A divorce lawyer with a romantic spirit. A cynical television executive who thinks commitment is for fools. They can’t fight their attraction, or their affection. Can they find a way to reconcile their vastly different needs, or will each walk away from the best thing they’ve ever had? Jordan might be a divorce lawyer, but he’s a hopeless romantic. He doesn’t see the two as incompatible, either. He’s never had a relationship last long enough to be with someone on Valentine’s Day, but he’s still hopeful he’ll find the one out there somewhere. Sam is an executive vice president at a major television network. He spends his days managing programming, much of it centered around romance, and he knows exactly how fake television romances are. His own background of rejection only cements his views on the fleeting nature of affection. They meet by chance, when Sam’s sister and best friend file for divorce. The divorce is messy, and Sam and Jordan are thrown together often enough to try to make a relationship work. When the winter holidays roll around, the difference in their expectations comes to the fore. Can Sam overcome his fear of commitment ... and rejection? Can Jordan get over his need to define their relationship? Or will they both lose the one thing in their lives that makes them happiest?

Paper Hearts

“Okay…” Jordan bit his lip. He felt drunk, but without the fun parts. “Did I step through the looking glass or something here?”


Sam kept unpacking things—food, plates, wines, all kinds of things. “I hate those aspects of Valentine’s Day, Jordan, but you pointed some things out to me that made sense. It’s goodto celebrate the people we love. It’s good to take a day to remind them we love them, and to just celebrate love in general. I had no idea you gave your employees a bonus on Valentine’s Day.”


Jordan had to sit down. The room was spinning too fast for him to keep up. “Why do you know that?”


Sam stopped what he was doing to focus entirely on Jordan. It was a bizarre feeling, heady and emotional and something Jordan didn’t dare get too attached to. “Because I went to your office first, Jordan. I went there to look for you, and I found out you hadn’t even told people you were going home for the day. So, I came here.” He uncorked a bottle of wine. “Your Valentine’s Day dinner.”


Chapter 31