Only a Good Man Will Do
Book 1 of the Good Man Series
Blurb:
Seriously ambitious man seeks woman to encourage his goals, support his (hopeful) position as Headmaster of Westover Academy, and be purer than Caesar’s wife. Good luck with that!
Daniel Goodman is a man on a mission. He aims to become headmaster of Westover Academy. For that he needs a particular, special woman to help him set high standards. Into his cut and dried life of moral and upright behavior, comes Eve Star, formerly one of Europe’s foremost exotic dancers. Her life is anything but cut and dried, black and white. Daniel is drawn to her like a kid to chocolate. Nothing good can come of this attraction. Or can it? He is after all, a good man.
Buy links:
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2q7ovi4
B&N https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1129630612?ean=2940161770603
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/898008
Excerpt:
Daniel walked into the parlor of the headmaster2527s house Saturday afternoon seeking first the food table and second, his friend, Stan Baxter. He spotted them both near the front window.
“You2527re late,” Stan said.
“Lots of people wanted to chat.” Parents2527 Weekend, when teachers sat in their classrooms to meet their students2527 mothers and fathers, meant mandatory tea afterwards for all professionals at the Academy. Board members and parents attended at their own discretion, and the boys—the reason the school existed and they were all there—mostly stayed out of sight and hearing.
“Fortunately for me, a good many parents now have grabbed their progeny and left campus, so I have access to the snacks unimpeded,” Daniel said, examining the finger food on display before making his selections. The challenge was always how to load his plate while appearing to take a socially acceptable portion. “Did I miss anything?”
“Only an angel.” Stan turned toward the window. “Holy Mother! Look at that,” he muttered.
“What?” Daniel asked, fitting a cucumber sandwich beside the smoked salmon-topped cracker on his dessert plate. “Am I missing a table of fare? I swear, every year the offerings at these teas are more meager than the last.”
Stan chuckled and answered in the same low voice, “Is your stomach all you think about? I was talking about another kind of dish. One you can have fun eating in bed, if you catch my drift. And she just slipped out onto the lawn.”
“Is your libido all you think about?” Daniel bit a carrot stick in two and sighed. Only three more hours and he could order a pizza. With all of his charges gone from the dormitory for Parents2527 Weekend, he had a rare, private, two-day holiday ahead of him. With the tiny plate full, he joined Stan at the large windows. “Where is this goddess?”
“There. In the red dress and hat.”
Daniel saw nothing but the shapely form of a woman walking away. Slender ankles topped three inch heels. A dress of some kind of lustrous material hit her mid-calf. The style was soft and feminine, and berry red. Not many women showed up at Westover in a color sure to make them the focus of attention. Not that most of them didn2527t expect to be the focus—didn2527t demand it, in fact—but they usually weren2527t so obvious. The breeze at her back molded the material to the curves of her hips and ass, and fluttered the dress2527s full sleeves. A wide-brimmed hat hid her hair, but based on what was visible, Daniel easily imagined a long column of neck designed for kissing.
“If the rest of her matches the back view, you2527ve got reason to be drooling down the front of your gown.”
Frowning, Stan glanced down as though to make sure the drool comment was only facetious. “Can2527t afford to drool on this. I had to use my tax refund to pay for the thing and show off my Master2527s chevrons. I don’t know how you afforded to pay for your Ph.D. paraphernalia.”
“The new degree looks sharp on you. Now, why are you mooning over a woman you see at the headmaster2527s tea, when you know she2527s some student2527s mother and off limits?”
“She looks young enough to be a sister, so it2527s not a given she2527s out of bounds.”
At that moment, a young boy wearing the school uniform and a big grin ran up to the woman. She bent to catch him in her arms. When she straightened, she ruffled the boy2527s hair. His expression and his wagging finger showed that he chastised her, but then he laughed and finger-combed the mussed hair back into place. She took his hand and they walked toward the circle where most of the parents parked. Looking up at the woman, the boy2527s lips moved the whole while, carrying on a steady monologue.
