by Kait Gamble
Jackie swallowed and did her best to mold her expression into something neutral. Taking a slow breath, she tried again, this time taking a bite of a chèvre devil and attempted mentally to break it down into its ingredients as a way of passing the time. The sweetness of the date burst over her tongue and the goat’s cheese gave it a tang before the candied pecan added complexity to the combined flavors. Delicious. She chewed appreciatively just as a question floated over the table to her.
“Jacqueline, Regina tells me you’re a Pennington,” said a dry, feminine voice.
She nearly choked on her appetizer as she let her gaze slide over to the woman speaking. Jackie recognized her as Caroline’s aunt from photos her friend had shown her before. She smiled blithely as she replied, “I am.”
Caroline waved her hand in front of the woman in a blatant attempt at distraction. “Have you seen my ring, Aunt Esther? Isn’t it gorgeous?”
The woman nodded, pushing her hand away, completely undeterred. “Yes, it’s fetching, but I’m interested in her.” She peered at Jackie over her glasses. “Such a lovely young thing.”
Jackie caught movement from the corner of her eye and looked over as Logan put his fork down and gazed at the woman levelly. “Is referring to a woman as if she’s an object of curiosity how you people do things?”
Well, that answered the question of whether or not he still had his devil-may-care attitude. His temper was obviously still intact as well.
Everyone else joined Jackie in staring at Logan. She kicked his foot in an attempt to make him shut up. He didn’t even flinch.
Esther puffed up, turning red as if she was going to explode. “And who are you?”
“Logan Forrester,” he announced proudly.
“I don’t know any Forresters.”
“You wouldn’t.” Logan wiped his mouth then dropped the napkin as he turned to Charles and Caroline. “Thank you for the nice meal, but I have some calls to make that I’d forgotten about.”
Then, inexplicably, he grabbed Jackie’s arm and dragged her along behind him.
Horrified, Jackie gave her friend a pleading look before they rounded the corner and stepped out of sight.
“Let me go!” Jackie wrenched her hand from his grip only for him to grab her again and tighten his hold on her. “How could you do that? Wait. Why would you do that? You just ruined the meal and made a complete ass of yourself—and me!”
He looked at her with eyes filled with disdain. “You want to go back and let them talk about you like you’re not even there? Go right ahead, princess.”
She flinched at his use of his former nickname for her. “Don’t call me that.”
He faced her then. Stopped dead in the middle of the hall and zeroed in on her as if she was his prey. He stepped forward, forcing her to jerk back to keep the distance between them. Unfortunately, Jackie backed into a wall and trapped herself.
Logan pressed his hands against the wall on either side of her head, caging her. “You used to love it when I called you that.”
She used to love a lot of things he did. No longer. Jackie glared up at him. “You’re in my space.”
“Another thing you used to love.”
She shoved at his shoulders, but it was like trying to move a brick wall. Jackie’s brain misfired the moment her fingers came into contact his hard body. It took far too long for her to remember she didn’t want him there. Touching her. Overwhelming her senses.
She shoved again. “A lot has changed, Logan.”
“I should say so.” He let his gaze rove over her, lazily taking in every inch of her. “You look good.” His attention wandered lower, settling on her pelvis. “Delicious, even.”
Heat flared where his gaze settled. What was wrong with her?
“You’re a pig.” Naked under his scrutiny, Jackie pushed harder. Even after the makeover, she felt insecure about her appearance. What was worse was the way her body gravitated toward his. She yearned for him. And it was appalling. How could she still want him after everything he’d done to her?
But his voice—his words—had her reacting to him so powerfully.
She disgusted herself.
Jackie ducked under his arm and stalked away as fast as she could.
A wry laugh came from behind her and something that sounded like he’d said, “Just like old times,” but she wasn’t going to stop and find out what he meant by that.
Not about to go back into the restaurant and answer questions, Jackie pulled out her phone and texted Caroline to tell her that she was okay and that she was going to hide out in her room for a while.
On the way, she couldn’t help but notice the signs for the pool. With no one to miss her, why shouldn’t she take advantage of what was sure to be a beautiful and relaxing space?
She dashed back to her room and quickly unlocked the door. Only this time, without the stunned haze of seeing Logan again clouding her vision, she paused to really take in the room. Or perhaps it was the sheer luxury that gave her pause. It proved just how much his presence had rattled her.
She studied the grain of the polished wood underfoot as she strolled through. Somehow the room managed to keep the feel of the island and combine it with the lavishness for which Totally Five Star was renowned.
Jackie’s hand was drawn to the wooden headboard to trace the intricate designs. Flowers and vines decorated the indigenous grayish-blue mahoe and while they were wonderfully carved, she could tell each leaf and petal had been lovingly etched by hand. Gossamer curtains hung over the bed and were probably more decorative than functional, but it gave the ambiance a nice touch. What took her breath away were the two enormous windows that served as walls, giving her an incredible view of the ocean and the islands. And the beautiful natural rock surrounding the pool and balcony.
