At eighteen, pregnant and abandoned, Laura Charles took on
the responsibility of being a single mother. Her daughter,
Holly,
is now 14 and they are living in Memphis after Laura has
lost her job with a bank. A numbers girl, the waitressing
job at Viva Las Vegas is barely paying the bills, even
though her boss Willodean has given her an apartment at the
hotel along with her job. A TV filming event for their
annual celebrity look alike is scheduled to take place on
April Fool's Day. Heart throb KT Masters is hosting the
travel show in the Rock'n Rolla hotel restaurant. First
sight of KT has Laura's heart pitter patting but is turned
off by his arrogant ways.
Everything "Elvis" displays the background for the event.
Wearing the skimpy showgirl outfit with feathers at the
bottom precipitates the accident that introduces Laura and
KT, followed by some sharp comments to KT. Anyone not
hanging on his every word gets his attention. The tiny
little dark haired woman with the sharp tongue is an enigma
to KT and speeds up his libido. Hiring Laura to be his
assistant for extra money for her daughter soon turns to hot
sizzling sex. The problem is that it seems to go deeper
than either anticipates. After the event is over they have
both declared their love for the other knowing it cannot go
anywhere. KT has his life in Los Angeles and she is bound
to the only job she can find. Being the independent woman
she is, she remains in Memphis but her heart has gone with
KT. Can there be a solution as KT does not want the
responsibility of being a father and Laura desires more
children and a secure family life?
This very cute story features a strong willed woman
dedicated to motherhood and determined to make the best life
ever for her daughter. The famous handsome celeb does not
fit into her wants and needs. Desiring each other turns
both their worlds upside down. I have not had the privilege
of reviewing any of Cheryl Harper's works before and am
completely blown away! I love the way her story flows with
a mingling of sex, nostalgia, humor and excitement. Cheryl
Harper definitely knows how to keep the reader's interest to
the very last word. The characters are attractive,
interesting and extremely exciting. I cannot wait to read
more from this very talented author.
Take a chance on love in the limelight with Cheryl Harper's
fun and flirty new series set in the wacky Elvis-themed
Rock'n'Rolla Hotel.
Big shot producer KT Masters never apologizes. Especially
not to showgirl waitresses. But when he tears Laura
Charles's feathered costume and she gives him a piece of
her mind, it sets him aflame. In fact, between Laura's
feisty temper and how damn good she looks in that little
number, KT wouldn't mind seeing a lot more of that
costume . . . balled up next to his bed, that is.
Despite KT's arrogant attitude, Laura can't help but be
drawn to him. And when he offers her the fling of a
lifetime—a week spent in his gorgeous celebrity arms—she's
willing to play along . . . just so long as her heart stays
out of it.
But as things heat up between them, going back to the way
things were isn't so easy. Could their passion be the real
thing . . . or just a vacation from reality?
Excerpt
The cluster of Chers at the corner table was making
Laura Charles nervous. They were clearly hungry. Very, very
hungry. Their predatory eyes were trained on the kitchen and
their wigs rippled in some nonexistent breeze.
Laura leaned against the counter and shot a
surreptitious look at the table in the mirror over the bar.
She couldn't look for too long. The Las Vegas
Strip–worthy lights surrounding the mirrors would burn
a hole into her brain with too much exposure. Everything
about the Rock'n'Rolla Hotel was a nod to Elvis, and Viva
Las Vegas, the lobby bar and restaurant, was no different.
While the hotel lobby channeled Graceland's Jungle Room with
lush greenery and dark woods, Viva Las Vegas was more
sequined showgirls and bright white lights. The tropical
greenery here provided welcome shade from the bar's
overwhelming glow.
"Sal, can I get an update on the entrees for table
twenty?" Laura leaned forward to add, "It looks like the
Chers are fixing to turn back time on my rear if you don't
get me something quick."
She tried to stealthily tug the neckline of her uniform
up. Since Vegas was the theme, the wait staff dressed like
they'd be forming a kickline at any minute. The short,
skintight dresses could have been a lot worse. Everything
Laura had was covered but she wished she had a quarter for
every time she inched the sequined halter up or smoothed the
bottom down. And the hot pink satin drew attention. More
than the color or the cut, the three huge feathers attached
right over her rear had taken some getting used to.
When there was no answer from the kitchen, Laura said,
"Ha! Get it? Turn back time? Chers?"
Sal didn't seem to appreciate her joke as he wiped a
pristine white towel across his forehead and slid three
plates through the pass. "Always the same, these folks.
Don't eat for three months before they come, so worried
their gall–dang costumes won't fit, and when they get
here, they're starved. And mean."
Laura slid the plates on a small tray. "Thanks, Sal.
Let's just hope they're good tippers."
He muttered, "Don't count on it."
Sal was never a ray of sunshine. In the four months
she'd worked here, she'd seen him smile twice. He and Marcy,
the waitress who had taught Laura everything she knew about
waiting tables, had done their best to prepare her for the
bar's Almost Famous competition. An April Fool's Day
tradition, the celebrity look–alike talent show had
always been popular but this year the stakes were even
higher. A travel show was going to tape the whole thing and
somehow they'd roped in real, Hollywood judges. She had less
than a week to adjust to sliding a burger and fries in front
of Elton John while Michael Jackson looked on. The best
thing about waiting tables at Viva Las Vegas was that every
day was a new challenge. It was also the worst thing.
As Laura approached the Cher table, she had no idea
who'd ordered what. The Chers were nearly identical,
although one had a rounder face and more...generous
measurements. Laura thought she might also be a woman. The
other two were harder to guess.
"All right. I've got a burger." Laura held up the plate
and waited for a reaction. When the tallest of the three
finally huffed out a breath, she slid the plate in front of her.
The round Cher said, "And I had the pasta."
Grateful for the help, Laura flashed her a smile and
slid the remaining two plates on the table. She grabbed her
tilting headdress and slid it back as she asked, "What else
can I get you?"
None of them spoke, just flashed darkly mysterious eyes
her direction in a clear dismissal. Laura picked up her tray
and carefully schooled her face into pleasant vacancy. She'd
made the mistake of rolling her eyes in the early days,
completely forgetting the mirrors and lights of ten thousand
suns lining the bar. That customer had only been calmed with
a free dessert and a solemn, if completely insincere, apology.
She quickly and efficiently checked on all her tables
and then darted back to the dressing area to dump her
headdress and heels. They were part of the official uniform
but nobody managed the plumed headdress for long. Laura was
the only one who abandoned heels at the first opportunity;
but ballet flats were more comfortable, entirely more her.
Without the extra few inches from heels, the three feathers
tacked on right over her butt would drag the ground. Being
shorter than average meant lots of her clothes dragged the
ground. That was a sacrifice she was willing to make even if
she did occasionally sweep up old French fries. Her tips
would be better in stilettos but her toes might secede from
the union of her foot after a six–hour shift.
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