Tropical Tryst: 25 All New and Exclusive Sexy Reads

by Nicole Morgan

  “Missing something?” Beck dangled a dripping scrap of scarlet fabric inches above the water.

  Jami narrowed her gaze. It was her bikini top. Shit. Yup. Her boobs were floating free and easy right at the waterline. She refused to look down to determine if the tips of her nipples were exposed, but she let herself sink a smidge lower, so only the tops of her breasts were visible.

  Austin’s laughter made an echoing bark around the waterfall. “This is a family outing, little sister. Keep it PG, you two.”

  Jami raised her eyebrow and shot Beck an I-dare-you look, and then turned to the shore where Austin stood with his wet hair all spiky as he turned away with a waggle of a wave and then disappeared back into the forest. Fabulous. Now she was bare breasted and all alone with Beck. In the distance, Jami heard laughter and voices approaching closer. She’d better get that top on before she had a full-on audience. “Do you have plans of trying on that bikini top? I’m not sure red goes with your skin tone.”

  “Hey, I’m just being a gentleman and making sure you knew you’d had a wardrobe malfunction.” Beck tossed the cloth the short distance to her, and Jami clamped down on her urge to snatch it close and conceal her nakedness.

  As if she had all the time in the world, she let it float the last few inches into her grasp. From beneath her lowered lashes, she realized Beck was still and had flicked his tongue along his lips, like a man dying of thirst in the desert. A sensuous ripple of feminine satisfaction skated across her water-cooled skin. With a slight arch of her back, she slipped the already tied strings around her neck and then shimmied into the cups with a distracting swish and splash.

  “Need help tying that?” Beck lazily kicked through the blue water with a purely innocent expression, but he circled closer.

  “I’m good. Thanks.” Her hands trembled, and she prayed Beck wouldn’t notice. Was he getting nearer? She swore the temperature of the water was building to a boil. Why was he so stinking sexy when he was her sworn enemy, right?

  “Are you cold?” In an instant, Beck was inches away, and he grabbed the floating string ties of her top. Fabric grazed her skin, and Beck’s hands burned into her flesh. Her breath caught, and her back stiffened.

  “You don’t need to—”

  Beck’s hands slithered down to her waist as Jami pressed into his chest, and the curves of her backside nestled into his hips and his hard arousal.

  “I’m happy to help,” Beck hummed in her ear. He held her close, and Jami reveled in the cool wash of water and the fire flaring where their bodies met. She was almost surprised the pool wasn’t boiling with the heat of their sudden need.

  The chatter of voices penetrated Jami’s foggy brain, and a pair of familiar faces broke through the dense greenery surrounding the grotto.

  “Jami, did you and Beck jump?” Mae looked all the way up the embankment.

  Beck released her and silently drifted a few feet away from her, and she felt small and isolated in the middle of the grotto.

  “Austin said he did, but that it was too high for us.” Daphne sounded disappointed.

  The sour face of Caitlynne surfaced out of the bushes, and she shot Jami a nasty, speculative glance. “We’re not interrupting anything, are we?”

  “We did jump, from the very top, Miss Mae.” Beck launched into a breast stroke and aimed toward the girls. “There’s a low rock over there where you two might be able to jump. If your mother doesn’t think it’s too daring?” Beck’s face was impassive, but there was a hint of something in his tone. He almost sounded like he was defending Jami.

  “I suppose that will be fine.” Caitlynne waved her hand airily as if dismissing the two girls and Beck to go play. She dropped her bag, laid out a towel on the short length of smooth sand, and promptly stretched out with her sunglasses firmly shielding her from the bright glare of the sun.

  Beck swam to the edge of the splashing waterfall, next to the tall rock where the girls were clambering to its top. She wondered if his body was still as tingly and electric as hers? She smiled to herself. No, Beck didn’t seem to be in a hurry to get out of the water.

  After the girls had made a few jumps, with lots of squeals and giggles, Beck challenged the girls to a race across the pool.

  “I’ll be the judge,” said Jami. “Beck, you need a handicap.”

  “He does. He’s loads taller and stronger than we are.”

  “How about they get a five-second start on me?”

  “Maybe?”

  “I think you should spot the twins about half the distance.”

  Beck eyed the midpoint and shrugged. “That looks fair.”

  “On your marks, get set...go!”

  Daphne and Mae screeched at the top of their lungs and began a full-on thrashing and splashing and general mayhem of flailing limbs as they tore through the lagoon. Beck caught Jami’s eye, and he winked at her with a huge grin as if he was having the best time in the world.

  Jami’s knees wobbled. With a quick glance over at Caitlynne, she was relieved to see her stepmother had rolled onto her belly and her head was turned away from the water. The last thing she needed was for Caitlynne to have anything to harass her about. And Jami was starting to wonder if Beck might just be a problem.

