The Assignment

From New York Times bestselling author Penelope Ward, comes a new standalone novel. Reasons why I should not be drawn to Troy Serrano. Number one: Hes obnoxious. Number two: He and I were enemies over a decade ago in high school. Number three: Hes my friends ex-boyfriend. I could go on and on, really. When my boss gives me an unwanted assignment and tells me it involves spending time with the grandson of one of our residentsthe grandson turns out to be Troy. Hes now as successful as he is undeniably handsome. Lucky me. Four hours a week of having to deal with his insufferable personality and unsolicited advice. The only consolation is getting to stare at his annoyingly gorgeous face in between our many arguments. Eventually, though, we slowly warm to each other and our outings become something I actually look forward to. Whats happening to me? Apparently, I misunderstood the assignment, because it certainly didnt include thinking about Troy when I close my eyes at night, imagining what it would be like with himjust once. All the while hating myself for fantasizing about a guy whos all wrong for me. A guy whose car I keyed back in the day. (Long story, but he deserved it.) Thats all this isa fantasy. Well, until that one night at the bar. The night Troy and I run into each other, and all of our pent-up frustration comes barreling out. Still, I refuse to accept that it means anything. Theres no way the guy Im supposed to hate is also the one I cant live without.