Thirsty Hearts #1
Self Published
February 2016
On Sale: February 14, 2016
Featuring: Micky Llewellyn; Nick Halden
384 pages ISBN: 0157996204 EAN: 2940157996208 Kindle: B019M5GZV6 e-Book Add to Wish List
Micky Llewellyn has trusted men before—with disastrous
results. Now, she’s focused on her career, her friends, and
making sure she doesn’t let another charming man lie to her
and break her heart. Nick Halden’s life has unfolded
according to plan—a career at a top law firm and an
engagement to the perfect socialite (he hopes). Fate throws
them together, and in their struggle to balance love and
ambition, they have to decide what they want before they lose
the one thing that matters.
Meet the heroine: Micky Llewellyn
Occupation: High-tech marketing
Drink of choice: Slightly dirty vodka martinis
Favorite thing: The smell of a man in bed
Pet peeve: Liars and cheaters
Biggest weakness: Tall, dark, and handsome men with green
eyes and a secret
Meet the hero: Nick Halden
Occupation: Corporate lawyer
Drink of choice: Scotch whisky
Favorite thing: A woman in knee-high boots — and nothing
else
Pet peeve: Manipulative in-laws
Biggest weakness: Sexy brunettes who don’t let him get away
with anything
EXCERPT FROM CHARMING YOU
Uh-oh. Nick's demeanor shifted in front of her. She'd
wandered into forbidden territory. Micky tilted her head and
examined the handsome, in-control man sitting across from
her.
His lips pressed together in dismay. Something about his past
relationship had gotten away from him. She wondered what kind
of woman it would take to make a man like Nick polish off an
ounce of Scotch in less than nanosecond. She'd never had that
power over a man. She should let it go, but she couldn't help
herself.
"Christmas in Paris? Must be nice. Didn't your family mind
your being away?" she asked and then waited. Nick shook his
head almost imperceptibly.
"We left after Christmas and just spent the New Year there,"
he replied.
"We?" Micky inquired.
"My fiancée and I," he admitted.
Micky took a deep breath to settle the anger that popped up
inside her. She dug her heels into the floor and pressed
against the padded back of the booth.
"Not 'ex-fiancée?'"
Nick looked away from her and sighed.
"She broke things off. I tried talking to her, and she
wouldn't even return my phone calls. That was months ago.
Then, suddenly this week, she surfaces again. We're supposed
to have dinner to sort things out. I don't know," he said and
shrugged.
"Yet, you're here with me," Micky bit out, hoping she could
keep her temper in check. These men and their prevarications
got her hackles up.
"Having a drink." A smile tilted his full lips.
"Don't you think it's kind of shitty to be having drinks with
one woman while you're still engaged to another?"
"You looked upset in the elevator, and I thought it would be
nice to have a friendly drink. We're going Dutch, remember? I
can have female friends. What have we done that's
inappropriate? Nothing."
Confronted with Nick's matter-of-fact assessment of their
meet-up, Micky had to admit that, for her, it wasn't nothing.
And she doubted that the pull of attraction went one way. She
contemplated grabbing her purse and stalking out of the bar.
"We've flirted," she admitted, which only served to amuse him
further.
"Really? You seemed pretty pissed off the other night even
though I'm not entirely sure why."
"That's funny because the thing that pissed me off then has
turned out to be true. You casually talked about being into
all manners of women. So many women, so little time, I guess.
Now you tell me that your called-off engagement might not be
called-off. It makes me wonder if that's all some elaborate
tale to keep me thinking you're available when you're not,"
Micky snapped, the control she had over her ire dissipating.
"Believe me, I'm not one to date more than one woman at a
time. Most guys may say they want lots of women in their
life, but trust me, I don't need the drama."
"Women bring drama?"
"Not necessarily, but I've found that the level of crazy in a
man's life rises exponentially with the number of women." He
sighed and started to speak again, but Micky cut him off.
"I see," she said, looking around the bar for the waiter.
"No, wait. I just mean that juggling women is a bad idea and
a habit that I broke myself of a long time ago."
"Have you? Because I don't care what you say. I've seen the
way you look at me, and it is most definitely inappropriate
if you're promised to someone else. Is it so hard to wrap up
one relationship entirely before looking for your next
conquest?"
The green in Nick's eyes deepened. He leaned over the table.
"You're right. I'm attracted to you. I'd love nothing more
than to drag you upstairs to one of the rooms in this hotel
and strip those uptight business clothes off of you."
Micky dropped her gaze to the drink in front of her, unable
to look Nick in the eye. The hairs on her neck rose and
vibrated. His words scalded her.
As infuriated as she was, she couldn't deny the twist she
felt in her belly as her insides turned liquid. She squeezed
her eyes shut, only opening them when she heard Nick continue
after a heated pause.
"But I haven't even come close to doing it. I know my
situation is complicated right now, and I wouldn't start
something I couldn't finish."
Micky looked up at him again. He clenched and released his
fists, then pulled his splayed hands slowly toward him across
the tabletop. His breathing hitched.
The waiter came to the table, and Micky handed him her credit
card without even seeing the bill. Nick did the same. They
sat in silence and waited for the bow-tied server to return
with their split bill. Micky's heart kept pounding. Signing
the bill and slipping her card back into her purse, Micky
knew…she couldn't see him again.
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