Free Everything to Lose (Moonlight Dating Series #2) by Natalie G. Owens

A message from Jeanette Lagrange, founder of Moonlight Dating .
     
    There were times in history when the sun was revered, its light a guide for travellers, a solace for the weak.
    The moonlight, however, has always been a time for reflection, a time for yearning and indulging in a bit of philosophy. A time when lovers tryst and weary souls can finally find a place to rest. Kisses feel softer, a touch more electric, under the tender vigilance of our sister, the Moon.
    Who knows what secrets simmer in the night? Even I cannot grasp the full dimension of their reach. The Moon, in all her understated radiance, has many answers to give, many riddles to solve, and many hearts to heal.
    The Moon illuminates a path to redemption and happiness, and gives me visions of a different world. Sometimes they’re otherworldly visions, sometimes they’re as natural as the gentle ripple of the water left by the motion of an indolent oar, its handler unhurried, thoughtful. Because of this, I know that in the moonlight, the impossible can happen. Strong bonds are forged, and others are mended. Lives become whole.
    We often hear of the bad, sordid deeds that happen at night time. Illicit sex, crime, cruelty – we thus fear the night. But I, a willing optimist, want to offer a different kind of reality, for my sake as well as yours. I want to give you a night that is radiant, beautiful, sensual, carnal. A night in which all the faces of love can be at arm’s reach, if you will them to.
    Many are more apt to grasp life’s gifts from the shadows, because they are used to small expectations and are afraid of risk. They must allow themselves to slowly become acclimated to the change… because those who hesitate to abandon themselves in the blinding heat of the sun may feel newfound courage when the moon takes the reins of the skies and shines on infinity along with its shimmering cohorts, the stars.
    I created Moonlight Dating to get you started on this journey to wanting more, expecting more, to give you all your heart’s desires. Nothing’s up to chance.  If you don’t believe this is possible, I dare you to take the plunge. For every designed encounter, I need a man, a woman, a perfect match. If it’s there, I will find it for you. Give me one night, one chance, to wake your dreams in the moonlight…
     
    Yours,
     
    Jeanette Lagrange
     
     

CHAPTER 1
     
    “Dane.”
    Lisbeth Marsh, new divorcee, gaped at her ex-husband who stood uncertainly on her doorstep.
    He showed up just as she was about to wind down and settle with a bowl of chicken and rice salad and a DVD. Standing there, on her doorstep, he looked about as out of place as a ghost at a gathering of skeptics.
    She clutched the side of the front door, a conscious action that set tiny tingling fires on the underside of her fingers. Blood rushed to her hand as she pressed the tense digits on the rigid wood, wanting nothing more than to break it into splinters and crush them in her grip.
    Wearing a worn gray jogging suit and holding a mini-vacuum in her right hand – she wasn’t exactly a poster child for femininity and elegance. Her elbow-length, copper-colored hair was haphazardly caught at the nape in a loose ponytail, and her cheeks were flushed from her housecleaning workout. 
    A complete mess, much like her marriage to Dane had been.
    “What are you doing here? I thought you’d already started your new contract in Seattle.”
    “Yeah, well. I thought I’d take a trip down here and…tie up some loose ends. Jeanette asked me to forward this to you.”
    Dane handed her a shoebox. She opened it and peeked inside to see a stack of written notes about plants and gardening, as well as packets of seeds and a notebook.
    The prized horticultural secrets of Jeanette Lagrange, the eccentric founder of Moonlight Dating .
    “I—thanks,” she said, flustered. “Why did she inconvenience you? I live closer to her while you live on another continent altogether.”
    Didn’t the