He'll do anything to help her remember.
They say our dreams mask secrets.
Secret desires.
Secret fears.
Secret truths.
20 year old Nora Dultry’s dreams hide even more. They're a gateway to the man of her dreams, and an escape from her painful past. She’s fantasized about him for years, and when he mysteriously walks into her summer teaching gig, she never dreamed she'd question whether he was the one she truly wanted.
But her former fling Troy Bellisaro doesn't just own Wanderlust Academy...he’s her boss, he still has her heart strings tied in knots—and he’s hiding secrets of his own.
One of them will be her dream come true. One, her waking nightmare.
Untangling the truth could make this dream, her last.
"Humans are the only creatures on earth, whose emotions are irrevocably entangled with thier memories."
So this was it. This was my life for the next 90 days. The next 2160 hours, give or take. When you were trapped in purgatory did a few hours more or less really matter?
I’d only had a chance to visit grandfather once before we left. I hated that I wouldn't be able to see him more. But the nurse promised she’d read my letters to him as often as they arrived.
He was asleep more than he was awake now, but I knew he could hear me and could feel when I was there. Which meant he’d miss me when I wasn’t. And three months seemed like a very long time to be away. Still, with the money I made from this I’d be able to get him into a facility closer to home where he could get the proper care he needed. That was all that mattered now.
I missed my old life. When Grandma was still alive. And when granddad was still, himself.
Sighing, I stuffed the memories back down. It was over. Moving on. Our first day was pretty flexible as far as time commitments went. There was a tour and orientation and then we were encouraged to explore on our own after lunch. Kenzie had already hooked up with some graphic arts instructors from Brazil she’d met during the interviews. When I declined to join them for a swim, she took off, leaving me alone in the cabin.
It had pretty much everything you could want. Indoor plumbing, microwave, even a coffee machine. I mean it was hardly roughing it. But no tv or internet sucked, and I hated being way from my sculpting class. And of course granddad.
Enough moping. A walk, that was what I needed. I tugged a sweatshirt over my tank top and shorts, slipped on my flip-flops and headed outside. I followed the trail into the woods nearby. Beyond it was the lake, a crystal glistening clear blue body of liquid, just begging for some party hard teens to fall into and drown. This place had high school horror flick all over its idyllic brochure. And here I was in the middle of it. A girl with a dream guy occupying her nights and a real live one terrorizing her days. At least that was how it felt seeing Troy again, after that night. Nothing like being completely forgotten to boost a girl’s self-esteem, and to be reminded of said failure every time I saw him, which from the sounds of it would be a lot of the next nine weeks.
I’d only been walking a few minutes when I ran into Kenzie.
“What happened to the Brazilian boys?” I asked as she sauntered over.
“They got hauled into the principal’s office for smoking. I told them not to do it out in the open.” She said. “Where ya headed?”
“Nowhere.”
“Can I join?”
I shrugged and kept walking. Until I stopped dead.
Up ahead was Troy. Fitted white t-shirt, gray track pants rolled to the waist, looking way too good. He was jogging, listening to music and heading in our direction. My heart lurched and in a moment of panic, I grabbed Kenzie, shoved her into the bushes, then dove in after her.
“What the f—”
I clapped my hand over her mouth as Troy jogged past us, his rock hard muscles that I remembered all too well, flexing as he ran.
When he was out of view, I climbed out of the shrubs and offered Kenzie a hand to help her up.
She smacked it away. “What the hell was that?” She dusted her red leggings, scowling. “In what universe do we dodge gorgeous guys?”
Every day in my universe. “Sorry. I just wasn’t ready to see him again.”
“Why not?”
“It’s complicated.”
“Well make it uncomplicated.” She raised her brows in expectation. Then her foot started taping.
Damn.
Her voice escalated. “Why don’t you want to talk to Mr. Hot?”
“Because,” I whispered, dragging her back toward the cabin, “I know him. I mean, we’ve met before. In the past.”
“You’re being cryptic. What happened? How’d you meet?”
“He was teaching this course I was taking.” I chewed my lip, regretting that I hadn’t come up with a lie.
“Cool.” She studied my face. “Or not so cool. You’re clearly not too thrilled about seeing him again. Get a bad grade?”
“Yeah, something like that.” Actually nothing like that.
“And now he’s your boss. Cra-zy.”
“Right?” That seemed to satisfy her which meant for now, my humiliation was safe.
I’d only had a chance to visit grandfather once before we left. I hated that I wouldn't be able to see him more. But the nurse promised she’d read my letters to him as often as they arrived.
He was asleep more than he was awake now, but I knew he could hear me and could feel when I was there. Which meant he’d miss me when I wasn’t. And three months seemed like a very long time to be away. Still, with the money I made from this I’d be able to get him into a facility closer to home where he could get the proper care he needed. That was all that mattered now.
I missed my old life. When Grandma was still alive. And when granddad was still, himself.
