Let’s Talk Love: The Love Vixen Series Read online

  A groan came from the man sprawled out on the couch.

  “No, Mina. Of Devin.”

  Her brows furrowed. “But it’s old, right? How much trouble could that cause? Can’t you just say it happened early in his career?”

  Garrett paused, his eyes shifting toward Devin before he grimaced and swung back to her. “I’m afraid it’s a rather recent tape.”

  Mina shook her head. “No. That can’t be. We’ve been engaged for a long time.”

  This time Devin whimpered before burying his face in his hands.

  Garrett looked like he’d rather face a den full of tigers than say, “It happened last night, Mina.”

  Mina blinked as she tried to comprehend what Garrett said. No. That was impossible. There was only one way that could have happened. “But… why would you take him to a party and get him drunk and then let him do that?”

  “Party?” Garrett asked.

  Mina’s heart dropped. No. She couldn’t have been so gullible. “Let me guess, there was no party that you insisted he come to.”

  Garrett slowly shook his head and Mina’s emotions plummeted even lower. “No. We wrapped early and he said you had a special dinner planned for the two of you.”

  “Well, he didn’t make it home until after three in the morning.” Mina paced to the window, rubbing her forehead. This had to be a dream. She turned and found Devin looking like he was going to be sick. She didn’t care. She needed answers. “Devin, start talking.”

  He opened his mouth but Mina interrupted, “And it better be the truth or I’m walking out that door.”

  Devin swallowed and pulled himself to his feet. He swayed a bit, but then steadied himself. “I was on my way to your house when Roxanna called.”

  “She’s the leading lady in the film you just wrapped?”

  He nodded. “Yes. She wanted me to come over. To have a drink. You know, we’d just wrapped and she wanted to thank me for helping her with her first film.”

  “But we had plans.”

  Devin’s shoulders drooped and, with a large sigh, he admitted, “Mina I’ve not been exactly truthful with you. Even from the beginning. When we met, your star was rising and mine was stalled. I wasn’t getting the parts I wanted. After we started dating, well…you know what happened. My career took off.”

  She gave him a blank look, unable to believe what she’d just heard. He’d said even from the beginning. That would mean… The oldest trick in the book and she fell for it. “So our relationship is all a lie? You don’t love me?”

  Devin shrugged. “I like you, but no, I…I don’t love you.”

  Yet he would sleep with her and lead her on, making her believe they had a future together. Mina didn’t know who she was more upset with—Devin because of what he’d done, or herself because she fell for it. “And you were going to marry me?”

  Devin dropped his head. “No. I was going to break it off before that happened. Then you moved the date up. I never meant for it to go this far.”

  “Mina,” Garrett slipped in. “I know you and Devin have things to work out, but we are under a time-sensitive issue here. Let’s table explanations for later, we must get a plan in place because it’s not only Devin’s career that will tank.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “You’re the woman that has all the relationship answers. How is it going to look if your own relationship blew up and you were totally in the dark? How many of your fans will support you then? Everything you’ve worked for will be lost. You’ll be ridiculed. Reduced to a joke.”

  Garrett was laying it on a bit thick. Mina didn’t see how that could happen. She wasn’t responsible for Devin’s bad decisions. She was the innocent in the ridiculous mess. “But I had nothing to do with Devin’s sex tape.”

  “No, you didn’t.” Garrett agreed, then went on to explain, “but the man you were in a serious relationship with was never faithful to you.”

  “Never?” she shouted and jerked her head back to Devin. The tone of his skin turned a pale green.

  “But I have a plan. One that will make you look like a saint and will strengthen your platform.”

  Mina looked at him doubtfully. She already knew whatever Garrett came up with wouldn’t be in her favor. Instead, it would be in his client’s best interest. “I’m not feeling very sympathetic at the moment. I want to see the tape.”

  Garrett shook his head. “I don’t recommend that.”

  A surge of anger shot up her spine. “I don’t really care what you do or don’t recommend. But if you don’t want me to turn around and walk, you better pull the video up now.”

  Garrett’s jaw clenched. He picked up a remote and pushed a button to turn the monitor on that was mounted to the wall. The video was fuzzy. Mina took a step closer and saw Devin was outside. “I thought you said you were at Roxanna’s home?”

  Devin swallowed and nodded. “We were. On her balcony.”

  The video cleared and she could make out Devin plainly. His back was against a wall with his head thrown back, and the look of pleasure on his face was one she’d never seen. The camera panned downward and she could only see the back of the woman on her knees before him. Her hands were braced on Devin’s thighs. Her nails were perfectly manicured with a deep red polish. Her long blonde hair curled around her shoulders and halfway down her back.

  “The video was taken from the building next to this one,” Garrett explained. “As you can tell, the woman’s face is never seen and she could be you. That’s the spin we want to put on it.”

