Claiming You (A Lennox In Love, #1)

By Tina Martin

~A Standalone Novella~

At 39, Remington (Remy) Lennox married Emory McNeil. They've been friends for two years – married for one of those years. He told her the marriage was strictly for business reasons and that they'd keep it between themselves while remaining friends. That the rest of the Lennox family doesn't have to know.

What he doesn't tell Emory is, he's deeply in love with her. She thinks they're only friends, but he worships the ground she walks on. Still, he keeps his feelings at bay, that is until he feels like his younger brother, Giovanni is moving in on his territory. Now, Remington knows he must CLAIM his woman and let her know his true feelings. Keeping their "arrangement" a secret is no longer an option.

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All the books in the Lennox in Love series are standalone novellas. Read them in any order you like.

Book 1 – Claiming You

Book 2 – Making You My Business

Book 3 – Wishing That I Was Yours

Short Story – Caught in the Storm with a Lennox (Prequel to 'Claiming You')

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tina Martin
• Release date: Feb 1, 2016
• ISBN: 9781524265120

Tina Martin

TINA MARTIN is the author of over 80 romance, romantic suspense and women’s fiction titles and has been writing full-time since 2013. Readers praise Tina for her strong heroes, sweet heroines and beautifully crafted stories. When she’s not writing, Tina enjoys watching movies, traveling, cooking and spending time with her family. For more information, visit www.tinamartin.net

Book preview

Book Synopsis

Emory (aka, Emmie) is twenty-nine and was living a simple, modest life before she met Remington Lennox, a distinguished gentleman, who’s a decade older than she is. Strictly friends for two years, their bond is strong, but everything changes when Remington feels like his brother is trying to steal her away from him.

Claiming You is a sweet novella about two unlikely people falling in love and how one man’s past effects his views of women. But then he meets a woman who makes him break his own rules!

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I hope you enjoy reading this novella as much as I enjoyed writing it. I’m truly grateful to my fans who get these stories and appreciate the sweet, heartfelt romances I write.

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Happy reading!

CLAIMING YOU

A Lennox in Love Novella

[Prologue]

Stop it, Giovanni, Emory screamed in laughter on a bed a faded green grass, giggling uncontrollably while Giovanni was on top of her attempting to snatch the yellow flag-belt from around her waist.

Flag football with the fellas is what her Friday night entailed, and Giovanni seemed to be having the time of his life seeing her squirm and wiggle beneath him. The game, their second, was long over, but while everyone else rested, chatted it up and chugged water, Emory and Giovanni were playing their own little game of wrestling on the ground. And they had an audience.

Next time you wanna talk smack, you think about this, girl, Giovanni said, amused by her giggles.

Okay. Okay. Emory panted. You win.

Tell me you’re sorry.

Vanni...

Tell me.

I’m sorry, Emory said, barely able to catch her breath while laughter nearly drowned out her words.

Giovanni stood to his feet victorious with her flag-belt in his hand, then helped her get up.

Standing upright, Emory snatched his blue flag-belt and took off running as fast as she could, but Giovanni was right down behind her, locking his arms around her from behind and tumbling to the ground with her, all while she laughed.

Remington’s eyes burned with envy. Sitting on the hood of his car, he glared at the two of them, mostly at Giovanni, watching the way he toyed with and touched Emory. Why did he have to be so touchy-feely with her? This wasn’t tackle football. It was flag football. And they weren’t even playing a game at the moment, but Giovanni just had to play. With her. If Giovanni wasn’t his brother, Remington would’ve hemmed him up, then and there.

Those two seem to be hitting it off lately, Kenton said after he ran up next to Remington with a football tucked underneath his arm, wearing a white sweated-out T-shirt, skidded with grass and dirt stains. For a while, Kenton had suspected something was going on between Remington and Emory. After all, Remington had convinced Emory to move from Atlanta, Georgia to Bryson City, North Carolina. What woman relocates to a new state at the request of a man without there being some sort of connection between the two of them? And after she moved, they’d been inseparable for two years. Two. Well, that is until Giovanni stepped in to steal her time away from Remington as of late. Judging by the hard frown that knitted and tightened in his forehead, Remington didn’t seem too happy about sharing her.

Yeah, looks that way, Remington mumbled, jumping off the hood of the car. I’m heading back to the house.

Already? We have another game lined up.

Not feelin’ it.

Come on, Rem. We’re tied. Drake’s been talking trash about how they were going to win the third round. Drake, their first cousin, was on Giovanni’s team, along with Remington’s good friend, Spencer.

