A bright flare sprang into his eyes. “I love you more,” he replied, moaning. His hips jerked back a bit before thrusting forward with a final release, harder, deeper, coming inside me.
After Seneca and I made love and he was asleep, I savored the feeling of satisfaction from being with him for a few minutes. Then I crawled out of bed, threw my robe on, and got out a sheet of stationary I’d picked up at a nearby gift shop earlier.
I still had my homework assignment from Charmaine to take care of. I’d realized why the apology letter had been so hard for me to write. I had been addressing it to the wrong person. So I wrote…
Dear Vive,
Hey, you! Having known you for eighteen years, I can say that I owe you one hell of an apology. While I’ve been faithful to your life’s eccentricities, deep down inside, I’ve taken you for granted and have never forgiven you for the bad choices you’ve made over the years. I’ve not treated you with the respect and love you deserve.
Having recently realized that you are not only capable but also deserving of happiness, I intend to give you more to be happy about. That’s right, Vive. I said you deserve to be happy. I’m sorry it’s taken me this long to understand that you have the right to forgive yourself. No one is perfect. We all make mistakes. Granted, your errors are huge, but still, they are forgivable.
Over the years, I’ve let you fill your life with sub-par things—clothes, shoes, money, booze, pills—and expected you to be happy. In reality, I deprived you of love, laughter, and peace. Don’t obsess over what you’ve done wrong, but reflect more on what you’ve done right. Judge yourself on your strengths and what you give others in your life who love you dearly.
I’m sorry I’ve compared you to other girls at school, like Poppy. I’m sorry I didn’t think you measured up to them because you had a bad past. Everyone has their own cross to bear, they just might not wear it on their sleeve the way you do.
If you can love Seneca and your friends, then you can most certainly love yourself. Getting to this point of forgiving you has not been easy. I won’t lie. Admitting I didn’t love you at first was very hard.
However, as Mama pointed out to me once, folks often treat things they cherish with love and respect. They honor those things in their life. Let’s be clear here, I haven’t always done that with you. But today, all that bad behavior stops. Today, I will not only forgive you but love you.
One day, I hope to have a second chance at being a mother. And I’d like to think that I’ll be the kind of mother every little girl or boy wants to have. One who gives and receives love unconditionally.
So, me, with this sincerest of apologies, I’d also like to thank you for putting me through these life challenges. They have made you (me) the woman you are today. You are beautiful. You are kind. You are loving.
Always & Forever,
Vive
Be sure to leave your Goodreads review at:
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20568008-always-forever-vive
Uncensored
Aren’t you dying to know who Vive Farnworth got her happily ever after with ten years later? Gurl, I thought so. *wink* Find out how Vive finally overcame her addictions and fell in love with the man of her dreams in Uncensored (The Manhattanites): http://averyaster.com/Uncensored
For fans of ABC’s Revenge and VH1’s Celebrity Rehab comes Uncensored, a full-length, stand-alone contemporary m/f erotic romance on how two wrongs can make a right.
(Content Warning: The detox of a wealthy heiress and an egomaniac leads to dirty talk, hate-f-ing, exhibition, bondage, jealousy, paddling, excessive wetness, forgiveness and love.)
Sobriety is in vogue this season when Debauchery magazine founder Vive Farnworth trades in her Park Avenue mansion for a halfway house. Enjoying ‘therapy’ on a tomato farm, she relearns how to live. Her focus on fruit soon ripens when a new roommate moves in. He’s dominant and challenging, and she swears his orgasm-inducing body looks familiar. Then again, her memory is one gin martini blur.
Stripped of his Olympic gold medal, Roddick “The Grunt” Beckstrong was the #1 professional tennis player in the world until a certain news outlet exposed him for doping to enhance his performance. After losing custody of his son to his ex-wife, along with sixty-five million dollars, he’s out for revenge against the owner of the tabloid that ruined his life—Debauchery.
