Snowbound Read online

  “She’s going to do it every month,” Kyle said. “She says it’s part of the cycle to give back. I say it’s going to be an awesome partnership for both of us.”

  “I’ll see if I can find any good candidates this week,” Theo said. “Now, go and remind Lauren why she loves you. Hunter and I will watch the party for the rest of the night. If I don’t see you in the morning, try to stay out of trouble.”

  “You got it,” Kyle said and the partners embraced. “Thanks for stacking the crowd. It wouldn’t be such an awesome party tonight without your connections.”

  “Or your instincts,” Theo acknowledged. “I’m already thinking about F5’s third location.”

  “Whoa! Let’s get F5 West open first!” Kyle said.

  “Now you sound like Ty,” Hunter teased and they all laughed.

  Lauren gave Theo a kiss on the cheek, then walked to the elevators with Kyle, the pair of them holding hands. Hunter and Theo watched as they walked to the elevators, holding hands, happiness coming off them in waves.

  “Perfect match, huh?” Hunter said lightly, wondering at Theo’s serious mood. “Doesn’t everybody want some of that?”

  “Not me,” Theo said with a finality that surprised Hunter. He winked. “You’ve got to know your own limitations.”

  Before Hunter could ask—because he thought the F5 partners could do pretty much anything—Theo headed back to the party, leaving him alone in the lobby. He had a couple of minutes to wonder about Theo’s big secret, then he heard a favorite song starting and knew he needed to dance.

  Secret Heart Ink.

  Liv’s heart was going to explode. It was still racing, beating faster than ever, and she knew why. She didn’t do risk or experiments or even girls’ weekends in the city. This was a good reason why. She couldn’t believe the raven had picked her, out of all those people. She never won anything. She was never chosen for anything. She didn’t like being the center of attention and usually managed to avoid it.

  But the bird had chosen her. She’d always admired Reyna’s tattoos but would never have volunteered to get one herself. It seemed like something a more flamboyant person would do.

  Like Chynna.

  The stuff about the moon’s magic and finding true love was nonsense, of course. Liv didn’t believe in either magic or love, but she knew it would be rude to voice her doubts.

  Lexi, of course, was loving it all. Comparing their reactions, anyone would have thought that Lexi had won the grand prize. She was practically bouncing in her anticipation and her eyes were shining. She went straight to the sample books and began to flip through them. Reyna was surveying the tattoo shop, her eyes wide with wonder like a kid in a candy store. She was the one who’d suggested they come here, as Chynna had done most of her tattoos.

  “This is an awesome place,” she said to Chynna. “You totally scored.”

  “I love it,” the artist confessed.

  Lexi was turning the pages of one of Chynna’s portfolios. “What are you going to get? I saw your face, you know. Who is he?” she demanded again. “And why haven’t you told me anything?”

  “Liv and her secrets,” Reyna teased, her eyes sparkling. “I knew we’d get to the bottom of at least one this weekend.”

  “Big adventure in the city,” Lexi said.

  “Or tequila,” Reyna replied. “Whichever works.”

  “Liv never drinks enough tequila to lose control,” Lexi complained. “Good thing the raven had your number.”

  Liv didn’t answer her. She loved her best friends to bits, but she didn’t have anything like their verve.

  Stepping out of her comfort zone had to end badly.

  It invariably did.

  “Maybe Lexi should get the tattoo,” she said when the curtains were drawn. “Or Reyna. She has lots already.” There were just the six women in the shop, but Liv didn’t feel as if she had much in common with any of them.

  Chynna gave her an amused glance. “Tristan didn’t choose Lexi or Reyna. He chose you.” She had set her silver briefcase on a table and opened it now, revealing the collection of tattoo guns packed inside. Each one was in a special compartment, carved out of the dark foam lining to fit it perfectly. Liv guessed that they were customized, because Reyna leaned closer for a better look. Chynna caressed them, her fingers sliding over each one lovingly.

  “Why did he choose me?”

  “Because he knows who needs the magic most. It’s his gift.”

  Liv bit her tongue. She leaned over the portfolio beside Lexi. What would she get?

