Aroused Read online

  We attack the wrapper together, somehow getting it out, and I reach between us as he holds me up. As I slide the rubber over his length, he groans.

  Then he slips inside me, and I arch, grasping his hair, looking into his blue, blue eyes. I’m lost in them, in him, and as we move together, my mind becomes a collage of colors — yellow with orange building right on top of it, then red … so much red, and it’s taking everything over, flaring, exploding.

  Afterward, Zach holds me to him, sweaty skin against sweaty skin. He buries his face in my neck, and for the first time since he’s been gone, I laugh. A relieved, ecstatic, fully uncovered laugh. He joins me, the vibrations from his laughter traveling through me in a soft aftershock.

  “I think that was some real animal sex right there,” I say.

  He gives me an inquisitive look. But before I can go into an explanation about the mating habits of bonobos or cattle or pigs, he kisses me again, and I sink into him, every vulnerable inch of me his.

  And all of him mine.

  The ABCs of Love

  According to Abigail Peters

  Maybe you know my other blog, the one in which I promised that I was going to keep Cherry Valley’s warm heart beating. I aim to do that right here! Tune in to take the romantic pulse of the biggest-hearted small town in the USA …

  Tell-the-Tale Tuesday

  By popular demand, we have a new column on this blog. . .

  Et voila — Tell-the-Tale Tuesday!

  Let’s start off with our favorite couple, Zach Hamilton and Mandy Burnett …

  Remember when we discovered that Full Circle Technologies would be moving in? That’s precisely when things started poppin’ with these two. One day, Zach showed up at Screaming Beans, where Mandy still works as a barista (in-between devoting herself to attending college full-time in the big city to get her bachelor’s degree. Go, Mandy!). Then, after the two met over some spicy Mexican mocha, they embarked upon a series of dares, one following another until love was in the air.

  Or should I say “love was in the dare”?

  Luckily for our city boy and country girl, Full Circle decided to put down roots here. Now the rising firm is up and running downtown while the old grain warehouse is being converted into a work campus. Zach, plus his partner Barry Aaronson and a growing crew, are making the future happen right before our eyes.

  And what do you know? The offices that FCT has modernized downtown resulted in a general facelift on Main Street and the surrounding area. New light fixtures and much-improved parking are only two of the improvements, and I’ll be telling you more about those in the town blog. But this is a column about love, and the only way I can end it is with some great news …

  Last night, Zach took Mandy to Cherry Valley’s favorite greasy spoon, Milton’s Diner, where she took him on one of their dares. He proposed to her over a plate of Rocky Mountain oysters. What could she say but a big, happy yes?

  That’s Cherry Valley’s version of romance, if you ask me. Why don’t you lovebirds go to the comments to share some of the stories you’re hearing now that this town is growing week by week and heartbeat by heartbeat?

  See you soon with …

  Cherry Hearts and Hugs,

  Abby

  About the Author

  Clover Hart loves to geek out over stories, whether they’re in books, TV shows, or films. She’s a romance fan, a scary movie connoisseur, and a pop culture addict who also loves to cook, travel, take walks, and practice yoga. In her spare time, she’s written close to one hundred books, novellas, and short stories under various (very busy) pen names.

  You can sign up for her newsletter and receive a special Cherry Valley story by visiting BookHip.com/JJSNBW

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