Longing for Love (Excerpt Only; The McCarthys of Gansett Island Book 7)

Tiffany Sturgil stood outside her new shop and watched two workmen secure the hand-carved sign over the display window. Drivers on Ocean Road slowed to take a look at what was going on, but there wasn’t much to see yet. Tiffany had kept paper over the store’s window to maintain the surprise until the last minute. But once the sign was in place, it would be time to unveil her beautiful new shop.

Her heart raced with excitement and anticipation and a tiny bit of dread. What if she failed? What if she’d poured every dime she had—and then some—into the store only to fall flat on her face? “I can’t let that happen,” she muttered, determined to believe in herself or no one else would. Still, she couldn’t help but wonder what her mother and sister would think about the shop, not to mention Jim, her soon-to-be ex-husband, who’d definitely have something to say about it. Not that she cared about his opinion. Not anymore.

“Ready?” one of the men called to her.

“Absolutely!” At those words, excitement immediately trumped the insecurity. This was it—the moment she’d waited for since that horrible night with Jim, the night she’d landed in jail and then let the island’s ridiculously hot police chief get her off in the kitchen. A tingle of desire heated her core as she remembered that explosive moment. Tiffany shook off the memory, as she had every day since, to focus on the store.

“Here we go!”

The two men tore the paper cover off her sign and stared at it, dumfounded.

“Seriously?” one of them said. “On Gansett Island?”

“What?” Tiffany asked.

“Naughty & Nice?” the younger of the two men said, snickering.

“It’s catchy,” Tiffany said.

“It’s raunchy,” the older one said to guffaws from the other.

Suddenly, she wanted them gone. No one was going to rain on her parade. Not today, not on the day when all her dreams were about to come true. “How much do I owe you?”

“Fifty bucks.”

“I’ll get you a check.” She stepped into the space that had occupied most of her waking moments for months. Working long hours seven days a week in between her mothering duties, she’d painted and buffed and polished until the place gleamed. Scented candles burned throughout the store, sending a hint of spicy cinnamon apple into the air. Racks of luscious, frothy lingerie in every style, shape and color, bins of panties, baskets of bras, lotions, potions and candles… Everything she’d imagined and then some. Through a beaded curtain, other treasures awaited, designed to bring ultimate pleasure.

“What do you need, boss?” asked Patty, the nervous young woman Tiffany had hired to help her out a few hours a week. Her mousy brown hair was cut into an unfortunate style that only exacerbated her other unexceptional features. Tiffany had makeover plans for her Plain Jane assistant as soon as things let up a little.

“A check for fifty dollars, please.” She handed Patty the business card the men had given her.

“Coming right up.”

Patty had been the only one to apply for the job. Tiffany hoped she’d eventually be able to leave the store in the other woman’s hands so she could take an occasional break to spend time with her daughter. Her mother and pseudo-stepfather Ned had been great about helping out with Ashleigh while Tiffany was getting the store ready to open and were willing to keep her whenever Tiffany needed help. Once she got the store up and running, Tiffany also hoped to jumpstart her social life. If the explosive orgasm she’d experienced at the hands of Blaine Taylor had taught her anything, it was that she’d been missing out on far too much during her years with Jim. She was determined to do something about that, as soon as she had some free time.