The Key to Her Heart

By Julianna Douglas

She doesn’t believe a man can be faithful...
Emotional following her brother’s wedding, Alexis Montgomery goes to the hotel bar, where she runs into Ryan, a performer from the male revue she’d hired for her sister-in-law’s bachelorette party. Intensely attracted and deeply lonely, she accept his offer of a drink. Surprised to discover an instant rapport with Ryan that makes her feel like she’s known him forever, Alex accompanies him up to his hotel suite. Together they share a night of passionate bliss unlike anything she’s experienced before. But no man has ever given Alex his fidelity, and Ryan is far too much like all her exes. As dawn breaks, she realizes she would rather have fond memories of this one perfect night than risk her heart being shattered again.

He wants to prove her wrong...
When Ryan Fielding awakens to find Alexis gone, he’s devastated. He’d never believed in love at first sight, but his feelings for her are so intense, they’re undeniable. Unable to find her, Ryan has no choice but to move on with his life, continuing to pursue his dream of becoming a Hollywood star. After four years, he’s finally made it, but the spectre of that night with Alexis still haunts him. When he sees her on television, being interviewed about her animal rescue work following a devastating hurricane, he immediately goes to help, while hoping to reconnect with the woman his heart cannot forget. But it isn’t the happy reunion he’d imagined. Ryan will need patience and determination to tear down Alex’s walls and prove that he alone holds The Key to Her Heart.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Julianna Douglas
• Release date: Nov 27, 2018
• ISBN: 9780463658918

Julianna Douglas

For as long as I can remember, I've been a hopeless romantic and believer in fairy tales. Even as a little girl, my fondest dream was to find a Prince Charming who would sweep me off my feet. I'm happy to say that I did realize that dream and have been married to him for nineteen years. With that being the case, it's not too surprising that I've been obsessed with romance novels since my teens. I read virtually every sub-genre of romance and just can't get enough of them. Occasionally, over the years, people who know my passion for reading have asked if I would ever write a book. In spite of having a vivid imagination and often making up stories in my head to entertain myself, my answer was always an emphatic 'no'. Perhaps it was because I didn't care much for writing in school, but I never in my wildest dreams ever pictured myself as a writer. Now, here I am years later, eating my words. I truly feel like I've found my life's passion. Nearly every time I sit down to write, I feel energized and excited to be creating something new. I think it's because I'm no longer boxed in like I was with school writing assignments and can give my creative side free rein. I can't wait to write the next sentence, the next page, the next chapter, the next book. The muses keep the ideas flowing faster than I can put them on the page and my characters have become a living, breathing part of my life. Now, my fondest wish is that my readers come to love my characters and stories every bit as much as I've loved creating them. I currently live in hot, sunny Phoenix, Arizona with my wonderful husband who is also my writing cheerleader and technical guru, our two teenage children (one boy, one girl), Tundra, our Husky/Great Pyrenees mix dog, and our three cats, Lucy, Misty and Mackenzie. When I'm not reading or writing, I can usually be found hanging out on GoodReads, surfing the web, watching TV or movies, book shopping, or feeding my insatiable thirst for knowledge. I also run the book review website, The Hope Chest Reviews.

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The Key to Her Heart

By

Julianna Douglas

The Key to Her Heart

Copyright © 2018 Julianna Douglas

All Rights Reserved

No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

ISBN-13: 9780463658918

To order additional copies, please visit the author's website at http://www.juliannadouglas.com/

Cover Image by: konradbak, Deposit Photos

Cover Design by: Jaycee DeLorenzo, Sweet 'n Spicy Designs

Edited by: Melissa Ringsted, There for You Editing

ALSO BY JULIANNA DOUGLAS

Loving Hearts Series

His Heart's Desire

Heart of the Season

O’Malley Brothers Series

Butterfly Serenade

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

It is with deepest gratitude that I thank the following people for their contributions that assisted me on my journey to publishing this book:

The Valley of the Sun chapter of Romance Writers of America (VOSRWA) for being a continuing source of encouragement and an informative educational resource. Without you, I wouldn’t have made it this far.

My beta readers, Kathy Miles and JossiLynn, for offering encouragement and critique that helped me to improve certain parts of my story.

My incredible cover designer, Jaycee DeLorenzo, for yet another beautiful book cover. I never cease to be amazed by how you can take the rough vision in my head and turn it into something that looks awesome.

