Page 126 of The Sugar and Spice Bookshop Bakery

And then somehow they’re on the sheepskin throw again, their bodies pressed together, and Louise wants him so much that she aches, she throbs. She pulls down her knickers, kicking them off with her feet, and feels a tingle of excitement as he takes off his boxers. He runs his eyes over her naked body, stroking her stomach gently. And then, once again, his fingers begin to move down. She knows where they are going, parts her legs a little in anticipation of his touch. And then his hand is between her thighs, exploring gently. And then he is between her thighs, and when he finally enters her, she feels like she’s drowning.

She cries out, digging her fingers into his shoulders, surrendering to the sensation.

Afterwards, they lie under the rugs, their heads on the heart-shaped pillows. Louise wonders if they’ll stay here all night, if they’ll make love again before morning. She looks up at the romance novels sitting neatly on the Sugar and Spice shelves.

‘Penny for them,’ Jack says.

‘I was thinking that sometimes real life does live up to fiction.’

He smiles and kisses her again. And then the door opens suddenly. They both look up to see Railway Andy staring down at them, a look of complete horror on his face.

‘I’m sorry I…’ he begins. ‘I was wondering if you’d like to read one of my chapters. But I’ll come back another time.’

He backs out hastily, pulling the door closed behind them.

‘And then sometimes it doesn’t,’ Louise whispers.

Jack laughs, and pulls her back in for yet another kiss.

Epilogue

Louise picks up her phone, checking for the thirteenth time that morning to see if Jack has texted.

He hasn’t.

Well, not since ten thirty-seven when he messaged to say he was missing her.

She wishes he’d call. Just wants to hear his lilting Italian voice for a minute or two. She needs what Maddie refers to as her ‘Jack fix’.

But Jack is working and she should be too. She always spends Mondays in the Crime Scene, doing her editing work whilst Elizabeth and Anna run the bookshop bakery.

Louise scrolls down to the next page, then back up again, when she realises that she hasn’t taken in any of this chapter. Her mind has, as usual, been on Jack. He looked so gorgeous this morning, as he lay sleeping beside her. He has the longest eyelashes. She wanted to reach over and stroke them with her fingertips, but didn’t for fear of waking him.

She misses him when they aren’t together, is constantly making up excuses to call him.

‘D’you fancy coming over for dinner this evening?’

(The answer is always yes.)

‘Anna’s made some tiramisu cupcakes. Should I save you one?’

(He never refuses this kind of offer.)

‘There’s an Italian character in this book I’m editing. Is “amore mio” too cheesy for everyday use or do Italians actually say it?’

(She could just google this.)

Putting Jack firmly to the back of her mind, Louise focuses – or tries to – on the task in hand. This new novel is a real roller coaster ride as James works with his new dog Odin for the first time, not easy as he’s still grieving Thor.

Louise makes a note in the margin: ‘This grief feels authentic. I like the tension as he works with his new dog. But I think we need Odin’s character to come through sooner – he needs to feel different to Thor, to both James, and to the reader.’

Anna pokes her head round the door. ‘Brought you a coffee,’ she says, walking in and putting a large latte and a slice of cake in front of Louise. ‘Sicilian ricotta cake – only I made it with Yorkshire curd instead of the ricotta.’

‘Thanks, Anna.’

When she’s gone, Louise pulls the corner off the cake and pops it into her mouth. It’s deliciously rich and creamy. Jack would love this.

She picks up her phone to call him, then stops herself. No. She shouldn’t interrupt his day; he’s busy working too, building two wooden holiday homes on a farm in the Dales – his first commission since the bookshop bakery. She can tell him later, save him a slice even. For now, she has to focus on this novel. She’s lucky Sheila’s forgiven her for the debacle with the last one, but even so, she can’t send these edits back late.