Yay! Today is Gwen Jones’ book birthday! Wanted: Wife is here now in eBook. *Snoopy dance* Virtual cupcakes and party balloons and confetti! I adore book birthdays! I think this calls for red velvet. *sigh* Take a peak at her new book with the fun excerpt… and add it to your list. Or better yet add it to your shopping cart. đ
(((hugs))) Kat
The Queen of Tarts
PS. Make sure you enter her contest!
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Wanted: Wife
Excerpt
2013 © Gwen Jones
The Flipside of Serious
âHoly Mother ofâGod . . .â Denny said.
My sentiments exactly. Andy Devine had to be the most stunning man Iâd ever laid eyes on.
He was tall, six foot two at least, his black hair swept back to just nick his collar, his skin tanned, his cheekbones high, his shoulders as wide as his waist was lean. He wore dark trousers, a white shirt, a tie, and a vest, but I could tell immediately he was used to more freedom. His body looked sculpted by hard and frequent use, his biceps nearly bursting from their cotton casing, and even in that un-air-conditioned room, he looked as cool and collected as if encased in ice. Putting it all together, he was quite the package, but that wasnât what took my breath away. As I came toward the table, as he moved around it to meet me, it was his eyes that nearly nailed me to the floor: two sharp, liquid arrows so regally blue they looked cut from some empirical standard, and infused with an intelligence so far above any preconceived notions, I genuinely felt embarrassed.
To put it simply: he was not what I expected.
âWhat can I do for you?â he said, the overhead fans ruffling his thick hair.
Not that I would allow him to ruffle me. âAs I said, Iâm Julie Knott from Channel 8 News, and this is my cameraman, Denny OâBrien.â
Denny cleared his throatâloudlyâlowering the camera to his side. âPleased to meet you,â he said with surprising steadiness, in spite of his blanch a minute before.
Andy Devine nodded, but didnât reach for either of our hands, which we were too off-kilter to offer anyway. Instead he eyed us with a curiosity Iâd last seen at the zoo.
Inwardly, I was a little miffed that any humanâinsanely gorgeous or otherwiseâcould invoke such ridiculous reactions, doubly so as I groped for the right thing to say. My God! Whenâs the last time that happened? Still, years of experience let me slip into my screen-perfected smile and simpatico interviewerâs mode, my voice precisely modulated as I leaned in and said conspiratorially, âMaybe youâve heard of me? I do segments on Channel 8 called âJulie Knottâs Random Access.ââ
âCanât say I watch much TV,â he said. Then his eyes narrowed. âRandom, as in meaning . . . ?â
âYou know, out of the ordinary, off the beaten track. Unusual.â
âAh.â He considered that for a moment. âYou think Iâm unusual?â
Only the fact that youâre actually saying that with a straight face. âWell, your interview process certainly is. Weâd love to do a story on it.â
He looked honestly perplexed. âWhy?â
I almost laughed. Either this man was yanking my chain, or there were still people out there who could surprise me. âYou donât think advertising on a utility pole for a wife is a bit out of the ordinary?â
He leaned back against the table, folding his arms across his massive chest. âNo more than when a woman tricks herself out and goes into a bar, advertising herself as available. Iâm just giving her a more respectable venue.â
His voice was deep and melodious, yet he had the oddest accent, as unmistakably American as it was faintly exotic. The sound of it sent a distinct wave of heat through me. Good God. I scrubbed my hand across the back of my neck; I refused to let him throw me. âSo, you donât see having them parade before you like horses at an auction as a tad different?â
That seemed to amuse him. âMiss Knott, itâs me whoâs really for sale, and donât think for a moment each one of those women out there isnât aware of it.â
I had an image of Mr. Gorgeous being yanked from one frantic female to the other, One Day Sale! signs hung around his neck.âThat would be true if they were doing the choosing.â
âEven the woman I pick still has to agree to it. Iâll be making all the promises.â
âAs in a contract.â
