Love on the Rocks
February, 2010
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First Love. Second Chance?

After a dramatic weight loss catapults her to the cover of People magazine, Tangela Howard becomes an overnight celebrity. But the transformed flight attendant doesn’t want to become America’s next Bachelorette. She wants to settle down. Then, in walks a blast from the past.…

Warrick Carver is just as sexy and irresistible as he was
when they broke up two years ago. Once, the serious, studly architect was the love of Tangela’s life. She may have had a makeover, but Warrick has always loved her as she was— sensual, voluptuous. All woman. And all his. Back then, they were consumed with their careers. Now they’re consumed with each other. It’s their second chance.

All they have to do is take it.…

Excerpt:

Warrick Carver took the elevator to the second floor of the custom-made home and knew instinctively that his ex-girlfriend was there. Her oriental fragrance sweetened the air. Seconds later, he heard her rich, effervescent laugh. Heart pounding, mouth wet with anticipation, he resisted the urge to run full-speed down the narrow hall. Careful not to spill his drink on the carpet, he shouldered his way through the crowd of partygoers. Warrick brushed fake cobwebs away from his face as he ducked into the game room. Standing nonchalantly in the doorway, he surveyed the scene. And there, beside the pool table, was his first and only love, Tangela Marie Howard.

Coughing, he rubbed his eyes with the back of his hands. His nervous system went berserk and it took several seconds before his heart rate slowed. Tangela had always had that affect on him, but tonight it was a hundred times worse. It wasn’t the stylish haircut, or even her shrunken waistline that stunned him. It was her costume. He hadn’t expected to see her dressed in a leather Cat woman bodysuit that accentuated every luscious slope. Her dark dramatic eyes, visible through the slits in her face mask, and lush red lips, enhanced her staggering sex appeal.

At a statuesque five feet ten inches, Tangela towered over all of the women in the room and more then half of the men. Her costume left nothing to the imagination, and made the Pussycat Dolls look like a bunch of Catholic school girls. Once, to spice up things in the bedroom he’d suggested she dress up in one of those skimpy maid’s uniforms. Not only had Tangela flat-out refused, she’d given him the cold shoulder that night in bed, but now she was boldly flaunting her salacious curves. His ex obviously had a wild streak he knew nothing about, and that made Warrick wonder what else she’d kept hidden from him all those years.
Jealousy reared its ugly head as he watched Tangela cheer on her date. She used to look at him that way. Eyes twinkling, face aglow, lips holding a smile reserved just for him. Seeing Tangela with another man, even a fluffy out-of-shape plumber made Warrick burn inside. How had it been so easy for her to start over?

Nine years ago, when he met Tangela Howard at Tower Records, it had been love at first sight. A scrawny teenager had crashed into a life-sized cut out of Aerosmith, and sent hundreds of CDs crashing to the floor. Warrick glanced up, wondering how the kid could have missed the gigantic display. Then, he noticed the crooked grins on the faces of the male customers and trailed their covetous gazes. Shoulders bouncing, hips twirling, the tall, voluptuous girl at the back of the store in the skin-tight jeans grooved as if she was in a packed-out nightclub.

Warrick made his move and after a few minutes of polite conversation asked her out. By the end of their first date, the twenty-year-old business administration student had captured his heart. Friends labelled them polar opposites and discouraged them from dating. They had mismatched tastes in music, movies and food, but Tangela understood him better than anyone  and supported him wholeheartedly.

In the beginning, she’d praised him for climbing swiftly up the corporate ladder. But soon, she was complaining about his crazy schedule. Warrick wanted to spend time with her, but he wasn’t cutting back his hours  or delegating more tasks to his team. It was hard enough proving himself. The other architects thought he’d been hired because his father owned the company and they didn’t try to hide their contempt. They didn’t care that he worked weekends or stayed at the office until midnight. He was the boss’s son and they resented his success.

Then, her mother died and she become short-tempered, clingy and possessive. Calling him on the hour. Dropping by his office unannounced. Bombarding him with wedding checklists and seating plans. Things got so bad, Warrick moved into the spare bedroom to escape her constant nagging and resorted to picking fights with her just to get out of the house.

And now, she was back. Looking better then ever.