A/N: I have been missing as usual because of my dreaded writer's block, laziness, job, and life. But I started listening to several audiobooks that would make great Samcedes fiction in my opinion, and I was trying to type Faking It by Carly Phillips and Erica Wilde from the audio and got lazy and found the book on epub for free. I then decided to upload my Samcedes version of this steamy fiction for you over the summer to make up for the other books and chapters that I am totally uninspired to continue with or to write. This is ninety percent of the authors' work, and this will be my only disclaimer. I added some current events, changed the location to Nashville, and changed the physical descriptions of the hero and heroine as well as added some backstory and changed some backstory, so we would feel some sympathy for the heroine even though she is a hot mess. I hope you enjoy the story, and if the reaction from you all is good, I will endeavor to do one more story based on The Boy I Hate or another story for you all before I return to work. Trigger warnings: Self fat shaming, fat shaming, mention of parents' death, anxiety disorder, religious undertones, mental illness, Sam being a jerk, family estrangement, Mercedes needing to let go of the past and get laid because she is incredibly thirsty, and abandonment issues my usual, unfortunately. Please forgive all my mistakes and excessive wordiness and run-on sentences. I do try to read over my writing, but I find mistakes after each read through, I need an editor to help when Grammarly gives up on me.

Chapter One

As Mercedes Jones crossed the street for her 11:30 appointment, she decided it should be against every rule in the universe for a man to be as gorgeous as Sam Evans. Why? Because it just wasn't fair to expect any woman to have to function professionally in his presence when all she really wanted to do to him was climb him like a tree. She approached the man in her thoughts with all of her attention on his fineness. Once she got closer to him, she saw he was busy on his cell phone. He was typing an email or text with a frown across his face. Even the scowl on his face couldn't detract from the butterflies that began taking flight in her stomach. Luckily for her, the fact that he was not paying attention, gave Mercedes the opportunity to admire him furtively for a few extra seconds. No hardship there. She thought with a dreamy sigh.

As a top-notch real estate broker in Nashville, Sam always looked the part and dressed for success. Tailored suits, silk ties, and designer shoes were what he always wore when showing her a potential property, and she had never seen him in anything but business attire. In contradiction to his professional appearance, his sandy brown hair mixed with blonde and auburn undertones was always a tousled mess. Anyone could tell by looking at it that he ran his hands through his hair continuously and absentmindedly. Although his physique was good enough for him to be a male model, what really brought Mercedes to her knees were his mesmerizing green eyes and his full sensual lips that were quick to smile and made her tongue-tied when he smiled at her.

For an average ordinary looking woman like her, Mercedes knew that sexy Sam was way out of her league, and he was only a fantasy that she indulged in way too often when she was home alone. He had never given her inappropriate attention and was always the epitome of a gentleman during the three months that they had been together in their business relationship. Sam had not crossed any lines or even hinted at being inappropriate with her in words or deeds. Then again why would he behave that way when he believed she was engaged to someone else.

When they first met, she knew he believed she was engaged to someone else, a fabrication she had perpetuated for both business and personal reasons. When they met for the first time at his Premier Realty office, he had noticed and congratulated her once he saw the diamond solitaire on her left-hand ring finger. They had become friends while they worked together, and she was surprised about how well they got along with each other. Being in the friend zone made her regret for the very first time that she had a pretend fiance and the reason she needed one.

Every time she was with Sam, she wished she was more sexually confident and more comfortable in her size 14 body. She had lost over sixty pounds and should be more comfortable with her figure than she was when she was a size 20. She still felt like her younger plumper self who was told more times than she could count that even though she was so heavy that she still had a pretty face and gorgeous hair.

She spent all of high school without a boyfriend. She would go on dates but no guy wanted to be with her girl who looked like her and didn't put out. When she got to college and instead of gaining the freshman fifteen, she had lost over sixty pounds from not being around her granny's cooking, and she had gotten her first boyfriend a football player named Shane. Shane convinced her that she was talented, sexy, and even talked about marriage in their future.

