The car pulled into a luxurious beachfront resort, its white walls gleaming against the backdrop of the turquoise ocean.Thalassa blinked, the gentle sound of waves lapping against the shore stirring something deep in her memory.They were in Cabo San Lucas.The moment it clicked in her mind, her breath hitched. She glanced out at the golden sands stretching endlessly before her, the rugged cliffs towering in the distance, and the sparkling waters that seemed to stretch into infinity. This wasn’t just any place.It was the place she'd thought she and Kris would be going for their first honeymoon while getting married five years ago. But of course, right after their wedding, Kris had cancelled their honeymoon.Her chest tightened as a surge of emotions threatened to overwhelm her. She turned to Kris, her voice barely above a whisper. “You remembered.”Kris’s lips curved into a soft smile as he reached for her hand, brushing his thumb over her knuckles.“Of course I remembered,” he said
THIRTEEN YEARS LATERIt was the thirteenth anniversary of Kris and Thalassa’s remarriage, and as had become their tradition, it was a time for celebration with loved ones.The familiar hum of laughter and clinking silverware filled the air, creating a cozy, joyful atmosphere.At the adults’ table, Thalassa sat with her chin resting on her hand, her smile gentle as her gaze lingered on the people who had become their family. Alden and Luisa were seated across from her.Their three children—Andrew, the 12-year-old charmer; Matthew, the mischievous 9-year-old; and Emma, their 5-year-old firecracker—were occupying their seats at the kids’ table.Beside Alden and Luisa were Zeke and Millie, who had flown in from New York with their boisterous 10-year-old triplets, Max, Mia, and Miles.Alex and Tessa were sitting at the adults' table. No longer children, they'd blossomed into young adults. Alex had grown into a tall, broad-shouldered, and cool-headed teenager, much like his father. While Te
“What’s wrong with my wife, doctor? Is she okay?” Kris questioned at the hospital after the doctor was done examining Thalassa. The doctor offered a reassuring smile. “Mr. Miller, please calm down. Your wife is perfectly fine.” Kris’s heart slowed just a little. “Then why did she faint?” Thalassa was sitting up on the hospital bed. Her brow furrowed, and her lips pressed into a thin line. “Doctor, it’s probably menopause,” she said matter-of-factly. “I haven’t had my period in two months. I know it happens earlier for some women.” She wasn't exactly pleased that she was having her menopause at 40 years old, but she had been expecting it. The doctor shook his head gently, a knowing smile on his face. “Mrs. Miller, it’s not menopause, I assure you.” That didn't help to assuage Kris's worry. “Then…what is it?” The doctor looked between them, savoring the moment before delivering the news. “Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Miller. You’re three months pregnant.” For a long second, sile
Dear readers, Oh wow, it has been quite a while, haha. I want to thank everyone once again for getting this far. If you read to the end, then I appreciate you so much. I said I would update you guys on my next story, and so here I am. The next story is going to center around Tessa! Here's a little plot. **** PLOT Tessa Miller doesn't like holding a grudge. Except when it comes to Gendry Graham. How can she not hold a grudge against him after he asked her to be his date on prom, only for her to find out it was all a cruel joke meant to humiliate her? Years later, Tessa still wants nothing to do with Gendry. But fate has other plans. As the maid of honor at their mutual friends’ destination wedding, she finds herself stuck with Gendry, who just happens to be the best man. Worse, their meddling friends are determined to play matchmaker, pairing them up at every opportunity for wedding preparation responsibilities. But what's worse than being constantly paired with the man you ha
Tessa Miller stood in front of the mirror, staring at her reflection. Her usually straight hair was curled at the ends, framing her face in a way that made her feel quite pretty. She smoothed the soft fabric of her light blue prom dress for the hundredth time, feeling both excited and nervous. "Relax, Tessa," Maya, her best friend, said. She was perched on the edge of the bed with a makeup brush in hand after doing Tessa's makeup. "You look perfect. Gendry Graham is going to lose his mind when he sees you." Tessa glanced at her best friend. Maya’s bold red dress and confident smile were the opposite of Tessa’s nervousness. "I just… I can’t believe he asked me," she admitted. She'd decided to skip prom altogether because no one had asked her to be their date. Most of the boys in school saw her as a boring, nerdy girl, while the others didn't want to get close to her because of her overprotective brother, Alexander. But two days ago, Gendry, the only boy Tessa had had a crush
Inside her room, Tessa was pacing anxiously. It was already past seven, and Gendry hadn't come yet to pick her up.By 8 PM, Tessa stopped pacing. Gendry was supposed to have picked her up an hour ago, so why wasn’t he here yet? Maybe he was running late for some reason.She immediately grabbed her phone from the dining table and dialed Gendry's number. It rang for a few seconds before the loud beep indicated that he’d hung up on her.Tessa swallowed the lump in her throat, her excitement fading. The blue dress that had made her feel special now felt like it was mocking her.At 8:30 PM, her bedroom door finally opened. Tessa shot to her feet, hope welling inside her. Surely, Gendry had finally arrived, and her mother was here to take her downstairs.However, it wasn’t only her mother who entered the room. She was followed by her father and brother.“It’s obvious that the bastard isn’t going to come,” Alex said, as if it wasn’t already clear enough.Tears stung Tessa’s eyes. Her brother
