That plane, however, could take us only as far as Sri Lanka. There we switched planes. Or more precisely, we traded our deluxe jet in for this turbo prop plane, one that could land on the small, narrow runway of the private island we’re staying on.
The prop plane is nothing like the luxurious, spacious Gulfstream. It only has six seats, including ours, and we’re lucky it has a toilet… a porta-potty of sorts. Ugh! Blake brought so much luggage along that it takes up almost all the space of the aircraft. So, I’m stuck in the cockpit serving as his co-pilot.
Not a good flyer to begin with, I’ve been in freak-out mode ever since we took off from the airport. Blake, in contrast, has been like a kid on an amusement park ride. Starting with a “whoo hoo” as we took off.
“Tiger, seriously. Just relax and enjoy the view.”
Sitting next to him, I force myself to look out the window and cast my eyes down, avoiding the rotating propeller, which adds to my unease. Fifteen thousand feet up in the air, I can see a lush island below—tops of palm trees and verdant terrain surrounded on all sides by miles of the green-blue Indian Ocean. All crystal-clear thanks to my recent Lasik surgery, something Blake convinced me to have because I was forever losing my eyeglasses. With no buildings, vehicles, or roads in sight, the island seems to be deserted. Unfortunately, the breathtaking view does little to calm my nerves. My stomach bunches. I feel queasy.
Suddenly, a rumble thunders in my ears. I whip my head around and face Blake.
“Fuck!” he shouts out, terror flickering on his face.
“What’s going on, Blake?” My voice is in a panic.
“There’s something wrong with the engine.”
“Oh my God! Are you serious?”
“Yes!”
Hardly the answer I want to hear. The engine continues to rumble. My heart leaps into my throat. It’s beating at a gazillion miles an hour.
“Oh my God,” I repeat, my voice now frantic.
“Put on your life jacket!”
I fumble for the yellow vest that’s stored under my seat. Slipping it over my head, it takes me two tries to fasten it because my hands are shaking so much. I pull down on the tabs to inflate it.
“Blake, what about you?”
“I can’t let go of the control wheel.”
Pushing it forward, he clutches the U-shaped handles so tightly his knuckles turn white. He curses again as the plane begins to wobble. My stomach lurches. I may throw up. I clamp my mouth shut, biting hard on my bottom lip, so I don’t.
“See if you can radio someone.”
In my panicked state I push the emergency call button. “Blake, all I get is static.”
“Shit. Try the satellite phone.”
Even more panicked, I do again as I’m asked. Nada! “Blake, I still can’t get through.” I turn to look at my husband. I’ve never seen a more intense expression on his face. His jaw is tight, his lips pinched, his eyes unblinking. Fear, like none other, claws at me.
I look out the window again. “Blake, what’s that liquid pouring out of the wing?”
“What!” His eyes train on the fuel gauge. “Shit! We’re leaking fuel!”
“Oh my God!” Our situation has just gone from bad to worse. Way worse! We’re not going to last in the air!
“Blake, what are we going to do?” I spit out the words, panic gripping my insides.
“Tiger, hold on. I’m going to attempt to land this baby.”
Hold on to what? The only thing I want to hold on to is my life. A nauseating mixture of terror, regret, and sorrow swishes through my veins. We’re going to die! Crash into the shark-infested water and drown. Or crash land on some remote island and die in a fiery explosion. Any way I look at it, our lives are over. And I’ll never see my treasured family again. Our two beautiful children… Our beloved parents…His precious grandma…Her big-hearted husband Luigi… Or all our wonderful friends… Libby, Chaz, and so many others.
“Blake, I’m so scared!” I choke out.
“Be brave, my tiger!”
I’ve had to be Blake’s brave tiger many times in my life, but this isn’t one of them. I start to sob as the wobbly plane begins to lose altitude.
“Close your eyes, baby!” Blake orders, his voice commanding and intense.
With tears streaming, I do as he asks, squeezing my eyes shut. So tightly they hurt. The truth is, I don’t want to see our ugly demise.
