No Love Allowed by Kate Evangelista
Published by: Swoon Reads
Publication date: April 19th 2016
Genres: Contemporary, Romance,
Synopsis:
It’s all fun and parties until someone falls in love in this modern fairy tale from author Kate Evangelista.
Caleb desperately needs a fake girlfriend. Either he attends a series of parties for his father’s law firm with a pretty girl on his arm, or he gets shipped off to Yale to start a future he’s not ready for and isn’t sure he wants. And sadly, the last unattached girl in his social circle has just made the grievous mistake of falling in love with him. Fortunately, Didi, recently fired waitress and aspiring painter, is open to new experiences. As the summer ticks by in a whirl of lavish parties, there’s only one rule: They must not fall in love!
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Excerpt:
The bell rang again.
Besides the occasional pizza delivery, the button beside the
front door was hardly ever used. Did her mom forget her key or something? Not
likely.
When a third ring reverberated through the house, she
plunged the brush into the jar of turpentine she kept close and grabbed a
filthy rag.
Another ring.
“Coming!” she yelled, rubbing the rag over her fingers to
get as much of the paint out as she could. Despite neglecting the cleaning, her
mother wouldn’t appreciate paint on the door knob. Which reminded her: must
clean house.
As a final precaution, she rubbed her hand against her
overalls. Once satisfied she wouldn’t leave any oily residue, she turned the
lock. Only when the door was already halfway open did she remember her mother’s
reminder of asking who it was first. Might be some rapist or home invader, she
would always say.
As a safety precaution, Didi warned in her most threatening
voice, “If you’re here to rape me or invade my home, I have the nine and the
one already dialed!” Then she threw the door wide open. Her lips formed an O
when she recognized the person standing on the other side. “You’re not a rapist
or home invader.”
A sexy smile accompanied a raised eyebrow and the removal of
aviators that revealed those blue eyes she had been dreaming of. Damn. They
were a darker shade than she first thought. Or maybe it was because the light
was different on her front porch.
“I certainly hope not,” he said in a mild tone which quickly
shifted to serious. “What kind of neighborhood do you live in that you’d have
to ask if you’re about to get raped or invaded before opening the door?”
“The kind guys like you don’t usually frequent.” She took
him all in. Blue-striped button downs with sleeves rolled up to his elbows
tucked into mustard… “What are those pants called?”
He looked down. “Chinos?”
“I don’t know what those are but you pull them off.” She
crossed her arms and bit the tip of her pinky, enjoying the sight of him. Must
be the confidence in his stance and the way his eyes didn’t waver when he
returned her assessing gaze. No guys like him at the public school she went to.
In fact, guys like him got punched in the face where she went. Well, maybe not
Caleb. He looked like he could hold his own in a fight. She’d have to feel for
herself to make sure, but from the way clothes sat content on his frame he
sported a tight, lean body girls drooled over. Her mouth certainly watered. She
wasn’t ashamed to admit it. No harm in appreciating God given beauty. She was a
painter, she should know.
“What are you wearing?” he asked.
“My painting clothes,” she answered, still admiring him. How
could she convince him to pose for her without seeming creepy?
“You paint?”
His tone confused her. “You’re surprised?”
“Yes. It’s something I didn’t expect.”
“There are many
unexpected things about me.”
“I’m starting to realize that.”
“Should I even ask how you found me?”
A sheepish grin lifted the corners of his lips. “I asked
Tony at the Country Club.”
“Ah.” Direct. She liked that about him too. She dropped her
arms in favor of tucking her paint-smeared hands into her pockets, hiding the
rag as she did so. “Since you’re here you should know what my next question
will be.”
The grin turned into a fuller smile, but no teeth. “I have a
proposal for you.”
AUTHOR BIO:
When Kate Evangelista was told she had a knack for writing stories, she did the next best thing: entered medical school. After realizing she wasn’t going to be the next Doogie Howser, M.D., Kate wandered into the Literature department of her university and never looked back. Today, she is a graduate of De La Salle University – Manila with an Bachelor of Arts in Literature. She taught high school English for three years and was an essay consultant for two. Currently she writes full time and is based in the Philippines. To learn more about Kate, please visit her website at www.kateevangelista.com or follow her on Twitter @KateEvangelista
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