MR. INNOCENT (Cougars & Cubs Book I)

Lexi Gifford is the editor-in-chief of a popular women’s magazine named Innocent. Lexi needs a new assistant and a new lover, and she finds both in Theodore Logan—a rather naïve and virginal farm boy from Iowa.

At first, Lexi is hesitant about getting involved with Theodore—who goes by Theo—because of a bad previous relationship. There’s also the age difference, because Lexi is thirty-two and Theo is eighteen.

However, any hesitation on her part flies out the window when he winds up modeling for an upcoming issue of Innocent, when a model doesn’t show for the shoot. Unable to resist seeing his hunky farm boy frame clad only in a pair of form-fitting bikini bottoms, she ravishes Theo.

Their relationship blossoms both in and out of the bedroom, and eventually Lexi realizes that her passion for Theo goes beyond the merely sexual and that she has genuine feelings for him.

Here is an excerpt from Mr. Innocent:

It happened on the day of the cover shoot for the upcoming issue of Innocent. Pam Houston, the photographer who shot most of the pictorials for the magazine, was waiting in the rented studio for their model, Tyler Faith, to arrive along with Lexi and Theo. After waiting for Tyler to arrive, and with Lexi getting more and more impatient, since this was, after all, costing her money. Lexi’s cell phone rang. It was her secretary Mindy with some very bad news. Lexi angrily shut off the connection.

“What’s the matter?” asked Pam.

Lexi let out a long sigh before answering, “You’re not going to believe this.”

“What?”

“That was my secretary. She said she just got a call from Tyler’s agent. He won’t be able to do the shoot today.”

“Did she say why?”

“Apparently, he checked himself into rehab today.” She let out another long sigh as she started pacing around the studio. “Can you believe this shit?”

“Well,” Pam began, “it was rumored that he had a pretty bad drinking problem.”

“Well, whatever the hell his problem is, it’s costing me a hell of a lot of money, you know?”

“Yeah,” Pam agreed, nodding her head, “I know.”

Lexi rubbed her forehead in frustration. “Now who are we going to get for a cover model?”

Pam glanced over at Theo who had been standing off to the side, watching the whole thing with a bemused expression on his gorgeous face.

“What about him?” Pam said.

Lexi stopped pacing to look at Pam. “Him, who?”

“Him.” She nodded at Theo.

Lexi turned her head and gazed at Theo, who seemed all the more bemused. She gazed back at Pam and exclaimed, “You mean my assistant?”

“Yeah,” Pam said, nodding. “Why not?”

“He’s not a model!”

“So?” She shrugged. “He’s as good-looking as any model I’ve ever shot.”

“Well,” Lexi began, giving a blushing Theo the once-over, “he is that.”

“So how about it? You’ve already rented out the studio for the day, and you got me and the hair and makeup stylist here.”

Lexi nodded in agreement. “Well, you do have a point.” She looked over at Theo who was still blushing. “So, Theo, what do you think? Would you like to be a model for a day?”

Theo shrugged. “I don’t know,” he replied quietly. He looked directly at her, something he did not normally do, and asked, “What does it pay?”

Well, Lexi thought to herself with a grin, maybe farm boy is not so naïve, after all!

After pausing for a moment, Lexi stated, “Five-hundred.”

Theo raised his eyebrows at what Lexi had just told him. Even Pam gave her a look. Models who shot for Innocent were generally paid about $150-$200. Some models got paid about $300 if it was a top model, and it was a cover shoot. But no model, who had ever shot for Innocent had been paid that much money. But that was one of the perks of being editor-in-chief of her own magazine. Lexi could pay whatever she wanted, and no one could really say anything about it. Besides, the way she figured it, it would be well worth the five-hundred to see hunky Theo parading around for a few hours, wearing nothing but a pair of tight, form-hugging bikini bottoms, and that oh-so-sexy smile of his that she had grown quite accustomed to seeing.

“So what do you say?” Lexi asked Theo.

“Well,” Theo began to say, hesitating, “I don’t know. I don’t think anyone in my family would approve of me doing this.”

“Come on,” Lexi said, trying to convince him. “Honestly, Theo, do you know of anyone in your family who reads my magazine?”

“Well, my younger sister might.”

She gave him a look. “Do you honestly think your younger sister would buy a copy of a magazine with a picture of her smiling, half-naked brother on the cover?” Before he could answer, Lexi added, “Besides, your parents don’t strike me as the type who would allow your sister to read my magazine.”

He grinned awkwardly. “No, you’re right, they wouldn’t.”

“So what do you say, Theo?” Lexi asked him again after a pause.

After giving it some thought, Theo looked right at Lexi again, and said with that trademark smile of his, “Okay, I’ll do it.” He offered her another awkward grin, and added, “I could really use the money.”

Lexi returned his smile, and said with a nod, “Good.”

Here is the Amazon book link for Mr. Innocent: https://www.amazon.com/Mr-Innocent-Cougars-Cubs-Book-ebook/dp/B00LICLH5Q/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8