The Change Series: Change Series, #0

By Violet Star

Follow the stories of Emma and Sophie as they discover love and deal with the ups and downs of life.  Over this three book trilogy you'll read Emma's story (A Novel Change) and Sophie's (Million Dollar Change), with a short additional followup novella (Sudden Change) that continues and injects a little angst into Sophie & Sebastian's story.

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A Novel Change
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Emma was a daydreamer, born to put pen to paper as a romance novelist.  A steadfast city-girl, she's in her element in all the hustle and bustle.

When she finds herself the subject of media attention for all the wrong reasons, she takes her friend Sophie's advice to take a break and stay at her cottage on a small farm in the country. But her friend won't be there, and she won't be alone. Sophie's older brother shares the cottage, a no-nonsense country boy who doesn't appreciate having his peace and quiet spoiled by having a stranger move in. Especially not some fancy city-girl who wastes her days writing soppy love stories.  Can she win over the grumpy cowboy?  Does she even want to?

Liam Tanner is a simple man of the land and tragically already a widower at his young age.  He wants nothing more than to potter around his sister's farm as he comes to terms with the grief of losing his beloved wife and unborn child.  The intrusion of his sister's friend is unwelcome and uncomfortable - She has no business being so damned pretty and messing with the peaceful cocoon he'd created for himself.  It might be time he moved on and allowed himself to love again, but surely not with the city-girl with glitter nails who will only be around for a short time.

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Contemporary Cowboy Romance  | Slow Burn | Curvy Heroine | Emotionally vulnerable Hero | Grumpy / Sunshine Elements | Third Person Dual POV | Love scenes 'behind closed doors' 

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Million Dollar Change
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There's something not quite right about Sophie's new farmhand.  He is polite, charming, good looking…. and scared of the animals

The more she gets to know him, the more she's convinced that he's hiding something.  When she finally discovers the truth about the man she's fallen in love with, it's nothing she ever could have imagined. They come from completely different worlds and there are a million reasons why they shouldn't be together.  He stepped into her life looking for a change, and she got a whole lot more than she bargained for.

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Billionaire Romance (With a twist!) | Slow Burn | Secret/Hidden Identity | Nice Guy Billionaire (No Alpha-hole) | Flawed Hero with Emotion/Vulnerability  | No Breakups | Third Person Dual POV | Love scenes 'behind closed doors' 

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Sudden Change
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There's trouble in paradise.   With the sudden death of Sebastian's parents, a heavy workload that sees him working late nights, and a shock discovery that turns their world upside down - Sophie and Sebastian face a challenge they have never faced before. While things may seem to have hit rock bottom, they discover a silver lining they never anticipated.

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Relationship Dramas | Breakup with Happily Ever After | Third Person Dual POV |

 

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For content warnings and more info see my website - violetstarbooks.com

• Language: English
• Publisher: Violet Star
• Release date: Feb 28, 2024
• ISBN: 9798224293100

Violet Star

Some say… In her spare time she knits bathing suits for penguins and bakes carrot cake muffins. Some say… She works part-time as a Space Ninja. Some say… Her books are actually written by a goblin she keeps under the stairs. Some say… She has a vegetable garden where she grows only 647 varieties of onion. All I know is… she's not actually called Violet Star, she's quite shy and she may or may not like the colour purple.

Book preview

​~ A Novel Change ~

Emma Lovelace was a daydreamer, born to put pen to paper as a romance novelist.  A steadfast city-girl, she's in her element in all the hustle and bustle.

When she finds herself the subject of media attention for all the wrong reasons, she takes her best friend Sophie's advice to move into her cottage on a small farm in the country to wait for the scandal to die down. However, Sophie won't be there, and Emma won't be alone. Sophie's older brother shares the cottage, a no-nonsense country boy who doesn't appreciate having his peace and quiet spoiled by having a stranger move in. Especially not some fancy city-girl who wastes her days writing soppy love stories.  Can she win over the grumpy cowboy?  Does she even want to?

​Chapter 1

Four wine glasses chinked together as a small group of women enthusiastically celebrated their friend’s latest book release.  Raising their glasses they all took a sip.

Speech!  Speech! Three voices called out, looking at Emma expectantly.

Shaking her head with a laugh, she politely refused.  Thank you, but you know I don’t like a big fuss or speeches.

Ok, fine.  I’ll give it!  One of the ladies stood up.  Congratulations Emma on the release of your 10th book!  The ladies applauded.  I know you’re too modest to admit it, but this is your finest book yet!  Some of us remember when you first started out, and never thought you’d get very far, but now look at you.  Of course, we all knew - besides, with a surname like Lovelace, how could you be anything but a romance novelist?

Emma smiled sheepishly as the woman continued to gush over her achievements. 

