Welcome to “At First Sight Saturday.” Today’s guest is author, Laura Haley-McNeil who gives us a ‘first sight’ scene from her book The Billionaire’s Christmas Gift and introduces us to hero, Quint Fairchild and heroine, Chrystelle Bach. Be sure to leave a comment to let Laura know your thoughts about the scene.

Wrapping her fingers around the steering wheel, Chrystelle drove the limousine through the gate and along the tree-lined drive to the porte cochère. Her heart pounded like the drumline in a marching band.

She took a calming breath. Her hands trembled slightly, and she winced. If she was nervous, Quint would notice immediately and wonder why the service sent an inexperienced driver, or worse, complain to Mr. Lowery. She’d be calm. She’d be cool. Stepping from the vehicle, she repeated the sentiments to herself like a mantra and smoothed a hand over the black suit that fit her like a rented wedding tuxedo. She opened the rear door.

Quint Fairchild burst through the studded entrance doors. His powerful build was covered in a button-down shirt and tailored slacks, and his square jaw was chiseled enough to cut glass. He fastened his cuffs as he drummed down the granite steps. Racing after him was a thin man in a gray suit juggling portfolios, a briefcase and a laptop sleeve.

Chrystelle froze and stared at the man charging toward her. The one time she saw Quint Fairchild had been at a distance. She wasn’t prepared for this Apollo-like creature whose sandy hair curled over his collar and whose blue eyes blazed. At thirty, he was the youngest chief executive officer of a major Hollywood studio. And one of the most eligible bachelors on the planet, not that he’d be interested in her.

Her heart gave one hard thud.

The man in the gray suit slowed his pace and a furrow deepened between his brows when he stared at the limo. He shifted a narrow gaze to Chrystelle.

Her blood went cold. Had she done something wrong? With a slight shake of his head, he opened the front passenger door and placed the portfolios, laptop and briefcase on the seat. The portfolio cases were similar to hers except hers had a bent corner and was much less expensive than the ones the man had carried. She couldn’t afford pricier cases, but the advisors at the screenwriters’ conference said all serious writers used them. She was a serious writer, so she purchased several, though it had required creative budgeting that month.

“What’s your name?” Quint Fairchild’s deep voice dragged her gaze away from the man in the gray suit. Quint’s eyes flashed with an intensity that sent a tumble of confusing emotions through her chest.

“Chrystelle Bach, sir.” She looked into brilliant blue eyes that rested on her in a particularly disconcerting way. She felt sick to her stomach. No fare had ever asked Chrystelle her name. This couldn’t be a good sign.

“Well, Miss Chrystelle Bach, perhaps you’d care to explain why you’re not driving the SUV I requested.” His voice was pleasant as if he were discussing the weather, but his gaze could freeze fire.

The death grip of fear sank its claws into her chest. Mr. Lowery had insisted she drive this sedan. Had he forgotten Mr. Fairchild ordered an SUV? She could understand why Quint would want an SUV. He was well over six feet tall. For someone his height, it was easier to climb in and out of an SUV.

“I’m sorry, sir.” She swallowed a yelp and stepped back to give him room to enter the limousine. She wouldn’t offer an excuse, but she couldn’t hide the disappointment dropping over her. Would driving the wrong car cost her the chance to give him her script? Even though the opportunity seemed to diminish, she had to try.

“There’s no need for you to apologize. I don’t blame you.” One side of Quint’s mouth tipped upward, but there was no humor in his eyes.

“Thank you, sir.” Maybe she wouldn’t show him her writing. This golden opportunity was off to a bad start.

Blurb: Everything in his life is planned. How’d she get on his agenda?

Quint Fairchild, head of Fairchild Films, learned long ago that in Hollywood everything’s make believe, including love. So why can’t he resist the small town innocence of struggling scriptwriter Chrystelle Bach? She’s entirely too fascinating, but he can convince himself he doesn’t want her⸻he wants her script.

Chrystelle wishes she could spend Christmas with her beloved grandmother in her Colorado hometown. Then Quint offers her a contract to produce her TV series. She almost believes this is the best Christmas ever⸻until she reads the contract. He doesn’t just want rewrites, he wants her to change everything. The battle begins, but when Chrystelle’s grandmother takes ill, Chrystelle knows where she belongs and hops the next bus home.

What she hadn’t expected was Quint on her front porch, and not to wish her a Merry Christmas. He wants her script⸻on his terms, of course. Their conflict continues, but the more time Chrystelle spends with this stubborn billionaire, the harder it is for her to remember why she can’t change her script. But sprinkle this battle with grandmotherly wisdom and holiday charm, and the season of blessings reveals love in more ways than Chrystelle and Quint ever imagined.

Available Now: September 29, 2020

About Laura Haley-McNeil:  A native of California, Laura Haley-McNeil spent her youth studying ballet and piano, though her favorite pastime was curling up with a good book. Without a clue as to how to write a book, she knew one day she would.

After college, she segued into the corporate world, but she never forgot her love for the arts and served on the board of two community orchestras. Finally realizing that the book she’d dreamt of writing wouldn’t write itself, she planted herself in front of her computer. She now immerses herself in the lives and loves of her characters in her romantic suspense and her contemporary romance novels. Many years later, she lived her own romantic novel when she married her piano teacher, the love of her life.

Though she and husband have left warm California for cooler Colorado, they enjoy the outdoor life of hiking, bicycling, horseback riding and snow skiing. They satisfy their love of music by attending concerts and hanging out with their musician friends, but Laura still catches a few free moments when she can sneak off and read.

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