Chloe Morgan's Blog, page 7

Ringing in New Years is Live!

The girl was mine since the first time she smiled at me.��

The catch? Love hasn���t been on my radar for a long time.

My career���my dream���won���t allow for such luxuries.

So, when I moved to New York City to pursue my dream and prove my father wrong, I never expected it.

Love.

Her heart is as wild and full as her figure and I can���t get enough.

Can I get the girl, even if it means abandoning my dreams?

She���s worth the price.

And I always get what I want.

AMAZON

Read Chapter 1 of Ringing in the New Years

Chapter 1



Liam

The day after Christmas, I sat in my usual booth at Dutch���s Coffee House, typing my heart out. The small and quaint dive was nestled in the heart of Publisher���s Triangle, where good writers go to die and the great go to be discovered.

Dutch���s had been an establishment and a legend long before I ever came to New York City, and even though newer coffeehouses and trendy drinks had nearly put him under, Dutch Kirk, the coffee shop owner, had managed to keep it alive.

The atmosphere of the place was quiet, nothing but slurps and the clicking of keys for minutes on end, with the occasional ���Aha��� or growl of frustration interrupting someone���s flow. Day in and day out, writers gathered, working on whatever dreams they were chasing.

I finished a paragraph and was about to get up for more of Dutch���s dark roast when I looked up to see the prettiest girl ever approaching the counter. She had hair that was deep chestnut and a voluptuous figure that nearly brought me to my knees to worship her.

���I see you���re making your usual rounds,��� said Dutch, who sat behind the counter, waiting for the next customer with a newspaper in his hands.

The woman smiled and reached into her bag. She pulled out an envelope and passed it over to Dutch, who took it with a big smile on his face. ���Yeah, thanks.��� He didn���t seem too impressed, and I would have thought she was serving him with some kind of bill or legal subpoena if the envelope hadn���t been black and gold, more of a fancy invite than anything else. ���How about a cup for the road?��� he offered.

The woman scrunched her nose. ���No, thanks, Dutch. Have a good one.��� She turned and left without so much as a look in my direction, and I couldn���t help but watch her all the way to the door.

���Who was that?���

���Keep your eyes in your head. That, my friend, was the yearly courtesy call.��� He walked over to the trash and was about to drop the invitation inside.

I reached out. ���Wait! What is that?���

���This?��� He shook the envelope. ���This is what you get when you���ve had a business in this neighborhood for thirty-five years. This is an invitation from Griffin Lords for his annual New Year���s Eve party.���

Griffin Lords owned Lords Brothers Publishing, one of the top publishing firms in the city. Even though Dutch wasn���t a writer, at least that I���d ever known, he���d have to be crazy not to want to attend. ���A party. Why don���t you go? It���s right down the street.���

Dutch furrowed his bushy gray brows. ���No, thanks. I don���t belong up there with those fancy people anymore. An old man like me? My first wife had me drag her there once, and it was such an ordeal. Not my bag.��� He waved his hand dismissively as if it were the last thing he���d want to do.

I couldn���t help but think the woman who delivered the invite was going to be there. ���Then at least give it to me. I���ll put it to good use.���

Dutch grinned. ���You know, that���s a good idea. You belong at this kind of thing, a handsome young man like yourself.��� He walked over and handed me the envelope. ���Good luck, Liam. Maybe you���ll rub the right elbows to help promote that smut you write.���

���It���s not smut,��� I said with a growl of frustration, handing him my cup to be refilled. Dutch had teased me ever since I told him I wrote romance. He had the archaic attitude that all romance needed to be written by desperate housewives and lonely-hearted women. ���It���s romance. Women want a little bit of steam, and I like the idea of showing them that romantic alphas still exist.���

Dutch walked over to the coffeepot and poured. ���I���m just teasing. Do you know how many of you come through my doors?���

���There���s only one me, Dutch. And I���m going to go to this party and see if I can���t change my destiny. At least meet some new people and get away from this corner table for a night.��� Since coming to the city only six months ago, I had only met a handful of people, most of whom were other writers in the same big ocean of undiscovered as me.

When you keep swimming in the same waters with the same fish, you get nowhere. It takes getting into the deep waters before you really get noticed, and then you better hope you don���t get eaten by the sharks. I was willing to step outside of my comfort zone to make things happen, especially if it meant talking to the woman who had come into the shop.

���Well, I wish you the best,��� said Dutch, passing me the coffee. ���And if you get tossed out, don���t tell anyone I sent you. I���ll say you fished that thing out of the trash and crashed it all on your own. I don���t need Griffin Lords pissed off at me.���

���It almost sounds like you two have a past.��� His expressions when he mentioned the man���s name were suspect.

���I know him. We used to talk now and then when he owned this building. He finally got out from under it, and thankfully, I like my new landlord better. Anyway,��� he said, glancing down at the invite. ���You have a good time and try to find a pretty girl to kiss at midnight.���

I grabbed my cup and carefully walked it back to my table. As I tried to focus on my story, all I could think about was that gorgeous woman, her curves demanding attention. I was just the man for her. She just didn���t know it yet.

A fleeting thought entered my mind. What if she already had a man in her life? There hadn���t been a ring on her finger, had there? It didn���t do me any good to sit there thinking. I���d find out everything I needed to know soon enough. I wasn���t going to the party to further my career as much as I was going to find that woman���the girl my fantasies were made of.

Santa’s Favorite Elf is Live!

 

I lost a bet.��

Now I���m doomed to work as a mall Santa���s elf for all of December.

In retrospect, my virginity never should have been on the table for a bet between me and my roommate.

Losing my V-card seems even more impossible now that I���m wearing an elf hat and jingle-bell slippers.

The icing on the cake? The new mall owner is dangerously handsome.��

Just a smile from him turns my knees to putty.

My elf costume doesn���t deter him like I expected. In fact, I think he might even like it.

There���s only one gift I want him to unwrap:��Me.

Who knew losing a bet could change my life for the better?

AMAZON




















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Read Chapter 1 of Santa’s Favorite Elf

Chapter 1



Reed

It had been a long day, and while I wasn���t used to working a full shift anymore, I had decided my Charleston location needed a little tender loving care if I wanted it to stay above water. Myrtle Court Mall was one of the oldest in the city, and while it had been recently updated when I procured it five years earlier from my father���s estate, it wasn���t doing as well as some of the other malls I owned across the country.

���We���ve had another store announce it will be dropping its lease after the first of the year,��� said Bree Moore, a stunning redhead with the face of a fox, the body of a number two pencil, and all the personality of an empty, cardboard box.

She was my secretary, and while not the worst thing to look at, her eagerness to please me had me cringing every time she walked into my office, and I���d only been in my office for two days.

���I���ve spoken with their managers, and there just isn���t enough traffic coming in.���

���Well, I still think it���s up to the stores to do what they can to assure their customers want to come back.���

���I think it���s time you and I go for a walk around this place and see what we can do.��� I got up from my desk, and when I walked around, she already had the door open for me and was waiting for me to go ahead of her. ���After you,��� I said, stopping to let her through. I closed my office, and we walked past hers, through the little lobby that connected them, and made our way out into the indoor promenade that joined the stores. There were a few Christmas decorations, but it was much less than what was done for previous years, and there seemed to be something missing in the central area. With the mall closed, being an hour before opening, the place looked stark and empty. But it wasn���t just the lack of people.

It dawned on me what it was. ���Where is Santa���s workshop?���

She waved her hand, dismissively. ���Oh, I didn���t think the extra expense was necessary this year.���

���We already have last year���s props, don���t we?��� It had been something the mall had always done, and I didn���t see how continuing the tradition could cost so much when most of the things we used to pull it off were stored year to year.

���Yes, but hardly the money to pay employees to work it. I just thought it would offset some of the money we���re not getting from the leases that have said they���ll be dropping.���

���But people come in expecting to see Santa. It���s a tradition, and one I���m not willing to throw out to save a few bucks. It���s what we need to make sure people come in. And not only that, but what kind of a message do you think it sends the other companies if they see us not even trying? They want to see that we���re doing all we can to bring in their customers.���

���With all due respect, I think it���s a mistake. When you told me to fill in the position for our event coordinator, you specifically asked me to take out attractions that were not necessary, and not doing Santa���s workshop has already saved us a fortune by not having to hire a company to come in and build it. If this place shuts down, then there will be no mall for them to lease.���

