I'll Love You Tomorrow
The Trading Heartbeats Trilogy Book 3
by Julie Navickas
Genre: Contemporary Romantic Suspense
Follow your heart, even if it takes you all the way to Las Vegas.
For precisely $102 dollars, Mitch Benson and Lauren Templeton marry in a 15-minute ceremony inside a little Las Vegas chapel. Soulmates since elementary school, nothing makes more sense than eloping to Sin City for a secret wedding.
But seven years later, the brilliant glare from the city of lights has faded.
Scratch that. The bulbs are burnt out.
In fact, the wiring may have been faulty all along.
Bitterly accepting that their marriage is coming to an end, Mitch and Lauren stray further and further from the love that once blossomed on the playground of their youth.
Lauren sells her soul to Pier Ninety-Two, her once-fabulous restaurant in downtown Los Angeles now a sad shadow in the Saturday night party scene. And Mitch falls into the arms—er, legs—of none other than childhood enemy, Tess Browning.
Devastated by the direction their love has spiraled, Mitch and Lauren make one last trip to the city of second chances, hoping to turn their pennies into the million-dollar love they once shared.
Will their last roll be a miracle—or a mirage—in the desert?
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Her eyes glimmered under the streetlights, their dark brown hue lit up by the dazzling glow of the city. She smiled, stepping closer to his body to allow a couple to pass behind her. The evening breeze caught in her hair, each of her dark strands dancing across her shoulders.
His body warmed as she moved nearer, the smile on her lips squeezing his heartstrings with the ghosts of the past. Their spontaneous wedding day flashed before his eyes… the red eye flight to Vegas… the little white wedding chapel… and the celebratory…
“Hot dogs,” he answered, gripping her hand and leading the way down the Strip.
She snorted. “Well, tradition, I guess.”
Wrapping his arm around her waist, he pointed to their right. “Come on, I think the food trucks are this way. At least they used to be.”
Nodding, she fell in step with his long strides as they dodged and weaved in and out of the mob of tourists ready to experience the nightlife of the adult playground. On their right, the fountains of the Bellagio burst to life—swaying in synchronization—lit up by the golden lights reflected in the pool.
“I think that’s where Austin wants to propose tomorrow.” Lauren pointed to the grand hotel and dancing fountains.
Swarms of people lined the railing, ogling the show.
“Why did he need us here then? He’ll have hundreds of people surrounding him.”
She rolled her eyes. “Oh, come on. I think it’s kind of sweet that he wants to make it a big deal!”
“And you think that’s what Casey wants? A spectacle?”
Frowning, Lauren gripped his upper arm and squeezed as they crossed the street, leaving the magnificent fountains behind.
His stomach dipped at the pinch of her fingers on his bare skin.
“I think what Casey wants most… is just Austin. It doesn’t matter how.”
The greasy scent of street food pummeled into his nostrils as a line of white trucks and picnic tables appeared down a side street. Mitch pointed at the second truck, the words ‘Hotdogs in a Hurry’ painted in big bold yellow letters. “And what is it that you want most?”
What do you want? A divorce? Or…
She scrunched her nose and shrugged. “Chicago style, I guess?”
I didn’t really mean hotdogs…
Grinning, he gripped her hand and led her over to the truck to place their order. The desert wind picked up, ruffling through his hair as a chill tingled his skin.
“Will you hold my purse for a second?” Pushing the bag toward his chest, she pulled her dark hair back into a ponytail, wrapping the long strands together with a pink tie from her wrist. Her high cheekbones stood out, complemented by the rosy hue growing on her skin. She grinned, dropping her gaze as her natural beauty punctured his heart, reminiscent of the first day they met. “What?”
The words spilled from his lips, unfiltered. “You look really pretty tonight.”
I Love You Today
The Trading Heartbeats Trilogy Book 2
Because when you least expect it… and when you’re least ready for it… love happens.
Casey McDaniels lacked direction, spending the better part of her youth boyfriend hopping, partying, and bartending – her dreams, career ambitions, and education put on the backburner in favor of a social life and steady paycheck… that is, until a new lawyer moves into town.
When sexy, smart, and brokenhearted Austin Templeton relocates from Los Angeles to Chicago, Casey can’t help but put her former lifestyle aside in favor of the sweet romance that erupts between them. Finding more than just her heart set ablaze, Austin’s own professional ambition ignites a fire beneath her – pushing her forward into uncharted territory.