  “Why is he named Tristan?” she asked to stall for time. Maybe if she asked enough questions, Chynna would toss her out.

  But the question didn’t seem to annoy her. She slanted a glance at Liv. “Do you know the story of Tristan and Iseult?”

  Liv shook her head.

  Reyna cleared her throat. “Weren’t they the first star-crossed lovers, the ones some say provided the inspiration for Romeo and Juliet?”

  “Exactly.”

  That didn’t explain the bird’s name, but Chynna didn’t say any more.

  “Is your real name Iseult, then?” Liv asked and the artist laughed.

  She still didn’t reply, though. She took the three tarot cards out of her pocket instead and went to the counter by the entry to the shop. More fortune telling, too. Liv kept from rolling her eyes.

  “You’re skeptical,” Chynna said quietly, no accusation in her tone. She laid down the first card, the one Liv had chosen.

  The Knight of Wands.

  “A man,” Reyna explained. “And since it was right-side up, he’s arriving in her life.”

  “Galloping in on a white charger maybe,” Lexi said.

  Liv felt shivery. Pieces of paper couldn’t know anything about her life. Divination was a trick, a game of the odds. She was in her early thirties. Statistics suggested that she was probably heterosexual and she wore no rings. Chynna had made a deduction and probably used some sleight of hand to encourage Liv to choose the card.

  It had to have a logical explanation.

  “The object of your affection,” Chynna said, giving the card a little stroke. “Or perhaps, more accurately, the focus of your passion and lust.”

  Liv didn’t scoff.

  “Who knew Liv had passion or lust?” Reyna teased. “There was a reason they called you the Ice Queen in high school.”

  “And she hasn’t thawed yet,” Lexi said.

  “Maybe it’ll just take the right man,” Reyna said. They both looked at Liv, their manners expectant.

  “Everyone has passion and lust,” she said, knowing she sounded a little stiff. “It’s the biological mechanism that encourages us to breed, which ensures the survival of the species.”

  “It’s a lot more fun than that, Liv,” Reyna said.

  “Maybe you need to do it with Mr. Right to really enjoy it,” Lexi said.

  Liv could have argued that there was no such thing as a Mr. Right, but she was thinking of Lexi’s older brother Spencer. He was so different from her. That’s why he’d always fascinated her.

  What if she had a one-nighter with him before she left for England?

  Too bad she didn’t have the nerve to seduce him or even suggest intimacy with him.

  “Look at that blush,” Lexi said, gripping Liv’s shoulder. “Who is he?”

  She was leaving in three weeks. If she made a move now, even if it went badly, even if Spencer did find out it was her, he might forget by the time they saw each other again.

  Or, alternatively, she might not ever come back to Honey Hill.

  That was do-able.

  She liked the idea of seducing Spencer before she left.

  Although it might take more than one taste to satisfy this particular biological urge.

  “What’s the next card?” Reyna asked.

  “Tristan’s pick?” Chynna asked, then turned over the second card. It was The Moon. “The Moon governs impulse and urges. It demands that you run wild
and follow your primal urges.” Her dark eyes sparkled. “The Moon insists that you surrender to your instincts.” She slid her finger to the first card and tapped it. “With him.”

  Liv might not survive any interval of surrendering to her impulses with Spencer.

  He’d probably never look at her the same way.

  And actually, that might not be a bad thing. Anything had to be better than him treating her like another sister when all she wanted to do was lick him from head to toe, jump his bones, lock him in her bedroom, and have her way with him over and over again.

  She was getting wet just thinking about it.

  Chynna watched her and smiled.

  “A night of wild sex with her fantasy lover,” Reyna concluded with satisfaction, cutting right to the chase, as always. She nodded. “It’ll be good for her to lose her inhibitions and go for it for once. Come on, Ice Queen, schedule a spring thaw!”

  “What do we do to help make it happen?” Lexi asked.

  Of course, Lexi saw herself as part of the solution. She was always ready to step up for her friends.

  Could Lexi and Reyna help?

