Jamie Farrell

“One day, son, you're gonna find yourself your everything. When you do, you tell her. And then you make sure you live it. Live it every day.”

“The Milked Duck was empty, save for Dahlia’s two part-timehelpers, but they were all rushing around, anticipating the firstguests for her Risqué Flavor Tasting event any moment now.The up front freezers were stocked with Chocolate Orgasm,Peachy Passion, Sexual Favors, Mikey’s favorite Cherry Popperand more. She had a case of Sin on a Stick treats ready to go and atemporary menu up on the board behind her.”

“Two years ago, she had inherited The Milked Duck Ice Cream Shoppe in downtown Bliss from Great Aunt Agnes. After gettingher degree in sociology and then bouncing around the country, waffling from job to job and one relative’s couch to another, she’d finally found where she fit: creating and serving happiness to the locals and the destination wedding tourists in Bliss.”

“Is he nice?” one whispered over her gum paste roses for this weekend’s wedding cakes. “Um, obviously,” Kimmie said. “You’re why he’s always coming around? I know he’s hot stuff in Chicago, but he always seems so stiff when he comes here,” another added from the sink. “Honey, you want them stiff,” a third said…”

“Those gray eyes slid back to her. “Your shower big enough for two?”“Yes, but the cats don’t like to get wet. Neither does theguinea pig. But you might have some success with the lizard.”Bad, bad move. Because both corners of his mouth weregetting in on the smile action. He moved them one at a time, first the right corner, then a slow follow from the left corner.And then he showed his dimple.”

“One side of his lips quirked up in a sexy smirk. “Got a cure forthat frustration you got going on,” he said.“Got a cure for your ego?”

“Get back to work.""Fine way to talk to your wife.""If you were my wife, I would've slapped your ass too."She stared at him a beat too long. She did love the feel of his hands on her ass.”

“Right on time, sugar.” Josh draped his arm around her shoulders and steered her through the lobby. “Traffic okay?” “Yeah, except when that alien spaceship landed on I-90 and then all those crickets jumped out to perform Beethoven’s Fifth on kazoos. Otherwise, clear sailing.”

“Smoke hung heavy in the air. Will’s eyes stung. His throat.His nose. And the crackling. God, the crackling fire was like the devil laughing.Vera was in that house.Mikey gripped his arm. “Hold on, Will—”Will lunged forward. “Vera—”“Whoa, Will.” Mikey’s grip tightened. “Stop.”“The hell I will. Vera—”“Billy?” One of the cops approached him. Said a bunch ofwords. Helped Mikey hold Will back.Vera was in that house.Vera, her trusty wooden body, her frets, her new strings. Vera,who’d had his back everywhere from Pickleberry Springs toNashville to New York to LA, from seedy bars to stadiums.Vera, who’d helped him write his first song. His last song.Every song in between.”

“In the third cabinet under the counter, she hit the good stuff. “Oh! You have a KitchenAid.” “If you’re planning on caressing my mixer, you should know that might make my testicles explode,” he said from behind her. Her cheeks went hot enough to glow. “That would be awkward.”

“My clue is that you're supposed to keep going once you've found me."His eyes narrowed. Thoughtfully, as though he were looking for the words she wanted to say instead. "Keep going in the maze?" he said slowly. "Or keep going somewhere else?"The man had an evil streak. "The maze," she said firmly.Helpfully. Like a dutiful daughter of Bliss."Because there are a few places I'd like to go with you.”

“Though everyone who mattered to him told him to walk away, though Lindsey herself told him to walk away, he was still here. And she was still glad.”

“This Chocolate Orgasm is the best chocolate ice cream I’veever had.”“Mikey helped with that one,” Dahlia heard herself say.Mari Belle laughed, a light, pretty sound. “I sense hisinfluence in the Hazel’s Nuts.”

“There's something you need to know," he said.Her own breath came out loud and uneven. He was entirely in her personal space, but she'd given him enough power as it was. She wouldn't back away, wouldn't let him see her agitation. He tucked her hair behind her ear. Tension took hold of her body. She shuddered, looked up to tell him to stop, but he bent forward, his lips parted, a single freckle on his cheek drawing her attention while his lips got closer and closer and closer until ---"For future reference," he said, "I never kiss horribly." And before she could blink or breathe or think, his lips closed over hers. His grip tightened in her hair, and when she should've protested or pulled away or kicked him in the shins, her body melted into his. Kissing him was wrong.... So wrong. She was so good at so wrong.”

“It is utterly unfair,” she said, shooing Wrigley away andtossing aside her blanket, “that your country boy smile isn’tillegal.” She pulled her feet from beneath him, but then she swung a leg over him and straddled his lap, still smiling at him while she took his cheeks in her hands and pressed a soft, open-lipped kiss to his mouth.Will’s pulse kicked up the tempo. He gripped her hips andpushed against her, parted his lips to make way for her tongue.Music exploded inside him. Electric guitars, keyboard, fiddle,bongos. No words, just the white-hot melody of their bodies.The intoxicating scent of her shampoo tickled his nose, but the intrigued woman scent was stronger—heady and spicy and everything.He wanted her.”

“Like Momma says, only thing you get by digging dirt is dirty.”

“Heaven’s Bakery help them all.”

“CJ stepped toward her. His hand found her cheek. Natalie's eyes drifted shut. He was going to kiss her. "Good thing we practiced five years ago," he whispered. Natalie whimpered out a pathetic laugh, but then his lips were on hers, his hand tangled in her hair, his other hand holding her against him.And he kissed her.”

“On my honor, I ain’t ever tasting another woman’s sexualfavors. Even if the bakery offers ’em up in a cupcake wrapper andcalls ’em whipped dreams.”

“She was fixated on replaying the image of a tall, broad, Highland warrior marching into battle against the evil waterfalls of doom to rescue a stuffed dinosaur.He'd saved Cindy.For Noah.CJ Blue was making it very difficult for Natalie to continue to dislike him.”