What to Read After FSOG: The Gemstone Collection (WTRAFSOG Book 7)

by Lexi Buchanan

  She captured his lips. “Yes. Yes, Paul. More than anything I want to be with you and in your life.”

  His heart constricted. He knew she liked living in New York but he wasn’t a big city kind of guy. “That means here. In this small town. I can’t move to New York and after all you’ve gone through to make it there you probably should think long and hard about what I’m asking.”

  “You know what? I never really did fit in with that New York life. This place sounds like the perfect place for our home,” she said, her nimble fingers made quick work of his belt buckle.

  In seconds they were both naked and laughing, giddy with the joy of each other. This time Paul knew that feeling was going to last not only all night but the rest of their lives. When they got hot and sweaty and both collapsed from round one of their love making, Paul knew with his heart and soul this time was the correct time.

  “I’m so glad I came home this Christmas,” said Ella, her hand playing with the hairs on his chest.

  “That makes two of us,” he said.

  Finally the shack had become home as they both embraced their future.

  Author Bio

  When not writing steamy or sweet romance this Canadian author, Renee Field is promoting other authors on StoryFinds.com, a site she founded in 2012 to help support Indie authors. Renee loves to write a variety of genres. She writes erotic romance for Ellora’s Cave, & HQN Spice Briefs as well as sweet and sensual paranormal romance as an Indie author. Renee also writes young adult under the pen name Renee Pace.

  Where to find Renee online!!

  Website:

  http://www.reneefield.com

  Blog:

  http://reneefield.blogspot.ca/

  Facebook:

  https://www.facebook.com/ReneeFieldRomanceAuthor

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  https://plus.google.com/u/0/+ReneeFieldStoryFinds/posts

  Sea of Love

  Bachelor Billionaire #1

  Sharon Cummin

  Copyright © 2014 Sharon Cummin

  All Rights Reserved

  Warning: This story contains explicit sexual content that is not intended for those under the age of 18. All characters appearing in this work are fictitious and the age of 18 and older. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

  Check out my Amazon Author Page – Sharon Cummin

  Please subscribe to my email list by sending an email to sharoncummin@gmail.com with the subject mailing list, to be notified of my new releases and freebies.

  Chapter One

  There was a knock at Gavin’s door. He grunted as he got up to answer it. His four friends were waiting for him in the hallway.

  “I know you aren’t ready to sleep yet,” Heath said. “We have all waited so long for this trip. We all work so hard, it’s time for some major partying. These women know nothing about us. The next seven days is all about fun and relaxation. Let’s get up to the lido deck for the party.”

  Gavin knew once he was around all the noise and fun, he would get into it. He shook his head and followed the guys down the hallway to the elevator.

  Gavin Lucas owned a very successful technology company. He had worked at his cousin Chris’ company fresh out of high school. When the time was right, Chris helped him start his own business. Gavin worked very hard and was extremely proud of the man he had become.

  He knew the trip was going to be a lot of fun, but he also wanted time to rest. There had been so much going on with his business, and he wanted to clear his mind. When he went back to work, he wanted to be fresh and alert.

  They walked out onto the lido deck and the party had already started. The music was loud and the drinks were everywhere. The guys found a waitress and their vacation was in full swing. Gavin waited for his drink and then walked over to the railing to look out at the water as the ship began to move.

  The water was so beautiful. It made him think about his time in Hawaii at his Cousin Chris’ house. He loved the blue color of the water and was looking forward to the beach.

  He scanned the crowd and his eyes stopped on a woman sitting on a lounge chair, reading a book. Gavin chuckled to himself. There was a huge party going on all around her, and she sat there as if she were alone. How could someone read like that, he wondered? There was something about her. She looked nothing like any of the women he had ever been with.

  Usually, women who came around trying to pick him up were dressed to impress. They had their hair, makeup, and nails perfect while they strutted in their designer clothes. Those women knew he had money, and that was all that mattered to them.

  Gavin and his friends were from Pennsylvania, and the women around them knew who they were. It was nice to know that on the cruise, he would just be a regular guy. There would be no expectations of him from anyone.

  The woman on the ship had on shorts and a t-shirt with flip flops on the ground next to her. She had long, brown hair tied back into a ponytail, a dark pair of sunglasses on, and no makeup. He liked the way the woman sat there by herself, doing what she wanted, not letting any of the noise and chaos affect her.

  The ship moved slowly as everyone screamed and shouted. Gavin looked out over the water and felt a calm come over his whole body.

  Becky sat back in her lounge chair, on the lido deck, reading her book. She loved the feel of the sun against her skin and the heat on her body as she relaxed. She was so happy to finally be on her vacation. Her things were put in her room, where she would spend the next seven days. She planned on visiting the beaches and reading on the lido deck, while relaxing every moment. It was loud as everyone partied around her. She liked being among all of the noise as the ship took its move into the beautiful water. She loved the thought of being on the open water with nothing to see for miles. Becky had splurged the extra bit so that she could get a room with a private balcony. She planned to spend a ton of time using it. Maybe she would sleep out there, with the breeze blowing through her hair.

