Miss Lonely Hearts

Read an Excerpt

Sirens Prequel

Love, larceny and lies.

When is a love letter not a love letter? When it’s mail fraud. Or in this case, female fraud.

Jason Alexander is one angry Alaskan, and he’s out to get his woman; the letter-writing Lolita who’s running the Miss Lonely Hearts con game in his bailiwick. She’s taking lonely Alaskans for a roller-coaster ride and cashing in on love. When she hits his adopted home, the patrons of his bar The Last Resort, the retired gambler takes it personally and goes out for justice.

Cassandra Adams has just been dumped by ex-fiancé number two. She’s fed up with Romance Roulette and ready to trade her rosy daydreams for hardheaded practicality. The logical solution? She’s going to search the classifieds for the mail-order marrying man she wants.

She thinks she’s found him in Jason, alias Alex Sanders. He thinks he’s hooked Miss Lonely Hearts. And the regulars at The Last Resort think it’s high time Jason got married, so they’re not about to clarify matters when they discover his mistake.

Together Jason and Cassandra will have to cut their way through the tangle of love, larceny and lies to unmask Miss Lonely Hearts and find a happy ending that’s a sure bet.

ebook available at Samhain Publishing
Print release June 30, 2009
ISBN 1-59998-833-X

I have yet to read a story by Charlene Teglia that I do not love, and this author has done it again. With her own special blend of humor and sex appeal, she has delivered a delightful little romance guaranteed to warm even the coldest of nights – whether you live in Alaska or not!” – CK2S Kwips and Kritiques

Jason and Cassandra are great characters. They are easy to relate to and root for. The chemistry between the two is hot! The by-play between the two was electric and the internal dialog was fascinating and fun to read. I hope that Ms. Teglia brings us back to this small Alaskan town with more of their stories. This is a book I would definitely recommend to a friend looking for quick pick-me-up read.” – Fallen Angel Reviews

I really enjoyed this story. The author does not overload it with extra characters and makes each and every one of the quirky denizens of The Last Resort special, even the interchangeable and silent Lawrence twins…This is a warm and funny story that I will definitely read again and if we gave out half cups this would get 4 ½ cups for sure.” – Coffee Time Romance

Here is an author who knows how to bring on the sweet romance, laughter, and the wonders of love! Charlene Teglia always leaves me satisfied and Miss Lonely Hearts was no different.” – The Romance Studio

Miss Lonely Hearts is a delightful story of crossed signals with a boatload of amusing misconceptions. These two heat up the bedroom (and anywhere else that’s handy) and author Charlene Teglia has a great knack for making their instantaneous intense sexual connection seem very believable. I found the non-stop banter between these two quirky characters very enjoyable…a fun and frisky read. – TwoLips Reviews

The characters are charming, the setting is beautiful and the plot flows smoothly with plenty of laugh out loud captivating scenes to ensure you finish reading this book in one sitting. While the beginning of Cass and Jason’s relationship seems off to a rocky start, I was completely won over by Jason’s friends who were taken in by the real MISS LONELY HEARTS and once it’s revealed who had pulled the scam . . . well let’s just say I’m really hoping there will be a story that divulges what happens next because I’m dying of curiosity…MISS LONELY HEARTS is a truly delicious tale.” – Romance Junkies

This is a very sweet story, I fell in love with the characters…There was a steam and chemistry between them that made you want this marriage to work. The sex scenes were very hot, and, I thought, very well written. This is the first book I’ve read by Charlene Teglia, but it will not be the last. She spun a tale full of romance and humor, which I loved.” – Enchanting Reviews

By reading any further, you are stating that you are at least 18 years of age. If you are under the age of 18, it is necessary to exit this page.

Copyright 2007 Charlene Teglia
Samhain Publishing
All rights reserved

“Thank you for getting us out of there. I didn’t want to have the first screaming fight of our marriage in front of all those witnesses,” Cass said.

He set his glass down and stared at her. “Excuse me?”

She stared right back at him. “When were you going to tell me?”

He leaned forward and placed his hands on her shoulders in a firm grip, as if he was worried that she’d bolt. Ha. She wasn’t going anywhere until they had this out. And then, well, they’d see.

“I was going to tell you, but I thought it might be best to have that conversation in private. For obvious reasons. And I thought I should make you some coffee first, in case the punch was still affecting your judgment.” He studied her face, not at all discomfited by her deduction but with a lot of interest. “What gave it away?”

“I read a lot of nonfiction,” she said.

“That would explain why the grout article had you so fascinated. You wanted some nice calm facts to fix your mind on during the trip instead of worrying about marrying a mystery man.”

