What to Read After FSOG: The Gemstone Collection (WTRAFSOG Book 3)

by Lauren Hawkeye

  They lay across his bed for a long time talking. Tom gently touched Tess’ shoulder and played with her fingers. He stood up and pulled her off the bed to dance with her, but it was unlike previous times they’d danced. He wasn’t seducing her. Tom held her close, placing his cheek next to her neck, inhaling the scent of her perfume. Tess got the distinct feeling he wanted to say something, but never did. That night felt entirely different. They made love with a new desire, full of passion, but unhurried or hungry, just slow and deliberate and wonderful.

  Tess woke up at four in the morning. Unable to quiet her thoughts, she slipped out of bed, put on her shirt and shorts, grabbed her shoes and quietly headed downstairs for his treadmill. She started off slowly, because her body still ached, but before long she was running from the feelings of anguish that would come when Tom left.

  Tess thought about the way they confided in each other. She loved his grin, his confidence, his humor and sarcasm, his generosity, and most of all, the way he made her feel about herself. She felt phenomenal with him, confident, smart, funny and sexy. Tom made her a better woman. I love everything about him. Holy crap! I’m in love with him.

  She ran harder and faster. How long have I been in love with him? Why didn’t I just admit it days ago, weeks ago? She’d guarded her heart, protecting herself from heartache. Tess told Tom she trusted him, but did she truly trust him? She wanted to. Tess needed Tom to be faithful and it scared her. Deep in her heart, it seemed as if she knew him so well in such a short amount of time, but would he really stay committed to her? Tess would have no problem being faithful to Tom, but being monogamous might be difficult for him. Can I really trust him not to hurt me? I have to trust him.

  Tess wouldn’t tell him she loved him. Later, not yet. Love was a whole new ball game for Tom and she didn’t want to lose him now. Love would be hard enough for Tess to deal with, and she had loved her entire life. I won’t tell him. Not yet.

  She ran for a long time, but suddenly the treadmill quit working. Tess poked and pressed buttons, trying to turn the instrument panel back on. Tom casually stood in the doorway with his arms folded, holding the plug in his hand. She started laughing, but his eyes filled with worry.

  “You climbed out of bed over an hour ago, Tess. Do you have something you want to talk to me about or are you going to run until the sun comes up?”

  She put on her best lie face. “No, I’m good. I couldn’t sleep.”

  “Um hmm. Really? I think you’re full of shit. What’s going on?”

  “I couldn’t sleep. That’s all.” She knew he wasn’t buying it.

  “Did you want me to plug you back in or are you done?”

  “I’m done.” She tried to be convincing, but Tess sucked at lying.

  They went back to bed and he wrapped himself around her. Finally, she slept.

  When Tess woke up late in the morning, Tom was in his closet, so she peeked in to see what he was doing.

  He was packing.

  He’d be leaving straight from Vegas for his film. She smiled immensely at him. Yep, I’m in love with him.

  “What?” he smiled back.

  “Good morning.”

  “Sleep well this morning?”

  “Umm hmm. Are you almost done packing?”

  “Almost.”

  A sense of relief came over Tess and all her anxiousness disappeared, leaving her calm inside. Tom, however, was not calm. She’d never seen him this edgy, squishing his brows together and rubbing his index finger on his chin.

  “You seem a little high strung,” she teased.

  “I am not,” he smirked. “Look who’s talking. What was the deal this morning? I watched you run for a long time. You were flat out sprinting on the treadmill.”

  She only laughed and didn’t answer. It seemed easier than lying.

  A few hours later, they stood against the railing on the balcony, gazing out over the ocean. “Tess, I’ve liked having you here with me.”

  “I love it here. I’ve had an incredible time.”

  “There are so many places I want to take you. Places I’ve been and places I’ve always wanted to travel.”

  “There are places I’d like to take you, too, but right now, I just want to take you home with me. I’m excited and a little nervous,” she admitted.

  “I thought it was just me.”

  “Why are you nervous? Is that why you’re so tense?”

