The CEO Buys in (Wager of Hearts #1) (35 page)

Nathan touched his flute to Chloe’s, looking into her eyes and saying, “The true prize in this wager was not
my
heart. It was yours. Winning your love makes me the luckiest man in the world.”

Chloe couldn’t speak past the emotions squeezing her throat.

Nathan tossed back his champagne in one gulp and removed her half-empty flute from Chloe’s grasp. Taking her hand and interlacing his long, powerful fingers with hers, he nodded to Luke and Gavin. “I wish you both good luck. And now I’m going to take my fiancée home and show her just how much I mean what I said.”

Don’t Miss
THE QUARTERBACK ANTES UP
,
the Next Book in Nancy Herkness’s Wager of Hearts series.

Luke Archer is the superstar quarterback for the New York Empire and a media darling because of his good looks, talent, charm, and longevity. He’s facing the prospect of retirement from the game he has lived, breathed, and loved for his entire life. If he can’t be on the field, he doesn’t want to be anywhere near football, so what will he do with the rest of his life?

He’s contemplating this dilemma with deep depression when he meets Nathan Trainor and Gavin Miller in the bar at the Bellwether Club. There, they make their potentially life-changing wager of hearts: find a woman who loves them for themselves—not their money, power, or fame.

Little does Luke know that his game changer works right in the luxury condominium building where he lives. Miranda Tate is the hardworking and highly ethical assistant concierge, and when Luke nearly gets her fired, he finds he has a lot to make up for before he can win the love of his life.

Coming in summer 2016

1. Nathan does whatever he can to be different from his father, yet Chloe notices that he shares many of the same mannerisms and attitudes. Is it possible to completely throw off the influence of our parents? Or is their impact on our younger selves always going to affect our future behavior?
   
2. Is there anyone in your life whom you would be willing to make significant personal sacrifices for, the way Chloe does for Grandmillie? Who would it be and why?
   
3. Much of the book’s conflict comes from the vast gap in economic status between Chloe and Nathan. Would the story have played out differently if both were wealthy or both middle-class? How would it have been affected if Chloe were the billionaire and Nathan the temp?
   
4. Nathan and his father’s relationship is strained because his father believes in tradition, while Nathan focuses on progress. In which direction does your own thinking lean? Why do you feel that way?
   
5. Ed, Ben, and Grandmillie are secondary characters, yet they have great influence on the protagonists. Who are the secondary characters in your life who have shaped you? And whom do you think you have helped shape?
   
6. Chloe and her Grandmillie are fiercely independent, which sometimes stands in the way of asking for the help they need. Nathan and his father also cling to their pride, which keeps them from reconciling. Can any trait be considered harmful if taken to an extreme? What trait defines you, and has it ever caused problems?
   
7. The Marines are an important—although not always positive—part of Nathan’s childhood. What do you see as the pros and cons of a military upbringing?
   
8. Frankie Hogan founds the Bellwether Club because she is denied access to other prestigious social venues due to her gender and lack of social background. Are high-powered women considered a threat to high-powered men? Do you believe there is gender equality in the workplace and/or in society today?
   
9. When Nathan finally returns to the research-and-development department, he realizes that his persistent unhappiness has been caused at least partially by the lack of a creative outlet. Gavin Miller admits that he doesn’t
   have
   to write for his living anymore, but he’s miserable when he can’t. Does everyone have something they need to do to stay sane and happy, some outlet that relieves stress? What is yours?
   

A thousand thank-yous to all the people who generously poured their time, talent, thought, and expertise into making
The CEO Buys In
the best book it could be. My deepest gratitude goes to: JoVon Sotak, my incredible editor, who shepherded my book through all its many phases and iterations, and who came up with the inspired idea of giving my hero a military father, adding a whole new depth to his character. She rocks!

Jessica Poore, Marlene Kelly, and the Montlake Author Relations team, an amazing, high-energy group of professionals who support my books in a myriad of ways.

Jane Dystel and Miriam Goderich, my fabulous agents. I sometimes have to pinch myself to make sure I’m not just dreaming that they represent me.

Andrea Hurst, my fantastic developmental editor, whose brilliant, insightful suggestions not only strengthened this book but the whole Wager of Hearts series.

Sara Brady and Tara Doernberg, my superb copy editors, who wield their considerable expertise on matters of grammar and style to make my book sparkle like a diamond.

Jill Kramer, my terrific proofreader, who uses her fine-tooth comb to catch my mistakes and inconsistencies and gives my book that gleaming professional polish.

Elizabeth Turner, my excellent cover designer, who was endlessly patient and painstaking in her work to capture my vision for this book, as well as the series, and turn it into its current gorgeous reality.

Miriam Allenson, Lisa Verge Higgins, and Jennifer Wilck, my astoundingly talented and downright fun critique group, who applaud my work’s strengths and pinpoint its weaknesses. They are my lifeboat.

Rebecca Theodorou, who developed the thought-provoking discussion questions for this book’s readers to ponder and debate. That degree in English lit comes in handy sometimes.

Jeff, Rebecca, and Loukas, whom I love with all my heart. You all keep me anchored in the real world.

Photo © 2003 Phil Cantor

Nancy Herkness is the author of the award-winning Whisper Horse series, as well as the Wager of Hearts series and several other contemporary romance novels. Three Whisper Horse novels were nominated for Romance Writers of America RITA™ awards.

Nancy is a member of Romance Writers of America, New Jersey Romance Writers, and Novelists, Inc. She has received many honors for her work, including the Golden Leaf Award, the Maggie Award in Contemporary Romance, and the National Excellence in Romance Fiction Award. She graduated from Princeton University with a degree in English literature and creative writing.

A native of West Virginia, Nancy now lives in New Jersey in a Victorian house twelve miles west of the Lincoln Tunnel with her husband, two mismatched dogs, and an elderly cat.

For more information about Nancy and her books, visit www.NancyHerkness.com. Nancy also loves to connect with fans online: Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/nancyherkness

Blog:
http://fromthegarret.wordpress.com/

Twitter:
@NancyHerkness

Pinterest (with a board for each of her books):
http://www.pinterest.com/nancyherkness
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