She's a cougar, he's a cub, can they find happiness together and be…Lucky in Love?
Maddie Summers' friends nicknamed her 'Lucky'. The scratch-off lottery tickets she gives them for their birthdays are winners. There's only one place Maddie could use some of that good fortune — her love life. She's at that midpoint of her life - 50 - with grey hairs and a few inches added to her waistline. When her husband left her for a younger woman, a part of her died, but she bounced back, and now she's ready for…what? Maddie isn't sure what she wants to do with the rest of her life, but she's determined not to let it slip by.
Her dormant hormones spring to life the day six-feet, four-inches of drop-dead gorgeous man moves in to the vacant house next to hers. He's got her hot. He's got her panting. There's just one problem - he's thirty-five.
Jake Conroy's life changes the day he finds his sexy new neighbor standing on his doorstep. He's not looking for love, he's looking for a fresh start in a new town, with a new job. He never figured on meeting Maddie, an older woman with a new attitude.
Maddie is patient and forgiving, while most of Jake's peers are not. Her family has raised eyebrows and his job isn't working out. Is their cougar and cub relationship just a fling, or will they prove they are…
Lucky in Love.
Reader Advisory: This story has been previously released as part of the Cougars and Cubs anthology by Total-E-Bound
General Release Date: 21st February 2011
“Oh, no, you’re not getting the best of me. Not this time.”
Maddie Summers aimed the knife at her rival.
“I’ve had just about all I’m going to take from you.”
She glanced across the kitchen table, then she licked her lips.
“Phil, you’re hard to resist,” she purred.
Maddie lowered the blade, intent on making the first cut.
“I’ll just eat the whole damned thing.” She sighed. “Mr. Conroy won’t get a bite.”
She tossed the butter knife down on the table next to Phil, the nickname for her favourite bakery treat, a crumb-topped pound cake, Philly Cream Cheese Loaf.
An oldies song drifted by her ears, its familiar melody a signal that she had a cell phone call. She recognised the number immediately. It was her neighbour from the other end of the block.
“Hi, Lucille. What’s doing?”
“That’s what I want to know. Did you meet our new neighbour, Mr. Conroy?”
“Just saw his car in the driveway. I figured I’d go over there now and bring him one of my welcome-to-the-neighbourhood goodie baskets.”
“Mmm... With that pound cake in it?”
Maddie imagined Lucille licking her lips. She grinned in response to the mental picture.
“You’re a good neighbour, Maddie.”
“Well, I hope Mr. Conroy thinks so. You know, I can’t make sense of all those crazy hours he works.”
“Mr. Conroy works at Republic Airport. He’s a pilot.”
Maddie glanced outside. Conroy’s car was still in the driveway. She looked over at Phil, sitting on her kitchen table. The urge to take a bite was strong.
“Gotta run. Otherwise, Mr. Conroy’s basket will be light. I just may eat Phil.” Maddie grinned.
She finished packing Mr. Conroy’s goodies.
Grabbing the basket, she walked outside into the bright, May sunshine, ready to do her neighbourly duty.
A few minutes later, Maddie stood outside Mr. Conroy’s front door.
Ding dong!
No answer.
She peeked through the window but didn’t see anyone inside.
Ding! Dong!
She was about to put her finger on the doorbell again when it occurred to her that she might be disturbing Mr. Conroy’s sleep. Maddie spied a picnic table under the shaded carport. She walked over to it and placed the basket there.
When she turned around, her nose collided with white cotton and a delicious odour, like citrus, combined with the smell of clothes dried outside in the sun. Her eyes drifted upwards, settling on a masculine chin. Beard-shadowed and angular, the only thing that softened such a strong jaw was the small dimple set dead centre.
“Oh, excuse me. I—I didn’t think anyone was at home.”
“That’s all right.” The man grinned. He pointed at the basket. “What’s that?”
Maddie couldn’t tear her eyes from him. He was tall—over six feet. The T-shirt her nose had bumped against earlier stretched across a wide, muscular chest.
A silver and gold watch gleamed against the tanned skin of his arms. She had a ‘thing’ for a man’s arms. A fine smattering of dark hairs lined his, the play of muscle in his forearms prominent.
His feet were bare—nice long, narrow feet.
“Cat got your tongue?” He smiled, revealing a mouth full of white, even teeth.
Maddie’s hormones, the ones she thought had deserted her fifty year old body, returned with a vengeance. The little nubbin of flesh nestled between her thighs quivered.
I sank my writing teeth into my first romance novel after years of reading my favourite authors…Linda Howard, Karen Robards, Kat Martin (just to name a few!) Those ladies inspired me to write my own romances and now, it's my passion.
I'm fascinated by the paranormal…I love to be scared. Ghost stories are my favourite. As a child I read 'The Haunting of Hill House' by Shirley Jackson (it was made into a movie a couple of times…a good one to watch with your favourite honey…and cuddle up to when it gets real scary!) That book made me want to write ghost stories and heightened my interest in the paranormal. I also enjoy writing spicy, sensual, modern-day romance with an added twist of suspense.
Born in the land of the 'Midnight Sun' ( Fairbanks, Alaska ), I'm an 'army brat.' When my mother's plane landed at Ladd Air Force Base in Fairbanks (no army base…they had to share with the air force back then!) she didn't want to get off - she and my sister were decked out in heavy winter coats and boots - my mother figured it was always icy cold & snowy in Alaska. Meanwhile, it was summer - and 100 degrees! My father stood there waiting for her on the tarmac in a short-sleeve shirt, shorts & sunglasses. She never forgot the experience - and neither did my father. That summer, my mother said the sun never set - there was 24 hours of daylight. Soon we moved on, and at the tender age of three, my family and I settled on Long Island, where I've resided ever since. Long Island's North Shore 'Gold Coast' is where many of my books & stories take place - it's beautiful! Cliffs that look out over the Long Island Sound…a rocky, sandy coastline where pirates once smuggled in contraband…and fabulous old mansions from 'old money' families abound.
When the hubby and I are not on the go, we're spending time with our two terrific children (now grown) and…our two cats.
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