  “It’s not like I go home to meet someone’s family every day, Tess. I don’t. Ever. I’m anxious to meet John. I know his opinion is important to you, and I don’t want it to be an issue for us. It’s a big deal to me.”

  “It might be awkward for all of us at first. I’ve never done this either. For that matter, neither have my kids. I’m sure it’ll be fine.” She had no idea how John would react to Tom or how she’d handle having him in the bed she had shared with her husband, but none of that mattered because she was in love with Tom.

  “I hate to say it, but it’s time to go.”

  There were no paparazzi to be seen when they boarded the plane for their short flight to Las Vegas. “What’s the deal with you and Joey? How does he know where you are all the time?” she asked inquisitively.

  “Well, I like him better than most of the others. He’s not out to be a jerk and get me pissed off or sell bad pictures of me. I’ve known him for years and we have a decent working relationship.”

  “But how does he find you? Does he follow you all the time?”

  Tom wore a shitty ass grin on his face. “I know if I give Joey the opportunity to get pictures before anyone else, he’ll be decent, like today, and not follow me to the airport. Plus, he’ll take flattering shots.”

  “That’s flat out weird. I actually liked most of the pictures he took.”

  “Good because I put the magazines in my suitcase for your girls. So, is there anything you want to tell me before we get there? Fill me in. Is there anything I should know or do?”

  “My, my, my, how the tables have turned. This is a whole new side of you I haven’t seen.”

  “Me either. I’m way out of my comfort zone.”

  “Just be yourself. Please don’t be uncomfortable. Easy, remember, it’s supposed to be easy. The girls like you and I’m sure John will, too.” She straddled his lap. “I’m crazy about you and I’m positive my kids will like you. If they have a problem with us being together, then it’s their problem. Not mine. I’ll be happy to explain our relationship, but this is my life, not theirs. They’re my children. You’re my partner.” She wanted to tell him that she loved him. Not yet!

  “Partner? I like the sound of that.”

  “I need you to be self-assured and confident like you always are. Not for my kids, but for me. It will help me through this.” She chewed on her cheek, knowing it would be difficult, to say the least, having him in her bed.

  Chapter Seventeen

  As Tess and Tom exited the airport, John welcomed them with a huge smile. He threw his arms around Tess, picking her up to squeeze her and kiss her cheek.

  “Hey, Mom! How was your trip?”

  “It was outstanding. John, this is Tom.”

  They shook hands. “Nice to meet you,” Tom said.

  “Great to meet you, too. So how was the premier? We can’t wait to hear about it.”

  “We had an amazing time.”

  “I can’t believe how tan you guys are. How was Bora Bora? My sisters said you were pretty terrified of the sharks,” he said to Tom.

  Tess appreciated John’s attempt to make conversation with Tom.

  “I was petrified because your mom scared the shit out of me. She told me the sharks only attack occasionally. It was the craziest thing I’ve ever experienced, but I loved it.”

  “That’s what I hear. I prefer to keep my feet on the ground more than the water. I don’t know if I could do it.”

  John unlocked the car to put their luggage in the trunk.

  “Nice car. I haven’t ridden in one of thes
e yet,” Tom said to John.

  “This isn’t my car.” John’s laugh filtered through the parking garage as he pointed at his mom. “This is her ride. My truck’s dirty and covered with mud.”

  “Nice, Tess. I would’ve never guessed.” Tom smiled, scoping out her new black Camaro.

  John threw his mom a questioning glance, waiting for her response.

  “I just went down and bought it one day.”

  John drove while they caught up. He’d been working hard and playing hard. He rattled on about biking in Utah and all the great trails there. Tom asked him about snowboarding in Utah. That was all it took. They talked non-stop. Tess eased back into the leather seat smiling, hoping it would be this easy for the rest of the night.

  Tess’ home sat nestled at the base of the mountains surrounding the Las Vegas valley. Pulling into the drive, Tess sighed heavily as anxiety began to set in.

  “Your home is beautiful,” Tom murmured, taking in details of her home. He stepped out of the car, heading toward the trunk to retrieve their luggage.

