Savored: A Small-Town Contemporary Romance

by Sophie Stern

  She’d helped me realize that sometimes, we really do get a second chance, and there’s no such thing as being too old for a new tomorrow.

  Cooper and I had gotten something rare and wonderful, and I didn’t have any plans to mess that up. No matter what happened tomorrow or the next day or the day after that, I would fight for the man I loved. I would do anything to keep moving forward and seeking happiness because Cooper Clark was my everything.

  Now and forever.

  THE END

  Do you want more of Cordelia and Cooper? Turn the page for deleted scenes!

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  Deleted Scenes

  HELLO DARLINGS! I HOPE you loved reading Cooper and Cordelia’s story as much as I loved writing it. These characters were so fun and interesting to spend time with, and I loved crafting their story and am so happy to be sharing it with you.

  Sometimes, authors have to make hard choices. One of those choices is deciding which scenes make it into the final book and which ones are left by the wayside. I’ve decided to share some of the deleted scenes from Cooper and Cordelia’s story to give you a better idea of everything these two wonderful characters went through, and to share a little more insight into their lives.

  All my love,

  Sophie

  I BIT INTO THE COOKIE.

  Chocolate chip.

  It was always chocolate chip.

  Hannah had cancer, and I was living in the apartment above her garage, yet somehow, she still managed to make the most perfect chocolate chip cookies in the world.

  “Still your favorite, isn’t it?” She asked.

  “Nobody makes these like you do,” I told her.

  “I’ll teach you my recipe,” she offered. “You can bake chocolate chip cookies for the grand opening of the bakery.”

  “Really?”

  “I promise.”

  THE BAKERY’S WALLS looked lovely. They were filled with pictures from years past, and every single time I looked at one of the pictures, I got goose bumps. Hannah’s idea to use personal photographs as decoration had been genius. It was one of my favorite things about the bakery.

  “Hey,” Kyle said, popping his head into the front of the bakery. I turned around and raised an eyebrow.

  “What’s up?”

  “We’re running low on sugar. Beatrix is going to run to the store to get more.”

  “Perfect,” I said. “Can you have her get more milk, too?”

  “You got it, boss.”

  He left, and I turned back to admire the walls of the bakery. I had an incredible team. I’d been lucky to find the people that I’d found to help me. Both Kyle and Beatrix were incredible at baking, and a selfish part of me hoped they stuck around for a long time so we could create wonderful treats and desserts together.

  ONCE UPON A TIME, I’D been scared to even consider the possibility that someone else could ever love me. I thought that surely, I was broken beyond repair.

  Isn’t it strange that we think that way?

  We think of people as things that can be broken and tossed away, but that’s not reality, is it?

  I wasn’t really broken. I’d just been hurt. Cooper didn’t look at me and see a person who was trash or garbage. He didn’t look at me and think, “Wow, she’s really messed up.”

  He looked at me and saw a bright future.

  He looked at me like I was his everything.

  “It’s perfect,” he said, looking up at the front of the bakery.

  “It cleaned up pretty nice,” I agreed. I’d chosen to keep the name because it really was perfect. Most of the menu was the same, as well, but I’d added a few extra items to the menu. Kyle and Beatrix had helped me with some recipes. We’d created some incredible cupcake recipes and come up with some cool frosting designs. We had one really wonderful item, though, that was my favorite thing on the menu.

  It was called The Hannah Special, and it was a big, warm chocolate chip cookie served with a dollop of whipped cream.

  I couldn’t say for sure, but I had a feeling it was going to be a big hit.

  “She’d be proud of you, you know.”

  “Thanks,” I said. “I miss her so much.”

  “I know you do, princess.”

  He pressed his lips to my head, and he held me a little bit tighter.

  “I like to think that she’s looking down and smiling at us,” he said.

  “That’s a nice thought,” I agreed.

  We stood there for a few minutes, watching the building. Cooper and I had a bright future together, and I was so happy that I had been brave enough to take the second chances that the universe offered to me. I’d been lucky that Hannah and Ray had reached out to me and invited me back to Ashton when they had. If they hadn’t, I might never have come back, and I would have lived with so many regrets.

  Now, I was getting an incredible chance.

  Every single day, I got to wake up to a wonderful man who loved me, and I got to go to work at a place that made me happy. I got to spend my hours baking cupcakes and decorating cookies, and I got to experience the satisfaction of making every one of my customers laugh and smile.

  It was a good life, and I quietly promised myself I’d make the most of it. I was going to make Hannah proud by living life to the fullest, and by taking everything one step at a time.

