Ladies Man

Ladies Man Midlife Bad Boys Series Lauren Wood Copyright © 2023 by Lauren Wood All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. Contents 1. Rachelle 2. Curtis 3. Rachelle 4. Curtis 5. Rachelle 6. Curtis 7. Rachelle 8. Curtis 9. Rachelle 10. Curtis 11. Rachelle 12. Curtis 13. Rachelle 14. Curtis 15. Rachelle 16. Curtis 17. Rachelle 18. Curtis 19. Rachelle 20. Curtis 21. Rachelle 22. Jesse 23. Rachelle 24. Curtis 25. Candace 26. Rachelle 27. Curtis 28. Rachelle 29. Curtis Hot Doctor & Best Friend’s Little Sister (Sneak Peak) Chapter 1 Also by Lauren Wood About the Author Exclusive Offer 1 Rachelle The room was nice enough, not exactly what I had in mind for a vacation resort, but I was happy to finally be here. It took two buses, two planes, and a precarious ride on the back of a little scooter, but I was finally here, Hotel Rosaline. It was almost as beautiful as the pictures, and though my eyes were picking up all the stains and obvious photo edits, it was going to be just what I needed. As much as I liked to believe that I had all the money in the world, I didn’t. The hotel was a splurge, and I reminded myself that I wouldn’t be in the hotel that much. The blue water was calling me, and it was a call that I had to answer. Grabbing a few things for the beach, I made my way the block from my third balcony hotel room to the ocean. It had called to me the two days that it took to drive here from the middle of Indiana. My divorce was final, I was a free woman, and I wanted to go to the ocean where it was warm. I didn’t quite know what I was going to do here, but I had a few jobs that I could finish remotely in the Keys, and eventually I would figure something out. I was here for at least two weeks, that’s what my hotel reservation was for, but I was already looking into how I could stay longer. It was going to be a long summer and now that I was free, I had no obligations, and the ocean was just the place I needed to be. I set my towel and fanny pack in the sand by the edge of the water and started to run in. I didn’t care if I’d recently turned forty. It was impossible not to run into the water with a wave of recklessness. I wanted to feel the water, needed the weightlessness that came when I was in well over my head, and even the slight burn to my eyes was welcomed. I’d planned this trip for almost a month, and I was ready for it to begin. For me, it always began with a nice swim, reaching far away from the shore, to float like a bobber in the open ocean for a while. I did so until my body started to tire before I reluctantly went back to the sand. Drying off, I stood looking out into the blue horizon. Water was all I could see as far as I looked. It wasn’t as hot as it would be soon, but the sun beating down made me realize that I was getting hot and hungry. I took a quick shower at the hotel. The water was cold and barely came out, but there wasn’t anyone to talk to at the front desk, so I left and decided I would worry about it later. There was a cute little seafood restaurant that had caught my eye on the drive in. It was within walking distance, and it advertised conch. I’d heard about conch and how good it was, and since I was feeling adventurous, I decided to try it out. It was quiet inside the restaurant, only a few people at a booth, a few more at the bar. It looked like it might not be open, but when I asked, the bartender told me to grab a table wherever I wanted, and a waitress would be with me soon. I thanked him and took a seat by the large window in front, giving me access to people watch everyone outside, enjoying the sunny day. There was a lot to see, and I barely noticed the waitress standing next to me. I ordered the conch sandwich with a drink, and the young teen rolled her eyes at the world and left me to get it. I couldn’t help the smile that creeped out. It was beautiful here, and I couldn’t believe that it took me this long to come. I wished that I hadn’t waited so long, but Jesse hadn’t liked water. He didn’t like boats, travel, or heat. There was no way that we would ever find ourselves here when we were together. Coming here was the end of one life that I had led and on to the start of another. I liked the idea of fresh starts, even if I was forty. I still deserved one too, right? The sandwich came without a drink and the girl mumbled that she would be back. I didn’t mind, I was having a great time watching the tourists and locals alike. There was a man that had the most intricately weaved hats. They were made out of some kind of plant, and they looked wonderful. He had little pads made up as well and when I was done with lunch, I went to grab one. I wanted to use it for the beach. I wanted to sit, without getting sand all over my clothes. As the beach off the street started to fill up with people, I made my way