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

by Lauren Hawkeye

  She wasn’t sure who was more upset, her or Tom. Normally Tess wasn’t a vindictive person, but she hoped Tom would be able to carry out his threats.

  The entire ride home, Tom spewed apologetically while holding her in his arms. “I’m so sorry, Tess. I should’ve been with you.”

  “It’s not your fault. I’m just glad Teddy and his wife showed up. Teddy h…had him on the ground s…so fast I didn’t even see what happened.”

  When they walked through the door, Tom immediately made her an ice pack for her wrist. It was already turning purple. He wanted to have it looked at, but she refused. It was only bruised.

  Tom paced vehemently back and forth like a caged animal.

  Her body was exhausted, but her mind would not rest. “I can’t go to sleep. I’m going to take a hot bath.”

  Tess soaked in the hot tub. Tom sat behind her, rubbing her back for comfort, but she couldn’t stop shaking. As she stepped out of the tub, Tom caught a glimpse of her red, swollen left nipple. He automatically reached out to cup it, but she flinched fearing it would hurt if he touched it. Seeing tears build in his eyes as rage set in again, she took his hand and gently placed it over her nipple. “This might need an icepack, too. Definitely some tender kisses.” She smiled affectionately, trying to ease his fury.

  Tess didn’t fall asleep until morning.

  Tom never did go to bed.

  Tess awoke to the sound of Tom’s enraged voice. She tiptoed into the living room and could see him angrily pacing back and forth on the balcony, screaming into the phone. Tess watched in agony, chewing on her lip until he hung up. Tom turned and saw her standing inside. He exhaled deeply between pursed lips, before coming inside.

  He gently reached for her wrist, inspecting it with concern.

  “I’m fine, Tom.”

  “Tess, don’t give me that shit. You’re not fine. I’m sorry. I know I’m furious. That asshole’s going to pay for laying a finger on you. I’d like to beat the shit out of him, but I won’t stoop that low. Killing his career will have to suffice,” Tom seethed, shaking his head. “Thank God Teddy was there.”

  “I really am okay, but I’ll admit, I hope the creep does get what’s coming to him.” She couldn’t allow herself to think about what would’ve happened if Teddy hadn’t been there. It scared her too much. “I hate seeing you so angry. I mean, I understand why you’re so mad. I’m furious, too. But I don’t like seeing you like this, Tom.”

  “It would kill me if something bad happened to you. I’ve waited all my life to find you, Tess. I couldn’t take it if I lost you. I should’ve been with you. I know it’s ridiculous, but the thought of losing you-”

  “It’s not ridiculous, I understand more than you realize. Don’t you think it’s difficult for me? You don’t have any idea how many times I’ve almost asked you to get a physical, so I know you’re not going to have a heart attack and die on me, too. Do you know how long it took me to let my kids out of my sight after Richard died? Even then, I didn’t want them driving in the same car together? Just in case…”

  He tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “I get a physical every year. I’m not going anywhere.”

  “I need to ask you for a favor, two actually.” She paused, cradling her wrist, willing away the throbbing pain. “This will probably be the only time I ever ask this of you, but I need you to lie for me, Tom. I don’t want to tell my kids about this.”

  He obliged with a slight nod. “And the second favor?”

  “I don’t want to dwell on this. I can’t look back anymore.”

  Tom tenderly stroked her jaw with the back of his fingers. “No looking back.”

  The crisp mountain air pinched her cheeks and snow blanketed the ground. Tess couldn’t be happier to be back in Colorado. Thanksgiving was in two days. John, Tracy and JC would all be there the next day ready to hit the slopes. “Are you looking forward to spending Thanksgiving and Christmas together?” she asked him one day.

  He smiled coyly. “You know I am. I don’t remember the last time I had a real Thanksgiving dinner. I’m excited to get a tree, too.”

  She stared at him in astonishment. “You don’t usually get a tree?”

  “No. I might’ve gotten one once but…I don’t remember buying it. The tree was lying on the floor in the middle of the room the next morning when I woke up.” He chuckled.

  She couldn’t envision his Christmases. This was her favorite time of year and Tom’s worst. “I’ve always bought a tree in Vegas. I’ve never cut one down out of the woods. We could start our own family tradition this year. If you’d like.”

  “I would love that. Another first,” he said warmly, looking at her mouth, sliding his thumb over her bottom lip.

  John flew in from Vegas the next day. Tom picked up Tracy and JC from college while Tess made pies and a few other dishes for Thanksgiving Day. She was happy to have everyone under one roof, and was disappointed that Shayla couldn’t make it. She was spending the holiday with her boyfriend’s family.

  Tess’ kids had been looking forward to spending time with their mom and Tom. He appeared to have no problem adjusting to having her kids around and enjoyed skiing with them. That evening, everyone played pool and watched movies. Her kids unwound from school and work.

  Tess crashed early, and when Tom climbed into bed it was after two in the morning. He snuggled up to Tess, rubbing her back until she curled up next to him.

  “Happy Thanksgiving, Tess,” he whispered in her ear.

  “Happy Thanksgiving, Tom,” she murmured, falling back to sleep with her body tangled with his.

  The sun barely crested over the mountain as Tess prepped the turkey. The scent of fall candles mixed with the fire burning in the hearth hung in the air. John headed out to get a half a day of snowboarding in before dinner and Tom watched football downstairs. Tess took snacks downstairs and found Tracy and JC kicking back on the couches in their long underwear, watching football with Tom. She grabbed Tom’s camera to take a picture of the three of them.

  “What the heck Mom, I just woke up,” JC protested.

  “New memories. That’s all. No complaining, JC.” Tess smiled, taking another picture.

  Thanksgiving was never a day to be formal, not for Tess. It was a day to enjoy her family and treasure the things in life she appreciated. Her last Thanksgiving had been awful. She couldn’t even get out of bed. This year, however, was a brand new beginning and she had a lot to be thankful for.

  Tom had been in high spirits all day. Every time he came upstairs, he’d comment on how good it smelled, how hungry he was, or how beautiful Tess looked.

  She pulled him into the kitchen. “Will you help me carve the turkey? I’m not very good at it.” Richard had always done this for her in the past and she hoped Tom would carve the turkey for her now.

  “Umm. Sure. I hate to even touch it. It looks too pretty,” he pointed out before diving in.

  For their first Thanksgiving together as a family, they enjoyed a delicious dinner of turkey, ham, mashed potatoes and sweet potatoes, salad, rolls, and pumpkin pies. As they sat gathered around the dining table, her kids shared funny or embarrassing stories from previous holidays when they were younger.

  The next morning, everyone piled into the car in search of the perfect Christmas tree. It took a while to find the perfect big, fat, fluffy, blue spruce, but they did. John and Tom cut the tree down while the girls made snow angels.

  Tom admitted, “I haven’t had a tree since I was your age, JC.”

  “Aren’t you glad you’re with us now? We love Christmas,” JC replied.

  He smiled and put his arm around her shoulder. “Yes, I am glad.”

  “Okay, this is the new Clemmins-Mathews Christmas tradition. Every year we’re cutting a tree,” Tess declared. Her kids cheered and made a big deal out of it.

  Later that night after everyone decorated the tree, Tess opened a bottle of wine for her and Tom. They lay on the couch with all of the lights off ex
cept the Christmas tree lights and the fire crackling in the fireplace. Tom ran his fingers through her hair while they listened to music. He stood, holding out his hand, and they danced to the music. He gazed at her with such adoration she started to blush. Tom bent down to kiss her and a flash went off. They both squinted. “Who is that?” Tess said.

  “It’s me. Go back to what you were doing. I’m just getting even for the other morning. Oooh, it turned out nice, too,” JC giggled, setting Tom’s camera down before trotting back down stairs.

  “Another first, Tess. First Thanksgiving weekend together. First tree,” Tom said happily. The fire burnt burned out and Tess and Tom headed upstairs. Both were asleep in five minutes.

  John left in the morning, and Tom and Tess drove the girls back to school. The girls sang and danced in the back seat the entire ride. Tom even sang along, smiling at Tess.

