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“What is it about you and my hair?" I asked, half laughing as I pulled out the first pins and put them in my pockets. "It's just wavy and brown."
"You see brown." He pulled the rubber band off the end of the braid when it fell and started to unravel it. "I see chocolate and nutmeg and cinnamon..."
I raised my eyebrows. "I think you might need some non edible adjectives. It's like you really want to eat me."
He raised his eyebrows back. "Don't I?"
A giggle bubbled up. "Touché.”
― Love Walked In
"You see brown." He pulled the rubber band off the end of the braid when it fell and started to unravel it. "I see chocolate and nutmeg and cinnamon..."
I raised my eyebrows. "I think you might need some non edible adjectives. It's like you really want to eat me."
He raised his eyebrows back. "Don't I?"
A giggle bubbled up. "Touché.”
― Love Walked In
“But Mari, I also need to be clear about something. If we do this, you won't be my friend with benefits."
I held very still. We clearly weren't going to be enemies with benefits, and I didn't like the other options. "What will I be?"
He held my gaze. "Mine.”
― Love Walked In
I held very still. We clearly weren't going to be enemies with benefits, and I didn't like the other options. "What will I be?"
He held my gaze. "Mine.”
― Love Walked In
“Now I brushed a quick kiss over her ruby-colored mouth that tempted me beyond belief. "You should wear lipstick more often."
She snorted. "Why, because you like getting it all over your face?" She rubbed her thumb over my bottom lip and showed me the crimson stain she'd left behind.
"You can get all over my face anytime, darling."
Her cheeks blushed a lovely complementary shade of pink. "Promises, promises."
I grinned at her. "You know I'll keep them.”
― Love Walked In
She snorted. "Why, because you like getting it all over your face?" She rubbed her thumb over my bottom lip and showed me the crimson stain she'd left behind.
"You can get all over my face anytime, darling."
Her cheeks blushed a lovely complementary shade of pink. "Promises, promises."
I grinned at her. "You know I'll keep them.”
― Love Walked In
“Her hazel eyes danced with specks of forest green and rich deep brown, and I thought for a moment of a wood nymph out of a Pre-Raphaelite painting. That's what she would look like with her hair down, sweetly chaotic and not a little bit sensual.”
― Love Walked In
― Love Walked In
“As he stroked between my thighs, he trailed his mouth up to my ear, told me with a voice like dark chocolate and smoke that I was everything he'd ever wished for, so perfectly soft and hot and slick on his fingers, how he'd tortured himself in his lonely bed thinking of my sexy little sounds, how hard he was going to fuck me once he made me scream.
"Oh God, Leo, please," I begged as I pushed my hips into his hand.
He groaned. "Yes, that's right. Let me make you feel good, love. Let me give this to you.”
― Love Walked In
"Oh God, Leo, please," I begged as I pushed my hips into his hand.
He groaned. "Yes, that's right. Let me make you feel good, love. Let me give this to you.”
― Love Walked In
“Mari's mouth, full and pink and just the tiniest bit open.
I groaned. Oh God, I had wanted to kiss her more than I'd ever wanted chocolate. I'd have given up sugar in an instant if it meant I could touch her lips with mine.
Touch? More like devour. And not just her mouth, either.”
― Love Walked In
I groaned. Oh God, I had wanted to kiss her more than I'd ever wanted chocolate. I'd have given up sugar in an instant if it meant I could touch her lips with mine.
Touch? More like devour. And not just her mouth, either.”
― Love Walked In
“You have princess hair," he said, pressing his lips against the strands.
The word "reverent" popped into my head, but I pushed it away. "I'm no princess." If I was anything, I was the scrappy orphan, making my way in the world with only my wits.
He gave me a slow, wicked smile. "Then why do I want to kneel for you?”
― Love Walked In
The word "reverent" popped into my head, but I pushed it away. "I'm no princess." If I was anything, I was the scrappy orphan, making my way in the world with only my wits.
He gave me a slow, wicked smile. "Then why do I want to kneel for you?”
― Love Walked In
“Oat milk and one sugar, just how I liked it, and the comfort of it made me sigh. "It's like I made it myself. Thank you."
He gave me the kind of look that would burn my clothes off. "I like knowing what you like, darling."
Jesus, I didn't know an old-fashioned endearment could be so suggestive.”
― Love Walked In
He gave me the kind of look that would burn my clothes off. "I like knowing what you like, darling."
Jesus, I didn't know an old-fashioned endearment could be so suggestive.”
