The Vow, Book 1 (EBOOK)

It was blue all around. When she looked up, the sky was a perfect blue and when she looked across, the swimming pool was an azure blue. Miami heaven. Golden sunshine poured down and the 83-degree heat made her lazy.

Every once in a while, she’d dive into the glittering blue pool and cool down. She hadn’t been swimming for years and this, having a pool at her fingertips, was a luxury. Swimming was a luxury. She loved the peace and quiet of his beautiful home and the sight of Tobias sitting on the sun-lounger while she glided through the water—all of this was divine.

It hadn’t been as hot every day. The weather varied, but it was still beautiful. Every day with Tobias was beautiful. Even if she had been caught in a snowstorm with him, it still would have been beautiful.

She’d been falling headlong and breathlessly, unstoppably, insanely and deeply in love with him. The feeling frightened her sometimes, and she blamed the heat for making her mind go haywire.

Now that he was quiet and working, she sat back on her sun-lounger and thought some more about his idea. “You think I can do this?” she asked, putting her pencil down.

“Do what?” Tobias asked absentmindedly, his forehead creasing as he concentrated. She couldn’t help but stare at him as he sat on the sun-lounger wearing only swim shorts and with his laptop on his thighs.

Tobias in a business suit was the height of Armani cool but now that he was almost naked, except for his swim shorts, and with that body, he was something else altogether; a sight not just for hungry eyes, but for take-me-to-bed-and-screw-my-brains-out ravenous eyes. It was no surprise that most of their time had been spent doing nothing but getting physical.

It saddened her that they would set off just after noon tomorrow so that she could surprise Jacob by picking him up after school. She’d been calling him and her parents every day but as much as she was desperate to see her son again, she knew she would be sad about saying goodbye to this love nest.

Tobias had been right. This place was paradise and she was reluctant to leave the perfect world they had created. He owned her heart now, but as insanely happy as she was, she knew it also made her vulnerable. It was strange how love could do that, how she could feel so deliriously happy and yet anxious too, wondering how long it would last. It was so new to her and it felt strange. Maybe she had to trust life and give herself time to get used to it. Just because her past had been littered with sadness didn’t mean her future shared the same fate.

They had gone out for lunch earlier and spent the whole afternoon out by the pool. Tobias had already made plans for the evening. He told her he wanted to cook at home and make the most of their last night together. She knew what that meant and smiled as she stretched out. She could have happily spent another week here with him, could have happily spent her time going from his bed, to the pool, to the bathroom, and kitchen, and all the other places where he had made love to her. There hadn’t even been a need to leave the house.

Making love hard and fast, and rough, then sweet and slow and gentle; she would cherish every moment and every memory they had made. She was lost in her thoughts again; easy enough to do given the company and the surroundings.

“Do what?” he asked again.

“This project, the single moms’ thingy?”

He turned to her and frowned. “Only if you want to, and ‘thingy’ won’t cut it. If you want to do this, you’ll have to be committed and passionate.”

“The single mom’s initiative, then,” she said clearly and loudly, enunciating each word carefully.

“I’m not making a dig at you,” he replied. “I know how serious you are about your work but if you choose to do this, people will look to you for leadership. If you’re vague about it, you won’t send out the right message.” He was giving her business tips and she was noting them well, filing them away for future reference.

“Understood,” she replied, watching how his gaze had dropped to her bikini again. Warming under his gaze, she leaned over onto her side and thrust her breasts out just a little, before running a hand through her hair provocatively. She watched his Adam’s apple rise, knew that look when he lifted his gaze to meet hers. She could read him like a book, and right now, his book was red-hot and steamy.

This new white number she had on was especially flattering, now that she had a slight tan. Thank goodness for the sales where she had picked up many bargains and she had been wise to think ahead. She had planned to take Jacob on a small vacation during the summer and had picked up a few bikinis, never thinking she would get to wear them so soon, or with Tobias.

“You know the hardships you’ve faced, Savannah. If you feel you can make things better for other women in the same situation, and you think you can make a difference, then you should do it.”

“Why are you so eager for me to do this?” She was used to questioning every good thing that came into her life, but was it such a terrible thing for him to want to help her set up a charity that would help make life easier for other single moms on a low income? “You’re not planning on replacing me, are you?”

“You’re irreplaceable.”

The charmer. Her gaze skirted over his firm body and she automatically licked her lips, wondering if she could persuade him to come inside for a short while. Not that he would need much persuading. She considered taking off her top and sunbathing topless, as she had tried to do a few times, only she hadn’t quite managed it—but knew it was a great distraction tool in her arsenal of seduction tactics.