It was so tempting to just conceal herself in her little sanctuary. Hiding away from the world had been her MO for far too long. Here she was in an incredible place and she was thinking of doing just that.
No more.
Besides, she had to make the most of her vacation and sulking in her room was the complete opposite. Away from home and her responsibilities for the first time in recent memory, Jackie wasn’t going to waste it.
After changing into her suit then grabbing her things, she held her head high and strode out.
The path to the pool surprised her. Jackie hadn’t expected an intricate network of suspended stone sidewalks crisscrossing through the air leading from building to building, from crag to rock face. Incredible.
Feeling like Indiana Jones, Jackie slowly walked across. Not because she was scared, but because she had to take in everything. The sights, the sounds, the smells. She wanted to score it all into her memory.
Jackie followed the arrows leading her along a series of paths suspended in the valley between two moss-covered rock faces. She couldn’t help hanging over the railing to get a look at the scenery beneath or stopping to try to see how the engineers suspended the stone. When she finally reached the poolside, the sunlight blinded her for a moment. Falling as it was toward the horizon, the sun was still brilliant compared to what had filtered into the shaded spot where she had been.
Blinking until her vision cleared, Jackie took a moment to gaze at the rippling surface of the beautifully clear pool and the sapphire ocean beyond. Lush emerald islands jutted out of the ocean in the distance, breaking up the serene surface. It certainly was a perfect location for a resort. The hotel sat poised on the mountaintop overlooking the water on one side and the rest of the island on the other. It was like being on top of the world.
Jackie might not have been running in the same circles anymore, but she did know that the Totally Five Star chain encompassed some of the most incredible hotels in the world. This one definitely not withstanding.
Inhaling the fresh sea air, she spread her towel on a sun lounger with a deft flick of her wrist. Jackie wasted no time before diving into the crystalline water. Floating weightless in the blissful cool
ness, she stayed under as long as she could before her lungs burned for air. She kicked up to the surface to float on her back under the glare of the sun. Jackie almost wished she’d brought a skimpier suit so she wouldn’t get a tan line as though she’d worn a horse blanket the whole time she was in St. Lucia.
Then again, who would know? She couldn’t remember the last time she’d had a date, let alone the last time one had led to sex. Or at least something that could have been loosely defined as sex. It had been so dull and unsatisfying that she hadn’t bothered trying again since.
Sex had never been like the mindless, all-consuming passion that she and Logan had shared while they were together. Just being in the same room again brought back all the memories—the feelings—and it was overwhelming, especially after keeping them all tamped down for so long.
He was a bit more muscular, a lot more serious, but he was still Logan Forrester. The one man she had loved more than life itself just as she was coming to grips with herself—with who she was. The man who had turned her life upside down, very nearly ruining it. And yet, she still felt the same stomach-flipping, mind-reeling, knee-knocking attraction to him.
It had to be the memories of what they’d once had influencing her reaction upon seeing him again. Chances were that the memories she had were addled and more than likely exaggerated by the horribly bad sex she’d had over the years.
That had to be it. There was no way sex with anyone could be as good as she imagined it to be.
Jackie could tell herself that as much as she wanted, but she knew she was deluding herself. When he’d had her pinned against the wall, she could feel the chemistry between them simmering. What would it be like if he actually touched her?
She wouldn’t let him.
How could she even consider it?
Because as much as she wanted to deny it, he was the most amazing sex she’d ever had and it’d been too long since she’d felt the way she had when she was with him.
Jackie dimly heard a splash, and her body bobbed when the water rippled past her. As much as she would have liked to have the pool to herself, it was open to everyone at the hotel. Perfectly content to just drift, she let herself be propelled by the tiny waves caused by whoever it was that had dove into the water.
A few a more people seemed to be drawn to the water and soaking up sunshine just as she was, not that she could blame them. With the blaring heat of the day waning, a cool dip in the pool was a wonderful way to start the evening. Feminine voices came from the women gathering on the deck not too far away and loungers scraped against stone as they settled onto them on the other side.
Jackie sensed herself getting closer to the glass edge of the infinity pool and righted herself so she could cross her arms over the lip and enjoy the world-class view. As the water lapped over the side, it took the stress from her encounter with Logan with it.
It had been a long time since she’d been somewhere so opulent. It seemed longer still since she’d seen something that encouraged her to just stop and stare. The scenery was breathtaking, from the incredible colors of the water and islands to the exotic scents filling her lungs with every breath.
Jackie made a mental note to find out what else there was to offer in the hotel and outside on the rest of the island. If she had to go exploring on her own and spend a little more than she had, so be it. It wasn’t like she was going to get the opportunity again for a long time.
Not that she hated her life. Unless she was around people who regularly associated with her parents or people who wintered elsewhere, Jackie was quite proud of what she had done with what life had dealt her.
She’d finished school. It might not have been what she had originally intended, but becoming a teacher had been rewarding. The children she taught were a pleasure, for the most part. There were a few here and there who tested her patience, but even then, she enjoyed her job. It afforded her a little house and a comfortable life—and her independence.
She wouldn’t have traded that for anything.
