Angela Weatherby created the ultimate dating site for
women -- highlighting men to avoid because they're
smooth operators.
Alex Stamos has gotten a pretty high ranking on the
website, much to his mother's dismay. He won't, after all,
find a nice Greek wife if he doesn't settle down. But Alex,
while admittedly playing the field, is more consumed by
work than anything. In fact, he's braving a blizzard to
track down a novel that came into his publishing house.
He's determined to get the author's name on a contract
before another publisher gets him.
But before he can find the man's house, Alex slides off the
road and is rescued by the most fascinating woman he's met
in some time. Quirky Tenley Marshall takes him to her warm,
animal-filled home and Alex finds himself pulled toward her
unusual personality.
He doesn't expect what he really gets -- an incredibly
sexual, uninhibited woman who wants no strings attached.
Wow. Didn't see that one coming.
Ms. Hoffmann does an excellent job with this charmer. It's
challenging to get real character depth in a shorter novel,
but Tenley's personality will pull you right into the
pages. And really, what's more fun than seeing a rogue get
his comeuppance? A fun read -- I look forward to the rest of
this series.
Publisher Alex Stamos has never had any trouble attracting
the opposite sex. At least, he didn't…until he gets named
one of Chicago's most notorious womanizers!
Still,
Alex has more important things on his mind. Like tracking
down a reclusive hot new author in the wilds of Wisconsin.
And dealing with Tenley Marshall, the incredibly sexy woman
who saves him during a snowstorm…and then proceeds to seduce
him senseless. Not that he's complaining…
It isn't
long, though, before Alex realizes that he wants more from
Tenley than just a few nights. But he knows it's going to
take more than charm to win the heart of the only woman he's
ever truly desired—the only one who doesn't want him….
Excerpt
Alex Stamos peered into the darkness, the BMW's headlights
nearly useless in the swirling snow. He could barely make
out the edge of the road, the drifts causing the car to
fishtail even at fifteen miles per hour.
He'd done a lot of things to boost business at Stamos
Publishing and as the new CEO, that was his job. But until
now, he'd never had to risk life and limb to get what he
wanted. His cell phone rang and he reached over to pick it
up off the passenger seat. "I'm in the middle of a
blizzard," he said. "Make it quick."
"What are doing in a blizzard?" Tess asked. "I thought you
were leaving for Mexico tonight."
He had decided to put off his midwinter vacation for a few
days. Business was much more important than a week of sun
and windsurfing at his family's oceanside condo. "I have to
take care of this business first. I'm leaving the day after
tomorrow."
"Where are you?"
"The middle of nowhere," he said. "Door County."
"Isn't that in Wisconsin?"
"And you failed geography, little sister. How is that possible?"
Tess groaned. "That was in eighth grade."
"There's a new artist I need to see. He hasn't been
returning my calls, so I decided to drive up and pay a
personal visit."
"Well, I thought you'd want to know. The Devil's Own
got a great review in Publisher's Preview"
Tess said. "And the distributors have been calling all
afternoon to increase their orders. At this rate, we're
going to have to go back for the second printing before the
first is out the door, so I just wanted to let you know that
I'm going to put it on the schedule for later next week."
Tess was head of production at Stamos Publishing. She and
Alex had been working together on his new business plan for
nearly a year and this was the first sign that it was about
to pay off. Until last year, Stamos Publishing had been
known for it's snooze-inducing catalog of technical books,
covering everything from lawnmower repair to vegan cookery
to dog grooming. But as the newly appointed chief executive
officer, Alex was determined to move the company into the
twenty-first century. And that move began with a flashy new
imprint for graphic novels.
From the time he was a kid, walking through the pressroom
with his grandfather, he'd been fascinated by the family
business. While most of his peers were enjoying their
summers off, he'd worked in the bindery and the production
offices, learning Stamos Publishing from top to bottom.
His dream had been to make Stamos Publishing the premier
printer in the comic book industry. That way, he could get
all the free comic books he wanted. But as he got older,
Alex began to take the business more seriously. He saw the
weaknesses in his father's management plan and in the
company's spot in the market and vowed to make some changes
if he ever got the chance.
The chance came at the expense of his family, when his
father died suddenly four years ago. His grandfather had
come back to run the business, but only until Alex was ready
to take over. Now, nearly all the extended Stamos family,
siblings, cousins, aunts and uncles, depended upon him to
keep the business in the black.
"I'm going to run forty thousand," Tess said. "I know that's
double the first run, but I think our sell-through will be
good."
