“You made it happen, Raquel. This is all you.”
I gave his arm a gentle squeeze. “How’s your sister?”
“She’s doing great. Mom, too. She’s agreed to sell the house.”
“Oh, that’s wonderful news.”
“Mom’s excited to find somewhere smaller and she’s even decided to take up golf!”
“That will be so good for her.”
“Thank you, Raquel, for everything you’ve done for us.”
“I feel the same way.” I cupped his face. “This store is perfect.”
“My perfume girl is perfect.”
I wrapped my arms around him, feeling true peace from the love we had found together.
With the store securely shut and the state-of the-art alarm system set, we drove to Triple, sharing our enthusiasm for the meal ahead—especially the lobster bisque the restaurant was famed for, and its seafood ravioli, ready to be savored with a tall glass of white wine. We were shown to our table and didn’t even need to look at the menus. This was one of Astor’s favorite restaurants.
We talked as we waited for our server to take our order. Astor told me about all he’d been up to and I gave him the details of my routine, and when he reached over the table to hold my hand, it was a perfect ending to our day.
He flinched when his phone pinged, then pulled it out and stared at the screen.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“It’s happening.”
“What?” My heart raced at seeing his conflicted expression.
Then he gave me a wide grin. “The sea turtles are hatching.”
I got to my feet in a rush. “What are we waiting for? Let’s go!”
He threw an apologetic wave to the concierge, then grabbed hold of my hand and we hurried out onto the curb.
“Every day I’m reminded how perfect you are for me,” he said, and then frowned when he noticed the expression on my face. “What’s wrong, Raquel?”
I pointed to the bee resting on the windshield of our car. Astor gave a nod, reaching around and gently cupping the bee in his palm.
He walked a few steps and opened his hand to set it free. “There you go, little guy.”
We watched it fly away.
When Astor returned to my side, I rested my head against his chest.
“You okay?” he asked.
“With you I am, yes.”
“This is my job, Raquel, to protect you from the beasties no matter what size they are.”
“And my job is to love you so much that I make up for everything you’ve been through.”
He pulled me into a tighter hug. “You already have, Mrs. Beauregard.” He tilted his head. “Just trying it out on you.”
“It sounds perfect.”
“You’re perfect, Raquel, and I’m crazy in love with you.”
My sigh was wistful. “I love you so much, Astor. You make me so happy.” A few moments later, I gasped and looked up at him. “We have turtles to save.”
Within twenty minutes, Astor and I were walking across the sand heading toward the conservation team. The gang waved when they saw us.
Astor beamed at me. “Look at the moon.”
My gaze rose, taking in the brightness of the light reflecting off it and the way it beckoned to us so brilliantly.
“Lumière,” he whispered. “A light that leads the way to freedom.”
This was wisdom…to live in the present moment and be the best version of myself, showing gratitude for all I had been blessed with.
With our fingers entwined, Astor led me farther down the golden sandy beach. I knew the light I had been searching for all my life was him.
And I wanted to share this great love with the whole world in every conceivable way.
Dearest Aunty Marg, this one’s for you. Thank you for sharing stories of Nan and Mom and keeping their memories alive.
I’m the luckiest girl in the world to have such a wonderful group of friends who support my love of writing. I never take this for granted. It means I can throw myself into my passion whole-heartedly.
Thank you to my rock star agent Kimberly Whalen. Your wisdom and strength are a gift I value deeply. Look at what we have on its way!
To my dear friends Bob Lange and Marko Kuo, the best entertainment lawyers a girl could have, thank you for all you do!
Peter Katz, I’m eternally grateful for your support and generosity. You go above and beyond, and I can’t thank you enough.
To Debra Presley and Drue Hoffman at Buoni Amici Press PR who represent me in all things when it comes to social media and are constantly offering the best advice. I couldn’t do this without you both. From the quality of what you do as publicists to your generosity of spirit, you are the best team an author could have.
Najla Qamber, you blew me away with the cover art for Perfume Girl. I am a fan for life. I can’t wait to see what else you come up with! Stacey Blake, you again made my book look so pretty with the formatting. I am always wowed with what you do.
Thank you to my incredible P.A. Karen Hulseman who kindly joined me with this book release to share news of Perfume Girl. Your expertise and drive are inspiring.
My beloved editor Debbie Kuhn, thank you for lending your talent and skill to ensure my readers enjoy a lovely read. And thank you for loving my characters as much as I do.
Lauren Luman, you give your time and support generously to me and so many other authors. You’re a bright light in our romance community. Thank you for all you do. You welcome new readers and make others feel at home in our online groups.
To my dear friends Hazel Godwin and Heather Amber Pollock, I count myself lucky to know you both and can’t wait for the day when I get to give you two a hug of thanks. Thank you to for Pam Stack, my dynamic producer on The Romance Show podcast and giving me the opportunity to reach out to authors and share their love of storytelling with the world! A shout out to the amazing Lydia Rella. Thank you for all you do for me and other authors!
To Melissa Saneholtz and Tracey Suppo over at Book + Main. Your site is everything we romance readers have been waiting for. Thank you for supporting us the way you do and sharing your platform. Thank you for all you have done for Perfume Girl!
My deepest gratitude as always to the generosity of all the bloggers and reviewers who continue to share news of my books. It’s because of all of you that our stories find readers. For that I am forever grateful.
I’m waving at you my darling Romance Lounge members on Facebook who cheer me on and are always there with a kind word or a crazy cute GIF. I love the way you support each other. The words I write are always for you.
Thank you to my parents and my beloved sisters Liz and Mand. Having a family who believe in me is priceless.
Brad, thank you for always being there and sharing my dream and allowing me to be part of yours. This journey would not be what it is without you. You encourage me to give my best and inspire me creatively.
And to my readers, you give your time and trust when you read one of my novels and for that I am eternally grateful.
Available now
THE ENTHRALL SESSIONS:
ENTHRALL
ENTHRALL HER
ENTHRALL HIM
CAMERON’S CONTROL
CAMERON’S CONTRACT
RICHARD’S REIGN
ENTHRALL SECRETS
ENTHRALL CLIMAX
And
THE ICON TRILOGY from Harlequin:
THE CHASE
THE GAME
THE PRIZE
NEW
Coming in 2019
from bestselling author Vanessa Fewings
PERVADE LONDON
A dark, edgy romance series about true power and everyone it touches.
for more info
vanessafewings.com
Vanessa is also on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, BookBub, and Pinterest @vanessafewings
For those wanting to chat more with Vanessa,
visit the Romance Lounge on Fa
cebook.
Perfume Girl Page 30