  Author

  SOPHIE STERN LOVES cowboys, soldiers, and shifters. When she’s not busy writing, she’s got her nose buried in a book. Sophie lives with her husband, sons, and their two cats: Boo and Echo.

  You can connect with Sophie through her website or on Facebook.

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  Books

  If you enjoyed this story, check out these other books!

  CONQUERED (The Hidden Planet)

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  Taken.

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  Fiona doesn't know true fear until she is whisked away from her loving family and doting boyfriend. When she finds herself on an alien ship with only a giant beast for company, her fear turns to anger when she realizes her loved ones have betrayed her.

  Quinn doesn't know what to do with the squirrely little human aboard his ship. Yeah, he bought her, but only to save her from a worse fate. She has no idea what could have happened to her if he hadn't found her. She has no idea what could have happened on Dreagle. But now she's on his ship and somehow, she's wormed her way into his heart. Can he ever let her go?

  CONQUERED is available wherever eBooks are sold.

  ALIEN BEAST

  He's a war hero.

  She's a virgin.

  He's broken.

  She's perfect.

  When he finds her in the midst of an alien war, Luke takes Willow for himself. He can't help himself. He's never taken a prisoner alive before, but Willow is different. He needs her. He wants her. Most of all, he craves her.

  Willow is a human who has the worst luck in the world. When the tour ship she's on malfunctions and crash-lands on the wrong planet, she's thrust into the middle of a war: one she has no desire to be in.

  Then everything changes.

  She's captured by an alien beast unlike anything she's ever seen before.

  And the worst part is that after awhile, she's not so sure she wants him to let her go.

  ALIEN BEAST is available wherever eBooks are sold.

  STARBOARD

  Christina hasn't had a regular Dom since her husband died in Afghanistan. She's a war widow with a daughter: she doesn't have time for relationships, but she does make time to play.

  Christina goes to Anchored to unwind and to have her submissive needs met. Whether she's playing with a Dom or Domme, Christina's partners all know one thing: she's there to serve, not to find love.
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  It's all fun and games for the Damsel of the Dungeon until a new Dom arrives and he sets his sights on her.

  Only, he's not just interested in scening with Christina.

  He's interested in everything.

  Zack has always considered himself a good lawyer, a loyal friend, and an observant Dominant. When his business partner and best friend, Tony, invites him to visit a local sex club, Zack's ready for anything.

  Except the feisty brunette who doesn't want to be taken care of.

  After the third time he sees Christina refusing aftercare, Zack decides to do something about it, only Christina isn't like other subs.

  It's a good thing he loves a challenge.

  CHAPTER ONE

  Christina

  “ARE YOU READY?” ODESSA’S shoes click loudly as she makes her way across the locker room floor. She’s wearing five-inch bright-red stilettos tonight and honestly, I have no idea how the hell she manages to walk in those things. I prefer to be barefoot, myself, but that’s probably just because I don’t have half the grace Odessa has.

  “Just about,” I tell her. “Let me finish my mascara.” I twirl the mascara brush over my eyelashes one last time. I really should invest in falsies, but I’m just not confident enough in my ability to put them on. Besides, the double-dark mascara I’m wearing tonight makes me look incredible.

  Kissable.

  Fuckable.

  It makes me look unstoppable.

  “You look great, love,” Odessa kisses me on the cheek and manages to pry me away from the vanity mirror. “But it’s time. The night is in full swing and if I’m not mistaken, you have a date with Destiny tonight.”

  “Her name is Mistress D,” I smile, but Odessa is right. We both know Destiny from outside the club. It should make playing together a little weird, but somehow, it doesn’t. Somehow, playing with Mistress D is different than working with Destiny.

  Odessa just rolls her eyes and gives me a once over. She reaches out and adjusts the corset I’m wearing, pushing my breasts up just a little higher. Then she walks around me, smoothing out the miniskirt I’m wearing and making sure each part of my outfit looks good, perfect. She makes sure I look complete, and for that, I am grateful.

  I’ve been playing at Anchored for months now, but sometimes, I still get nervous. Tonight isn’t my first night playing with Mistress D and it certainly won’t be my last, but sometimes I still worry that I’m not going to be good enough to please my partners. Sometimes I worry that I’m not going to be good enough to make this fun for them.

  “Stop over-thinking,” Odessa warns me sternly. “Stay focused on the scene. Remember, Christina: stay focused.”

  “I will.”

  She grabs my chin and turns me toward her. Odessa’s bright brown eyes practically glow as she gazes at me.