“C’mon, c’mon, c’mon,” I hear Blake mumble. The plane shakes violently. A warning siren sounds. My stomach lurches again as we plummet. I hold my breath and lose all sense of time. Then suddenly, a tumultuous thud makes my stomach somersault and my heart do cartwheels.
All I can hear are ear-splitting screams. The screams are mine, and as they pierce the air, I know they won’t save us.
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A NOTE FROM NELLE
My Belles~
Thank you so much for reading my THAT MAN series. If you loved it, I hope you will write a review. It doesn’t matter how long or short it is. It would mean so much to me as reviews help others find my books.
I have exciting news! I’m planning lots more THAT MAN books!!! Be sure to sign up for my newsletter to know when they release and to learn about sales and giveaways!
NEWSLETTER LINK
Other books that feature scorchin’ hot Blake Burns and his tiger include my SECRETS and LIES series, Jaime and Gloria’s steamy and suspenseful love story, my UNFORGETTABLE series (also available as a Box Set) and my romantic comedy standalone, BABY DADDY. Check them out on my website!
SECRETS AND LIES
UNFORGETTABLE
BABY DADDY
They also make cameos in my latest book REMEMBER ME, a steamy romantic suspense which many readers are calling my best book ever.
REMEMBER ME
Coming soon…. BUTTERFLY, another steamy contemporary romance featuring my most alpha hero ever! Add it to your Goodreads TBR! Another reason to sign up for my newsletter is to get a sneak peak!
GOODREADS
Also coming soon… Golden Rules and Golden Vows, a newly updated edition of my original Seduced by the Park Avenue Billionaire series, featuring dual POV throughout and a bonus epilogue.
GOODREADS: Golden Rules
GOODREADS: Golden Vows
Links to all my books follow. Most of them are FREE! in Kindle Unlimited!
HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL!!! Thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading my books. You, my Belles, are the reason I write!
MWAH! ~ Nelle ♥
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OTHER BOOKS BY NELLE
Click on the covers to read about them and/or purchase. Almost all my books are FREE! in Kindle Unlimited!
Secrets and Lies
Gloria and Jaime Zander’s passionate rollercoaster romance.
Unforgettable: A Steamy Hollywood Romance
Fall in love with sexy heartthrob, Brandon Taylor!
Remember Me
Baby Daddy
The bestselling hot and hilarious single parent romantic comedy.
The Big O
An OTT insta-love romantic comedy.
Love Duet
The critically acclaimed all-the-feels duet. “With love, there are no goodbyes.”
THAT MAN
The hot and hilarious USA Today Bestselling Series starring scorchin’ hot Blake Burns.
Writing as E.L. Sarnoff
Even the evil queen from Snow White wants a happily-ever-after.
Boxed Sets
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
As I wrote the two lit
tle words, “The End,” tears filled my eyes. It was so hard to say good-bye to THAT MAN—Blake Burns. What a journey this has been! I have so many people to thank.
Deep breath! This is going to be long and I hope don’t forget anyone.
Usually, I thank them last, but this time they’re going first. My family. Thank you for putting up with me while I wrote and edited this epic story over the past year. My sweet girls, I’m sorry for all the crappy meals, the number of times I growled, “Leave me alone,” and all the times I told you to Uber home. A special shout out goes to my husband—my very own that man who picked up much of the mommy slack while I slaved at my computer. By the way, he’s convinced he’s Blake. I say wishful thinking, or should I say I wish. Regardless, thank you, babe, for your love and support—and for admittedly giving me some of my best Blake lines.
My second heartfelt round of thanks goes to my amazing beta readers. Across the series, they include in alphabetical order: Kelly Butterfield, Michelle Coddington, Amber Lynn Escalera, Kashunna Fly, Kellie Fox, Alma Garcia, Tracy “Sunshine” Graver, Gloria Herrera, Wanda Kather, Cindy Meyer, Kim Pinard Newsome, Jen Oreto, Sheena Reid, Jasmine Roman, Jenn Moshe, Karen Silverstein, and Jeanette Sinfield. I’m blessed to have the best betas in the whole wide world. You are all so smart, funny, and insightful, and didn’t hold back for better or for worse. You have become more than betas; you have become my friends.