But when she found herself with people who looked down their noses at ‘that Pennington girl’, it put up her defenses and made her want to justify her choices, even though she knew there was no need. There was no logical reason why their opinions should matter to her.
It meant that she spent most of her life avoiding their world. Which, of course, made any time she re-emerged a cause for unrelenting questions and updates on people’s lives that she really didn’t care or want to hear about.
She’d been prepared to endure it for Caroline. Her friend had been the only one who had bothered to keep in touch.
Someone else dove in behind her, sending more water over the lip, but she didn’t expect them to approach her.
“You’ve got your deep-in-thought face on.”
Jackie jumped at his gratingly familiar voice a millisecond before he floated to her side.
She fought her face into a tranquil expression. “I was trying to relax.”
He turned to study her, throwing his arms over the glass to hold himself in place. “If that’s the face you’re making, you’re relaxing wrong.”
She glared at him. “Maybe it’s the company.”
“Ouch.” He still didn’t look away.
“If you’re not going to leave, then I am.” Jackie pushed off the wall, propelling herself through the water. That was until a hand closed around her ankle and dragged her back.
Jackie kicked at him with her free leg, but to no avail.
Logan hauled her up against him as easily as if she were a child. Wrapping his arms around her, he held her in place. “Hush, princess. You don’t want to cause a scene, do you?”
“Let me go right now.”
“Or you’ll what?”
At his challenge, she lifted her chin a notch. “I’ll scream the walls down.”
“You and I both know that will never happen,” Logan scoffed, shifting himself closer. “Not unless I’m doing something else to you.”
Their bathing suits might as well not have been there. Jackie felt every inch of him, many of which prodded insistently and ignited panic within her. It shot like a bolt through her, and she shoved at his shoulder, his chest, wherever she could. She found only hard, unyielding, muscle. “Logan, this is inappropriate.”
“But that’s what makes it so exciting.” He leaned closer and growled in her ear. “Isn’t that why you went slumming it with me in the first place? The thrill?”
Jackie jerked back to look at him. The difference in their social standings had nothing to do with her attraction to him. It hadn’t been even a minor factor. What burned between them had been purely chemical—physical. Though, they did have a lot in common outside of the bedroom as well. She’d thought he knew that.
A dull ache throbbed in the vicinity of her heart. “You’re an ass.”
His smile grew, and he pressed closer still. “One that you couldn’t keep your hands off, if I remember correctly.”
“That was a long time ago. Things have changed.” Jackie tried to edge away, but the glass wall was even more unyielding than his body. “Will you please give me my space?”
“So simple just to ask, isn’t it?” he growled. He glared at her, his eyes dark. “Why couldn’t you have done that before?”
Jackie stared at him, confused. “What are you talking about?”
Logan shook his head at her question. “What does it matter now? What’s interesting at the moment is how our bodies don’t seem to register that we haven’t seen each other in years.” He ground his solid erection against her—as if she hadn’t already noticed.
Conflicted, Jackie wanted to wind herself around him and feel more of Logan’s hard body against hers, but she needed to run. “You’re disgusting.”
“Are you telling me that you’re not the least bit interested?” Logan dropped his gaze pointedly to her chest.
Jackie followed it to stare down at herself and the peaks of her nipples straining through the thin fabric of h
er swimsuit. She crossed her arms protectively. “Don’t flatter yourself. It’s the cold water.”
“So it’s the water that makes your breath hitch when I touch you?” He lazily ran his finger delicately over her collarbone and her breath did exactly what he’d said.
“That was the breeze,” she grumbled.
“Funny. I didn’t feel a thing.” He quirked an eyebrow. “Is it the sun that makes your pupils dilate and your skin flush?”
Jackie knew her skin bristled with goosebumps. She’d just hoped he wouldn’t notice. Considering how closely Logan was studying her, it was pointless worrying. Of course he did. It didn’t stop her from denying her body’s response to him. “It certainly isn’t you.”
Logan shrugged, drawing her gaze to the taut skin and movement of muscle the action caused. He looked good. Disgustingly so.
“I guess it won’t matter to you then that I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you since I saw you in the lobby.”
What could she say? She hadn’t been able to focus on anything else either. But she wasn’t about to admit it.
“Or if I told you I’ve been sporting a hard-on for just as long?”
That was definitely something she didn’t need to hear. “Logan, will you stop?”
“Not until you admit you want me as much as I want you.”
“At which you’ll turn around and suggest that since we still want each other we might as well take advantage of it.”
He grinned broadly. “So you do still want me.”
“I never said that.”
“You don’t think I can tell?” He smirked. “I know you, Jackie. I know your body. You might as well be waving me in.”
Jaw slack, she shook her head at him. “Still the sweet-talker.”
Logan leaned in close so she could feel the warmth of his breath on her cheek and neck.
His husky voice, he said, “As I recall, you didn’t like sweet.”
Jackie bristled, even though she knew he spoke the truth. She hadn’t wanted hearts and flowers. All she’d wanted was Logan. Any way and anywhere she could get him.