My editor, Melissa Ringsted, for your gentle guidance in cleaning up my manuscript. You caught a lot of little things that I missed, helped me to reign in my overused pet words, and assisted in improving my love scenes.

My husband, Doug, for your assistance with formatting my manuscript, as well as your superb webmaster skills. Most of all, thank you for believing in me as a writer when I don’t believe in myself.

Lastly, I thank God for all the many things with which I’m blessed, most especially my overactive imagination without which writing stories like this wouldn't be possible.

DEDICATION

This book is dedicated to every person who has ever been affected by the devastating power of a hurricane, including Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, which were, in part, the inspiration for this book, as well as more recent storms, such as Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, Maria, Florence, and Michael.

I also dedicate it to all the courageous animal rescuers who’ve braved flood waters and other hazards to save animal lives following hurricanes and other natural disasters.

"We are afraid to care too much, for fear that the other person does not care at all."

– Eleanor Roosevelt

Chapter 1

This was a mistake.

It was only going to lead to trouble or heartbreak … or both. Every time Alexis Montgomery allowed a man into her life it always did.

The gorgeous, dark-haired hunk taking a seat across the table from her in a Las Vegas hotel bar was definitely her usual type–a guy who lived his life in the spotlight with women panting after him on a daily basis. And this one was even worse than her previous boyfriends, because he was a stripper. At least the others hadn’t earned a living by taking their clothes off every night.

Alex had met Ryan Fielding at her sister-in-law, Becca’s, bachelorette party earlier that day, where he’d been part of the entertainment. In fact, he’d given Becca a sinfully sexy lap dance that had raised a flush of heat in Alex’s body and nearly made her drool. When he’d zeroed in on her at the after-party meet-and-greet with the cast of the male revue, she’d been flattered by the attention and by his invitation to have a drink with him later. But deep down, she knew he wouldn’t make good boyfriend material. That’s why she’d turned him down, much to Becca’s chagrin, since she’d been the one to encourage Ryan to ask Alex out. Becca had a rosy view of the world, but after three failed relationships with three men who’d all cheated on her, Alex knew a happily-ever-after wasn’t in the cards for her.

Less than an hour ago, Alex had escaped from the wedding reception for her brother, Ethan, and his new wife, Becca, and came to the bar to nurse the wounds from her recent divorce. They’d unfortunately been reopened by the happiness of the nuptials that had only served to accentuate her own romantic failures. Then Ryan had chanced to show up a few minutes ago and approached her, requesting a second chance.

Why, oh why, had she invited him to join her?

Alex looked up from where she’d been staring at her hands resting on the table to find Ryan’s green-eyed gaze locked on her face as though he was trying to read her. In his eyes, she saw the heat of desire mingled with kindness and a touch of protectiveness. Then his mouth lifted at the corners into a panty-melting smile.

Oh yeah, now she remembered why she’d bidden him to sit down. Although, if she was being honest with herself, his masculine beauty and seductive charm was only half of the equation. The rest was the result of her own deep sense of loneliness that made her long for the company of another human being, even a stranger.

So, umm … he began in a deep, throaty voice that was made for sin. When we met this afternoon, you never told me your name.

Oh! Alex’s heart had sped up at the sound of his voice, and she suddenly felt flustered. Sorry about that. It’s Alexis.

Alexis. His voice murmuring her name sent a shot of heat through her core. A beautiful name for a beautiful woman.

It wasn’t the first time a man had said something like that to her. Her ex, Danny, had used similar lines to charm the socks–and other articles of clothing–right off her. She glanced down at where her fingers were nervously making creases in the corners of the napkin beneath her empty glass, and smiled indulgently. Thank you. Everyone just calls me Alex, though.

He tilted his head slightly, still gracing her with that studious gaze. I like Alexis better. It has a classy, almost regal, sound to it. It suits you.

His words were flattering, but fearing that he was only trying to charm her into bed like Danny had, Alex wasn’t sure how to respond. She was saved from having to say something when the waitress she’d been searching for before Ryan had arrived appeared again.

Can I buy you another of whatever you were having? he asked.

Wanting to keep a clear head for wherever this little rendezvous was going, Alex shook her head. No, thank you. I believe I’ve had enough for tonight. I’ll just take a club soda, please.

Anything for you, sir? the waitress asked.

I’ll have a beer, thanks, Ryan replied. After the waitress took her leave, he turned his attention back to Alex. It was really nice of you to set up the bachelorette party for your friend.

