Spiral of Bliss: The Complete Boxed Set Read online

  Table of Contents

  PROLOGUE

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER TEN

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

  CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

  CHAPTER THIRTY

  EPILOGUE

  PRAISE FOR AROUSE

  “Nina Lane has written an amazing story that will resonate with every reader... A journey of one couple's spiral into a world of jealousy and betrayal, hidden secrets, and the raw purity of first love.”

  —Sandy, The Reading Cafe

  “5 breathtaking stars... It was moving, emotional, warm, tender, funny, sensual, gut-wrenching and I became absolutely and completely invested in Liv and Dean.”

  —Jenny, TotallyBooked Blog

  “5 amazing stars... I loved this author's style of writing; it was beautiful and vivid and made for compulsive reading... Be ready to feel every single emotion possible.”

  —Gitte, TotallyBooked Blog

  “Arouse is achingly beautiful in its intensity... If you are on the lookout for a read that provides a great, thoughtful story combined with enticing as well as fierce sex scenes then look no further. You have found it.”

  —Baba, Goodreads

  “The author completely drew me into Dean and Olivia’s story, as well as their lives... From beginning to end, the journey is riveting.”

  —Yesi, Reviewer with Literati Literature Lovers

  “Nina Lane knows how to create characters whose actions and feelings make a lasting connection with the reader.”

  —Bridget, My Secret Romance Book Reviews

  “I fell in love with Dean and Liv. As a couple, they stole my heart. I loved them, individually and together.”

  —Aestas Book Blog

  “Nina Lane wrote the perfectly imperfect love story.”

  —Sheri Zilinskas, Reading DelightZ

  “Beautifully written, introspective... For me, a fantastic read.”

  —Maryse's Book Blog

  “This book right here is why I love to read.”

  —Brandi, Sugar and Spice Book Reviews

  PRAISE FOR ALLURE

  “This man, this woman, this book and this author are beyond words.”

  —Jenny, TotallyBooked Blog

  “Dean West brought me to my knees yet again. Moreover, Nina Lane did just that. Her writing is exceptional, brilliant, classy, amazing.”

  —Gitte, TotallyBooked Blog

  “Just beautiful... Dean and Liv are officially one of my all-time favorite book couples. Their passion, love, heartache, and healing hit me right in the heart.”

  —Aestas Book Blog

  “I absolutely loved this novel... It is a story about love and personal growth, dealing with the past and finding a way to move forward.”

  —Maria, Reviewer with Literati Literature Lovers

  “This story has a ton of heart and emotion.”

  —Bridget, My Secret Romance Book Reviews

  “Each page, each word takes you on an emotional journey that will one minute leave you heartbroken and mend it within the next.”

  —Tammy, Reviews by Tammy and Kim

  “This was another incredibly special read from Nina Lane... It’s such a beautiful love story.”

  —Becs, Sinfully Sexy Book Reviews

  “This series is brilliant.”

  —Vilma's Book Blog

  PRAISE FOR AWAKEN

  “This is one of those gems, one of those special stories that will forever capture your heart and touch your soul.”

  —TotallyBookedBlog

  “This is the kind of book that raises the bar. This is the kind of book that ruins me for all others… because, after a book this beautiful, how can anything compare?”

  —Aestas Book Blog

  “Nina Lane has written a series that will captivate and awaken your mind to the possibilities of true love, soul-mates, and a love everlasting.”

  —Sandy, The Reading Café

  “Awaken is the perfect ending to a fantastic series!”

  —Maria, reviewer with Literati Book Reviews

  “Nina Lane is an extraordinary writer and with her words she will take you on a remarkable journey of a perfect love with two amazing, imperfect characters.”

  —Nancy's Romance Reads

  “This right here is how it’s done. It was perfect! I fell in love all over again and when I turned that last page I cried for everything we have experienced over the three books, through Liv and Dean’s journey. It was truly magical.”

  —Gitte, TotallyBookedBlog

  “Nothing is more beautiful then reading about a married couple so deeply in love and dedicated to each other.”

  —Alexis, Reality Bites! Let's Get Lost

  “I can’t even put into words how much I absolutely and unequivocally adore this series.… Books like this are the reason I love reading.”

  —Miss Construed Reviews

  PRAISE FOR ADORE

  “I loved this book and characters with all my heart.”

  —Pavlina, Read More Sleep Less Blog

  “My favorite book boyfriend of all time is Professor Dean West.”

  —TiffanyReadz

  “Nina Lane’s writing is exquisite, breathtaking, and lyrical.”

  —Nicole, reader

  “Whenever Professor Dean West, the rock star of the medievalist world, graces my book world, I just want to free-fall into him.”

  —Baba, Goodreads

  “ADORE is heartbreakingly dramatic; emotionally enthralling; and transcends the romantic heart in all of us.”

