It’s a twin swap, Nashville-style, in the launch of the
Dynasties: Beaumont Bay series from USA
TODAY bestselling author Jules Bennett!
Country singer Hannah Banks wants what she shouldn’t have.
The owner of her new label—the man in charge
of her career—is way too hot. So hot he’s all she can think about…
So to put distance between them, she poses as her quieter twin sister. That
should keep temptation away…
Except Will Sutherland doesn’t play games. He
wants the real Hannah—in his studio and in his bed—as long as what’s between
them stays their secret. But when an old rival uncovers the truth, Will must
choose between playing the press or playing for keeps…
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From Harlequin Desire: Luxury, scandal, desire—welcome to the lives of the American elite.
Love triumphs in this uplifting romance, part of the new Dynasties: Beaumont
Bay series.
Book 1: Twin Games in Music City by
Jules Bennett
Book 2: Second Chance Love Song by
Jessica Lemmon
Will Sutherland settled into the corner
leather booth and watched as Hallie Banks wound her way through the tables at
Rise and Grind.
This little meeting shouldn’t already have
him irritated, but it did. Will didn’t want to meet with Hallie—he wanted to
meet with her twin sister, Hannah.
But obviously, Hannah Banks, country
superstar and America’s sweetheart, couldn’t be bothered with such mundane
things as setting up her recording schedule for the next album or going over
the tour dates and venues.
He’d only met her a handful of times in
passing at various events within the industry. Will had always found her
attractive; he’d have to be dead not to. Hannah Banks could make any man do a
double-take and he was no different.
As far as knowing her personally, he
couldn’t really say much, but this first official meeting wasn’t going as
planned.
Her selfish way of thinking might have
worked for her old record label, but now that she’d signed with Elite, she was
going to have to accept the very real fact that she wasn’t in charge. He was.
Hallie offered a soft smile and reached
to shake his hand. “Good morning. Have you been waiting long?”
Will came to his feet and gripped her
hand, surprised by how soft and delicate she seemed. He didn’t recall noticing
Hallie’s hands before...and he shouldn’t be noticing them now.
He’d already found himself fantasizing
about Hallie’s sister, Hannah. The last thing he needed was an attraction to
twins. That wouldn’t be good for business and being attracted to either of them
didn’t fit his professional style.
Hallie was more conservative in her
wardrobe than her usual blinged-out sister. Perhaps that’s because Hallie was
the manager and worked behind the scenes in a quieter, calmer setting. Whereas
Hannah was in-your-face, sparkly, over-the-top...and not at all the type of
woman he should have been drawn to. Yet, he found himself noticing his new star
more and more.
He needed to get his thoughts under
control.
“I just got here myself.” He gestured to
the seat across from him. “Please, sit.”
She put her bag in the vacant seat and
settled into the chair with curved arms. A barista came right over to take
their orders before leaving them alone again.
“So where did you say Hannah was and why
couldn’t she make it today?” he asked, hoping to get a direct answer this time.
Hallie blinked up at him. “Oh, I didn’t
say. She just asked me to meet you. After we talk, I will go over the schedule
with her. She did request that she record in her home studio, so that was the
main thing I’m supposed to tell you.”
Of course. Will shouldn’t have been
surprised, though. Since that horrific storm had swept through Beaumont Bay
only a few weeks ago, the town was still trying to recover. It was all hands on
deck in this Nashville bedroom community to rebuild the multimillion-dollar
homes that had taken a hit and the few businesses that had been affected.
The Bay wouldn’t stay down long. This
lakeside community was where Nashville came to play, where all the deals were
done, where the country music elite hid their juiciest secrets. And it was a
town that legendary music producer Mags Dumond pretty much owned...or thought
she did.
He’d give Mags her due. She’d built up
Beaumont Bay with her late husband and former mayor. It had been her
foresight—and her insistence on hosting all her parties here over the
decades—that had made a home, or second home, in the Bay a necessity for anyone
who was anyone in Nashville.
Will’s family had been born here, and
not to a country music bloodline. Travis and Dana Sutherland were in the real
estate industry and owned nearly everything...unless Mags had claim on it.
But the Sutherland brothers had made a
name for themselves in the music industry by pulling themselves up by the
bootstraps...and staying out of Mags’s way for the most part. The woman had
been a thorn in his family’s side for decades, but he refused to think about
that now. The next step in building his family’s music empire was his new star,
Hannah Banks, and finishing the renovations to the studio that had been
damaged.
The reconstruction was taking much too
long, although even a one-day delay was too long in this industry. He had music
to make and singers relying on him, not to mention the trickle-down effect of
the tours that were already being promoted to celebrate albums that were
releasing soon.
The whole damn situation was a nightmare
and Hannah Banks—the superstar he’d stolen from Mags, whom he needed to make
this whole plan a reality—couldn’t find the time for a courtesy, in-person
meeting. Sending her sister/manager/twin wasn’t the same.
“I would have to check out Hannah’s
recording studio before I could commit to that agreement,” Will informed
Hallie. “We are going to have to start the production process next week to keep
up with the deadlines. Tell Hannah I’ll be at her house first thing in the
morning to check out this recording room of hers.”
Hallie pursed her pale pink lips and
shook her head. “Tomorrow morning won’t work.” She pulled out her phone and
scrolled, then tapped her finger on the screen. “How about Tuesday at ten?”
Considering this was Friday, there was
no way in hell he was waiting until Tuesday. Will pulled in a deep breath and
sighed. Was Hallie going to be just as difficult as the country diva? The pout
of her lips said yes, and something hard and dark moved inside him.
And that’s when he knew something was
off here.
“I’m not sure how things went when she
worked for Mags at Cheating Hearts, but now that she’s with Elite, I run the
schedule and say when things are going to get done.”
Hallie’s eyes narrowed. “Is that right?
Well, maybe I should’ve just stayed with Cheating Hearts.” Will inched forward,
resting his hands on the table. “Hannah? Are
you kidding me?”
She cursed beneath her breath and Will gritted his teeth. He’d known something
felt off, but he’d never thought for a second his newest artist would play such
a childish game as to pretend to be her twin. No way in hell would he fall for
this swapped-twin trap. Hannah Banks was about to learn who was in charge real
quick.
***
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About
the Author
USA TODAY Bestselling Author Jules Bennett has penned more than 50 novels during her short career. She's married to her high school sweetheart, has two active girls, and is a former salon owner. Jules can be found on Twitter, Facebook (Fan Page), and her website julesbennett.com. She holds contests via these three outlets with each release and loves to hear from readers!
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