Here’s the opening for my upcoming release, That Night. Available from the Wild Rose Press on December 12th, 2012…
Lindy pulled into the overgrown driveway, her car knocking snow from the low-hanging branches. She parked behind the log cabin as instructed, turned off the car, and heaved a great sigh. Finally. It had been a hellacious drive up from the city, taking two hours longer than it should have due to the steadily increasing snow. Even now, with the wipers off, snow had already coated the windshield.
She got out of her car and stared at the log cabin, her home for the next few days. A lamp glowed in the window and smoke curled from the chimney, just as had been arranged. She pulled her backpack and a bag of books from the trunk of her car. Let my vacation begin!
No computers, no phone calls, no clients, no nothing. Just the three R’s to look forward to: resting, relaxing and reading. Perfect.
She shuffled through the deepening snow to the back door, where the key nestled in a plant pot, just as she’d been told. Sylvia had given her the use of her cabin for a few days. She might be a relentless slave driver of a boss, but she had a good heart, especially toward employees like herself who put forth a lot of extra effort.
Lindy unlocked the door and stepped into the cabin. She dropped her stuff, took off her boots, and headed straight for the wood stove, where a fierce fire crackled behind the glass door. She turned to toast her frozen legs, surveying the cabin. Absolutely everything she’d expected and more. A massive comfy couch piled with cushions and blankets, a small bedroom with a kingsize, patchwork quilt-covered bed, a bathroom with a huge state-of-the-art shower stall. She walked into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator door. It was stuffed with lovely delicacies, even a couple of bottles of white wine. Everything’s perfect. It was time to get on with her vacation.
She unpacked her bag of clothes, carefully placing everything into the dresser beside the bed. She laid her fluffiest pajamas on the pillow before going into the living room. Fetching her bag, she sat on the couch, sorting through her pile of books: the latest dense novel by the latest literary wunderkind, three books on management strategies, and a fat biography of Eleanor Roosevelt. She set them all on the floor next to the couch, delving deeper into her book bag. She’d have them all read by the time she had to leave, but right now she needed something entirely different.
She pulled out a slim book from the bottom: The Greek Billionaire’s Forbidden Mistress.
Oh, yeah. This is the one I want.
Laying it on the top of the book pile, she went into the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of wine, a corkscrew and a wine glass. She opened the wine, poured a glass to the top, and set it next to the pile of books. After getting on the couch, she piled herself with blankets and opened her book to the first page, shivering with delight. She sipped her wine and read, soon transported to the hot climes of Greece and the even hotter love affair.
The door blew open in a gust of wind and snow. Lindy jumped off the couch, shrieking and still holding her book. She rushed toward the door, but stopped as a large figure, bundled in winter gear and a massive scarf, stomped into the cabin carrying two bags. Lifting her novel, she pulled back her arm, prepared to defend herself if she needed to.
She frowned, the man in front of her emitting a snorting laugh as he unwound the scarf from around his neck and face. As each layer peeled away, her heart pounded even harder. It can’t be.
Dark eyes twinkled at her over the scarf.
Please, no. Not him. Not Alex. Please, not Alex.
An arrogant nose revealed itself. Then the gleaming white teeth of his highly amused smile. He dropped his scarf and hat on the floor, then walked over to her. “Hi, Lindy.” He took the book out of her hand and glanced at it. He raised one eyebrow and smirked at her. “Really?”
* * * * *
Blurb:
Lindy Hopkins works early, works late, always gets the job done and never, ever has incredible one night stands with handsome coworkers. Until that night. But it’s okay. She’s just going to keep on pretending that it never happened.
Alex Anderson never imagined that buttoned-down workaholic Lindy had the ability to transform into a table-dancing, champagne-guzzling femme fatale. Until that night. And it’s not okay that she’s been giving him the coldest of shoulders ever since.
Neither are prepared to face the other, but they have no choice. They’ve each booked the company Catskill cabin for a few days before Christmas and are both too stubborn to budge. Over mulled wine and under a blanket of snow, it’s starting to look like that night might happen all over again. But this time Alex is playing for keeps, while Lindy is determined that no man will come before her career. Will they find that love is forever or will it be just another night to remember?
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