Something in her actions captured Daniel2527s attention. They were artless, performed naturally and with unabashed love. The child fairly skipped beside her and the frequent turns of her head showed she looked at him as though hanging on every word he spoke.
“How wonderful,” Daniel murmured, impressed with her total attention to the boy. “Did you see that?”
“Oh, yeah. I didn2527t think her hips would ever stop swaying, and it2527s a crime they make hemlines so long.”
Daniel laughed. “You2527re such a hedonist.”
“And proud of it. But you were right. Looks like she2527s a student2527s mother after all. Damn the luck.”
For once, Daniel agreed with his friend. But not just because of the woman2527s obvious good figure. More because she seemed to love her son and didn2527t care who knew it. He normally kept his distance from flashy women, as this one appeared to be, based on her dress color, but her easy manner with the boy would be enough to make him ignore his own inclination toward the conservative. If she weren2527t also a patron of the school. Assuming the gods smiled on him and he became headmaster, he and the woman would be on business terms, and nothing good ever came from mixing business with pleasure. Pleasure is what every male instinct in him screamed she would be.
Character Interview
Welcome to my blog, Eve! I’m so happy you’re here. Well, let’s get started…
Q: Who are you? What do you do?
A: My real name is Lauren Knowles but long ago, as an exotic dancer, I adopted the name Eve Star. The girl I knew as Lauren disappeared in the lights of the stage, and when I traveled to Europe and became a continental sensation, I almost forgot there was a Lauren Knowles. Now I no longer dance but Eve Star is still with me. I like her. She2527s honest…most of the time. Except now, when I manage a bar/lounge as Eve and enrolled my son at Westover Academy as Lauren. Lauren is respectable and that2527s what my son needs now, a respectable mama.
Q: Is there a man in your life?
A: Obviously there was one, because I have a son. But Timmy is six-years-old and there hasn2527t been anyone since his father. His dad was a wealthy Italian guy, handsome and charming, and I fell for him. It2527s the oldest story around, though. He couldn2527t—wouldn2527t—leave his wife and having a son with his mistress didn2527t fit into his life at all. He tossed me out of the home I thought was mine and turned his back. So I came back to America and raised Timmy alone. In a complicated mishap, I met Daniel Goodman, a teacher at Westover Academy. It had been years since I2527d been kissed or even held by a man, but something about Daniel made me want. I guess I2527m lucky he felt the same desire.
Q: What scares you? What keeps you awake at night?
A: Something happening to Timmy, of course. Beyond that, falling so hard for Daniel that I won2527t be able to stand it when he turns me loose. A former stripper won2527t fit his future plans, and I know that. We enjoy each other, even knowing the end for us will inevitably come. But I worry…am I falling for him? God, I hope not!
Q: What are your future plans?
A: It2527s a delicate situation living my life as Eve Star but playing at Lauren Knowles when I2527m with Timmy at Westover. It2527s one of the best schools in America and I want him to have the very best start in life. But we2527ll probably leave after his first year. With Westover behind him, he2527ll get into any school, I can find a better job, and be myself. But we have to get through this year first. Westover Academy, Daniel Goodman, and The Bare Moose bar. It2527s a lot to deal with but I2527ve handled worse. After here, with Timmy in a very good school—and happy, because I love him so much!—we2527ll have a great future. And if fortune sends another man my way, then good. If not, well, I2527ll have memories of my time with Daniel and the joy of knowing I2527m doing what2527s best for my son. As long as he2527s okay, I can deal with anything.
Wow! Timmy sounds like a sweet little boy, and I hope everything works out for you and that teacher, Daniel! YUM! Thanks for chatting with me.
Bio:
A few years ago, Dee S. Knight began writing, making getting up in the morning fun. During the day, her characters killed people, fell in love, became drunk with power, or sober with responsibility. And they had sex, lots of sex. Writing was so much fun Dee decided to keep at it. That’s how she spends her days. Her nights? Well, she’s lucky that her dream man, childhood sweetheart, and long-time hubby are all the same guy, and nights are their secret. For romance ranging from sweet to historical, contemporary to paranormal and more join Dee on Nomad Authors. Contact Dee at dsknight@deesknight.com.
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