  She jerked her head around. “You want me to lie?”

  “We want you to save your career and Devin’s. We want to issue a release saying you and Devin met at Roxanna’s and since you hadn’t seen each other for a long period of time, your passion overtook you and you had a lover’s moment outside.”

  Mina had a bad taste in her mouth. She would save Devin’s career while making herself into a hypocrite. She would be going against everything she believed in. “You want me to lie?” she asked again.

  Garrett huffed. “Come on, Mina, it isn’t as if you’ve never lied to the public. Isn’t your entire Love Vixen concept based on a lie?”

  Her back stiffened and she wanted to refute what he’d said. Unfortunately, he had her there and he knew it. “What are you proposing?”

  “Just like I said. We’ll get in front of the story. I might even be able to kill it before it’s released. Then everything just disappears.”

  All in a neat little package. For Devin. “And our relationship?”

  Garrett took a seat behind his desk, pleased with her unspoken compliance. “You’ll continue to play the enamored couple anxiously awaiting your wedding.”

  She turned her gaze on Devin. Their eyes met and in the depths of his gaze, she found not one morsel of remorse. None. Everything he’d done had been for his career; therefore, she was expendable. “I can’t go through with wedding plans. I need to cancel everything.”

  Garrett drummed his fingertips on his desk, working through the timeline. “Your conference is at the same time, right?”

  “The wedding is the week after the conference.” She wouldn’t allow herself to think about all she’d planned.

  “Perfect. Wait a few weeks and then announce you are postponing the wedding until the spring when you will have more time to devote to planning. Nobody would question how stressful planning a conference can be. Then we can arrange a mutual parting that puts you both in a good light.”

  Mina turned, completely disgusted that Devin hadn’t said a word. He hadn’t even apologized to her. He was a piece of work and she’d fallen for him.

  Later, after she’d rushed back home and uncorked a bottle of wine, she owned her anger. She was mad at Devin for betraying her. She was mad at herself for being so naïve. But what she wasn’t…was upset the marriage was off. In fact, she felt relieved. Somewhere in the far, far reaches of her mind, she wondered if maybe she was using Devin for the exact same reasons he
used her.

  With a heavy sigh and a quivering bottom lip, she picked up her phone and punched in a message to Jodi. She needed a good old fashioned pity party with her bestie. Tomorrow she’d put her big girl panties on and deal with the mess called her life, but just for tonight she needed comfort and understanding and a non-Devin fan.

  Mina: Your Spidey senses were correct. Bring Rocky Road and Chunky Monkey. With caramel sauce and cherries.

  Jodi: ☹ On my way.

  The next morning, Mina woke with sore muscles from the night spent on her couch to find her apartment in shambles. Blinking to clear her vision, she found an entire box of tissues scattered about and a large empty pizza box was on the floor. She pushed to a sitting position and the contents of her stomach felt like they sloshed around inside.

  She groaned and rubbed her eyes. She’d just done what she taught against doing. Redirecting should have been her reaction. She should have turned the negative into a positive. Instead, she fell into the trap of giving Devin power by making a bad decision.

  She’d put crap into her body in an attempt to soothe her hurt emotions instead of finding a better way to self soothe. Mina was disappointed in herself.

  Pushing to her feet, she waited until the world steadied before she picked up a wine bottle from the coffee table, another between two cushions, and a third from under the television, which was still playing the Chick Flick channel. She looked around for the remote and found it inside an empty tub of ice cream and turned the television off.

  Stumbling into the bathroom, she pulled her tank and shorts off and stood under the hot beating spray of the shower until she began to feel human once again. The events of the day before replayed in her mind. A myriad of emotions tore through her. Anger. Hurt. Helplessness. And then back to anger. She was mad at herself because how could she have been so taken in by Devin?

  She’d put so much into having a healthy relationship, she didn’t recognize when he used it against her.

  By the time she’d dressed for the day and cleaned her apartment, she was ready to face the day with a new attitude. Using her self-help method, she devised a plan. She was going to throw herself into her work. She would no longer give Devin space in her brain. To her, he was history, and a lesson well learned.

  She wasn’t going to be his patsy like he thought she was either. She’d give him a month, and then she would break things off.

  She still believed in the concept of love, and that a healthy and happy relationship was possible. Her mission to help others through relationship issues was now her main focus.

  This was a new year, and the Love Vixen was going to shine because, through it all, she’d bet on love every time.

  * * *

  A Message from the Love Vixen

  I owe you all a great big thank you! Because of you, exciting new things are in the works for The Love Vixen in the new year. Your love and support have touched my heart and have pointed a beacon of light on my work. My numbers are rising so fast I can’t keep up!

