Teaser Tuesday: This Is True Love: Chapter One Ends

Hello, my friends. THIS IS TRUE LOVE releases next Monday! But before then, I'd like to finish the sneak peek I've been giving you the last two weeks!

We've come to the end of Chapter One. If this is the first time you're seeing this, catch up on Chapter One: Part One and Part Two.

Without further ado, the conclusion to Chapter One of THIS IS TRUE LOVE! Well, after you scroll past the cover. :)

View fullsize

Fliss inhaled and exhaled slowly. Where to begin? “I enjoyed the small involvement I had in the company.”

“Which is why Keith gave you five percent of his share as a one-year anniversary gift.”

“Right. Little did I know it was a way to ease his guilty conscience for screwing everything in a skirt.” She winced at the anger creeping into her tone and held up a hand. “Sorry. That’s not business and ultimately not the point.”

***

Alex bit back a curse. He’d never forget the day Keith had come to him practically giddy because he’d met the woman destined to be his wife. Alex had been skeptical because of Keith’s well-earned reputation as a womanizer, but his best friend had insisted she was different. He’d found the female version of himself—gorgeous and successful—waiting in line at the bar at the Academy Awards. They’d both heard of Felicity Chambers (who hadn’t?), but she was even more perfect in person than on the big screen, Keith had said. He’d assured Alex he’d be faithful to his wife. He’d probably meant it, too. Until the thrill of the chase was gone and he’d stepped onto another movie set and met Hollywood’s newest starlet, who was willing to do anything to make a name for herself—including sleeping with one of the world’s biggest stars, regardless of the fact that he was married. Or maybe because of it. Who knew how many others there’d been?

“Anyway,” Fliss continued, interrupting his trip down bad memory lane, “because California is a community property state, splitting our assets shouldn’t have been that hard, except Keith wanted to argue about every single dollar even with a prenup, the greedy bastard. So things got more contentious.”

“I know that,” he said, crossing his arms. “Get to the point.”

“Finally, I got fed up with the drama and really thought about what Keith valued. It wasn’t hard to figure out. After all, I was married to the man for three years. He likes the perks of fame—the cars, the bling, the money, the attention. The hard work? Not so much.”

“Once again, I know, which is why he’d agreed to sell me his share of Crescendo after the divorce was final.” More or less. Fed up with how his friend was treating his wife, who didn’t deserve to be publicly humiliated no matter how much she confounded Alex, he’d let Keith know in no uncertain terms he was tired of his shady ways.

“Yes, but you have to understand I don’t care about the bling and cars, so I gave him what he wanted in exchange for something that held much more meaning to me. Crescendo.” Fliss dropped her gaze to the bottle in her hands. “And, umm, I might have told him that giving me his shares instead of selling them to you would make it easier to save face in Hollywood—you know, so people wouldn’t spread rumors that his best friend had kicked him out of the company.”

Unbelievable. The anger he’d done his damnedest to control flared once again. “In other words, you stole Crescendo from right underneath my nose.”

Her head shot up. “Okay, now who’s being dramatic? You still own as much of the company as you ever did. Half. You just have a new business partner.” She beamed, clearly pleased with herself. Her beautiful eyes shone with joy.

He refused to be dazzled. Not this time. “I don’t want a new business partner.”

He liked working alone. Having his success or failure rest on his shoulders alone. Yes, Keith’s name had offered instant credibility for the company, but Keith had liked the prestige of owning a production company and the profits that came with it more than the actual work. Just the way Alex liked it. Still, legally he’d needed Keith to sign off on projects and had felt an obligation to keep his former partner in the loop.

As part owner, Fliss occasionally gave input, but for the most part she’d been busy shooting movies and then finalizing the divorce. Now she wanted to get actively involved when he was on the cusp of assuming total control and taking Crescendo to the next level with no need to check in with anyone about anything? When he was on the cusp of finally becoming the success he’d dreamed of for so long? No. Thank. You.

