And then she showed up. An obstacle in my path struggling with a suitcase.
Jess tempted me before I’d even left the States. But there was something more. She intrigued me. Could the actress with the knockout smile help turn my life around?
I offered her a business arrangement she couldn’t refuse. No complications. No distractions. What could possibly go wrong?
* * *
A Novel Christmas
Go to an island, my publisher said. Reclaim your writing mojo, he added. Be inspired, he suggested. Oh, sexy shenanigans, was I inspired. Drew Carolla would do that to a woman. Reclusive and brooding, an ex-pilot-come-sexy-woodcutter-come-luxury-wedding-venue-owner-come…here.
Writing romance doesn’t come easy when you don’t have a muse, and I was on a deadline. Four weeks to write my next bestseller or face being dropped by my publisher. Thankfully, watching Drew chop wood, sweaty and shirtless, soon had the words flowing like water through Cornish coastline rock pools.
But Drew had his own stories to tell. Why did his luxury wedding venue no longer host weddings? Why did he scoff at the idea of romance? And why, despite that, did he look at me like he wanted to wake up on Christmas morning and find me naked in his bed?
Conundrums. Drew was full of them. Too bad I wasn’t writing psychological thrillers.
Would Drew Carolla, a man who didn’t believe in romance, inspire my greatest love story or leave me with unfinished chapters?
* * *
Lament
Dear Grief Fairy,
I’ve met a man who encompasses grief.
Alexander Blayren, the brooding cellist.
The man I crave.
He’s rude, bold and brash, but I see what’s underneath.
A man crying out.
Surviving for the sake of his daughter. Just.
Alexander didn’t believe you could survive grief. Loss had painted his life black, dimming the lights and quietening the music.
But I didn’t agree.
When I lost my family, dance was my therapy. Movement, my recovery.
Could music be his?
Would his notes be a reprieve; the strings, his lifeline?
Or could his journey to survival begin with me?
Through the body he studies as I dance, my cries of pleasure under his fingertips, or his arousal at my willing restraint?
Grief Fairy, you understand me better than anyone. Can I relieve Alexander’s lament?
Yours,
Nat
One Night Only
What if you met the right man at the wrong time?
Stacey
He’s a male escort.
As in, he has sex for a living.
As in, my hard limit.
I’m supposed to be writing an article about him, not falling for him.
But something about Matthew Shaw makes me want to suppress that hard limit.
He’s smart, funny, and too beautiful for his own good.
But he makes his money through orgasms…and I don’t share.
I can’t. I won’t.
But I still want to.
Matt
There are reasons why I escort.
Reasons no one knows.
But when Stacey waltzes into my life, with her eager questions and fiery red hair, I start to imagine a different kind of life. The life I can’t have with her.
She’s the one I’ve been waiting for.
The gorgeous journalist who lights up a room.
But how can I ask her to stay?
If I stop, if I give up, I’ll lose everything.
I wish I could tell her why.
I can’t. I won’t.
But, God, do I want to.
This sassy heroine, swoony hero, soul-mates and fate story is a standalone and has a happily ever after.
Acknowledgments
This. Book. I never thought I would finish it. I couldn’t put my finger on why I was stopping and starting over the course of almost a year. Then it hit. What Skye was dealing with was a little too close to the bone. I’ve struggled with my emotional health this last year for lots of different reasons. It continues to be a work in progress, as it is with Skye, but I’m learning to not be too hard on myself. I’m so pleased I continued with their story and I hope you enjoyed their journey to their happy ever after that I never thought would come!
Thanks to Ann – Not only are you an amazing beta reader but you’re an amazing person and you’ve supported me so much during the process of writing Will and Skye’s book. Thanks for checking in on me!
Thanks to Laura, Jenn and Jessica – I know it was hard for you to find your focus and the time to beta read during the COVID-19 madness. Thanks for your comments and love.
Thanks to JoAnn at Twin Tweaks editing.
Thanks to Kari at Kari March designs for a beautiful cover.
Finally, thanks to my readers. Your support means so much.
Stay safe x
About the Author
Lynsey M. Stewart enjoys writing stories about characters that experience a few bumps in the road before finding their happily ever after (also known as contemporary romance with plenty of heat). She lives with her husband, her soul mate and muse, along with their gorgeous, precious, ridiculously independent little girl. Lynsey began writing after being inspired by great books, amazing writers and wonderful stories that she couldn’t stop thinking about long after reading the last word. If she’s not writing, you can usually find her with her head in a book or singing along to music. She’s hopeless, but she enjoys pretending to be Adele every once in a while.
Find Lynsey on:
www.lynseymstewart.com
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