Thirty-something kindergarten teacher Lindy Whittaker has decided it’s time to marry and start a family. Steven Hamilton, a successful businessman, seems to be "Mr. Right."
But when Michael "Mac" MacIntyre, her former lover, who happens to be ten years her junior, comes to town, will he ruin all of Lindy’s well-laid plans? Will she find love in stability or in passion? And will the choice she makes lead her into blissful happiness or terrifying danger?
Excerpt
“When’s the last time you went on a real vacation?” His gaze was so intense her body stilled, but her heart raced.
She tilted her head and bit her lower lip. “When I met you.”
“Hmmm.” He grinned and leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees. So close, she could see the flecks of silver in his eyes. “Maybe we should consider revisiting the Gulf of Mexico. I have some free time, what do you say?”
She wasn’t sure if she should be flattered or annoyed. It was so easy for him to come in here and whisk her away. Well, she had obligations. She couldn’t just abandon her job, her boyfriend. “I say you’re crazy. You think you can sweep in here and make yourself comfortable in the middle of my life?”
He stood, towering over her, his hand gentle as he lifted a strand of her hair between his fingertips. “I am a little crazy.” She looked up at him, handsome in the light from the ceiling fan. “And I’ve been given a second chance, Ms. Lindy Whittaker. I intend to make full use of it.”
“Don’t be silly, Mac. I’m too old for you. You need someone more like Pam Smith. She’s closer to your age.”
“Fuck that,” he replied. “Something else you need to know about me. When I see something I want, I’m more than willing to work for it. Fight for it if necessary.” He bent over and leaned in, brushing a kiss across her lips. And she let him. She closed her eyes, the sensation of his touch making her tingle all over. “Now, am I going to spend the next week searching for a place to live, or are you and I going to pick up where we left off?”
Her eyes popped open. “You’re that sure of yourself?” she asked, lowering her legs to the floor, her gaze never leaving his face. “That just because you say what you think a woman wants to hear, she’ll melt at your feet?”
“No, I’m not playing games,” he stated, his arms across his chest. “I want you. I’m not afraid to tell you. If you want me to go, say the word. But honestly, Lindy, do you think you can deny the magic between us?”
“Mac.” She sighed, her resistance fading. “There are ten years between us. When I’m in my mid-sixties, you’ll be cutting your teeth on middle age. That doesn’t bother you in the slightest?”
“No, but it sure as hell seems to bother you,” he replied. “I think I’m old enough to know when I’m attracted to someone.” He chuckled. “When I look at you, I don’t see age, I see someone who made me the happiest man in the world.”
Against her will, her heart sang at the words. “You were young,” she said, and rose to her feet. “That was just sex.”
“You truly believe that’s all it was?”
She forced herself to nod.
“It wasn’t just sex for me.”
“And I told you, I’m in a relationship.”
His mouth tightened, and his eyes narrowed. “He ask you to marry him?”
“That’s not the point,” she replied, her hands on her hips. “I’m not available.”
He bent forward, his gaze intense as he explored her face. “You in love with him?”
She raised her chin and looked away, refusing to meet his stare. “That is none of your business.”
“Sounds like you’re not all that unavailable.”
That said, he slid his fingertips down the length of her arm. He lifted her hand to his lips, his tender touch leaving behind ripples of heat. “You’re the best lover I’ve ever had. I’ve never been able to forget you.”
Wrapping his fingers in her hair, he drew her lips to his, his mouth gentle as his tongue teased. So soft was his kiss, so honest, she allowed herself to lean into him. With a moan, he lowered her to the sofa and pressed his body atop hers. She squirmed beneath him in a halfhearted attempt to stop him. But she didn’t want to stop him. She wanted him to make love to her. To fill her with his prick. To offer her the release that Steven hadn’t.
She slid her arms around his waist and ran her hands along the length of his sinewy body. Strength emanated from every fiber of his taut muscles. He smelled of youth and vitality, spice, and freshly washed skin.
Love is universal and not limited to the most perfect among us. In this collection of romantic short stories and poetry, love comes to those who are decidedly imperfect, who possess very real human flaws, scars, and challenges. Awaiting us as we are.