― Love Walked In
“I pressed up onto my arms and looked down at her, excitement and anticipation surging inside me like a burst of sunshine-yellow paint. She was effervescence, green spring and new life, flowers blooming on her skin.
I wanted to bask in her.”
― Love Walked In
I wanted to bask in her.”
― Love Walked In
“Last night flashed like an erotic flip book, our bodies rising and falling in lines and curves.”
― Love Walked In
― Love Walked In
“It's the clever and bloody-minded ones that get you in the end. When they let you in, it's better than getting a Nobel Prize."
I enjoyed being called both smart and stubborn, but the rest of Tommy's words left me feeling like I'd been blinded by a spotlight. "We're not..."
"We're not like that." Leo talked over me in a rush. "We're just colleagues."
I nodded, ignoring the feeling that a link was forming between us, something stronger than just saving the store.”
― Love Walked In
I enjoyed being called both smart and stubborn, but the rest of Tommy's words left me feeling like I'd been blinded by a spotlight. "We're not..."
"We're not like that." Leo talked over me in a rush. "We're just colleagues."
I nodded, ignoring the feeling that a link was forming between us, something stronger than just saving the store.”
― Love Walked In
“Her cheeks blushed a shade of cherry-blossom pink I wanted to capture in watercolors, a wash of spring on snowy paper. I wanted to see that blush on the rest of her skin too, wanted to follow its path with my hands and my mouth.”
― Love Walked In
― Love Walked In
“You know what it's like when you see a rainbow?" I said carefully, like I was walking along a narrow, high wall, resisting the urge to put my arms out for balance.
"Yeah?" she answered just as slowly.
"Like everyone stops to look at it, to appreciate it, because you can't help but take in all those colors? That's what it's been like, having you at the shop. You walk into a room and everything gets more vivid, and people can't help but feel... joyful."
My unspoken words floated in the air between us.
You make me smile. You make me laugh. When you open your mouth and say something saucy, all I can think about is the curve of your lips.”
― Love Walked In
"Yeah?" she answered just as slowly.
"Like everyone stops to look at it, to appreciate it, because you can't help but take in all those colors? That's what it's been like, having you at the shop. You walk into a room and everything gets more vivid, and people can't help but feel... joyful."
My unspoken words floated in the air between us.
You make me smile. You make me laugh. When you open your mouth and say something saucy, all I can think about is the curve of your lips.”
― Love Walked In
“Speckled brown eggs that the farmer promised had been laid just that morning, two dark loaves of sourdough that crackled when I squeezed them gently. Meaty bacon from happy pigs, a chunk of salmon glowing coral and smelling like the sea. Little waxy potatoes firm to my touch, dirt-skinned onions, bouquets of fresh herbs. As I inhaled the scent of a bunch of rosemary, hot dusty summer captured in its needles, I felt my worries loosen their grip on me for a second, pleasure taking their place.”
― The Slowest Burn
― The Slowest Burn
“He dug his thumbnail into the blushing peel and pulled until the dark red fruit appeared, spraying citrus oil everywhere. As he pulled the fruit into its sections, it glowed like rubies. It made the fruit I'd bought at the supermarket for our ill-fated experiment look dry and stale in comparison.
"Why do you have to show me now?"
I stopped cold, because he'd grabbed my chin. His fingers were soft, insistent.
"Because I want to. Open," he said. He was smiling, but there was something in his eyes I hadn't seen before. Determination?
When I gaped at him, he popped the orange segment in my mouth.
I bit down, and my eyes fluttered shut. Sweet-sour fireworks exploded across my tongue, and I couldn't help but moan a little bit. I tasted orange, of course, but there were raspberries and a little bit of rose petal, too.
"That's incredible," I said once I'd swallowed. "Like eating a sunset."
When I opened my eyes, he was staring at my mouth. I felt fireworks again, this time in my stomach. But a second later, he smiled big and said, "I was going to say a party in my mouth, but I guess that's why you're the writer.”
― The Slowest Burn
"Why do you have to show me now?"
I stopped cold, because he'd grabbed my chin. His fingers were soft, insistent.
"Because I want to. Open," he said. He was smiling, but there was something in his eyes I hadn't seen before. Determination?
When I gaped at him, he popped the orange segment in my mouth.
I bit down, and my eyes fluttered shut. Sweet-sour fireworks exploded across my tongue, and I couldn't help but moan a little bit. I tasted orange, of course, but there were raspberries and a little bit of rose petal, too.
"That's incredible," I said once I'd swallowed. "Like eating a sunset."