Fliss set her bottle down and hopped off the stool, bringing her nearly naked, gorgeous body much too close for comfort. Once again, he commanded himself to concentrate on her words and not his barely checked desire to stroke her tempting flesh.

“I know you don’t want a new, full-time partner,” she said. “You’re a control freak. Someone who likes to work alone.”

“Exactly.” He saw no reason to deny it. As far as he was concerned, it wasn’t a drawback. But that wasn’t the only reason he didn’t want Fliss as a co-owner. How were they supposed to work together after…

“Let’s be real, Alex.”

He refocused on the woman standing in front of him, mutinous expression on her beautiful face. “Yes, let’s.”

“You’re a little gruff, a little stuffy. That hurts you sometimes when it comes to business.”

“Are you trying to convince me with insults? Interesting strategy,” he said dryly. “Crescendo is doing fine. I’m doing fine.”

“Yes, but imagine the possibilities if we joined forces,” she said, patting his chest. It felt like he’d been branded, he felt the touch so keenly, even through his T-shirt. His heartbeat pounded in his ears. Why her? Why now when they’d never gotten along? Except for that one night he couldn’t stop obsessing over.

“I don’t want to join forces,” he said. “I’ll buy your shares from you. Problem solved.”

“I bring a different energy, a different perspective,” she added like he hadn’t spoken. She continued to pat his chest. “I have connections of my own that we can leverage to make Crescendo even more successful than it already is. Together, we’d be unstoppable.”

Alex caught her hand in mid-pat and ensnared her gaze. “Not going to happen,” he said flatly.

Not today. Not tomorrow. Not ever.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Click the icon to add THIS IS TRUE LOVE to your To-Be-Read Shelf on Goodreads and/or head to my Facebook page to enter to win a chance to read THIS IS TRUE LOVE before it's published!

Teaser Tuesday: THIS IS TRUE LOVE: Part Deux

Hey all,

The release of THIS IS TRUE LOVE is one week closer! That makes me nervous, but very excited. As promised, here is the second part of chapter one. The last part will be posted next week. If you missed part one, click here to read it first!

View fullsize

Fliss squeezed the excess water out of her hair and patted the strands dry with the towel while she waited for Alex’s response.

He was so hot, literally and figuratively—his dark chocolate eyes glittering down at her, his hard jaw set, thick lips pressed into a thin line, his muscled arms crossed. A red T-shirt complemented the smooth mocha color of his skin. Better yet, the shirt, dampened by sweat, clung to his impressive chest. How had she missed his hotness for years? Dumb question. When a man made it clear he could barely stand to be in your presence, his looks became a touch less important.

But she was noticing now.

Not that it mattered. Getting involved with someone, especially when that someone was Alex, ranked right above getting bitten by a shark on her to-do list. From the moment she and Alex had met, they’d had an uneasy relationship. He didn’t approve of her or her quick courtship with her ex-husband, Keith. Oh, he’d never voiced the opinions out loud, but the cool reserve in his eyes and in his attitude toward her spoke volumes. She’d done her best to ignore it, ignore him, but in her less charitable moments, she’d had some not-so complimentary thoughts about him. Like thinking he should try taking the stick out of his emotionally stunted, unromantic butt. So, no, it didn’t matter that she’d taken note of his admirable physical attributes.

He didn’t speak, although his glare never faltered. She ordered herself to maintain eye contact and not let her smile drop.

Yes, she knew why he was here. Because she had something he wanted.

Now that he’d shown up, she had to get him from angry to amenable. If she could. Setting forth the reasons for her actions, no matter how valid, might not be enough. Not when he was in this mood. Alex didn’t like surprises. He clearly wasn’t happy about the one she’d sprung on him, but he’d get used to it. She hoped.

She clutched the towel to her chest. “Let’s go inside and get out of this heat. You must be tired and hot from the drive up here. There’ll be plenty of time later for you to yell at me about my supposed transgression.”

