He kissed her under the setting sun, right there for the world to see, and Julie’s heart soared with the perfection of the moment.
Now this was a story worth telling.
Acknowledgments
A huge thank-you to Nicole Resciniti, my fabulous agent, who insisted quite forcefully that I take this tiny seed of a story idea and write it immediately. You were right. You always are.
Thanks to Sue Grimshaw, whose unwavering confidence I can only hope to live up to. To Lesley Parsons for catching all the awkwardness and incongruity that we authors unfailingly miss.
And to all my friends and family, for the constant support and the occasional kick in the butt to go for it.
Photo © Anthony LeDonne
LAUREN LAYNE lives in Manhattan with her husband and their horribly behaved Pomeranian. She graduated from Santa Clara University with a BS in political science, which she has yet to put to official use. After dabbling in an e-commerce career in Seattle and Southern California, she happily adjusted to life as a full-time writer on the East Coast. When not writing, Lauren’s probably reading, wishing for a rainy day (it’s those Seattle roots), or inventing new reasons why wine is always better than a run in the park.
THE EDITOR’S CORNER
Welcome to Loveswept!
I truly believe that one of the best things in life is spending long, leisurely days curled up with a book. Whether it’s a novel of erotic discovery and hidden desire like Stacey Kane’s scorching e-original CLAIMED, a sizzling small town romance like Elisabeth Barrett’s fourth e-original Star Harbor book, SLOW SUMMER BURN, or an electrifying story featuring hockey hunks like Toni Aleo’s contemporary e-original BLUE LINES … it’s a wonderful feeling to be transported to a new and exciting world … especially one filled with sexy heroes and vibrant heroines. Pick up these reads and lose yourself in romance and love.
And for more wonderful reads, don’t miss:
Sandra Chastain’s SURRENDER THE SHADOW – an enthralling classic of secrets and suspense; Katie Rose’s charming historical romance, COURTING TROUBLE – where an attorney and a determined suffragette butt hea
ds; Adrienne Staff and Sally Goldbaum’s CRESCENDO – a sparkling story about a princely society man and his everyday princess; Iris Johansen’s blazing YORK, THE RENEGADE – where passion takes a man and woman on a wild ride in a rough-and-tumble mining town; and Ruth Owen’s BODY HEAT – an alluring tale of love, betrayal and murder.
If you love romance … then you’re ready to be Loveswept!
Gina Wachtel
Associate Publisher
P.S. Watch for these terrific Loveswept titles coming soon: September arrives with more timeless stories for you – Three enticing stories from Sandra Chastain, THE JUDGE AND THE GYPSY, FIREBRAND, and THE LAST DANCE, beloved author Iris Johansen’s THE DELANEY’S OF KILLAROO, Fran Baker’s enchanting SEEING STARS, Julie Ortolon’s irresistible DRIVE ME WILD as well as three original stories: another fantastic installment from Ruthie Knox’s ROMAN HOLIDAY serialized novel, Lauren Layne’s seductive AFTER THE KISS, and Mira Lyn Kelly’s sexy and sweet TRUTH OR DARE. October has more e-originals in store: Maggie McGinnis’s brilliant THE ACCIDENTAL COWGIRL, Megan Frampton’s sweltering WHAT NOT TO BARE, and Katie Rose’s delightful MISTLETOE AND MAGIC, as well as some wonderful reissues: Connie Brockway’s dazzling stories, DANGEROUS MAN and MY DEAREST ENERMY, Ellen Fisher’s memorable THE LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS, Ruth Owen’s riveting works, SMOOTH OPERATOR and SOMEONE TO WATCH OVER ME, Iris Johansen’s delicious ACROSS THE RIVER OF YESTERDAY, and three breathtaking books from Sandra Chastain, THE MORNING AFTER, FOR LOVE OF LACEY, and GABRIEL’S OUTLAW. Don’t miss any of these extraordinary reads. I promise that you’ll fall in love and treasure these stories for years to come.…
Read on for excerpts from more Loveswept titles …
Read on for an excerpt from Toni Aleo’s
Trying to Score
Prologue
Fallon Parker had done it.
Even with all the negativity from her parents and sister about leaving Nashville to go to school out west, she had done it. Fallon had completed her first year at Stanford University. Yeah, she had gained the dreaded freshmen fifteen, but it didn’t matter.
She had done it.
Without anyone’s help — not her parents, her sister, her friends — she had kept her 4.0 grade point average.
On cloud nine, Fallon jumped into her Charger and drove down to San Jose to meet her friends. They were all going out to celebrate and she couldn’t be more excited about the fake ID in her purse. Fallon had been such a good girl her freshman year, but now she was a sophomore and she was gonna live this summer. Fallon was on a mission.
Get drunk, find a guy, and hook up. Maybe not sex, but at least make out some. It was simple really, and Allison, her roommate, had said that the Trails Pub was the place to do all three.
After parking her car beside Allison’s, Fallon headed inside.
“ID please,” said a big black man standing as high as a giant who, according to his nametag, was Pinky. Fallon had no clue what was so pinky about him, but she had learned quickly that in California, ya kinda just go with it. Fallon smiled nervously as she opened her clutch and pulled out the ID she had made. “Thanks Amanda, have a nice night,” Pinky said with a grin as he handed her the ID.