Snippet ~ Mechanics of Love

Welcome to 2026 Book Birthday On My Birthday Tradition!!!!! *I might be a little excited and hyper. ROFLAMO*

This is a Snippet that’s new and never posted anywhere else. Yep new and never posted anywhere else. It’s being posted for the first time as part of the 2026 Book Birthday On My Birthday Tradition!

Join me daily here on the blog for next Snippet. There’s also something special for the last day of August 2026 as a wrap up for the 2026 Book Birthday On My Birthday Tradition. 🙂

*holding up a glass of champagne* Wheeee…onto today’s 2026 Book Birthday On My Birthday Tradition Snippet!!!

Today’s Snippet features characters from Dark Callings, Phoenix Intelligence Agency, Book #3. Enjoy!

From time to time there’s multi-part Snippet’s that go together. I think of it as a Snippet Serial and I name them. The below Snippet Serial Infinity Extras features the books at the time I wrote these Snippet’s that were available in my Phoenix Intelligence Agency series. Eventually when books are released in the Phoenix Intelligence Agency series an Snippet might be written and if it is it will be added to the Infinity Extras Snippet Serial. So this Snippet Serialis a continuous one (at my discretion/time permits).

Infinity Extras is a multi-part Snippet Serial and best read in order for the most enjoyment. They are usually in order of the Phoenix Intelligence Agency series for which they are written about (unless otherwise noted).

This might be rough draft so excuse any typos and so on.

Mechanics of Love
A Phoenix Intelligence Agency Snippet
By: Taige Crenshaw
August 2026
Featured Characters Book: Dark Callings
Genre: Paranormal
Series: Phoenix Intelligence Agency
Snippet Series: Phoenix Intelligence Agency Selects
Snippet Serial: Infinity Extras, Part 3
Length: Snippet

Harmony hummed as she finished preparing the food and treats she had made.

“I thought it was your daughter who was a schemer who used my weakness to her advantage. “Lennox said.

“But just as you said she’s like a mama.” Harmony laughed. “But there’s a method to our scheming.”

“Oh boy. If the two of you are teaming up to scheme it must be something big you all are after.” Lennox came and stood beside her. “Looking at this spread of caramel goodness I’ll agree to anything.”

“Here taste this.” Harmony picked up one of the enticements she had for him.

Lennox eyed her warily but still took a bite. His eyes closed and he moaned. Harmony didn’t let the wicked chuckle out. She had him. He would do whatever she wanted.

“Although my eyes are closed I don’t need to see you to know you’re feeling very smug.” Lennox opened one eye. “What’s it going to cost me? All these yummy caramel things.”

“Ebony your daughter is going to come and ask for pet.” Harmony said.

“It’s amazing how she’s my daughter when it could potentially be something that’s trouble.” Lennox eyed her. “I don’t see a problem with a pet. But from your tone it seems there might be one. But before you hit me with it feed me. That croissant with the caramel drizzle is mighty tasty.”

Harmony did as he bid. Since she needed him to agree she was more than happy to use his weakness against him. After he had eaten the bite she looked at him.

“A pet isn’t the issue. She wants a pet not from this realm.” Harmony didn’t even want to think about it her even getting one.

With how many realms there were it could be anything. Since Ebony had told her she had so many thoughts of the variety of pets and the havoc it could cause.

“Oh. I’m still not seeing the issue.” Lennox shrugged. “I had…”

He trailed off. Harmony saw it dawned on his face the potential problems with a pet from another realm. Lennox gestured to his mouth. She fed him. Then she picked up another item.

“Okay. I see the potential problems. But Ebony is a good kid.” Lennox nodded. “I know you raised her mostly on your own until we got together. And now since we are I know you like to say the whole your daughter when it’s something as I said potential trouble or something along those lines.” Lennox looked off into space. “So if you don’t want to get her a pet from another realm why don’t you just say so?”

“I can’t. I promised her if she brought in a certain set of grades she could get her choice of something she wanted.” Harmony sighed. “When I was doing this and greed she tempted me with something. I didn’t put any caveats or barriers.”

“So the mama schemer got out schemed by the daughter.” Lennox laughed until tears rolled down his face.

“It’s not that funny.” Harmony took a bite of the pastry.

“Hey that’s my bribe.” Lennox took it from her and ate it. “You can just explain. Ebony is a very reasonable child.”

“It’s that reasonable that makes me can’t say no. She reasonably explained that it’s the mechanics of love. Where does she even get these things?”

