Mari Carr continues the Perfect Storm series next week with an all-new forced proximity, workplace romance, and I have a sneak peek for you.
Excerpt
“Did I ever tell you the story of how my parents met?”
Gretchen shook her head.
“They met at the town’s annual Fourth of July picnic. Mom was staying in Gracemont that summer with her great-aunt.”
“She’s not originally from here?” Gretchen asked.
“Nope. Like you, she’s a transplant. Dad took one look at her and fell madly in love. He asked her out for a date right then and there, and two weeks later, he proposed.”
“Two weeks?!” Gretchen was as astounded as everyone else he’d ever told this story to. “And she said yes?”
Theo chuckled. “Well, yeah. Obviously. Dad said he wanted to propose at the picnic, but figured he should get a ring first.”
“Wow.” She leaned back, shaking her head. “So it was love at first sight, huh?”
He’d caught Gretchen reading romance novels on her lunch break on more than one occasion, so he suspected—hoped—she was a fan of the concept.
“Yep. Dad swears it’s a real thing. Levi, however, believes in something a little different.”
“What’s that?” she asked.
“Love at first touch. Levi has known Kasi her whole life, but this summer, when the heat got to her one day, she passed out. Levi caught her—and he said it was like he’d been struck by lightning. He held her in his arms, and he just knew.” Theo forced a carefree grin, not wanting to give away the fact he’d experienced the same earth-shaking realization the second he shook Gretchen’s hand.
“Knew what?” she whispered.
“That she was his.”
“It must be nice to be so sure of your feelings like that,” she said.
“It took Levi a bit of work to convince Kasi his feelings were sincere.”
“Longer than two weeks?” Gretchen asked, clearly joking.
“Yep. Took Levi three whole weeks.”
Gretchen’s eyes widened when her joke backfired. “Sounds like you Storm men are relentless.”
Theo laughed, tempted to start showing her how relentless they were.
Firsthand.
“That we are. But I haven’t finished telling you about my parents. Because Mom tells their love story a little differently.”
“How so?”
“When Dad introduced himself, he also included the fact that his family owned and operated a winery. According to her, that was all she wrote.”
Gretchen laughed loudly, covering her mouth again.
Theo reached out before he could stop himself and pulled her hand down. “Don’t do that.”
Her brows furrowed in confusion. “Do what?”
“You have a beautiful smile and a beautiful laugh. Why cover them up?”
Gretchen glanced down at their hands. “I didn’t realize I was.” He could see the earnestness in her response. “I’ll try to stop.”
“Good. You should never hide your happiness. And don’t worry, you’ll have plenty of chances to practice,” he reassured her.
“I will?”
Theo wrapped his arm around her shoulders, tucking her against him. “Of course. Because you’re hanging out with me, and I’m freaking hilarious.”
Gretchen giggled, her eyes twinkling with mirth. “I guess you are kinda funny…looking.”
“Is that right?” Theo tightened his grip, holding her in place as he ruffled her hair playfully, as punishment for her joke.
Gretchen froze for a split second, but the tension was mercifully brief before she started to fight him off, laughing loudly, the two of them tussling like a couple of teenagers.
They stopped when they heard the screen door open.
Edith spotted them, rolling her eyes in amusement at their antics. “When you’re finished flirting, Theodore Storm, I need help loading my pies into the car for tonight’s dance.”
They untangled themselves, rising, both intent on lending her a hand. Edith walked back into the house, but before Gretchen could follow, he reached out, lightly grasping her wrist.
“Save a dance for me tonight.” He probably should have worded that as a request, rather than an outright demand, but he was desperate to hold her in his arms, and dancing felt like the easiest, quickest way to get there.
Gretchen pulled her wrist away, and he was subjected to the first serious bit of reticence he’d seen from her all day. “I don’t dance.”
“You do tonight. With me.” Theo stepped closer, slowly moving into her personal space. If she tried to put distance between them, he would stop, but Gretchen held her ground.
Actually, she did one better, drawing in a slow, deep breath, then shifting a miniscule bit closer to him, though her actions felt more like her testing herself rather than tempting him.
Even after everything he’d learned about her upbringing, Theo still felt as if he was in the dark. Today, he’d pulled back one layer of the onion, but there were too many left to go.
“Okay. I’ll save you a dance,” she whispered, her gaze drifting to his lips.
Fuck him. There was no way he was going to be able to hold himself back for much longer if she kept daring him to kiss her.
Unfortunately, she stepped away before he could throw caution to the wind, wrap his hand around her neck, and kiss her with reckless abandon.
She turned, starting to head into the house again. “After all, I suppose I should take pity on you. Since you’re so funny,” she paused for effect, “looking.”
“Shameless hussy,” he called out after her as she took off running, slamming the screen door in his face when he started to give chase.
Gretchen laughed loudly as she turned to face him through the door, her smile completely unobstructed by her hand.
Beautiful.
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Perfect Storm - Recommended Reading Order
(standalone stories with interconnected characters)
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