Sighing, I stuffed the memories back down. It was over. Moving on. Our first day was pretty flexible as far as time commitments went. There was a tour and orientation and then we were encouraged to explore on our own after lunch. Kenzie had already hooked up with some graphic arts instructors from Brazil she’d met during the interviews. When I declined to join them for a swim, she took off, leaving me alone in the cabin.
It had pretty much everything you could want. Indoor plumbing, microwave, even a coffee machine. I mean it was hardly roughing it. But no tv or internet sucked, and I hated being way from my sculpting class. And of course granddad.
Enough moping. A walk, that was what I needed. I tugged a sweatshirt over my tank top and shorts, slipped on my flip-flops and headed outside. I followed the trail into the woods nearby. Beyond it was the lake, a crystal glistening clear blue body of liquid, just begging for some party hard teens to fall into and drown. This place had high school horror flick all over its idyllic brochure. And here I was in the middle of it. A girl with a dream guy occupying her nights and a real live one terrorizing her days. At least that was how it felt seeing Troy again, after that night. Nothing like being completely forgotten to boost a girl’s self-esteem, and to be reminded of said failure every time I saw him, which from the sounds of it would be a lot of the next nine weeks.
I’d only been walking a few minutes when I ran into Kenzie.
“What happened to the Brazilian boys?” I asked as she sauntered over.
“They got hauled into the principal’s office for smoking. I told them not to do it out in the open.” She said. “Where ya headed?”
“Nowhere.”
“Can I join?”
I shrugged and kept walking. Until I stopped dead.
Up ahead was Troy. Fitted white t-shirt, gray track pants rolled to the waist, looking way too good. He was jogging, listening to music and heading in our direction. My heart lurched and in a moment of panic, I grabbed Kenzie, shoved her into the bushes, then dove in after her.
“What the f—”
I clapped my hand over her mouth as Troy jogged past us, his rock hard muscles that I remembered all too well, flexing as he ran.
When he was out of view, I climbed out of the shrubs and offered Kenzie a hand to help her up.
She smacked it away. “What the hell was that?” She dusted her red leggings, scowling. “In what universe do we dodge gorgeous guys?”
Every day in my universe. “Sorry. I just wasn’t ready to see him again.”
“Why not?”
“It’s complicated.”
“Well make it uncomplicated.” She raised her brows in expectation. Then her foot started taping.
Damn.
Her voice escalated. “Why don’t you want to talk to Mr. Hot?”
“Because,” I whispered, dragging her back toward the cabin, “I know him. I mean, we’ve met before. In the past.”
“You’re being cryptic. What happened? How’d you meet?”
“He was teaching this course I was taking.” I chewed my lip, regretting that I hadn’t come up with a lie.
“Cool.” She studied my face. “Or not so cool. You’re clearly not too thrilled about seeing him again. Get a bad grade?”
“Yeah, something like that.” Actually nothing like that.
“And now he’s your boss. Cra-zy.”
“Right?” That seemed to satisfy her which meant for now, my humiliation was safe.
💗 Please double-check the price before you buy 💗
She also loves shoes.
Did we mention the chocolate?
Win an eCopy of Fire & Ice!
(4 winners)
Adventure wasn’t something Lorelei Alundra was interested in. Gifted with two other-worldly talents for singing and healing, she’s always shied away from her gifts and the spotlight, preferring quiet anonymity, over attention and fame. But when she meets the enigmatic Adrius, with his dark and dangerous mystique and eyes that could see into her soul, her uneventful life becomes irrevocably altered.
Adrius turns up in every one of her classes and knows more about her than any newcomer should. Including the condition of her mother who is suffering from a mysterious illness. Accepting his offer to help leads her into a terrifying and thrilling world, where Elves are even hotter than Legolas, and Faeries.... are nothing like Tinkerbell. The two magical beings are fire and ice opposites. One Lorelei can’t help falling for, and the other she's compelled to be with.
Now she’s trapped, expected to prevent a war between witches and faeries, or forfeit her mother’s life. Nothing is what it seems. Not her family. Not the Fey. Not even Adrius, whose feelings for her balance precariously between desire and danger. Despite her better judgment, she can’t say away from him.
As secrets unravel and unsettling truths are revealed, Lorelei must fight to save much more than her mother’s life. One mistake could put the fate of his world, and her soul in jeopardy.
But hey, no pressure… right.
InD'Tale Magazine review
4.5 star rating with a Golden Heart Crown of Excellence Award
Michele Barrow-Belisle has such an exquisite way with words! She paints a very wild and vivid picture throughout the entire story. The creatures and the scenery practically jump off the page as the reader travels on a journey of a girl finding where she came from and who she is. The amount of characters and creatures are abundant at times and the reader may get caught up in trying to keep them all straight. The reader must concentrate to remember the main characters are the focus while all the others are part of setting the scenes. For fantasy lovers, this is a fun, fantastic tale where with everyone can live happily ever after….or can they??
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