Because of Jacqueline – How I came up with the idea for the
plot.
Have you ever seen one of those TV
commercials for an Internet dating website with a man and woman who met online,
and are now in wedded bliss? My husband
and I could be that couple. I still tease him that my online dating membership
was the best $29.99 I ever spent! The day after I decided to dip my toe into
the Internet dating pool, I received an email from my future spouse, and the
rest as they say…is history.
But I quickly realized we aren’t an
anomaly when I began to ask people how they met their other half. I discovered
co-workers, friends, and family members who are happily married today, as a
result of a cyber relationship. Curious,
I researched online dating and found some startling numbers on Statistics
Brain. As of January 2014, there were 54,250,000 singles in the
US and 41,250,000 of them have used online dating. That’s a whopping
76%!
Since so many people are falling in love via the Internet, I
thought readers would relate to a heroine and hero who meet online. The idea
for my sexy contemporary romance, Because
of Jacqueline, was born. To make
things interesting, I decided to delay their first date. Jackie must travel out
of town for work. The couple spend the next two weeks in a tantalizing state of
limbo filled with emails, texts, and phone conversations that go on seamlessly
for hours.
Even though they have never met, their souls touch. The story taps into our desire to find one person who will love of
us for who were are, not just our outward appearance. The conflict arises when they meet
and their relationship changes.
Book
Blurb
Jackie Simms moves back to her hometown,
St. Louis, to rebuild her life in the wake of divorce, including a foray into
the world of online dating. She responds to an intriguing email from Marc
Montgomery, who shares many of her interests, as well as a love for baseball.
As their cyber relationship deepens, her skeptical side wonders if he’s too
good to be true.
When Jackie’s work-related travel delays
their first date, the couple spends the next two weeks in a tantalizing state
of limbo filled with tender emails and intimate phone conversations that go on
seamlessly for hours. Even though they have never met, their souls touch.
When they finally meet, will Marc be
Jackie’s dream come true? Will she learn the truth about this enigmatic
man? Will self-doubt lead Jackie to believe she is the barrier to her own
happiness?
Excerpts
Excerpt
1
The
martini tasted delicious. And potent. The drink went straight to my head at the
first sip. Minutes later, Marc joined me in the living room.
“This
sofa is comfortable and good looking.” Not as good looking as the owner. His
polo shirt clung to his well-defined chest. Obviously, he worked out on a
regular basis.
“After
I had the house rehabbed, I worked with a friend of my mom’s. She decorated the
whole place.”
“Impressive.”
I murmured, thinking more of him than his furnishings. The gin continued to fog
my brain. My plan to remain cool toward him became a distant memory.
After
we finished our drinks he asked, “Hungry?”
“Yes,
some food would be good.” I needed something to soak up the alcohol.
“Come,”
he ordered softy.
I
followed Marc to the kitchen—a chef’s dream filled with high-end stainless
steel appliances. The beautiful custom ebony cabinets boasted brushed nickel
hardware. Five bar stools lined the massive marble-topped island. A round table
with leather chairs set for two occupied the bay window. The kitchen opened to
a grand family room with a high tray ceiling.
My
attention went to the opposite wall. “Marc, what is the size of your flat
screen?” I’d never seen anything comparable.
“It’s
eighty-four inches. You like lingerie. I like to watch movies and sports.”
“On
a gianormous screen.” I giggled.
“Gianormous?
That’s a word I haven’t heard.” He looked bewildered.
“I
picked it up from my girls. It’s a combination of giant and enormous. Teenagers
have a unique way of expressing themselves.” I chuckled to myself.
“Your
martini seems to be agreeing with you, Jacqueline.” His smile widened.
I
took the opportunity to look for the lower front crooked incisor he mentioned,
but I couldn’t see anything except perfect teeth. The buzz in my head
intensified. My eyelids started to droop.
“I’ll
get the food. Can you get a couple of waters from the fridge?”
“Sure.”
I tried to steady myself. I never should have had a drink on an empty
stomach.
“We
have egg rolls, wonton soup, and Mongolian Beef, light on the onions, as you
requested.”
“Thank
you. It looks tasty.” He looks tasty. Jeez, I feel like a horny teenager!
Thankfully,
as we ate, I began to feel more coherent. Yoake sat curled up on her floor
pillow nearby as Marc updated me on his acquisition plans with the internet
company. He seemed pleased when I shared with him my daughters were coming for
a visit. This evening is starting out much better than last week.
After
dinner, Marc produced his movie collection list. “Take a look. Tell me what
you’d like to watch. They’re arranged by genre in alphabetical order.”
I
stared at the list in awe. “There must be over five hundred movies here.”
“I
removed fifty from the list last month.”
“Glad
to see you are cutting back,” I teased.
“What’s
your pleasure? An old classic, a drama, action, or maybe sci-fi? I’m guessing
you’re the romantic comedy type.” I could only see his blazing blue eyes over
the top of the list.
“Do
you have any recommendations?”
“Last
week I bought Hitch with Will Smith and Eva Mendez. Have you seen it?”
“No,
I haven’t. Let’s watch it.”
Marc
started setting up the DVD.
I
wonder how many other women have been to his place for Chinese and a movie. He
had been single his adult life, while I’d been married. I remembered what Trish
said to me about STDs and using condoms.
