He continued past, not waiting for a response. Jessica let out her breath and turned to James with wide eyes. “Do I want to know what that was all about?”
James grinned and held the door open. “I may have stopped by his office a while back to discuss some things.”
“You stopped by.”
James placed their order with the barista and turned to Jessica with a mischievous smile. “Okay, I may have barged in. It doesn’t really matter. If you’d have picked up the phone one of the million times I called you, I wouldn’t have had to make the visit.” James wagged a finger at her.
She smacked it away with a playful grin. “Uh-huh. And did he give you all the juicy details?”
“Of course, why else would I have been so intent to fly to New York that very afternoon?”
She snickered. “I should be weirded out by your apparent stalker tendencies, but somehow I find them endearing.”
“Great. They’re effective tactics as long as they don’t scare you off.” With a flourish, he handed her the drink. “Latte for the love of my life.”
“Oh yum.” She took a sip and recoiled. “Yikes, that’s steamy!”
He slung an arm around her shoulders. “You really should have them throw in an ice cube or two.” James flashed the lopsided grin that made her knees buckle. “You don’t have the best track record for holding on to your cups. You know?”
She nudged him with her hip. With another cautious sip, she backed away from two teenagers who were rushing past. “Dammit!” Her leg got caught in the rope divider and she swung around it, crashing into James. Coffee sloshed out of the cup and she yelped, flinging out her arm.
“Ahh!” James yelled as the scalding hot liquid sprayed over his arm. “Hot!”
“Oh no!” She mopped the coffee from his bright red skin. “Are you okay?”
He groaned. “That’s the universe talking, right? Karma—coming back to bite me?”
She giggled and kissed his arm. “I don’t know, I think fate’s been pretty good to us.”
Last One You Love – Goldhouse
Don’t You Worry Child – Swedish Mouse Mafia
Everlong – Foo Fighters
Replay – Zendaya
Bittersweet – Fuel
Barely Breathing – Duncan Sheik
I’m Not Over – Carolina Liar
MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS (MS) IS the most widespread disabling neurological condition of young adults around the world. You can get MS at any age, but most people are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 40.
It’s estimated that more than 400,000 people in the United States and about 2.5 million people around the world have MS. In the United States, about 200 new cases are diagnosed each week.
A portion of the proceeds from each copy of Unlikely Venture will be donated to fight against MS by funding cutting-edge research, driving change through advocacy, facilitating professional education and contributing to programs and services that help those afflicted with MS move their lives forward.
I’M ONE OF the lucky ones.
I got the fairy tale, the “happily ever after.” And it’s easy to be inspired when you have your very own Prince Charming standing by your side, always cheering you on, believing in you and encouraging you to make your dreams a reality.
My husband, my best friend, my biggest advocate – I love you more than words could ever express. Thank you for inspiring me every day and for empowering me to create this story. You are my James.
Lulu, Cooper and George – I adore you with all my heart and soul. I never thought I could write steam and passion with you climbing all over me, whining, crying and complaining but time after time, you proved me wrong. Thank you for driving me to my wits’ end. It evidently makes for a very satisfying read.
A huge thank you to the “team” who helped make my dream a reality. Tina, Lori, Amanda, Stacy and Ryan – you absolutely rock and I am so thankful for all your support, patience and feedback throughout the whole process. You helped make Unlikely Venture come alive – engaging in photo swaps, answering my endless questions, dealing with moments of panic, suffering through rewrites, helping me pick the right author headshot – you were there for every bit of my journey and I can’t tell you how appreciative I am. Tracy and Sean, the co-captains of my street team, I can’t wait to take on NYC!
Now let’s play the “what if?” game, shall we? What if…I’d never submitted my manuscript to a certain publisher which shall remain nameless and it never landed in the inbox of my fabulous editor? I’m pretty sure I’d still be clueless about writing. Cindy, thank you for rejecting my manuscript…twice. That second rejection resulted in me finding an editor / friend for life. You taught me the errors of my ways and for that I will be eternally grateful.
Thank you to the ladies who helped me create and promote Unlikely Venture. Regina, you are a creative genius! The cover is brilliant and I look forward to seeing what you come up with next! Nicole, thank you for helping me navigate the world of book publicity. I’m so excited to ramp things up with the next release! Julie, your advice and guidance was priceless. Thanks for opening my eyes to the art of distribution and formatting. I still refer to my notes from that late-night phone call…
KRISTEN LUCIANI IS a self-proclaimed momtrepreneur with a penchant for Christian Louboutins, Silicon Valley (the place and the show), plunging necklines and grapefruit martinis. As a deep-rooted romantic who prefers juicy drama to fill the lives of anyone other than her, she tried her hand at creating a world of enchantment, sensuality, and intrigue, finally uncovering her true passion. No pun intended…
CONNECT WITH KRISTEN:
Author Website: www.KristenLuciani.com
Blog: www.TheIdeaMama.com
Twitter: @kristen_luciani
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Unlikely Venture (The Venture Series Book 1) Page 24