Arianne Richmonde and Adriane Leigh, my two best writer friends (my BWF’s) also deserve big hugs. Thank you for reading THAT MAN and for all your great suggestions. Most of all, thank you for keeping me sane and getting me through the many times I thought I could never write another word or finish. Trust me, only fellow authors understand the formidable challenge of writing a book, let alone a five-part series. I don’t know what I would have done without my besties, who listened to my rants as well as shared many laughs and glasses of wine.
Many of you may remember that THAT MAN 1 first appeared in Love and Laughter, a romantic comedy anthology. I want to thank Zirconia Publishing and all the wonderful, hardworking authors who participated in that anthology and worked painstakingly together to make it a USA Today bestseller. These amazing ladies and a gent include Abi Aiken, Harper Ashe, Dez Burke, Adriana Hunter, Arianne Richmonde, Aubrey Rose, Marian Tee, and Terry Towers. Love to you all.
The success of the THAT MAN series can also be attributed to the many hardworking bloggers who embraced Blake Burns and wrote wonderful reviews that helped spread the word. A special thanks to Mary Tatar of Love Between the Sheets Promotions who spearheaded my blog tours as well as wrote some of my favorite reviews. There are so many bloggers to thank, but I want to single out a few who have been with me throughout my writing career and who have gone out of their way to put THAT MAN in front of readers. They include in no particular order: Jen Oreto/Book Avenue Reviews, Becky Barney/The Fairest of All, Ellen Widom/The Book Bellas, Selene Cabadas/Sassy Girl Reviews, Gloria Herrera/As You Like it Reviews, Desirae Shie/Books, Chocolate, and Lipgloss, Jennifer Noe/The Book Blog, Mags Pereira and Jewelz Fowler/SMI Book Club, Lynn Booth/Chasing Orion’s Rouge Odyssey, Sheeba Ellison/Bedtime Reviews, Lorraine Masterson/Rusty’s Reading, Gillian Gybras/ A is for Alpha B is for Books, Cindy Meyer and Deborah Presley /The Book Enthusiast, Jennifer McCoy/SubClub Books, Lisa Pantano Kane and Jennifer Skewes/ Three Chicks and Their Books, Nicole Scott/ My Book Filled Life, and Susan Harwood/Wicked Women Promotions, who has also hosted my fab Facebook Release Day parties.
I would be remiss not to thank one other entity—the amazing newsletter, BookBub. I feel so blessed that you chose THAT MAN 1 as one of your Free Books of the Day. Thanks to that promotion, the story of Blake and his tiger touched the hearts of countless readers and made THAT MAN an international bestseller.
The team that ultimately brings my books to fruition merits a big shout out. Thank you, Paul Salvette/BB eBooks for flawlessly formatting both my e-books and paperbacks and putting up with all my crazy revisions; Arijana Karcic /Cover It! Designs for all the glorious covers and my Facebook banner, and Karen Lawson for proofing my manuscripts and for making me laugh with your snarky comments. I am also beholden to “my Blue Ranger,” for creating beta mobiFiles and to my beloved fan and super-talented friend, Kellie Fox, who magically creates all those fabulous panty-melting graphics you see on my Facebook page. I also want to acknowledge my amazing PA, Alma Garcia, who helps techno-challenged me in so many ways, and my mega-fan, Cathy Dotson Guadagnino, who cheers me on constantly. And I should mention, a big kiss goes to Robert Reider for being my gorgeous cover model and to his delightful mother Klara, who reached out to me and has become a lovely friend.
Almost last but not least, I want to thank all my readers who have embraced THAT MAN and fallen in love, like me, with Blake Burns. Had it not been for your support and encouragement, I wouldn’t have written Blake and Jen’s wedding story or their anniversary story. A special shout-out goes to those who have written heartfelt reviews, sent me heartwarming emails, and commented or PM’d me on Facebook. Your kind, often beautiful words always brighten my day and make me persevere. My love to all of you; you are the reason I write.
