True love requires a little research and development in a funny, heart-racing romance by Sariah Wilson, the bestselling author of The Paid Bridesmaid.
Intrigued? Well read on to discover the synopsis and an excerpt from Sariah Wilson’s The Chemistry of Love, which is out now!
How can Anna Ellis, a geeky, brilliant, and hopelessly smitten cosmetic chemist possibly win over Craig Kimball, the man of her dreams—who also happens to be her boss? The answer is Craig’s empathetic (and handsome) CEO half brother, Marco. The makeup mogul knows Craig for the ridiculously competitive rival he is. Whatever Marco has, Craig wants. That can be Anna, if she’s game to play.
All Anna and Marco have to do is pretend they’re falling in love and let the rumors begin. If the experiment in attraction works, a jealous Craig will swoop in and give Anna her happily ever after—if it weren’t for one hitch in the plan. There’s more to Marco than meets the eye. With every fake date, Anna’s feelings are starting to become dizzyingly real.
Blame it on chemistry. It’s unpredictable, exciting, and occasionally combustible. If Anna and Marco are really falling in love, who are they to argue with science?
CHAPTER FOUR
The event was being held in the ballroom of a nearby hotel. When I arrived at the party, it was in full swing. I felt terribly self-conscious and like people were staring at me. I didn’t know if it was because of the dress, or if Jerry had spread the word about me quitting.
I briefly wondered if my former boss might throw me out if he saw me. I was going to have to keep a low profile and avoid him. I had to focus on finding Craig, telling him my feelings, and we would hopefully leave together.
The thought of actually doing that made my stomach lurch. A waitress walked by, holding out a tray of champagne flutes. Liquid courage would be very helpful. I reached for the drinks and took two.
“For a friend,” I said. Why did I do that? Feel like I had to invent some story? Like how I’d call for Chinese takeout and tell the restaurant that my order was for a family of four when I planned on eating the whole thing myself and spending the entire weekend in a food coma.
Maybe I should try a little honesty along with my other resolutions. “Actually, they’re both for me.”
“Good for you,” the waitress said with a nod. “Whoever he is, you deserve better.”
She was gone before I could protest. If I were a superstitious person, I would think the universe was trying to warn me.
I saw Craig standing in a corner with a group of people. I downed both glasses quickly and placed them on a nearby table. I would have to make sure to eat something later. I hadn’t eaten anything since lunchtime and I didn’t want to get sloppy drunk.
Craig walked away from the group and I saw my opportunity. He walked out on a large patio, and I followed him. He was on a phone call, and I wondered how long I could stand here before it got creepy.
I ran over in my mind what I’d practiced to say to him, wringing my hands together. It was cold outside, but I barely felt it.
He ended the call and turned as if he planned on heading back inside.
My heart thudded hard in my chest. Now or never.
“Craig?”
He looked at me expectantly and I waited a moment in case my tenth imaginary scenario came true and he would kiss me before I said anything.
Nope.
“Hi,” I said, not sure how to start despite all my rehearsing.
“Hi.” He hesitated and then his eyes lit up. “Wait, I remember you! The lady scientist. Catalina, right?”
That felt like a little like being stabbed. “No, that was my friend. I’m Anna.”
I expected him to say something else, but he didn’t.
His phone buzzed. “Sorry, give me a second.” He smiled, and I wished I was the reason why. He started texting, his thumbs flying across the screen. “This is a buddy of mine who went to USC and he thinks he can trash talk my alma mater.”
“Like me!”
Craig looked confused.
“I went to USC. Remember?”
His confusion deepened.
I tried again. “You jumped me?”
Now he looked worried and I realized that the other connotations of that word were negative. “Two years ago. My car died in the parking lot. You brought your truck over and gave me a jump.”
I’d stayed late that night, and my cell phone had died. I thought I was the last person there, but then Craig had come by in his truck and asked if I needed help. He had been my knight in a white Ford.
He could have called for someone else to come and assist me, but he’d stayed and made sure that I got off safely. He had asked where I’d gone to school and I told him USC, as they had a great cosmetic chemist program. He had made an unfunny and semi-inappropriate joke about USC’s mascot, which I’d felt obligated to laugh at because he was being so nice. We had a great conversation after that and I’d fallen fast and hard for him.
“Oh! Right!” he said, but I saw in his eyes and heard in his voice that he had no idea what I was talking about. It had been a seminal moment for me, and he hadn’t registered it at all.
My heart squeezed painfully and I put my hand against a window for support.
His phone beeped this time and he looked at it. “I have to go. I’ve got to find someone. I hope I don’t get lost. It’s pretty dark in there!” He said it in a teasing tone.
I should have kept quiet. I already felt like such a fool, but I had to go and make it worse. “May the light of Earendil guide you.”
Craig gave me that look, the one I’d seen so many times throughout my life, and I wanted to kick myself. Still not able to stay quiet I added, “You know, to be a light for you in dark places when all other lights go—”
But he was already walking away throwing a “bye” over his shoulder. So much for that dance. And when was I going to stop making Lord of the Rings references to people who had no idea what I was talking about?
Part of my imaginary scenarios had included Craig loving the movies as much as I did. At the very least, I’d hoped he’d watched them.
None of this was going how I’d hoped. I stood there, shivering slightly as the cold started to seep in against my skin, wondering what I should do next.
A few minutes passed and I finally went back inside, feeling very unsure. Someone tapped on the DJ’s microphone. It was Craig.
And he was standing next to a woman who looked like she’d been drawn by a very randy fifteen-year-old boy. She was perfection. Blonde hair, perfect curves, gleaming skin and teeth.
Craig had his arm around her. They looked like Ken and Barbie.
My stomach dropped to my knees.
“Excuse me!” he called out. “If I could have everyone’s attention!” The dull roar of the partygoers quieted down.
“Thank you! This will only take a moment. Since both of our families are here, and the employees of this company are like my second family, I just wanted to let everyone know that I’ve asked Leighton to be my wife and she said yes!”
The whole room broke into applause and cheers, but I just stood there.
Craig was engaged.
Engaged.
The waitress from earlier walked by with an entire bottle of champagne. “Can I have that?” I asked her.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sariah Wilson is the author of THE CHEMISTRY OF LOVE (February 1, 2023; Montlake). A passionate believer in happily-ever-afters, Sariah and her own soulmate live in Utah with their four children and the two family cats. Her belief in true love has inspired many other standalone novels including CINDER-NANNY (2022), ROOMMAID (2020), THE SEAT FILLER (2021) and THE PAID BRIDESMAID (2022), and several bestselling romance series, including End of the Line (THE FRIEND ZONE, JUST A BOYFRIEND); Lovestruck (#STARSTRUCK, #MOONSTRUCK, #AWESTRUCK); Ugly Stepsisters (THE UGLY STEPSISTER STRIKES BACK; PROMPOSAL), and Royals of Monterra (ROYAL DATE, ROYAL CHASE, ROYAL GAMES, ROYAL DESIGN). You can connect with Sariah online at sariahwilson.com.