SEVEN YEARS LATERThe warm, salty air of Jamaica greeted Tessa as she stepped off the plane, her heels clicking softly against the tiled floor of the airport.She adjusted her sunglasses and smoothed down her sleek blazer. On the outside, her aura exuded confidence, but on the inside, her nerves were all over the place.She'd come to Jamaica for her best friend Maya's destination wedding, so she was supposed to feel nothing but excitement, right?Of course, she was happy for her best friend, but there was nothing remotely exciting about having to spend a whole week with him in the same house.Tessa balled her hands into fists. Seven years later, and the thought of him—or the sight of his face—never failed to fray her nerves.If it were up to her, she would never have to deal with him again, but of course, it was just her luck that out of all the people Maya could've fallen in love with and decided to marry, she'd settled on Jace, Gendry's best friend.Yes. Gendry Graham.And since Gen
“Tes, I can't stop marveling at that wedding dress you made me. It's just too exquisite, and I know Jace is going to be floored when he sees me on our wedding day. Thank you so much,” Maya gushed as she sat on Tessa's bed. The two of them were still talking minutes after Maya had helped her unpack her stuff.Tessa feigned a sound of annoyance. “How many times, Missy, must I tell you to stop thanking me for it? I did it with all the love in the world."Maya swooned. “And that's why you're the best. Oh, Tes, I have so many plans for activities before the wedding, and you're...”Maya paused when Tessa let out a yawn. They both chuckled.“Oh, sorry. You must be exhausted from your flight, and here I am rambling on about my upcoming wedding.”Tessa would've told her that she didn’t mind if she truly wasn’t exhausted.Maya got up from the bed. “Let me leave you to get some rest so you can be prepared for the dinner tonight.”Tessa raised a brow. “Dinner?”“Yep. Dinner party at seven,” Maya
Tessa’s heart caught. What he'd just told her could mean two things: that he wanted her so much that he’d set his rule aside because of her, or that she was worthless to him, which was why he was willing to sleep with her with no intention of having a relationship with her. The possibility of it being the latter stung more than she could ever admit. But why? It wasn’t like she wanted a relationship with him either. With her mood suddenly soured for reasons she couldn’t understand, she looked out the window at the buildings whirling by. “What about you?” Gendry’s voice jolted her out of her thoughts. Tessa pulled away from the window and looked at him. “What about me?” she asked, confusion in her voice. “You already know I’d never been with any man... until yesterday” “Yes. I know.” Gendry nodded. “The question is why. You’re beautiful, and you know it. It couldn’t possibly be because no man has approached you before. I know you probably have a thousand flocking around you, so wh
On the way back to the villa, the car was filled with a comfortable silence, but Tessa's mind was stuck on something she couldn't stop thinking about. It had been on her mind since morning, and she needed an answer. Before she could change her mind, she spoke. “This morning… what Jace said… what did he mean?” She saw Gendry’s hands tense around the steering wheel. “Jace said a lot of things,” he pointed out. “Yes,” Tessa agreed. “But I meant… what he said about thinking you’d lost interest in women.” Gendry briefly took his eyes off the road. “I can stop the car and show you right now that he was talking nonsense—just like I showed you a few hours ago.” Tessa’s cheeks flushed, wild images flaring through her mind at his words. “You’re evading my question.” “And you seem to have forgotten your own rules,” Gendry mused wryly. “No talking about each other’s personal lives, remember?” His voice had an edge to it, and Tessa wondered if she should drop it, but the curiosity was eati
"Where have you been, Missy?" That was the first thing Maya asked as soon as Tessa walked into the villa's living area. Tessa had prepared for the question. "In my room," she answered casually. Since she'd gone straight to Gendry's room, her door had still been locked, so Maya wouldn't have been able to enter. Maya tilted her head. "And you didn't hear me when I came knocking?" Tessa shrugged. "I was taking a nap." "Must have been a very deep nap because I called your phone as well," Maya revealed, eyeing her suspiciously. "You didn't hear it either?" Bringing her phone up, Tessa turned on the screen and noticed two missed calls from Maya in her notifications. She thought she had vaguely heard a phone ringing, but it had seemed like a dream compared to the very real reality of Gendry doing things to her insides with his cock. "No, I didn't hear it." "Hmm." Maya hummed, studying her. "Why does your face look so red? And your lips look a bit swollen. Are you okay?" Tessa shif
