EOK Gifford-Smith

"Do you like me?" I asked. "Do you really like me?"
Imogen nodded. Water gathered at the edges of her eyes. "Yeah," she whispered, in a voice pained enough to crack my heart.
"Then let's...go out, after this," I said. "We'll go on a date. We can figure this out together, and we can take one step at a time. Okay?"
Imogen nodded again. I took her hands in mine. 
Heartwood: Forbidden is the tale of the young, headstrong Ophelia stepping into a world of magic and witches. At first it seems like her greatest challenge will be finding her Familiar or drawing her Implement from a great tree, but then she runs into Imogen, daughter and heir to the Magnolia family, and learns very quickly that romance and magic probably shouldn't be allowed to mix. If Ophelia plays the game well, she might be able to get the girl and still end up on top. But Ophelia has never been good at following the rules... 
Heartwood: Forbidden is created by EOK Gifford-Smith, an EGlobal Creative Publishing signed author.

Heartwood: Forbidden

"What was that?!" Imogen looked around, alarmed.


"The start of our timer," I said, kicking a bit of telephone away from us. "But don't worry about it, there are still plenty of electronics to go. Can you say that last bit again?"


Imogen blinked, then blushed. "I think... I think I'm in love with you."


Then I crossed the last of the distance between us and pulled her into a tight embrace. Imogen wrapped her arms around me. I nuzzled into her neck and she buried her face in my hair. We stood like that a moment, the silence interrupted only by the sound of our hearts beating; my own fast paced rhythm echoed by the beat I could feel in Imogen's chest.


Chapter 38: Confessing One's Feelings Doesn't Always Make Things Simpler, but It Does Help