The Sweetest Surrender: Part 1 in the series 'In Too Deep'

When Mrs Flora Shackleton, 33, finds a gorgeous, rippled, blue-eyed pool man offering to do odd jobs around the yard, she accepts. But why is this pool man so well spoken? And why is he so quick to offer to make her a cocktail, so ready with the suncream? Before long, she is surrendering to the intensity of his unrelenting desire... Could it be that, already, she is in too deep?

**

It began, as many romances do, with the autumn leaves. These particular leaves were scattered thickly across the top of the normally shimmering pool that belonged to Dr and Mrs Shackleton, a respectable and well-liked couple in Rancho Sante Fe, a wealthy suburb of San Diego. When Mrs Shackleton heard the doorbell ring one fine afternoon, she was rather pleasantly surprised to find a well-spoken young man in dark shades and blue shorts who offered to clean her pool and carry out any other odd jobs around the yard.

The fee seemed reasonable and Mrs Shackleton rather liked the idea of a little company. She was not unhappy in her marriage. Her husband was kind with a good job. At 43, he was ten years older than her but still handsome. But his hours at the surgery were often long. Then there was his budding political career, which took up increasing amounts of time and energy. Campaigning on a ‘family first’ ticket, Dr Shackleton had an eye on a position in the Senate, and his ratings were actually very promising. Even when Dr Shackleton was at home, he often seemed tired and distracted.

For Flora, there was something very pleasant about relaxing by the pool with an iced tea in her black bikini while Jason, the pool man, swept his rake backwards and forwards across the pool, making little rippling sounds that seemed subtly to harmonize with the birds in the faded Jacaranda trees. Flora lowered her sunglasses and glanced over at the pool man.

He had his shirt off now, and, quite involuntarily, she caught her breath as a sharp thud of excitement shot through her stomach. She grabbed tightly onto the tall glass in her hand lest it fall crashing onto the patio. Get a grip, girl!...