���We had a standing contract for the workshop construction, and when I asked you to fill in, I didn���t mean to sabotage Christmas spirit like some kind of Scrooge.��� It was all I could do to keep my voice level. ���And the next time you want to make a decision like this, I suggest you get on the phone and call me.���

���Yes, sir.��� She took a deep breath and squared her shoulders. ���So, what do you want me to do? Christmas is less than a month away. We���re already two weeks late.���

���I want you to get on the phone and make Santa���s workshop happen. Also, I���d like for you to get on the phone and have maintenance dig out the previous years��� decorations and put them up. I want it to look like Christmas around here, for fuck���s sake, and don���t tell me it���s going to cost money.���

She gave a nod. ���Yes, sir. I���m so sorry, Reed. I didn���t mean to mess things up.��� I could tell she was really sorry, but standing around feeling sorry about things wasn���t going to make them happen.

���Well, just get to it.��� I turned around to walk back to the office, and she followed, hot on my heels with her phone in her hand to take notes.

When we reached the office lobby, she cleared her throat. ���So, where do I start? I���ve never coordinated Santa���s workshop before. I���ve only had last year���s expense report to go off of.���

I turned around to see the helpless look in her eyes. ���There should be something in the notes and files the last coordinator left, and if not, I���m sure you can figure it out.���

She nodded. ���I won���t let you down. I���ll hire Santa and an elf to do the photography. I���ll have maintenance on the work in the morning.���

���You���ll have them on it today. I want Santa up and operating by the end of the week.���

���But that���s only three days? I have too much to do and no time.���

���Then, you should get right on it.��� I didn���t want her excuses. She���d asked for the coordinator���s job, and she received a healthy bump in pay to perform both jobs. ���If this is too much, then perhaps I should consider hiring someone else for the job.���

���No, it���s perfect. Thanks. I���m sorry to have upset you, Reed. It���s just, I thought I was doing a good thing.���

���It���s okay. I���m sure you���ll pull it off.��� I turned to go into my office, and she followed me to the door.

���I also wanted to talk to you about this weekend. I have an extra ticket to the Christmas production that the Theater Arts league is putting on, and then there is the holiday exhibit at the local art museum. I really think you���d like it, and since you���re new in town, I was wondering if you���d want to go with me?��� She gave me a big smile and then looked me up and down as if the play and exhibit weren���t the only things she wanted me to check out.

It was obvious she had a crush on me, and it wasn���t the first time she���d asked me to go somewhere with her. ���I���m sorry, Bree, it���s just that I don���t mix business with pleasure. I���m sure you understand that our situation here makes it unprofessional to see each other outside of work.���

Her face fell. ���Oh, I understand. Of course.��� She turned around and went to her office, and I almost felt bad for turning her down. Especially with such a lame excuse.

The truth was, I didn���t mind mixing business with pleasure at all, and while it wasn���t the healthiest practice, I���d done it before. It was just that Bree wasn���t my type, and frankly, if it weren���t for that, on looks alone, I���d have bent her over her desk and fucked her silly a long time ago.

As it were, the only thing I needed her to do was to hire a Santa and make the mall look like it was Christmas. Then maybe I could save this sinking ship.

Opposites Attract is Live!

It���s the opposite of my dream love story���getting picked up on the side of the road.��

Home for the holidays and my damn car breaks down.

But the guy that picks me up might just be worth the aggravation.��

Sexy as hell and military from what I can tell. And he���s alpha to the end but attentive to my every word.

Shockingly enough, when we get to my parents' for the holiday, she assumes he���s my boyfriend.

And he plays along.

My family is rich, snotty, and less than thrilled. But he doesn���t give a shit.

He wants one thing.

Me.

AMAZON

Read Chapter 1 of Opposites Attract

Chapter 1



Owen

With the Christmas holidays fast approaching, I had decided to make my plans for being alone and spend what time I had on extended leave doing something useful. While most of my friends had family to spend the holidays with, I was more of a loner, spending my evenings at the gym and tinkering in my garage.

I hadn���t dated anyone in forever, and it would be a nice change this year from the last, not having anyone making plans for me. I had to admit, at times I did miss not having anyone special in my life, but others I was glad to live on my own terms. Having the military dictate so much of my life was one thing, but adding a woman to dictate what little I had to myself was another.

