Brit glanced at her manicure, then flicked her eyes up to Hunter. “You sound testy. Things not going well with Ms. Connecticut, First Runner-Up?” she asked, referring to his new girlfriend.
He ignored the question, glancing upward over Daisy’s and Lincoln’s heads. “So, did you guys clear out the gift shops in all the hospitals in New York, or just go straight to the balloon manufacturer and rob them directly?”
“It’s Nick and Taylor’s fault for not telling us if it was a boy or a girl,” Daisy said, glancing up and tugging on a string. “I had to get pink and blue.”
“And the green glitter ones?” Hunter asked.
Daisy looked at him and grinned. “I just like them.”
“Don’t worry,” Lincoln said, patting his laptop bag. “I brought the real gifts. Cigars.”
Hunter grinned, patted his own bag. “Same.”
The two men fist-bumped, and the two women rolled their eyes. But then they all shot to their feet as a nurse came out to tell them they could come with her to Taylor’s room.
Daisy and Brit were about to burst into the room when Hunter and Lincoln held them both back. “Give them a minute,” Hunter whispered in Brit’s ear.
She was about to protest, then glanced into the room and understood.
Nick’s arm was around a radiant if slightly tired-looking Taylor, and they were both staring down at a tiny blue bundle in wonder.
The eyes of both parents were shiny. Brit and Daisy were both crying openly at the happy sight. Lincoln and Hunter did not cry. The twin throat-clearings were just typical man stuff.
Taylor glanced up and did a double take when she saw them. “Don’t be weird—why are you lurking? Get in here and meet our son.”
It was Nick who proudly introduced them to Aidan Benjamin Ballantine, and Taylor who handed Aidan to Daisy to start the rounds of cooing over tiny fingers and sleepy eyes.
As Nick pressed a kiss to the top of Taylor’s head and her hand squeezed his, there was no doubt anywhere in the room that no baby’s parents had ever loved each other more.
For the Stiletto and Oxford fans who keep asking for more. Your enthusiasm for this fictional world means everything to me.
Acknowledgments
Wow. How did this happen? How did we get to the fourth book in the Oxford series, the eighth in the Stiletto/Oxford world?!
And there’s no doubt about it, this was a we effort, you guys! I’ve always said that this series would never have gone past its original three-book plan way back in 2012 had it not been for the readers, and that remains truer than ever. Your enthusiasm for these characters nearly matches my own, and I’m so grateful to have such a warm reception for the Stiletto and Oxford gang.
Continuing to give credit where it’s due, I have bunches of gratitude for the team at Loveswept for helping make the Stiletto/Oxford series the hallmark of the Lauren Layne world. From the fabulous covers, to the story input, pitch-perfect branding, and finishing edits, I Knew You Were Trouble, like all of the books, is a team effort. By now you guys all know who you are, but a huge thank-you to Sue Grimshaw, Gina Wachtel, Matt Schwartz, Janet Wygal, Lynn Andreozzi, Erika Seyfried, Madeleine Kenney, and the entire Random House team for constant support and incredible skill in turning my “messy story idea” into a polished book.
A huge thanks also to the other side of the Lauren Layne team: Nicole Resciniti, an amazing agent and friend; Lisa Filipe, my amazing assistant, for knowing what I need before I even know to ask; and Kristi Yanta, for the amazing editing/critiquing, yes, but especially for the friendship.
To wonderful author friends, Jessica Lemmon, Rachel Van Dyken, and Jennifer Probst especially, for understanding those odd daily struggles that only fellow writers seem to understand, and for being quick to assure me that sometimes what I need is a glass of wine and a bubble bath, even if it’s 3 P.M. They’re always right.
And lastly, for my husband, who pours that wine, draws that bubble bath, and most of all who’s always there, even during those days when I was more invested in Taylor and Nick’s world than I was my own reality!
Thank you all so much for reading I Knew You Were Trouble. I’d always planned for this to be the last in the Oxford world, but then…I always say that, don’t I? We’ll see. In the meantime, if you’re looking for another Lauren Layne book, you can find them all on my website. I’m also so excited to announce a brand-new series coming in summer 2017. The first is called Ready to Run, and it’s a bit Runaway Bride, a little bit The Bachelor, and a lot romantic.
Whether you’re new to the LL world, or have been around since the very beginning, I’m so glad you’re here .
BY LAUREN LAYNE
Love Unexpectedly Series
Blurred Lines
Good Girl
Love Story
Walk of Shame
I Do, I Don’t Series
Ready to Run (coming soon)
Oxford Series
Irresistibly Yours
I Wish You Were Mine
Someone Like You
I Knew You Were Trouble
Sex, Love & Stiletto Series
After the Kiss
Love the One You’re With
Just One Night
The Trouble with Love
Redemption Series
Isn’t She Lovely
Broken
Crushed
PHOTO: ? ANTHONY LEDONNE
LAUREN LAYNE is the New York Times bestselling author of more than twenty novels. A former e-commerce and Web marketing manager from Seattle, Lauren relocated in 2011 to New York City, where she left the corporate world to pursue a full-time writing career. Her hobbies include maintaining a designer purse addiction and observing cocktail hour. Lauren lives with her high school sweetheart in midtown Manhattan, where she writes romantic comedies with just enough sexy-times to make your mother blush.
laurenlayne.com
laurenlayne.com/?the-ll-monthly
Facebook.com/?LaurenLayneAuthor
Twitter: @_LaurenLayne
Instagram: @_laurenlayne
Read on for an excerpt from
Walk of Shame
by Lauren Layne
Available from Loveswept
Georgie
TUESDAY MORNING
Let’s talk about five A.M. for a second.
Also known as the worst hour of the day, am I right?
Here’s why:
If you’re awake to see five in the freaking morning, it means one of a few things, all of them heinous.
Scenario one: You’re on your way to the airport for an early morning flight. Heinous.
Scenario two: You’ve been out all night, and now your vodka buzz is fading, and you’re just sober enough to realize that the rest of your day will likely involve Excedrin, carbs, and indoor voices. Heinous.
Scenario three: You’ve got a crap-ton on your mind, and you’re lying awake in bed, staring at the ceiling, hating your life. Maybe hating yourself a little bit, I dunno, who am I to judge? Heinous.