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EX, Why, and Me
Not Michelle Nelson. She signed up again to help promote her hometown's annual Horseradish Festival out of the goodness of her heart. No one said anything about a major publicity stunt, a romantic local legend, and prize money for the team voted "sexiest couple." And she is absolutely sure no one mentioned her new partner in this dubious event: Ryan Slater, a guy rumored to be an aphrodisiac for a lot of satisfied women. Michelle and Ryan shared one disastrous evening together—a romantic catastrophe if ever there was one. There's no way this former Miss Horseradish is going to suffer that humiliation again. But Ryan—every denim-clad muscle and wicked, grinning, I-know-what-you're-thinking inch of him—is equally determined to get another chance with Michelle. And once the hunt is on, there’s no turning back…
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Hearing his name was a jolt to her system. Michelle's heart shuddered from the impact as she stood motionless, watching Ryan Slater stroll toward her. Her brain went on the fritz, filtering his approach in a dizzying collage of stop-motion images. Ryan's slow, casual gait didn't fool her. One look at those long, powerful legs and she knew he could catch her. That thought did little to calm her nerves. Michelle's gaze seemed to gravitate to his soft, faded jeans. His body was as lean and tapered as when she last saw him. Maybe even more so. It took some effort, but she managed to yank her attention upward. The autumn breeze tugged at his pale blue shirt, hinting at the sleek contours of his flat stomach and sculpted muscles. Her stomach clenched as the old embers of desire stirred. No, no, no. She wasn't going to make that mistake again. No matter how hot and sexy Ryan looked, she knew from experience it was all false advertising. That piece of knowledge was the only thing that gave Michelle the courage to look him in the eye. She was startled to see Ryan meeting her gaze head-on. She instinctively looked away, but his imprint remained. If she had to, Michelle could turn around and describe him easily. Sexy. Tousled. And had that knowing glint in his brilliant blue eyes. He stopped in front of her. It was as if a live wire had suddenly dropped between them, right there on the crowded sidewalk. The currents darted wildly in the air, but she was almost afraid to move, not sure which action would take her to safety. She felt his gaze on her face and her skin tingled. She could only imagine what he was thinking. The guy was a pro at teasing. A master flirt. She wouldn't put it past him to say something shocking, just to get a response out of her. The heat rose into her face and she fought the urge to cover the blush with her hands. If anything, she should brazen her way out of this. Make the first move. Say something before Ryan did. She gave a sharp, jerky nod. "Ryan." The word got stuck somewhere in her throat. She struggled to make eye contact and barely made it. His smile crooked to one side, revealing two deep dimples. "Michelle." She shivered at the way he drew out her name. There was no rush, like pouring a bowl of melted chocolate. The anticipation was building inside her, and she knew it was going to be worth the wait but was impatient for a lick. Michelle didn't realize she drew on her bottom lip until her tongue swept along the tender flesh. She blinked in surprise and pursed her lips. She had forgotten about the mesmerizing effect of his voice. Combine it with those gorgeous blue eyes and she was a goner every time. She darted her gaze away, unsure where would be the safest place to look. Even closing her eyes would be dangerous with Ryan Slater standing right beside her. "How have you been?" she asked briskly, studying his scuffed sneakers. "Great. You?" "Can't complain." But that vein in her neck was threatening to pulse right out of her skin. That might be a problem. Michelle opened her mouth and her mind froze. As though it got stuck and the gears were grinding for something more to say. What? What had she been about to say? The panic flashed inside her, hot and destructive. She frantically tried to calm down. Whatever she had to say couldn't have been important. It was probably routine and safe. Nothing memorable. Nothing at all like, Hey, you know when we did it my last night here? That was my first time. What's your excuse? But that was probably why her mind skipped and paused. That good ol' self-preservation instinct kicking in. So she wouldn't say it.
Damn if she couldn't remember right now what one of those other guys looked like, let alone what they had taught her. But she did want Ryan to know one thing she had discovered. That she wasn't solely responsible for their disastrous night. Yeah, the moment that came up in conversation, she'd mention that.
End of excerpt. Like it? Order it.
I haven't watched any reality TV shows, so I couldn't use those episodes to draw from when creating the scavenger hunt. Fortunately there are resources available about corporate training adventures. Many of the activities found in Ex, Why, and Me are common in team building. Horseradish really is considered an aphrodisiac. Don't ask me why—I will only go so far in my research!
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I have received a lot of compliments on the title of this book and I'm glad readers like it. I had wanted something to play on the 'X marks the spot', but nothing brilliant came to mind. When I received an email from my editor urgently requesting a title, I brainstormed a list and sent it. Some of those ideas were cringe-inducing stupid, but the editors managed to pick out 
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