Remington shook his head. He couldn’t fathom playing another game, watching Giovanni grab ahold of Emory. Seeing the two of them interact bothered him. Why? Simple. Giovanni had an advantage over him when it came to age. Emory was twenty-nine. Giovanni was thirty-two and Remington, thirty-nine. The age difference was one of the factors that kept him from pursuing Emory, but as of late, he was comfortable with it. Whether she would be was the question. He got along with Emory even better than women in his own age bracket. She understood him. Was comfortable with him. He cherished their time together, and she enjoyed spending time with him.

You playing or what? Kenton asked.

No, man, Remington said, opening the driver side door. I’ll be at the house.

Kenton sighed. All right, bruh. See you in a few.

Yep. Remington slammed the door after he got in then sped off, kicking up dirt and grass as he did so.

Yo...where’s he going? Thought we were playing another game? Giovanni asked after he ran over to Kenton. Emory was busy brushing grass off of her clothes and out of her hair.

"We were supposed to play another one, Kenton said, Until Remington got pissed that you were all over his girl."

Giovanni smirked. He looked across the field over at Emory, then back at Kenton. What are you talking about?

I’m talking about the fact that you seem to be getting close to Emory lately, too close, and Remington is in love with her.

Giovanni laughed. "What are you high on, Kenton? First of all, Remington has never loved a woman in his life. And Emory and I are just friends. She’s like a sister to me, man. To all of us."

Well, you need to lean back a little is all I’m suggesting. Remington moved her here for a reason, and I doubt it was so he could watch you on top of her, pinning her to the ground, roughhousing her. See you at the house.

* * *

Emory spotted Remington casually sitting on the couch. He left the field early, and she wanted to know why. He looked okay. Hard-nosed. Straight posture with a serious, no-nonsense face. His usual self. So why did he leave? Did he have to take a business call or was it some other pressing matter?

Hey, you, Emory said, sitting on the couch next to Remington with a knee up, facing him.

Since he arrived ahead of the others, Remington had taken a shower and was smelling fresh, wearing a black T-shirt and a pair of faded jeans. He looked at Emory with his honey-colored eyes full of something she had yet to notice.

Love.

Fire.

Craving.

Hey. He plucked off a single strand of grass from her hair.

She smiled softly. Thank you.

Welcome.

Are you okay? she asked.

Taking a moment, he studied her brown skin tone and long, black hair pulled back in a ponytail. Her dark, enchanting eyes always did something to rouse him, not to mention those full, divine lips of hers that garnered his attention.

Remy? she said.

He heard her voice, read her lips, but he didn’t answer.

Emory’s eyes narrowed. He was looking at her, so why hadn’t he answered?

Remington?

He read her lips again and heard her say his name. Yes?

Are you okay? she repeated.

Yes. Why wouldn’t I be?

I got three reasons, she replied. You want to hear ‘em?

He shrugged lazily.

"Okay. One, you left the field early...didn’t play the third football game, and you knew we were supposed to play three games. Two, you have the appetite of a Smoky Mountain bear but you’re not eating. Three, you’re sitting here staring at the TV but not watching it. Just staring."

Is that a crime? he asked, mildly amused.

She balled a fist and nudged him at his shoulder, but Remington barely moved. "No, it’s not a crime, but you’re not usually so quiet. So dish. What’s wrong, Remy?"

He looked at her briefly, holding the gaze radiating from her widened eyes. That’s another thing he liked about her – how she always knew when something was bothering him. What he didn’t like was the fact that she didn’t know why he was being standoffish and anti-social.

Nothing’s wrong, he said barely looking at her, hoping she couldn’t detect the lie he told.

Don’t lie to me. Just tell me.

So much for that strategy...

He looked at her again, holding acute contact. Her eyes seemed to beg him for an answer, the truth, but still, he said, "Woman, I’m

Reviews for Claiming You (A Lennox In Love, #1)

[Nic · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Remington was too autocratic and expected Emery to be entirely on board with his decisions without discussing anything with her. Throughout the book, he had a habit of keeping information from her that she should know, and he didn’t change that even at the end. I’m sure he spun it in his mind as loving and protective, but I can’t imagine that 20 years of that wouldn’t drive her nuts. Emmy was a nice person with a fine brain that he didn’t seem to give her credit for. I feel like jealousy prompted his change toward her and that if his brother haven’t posed a threat to him, he might have continued behaving the way he previously had. Overall I found the story pretty bizarre but I like the family set up so I’m going to read the next book in the series.