To destroy his nemesis, he’ll entice her mind, seduce her soul and satiate her body’s lust. Then he’ll publicly humiliate her! Falling in all-consuming love along the way wasn’t part of his plan, but it happens. When Vive learns of Roddick’s motives, she ups the ante with the one thing he hadn’t obliterated—her heart. It’s a vengeance that he never saw coming.
Whoever stays sober the longest may win something their fame and fortunes never gave them before—a chance at happiness.
Add Avery’s Releases to Your Goodreads TBR List
http://www.goodreads.com/AveryAster
Huge hugs to my family George, Pauline, and Adam for loving me. Thank you to my friends Shane, Julie, Sara, Kelly, Shari, Edward, Manuel, Brenda, Holly, Pat, Michele, John, Ron, Nicole, Nackie, Bailee, Hector, and Lynn for not taking it personally when I’m locked up in my cave writing.
Much praise to Kristin and Becky at Hot Tree for editing this novel. And Arijana K. @ Cover It! Designs for such a perfect cover.
New York Times bestselling author Avery Aster pens The Manhattanites, a contemporary erotic romance series of full-length, stand-alone novels, and the naughty new adult prequel companion series, The Undergrad Years.
As a resident of New York City and a graduate from New York University, Avery gives readers an inside look at the city’s glitzy nightlife, socialite sexcapades and tall tales of the über-rich and ultra-famous.
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in The Undergrad Years series
Love, Lex
Yours Truly, Taddy
XO, Blake
Always & Forever, Vive
in The Manhattanites series
Undressed
Unscrupulous
Unsaid
Unconventional
Unique
Uncensored
Haven’t tried The Manhattanites yet? Enjoy the prologue and first two chapters of Unscrupulous. (The Manhattanites)
Unscrupulous
Avery Aster
At thirty-three, Warner Truman is one of the richest men on the planet, a spa mogul who buys and sells resorts at will. He holds powerful executives' careers in his well-groomed hands. Nothing is beyond Warner's reach...until he meets her.
Stunning, tantalizing and perverse, Taddy Brill captivates Warner's carnal desire like no woman he's ever met. A self-made millionaire, Taddy is tougher than steel, more brilliant than diamonds and, at twenty-seven, she's never depended on a man for anything...until she meets him.
The more Taddy plays with Warner's affections, driving him to erotic heights, the more she is confronted by a dark past. Before she can love him, Taddy must meet her worst fears head-on or risk losing it all, including herself.
Unscrupulous (The Manhattanites)
by Avery Aster
“This book blindsided me. The author’s voice is fresh, witty, and completely hysterical… something not easily found in today’s book market.”
—Same Book, Different Review
“I took a long cold shower after reading Unscrupulous.”
—Books Are Love
“There’s a new star in town. The name is Avery Aster. Unscrupulous is slick, juicy and narratively
impressive.”
—The Sleaze Factor
“Unscrupulous equates fun erotica. The humor runs toward the outrageous and raunchy but never tasteless. This is like Sex and City on steroids but younger and actually sexier.”
—Ever After Romance Book Blog
“The Manhattanites is a throwback to Judith Krantz. It’s filled with family drama, salacious back stories, rich people problems and the glitz and glamour of fame without turning into a saga of revenge and disappointment.”
—Talk Supe Reviews
“I could relate to the main characters. The emotions they went through felt real to me. If you are open minded and looking for something…hot, then these books are for you. Avery Aster had me hooked, interested and connected to the characters.”
—Bec’s Books
“While classified as an erotic novel it is so much more than that. Unscrupulous is a love story between friends and more importantly is a story of a woman learning to truly love herself!”
—Tiffany Talks Books
“I learned so many new things while reading Unscrupulous like what DILF stood for, and about the Vajazzle. Avery’s writing style is refreshing and so different from what’s out there.”
