The smile he gave her could melt a glacier. But she had enough presence of mind to ask him, “Is your intention to show me a new monograph on the breeding habits of Southern European amphibians?”
“You’ll see.” He rose and extended a hand to her. When she got to her feet, she wove her fingers with his—somehow, she still felt that crackle of excitement whenever they touched—and together they walked past the circulation desk.
“Good afternoon, Mrs. Holloway, Mr. Holloway,” Mr. Okafor whispered as they went by.
She waved in greeting, but clearly, Sebastian was on a mission because he didn’t slow his steps. Not until they reached the stacks, standing in the section that held works on engineering. He stopped, and she did the same.
Glancing around, she tried to make sense as to why her husband would believe there was something of interest to her in this particular area of the library.
When she looked up to ask precisely that, her question was abruptly cut short by his kiss. His hand cradled her jaw, and his lips were tender and urgent against hers. At once, she sank into the kiss, her body always craving him.
A flicker of sense roused her to break the kiss long enough to murmur, “A fine place to seduce your willing wife.”
“It’s where we met,” he said, his eyes gleaming. “Where I lent you a pencil and then my life truly began.”
Her whole self went supple. There was no one like him, and she counted herself the most fortunate woman in the known world to have such a man as her husband.
“My love,” she said, sliding her arms around his neck, “with you beside me, I cannot wait for what’s next.”
Acknowledgments
Every book I write is the product of many hands’ labor. Without the help, encouragement, and all-round badassedness of some incredible people, my work would be a pale shadow of what you hold in your hands now.
Thank you, firstly, to Nicole Fischer, who always puts smiley faces in her editorial notes, even when she and I both know that there will be major revisions ahead. Thank you to the Avon Books PR team for their incredibly hard work, and to the Avon Books Art Department, who has given me the covers I have dreamed about since I became a romance author.
Thank you to Kevan Lyon, my tireless agent, and Patricia Nelson, who is graciousness personified.
Much gratitude to Fran Strober Cassano for her willingness to do research deep dives. I am also grateful to Sally Jennings, Rachel Bond, Sarah Loch, and the invaluable input from my beta readers, Caroline Linden, Megan Frampton, and Victoria Dahl—who rightly reminded me that even heroes have to take baths.
I’m especially thankful for the input of Dr. Gregory Pauly, PhD, Curator, Herpetology and Co-Director of the Urban Nature Research Center, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. Thank you, as well, to Polly Lasker, Reference Librarian, Smithsonian Libraries. I tried hard to make my science factual, but any inaccuracies are entirely my own.
By the time this book comes out, I will most likely have said goodbye to my sweetest boy, my mischief maker, my jester and chirping bird of a cat, Whiskey. You filled my days with joy and laughter, and I will hold you in my heart forever.
My earliest days as a writer came from writing Duran Duran fan fiction back in the sixth grade, and now here I am, over three decades later, still writing while listening to Seven and the Ragged Tiger—and I owe it to you, dear reader. Thank you for making this ’80s girl’s dreams come true. You are, in the truest sense of the word, awesome.
A note from the author: Please be aware this book contains depictions of social anxiety.