The Perfect Ingredient (Dare Valley) (38 page)
When he fished out a Ben Franklin and stuck it in his pocket, she said in shock, “You’re still doing the Cuss Fund?”
He shrugged. “I realized self improvement should never be driven by fame. I’ve asked to be on the board for The Children’s Aid Society in New York because it will help kids who are struggling…kids like I used to be. It’s time for me to stop running from my past. I want to be a better man. One who deserves a woman like you.”
Unable to hold herself back anymore, she bridged the distance between them and wrapped her arms around him. His hands clamped around her back, and he pressed his face into her neck.
“Oh, God, Elizabeth.”
The raw sound of his voice made her rub his rigid back in comfort. “I’m sorry, Terrance. I’m so sorry.”
“I know, babe.
I know.
I am too. You were right to think I would hurt Vince. It was hard for me to admit that.”
“It doesn’t mean I don’t love you,” she whispered. “I know you wanted to…protect me.”
He sighed. “I always will, but this street kid needs to stop seeing violence as one of his tools. I’m going to see someone about that.”
Pressing back, she cupped his face. “So am I. For my stuff. We both have more healing to do.”
His forehead rubbed against hers then. “I want to do it together.”
A tear leaked out of the corner of her eye. “I do too.”
“I love you,” he whispered. “So much.”
She kissed his tense jaw. “I love you too.”
His head lowered slowly, giving her time. She met him halfway. Their lips reunited, and as he made love to her mouth, her heart settled back into place. She basked in that warmth as he undid her robe and cupped her breasts, cherishing her. Her hands caressed his back, cherishing the feel of him in turn.
He swept her up into his arms and carried her to the bedroom. Lowering them to the soft mattress, she opened her legs for him to settle his weight on her. She’d missed this, his solid presence, the urgency of his mouth, the hard press of his body. The gentleness of his touch. It called up the fire in her, unleashed a new feeling of security.
They were together again—with no secrets.
And nothing was ever going to separate them again.
He loved her slowly, sliding his mouth down her body, to kiss and caress the places that inflamed her—the ones only he knew—the crook of her elbow, the top of her hipbone, the back of her knee. She trailed her fingers to his own hidden places—the underside of his ear, the place where arm and shoulder met, and the middle of his thigh.
Every hidden place was brought into the light for healing, and when he glided inside her, she felt a new sense of completeness. As they moved together, her body sensed they were moving to a special place—one built by the pure pleasure of trust and commitment.
She fell into that place with him, and he joined her, each of them calling out. In the quiet of the room, they rested there, stroking each other, whispering loving words, reclaiming the miracle of their connection.
Finally, she nuzzled his chest. “So when do you want to leave for New York?” Right now all she wanted was to stay in bed with him for the next few days and shut out the world.
He kissed the top of her head. “Tomorrow morning I forgot to tell you that we’re having dinner with some special people.”
“Who?” she murmured, tracing his Chinese letter tattoos.
“The head of CST Television and his wife have invited me to dinner at their home to discuss a new TV show.”
Now that
was
news. She pushed onto to her elbow. “Oh, Terrance! I’m so happy for you.”
“His wife was really moved by our story, and Howard doesn’t much like Lane, who’s his chief competitor. You know, I think this is going to work out for the best.”
She’d never really believed in that, but now she was starting to see life anew. “I think so too. You’re going to do great.”
“We’re
going to do great.” He rolled onto his side and traced her waist. “If the show goes through, I’m going to be traveling to New York more. I’d like you to come with me when I do.”
Her smile stretched the muscles in her face in the best way possible. “I’d like that.” Then she lowered her eyes and traced his chest. “Are you staying here then?”
“Yes,” he said, tipping up her chin. “If you’ll have me.”
“Oh, I’ll have you.”
This time he lifted her hand and kissed her knuckles. “I pretty much mean all the way here, Elizabeth, although I promise you a more romantic proposal.”
She wasn’t sure what dropped first. Her mouth or her hand from his. “You want to get
married?”
His smile was lopsided but oh so sweet. “I know. I never thought it would happen for someone like me. But with you…Elizabeth, I…like the idea of…well hell…belonging to you.”
She had to lay her head against his chest as the tears came. “I want to belong to you too,” she whispered, raising her head to look into his eyes.
“Oh, babe,” he said, his voice hoarse now. “You kill me in the best way possible.”
She knew what he meant. He did the same to her.
“I have something for you,” he said and rolled out of bed.
Before she could miss him, he slid in beside her and handed her a present wrapped in black and white striped paper. She eyed it. It was too large for a ring, and he raised his brow as if he knew she was thinking just that.
When she opened it, her heart simply soared. Resting on a bed of white satin was the most beautiful crystal Phoenix she’d ever seen. “Oh my goodness…it’s so beautiful.”
“I thought about getting another tattoo, but I’m moving past that. This present seemed more appropriate. You’ve risen from the ashes to become more beautiful yet again. It’s no wonder you’re my perfect ingredient.”
“Terrance,” she said softly, touching her hand to his cheek. “You’re my perfect ingredient too.”
“That’s what I’m planning to call my TV show, by the way. In honor of you.”
His mouth curved, and his face transformed with the same joy she was feeling rise in her heart.
Both of them knew finding the perfect ingredient only happened once in a lifetime.
