“I think this calls for a very long and very intimate experiment,” she whispered. “It could take years. Maybe decades.” He heard her swallow. “If you’re interested.”
“Give me your address,” he replied softly.
She did then continued with the same haste. “I’d go shopping but I don’t know how to pick a good chicken.”
“I’ll do it.”
“Okay.”
He heard her smile then and began to smile himself. “Okay.”
“Come soon.”
“Absolutely.”
There was no chance that Spencer would miss the very next flight.
Liv couldn’t believe she’d done it.
She’d called Spencer.
She’d asked him to come.
She’d been within a whisker of telling him the truth and had only stopped because she wanted to see his eyes when she made her confession.
She didn’t sleep that night, or only just barely. She knew the flights from the east coast arrived at Heathrow early in the morning. She showered and dressed and cleaned her flat one last time, suspecting that he’d arrive around nine. She used her new grinder and made a pot of coffee.
It was good, but she obviously needed more instruction.
She was standing at the main window, the one with the view of the street, with her hands wrapped around her mug when a familiar figure got out of a taxi. Spencer stood and looked around, orienting himself. He had only a small backpack, as if he’d grabbed essentials and hurried to the airport.
As if he was as ready to see her as she was to see him.
Liv knocked on the glass and waved, waiting until he looked up. Then she grabbed her keys and ran down the stairs, erupting into the street. He caught her up and kissed her, swinging her around—much to the amusement of the other pedestrians.
“I made coffee,” she confessed.
“I love you,” he replied, as if that truth was obvious and would never change. That gave Olivia the confidence to tease him a little.
“Because I made coffee?” She felt light and happy, just because he was with her, just because he was looking at her as if she was the amazing one.
“Because you are who you are. Because you learn and try new things.” He stole a quick kiss and his next words were husky. “Because you called and told me what you wanted.”
“That’s not all I wanted to tell you.” Liv smiled when his gaze brightened. “I love you, too. I wanted to tell you in person.”
The confession didn’t hurt at all. She felt better having said it and knew it was the truth.
“Fair enough.” Spencer smiled with lazy satisfaction. He set her on her feet, keeping her in the circle of his arms. “The question is: if we cook a roast chicken together, which one of us will be getting lucky?” He kissed her before she could laugh or reply.
Liv flung her arms around his neck, kissing him back so that he didn’t doubt his welcome.
“I missed you, Olivia,” he whispered against her throat and she closed her eyes against the surge of pleasure she felt in hearing him say her name.
“I missed you so much,” she admitted, and his arms tightened around her even as he pulled back to look into her eyes.
“And I’m so glad you want to cook with me.”
“Only you.”
“Works for me.”
Liv grabbed his hand and tugged him toward the door to her flat. “It’s tiny,” she warned him as they climbed the stairs. She urged him into the space and he had to duck his head a bit to avoid hitting it on a beam. He looked really tall in the small space, but he scanned it and nodded. “But I won’t be here much longer.”
He glanced her way in surprise. “Why’s that?”
Liv clasped her hands together, knowing that once she started to tell him, the words would tumble out. “We had a discussion in the lab about refining our results because we’re not narrowing in on a solution very quickly. I suggested that we could compare genetic markers found in different species of bees, because they all seem to have susceptibility to certain parasites.” Spencer was very still, his eyes that bright blue that made her heart skip. “So, I called Jane at the Pines and asked if I could use some of her dead bees for research.”
“She found a lot of dead ones in the hive this spring,” Spencer said with care.
“I know. My mom told me. And I saw an opportunity, so I called Jane and she agreed, because she wants to know how to help her bees.”
“Is it legal to ship bees internationally?”
“It’s not advisable if they’ve died of disease.” Liv took a deep breath. “I gave her instructions on preserving them, and they’re waiting for me in Honey Hill. We’ve got some leads on funding for equipment. All I need is lab space.”
“In Bangor?”
Liv shook her head. “I was thinking in Honey Hill because I’d like to continue with my cooking lessons, too.” She smiled. “You spoiled me, Spencer. I want it all now.”
Spencer smiled slowly and closed the distance between them. He raised a hand to her chin, sliding his fingers across her skin in a slow caress that melted her knees. “Are you coming home with me?”
“If you can stay a week to wait for me.”
“Deal.” He bent and kissed her lightly, looked into her eyes, then slanted his mouth to claim her lips. He deepened his kiss and lifted her to her toes, crushing her against his chest, and Liv closed her eyes.
His kiss got better every time.
“What changed your mind?” he murmured when she gave him a chance.
“You did. You convinced me that I needed to howl at the moon.”
Spencer grinned, then kissed her again, scooping her up and heading for her narrow bed. Liv didn’t care how crowded it was. She’d be with him again and she couldn’t wait.