Only a small-time author, barely selling enough to pay the rent for her tiny run-down studio apartment, Emma felt uncomfortable with such praise.  It was still something she was trying to get used to. Having dabbled with writing since she was a child, she’d only seriously taken to writing about five years ago, when the stress of her job had started to overwhelm her. 

Writing became an outlet of escape that she poured her free time into.  Slowly it became the focus, and eventually she had grown to have a small but expanding readership with fans eager to snap up the next love story she conjured up.

Normally a little reclusive, Emma had arranged for a couple of her close friends to meet at a local bar for a few drinks to celebrate this milestone. Her publisher had suggested book signings and touring the larger bookshops that would be stocking her books, but she wasn’t at all interested in being the center of attention in large crowdst.  She felt that to do so would be a little pretentious - she certainly did not feel she was famous enough for that!

There had been a large online party earlier that day, which suited her better. One of her tech-savvy friends had organized a video call with a few other authors she knew, and had streamed it online. Viewers in chat could ask questions for them to answer, they had done trivia questions and a few giveaways for signed copies of her books - it had been a lot of fun.

But when pushed to celebrate ‘properly’, Emma had invited just a few friends to a bar.  Not wanting her to get away with it that easily, the friends had insisted that they dress up for the occasion.  Really dress up.  As in, evening gowns, tiaras, gaudy jewellery, satin gloves and the whole shebang.

Embracing the absurdity, Emma had dutifully bought a nice new evening dress to wear.  Not something she’d ordinarily have dared to buy, but she’d put herself in the hands of the sales assistant, who had persuaded her that the long figure-hugging sparkly dress complete with a daring knee length split, accentuated her "luscious curves" and that she shouldn’t hide away in the shapeless frock she had been intending to buy.  So, investing in some heavy-duty shapewear, with a few wines for courage, Emma had dolled herself up nicely for the evening in her honour. 

She had to admit, she did look good and was having a great time.

A song they all loved started to play and Emma was pulled to her feet.

Come on, let’s dance!

Downing the rest of her champagne, Emma allowed herself to be dragged through the crowd to the dance floor. Enthusiastically moving to the rhythm with huge smiles on their faces, the four women danced for a few songs before making their way back to the table to rest their aching feet and rehydrate. 

How about I get us a round of sodas?  Emma grabbed her purse from the table.  To help stave off a dreadful hangover tomorrow.

No! A chorus of voices protested, as they tried to snatch Emma’s purse out of her hands.  Some disagreed with the soda, but all disagreed with the idea of her paying for anything on the night that was all for her. Emma playfully swatted the hands away and triumphantly headed to the bar. 

Still giggling as she approached, she was jostled by a portly gentleman carrying a pitcher of beer in each hand, and pushed backwards into one of the people sitting at the bar.

Ohh, I’m sor– As she turned to apologize, all powers of thought and speech drained away as she got lost in the dark eyes of the ‘tall, dark and very handsome’ man she’d inadvertently backed into.

He looked amused as her face flushed and she fumbled to find the right words.  Taking a calming breath to center herself, she started again. Sorry.  Someone bumped me. 

She flashed him an apologetic smile and held her breath, waiting for his reaction.  He had an edge of darkness, and an armful of tattoos. The last thing she wanted was any trouble tonight from an angry drunk dude.  To her relief, he accepted the apology with a genuine smile and she quickly stepped to the bar to flag down the bartender.

Can I buy you a drink? the hot guy asked.

Oblivious to the request, Emma placed her order with the bartender and waited until she felt a tap on the arm and turned to find the hot guy looking at her.

Can I buy you a drink? he repeated, his expression unreadable.

Confused, Emma looked around to see if there was someone else he was addressing.  There wasn’t.  Me?

He chuckled softly, his face lighting up with a smile.  Yes, you, gorgeous.

Blushing at the compliment, and torn as to what she should do, she looked back to the table of her friends, there to celebrate her. Although she was very much single, and he was very attractive - she was not there to pick up some random guy in a bar. It was just her luck to finally have someone interested when she wasn’t in a position to accept.  Yet he probably tried his luck with every woman who came within earshot, and with looks like that, he wouldn’t be sitting there alone for long.

She turned back to face him.  I’m with my friends...

The more the merrier, he winked lasciviously.

The bartender returned with her tray of drinks, making her refusal easier.  With a heavy heart, Emma gave the hot guy a smile. Thanks, but as you can see, we have drinks.  Have a good night.  Picking up the tray, she turned back toward her table of friends.

Maybe later?  he called after her.

Maybe, she called back noncommittally, without turning around.  He’d forget about her the moment his head turned and another pretty woman caught his eye, she was sure of it.

Emma returned to the table and handed out the glasses, just in time to be included in a series of silly selfies. Emma jumped in to pose with a giggle.  Hot guy now forgotten.

The friends enjoyed the rest of the evening with more wine and more dancing, until everyone grew tired and they reluctantly decided to call it a night.  Bemoaning the fact that staying out all night partying in their 30s and beyond wasn’t quite the same as it was back in their early 20s. 

