The fabulous stylist, the absentminded professor, and a Parisian adventureโฆ
Winnie
Hey, I donโt regret taking an oddball assignment to assist a British professor abroad. I could use a break from my life as an aspiring hair and style guru in LA. The only worrisome snag is that the professor is determined to do everything on his own.
Not acceptable. Iโm here to help the impossibly smart geek with mismatched socks who just happens to be my best friendโs boss.
Alistair
Paris calls. And somehow, I have a new temporary assistant.
Winnie is a technicolor, whirlwind American with a wicked laugh and the subtlety of a steamroller. Heโs brash and ridiculous andโฆfunny, warm, lovely, andโ
Oh no.
Winnie can take Paris, but he canโt take my heart.
Winnie Takes Paris is an MM romantic comedy featuring a fabulous diva, a nerdy professor, and the Parisian adventure of a lifetime!
Oh my goodness, I couldn’t have loved these two together more! Winnie is fabulous and outrageous and so dang joyous. He loudly embraces life with energy & enthusiasm, finding delight in things big and small. He may be feeling a little down lately but he’s not going to let it defeat him, instead uses it as an opportunity to revamp himself.
And that radiance is a great foil for Alistair who tends to get caught up in his work and forget the rest of the world even exists. Winnie lets him for a little while but soon has him out seeing the sights of Paris, while getting to know each other. He may not know what Winnie sees in him at first but it doesn’t take him long to fall under Winnie’s spell, just like us.
Winnie Takes Paris is full of heat, humor, and heart. These two couldn’t be more different but complement each other so well – Alistair supports Winnie when he has doubts and Winnie reminds him that there is more to life than his studies. We could all do with someone who matches with us that well.
Hey, I donโt regret taking an oddball assignment to assist a British professor abroad. I could use a break from my life as an aspiring hair and style guru in LA. The only worrisome snag is that the professor is determined to do everything on his own.
Not acceptable. Iโm here to help the impossibly smart geek with mismatched socks who just happens to be my best friendโs boss.
Alistair
Paris calls. And somehow, I have a new temporary assistant.
Winnie is a technicolor, whirlwind American with a wicked laugh and the subtlety of a steamroller. Heโs brash and ridiculous andโฆfunny, warm, lovely, andโ
Oh no.
Winnie can take Paris, but he canโt take my heart.
Winnie Takes Paris is an MM romantic comedy featuring a fabulous diva, a nerdy professor, and the Parisian adventure of a lifetime!
I tapped my cup to his flute awkwardly. โTo Paris.โ
Winnie watched me cautiously. โDid I get your tea right? Raine said you like a smidge of milk and sugar.โ
โUh, yesโฆbrilliant. Thank you.โ
He grinned. โYouโre welcome. What should we do now?โ
โWait for the train,โ I replied evenly.
Winnie threw his head back and laughed, drawing a few curious glances our way. The lounge wasnโt exactly a library, but there was an unspoken acknowledgment that this was a quiet zone.
โGot that. I meant, what about work? Iโm your assistant. If you need me to do anything, just say the word and Iโm there.โ
โThank you. I appreciate your diligence, but thereโs no need. Enjoy your champagne,โ I said in a tone that clearly marked the end of the conversation.
Winnie didnโt take the hint. โDo you like champagne?โ
โNo, I donโt.โ
He flattened his hand over his heart. โWhy not? Champagne is the elixir of the gods, sunshine in a flute, bubbles for the soul.โ
I shrugged. โIโm afraid I donโt care for bubbles at all. I donโt want to drink them, anyway.โ
โMm, youโre missing out. I would bathe in champagne bubbles if I could.โ He hummed indulgently.
โThat soundsโฆsticky.โ
Winnieโs lips twitched. โYouโre right. It also sounds like a waste of a good thing, and I wouldnโt sacrifice a single sip of this stuff.โ
I wasnโt sure how to respond or if I was supposed to, but this was probably a good time to remind Winnie that I didnโt need him to entertain me or vice versa. Or perhaps this was an opportunity to ask him a few questions and be done with prerequisite niceties.
What sort of questions, though? I had no clue. This was the sort of thing Raine usually handled for me.
I set my cup on the side table, pulled my cell from my pocket, and typed, Questions for a new acquaintance.
Google suggested the following: Number one, ask personal informationโlikes, dislikes, favorite color, hobbies. Not a chance. In my admittedly limited experience, that line of inquiry invited reciprocity, and there was no point in pretending we shared any common interests.
Number two, comment on something pleasant, such as the weather. I glanced out the rain-streaked window and quickly abandoned that suggestion. Too dire.
Number three, pay a compliment. That seemed like a safe option. Winnie was veryโฆwinsome. He had beautiful olive skin, perfectly coiffed hair, a flair for fashion, andโ
โYou have lovely eyes,โ I blurted.
Winnie froze midsip, quirking his head as he slowly lowered his glass. โAre you flirting with me, Professor?โ
โIโno! No, Iโฆno,โ I sputtered, wrinkling my nose, licking my lips, and blinking in rapid succession. โThat was a statement, not a flirtation. I donโt do flirtations, so youโre quite safe there.โ
โAm I?โ
He was teasing. The spark in his eyes held pure mischief, but I didnโt know the rules of engagement at all. Was I supposed to say something clever in return? Possibly, probably. Witty banter wasnโt my strong suit, so I went with the truth instead.
โI couldnโt help noticing that youโre wearing makeup andโฆyou look quite smart.โ
His megawatt grin hit me like a bolt of lightning. โI do? How so? Iโve never been told my application of Chanel Stylo Yeux in espresso gave collegiate vibes.โ
โUh, no. I didnโt mean smart in that sense. That is to say, Iโm sure youโre very intelligent, but I meant that you lookโฆnice.โ
His smile didnโt waver. โThank you.โ
โYouโre welcome.โ Well done, old chap. Now, leave it alone. Unfortunately, I couldnโt shut my gob. This was badโฆvery bad. โAncient Egyptian men wore cosmetics, and depending on their rank and social class, they wore a lot of it. The kohl liner they used had practical purposes, too. It shielded one from the sunโs rays and repelled insects. They used animal fats and oils to create moisturizers, shampoos, and even to prevent baldness. Interesting, isnโt it? Theyโd rub fat from a snake or aโโ
โOkay.โ Winnie held his hand up. โThatโs a lot of information.โ
โThatโs hardly the tip of the iceberg,โ I assured him.
โI bet.โ He gestured to the corner of his eye. โI made a last-minute trip to Sephora for this stuff. Much easier than wrangling a snake.โ
โSephora, derived from the Greek sephos, or beauty.โ
Oh, bloody blooming bollocks. What is wrong with me?
*****
Author Info:
Lane Hayesย lives in sunny Southern California with her amazing husband, who thankfully doesnโt mind cooking, and their fabulous fox red Labrador, George, whoโs pure mischief. Both provide oodles of inspiration for the low-angst, humorous books Lane loves to write.
Sheโs been telling stories about sexy, funny, sometimes geeky and quirky men who find love for a dozen years now and loving every minute. In her previous life, she sat at a desk and dealt with numbers, so yesโฆromance is much more satisfying!
Lane loves tea, travel, and chocolateโฆin any order. Add a book and sheโs set!
Romantic Reads and Such 