Romantic Surprises: Real Life and Fiction

My husband and I were starving university students when we married. Somehow, we managed to buy wedding rings for each other, nice simple gold bands. He rarely takes his off. I’m the one who takes mine off as soon as I get home. I keep it in a beautiful little cup he made (he’s a potter) in the window sill in the kitchen.

One day, as I was rushing to leave for work, the ring wasn’t in the cup. Panic! What did I do with it? I NEVER put it anywhere else. I asked my husband who said he hadn’t seen it, but if he did, he’d let me know.

We’re not big on romantic celebrations. Call me the least romantic romance writer ever. One day, after work, we met for a cup of coffee at the local Barnes & Noble, appropriate given both my day job (academic librarian) and my writing career. He greeted me with a “Happy anniversary.” I had forgotten. Honestly. I’m terrible that way. We sat down, he reached in his pocket and pulled out a ring box. Inside was a beautiful solitaire. I just stared at it, in complete surprise. He took it out and pushed it onto my (ring-less) finger. It fit. Then he asked me to look inside the box beneath where the solitaire had been. There was my wedding band.

He wanted to get the right size and be sure that the gold on the diamond ring, bought so many years after we bought our bands, matched. His solution was to take the band to the jewelers. It matches perfectly.

I thought about that horrible week (A WHOLE WEEK!!) I’d spent repeatedly calming down after my rush of panic when I felt for my band and it was gone. But his thoughtfulness, the romantic gesture, the gift, trumped all of that. It was just so sweet and surprising.

Recently he had a problem with his hands and had to remove his band. He placed it in the cup, too. One day I felt inside for my band, but kept grabbing his. In a bit of a panic, I looked inside the cup, and realized why I kept finding his and not mine. Mine fits just inside his. Perfectly. When I mentioned it to a friend, she said “You two fit.” I thought that was so sweet.
We may fit, but we’re way different. I would never have thought to match the gold on the band to the gold on the diamond. I forget our anniversary (some romance writer, right?). And those are just two of a thousand differences.

In DANCING IN THE DARK, Matt Kincaid and Janey Blackmon are different in so many ways. The most obvious is that they have vastly different careers. She’s a librarian and he’s a CIA Paramilitary Officer. Their surprise encounter may prove that they’ve reached the point in their lives where they fit together despite all their differences, if only…

Here’s an excerpt:

He was leaving in two weeks, no choice, no way to…do what? Make promises he couldn’t keep?

“That’s okay, no biggie,” he hurried to say. “I understand if you don’t want—”

“I want to dance with you.” Only she said it like she wanted much more than a dance.

If she didn’t stop him, could he stop himself? Again?

Yes.

He was a damn clandestine officer. He could keep his hands off Janey Blackmon.

Not if they were dancing. “There’s only elevator music,” he said, suddenly desperate for an out.

“We’ll make do.”

That was exactly what he was afraid of.

“This is a nice song. Come on, Matt. You asked,” she said, backing into the dining room.

He followed through to the living room, tempted by the thought of holding her. He prayed the song would end. He prayed it wouldn’t.

There she stood, this woman he’d wanted as long as he could remember. Rain beat against the windows, thunder rumbled in the distance. The town was flooding, but he didn’t care. The whole damn place could wash away as she smiled up at him, a little hesitant, a little shy. Like she was afraid he’d refuse.

He couldn’t.

He held out his arms in the dance position and she glided in.

She smelled like heaven, she felt…he didn’t have the words. Like a gift. Like… No, he didn’t have the words.
***
Back cover copy:

What if you discovered all you ever wanted were the things you left behind?

Covert CIA agent Matt Kincaid is back in tiny Walton Springs, only to find Janey Blackmon waiting to ask him a favor. Matt’s not there to reminisce with the girl he’s never forgotten…and he’s definitely not there to divulge government secrets about her missing brother.

Ten years…and Janey hasn’t forgotten the love of her life…or that he abandoned her on prom night. Bound by duty and honor, he was shipped out to parts unknown by Uncle Sam. But she knew he’d go because adventure is in Matt’s blood. Being stuck in a small town with plain Jane the librarian wasn’t ever in his plans.

Trapped by a flood, with no phone or power, desire tempts them both. Will passion–and Matt’s offer to recreate prom night–lead to a future together? Or are they just dancing in the dark?

A novella prequel to In the Arms of a Stranger, coming October 2013 from Entangled Publishing’s Ignite romantic suspense line.

My website is: http://virginiakelly.net
Email: virginia@virginiakelly.net
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Find my books:
To the Limit: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, iBookstore
Against the Wind: Amazon
Dancing in the Dark: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, iBookstore