Walking out the front together into the crisp night air, they hailed a taxi.

I’m on the opposite side of town.  So I’ll grab the next one.  Emma offered when the taxi pulled up.

You sure?  One of her friends looked concerned.  I don’t think we should leave you here alone.

Emma shrugged.  It won’t be long to wait, and I’m sure nobody will mug me for the crown jewels... She patted the tiara on her head with a smile.

With the driver waiting, they quickly hugged goodbye and Emma waved them off as the taxi departed.

Do you have time for that drink now?  A voice startled her from behind.

Emma turned to find the hot guy casually leaning against the outside wall of the bar, looking at her expectantly.  Surely he hadn’t waited for her all night?  She honestly hadn’t even thought about him after she’d returned to her friends.

Now that she had time, she studied him more closely, trying to work out what sort of man he was.

Tall and slim, he had a well manicured close-cropped goatee that showed he took a degree of pride in his appearance. His long black hair was worn half tied up in a bun, the rest loose and flowing down over the tops of his shoulders. Dressed in a red shirt worn untucked over black jeans, it was unbuttoned enough to be considered risque, but the loosened tie around his neck filled the gap to make it almost semi-respectable again.  An impressive array of tattoos were on display, disappearing under his rolled shirtsleeves, and a bunch of leather cuffs, bands and chains adorned his wrists.

He was an alluring combination of flamboyance and casualness, and she found him intriguing.

She’d been about to head home - tired, more than a little drunk, and her feet hurt.  But now that she didn’t have her friends around, she was free to do whatever she wished... and the way he was ravenously looking at her was making her seriously consider taking up his offer and seeing where it led.

It could be the perfect ending for her wonderful celebratory evening, and perhaps even lead to some new inspiration for her next book.

I figured you’d go home with someone else,  she slowly stepped toward him.

He flashed her a charming smile.  And miss the opportunity to buy a drink for a Princess?

Touching her hand to the tiara, she smiled.  Who says I’m not a Queen?

My apologies, your majesty, he pushed off from the wall and gave a deep bow.

Giggling, she came closer.  I’ve already had enough to drink for tonight...  She tested him, curious about what he’d say.  So I really should be heading home.

Mocktail then? he offered, looking hopeful. I’d just like to get to know you.

He was clearly not going to be dissuaded, which pleased her.  He’d waited for her all night, and seemed to respect that she wasn’t going to get drunk with him. Accepting his offer, she nodded.  Okay, sure.

Leading her back inside with a hand placed in the small of her back, the hot guy ushered her to the bar to order drinks. He further surprised her by ordering a mocktail for himself too, then found an empty table up the back where it was quiet enough to talk, and they sat down.

I’m Sam.  He offered an introduction.

Emma.

Pleased to meet you Emma,  he smiled.  You seemed to be celebrating something special tonight?  Or is this how you always dress?

She blushed. Uhh, I published a new book... nothing all that special.

I think that qualifies as special.  What do you write?

... books...  She gave him a cheeky smile.

He laughed.  I kinda figured that, what type of books?

This was the part she always dreaded when telling people what she did for a living.  It seemed that if you were to tell people that you wrote crime or mystery novels, they took you more seriously than if you wrote romance or fantasy. She always felt embarrassed to admit it, even though she knew she shouldn’t.

Romance...  She braced for the mocking, but he surprised her by simply nodding as if it was obvious. Ahh, nice.  People always want a good love story.

Breathing a sigh of relief she sipped her mocktail.  What do you do? 

He laughed, raising an eyebrow and regarding her curiously for a moment - as if the question was a strange one.  Honestly, I pretty much sit around on my ass all day playing guitar and video games.

It was Emma’s turn to laugh. Does that pay the bills?

Well enough, he grinned.

They chatted over a few more mocktails until the bar closed.  Walking her out to the front they stood by the curb, hailing a taxi. Can I escort you home?  he asked hopefully.

Emma didn’t normally pick up men in bars and go home with them. In fact, this was the first time this had happened, so she wasn’t sure what to do.  She had no issue ‘inviting him in for coffee’ so to speak, but she was concerned with the safety of hooking up with a stranger.  She didn’t want him to know where she lived and she didn’t want to end up a missing person if she went home with him and he ended up being an ax murderer.

I’m not taking a stranger home, sorry.  Emma gave an apologetic smile.

He didn’t balk at being called a stranger.  Come back to mine? 

She shook her head.  I’m not comfortable going to a stranger's house either, no offense.

Undeterred, and without trying to disguise his intentions, he tried again. Hotel?

Amazed that he was still interested after he’d had a full pick of the entire bar all night, and she was making things difficult for him, she decided to throw caution to the wind and accept. A hotel seemed to be a decent compromise and likely to be somewhat safer than following a stranger home. Did people get murdered in random hookups in hotel rooms?  She didn’t know.  But if she survived the night that might offer an interesting plotline for a future book if she ever pivoted into crime novels.