Alex shrugged. It was no big deal. All I did was make a couple of phone calls.

So, how was the wedding?

Alex’s brow creased. How did you know it already took place?

He grinned. Things move fast here in Vegas, and based on what you’re wearing, it was a pretty easy guess. Bridesmaid?

Alex glanced down at her emerald green gown and returned his smile. Maid of honor, actually.

So, how was it? he repeated.

Alex’s smile faltered. It was nice.

Ryan’s gaze knowingly searched her face again. You don’t sound so sure.

Afraid he could see too much of the pain she knew was probably mirrored in her eyes, Alex was relieved when the waitress returned with their drinks, giving her an excuse to turn away for a moment. After taking a sip of her soda, she answered, It really was a beautiful wedding. I’m very happy for them. It just brought up some painful memories for me.

Once again, his head canted in a considering manner. Do you want to talk about it?

Alex’s eyes widened a little. She hadn’t expected him to care. Most guys likely would’ve steered the conversation elsewhere. Maybe he wasn’t just trying to get into her pants. Still, she wasn’t too certain about airing her and Danny’s dirty laundry with someone she’d barely met, so she settled on a simple reply. I’m coming off a divorce. That’s all.

Ryan leaned forward in his chair, his eyes taking on an expression of sympathy. I’m so sorry. He continued to search her face, but somehow it was comforting rather than unnerving. It added to the sense of genuine concern he’d already conveyed. Are you still in love with him?

Alex let out a snort of laughter. God, no! He killed any affection I felt for him the day I found him in bed with another woman. She hadn’t intended to say that much, but he’d lulled her into a sense of security.

He winced. Man, that’s harsh. After a short pause and a bemused shake of his head, he added, How could any man cheat on a woman as beautiful as you?

Feeling uncomfortable, Alex dropped her gaze. He wasn’t the first. You might not think I’m so beautiful if you saw me without my clothes. Maybe I’m broken. After all, how can one girl be so unlucky in love? She wanted to say all of those things, but didn’t. Instead, she darted her tongue out to moisten lips that had gone dry and simply said, Thank you.

You don’t have to thank me for something that anyone with two eyes in their head could see is true. While your friend was trying to talk with me this afternoon, I couldn’t take my eyes off you. One corner of his mouth lifted. Still can’t.

Unbidden, his words drew a smile from her. Lord, he was a charmer! Alex couldn’t deny that Ryan was making her feel beautiful and special, even if her head was warning that this was going nowhere. She hadn’t had a conversation with a man who wasn’t a friend or business associate in a long while, and no one had flirted with her since Danny had successfully gotten her attention over two years ago.

And see where that ended up? her psyche taunted.

She ruthlessly slammed the door on that line of thinking. Damn it, she’d taken a chance on Ryan, and she was going to enjoy herself. Let him flatter her all he wanted. She simply wouldn’t let it go to her head.

So, tell me something else about yourself, beautiful, he said.

What do you want to know?

Ahh … His eyes roamed the room as though searching for a question to ask, then came back to rest on her. Are you from Vegas? Please say yes, he added in a sexy undertone.

She shook her head ruefully. I’m afraid not.

His shoulders slumped a little, and his expression fell. Alex was again surprised that his body language spoke of his genuine interest in her.

Where do you live? he asked.

I’ve lived several places, but right now, I suppose my home base is Kabul.

Ryan’s eyes widened. Kabul? He drew out the word, making it a question, as though he knew the answer but wasn’t quite sure he’d heard correctly.

Afghanistan, Alex replied matter-of-factly.

His mouth dropped open and he flopped back in his chair as though he’d been pushed. Holy shit! So, are you military, contractor, or …

Veterinarian.

Now he seemed truly puzzled. He leaned into the table again. There’s gotta be a story here. What in the world is an American veterinarian doing in Afghanistan?

Alex took another sip of her drink before launching into her story. Well, as I was finishing up my veterinary degree, I became aware of all the Western military personnel in the Middle East who were befriending stray animals and wanting to bring them home when their tour of duty was up. At the time, there weren’t very many animal welfare organizations who could handle such a thing, so I started looking into creating a program to help. My cousin has a degree in foreign relations, and I thought the two of us could probably make it happen. In fact, we’d already set up contacts, made a trip over to Kabul, and settled on a site there for a shelter. Then I met my ex-husband, got caught up in a whirlwind relationship that quickly led to marriage, and my dreams for the shelter got put on hold.

