by Tina Donahue
He gave the guards their names. Tessa tried to look nonthreatening. Hell, she knew how to behave. During her agency days, she’d been to places as nice as this one.
Though not for the same purpose.
After a short drive, they reached the bulk of the estate. Three acres in all, the grass so perfectly manicured it didn’t look real. Countless flowers bordered scores of towering trees. Red-and-white-checkered tablecloths covered the picnic tables. To the left were huge barbeque grills belching smoke, four stations with potato salad, coleslaw, corn on the cob, and other sides. Eight servers manned the area, along with a chef ready to whip up something special.
Mouth-watering scents of hot dogs, burgers, and popcorn filled the air.
Calliope music poured from the carousel. A Ferris wheel and other rides were in full swing, their skeletal outlines dipping, swooping, turning. Clowns juggled bowling pins or made balloon animals. A young woman who resembled a gypsy had her paints out, ready to decorate faces.
Children were everywhere, dressed in jeans or shorts. Some were in wheelchairs, their recovery not yet complete. Others bolted toward the rides, trying to be the next in line. The little girls shrieked. Boys hollered.
Their parents relaxed at the tables, clearly enjoying themselves, their careworn expressions showing the first signs of hope after medical problems and expenses had eaten up their savings and short-circuited their futures.
Logan had taken Tessa’s comment to heart when she’d suggested he give his money to someone who needed it. He’d established trust funds for these kids his medical devices had saved. He’d also planned outings throughout the year so they could enjoy being young. His way of giving them what Connor and Samantha had missed.
“Now just be yourself,” he said, squeezing Tessa’s hand. “No need to wow them with your grades.”
“Good point. I’ll keep it strictly political. How those dumb jerks in Congress should listen to the people they represent, rather than—”
“Better save that for another time.”
She winked. “Sure thing. Let’s go.”
He took Jack. Tessa got Molly. Some of the children noticed the Labs and raced toward them. Logan bumped her arm with his. “Get ready to be bent, folded, and mutilated. These kids are tough.”
They were wonderful. A few of them laughed so hard, they hiccupped, their faces sweaty and red from chasing the Labs and horsing around.
Logan introduced Tessa to the parents, then he played with the kids. Tossing the youngest ones in the air, swinging the others in uneven circles until he was nearly as popular as the rides, hunkering down by those in wheelchairs, paying attention to what they’d said or complained about, getting them to laugh.
He was such a great guy and a natural as a father. Tessa’s heart swelled with more love than she’d believed possible.
When he had a moment to himself, he strolled back to her.
She was on the grass French braiding a little girl’s hair to match her own. Three other girls sat cross-legged nearby, stroking Molly and Jack’s heads, waiting their turns. Another little girl stood behind Tessa, touching her braids.
“I’m gonna make you ladies so beautiful you won’t believe it,” she boasted to them. “Better than those Disney princesses.”
“Even my Ariel and Jasmine dolls?” the oldest girl, an eight-year-old, asked. She had a shooting star painted on her right cheek.
“Are you kidding me?” Tessa clucked her tongue. “If they were real, they’d be so jealous they’d stop talking to you.”
The eight-year-old giggled.
Logan smiled. “Looks like you’re here for the long haul.”
“Oh yeah,” Tessa murmured.
Not only had she found her true purpose when it came to helping kids, with Logan’s love Tessa was confident for the first time. Safer than she’d ever been. Eager for more days like this and all of their tomorrows.
The End
About Tina Donahue
Tina Donahue is an award-winning, bestselling novelist in erotic romance, and an admitted chocoholic known to down semi-sweet candy bars in grocery checkout lines. She lives with her family in Palm Springs, California, where tires melt in the 120-degree summer heat and an occasional earthquake puts everyone on notice to bolt things down. When she’s not writing her steamy stories, trying to stay cool, or crawling beneath her desk during a trembler, she loves shopping, eating at her favorite Mexican restaurant and meeting other authors. Before she wrote romance, Tina was the editor of an award-winning Midwestern newspaper and worked in Story Direction for a Hollywood production company.
Tina welcomes comments from readers. You can find her website and email addresses on her author bio page at www.ellorascave.com.
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Also by Tina Donahue
Adored
Appointment with Pleasure 1: Claiming Magique
Appointment with Pleasure 2: Losing Control
Appointment with Pleasure 3: Illicit Intent
Deep, Dark, Delicious
In His Arms
Lush Velvet Nights
Sensual Stranger
Sinfully Wicked
SiNN
Take Me Away
Print books by Tina Donahue
Adored
SiNN
Take Me Away
Ellora’s Cave Publishing
www.ellorascave.com
Seven Sensuous Days
ISBN 9781419949685
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Seven Sensuous Days Copyright 2014 Tina Donahue
Edited by Briana St. James
Cover design by Syneca
Cover photography by romancenovelcovers.com
Electronic book publication March 2014
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