When the taxi arrived he opened the door for her and she got inside.  Like a true gentleman, he made sure her skirt was neatly tucked inside then closed the door, coming around the other side to sit in the middle. He directed the driver to a decent hotel on the other side of town, and the taxi set off.

Emma sat nervously with her hands in her lap, acutely aware that she could be making a huge mistake.  As if reading her mind, Sam reached out to place his hand on hers.

You can tell the driver to pull over and I’ll get out...

No, she turned to look at him and smiled.  I’m good.

Reaching up, he cupped her cheek then slowly leaned in closer.  The scent of his cologne and the warmth of his hand were intoxicating, and she shifted in her seat to face him, waiting expectantly for what was to come.

It started off as a soft brush of the lips, far more gentle and hesitant than she was expecting.  Everything about him screamed that he was a man of the world, and she’d half expected to be ravished in the back of the taxi, but he had started slowly, making sure she was comfortable.

As soon as he felt her return the kiss, it quickly became more. His hand moved to cup the back of her head and he pulled her closer.  Fuelled by mutual desire, and perhaps a little of the earlier alcohol, they were soon making out like teenagers in the back of the taxi.

All of a sudden Emma pulled away from the kiss, panting hard and covering her face with her hands.  Ohh My God!

What?  Sam withdrew his hand from where it had started to explore the split of her gown, afraid he’d done something wrong by going too far too quickly.

She blushed profusely while pulling the fabric closed over her bare thigh.  I wasn’t expecting to meet anyone tonight...

He still looked confused.  Peeling her hands from her face, he looked her in the eyes with concern.  What’s wrong?

Blushing deeper, she bit her lip as she tried to overcome her embarrassment.  "I’m wearing industrial strength shapewear...and I haven’t..  umm... had the landscaping done!"  she giggled, mortified.

Sam threw his head back and roared with laughter.  Shaking his head in amusement he picked up her hand and kissed the back of it.  Emma, you are unlike any woman I’ve ever met!

I sincerely hope that’s a compliment?  She looked unsure.

It definitely is.  He pulled her in for another kiss, clearly undisturbed by the revelation. Unfortunately I left my pith helmet at home, he joked, but we’ll see how we go.

They arrived at the hotel and Sam leapt out to come around and open the door.  Holding her hand, he led her through the lobby towards the front desk and asked her to sit on one of the plush chairs while he checked them in.  Refusing to let her contribute to the reservation, even on his video game playing salary. 

A niggling thought in the back of her mind told her that she should be concerned about that.  He still hadn’t actually told her what he did for a living,skirting around the topic whenever it came up, and he seemed more affluent and well groomed than an unemployed gamer should be... but she was enjoying the evening too much to let sense and logic kick in... just yet.

Stepping into the elevator, Sam could barely keep his hands off her as they made their way up to the room, despite the elderly couple who were also riding with them.  He maneuvered her into the corner and cheekily ran his hand over her hip, hidden from view should anyone look their way.  Pressing himself against her to let her know just how eager he was to get her into the room.

The elevator stopped at their floor and hand-in-hand they walked down the corridor until they found their room. Sam handed Emma the room key and giving him a seductive smile, she unlocked the door.

Ushering her inside, Sam kicked the door closed behind him then pressed her against the wall. Too eager to even step further into the room to begin. Kissing her with a fiery passion, he found the split in the sparkly dress and reached in to playfully tug on the hem of the shapewear shorts she wore. Let’s peel these bad boys off, shall we?

Hang on a minute...  she breathed.  I’ll go wrangle myself out of them.

It’s more fun if I remove them, he gave her a lusty wink.

Blushing again, she laughed. Horrified at the visual image she was having of that scenario.  Believe me, getting in and out of these is an olympic sport, and definitely not for spectators... I’ll be right back.

Emma quickly made her way into the bathroom and locked herself in so that she could ready herself. Trying not to grunt in an unladylike fashion, she heaved her way out of the very unsexy garment. Thankfully she liked to wear nice underwear as an act of self-care, so she was wearing something suitably sexy underneath the ugly beige sausage casing.  Not that she assumed she’d be in it for long.

Taking a look at herself in the mirror however, her confidence took a hit with the removal of what had been the clothing equivalent of photo retouching. In the sobering bright lights of the bathroom, she suddenly didn’t feel like the sexy vixen she had a moment ago.

The woman looking back at her was flushed, with messy hair, tired eyes and squeezed into a dress that looked two sizes too small and revealed every lump and bump.

Wondering what the hell she was doing there, she tried unsuccessfully to give herself a little pep talk to summon the courage to go back out to the hot guy she was supposed to be seducing right now.  But the voice inside her head chastised her for having made a terrible mistake.

