NEED TO KNOW
\nBestselling author R.S. Grey is back with another novelThe Anything You Can Do author’s new book, Our Secret Summer, will hit shelves next year, and follows a woman who tries to finish her late sister’s bucket listRead an exclusive excerpt here<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re looking for a perfect summer escape, look no further than R.S. Grey\u2019s latest book!<\/p>\n
The bestselling author of Anything You Can Do<\/a> will publish their latest novel, Our Secret Summer<\/a>, next year from Hachette Book Group imprint Requited, and PEOPLE has an exclusive first look.<\/p>\n The novel follows 26-year-old Isabel De Vere, a rising corporate star who has her life down to a tee. But Isabel’s life gets upended when her sister unexpectedly dies \u2014 especially after Isabel uncovers her sibling’s unfinished bucket list.<\/p>\n Suddenly, Isabel leaves her life behind for Ibiza, where she takes on a new identity to tackle her sister\u2019s bucket list, from surfing to falling in love. That last to-do item becomes complicated when Isabel takes a job at a club, run by the charming millionaire Cristiano.<\/p>\n Ready to dive in? Read on for an exclusive excerpt from Our Secret Summer<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n The cover of ‘Our Secret Summer’ by R.S. Grey.<\/p>\n Cover designed by Karina Granda. Cover art by Sarah Horgan<\/p>\n Annika taps me on my way back to the bar, pausing as she rushes past with a tray filled with colorful cocktails.<\/p>\n \u201cLook up.\u201d<\/p>\n Up?<\/p>\n I glance toward the midnight sky, and she laughs and shakes her head, shouting from behind me. \u201cThere!\u201d\n<\/p>\n She points toward the balcony near the stage. I haven\u2019t been up there yet because I have no business serving VIPs. My computer skills are improving every shift, and I nearly have the drink menu memorized forward and backward, but I operate at a snail\u2019s pace compared to Simone and Annika. They can take orders in the blink of an eye and do it with a flirtatious smile. Meanwhile, I\u2019m being outmatched by a group of Midwestern moms.<\/p>\n It doesn\u2019t take me long to see what \u2014 or rather who \u2014 Annika\u2019s referring to. I\u2019m surprised to see the handsome devil from last week leaning over the railing that looks out over the club.<\/p>\n Even from this distance, he\u2019s intimidating, and he\u2019s just as good-looking as I remember \u2014 more so, actually. He\u2019s wearing a white shirt that\u2019s unbuttoned just enough to reveal a hint of his tan chest. It also shows off his sculpted arms. I\u2019ve never been into tattooed guys before now, but I love how they look on him. I like that they\u2019re scattered, not full sleeves, not even close. There are only a few on each arm, a tapestry of his soul right there for anyone to see. Or \u2026 who knows. Maybe it\u2019s not that deep. Maybe they\u2019re women\u2019s names, all his past conquests. Maybe they\u2019re his favorite restaurants, his grocery list.\n<\/p>\n R.S. Grey.<\/p>\n Courtesy. of R.S. Grey<\/p>\n It could be that his tattoos are appealing because they contrast so nicely with the rest of him. His ink-black hair is neatly styled. His face is so meticulously chiseled. He\u2019s scanning the floor, but his gaze isn\u2019t intense like Ram\u00f3n’s; he\u2019s not looking for danger. It\u2019s almost like he\u2019s admiring the crowd, enjoying the view.<\/p>\n That makes two of us, I think, biting down on my mischievous smile.<\/p>\n I\u2019m musing over this when his gaze shifts and our eyes meet and lock. His dark, calculating gaze takes ahold of me with all the intensity of a bolt of lightning striking me down from above. Instantly, my cheeks flood with color, but I don\u2019t look away. Anticipation tightens my stomach and then spreads like wildfire through me.\n<\/p>\n Slowly, like melting wax, his eyes slide down me, carefully taking me in from head to toe in my revealing uniform. I feel like a butterfly pinned to a board, helpless in the face of his unwavering attention.<\/p>\n \u201cBlink, babe,\u201d Annika says with a burst of laughter.\n<\/p>\n The PEOPLE Puzzler crossword is here! How quickly can you solve it? Play now!<\/a><\/p>\n I force myself to look away from him and find her wearing a knowing smile.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd now you\u2019ve seen him. You\u2019re welcome.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWho is he?\u201d I sound almost out of breath.\n<\/p>\n The cover of ‘Our Secret Summer’ by R.S. Grey.<\/p>\n Cover designed by Karina Granda. Cover art by Sarah Horgan<\/p>\n \u201cOur boss.\u201d<\/p>\n Boss.\u00a0<\/p>\n The word nearly buckles my knees.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s Cristiano?\u201d<\/p>\n The man I should avoid?\n<\/p>\n