  Saying their goodbyes, JC hugged Tess. “Love you, Momma, Thanksgiving was great.” Then she hugged Tom and said, “Thanks for everything, and taking us skiing, too. Love you.”

  Tess’ heart damn near beat right out of her chest and she tried to contain her huge smile and waterworks long enough to reply. “Love you baby girl.”

  Tracy did almost the exact same thing. “Love you. Thanks for everything,” she said, squeezing both of them.

  “Love you, too. You’re welcome.” His cheeks turned bright red as he put his arm around Tess, watching the girls walk away.

  “I knew they liked you,” she chimed matter-of-factly. “I’m impressed, Tom. You’ve been saying those three little words a lot the last few months.”

  He chuckled, still red in the face. “I do love your kids. They’re fun.”

  It was after dark by the time they returned home.

  Tess sauntered down the stairs looking for Tom. She found him lying on a blanket in front of the fire. “I always love it when you surprise me,” she exclaimed.

  Her long brown hair fell to one side as she looked up into his dark eyes. Tom’s hand slid down the small of her back and over her ass, making her stand up a bit straighter onto her toes. His thumb slid over her lips. “I’m going to keep you in bed until we leave for Greece in a few days,” he whispered in her ear. Tess rolled her tongue around his thumb and he pressed himself against her. “I couldn’t wait to be alone with you.”

  “I love it when my kids are here, but I like it when they leave, too.”

  Chapter Twenty-One

  The house Tom rented in Greece sat alone perched on top of a sheer cliff with dramatic views of the Aegean Sea. It was plush but not over the top, very casual. Grey flagstone ran through the house, continuing through to the patio surrounding the pool.

  “Wow. This is beautiful.”

  “Wait till you see the sunsets. They’re famous here.”

  The lovely kitchen came stocked with food and wine. “Hey can we get stuff to make martinis? We don’t even have to go anywhere! I could stay here the whole time.”

  “Everything is already here.”

  Tess explored the four bedrooms, each with its own bathroom. The hand textured white walls made the pops of cobalt blue, canary yellow and cherry red stand out against the natural wood furnishings.

  She wrapped her arms around his waist. “This place is beautiful.”

  “Thanks,” he said with a sly grin.

  She realized, “Is this your other house?”

  He nodded. “Umm hmm.”

  “No wonder you love it here.”

  Tom and Tess explored several beautiful islands, each blessed with unique beaches. One had pebble sand, another had golden sand, one even had soft black sand, but the water was a beautiful azure blue no matter where they went. They strolled through villages, stopped at cafés, and browsed through art galleries. Locals knew Tom and would wave to him saying, “Hey Tommy!”

  Late in the evening Tom said, “Tess, I want to take you someplace nice tomorrow.”

  “Are you going to tell me where?” she asked curiously.

  “I’d rather not, but I will tell you that we’re not coming back here tomorrow night. We’ll be back the next night.”

  The next morning Tess found Tom swimming laps. She slipped into the pool naked and reached her hand out to touch him. He flinched lifting his head out of the water.

  “You scared the shit out of me Tess.” Sighing heavily, he wiped the water from his face.

  “I didn’t hear you get up. How long have you been out here?”

  “A while.” He inhaled deeply again with bent eyebrows.

  “Is everything okay?” She frowned. Tess hated to see him stressed out.

  Tom grinned. “Everything is perfect. Come swim with me.”

  Tess teased him, floating on her back, kissing him, and wrapping herself around him.

  “Tess,” he said in a steamy voice.

  “Yes.”

  “Not yet.” He kissed her quickly on the lips.

  She stepped out of the pool and stretched her arms above her head. “Okay.”

  “You’re not being fair.” He called after her, watching her saunter inside.

  Tess showered and Tom peeked in at her. “You’re going to be happy later Tess, I promise.”

  “I’m only teasing you Tom,” she said seductively.

  He instantly quit peeking. “Yeah, I know exactly what you’re doing.”

  “Hey wait, I don’t have to wear heels do I?”

  “Nope, just wear something cute, and what you had on in the pool doesn’t count.”