After a few moments, Sam’s concerned voice came from the other side of the door.

Is everything okay in there?

Yes, she lied.

Have you changed your mind?  It’s okay if you have.  I can leave the key on the table and go.

Emma leaned against the wall and closed her eyes.  He was gorgeous and caring.  No... I haven’t changed my mind.  That at least was true.  The fires were still burning, she was just feeling self conscious.  I’m just a little shy, she confessed.

There was a soft sound as he leaned against the door.  Don’t be shy. You’re gorgeous and I want you.  Come on out, or I swear I’ll pick that lock to get at you if I have to.

That was all the encouragement she needed to sheepishly unlock the door and go back into the waiting arms of the hot guy she’d somehow managed to pick up in the bar.

Sam lay in bed, feeling content with his arm around the naked sleeping form of the beautiful woman he’d spent the night with. Her wavy hair splayed out over his chest and her breath tickled his skin as she exhaled. 

To say he did this often was an understatement.  He’d brought home more than his fair share of women over the years, and he wasn’t even a stranger to booking a hotel room for the night.  Yet almost all of the hookups he’d had, he’d been well and truly eager to leave the morning after.  Sometimes sneaking out in the early hours while they were still sleeping - just to avoid the awkward conversations and obligated promises that inevitably followed.

It wasn’t that he didn’t want relationships with the women he slept with.  He would be more than happy to - with the right woman.  It was just that most of the ones he had were shallow vacuous bores who showed little interest in him as a person.

This one was different.  Very different

He’d been attracted to her physically of course.  She’d been hard to miss.  A small group of women dressed in evening dresses and tiaras, hanging out laughing and dancing together in the trendy pub he’d gone to on a whim.  They had been enjoying themselves immensely.  Especially the curvaceous one in the sparkly dress who seemed to be the center of their celebration.

It was the happiness in her that he’d found appealing.  Her face shone with it.  That was why he’d initially thought it was a hen’s night. That happiness, the over-the-top clothing and the fact that all the women had turned away the few men who had tried to join them.  But they didn’t act quite right for that type of party.  From what he could tell after watching them for a while, it seemed more like a job promotion or something.  He’d been intrigued.

He’d got a closer look at her when she’d come to the bar to get drinks.  Some idiot had rushed past and bumped into her, in turn making her stumble backwards, pressing that shapely butt against his thigh.  She’d turned to face him and apologized, then gone on to order her drinks... as if he was nobody special at all. 

That’s what had appealed to him the most - that she’d completely ignored him.  Even when on impulse he’d asked to buy her a drink, even though she’d already ordered a round for her friends.

It was adorable and sad that she’d immediately assumed he’d been talking to someone else.  He knew some curvier women felt they weren’t attractive enough to catch the eye of a man. But she’d definitely caught his eye.

She’d flippantly dismissed his offer for a drink.  Probably assuming he tried chatting up every woman who came past.  Which was more or less true.  It wouldn’t be bragging to say that women normally threw themselves at him, that’s just how it was.  Which was why he’d chosen that bar last night, not the places he usually frequented. He had intended to enjoy a few quiet drinks alone.  Not planning on spending the night with anyone.  Then he’d seen her.

Having to pursue her was a refreshing change.  It wasn’t that he enjoyed the pursuit, although he did - it was that to her he was a nobody.  That was unique, and something to cherish. 

She’d said "maybe, which wasn’t a no".  So, while he could have had almost any other woman there, he’d waited. 

For her.

They had later chatted over a few mocktails. That was a quaint deviation from the norm too, his lack of hangover was also a pleasant change.  He could tell by her avoiding more alcohol and refusal to go to each other’s homes, that she didn't normally do this kind of thing.  She was cautious but clearly interested.  That was novel too.

He hadn’t expected her to be so funny, charming and down to earth though.  She’d seemed very relaxed with him.  Not trying to pretend to be something she wasn’t just to impress him, just open and honest.  She’d had a moment of nerves in the bathroom and locked herself in, and he had expected her to leave.  But when she didn’t, he spent the rest of the night making damned sure she felt every bit as desired as she was.

Emma stirred in his arms and he kissed the top of her head.

Morning... she whispered, sounding sleepy and a little embarrassed.

Morning, Beautiful.  Shall we order breakfast?  Sam was eager to let her know he didn’t want to part ways just yet.

She sounded surprised. Sure.

Leaning over to grab the phone from the nightstand, he called room service and ordered breakfast for them both.  They snuggled together a little while longer, before she sheepishly sat up, pulling the sheet up to cover her chest.

I’ll go take a quick shower.  She looked towards the bathroom, obviously trying to work out how to get there while staying covered.

Disappointed by her shyness, Sam got up.  Hang on, I’ll get you a robe.  Not bothering to hide his nakedness, he padded across the room to the closet.  Donning one of the plush white bathrobes, he brought one back for her.  Politely averting his gaze while she slipped it on, despite the fact that he’d seen every inch of her body the night before. 

