STALKING LOVE -- EXCERPT

STALKING LOVE 

It is always that point in time when the heroine really notices the hero in a book that many people remember.

 I hope you like this short look inside my novel

 STALKING LOVE

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EXCERPT

 

Rachel rolled her eyes and walked over to Jody. “Perhaps I need to join her in whatever she’s drinking.” She gave a quick wink that was followed by a small laugh.

“Uh huh. You’ll be over here soon, you’ll see.” She reached out into the air in front of her and acted like she was pinching one of the guy’s butt.

Rachel turned to Jody. “I think you need to make my drink a double.”

Jody laughed. “If the drinks will double the number of guys down on the beach, then hey, go for it.”

Margaret, a woman in her mid-forties and the oldest one in the group, walked over to the small bar and retrieved the shaker. “I think we’re going to need to make some more.”

“Help yourself to whatever you want to make,” Jody said as she walked over toward the telescope. “This is the first time I ever noticed this group playing here. I hope this becomes a regular gathering. I can get used to this.”

Margaret started pouring vodka into the shaker as she brushed her long dark brown hair behind her back. “I promise . . . if my last husband owned anything like that kind of body, I’d found some way to make the damn marriage work.”

Gloria added some ice to the shaker and smiled. “I thought you said he dumped you.”

“Yeah, he did, but if he looked like him, I would have tried harder to make him happy. You must admit, there’s a huge difference.” Margaret stretched out her hands to suggest the size of her ex-husband’s beer belly.

Rachel walked back out on the patio as Jody motioned for her to take a look. “Okay, let’s see what all the excitement is about.” She placed her eye against the telescope, allowing time to adjust her vision on several guys playing volleyball. Their movements happened too fast for her to stay focused on them. Yes, with their shirts off she saw a lot of muscles.

“What do you think?” Jody asked impatiently.

“I see several guys playing.” She tried to focus in on one guy to obtain better details.

“Yes, there are several nice guys there, but we all have one guy we really like. Keep looking and you’ll see what we mean.”

Rachel scanned the area again. Their dark tans made them look like locals as the game continued in a fast and furious pace, indicating they had played many times before. Then, she saw the one they must have been talking about. One tall guy with jet-black hair and a well-toned body moved to the server position. Even while wearing baggy swimming trunks she managed to study his muscular legs and oh so firm butt. She concentrated on him until he pitched the ball in the air preparing to serve. As his rapid movements quickly evaded her focus, she struggled to find him.

“Do you see him yet?” Jody stood behind her, waiting for a response.

“I think so.” When Rachel saw him returning to serve again she recognized a face she had thought about a lot lately. “Ohmigod!” Oops, she didn’t mean to say that out loud, but knew it was too late now.

“What is it?” Jody asked.

Rachel looked away from the telescope. “I think I know this guy.” She turned to study all of the girls standing behind her open their mouths wide.

Gloria spoke first. “Tell girl, and I do mean tell all.”

Rachel glanced first at Gloria and then at Jody. “This guy came by to see me a few days ago.”

Gloria eyes stretched wide open as she leaned forward. “And . . . .”

Rachel glanced at each girl descending in on her like a pack of rats chasing a single piece of cheese. “Okay, okay, his name is Carlos and he’s in the mortgage business. He came by to see if I could refer some of my clients to him.”

Jody leaned over to the telescope again and focused in on him. “Let me say . . . if you don’t send him some . . . well, you know, if you don’t want him, let me know. I’m sure I can send him some . . . business.”

Rachel laughed. “He acted professionally when he came to see me.” She glanced over the edge of the condo at the guys on the beach. “I’ll admit that he looks very nice up close.”

Jody continued to study him through the telescope. “How old is he?”

Rachel studied the guys playing. She wasn’t sure, but knew he looked young. She turned to raise her glass toward the other girls. “I’m not sure, but I’m willing to drink to young men and lustful nights.” She followed up the proposed toast with a loud hearty laugh.

Everyone lifted their glasses together and joined in the laughter. Several eyed the telescope, waiting on their turn. After pointing toward many of the empty or close to being empty glasses, Jody motioned toward the shaker. “I think we might need a full time bartender here tonight.”

Gloria glanced over at the guys. “Now, if you can find us a boy toy like one of these, I’ll even help cover the cost.”

“I’m sure you would.” Rachel loved the laughing and teasing of these friends, but stopped for a moment to watch the guys playing hard, and who had no idea they had become the topic of discussion among her friends. These guys were enjoying life and having a great time. She suddenly thought about how sad it was that the only thing the girls around her could do was simply enjoy the entertainment the guys put on for them rather than being a part of the fun.

Gloria nudged next to her. “Can’t take your eyes off of him, huh?”

Rachel laughed. “I was thinking of how fascinating it would be to discover how he really lives his life, you know, from day to day.”

“Uh huh. I think I see some wheels turning here.”

Rachel decided to turn from the balcony before she really started some rumors; the one thing she definitely didn’t need to start. Gossip wouldn’t be good for business since she worked for many conservative clients. However, she knew the best way out of this situation required her to play along as if the idea was a joke. “Well, a girl can dream, can’t she?”

Gloria saw through her laughter and pushed on. “I know you too well, you’re not a dreamer. You didn’t get where you are by being such. You’re a doer.”

Rachel kept thinking and laughing. She had really wanted to give this guy some business, but if this continued it would be impossible to do so. There was too much danger in feeding the rumor mill. “We both know a guy like him probably has all of the girls he could ever want, and at anytime he wanted them. And . . . if I did catch him, a stud like him would kill me.”