  —Sandy, The Reading Cafe

  “I’m completely in love with Nina’s Spiral of Bliss series, with outstanding characters, fantastic stories and one of THE sexiest couples I’ve read.”

  —Jenny, Goodreads

  PRAISE FOR ALWAYS

  “Nina Lane’s SPIRAL OF BLISS series is decadent, startling and exotic; the allure of a pure love is beautiful and seductive; the fear is an emotional rollercoaster of heartbreak and sorrow.”

  —Sandy, The Reading Cafe

  “This series is one of THE most beautifully written erotic romances I have ever read.”

  —Ellen, the Book Bellas

  “Nina has created a wonderful love story with a couple who has the most beautiful relationship.”

  —Alba and Her Secrets Blog

  “Liv and Dean’s journey was an epic love story that will be forever seared deep within my soul.”

  —Ang’s Sizzling Pages

  “Perfection. Sheer and utter perfection.”

  —Lucinda, Goodreads

  “Dean West is made of everything beautiful.”

  —Melissa, Wrapped Up in Reading

  “Nina has created a modern day fairytale of The Professor and His Beauty.”

  —Eliza, Relentless
Romance

  “The entire series remains, hands down, one of the most romantic, mesmerizing, and erotic reads I’ve ever read in all my life.”

  —Bianca, Biblio Belles

  PRAISE FOR BREAK THE SKY

  “This book is sexy, sultry, raw, passionate, yet it has such a lyrical tone to it that you will find yourself immersed in this world that makes these Spiral Bliss novels come to life.”

  —Yesi, Literati Literature Lovers

  “This book was perfection.”

  —Pavlina, Read More Sleep Less Blog

  “I never fail to connect to Nina’s stories through her flawlessly superb writing.”

  —Jenny, TotallyBooked Blog

  “Break the Sky was simply outstanding.”

  —Nancy’s Romance Reads

  “I absolutely loved Break the Sky; the writing was without doubt superbly stunning and flawless as always.”

  —Gitte, TotallyBooked Blog

  “Nina Lane writes three-dimensional characters that come off the page.”

  —Cyndi, Once Upon A Page Reviews

  “Beside the beautiful story and characters, it's Nina Lane's writing that I love. Her writing is so poetic, so moving, so engaging.”

  —Jenny, Book Sojourner

  WELCOME TO NEW YORK TIMES AND USA Today bestselling author Nina Lane's sexy, passionate SPIRAL OF BLISS series. This contemporary erotic romance about brilliant Professor Dean West and his cherished beauty Olivia is an epic, heart-melting journey about the power of a love to end all loves.

  Sign up for Nina’s Newsletter to receive a free exclusive novel, as well as special offers and sneak peeks: www.ninalane.com/newsletter

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  AROUSE (Book 1)

  ALLURE (Book 2)

  ADVENT (Bonus Spiral of Bliss Short Story)

  AWAKEN (Book 3)

  ARRIVE (A Spiral of Bliss Novella)

  BREAK THE SKY (A Spiral of Bliss Romance)

  ADORE (Book 4)

  ALWAYS (Book 5)

  SPIRAL OF BLISS: THE COMPLETE SERIES

  Copyright © 2017 by Nina Lane.

  All rights reserved.

  AROUSE © 2013 by Nina Lane.

  ALLURE © 2013 by Nina Lane.

  ADVENT © 2015 by Nina Lane.

  AWAKEN © 2014 by Nina Lane.

  ARRIVE © 2013 by Nina Lane.

  ADORE © 2016 by Nina Lane.

  ALWAYS © 2016 by Nina Lane.

  BREAK THE SKY © 2014 by Nina Lane.

  This book is a work of fiction. All names, characters, locations, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination, or have been used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, locales, or events is entirely coincidental.

  Cover Design & eBook Production by VMC Art & Design, LLC

  Published by Snow Queen Publishing

  The uploading, scanning, and distribution of this book in any form or by any means—including but not limited to electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise—without the permission of the copyright holder is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized editions of this work, and do not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of the author’s rights is appreciated.

  ISBN: 978-0-9887158-5-1

  I want to do with you what spring does with the cherry trees.

  —Pablo Neruda

  CHAPTER ONE

  Olivia

  HE DIDN’T TOUCH ME. HE COULD have—he had the perfect reason to—but he didn’t.

  Instead he bent to collect my papers before the breeze could whisk them away. Instead he picked up my satchel from the sidewalk and asked if I was okay. Instead he stood between me and the busy street while I brushed the dirt from my palms and tried to swallow the knot of frustration stuck in my throat.

  Instead he just waited. I had the strange thought that he would wait forever.

