read online

  The What If Guy

  A Guys Who Got Away Novel

  Lauren Blakely

  Little Dog Press

  Contents

  Also by Lauren Blakely

  About

  The What If Guy

  Prologue

  1. Bryn

  2. Logan

  3. Bryn

  4. Logan

  5. Bryn

  6. Logan

  7. Logan

  8. Logan

  9. Queen LaTofu

  10. Bryn

  11. Bryn

  12. Logan

  13. Logan

  14. Bruce

  15. Bryn

  16. Bryn

  17. Logan

  18. Bryn

  19. Bruce

  20. Bryn

  21. Logan

  22. Bryn

  23. Queen LaTofu

  24. Logan

  25. Bryn

  26. Bryn

  27. Logan

  28. Logan

  29. Bryn

  30. Logan

  31. Bruce

  32. Bryn

  33. Bryn

  34. Logan

  35. Bryn

  36. Logan

  Epilogue

  Epilogue

  Epilogue

  Also by Lauren Blakely

  Contact

  Copyright © 2020 by Lauren Blakely

  Cover Design by Helen Williams.

  All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book. This contemporary romance is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners. This book is licensed for your personal use only. This book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with, especially if you enjoy sexy romance novels with alpha males. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return it and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the author’s work.

  Also by Lauren Blakely

  Big Rock Series

  Big Rock

  Mister O

  Well Hung

  Full Package

  Joy Ride

  Hard Wood

  * * *

  The Guys Who Got Away Series

  Dear Sexy Ex-Boyfriend

  The What If Guy

  Thanks for Last Night

  * * *

  The Guys Who Got Away Series MM Spin-Off

  A Guy Walks Into My Bar

  * * *

  After Dark: The Gift Series

  The Engagement Gift

  The Virgin Gift

  The Decadent Gift

  * * *

  After Dark: The Extravagant Series

  One Night Only

  One Exquisite Touch (Coming in October)

  One Time Only (Coming in November)

  Only One Dare (Coming in 2021)

  * * *

  The Heartbreakers Series

  Once Upon a Real Good Time

  Once Upon a Sure Thing

  Once Upon a Wild Fling

  * * *

  Boyfriend Material

  Asking For a Friend

  Sex and Other Shiny Objects

  One Night Stand-In

  * * *

  Lucky In Love Series

  Best Laid Plans

  The Feel Good Factor

  Nobody Does It Better

  Unzipped

  * * *

  Always Satisfied Series

  Satisfaction Guaranteed

  Instant Gratification

  Overnight Service

  Never Have I Ever

  Special Delivery

  * * *

  The Sexy Suit Series

  Lucky Suit

  Birthday Suit

  * * *

  From Paris With Love

  Wanderlust

  Part-Time Lover

  * * *

  One Love Series

  The Sexy One

  The Only One

  The Hot One

  The Knocked Up Plan

  Come As You Are

  * * *

  Sports Romance

  Most Valuable Playboy

  Most Likely to Score

  * * *

  Standalones

  Stud Finder

  The V Card

  The Real Deal

  Unbreak My Heart

  The Break-Up Album

  21 Stolen Kisses

  Out of Bounds

  * * *

  The Caught Up in Love Series:

  The Swoony New Reboot of the Contemporary Romance Series

  The Pretending Plot (previously called Pretending He’s Mine)

  The Dating Proposal

  The Second Chance Plan (previously called Caught Up In Us)

  The Private Rehearsal (previously called Playing With Her Heart)

  * * *

  Stars In Their Eyes Duet

  My Charming Rival

  My Sexy Rival

  * * *

  The No Regrets Series

  The Start of Us

  The Thrill of It

  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)

  * * *

  The Joy Delivered Duet

  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

  About

  It should be an easy rule to follow - don't bang your boss...

  * * *

  But I didn't know who he was when I met him.

  * * *

  And the first time I saw him, our connection sounded like the stuff of romantic legends -- that whole "their eyes locked across a crowded room" moment that turned into more.I didn't believe it. . . . until it happened to me.

  * * *

  Fine, the charming, clever, sexy-as-sin guy in the tailored suit was only trying to buy the same Snoopy lunchbox (as a gift!), but still, our eyes totally locked, and my lady parts definitely tingled as we vied for the prize.

  * * *

  Naturally, I did what any badass business woman would do.

  * * *

  Negotiated for the lunchbox, then found my what-if guy online and made
plans to see him the next night.

  * * *

  One night only -- that was the deal we made.

  * * *

  But one fantastic night had us both changing our minds in the morning. And making plans for another.

  * * *

  Until I walked into the office to learn he just bought my company.

  * * *

  And here's the biggest rule of romantic legends -- no matter what, don't bang your boss.

  * * *

  Especially if you're already falling for him.

  * * *

  THE WHAT IF GUY is a sexy standalone you can escape into! The other standalone romances in The Guys Who Got Away series include Dear Sexy Ex-Boyfriend and Thanks For Last Night!

  The What If Guy

  By Lauren Blakely

  * * *

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  Prologue

  Logan

  * * *

  Some things in life are hard, some are damn hard, and some might as well be impossible.

  Snagging a dream job?

  Tough, but I finagled it.

  Raising a kid solo?

  Anything but easy, but I must be doing something right, because mine is awesome.

  But try meeting a woman when you’re in your thirties, a single dad with zero free time.

  Wait. Make that a woman you like, who’s fun to talk to, and who’s not going to stab you in the back, or the spleen, or right in the heart with a jagged knife.

  Now that’s a Herculean task.

  I’m not sure it’s possible to find someone like that no matter who you are. You might call me jaded, but I prefer to think I’ve learned from my mistakes.

