Excerpt and Giveaway: To Love and To Cherish by Lauren Layne
Published by Simon and Schuster on October 18th 2016
Genres: Fiction, Romance, Contemporary, Contemporary Women, General
Pages: 320
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Sex and the City meets The Wedding Planner in The Wedding Belles, a contemporary and witty romance series about three high-powered New York City women who can plan any weddingâbut their own.
Alexis Morgan has spent the past eight years devoted to turning her tiny start-up into Manhattanâs premiere wedding planning company, The Wedding Belles. Now that her business is thriving, itâs time to turn towards her much neglected personal life, and Alexis approaches her relationships like she does everything else: with a plan. Not a part of that plan is Logan Harris, the silent partner in the Belles, and the one person whoâs been there for her since the very beginning. But Alexis needs someone fun, and Loganâs all business, all the timeâexcept when a late night at the office ends with an unexpected kiss that leaves the usually cool and together Alexis reeling.
Logan has lusted after Alexis since the day he walked into the tiny Harlem apartment that used to double as her office. But the ambitious wedding planner has always been untouchable...until now. Alexis has made it clear that sheâs on the dating marketâand equally clear that heâs not in the running. But when Alexis finds herself in need of a date for her sisterâs last minute wedding in Florida, Logan knows itâs the perfect time to show Alexis that thereâs more to him than numbers and spreadsheetsâand beneath the pinstripes and glasses lies a hot-blooded heartthrob. As Floridaâs sultry days turn into even hotter nights, Loganâs out to convince Alexis that the fling of a lifetime could just maybe turn into forever...
âHello.â
The sexy British accented startled Alexis out of her thoughts, and she glanced up, both alarmed and intrigued to find that the face that awaited her was every bit as appealing as the voice.
The man was about her ageâearly, maybe midtwentiesâand ridiculously cute. His hair was dark and maybe just a touch too long, as though he intended to get a haircut but kept forgetting. The eyes were brown and friendly, accented by trendy black-framed glasses.
The chunky cable-knit sweater with elbow patchesâfor realâbordered on dorky, but then, Alexis had always had a soft spot for dorky. He had a bit of the Clark Kent thing going on, which had always been far more her type than the overrated Superman.
âHi,â she replied quickly, realizing that sheâd been staring.
His smile grew wider as he extended a hand. âLogan Harris.â
Darn. Even the name was good.
âAlexis,â she said.
âDoes that come with a last name?â he teased, lowering himself to the vacant barstool beside her.
âNot to strange men,â she retorted.
âI could buy you a drink. Get rid of the âstrangeâ part.â
Alexisâs smile slipped as she remembered that romance, even flirting, wasnât part of her plan. Sheâd learned the hard way that she could have one or the otherâher own business or a boyfriendânot both. And even if she wanted the latter, the latter didnât want her back.
âNo thanks; Iâm fine,â she said, letting the slightest amount of chill enter her voice. The ice-princess treatment, Roxanne called it.
Logan shrugged, undeterred. âAll right then. May I borrow your menu?â
She nodded, and he picked it up, perusing it for several moments and paying her no attention.
It was both a relief and also a bit of an insult, if she was being entirely honest, to be given up on so easily.
Alexis tried to turn her attention back to her laptop but watched out of the corner of her eye as he finally shut the menu, waiting patiently to catch the bartenderâs eye.
âHi there,â he said, when the bartender ambled back over. âIâd like a Stella, and a maybe bite to eat?â
Alexis didnât miss the once-over that the bartender gave Logan before the curvy redhead leaned over the bar, displaying perky boobs as she clicked her pen and pulled a notepad out of her back pocket.
âShoot,â the bartender said flirtatiously, looking a good deal friendlier than she had when sheâd spoken to Alexis.
Not that Alexis blamed her. A cute Brit could do that to a girl.
âAll right then,â Logan said. âIâd like the burger, medium, with Swiss. Fish and chips, extra tartar, and . . . howâs your chicken club?â
The bartender blinked. âItâs good. But you want all that?â
âI do. Thank you.â
âSuit yourself,â she said, scribbling Loganâs order on the pad.
âHungry?â Alexis couldnât resist asking after the bartender moved away.
Logan gave a sheepish smile. âIâm a recovering student. I sometimes get so wrapped up in my day that I forget to eat.â
âA recovering student. What does that mean?â
He turned slightly toward her. âSomeoneâs showing plenty of interest in a strange man.â
She bit her lip. âIâm sorry if I was rude before. Iâm just not really in the market for . . . you know.â
He gave her an easy smile. âEveryoneâs in the market for a friend, Alexis.â
She opened her mouth and then shut it as she realized he was right. She could use a friend. Sheâd spent her entire life in Boston and knew almost nobody in New York. This guy seemed nice and nonthreatening enoughâwhat would be the harm in a little conversation over dinner? It had been too long since sheâd had somebody to share a meal with.
Logan seemed to know the moment she capitulated, because he turned more fully toward her. âA recovering student, Alexis, is a recent graduate. One who hasnât quite absorbed that there will be no more finals, no more requisite all-nighters, and no more dorm sex.â
Alexis laughed. âUndergrad, then?â
He gave her a wry look. âHow young do I look, darling? MBA from Columbia. Just finished up end of last year.â
She felt a little stab of relief that he wasnât twenty-two.
He leaned toward her slightly. âTwenty-five next month, just in case you were wondering. As a friend.â
She tried to hide her smile and failed. âColumbia, huh? Youâre a long way from home.â
âNoticed that, did ya?â He winked. âI came out here for undergrad, also Columbia. Always figured Iâd go back to London and maybe someday I will, but . . .â He shrugged. âSeems I have stuff to do here first.â
âSuch as?â She took a sip of her wine, dismayed to see that it was half-empty.
âWell, this will probably shock you, given my vast amount of brawn, but Iâm an accountant. Or at least I will be, once I get my business up and running.â
Alexis was impressed. âYour own business?â
Most twentysomethings, even those with an entrepreneurial bent, opted to get a few years of work under their belts for someone else before branching out on their own.
He nodded. âIâm working out of my flat for now, but Iâm hoping to lease some office space soon, get some legitimacy. If nothing else to get my father off my back.â
âHeâs not a fan of your plan?â Alexis asked.
Loganâs shoulder lifted, and for the first time he seemed a little sad. âBoth parents have had it in their head that Iâd come home. Run the family business in London.â
âWhich is . . . ?â
He spun his beer glass idly. âFinancial consulting firm. My fatherâs the CEO, Mumâs the COO.â
âWow, thatâs . . .â
âScary?â Logan supplied.
âI was going to say impressive. That they work togetherâwithout killing each other, I mean.â
âTheyâre in love. Itâs atrocious,â he said with a wink. âWhat about your folks?â
Alexis laughed. âNot in love. They divorced when I was in high school. Dadâs remarried and happy now, I think. Mom not so much.â
âAnd you?â he said. âAre you happy, Alexis?â
She pursed her lips, surprised and yet not entirely unsettled by the personal question. âItâs been a while since anyone asked me that. Since I even thought about it, really.â
âThink it out. Iâll wait,â he said with a wink.
She didnât have to think that long. âIâm almost happy.â
âYou sound quite confident on that.â
She shrugged. âLetâs just say that I need a few things to fall into place in my professional life, but once that happens . . . yeah. Iâll be happy.â
Sheâd make sure of it.
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