  “Accept the tattoo,” Chynna said, raising her gaze to meet Liv’s. “And set your heart afire.”

  “I’ll get you a shooter from the bar if you need encouragement,” Lexi offered.

  Liv shook her head, her decision made. She hoped she didn’t regret it. “No. I want to do this sober.” She took a deep breath. “Could I have a tattoo of a bee?”

  “A bumble bee? Of course.” Chynna shed her frock coat and one of the assistants swooped in to claim it and hang it up. She rolled up her sleeves with care. “Why a bee?”

  “Because that’s the focus of my research. Genetics in bees and how—or if—it influences them falling prey to viruses and parasites. It’s possible that there’s a genetic reason why some hives are experiencing large losses of population and others aren’t.”

  Chynna nodded and Liv realized she was moving into lecture mode. She smiled and fell silent as Chynna showed her a few images.

  “I’d like one in flight, so it’s obviously alive, maybe with a flower.”

  The raven crowed as if approving of that, and Chynna smiled even as she took a pad of paper and sketched. She was obviously talented, because her pencil moved with confidence.

  “No bees sliced up for the microscope?” Reyna asked, making a face.

  “I see enough of those,” Liv said. “I want to look at the tattoo and think of how they buzz on a summer’s day.”

  Reyna smiled. “In the gardens at The Pines.”

  Liv nodded. She and Reyna had spent a day at the big house in Honey Hill the previous summer. Liv had watched the bees while Reyna helped Jane with the honey harvest there. She used their honey in the cupcakes she sold, and she sold the honey for the Watkins, too.

  It was a bit spooky how Chynna drew exactly what Liv wanted.

  As if she had looked right into her imagination and plucked out the image. That was irrational. She must have just described it well. It was bigger than Liv might have hoped, a good four inches across, but she wasn’t going to pick nits. This was a once in a lifetime experience and she would enjoy it.

  She’d never get another tattoo.

  She hoped it didn’t hurt too much.

  Chynna drew a red heart in the middle of the bee, the only spot of color on the drawing. “That’s where the magic goes,” she said softly.

  “What’s the third card?” Lexi asked.

  “That’s a secret, for now,” Chynna said. “It’s the result of what we conjure here tonight. You’ll find out soon enough, but the card is probably the only way that I’ll know. I like to know the end before I participate.” She lifted her gaze and gave Liv a smile. “You should tell Lexi and Reyna who he is, since you might need their help.”

  Liv nodded, bracing herself for Lexi’s reaction. “It’s Spencer.”

  Reyna swore softly, her astonishment complete.

  There was a moment during which the only sound was that of Chynna drawing.

  “My brother?” Lexi demanded.

  “I don’t know anybody else named Spencer.”

  Lexi blinked, her astonishment clear. “Since when?”

  Liv felt her cheeks heating but didn’t answer.

  Lexi swore. Reyna laughed. “Spring is in the air,” she said with a laugh.

  Lexi shoved her hand through her hair, paced the width of the shop then came back to eye Liv. “Seriously? Spencer? Seriously?”

  “Seriously. Why is that hard to believe?”

  “He is so hot,” Reyna said with a wise nod at Lexi. “You’d think so, too, if he wasn’t your brother.”

  Lexi turned to Liv. “What can we do to help?”

  “I don’t want him to know it’s me,” Liv said.

  “A secret lover,” Reyna mused. “Oh, this will be fun.”

  “I’ll get Gabriel to help,” Lexi said, referring to Spencer’s partner at Wolfe Lodge. “He’ll be up to help with that.”

  “It has to be a secret,” Liv insisted. “One time with no repercussions.”

  Reyna shook her head, her skepticism showing.

  “Don’t waste the magic of the new moon,” Chynna said, her voice dreamy.

  “That’s two weeks away,” Reyna said.

  “We can work with that,” Lexi said, purpose in her tone.

  The deadline made no sense to Liv, at least not because of the moon. Moons didn’t have magic whether they were full or new. But she was leaving for England in less than three weeks and leaving it that long meant that there would be less time for Spencer to find out the truth before she was gone forever.

