After losing her husband to a sudden heart attack, Tess Mathews escapes to Bora Bora to lay her husband and sorrow to rest. What she doesn't expect is a new beginning.
Tom Clemmins is an A-list actor whose life revolves around work and an onslaught of women. He travels to Bora Bora for a much-needed break. Tom has a few ideas of how he'll enjoy his vacation, but love isn't one of them. Until he sees Tess.
Reserving a private shark-feeding excursion to scatter her husband's ashes into the lagoon, Tess is furious when Mr. Hollywood bribes his way onto the boat, leaving her no other choice but to share the boat ride.
Tess is torn between tremendous guilt and zealous lust when their boat ride turns into a week full of romance and desire neither thought imaginable. Utterly smitten with a woman for the first time in his life, Tom casts his commitment phobia aside and whisks Tess off to Malibu where he introduces her as his "girlfriend" on the red carpet.
As the paparazzi besiege, can Tess survive the media blitz that ensues in order to find her second chance at love?
Playlist:
Single Ladies - Beyonce
Banana Pancakes - Jack Johnson
Barely Breathing - Duncan Sheik
First Time - Lifehouse
Whatever it Takes - Lifehouse
Brass Bed _ Josh Gracin
Nickelback - How You Remind Me, Someday, Figured You Out
Brown Eyed Girl - Van Morrison
Must Be Doing Something Right - Billy Currington
Rude Boy - Rhiana
All I wnat to Do - Sugarland
I Go Blind - Hootie and the Blowfish
Sexy Back - Justin Timberline
Ta douleur - Camille
I Hate Boys - Christina Aguilera
Madness - Muse
My Sacrifice - Creed
Maybe I'm Amazed - Paul McCartney
Amazed - Lonestar
They returned to Tom’s as the sun sank into
the ocean. He made martinis and they swam. The warm pool felt wonderful, but
the drinks were even better. Tess had never drank martinis, and they were
making her randy.
Tom rattled on, seemingly having a
conversation with himself, because she wasn’t paying attention. Tess watched
his lips move, but could only focus on the urge to gently suck on them and run
her tongue down the muscle on his neck that fluttered when he talked. All she
wanted to do was make love to him. Eventually, Tess stepped out of the pool in
the middle of his sentence, never turning back to see if he followed. Her
bikini hit the ground before she made it inside the house. She only made it as far as the top of
the stairs.
He grabbed her from behind, his hot breath
traveled over her shoulder and back. Twisting her neck, she searched for his
mouth. He turned her to face him, and she clung to him, kissing him with hunger
and desire unlike anything Tess had ever experienced before. He guided her down
to the floor, taking her right there on the stairs. She wanted to tell him to
make love to her, but feared to say the words out loud.
“Are you okay, Tess?” He watched her face
intently.
“Umm hum.”
“You’re thinking about something else. What
can I do to change that?” He placed her hands above her head.
She inhaled deeply, holding her breath before
exhaling loudly. She was dying to say the words so badly, but scared he would
bolt out the door.
“Tell me, Tess. What do you want?”
That
voice! She breathed deeply
again.
“I’m listening,” he coaxed.
She blurted out. “I don’t want to have sex tonight.”
“I think you’re too late.” He smirked,
tugging gently on her nipple with his teeth.
“I want this to be more than just sex.” She yearned for him to
realize what she needed from him. “I’m not asking you for words, Tom. I’m not ready for that, but I want this to be more than
just sex.”
He stopped mid-thrust, cocking his head to
the side, understanding exactly what she meant. He pulled away from her to
stand up.
Panic set in and regret filled her eyes as
she reached for his hand to pull him back. Shit,
I shouldn’t have said anything.
He took her hand and led her to his room to
start over. Tilting her chin up toward his. “Tess, I’m not sure if I’ve ever
had just sex with you. It’s been much more than that for me from the beginning.”
“Me, too.”
Tom kissed her lips softly, nuzzling her
neck, burying his face in the scent of her skin. Their bodies moved slower,
more deliberate, connecting as one, touching each other tenderly. Neither felt
compelled to impress. They simply took pleasure in one of the most intimate
nights either had ever experienced. That night they made love together.
After a year of grieving
the sudden loss of her husband, Richard, Tess Mathews decides its time to say
her goodbyes. Her plan is to take her
husband’s ashes to Bora Bora, one of their favorite vacation spots, and find a
place where she knows he’d love and release his ashes. Her three children are a little
hesitant about her sudden trip, but Tess is strong in her conviction that this
is what she needs to do, not just for Richard but herself.
While in Bora Bora, Tess
decides to charter a private tour to swim with sharks, something she and
Richard enjoyed immensely, and hopefully find the perfect place to say her
goodbyes. What she doesn’t plan on
is the alleged womanizing Hollywood hottie, Tom Clemmins, out bidding her and
taking over her tour. Although the
first time Tess sees Tom in the hotel lobby where she set up her tour, had her
noticing him, she is far from impressed with him hijacking her day with
Richard. Not wanting to give up her
tour and have to wait another week she accepts Tom’s offer to join him for the
day.
In that one decision to
accept his offer, her whole world changes. The man the media hypes is not the man she spends the day
with, is not the man she decides to take a chance on. And what starts as a fling, soon becomes something so much
more for both of them.
As the couple spends more
time together and their attraction grows, both physically and emotionally, Tess
contends with feelings of betrayal of the life she had with Richard; and
suddenly saying goodbye isn’t as easy as well saying goodbye. For Tom, meeting a woman like Tess is
unexpected and he must fight the unfamiliar feelings that come with commitment
and shove past his urges to run aside.
He holds a secret very few are privy to that keeps him from feeling
worthy of commitment.
It’s not all easy for Tess
and Tom, as they contend with past memories, protective friends and family, and
a conniving publicist that tests their will to stay together.
This book was a breath of
fresh air. Tess is strong,
confidant, fierce and a fighter.
She’s lived a life with an amazing husband that gave her a wonderful
family, a good life and three great kids.
With the friendship and love of Tom she learns its okay to honor her
past while moving forward with the next chapter of her life. Once she recognizes Tom isn’t just a
fling, even in moments of hesitation, she fights for them. And when life infiltrates their happy
bubble and all she wants to do is crawl into a ball (and maybe she does, she is
human after all)…she gets mad. I
found myself admiring the hell out of Tess. Tom is sex on a stick….watch out ladies you’ll want to add
him to your ever growing BBF list!
He’s fun, he’s sexy as hell, loyal, kind, generous…he’s the whole
package. I loved how he cherished
Tess and came to love her family as his own, how he shares his life with her;
which you’ll see is not something of the norm for him. Together they embrace their pasts,
share in their present and honor one another.
Beverly weaves an incredibly
beautiful love story. I definitely shed some tears but also smiled a whole lot more. Where ever Beverly takes us with this family I will follow. FIVE STARS!!!!
For the past twenty-one years, Beverly Preston has been a stay at home mom, although she prefers the title Domestic Engineer, raising her four amazing kids. Along the way, Beverly worked side by side with her husband Don, the love of her life, designing, building and selling custom homes. As her children begin to venture out on their own, she’s left to shed a tear—for a minute—wonder what’s next in life, and embrace the feeling of empowerment that surely must’ve been wrapped in a present she received on her fortieth birthday.
If Beverly isn’t at home riding her spin bike, you’ll find her spinning richly emotional and sinfully sexy romance stories.
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