—Book Babes Unite
“Unscrupulous reminds me a lot of Jackie Collins’ style of plot lines, intrigue and drama. The bitches are super-bitches and the heroine has a good heart underneath the tough exterior. When Taddy finally started to open up to Warner it actually made me tear up.”
—I Love Romantic Fiction
“The female characters are all strong and that’s a refreshing change from some of the heroines I’ve read lately in other books.”
—Erotic Book Club
“I love the way Avery Aster wrote Taddy’s character. You will love her even more when you peel back all of those layers. Unscrupulous is a deep and emotional book.”
—Reading Renee
“Unscrupulous hooked me at page one. The crazy characters are positively perfect. Each holds their own and deserves their place. Aster’s story is fast-paced, hot and had me laughing out loud! The Manhattanites live a ridiculously extravagant lifestyle and I so wanted to be a part of it.”
—Blissful Books
“The shock value early in the book is high and is suited to the open-minded reader, not shy or afraid of sexually descriptive language and scenes. Unscrupulous is hot flash-inducing…trust me, I’ve suffered a few.”
—Ripe For Reader
“Unscrupulous is a wild read filled with rich, dirty mouthed New Yorkers and it is just a lot of fun.”
—A Lust for Reading
Warner Truman (33): A billionaire widower who owns Truman Enterprises. He’s tired of gold-digging, hanger-on types.
Tabitha “Taddy Brill” Adelaide Brillford (27): An obsessive masturbator who is Lex, Vive, and Blake’s lifelong friend. She’s a self-made millionaire and owns Brill, Inc.
Alexandra “Lex” Easton (27): Fashion designer to the stars and founder of Easton Essentials. She’s the late rock-n-roll legend Eddie Easton’s daughter.
Blake Morgan III (27): A gay, gorgeous top who is estranged from his husband. He co-founded Brill, Inc. and is the brains behind many of Taddy’s accounts.
Viveca “Vive” Farnworth (28): A party girl who met Lex, Taddy, and Blake in boarding school. Vive is the editor-in-chief of Debauchery magazine and liquor heiress.
Kelly “Kiki” Ivy Kailyn Izatt (21): A virgin Mormon assistant to Taddy Brill. She moved to New York from Provo, Utah with dreams of making it in the big city.
Countess Irma Brillford (51): Taddy’s estranged mother. She’s married to Joseph Graf and abandoned Taddy when she was thirteen.
Birdie Easton (48): Lex’s pill-popping mother, recovering from sexual compulsive disorder. She’s a former ‘80’s playmate, heavy metal icon and former friend to Irma.
Sheldon Truman (32): Warner’s younger brother. A retired male fashion model, he travels the world, jumping from one circuit party to the next.
Aunt Muffie (age unknown): Countess Irma’s sister who remains the only relative Taddy keeps in contact with. She was on the socialite scene in the ‘80’s with Birdie.
Truman Enterprises: The third largest hotel and resort chain in the world, with properties on every continent ranging from upper mid-level to luxury.
Brill, Inc.: A Fortune 500 company and New York’s eminent fashion and beauty public relations and branding firm, which co-created Easton Essentials.
Easton Essentials: North America’s fastest-growing women’s luxury apparel brand.
Debauchery magazine: Read by four million people weekly, covering all things salacious in the fashion, beauty, and celebrity arena.
Hot Topless Beaches in December or Bust
“I used to strive to live my life for happiness, not money or status. I don’t know what happened or why I stopped.”—Warner Truman, CEO of Truman Enterprises and third richest man in the world.
Her Measurements 36C-25-35
Fifteen Years Ago
Upper West Side, New York City
Tabitha Adelaide Brillford stood back from her bedroom wall, where she’d measured her height with yellow tape then marked it in pencil. “How tall is seventy-two inches?” she asked her best friend, Lex Easton, who sat on her pink canopy bed.
Lex put down the latest Manhattanite Times issue she was reading and replied, “About six feet.”
“Holy shiiit! Mommy and Daddy are both under five-ten. What other measurements did I give you?”
