What happens when you reach your breaking point?
Amia Durant was trying to figure that out.
At forty years old, Amia had it all. She worked for Millian’s, the third highest ranking ad agency in the world, and though her career was her life, she felt incomplete.
Turning to the internet for companionship, she meets Stuart Cairns. They laugh together over shared stories and help heal one another from mutual pains.
After months of communication, Stuart asked Amia to be his. Doubt filled her mind, but she knew she had to try. There was only one problem. He lived in Scotland and she in New York.
An unexpected opportunity delivers Amia to Scotland and she finds herself falling in love with him after spending a blissful weekend together before she returned stateside.
Will this fairy tale continue or will it fizzle out in the waters of the ocean between them?
**Content Warning: Explicit language and graphical content. Intended for 18+ audience.
EXCERPT
Two of my very favorite things in the whole world are hot cocoa and biscotti. When combined, the experience of dipping the cookies in the thick, warm chocolate and munching on them relaxes me. And today – I needed to relax. Taking my cup to the desk, I settled myself in the chair and opened my laptop. Since my relationship with Stuart had ended, the computer had been something I avoided. I connected it with him, I guess. But no more – it was time to take the next step in my life.
So, I set up an online dating profile on Sizzling Singles to find what I needed. Most of the men on these sites only wanted one thing anyway, and since I was looking for the same thing, what did it matter where they came from?
Pushing a lock of hair from my eyes, I got down to business. “Let's see, Amia Durant, forty years old, five foot six inches tall, red hair, green eyes and a professional career. There, that should do it.” I posted my picture and waited anxiously for the responses to start coming in.
During the evening, I made myself comfortable, watching a little TV and reading a romance on my e-reader. No matter how involved I was in my book or a show, I kept one ear open for that ‘ding’ which would tell me someone had taken notice of my post. It didn’t take long before I received my first reply. A smile crossed my face as I leapt from the couch, went to my desk, and pulled up the man's profile to scan it. I thought it would be a good idea to take a test drive before I jumped into a caravan of conquests. Gary Morgan looked to be the perfect crash test dummy. He was forty-four years old, good looking without being playboy handsome, and had been on the site for over a year. I knew that would make him a bit desperate. I stared at his photo. He reminded me of an older Tony Danza with his graying temples, soulful brown eyes and those attractive dimples that framed his smile.
Retrieving my laptop, I nestled down in the couch and tucked my feet up under me. This was going to be fun. “Hey, Amia, I was perusing the new members and came across your picture and profile. I’m sure you hear this all the time, but you’re beautiful. If you’re interested in chatting, please feel free to message me back.” Gary’s message was so stereotypical I could’ve almost read it with my eyes closed.
“Well, hello there, Gary. I hadn’t expected a response to my profile so quickly. Thank you for your interest. Please, call me and let's get to know each other. I'm looking forward to hearing from you.” I typed in my phone number, hit the send button, sat back and waited for the phone to ring. I know it was a bit reckless for me to give out my phone number so early, but I was ready to do this. Besides, I’d had enough of this online crap to last me a lifetime, and cell phone numbers were easy enough to change if necessary.
3... 2... 1...ring. As if it were a scene written in a screenplay, the phone rang on cue. This was going to be easy. We chatted for a bit and made plans to meet at a restaurant near his office for dinner the following night.