His lips tightened even more, but he didn’t argue, instead following her inside. On the way in, she detoured to the audio system, turning off Adele in mid-lament. Although he didn’t speak, she was tuned into his every move—his long, purposeful strides behind her, the angry breaths he was trying to control. At five seven, she was taller than the average woman, but he still towered over her.

Fliss dropped the towel on a dining room chair on their way to the kitchen, but her step faltered when the air conditioning pebbled her skin. Oh yeah. She was almost naked. Should she go back for her towel? She didn’t want Alex to think she was trying to entice him or anything crazy like that. God no.

No, she’d only be drawing more attention to her clothes-less state if she acted embarrassed. At least her butt was greatness, or so Us Weekly claimed anyway. Continuing toward the kitchen, she looked over her shoulder. “What do you want to drink?”

“Water.”

Short and not so sweet. Okay. Obviously she had her work cut out for her.

She retrieved two bottles from the refrigerator and passed him one. He leaned against the counter, opened it, and took a long swallow, glaring at her over the top of the bottle, almost making her miss his usual look of disapproval. Almost.

She hopped up on a barstool at the kitchen island and took a swig of water to give herself a moment to decide her next step. She gripped the bottle hard, glad she had something to occupy her hands, which had an annoying tendency to fidget when she was nervous. And she was definitely nervous. About what she’d done. About what he thought about what she’d done. Plus, they’d always had Keith to act as a buffer. Now that was no longer an option. But it would be okay. She hoped.

His bottle thudded on the counter, interrupting her thoughts. Her gaze shot up. His dark eyes bored into hers across the island. “Can I speak now?”

She produced her best carefree smile, taking full advantage of all those acting classes she’d attended over the years. “Sure.”

“Would you please explain to me why I had to find out on Twitter, of all places, that you, not Keith, ended up with his shares of Crescendo?”

Tension crept into her shoulders. “Well—”

“Need I remind you, either of you, that I own half the business?” he interrupted, his voice rising.

“Well—”

“This is not in any way, shape, or form what we discussed.”

“I know.”

“You know,” Alex said, his voice rife with the sarcasm that was so him.

The familiar tone settled her nerves. This she could handle. She’d been deflecting his barbs for years.

He pushed away from the counter and stalked around the island, his head down like he was trying to gather his thoughts. “Then, when I tried to call you, you didn’t answer. But lucky me, I did get a cryptic email from you. What did it say again?”

She knew. She’d agonized for hours over the message’s wording.

He stopped and pierced her with a laser gaze. “Oh, yeah. It said, ‘You want what I’ve got? Come and get it. You know where to find me.’”

Alex pressed his hands down on the island, bracketing her with his arms, and leaned in, invading her space, until their faces were inches apart. “What the hell is going on?” he asked through gritted teeth.

Be strong, Fliss. Yes, he was angry, but she’d made the best decision for herself. For Crescendo. Her lips curved, and she tapped him on the nose. “You know you can stop with all the He-Man stuff, right? You don’t scare me.”

She probably shouldn’t be needling him, try to be more conciliatory instead, but his Lord of the Manor, how dare you not do what I say? attitude grated on her nerves. Nothing new there.

The muscle in his rock-hard jaw ticked faster, drawing her attention to the five-o’clock shadow covering it. The hair looked soft. Would it tickle her palm? Her gaze jerked upward, only to be caught by his gorgeous eyes. He didn’t budge. Trapped between him and the counter, she caught a whiff of his scent. Soap and, underneath it, a subtle, masculine essence she could only call Alex. The same scent that had been haunting her since that night.

“You can stop avoiding the question,” he bit out.

Yep. Nerves grated. Better to concentrate on that rather than her dangerous, crazy thoughts. She shrugged. “Why? I haven’t had this much fun in a long time.”

Alex pushed away from the counter, taking his heat with him, and made another pass around the island. “Don’t try that on me. It’s not going to work.”

She warily followed his every move. “What’s not going to work?”

“You playing the sympathy card. I’m not going to feel sorry for you. This is business.”

More of that lofty Lord of the Manor tone.

Her chin lifted. “Yes, I know.”