Remembering what happened next was never easy. Alex took a deep breath and cleared her throat. It wasn’t long before my marriage went south, and after that, I wanted to get as far away as possible to mend my broken heart. So, we started work on the shelter after all. For the past year, I’ve spent more time in Kabul than I have in the States, getting everything set up. Ours is one of only a couple of animal shelters operating in Afghanistan. We’ve already been able to help quite a few animals go home with their new human friends or find new homes abroad.

Throughout her story, Ryan appeared to be hanging on her every word. When she finished, he looked amazed. Wow! That absolutely blows my mind. I mean, I love animals, but I never would have even thought of something like that. Much less traveled to a war zone to make it happen. You must be one brave lady.

There he went, flattering her again. I don’t know about that. Saving animals is simply my passion.

Yeah, but you could do that right here in the States. To travel halfway around the world to a war-torn country to do it? That takes guts.

Alex shrugged. Geography doesn’t really enter into it. I’m just driven to help where I see a need.

Ryan reached over to place his hand on top of hers, where it was resting on the table. He tenderly ran his thumb over the back as he spoke. I sensed from the moment I saw you that you were a woman with depth. You’re way more than beautiful. You’re caring, compassionate, humble, and courageous. Gently cupping her hand in his, he absently ran his fingertips over her palm, while staring into her eyes with a mesmerized expression.

He worshiped her with his eyes, while his touch sent tingles up her arm and down through her body to settle low in her belly. And what’s more, it didn’t come off as creepy or weird like it could have with him being a virtual stranger. There was a sincerity to everything he said and did, like it simply came naturally, from somewhere deep inside him. He didn’t seem to be putting on airs merely to impress her. If anything he appeared to be genuinely impressed by her. It was nice to be liked for who she was and not for her money as an heiress to the Pet Emporium fortune, so she decided to soak it up and appreciate it for this one moment in time.

His hand continued to stroke hers so softly and sensually, Alex didn’t want him to stop, but it made it hard for her to think. She finally drew a deep breath and closed her hand around his, lightly squeezing to still his fingers. When she released the pressure, he didn’t let go of her hand. Instead, he slid from his seat into the chair next to hers and interlaced his fingers with hers.

That didn’t help at all. Now he was so close she could smell his musky cologne, mixed with his own masculine scent. The pleasant odor wafted to her nostrils and spiraled through her insides like a wisp of smoke, all but rendering her senseless.

Trying to take her mind off the sensations he aroused in her body, she croaked out, Enough about me. I want to know something about you.

Ryan finally released Alex’s hand to drape his muscular arm over the back of her chair. Ask me anything. I’m an open book.

She gave him a skeptical glance. Surely you must have some secrets, something you’d be too embarrassed to let anyone else know. Or something that might cause trouble if you let the cat out of the bag.

He gave her a knowing look. You mean like your ex cheating?

That’s one thing I can think of.

He laid his free hand over hers again. If you’re asking whether I’ve ever cheated on a woman, the answer is no. If I’m with someone, I’m faithful to that person until one or both of us decides it’s time to move on. And as for any other secrets, I can’t think of anything I wouldn’t be willing to share, even if it isn’t very flattering. So … feel free to ask me whatever you want, and I’ll answer honestly.

Alex was somewhat mollified to know that he took relationships seriously, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t a player who casually slept around sometimes. A one-night stand between two people who weren’t looking for commitment was a whole other beast. After all, he was surrounded by hundreds of women ogling him every day. How could any man resist that kind of temptation? She wasn’t really comfortable asking him about that yet, so instead, she opted for something a little more tame. How did someone like yourself end up working for a male revue? Somehow, I don’t think little boys dream of growing up to become strippers.

Ryan laughed. It was a deep, throaty sound that washed over her like a seductive rain. Umm … no, he answered, when his mirth died down. Actually, I dreamed of becoming an actor. And that’s what I really am, but unfortunately acting doesn’t always pay the bills. Being in a male revue requires some acting, but really it’s just a gig to make money while I’m waiting for my big break.

Why couldn’t he have said he was a doctor or a lawyer, or hell, even a plumber supplementing his income? Why did it have to be yet another performance based career? Why am I always drawn to these kind of guys?

Whatever. She was enjoying herself in his company, and it’s not like he was asking her to marry him or even be his girlfriend. So, how did your dream of becoming an actor get started?

Well, I guess it all started on an alpaca farm in Ashland, Ohio.

