Aurora Borealis: A Passionate Erotic Romance

By Marianne Lowe

Shy but friendly Ella sets up shop next door to Aurora’s Tattoos; the handsome but aloof owner Davis takes issue with her flower shop’s name. They didn't expect the sparks to fly.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Marianne Lowe
• Release date: Jul 27, 2020
• ISBN: 9781005579357

Book preview

Marianne Lowe

Aurora Borealis

Copyright © 2020 by Marianne Lowe

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise without written permission from the publisher. It is illegal to copy this book, post it to a website, or distribute it by any other means without permission.

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Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Also by Marianne Lowe

Chapter 1

Chapter Separator

He doesn’t pay much attention when the empty storefront next to his shop is finally leased, other than to absently hope whatever goes in brings some new clients into his place. Aurora’s is doing fine, but it never hurts to get more business.

But a couple weeks later, coming back from his lunch break, Davis absolutely does notice that the next door shop’s new sign has gone up, just to the right of his on the row of shops.

Borealis Blooms, it reads. He ducks into Aurora’s, barks at Lincoln and Monroe that he’s going to be a few minutes longer, and makes his way, fuming, next door.

Are you kidding me? he demands as he barges into the shop. It’s got that new paint smell, the walls now a calm cream instead of dingy white, and there’s furniture still wrapped in packing plastic clustered in the middle of floor.

There’s no one in there, and for a second Davis feels embarrassed about yelling into an empty room, but then a woman pops up from behind the counter.

She’s covered in paint, her hair is falling out of a sloppy topknot, and the strap of her tank top is sliding down her shoulder.

Uh, Davis says, and that’s how he meets the girl next door.

Can I help you? Ella asks. She’s sweaty and hot and she’s been crouching behind the counter organizing office supplies long enough that her thighs are trembling and burning in the worst way.

The good kind of thigh trembling has, sadly, been all too absent from her life since she broke up with Lexa and moved from Arkadia to D.C.

She’s sure she looks like a total mess, and resents the man standing in the middle of her half-ready shop on principle, because he looks crisp and cool in a dark v-neck as if the humidity doesn’t affect him at all.

And damn it all if the sight of the ink adorning his exposed skin doesn’t get her even more hot and bothered.

Yeah, he says, and stalks up to her until all that’s separating them is the narrow expanse of the counter. What the hell is up with your sign?

She blinks at him. My…sign?

Is he trying to use some weird kind of angry pick-up line on her?

Borealis Blooms, he grits out, and Ella can’t decide if she is or isn’t disappointed that the answer to her question is apparently no.

You’re one of the guys from the tattoo parlor, she realizes, because duh.

Yeah, and you’re the girl who’s ripping off my shop name, he snaps.

Excuse me? the woman says, and Davis’s not distracted by her lips when she blows a piece of hair out of her face.

Aurora borealis?

Oh. She does look a little chagrined, pulling up her tank top strap and fidgeting with it. I meant to talk to the owner before it went up. I got distracted.

Well, talk, he says.

Oh, you’re—? I’m— Her cheeks were already flushed when he came in, but now even her nose turns pink as she blushes. I didn’t think you’d mind, I guess. I just—I’d wanted to open this place for a long time, and when I was looking for space and saw your shop’s name, it seemed kind of perfect.

He stares at her.

Besides, she says, lifting her chin defiantly. It’s kind of cute, don’t you think?

I own a tattoo parlor, Davis says flatly. I don’t need a fucking cutesy his-and-hers shopfront thing going on.

She narrows her eyes. "Well, too bad. I’ve already paid for the sign. And