Today I’m honored to have Tina Gayle, organizer of the #AuthorLove exchange and author of a women’s fiction novel, Marketing Exec’s Widow. Tina, please tell us about your book.
Blurb:
Jennifer Larson, having lost her husband, friends and the perfect life she’d had, now faces the biggest challenge of her life, moving into an unplanned future. While the rest of the Executive Wife Club is still wallowing in the past, Jen is tempted into the future by a sexy chiropractor, Hagan Chaney.
But does he really love her or is he only after her money?
author of heartwarming romance novels for romance readers.
“Want to call the evening a bust?” she blurted out, angry at herself for failing so miserably at the dating game.
Hagan leaned forward and folded his hands above his menu. “No. I already knew.”
“What? How?” She clenched her hands together under the table. He said he moved here from Texas, having arrived a few months ago to set up his practice and to be near his dad. How could he have found out? Did someone tell him? But who?
“My dad told me. He read about your husband’s accident in the paper.”
“God, you must think I’m awful.”
“Not even in the ballpark as to what I think about you. Because I know you would never have said yes to a night out with me if you’d been happy in your marriage.”
His words hit her like a fist to the face and her head snapped backward, striking the wooden partition between the booths. Wow, how could he have guessed the truth when so many people who knew her hadn’t?
She closed her eyes and searched for an answer. For so long, she’d kept her emotions bottled inside, not allowing anyone to see the loneliness or heartache her unhappy marriage had caused. What now? Lie, or admit the truth?
The vinyl cushion squeaked, and a hand touched her shoulder, pulling her from her stupor. Hagan slipped in beside her, his thigh bumped hers and his arm slid along the back of the seat. In the space of a few seconds, his large athletic body blocked her escape from the confining booth.
Nerves pulsed in an agitated rhythm. She couldn’t sit still and opened her mouth to tell him to back off, but the thin lines of concern marring his brow killed the comment.
“Hey, there’s no reason to get upset.” He cupped a hand over her shoulder and drew her close. “I’m happy you said yes.”
Jolted by his sudden nearness, she exhaled, and then fought to draw air back into her lungs. His crisp, masculine scent acted as a seductive lure, and she had to fight the urge to bury her nose in the curve of his neck.
Another sniff and her resolve weakened. She snuggled deeper into his embrace, savoring his strength, and allowed her cheek to caress the soft fabric of his sweater. Her breasts, crushed against the hard wall of his chest, grew heavy with need. Butterflies flapped wildly in her stomach. Alarms sounded, warning her to pull away.
The sultry voice of the waitress interrupted. “Excuse me. Are you ready to order? Or would you like a few more minutes?”
Swinging her gaze to the willowy, young woman standing at the end of the table, Jen straightened. Heat again stained her cheeks. How could she have forgotten they were in a public place? She had to gain some perspective.
Hagan loosened his hold and addressed the girl. “No, we’d both like the prime rib. And I’ll have whatever you have on tap.”
Jen eased along the bench, struggling with how to handle the situation. She liked Hagan and hoped to keep him as a client, but things were getting way out of hand, way too quickly.
He turned and the space she’d managed to establish between them shrank. “What would you like to drink?”
“A beer’s fine.”
He smiled and answered the rest of waitress’s questions about the side items.
The girl had a ready smile and easy manner. She didn’t flirt or make any improper gesture, but a gleam of interest sparkled in her eyes during the exchange. After gathering their menus, she nodded and checked the order. “I’ll bring your drinks right out.”
She walked away, but Hagan’s gaze didn’t linger on the girl’s butt, an insulting habit Craig had perfected. Instead, Hagan turned and laid his other arm on the table, effectively barring Jen’s exit from the booth. “I hope you don’t mind me ordering for you.”
“No. If I can’t eat it all, I’ll have them box up the leftovers and take them home.” She pictured the forlorn look in George’s brown eyes when she crated him before Hagan arrived. Maybe her dog would forgive her for leaving him if she brought him a steak.
What should she do about Hagan at the end of the night? Invite him in or say goodnight at the door with a kiss?
Her gaze naturally fell to his mouth. The idea of his wide, full lips touching hers sparked a shiver of awareness. She rubbed her hands along the length of her arms.
Hagan leaned closer. “What are you thinking?”
Caught fantasizing about him, she dropped her eyelids and scrambled for a safe topic of conversation. “I was…uh…wondering about the other women in your life. Ever been married?”
Marketing Exec’s Widow is available at
Amazon. Free on Kindle Unlimited.
Short Bio for Tina Gayle
Tina Gayle grew up a dreamer and loved to escape into the world of books.
After years of working in the business world doing a variety of jobs, she decided to try her hand at writing and hope to incorporate the joy of being a mother into her books.
Married twenty-five years, she and her husband love to travel and play golf. She can’t wait for Mike to retire so they can do more of both.
Read the first chapter of any of her books by visiting her website.
Where to show Tina Gayle some #AuthorLove:
Home – www.tinagayle.net
Blog – http://www.tinagayle.blogspot.com
Twitter – https://twitter.com/#!/AuthorTinaGayle
Goodreads – http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1641826.Tina_Gayle
Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/tina.gayle
Google + – https://plus.google.com
Linkin – http://www.linkedin.com/pub/tina-gayle/11/689/759
Marketing Exec’s Widow