Anything
But Love
By:
Beth Ciotta
St.
Martin’s Press
Releasing
Oct 1st,
2013
Blurb
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For
Reagan Deveraux, Sugar Creek, Vermont, and the Cupcake Lovers are a
dream come true: A cozy little town where family and friends come
before everything else. She’s never experienced anything like
it—especially not growing up with her mother, a fickle, fame-hungry
heiress. But Rae’s plan to hide out in anonymity for a year until she can claim her inheritance—and her independence—changes with one kiss from gorgeous pub owner Luke Monroe.
heiress. But Rae’s plan to hide out in anonymity for a year until she can claim her inheritance—and her independence—changes with one kiss from gorgeous pub owner Luke Monroe.
Luke’s
charm is legendary, but he’s never been a one-woman man. Until Rae
captures his attention, that is, and then disappears. With a little
help from a friend, Luke tracks her down—and unearths secrets
almost too wild to be true, as well as the fact that Rae lied to him,
and to all of Sugar Creek. Luke’s not sure if he can forgive her,
but he definitely can’t forget her, and when she returns to save
the Cupcake Lovers from disaster, he knows it’s his chance to get
the truth—and get the girl, this time for good…
Link
to Follow Tour:
http://tastybooktours.blogspot.com/2013/08/now-booking-release-day-tasty-book_17.html
Buy
Links:
Author
Bio
Storytelling
comes naturally to award-winning author Beth Ciotta. Dubbed "fun
and sexy" by Publisher's Weekly, Beth specializes in
contemporary, historical, steampunk, and paranormal romantic
fiction.
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Beth
lives in NJ with her husband, two zany dogs, and a crazy cat. A
retired professional performer, Beth now pours her artistic passion
into her writing. To learn more about her colorful life, visit her
website at www.bethciotta.com
Author
Links
Excerpt
“I’m looking for
a woman who just came in. Gorgeous redhead in a green dress?”
The man raised a
brow and Luke realized he probably sounded like a stalker.
“Reagan Deveraux,”
Luke added. “I was supposed to meet her in the lobby.”
“I believe the
woman you’re looking for went into the lounge.”
Luke thanked the man
and headed toward where he pointed. He found Rae sitting at the bar
throwing back a shot of tequila. He had no idea she did shots. He’d
only ever seen her sip beer. Now she was licking salt from her hand
like a pro. He watched, transfixed, as her red lips closed over a
wedge of lime and sucked.
He wasn’t the only
man watching.
Luke felt a jab of
jealously when a designer-suited dude eased in and offered to buy her
a drink. Then a surge of relief when Rae turned the man away.
Luke cursed his whacked-out emotions. He shouldn’t be feeling
anything for Rae aside from betrayal and confusion.
He joined her at the
bar. “What are you doing?”
“Treating myself
to a birthday drink.” She barely cast him a glance while attacking
her second shot.
Luke clenched his
jaw as she repeated the ritual. Salt, tequila, lime. Lick, drink,
suck. Not overtly sexy, but sexy all the same. He gestured to the
bartender. “Two Coronas, please.” Then he looked back to Rae.
“Drinking alone on your birthday is sort of pathetic.”
“I’m not alone.”
She met his gaze. “Unfortunately.”
Luke searched her
eyes, his gut clenching when he caught a glimpse of Rachel Lacey, the
same vulnerability that had intrigued him all those months ago. He
had a weakness for women in need. Hell, he had a weakness for women
period.
The bartender served
two longnecks.
Luke waved off the
glasses.
“Put it on my
tab,” Rae said.
“It’s on me.”
Luke paid cash for two of the most expensive beers he’d ever bought
in his life.
“As for the cab,”
he said to Rae, “thank you, but I can manage.” He pulled five
twenties from his wallet and when she refused, he shoved the money in
her purse. “Three months ago you were desperate for money. Or so
you said. Jayce called you a trust fund baby. You might not have
inherited your fortune until today, but you must have had access to a
monthly allowance.”
“I didn’t want
to touch that money.”
“Why not?”
“I can’t believe
you had me investigated.”
She sounded
somewhere between hurt and outraged. Luke knew the feeling. “I had
you tracked, which I wouldn’t have done if you had had the decency
to say good-bye.”
Gaze averted, she
sipped her beer then ordered another shot. “I felt awful about
hurting Sam.
Plus I was
compromising the success of the Cupcake Lover’s recipe book by
refusing to participate in any publicity.”
“So you ran away?”
“I didn’t think
I’d be missed.”
What the freaking
hell? “Are you that insecure or that oblivious?”
“People come and
go all the time, Luke.”
“You’re missing
the point, Rae.” He nabbed her wrist as she reached for the salt
shaker. Her pulse raced beneath his thumb. His own heart
bucked. He’d always had a talent for reading and finessing women.
He had no clue how to handle Rae. Did she have the tolerance to
withstand a third shot? He didn’t want to take the chance. He
grabbed her shooter and downed the Cuervo himself. “Why don’t
we sit at one of those tables and talk?”
“Why aren’t you
on your way to the airport?”
“Why won’t you
tell me why you paid for a false identity?
She glanced away,
picked at the label on the beer bottle. “I needed to be someone
else for a while.”
“Why?”
“It’s personal.”
One thing hadn’t
changed. Reagan Devereaux was every bit as aloof as Rachel Lacey.
Luke wanted to shake the crap out of her. Kissing her came to mind,
too. He’d never been so angry and turned on at the same time.
He told himself it was because she was smoking hot and he’d been
celibate for weeks. Aching to jump her bones was natural. It wasn’t
because he was jonesing to re-create the magic he’d felt the one
and only time they’d locked lips. Who needed that kind of misery?
Having a thing for a woman beyond his reach. A woman of privileged
birth. A woman who’d earned a master’s degree. A woman worth a
freaking million!
Hit the road,
Monroe.
He wasn’t getting
the answers he wanted so why was he wasting his time? As it was he’d
be lucky if he got home before Christmas morning. Part of him
had been desperate to see for himself that Rae was okay. She was more
than okay. Except for her obsessive lying and the tension
between her and her mom and that dickhead Geoffrey Stein. Every
family had drama, right? The Monroes certainly had their fair share.
More often than not, Luke played mediator. He should be home making
peace, not here waging war. Besides, reasoning with this woman was a
losing battle.
Luke reached down
for his backpack and when he straightened the infuriating enigma was
finishing off another shot.
For the love of. . .
He couldn’t leave
Rae in this bar. What if she drank herself under the table?
What if one of the several men watching took advantage?
“Do you think your
mom and Stein left the house yet?”
“I’m sure of it.
God forbid they miss a moment of the party.”
“Then come on.
I’ll drop you home before I head to the airport.”
“I’m not going
home.” She flashed a key card. “I’m staying here tonight.”
“Then I’ll walk
you to your room.”
“Not necessary.”
She stood, swaying a little on those sexy four-inch heels.
Luke groaned. “Humor
me.”
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