  The twins reached the middle of the lagoon, and Beck lunged through the water like a dolphin slipping through the waves. His strokes were neat and clean, and there was no excess splashage. She caught glimpses of his powerful shoulders and broad back, and her breathing was ragged and erratic; the sunshine was suddenly quite hot on her skin.

  He closed the distance on the little girls and was brushing past their ankles. Mae glanced up and squealed and kicked harder, but Daphne put her head down and swam for all she was worth.

  Jami extended her arm and squinted down its straight line to see who crossed the imaginary finish line first. Daphne’s little paw zipped past right as Beck zoomed forward.

  “Daphne is our winner!”

  Beck cheered as Daphne clambered onto dry land and cavorted around like a peacocky athlete with silly dabbing gestures, and Mae cheered for her sister without any ill will.

  “You two are impressive swimmers.”

  “Jami taught us. She’s a professional.”

  Beck threw her an inquisitive look. “I thought she was a real estate agent?”

  “She swims in races.”

  “What kind of races?”

  “A tri-something or other. She’s like Wonder Woman.” Mae looked at Jami adoringly, and Jami decided she might need to keep the kid on speed dial for motivational moments.

  “Triathlon?” Beck ran his gaze over Jami’s body and an answering electricity sparked along her flesh. She inhaled sharply, but irritation elbowed in. It was like he was checking out a horse at a sale. Should she show him her teeth?

  “Is that it, Jami?”

  “That’s the one.” Jami nodded and contemplated wading back into the water. Now, why did she feel like hiding from Beck’s roving eyes?

  “She’s very strong,” Mae said as if she were confiding a great secret.

  Jami flexed a lean bicep for the twins who broke into giggles, and she almost laughed out loud at Beck’s pole-axed expression.

  CHAPTER 8

  With her arm flexed like a bodybuilder and the goofy, tough expression she sported for her two youngest sisters, Jami looked like a cross between an Olympic athlete and a Disney princess. Beck couldn’t move. She took his breath away.

  As Mae and Daphne broke into peals of laughter, the pair of imps pranced around imitating Jami. Beck caught Jami’s eye. For a moment, he saw an answering heat in her gaze, but with a loud whoop from Daphne, Jami’s expression hardened and her back stiffened. She turned away.

  Beck dove back into the water to let the cool liquid damp down his lust. What the hell was with him? Since when did he get the hots for women who hated him and tried to trip him up every free chance they got?

  “Okay, girls. Time’s up. I think I’m starting to get a burn.
” Caitlynne stood and called out to Daphne and Mae. “Besides, you girls need your lunches before we start the treasure hunt.”

  The girls cast longing glances at Jami and then Beck.

  “I bet we can have some fun in the pool after dinner.” Jami winked at her young sisters. “Didn’t Kyle teach you Marco Polo yesterday?”

  Daphne clapped, and Mae whooped.

  “Girls, let’s go.” Caitlynne tapped her foot as she studied her phone.

  The twins splashed and ran toward their mother and in a matter of minutes, the trio headed back to their room.

  “Um...thanks for being so nice to the girls.”

  “We’re all family.” Beck rubbed the back of his neck and averted his eyes. Where the hell had that come from? Since when had he considered family important or interesting?

  “I guess you’re right, but you didn’t have to make time to play with a pair of six-year-olds.”

  “I’m not a complete selfish beast.”

  “That’s not what I meant.”

  “Is it so hard to imagine that I’m a decent guy?”

  “Yes.”

  “That hurts.”

  “Shut up. It doesn’t hurt your feelings one little iota.” Jami snatched her towel and wound it around her body. “You work hard to carry off the aloof and unfeeling engineer persona.”

  Beck raised his eyebrows. “Are you saying I’m arrogant?”

  “If the shoe fits.”

  “Then I guess we’re quite a pair.”

  “I don’t think we have a thing in common.”

  “We’re certainly both competitive, and I think you hate to lose about as much as I do.”

  Jami’s nostrils flared, and she started to flick her fingers to shoo him away, but then she chuckled. “I have to give you that one.”

  “See? We can agree on one thing.”

  “I’ve only got winning on my mind right now.”

  “Do you think it has to be a zero-sum game?”

  “Like there is a way we can both win?” Jami finger tousled her hair and then twisted it up into a loose bunlike pile that she secured with a hair band from her wrist. “With only that one piece of property next to Dad’s truck yard? It’s not big enough for the two companies to split.”

  “That’s true enough.”

  “I guess that leaves it as a battle to the death.” Jami laughed, and it took the sting out of her words.

  “Hail, Caesar, those who are about to die salute you.” Beck gave a mock bow.

  Jami lifted her chin, but her grin betrayed her. “I’m glad you recognize my superior status.”

  Beck threw back his head and laughed. A buzz of electricity sparked around Beck’s body. Jami’s lips parted, and she reached toward him. Beck stepped closer, but she let her arm fall to her side and dropped her eyes as she focused on retying the knot to secure her towel around her breasts.

  Beck checked his watch and cleared his throat. “It’s already three. I’d better go clean up. