Mitchell Blake and his father keep butting heads about expanding Blake Glassware, and now Mitch has to deal with his father's consultant, Jaye. She claims online marketing will boost sales, but Mitch insists broadening their product line will increase revenue. Arguing with this doe-eyed woman makes one thing perfectly clear: she has the power to shatter his safe, lonely life.
Jaye’s got four weeks to save his glassblowing factory, but he detests her marketing plan. She’s got no place to live, but he has an extra bedroom in his house. She’s got secrets, but living with a glassblower who can see right through her would be an enormous mistake…or would it?
Hot anger blasted out of her anguish, opening her throat with a sudden surge of adrenaline. “Is this how you reacted when your mother left? Did you stand on your almighty principles and condemn her, too? I bet you treated your fiancée the same way.” Jaye clamored out of the hot tub and landed on the deck. “Your self- righteousness is more dangerous than that bear.”
“My self-righteousness is justified.” He pointed a finger in her direction. “You lied. I didn’t.”
“Clearly, I owe you an apology. I’m sorry, Mitch. I didn’t tell you how much money I have.” Not caring that she stood barefoot in cold snow, she spread her arms wide. “Are you happy now? You’ve been looking for an excuse not to trust me, and you finally found it.”
He slapped his hands on the edge of the tub and stood. “Let me guess. You’re walking out in the middle of an argument. Again.”
“Bingo. Enjoy the solitude. Forgive me for not showing you my investment portfolio before our first kiss. Call me crazy, but I don’t like to financially undress until I get to know a guy.” She ripped her towel off the hook, leaving behind a clump of white thread wiggling in the cold air. “You did a great job of convicting me before you ever heard my testimony. If you ever get tired of blowing glass, you should become a prosecutor.”
His hands fisted against the tub’s plastic rim. “While we’re trading advice, let me do you a favor and state the obvious. You believe every man will break your heart because one man did.”
“Three men stepped on my heart, but who’s counting?” First her father, then David, and now Mitch. When would she find a man willing to drop his own agenda for a few moments to listen to her?
She crossed the deck toward the house, stormed inside, and locked herself in her room. Stripping out of her wet bathing suit, she dressed and grabbed her camera, laptop, and purse. Her clothes could wait until tomorrow…but she couldn’t wait another second to leave Mitch.
“My self-righteousness is justified.” He pointed a finger in her direction. “You lied. I didn’t.”
“Clearly, I owe you an apology. I’m sorry, Mitch. I didn’t tell you how much money I have.” Not caring that she stood barefoot in cold snow, she spread her arms wide. “Are you happy now? You’ve been looking for an excuse not to trust me, and you finally found it.”
He slapped his hands on the edge of the tub and stood. “Let me guess. You’re walking out in the middle of an argument. Again.”
“Bingo. Enjoy the solitude. Forgive me for not showing you my investment portfolio before our first kiss. Call me crazy, but I don’t like to financially undress until I get to know a guy.” She ripped her towel off the hook, leaving behind a clump of white thread wiggling in the cold air. “You did a great job of convicting me before you ever heard my testimony. If you ever get tired of blowing glass, you should become a prosecutor.”
His hands fisted against the tub’s plastic rim. “While we’re trading advice, let me do you a favor and state the obvious. You believe every man will break your heart because one man did.”
“Three men stepped on my heart, but who’s counting?” First her father, then David, and now Mitch. When would she find a man willing to drop his own agenda for a few moments to listen to her?
She crossed the deck toward the house, stormed inside, and locked herself in her room. Stripping out of her wet bathing suit, she dressed and grabbed her camera, laptop, and purse. Her clothes could wait until tomorrow…but she couldn’t wait another second to leave Mitch.
~First Place, Winter Rose Contest sponsored by the Yellow Rose Romance Writers (May, 2012)
~First Place, Single Title Contemporary category of the SARA Merritt Contest (May, 2012)
~First Place, RWA San Diego Chapter’s Spring Into Romance Contest (June, 2012)
~First Place, the River City Romance Duel on the Delta Contest (August, 2012)
~First Place, Virginia Romance Writers Fool for Love Contest (June, 2012)
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Thanks for featuring Clear as Glass! I wanted to write about a burly glassblower after I watched the men work at Simon Pearce Glassware. I decided to give my glassblower a problem: his father is doing a poor job managing their glassblowing business and hires a woman to develop a marketing plan. Mitch, of course, despises the plan.
ReplyDeleteThe last thing Mitchell Blake needs is a hot-shot consultant to "save" his glassblowing business, but this one is different. She is hiding something. If he can see through her secrets, he might have reason to fire her…or keep her forever.
The whole story is so...different! Refreshingly so. In a romance-world where everyone is a billionaire or a vampire, a truly believable story about someone who holds a profession in our society is just what this genre needs! And I CAN'T WAIT to find out what her secrets are!!!
DeleteThanks for hosting!
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