When Shane broke up with her due to her refusal to go all the way with him sexually, Mercedes became broken. He told her that she should be glad that someone wanted to tap her fat ass, and he wasn't going to marry her without first sampling the goods or have her sucking his dick on the regular. This devastated Mercedes because she believed that Shane loved her. When he broke her heart that junior year of college, Mercedes refused to date anyone else while she was there at Ohio State. That incident put a stranglehold over her confidence, and even now at the age of thirty-three, she hadn't quite gotten over the Shane incident.

What made the incident linger in her consciousness was what her friend, Tina, had told her that Shane was telling everybody on the football team and his fraternity, that Mercedes was frigid and that sleeping with her was like having sex with a cold slab of ice. That his new girlfriend a freshman named Bree was way hotter than Mercedes and knew how to turn a boy into a man. Tina's boyfriend Mike was on the team and had introduced Mercedes to Shane and had revealed to Tina all the trash that Shane was saying about Mercedes. Tina repeated Shane's lies, so Mercedes would get mad and go along with Tina's plan to bust the windows out his car and spread rumors that his dick was four inches and that he was a one minute man.

Mercedes couldn't go along with Tina's plans. She had lost her parents at a young age of five when the two had been vacationing in the Dominican Republican. She had been raised by her maternal grandparents, and they had allowed her to eat her feelings in food and encouraged her that she would see her parents again in heaven if she was a good Christian girl. Her grandparents' definition of being a good Christian girl meant no drugs, no underage drinking, no premarital sex, and no holding unforgiveness against the people who wronged her. She was to forgive and forget.

In retrospect, Mercedes wished she would have acted out and done something to vent her feelings on how Shane and others before and after him had made her feel. Her parents' death and being rejected by Shane because of her weight had traumatized her, so she had developed an anxiety disorder, and saw a therapist on her campus, and was on medication at one point because the experience with Shane had made her so socially awkward around men and strangers.

When she graduated from college, and it was legal for her to drink, Mercedes used a glass of alcohol for courage, so she no longer needed medication. Alcohol made Mercedes looser and less self-conscious, and she even allowed Tina to fix her up on dates, but the dates never went any further than a good night kiss because of the walls Mercedes had built around her heart. She truly believed that she was frigid, and she allowed Shane's words to still undermine her confidence more than ten years later, and she was ashamed to admit to this. Fear and distrust were always living in the back of her mind. Reminding her just how imperfect she was. She knew her deeply rooted doubts were the impetus on why she had sabotaged every potential relationship she had been in since college as a defense mechanism to protect her heart and emotions.

Even though she no longer believed that being a good Christian girl by her grandparents' definition would allow her to see her parents again in heaven, Mercedes still wasn't interested in having sex with her dates because of her fear of Shane's words being true. Her religious belief system had taken on a reversal when her grandfather died not long after she graduated from college. He had left the majority of his estate to Mercedes, and not even her grandmother, aunts, uncles, and cousins have been left any money from his estate. Her grandmother got to keep their home and would receive his social security to live on, and his children and grandchildren were bequeathed his jewelry, classical vehicles, and other items, but his life insurance policy and other investments went to Mercedes. He had used some of the interest from her inheritance when medicine became more expensive and used the money to pay for his life insurance policy increasing rates for him and her grandmother, so he only felt it was right that she should be the sole beneficiary of his liquid estate with him asking Mercedes to promise to help out her family if they had valid financial needs.

This caused a rift in her only remaining family with even her grandmother refusing to speak to her. Her family was convinced that Mercedes had manipulated her grandpa into changing his will and life insurance policies when Mercedes didn't even need the money. Her parents' estate had been over two million dollars that were in a risk-free savings accounts drawing interests that she was to live off of.