Ordinarily he would have suggested they shower together.  However, she didn’t seem ready for that, and even if she was, then breakfast would have gone cold and they definitely wouldn’t be checking out on time.

Scooping up her discarded clothing from where it was strewn across the floor, she disappeared into the bathroom.

Sam similarly located all his items of clothing and got dressed.  Making the bed and straightening the room  to give him something to do while he waited.  The room service arrived just as Emma emerged from the bathroom, a waft of steam following her out.  She’d smoothed down the wild curls of her bed-hair and washed the smudged makeup from around her eyes.  Looking just as lovely fresh-faced as she had the night before.

Carrying the neatly folded shapewear instead of wearing it, she quickly tucked it under her evening bag on the armchair then joined Sam at the small table to eat breakfast.  She looked uncomfortable - further indication that she wasn’t as used to this type of hookup as he was. He could appreciate the awkwardness, most of which coming from the unspoken question of ‘will we see each other again’.

He wasn’t sure how to ask, fearing for once that he’d be disappointed if her answer was no.  So he started up some lighter conversation, asking how long she’d been a writer, and how she’d come about doing that.

She began to relax more as she talked. Turning the conversation to him, and asking about his tattoos, giving him the opportunity to explain the significance of some of them.  He made a mental note to have a new one added somewhere.  Maybe a little book with a heart on the cover. Even if this was just a one-night thing, it had been fun and she was charming.  He’d like to have something to remember her by.

When they finished eating, Emma absently fiddled with the teaspoon on her saucer.

I guess I should get going.  Standing up from the table, she collected her things and did a quick scan of the room to make sure she had everything.

Sam followed as she walked to the door, and finally had the courage to bring up the topic of whether or not there would be another time.  Reaching into his pocket for his phone he held it out to her.  Can I get your number? 

Relief flooded her face and she smiled. Sure.  She had clearly been worrying that this was a one-night-stand and had also wanted more. Taking it and adding her number simply as Emma  she handed it back with a sheepish grin. 

Fearing that he’d never be able to find her again if she typed the number wrong, or worse, that she’d given him a wrong number on purpose - he dialed the number to check. This was something else he rarely ever did - letting the women he slept with have his phone number.  Normally the last thing he wanted was for them to be able to call and hassle him.

They shared a relieved smile when her evening bag started to ring. Now she had his number too, and he sincerely hoped she would use it.

I’ll walk you to the elevator.  Sam grabbed the room key so that he could walk her out - not yet ready to leave himself.  There was still a little time before he needed to check out, and he wanted to shower and call his driver to come get him.  Truthfully he also wanted to avoid the awkwardness of them leaving the hotel together... there were things they needed to discuss if this was to continue, and that would be one of them.

He walked her down the hallway to the elevator, and they shared a brief kiss while waiting for it to arrive.  When the doors opened, he slipped off his tie and hung it around her neck. Something to remember me by.

Smoothing it down over her chest, she gave him a bashful smile then stepped into the elevator.

Give me a call if you ever want to buy me a drink again.

I will, Sam truthfully declared.  I hope to see you again, Emma.

Me too,  she smiled, giving a little wave as the elevator doors closed.

​Chapter 2

Emma was dragged from a deep sleep by the sound of her phone ringing.  Opening her eyes just enough to see, she looked to the alarm clock on the nightstand.  4:17 am.

Bolting upright in bed, she grabbed the phone, a sinking feeling in her stomach. Only bad news comes at such an ungodly hour.

The flashing display showed the caller was ‘Sophie’, her best friend.

Emma and Sophie had met at a beginner’s writer’s convention several years before, and had hit it off instantly even though their lives were worlds apart. While Emma wrote romance, Sophie preferred to write mysteries. Sophie was a country girl and Emma was firmly entrenched in the city.

The pair kept in touch regularly since then, to share feedback and support each other in their writing, but also as close friends.  Sophie was currently on an extended vacation, ostensibly to gain new experiences to enrich her writing.  Or at least that was her justification for running off for several months on a world holiday.

Emma wasn’t jealous... maybe just a little. 

Sophie?  Are you ok?  Emma wasted no time with a greeting.

You didn’t tell me that hot bar dude was Sam Raven!  Sophie yelled into the phone with excitement.

Settling herself against the pillows, Emma rolled her eyes.  She’d sent Sophie a message as soon as she’d come home from the hotel, but with the time difference, and Sophie being busy, she must have only now got it.

Soph.... It’s 4am.  You nearly gave me a heart attack.

Ohh.. right..  Sorry!  I forgot... it’s 10pm here in Fiji.

Emma yawned, trying to remember what it was Sophie had even said.  Sam has a pet raven?

The disappointment in Sophie’s sigh was evident. "He is Sam Raven... You know... The guitarist in Shuttle Luck."

