A Romantica® erotic romance from Ellora’s Cave
Publisher: Ellora’s Cave
General Release: April 11, 2014
ISBN: 9781419903540
Book Synopsis
In one week Chloe will walk down the aisle. Yet she’s a bride who can’t stop spying on the weddings of total strangers. Desperate to catch a glimpse of what true love really looks like, she is having serious second thoughts about tying the knot.
Until she meets Wes — the sexy long lost father of her groom. The hunk from Texas confirms her worst fears. She is marrying the wrong man.
Battling her intense attraction for Wes, the flame between them burns too hot to resist. Chloe and Wes give into their scorching passion and struggle with the consequences of their love.
Book Excerpt
A man stood up from the table to greet her and smiled widely. Chloe could see the resemblance, the same amber- brown eyes and the same thick wavy brown hair, but Conner’s dad was well over six feet tall and had a knockout smile. Conner missed those genes.
He was surprisingly young to be Conner’s dad, not at all what she was expecting. Her tongue felt like cotton as he extended his hand to her.
“You must be Chloe.” He shook her hand, his grip firm.
“Yes.” She smiled nervously at him. She blushed self-consciously, noting he was not only taller than Conner, but also more muscular. Conner must have gotten Pam’s build, but she could hope he’d fill out like his dad. His dark-navy suit not only fitted him like a glove but also highlighted his athletic build and accentuated his eyes. Not the oilrig worker type she had envisioned. Then she saw the tip of cowboy boots. Interesting.
“And you must be Mr. Michaels,” she said finding her voice and summoning her charm, “Conner has told me so much about you,” she said, sitting, as the Maître d held her chair for her and placed her napkin on her lap.
“He has?” Conner’s father asked with genuine appreciation, his eyes creasing when he smiled. “What’s he told you?” He seemed anxious.
Damn, he was handsome, and he sure didn’t look near old enough to be Conner’s dad. Chloe was in for a treat if Conner looked like his father in another sixteen years. She shushed her inner voice, her cheeks burning as he looked at her with those seductive eyes. She pushed the thought from her mind, this was her fiancé’s father, not some hot guy she just met.
“Well go on,” he said. “Don’t be shy. You can tell me what he’s told you—the good bad and the ugly.” He had obviously mistaken her reticence for shyness, rather than her embarrassment at appreciating how good-looking her future father-in-law was.
“I don’t know,” Chloe said, struggling to remember what Conner had told her about his dad. “That you work on oil rigs…and that you gave him a little red model truck for his fourth birthday.” She sipped her water to ease her dry mouth. “I’m sorry Mr. Michaels, Conner hasn’t told me much, but he sure does want to get to know you better and we’re both so happy you are coming to the wedding.” She added the last little bit to make the man feel better. Conner had been reluctant about inviting his father at Chloe’s urging—that was putting it mildly.
His father leaned back in his chair and looked at Chloe. “First of all, call me Wes. None of this Mr. Michaels stuff. And secondly, I like you, Chloe. You’re honest and I think that’s about one of the best things a man can ask for in a wife. I’m relieved my son has picked a girl like you…I mean a lady,” he said, correcting himself.
Chloe laughed in relief. Conner’s dad—Wes, as he wanted her to call him—seemed like an okay guy, a straight shooter. She liked that. She hoped Conner would too. Not to mention he was very easy on the eyes.
Her cheeks burned. She’d die if he could read her mind.
“I think we’re all nervous about meeting for the first time,” she said, as the waiter arrived to take their drink order. “Should we wait for Conner?” Chloe asked Wes.
“How about some Champagne? An evening like this calls for celebration.” Wes turned to the waiter. “But I’ll have a beer while we’re waiting for my son to arrive. He’s getting married.” He grinned at Chloe. “And the lady will have…,” He paused and shook his head. “I should have let you order first,.” He tipped his head toward her. “please forgive my manners, a bit nervous is all. What would you like to drink, Chloe?”
The way he said her name made her pulse race. “I’d like a martini neat, thank you,” she told the waiter.
“Martini, classic,” Wes said with approval. “I’ll have that beer, for now.” He glanced up at the waiter. “Have the Champagne on standby. My son is due any minute.”
The drinks arrived before Conner did.
Chloe and Wes chatted away surprisingly effortlessly while they waited for Conner. She relaxed. Maybe it was the martini going to her head on an empty stomach, but she felt like she was the only woman in the room as Wes inquired about her job, about how she and Conner met, about her family…all the while not taking those incredible eyes off her.
“So you’re a designer?” he asked and then loosened his tie slightly as if it were strangling him. He caught her smile and laughed. “Damn things. I’m not much for wearing a suit, but some occasions call for it.”
Chloe blushed at his honesty and couldn’t help thinking what it would be like to be on a date with this charming man. He must be very smooth with the ladies with that chiseled jaw and those rugged good looks.
“Yes, I work at a local design firm. I’m just an assistant, but I know Conner doesn’t want me to work much longer.” She faltered. ”He wants to have kids soon.” Her cheeks flushed realizing she might be talking a bit too much about herself, but this man was so easy to talk to.
“And do you?” Her insides quaked at his sincere tone, the intensity of his gaze. It was if he could see right to her core, to her doubts about being a mother, about marrying Conner.
“I…I don’t know,” she confessed. “Enough about me. Tell me about you.” Just as the words left her lips, she spotted Conner across the restaurant. Chloe actually felt a pang of regret. She could have talked to Wes all night. And imagined being in his arms. Wrong, wrong, wrong. She summoned her wits and smiled as her fiancé walked toward their table.
He was surprisingly young to be Conner’s dad, not at all what she was expecting. Her tongue felt like cotton as he extended his hand to her.