She had received scholarships for singing and her grandparents always sent her spending money while she was in college, and because she listened to them and didn't try to touch her inheritance at eighteen and was still pursuing education even though she was rich, they had catered to her needs. For her own grandmother to accuse her of being manipulative had caused Mercedes to not feel guilty when she realized she was the sole recipient of her inheritance. She had read the letter her grandpa had left explaining his reason for leaving her the money, and she had shared the letter with her family after the will was read. Still, none of her family would believe her, and she just decided to leave them behind and began her new life in Tennessee with her best friend Tina.

Mercedes was too shy to ever become a performer, so she didn't even end up using the music degree that she had earned from Ohio State. She wrote songs during her spare time and volunteered, partnering with several of the rich and influential people in Nashville to make sure music education and performance was available for all students in all schools and in after-school programs. She would sing at her church in the choir, but for a business, she decided to go with her other hidden talent matchmaking. For some reason, Mercedes could look at two people and decide whether or not they would click. At first, she did it for free. She fixed up people who she and Tina hung around with resounding success. It was Tina who thought of the idea of Mercedes charging people and becoming a professional matchmaker. Seeing people fall in love was the medicine she needed after realizing that she never would.

Becoming a successful matchmaker in Nashville had caused several people to wonder if she was able to find her own perfect match. Feeling that it wouldn't hurt to wear her mom's engagement ring, Mercedes put the ring on six months ago to validate her business and to keep the men she was helping to find matches from asking her out. Who knew that being a size fourteen in the south was considered thick, hot, and sexy? Mercedes wasn't used to the male appreciation and propositions she was given while doing a job that she loved. Her success rate was almost ninety percent. Her business had become so successful that she had even had to hire Tina to assist her.

The success of her business was why she was meeting Sam Evans that morning. She had outgrown her tiny, cramped office space and was looking for a new space one that included a new place to live now that Tina was engaged and they were moving out of the condo they shared, and she needed a place to live on her own. Sam had shown her over a dozen places over a three month period, and she had yet to find the one that met all her needs. She had refused to settle on any of the places he had shown her. Yes, she was being particular, with each listing Sam had shown her that she had rejected made her feel that after three months, Sam was going to give up on her because she was being difficult and demanding. She was thinking he would give up on her as others had in the past.

Yet, he remained devoted to trying to find her the perfect property that met her rigid requirements. He persisted in showing her listings and was refusing to give up on her. Mercedes never felt pressured to buy or made to feel she was a pain in his ass. He seemed to really care about what she wanted and/or needed which made Mercedes believe that Sam was this way with everyone and with everything that he did. Just when she was thinking this thought, she made a sound, and Sam shifted his attention from his phone and looked up to see her ten paces away from him.

The frown that was on his face disappeared when he saw her, and one of his sexy thigh-clenching smiles creased his lips. Mercedes melted from his direct green gaze. His eyes were trained so intently on her, so warm and spellbinding, that she had to remind herself to breathe. Inhaling deeply she tamped down her attraction to him so she wouldn't say or do something foolish. And when she was finally close to him, she returned his smile and greeting.

"Hi, Sam," Mercedes said sounding as normal as she possibly could. Now that they were on a friendlier basis, they no longer shook hands which she had secretly missed. It had been her one valid excuse to touch him to feel his long fingers sliding along her palm so sensually before engulfing her hand in the warmth of his. He had nice big strong hands, and she really needed to reign in her misbehaving thoughts about how thumb sizes typically corresponded with the size of a man's penis.

"I know this was a last minute call, but I am so glad that you could make it," Sam told her in his smooth warm voice.

Mercedes was grateful that Sam wasn't the type of guy who looked and smirked because if he looked at her he would notice the effect his voice had on her. Mr. Sam Evans had impeccable manners when he was around her and kept his focus on her eyes which was a good thing. because the sound of his voice caused her to melt as much as his smile and his long-ago touch.

"You sounded really excited about this listing, and I just couldn't stop myself from coming to see it," she said while glancing up at the exterior of the contemporary building that they were standing in front of. A three-story structure located between trendy Belle Meade and Forest Hills, the location was a quick fifteen to twenty-mile drive from downtown Nashville and one of the safest locations because it was a mixture of large residential homes, golf courses, and a few select businesses.