  John opened Tess’ car door and whispered in her ear, “Did he expect you to live at home with your parents like some of his other girlfriends?”

  Tess’ eyes widened in shock. Glaring back at John, she rumbled through gritted teeth, “John Richard Mathews, you’re not funny. Knock it off.” She wrinkled her nose at her son who just made her feel all of forty-four years old. Jerk. It’s not like Tom dates women in their twenties. Maybe thirties.

  He mouthed, “Sorry” while helping bring in their luggage.

  As they entered her home, Tom’s eyes casually glanced around, taking in the rich, brown woodwork and walls painted the color of beach sand. Light travertine floors ran through the entire house. Ocean blue pots filled with tropical plants soaked up the desert sun that streamed through the windows.

  Tess and Tom strolled out back to find Tracy and JC hanging out by the pool. John followed behind them.

  “Hey, Momacita,” JC chimed.

  “Hi, Tom,” both girls chorused as they stood up to give Tess and Tom hugs hello.

  Block walls encompassing the property disappeared behind the lush palm trees and flowerbeds surrounding the pool. The entire house and yard was drenched in an island ambiance.

  “Holy crap, it’s hot. Let’s go inside and look at your pictures,” Tess suggested. Tom agreed with a nod, noticing a thermometer on the wall reading a sizzling one hundred and eight degrees.

  They gathered on the dark, brown, leather sofas topped with colorful pillows and throws, surfing through pictures while her girls recounted their trip. Tracy thanked Tom for his advice about the camera, and he showed her how to use all of her settings. They talked about their vacations, and Tess gave a full detailed report of the premier. All three of the kids asked Tom dozens of questions about Hollywood.

  After an hour, her kids went back out to the pool. She took Tom’s hand and moseyed to her bedroom to unpack some of her things. She didn’t want to even bother unpacking until tomorrow, but needed to hang up her dresses.

  Tess’ bedroom and bathroom still held slight traces of Richard. She glanced at a picture of her and Richard on the nightstand. She dreaded the idea that Richard was watching her with Tom. Her eyes quickly fell to the floor, evading the photo. She drew in a deep breath of air, B-lining through the bedroom, past the bathroom and into the walk-in closet.

  Tom leaned against the dark granite counter in the bathroom while she hung her dresses in her closet. He rattled on about her house, holding a conversation with himself.

  Feelings of betrayal began to overwhelm Tess, turning her deep sighs into hyperventilation. She inhaled deeply again, trying to collect enough air to fill her lungs, afraid she might pass out from the lack of oxygen.

  “Tess?” he called out tenderly.

  She emerged from the closet in tears.

  “Come here, Tess.” She threw her arms around his waist, holding back sniffles. He wrapped his arms around her, running his fingers through her hair. “Do you want to go for a ride?”

  She laid her head on his chest, trying to calm down.

  “Tess, if it’s easier for you, we can stay someplace else. Or if you’d rather that I go, so you can be alone, I will. I would understand,” he offered sweetly.

  She pulled her head back in surprise. “Go? No, I don’t want you to go. I don’t want to be away from you for one night.” She bit her lip, asking, “I just said that out loud didn’t I?”

  “Yes, you did. Tess, I feel the same way. You don’t have to hide how you feel. I promise I’m not going to take off. You act like I’m going to bolt out the door running and screaming.”

  She chuckled through sniffles. “Well, I do worry.” The desire to tell him she loved him seemed unbearable. Not yet. She lifted her chin, hoping he’d kiss her so the words wouldn’t accidentally slip out.

  “Do you have a different room you’d like to stay in tonight? You don’t have to stress out. We’ll do whatever is easiest for you. Okay?”

  “Let’s go for a drive.”

  Tom followed behind Tess, rubbing her shoulder as they walked back into her room. He stopped to admire the headboard made from an ornate hand-carved door from Mexico turned on its side. “Did you do all this yourself or do you have a decorator?”