“You must be Chloe.” He shook her hand, his grip firm.
“Yes.” She smiled nervously at him. She blushed self-consciously, noting he was not only taller than Conner, but also more muscular. Conner must have gotten Pam’s build, but she could hope he’d fill out like his dad. His dark-navy suit not only fitted him like a glove but also highlighted his athletic build and accentuated his eyes. Not the oilrig worker type she had envisioned. Then she saw the tip of cowboy boots. Interesting.
“And you must be Mr. Michaels,” she said finding her voice and summoning her charm, “Conner has told me so much about you,” she said, sitting, as the Maître d held her chair for her and placed her napkin on her lap.
“He has?” Conner’s father asked with genuine appreciation, his eyes creasing when he smiled. “What’s he told you?” He seemed anxious.
Damn, he was handsome, and he sure didn’t look near old enough to be Conner’s dad. Chloe was in for a treat if Conner looked like his father in another sixteen years. She shushed her inner voice, her cheeks burning as he looked at her with those seductive eyes. She pushed the thought from her mind, this was her fiancé’s father, not some hot guy she just met.
“Well go on,” he said. “Don’t be shy. You can tell me what he’s told you—the good bad and the ugly.” He had obviously mistaken her reticence for shyness, rather than her embarrassment at appreciating how good-looking her future father-in-law was.
“I don’t know,” Chloe said, struggling to remember what Conner had told her about his dad. “That you work on oil rigs…and that you gave him a little red model truck for his fourth birthday.” She sipped her water to ease her dry mouth. “I’m sorry Mr. Michaels, Conner hasn’t told me much, but he sure does want to get to know you better and we’re both so happy you are coming to the wedding.” She added the last little bit to make the man feel better. Conner had been reluctant about inviting his father at Chloe’s urging—that was putting it mildly.
His father leaned back in his chair and looked at Chloe. “First of all, call me Wes. None of this Mr. Michaels stuff. And secondly, I like you, Chloe. You’re honest and I think that’s about one of the best things a man can ask for in a wife. I’m relieved my son has picked a girl like you…I mean a lady,” he said, correcting himself.
Chloe laughed in relief. Conner’s dad—Wes, as he wanted her to call him—seemed like an okay guy, a straight shooter. She liked that. She hoped Conner would too. Not to mention he was very easy on the eyes.
Her cheeks burned. She’d die if he could read her mind.
“I think we’re all nervous about meeting for the first time,” she said, as the waiter arrived to take their drink order. “Should we wait for Conner?” Chloe asked Wes.
“How about some Champagne? An evening like this calls for celebration.” Wes turned to the waiter. “But I’ll have a beer while we’re waiting for my son to arrive. He’s getting married.” He grinned at Chloe. “And the lady will have…,” He paused and shook his head. “I should have let you order first,.” He tipped his head toward her. “please forgive my manners, a bit nervous is all. What would you like to drink, Chloe?”
The way he said her name made her pulse race. “I’d like a martini neat, thank you,” she told the waiter.
“Martini, classic,” Wes said with approval. “I’ll have that beer, for now.” He glanced up at the waiter. “Have the Champagne on standby. My son is due any minute.”
The drinks arrived before Conner did.
Chloe and Wes chatted away surprisingly effortlessly while they waited for Conner. She relaxed. Maybe it was the martini going to her head on an empty stomach, but she felt like she was the only woman in the room as Wes inquired about her job, about how she and Conner met, about her family…all the while not taking those incredible eyes off her.
“So you’re a designer?” he asked and then loosened his tie slightly as if it were strangling him. He caught her smile and laughed. “Damn things. I’m not much for wearing a suit, but some occasions call for it.”
Chloe blushed at his honesty and couldn’t help thinking what it would be like to be on a date with this charming man. He must be very smooth with the ladies with that chiseled jaw and those rugged good looks.
“Yes, I work at a local design firm. I’m just an assistant, but I know Conner doesn’t want me to work much longer.” She faltered. ”He wants to have kids soon.” Her cheeks flushed realizing she might be talking a bit too much about herself, but this man was so easy to talk to.
“And do you?” Her insides quaked at his sincere tone, the intensity of his gaze. It was if he could see right to her core, to her doubts about being a mother, about marrying Conner.
“I…I don’t know,” she confessed. “Enough about me. Tell me about you.” Just as the words left her lips, she spotted Conner across the restaurant. Chloe actually felt a pang of regret. She could have talked to Wes all night. And imagined being in his arms. Wrong, wrong, wrong. She summoned her wits and smiled as her fiancé walked toward their table.
About The Author
Kate Deveaux is a contemporary, erotic romance writer and die-hard romantic. It was after reading Jane Eyre in high school, that she became hooked on the idea of writing about romance, excitement and drama. Kate has been penning stories, from the sensual to the sinfully sexy, ever since!
A former wedding planner, Kate has always been "in love" with love! She was inspired to transition from writing racy short stories to full length manuscripts after meeting other authors in the romance world at industry workshops, conferences and events. Now a multi published contemporary romance novelist, Kate is a member of Savvy Author, Romance Writers of America (RWA) as well as their erotic romance chapter, Passionate Ink. Born in London, England, Kate has lived in both the U.K. and the U.S. When she’s not busy writing or reading, Kate can be found on the tennis court—yes, there’s even "love" in that game too!
What’s Kate up to next? Kate is busy completing several books for release 2014, each filled with sexy romance, heroines who are no shrinking violets, and heroes who make your heart skip a beat… Coming soon in 2014….Platinum Pleasures and A Vixen in Venice
Contest Giveaway
Sometimes the best remedy for cold feet is a red hot Texan.
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