"A friend of mine is about to list this location, and I immediately thought of you, so I convinced him to let me show it to you first giving you first refusal." Dark green eyes lit up with contagious enthusiasm. "In fact, I am totally confident that it is going to come close to meeting almost all of the requirements of your wishlist."

Mercedes knew that her extensive and researched wishlist requirements had made finding her a property a challenge for Sam. However is she was going to spend almost a million dollars on a property, she wanted to make sure it met all of her needs and then some. "Nobody else has seen this place?" She asked him not believing what he had told her.

"Nope, nobody else has seen this place. Trust me, Mercedes, this place has your name written all over it. I wasn't about to let anyone else near this property until I had shown it to you first," Sam told her after shaking his head.

Mercedes laughed; she appreciated how diligent Sam was in finding her a building that fully fulfilled all her expectations. "I am thinking you only did that so you won't have to deal with me the most difficult client you probably ever have had any more."

"Not even close," Sam said amusement instilled in his low Southern-accented voice. "You are not difficult. You just know what you want. I happen to like a decisive woman. And it is my job to help you find the right place for you. It was just a matter of being patient and waiting for the right piece of property to come on the market. I think that today will be your lucky day."

He was so sure of himself. So, she tipped her head to the side, causing her long curly hair to fall across her right shoulder as she looked up at him. "You really think this is the one for me?"

"I know it is," he said and winked at her.

Of course, it wasn't a flirtatious wink, but that didn't stop her pulse from skipping a beat and those butterflies from swirling in her stomach again. The phone in his hand pinged, and he glanced at the lit-up display, and his frown returned.

"Is everything okay?" she asked. "I don't mind waiting if you have something else you need to address."

He shook his head and looked back at her with a smile that didn't completely erase the slight furrow between his brows. "Sorry. It's nothing important. Let's head inside so you can check out the place."

He tucked his phone into the inside breast pocket of his suit jacket, so she once again had his undivided attention, and they walked side by side up to the glass door leading into the bottom level of the building. He unlocked the door and held it open for her, and she slipped past him, catching the enticing fragrance of his cologne that never failed to arouse every one of her senses. It was warm and sensual but subtle, like black silk wrapped in masculine heat. The smell of him was like an addicting pheromone, and it took major restraint on her part not to rub up against him like a cat rolling in catnip and bury her face against his neck for a long, deep inhale of his male essence.

The door closed behind them, and he flipped a switch on the nearby wall that turned on the lights affixed to the steel beams above them. They were standing in the lobby, which opened up into a spacious reception area that would easily fit two couches, end tables, and a few chairs. The walls were a soft gray hue, with plank flooring in a complementary slate color that gave the place a modern vibe.

At first glance, she really liked what she saw, but she also knew that was subject to change as the rest of the building's layout was revealed. It wouldn't be the first time a listing started out with promise and ended with disappointment, so she kept her initial reaction to herself.

"So, this first floor is pretty much set up and ready to go for commercial use," Sam told her as he led the way down a wide hallway, drawing her attention to one of the open doors with a wave of his hand. "There are three separate rooms with built-in workstations and shelving, which would be great for individual offices, a conference room, or whatever else you might need."

Mercedes peeked inside one of the rooms, impressed with how large they were and especially appreciating the expanse of windows along the side wall that allowed natural light to filter into the first floor of the building. She really only needed two offices. One for herself and one for Tina, her best friend, and right-hand woman at the Jones Agency, but she did like the idea of having a separate room for meetings with clients.

They reached the end of the hallway and Sam pointed to the right. "There's an elevator that goes to all three floors, but you do need a key to get to the third floor, which is a spacious three bedroom, two and a half bathroom apartment."

She came to an abrupt stop beside him and gasped in shock. "Did you just say apartment?" One of the things on her wish list was an attached residence, which had been nonexistent up to this listing. She'd pretty much given up hope on finding a building with that particular feature.

A sexy smirk curved his lips, and his eyes gleamed with wicked delight. "Ahh, you caught that, did you?"