  She wiped the smudged mascara from under her eye. “No, I don’t have a decorator. I’m too much of a control freak to let anyone else pick things out for me.” As soon as the words left her lips, she realized she’d abandoned those idiosyncrasies from the moment they’d met. And oddly enough, it didn’t bother her. “Usually, I’m a little neurotic about control issues, but I seem to be living on the edge the last few weeks.”

  Tom pointed to the photo next to her bed. “Do you mind?” asking if he could pick it up. “Where was this taken at?”

  “We were skiing over Christmas at Lake Tahoe two years ago.”

  “Your son is a spitting-image of him.” Tom smiled sweetly. “It’s a good photo. You looked good together.” He set the picture down, but she picked it up and carried it with her, setting it on a glass top table in the hallway.

  She peeked outside. “Hey, we’re going to drive through Red Rock. I’ll be back in a while and then I’ll make dinner.”

  “Sounds good,” John said.

  Tess tossed the keys to Tom. “Do you want to drive?”

  He tossed them back, flashing her a glance of sexy mischief. “I’d rather see you drive.”

  She liked to drive fast, but didn’t enjoy getting speeding tickets. They cruised through Red Rock scenic loop at the base of the mountains. Tess hadn’t hiked there recently, but she’d driven this loop many times over the last year. Huge boulders stacked on top of each other and the clay colored mountains etched with veins of white, yellow, purple and black created a beautiful portrait in the middle of the desert.

  Tess stopped at an overlook and they sat on a rock to relax. She told him about the Indian petro glyphs on the rocks, desert tortoises and wild donkeys in the area. She had a relaxed babbling going on as they watched rock climbers off in the distance.

  He glanced at her car. “So what’s the story behind the Camaro?”

  “We always wanted to get an old one to fix up, but never did. A week after Richard died, the day before what was supposed to be our twenty-fifth anniversary, a salesman from the dealership called and left a message on Richards’s phone. He had ordered this car, but never got the chance to give it to me. So, I went down that day and picked it up.” She smiled. “I actually, really do like it.”

  “It suits you.” They sat on the rock, holding hands when he asked softly, “Do you think you’ll ever marry again someday, Tess?”

  Tess reeled her head around in sheer shock.

  “I was just asking. No. I mean. That’s not what I’m asking. I…I was just curious. I didn’t mean-”

  “I understood what you meant. Sorry. Was the look on my face that horrible?”

  “Yep. It was,” he sai
d in astonishment. “You always sound so happy and fulfilled with your marriage, more than anyone I’ve ever known. I’m a little shocked by the Hell no! expression on your face.”

  “I never expected to date again, so it’s not something I’ve even considered.” She paused, gathering her composure. “You know, when you’re young you think, ‘This is what I’m supposed to do. Get married, have kids and life will be perfect’. At least that’s what I thought life was going to be. No one warns you about the challenges that lie ahead or how difficult being a parent is going to be. My marriage was great, but it wasn’t easy. It takes a lot of work having a family and being on the same page as your spouse. You’re a team, but you don’t always agree on everything. Now that I’ve raised my kids, I don’t want them to be under the impression life is going to be a fairytale. I want them to go out and be adventurous. I always tell them, ‘When the right person comes along, then great, but until then, don’t settle.’ I’ve seen a lot of messy divorces that leave deep scars.”

  “I wasn’t asking about your kids and you didn’t answer my question.”

  She shrugged her shoulders poignantly. “I don’t know. It’s just a piece of paper.”

  “You sound like me. ‘It’s just a piece of paper.’ I never got past date until I met you. I’ve never even remotely considered the ‘M’ word.”

  She straddled the rock, looking him in the eye. “If you’re afraid I’m hearing the ding dong of wedding bells in the future, Tom, you can quit worrying. You can relax.” They grinned at each other and kissed. “Your word is all I need. I trust you.”

  “I trust you, too. Ding dong of wedding bells? That’s pretty funny.”

  She rested her cheek on his shoulder. “I feel better. This was a good idea.”

  “Let’s go.”

  Tess tossed him the keys.

  Tom drove the shit out of her car, pushing it to its limits. He obviously was not concerned about getting a speeding ticket.

  “Perfect timing,” Tracy said as they walked through the door.