Anything
But Love
By: Beth Ciotta
St. Martin’s Press
Release Date: Oct 1st, 2013
Blurb
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…
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Excerpt
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.”
Buy Links:
~ 
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.
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
http://www.bethciotta.com/
Link to Follow Tour: http://tastybooktours.blogspot.com/2013/08/now-booking-release-day-tasty-book_17.html
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