Fool for Him by R.C. Martin
Series: Foolish at Heart #1
Publication date: June 17th, 2020
Synopsis (according to Goodreads):
Haunted by a history she can't rewrite, her heart is cracked and fragile--wrapped in the lies she's certain are true.
Teddy has played it safe for the last four years, avoiding romantic entanglements altogether. She spends her days working with her best friend at Mountain Time Art and hides behind her camera in her spare time. She's convinced the boundaries around her heart are necessary, and her life is fulfilling enough.
The day Judah St. Michaels enters the gallery, she's reminded her life could be more. Though, as gorgeous as the tall, handsome man in a suit may be, she's sure he's far from safe.
When the pull of the seductive man becomes all consuming, Teddy finds herself falling into temptation. But the deeper she gets, the louder her past demons become.
She's irreparable, and no good man deserves that.
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Excerpt
Right away, I could hear Andrew. His voice wafted through the gallery from upstairs. I looked up there and saw he was talking to someone, and I wondered if it was a buyer or an artist. Sure Geoffrey would know, I headed to where he was perched in his seat behind the reception desk. When I saw him, I was taken aback by the devilish look etched on his face. I frowned at him, silently expressing my confusion, but his grin only grew wider.
I gasped when he reached for something and then lifted it up onto the ledge of the front desk.
The bouquet of flowers was absolutely beautiful. My mind raced to try to conjure an explanation for them. Instantly, I thought of Reeve, my heart swelling at the possibility that he'd seen the error of his ways and was groveling in the best possible way.
"These came for you while you were out," Geoffrey said. He had to stand so I could see him from behind the floral arrangement.
It took a second for his words to register in my mind. Even still, his statement didn't make sense. "Wait--they're for me?"
"They sure as hell are not from Reeve. Cheap bastard." He mumbled the last bit under his breath. I didn't have time to give it too much thought before he demanded, "Freckles, move your ass. There's a card. I haven't opened it; but if you leave me in suspense another minute, I will."
My stomach fluttered with nervous butterflies as I made my way behind the desk. "You're sure they're for me?" I asked as I set aside my phone and my purse.
"The card says Theodora."
Another frown pulled at my brow. Only this time, I was even more confused. Nobody called me Theodora. Reeve did; but while the thought had crossed my mind these might have been from him--he wouldn't send them to me. My parents were my next best guess, but they didn't call me Theodora either--not unless I was in trouble. In any case, my birthday wasn't for another couple months, so they didn't seem like a logical guess.
"Dammit, Teddy." Geoffrey's tone was like a reprimand wrapped affectionately in amusement. He yanked the card out of the bouquet and thrust it at me. "Stop trying to guess and just open it."
"Okay, okay," I giggled.
It didn't go unnoticed that there was a slight tremble in my hands as I opened the envelope and pulled out two rectangular cards. The first was handwritten, the script neat and masculine--all the letters capitalized and uniform. As I read the note, it felt like the floor had been yanked out from beneath me. My heart lodged itself in my throat, like gravity forced it there, my body lost in a free fall.
His message was short and to the point, but I found myself reading it again and again.
DINE WITH ME.
THINKING OF YOU,
JUDAH
I sat back on the edge of the desk, my mind too distracted to be bothered with the responsibility of keeping me vertical any longer. It wasn't until after I read the note a ridiculous amount of times that I took a second to look at the other card. It was Judah's business card, which addressed him as Judah D. St. Michaels. I also saw he held the role of managing partner at a firm called Eddalyn's Interiors.
"Teddy, I'm going to kill you in approximately two seconds," grunted Geoffrey matter-of-factly.
"Oh. Shit. I'm sorry," I stammered. I shook my head clear and handed him both cards. "Here."
I didn't bother to watch his face, not at all wishing to witness his initial reaction. If there was one thing I knew would never change about Geoffrey, it was that he was a romantic. Whatever his face said, it would sway my opinion of the entire situation; and I had yet to decide what my opinion was in the first place. My gaze settled on the bouquet once more.
I never felt more unsure of my own thoughts.
I gasped when he reached for something and then lifted it up onto the ledge of the front desk.
The bouquet of flowers was absolutely beautiful. My mind raced to try to conjure an explanation for them. Instantly, I thought of Reeve, my heart swelling at the possibility that he'd seen the error of his ways and was groveling in the best possible way.
"These came for you while you were out," Geoffrey said. He had to stand so I could see him from behind the floral arrangement.
It took a second for his words to register in my mind. Even still, his statement didn't make sense. "Wait--they're for me?"
"They sure as hell are not from Reeve. Cheap bastard." He mumbled the last bit under his breath. I didn't have time to give it too much thought before he demanded, "Freckles, move your ass. There's a card. I haven't opened it; but if you leave me in suspense another minute, I will."
My stomach fluttered with nervous butterflies as I made my way behind the desk. "You're sure they're for me?" I asked as I set aside my phone and my purse.
"The card says Theodora."
Another frown pulled at my brow. Only this time, I was even more confused. Nobody called me Theodora. Reeve did; but while the thought had crossed my mind these might have been from him--he wouldn't send them to me. My parents were my next best guess, but they didn't call me Theodora either--not unless I was in trouble. In any case, my birthday wasn't for another couple months, so they didn't seem like a logical guess.
"Dammit, Teddy." Geoffrey's tone was like a reprimand wrapped affectionately in amusement. He yanked the card out of the bouquet and thrust it at me. "Stop trying to guess and just open it."
"Okay, okay," I giggled.
It didn't go unnoticed that there was a slight tremble in my hands as I opened the envelope and pulled out two rectangular cards. The first was handwritten, the script neat and masculine--all the letters capitalized and uniform. As I read the note, it felt like the floor had been yanked out from beneath me. My heart lodged itself in my throat, like gravity forced it there, my body lost in a free fall.
His message was short and to the point, but I found myself reading it again and again.
DINE WITH ME.
THINKING OF YOU,
JUDAH
I sat back on the edge of the desk, my mind too distracted to be bothered with the responsibility of keeping me vertical any longer. It wasn't until after I read the note a ridiculous amount of times that I took a second to look at the other card. It was Judah's business card, which addressed him as Judah D. St. Michaels. I also saw he held the role of managing partner at a firm called Eddalyn's Interiors.
"Teddy, I'm going to kill you in approximately two seconds," grunted Geoffrey matter-of-factly.
"Oh. Shit. I'm sorry," I stammered. I shook my head clear and handed him both cards. "Here."
I didn't bother to watch his face, not at all wishing to witness his initial reaction. If there was one thing I knew would never change about Geoffrey, it was that he was a romantic. Whatever his face said, it would sway my opinion of the entire situation; and I had yet to decide what my opinion was in the first place. My gaze settled on the bouquet once more.
I never felt more unsure of my own thoughts.
About the Author:
There's a place where your mind can escape, your body can find rest, and your heart can sour - and R.C. Martin wants to take you there.
R.C.'s journey into the world of indie-publishing began like so many of her peers - with a big dream and a basket full of rejection. Confident that she'd one day pen a book someone would say yes to, she spent years crafting stories which became the foundation of her craft. When she'd finally written "the one," she just knew - and there was no rejection strong enough to stop her from sharing her novel with the world. In 2015 she published her debut, and the rest, as they say, is history - only far more romantic.
In a voice all her own, she strives to capture the magic of a kiss, the passion in a lovers' embrace, and even sometimes the breathtaking ache of a broken heart. A true believer in the power of love and the grace found in redemption, you can trust this hopeless romantic to take you on an emotional ride that leaves you forever changed.
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