"I guess we were right about the graphic novels," he said,
keeping his concentration on the road. Though they weren't
comic books, they were the next best thing. The edgier
stories and innovative art had made them popular with
readers of all ages. And Stamos was posed to grab a nice
chunk of the market. "What else?"
"Mom is upset," Tess said. "One of her bridge club ladies
showed her that Web site. The cool operators site."
"Smooth operators," he corrected. "What did she say?"
"That a nice Greek boy won't find a nice Greek wife if he
acts like a malakas. And she also said the next
time you come to Sunday dinner, she's going to have a
conversation with you."
"Great," Alex muttered. A conversation was always much more
painful than a talk or a chat with his mother. No doubt he'd
be forced to endure a few blind dates with eligible Greek
girls, handpicked by the Stamos matriarch.
"Some people think that any P.R. is good P.R. I don't happen
to agree, Alex. I think you need to do some damage control
and you need to do it fast. I'm looking at your profile on
this page right now and it's not good. These women hate you.
Heck, I hate you, and I'm your sister."
"What do you suggest? I'm not about to talk about my love
life in public."
"Who suggested that?"
Alex cursed beneath his breath. "The owner of the Web site
called to interview me. Angela… I can't remember her last
name. Weatherall or Weathervane."
"She wants to talk to you?"
"I guess. Either that, or she wants to yell at me. But I'm
almost certain I've never dated her." He cursed softly.
"What makes her think I'm the one at fault here? Some of
these women are just as much to blame. They were ready to
get married after three dates."
"You have had a lot of girlfriends. Listen, Alex, I know
you're a nice guy. So why can't you find a nice woman?"
The car skidded and he brought it back under control,
cursing beneath his breath. "I'll figure this out when I get
back."
"So this artist must be pretty good for you to drive through
a blizzard to see him."
"A little snow is not going to stop me," he replied.
"And this guy isn't just good, he's…amazing. And oddly
uninterested in publication. The novel came through the
slush pile and I figure the reason he's avoiding me is
because he's got another publisher interested."
"So, you're just going to drive five hours in the snow and
expect he'll want to talk business?"
"I'm a persuasive guy," Alex said. "My charm doesn't just
work on the opposite sex. Besides, if I'm his first offer,
then I have a chance to get a brand-new talent for a
bargain-basement price. I'm not leaving without a signed
contract."
The car skidded again and Alex dropped his phone as he
gripped the wheel with two hands. He gently applied the
brakes and slowed to a crawl as he fished around for the
BlackBerry. But he couldn't find it in the dark. "I have to
go," he shouted, "or I'll end up in the ditch. I'll call you
after I check in."
"Let me know when you're settled," Tess replied.
Alex found the BlackBerry and tucked it in his jacket
pocket, then turned his attention back to the road. He knew
Door County was well populated, at least in the summer. But
in the middle of a Wisconsin winter, the highway was almost
desolate between the small towns, marked only by
snow-plastered signs looming in the darkness.
Was he the only one crazy enough to be out during a
blizzard? Alex leaned forward, searching for the edge of the
road through the blowing snow. A moment later, he realized
he was no longer in control of his car.
Without a sound the car hit a huge drift and came to a
silent stop in the ditch.
This time, Alex strung enough curse words together to form a
complete sentence, replete with plenty of vivid adjectives.
He wasn't sure what to do. The car wouldn't go forward or
backward. Even if he got the car back on the road, it was
becoming impossible to see where the road was. He didn't
have a shovel, so there wasn't much chance of getting
himself out of the ditch.
Alex grabbed his gloves from the seat beside him and pulled
them on. If he could clear some of the snow from beneath the
wheels, he might be able to get back on the road. If not,
he'd call the auto club for a tow. He grabbed a flashlight
from the glove box, then crawled out of the car, his feet
sinking into a three-foot drift.
Even with the flashlight, it was impossible to see through
the blowing snow. Blackness surrounded him as he dug at the
snow with his hands. But for every handful of snow he pulled
away, two more fell back beneath the tire. Alex knew the
only safe option was to wait in the car for help.
He pulled out his phone to call for a tow, but his gloves
were wet and his fingers numb from digging in the snow. The
BlackBerry slipped out of his fingers and disappeared into
the snowdrift. "Shit," he muttered. "From one bone-headed
move to the next." Was it even worth searching for the phone?
He decided against it, figuring the BlackBerry would be
ruined anyway. As he struggled back to the door, headlights
appeared on the road. For a moment, he wondered if the car
would even see him in the blinding snow, but to his relief,
the SUV stopped. He waded through the drift as the
passenger-side window opened.
"Hi," he called, leaning inside. "I'm stuck."