I
certainly wasn’t planning on having sex with him, but it felt incredible when
he kissed me last week. Marc took a seat next to me on the sofa. His inviting
scent was clean and fresh with a note of spice.
“Can
I get you something to drink?”
“I’m
fine,” I murmured.
“Yes.
You are,” his eyes glimmered as he stroked my arm. A shiver ran down my neck
and across my shoulders. His lips brushed mine. The quivering spot in the pit
of my stomach exploded.
As
Marc pulled me in his arms, he kissed me softly. When his warm tongue pressed
into my mouth, a combination of panic and burning desire ripped through me. My
lips couldn’t deny his moist, sweltering kiss. He stopped and took my hand.
Without saying a word, he stood and led me out of the room down the hallway.
I
knew where we were going. Yoake trotted along beside us swishing her tail, as
if she knew too. Looks like this isn’t the first time Yoake has accompanied
someone to Marc’s bedroom. She ran ahead and nosed open the door. The late
summer sunset lit the room in a soft, warm glow. A king size bed with a tall,
fawn-colored upholstered headboard and button tufting dominated the large
space. The soft neutral toned bedding appeared to be a sumptuous raw silk.
Marc
stopped a foot from the bed. He wrapped his arms around my waist and kissed me.
Slow and deep. All the blood drained from my head. The air in the room became
thick. When he pulled my T-shirt over my head, the heat from his body blanketed
my bare skin. With ease, he unsnapped my bra with one hand and dropped it to
the floor.
Excerpt
2
The
temperature in the room was warm enough for me to remove my jacket. As I took
it off, I noticed Marc glance at me over the top of his menu with a hint of
appreciation in his eyes.
“Would
you prefer a bottle of wine or a cocktail?”
“I’d
like some wine this evening. You’re the expert, please choose.”
The
Sauvignon Blanc Marc selected complemented the roasted salmon dish we ordered
for dinner. As we ate, I couldn’t seem to get Marc engaged in regular
conversation. I decided to shake things up a bit. “I have a question. Do you
know how many women you have slept with, including me?”
“Why
do you want to know?”
“Trish
told me when you sleep with one person, it’s like sleeping with seven people. I
would like to know my exposure. From an STD perspective.” Am I brazen for
asking the question?
“I’m
not into one-nighters. Including you, I’ve probably slept with fifteen women.”
His nostrils flared slightly.
Fifteen.
My lucky number. Pressing my lips together, I
paused to calculate. “If I’ve done my math correctly, the total would be one
hundred and five.”
“I
assure you, I don’t have unprotected sex.” His jaw clenched, creating a tension
in his face.
“You
are only the second man I’ve had sex with.”
“Doesn’t
matter to me,” he shrugged.
“Why?”
“That
was the past.”
Funny,
I don’t think his issues from his past are behind him.
On
the way home from dinner, Marc turned on the CD player in his car. He skipped
through the songs until “I’ve Got You Under My Skin” began to play. Is he
trying to tell me something? Regardless, I appreciated the sound.
As
we silently rode up in my elevator to my condo, I wrung my hands and watched
until the light stopped on floor fifteen.
“Thank
you for dinner, Marc,” I murmured.
“You’re
welcome,” he answered. “I’m totally jet-lagged so, I‘m going to head home.” He
kissed my hair and began to turn away.
“Marc?”
“Yes?”
Say
something. “Drive safe.”
“I
will.” He gave my hand a squeeze. “Good night.”
I
went to the bedroom, kicked off my heels, and fell on my bed. My eyes began to
sting with tears. Moxie jumped up beside me and licked my face.
Is
there something wrong with me? With him? I
slammed my fists on the bed.
I
took in a deep breath and exhaled. “Do you want a cookie, Moxie? Maybe we’ll
both have a cookie.” Her big brown saucers stared up at me.
On
my way to the kitchen, I heard a knock. Is it Marc? Did he forget
something?
I
opened the door. Marc stood in front of me. Under the shadow of his knitted
brow, his eyes darkened to a deep, sea blue.
Is
he going to tell me adios?
He
stood silent. I steadied myself.
“Did
you forget something?”
“No.
I mean, yes,” he stammered. “I forgot this.”
He
pulled me close, covered my mouth with his lips, and plunged his tongue deep
inside. I was shocked, confused, and totally turned on.
He
held his kiss as he moved me through the doorway and skillfully pushed the door
shut with his foot. I tore my mouth away and said, “I thought you were
jet-lagged.”
“I
got a second wind.” He continued to devour me with his mouth.
He
unbuttoned my jacket and slid it down my over my arms. As he kissed and nipped
at my shoulders, my breath caught in my throat.
“I’ve
been thinking about this all night.” His voice was rough.
This
time I led him to my bedroom. I walked him over to the edge of my bed and
pushed him back on the mattress. He looked a bit stunned, but pleased.
Buy Links
Author Bio
Cynthia
Pomranz lives in the Midwest with her husband. She has two beautiful daughters,
and a shih tzu that thinks she is a retriever. Cynthia earned a BA from Knox
College, graduating magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa. After years of
writing software training manuals, she followed her heart and wrote her first
romance novel with the love and support of her family.
Contact Links
You can follow Cynthia on her website,
Facebook, or Twitter.
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