Page 23 of XOXO, Valentina

5Hot Peppers

3Book Boyfriend Hearts

Dear Readers,I’m back with another outstanding book for your reading pleasure. If you are in the mood for a slow-burn with high heat, this book will hit the spot.

Plot Overview:

A loner lumberjack spends all his days cutting wood and his nights alone in his cabin until a mysterious woman visits him. They begin a passionate affair, but she is always gone by morning. He thinks he might be imagining her, but he can still smell her on his sheets. He tries to stay awake so he can follow her and see where she goes, but what he doesn’t realize is she is a wood nymph and has cast a spell on him.

Pros:

•Trope: supernatural beauties

•Meet cute: He wakes to find her in his bed.

•Ending: I won’t give it away, but you guys are going to love it!

•Flannel: lots and lots of flannel

Cons:•suspension of disbelief is imperative

To sum it up, this took a while to get into, but once I got halfway through, I was hooked. You have to read this book to believe what happens. There are so many twists and turns I never saw coming.

12

Chapter 10

Joey

Sally Ann Jenkins had thrown up again. I had done my best to clean it up, then after class, I went to the office for the keys to the supply closet so I could finish the job.

Gabriella’s assistant gave me the keys. “You know Cliff can take care of it for you,” he said.

“Thanks, Mike. I can handle it. Cliff is busy enough.”

“You are a true team player, Joey.” Mike pushed his glasses back up his nose and got back to typing.

Gabriella’s door was closed. I hadn’t seen her since our failed dinner at Goodfella’s. Our last words had been,“see you at work,” but it hadn’t happened yet. She was avoiding me again.

Fine. I didn’t need to chase women.

She’d made it clear she didn’t want me complicating her life. She’d also kissed me like I was oxygen and she would die without me. My gaze swept back to her door again. “Is Principal Salinger in?” I asked.

Mike shook his head. “She’s been scarce this morning since her conference call.” He cracked a smile, chewing on the end of his pen. “Maybe she’s chasing down the muffin man.”

I shared a conspiratorial grin with Mike. We all knew who was bringing in the muffins. All of us except Gabriella.

Gabriella, who was so on top of everything, was a bit out of touch with her teachers’ humanity. Yes, babe, we have sex. And guess what? We eat muffins at work. We are adults. We can choose to have a consensual relationship and eat an ingredient we might have a slight allergy to.

“Do you want to leave her a message?” Mike asked.

“No.” I jingled the keys. “I’ll check in later.”

He grimaced. “I would steer clear of her if you can.” He lowered his voice and darted a glance around. “She has been extra edgy all week. I was five minutes early this morning, and she told me to get my priorities in order.” He glared at her door. “I was early!”

I shrugged in sympathy. Gabriella ran a tight ship, but she was great at her job. PES was ranked number one in the county for elementary schools, and top five in the state of North Carolina.

Evidence of the thriving school was everywhere.

---