Enjoy this sample of the first in the Date Shark series
By DelSheree Gladden
“Did you enjoy the rest of your night?” Eli chuckled.
“Look, no offense, but could we just get this over with? I couldn’t sleep at all last night knowing I had to meet you today,” Leila said. She wasn’t usually so brusque, but she couldn’t handle any more waiting. “Just tell me what I did wrong last night.”
Leila expected him to laugh at her again, comment on her inability to sleep. Instead, his face turned thoughtful. Her fingernails bit into her skin. The way his eyebrows bunched together made her wary. Leila knew some of her mistakes already, but maybe there were more hidden faults than she thought. The urge to run away crawled back up her spine. Tamping it down took a little muscle. Leila wanted this, she told herself. She would never know what she needed to change if she didn’t hear him out. Her fingers unfurled and pressed flat against her thighs. She looked at Eli expectantly.
“You know,” he began, “my job is typically a pretty easy one. And I don’t mean taking lovely women out to dinner. Women come to me so I can tell them the secret of why meaningful relationships seem to be so elusive for them. They are never sure why they’re still alone, but I can usually see the reason within five minutes of meeting them.”
“That’s why you’re the best.”
He shook his head. “No, it’s simply that their faults are usually so glaringly obvious to everyone but them, it’s impossible not to notice.”
“So, it has nothing to do with you being a psychiatrist, someone trained to read people’s words and expressions?”
“Not a whole lot, no.”
“Yeah. Right.”
The gentle shake of Eli’s head loosened a piece of his polished brown hair. He
brushed[…]” one finger tapping on her skin. The pulse of his touch raced through her arm to her chest. Her breath stuttered.
“You know…” Eli said.
“Here we are,” a barista named Alice said as she set down two smoothies and a pair of turkey sandwiches. “You two enjoy your meal.” As Alice turned around, she winked at Leila and gave a thumbs up sign as she pointed at Eli with the other hand. Leila rolled her eyes and ignored her.
“Sorry,” Eli said, drawing Leila’s attention back to him, “I would have waited to order until you got here, but the barista said this is what you always get. I hope you don’t mind.”
“No, no, it’s fine.” Leila was quick to assure him, but in the back of her mind she was embarrassed to realize she was so predictable that a woman she was only casually acquainted with knew exactly what she would order.
Whatever Eli was going to say before Alice walked up was lost. He seemed to be back to business now. “What I said about my job being easy, that doesn’t apply to you, Leila.”
Date Shark
Life as the marketing director for a popular fashion boutique is overwhelming for Leila Sparrow, to say the least.
She’s not sure what ever possessed her to add revamping her dating life to her already hectic schedule. Calling in renowned Date Shark, Eli Walsh seemed like a good idea until she actually met with him…
Date Shark was only meant to be a side-enterprise to his thriving couple’s therapy practice, but Eli Walsh knows it’s become more of an obsession. At least, it was until he agreed to take on Leila. Somehow she has stolen his entire focus. He wants to admit his fascination with her and growing romantic interest, but he knows coming on too strong will scare her away.
Get Date Shark on your preferred e-tailer.
DelSheree Gladden
Native to New Mexico, DelSheree and her family spent several years in Colorado for college and work before moving back home to be near family. When not writing novels, you can find DelSheree reading, painting, sewing and working with other authors.
DelSheree has several bestselling young adult series and has hit the USA Today Bestseller list twice as part of box sets. DelSheree also has contemporary romance, cozy mystery, and paranormal new adult series. Her writing is as varied as her reading interests.
Get to know more about DelSheree through:
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