‘I suppose. Though it isn’t very romantic.’
But I don’t want hearts and flowers – well, maybe flowers. I want love. Real love.
Harry pulls me to him fiercely.
‘Kitten,’ he breathes into my ear. ‘Do you like that better?’
‘Mmm. Much better.’
My hand slides inside his shirt, against his warm, bare chest. Everything fits between us. Everything feels right. My body tingles, but sex won’t be the glue that binds us. It will accent everything else we have. For all my mishaps and missteps at parties and in cubicles, I’m a girl who likes cooking and pottering in the garden and snuggling. For all his cheesy wall of fame and witty asides, Harry is a guy who likes to work hard, take care of others and do the right thing. Being here with him is everything I dared to dream, and all of this is real.
The constant worry I had the entire time I was with Jordan is gone.
Love. You know it when you feel it. To love, and to be loved in return.
I breathe Harry into me. His intoxicating scent. His comfort and charm. And from the way he’s kissing me now, he’s mine, and I don’t ever want him to stop. This man, who stuck by me through thick and thin – he’s really mine.
Acknowledgments
To my agent, David Riley, for his dedication and belief in me and in this book. You made my dream come true. Thank you. (And to your wife.) More fun to come.
To the entire team at Boldwood. I’m beyond excited to debut in your first stable of authors. Thank you for taking the chance on me. Special thanks to my editors. Jade Craddock for the copy edit and extra dollops of humour. Susan Lamprell for the final polish and line edits, ensuring the book is as smooth as it needs to be (and for your kindness in helping me to let this go). To my publisher, Caroline Ridding – how to thank you? Your guidance on the structural edits completely transformed this book. You gave me the insights to give Gracie her rightful journey and happy ending. Life isn’t a consolation prize – it should be magical. I hope I have done you proud.
To Dea Parkin, Nick May, Brian Cook and Louise Wareham Leonard for early guidance. So much putting this down and picking it up again, but I got there.
To all of my family and friends for your love and encouragement over many years. Writing is a hard graft and a confidence trick. Not one of you ever told me to stop. For this, and so much more, I thank you all.
Special thanks. For reading early bits and pieces: Alicia, Amber, Angela, Anthea, Elise and Shanny. To my mother, Sue, for reading everything since I was a child, and who writes so beautifully. To Lindsay for help with television stuff and to Asia for intro to David. To Alicia and Phil for photos, the lovely team at Peakon for letting me disappear on edits and to Phil and Adam for the non de plume I didn’t go with. RIP Phoebe Reeves. Neil: white shirt uniform is for you.
To my Dad and Annie and Sak and Elise for being there during a very dark time. Never mind the book, your love and your showing up kept me going.
To Emma who read multiple early drafts, squeezing edits and advice into her busy schedule as a writer and another single mother. You’re an incredible woman. Every wispy dress and cherry-red lip stain description is in your honour.
To Kirsten, for too many things to mention. Your encouragement, your little notes, your ruthless editing, your cracking wit and for drinking wine with me. From the very first draft to the final copy, you were invested in this story and never once waivered. You’re next, darling. You got this!
Last, but not least, to Julie for suggesting, all those years ago, that I write a novel about a chef that gets all spicy over meatballs. Here you go, Bushy Boo. And to my sister Tammy and my daughter Alice, who are least likely to ever read this (or any book) but who will never forgive me if they aren’t mentioned. I love you both.
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About the Author
Simone Goodman is CFO at one of the fastest growing tech companies in Europe. She is Australian and lives in London with her daughters and her two cats.
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Boldwood Books is a fiction publishing company seeking out the best stories from around the world.
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First published in Great Britain in 2019 by Boldwood Books Ltd.
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Copyright © Simone Goodman, 2019
Cover Design: www.judgebymycovers.com
Cover Photography: Shutterstock and iStock
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The moral right of Simone Goodman to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
This book is a work of fiction and, except in the case of historical fact, any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
Every effort has been made to obtain the necessary permissions with reference to copyright material, both illustrative and quoted. We apologise for any omissions in this respect and will be pleased to make the appropriate acknowledgements in any future edition.
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A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
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Paperback ISBN 978-1-83889-298-2
Ebook ISBN 978-1-83889-296-8
Kindle ISBN 978-1-83889-297-5
Audio CD ISBN 978-1-83889-299-9
MP3 CD ISBN 978-1-83889-414-6
Digital audio download ISBN 978-1-83889-295-1
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