Dancing in Stilettos: Red Stilettos, #3

By Rebecca J. Clark

She’s bringing sexy back…

Stay-at-home mom Darlene Ramirez appears to have it all: a sexy husband, a beautiful little boy, and a new home in the suburbs. But when Colton starts working longer hours and spending more time at the gym, she fears the worst. When a stylish new friend offers her a makeover, Darlene jumps at the chance to do her part to bring some va-va-voom back to the relationship and fight for her marriage. As she learns to walk in stilettos and seduce Colton with her sexy new look and attitude, her plan seems to be working... until she catches him in a lie and learns nothing is what it seems.

Will a great pair of shoes be enough to save her marriage?

Red Stilettos series

Book 1—Borrowed Stilettos

Book 2—Running in Stilettos

Book 3—Dancing in Stilettos

Book 4—Christmas in Stilettos (coming soon)

Book 5—Married in Stilettos (coming soon)

• Language: English
• Publisher: Rebecca J. Clark
• Release date: Jul 26, 2015
• ISBN: 9781516355877

Book preview

She’s bringing sexy back…

Stay-at-home mom Darlene Ramirez appears to have it all: a sexy husband, a beautiful little boy, and a new home in the suburbs. But when Colton starts working longer hours and spending more time at the gym, she fears the worst. When a stylish new friend offers her a makeover, Darlene jumps at the chance to do her part to bring some va-va-voom back to the relationship and fight for her marriage. As she learns to walk in stilettos and seduce Colton with her sexy new look and attitude, her plan seems to be working... until she catches him in a lie and learns nothing is what it seems.

Will a great pair of shoes be enough to save her marriage?

Red Stilettos series

Book 1—Borrowed Stilettos

Book 2—Running in Stilettos

Book 3—Dancing in Stilettos

Book 4—Christmas in Stilettos (coming soon)

Book 5—Married in Stilettos (coming soon)

DANCING in STILETTOS

Red Stilettos—Book Three

by Rebecca J. Clark

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales, is entirely coincidental.

Dancing in Stilettos/Red Stilettos—Book Three

First edition COPYRIGHT © 2015 Rebecca J. Clark

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

Contact Information: [e-mail]

Cover Art by Steven Novak

Edited by Jennifer Gracen

Published in the United States of America

Warning: the unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.

Dedication

To any of my friends, personal training clients, and readers who might be a little or a lot insecure about your looks, your weight, your career… whatever. You need to start believing in yourself and loving yourself. Just the way you are.

And to my mom… who always thinks I’m the best at everything I do. Love you, Mom!

DANCING in STILETTOS

Red Stilettos Series—Book 3

Rebecca J. Clark

Chapter One

No. Don’t do it. She’d promised she wouldn’t snoop.

Darlene Ramirez’ gaze darted to the uneven line of her husband’s shoes against the back wall in the closet and she bit her lip, temptation speeding up her pulse.

Nope. She wouldn’t do it.

She ignored her two-year-old son’s ear-splitting tantrum as she gathered up the dirty clothes her husband had left on the floor. Seriously, how long would it take Colton to walk those extra five or six steps to the nearby hamper? It must be a guy thing. Her girlfriends said their husbands did the same thing.

With an amused shake of her head, she deposited the armful of clothes into the hamper. She hadn’t gone three steps out of the bedroom, a still-screaming Bradley lying in the middle of the short hallway, when she set down the hamper and scurried back to the closet.

A promise doesn’t count if her fingers were crossed behind her back, right?

She shoved her hand into the first shoe, feeling all the way to the toe box. Nothing. She did the same with the others. Nothing. Damn. She spotted Colton’s unscuffed and never worn cowboy boots hiding in the back corner. She’d bought those for him their first Christmas together, hoping to convince him to take line dancing classes with her. Didn’t work.

She picked up a boot that still smelled of new leather, and something jiggled inside it. Anticipation raced through her veins, chased by only a smidgeon of guilt. She turned the boot upside down and dumped the contents into her palm.

A red Lego. Damn.

She let out a loud breath and had to grin. She was horrible, she really was, but she just couldn’t help herself from snooping. Their fifth anniversary was three weeks away. Even though she and Colton agreed not to buy each other anything this year—they were saving up to remodel their small house next summer—she knew he’d probably still get her a little something, because it was a milestone anniversary. And that little something was what she’d been searching for.

She gave up her treasure hunt for the moment and grabbed the full hamper, stepping over Bradley’s spread-eagled and stiff-limbed tantrum as she headed through the house to the laundry room, which sat between the kitchen and the garage. Nudging the door open with her hip, she frowned at the pile of dirty clothes and towels already waiting for her. How could two adults and one toddler create so much?

Mama, let’s go! Let’s go! Bradley had followed her through the house, closing every door behind him, and threw his body on the floor in front of the dryer to continue the tantrum.

Just ignore him when he’s like this, she reminded herself for the umpteenth time today. Her mom and friends told her it was the best way to get through a tantrum. It never worked with Bradley though. He’d scream and freak out until he was done screaming and freaking out. No sooner.

She just hoped he’d screamed himself out before it was time to go. She’d made the mistake of telling him over lunch that they’d be going to a birthday party this afternoon. At two years old, he didn’t understand they had to wait until the party started; if they went now, no one would be there.

Bradley didn’t care. Once something was in his head, he was like the proverbial dog on a bone. Colton said she was just like that, too. Her recent snoopfest was case in point. A few weeks before last Valentine’s Day, he’d made the mistake of saying, I can’t wait to give you your gift—you’re gonna love it. Unable to wait, she’d scoured the house looking for his hiding place. She’d made an excuse to visit his office and look in his desk drawers. She’d searched his car. She’d finally found a beautiful heart pendant in her car, in the spare tire well in the trunk—a great hiding place. She’d never have looked there if she hadn’t been so determined. Colton would say obsessive.

He had been all kinds of annoyed with her about that. She really couldn’t help herself, she’d been this way since she was a kid. Colton had made her promise she’d never snoop like that again—it ruined the surprise. She’d promised… with her toes crossed where he couldn’t see them.

She had to snoop though, in order to avoid a disaster like last Christmas when she hadn’t figured out his surprise—that he’d bought them a vacation to Maui, just for the two of them. That’s not the type of present you spring upon a woman without giving her weeks to prep for it.

Bradley tugged on her pant leg. "Mama, please! I wanna go to party now!"

I can’t understand you when you’re screaming like that, she said in a calm Mom voice, while sorting through the hamper of clothes.

She wished Colton was home to take Bradley to the birthday party. She’d love to have an hour or two to herself, something she rarely got as a stay-at-home mom. But Colton had insisted on going to the gym. He’d become more adamant lately about not missing his workouts—she wondered if it was because he was turning thirty in a few months. Maybe he was going through an early midlife crisis or something.

He certainly didn’t need exercise to look good to her. His long, lean body still made her drool. Not that she’d seen it much lately.

She was the one who should be working out. She still looked like she’d just given birth, although it had been more than two years.

Bradley hugged her legs, the tantrum over. Mama? We go to party now?