Susan Andersen - Getting Lucky

Dear Reader,

I have this great vision of myself penning books as birds tweet and the heavens smile down upon me. The reality of my writing process is probably closer to chainsaw juggling. Whats scary is that this seems perfectly reasonable to meright up until the point in every book when my characters wrest the story from my hands and run with it. Then Im pretty sure its going to be a bloodbath.

My troublemakers in Getting Lucky are Zach Taylor, a tough-minded marine on a mission, and Lily Morrisette, a chef who might look like a party girl but is more than equal to the task of matching wits with a stubborn soldier. I was convinced when I started their story that this time I had a firm grasp on my cast of characters. What a dreameras always, they took me in directions I never envisioned. Im pleased to announce, however, that in the end the book came together with a minimum of nicks and cuts to my tender psyche. Now that its finished and Ive survived to write another day, Im just so, so wild about Zach and Lily. Its my fondest wish that youll fall in love with them, too.

Lily Morrisette paused with her water glass suspended halfway to

Lily stood in front of the mirrored closet door the

?Why dont you just tell the big jerk what you

Lily was panting in absolute fury by the time she

Zach drummed an impatient tattoo against the top of his

Zach woke up to snow. Swearing, he sat up and

Zachs schedule smacked up against the Washington state ferry system

Full night had fallen and clouds obscured the moon by

Zach managed to maintain his calm, parade-ground face right up

Lily was proud of herself for only getting lost once

A chef! Zach stalked across the foyer and up the graceful

Zach swore and headed for the stairs with ground-eating strides.

Alone in the kitchen, Lily chopped, diced, and minced everything

Zach remembered, all right. He remembered every single second. And

Lilys arms slid away from Zachs neck and flopped onto

Out on the veranda late Friday afternoon, Lily found a

Awash in a stew of fight-or-flight impulses, Lily froze. Seeing

When the phone rang the following morning, Lily snatched it

No one was around when they arrived home, so Lily

Ice trickled through Zach?s veins, but he kept his hands

The sheriff was not happy with Mrs. Beaumont when he

Zach gazed blurrily at the flashes of lightning outside the

Levelheaded was the last thing Lily felt the next evening

Miguel shot his curvaceous prisoner a triumphant glance as he

Lily had seen too many slasher movies. When the car

Lily refused to cry any more. She?d shed enough tears

L ILY M ORRISETTE PAUSED WITH HER WATER GLASS suspended halfway to her lips as she stared in fascination at the big man letting himself in through the kitchen door. The granite tiles beneath her feet were smooth, and around her, the huge Laguna Beach oceanfront house was silent, the only sound the distant ticking of the antique mission clock in the living room. Cool, salt breezes with an underlying hint of April flowers blew in on the mans wake. But cool wasnt the first word to pop to Lilys mind. He had to be about the hottest thing shed ever clapped eyes on.

She knew who he was, of course, from the photographs Glynnis Taylor had shown her. But none of those came close to doing him justice, and Lily was caught flatfooted by the sheer impact of his physical presence.

He was six feet of dark and dangerousyou could tell the latter just by the way he held himself. As for the restthe midnight-black hair and dark jaw stubble, the long legs, and those wide shoulders straining the navy material of his T-shirtwell, heck, it was overkill, pure and simple.

Lily considered pouring her glass of water where it would do the most good to cool her down. She didnt, naturally, but ho ly petunia. Shed finally met her fantasy man in the flesh.

Then he opened his mouth and wrecked the illusion.

Who the hell are you? he demanded, swinging an olive-drab duffle bag off his shoulder and down to the tiled floor. And what are you doing in my kitchen? Wheres Glynnis?

His eyes were a clear, pale gray, the irises ringed in charcoal. Intense and unflinching, they narrowed between thick, dark lashes to rake over her, taking in her thin cotton, peppermint ice creamcolored drawstring pajama bottoms and tank top. The scrutiny served to remind Lily of every one of the extra ten pounds she could never seem to shed, no matter what. She set her glass down on the countertop with a sharp click, but refrained from responding in kind to his rudeness.

You must be Zach. She stepped forward, extending her hand to Glynniss brother. Shes away right now, but Im LilyLily Morrisette. Ive heard a lot about you since I started renting a room here.

The hell you say, he growled, ignoring her proffered hand. His voice was so deep she could practically feel its vibration through the soles of her feet, the way she always registered the bass thumping from the car of the teenage boy who lived down the block whenever he drove past. It was also nearly as frigid as those iceberg eyes of his when he continued, Glynnis has always been a sucker for every con artist with a sad story to tell, but I didnt think shed go so far as to actually install one in our house while I was gone.

Excuse me?

I hope you got whatever you were angling for while the opportunity was ripe, lady. His gaze was so scornful it took all Lilys starch not to recoil. But dont let that shapely little ass get too comfortable, because the free ride is officially over. Go pack your bags.

He thought her bottom was shapely? And little ? Then she gave herself a sharp mental shake. Good God, what was the matter with her? His opinion of her butt was hardly the point. Straightening her shoulders, she tipped up her chin. No, she said firmly, and crossed her arms over her breasts.

What? He went very still, as if no one ever contradicted him.

Perhaps no one ever did, Lily surmised, recalling that he was some hotshot Marine who specialized in reconnaissance missions. Then his mouth went hard, and part of her attention got distracted by the thin white scar that bisected his upper lip.

Funny the difference a few minutes and an insulting attitude could make. What she undoubtedly would have considered sexy as all get-out a moment ago struck her now as vaguely sinister. Pretty is as pretty does , Grandma Nell wouldve said, and for the first time Lily understood on a bone-deep, fundamental level exactly what her grandmother had meant. This guys behavior wasnt pretty at all, and she refused to be the first to flinch in the strange game of chicken they played. What part of the word dont you understand? she inquired sweetly. Then her voice adopted the authority shed acquired from years of dealing with the temperamental chefs whod taught her her craft. Im not going anywhere, so get used to it.