  Full of excitement, she danced around the closet searching through her things, finally choosing the little blue dress Tom was fond of. She couldn’t decide if she wanted to torture him. Yep! She giggled to herself in the closet as she slipped her dress on with nothing underneath of it. When she turned around, Tom stood with arms folded watching her.

  “Crap! You scared me.” Heat rose to her cheeks, turning her face scarlet red.

  “Please tell me you’re forgetting something.”

  “Actually I’m going to wear this today.” She struggled to keep a straight face.

  Tom fumbled through a drawer for her panties. “Jesus, Tess. Please don’t do that to me today. You’re gonna drive me fucking crazy. I already…I…I have something planned for you and there is no way in hell I’ll be able to concentrate if you’re naked under that dress.”

  “I was only going to mess with you a little. Okay, maybe a lot, but I thought it would make for a revealing day.” Her hand covered her mouth to stop laughing.

  Panties hung from the end of his finger. “Here, please. Take these with you at least. I love the idea of you not wearing anything under your dress, but I-” He was completely flustered.

  “Give them to me, I’ll put them on.”

  He pulled them out of her reach. “No, I’m fine. Maybe you should put them in your purse or something.”

  She took the panties from him, whispering in his ear, “You know I’m going to tease you all day, Tom. Every time I get out of the car, sitting at lunch…should I go on?”

  He rolled his eyes, regaining his composure as he reached his hand under her dress. “Careful, Tess. This could back fire on you.”

  “Shit! I’ll put them on.” She attempted to squirm away from his wandering fingers.

  He kissed her passionately, touching her just for a moment. “No way. Are you ready?”

  “Yep,” she squeaked.

  During their short flight, Tess’ excitement grew, wondering what Tom had planned. They’d had a late lunch under a private veranda at an olive grove. It had the best food Tess had eaten in Greece and delicious wine, too.

  Tom seemed content as they roamed the stone streets of another quaint village, holding hands while browsing through shops.

  “I love you, Tess,” he said in a quiet voice, playing with her fingers.

  “I love you, too. This has been a beautiful day. It’s going to be a gorgeous sunset,” she said.

  “Yes, it is.” He looked down at her and rais
ed his eyebrows. “Maybe the best I’ve ever seen.”

  Zigzagging down a hill, the view became more and more breathtaking with every turn. The scenery began to look a little familiar as she gazed out over the water. Tess kept glancing around and Tom wore an immense grin.

  “Where are we?”

  He ignored her and continued walking. The little road turned and she knew exactly where they were. Tess smiled up at him, meandering toward the curved white wall they’d stopped at the first time they visited Greece.

  “I didn’t know where we were until just now,” she said with a soft smile.

  “I wanted to surprise you.”

  “Are we staying at the inn?” she asked enthusiastically.

  “Yes, we are.”

  They reached their spot on the curved white wall. Tom sat next to her as they watched one of the most vivid sunsets Tess had ever seen.

  “I have something for you, Tess.” Tom held out his hand with a ball resting in the center of his palm. It resembled a perfectly round golf ball made from wadded up strips of paper.

  “Where did this come from?”

  “My pocket,” he flirted, pulling back his lips to flash the smile she loved so much. Tom hopped off the wall and stood between her thighs, placing the ball in the palm of her hand.

  “Awe. Thanks,” she snickered sarcastically, looking down at the paper ball. “What is it?”

  “It’s a piece of paper,” he said very sexily, watching her face intently. His lips traveled down her neck, whispering in her ear. “It’s a funny thing, this piece of paper. I never thought much of it before.”

  She grinned, knowing he was toying with her.

  “Open it up.”

  He stared at her face adoringly as she began pulling at the wadded up pieces of paper. Tom waited for the precise moment, until she had completely finished unwrapping. “Tess. It’s not just a piece of paper to me anymore. Will you marry me?”

  A very beautiful ring lay in the center of the crinkled up strips of paper. Tess set the ring on her lap and placed her shaky hands on the side of her neck. Her entire body trembled. She stared down at the beautiful ring in her lap.