Saturday Sampler - First Take by Emma Lai

First Take (Star-Taken, Book 1) Blurb:

When Rachel Harrington meets action star Stephen Raymond while treating herself to a movie, she seizes the chance to fulfill a birthday wish—a date with the handsome hero. After an amazing night, unsurprisingly, she wakes alone. A phone call from her mom that her dad is in the hospital has her filing the fantasy date away to face reality.

Upon arriving in her hometown, she finds an ex looking to make her his future wife, her dad facing open-heart surgery, and her brother suffering from personal woes he won’t share. But there’s a haven in Stephen’s unexpected call, and then in his sometimes very naughty texts, emails, and video chats. A surprise visit tumbles her head over heels into love.

But the cameras in her face every time she steps outside her door could be a show stopper. Is everyone she meets only out for a story?

Will a confession from Stephen convince her to take the fall, or will Rachel let her fears ground her?

First Take is available at  Amazon | All Romance Ebooks | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

Excerpt:

She blew out a breath, which ruffled her new bangs. She liked the sensation so much, she did it again. Flirty is fun. Maybe I should flirt with this guy. It’s not as if I’ll see him again. She walked down the row then paused at the steps. Without bothering to see if he’d followed, she tossed over her shoulder, “I plan on stepping out onto the street and seeing what trouble I can find.” With a bounce in each step, she took the stairs.

“So you like trouble?”

She smiled. His voice, husky and deep, was close, and the bulk from his body was enough for her to know he was a step behind her. Men are so easy. “Sometimes, but most especially on my birthday.”

“Happy birthday, but what are you doing alone?”

“Leaving myself open to possibilities.” The light from the hallway shone through the window of the door leading to the snack area. It was time to move on to the next phase of her special day, which didn’t include a tag-along. Using her shoulder, she pushed through the heavy door then turned, holding the wood with her hand. Her heart stilled and her breath froze. Oh. My. God. She’d just spent the past two and a half hours staring at that face on the big screen! Stephen Raymond.

She blinked hard. Same rounded cheeks. Same nose that had been broken one too many times. Same full lips. Same sculpted jaw. It couldn’t possibly be, but it soooo was. Embarrassment battled with excitement. Both left her hot and bothered. While she’d humored him, she’d also been annoyed at his presence, but now all she wanted to do was grab him by the shoulders and demand he kiss her like he had the leading lady. She fisted her hands and resisted the urge.

 

Author Bio:

Emma Lai likes nothing more than a challenge. First, she tackled the male-dominated field of engineering. Next, she expanded her understanding of the world by studying international relations. Finally, her husband dared her to use her experience and knowledge and devote herself to writing. She accepted his challenge and has been writing ever since.

Writing keeps Emma sane. Her characters demand their stories be told and nag her incessantly until she complies. The characters are very insistent about her remaining faithful to their individual adventures. As a result, Emma writes a range of genres and levels of heat. She never knows what the next set of characters will demand!