A female voice replied. "I can see that."
Alex could barely make out her features. She wore a huge fur
hat with earflaps and a scarf wound around her neck,
obscuring the lower part of her face. In truth, she was
bundled from top to toe, except for her eyes. "Can you give
me a ride into town?"
"No," she said. "I've just come from town. The road is
nearly impassable. I'm on my way home."
Her voice was soft and kind of husky… sexy. He felt an odd
reaction, considering it was the only thing that marked her
as a woman. "I'd call for a tow, but I lost my cell phone."
"Get in," she said. "I'll take you to my place and you can
call from there."
"Let me just get my things from the car." By the time Alex
retrieved his duffel, his laptop and his briefcase from the
BMW, he was completely caked with snow. He crawled into the
warm Jeep and pulled the door shut. "Thanks," he said. He
glanced over his shoulder to find two dogs in the backseat,
watching him silently, their noses twitching. The larger of
the two looked like a lab mix and the smaller had a fair bit
of terrier in him.
"What are you doing out on a night like tonight?" she asked.
"I could ask the same of you," Alex said with a grin. "I'm
glad you were as brave as I was."
"Stupid is more like it. And I'm not driving a sports car,"
she said.
"It's not a sports car," he said. "It's a sedan." He glanced
over at her. It was impossible to tell how old she was. And
the only clue to her appearance was a lock of dark hair that
had escaped from under her hat. "Do you live nearby?"
"Just down the road."
He settled back into the seat, staring out at the swirl of
white in front of them. He couldn't see the road at all, but
she seemed to know exactly where she was going, expertly
navigating through the drifts. Before long, she slowed and
turned off the highway onto what he assumed was a side road
and then a few minutes later, into a narrow driveway, marked
by two tall posts, studded with red reflectors. The woods
were thick on either side, so it was easy to find the way
through the trees.
A yard light was visible as they approached and, before
long, Alex could see the outline of a small cabin made of
rough-hewn logs. She pulled up in front and turned to face
him. "The front door's unlocked," she said. "I'm just going
to put the Jeep in the shed."
Alex grabbed his things from the floor and hopped out, then
walked through another knee-deep drift to get to the front
steps. As he stamped the snow off his ruined loafers, the
dogs joined him, racing through the darkness to the porch.
He opened the door a crack and the animals pushed their way
into the dimly lit interior. The cabin was one huge room,
with a timbered ceiling and tongue and groove paneling. A
stone fireplace covered one wall and windows lined the
other. The décor was like nothing he'd ever seen before,
every available space taken with bits and pieces of nature—a
bird's nest, a basket of acorns, a single maple leaf in a
frame on a bent-willow table.
He kicked off his shoes and stepped off the rug, but then
froze as the dogs growled softly. They'd seemed so friendly
in the car, but now they watched him suspiciously as he
ventured uninvited into their territory.
"The phone is over there."
He turned to see her standing in the shadows on the other
side of the kitchen. "Do they bite?" he asked.
"Only if I tell them to," she murmured. There was a subtle
warning in her tone. It wasn't surprising, considering she
just allowed a stranger into her home. For all she knew, he
could be some deranged psycho— driving an expensive European
sedan and wearing ruined Italian loafers.
"I won't make any sudden moves," he said.
She shrugged and walked out of the room, her heavy boots
leaving puddles of water on the floor. Alex slipped out of
his coat and tossed it over a nearby chair, then kicked off
his shoes. When the two dogs approached, he held his breath.
They sniffed at his feet, then each picked up a shoe and
retreated back to the sofa with their prizes.
"Give those back," he pleaded. "No, don't do that. You can't
eat those." Alex heard footsteps behind him and he spun
around, coming face-to-face with a woman of peculiar beauty.
He glanced around the room. "Hello," he said.
He slowly took in the details of her face. She wore dark
makeup on her eyes and her shoulder-length hair was cut in a
jagged way, with streaks of purple in the bangs. Was this
the woman who had rescued him? He'd imagined the face that
went with the voice, speculated about the body, but this
wasn't at all what he'd expected.
"They eat shoes," she said, grabbing the loafers and handing
them back to him.
Only when he heard her voice was Alex certain. This was
the woman who had rescued him. But the instant
attraction he felt was rather disconcerting. She was the
exact opposite of women he usually pursued. He liked
blondes, tall and willowy, surgically enhanced and
trainer-toned. This girl was petite, with an almost boyish
figure, and a quirky sense of fashion.
"Put them in the closet," she said, pointing to a spot near
one door. "They don't know how to operate a doorknob… yet.
They're still working on tearing strangers limb from limb."
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