A reality TV producer falling for her would-be star:
a Montana heartthrob who wants nothing to do with the show.
a Montana heartthrob who wants nothing to do with the show.
READY TO RUN
I Do, I Don't #1
Lauren Layne
Releasing Aug 22, 2017
Loveswept
The Bachelor meets The Runaway Bride in this addictive romance novel about a reality TV producer falling for her would-be star: a Montana heartthrob who wants nothing to do with the show.
Jordan Carpenter thinks she’s finally found the perfect candidate for Jilted, a new dating show about runaway grooms: Luke Elliott, a playboy firefighter who’s left not one but three brides at the altar. The only problem? Luke refuses to answer Jordan’s emails or return her calls. Which is how she ends up on a flight to Montana to recruit him in person. It’s not Manhattan but at least the locals in Lucky Hollow seem friendly . . . except for Luke, who’s more intense—and way hotter—than the slick womanizer Jordan expected.
Eager to put the past behind him, Luke has zero intention of following this gorgeous, fast-talking city girl back to New York. But before he can send her packing, Jordan’s everywhere: at his favorite bar, the county fair, even his exes’ book club. Annoyingly, everyone in Lucky Hollow seems to like her—and deep down, she’s starting to grow on him too. But the more he fights her constant pestering, the more Luke finds himself wishing that Jordan would kick off her high heels and make herself comfortable in his arms.
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Damn. Charlie hadn’t been lying about
the hot blonde.
the hot blonde.
The woman walking straight toward him
was all tight jeans, high heels, and confi-dence. And hot. Very, very hot.
was all tight jeans, high heels, and confi-dence. And hot. Very, very hot.
Charlie muttered something admiring
under his breath, and Luke’s gaze flicked to the man beside the woman. Tried to
place him. Couldn’t.
under his breath, and Luke’s gaze flicked to the man beside the woman. Tried to
place him. Couldn’t.
Not too many guys around here who
wore light-purple shirts and white pants with the same easy comfort that Lucky
Hollow residents wore jeans and flannel.
wore light-purple shirts and white pants with the same easy comfort that Lucky
Hollow residents wore jeans and flannel.
No doubt about it—neither was from
around here. Not by a long shot.
around here. Not by a long shot.
The man was a half step behind the
woman, and Luke assessed that the woman was calling the shots.
woman, and Luke assessed that the woman was calling the shots.
His eyes narrowed as he realized that
she hadn’t once wavered in her approach.
she hadn’t once wavered in her approach.
She knew what she was after:
Him.
She got closer and Luke saw that the
face matched the body. Wide blue eyes, full lips, sassy shoulder-length blond
hair that was just tousled enough to make a man wonder how it had gotten that
way—to want to be the one to muss it.
face matched the body. Wide blue eyes, full lips, sassy shoulder-length blond
hair that was just tousled enough to make a man wonder how it had gotten that
way—to want to be the one to muss it.
Her gaze flicked over him, and
Charlie whistled and muttered under his breath. “She just checked you out,
man.”
Charlie whistled and muttered under his breath. “She just checked you out,
man.”
She had indeed, but Luke was far from
flattered. It hadn’t been the assessment of a woman checking out a man so much
as a predator evaluating its prey.
flattered. It hadn’t been the assessment of a woman checking out a man so much
as a predator evaluating its prey.
As though she was evaluating him for
. . . something.
. . . something.
Blondie stopped in front of him, and
the second her blue eyes locked on his, Luke felt a little jolt of awareness
and was irrationally annoyed. It had been a long time since he’d been quite so
aware of a woman.
the second her blue eyes locked on his, Luke felt a little jolt of awareness
and was irrationally annoyed. It had been a long time since he’d been quite so
aware of a woman.
Once, he’d enjoyed the feeling—sexual
chemistry was almost the perfect combination of pain and pleasure. A subtle
punch in the gut that you wanted to experience again and again.
chemistry was almost the perfect combination of pain and pleasure. A subtle
punch in the gut that you wanted to experience again and again.
These days, though, he was having a
hard time getting past the pain part. The shitty parts had outweighed the good
parts just one time too many. Now he mostly settled for casual hookups with a
divorcée a few towns over who was even less interested in com-mitment than Luke
was.
hard time getting past the pain part. The shitty parts had outweighed the good
parts just one time too many. Now he mostly settled for casual hookups with a
divorcée a few towns over who was even less interested in com-mitment than Luke
was.
He had zero use for attraction to a
pretty, bold woman in high heels.
pretty, bold woman in high heels.
Luke noticed that for a sheer moment
she had a slightly off-balance look, as though she too had felt the annoying
zip of arousal when their eyes met, but she recovered quick-ly.
she had a slightly off-balance look, as though she too had felt the annoying
zip of arousal when their eyes met, but she recovered quick-ly.
Pasting a sunny, generic smile on her
face, she stuck out her right hand. “Luke Elliott. I’m Jordan Carpenter. This
is my colleague, Simon Nash.”
face, she stuck out her right hand. “Luke Elliott. I’m Jordan Carpenter. This
is my colleague, Simon Nash.”
Good manners had him setting down his
equipment and extending his own right hand toward hers even as his brain caught
on her name. Familiar, and . . .
equipment and extending his own right hand toward hers even as his brain caught
on her name. Familiar, and . . .
Shit. Shit!
He managed to stop from jerking his
hand back, but just barely. Instead, he gritted his teeth, gave her hand a
perfunctory shake, and then fixed her with a glare. “You’re wasting your time,
Ms. Carpenter. And mine.”
hand back, but just barely. Instead, he gritted his teeth, gave her hand a
perfunctory shake, and then fixed her with a glare. “You’re wasting your time,
Ms. Carpenter. And mine.”
Blue eyes narrowed. “Aha. So you did
get my emails.”
get my emails.”
Those. The voicemails. The letters.
“Sure,” he said with a nod, shoving
his hands in his pockets. “Just like I suspect you got the message that I
didn’t want to be a part of your show.”
his hands in his pockets. “Just like I suspect you got the message that I
didn’t want to be a part of your show.”
Charlie looked from the woman to Luke
and back again. “Show?”
and back again. “Show?”
Ryan ambled over, his shit-eating
grin telling Luke that this damn woman had already spilled the beans on why she
was here. “Luke’s gonna be a national heartthrob.”
grin telling Luke that this damn woman had already spilled the beans on why she
was here. “Luke’s gonna be a national heartthrob.”
“International,” said the blond guy
in the purple shirt.
in the purple shirt.
Jordan Carpenter didn’t look at her
companion, but all three firefighters did.
companion, but all three firefighters did.
The other man gave the sort of easy
smile that probably had him making friends easily. Luke didn’t want a new
friend.
smile that probably had him making friends easily. Luke didn’t want a new
friend.
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