He seemed very pleased with himself, and she was giddy with the possibility that this place might be the one, just as Sam had promised.

He inclined his head, his gorgeous features completely dazzling her. "Come on. I'm not done wowing you just yet."

Instead of taking the elevator, they ascended the open staircase to the second floor, and Mercedes's breath caught in her throat as she assessed the open concept of the room in front of her that was beyond perfect for the reception and mixer parties she held for her clients. The chrome embellishments and fixtures against the gray walls provided a sophisticated yet elegant atmosphere that she instantly fell in love with.

The sitting and lounge area was huge, with plenty of space for mingling, as well as places for private conversations between couples. A full bar for serving cocktails encompassed an entire wall, and as they walked toward the back of the room, Sam showed her the small kitchen for the catering company she hired to use for her social events.

With her speechless and in awe, he led the way to the elevator, and once they were inside, he inserted the key so that there were able to go up to the third floor. The doors opened directly into an apartment that was bigger and more luxurious than the condo she was living in, and by the time Sam was done showing her the entire upstairs, she was giddy and nearly bursting with exhilaration.

There was only one thing keeping her from expressing her elation and shouting 'I'll take it!' and that was the cost. A move-in-ready place like this couldn't be cheap, but it was exactly what she needed to take the Jones Agency to the next level.

Back in the apartment living room, she turned to face Sam, who was watching her expectantly, clearly waiting for her reaction—and obviously expecting an exuberant one. It was all she could do to keep from bouncing on the balls of her feet. No way was she giving in to premature excitement until she had all the details to make an informed decision.

She shifted anxiously on her feet. "I'm almost afraid to ask about the price of this building."

"Mercedes," he said softly, cajolingly, his voice sounding husky to her ears—or maybe she just imagined it. "Didn't I tell you to trust me before we even entered the building? I wouldn't bring you to a property that wasn't within your budget."

She bit her bottom lip, and for a brief moment, his gaze lowered to her mouth, then quickly returned to her face. "Don't tease me, Sam."

Now, whose voice was husky? Hers, that's who. And as for the don't tease me reply, its purpose was twofold. One, she really wanted to believe this amazing place could possibly be hers, so she prayed that he wasn't pulling her leg. And two, having his eyes on her mouth, even for a quick, limited time that probably meant nothing to him, was the epitome of being teased with something she'd never have or experience. . . feeling his lips sliding slowly, sensually against hers.

"I wouldn't joke about something as important as this," he assured her, and there was no refuting the sincerity in his tone. "Here's the deal. My friend is getting a divorce and wants to unload this property as quickly as possible. I ran the top end of your budget by him this morning, before even calling you to see the place, and he's already agreed to the price. This building is yours if you want it."

She absently turned the engagement ring on her finger around and around, trying to process what Sam had just said. She took a moment to let his words sink in and to absorb everything that was within her grasp. She'd started her matchmaking company seven years ago and had slowly built it into a reputable business that was steadily growing. She was fortunate enough to be able to do something she excelled at and enjoyed, that brought other people happiness. She could afford the place because it wasn't as if she didn't have a lot of money from not only her business but from her inheritances. It was something she didn't take for granted because, given the choice, she'd choose to have her parents and grandfather alive over any amount of money.

But with each milestone she achieved, she did so knowing that her parents and grandfather would be proud of her. She glanced around the apartment, resisting the urge to do a happy dance right there in front of Sam. Instead, she met his confident gaze and somehow managed to remain calm and composed, like the poised businesswoman she was. Or tried to be, anyway.

"Yes," she said, her steady tone belying the jumble of emotions rising within her. "I'll take it."

"I knew it." A wide, brilliant grin appeared on his full lips, and he executed a triumphant fist pump, clearly proud of himself for accomplishing the challenging task of finally finding her a new place of business that included every feature she had asked for.

He looked so satisfied with himself, and Mercedes was unable to contain the amused giggles that escaped her lips.