  I live in the present, sure, but I don’t forget what life has taught me.

  I’m careful. I’m cautious. And when it comes to my romantic life, I am as skeptical as a fact-checker, looking for hoaxes, lies, and emotional scams like it’s my job.

  And that’s worked well for me.

  Right up to the day I pop into a store to grab a gift for the most important person in my world. I know what I’m after. I should be in and out in a minute.

  Instead, I lock eyes with the sexiest brunette I’ve ever seen.

  And her hand is on the same Snoopy lunch box I want.

  Game on.

  Game fucking on.

  I thought I knew what “tough” was. But I forgot that it’s when you assume you have life all figured out that it decides to make an ass out of you.

  And I have a feeling I’m about to get schooled.

  1

  Bryn

  From the very first line, I know.

  This is it. This article will be perfect for impressing the new site owners next week.

  Attention, cynics! “Their eyes locked across a crowded room” is not a lie. It’s based on science.

  “See?” I tap my tablet, showing the piece to Teagan. “It’s not just a movie cliché or a romance novel trope. There is real science behind the power of the gaze.”

  With a flip of her red hair, Teagan gives me a grin that could be a You know it, girl meme. “Love is science, and science is sexy.”

  We shuffle closer to the front of the line at my favorite coffee joint in all of Manhattan, which happens to be next door to a delightfully quirky collectible shop I might need to hit up next.

  “Truer words,” I agree. The science of love is one of the many topics we aim to tackle on the dating and relationship advice site where we work, with me in charge of content and Teagan handling social media. One of our writers submitted this article this morning, analyzing whether those much-derided romantic standbys hold water outside of rom-coms and chick flicks.

  I’m not going to lie—when this article landed in my email inbox this morning, I crossed my heart, then offered prayers to the editorial goddesses. The good news is, so far, this article is killing it. I need for it to kill, dismember, and dispose of the body though. It has to be one of the best pieces we ever publish.

  As I read on, strands of brown hair fall from my makeshift updo, and I tuck them back into the pencil that’s doubling as a hair accessory. “Want to know the ins and outs of why eye contact is so powerful?” I read aloud.

  Teagan shoots me a naughty look. “I always want to know the ins and outs, baby.”

  I mime a slam dunk with my free hand. “And that’s one innuendo for the redhead, and it’s only ten a.m.”

  She wags a finger at me. “Hey! Don’t count me short. I innuendo’d the hell out of this coffee invite. What was it I said when you asked me if I was in the mood for a cup of joe?”

  I slide into an imitation of my best friend. “‘Yes. A large. I always want a large one.’ So, I concede—that’s two so far for you today.”

  “It’s a good day when I can get multiples.”

  I pretend to drum a rim shot. “There she goes again, folks. Three and counting.”

  She takes a bow. “Thank you.” Then another. “Thank you very much, my adoring, perverted fans.”

  The pink-haired woman ahead of us scans the chalkboard menu, her horse-size ponytail swishing back and forth. “I’d like a hot white mocha with ten pumps of white mocha. And can you make it thick?” she asks the barista in a conspiratorial whisper.

  Teagan’s eyes widen. Her mouth opens.

  I point a warning finger at her, shaking my head. “Find the will to resist,” I murmur.

  “Usually we recommend twelve pumps for maximum thickness,” the barista says, and I manage to keep it together when the pinkified gal says, a little giddily, “A dozen pumps it is.”

  Teagan though?

  She purses her lips tight, holding in the wisecrack. She’s a kettle about to boil, a balloon about to pop. She fights like hell, but this wide-open opportunity tests her resolve something fierce. It’s a valiant struggle, but the naughty play-by-play commentator KOs her better nature, and she blurts out, “That’s what she said!”

  When Pinkie Pie spins around, shooting Teagan a did you really say that to a stranger stare, I clasp my friend’s shoulder and give the woman a contrite look. “Forgive her. She’s often mentally inhabited by a twelve-year-old boy.”

  “Aren’t we all, now and then,” Pinkie says, offering a little tip, “But maybe you both should try a thick mocha, and you’ll see what you’re missing.”

  She turns back to the counter, and Teagan whispers to me, “See? The world needs more bawdy humor.”

  “Dick jokes, here we come,” I say, straight-faced.

  Teagan pats my shoulder proudly. “That’s one innuendo for you, lady boss. Keep it up.”

  With a slow and steady pace, I arch a brow. “Was that one or was it two?”

  “Two. It counts as a double play.”

  “Go me.” I return to the article, clearing my throat as I read on. I’ve been on the hunt for something grabby to run next week when the new management takes over—just to remind the bigwigs why they bought the site and how genius it is to keep all the employees on board. I need pieces that show off my staff’s talent and the insight that lures web traffic. “According to research, we perceive people who make eye contact as being intelligent and sincere . . . and we want eye contact to last for three seconds, but no more than nine. Also, we often experience physical reactions to those who make intense eye contact. Your pulse quickens, your skin prickles, your stomach flips,” I say as the barista finishes the multi-pumped drink for Pinkie Pie, who thanks him, waves goodbye to Teagan, and leaves.

  Hmm.

  Maybe I should test this eye-contact theory right now.

  See if there’s anything to it. After all, it’s been a while, and I wouldn’t mind a stomach flip. Hell, I’d settle for a stomach wiggle.

  Plus, the barista’s not bad looking. With strong cheekbones and full lips, he’s well within the certified hottie range.

  The barista locks his blue eyes on me and asks what I’d li
ke. As I place my order, I wait for some sort of organ gymnastics—anything to prove the theory. But even though he’s handsome, and even though I do the eyeball tango for the allotted time, I’m not flooded with endorphins telling me to toss my panties at him.