Matter of Choice

Shannon Winters' life became irreversibly twisted and forever changed after her husband's horrific car accident. Now she hides behind the beautiful boutique hotel she owns and operates on the Hudson River. Her husband's constant affairs and harsh treatment caused by debilitating amnesia leave Shannon fighting to find the love she lost.

Triston Keyes needs closure from the woman he'd hurt in high school. On a business trip, he finds himself face-to-face with the very person living rent-free in his heart and mind. Shannon is everything he's remembered and more.

Together, they find the chemistry continues to haunt them both. More powerful than they remember and more tempting than they can fight, both must face fears, loss, and memories to choose the right path.

Prepare to be moved by Matter of Choice, a gripping tale of redemption, forbidden love, and the enduring power of the heart. RM Alexander takes you on an emotional roller coaster as Shannon and Triston navigate their past and present, desperate to find closure and forgiveness. Can they overcome the obstacles that fate has placed in their path? Will love conquer all?

Shannon Winters relaxed against the leather chair and tapped on the down arrow, paging through unrecognizable
names. Her shoulders relaxed. It was going to be an easy day at the Grande Marquis—no actors, no political figures. Just everyday people, ready to begin their vacation from the rat race.

Being upstate along the banks of the Hudson River just outside of Paree, New York, famous names on the guest
list was a normal occurrence at the Grande Marquis. They came from the city, or
D.C., many flew across the country, to call the hotel their destination of choice. The Grande provided refuge from the demands of paparazzi and tourists eager to pull camera phones out. That kind of thing wasn't tolerated. The
attention to detail carried weight. And, despite the respect Shannon had for
her employees, the burden of the overly rich and famous remained joyfully on her shoulders. She alone ensured they were granted the same privacy as other guests. No one else to blame if something went wrong, although things rarely went wrong. She made sure of that, too.

Still, she would stand in the
lobby and greet most of them personally. That was the job, and Shannon liked it. Loved it, in fact.

She took a bite of breakfast,
lukewarm from sitting too long on the plate, and spun the chair. Eyes closed and head back, Shannon rolled the softened English muffin and tender egg between her teeth before swallowing. Late nights and early mornings demanded
easy workloads. For this morning, at least, it appeared that demand would be
met.

Mercifully.

The ring of line one interrupted
the quiet, and Shannon sat up, blinked away sleepiness, and reached for the receiver. Naomi, the daytime front desk clerk, voiced forced discomfort through the line. "We have a problem in the lobby, Ms. Winters."

Shannon's heart sank, intuition
waving the familiar red flag, screaming an identity she yearned to deny. It could be a guest or a visitor, she reminded herself. "Did you call
security?"

An awkward silence and then, "It's Mr. Winters, ma'am."

Shannon pulled the constricting air through her nostrils. So much for faulty intuition. "Thank you, Naomi. I'll be there in a moment."

She laid the receiver in the
cradle and watched as the red light blinked off, then pushed the plate aside, her appetite ruined. It'd been a good week since Greg's last disruption. The hope there wouldn't be another was short-sighted and plain optimistic. Greg was
becoming infamous for public, unruly behavior which knew no boundaries for rearing its ugly head.

Not even her place of business.

Shannon locked the computer,
rushed out of the office, and down the carpeted hallway towards the public areas of the hotel, past the managerial offices of the salaried employees. Housekeeping, maintenance, and customer service supervisors wouldn't be in for another hour. She wouldn't ask for their help if they were in. Her husband was her problem.

Opening the ‘Employee Only' door, she stepped into the main floor's south wing corridor. Heels clicked against
marble flooring as she hurried towards the towering lobby and familiar boisterous baritone.

"Welcome, everyone. You're
going to love it here. Love it! Let's all be friends, find the bar, and share a drink. Or two. Or three." Greg's laugh reverberated against the white and pink marble, amplifying every drunken, slurred syllable.

She nodded absently at guests as she turned the corner, neck needled by raised hairs. Greg Winters stood in the
middle of the four-story expanse. His short, ebony hair stood at prickly attention. The thickened, black shadows of more than a day missed shaving dressed his narrowly chiseled features. A beer bottle was gripped within thick fingers. Clusters of guests gathered around, others passing with heads down in an effort to ignore the scene. Some whispered to one another as they shot under-eyed glances in Greg's direction. Others kept their gazes trained on the floor, the
artwork on the walls, the furthest reaches of the Mid-Hudson River visible
through the floor-to-ceiling windows which graced the east side of the building.

Shannon weaved around them all with a thick spine and stopped to stand behind her husband.

A hand rested on her shoulder. "Would you like for me to escort him out, Ms. Winters?"

She turned to face the head
security guard for the Grande. "No, thank you, Stevens. I'll take care of this. Please tell Naomi to offer guests a voucher for a free dinner on the night of their choice for the interruption."

"Yes, Ms. Winters." He
nodded and turned down the hallway toward the door she'd exited moments before,
then disappeared out of sight.

Shannon drew in a breath through her teeth and rushed for Greg as he raised a bottle in the air at a passing
couple, splashing them with drops of brew. She whispered an apology as they hurried away and made a note to pay for dry cleaning or even new clothes, if need be. Whatever it took to satisfy her guests.

But right now, her sole focus was defusing the situation before it escalated further.

She reached for Greg's hand, heart shuddering as he flinched away. "Greg, Greg, come on." Sidling next to him, she pressed his hand, still tight around the bottleneck, gently
downward, ignored a scathing glare. No doubt he resented the intrusion, but it didn't matter. He'd come to her only sanctuary. Allowing him to ruin it was not an option. "How about you come rest in one of the guest rooms? I have a vacancy. You can watch some TV, maybe get some sleep." Shannon rested her other hand on Greg's fading biceps, now alien against the memories of gym-toned masculinity.

Greg snatched his arm from reach, defiance hardening the charcoal of his eyes, his voice a snarl. "I don't want to sleep. I want to party." He pushed against her weaker hold and
raised the bottle with a grin, surveying the room. His voice bellowed, pressing the gathering crowd together as conspiratorial whispers were drowned in the outburst. "Where's a pretty date wanting some great entertainment? I've
got it right here." He gestured at his gyrating groin, barking laughter.

Language: English

Number of Pages: 423 pages

Estimated Time to Read: 4 hours

Word Count: 68,707

Formats: ePub & Mobi

Devices: Kindle, Apple, & Android Devices, Nook & Kobo Readers, Computers

Delivery Time & Method: Instant delivery to domestic and international readers via the email address provided at check-out

Also available on:Amazon, Nook, Apple, Google Play, Smashwords