The “one that got away”
catches up with twice divorced Chris Chambers twenty six years later. Is it too
late to have a happily ever after?
THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY by author Susanne Marie Knight
Genre: Contemporary Romance
THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY is available for purchase electronically at Amazon.com and Smashwoods.com and Print.
Universal Link: https://books2read.com/u/ml6oE9
Buy link”
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CWSVK66J
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/153115
Print: www.amazon.com/dp/B0CX6L5DVW
RUNNING FROM LOVE
Twice divorced Chris
Chambers doesn’t believe in a second chance at love... or rather, another
chance. She definitely isn’t looking for love... or even a quick hook-up. She’s
very happy where she is at this stage in her life. But at a business convention
in Tampa, she comes across an intriguing man she just can’t say no to. He seems
so familiar. When she realizes Eric is the one that got away twenty-six years
ago, or rather her nineteen-year-old self ran from him all those years ago, she
does the predictable thing: she runs again. But sometimes, Fate won’t be
denied. After all, as the old saying goes: third time’s a charm.
RUNNING TO LOVE
Widower Eric Paulsen has it
all: successful career as a medical doctor, two prospering adult children, a
gorgeous house overlooking Tampa Bay... what more can he want? True, his nights
do get lonely; his assistant, Hildi, imagines herself to be his next wife; and
his daughter goes out of her way to help Hildi accomplish that goal. But when
he takes a romantic dinner cruise, a birthday present from the smitten Hildi,
he spots a woman who peaks his interest on every level. Turning on the charm,
he decides Chris is to be his birthday present. The morning after, he discovers
Chris is Christine, his first love from so long ago. Living all these years
without her, without true love, he’s determined to convince Christine to
finally become his, and his alone.
SCENE SET-UP:
On a dinner cruise to celebrate his birthday, Dr.
Eric Paulsen is captivated by a beautiful fellow passenger. He decide to pursue
her.
EXCERPT:
Ordering another vodka tonic, Eric then walked
downstairs to the first deck, searching for a quiet corner. The first deck was
where the galley was, along with dining tables handsomely set up next to
picture windows. There was also a hardwood dance floor. Over the speakers, soft
music swayed in the air in case anyone cared to dance the night away.
He didn’t care to, but then he spotted a woman who
commanded him to look her way.
It wasn’t as if she deliberately called attention to
herself. No, there was just something about her that, well, frankly, that
grabbed him by the balls. He couldn’t tear his gaze from her.
The hell! He was actually transfixed.
She was dressed in black, with a type of long Nehru
jacket and tight, formfitting pants. Slender and yet shapely, she laughed with
a group of women who stood next to one of the area’s many picture windows
showcasing the beauty of Tampa Bay. The sun had already set so the sky was
slowly deepening into velvet.
Oddly enough, she wore a black straw hat inside.
Streaming down onto her shoulders was lustrous chocolate hair. As she moved, he
saw the glimmer of gold from hoop earrings playing peek-a-boo with her hair.
She had bronze frames on her eyeglasses--very erudite; pouty peach lips that he
itched to kiss, and a lovely nose that begged for him to tweak.
Hell. Oh hell. He had to have her. She would be the
perfect birthday present.
The woman held a tumbler glass, filled with dark and
lighter liquid. Probably rum. Perhaps this was a Mai Tai with its colorful
straw, Polynesian flower, chunk of pineapple, and of course, a maraschino
cherry.
His cruise goddess drank too fast. He watched how she
guzzled the liquid down. Now done, she accepted another drink from the
wandering bartender.
A few feet from her position were land sharks, also
eyeing the prize. One looked like a Tampa native in his white polo shirt. Maybe
he was in his forties. Another man, probably sixties, wore a Brooks Brothers
suit, white shirt, and red satin tie. Yet a third one, grey-haired with a
sports coat and a tie that was decorated with fingerprints kept his rapacious
gaze on her. Then there was a younger man with longer hair than the goddess. No
doubt the man was mealy-mouthed, and wore horn-rimmed eyeglasses.
Sooner or later one of those sharks would swoop in
for the kill.
No. She was his. She was destined to be his
birthday present.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hope
you enjoy this second chance romance!
Susanne Marie Knight
Read
outside the box: award-winning Romance Writing with a Twist!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