Now it was Alex’s turn to be stunned. You grew up on an alpaca farm? She couldn’t help giggling.

He laughed, too. No, I swear it’s true. I couldn’t make this stuff up.

All right then. I may be a vet, but I deal mostly in cats and dogs. I’ve never really been around alpacas. What’s that like?

It was actually kind of fun. My dad, my brother, and I mostly took care of the alpacas like you would any other livestock, except we had to shear them every spring. The rest of the year, we helped my mom and two sisters process the fleece into yarn and run the rest of the business. My parents gave tours, my mom taught fiber art classes, and she and my sisters turned the yarn into hats, scarves, gloves, sweaters … Pretty much anything you can knit or crochet, they made it. And then we sold those items, the yarns, and the raw alpaca fleece in the little store on our property. We even imported fair trade alpaca products from other countries to keep the store well-stocked year-round.

Alex grinned. And you think I’m odd for running an animal shelter in Afghanistan?

Hey, at least Ashland isn’t in the middle of a freaking war zone, and the alpacas aren’t dangerous, except maybe when they spit. But that doesn’t happen very often if you treat them right.

She couldn’t help chuckling. In any case, that must have been a unique upbringing.

Ryan shrugged. In some ways, I suppose. But in others, it was a typical small-town life, not that much different from any other farm. We just happened to raise animals that aren’t very common in the US.

So, back to my original question: How did a little boy from an alpaca farm in Ashland, Ohio become interested in acting?

Settling back into his chair, he absently smoothed his thumb over the back of her hand. I guess I was born with it in my blood. At least that’s what my parents say, and I’m sure growing up in an artsy environment like that might have had something to do with it, too. Apparently, I loved to act out my favorite books from the time I was a little tyke. I remember this time when I was maybe about five or six, I memorized a story and went out to the barn and acted it out with the alpacas as my audience.

Alex smiled at his candor. And what did they think of your performance?

Well, they didn’t applaud, so I’m not sure. But hey, at least they didn’t spit at me, so I took that as a good sign.

Alex chuckled. She couldn’t deny that Ryan was entertaining and she was loving his self-deprecation. So how did you go from putting on one-man plays for alpacas to performing in a male revue?

My parents saw how much I loved it, so they encouraged me to audition for all the school plays and got me into community theater. Ashland is a pretty small town, but any time there was a play going on, I was a part of it. Mansfield is about twice as big and only thirty minutes away, so I got involved in theater projects there, too. I can’t remember a time I didn’t want to act and tell stories. I just loved entertaining people.

As he continued his story, Ryan rearranged their clasped hands so that his fingertips were lightly stroking her palm, particularly the fleshy area at the base of her thumb. He was so engrossed in telling her about his life, she wasn’t sure he was even aware of what he was doing, but she certainly was. Alex was starting to wonder what it would be like to have those fingers caressing other parts of her body.

"After I graduated high school, I went to Ashland University. That’s kind of our little town’s claim to fame–being a college town. They have a great theater program, and because I had good grades and had been so involved in acting all my life, I got a scholarship. So I was able to get my degree right there, while still helping my parents with the farm. It was a win-win for everyone.

But after college, I knew I wasn’t going to be able to seriously pursue my dreams in a small town like Ashland. So … I took the ten-year-old car my parents had given me as a high school graduation gift and the few thousand dollars I was able to save up and hit the road to LA.

Alex was impressed by Ryan’s story. He was obviously a hard worker to have achieved so much, which was more than she could say for some of her exes. She’d involuntarily bankrolled Danny’s rise to stardom with the money he’d milked out of her in the divorce settlement. She was still bitter about that but decided to set it aside. She was far too interested in Ryan’s story to give her ex another thought right now. How did your parents feel about that?

They miss me, but they’ve always supported me. I’ve been away from home for over a year, but they understand. The hardest part was being away from them over the holidays last year.

I can imagine. Since Alex’s parents were wealthy, they’d always made sure she’d gotten home for major holidays, even when she was in college. But that didn’t mean she couldn’t sympathize. That’s not the part of his story that really caught her attention, though. So, you just finished college last year?

Yeah, he answered.

How old are you?

Twenty-three.

Alex felt like the air had been knocked out of her. Crap! Ryan was five years younger than her. She wasn’t sure what to think about that. Somehow, it made her feel old.

Ryan lifted the hand that had been resting on the chair behind her and brushed a few errant hairs back from her temple, while searching her face with those intense emerald eyes that