To learn more about my upcoming releases like Natalie and Blake’s story called A BRIDGE TO A BETTER LIFE; Amelia Ann and Clayton’s story in Dare River called FIREFLIES AND MAGNOLIAS; and my forthcoming children’s book called THE CHOCOLATE GARDEN: A MAGICAL TALE, sign up for my newsletter
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Dear Reader,
I hope you loved Elizabeth and Terrance’s story as much as I did writing it. Food has always been a passion for me, as many of you know by now. The art of cooking and sharing it with people was something my grandmother taught me, and it was a delight to experience the culinary arts through Terrance’s eyes. I can tell you he inspired me to buy new ingredients and try new dishes more than any chef I’ve written about so far. As for Elizabeth, her journey to recover her sense of safety and stand up to her stalker had me cheering since I know many women experience violence at the hands of men every day. Her transformation melted my heart, and I wish the same triumph for any woman who’s experienced something similar.
If you enjoyed this book, I would love for you to post a review since it helps more readers want to read my story. You can write on the retail site or on
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. When you post one, kindly let me know at [email protected] so I can personally thank you. Please also consider recommending this book to your book clubs and friends. Thank you in advance!
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I love to post about food and other fun stuff, so come and join the party.
Now, let’s talk Natalie and Blake. Aren’t they simply scrumptious together? They have been in my head for a long while now, and I can’t wait to share their story, A BRIDGE TO A BETTER LIFE, this Spring 2015. In the meantime, if you haven’t already, come check out Rye Crenshaw in COUNTRY HEAVEN and John Parker in THE CHOCOLATE GARDEN in my Dare River series (a connected series to Dare Valley where our favorite characters go back and forth). Rye, John Parker, and Clayton from THE PERFECT INGREDIENT have proved tantalizing heroes in their own right (if not terrible Latin dancers). Clayton and Amelia Ann’s story (that’s Rye’s sister fyi), FIREFLIES AND MAGNOLIAS, will be out Winter 2015. If you liked their antics with the Rhett and Company, you’ll love Dare River.
Thanks again for cherishing Dare Valley as much as I do. You all rock my world in the best way possible. And because you
love
for me to include recipes, I have one for you: Bananas Foster. My own special recipe. Keep reading!
Lots of light and joy,
Ava
The next Dare Valley book, A BRIDGE TO A BETTER LIFE (Natalie & Blake), will be released Spring 2015.
And watch for the next Dare River story, FIREFLIES AND MAGNOLIAS (Amelia Ann & Clayton), will be out Winter 2015!
Sign up for Ava’s newsletter
so you don’t miss any news.
The following books by Ava Miles are also available now.
The Dare Valley series:
NORA ROBERTS LAND
(Meredith & Tanner)
FRENCH ROAST
(Jill & Brian)
THE GRAND OPENING
(Peggy & Mac)
THE HOLIDAY SERENADE
(Abbie & Rhett)
THE TOWN SQUARE
(Arthur & Harriet)
THE PARK OF SUNSET DREAMS
(Jane & Matt)
THE PERFECT INGREDINT (Elizabeth & Terrance)
The Dare River series (connected to Dare Valley):
COUNTRY HEAVEN
(Tory & Rye)
COUNTRY HEAVEN SONG BOOK
THE CHOCOLATE GARDEN
(Tammy & John Parker)
THE CHOCOLATE GARDEN: A MAGICAL TALE (children’s book)
Looking for Dare Valley Swag? Ava has a Zazzle Store now where you can buy a coffee mug from Don’t Soy With Me and other fun items.
Come check it out
.
AND NOW FOR THE RECIPE FROM THE PERFECT INGREDIENT…
Bananas Foster
Bananas
Butter
Honey
Cinnamon
Bourbon (optional)
Slice a handful of bananas length-wise and in half. Melt some butter in a pan, careful not to have it turn brown from high heat. Add the bananas, a dollop of honey to taste, and cinnamon.
Sauté until golden brown. The honey will bubble and create a gorgeous caramel-looking sauce. Now you can serve this just as it is or move onto an advanced step: the flambé. If you have never flambéed, I would research it to make sure you are doing it correctly. My first time involved singed bangs and a wall of fire, but you know…like Terrance, I was all that more determined to get it right. If you don’t want to deal with the fire part (and after hearing about my singed bangs, who can blame you?), simply take the pan off the stove and add a little bourbon. The alcohol does cook off, albeit not completely, with the heat. Pour over ice cream and serve. Voila. One of the simplest and most satisfying desserts around.
Table of Contents
About the Author
USA Today Bestselling Author Ava Miles burst onto the contemporary romance scene after receiving Nora Roberts’ blessing for her use of Ms. Roberts’ name in her debut novel, the #1 National Bestseller NORA ROBERTS LAND, which kicked off her small town series, Dare Valley, and brought praise from reviewers and readers alike. Ava’s books have reached the #1 spot at Barnes & Noble, ranked in Amazon’s Top 20, and been in the Top 10 at iBooks. A two-time Reward of Novel Excellence Nominee by InD'tale Magazine for NORA ROBERTS LAND and FRENCH ROAST, Ava has also released a connected series called Dare River, set outside the country music capital of Nashville. She’s fast becoming a favorite author in light contemporary romance (Tome Tender) and is known for funny, emotional stories about family and empowerment. Ava’s background is as diverse as her characters. She’s a former chef, worked as a long-time conflict expert rebuilding warzones, and now writes full-time from her own small town community. If you’d like to connect with Ava or hear more about her upcoming books, check out the links below:
Copyright November 2014, Ava Miles. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means—graphic, electronic or mechanical—without permission in writing from the author, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review.