The
Trouble with Love
Sex, Love and Stiletto #4
Trouble with Love
Sex, Love and Stiletto #4
By: Lauren Layne
Releasing March 3, 2015
Loveswept
Blurb
As Lauren Layne’s salacious Sex, Love
& Stiletto series returns, a jaded columnist discovers a steamy way to get
over an old flame: falling for him all over again.
& Stiletto series returns, a jaded columnist discovers a steamy way to get
over an old flame: falling for him all over again.
As
Stiletto magazine’s authority on all things breakup-and-heartache, Emma
Sinclair writes from personal experience. Five years ago, Emma was Charlotte,
North Carolina’s darling debutante and a blushing bride-to-be. Now she’s the
ice queen of the Manhattan dating scene. Emma left her sultry Southern drawl
behind, but not even her closest friends know that with it she left her heart.
Now Emma’s latest article forces her to face her demons—namely, the devilishly
sexy guy who ditched her at the altar.
Stiletto magazine’s authority on all things breakup-and-heartache, Emma
Sinclair writes from personal experience. Five years ago, Emma was Charlotte,
North Carolina’s darling debutante and a blushing bride-to-be. Now she’s the
ice queen of the Manhattan dating scene. Emma left her sultry Southern drawl
behind, but not even her closest friends know that with it she left her heart.
Now Emma’s latest article forces her to face her demons—namely, the devilishly
sexy guy who ditched her at the altar.
After
giving up everything for a pro-soccer career, Alex Cassidy watches his dreams
crumble as a knee injury sidelines him for good. Now he’s hanging up his cleats
and giving journalism a shot. It’s just a coincidence that he happens to pick a
job in the same field, and the same city, as his former fiancée . . . right?
But when Emma moves in next door, it’s no accident. It’s research. And Alex
can’t help wondering what might have been. Unlike the innocent girl he
remembers, this Emma is chic, sophisticated, and assertive—and she wants
absolutely nothing to do with him. The trouble is, Alex has never wanted her
more.
giving up everything for a pro-soccer career, Alex Cassidy watches his dreams
crumble as a knee injury sidelines him for good. Now he’s hanging up his cleats
and giving journalism a shot. It’s just a coincidence that he happens to pick a
job in the same field, and the same city, as his former fiancée . . . right?
But when Emma moves in next door, it’s no accident. It’s research. And Alex
can’t help wondering what might have been. Unlike the innocent girl he
remembers, this Emma is chic, sophisticated, and assertive—and she wants
absolutely nothing to do with him. The trouble is, Alex has never wanted her
more.
Author Info
Lauren Layne is asnarky cynic with a serious weakness for happily ever afters.
Marrying her high
school sweetheart was a good start. *cue Disney soundtrack.* But Lauren wanted
all romance, all the time.
school sweetheart was a good start. *cue Disney soundtrack.* But Lauren wanted
all romance, all the time.
Now she writes
fictional happy endings, and considers her job done well if you swoon while
reading her books. Don’t worry. You will.
fictional happy endings, and considers her job done well if you swoon while
reading her books. Don’t worry. You will.
Once upon a time
she lived in a Manhattan high-rise, but now she’s on the laid-back train in the
Seattle area. If you ever find yourself in Issaquah, she’ll probably buy you a
drink. Maybe.
she lived in a Manhattan high-rise, but now she’s on the laid-back train in the
Seattle area. If you ever find yourself in Issaquah, she’ll probably buy you a
drink. Maybe.
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Excerpt
“Explain?” Julie said.
Emma sighed. “The apartment above me had some sort of water
disaster. My entire apartment looks like the set of Titanic, minus
the nubile Leo.”
disaster. My entire apartment looks like the set of Titanic, minus
the nubile Leo.”
Julie eyed Emma’s wet hair. “So, is your hair wet from, like, dirty
pipe water?”
pipe water?”
“No,” Emma said, taking a last sip of Julie’s coffee and handing the
cup back as she located her badge. “Fortunately, I’d showered before the
pipe burst and I managed to dodge the worst of the spray. Unfortunately,
drying my hair wasn’t an option.”
cup back as she located her badge. “Fortunately, I’d showered before the
pipe burst and I managed to dodge the worst of the spray. Unfortunately,
drying my hair wasn’t an option.”
“Right. That whole electrocution thing,” Julie said as they swiped
their badges and headed to the elevators.
their badges and headed to the elevators.
“Um, yeah, I couldn’t have gotten electrocuted even if I wanted to,”
Emma said, punching the Up button. “The power went out.”
Emma said, punching the Up button. “The power went out.”
Julie’s brown eyes bugged out. “Seriously? Flooded and you have
no power? Is everything ruined?”
no power? Is everything ruined?”
“Of course not. I still have this lovely dress,” Emma said, pulling
the hem of her dress out to the side, curtsy style. She pretended not to notice
the way the two girls who had been gossiping happily as they crossed the
elevator lobby immediately quieted when they spotted her.
the hem of her dress out to the side, curtsy style. She pretended not to notice
the way the two girls who had been gossiping happily as they crossed the
elevator lobby immediately quieted when they spotted her.
The dress would have been a distraction all by itself. The drippy
wet bun was also atypical for a swanky office building in which sophisticated and polished
was the unofficial dress code for women.
wet bun was also atypical for a swanky office building in which sophisticated and polished
was the unofficial dress code for women.
But a lack of makeup made everything worse. Much worse.
Not that Emma was really a glam type of girl, but she had a distinct
disadvantage of having very fair eyelashes, despite her medium brown hair. And
her eyes’ shape made it worse. They were both large and tilted upward in a
semi-distinctive manner. Bambi eyes, her mother had always called them.
disadvantage of having very fair eyelashes, despite her medium brown hair. And
her eyes’ shape made it worse. They were both large and tilted upward in a
semi-distinctive manner. Bambi eyes, her mother had always called them.
But without eyeliner and mascara, she was more Lord of the Rings’
Gollum than
adorable baby deer.
Gollum than
adorable baby deer.
“You know, it’s a good dress, if a bit out of place for work,” Julie
mused, as they followed the two gossiping girls and a middle-aged man yapping
into his phone onto the elevator. “Sexy. A little slutty even. Go you!”
mused, as they followed the two gossiping girls and a middle-aged man yapping
into his phone onto the elevator. “Sexy. A little slutty even. Go you!”
“That’s great, Jules. Slutty was just what I
was going for on a random Wednesday morning at the office.”
was going for on a random Wednesday morning at the office.”
“Well then, you should have called me. We’re the same size–ish. I
could have lent you something.”
could have lent you something.”
“I’ll be taking you up on that tomorrow,” Emma said as Julie hit the
button for the twelfth floor.
button for the twelfth floor.
“Everything I have will need to be dry-cleaned at
best, burned at worst. But this morning, I couldn’t make it from Upper East
over to Upper West in the middle of traffic and still make it to the office in
time.”
best, burned at worst. But this morning, I couldn’t make it from Upper East
over to Upper West in the middle of traffic and still make it to the office in
time.”
The elevator doors had just started to close when a male hand stuck
between them, activating their sensors so that the doors reopened.
between them, activating their sensors so that the doors reopened.
Great.
Really freaking fantastic.
Really freaking fantastic.
A lesser woman would have groaned in dismay at the sight of the man
in front of her.
in front of her.
Emma merely straightened her shoulders, ignoring Julie’s softly
uttered “Oh, dear.”
uttered “Oh, dear.”
It was him.
Thank you so much for hosting today!!
Thank you for letting me be a part of the tour!