Finally, I want to thank my father-in-law, aka “Mr. I. Wackit,” and my open-minded mom for believing in me and being proud of me. And thank you, Daddy, too, for always being there for me. So much of your menschiness inspired Blake. I miss you and will always love you. *Sniff*
Okay. I did it! I hope I got everyone! As for me, I’m back to writing 24/7. Next up is Gloria’s Forever, a novella, coming out in March 2015. Then, in April 2015, I will be releasing a panty-melting brand new series—Unforgettable. Just like Blake Burns, my new sexy as sin hero, Brandon Taylor, will make you laugh, cry, and swoon. And best of all Blake and the entire THAT MAN gang, including Grandma, will be featured! Meanwhile, I hope you’ll enjoy Grandma’s famous matzo ball soup in more ways than one; the secret recipe follows. In between rolling and sucking those balls, be sure to sign up for my newsletter to stay abreast of my new releases and sales. Here’s the link: nellelamour.com/newsletter.
To all my Belles, thank you again from the bottom of my heart for your love and support. It means the world to me.
MWAH! ~ Nelle ♥
GRANDMA’S FAMOUS MATZO BALL SOUP
(Serves 6)
Bubalas, trust me, the vay to a man’s heart—and his shmekel—is through his stomach. Make him my delicious matzo ball soup and you’ll be shtupping for hours. Zei gezunt! Enjoy!
INGREDIENTS
CHICKEN STOCK
- 1 4-5-lb chicken (preferably Kosher), cut into 8 pieces
- 1 pound chicken wings, necks, and/or backs
- 2 large yellow onions, unpeeled, quartered
- 6 celery stalks, cut into 1” pieces
- 4 large carrots, peeled, cut into 1” pieces
- 1 large parsnip, peeled, cut into 1” pieces
- 1 large shallot, quartered
- 1 head of garlic, halved crosswise
- 6 sprigs flat-leaf parsley
- 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
MATZO BALLS
- 3 large eggs, beaten
- 3/4 cup matzo meal
- 1/4 cup schmaltz (chicken fat), melted
- 3 tablespoons club soda (my secret ingredient for fluffy, melt-in-you mouth balls)
- 1 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
GARNISH
- 2 small carrots, peeled
- Pinch of kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh dill
- Coarsely ground fresh black pepper
PREPARATION
CHICKEN STOCK
- Bring all ingredients and 12 cups cold water to a boil in a very large (at least 12-qt.) stockpot. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until chicken breasts are cooked through and tender, about 20 minutes.
- Transfer breasts to a plate (remaining chicken parts are strictly for stock). Let breasts cool slightly, then remove meat and return bones to stock. Shred mea
t. Let cool, tightly wrap, and chill.
- Continue to simmer stock, skimming surface occasionally, until reduced by one-third, about 2 hours. Strain chicken stock through a fine-mesh sieve into a large saucepan (or airtight container, if not using right away); discard solids. You should have about 8 cups.
- DON’T VAIT! DO AHEAD: Stock can be made 2 days ahead. Let cool; cover and chill. Keep reserved chicken meat chilled.
MATZO BALL MIXTURE
- Mix beaten eggs, matzo meal, schmaltz, club soda, and salt in a medium bowl (mixture vill resemble vet sand; it vill firm up as it rests). Cover and chill at least 2 hours.
- DO AHEAD: Mixture can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled.
ASSEMBLY
- Bring chicken stock to a boil in a large saucepan. Add carrots; season vith salt.—Reduce heat and simmer until carrots are tender, 5–7 minutes. Remove from heat, add reserved breast meat, and cover. Set soup aside.
- Meanvhile, bring a large pot of vell-salted water to a boil. Scoop out 2-tablespoon-size portions matzo ball mixture and, using vet hands, gently roll into balls. (I LOVE ROLLING THE BALLS!)
- Add matzo balls to vater and reduce heat so vater is at a gentle simmer (too much bouncing around vill break them up). Cover pot and cook matzo balls until cooked through and starting to sink, 20–25 minutes. (DON’T LET THEM SINK ALL THE VAY. SINKERS ARE STINKERS!)
- DO AHEAD: Using a slotted spoon, transfer matzo balls to bowls. Ladle soup over, top vith dill, and season vith pepper. And enjoy!
THAT MAN Special Holiday Box Set (Books 1-5) Page 65