My alter ego, Karly Stratford, launched a new RomCom last week!
This is the sixth book in my Curvy Girl Crew Series. 🙂
If you’re a fan of clean romance, billionaires, sassy women, and hilarity, you should check it out!
Enjoy an excerpt!
I whipped around and found Frank sitting on the bench with the woman in the hoodie. He’d never approached a stranger like that before. I jogged toward them as I bellowed, “Frank!”
My dog wore a proud expression, as if he’d just found a diamond in a pile of fake gems.
“Down!” I said.
Frank lowered his head, but he didn’t get off the bench.
Maybe it was time for more behavioral training.
The woman twisted until she faced me and pulled the hood off her head.
I was almost to her but skidded to a stop a dozen feet away.
No wonder Frank had approached this woman. She wasn’t a stranger. That was Victoria’s friend, Brooke.
Short, with a curvy figure hiding under that hoodie and a pixie cut that I’d never forget.
The first time I’d met Brooke I’d been hopelessly smitten. Her full lips and full hips made me a little dizzy, as did her smirk and the way she put a hand on her waist when she was exasperated.
She and Victoria belonged to the Curvy Girl Crew. I’d watched way too many of their storage unit videos, and I’d done it to observe Brooke. To get to know her even though I’d been convinced that I’d never see her again.
The tight line of her lips told me that she wasn’t impressed with my entrance. Or anything else about me, but the anger drained away as she looked at my dog. “Frank?”
He panted happily.
I took the opportunity to move closer but still stopped several feet away. “Brooke.”
She turned and met my gaze with steely brown eyes. “William.”
What should I say? Should I ask about her health? Her family? What she was doing at the park? My brain froze long enough for me to feel foolish staring at her.
Frank saved me by letting out a little whoof.
Right. I should apologize for his behavior. I stepped forward, took Frank by the collar, and dragged him off the bench. “Sorry about that. I guess he got excited to see a familiar face.”
Brooke picked up Frank’s ball, which was covered in red sauce.
“Frank.” I chided him.
My dog managed to look sheepish.
The whole scene finally came into focus, and I saw that Frank had dropped his ball into a takeout container of food. BBQ, no less. I noticed the name of the restaurant on the bag, pointed, and said, “I can replace that.”
Brooke raised her eyebrows. Her gaze started at the top of my head, then slid down, passing over the crisply-ironed striped shirt, the Italian pants, and the expensive shoes before she came back up.
I’d been under the scrutiny of other billionaires, film stars, political figures, and even royalty, but none of that had prepared me for Brooke’s exploration. My heart sped up, and I felt heat on my cheeks.
Now was not the time to let my emotions get the better of me. I waved toward where Patrick had parked. “We got lunch from the same place.”
Brooke blinked as if she’d just come out of deep thought. “William, what are you doing here?”
“I have business nearby.”
She glanced around. “You’re in ranch country.”
I was well aware of that but decided not to tell her. “We drove out of our way to try Whitehill BBQ. I heard it was the best in the area.”
Brooke eyed my clothes again before she said, “And you like the best, don’t you?”
Ouch.
Instead of backing down, I smiled and swiveled my eyes to her food. “Is there something wrong with that?”
“Depends.”
“On what?” I asked.
“On…” Brooke trailed off, then threw a leg over the bench and waved Frank to her. “Come here, you silly dog.”
I let him go, and he went to her and pressed up against her calf. She dug her fingers into his hips and head, and he looked like he was in doggie heaven.
For the first time, I was jealous of my dog.
