His music brought them together. A gypsy's magic would do the rest.
For successful romance novelist Annie Blake, writing happy endings is one thing but believing in them is another. When her editor proposes writing the biography of famous eighties rock star and heart-throb James Craven, she jumps at the prospect—but she gets more than she bargains for. At fifty-nine, James is still very attractive and Annie falls helplessly in love with him, only to find herself intimidated by the thirty-year age gap and his sexual advances toward her.
As his life story unravels, she discovers there's more to him than meets the eye. James confesses the secret behind his rise to stardom, which is a gypsy's blessing-turned-curse. He chose to sacrifice love for the sake of fame. Now he must find true love before his sixtieth birthday to break the curse and restore his youth, and time is running out.
Annie must choose between believing in fairytales and losing him forever. But is she in love with the rock star or with the man behind the legend?
It was past midnight, and Annie was listening to "Time Stood Still" on her laptop in the living room for the third time in a row. She missed James terribly and could hardly concentrate from thinking about him. The days had seemed to drag by, and now it was finally Friday. She had butterflies in her stomach, thinking of his arrival the next day. Reluctant to leave her comfortable position on the sofa, she got up to put another log on the fire and let her thoughts drift while watching the flames dancing up and down.
"Working late?"
Annie swung around, startled at the unexpected sound of his voice.
"James! I wasn't expecting you until tomorrow." It was all she could do to refrain from flinging herself at him.
"I can see that," he said, his eyes twinkling as he observed her. She was wearing nothing but cotton pajama pants and a snug-fitting top that clearly outlined her nipples.
"It was getting warm near the fire," she explained, blushing and crossing her arms hastily over her chest. He looked gorgeous in black pants and matching silk shirt that set off his blond hair and blue eyes.
"What are you listening to?" he asked, clearly changing the subject to avoid embarrassing her further.
"Uh... 'Time Stood Still.' It's my favorite," she admitted. "I could listen to it all day long."
"May I have this dance, madam?" he asked, bowing mockingly and offering her his arm.
"Naturally, sir," she replied, giggling and following his cue.
He took her in his arms and kissed the palm of her hand, sending her pulse racing, and then placed it on his chest and held it there. She could feel his heart beating and the warmth of his body as she followed him, gently swaying with the beautiful music, and felt full of desire for him. She closed her eyes, wishing that the music would never stop, and imagined that they were alone in the world at that very moment. After a while, his free hand wandered down to her lower back, pressing her against him.
"I don't bite, you know."
She gasped at the unexpected contact through the thin material of her pajama pants. She could clearly feel him hardening and felt herself getting wet in response. The strap of her top slipped off, leaving her shoulder bare and part of her breast uncovered. James slowly lowered his head to kiss the exposed skin of her breast, tantalizingly near her nipple. The touch of his lips on her hot skin made her knees go weak. He rained kisses up her shoulder and neck, her ear, her face...and then softly pressed his lips to hers. He slipped his hands underneath her top, caressing her bare skin and making her shiver with delight. He looked at her questioningly and then claimed her mouth again, deepening the kiss and pressing her even harder against him. Her body was completely molded to his, and she could feel the full length of his erection.
"If you want me to stop, just say it."
Annie tried to think straight but couldn't...not while his fingers were blazing a trail of sparks over her skin. She was about to cross the point of no return and knew there would be no going back. There was no denying it: she wanted him.
James drew back unexpectedly, holding her at arm's length.
"You know where to find me," he whispered, taking both her hands in his and kissing her palms. Then he left her and walked up the stairs to his bedroom.
Annie stood there, quivering, her skin still tingling from his electrifying touch. She was bewildered and didn't know what to think. Why had he taken her to the limit and then left her? She watched him coolly walk up the stairs without as much as a glance back. She slumped onto the sofa, trying to understand what had just happened.
