Great reviews for she drives me crazy
“Good ole boy attitudes and laid back charm make this splendid tale a local delicacy. Author Leslie Kelly brings wit, humor and exuberance to this story of one woman’s reluctant attempt to go home again.”
—Romantic Times
“I know this is only a March release but I think I’ve already found my favorite book of the year in Leslie Kelly’s She Drives Me Crazy. This is such an outstanding book on so many levels that it’s hard to mention them without giving away one of the many surprises found between the pages. A Recommended Read.”
—Fallen Angel Reviews
“Spend an evening of pleasure and fun, and treat yourself to an intensely emotional, funny, spine-tingling, and well-written book. A Perfect 10!”
—Romance Reviews Today
“Sexy, funny and a little outrageous, is a must read!”
—New York Times bestselling author Carly Phillips
“Leslie Kelly’s books are the perfect blend of sass and class. Her cheeky style makes her one of the strongest voices in romance today.”
—New York Times bestselling author
Vicki Lewis Thompson “Leslie Kelly is a future star of romance.”
—New York Times bestselling author Debbie Macomber to Publishers Weekly
More rave reviews for the books of Leslie Kelly!
“Ms. Kelly never fails to deliver a captivating story.”
—Romance Reviews Today
“Top Pick! Leslie Kelly introduces characters you’ll
love spending time with; explores soulmates you’ll dream about; and a hero to die for.”
—Romantic Times on Naturally Naughty
“Entertaining is just too tame a word.
This is pure reading pleasure.”
—The Romance Reader on Night Whispers
“Leslie Kelly writes with a matchless combination
of sexiness and sassiness that makes every story a keeper.”
—Fallen Angel Reviews
“Kelly tells a high-energy story and
delivers a satisfying read.”
—All About Romance on Killing Time
“Leslie Kelly writes hot, steamy stories with lots
of humor and tons of romance thrown in.”
—Romance and Friends
She’s Got the Look
Leslie Kelly
To my cousin, Louis Smith, and all his pals from the
1st Marine Expeditionary Force…you’re all heroes.
To my girlfriends, past and present, who’ve always
been there for the laughing, griping, celebrating, crying, plotting, whining and wine. Most especially Jill, Brenda, Julie, Karen, Janelle, Camille and Roxanne. Life wouldn’t be the same without you.
And to my hubby, Bruce…you’ll always be number
one on my list. Just above Hugh Jackman.
CONTENTS
PROLOGUE
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
EPILOGUE
PROLOGUE
Six Years Ago
“EVERY WOMAN NEEDS a list of men she’ll have sex with, no questions asked, if she ever gets the chance.”
Amazingly, despite her friend’s outrageous comment, Melody Tanner managed to avoid spewing the mouthful of margarita she’d just sipped. She stared at Tanya Williams, one of her bridesmaids, who cocked an unrepentant brow. The two additional women at the table—her other closest friends—snorted and laughed.
Since they were sitting in a crowded Mexican restaurant, and since Tanya was such an attention getter, anyway, with her beautiful ebony skin, striking features and imposing height, she didn’t figure there was much chance the comment had gone unheard by those around them. But she cast a quick glance anyway.
Nope. Definitely not unheard. The pudgy guy at the next table looked like he’d swallowed a lemon. The owner of the place, who always watched them, was keeping an extra close eye, as well.
Oblivious to the attention, Tanya added, “Married, single, in a relationship or not, a woman’s gotta have a go-for-it list.” She narrowed her eyes. “Especially if she’s stupid enough to get married at twenty-one.”
“Lovely idea,” said Rosemary, her maid of honor. “A get-out-of-adultery-free card.” Rosemary’s lyrical Southern accent could make anything sound elegant. Even a sex list.
“You’re both high,” Melody muttered before taking another sip of her drink, not taking offense at Tanya’s comment about her age. Her friend had made her opinion very clear on that matter. As had everyone else.
“Come on,” Tanya said. “You’re not married yet. Be honest, there have got to be at least five guys you’d leap on if you had the chance.”
Paige, her final bridesmaid, interrupted. “She probably doesn’t need a sex list.” Paige made up for her lack of height by speaking about three decibels louder than anyone else, so they were almost certainly being overheard now. “Face it, Mel’s probably on the lists of half the men in this country.”
Melody wrinkled her nose. “The blond twit in the swimsuit edition might be. But I’m not her anymore, remember?”
No, she wasn’t. She’d gotten as far away from her former career as she could in the two years since she’d shocked everyone—especially her mother—and quit modeling. She’d stopped coloring her reddish-brown hair blond, stopped starving herself to keep slim, stopped constantly traveling with no friends close by, no family.
No family…well, you couldn’t really miss what you’d never had, could you? Her mother had been family in only the most technical sense and she had no idea who her father was. So, to her, family was a fairly loosely defined word.
The three other women sitting around this table with her had been her real family—her chosen family—for a very long time. Rosemary, Tanya and Paige were the sisters she’d never had, the ones who’d supported her when she’d walked away from the job her mother had thrust on her as a baby.