Lacey Devere is looking forward to her first holiday season
with the love of her life. Unfortunately, her sister’s wedding wiped her out.
But is it just stress? Or are she and Dan facing the prospect of another
passenger on their new journey together?
They were staying at
the “fairy castle” hotel again. The doorman bowed and a waft of spicey pine
scent from the fresh greenery tickled Dan’s nose as they entered.
Christmas trees of
various sizes adorned in shades of blue, white, and silver replaced the cream
and pink floral displays from their previous stay. A majestic gingerbread
castle held pride of place on a satin-draped display table in the center of the
lobby—thankfully with no rampaging soccer fans to destroy it.
Tasteful
instrumental holiday music played quietly over the sound system. Everything was
neat and polished and in its place. An aura of peaceful late-night quiet
prevailed.
The desk clerk
smiled broadly and gestured to an enticing tower of pale blue and white
macarons which stood on the front desk. “Gruss Gott.”
“Gruss Gott,”
Lacey replied, reaching for a cookie.
Dan adjusted his
sling irritably. “Dan Lewis and Lacey Devere, with the Dolce Vita holiday
tour.”
“Of course, sir. We
understand from your hostess that one of your bags has yet to arrive. We took
the liberty of prechecking you into your suite and having the remainder of your
luggage delivered. Your bathroom is fully stocked with complimentary toiletries,
but if there is anything else we can supply, please call and we will be more
than happy to assist you.” He tapped a few keys on his computer, then slid a
key pack across the counter.
Dan eyed it
suspiciously. “You have our reservation?”
“Certainly, Herr
Lewis. Dolce Vita travelers are among our most elite guests. We are delighted
to welcome you and will of course do whatever we can to assist you with your
stay.”
Dan still didn’t
take the key pack. “And this is for a clean room?”
The bewildered clerk
nodded.
“With no one else in
it?”
Another nod.
“The door locks? And
the world champion sports ball fans aren’t having a wild party on our floor?”
The clerk edged
subtly away from the desk.
“The building’s not
on fire?”
“Perhaps Herr Lewis
would care to speak to the manager on duty?”
A security guard
dressed in a dark blue blazer emerged from the back office. He nodded
pleasantly while exuding a distinct aura of “don’t mess with me.”
Lacey laid her warm
hand on Dan’s good arm and squeezed gently while offering a bright smile to the
desk clerk. “I’m sure it’s fine. We’ve had…issues…with our accommodations this
trip.”
The clerk stared at
her wide-eyed. “Apparently so.”
“And on that note,
the missing piece of luggage is my garment bag. It’s got my gown for the New
Year’s Eve ball, so I’d appreciate a call whenever it’s delivered. The night
manager can wake me up—I don’t care. I just want to know it’s safe.”
“Of course,
Fräulein. Should you wish, our concierge would be happy to provide a list of
fine clothing establishments in the area.”
“I hope that won’t
be necessary but thank you. Are there any parcels for us?”
The clerk checked
his computer. “Not at this time. Should any arrive, they will be delivered to
your suite.”
“Thank you. You’ve
been very helpful.” She elbowed Dan.
“Yeah…thanks.”
****
Dan slumped onto a
couch covered in elaborate ice blue brocade. His movements dislodged several
slippery satin cushions, which tumbled to the floor. A Christmas tree decorated
with shimmering blue glass baubles and white velvet ribbon swags stood in the corner.
Glittering silver icicles tipped the branches. Fairy lights draping the tree
and mantel cast a soft glow over the space.
Lacey returned from
a walk-through of their suite and sat next to him, sending even more cushions
cascading to the carpet. “Hey, guess what? It’s a nice clean room, with no one
else in it, it’s a reasonable temperature, the doors lock, and there’s hot water.
How’s that for a Christmas miracle?”
“It looks like a
blue satin cushion factory exploded in here,” he grumbled.
“If they’d exploded,
the room would be full of feathers, which it isn’t and please don’t give the
universe any ideas. It has enough of its own.” She nestled into his side,
filling his senses with hints of lavender and warmth. “It’s a beautiful room,
we can sit on the furniture, and the tub is big enough for both of us.”
“And I can’t soak in
it.”
You’re being a jerk. You realize that, right?
She rolled her eyes.
“You can rest your arm on a towel on the edge. There’s lots of plush blue and
white towels. The velvety kind.”
He snorted. “I’m
still waiting for the other shoe to drop.”
She toyed with the
buttons on his shirt. “You know, right this second, you’re reminding me of a
very particular holiday character, and it’s not a flattering one.”
He exhaled
explosively and sagged against the back of the sofa. “I’m sorry. It’s just…this
whole trip, everything’s gone sideways.”
“And now we’re here
in a lovely room and it’s almost Christmas and can we please just try to enjoy
ourselves? Please?”
