Always Fraser
A. K. Steel
Always Fraser
Copyright ©2021 by A. K. Steel
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in either electronic, paper hard copy, photocopying, recorded, or any other form of reproduction without the written permission of the author. No part of this book either in part or whole may be reproduced into or stored in a retrieval system or distributed without the written permission of the author.
This book is a work of fiction. Characters, names, places and incidents are products of the author's imagination. Any resemblances to actual events, locations, or persons living or dead is purely coincidental.
The author acknowledges the trademark status and owners of products referred to in this fiction which have been used without permission. The publication and use of these trademarks is not authorised, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.
Published by A.K. Steel
Edited by Contagious Edits
Blurb by Contagious Edits
Cover Design by Opium House Creatives
Contents
About the Book
Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Epilogue
About the Author
Acknowledgments
About the Book
Finding Mr Right is one thing... but making a relationship work is another matter entirely.
Fraser Davis has everything going for him. He's successful, driven, and attractive. And doesn't have any trouble finding women willing to warm his bed. Long-term relationships? Not for him. No woman will ever be able to compare to Elena, the one who walked away.
Elena Walker has spent years trying to get over her teen crush, her brother's best friend, Fraser. But when life throws him back in her path, she'll have to come to grips with knowing that her feelings run deeper than she'd like to admit. Family drama, childhood pacts, and past mistakes, not to mention an endless supply of trust issues. Nothing about this is going to be easy.
Moving on is not an option. For Elena, it has always been Fraser.
Always Fraser is a steamy, angst-filled romance that will leave you breathless.
Prologue
Elena
I run through the door to the Dragon's den. Coffee in hand, notepad tucked under my arm. The escaped tresses of my hair dripping down my face. I try to flick them behind my ears with my free hand, but it's no use. I'm a total drowned mess. I'm normally annoyingly punctual to the point that I’m early. It's a pet hate of mine when people are late, but the universe is not on my side today. I’m ten minutes late which earns me a filthy look from the Dragon herself. It's really not my fault because Sydney is experiencing a summer storm with torrential rain. The forecaster said we’re expecting more rain today than the whole of December, and of course, it's the day the battery in my Getz decides to cark it! I didn't have time to call the repair guy and get it fixed, so it was the bus for me, and because of the weather, of course the bus was late.
I take my seat next to Janie and she offers a sympathetic smile. These meetings are never fun and I’m already off to a bad start. The Dragon is still on her phone, but I can only imagine what's to come. First thing Monday morning is our weekly meeting with our boss, Bridget. I think it’s supposed to be some sort of a pep talk, to get us motivated, but it’s more like a roasting. Her office is sterile and cold, just like her. It’s hard to believe she’s an interior designer, or was before she landed the gig on TV and started ordering the rest of us to do everything for her.
The Dragon hangs up her mobile, throwing it down on her desk. She takes a deep breath and stares us down. “That was the network. Our ratings are terrible! If we keep this up, the network won't give us another season and we will all be out of a job! Elena, you and Janie need to pick up your game. Our next project has to shine, it needs to be off-the-charts chic. Something people haven’t seen before. Do I make myself clear?”
“We did everything you asked of us for the last job. Maybe if you let me go with some of my own ideas, we could change things up a little,” I stress with a quivering voice. Shit, why do I let her get to me?
“I don’t want your excuses! Go above and beyond this time or you'll be the first to go, Elena.”
“What do you want us to do differently that will make it more modern and fresh? After all, this is your project, and you don’t like the ideas I bring to you.”
“Please bore someone else with your silly questions, I have a hair appointment.”
She waves us off out of her office.
I slump back to my desk, my familiar space in this office full of grey cubicles. It's only 9:45am on a Monday and I already feel totally defeated. I don’t even know where to start.
The woman's a total narcissistic bitch. She wants control over everything but won't lift a finger to do any of the actual work, leaving us unable to come up with any innovative ideas ourselves, but still having to do all the work to make it happen.
I have been working for the home renovation reality TV show “Project Reno” since I finished my interior styling course nearly five years ago. I used to love this job. It was an amazing opportunity for someone fresh out of study. Most of the other girls I graduated with still haven’t found work in our industry and I'm travelling around Australia, redesigning and fixing up people's homes. It's a great job for a stylist.
Our last host was fantastic to work with. We coordinated every project together and our trips away were always a blast. I couldn’t believe my luck.
