âStop.â
Gwen sat up and frowned. âWhat do you mean, stop?â
âStop using this pregnancy as an excuse to push people away,â Alex said. âIt wonât work on me.â
Gwen swallowed hard, her dark eyes widening slightly as she searched for meaning in his face. âI donât know what youâreââ
âYou want me,â he interrupted. âAnd I want you just as badly as I did all those months ago. Thereâs nothing wrong with that. Thereâs no reason to try to defuse the attraction between us just because of some artificial barrier youâve put in place. If you want me, give in to your feelings.â
She opened her mouth to argue but his words seemed to have struck her temporarily mute.
Alex thought this might be his opportunity to finally kiss her again the way he ached to â¦
Dear Reader,
When I was writing the end of my first bookâWhat Lies Beneathâsomething unexpected happened. The best man and the maid of honor at the wedding started making eyes at one another! Up until that moment, I hadnât even considered that scenario, but once they hit the dance floor at the reception, it became obvious to me that my next book would have to be about Gwen and Alex.
Thatâs where the fun started. As an author, it is my job to make sure my characters find their âHappily Ever After,â but also to make them earn it. Iâll admit I get a bit of sick pleasure from making their lives difficult. And messing with Alex was even more enjoyable than usual. What better way to make a notorious playboy quake in his Armani loafers than to confront him with his greatest fearâa pregnant ex-lover.
I canât wait for you to read Gwen and Alexâs story.
If you enjoy it, tell me by visiting my website at www.andrealaurence.com, like my fan page on Facebook or follow me on Twitter. I love to hear from my readers!
Enjoy!
Andrea
ANDREA LAURENCE has been a lover of reading and writing stories since she learned her ABCs. She always dreamed of seeing her work in print and is thrilled to finally be able to share her books with the world. A dedicated West Coast girl transplanted to the deep South, sheâs working on her own âhappily ever afterâ with her boyfriend and their collection of animals that shed like nobodyâs business. You can contact Andrea at her website, www.andrealaurence.com.
To Mavens Linda Howard and Linda Winstead Jonesâ
You are more than mentors. More than friends.
You believe in me, push me and give invaluable advice for both career and life. I only hope that one day I can be as generous of knowledge and spirit as you are.
And to Maven Beverly Barton â
I miss your laugh. I wish I couldâve shared this
experience with you, but I like to think that wherever you are ⦠youâre proud of what Iâve accomplished.
Saturday, October 20
The Wedding Reception of Will and Adrienne Taylor
It was terribly cliché for the best man to seduce the maid of honor, but damn, that was one sexy woman.
Alex had no intention of using his best friendâs wedding as an opportunity to pick up women. Usually, weddings were filled with misty-eyed romantics wanting more than Alex was willing to offer. Heâd planned only to wear the tux and wave goodbye as another of his friends crossed over to the dark side.
But Gwen Wright had thrown a petite, slinky wrench into his plans the minute she had strolled into the welcome breakfast. Sheâd been wearing a tight brown skirt and beige blouse that made her dark brown eyes pop against peaches-and-cream skin. Sheâd cast a quick glance at him that morning, appraising him with a small smile curving her peach lips. When their eyes met, the light of mischievousness there had intrigued him.
Will had introduced them a few minutes later, and Alex was pleased to discover she was the maid of honor and his partner in crime for the big day. Heâd politely taken her hand, marveling at how soft her skin felt against his. Heâd wanted to spend more time talking to her, but he didnât get the chance. She was swept into the wedding chaos and the moment passed.
He hadnât had another chance to really talk to her, much less touch her, but the anticipation was building with each hour that ticked by. He tried to focus on Will and what his job as best man entailed, since that evening had been dedicated to bachelor activities with the guys.
But tonight was a different matter. When heâd stood at the rose-covered archway beside Will and watched Gwen come toward him in that clingy pink gown, he thought he might not be able to wait much longer. As heâd escorted her down the aisle at the end of the ceremony, heâd pulled her aside and whispered, âLater,â into her ear. The blush of her cheeks let him know the brief message had come across loud and clear.
And later it would be. Later than heâd planned, actually. Gwen was running the show like a seasoned professional. The first opportunity he had to talk to her was during their obligatory dance, but despite holding her in his arms, he could tell she was a million miles awayâmaking lists, planning the cake cutting ⦠She was a woman on a mission, and he hadnât made an inch of real progress in his pursuit of her.