“Then why are you playing games?”

“Who said I was?”

He slammed his hands down on the island, hemming her in again. “I do. You don’t return my calls and then I get an email?”

Just like that, her nerves made an unwanted return. But she’d be damned if she let him see. She forced her lips upward. “But you came, right? You knew where to find me.”

“I don’t appreciate being manipulated.”

Fliss sighed. “I know.” For better or for worse, he was always clear and upfront with people. No one had to guess where they stood with him, least of all her. He demanded the same respect in return. “I needed to talk to you.”

His dark eyes flashed. “Then why didn’t you pick up the phone?”

“In person. In private. You know there’s no privacy in L.A. I needed to get you alone.”

“So you could talk in circles?” he bit out.

The grumpy cat certainly knew how to scratch when provoked. Her eyebrows rose in irritation. “No. So we could have this business discussion without worrying about prying eyes and ears. After the news leaked, someone would’ve noticed if I showed up at Crescendo or if you came to my house. Paparazzi would have been crawling outside in no time flat.”

He gave a brisk nod. “Fine. I’m here. Let’s talk.”

“You might want to stop glaring at me and give me some space to breathe.” His scent still wrapped itself around her, making it hard to think. And she needed to think. And not about why his scent was affecting her in such an unsettling, unwelcome way.

He glowered at her for another second, then retreated a step, holding up his palms. “Fine. I did what you wanted. Now will you start talking? How did you end up with Keith’s share of the company, and why wasn’t I told or consulted?”

Fliss inhaled and exhaled slowly. Where to begin?

________________________________________________________

I hope you enjoyed it! To win an ADVANCED READER COPY, head over to my author page on Facebook!

New Book News (Yes, finally!)

Last August, I released my first book, TELL ME SOMETHING GOOD, and it was better than I'd ever imagined. Finally, after years of work, I was a published author. People read my work and the majority liked it at least a little - lol.

I was about to type "what no one tells you" except that's not true. People tell you all the time that getting another book out is just as hard or harder than the first book. I knew it, but hoped that wouldn't apply to me, but it did.

Good news though - our long, national nightmare is almost over! I'm releasing another book! Like soon! Cue the Hallelujah Chorus!

I present to you THIS IS TRUE LOVE, book one in my Exclusive! series.

View fullsize

Isn't that cover gorgeous?! The cover artist, with no directive from me, used my favorite color, purple, which elicited all the squees from me. So what is it about?

To know me is to know that I have a few loves: sports, pop culture, and romance. Sports were a big part of TMSG (and will continue to be in the books for that series), but I really, really wanted to write a series of books that explored my other love. I hear you. "Yeah, yeah, Jamie. That's great, but get to the point already." Oh, all right. You win.

Here's the blurb:

EXCLUSIVE! Which movie star is moving on with her ex’s BFF?

Hollywood A-lister Felicity Chambers has managed to walk away with her cheating husband’s share of their production company in their highly publicized divorce, sources say. Even more scandalous? Their business partner, Alex Graham, knew nothing about it until the papers were signed, sealed, and delivered. After coming oh-so-close to acquiring the shares he was promised, Alex is not happy about the change in plans.

Although she denies it to anyone who’ll listen, those in the know say that lately Fliss has been noticing more than Alex’s business acumen. Like his broad shoulders and sexy smile and…you get the picture. 

The truly shocking part? The feeling may be mutual. Very mutual.

Not that Alex intends to admit it. Ever. Even if it kills him. He’s set on convincing Fliss to sell her stake to him and then staying far, far away from the alluring star. A solid plan…except our sources tell us he needs her help in securing a business deal. So who’s going to come out on top in this battle of business smarts and hearts? We don’t know, but we can’t wait to find out!

Do you like it? Please say yes. :)

Next question: When will it be out? July 13, less than one month away! I can't wait for y'all to meet Fliss and Alex. If you want an emailed reminder when the book becomes available, sign up for my New Release Alert. I promise not to pester you unnecessarily.