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Access to Love
    Pursuit of Passion
    By Gracie Lonsdale
    Copyright 2014 Gracie Lonsdale
    ISBN: 978-0-9915555-0-5
    Pursuit of Passion: Access to Love Series Copyright © 2014 Gracie Lonsdale
    Edited by Tracy Roelle and Melisande Scott
    Cover art by Gracie Lonsdale
    Formatting by Sara Wilson
    All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
    The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious or are used fictitiously. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.
    Dedication
    First, a huge thanks to my family for their continued love and understanding. To two people, who from the very beginning of this project, were in my corner offering their support and spurring me on…TL Reeve and Frank Lee. To Dee Allen, a big thank you for your time and encouragement working with me on Photo-Shop.
    To Jeannemarie, Shannon and Amy, the best beta readers a girl could have. Your friendship and encouragements are invaluable!
    To the my editors Melisande and Tracy, thank you for taking this rough cut and making a diamond out of it!
    Chapter One
    “So, have you heard anything yet? You know, the internet dating thing.” Amanda leaned forward as she set her cup of coffee down on the small, round bistro table that separated her and her best friend, Ivy.
    “Nope. Not yet, and the waiting is killing me. Have you considered filling out the application for yourself yet?” Ivy asked, as she raised the steaming hot cup of coffee to her lips and blew across the top.
    “I’m considering it. I figured I’d wait to see how things turned out for you. The last thing I need is yet another dating service that doesn’t deliver. God, if I had five dollars for every bad date I’ve been set up on,” Amanda raised her hands in air quotes, “with the ‘perfect match’, I’d be rather rich, instead of single and alone.”
    “I hear you, but something seemed different about this one. They were thorough, and the fact that they did a background check as well as medical clearance gives me peace of mind. It’s not some shoddy internet site where everyone is just trying to hook up. They were professional, and it seems like they’re serious about what they do. What do I have to lose?”
    “Nothing, I guess. I’ll still wait to see how things pan out for you Ivy. Then maybe I’ll give it a shot.”
    Ivy made it back to work with plenty of time to spare. She and Amanda worked blocks apart and often met at the coffee shop for lunch. Amanda McClave was a paralegal for a big law firm. Ivy was a graphic artist for an advertising agency. They had met in a self-defense class in their Brooklyn neighborhood five years earlier and had become the best of friends, solidifying their friendship over body slams, coffee, and their commute into Manhattan every morning and most evenings.
    Ivy Hughes had spent the last few years focusing on her career, leaving very little time for dating. Not that she didn’t date at all—there were dates—but most of the time a second date was out of the question. Physical attraction was not enough to warrant a second date, especially for men like Paul, the last man to take her out. Paul, who was newly divorced, spent the whole night talking about his ex. She had heard every detail about their relationship, and then, the sordid details about their divorce, and how he’d caught his wife cheating on him with one of her co-workers. When he’d started to cry over dessert, it was time to end the night. Oh, and then there was Jacob, who she’d thought was going to be a dream. He was handsome and smart. She had met him in the library and they’d talked for over an hour about books, but on their date, his mother called…nine times! She’d wanted to make sure he’d taken his scarf, and then reminded him