  “You are not a mother tonight. You are not a widow. You are not a childcare provider. You are not anything but a submissive. Do you understand?”

  “I understand.”

  “Say it for me, love.”

  “I am only a submissive tonight.”

  “That’s right,” Odessa nods, seemingly satisfied. “Don’t make the mistake of spacing off during your scene, okay?”

  I blush, embarrassed she remembers the debacle from a few weeks ago. I had been playing with someone new and just couldn’t really get into the submissive mindset. As a result, I was spacing off, thinking about grocery lists and errands, and the scene fell short.

  Really short.

  “I won’t space off tonight,” I tell her. Odessa is a submissive, too, and she’s going to be playing with her regular Dom tonight. Theodore is a kind-hearted tax-attorney who is seriously cut. He’s huge, and if I was at the end of his whip, I’d be terrified. Odessa isn’t, though. She loves it, takes it in stride. She’s a perfect fit for him and sometimes, I wonder why the two of them aren’t dating.

  “Good girl,” Odessa says, pressing a kiss to my cheek. I give her the same once-over she gave me, fixing her top and adjusting her boy-shorts to make sure every part of her looks perfect. We each take one last look in the mirror, but then it’s time.

  It’s time to leave the safety of the locker room.

  It’s time to go to Anchored.

  Odessa takes my hand and we leave the room together. Instantly, the sound of the heavy music hits our ears, reminding us where we are. Tonight is about fun and excitement. It’s about relaxing. It’s about unwinding, but it’s about more than that, too: it’s about submission.

  Tonight is about giving ourselves to our partners, and in return, they’ll give us a little bit of themselves, as well. That’s the true beauty of submission. In giving of myself, I get something in return. The feeling of offering myself to my partner is satisfying in and of itself, but knowing that it meets my partner’s needs, as well, is even more fantastic.

  I like knowing that my Dom or Domme feels good about themselves when we’re through playing together.

  I like knowing that they’re having just as much fun as me.

  And I like that at the end of the night, when I walk out of Anchored, I’m leaving them at the door.

  It’s fucked up, but I don’t really care.

  Anchored is my release. It’s my safe space. It’s my haven. Anchored is where I go because I have nowhere else to go. Anchored is the only time I get to myself, and I take it. It’s the only time I have away from my daughter. It’s the only time I can be me.

  I’m not the best mother in the world. I certainly wasn’t the best wife. When Cameron died, he left me alone. He left me without anyone in the world. Even now, I don’t have anyone. It’s been two damn years since he died and I have no one.

  No one.

  But I have Anchored.

  I have this place where I can forget, for just a couple of hours, that I’ve lost my true love.

  I have this place where I can forget, for just a little while, that my life fell apart and I’m only starting to rebuild it.

  I have this place where I can forget, for just a tiny bit of time, that I am completely alone in this world.

  I have this place.

  And I’m not giving it up.

  I’m not going to get in a relationship with one of my play partners only to have us break up. Then coming to the club would be awkward, weird, and uncomfortable. I’m not going to get into a relationship where we have a fight, and then neither one of us goes to the club. I’m not interested in that.

  I don’t want to sacrifice my safe space for the temporary satisfaction of being someone’s romantic partner. That’s not what I want and it’s certainly not what I need. That’s not for me.

  So at the end of the night, after I play with Mistress D, I’ll spend some time crying in the locker room showers. I’ll wash my hair. I’ll clean my face. And then I’ll get dressed, get in my car, and go back to the real world, where I am a mother, and a childcare worker, and a widow.

  I’ll go back to the real world where everything hurts.

  I’ll go back to my life as a solitary person.

  I’ll go back to my world.

  “Christina,” I hear a sharp, crisp voice, and I turn. A tall black woman with braids tumbling past her shoulders is walking toward me. A corset pushes her breasts up and out. She’s wearing tight leather pants and stilettos that are even taller than Odessa’s.

  Instantly, I drop to my knees, palms down. I bow my head and I wait quietly for my Domme of the night to tell me how I’ve done so far. I wait until she tells me it’s time. I wait until she tells me she’s ready.

  And when Mistress D tells me I look beautiful, and that she’s ready to play with me, I take her hand, and I walk into the world of Anchored.

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  Did you love Savored? Then you should read I Dare You, King by Sophie Stern!

  Three little words.That's all it takes.Three little words can change your life, steal your heart, shatter you.Three little words can break you.Three little words and then you're done.Just three words.I. Dare. You.

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