Perfect By Design
Destination Romance Book 2.5
Set amidst the magnificent architecture and Mediterranean
sunshine of Barcelona, Dan and Lacey design their perfect future. No matter
where in the world they travel, they know home is in each other’s arms.
Together their love is as strong as a Gothic cathedral’s granite foundation, as
whimsical as Gaudi’s bright-tiled dragon house, and as passionate as the Sant
Jordi festival’s red roses. Now all they need is to escape a lonely nanny and
her charge, and a womanizing architect long enough to settle a very important
question.
Amazon * Books2Read * Bookbub
* Goodreads
Dan
lolled against the doorframe, watching Lacey. He never needed an excuse, but
stretching up on her toes, running her fingertips along the top of a picture
frame did very interesting things to the hemline of her little flowered
sundress. Do I really get to have it all? The whole world, and her, too?
She’d
scrunched up her face adorably, concentrating on the project at hand, and he
had no willpower where she was concerned, so he strolled over and wrapped his
arms around her tiny waist. He buried his face in the crook of her neck and
pressed his lips to her pulse point.
“Babe?
Whatcha up to?” he mumbled against her skin.
She
relaxed into his arms and huffed a stray lock of hair out of her face. “The
wallpaper design was giving me a headache, so I thought it would be easier to
close my eyes and go by touch.”
He
dropped a kiss onto the top of her blonde head. “Clever.” Her familiar scent of
lavender and citrus, and something uniquely Lacey, enveloped him, heightening
his senses. Have we got time to check out that bed? There’s gotta be a
mattress somewhere under all those red brocade battering rams. Seriously, who
thinks a stiff cylinder covered in scratchy material is a good idea for a
pillow?
She
wriggled around in his embrace and slid her arms around his neck. “This would
be a really easy room to hide a mic or camera in. No one would look closely
enough to try and find it.”
He
kissed her forehead. “Except us.”
She
grinned, then pressed up on her toes and kissed his chin. “Except us.”
He
rubbed his thumbs over the thin material of her sundress. “And did you? Find
anything, I mean?” He hadn’t, but one never knew. Hence the standard security
check at every new destination.
“Not
even a bit of dust. You?”
“Not
a thing. Whatever we might think of the décor, the staff certainly takes good
care of the place.” He tugged her a little closer. “And what else did you
notice?”
“There’s
a camera focused on the elevator bank, and the fire stairs are at the left end
of the corridor.”
“Eight
doors down.”
“Picky.”
“Hey,
there was a night in Amsterdam—”
Lacey
shuddered and burrowed against him. “Please don’t remind me.”
Okay…enough
teasing. “How about some dinner? Barcelona has amazing cuisine.”
She
narrowed her eyes. “Like what?”
He
kept his tone carefully nonchalant. “Oh, all sorts of things—local seafood and
game-”
“That’s
code for things I won’t touch with a ten-foot fork.”
“What
have you got against rabbit—”
“Eww!
Rabbits are for cuddling, not eating!”
“They
are here.” She cringed and made a gagging noise.
“Or
squid?”
“Gross.
Just gross.”
“So,
we’re in one of the culinary wonderlands of the world and you’re gonna go look
for a burger joint?”
“If
I have to.”
“What
could entice you to try a regional delicacy?”
“No
bunny rabbits and no squid. I mean it!”
“How
do you feel about snails?”
“How
do you feel about sleeping on the couch?”
He
eyed the stiff brocade monstrosity. “That couch?” The Chesterfield in question
was upholstered in red, with a pattern worked in shiny gold thread. It made him
itchy just looking at it from across the room. It looked as though a quarter
would bounce right off. A good sofa invited you to sink into its cushioned
embrace. That thing looked like it would snigger haughtily while he slid to the
floor.
She
smirked. “That couch.”
He
shook his head in defeat and amusement. “Fine. You win…this time.”
She
smirked up at him, her eyes sparkling. “I usually do.”
Oh,
is that how it’s gonna be? Game on. “Let’s go find you a burger. But I will find
something local you’ll like.”
“You
can try.
I am an author with a penchant for writing about strong,
sassy ladies and the men they love (and cats!). I have a background in historic
and theatrical costuming. I live in New York with my cat, Miss Toby Toebeanz,
and lots and lots of books.
Destination Romance is a modern day “lady and the
highwayman” that follows the adventures of Lacey Devere and Dan Lewis as they
travel the most glamorous locations in Europe. Picture Imperfect, A
Perfect Brew, A Perfectly Imperfect Holiday, and Perfect by Design are
currently available from your favorite retailer.
Falling for the Cat Guy is a sweet, small-town
Halloween romance (with cats!) currently available in paperback and digital
formats. The series is heavily influenced by real life cat rescuers. Mistletoe
Kisses for Two, Ted and Hollyn’s Christmas romance, will be on sale
November 2nd in paperback and digital formats.
You Otter be in Pictures is a small-town summer
romance with a hint of spice, on sale now, in paperback and digital formats
from your favorite retailer.
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