Her friend grabbed the Hello Kitty notepad off the pillow and read, “Thirty-six C, twenty-five, thirty-five.”
A few weeks shy of starting the seventh grade, Tabitha had blossomed over the summer into a woman.
“Remember when my mom took us to Milan to see her friend’s spring show?” Lex’s mother, Birdie Easton, a rock-n-roll legend, received invitations year after year to the best parties, extravaganzas, and fashion shows in the world.
“Valentine?” She puffed on a cigarette, exhaling from her mouth.
“Valentino,” Lex corrected. “Anyways, there’s a resemblance between Elle Macpherson, the model who wore the red dress, and you.” She held Vogue’s fall issue up, Macpherson gracing the cover. The season’s periodicals were spread out on Tabitha’s bed. At twelve, Lex was already a slave to fashion, especially couture.
“Red is my favorite color. It goes with my look.” Tabitha laughed. She happened to be the only redhead in her class, let alone the only girl rich enough to furnish a complete wardrobe from Yves Saint Laurent. “Why do you read those crummy gossip rags? You know our folks told us not to pay the press any attention.” Since her parents announced their trial separation a few weeks before, she’d stopped looking at the tabloids.
“They also told us not to smoke.” Lex’s face sobered as she shoved a Swedish fish in her mouth. She chewed the candy, swallowed, and announced, “There’s an article in here titled, ‘High Society Marriages Headed for Ruin’.”
“I bet my parents are featured.” Tabitha didn’t have to ask. She took the page from Lex’s sticky hands and glanced at the exposé. It shed light on America’s most prominent family—hers. Considered fierce academics, the Brillfords remained regular art patrons and noble philanthropists. With five generations celebrated in their community, they were the town’s toast and invited to all social events, but not in recent weeks. No, they’d become outcasts. “This is why my parents have been fighting all summer.”
She’d heard her parents’ hoarse voices ringing through their eight-thousand-square-foot residence pretty much night and day.
“When my parents argue, Dad sleeps in the guest room. Yours?”
“Daddy moved his stuff into the east wing.” Tabitha frowned. Countess Irma, Taddy’s mother, had remained in the west quarters.
Lex shifted on the bed. “I saw it mentions why your mom spent time in the hospital. Didn’t you wonder?”
“Yes, but Daddy wouldn’t tell me.??
? Tabitha focused on the article, reading closely and hanging on every word. “Says here, after one knock-down, drag-out fight, my mom flew headfirst over a spiral staircase with a pair of shears in her hands. That’s when the NYPD arrived.” Tabitha recalled the incident where Irma had lost her little finger after a botched effort to cut her husband’s penis off.
“Why didn’t your dad press charges?”
“Daddy knows better.” Jesus. I can’t believe this is in the paper about my parents.
“Keep reading,” Lex bossed.
“Says the fight started after Daddy filled her lingerie chest with South American killer insects, whoa!”
“Killer bugs?”
”Do they exist?” she asked Lex, hoping this wasn’t true. However, she remembered her mother being in the hospital, so it made perfect sense.
Her friend rolled her eyes. “If you’d come to biology class, you’d learn from Mr. Kauffman there are many insect species known to harm animals—and humans. They live in South America. So, what brought on the bug attack?”
“Mom tried to run his ass over with her car.”
“When?”
“While Daddy was jogging alongside the West Side Highway.”
“Get outta here!” Lex shouted.
“Her car flew off Pier 92.” In horror, Tabitha held up the paper showing Lex the photo of Irma’s Rolls-Royce being pulled out of the Hudson River. “They’re going to kill each other.” She threw the paper in the trashcan next to her desk. “This started when my daddy ordered that test.”
“What test?” Lex asked as she switched her attention to Marie Claire. Lex’s own family life equated to heavy metal groupie Hell, but she escaped into the glossy fashion magazine pictures. Her favorite designer, Donna Karan, lived in their building.