âActually, itâs very simple. Iâm offering a three-month trial marriage, in which Iâll promise to house, feed and provide my wife with anything she needs. All Iâm asking of her is to be healthy, work hard and try for a baby. If for any reason sheâs not completely satisfiedâand pregnant within three monthsâsheâll walk away with a generous compensation. So obviously, the risk is more at my end. Their risk is relatively effortless.â
âEffortless!â The ways in which this preposterous proposition so did not resemble effortless nearly made me laugh out loud. âMr. Devine, Iâd hardly call bearing your issue effortless!â
He bristled. âIâm not saying it would be. I only thought of children as a logical progression.â
Amazing, truly. He wasnât medieval; he was positively Neanderthal. âA logical progression of what?â
âWhy, marriage, of course.â
âSo couples that donât have children . . .â I flung my hands in a futile gesture. âWho donât want or canât have themâtheir marriages are a sham?â
âNo . . .â he said, a bit condescendingly. âThat would be the logic of their own particular marriages. But in ours, the terms will already have been spelled out. I have a farm. Sheâll help me run it. And if itâs run well, weâll share equally in the benefits and rewards. You couldnât get a better deal than that.â
âYou talk as if this marriageâll be nothing more than a business relationship.â
He looked incredulous. âIsnât that what all marriages really are?â
âOf course not,â I said. âWhat a crazy idea.â
âWell, if they arenât, they should be. Because thatâs what it comes down to at the divorce settlement anyway. A dissolution of a partnership, a consolidation of debts, a distribution of the assets. Are you married, Ms. Knott?â
I caught his glance to my left hand. I shoved my bare fingers into my pocket. âNo. Presently unattached.â Denny cleared his throat. I tossed him a filthy glare. And when Andy Devine lifted a brow, I knew Iâd better offer a quick clarification before my cameraman spilled it. âI just broke it off with my fiancĂ© this morning.â
âDoes this upset you?â he said.
I could feel the blood rising to my face. âWhat do you think? We were to be married in two weeks. The man practically left me at the altar.â
âDid you love him?â
He was beyond belief. âOf course I did! Why else would I have married him?â
âProbably not for any of my reasons. Because from what I can assume . . .ââhe assessed me quicklyââYouâre probably a good risk. Which just proves how ancillary love actually is.â
If the morning hadnât already unhinged me, this Andy Devine threw the door right off the hinges. âYouâre wrong,â I said, my hands clenching so tightly I nearly crushed the mic. âEven after what my fiancĂ© did to me, I still believe the only logical progression is people meet, fall in love, get married. Thatâs the way itâs supposed to be. Because without love, Mr. Devine, your marriage will never be a real one.â
He sprung from the table toward me. âOh believe me, Ms. Knott, with or without love, this marriage will be a real one. In every sense of the word.â
© Gwen Jones 2013 â All Rights Reserved
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More Gwen
Book Tour CONTEST
What: eBook copy of Wanted: Wife
When: Now – June 10th
How: Use the rafflecopter and leave a blog post comment đ
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Totally cute cover! How come all wanted ads can’t be that good đ
I agree about the ad being Hot~!!! But wow the excerpt was awesome. I want some more please đ
I had me at tall, dark and sexy. Sounds like a fun book!
Duh…should be you had me!
lol I got you đ
*mwah!* Kat
I love this excerpt! I can’t wait to see how these two get together. I can’t wait to read this book and laugh my butt off.
GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR BOOK AND THANKS FOR THE GIVEAWAY!
Happy Release Day to Gwen.
Congratulations on the new release! It sounds like a fun book. Thanks for sharing the excerpt.
Many thanks for hosting me today! It was awesome, and I’m feeling the love. And I love your website, too! Very chic!
Thanks again,
Gwen Jones
Awww hon đ I was thrilled to help! Wanted: Wife looks delicious.
(((hugs))) Kat
What an intriguing story. The excerpt was a good one.