by Nina Lane
“I haven’t seen these before.” She held the candy up to the window. The sunlight shone through, making the crystal sparkle like a jewel. “Are they new?”
Luke nodded. “They’re called Polly Promises.”
She lowered her hand and stared at him. “Seriously?”
“Seriously.” Amusement gleamed in his eyes. “Marketing is working right now on packaging and a launch campaign. We’re planning a big push for Valentine’s Day.”
“But how did you . . . ?”
“I spent a weekend in the test kitchen, making candy and trying to decide if I fell in love with you when I saw you at the Troll’s House or when I realized the fates had put you back in my life, or when you told me I was a control-freak Capricorn. Sometime during that weekend, I came up with Polly Promises. And I realized it didn’t matter when I fell in love with you . . . the fact was that I just loved you. I love you.”
He took the candy jar from her and set in on the table, then placed his hands on either side of her neck. The warm, focused look in his eyes as he gazed at her—as if she were the only person who existed in the world—made Polly’s soul want to sing all the songs.
“I love everything about you,” Luke continued, stroking his thumb gently over her collarbone. “I love your openness, your trusting nature, the way you do everything with your whole heart. I love how your eyes give away everything you’re feeling, even when you try to hide it. I love the interesting ways your hair sticks up in the morning. I love your scent, the sound of your laugh, and that look you give me when I’m being an idiot. I love your body to the point of obsession, and I could spend an eternity learning all the facets of your mind. In other words, you are the glaze on my doughnut, the sugar on my cookie, and the chocolate on my éclair.”
“Oh my,” Polly breathed, placing her hand on his chest. “That was the most delicious speech I’ve ever heard in my life.”
“I meant every word. I need you to be mine.”
“I’m yours. Of course I’m yours.” She let her eyes track over his face, his strong features that were indelibly imprinted on her mind. “But . . .”
“I’m here to stay,” Luke said.
“For how long?”
“For as long as you’ll have me.”
Hope rose anew into her heart. “Really?”
“Yes.” He cupped her cheek, faint uncertainty flickering in his eyes. “I know you’re busy, but I want to be here with you.”
“What about Sugar Rush?”
“I took a leave of absence for the next year. I delegated all my projects, turned my office over to Evan, shut down my company email accounts, and threw away my business cards.”
“You’re kidding.”
“I’m a man of leisure now, baby,” he said. “I have nothing to do except follow you around Paris while you gaze at old buildings and I gaze at your mighty fine ass.”
A laugh bubbled into Polly’s throat. Luke smiled, the warmth in his expression flooding her with everything good.
He was hers.
“I want us to be together,” Luke said, his voice threaded with urgency. “I want us to have fun, but not just for a few dates. I want us to have fun forever. I want us to live a fairytale. I want to take you everywhere you want to go.”
“No.”
He blinked. “No?”
“I don’t want you to take me places,” Polly said. “And I don’t want you to follow me. I want you to go with me.”
“Peach,” he murmured, lifting his hands to the sides of her head. “I’ll go with you anywhere. I promise.”
Their lips met in a kiss that sent her into a cascade of love, spilling like hot butterscotch through her whole body. She slid her fingers into his hair as their kiss grew deeper and hotter. He moved his hands to her hips and backed her up toward the bed situated against the wall.
She gripped the front of his shirt, bringing him down with her as she fell against the mattress, which enveloped her in a soft, fluffy cloud of—
Polly jerked away from him, her breath fast as she stared at him in shock. She put her hand on the bed.
“Is this . . .”
“A custom-made Savoir mattress?” Luke pressed his lips across her neck, his touch igniting little fires in her blood. “It might be.”
“I can’t believe you did this.”
“That’s not all I did.” He flicked his tongue into the hollow of her throat. “I also cancelled the service on my company phone.”
“Oh my God.” Polly laughed and stroked her hands down his muscular back. “What have I done with CEO Stone?”
“You’ve made him so happy.” And he kissed her again.
Thank you for reading Luke and Polly’s story! Be sure to sign up for my newsletter to receive an exclusive Sugar Rush novella in 2017:
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Hannah Lockhart travels the world and blogs about love. Evan Stone, heir to the Sugar Rush Candy Company, has spent his life trying to prove himself as more than his heart condition. But when love and hearts collide, can Hannah and Evan find their sweet ending?
New York Times & USA Today bestselling author Nina Lane writes hot, sexy romances and spicy erotica. Originally from California, she holds a PhD in Art History and an MA in Library and Information Studies, which means she loves both research and organization. She also enjoys traveling and thinks St. Petersburg, Russia is a city everyone should visit at least once. Although Nina would go back to college for another degree because she’s that much of a bookworm and a perpetual student, she now lives the happy life of a full-time writer.
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THE SPIRAL OF BLISS SERIES
“Give me a kiss, beauty.”
The intense, erotic romance of a medieval history professor and the love of his life…
AROUSE: Book One
ALLURE: Book Two
AWAKEN: Book Three
ADORE: Book Four
ALWAYS: Book Five
BREAK THE SKY: A Spiral of Bliss Romance
* * *
THE EROTIC DARK SERIES
Submission is her only escape…
A downright dirty series with graphic scenes of spanking, caning, dubious consent, and a great deal of hot, raunchy, explicit sex.
THE EROTIC DARK
THE EROTIC LIGHT
* * *
STICKY
It's forbidden. Shocking. Filthy. And she wants more.
He's the school principal. She's a married mother of two.
I owe my deepest gratitude to the people who have helped me bring Luke and Polly’s story out into the world.
Thank you, Cathy Yardley of Rock Your Writing, for allowing me to benefit from your razor-sharp knowledge of story structure and character goals. Thank you, Jessa Slade of Red Circle Ink, for your incredibly perceptive critiques and patience.
Thank you, Lea Ann Schafer, for your very thoughtful analysis of characters and plot and for suggesting ways to improve both. Thank you, Bev Katz Rosenbaum, for your thoughts and ideas, and thank you, Kelley Heckart of Edit Chick Editing, for your thorough copyediting.
Thank you, Victoria Colotta of VMC Art & Design, for the gorgeous website design and everything else you’ve done for me; Sommer Stein of Perfect Pear Creative Covers for the beautiful cover; Christine Borgford of Perfectly Publishable for the interior design and formatting; Wander Aguiar for the cover photography; and David Wills for being my Sugar Rush CEO model.
Thank you so much, MJ Fryer, Debbie Kagan, Yesi Cavazos, and Maria for taking the time to offer me your invaluable thoughts and feedback.
As always, thank you to my very loyal readers for your ever-present love and support.
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