Every passion has its price
The devastatingly attractive stranger who walks into Tender Hearts Memorial Hospital instantly raises red flags for Vivian Moore. The ER nurseâs worst fears are confirmed when she discovers who he is: the real estate developer rumored to be snatching up many of the properties in her old neighborhood. And Vivian is sure his passionate pursuit is just a front for the prize Alonso Wright is really afterâher beloved childhood home.
Alonso is committed to building a community-events center that will be a lasting monument to his grandfatherâs memory. The only thing keeping him from fulfilling his dream is the compassionate, guarded beauty who refuses to negotiate. If he fails, Alonso stands to lose a significant investment. But once he gives in to his desire for Vivian, he could lose something far more precious. As a hurricane batters the North Carolina coast, an unscrupulous business associate threatens to derail Alonsoâs future, which now means nothing without Vivian to share it with him...
Vivianâs breath seized in her chest from the sheer sincerity she witnessed in Alonsoâs eyes. Swallowing hard, she did her best to retain some semblance of control.
âYouâre afraid,â he continued. âYouâre afraid of this thing we have going on.â He cradled her face between his hands. âThis wild, insane, all-consuming energy we generate. You donât trust it. You donât trust it because you donât trust me. But thatâs okay. You will.â
âAlways the businessman. Say what you need to to get what you want.â
âI want you. I want you,â he repeated as if she hadnât heard him the first two times. âIâve never wanted anything or anyone more. Tell me you donât want me, too.â
âI donâtââ
âLiar. You want me just as much as I want you.â
His hands slid to her neck and he pulled her mouth closer to his, but instead of kissing herâsomething she shamelessly cravedâhe spoke in a gentle tone against her lips.
âYou want me. You want me to kiss you until youâre breathless.â
âI donât.â Though the longing in her tone suggested otherwise.
Dear Reader,
Thank you so much for purchasing my debut Harlequin Kimani Romance title, In the Market for Love. Iâm superexcited for you to meet Alonso Wright and Vivian Moore. These two spark a flame that blazes a path toward happily-ever-after; however, there are a few bumps along the way.
Alonso doesnât want to admit heâs met his match in Vivian, but she can turn his world upside down with a simple glance. Like most powerful men, Alonso believes money can buy anything. But Vivian will show him love is free.
Like the tagline says: every passion has its price.
I hope you enjoy Alonso and Vivianâs love story and that their journey toward happiness tickles your heart, touches your emotions and warms your soul.
Thank you for supporting me!
Love and light,
Joy
PS: I love hearing from readers. Email me at [email protected].
By day, JOY AVERY works as a customer-service assistant. By night, the North Carolina native travels to imaginary worlds, creating characters whose romantic journeys invariably end happily-ever-after.
Since she was a young girl growing up in Garner, Joy knew she wanted to write. Stumbling onto romance novels, she discovered her passion for love stories and instantly knew those were the type of stories she wanted to pen.
Joy is married with one child. When not writing, she enjoys reading, cake decorating, pretending to expertly play the piano, driving her husband insane and playing with her two dogs.
Dedicated to the dream.
Acknowledgments
To Marcus:
Thank you for your unwavering support and your patience and understanding when I switch into writerzilla mode.
To Avion:
Thank you for the random sticky notes of encouragement placed around my writing room.
To Paula, aka Lyla Dune:
Thank you for being an awesome critique partner.
To my readers, my tribe, my street team:
What can I say? You guys totally rock and totally roll. Your support is amazing! I appreciate each and every one of you. From the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU! Thank you for your support! Thank you for your wonderful emails and messages. Thank you for your encouragement. Thank you for believing in my love stories and sharing your love for Joy Avery romances with the world.
To my friends and family:
Thank you for your support!
Chapter 1
Vivian Moore stood at the nursesâ station inside Raleighâs Tender Hearts Memorial Hospital, where sheâd worked for the past six years, pecking away at the tablet sheâd been issued. The newly implemented âconvenienceâ hadnât turned out to be the inconvenience sheâd originally assumed it would be, after all. A point for the home team.