As I secured the straps that would hopefully hold my motorcycle in place for the long-haul home in the bed of my truck, I thought of my past relationships and how they���d all gone sideways. I couldn���t handle the drama and games that had come with some of the other women I���d dated, and it seemed like every time I found a woman I could have a deep connection with, she changed and then somehow turned into a complete psycho by the time the relationship was over.

I was looking forward to taking my bike back to my garage and spending all of my time working on it. I had found it online, and it was everything I���d been looking for. I had always dreamed of adding a 1950 Indian to my collection, and now it was a reality.

���I know you���ll give her the love she needs,��� said Charlie, the old man who I was buying it from. He owned a shop outside of San Bernardino, and while we���d been friends for years, he had just now decided to sell his baby to help pay off some mounting medical bills.

I could see by his watery eyes that he hated to see her go, but I knew I had to reassure him. ���I���ll get her running right and bring her by for a visit.���

���It���s a damn shame getting so old that you can���t enjoy the little things. I loved my wife, but that was my one getaway. I could take a drive and clear my head, and believe me, back then, it needed a lot of clearing.��� He gave a chuckle, and I laughed with him.

���I can feel you there. I have a lot of clearing out to do as well.���

���Well, you won���t find a better friend, but just make sure she doesn���t get in the way of your girlfriend. She���s an addicting mistress.���

���I���m single these days.��� I had ridden my last girlfriend to his shop months ago, but that had been over for a while now.

���Oh man, you���re not getting any younger. You better find you a good woman now, someone who can help you along when you���re my age. Trust me.��� His eyes twinkled. ���I don���t know what I���d do without my wife.���

���Well, who knows. Maybe I���ll get lucky and find the right woman. Until then, I���m going to enjoy the peace and quiet in my shop and spend a little time with this lady.��� I patted the wheel of the bike and then reached to shake his hand. ���Thanks again for calling me and giving me first dibs and a good bargain.���

���Well, I knew you���d take care of her. Have fun, and bring her by to visit.���

���Oh, I will.���

As he walked back into his shop, I made sure she was secured one last time and waved again as I was getting into the truck. I kept the old beater around for its long wheelbase and the ability to haul anything I needed. Growing up in the country, I knew how important a good truck was to keep around. And since I usually rode my Harley to and from the base, it was perfect for rainy days.

My last girlfriend hadn���t appreciated that I didn���t own a car, but then, she hadn���t appreciated much of anything about me, and that���s why it didn���t work out. She also had some really messed-up ideas of commitment, and I needed someone who would be devoted to me and not fuck around with one of my friends the moment my back was turned. Being in the Navy and having to be away could be stressful on a relationship, and while I understood it, I wasn���t going to leave another woman to spend my money and use my home while I was on duty.

After the last breakup, I���d had to change my locks and buy a new mattress. I had been burned so many times, being Mr. Nice Guy, that I was going to save the good-guy act for someone who truly deserved it. Or maybe I was just burned and bitter.

If I ever did find someone like Charlie suggested, she would not only have to be faithful, but she would have to have a deep appreciation for old trucks and motorcycles. Or else I wasn���t sure I could make it work.

I let my mind wander as I traveled back to Temecula about the kind of woman I���d want, and it didn���t take me long to realize she probably didn���t exist. I guess most of all, all I wanted was someone to make me happy, someone I could take care of who would be faithful for a change, and with a hell of a lot less drama than the last. I wanted a simple life and something that could build into the kind of relationship that would last a lifetime. With my time running out in the military, I wanted someone worthy of spending the rest of my life with.

After nearly two hours on the road, I made a turn to avoid the higher-traffic roads and slowed down a bit. I was making good time and loved the burger joint on this route. It was a bit out of the way, but worth it. In the distance ahead, I could see there was someone parked on the side of the road in a red Porsche. I wondered if they needed help, but I had no idea what I was getting myself into.

Keeping Score is Live!

Another hot girl? Just another day as a player.

My fans are used to the new models on my arm every week, but it's all lust.

Because there���s only one love in my life: The Game.

Until her.

She���s fire and ice with me on the field. Butting up against me every chance she gets.

Out there, she thinks she's the boss.

But in the sheets? I own her.

Unfortunately, she���s the assistant coach for my team and completely off limits.

The team won���t understand, and reporters will threaten to destroy our careers if they find out the truth.

We're setting ourselves up for a losing game, but who's keeping score anyway?

Not me.

AMAZON