Shuttle Luck is a band?

Em... you’re killing me, Sophie groaned. I don’t know how we are even friends...

Wracking her sleep-deprived brain, Emma tried to think of whether she’d heard of the band before.  It might have rung a bell, slightly.  Sophie had much more eclectic taste in music than she did, so it wasn’t surprising that Sophie would be familiar with bands Emma didn’t know. 

Still, it was exciting to think she’d managed to catch the eye of a musician, and Emma couldn’t help but smile. Though she wondered why he’d made out he was just an unemployed bum when she’d asked what he did for a living.  Technically he had mentioned that he played guitar, so he hadn’t lied... but if he was in a band Sophie had heard of, then he had definitely been downplaying it somewhat.

I don’t think I’ve heard of them.  Emma shrugged.  But how do you know that’s who he is?  There has to be a million guys called Sam, and I don’t even have a photo of him.

Sophie was silent for a moment. When she spoke again, the excitement had left her voice and she sounded pained.  Em, I’m sorry to have to be the bearer of bad news, but since you obviously don’t know...you better search him up... look for the last 24 hours...

With a sick feeling in her stomach, Emma got up and crossed her tiny studio apartment to get her laptop from the dining table that also served as her desk.  Turning it on and bringing it back to bed with her, so she could search while talking to Sophie.

She typed in the name and began the search, gasping in shock moments later when she found what Sophie had called her about. She definitely found Sam, and Sophie was right about who he was, but Emma’s name was also in the headlines, for all the wrong reasons.

In true journalistic form, they had come up with a bunch of creative headlines for their articles.

Shuttle Luck’s Sam Raven hooks up with plus-size girl-next-door

Sam Raven swoops in to seduce romance writer Emma Lovelace

Guitarist gets lucky with love

Sam's sordid soiree

Photos of Sam, the hot guy from the bar and apparently lead guitarist in a band, were plastered all over the articles.  But how on earth had their night together managed to catch the news?  A couple of the reports even said who she was, which was flattering but also a little scary.  She was in a news headline afterall, just not for the reason she’d have wanted.

She also realized in horror that the world (or at least, those who happened to read these articles) now knew she’d hooked up with a musician in a bar for hotel sex, like some sort of groupie.

Umm... have you read any of the articles yet?  Sophie asked gently.

No, just the headlines....  Emma grew worried.

Clicking on one of the links she went to the full article, immediately wishing that she hadn’t. Of course the journalist had explained to the audience who this mystery woman was, in true celebrity gossip form. 

Shuttle Luck lead guitarist Sam Raven was spotted at the Black Oak Bar last night with plus-size, trashy romance novelist Emma Lovelace.  The pair later checked into the Montgomery Hotel.  Raven and Lovelace left the hotel separately the next morning.  We have reached out to both parties for comment.

Complete with a terribly unflattering photo of Emma doing a very obvious walk of shame through the hotel lobby with the ridiculous plastic tiara in one hand, Sam’s signature tie around her neck like a prize, and the embarrassing beige shapewear folded up under her arm. If only she’d put it back on that morning, the photos would have looked at least slightly less horrible.  Did they choose the worst photos they could on purpose though? Like the one caught mid-yawn. That was just being cruel.

There had seemed to be more people milling about in the hotel lobby than there should have been - now she knew why.  They had obviously been waiting to catch photos of the pair.  She clicked another article, it was much the same. One had photos of her and Sam standing outside the bar, where she at least looked pretty good.  Several had implied that it was a publicity stunt to coincide with the release of her new book. 

It was bad enough to have her personal business splashed all over the headlines, but the commentary on her looks was completely unnecessary, and she wasn’t a ‘trashy’ romance novelist as some articles had labelled her - thank you very much!

Emma closed the laptop and put it down. Pulling the bed covers over her head in a pointless attempt to block out the world.  What am I going to do?

Ride it out, don’t let it bother you.  Sophie suggested. It could end up being great publicity for your books.  I bet you’ve had more traffic thanks to those articles.

Emma groaned. I’m not sure that all publicity is good publicity.

If you need to disappear for a bit, you can stay at my place. Sophie offered.

Sophie lived in a gorgeous little cottage on a small hobby farm out in the country about two hours drive away. With no internet access or cell phone coverage, she touted it as the perfect distraction-free location to escape.  A get-away from everything stressful, and a place to focus on her writing. 

Sophie’s family had been ranching for generations, but she had wanted to do something more with her life and turned to writing.  So while her family found her little farm to be almost laughable and pointless, it suited Sophie perfectly. A way to keep her farming roots, but small enough to allow her time to dedicate to her true passion, writing.

But Sophie wasn’t currently there on her farm, she was out exploring the world. To make it worse, the farmhouse wasn’t empty.  Sophie’s brother lived there too. 

