When Candy Met Cupid Read online

  Nudged by curiosity, she pushed to her knees and placed the necklace over her head. With little else to impede its beauty, the red gem lay perched just above the fleshy swell of her breasts. She fingered the cool stone, noting the subtle heat where it had touched her skin. Mesmerized by the twinkling jewel, her eyes lifted to her reflection, seeing a startling transformation. Suddenly, she saw how beautiful she was, not only on the outside, but inside as well. Her eyes welled with the stark clarity of what and who she saw. A nervous giggle escaped her lips. The courage to revel in this newly found sense of self-appreciation sent a scintillating thrill through her, causing her to laugh again, this time out loud, as she cut loose with a couple of provocative poses in the mirror. She’d never felt so empowered by her womanly prowess, had never felt so confident. Seated at the head of the bed, surrounded by the heap of opulent pillows, she imagined herself in another time, another era.

  “Cowboy take me away….” the woman crooned on her stereo. For an instant,

  Lil saw herself as the madam of a tainted little parlor house—a bordello of the Old West. She smiled at the image, but reality seeped in, tarnishing her thoughts, and she wondered what the odds were of finding a man, especially back then, who wouldn’t stereotype her any less than she felt pigeonholed in this day and age. Like a deflated balloon, Lillian glanced at her reflection again. Where indeed had all the heroes gone, she wondered wearily, punctuating that thought with a yawn. She scrunched down, exhausted by her musings, and picked up the book about Lucky Lil she’d brought home. With a brief look at the faded front cover, a black and white picture of an old clapboard house with a group of people standing on the front porch, she flipped to the forward and read the dedication. “To all God’s children, who are equal in His sight.” ~R.E.S.

  Lil turned the page and the scent of musty leather and flowers brushed past her nose. She thought it odd, though dismissed it quickly, understanding that libraries and books, especially older copies, possessed a unique smell all their own. To Lil, aging paper was a comforting scent. She closed her eyes for a moment, the stress of her week overcoming her. The last things she remembered were the gentle whirl of the ceiling fan overhead and the soft sounds of music playing in the back of her mind.

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Amanda McIntyre’s storytelling is a natural offshoot of her artistic creativity. A visual writer, living in the rich tapestry of the American heartland, her passion is telling character-driven stories with a penchant (okay, some call it a wicked obsession) for placing ordinary people in extraordinary situations to see how they overcome the obstacles to their HEA.

  A bestselling author, her work is published internationally in Print, eBook, and Audio. She writes steamy contemporary and sizzling historical romance and truly believes, no matter what, love will always find a way.

  You can learn more about Amanda, how to subscribe to her newsletter and join her social links at: amandamcintyresbooks.com

  Other Books by Amanda McIntyre:

  CONTEMPORARY WESTERN ROMANCE:

  KINNISON LEGACY:

  Rugged Hearts, Book I Wyatt & Aimee

  Rustler’s Heart, Book II Rein & Liberty

  Renegade Hearts, Book III Dalton & Angelique

  All I Want for Christmas (Kinnison holiday novella)

  LAST HOPE RANCH:

  No Strings Attached, Book I

  Worth the Wait, Book II (2017)

  END OF THE LINE, MONTANA:

  Lost and Found/Crossover novella

  Georgia on My Mind/Crossover Novella (April.2017)

  Wild at Heart/Wild Irish Crossover Novella (Oct.2017)

  KINDLEWORLD SINGLE TITLE:

  Going Home /Sapphire Falls Kindle World

  Thunderstruck/Hell Yeah Kindle World

  CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE:

  Stranger in Paradise

  Tides of Autumn

  Unfinished Dreams

  Wish You Were Here

  HISTORICAL:

  A Warrior’s Heart

  The Promise

  Closer to You (formerly Wild & Unruly)

  Christmas Angel (formerly Fallen Angel)

  Tirnan ‘Oge

  The Dark Seduction of Miss Jane

  HARLEQUIN SPICE/HISTORICAL:

  The Master & the Muses *(audio/international)

  The Diary of Cozette *(audio/international)

  Tortured *(audio/international)

  The Pleasure Garden *(audio/international)

  Winter’s Desire *(audio/international)

  Dark Pleasures *(audio/international)

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  Copyright 2017 When Candy Met Cupid by Amanda McIntyre

  Copyright 2015 Closer To You by Amanda McIntyre

  Cover art by Syneca Featherstone/Original Syn

  Editor: Kristina Cook

  All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work, in whole or in part, in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher.

  Look for Amanda’s books online at:

  www.amazon.com/author/amandamcintyre

  Published in the United States of America