Harmony picked up another treat but before she could eat it Lennox snatched it out of her hand. She frowned at him. Lennox shrugged and ate.

Once he swallowed. “Hmmmm… I can’t imagine where she would get such a thing.” He tapped his finger against his lips. “Wait… If I remember the other day when we were having a discussion someone talked about the mechanics of love. It was eloquent, passionate and brought a imaginary tear to my eye.” Lennox wiped the imaginary tear from his eye. “It was brilliant. So you don’t have any idea where she would’ve gotten that from.”

“I didn’t realize she heard me. I was talking to you.” Harmony frowned. “Damn kids hear all the things you don’t want them to hear. But mysteriously they don’t hear things you do want them to hear.”

“Yep. And as parents we’re so screwed. They are getting more and more adapt at outsmarting us.” Lennox sighed. “Even when we team up.”

“Don’t remind me of our failure.” Harmony pouted. “How she gets so damn smart?”

They looked at each other. “I blame you.” They said simultaneously. Then they laughed before sobering.

“So let me see if I understand. You want me to be the bad guy.” Lennox studied her. “Let her know she cannot have a pet from another realm. Basically putting in all the caveats and boundaries you didn’t.” Lennox picked up a cookie.

“Yes.” Harmony nodded eagerly. “You didn’t agree to something with her. So there’s no mechanics of love involved.”

“I still think it’s brilliant she used that against you.” Lennox chuckled.

“You can laugh all you want. But you’re going to do this.” Harmony pushed the various plates with the bribes.

Lennox scooped them up piling them in his arms. “She’s in her room right.”

“No. She went out back.”

Lennox nodded then headed towards the patio doors. He looked at Harmony then smiled. Relieved Harmony blew out a breath.

“Ebony is a very level-headed, responsible and reasonable child. No matter the pet she’d be good at it. But I get the reason why you don’t want her to just have carte blanche at a pet from any realm.” Lennox chuckled then called. “Hey Ebony, how much different things with caramel are you going to make me to bribe me to agree to this pet of any realm thing.”

“Lennox.” Harmony hissed. “I gave you a good bribe and now you’re betraying me.”

“It’s all about the mechanics of love.” Lennox bit into a caramel pastry. “I love caramel and both of you know that. So I’m going to get as much of that out of this as possible. Besides how much trouble do you think she could get into? This is Ebony we’re talking about. And don’t forget all the people who we know that’s family by blood and choice. It’ll be fine.”

Lennox went out the door. Harmony hurried after him. But when she stepped outside she realized she was barefoot. She hated shoes. Whenever she could get away with it, she got rid of them as soon as she could. She noted that her daughter was also barefoot. As Lennox laughed with Ebony, Harmony knew her plans had been sabotaged by the caramel loving man.

“Mechanics of love. I should have known that’d come back and bite me in the butt.” Harmony went to join them.

This Snippet Serial is part of the Infinity Extras a multi-part Snippet Serial and best read in order for the most enjoyment.They are usually in order of the Phoenix Intelligence Agency series for which they are written about (unless otherwise noted).

This Snippet is part of Phoenix Intelligence Agency Selects – to read more of this Snippet Series go here. For more on info about Snippet. Enjoy!

Want to read the book on this couple get Dark Callings here:

Universal: http://bit.ly/darkcallings
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2QCMZyc
Nook: http://bit.ly/31vRMmZ
Apple Books: https://apple.co/472Y2FB
Kobo: http://bit.ly/35SqRFt

Want to check out the rest of series, here’s the Phoenix Intelligence Agency Series Page ~ https://bit.ly/piagency and/or Amazon series page ~ https://amzn.to/2vzrfv3.

Enjoyed the Snippet – My newsletter usually gets the first exclusive look when I write them and a few exclusive perks. Sign up to for news, exclusive sneak peeks (cover, excerpts & etc), free books, fun & occasional exclusive free reads! Join Newsletter here –> http://bit.ly/taigenews

#paranormal #PhoenixIntelligenceAgency #Romance #amreading #Snippet

Want to join in all the fun….all of my alter egos are releasing free reads. You’ll need to go to their sites for their’s. You can go daily for McKenna’s here and Talia’s here to read their free reads! Note: Look for category Book Birthday On My Birthday Tradition. Check the genre and other things in case it’s not something you read.

Check back tomorrow for the next free Snippet. Also you can let others know about this! There will be 1 each day of August 2026. So make sure to check daily for the Snippet that posts for that day of the 2026 Book Birthday On My Birthday Tradition! 🙂 See you tomorrow! 😉