This was the beginning of a new and exciting experiment, one that Liv thought might very well last all of her life.
And she was just fine with that.
It was a sunny afternoon in the middle of May when Chynna finally arrived at Flatiron Five. She’d taken her time walking uptown from Chinatown, admiring the cut flowers for sale, the sight of people without their heavy coats, the laughter from the first brave souls to sit on outdoor patios. The outdoor market on Fifth Ave. was bustling with new vendors and she browsed before going into the shop to work.
Tristan was on the front desk, bobbing his head. He had a tarot card under one claw and gave her a bright look when she stepped into the shop.
Chynna glanced up to her bulletin board, where she’d tucked the three cards chosen for Liv’s tattoo. The third one had been plucked from the board.
“Is it done?” she asked the bird and he cawed with enthusiasm.
Chynna smiled as she eased the card from beneath his weight. She turned it over so that she could see the illustration on the face of The Lovers, then gave Tristan a treat and slid all three cards back into her tarot deck. There were still a few days to the next full moon, but they—Chynna, Tristan, and the tarot cards—were ready.
Spring Fever
Secret Heart Ink #2
After a long cold winter, Reyna is ready for a fling. She’s learned her lesson with bad boys, so her neighbor’s straight-and-narrow nephew is just the man she wants to lead into temptation. But Kade has more secrets than Reyna guesses, which must be why one night isn’t nearly enough to satisfy her spring fever.
Spring Fever
Secret Heart Ink #2
Coming soon!
Thank you!
Thanks for reading Snowbound.
If you’d like to leave a review on your outlet of choice, I’d appreciate it. Reviews help all of us make better buying decisions.
If you’d like to learn about my new releases and sales, as well as have access to special content for subscribers, please join one of my newsletters:
• Heroes & Bad Boys is the newsletter for my Deborah Cooke contemporary romances.
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You can also follow the blog on my website to stay up to date.
Next in the Secret Heart Ink series will be Spring Fever, which is Reyna’s story. If you’re reading this series and Flatiron Five in chronological order, both Snowbound and Spring Fever are set between In the Midnight Hour and Some Guys Have All the Luck.
Thanks for reading my books!
All my best—
Deborah
About the Author
Deborah Cooke sold her first book in 1992, a medieval romance called Romance of the Rose published under her pseudonym Claire Delacroix. Since then, she has published over fifty novels in a wide variety of sub-genres, including historical romance, contemporary romance, paranormal romance, fantasy romance, time-travel romance, women’s fiction, paranormal young adult and fantasy with romantic elements. She has published under the names Claire Delacroix, Claire Cross and Deborah Cooke. The Beauty, part of her successful Bride Quest series of historical romances, was her first title to land on the New York Times List of Bestselling Books. Her books routinely appear on other bestseller lists and have won numerous awards. In 2009, she was the writer-in-residence at the Toronto Public Library, the first time the library has hosted a residency focused on the romance genre. In 2012, she was honored to receive the Romance Writers of America’s Mentor of the Year Award.
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Currently, she writes contemporary romances and paranormal romances under the name Deborah Cooke. She also writes medieval romances as Claire Delacroix. Deborah lives in Canada with her husband and family, as well as far too many unfinished knitting projects.
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Visit Deborah’s Website and Blog
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Visit Claire’s Website and Blog
More Books by the Author
Books by Deborah Cooke
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Contemporary Romance:
The Coxwells
THIRD TIME LUCKY
DOUBLE TROUBLE
ONE MORE TIME
ALL OR NOTHING
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Flatiron Five
SIMPLY IRRESISTIBLE
ADDICTED TO LOVE
IN THE MIDNIGHT HOUR
SOME GUYS HAVE ALL THE LUCK (2018)
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Secret Heart Ink
SNOWBOUND
SPRING FEVER
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Paranormal Romances:
The Dragonfire Series
KISS OF FIRE
KISS OF FURY
KISS OF FATE
WINTER KISS
Harmonia’s Kiss
WHISPER KISS
DARKFIRE KISS
FLASHFIRE
EMBER’S KISS
THE DRAGON LEGION COLLECTION
SERPENT’S KISS
FIRESTORM FOREVER
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The Dragons of Incendium
WYVERN’S MATE
Nero’s Dream
WYVERN’S PRINCE
Arista’s Legacy
WYVERN’S WARRIOR
Kraw’s Secret
WYVERN’S OUTLAW
Celo’s Quest
WYVERN’S ANGEL
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Urban Fantasy Romance
The Prometheus Project
FALLEN
GUARDIAN
REBEL
ABYSS
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Paranormal Young Adult:
The Dragon Diaries
FLYING BLIND
WINGING IT
BLAZING THE TRAIL
Learn about Claire Delacroix
historical romances on
Claire’s website.
Snowbound Page 13