  August 7

  Adhesive sandcastles, flip-flops, and smiling suns cover the windows of the shops lining Avalon Street. The bed-and-breakfasts are filled with guests, and boats dot Mirror Lake like stars in the sky. University students crowd the coffeehouses, and both tourists and locals stroll through downtown with ice-cream cones or sodas in hand. Children, skin browned from the sun, scurry along the paths leading to the shore.

  “Sorry, miss.” The shaggy-haired fellow at the outdoor drink stand gives me a smile of apology. “We’re out of lemonade.”

  Of course they are.

  I push a damp tendril of hair away from my forehead and look at the chalkboard menu again.

  The sun has started to set, but it’s still roasting out. My pantyhose are shrink-wrapped to my body, and the elastic band is gouging my waist. My toes ache from being crammed into heels all day. And though I refuse to look, I’m quite certain there are sweat stains under the arms of my silk blouse.

  “Okay. An iced tea, then.” I push two dollars at the guy and take the plastic cup, poking a straw into the hole. I don’t much like iced tea, but the cup is cold and wet, and the liquid feels good going down my dry throat.

  I scan for an outdoor table, but they’re all filled with clusters of people enjoying their drinks.

  I grab my paper bag of groceries, pull up my satchel strap, and trudge down the sun-baked street, feeling like a bone-weary schoolmarm amidst the happy, relaxed summer crowd. My ponytail slips farther from the loose clasp, welding more strands of hair to my neck.

  Home. Our small, two-bedroom apartment sits above a row of shops overlooking Avalon Street. The sight of the wrought-iron balcony, laden with plants in fat, colorful pots, elicits a welcome sense of relief.

  I increase my pace despite the blister forming on my heel. The minute I step into the building foyer, I drop the bag, kick off my shoes, and sink onto the bottom step of the stairs. I suck in another mouthful of iced tea. Sweat trickles down my spine.

  “Hey, beauty.”

  The deep, masculine voice resounds inside me. I look up at the top of the stairs where Dean is standing. His dark hair is messy from him dragging his hand through it, his shirt is wrinkled, and the sleeves are pushed up to his elbows. His tie is unknotted and loose, the buttons of his collar unfastened to expose the tanned V of his throat.

  Warmth, both spicy and sweet, curls through me at the sight of him. Dean’s seamless combination of Brilliant Professor and Hot Hunk never fails to quicken my blood.

  “Hi.” I duck my head and sip the iced tea.

  “Thought you were working late.” He descends the stairs to where I’m sitting and picks up my satchel.

  “Yeah, well.” A lump forms in my throat. “I got fired.”

  Jesus, Liv. Don’t cry.

  “Fired?” Dean drops the satchel and sits beside me on the step. He reaches out to brush my hair away from my sticky neck. “What happened?”

  “A screw-up with the printer for tonight’s opening. They got the names of a couple of the big donors wrong, even though I emailed them the information twice and sent a hard copy. Mr. Hammond blamed me anyway.”

  I hate sounding like a victim, even if that is the truth.

  “That’s not right, Liv. Wrongful termination is—”

  I wave my hand to stop him. “Forget it, Dean. It wasn’t that great a job. Hammond was always complaining that I made too many mistakes. Which I did not.”

  “Want me to go beat him up?”

  “Kind of.” My white knight…

  “C’mere.” He slides an arm around me and pulls me closer.

  Even though I’m hot and gross and probably smelly, I burrow against him with a sigh. Just the feel of his strong chest beneath my cheek is soothing.

  When he eases the clasp out of my long hair an
d finger-combs the tangles, then moves his hand up to knead the muscles of my nape, I think I could quite happily sit there for the next hour or three.

  “I offered to try and fix the problem, but he told me to pack up and go,” I say.

  “Their loss.” He brushes his lips against my temple. A tingle sweeps clear down to my toes. “Besides you said the artwork was crap anyway.”

  “It was.” I take another sip of tea. “Bunch of junk glued onto canvases. I could make us a fortune doing that. Hell, maybe I will. Olivia West, the Dumpster-diving artist.”

  “That’s my girl.”

  “Ah, well. Mr. Hammond was kind of a creep anyway.”

  “What do you mean?” Tension ripples through Dean’s solid frame. “Did he—?”

  “No, no. I mean creep as in oily. Groveling to the customers, you know, like a medieval surfer.”

  “Serf.” Dean tweaks my nose.

  “I know.” I grin at him and push to standing.

  Dean picks up my satchel and the wrinkled grocery bag. I grab my shoes and trudge after him into our apartment. My anxiety settles a little more as soon as I close the door behind us.

  The windows are shut and the air conditioner is running, so it’s cool and quiet inside. When we first moved in, I put pale blue curtains on the windows, which complement the navy sofa and striped pillows. With the cream-colored walls, blue-and-white quilts, and wood trim, our apartment has the feel of an open, airy beach house.