  She was alone on the cruise, and that was the best part. Becky didn’t want anyone around to bother her. She planned on spending all of her time alone. Her life was changing, and the vacation was a present to herself to celebrate the beginning of her new life. She had recently gotten out of a very serious relationship and decided on a new start in a new location. Originally, she was from Michigan, but when she looked for a new job, to go with her new start, the best opportunity she found was in Pennsylvania. She had already made the move into an apartment and had everything in place. Her new job would begin just after her vacation was over. She was very excited about her new beginning and her trip was the perfect thing to kick it off.

  Becky promised herself that she would not commit to another relationship for at least a year. That way she had time to live for herself, without having to be concerned with anyone else. She had too many things she was interested in, to tie herself down to someone else. She did not promise herself that she would avoid sex or one night stands, just no relationships. She didn’t feel like dealing with any feelings for a long time. The cruise was the first thing on her list of things to do. Take a vacation by herself. If she had brought anyone with her, she would have to work around what they wanted to do. Being alone, it was all about her and what she wanted.

  She loved reading. It took her mind off things and helped her to relax. Becky could read anywhere and never felt interrupted. The noise in the background was actually kind of nice. She could tell everyone around her was having a great time. Her face was in the book, but she could feel someone watching her. She looked up through her dark sunglasses to see a very nice looking man look directly at her. There was no way he could see her eyes through the glasses. He was probably wondering why she was reading, she thought. She knew if she kept her nose in the book, he would go away eventually. She continued reading and had forgotten all about him, as she laughed into her book. She loved when a book pulled emotions out of her,
either happy or sad. When she caught herself laughing, she noticed the man was still looking at her. Move along dude, she thought to herself. It was pretty obvious that she was busy. A few moments later, she saw a shadow move next to her and sit down.

  “Hello, I’m Gavin,” he said.

  Why do I attract losers, she thought to herself? There were tons of women jumping around in bikinis already drunk. Why did this guy have to sit next to her?

  “I’m Becky,” she said, not lifting her eyes from the book.

  “How can you read with so much noise around you?” he asked.

  “It’s easy,” she replied.

  “Would you like a drink?” he asked.

  “No thanks,” she replied.

  “Are you here by yourself?” he asked.

  Seriously, dude go away. They hadn’t even left port yet. She was in no mood for anyone’s crap. Her relaxing time was being interrupted.

  “It’s much easier to read when nobody is talking to you,” she said, still not looking up from her book.

  “Sorry to bother you,” he snapped, as he stood up and walked away.

  Gavin walked back over to find his friends, grumbling away. What the hell was her problem, he asked himself? He was just trying to be friendly. She didn’t have to be so rude. What was the chip on her shoulder? They were on a cruise. It should be fun and carefree, not mean and moody. He turned to look back at her, but she was gone. How did she disappear so quickly, he wondered?

  He went to the bar and got a drink, as he spotted Ethan talking to a woman at the end of the bar. Gavin rolled his eyes, grabbed his drink, and got up to walk around. On his way past the crowd, he saw the other three guys talking to other people. He was aggravated by the way Becky had brushed him off and then disappeared. He could have many other women, so why was he even letting that bother him? Gavin didn’t feel like hanging out and decided to go to his room and take his drink out on his balcony. Usually, he loved all the noise, but for some reason, he wanted to sit in quiet. On his way to his balcony, he sat his drink of the counter in his room and sprawled back out across his bed.

  Chapter Two

  Gavin opened his eyes and looked up at the clock. It was six o’clock in the morning. He closed his eyes and opened them again, as he focused on the clock. How did he sleep so long, he asked himself? It had been twelve hours. He never slept that long. Shocked by how long he slept, he realized that he had missed dinner. Why had his friends not come to get him? He threw on some shorts and a t-shirt and went to get something to eat. His plate was packed as he headed to find a table. He sat down with his food, coffee, and a book. He finished eating and was getting ready to leave, when he heard someone sit at the table behind him. He turned around to see Becky. She never looked up from her plate as she opened her book and started reading. He was surprised to see her again. There was something about her that attracted him. He stood up from the table and turned to her.

  “Good morning,” he said.

  “Good morning,” she responded, not looking up from her book.

  “Are you getting off the ship today in Nassau?” he asked.

  “Yes. I am going to the beach,” she replied.

  “Have you ever been on a cruise before?” he asked.

  “No. This is my first one,” she said.

  “Did you come by yourself or with a group?” he asked.

  She looked up from her book with her lips pursed together, as she rolled her eyes.

  “No offense, but I am not looking to flirt or hook up or anything. I came on this cruise to relax, alone,” she replied.

  “I was just making conversation,” he replied, letting out a loud breath as he moved past her.

