Advanced Physical Chemistry

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Advanced Physical Chemistry Page 25

by Susannah Nix


  He tries not to think about what ifs. If George hadn’t had a heart attack in that place on that day, leaving Caleb an emotional wreck, he wouldn’t have played his hand by kissing Penny in that stairwell. She never would have known he had feelings for her. He would have gone to Mississippi and never seen her again.

  He’d be living there right now, suffering through the misery of medical school for a father who would never give him the approval he craved. How long would he have lasted? Would he have knuckled under out of sheer stubbornness and lived out the rest of his life as a doctor? Or would he have crumbled under the pressure and washed out, earning even more of his father’s disgust?

  He reaches up to touch Penny’s cheek. “Do you know you’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever known?”

  She waves the compliment away, giving his shoulder a gentle shove. “Aw, go on.”

  “You are.”

  “No, I mean it. Go on.” The smile she flashes him is twinkly-eyed and teasing. “Keep complimenting me.”

  His fingers trace the curve of her jaw. “You’re smart, you’re caring, you’re excellent in bed—”

  “I was kidding.” Another exquisite blush streaks across her pale skin. “You don’t really have to keep giving me compliments.”

  Too bad. He plans to spend the rest of his life complimenting her. “You do know you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me, right?”

  She gives his thumb a gentle bite, then follows it up with a kiss. “Right back atcha.” Her eyes flick to the clock on the microwave and she twists in his grasp to shut off the mixer.

  Caleb leans around her and dips a greedy finger in the chocolate batter.

  “That has raw eggs in it!”

  He grins and pops it in his mouth. It tastes heavenly.

  She shakes her head at him. “Don’t blame me when you come down with salmonella.” When he goes in for another scoop she swats his hand. “Don’t fill up on cake batter or you won’t have room for dinner.”

  They’re going out for a nice dinner tonight at a steakhouse. Candlelight, wine, the whole shebang. Then back home to eat cake before they fall into bed. Their bed. It’s Caleb’s idea of a perfect night.

  Briefly, he toys with the idea of proposing over dinner tonight, right between the cocktails and the entree. Now that he’s made his decision, he wants to move on it. But he also wants to do this right. Choose his moment. Give her a ring. Make the moment special. She deserves that much, and it requires thought and careful planning.

  That’s okay. He can wait. He’s not going anywhere.

  Her eyes sharpen and narrow. “You’re doing it again.”

  “Doing what?”

  “Looking at me funny. Do I have something on my face?”

  “I don’t know. Let me check.” He takes her face in his hand, studying her carefully, and smears a streak of chocolate batter across her cheek.

  Her expression melts into indulgent amusement. “Very funny.”

  The thought drifts across his mind that on their wedding day, they will recreate a scene very much like this, and she will look at him in exactly this same way. He smiles. “There’s something there all right. Let me just—” He bends down and licks the cake batter from her face.

  “Nice.” Her nose wrinkles. “Thanks. That’s very helpful.”

  “You know me. Always trying to help.” He drags his thumb across her soft lips. “Hang on. I think there’s a little more right…” He lowers his head until his lips are just barely touching hers. “Here.”

  Her eyes fall closed when he kisses her. The kitchen smells like chocolate, and the preheated oven envelops them in warmth as she sinks into his arms.

  She is it for him. The love of his life. He can’t believe he almost let her go.

  Her hand grips the front of his shirt as she pushes her face into his neck. Sighs. “I’m so happy right now.”

  He slides one hand down her back while the other traps her hand against his heart. “Me too.”

  Happy birthday to him.

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  Acknowledgments

  Profuse thanks are due to everyone who was good to me while I was tearing my hair out trying to finish this book. But most especially I need to thank:

  Alison, for lending her professional and scientific expertise.

  Bethany, Mer, Joanna, and Lisa, for their encouragement, enthusiasm, and beta reading skills.

  My editor, Julia, who is awesome at her job.

  Danielle, for talking to me about bras a lot.

  Tammy, for going to coffee shops with me and giving me ideas to steal.

  And last, but definitely not least, to Dave and James, for all the support they’ve given me.

  REMEDIAL ROCKET SCIENCE

  Read the book where it all began

  Rocket science is no problem. Falling in love, on the other hand…

  College student Melody Gage is craving a night of no-strings fun when she meets charming out-of-towner Jeremy, and that’s exactly what she gets. Until three years later, when she relocates to Los Angeles after graduation and finds herself thrust back into his orbit.

  Not only does her hunky one-night stand work at the same aerospace company where she’s just started her dream job, he’s the CEO’s son. Jeremy’s got a girlfriend and a reputation as a bad boy, so Melody resolves to keep her distance. Despite her good intentions, a series of awkward circumstances—including an embarrassing crying jag, a latte vs. computer catastrophe, and an emergency fake date—throw her together with the heavenly-smelling paragon of hotness.

  As the billionaire playboy and nerdy computer whiz forge an unlikely friendship, Melody’s attraction to Jeremy grows deeper than she’s ready to admit. How much will she risk for a shot at her happy ending?

  This slow burn, sweet romance is the first in a series of standalone rom-coms featuring heroines who work in STEM fields.

  * * *

  “Nix lightheartedly mashes up various romance tropes—the fish out of water, opposites attracting, colleagues in love—for a whimsical story that fans of contemporary romance will enjoy.” —Publishers Weekly

  * * *

  “If you like books like Attachments by Rainbow Rowell, you’ll like this one.” —Smart B*tches, Trashy Books

  * * *

  “A geeky fish-out-of-water story with a charming billionaire prince who falls for the girl despite the two of them having little in common.” —Heroes and Heartbreakers

  Available in ebook, paperback, and audiobook

  INTERMEDIATE THERMODYNAMICS

  Book 2 of the Chemistry Lessons series

  Aerospace engineer Esther Abbott doesn’t believe in love, but she’s perfectly happy to hate her annoying screenwriter neighbor, Jonathan. Until she’s forced to strike a devil’s bargain with him: he distracts her best friend from a mouth-breather ex, and in return Esther will help him with the sci-fi script he’s writing.

  Her patience is put to the test when it’s time to fulfill her end of the deal. But the more time she spends with her nemesis, the more hate turns into attraction—and attraction into something much deeper. As Esther’s carefully constructed defenses start to crumble, will love be her undoing or her salvation?

  This sweet, enemies-to-lovers romance is the second in a series of standalone rom-coms featuring heroines who work in STEM fields.

  * * *

  “I loved Esther and Jonathan’s journey from awkwardness to comfortable friendship to love.” —Smart Bitches, Trashy Books

  * * *

  “If you’re a fan of geeky romances, you need to pick this one up. It’s geek-rom at its finest.” —Pervy Ladies Books


  * * *

  “Entertaining, often hilarious, relatable, intelligent, realistic romance at its absolute best.” —Fic Central

  Available in ebook, paperback, and audiobook

  About the Author

  SUSANNAH NIX lives in Texas with her husband, two ornery cats, and a flatulent pit bull. When she’s not writing, she enjoys reading, cooking, knitting, watching stupid amounts of television, and getting distracted by Tumblr. She is also a powerlifter who can deadlift as much as Captain America weighs.

  If you’re on Facebook, come hang out with Susannah and other romance lovers in her VIP Reader Group to chat about books, movies, TV, crafts, science, life, the universe, and everything!

  www.susannahnix.com

 

 

 


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