"Let me make a quick call to confirm the deal with the seller." Sam retrieved his phone from his suit jacket, unlocked the screen, and paused for a moment as his gaze seemed to scan something on the display.

Another annoying message, she assumed, judging by the slight clenching of his jaw before he shook his head and continued swiping through his phone. Once he had his friend's number pulled up, he connected the call and brought the device to his ear.

As soon as Sam started talking to the owner of the building, Mercedes glanced away from his too captivating stare and tuned out the conversation, still afraid to get her hopes up. Instead, she started twirling the engagement ring on her finger again—something that had become a nervous habit since she'd put on the piece of jewelry. Maybe because she knew she was being deceptive for wearing the ring and a part of religious upbringing did not condone lying. Self-consciously she knew her mother's ring didn't really belong on that finger, and a part of her felt bad pretending to be engaged because she wasn't prone to lying.

But the appearance of having a fake fiancé wasn't hurting anyone, she'd reasoned with herself. And if it made her feel more secure and confident, and being in love gave credence to her expertise as a matchmaker, then the perception was like any other marketing tool, right? She questioned herself to justify her behavior.

"Mercedes?"

She was so lost in her thoughts that she hadn't heard Sam end the call. With her stomach flip-flopping with equal measures of anxiety and hope—because her chances of finding another place like this were slim to none if the owner had changed his mind for any reason—she met Sam's unreadable expression.

She swallowed hard. "Yes?"

"The place is yours." A huge, delighted grin spread across his gorgeous face. "I'll submit a formal offer this afternoon and get all the paperwork in order and started. The owner asked for a thirty-day escrow, if possible, and since you're already pre-approved and offering a fifty percent cash down payment, I don't see that as an issue. In about a month, this place will belong to you and the Jones Agency."

Ahhh. Mercedes finally gave free rein to the overwhelming excitement and emotion that she hadn't allowed to surface until now. Everything she'd suppressed bubbled up and burst through her in an adrenaline rush of gratitude that prompted her body to react before her brain could process her spontaneous reaction.

She flung herself against Sam's chest, wrapped her arms around his neck, and hugged him tightly. And she certainly didn't anticipate the next words that impulsively blurted out of her mouth. "Oh, my goodness, Sam! Thank you so much I can't tell you how much I love you right now for making my dream become a reality."

The hard body pressed so intimately against hers immediately stiffened, and his hands came to rest on her hips to tactfully push her away. Her inappropriate behavior along with the way Sam was trying to gently but firmly put distance between them hit her like a dousing of cold water.

She quickly extricated her arms from around Sam's neck and took a substantial step back so that his hands dropped from her hips. Her face heated with mortification as she tried to explain what she meant.

"I don't mean that I am in love with you," she began, her embarrassment making her voice pitch higher than normal. "I meant, I love you as in you're the best real estate broker ever."

The corner of his mouth quirked with humor, though his eyes were a few shades darker than they'd been before she'd assaulted him with her hug. "I know I'm an extremely loveable guy, but I knew how you meant it," he teased.

Relief made her relax somewhat, but it didn't completely chase away the buzz of awareness still lingering from being molded against the hot, sexy man she'd been lusting over the past three months. A man who'd clearly been uncomfortable with the close proximity of her body against his a few moments ago.

She regained her composure and returned her attention to the building that was soon to be hers. "Thank you, Sam," she said once again more calmly. "This place is everything I wanted and so much more."

"I kinda told you so." His eyes crinkled at the corners with amusement and satisfaction.

"Yes, you did." She laughed, grateful that things were back to normal between them after that awkward encounter.

He glanced at his wristwatch, then back at her with a smile. "It's too early to drink, so how about I take you to lunch to celebrate? There's a fantastic restaurant within walking distance of Premier Realty, and afterward, you can come up to my office and we'll get the offer drawn up, signed, and submitted."

She nodded. "That all sounds really good."

As they left the building, there was only one thing that put a damper on Mercedes's great mood—the realization that now that she'd found a place, there wouldn't be any other reason or excuse to see Sam anymore.