  Throughout the previous year, I’ve been sitting on a big secret and I can finally share it with you. Eleven incredibly talented authors have picked up the rights to eleven of my Love Vixen articles. Squee!

  What does that mean?

  Remember the article titled Lust or Love? Author Jeannette Winters has taken this project on. Through intensive research and interviews with the person who posted the question, Jeannette is going to tell us how this crush turned out.

  They’d been apart for years when their paths finally crossed once again. The question this reader asked was how to tell lust from love. You’ll find out in February when Jeannette’s book Lust or Love releases.

  The amazing Dylann Crush will be The Love Vixen’s March featured author. Dylann is taking on the post from Almost Out of Time. Do you remember this one?

  Desperate in Columbus will be out in the April book by author J. M. Madden. It is probably one of the top 10 posts that I’m always asked about.

  May will be coming in with cupcakes and SEALs. Author Sharon Hamilton answers the question—what happened to the much younger girl/older man relationship? Cupcake Girl’s story will be told from beginning to HEA. You will be surprised how Bone Frog Love plays out. I feel particularly proud that I had a hand in making it happen. Coming in May!

  Now I’m not saying this is going to happen, but… remember the reader who wrote in and asked for advice on how to deal with her childhood crush coming back to town for her brother’s wedding? She’d crushed on him hard, but then he left town after high school and became a big shot Hollywood movie star. Well, it looks like this story might be picked up by one particular network starring…you guessed it, Jaxon Momoa. But you’ll get to read about it first in Christina Tetreault’s book, One of A Kind Love, coming in June.

  One of my most liked articles was from a reader who was mistaken as an employee of the company she made a coffee delivery to. She took advantage of an opportunity that literally fell into her lap. She showed up for work each day, worked for free, and discovered that advertising was her jam. But then she fell for the boss. Delancey Stewart will take us through their story from delivery to the epic conclusion in Mistaken for Love, coming in July.

  Our August book by Melanie Shawn is very special to me. How does the least likely insta-mom deal with a ready-made family? With the help of her hunky neighbor, of course.

  Then, in September, Josie wrote in asking if she could be legally held to a marriage pact she made over ten years ago. It seemed Josh was calling in the marker and Josie was trying to weasel out of the sanctity of the pact. Author Jade Webb took a closer look into Josie’s dilemma in Deadline for Love, coming in September.

  My heart simply broke when one reader asked how to deal with loving a man who was rough, rude, and didn’t deserve her help. But he asked, and she couldn’t say no. Though I didn’t include this in my reply to her, I wondered if he was taking advantage of her. This is one story I can’t wait to read. Reana Malori will bring up Blinded by Love in October.

  I can’t tell you how many questions I’ve had about dating sites. One reader was so over them she deleted her profiles on all she’d subscribed to. Which may have turned out to be a good thing, because she didn’t seem to be able to stay away from her new neighbor. Funny how things work out. Or did they? We’ll find out in Lacey Black’s book, Waiting for Love, coming in November.

  Finally, I want to tell you about another incredible opportunity. I want to share the knowledge I’ve gained and offer you—my readers—a chance to learn and grow toward a healthy and happy relationship. In December, the first ever Love Vixen Retreat will be happening! That’s right! You can join me in the beautiful mountains of North Carolina for a week-long intensive retreat that will include breakout sessions on varied topics as well as workshops and classes. You’ll leave the retreat with a better understanding of yourself and what you have to offer to a relationship and what you need in order to develop a healthy relationship.

  Sound good? Great! Author Lizabeth Scott will be covering the retreat and you’ll be able to read all about it in My Bet’s On Love, coming in December.

  ***Disclaimer. The Love Vixen is a fictional character. She is not a doctor and her advice should probably never be followed. Anything resembling an actual event or article is completely ridiculous because I made the whole thing up!

  Ready for More Love Vixen Books?

  If this is your first Love Vixen book, check out the entire series here: The Love Vixen.

  Let’s Talk Love by Lizabeth Scott

  Lust or Love by Jeannette Winters

  Getting Lucky In Love by Dylann Crush

  A Warrior To Love by J.M. Madden

  Bone Frog Love by Sharon Hamilton

  One Of A Kind Love by Christina Tetreault

  Mistaken For Love by Delancey Stewart

  Silver Lining Love by Melanie Shawn

  Deadline For Love by Jade Webb

  Blinded By Love by Reana Malori
>
  Waiting For Love by Lacey Black

  My Bet’s On Love by Lizabeth Scott

  Wouldn’t you like to be a Vixen too?

  Join our private and interactive Facebook Group or Party Central as we like to call it: https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheLoveVixN

  Don’t miss any of the Love Vixen’s year of release celebrations!

  Sign up for The Love Vixen Newsletter: https://bit.ly/TheLoveVixen