  Liv felt her blood run hot and then cold. Could she really do this?

  She had to do it.

  She had to know.

  Chapter One

  Portland, Maine—Sunday, April 15

  The plan was nuts.

  It was also Lexi’s idea, which pretty much explained everything. Liv would never have concocted such a scheme, but that also meant she would never have done anything about seducing Spencer. The plan should ensure that he never knew it was her.

  That was the important thing.

  Would he play along?

  Liv had major jitters but she wasn’t going to back down now. She really didn’t want to see Spencer be surprised by the news of her attraction to him. She wanted her fantasy but not any awkwardness. Now that her tattoo was healed and the plan was in motion, the only thing left to do was hope for success.

  Blindfold. Sex. Getaway.

  She had this.

  It was new and different, but she’d think of it as an experiment. A test of her verve. A means of getting the desire for one gorgeous man out of her system.

  Liv gripped the steering wheel. Would Spencer figure it out?

  She was leaving for the UK the next night. She wouldn’t be back until the fall. If this went badly, she didn’t have to go back to the town of Honey Hill, Maine at all. Ever. Her mom was good with visiting her wherever she ended up.

  But the plan was good. It would work.

  Liv lowered the window and got a ticket for the parking garage.

  There were clouds gathering overhead when she parked at the airport and headed for the terminal. The wind was up and she wondered whether it would rain or snow. Whatever kind of precipitation fell, she’d be back here in twenty-four hours, waiting for her flight to Heathrow.

  Liv called Lexi. “I’m not sure I can do it,” she said when her oldest friend answered.

  “Of course you can,” Lexi replied with her usual confidence. “It’ll be easy. We’ll take care of the tough bit.”

  “He’ll think he’s been tricked.”

  “He’ll think he’s in heaven.”

  “I’m going to puke,” Liv confessed.

  “Don’t!” Lexi replied. “It’ll ruin everything. Trust me: it’s hard to seduce a guy when you’ve got yack on your coat.”

  Liv heard Gabriel chuckle in the ba
ckground. “And you know this because you’ve tried it?”

  “I’m going out on a limb,” Lexi admitted. “I’m guessing.”

  Gabriel murmured something and Lexi laughed. “Okay. There was that incident at a Christmas party a few years back, but I didn’t really want him anyway.”

  “I thought you wanted all the guys at least once,” Liv heard Gabriel tease.

  “Everyone but you,” Lexi retorted. “You’re too much of a bad boy even for me.”

  Liv rolled her eyes, doubting that was even possible.

  There was a hoot, indicating that Gabriel had taken exception, and Liv would have bet good money that Lexi had taken Gabriel home at least once. She entered the terminal and checked the arrivals board. “You didn’t tell me what you had to do to convince Gabriel to go along with this.”

  “And I’m not going to. Just trust me.”

  Liv smiled. Got it in one. “Okay, I’m walking to the gate.”

  “Good. You remember everything?”

  “Yes, diabolical one.”

  “And everything’s ready here. Look out, Spencer! The new moon has your name and number!”

  “Does your brother know you should come with a warning label?”

  “Probably.” Lexi was dismissive.

  “Besides,” Reyna contributed suddenly. Liv hadn’t realized she was there, then wondered where else she would have been. “There will be cupcakes.”

  Liv didn’t share Reyna’s conviction that cupcakes fixed everything, but she knew that kind of commentary would be unwelcome. “Thanks,” she said, because Reyna’s cupcakes were awesome. She wasn’t sure there’d be time for food. “I hope Lexi has a story to explain Reyna’s cupcakes in Spencer’s house.”

  “I’ll think of something,” Lexi said. “Better yet, smear them around, eat them, and destroy the evidence before he can see it.”

  Something else to do. Liv nodded, forgetting that Lexi couldn’t see her. “Okay.”

  “Gabriel’s going to call him now,” Lexi said. “Get ready.”

  Liv reached the gate where Spencer’s flight was arriving. The glass doors were tinted, but the sign displayed his flight number.

  He was probably just on the other side, waiting for his bag, maybe fifty feet away.