When Tessa entered the house, only a few guests were lingering about. Gendry was nowhere in sight, so he had probably gone to his room-which was perfect. Making her way down the corridor that led to her and Gendry's room, she knocked on his door immediately, looking back to ensure that no one was watching her. The door opened after a few seconds. Gendry stared at her with an unreadable expression before stepping back to allow her entry. Entering, Tessa closed the door behind her and jammed her hand on her hip. "What was that outside, Gendry? Why did you react that way toward Kevin?" Gendry gave her a bored look. "I told you. I thought he was harassing you." "You had no reason to think that," Tessa pointed out. "He and I were just having a conversation." "Yes, a very intimate conversation, it seems," Gendry said, his tone edged with sarcasm. Tessa stared at him. "You do realize that there were people watching us, right? Everyone is probably suspecting it now. You acted like you
Tessa's heart thumped inside her chest. Gendry had spoken in a relatively low voice, so only the few people standing closest to them had heard and seen that something was going on. But sensing the flaring tempers, she knew that if she didn't do something, it could escalate into something worse. “Gendry!” she hissed, glaring at him. Before she could say anything else, Kevin wrenched his hands from Gendry's grip, gritting out, “What the heck is your problem, man?” His voice was louder than Gendry's, and Tessa winced, darting her eyes around. They had gained a few more spectators. “My problem is that I need you to stop harassing Tessa,” Gendry hissed, his tone sharp. Tessa stared at him in disbelief. What the hell was he even thinking? “Harassi... what?" Kevin’s face mirrored her incredulity. “What are you talking about? Why would you think I'm harassing Tessa?” Gendry's jaw clenched. “Because... I... saw that she clearly wanted to get away from you, and you held her hands to sto
Kevin appeared in front of her. “Hey, I was wondering if you and I could go—”“I’m sorry, Kevin. I...” Tessa began, thinking of an excuse to give him. “Since Jace isn’t here right now, Maya asked me to hang out with her and help her out with a couple of things, so I’m going to be a bit busy.”As soon as she was done speaking, her cheeks flushed. Jesus, she was a terrible liar. He hadn’t even finished saying what he was going to tell her, and she’d gone ahead and given him this long explanation.Kevin stared at her for a bit, making Tessa uneasy, but then a smile broke out on his lips. “Alright, no problem. I guess I can’t expect to have you to myself all the time when you’re literally going to be the maid of honor. I’ll leave you girls, but I’m here when you’re free.”Tessa nodded with a guilty smile, watching him walk away.“Hmm, I didn’t know I’d asked you to help me out with a couple of things,” Maya spoke up beside Tessa, her voice filled with curiosity and a hint of teasing. “I t
Tessa stepped into the bedroom after soaking herself in a warm bath. She'd searched for what could help with her soreness and had been given the warm bath solution.Though it didn't do a magnificent job of completely getting rid of the soreness, it had alleviated it a bit to the point where she could walk without limping.Just like that, incendiary images flamed through her mind. She quickly put them out. The last thing she needed was to get horny right now.A knock sounded on her door, followed by Maya's voice. "Tessa?""Come in," Tessa called out as she untied her bathrobe. The door opened while Tessa opened the closet to pull out fresh panties, a sundress, and a bra."Guess what I heard?" Maya spoke, her voice filled with that bit of giddiness that always surfaced when she was about to gossip.Tessa looked at her, raising a brow. "What?""I'm not supposed to be telling you this, but whatever." Maya shrugged as she slumped onto the bed. "Apparently, Gendry spent the night with someo
Tessa swallowed. If what Jace was saying was right, then it meant Gendry had broken whatever rule he had because of her.Did he want her that much?“So, who is it?” Jace prompted when Gendry didn't reply to his earlier question. “Is it Sandra? I saw how she was clinging to you almost all day yesterday.”“God, no.” Gendry's face scrunched, and his displeasure at the mere idea strangely made Tessa's heart leap in relief.He didn't want Sandra after all, like she’d thought.“Then who is it, then? Come on, tell me, man.” Jace prompted when Gendry didn't reply. “Who's this girl who should prepare to get her heart broken because of your little problem?”Tessa frowned. Problem? What problem did Gendry have?Gendry glared at his friend, seeming to hiss something that Tessa didn't hear. Jace's eyes widened. “Shit, she's still here?”As if instinctively, his eyes moved in the direction of the bathroom door. Tessa immediately moved away from the small opening before he could see her.“Shit, I'm
“Tessa..." Gendry spoke her name again in a soft, stunned whisper. “Have you never done this before?”“Of course I have.” Tessa quickly lied, averting her gaze, looking anywhere but into his eyes.But Gendry didn't allow her to escape him. He held her chin between his thumb and index finger, forcing her to look at him.“You're a virgin.” He said it like an accusation, and Tessa gritted her teeth. “So what if I am?”He pursed his lips, making no effort to move though she could still feel him hard and pulsing inside her. “You should've told me. God, you're a virgin.”Tessa glared at him and gritted out. “It's not contagious, I promise.”Already her eyes were burning with tears. She'd never felt pain and pleasure mix in such an exquisite way, and she would probably cry if he decided to stop now.“Would it have made a difference if I had told you?” she demanded.“Yes it would have.” Gendry said without missing a beat. “I would've tried to make this more...more special for you.”The way h