Serena Davies, painter and unrepentant hippie, has developed a major case of artist’s block and her deadline for the gallery showing of her career is a little over three months away. She’s heard the island monastery retreat at St. Catherine of Bologna can work miracles for artists in need of inspiration, so she requests a residency. From the moment the monk, Anteros, picks her up on the dock, Serena feels the overpowering impulse to explore the firm body beneath his brown robe. But lapsed Catholic or not, she knows seducing a monk is a permanent ticket to purgatory. Still, he’s impossible to ignore, always appearing with exactly what she needs, be it sustenance or inspiration. Teros explains that he’s here to service her every need. After this revelation every time he’s near, she finds herself fervently praying for strength to resist his overwhelming sexuality. When Serena is certain she’ll die from the strain of looking but not touching, Teros tells her he’s not a monk and even more amazing he wants to fulfill her every sensual wish. Serena surrenders to desire, but her pleasure is mixed with fear that no matter how wonderful, this thirty-something hard body is destined to break her fifty-eight-year-old heart. And when that happens her only salvation will be, what happens on the island stays on the island. Teros uses every tool in his considerable erotic arsenal to convince Serena his love for her is eternal, and regardless of their appearances, they are destined to be together. For Anteros, Greek god of requited love, son of Aphrodite and Ares, brother to Eros, knows neither he nor destiny will be denied. Spending sensual days and nights with Teros amidst the unbridled natural beauty of the island, Serena’s talent explodes. She abandons the landscapes that made her famous, finding that the other sexy residents of the island make far more interesting subjects for her paintings. As her love for Teros grows and the time to leave the island gets close, Serena wonders if she can ignore the world’s bitter intolerance for seeing older women with younger men in order to hold on to the love of a lifetime.
