âMaybe youâre not such a bad influence after all, Tess.â
Mason laughed, amazed that Tess had talked him into swimming in the oceanâ¦with his clothes on, no less. What was even more amazing was that it felt good.
âMe? A bad influence?â She kicked closer to him, until the warmth of her body surrounded him and her lips hovered over his. âNever.â
His gaze fastened on her mouth. He swayed closer to her. Laughter from a group farther up the beach grew loud.
âMaybe we should head out of here.â Mason pushed away from her, toward the shore.
A seductive smile curved her lips. âBut you were going to kiss me.â
âWas I?â
âYes, you were. I saw it in your eyes.â She tilted her head in a familiar gesture. âWhatâs wrong? Too stuffy to kiss me in public?â
âNope, just want some privacy.â He swam closer to her. âBecause when I kiss you again, I intend to enjoy the hell out of it.â
Dear Reader,
Maybe it was because I grew up with four sisters, but as I developed Nikkiâs story in The Morning After (Harlequin Blaze #196) I was thrilled to discover that Nikki had sisters of her own.
Tess, my heroine in So Many Menâ¦, came to me the strongest with her colorful personality and way with men. To me, she captured the free spirit so many of us bury beneath our more responsible roles. It was cathartic to let her run free, then rein her in as she grew to find a more fulfilling side to her life.
I hope you enjoy So Many Menâ¦, where love heals all. Look for Erinâs story, Faking It, the final installment of SEXUAL HEALING, coming in October 2005.
As always, itâs a pleasure to share my stories with you. Feel free to write me at [email protected] or P.O. Box 769012, Roswell, GA 30076. Also, please visit my Web site at www.doriegraham.com.
Best wishes,
Dorie Graham
I dedicate this to my Georgia Romance Writers writing sisters. Each of these women has contributed in some way to my growth and success as an author: Adrianne Byrd, Anna DeStefano, Donna Sterling, Carmen Green, Stephanie Bond, Patti Callahan Henry, Rita Herron, Karen Kendall, Tanya Michaels, Patricia Lewin, Heidi Umbhau, Rachelle Wadsworth and Ann Howard White, as well as all the ladies in the Georgia Romance Authors Network and so many others I donât have room to list. I am eternally grateful for your friendship and support.
HOW MANY MEN COULD one woman handle? Tess McClellan inhaled a deep breath as the Miami Dolphins scored a touchdown on the TV and chaos erupted around her. A dirty gym sock flying by her head and the ringing of the doorbell added to the commotion, drawing loud hails for the pizza deliveryman.
âSorry, Tess, I was aiming for Ramon.â The owner of the sock grinned sheepishly at her.
Tess shook her head and extricated herself from the couch, amid the objections of no less than three of her male companions who were using her as a pillow. She glanced around at the group of men, all her ex-lovers. She had loved each one heart and soul, loved them still in fact.
Why then this growing dissatisfaction?
âWhere you going, sweetheart? The gameâs just getting good.â Ramon, her most recent ex, tugged at her hand, urging her back to the couch.
âIâ¦I need some fresh air.â
âIâll come with you.â He set down his beer, but she shook her head.
âDonât get up. Theyâre starting again.â She nodded toward the TV. âIâll be right back.â
âYou sure?â Ramon asked, but his attention had already riveted back to the action on the screen.
Tess sighed. Lately, this need for distance from her minions, as her sisters had dubbed her collection of men, gnawed at Tess more and more. She let her gaze drift over the half-dozen men sprawled around her living room. Theyâd do anything for her. She had but to insinuate a need and they fought over who would fulfill it, whether it be picking up her dry cleaning, cooking her dinner or fixing her broken toilet. And this was only half of them.
What woman would complain?
âHey, Tess, weâre a little short on the pizza. Can you kick in?â Nate set a towering stack of pizza boxes on the coffee table already strewn with beer cans and half-filled bowls of chips. The men tore at the boxes with ravenous delight.
Tess glanced at the young Hispanic delivery guy standing wide-eyed by the door, then back at her own guys as they vied to see who could stuff an entire slice of pizza into his mouth first. Okay, maybe there was some reason for her dissatisfaction.
She turned to the newcomer. âHold on just a second.â
With a shake of her head she walked to her bedroom, reminding herself of all the good her guys had done for her lately. Just that morning, Ramon had stored a weekâs worth of meals in her freezer, Gabe had fixed the broken shelf on the bookcase in her bedroom, and Evan had finished scheduling her staff at the nursery for the upcoming week.