Cupid’s Mistake, by Chantilly White
Cupid’s Mistake, by Chantilly White
Hi, and thanks so much for having me here today! I’m excited to introduce my latest release, Cupid’s Mistake, a Valentine’s Day themed contemporary romance novella (approximately 37,500 words.)
About Cupid’s Mistake:
Party-girl Allison Kelly has it all””great friends, a flourishing business, and an active sex life. She’s beautiful, busy and blissfully fulfilled, with no time or inclination for a relationship. Sure, she suffers the occasional twinge of loneliness. Who doesn’t? But if her latest boy-toy is unavailable, there’s always another one at her friend’s dating service, Cupid’s Cavalry.
Life has been anything but a party for Benjamin Turner. Orphaned at fifteen, widowed at twenty-three, he traveled the world on self-imposed exile, but he couldn’t outrun the loneliness eating away his soul. Finally home again, he’s dedicated to serious endeavors””ending world hunger, providing clean water””not partying. But he’s also ready to give life and love another chance. It’s Cupid’s Cavalry to the rescue. Maybe.
He’s looking for stability. She wants a good time. Will Cupid’s arrow find its mark this Valentine’s Day, or will their pairing prove to be Cupid’s biggest mistake?
Excerpt:
Allison navigated the tables without looking up from her phone, sacrificing her usual flair for making an entrance in the interest of closing out her business for the day. She hated running behind.
“I’m so sorry I’m late””” double-damned Orange County traffic “””just give me one moment.”
Depositing her coat, scarf and handbag on the chair next to the one she dropped herself into, and finishing up a strongly-worded text to the baker bitch, Allison tossed the phone into her bag, turned emphatically off. She didn’t want even a silent vibration interrupting what promised to be a pleasant lunch with a handsome man.
“Whew!” she said, giving her hair a quick fluff. “There.”
Turning on her most brilliant smile, she finally looked up. And found herself skewered by a pair of the most intensely-green eyes she’d ever seen. Her breath stopped mid-inhale. The only thought in her head was, “Well, damn it, I’m not ready for you,” even as her heart sighed, “There you are,” as though the man sitting across from her was the critical missing piece in the puzzle of her life.
Which was just ridiculous. There was nothing missing from her life. Nothing. But. . .
Oh, boy.
The man had half-risen out of his seat, as though he’d intended to pull her chair out for her but hadn’t gotten the chance. Wow, he was huge. Had she read that in his profile? She dated a lot of tall men””she preferred them, since she was so tall herself””and it was hard to gauge his full height behind the table, but he might be one of the tallest she’d been out with in a while. Every inch of him radiated a dangerous sort of sophistication. He wasn’t Wall Street by any stretch, but he could probably chew up a suit or three for breakfast, then play a round of golf with the fourth.
A little snap of sexual heat sizzled across her pulse points. She resisted licking her lips.
He sat again, those incredible eyes narrowed and glued to hers. There was something familiar about him, something. . . She couldn’t put her finger on it. It was probably just his Cupid’s Cavalry membership photo tripping her up, but his expression was definitely off. He didn’t look remotely happy to see her. Men were always happy to see her.
How odd.
Mesmerized, she stared and stared, as though she were looking down a tunnel, unable to tear her gaze from his. Bells rang and fireworks exploded, just like the women in her family had always claimed. The rest of the restaurant and its patrons faded into soundless white mist at the periphery of her vision. For several long, hard beats of her heart, they were the only two in existence.
Bio:
Romance author Chantilly White spent her childhood days acting out favorite scenes from beloved fairytales and reading everything she could get her hands on. Youthful favorites were soon followed by romance novels, which heavily influenced her beliefs about life and love.
Always a storyteller, Chantilly holds a degree in Creative Writing/English Literature from the University of California at Riverside, and lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, three kids and three crazy cats.
Chantilly writes romance in a variety of subgenres, including contemporary, historical, paranormal and fantasy romance. Look for her books on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and anywhere e-books are sold.
To learn more about Chantilly, please visit her website at www.ChantillyWhite.com
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