Emma didn’t know all that much about Liam, only bits and pieces Sophie had mentioned in passing. Even though the women had known each other for years, Emma and Liam had never managed to cross paths, so they hadn’t ever met.

All she really knew was that he’d lost his wife and the baby during childbirth about two years ago, and he’d then sold his horse ranch and moved in with his sister.  The few weekends she’d stayed with Sophie during that time, Liam had made himself scarce - staying with their parents instead, having no interest in meeting his sister’s friends.

While Sophie had worked on toning down her country twang, Liam was said to be very much a ‘cowboy’, and Sophie often joked that he could barely string a whole sentence together.  Like all siblings, Sophie both loved him and found him the most irritating creature on the planet.

So while Emma was sure he was nice enough, staying in a house with a strange man, even if it was her friend’s brother, would definitely be uncomfortable.

Thanks for the offer, it’s really sweet of you... Emma started.

But... ? 

But I’d feel weird staying in your house without you...

Sophie brushed her off.  Don’t be silly, you’re the closest thing I have to a sister. What‘s mine is yours!

Emma wanted to be careful to not offend her friend.  I’d also feel a bit strange staying there alone with your brother...

Liam hasn’t so much as looked at a woman since....

Ohh, I didn’t mean... Emma interjected, feeling embarrassed to have brought it up.  It’s just that he’s a complete stranger... I don’t know him.

Sophie’s voice was kind.  I know it might feel awkward at first, but he’s a good guy, keeps to himself... and no offense, but I’m not sure how well you’d survive out there without him.  I’d feel better knowing he was there in case a tree comes down, the roof leaks or some wild animal shows up.  He’s handy to have around and will make sure you’re safe.

Hmm.. I never thought of that. Emma conceded, knowing full well that living on a farm would be well and truly out of her depth.

Also... Sophie continued.  He takes care of the farm, so you won’t have to worry about feeding the animals or anything like that with him there.  Just relax and enjoy some distraction-free writing.

Emma laughed.  I’m not sure I can physically survive without the internet!

Think of it like one of those addiction retreats then,  Sophie chuckled.

I’ll think about it, Emma promised.

Offer is always there.  But I should really get going and let you get back to sleep.

Emma yawned at the mention of sleep. Yes... thanks. We’ll talk later.

Bye!

Emma hung up the phone and put it on the nightstand, her thoughts turning to Sam.  Why hadn’t he called or messaged her?  Judging by the timestamps, the articles had been out long enough that surely he knew about them. Had he been lying about wanting to see her again?  Had it really been just a one-night-stand for him?  Was he embarrassed to have been caught with her?

Things had seemed to be going well.  He’d appeared to be genuinely into her, and he had been the one to ask for her number.  She wondered now if it had been a novelty for him that she’d had no idea who he was. Was it a fun game to see if he could pick up random women who didn’t recognise him and then have a laugh with his bandmates the next day?

She didn’t know whether to be angry or upset.

The phone still in reach, she resisted the temptation to send him a message, not wanting to wake him or seem desperate.  This was definitely a situation best solved by playing it cool. No matter how much she was screaming inside.

He was famous, he would no doubt have a string of women.  He was probably with another one of them now.  She felt stupid.  Laying there she wondered if it would have been better or worse if they had gone back to his place instead of the hotel.  The hotel made the situation seem more sordid than it had been.  Thankfully it had at least been a somewhat classy hotel.  It would have been worse if they had been found getting it on in a back alley, or in a skeezy cheap hotel. 

A romance novelist, even a so-called trashy one, has standards to uphold!

It was late afternoon when Emma’s phone that had been ringing almost non-stop all day, finally showed the caller ID for Sam.

She snatched it up, took a calming breath and tried to sound nonchalant.  Hello?

It’s me, Sam.  His voice was recognisable, but he sounded tired and distant.

Emma paused, how does one start a conversation like this? Make polite conversation first and then move to the hard part demanding answers?  She settled on getting straight to the point.  I presume you’ve seen the news?

I have, he sighed, that’s why I’m calling.

Allowing her heart a flicker of hope, despite the hollowness of his voice, she waited for him to continue.

He took a deep breath, obviously gearing up to drop some unwelcome news.  My publicist has told me not to see you again.

Forcing herself not to cry, Emma felt like she’d been punched in the chest. It wasn’t that she’d developed strong feelings for him, it was far too soon for that, but there were some feelings and the pain of rejection hurt nonetheless.  Mourning the loss of what could have been, her already fragile ego shattered over the reasons why.  It was obvious why - she was an embarrassment to him.

So... you’re taking that advice?  Emma asked carefully. Still hoping that he might pull out a surprise and say he was going to ignore them and see her again anyway.

I have to.  I don’t really have a choice... The band, you see...  He tried to explain.  To his credit, he did sound at least somewhat remorseful. And...  He took a long pause, as if not wanting to say what came next.  "If you write about me