When I opened my eyes, he was staring at my mouth. I felt fireworks again, this time in my stomach. But a second later, he smiled big and said, "I was going to say a party in my mouth, but I guess that's why you're the writer.”
― The Slowest Burn
“Since you're not enjoying yourself, perhaps you and Ms. Salazar would like to leave?"
"That's probably wise." Kieran was glaring at me, and I said to Nicole, "In-N-Out sound good to you? I'm starving."
Bull's-eye. Kieran opened his mouth, but Mrs. Hutton clamped her hand onto his forearm.”
― The Slowest Burn
"That's probably wise." Kieran was glaring at me, and I said to Nicole, "In-N-Out sound good to you? I'm starving."
Bull's-eye. Kieran opened his mouth, but Mrs. Hutton clamped her hand onto his forearm.”
― The Slowest Burn
“Her hair was so silky, and up close I could see all the streaks of champagne and wheat and caramel that made it blond. It smelled like clean laundry and citrus. Not lemon, but something greener.”
― The Slowest Burn
― The Slowest Burn
“As soon as I saw you, I knew a grand adventure was about to happen.
I looked up at the gray stone facade of Ross & Co. and shifted the straps of my overloaded camping backpack, a smile forming on my lips as I remembered Winnie-the-Pooh's immortal words.”
― Love Walked In
I looked up at the gray stone facade of Ross & Co. and shifted the straps of my overloaded camping backpack, a smile forming on my lips as I remembered Winnie-the-Pooh's immortal words.”
― Love Walked In
“You are my spring. You are soft green grass, all the flowers blooming and the sunshine on my face. If you leave me for good, it may as well be winter forever.”
― Love Walked In
― Love Walked In
“Flowers! Dozens of bunches of flowers against black backgrounds. Walls full of spring, captured in the Netherlands almost four hundred years ago according to the explanation on the wall. Tulips, red and yellow, solid and striped. Peonies and roses and irises. I felt gleeful at the wealth of color compared to the gloom outside. If I could, I would have bathed in the richness. I took out my phone and carefully snapped a few of the paintings for future tattoo inspiration.
Finally I let myself look at the painting Leo was studying. The bouquet was mostly blowsy pink and white flowers, peonies and roses, but then suddenly I saw the daffodils tucked into the heart of the arrangement, their trumpets yolk orange and their petals sunshine yellow. I involuntarily glanced down at the matching blossom on my forearm. They had been my mom's favorite flowers--- to her they'd represented joy and energy, sunshine and optimism.”
― Love Walked In
Finally I let myself look at the painting Leo was studying. The bouquet was mostly blowsy pink and white flowers, peonies and roses, but then suddenly I saw the daffodils tucked into the heart of the arrangement, their trumpets yolk orange and their petals sunshine yellow. I involuntarily glanced down at the matching blossom on my forearm. They had been my mom's favorite flowers--- to her they'd represented joy and energy, sunshine and optimism.”
― Love Walked In
“Her smile was brittle. "Well, I know Kieran's achieving something if someone like you is willing to be in a relationship with him."
"Someone like me?"
She gestured to me from head to toe. "Respectable. Elegantly dressed, if a little flamboyant with color. Beautiful manners, well-spoken. Clearly you listened to your parents when they told you how to behave."
I choked back a snort at the thought of my biological father being Mr. Manners. The sheer audacity of it.
"Kieran probably hasn't told you about all the times we had to get him out of trouble," she continued.
I blinked, confused. "No."
She ticked off on her fingers as she spoke. "He skipped classes, he stole money out of my wallet, he crashed our cars more than once. Not to mention the drinking, my God. He couldn't hold his liquor at all. We were so ashamed."
I held back my eye roll. It was like having a conversation with a steamroller. As she continued to list Kieran's crimes, I realized that she relished this monologue, all the ways he'd done them wrong. Like she never wanted him to grow up because then she'd have to stop being a martyr.
"But anyway, that's all in the past. Finally, he's become who we always wanted him to be, and we can hold our heads up."
The thought of being a source of pride to these snobby, plastic people made me want to drink ten flutes of prosecco, climb onto their dining room table, and do Amy Winehouse karaoke, Diane's advice about polish and presentation be damned. But all I needed to shock them was the truth.
"I haven't seen my father in over twenty years," I began. "As far as I know he's still the lead singer of the second-best hair metal band in Spokane. My mother's salary was for keeping herself in clothes and boyfriends. Sometimes I had to break into my piggy bank so that I could by Cup O' Noodles at 7-Eleven for my brother and me. I've made a good life in spite of my parents, not because of them. It's one of the reasons I fell in love with your son. I knew he was a survivor, too. But thank you for the compliments. Now, if you'll excuse me.”
