Too Far, is a Contemporary Romance & book 1 in the Playing for Keeps Series by Lauren Fraser is Live! Keep reading for Excerpt & Giveaway!
Title: Too Far
Series: Playing for Keeps #1
Author: Lauren Fraser
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: March 12, 2022
Something needs to change if their marriage is going to work. But how far is too far?
To the outside world, Lia Dahl has it all. Her business is thriving. She has a gorgeous husband and great friends.
Jaxon Dahl is everything Lia had ever dreamed of. Successful, handsome, committed. Marriage should have been the answer to the life she’d always imagined. But three years in and unfortunately, it’s not all smooth sailing. Somewhere along the way, she got lost.
How has she allowed herself to become invisible in their relationship when she is so confident everywhere else? Well, no more.
It’s time for drastic action to get this marriage back on track. This will either be the jumpstart they need or the final nail in the coffin.
Where the hell was he? Lia Dahl pushed her empty glass of wine away and glanced at the clock again for the umpteenth time. 9 o’clock. Jaxon should have been home by six at the latest.
Clearly, celebrating their third anniversary wasn’t a huge priority for him. Her gaze lingered on the ruined dinner she had carefully prepared. Good thing she’d taken the afternoon off. What a waste.
Lia pushed away from the table, catching a glimpse of herself in the dining room mirror as she walked past. She felt ridiculous standing there in the caged corset teddy she had bought especially for the night. When she’d seen it in Fredricks, she’d thought for sure it was the perfect thing to help get their relationship back on track.
Ever since Jaxon’s boss had dangled the possibility of a partnership in front of his nose, he’d been virtually non-existent at home. Tears welled up in her eyes. He’d promised he would be home early tonight.
Well, she was sick of it. Wiping the tears from her eyes, Lia grabbed her purse from the hall table and dug out her eyeliner. With a couple of swipes, her makeup was repaired. She gave herself another once over in the mirror. If Jaxon didn’t swallow his tongue, then there really was no hope for them.
Grabbing her trench coat from the closet, she slid it on over her teddy and slipped her feet into a fierce pair of heels that would knock Jaxon on his ass when he saw them. She’d be damned if she’d sit here at home alone on their anniversary. The man needed a wake-up call, and he was damn sure going to get it.
Lia pulled her car up to Lincoln Towers. A few offices still remained lit. She scanned the rows of windows, tenth floor, fourth over from the right. Of course, her husband’s office was still one of the ones lit. She took a deep breath and got out of her car. The fabric of her coat rubbed against the peek-a-boo teddy and her nipples stood at attention. Shit, she really hoped this wasn’t a bad idea.
Walking towards the office building, a blast of cool air fired up the back of her coat. Damn it. Jaxon better bloody appreciate what she was willing to do for their relationship. At the front door of the building, she waited patiently for the security guard to let her in. She fought the urge to adjust her coat to ensure she was well covered.
Evening, Mrs. Dahl. What brings you by this late? the security guard asked. His curious gaze roamed over her. -
She smiled. Hi Charlie, I’ve come to drag my husband home. The man works far too much. That’s for sure, Charlie replied. He tipped his head towards the elevator. You head on up. The man would have to be crazy not to want to rush home with you.
She patted the old man on the cheek. You are a sweetheart, Charlie. The foyer of Tanner, Kaufman and Company was unlit. From the dark hallway, light spilled out of a lone office. She shook her head. Jaxon was the only one still here.
Squaring her shoulders, she sauntered down the hallway. At the open doorway to Jaxon’s office, she stopped. His blond hair stood up in several directions, his tie tossed haphazardly on the chair, the neck of his shirt undone. He looked exhausted. Engrossed in what he was working on he didn’t even register that she was there.
With a quick glance down the hall to ensure they really were alone, Lia stepped into the office, closed the door behind her, and flicked the lock. Lia? What are you doing here? Jaxon asked. His brow furrowed in confusion. What do you think I’m doing here? Fuck, our anniversary, he groaned. Jesus, Li. I’m sorry, I completely forgot.
Like a knife stabbing her in the stomach, his comment cut deeply. She’d bribed her employees to take her afternoon classes for her so she could sneak out early to make today special and he’d completely forgotten. What did that say about their relationship?
Drastic times called for drastic measures. There was no way she was going to let their relationship become an after-thought. She licked her lips and moved her hands to the opening of her jacket. That’s why I came to you. She eased the coat off her shoulders, slowly exposing the peek-a-boo top of her teddy. Jaxon’s eyes widened. Lia? he croaked.
Hmm? She lowered the jacket completely and dropped it on the floor. Oops, she said. Well, here goes nothing.
©Lauren Fraser
Lauren has always been a dreamer, weaving stories to keep herself entertained. Through her stories she can travel anywhere in the world and money is not an object. Now, who wouldn't want that? Unfortunately, the demands of the real world pushed her dreams to the side for a while.
After talking to her children about going after what they wanted and not letting fear stand in their way, she realized she needed to lead by example and chase her own dreams. She enjoys going hiking, camping and paddle boarding with her husband and two daughters.
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