Her Sweet Lips: Jasper Mill Romance

By Rina Dayne

And as Brandon licked his lush lips, Daphne knew that helping out Tess that day might be one of the best decisions she'd ever made.

 

Daphne Lockhart dropped out of college, and now manages a local furniture store. Despite promising never to return to Boroughs College, she ends up helping her best friend serve cupcakes at a graduation ceremony on campus.

 

Good thing she did, because that's where she meets Dr. Brandon Knox, a hot-but-clumsy professor in the physics department. The connection is electric from the first moment they meet under the graduation tent.

 

But these two couldn't be more different. A college dropout who believes in energy work and destiny. A physics professor who believes in evidence and book learning.

 

Will her sweet lips be the magic that brings them together?

 

Welcome to Jasper Mill. A small town that's big on romance.

 

*** Author's Note: This story can be downloaded for free by subscribing to the newsletter on her website. ***

• Language: English
• Publisher: Artom Books Ltd.
• Release date: Apr 28, 2022
• ISBN: 9781736219126

Book preview

Chapter One

Daphne

Luscious swirls of buttercream frosting call to me as Tess pulls a huge tray of cupcakes out of her van.

I brace our cart’s wheels with my feet and hold it steady while she places the tray on top of other containers of cookies, lemon bars, brownies, and more. The last thing we need is Tess’s signature treats toppling off, or the cart rolling down the steep hill we’ve parked on.

I can’t believe I let you talk me into this, I grumble to Tess. I promised myself I’d never step foot on this campus again.

I can’t believe you’re still complaining about it, she shoots back with a snort. It’s not like you’re going to see anyone you know. Plus, you get all the cupcakes you can eat, and I’m making your dad’s birthday cake.

You’d do that anyway.

True, she says. But thanks again for helping me out today. I don’t know what I would do without you.

Tess runs a bakery out of a small storefront on the outskirts of Jasper Mill, the little town that we both grew up in. Normally her staff would handle the delivery for a catering job, but they were overbooked this weekend. She bribed me into helping her instead.

You’re welcome, I say. Now let’s get this over with.

She peers inside the back of her van one more time before slamming the doors shut.

Looks like we have everything, so we’re good to go, she says.

Huffing and puffing, we muscle the cart to the top of the hill, where a large tent waits for us. Inside, we find one still-empty catering table. I unload the desserts and Tess arranges them into a tempting display of sugary goodness.

You’ve got a little drool. She points to the corner of her mouth before breaking into a wide grin.

Oh, hush.

We actually do need to keep our voices down. Rows upon rows of folding chairs set up in front of us are occupied by the December graduates of Boroughs College’s School of Natural Sciences, along with their families.

At the front of the tent, a stuffy-looking man with a shock of white hair, wearing a heavy blazer and thick-rimmed glasses, addresses the assembled crowd. People are noticeably shifting in their seats, and a chorus of coughing erupts. A young girl—she looks about 12—turns to watch Tess and me put the finishing touches on the dessert table.

I think they’re ready for this speech to be over, I whisper softly to Tess.

I am too, she says, and we muffle our giggles.

There’s a sudden round of applause as the old man finishes talking.

Okay, I think that’s our cue, Tess says. You ready to start serving?

I don’t think it’s very fair of you to expect me to just give these things away when I’d much rather be eating them, but I’ll do my best, I reply.

Thanks, she murmurs and squeezes my hand. I owe you one.

For sure. Turning away from the table, I take a deep breath and find the crinkly plastic gloves and hairnet that will make me hygienic enough to serve the crowd.

The graduates and their families descend on the refreshments like a pack of wild animals, hitting the dessert table especially hard. Most of them are holding champagne glasses and a program of the day’s events.

When the crowd finally begins to thin out some, the young girl who had watched us set up the table approaches. She’s pulling an older woman along behind her.

This is it, Grandma! The table with the yummy treats!

Oh my, they do look delicious, her grandmother says.

"What can I get