― The Slowest Burn
"Someone like me?"
She gestured to me from head to toe. "Respectable. Elegantly dressed, if a little flamboyant with color. Beautiful manners, well-spoken. Clearly you listened to your parents when they told you how to behave."
I choked back a snort at the thought of my biological father being Mr. Manners. The sheer audacity of it.
"Kieran probably hasn't told you about all the times we had to get him out of trouble," she continued.
I blinked, confused. "No."
She ticked off on her fingers as she spoke. "He skipped classes, he stole money out of my wallet, he crashed our cars more than once. Not to mention the drinking, my God. He couldn't hold his liquor at all. We were so ashamed."
I held back my eye roll. It was like having a conversation with a steamroller. As she continued to list Kieran's crimes, I realized that she relished this monologue, all the ways he'd done them wrong. Like she never wanted him to grow up because then she'd have to stop being a martyr.
"But anyway, that's all in the past. Finally, he's become who we always wanted him to be, and we can hold our heads up."
The thought of being a source of pride to these snobby, plastic people made me want to drink ten flutes of prosecco, climb onto their dining room table, and do Amy Winehouse karaoke, Diane's advice about polish and presentation be damned. But all I needed to shock them was the truth.
"I haven't seen my father in over twenty years," I began. "As far as I know he's still the lead singer of the second-best hair metal band in Spokane. My mother's salary was for keeping herself in clothes and boyfriends. Sometimes I had to break into my piggy bank so that I could by Cup O' Noodles at 7-Eleven for my brother and me. I've made a good life in spite of my parents, not because of them. It's one of the reasons I fell in love with your son. I knew he was a survivor, too. But thank you for the compliments. Now, if you'll excuse me.”
― The Slowest Burn
“Bay leaves, spices, his watchful, quiet, they drew my attention even more than the cheerful woman holding up the latest Sarah J. Maas on the screen.”
― Love Walked In
― Love Walked In
“I don't judge other people for doing what they need to do. But you know what sex does? It makes oxytocin. Bonding hormones. Running around your system willy-nilly and making things all warm and fuzzy. Anyone who thinks that they can have sex more than once without catching at least some kind of feelings is delusional, because catching feelings is biology."
I put my hands up. "OK, Einstein, I take your point."
"Einstein wasn't a biologist."
I laughed, all disbelief. "I'm telling you that I want to be naked in your bed, and you're being a smartass?"
She blushed. "Stating facts isn't smartassery. It's pedantry.”
― The Slowest Burn
I put my hands up. "OK, Einstein, I take your point."
"Einstein wasn't a biologist."
I laughed, all disbelief. "I'm telling you that I want to be naked in your bed, and you're being a smartass?"
She blushed. "Stating facts isn't smartassery. It's pedantry.”
― The Slowest Burn
“Do that again, darling," he said into my ear. "That was the sexiest little sound."
Darling. No one had ever used that endearment for me before. But it turned out that that word, in Leo's crisp accent, was pure fire, affection, and protectiveness all mixed up together.”
― Love Walked In
Darling. No one had ever used that endearment for me before. But it turned out that that word, in Leo's crisp accent, was pure fire, affection, and protectiveness all mixed up together.”
― Love Walked In
“It was like a hand had turned the volume way down on the hum of anxiety that always buzzed in my head. He was all calm competence. He knew what to do, and he'd tell me how in that dark-brown-sugar voice, and I could just be.
I slowly followed his instructions. He leaned in and I got a whiff of white soap and pine forest. "Closer," he said softly. "Cut closer."
He could whisper in my ear, he was that near. His scarred lower lip so close to my skin.”
― The Slowest Burn
I slowly followed his instructions. He leaned in and I got a whiff of white soap and pine forest. "Closer," he said softly. "Cut closer."
He could whisper in my ear, he was that near. His scarred lower lip so close to my skin.”
― The Slowest Burn
“Because before we'd met, we'd both thought in our own ways that our lives were over just as they'd begun, that we were stuck doing the same things forever. It had taken meeting each other, pushing each other, giving ourselves away to each other, to make us realize that our lives were what we made them. We were each other's spring, each other's new beginning.”
― Love Walked In
― Love Walked In
“After I'd polished off one pastry and was halfway through a second, he asked, "Happy pastry?"
