Ryan Chase left Fairbanks, Alaska, when she was 21 years old to pursue her dream of becoming an actress. Somewhere along the way her dreams of stardom crashed and burned, along with her life.
Thirteen years later she is forced to return to Fairbanks because her unforgiving and emotionally-distant father has suddenly died. Ryan seizes the opportunity to not only escape her abusive husband but to be able to attend her best friend's wedding. What could go wrong? It's only Fairbanks, Alaska...
While wishing she was anywhere but her father's funeral and wake, Ryan is struck senseless by a stunning, drop-dead gorgeous man. Her thoughts turn carnal and she desperately wants to know him in every way—and position—possible. There's only one problem...
He's the devil's spawn.
He's the one who marked her for life.
He's the kid she used to baby-sit.
And he's hotter than hell!
Shea Michaels has loved Ryan Chase for most of his life. After surviving an unspeakable childhood, he became a man of whom she could be proud of...if she ever came back.
Now that she's returned, Shea pursues her with a vengeance, undaunted by the thirteen year age difference that Ryan uses as the shield between them.
Confusion, guilt and lust bombard Ryan as she battles the memories of the little boy she used to know while still being drawn to the heart-stopping man he has become.
4.5 Star Review by Jennifer Hagen
I loved this book!
I was initially captivated by the cover and the blurb…title not so much,
but when I read the story I completely understand how the title means so much
to the story. Andrew “Shea” has loved
Ryan since he was 8 years old. Ryan
moved away to New York City when she was 21 years old to pursue her dreams of
acting. Those dreams didn’t pan out the
way she thought they would and she now finds herself back in Fairbanks, Alaska. When Shea was 8 years old he had an issue
with biting. When he learned that Ryan
was leaving, he bit her and in return she bit him. They both have the scars to show they are
bonded for life.
Thirteen years have now passed and Ryan is 34 years old. She is returning to her hometown to bury her
father and finding an escape. This was
the perfect time to run from her abusive husband, to whom she has been married
to for 5 years. She and her father did
not have a close relationship since she left home and for the past 5 years had
not spoken to one another. Her father
was still aware of her life due to the fact that Ryan’s best friend and her
mother were keeping him in the loop.
Shea is no longer the bratty 8-year-old boy that Ryan
once babysat. He is now 21 years old and
is studying to be a veterinarian. He has
done well with his life considering the abuse he had to endure as a child from his father. He almost didn’t survive the last
attack. Shea went through a dark phase
in order to cope with the abuse. He used
alcohol, drugs, and sex as an escape.
Shea has been having sex since he was 13 years old.
When Ryan sees a tall, dark and handsome man at the
funeral she has no idea who he is but is soon rendered speechless when she
finds out who he is…”I had just been
eye-f*cking the kid I used to babysit.”
Shea has been holding onto hope that one day Ryan would
return home and see him not as the boy she used to babysit, but as a man who is
worthy of being loved. Shea’s attempts
at having Ryan see him as this man are unsuccessful.
“I’m laying down
the torch I’ve carried for thirteen years.
I actually dreamed about this moment for years, and I honestly thought
that if you saw what I had become you might want me, but I can’t force you. I can’t make this happen, regardless of how
much I want it to.”
Shea’s heart has been shattered by Ryan not once, but now
twice in his life. He is utterly
defeated. My heart hurt for him. Ryan wants Shea, but she cannot get past the
huge age gap between them, that she used to babysit him, and the fact that she
is still married.
Ryan’s best friend, Trina, also happens to be Shea’s
older sister. Trina is the catalyst of
their eventual union and after one night together there is no going back. Shea is finally living his dream with Ryan in
his bed and he in her heart. Although
initially Ryan was reluctant to admit her feelings, she realizes that she does
love Shea. Shea has always been
completely honest with Ryan.
“I love you so
much, I feel like my heart can’t hold it all,” he pledged.
Ryan is not honest with Shea. She continues to keep her marriage a secret
from Shea knowing that he will be completely distraught with the realization
that Ryan once loved a man enough to want to be with him forever. Soon the secret of her marriage becomes the
least of her worries. At 67% my stomach
plummeted and even though I had an inclination this could be a possibility, I
didn’t want to face the facts just as much as they didn’t want to.
“Andrew will not
survive this. He’s gone through so much,
and you were the one bright spot for him, the one thing he always wished for
and finally got. This will be too much.”
I have to admit
that I rarely am able to read a book cover to cover without taking a peek at
the end. For some reason I decided I was
not going to peek and I was going to ride the wave of angst. Hours after I finished this book I was still
feeling my stomach hurting. Shea and
Ryan’s story touched a part of my heart and soul and it continued to
remain. So what did I do?...I went back
to re-read the story! They are stuck in
my mind!
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