Ignoring him, she went on, “Last year I read a book called Blink. It’s about how most of the thinking we do we never know we do. Little cues that we process and store away and aren’t consciously aware of. And we use this information we don’t know we have to make all sorts of decisions.”

“Sounds right.”

“There were a lot of little cues and I started to think about them.” Cass started to tick them off, one by one.

“You came to meet me in Seattle and you talked to me like you knew me. You were trying to get a rise out of me, but you were too accurate with your shots. Sam and Mona and everybody else fell all over themselves to make this happen fast, before I could back out, and they were all happy for you. Not for somebody who wasn’t there. You. They looked at us together like they approved, and like they had something to do with it. You kissed me like you had a right to and I kissed you back the same way.”

She realized as she said it she was now staring at his mouth. She jerked her attention away from it before it distracted her and focused on his eyes again. “That was the biggest clue, I think. That wasn’t a sneaking around kind of kiss. That and the way you were always touching me was like some kind of body language branding that said my woman. So why didn’t you just tell me it was you?”

Cass really tried not to, but she ended on a near-scream. Maybe she needed to count to ten once more. Or maybe to one hundred. She really didn’t want to start throwing things at him when she might regret it later.

“You didn’t seem very impressed with me in person, for starters,” Jason pointed out.

“I’m less impressed that you made up Alex. What was behind that?”

He started to answer, stopped and shook his head. “You want answers. You’re entitled to them. And I will give them to you. But first, I want to make you an offer.”

“I’m listening.”

He took both of her arms, tracing his hands along her skin, up to her shoulders. “Do you feel that?”

She started to laugh in spite of herself. “Is that a joke? I’m out of practice but I’m not dumb.”

Jason smiled at her. “I never thought you were.” Then his face went serious. “We get one chance at creating the memory of our wedding night. I don’t want to look back on tonight and remember how much I wanted to be with you and instead I spent the night on the couch. Tomorrow I will tell you anything you want to know. I will answer every question. I will explain the picture, everything. Tonight, I want you.”

The hell of it was, she wanted him, too. And even though she knew he’d lied to her, she trusted him. It was beyond dumb, but there was probably some subliminal cue that made her believe she could trust him.

Of course, it could also be the way he was touching her and the dud year of sex she suddenly wanted to make up for. If there ever was a man who could make up for a dud year of sex, it was the one in front of her.

Figuring action spoke louder and words had only gotten them in trouble so far anyway, Cass stripped off her shirt, tossed it on the bar, and followed it with her bra before she lost her nerve.

“That looks like yes.” Jason pulled her up onto the bar and she cooperated by climbing up to meet him. He drew her forward, facing him. Her legs fell to either side of his body as he drew her closer, until she was balanced on the edge of the bar with him standing between her legs.

She felt him reach for something she couldn’t see and then he slid a brightly decorated gift bag across the bar top until it touched her hip. “Mona gave us a present,” he said. “I’m guessing there will be condoms in here.”

Cass tipped the bag over and let the contents spill free.

There were condoms. In a range of flavors. Gel that heated when applied to skin. Two kinds of lubricant, one non-vaginal. A Bad Boy vibrator. Handcuffs. A pink flogger. Three sort-of-jeweled clips with dangling beads that weren’t earrings and that Cass had no idea what to do with but Jason probably did.

No matter what else happened after tonight, one thing was clear. Her year of dud sex was officially over.

“Dear God.”

She caught Jason’s expression of horror as he stared at the items scattered on the bar top beside her and giggled. “I guess that means you don’t want to take turns with the little whip?”

“I think we can skip that one, yes.”

“Oh, I don’t know.” She picked it up and flicked it experimentally. “You’ve been bad. Lying to me. Maybe you should be spanked.”

Jason plucked it out of her grasp and hid it underneath the bar. “Maybe you shouldn’t mix alcohol with bondage and discipline.”

“Does that mean you don’t want to play with these, either?” Cass scooped up the handcuffs and dangled them in front of him.

“Maybe.” He took them from her and turned them in his hands, examining them. “Hmm. They don’t look dangerous.” Jason snapped one over her wrist, tugged it behind her back, and cuffed her other hand. “How does that feel?”

Cass looked down at herself. She was naked from the top down, seated on a bar, her hands cuffed behind her back, with a man who was a virtual stranger standing between her open thighs. “Pretty damn kinky.”

“Anything else?”

She licked her lips, suddenly aware of her nipples hardening into two tight buds, her sex growing swollen and slick, and waves of heat rippling through her body. “Hot.”

Jason’s eyes went darker. “I meant, did they pinch or feel uncomfortable. But if they make you hot, we’ll keep them.”