Roxanne studied each customer in turn. Though the bar boasted several dark-haired men in conservative suits, none of them was Gage. None had his stark masculinity, his sexyâWhoa. Whatâs this? She focused on two men at one end of the bar.
âHeâs there,â Roxanne whispered. Her body grew numb and her heart sank as her gaze locked on the familiar sculpted cheekbones and jaw.
Her friend Toni followed her gaze. âI was kind of expecting him to be with a svelte blond lover. Wait, heâs got a ponytail! And heâs smoking!â
Roxanne had noticed that, too. The sophisticated surface she saw every day had been wiped away, as if the charming man she lived with was an act and a dangerous stranger had taken his place.
Heâd lied to her. What the hell was going on? In that moment of watching her fiancé acting like someone elseâ¦something inside her shifted.
Snapped.
Gage may think heâs got me fooled, she thought furiously as she rose from her chair, but this is where it endsâ¦.
Dear Reader,
Ah, bad boys. Arenât they just sigh-inducingly wonderful?
Though this story opens with Roxanne, to me it will always be Gageâs book. This is why the book begins where it doesânot with him meeting the woman of his dreams and falling in love, but after heâs already popped the question.
âThis is a romance, right?â you ask.
You betcha. Just an unconventional one. Because things are not what they seem with Gage. Heâs got secrets. (Psst⦠one really big one.)
I hope you enjoy reading about Gage and his past, his motivations and dreams. And I think youâll find Roxanne grows into his perfect match. But in the meantime heâs got a whole lot of explaining to doâ¦.
Iâd love to hear from you via my Web site: www.wendyetherington.com. Or my mailing address: P.O. Box 3016, Irmo, SC 29063.
Hope much love and laughter comes your way,
Wendy Etherington
ROXANNE LEWISâS HEART lurched. âIt canât be.â
Antoinette St. ClairâToni to all who intended to stay on her good sideâlifted her gaze from her plate of salmon. Her eyes filled with regret. âIâm sorry, Rox, but Gage was in the Quarter last night.â
âHeâs supposed to be in Chicago.â
âHeâs not.â
Tucked in the corner booth of her favorite French Quarter restaurant, away from the curious eyes of the other diners, Roxanne pushed away her nearly untouched crab Louis salad. No one ever accused Toni of being flightyâwithout acquiring bruises anyway. If she said she saw Gage in New Orleans, she did.
Roxanne fought against the panic fluttering in her stomach, recalling last Saturday night, when she and Gage had eaten a late dinner, when heâd slid his hand along her thigh during dessertâ¦
âDoing what?â she asked quickly, banishing the erotic thoughts.
âLeaning against the wall outside a bar.â
Maybe heâd just come back a day early. Maybe heâd had a late business meeting. Heâd had a lot of those lately. âWas he with anyone?â
âNo, but he studied the crowd a lot and kept glancing at his watch.â Toni gestured with her fork. âLike he was waiting for someone.â
Someone. Not her. How many times had she wondered what he saw in her? Heâd chosen her. Heâd proposed to her. And, yet, insecurity lingered. There were parts of Gage he didnât share with her. Sheâd tried to tell herself it didnât matter. He showered her with affection, devotionâ¦loyalty. Just because he was sexy as hell, smart and rich didnât mean every woman in New Orleans was chasing him.
Only the ones between twenty and sixty.
Roxanne sipped her water and tried to pretend a lump wasnât blocking her throat. âDo you think he could have been meeting a woman?â
âMaybe. God knows Iâve been tempted.â
Roxanneâs gaze jumped to Toniâs. âTo cheat?â
Her friend grinned. âNo, to jump Gage Dabonâs bones.â
âBe serious.â
The smile wiped from her face, Toni angled her head. âI am. Iâm seriously pissed. Why arenât you?â
âI am.â No, youâre not, Roxanne. Youâre scared. Bone-deep scared. You knew youâd never hold him.
âStop.â Toni tugged a strand of Roxanneâs long, corkscrew-curly red hair. âYouâre quite a catch yourself, Foxy Roxy.â
Roxanne didnât bother to deny Toni had guessed the direction of her thoughts. Theyâd been friends too long. âHeâd be better off with someone like you,â Roxanne said. âSomeone more outgoing.â
âHell, Rox, we havenât had near enough wine for a pity party.â She frowned at her water glass. âWe havenât had any wine.â Shrugging, Toni polished off the last bite of her salmon, then handed her plate to a passing waiter. âAnd, no offense, but Gageâs too tame for me. Hunky, yes. But banks, blue suits and dark ties? No, thanks.â
You havenât seen that body without the suits. Then the implication of Toniâs words sunk in. âI like tame. Thereâs nothing wrong with tame.â