  Gavin shook his head. He saw her look up at him as he walked away. What was her problem? It irritated him that she was so cranky with him. He went back to his room, took a quick shower, and got dressed. He still had not heard from the guys, so he started knocking on their doors. John opened his door half asleep, and Gavin could see a pair of female legs hanging off his bed. Ethan never answered his door. Heath was up, dressed, and ready to go. Josh opened the door, but decided he was staying on the ship to get over his hangover. Heath knew Gavin wanted to go to the beach, so as soon as the boat docked in Nassau, they were on their way.

  Becky kept thinking about the very tall, muscular, athletic looking hottie who she had seen twice. Why was he talking to her, she wondered? She knew she wanted to spend the week by herself to renew and relax before she started her new life. There was no time for flirting on her vacation. She definitely did not want to get caught up in some guy who would just break her heart. A little fun couldn’t hurt anything, she told herself. She got ready for her day at the beach. Becky loved the beach and could only imagine how much more beautiful it would be than any she had ever seen. She had her bikini on under her shorts and t-shirt. Usually she wore a one piece. She knew she wasn’t model material and had lots of curves, but this trip was about a new start. There would be no chance of her ever seeing anyone from the cruise again, so she was going to do whatever she wanted. Her bag was packed with her towel, sunscreen, and her digital reader filled with books. She had a happy bounce in her step as she exited the ship. It was going to be a great day.

  Chapter Three

  Gavin and Heath took a taxi to the beach. They rented chairs and an umbrella, picked out their spot, and were ready for their day in the water. It was hot out and the sun was shining. There was not a cloud in the sky. The day was perfect. Gavin plopped down in his chair and took off his sandals. The sand was hot and felt so soft as it shifted between his toes. He looked out at the clear blue water in amazement. It had been a few months since he had been to a beach, and that was in Hawaii. Being by the water was so relaxing. He wanted a place like his cousin had. Once he had a bit more time away from his business, he planned on buying a place not far from Chris. Gavin leaned back and fell asleep under the umbrella, while Heath took off into the water.

  Gavin wasn’t sure how long he had dozed off. He woke up when he heard a noise behind him. As he turned to peek through the chairs to see who was making noise, he rolled his eyes. It was Becky. She was bent over setting up her stuff. He watched her round ass in her shorts struggle to get her things where she wanted them. He had a smile on his face when she turned around and caught him.

  “Are you following me?” he asked, with a silly grin.

  She let out a groan and fell back onto her chair.

  “No, I am definitely not following you,” she said, looking over the top of her dark sunglasses to answer.

  She started to read.

  Every time he tried to talk to her, she was short and snippy with him. He had no idea why, but he was determined to get her to be friendly. She was on vacation. Why was she so stern, he wondered? She needed to relax and get that stick out of her ass, he thought.

  A few minutes later, he decided to get up and join his friend in the water. When he turned around, he noticed Becky had taken off her shorts and t-shirt. She was on her stomach, in a bikini, reading. Her ass was juicy and plump. She had curves in all the right places. Her skin was smooth and looked so soft. He had to stop himself from walking up behind her and grabbing her voluptuous rear in his hands. There was something about her, and he was not going to stop until he knew what it was.

  Becky could see a shadow moving and knew that Gavin was standing behind her. She did not say anything for a minute, but the shadow stood still.

  “Can I help you with something?” she asked.

  “What?” he questioned, with a raspy voice.

  “I was just wondering what you needed. I could see you standing there,” she replied, smiling to herself.

  She knew she had busted him watching her. Weren’t there hundreds of other women for him to look at? It did make her feel good that he had looked at her. This was her trip for herself. She wanted to be left alone.

  “Um, I was wondering if you had any sunscreen? I left mine on the ship. I wanted to get in the water, b
ut I need some sunscreen first,” he said.

  “So you didn’t come prepared?” she asked, still not moving from her book.

  “No. Look, I’ll pay you for it. I know you have some,” he said.

  She sat up and went through her bag. The sunscreen was in the bottom. She pulled it out and handed it to him. He grabbed it from her, and his hand brushed across hers. She felt a tingle in her hand and jerked it back from him. What the hell was that, she asked herself? She looked up at him and could see him looking at her bikini top. He stood still for a minute and she rolled her eyes.

  He walked back over to his chair and pulled his t-shirt over his head. Damn was he hot, she thought. His muscles were so hard and she wanted to rub her hands across his abs. How had he been hiding all that under a t-shirt? It was bad enough he was tall, dark, and handsome, but his chest was amazing. She hurried to look down before he could catch her checking him out. Stop it, she told herself. That was not what she came on vacation for. She didn’t need any men complicating her life.

  She kept peeking up over her glasses as he rubbed his chest and arms with sunscreen. He was so sexy. She could not believe the reaction she had over some strange guy.

  “Could you do me a huge favor?” he asked, interrupting her thought.

  “What,” she whispered.

  “Would you put it on my back and neck? I can’t reach it, and I want to make sure I have it everywhere,” he said.

  She was afraid to touch him. When their hands rubbed across each other a few minutes before, she could feel little fireworks on her fingers. Concentrate, she told herself.