The Hamptons, New York
Two Years Ago
The day glistened in a way only white sand, turquoise waters, and golden sun could reflect. Thousands of tourists had besieged the peninsula for the Labor Day weekend. Luke’s parents were in Europe and his brother was off jet-setting somewhere glamorous. Even though Darcy and Luke had the whole estate in East Hampton to themselves, they chose to stay in the guesthouse, which was a mini-mansion in itself and only steps from the beach.
They hadn’t left the house since Thursday. On the way there, a stop at a farm stand and Stuart’s Fish Market had provided sweet shrimp, lavish vegetables, fresh berries, crusty bread, and assorted cheeses. With her insane work hours as a model, Darcy craved these lazy days when all she and Luke did was make love all afternoon, then supper on the sprawling deck and sip chilled chardonnay in crystal glasses.
It was a Sunday morning, the day they’d promised to go over to Luke’s billionaire friend Tyler’s infamous mansion for a cocktail party and art showing by the highly acclaimed artist, Ian McPherson. Luke raved to Darcy about Ian’s work, and he wanted to share it with her. And like almost everything in their whirlwind romance, Darcy wanted to share everything with him, too. Her persona as Darcy Devereux, super model, required changing from Luke’s big T-shirt and into an elegant Stella McCartney summer dress before going out in public.
Her gelled hair-spiking and makeup routine required time, time she resented spending these days since she’d been dating Luke. Even in the morning, when she woke all full of sleep, he told her how beautiful she was. And when she dressed up perfectly the way the world knew her, he devoured her with his eyes.
Darcy stepped into her Valentino sling-backs. She ran her fingers along the back of her calf. The bruises seemed to be getting worse. She reminded herself to call the doctor for her blood test results when she got home tomorrow.
As she walked into the living room, Luke rose from the white Bedford chair. He was a tall, lanky vision in khaki slacks and an aqua shirt setting off his bronze tan and golden hair. A devilish smile crossed his face as he whisked her into his arms.
“A woman of many charms,” he whispered in her ear. His kisses trailed down her neck as he pulled her close. “Forget the party, I don’t want to leave.”
It took all her resolve not to melt into his arms. She gently pushed him back to catch her breath. “No, we promised we’d go and I want to see this artist’s work.”
Darcy brushed her lips against his full mouth. “We don’t have to stay long.”
Light danced behind his silver-grey eyes. His gaze made her wish he’d rip off her clothes and forget the party after all.
“Okay,” he said, grabbing his keys. “Let’s go. But there will be one little detour on the way back.”
Darcy was intrigued. It really didn’t matter where they went or what they did. They fit together. From the moment their eyes had met at a photo shoot, she’d known.
Tea & Comfort Description:
Fear made her run – A second chance at love made her stay
After receiving life-changing news, Kyla Nolan ran away from her life as a top model in New York and left her fiancé, Luke Bradford, behind. Now, almost two years later, Kyla has a rebuilt her life as the successful owner of Tea & Comfort on Madrona Island. She lives in a cozy home behind her tea shop, has great friends, and a community where she belongs. But Kyla’s life is thrown off balance when Luke moves to the island.
Luke has purchased the local vineyards, just like he and Kyla had always dreamt of. But Luke is not here just for the grapes. He is determined to discover why Kyla left him, if she still loves him, and if the future they planned is truly over. Kyla must face her past and make a decision. She knows that this time around if they have a chance at happiness she will have to reveal her true identity and the secrets that drove her away…Tea & Comfort is the second novel in the Madrona Island series and follows the Amazon bestselling novel, The Guestbook.
