Release
Blitz
Stay
For Me
by
Megan Smith
~
Synopsis ~
Eli Sabatino, determined to make a name for himself amid Seaside,
New Jersey’s nightlife, has laid out the perfect plan for success. But that
plan didn’t include Layla, the hopeful bartender who walked in for an
interview. He knows, as an employee, this blonde bombshell is off-limits but he
can’t fight the undeniable force of attraction that pulls him toward her.
Layla
Del Duca has the weight of the world on her shoulders. With a full course load,
a boyfriend, a sister to take care of, and an alcoholic mother, she needs to
regain control of her life. Her job at Fierce is priority number one. But a
complication she didn’t expect looms behind the eyes of Eli, her handsome new
boss.
Emotions
collide full force and they can no longer turn a blind eye to what their hearts
are telling them.
But,
can their passion survive when Eli can no longer promise the one thing Layla
asks of him? Will everything change? Will he stay?
~
Links to Buy ~
~
Excerpt ~
The barista hands me my
coffee. I stuff the receipt in my pocket walking out but stopping short when I
get a better look at the dad and his daughter.
It’s Eli.
Eli and his daughter.
Eli. Has. A. Kid.
I duck back into the coffee
shop trying to figure out a way to get around him without being seen. I take a
seat at an empty table that gives me a little view of Eli. My heart is beating
so fast and I’m shaking. Holy shit, I can’t believe he has a kid. How did he
not tell me this? Did I miss the pictures of her in his office? How come she’s
never come in for a visit before opening?
All of these questions are
swirling around in my head when I see a tall, beautiful brunette walk out of
Victoria’s Secret and right over to where Eli is with his daughter. I stop
breathing and my vision blurs as she places a hand on Eli’s shoulder and leans
in to kiss the little girl’s cheek.
A chair slides across the
tile floor startling me. I grab my coffee, stand up and look around trying to
figure out which way is the fastest to get outside, to get away from this train
wreck. I realize there are no exits nearby, only a bathroom so that’s where I
head.
I take a sip of my coffee
and toss the rest in the trash…not even drinking that will help ward off the
headache now.
Stepping out of the coffee
shop I keep my head down until I turn the corner where I’m safe, only I’m not.
Oomph. Firm hands grasping
my upper arms keep me steady. My cheek rests against a hard toned chest. The
aroma of a crisp sea breeze with a hint of woodsy essence invades my senses and
makes my world tilt.
My heart rate picks up a
beat and I try to quickly recover by taking a few steps back. “I’m sorry.” I
say before looking up.
The guy chuckles and it’s
like a bucket of cold water that washes over me. I know that sound and it’s the
last person I wanted to run into right now. It’s the person I was running from.
“What are you doing?” He
asks.
I roll my eyes while
adjusting the strap on my purse. “Shopping, what else do you do at a mall, Eli?”
“By yourself?”
I huff annoyed that he
would think I can’t shop by myself. “Yeah.”
“Where’s Brian?” When his
name rolls off his tongue I cringe.
“Where’s your girlfriend?” Yeah, jerk, I saw her and your
daughter.
Eli smirks and I want to
punch him in the face. “I don’t have one.”
“Then who’s that?” I say
nodding towards the pretty girl with her daughter who looks to be about
Fallon’s age.
“Jealous?”
I glare, getting more and
more pissed off that he’s not claiming them. “Nope.”
“Then why does it matter
who that is?”
“It doesn’t.”
He smiles a cocky smile.
“I’ll tell you on one condition.”
“What’s that?”
He takes a small step
towards me and leans down to whisper in my ear. “Go out to dinner with me again
tonight.”
I push on his hard stomach.
“No.”
Eli laughs. “Why not? It’s
just friends having dinner.”
“Because.” I can’t think of
a reason to say no but I know that I should.
Eli takes a step closer and
I take a step back. “There has to be a reason, Layla.” He takes another step
towards me and my back hits the wall. He’s got me cornered and his girlfriend
and daughter are right there. This is so fucked up. “Are you afraid of what
might happen?”
I swallow hard. “No.”
He brings his mouth right
to my ear and whispers, “Are you afraid of me or what will happen when you’re
with me?”
A shiver racks my body as
his warm breath hits my ear. He’s so cocky but in a sexy sort of way.
Eli kisses the lobe of my
ear. “Which is it, Layla?”
I can’t speak. I can barely
hold myself up against the wall. He bites down on my ear and I whimper.
Breathing is optional at this point.
Why is he doing this? He
just kissed my fucking ear, in the mall, in broad daylight, and I’m like a deer
caught in headlights right now.
“I’ll pick you up at seven.
Wear something nice.”
And then he’s gone leaving
me speechless and utterly breathless.
What the hell just happened?
~ About the Author ~
USA TODAY bestselling author Megan Smith is a New Jersey native
managing purchasing for an award-winning business IT and software development
firm - and by night creating the memorable characters her fans have grown to
adore. Smith's The Love Series introduces readers to MacKenzie Cahill - a
hopeful young woman who experiences adversity, challenges and the bittersweet
triumph of true, authentic love.
Smith is a wife and mother,
who makes time for her family, professional life and the creation of the
Cahill's world. Fans of The Love Series - Trying Not To Love You, Easy To Love
You, Hard To Love You - are captivated by relationships, special bonds and
family ties pervasive in Smith's emotional, energized and engaging work. Smith
is also the author of the 2014 releases, Let Me Love You - continuations of The
Love Series, Finding Us (Finding Series) and a few top secret projects.
~ Other
Works by the Author ~
Finding Series
Coming Soon...
Finding Happiness - Jeremy 2015
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