But one thing’s for sure… his career will always come first. When an unexpected promotion threatens to take him back to California, Casey reels, forced to choose between the man who captured her heart and the newfound path to success he led her down.
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“Casey,” he whispered, reaching over to squeeze her hand. “Look at me. Please?”
With her sleeve, she wiped the offending tears away from her cheeks and turned. His head swiveled, working to balance the heated conversation and the line of traffic as the terminal approached.
“You are absolutely everything to me, Casey girl. In every way that matters, you are my equal.” He tugged her hand back to his lips.
She scrunched her nose. “Be real, Austin. You’re like this wealthy, sexy, successful man with a glass castle on Michigan Avenue. And I’m just this paycheck-to-paycheck bartender failing general education courses at community college. You see the difference, right?”
“Is that what this is about? Your test today?”
She scrunched down in her seat and rested her knees against the dashboard like a child.
“No… I don’t know. I just can’t help thinking that your family won’t like me, that you should be with someone better. Someone more accomplished.”
The car crept beneath the overhang of the terminal. “Case, hear me when I tell you that you’re flat-out wrong on this.” He took a deep breath and exhaled. “People like you, people like Mavis… you’re survivors. I had every advantage growing up. I fully admit that.” He steered the car into an empty spot beside baggage claim five and six and waved to his sister. “If anything, you’re better than me. You’ve accomplished way more.” He leaned over and placed a kiss on her damp cheek. “Let’s talk about this later, okay?”
I Loved You Yesterday
The Trading Heartbeats Trilogy Book 1
Secrets always have a way of coming out.
Mavis Benson made a huge mistake. Scratch that—colossal mistake. Twice. Sleeping with her high school sweetheart’s twin brother definitely wasn’t part of the plan… nor was falling in love with him.
But that wasn’t the only complication Mavis faced. When an unplanned pregnancy upends her life at seventeen, Mavis skips town to spare her boyfriend, Josh Templeton, from the fallout. With only a letter of apology, she disappears, but not before confiding her secret to Josh’s brother, Austin.
When Austin resurfaces in her life years later, he brings the past to Mavis’s doorstep. Josh wants her back, Austin isn’t willing to surrender, and the path to happiness isn’t clear. Caught between both men, Mavis must choose between the brother for whom she broke her own heart, and the brother who picked up the pieces.
I LOVED YOU YESTERDAY is a heart-pounding reveal of best kept secrets. The truth is never easy, and neither is putting down this page turner. Fans of Nora Roberts and K.G. Fletcher will want to get a copy of I LOVED YOU YESTERDAY.
~Winner of the ASSOCIATION FOR WOMEN IN COMMUNICATIONS CLARION AWARD.~
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Time was the enemy. Ten years had disappeared. Each day, each hour, each minute had ticked away, taking him further from Mavis and the love that blossomed among the wild California poppies in this very place so long ago. The memory crashed through his brain like a dream, as if perhaps it never really happened at all.
“Was it even real?” he whispered to the lifeless meadow. A lifetime had passed, each season bringing with it the fading edges of a memory, disintegrating at every corner.
Josh took slow deliberate steps through the overgrown brush, his hands skimming the tops of the dying grass. Nothing looked the same, but there was no mistaking the overwhelming rush of excitement reverberating throughout his body with each step forward. She was here. Her soul lingered in the heavy, damp air. Her essence caught up in the whistle of a songbird in the treetops above. You’re still here, Mavs. We’re still here.
The sun broke through the gray clouds, each ray illuminating the thicket surrounding him. Josh raised his face to the sun, the warmth penetrating his skin. He closed his eyes and grabbed on tightly to the memory the meadow held, willing each wild orange blossom to bloom in his mind. The ghost of her laughter wrapped tightly around him in the morning breeze, the joyous sound squeezing his heart. It hammered against his ribcage, threatening to smash its bone prison. Her name escaped his lips, the taste of her on his tongue as “Mavis…” caught in the wind and disappeared.
Julie Navickas is an award-winning, nationally recognized contemporary romance novelist, known for her keen ability to tell heart-wrenching, second-chance love stories through relatable characters with humility, humor, and heroism. She is also an award-winning university instructor and serves as the executive director of The Writing Champions Project. Julie earned master’s degrees in both organizational communication and English studies with an emphasis in book history, as well as a bachelor’s degree in public relations, graduating cum laude from Illinois State University.
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This sounds like a good book and series.
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