While checking on a friend's house while he’s away, Kelley surprises Tom and, thinking she’s an intruder, he points a gun at her. He notices she doesn’t flinch and asks her why. She’s reliving painful memories of her breakup six months ago with her ex-boyfriend Michael. Her heart is aching, and some small part of her almost wouldn’t have cared if he had shot her.

This is a deceptively inauspicious beginning of a relationship that will change both of their lives forever. Tom senses Kelley’s need, and makes it very clear that he’s interested in her. But despite her raging attraction to him and a closeness that happens much more quickly than either of them would have thought possible, she still has some big emotional hurdles to overcome. Her failed relationship with Michael has shaken her self-confidence and she’s finding it very difficult to let go of her deep-seated feelings for him.

Tom has his own baggage, too. He’s been a player for far too long, and it’s obviously a source of shame for him. This instant connection he feels with Kelley might just be the real thing, and he wants more than anything to be the man she needs him to be.

Right from the start, Tom has the toe-curling intensity that I adore in an alpha hero. I absolutely adore a loving dominant, and Tom’s character is among the very best I’ve ever read. He’s masterful but very caring and sweet.

Kelley knows almost immediately that this thing between them is right and she feels safe and cherished enough to give herself entirely to him, body and soul. It’s a complete trust that surprises her in its rightness. They quickly find a sexual compatibility and comfort zone that usually comes only with a longer relationship, and they work together to discover her sexual limits as a submissive. Can Tom help heal her shredded self-esteem, and find a way to restore her ability to fully give herself again?

One Breath at a Time by Gwen Masters has delicious intensity and passion, very likeable characters, breathtaking intimacy, and some of the hottest sex I've ever read. I devoured this book and didn’t want it to end. Without a doubt, this is one for the keeper shelf. I loved it.