Before the Tempest
Tani Hanes
(UK Crush, #4)
Publication date: March 21st 2017
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance
Aileen Foster, poor, orphaned, musically gifted, never imagined her life could change so much, so fast, but getting a job as interpreter for boyband UK Crush pitched her headfirst into tumult and a glamorous life she never thought she’d have. Now, engaged to band member Theo Shelley, and having survived her audition to Hamilton Conservatory in Manhattan, she’s off to the Bahamas with the boys while they write their new album. Life has never been easy for her, but she’s trying.
I put my hand on him, feeling more than a stirring this time, and on a whim, went under the covers, head first, pulling the blanket up from the bottom first to make sure I could breathe (I’d gotten caught in that situation before, and nearly suffocated from a lack of oxygen).
I took care of business, so to speak, knowing he was definitely awake by the time I finished. And he finished. I crawled out from under the covers, blinked in the bright light of day and smiled at him.
He smiled back at me.
“Good morning, tiger,” he said in his gravelly morning voice, pulling me up to kiss me. “What was that for, hmm?” He squeezed me.
“You said in the taxi, remember? The night we walked across the bridge into the city and took the cab here?” I looked up at him. He shook his head.
“You said that smiles and blow jobs were all the thanks you’d ever want from me for you making me so happy.” I snuggled down into his arms. “So now I’ve given you both already for today.”
He snickered. “So is this something that’s supposed to have been occurring every day, then? Because if that’s the case, I think we’re a few days behind, love.” He lifted the covers. “You’d better get down there and do a bit of catch up.” He looked at me.
I looked at him. “Dude, I’m up for it if you are.” I began to crawl back under the blankets. He looked horrified and pulled me back.
I smirked at him. “All bluster, I knew it.”
He made his mouth into a round O of offended shock. “You’re so rude. How can you impugn my manhood like that? Have I not kept you good and thoroughly fucked pretty much each and every day since we got together?”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” I acknowledged. “The thing is that I don’t know what other guys are like. Maybe any man out there could be doing what you’re doing, you know? Or even more?” I looked up at him.
He pursed his lips and looked at me through narrowed eyes. “You take that back, right now, or I will make you suffer. I will tickle you until you wee. Never was a threat made more seriously.”
“No!” I shrieked. “I take it back I take it back!” I turned to straddle him and leaned forward to hug him. “I love you I love you I love you, Theodore Shelley.” By the last time I said it, all traces of humor had left my voice, and I was left looking into his smoke-gray eyes, feeling emotional.
“Wow,” he said softly. He took a deep breath. “You look enchanting, Ms. Foster.”
I smiled. “I think that’s just because you’re looking through those eyes of yours, Teddy,” I said with a little laugh, touching his nose with my finger.
He sat up, hugging me. “Shower?” he whispered.
“Shower,” I responded with a smile.
Author Bio:
Tani Hanes was born in Yokosuka, Japan. She spent the first few years of her life traveling back and forth between Japan and the US, making the permanent move to the Central Valley of California when she was five. She visited family in Japan on a regular basis, and attended college in Tokyo for one year at ICU before getting her degree in Language Studies from UC Santa Cruz. She has two children, and was a substitute teacher for fifteen years. Hanes currently resides in New York City with her husband and cats, Moss and Lily.