The laugh bubbled up around my mouthful of blackberry jam and vanilla custard. I swallowed and said, "Understatement. Ecstatic pastry. Delighted pastry. I-love-you pastry."
He cracked up. "Wow, strong words. All I had to do was bring you the finest croissants in the land."
I put my plate on the nightstand and crawled to him. "Please don't think you have to buy me fancy pastry all the time so I'll stay in love with you."
"What do I have to do?" He set his plate aside. "Spoil Floyd rotten? Make you shrimp for dinner every day?"
"Be yourself," I said.
His wolfish grin was gorgeous, and when I kissed him, his joy was buttery sweet on my tongue.”
― The Slowest Burn
The laugh bubbled up around my mouthful of blackberry jam and vanilla custard. I swallowed and said, "Understatement. Ecstatic pastry. Delighted pastry. I-love-you pastry."
He cracked up. "Wow, strong words. All I had to do was bring you the finest croissants in the land."
I put my plate on the nightstand and crawled to him. "Please don't think you have to buy me fancy pastry all the time so I'll stay in love with you."
"What do I have to do?" He set his plate aside. "Spoil Floyd rotten? Make you shrimp for dinner every day?"
"Be yourself," I said.
His wolfish grin was gorgeous, and when I kissed him, his joy was buttery sweet on my tongue.”
― The Slowest Burn
“She made her easy way down the outside steps. "Are you trying to catch flies?" she asked, a laugh in her voice. "You must have seen a woman all made up before."
I closed my mouth. I felt like I'd never seen her before. Silky violet fabric hugged her body like it never wanted to let her go, dipping in at her waist and sweeping out at her hip. It ended just above her knees and made her curvy legs look like they went on forever before they got to her gold flats. When her raspberry-pink mouth curled in a warm smile, she glowed, and it was like a light bulb suddenly lit up in my head. I wasn't horny and restless because I hadn't gotten any in almost ten months.
It was because I wanted her. Only her.
I wanted to bite her lush lower lip, suck the sweet curve where her shoulder met her neck. I wanted to bury my face where her neckline curved down. I wanted to bury my face in a lot of other places, too.”
― The Slowest Burn
I closed my mouth. I felt like I'd never seen her before. Silky violet fabric hugged her body like it never wanted to let her go, dipping in at her waist and sweeping out at her hip. It ended just above her knees and made her curvy legs look like they went on forever before they got to her gold flats. When her raspberry-pink mouth curled in a warm smile, she glowed, and it was like a light bulb suddenly lit up in my head. I wasn't horny and restless because I hadn't gotten any in almost ten months.
It was because I wanted her. Only her.
I wanted to bite her lush lower lip, suck the sweet curve where her shoulder met her neck. I wanted to bury my face where her neckline curved down. I wanted to bury my face in a lot of other places, too.”
― The Slowest Burn
“Sex with you is pretty wonderful. It's like when we work together in the kitchen. We fit each other."
Suddenly, he was on top of me, and I squealed, "Kieran!"
He pressed his nose to mine. "Pretty wonderful, huh? What would it take to make it amazing? Fantastic?"
There was my Puck. Testing and playful and impossibly sexy.”
― The Slowest Burn
Suddenly, he was on top of me, and I squealed, "Kieran!"
He pressed his nose to mine. "Pretty wonderful, huh? What would it take to make it amazing? Fantastic?"
There was my Puck. Testing and playful and impossibly sexy.”
― The Slowest Burn
“Servers swept across the floor as they could hear invisible music to oohs and aahs from all the tables. Ours presented us with a palm-sized white plate with two teensy golden choux pastry puffs.
"Foie gras spheres with Sauternes jelly," he proclaimed.
The sweet-savory cloud dissolved on my plate, and I couldn't help but hum. "Holy crap, can I have fifty of those and call it a day?" I said. "That's fantastic."
Nicole nudged me with a grin. "Told you."
After the puffs came neatly squared smoked eel sandwiches, the fish's smoky richness bitten off by sharp horseradish. They were delicious, and fairy-sized. So were the next two dishes.”
― The Slowest Burn
"Foie gras spheres with Sauternes jelly," he proclaimed.
The sweet-savory cloud dissolved on my plate, and I couldn't help but hum. "Holy crap, can I have fifty of those and call it a day?" I said. "That's fantastic."
Nicole nudged me with a grin. "Told you."
After the puffs came neatly squared smoked eel sandwiches, the fish's smoky richness bitten off by sharp horseradish. They were delicious, and fairy-sized. So were the next two dishes.”
― The Slowest Burn
