One to Keep

Stefan Talbot likes order and control. He approaches his life with the same meticulous precision that he uses to put paint on his canvas. Nothing good comes from chaos, and that is why he has refused to allow himself to get close to Jennifer Waters. They are like fire and ice. Though she is younger, her talent as an artist is unquestionable. But she lives her life like she paints—with wild, passionate abandon. It is intoxicating and terrifying, and he can’t get her out of his head. 

Jennifer ran from Bliss to put Stef behind her. She had come to the mountain town seeking a mentor but found much more than she bargained for. Cool and distant, Stef was like a marble statue and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t break through his shell. She moved to Dallas to start over, but nothing is going as planned. When the art gallery where she works is robbed and a precious painting is stolen, Jen is accused of the theft. Jen is thrilled when her bail is met, until she realizes her savior is Stef and he has a few conditions. First and foremost, she has to return to Bliss.

Against the backdrop of the Winter Festival, Stef and Jen’s attraction catches fire. But the dark forces behind the robbery in Dallas have followed Jen home. A criminal syndicate believes she still has the stolen painting and they’ll kill to get their hands on it.

Main characters:

Stefan Talbot

Jennifer Waters

For more information, click here: One to Keep

To see their family tree, click here: Nights in Bliss Family Trees

• I followed up Siren Enslaved with One to Keep, and Stef wasn't much easier to deal with than Julian was. I don't know why but the name Stefan Talbot was one I'd always wanted to use. It's a name that shows up in a bunch of my unfinished works, including one I wrote a couple of chapters of and intended to try to sell to Harlequin. In that book, he was the "bad" guy who would probably have redeemed himself. However, I finally found the right Stef when he walked into Bliss!

• One to Keep is also when I got invested in the first real long-term slow-burn character. Logan Green really begins his journey in this book and so did my love affair with drawing out one character in a series and his or her storyline.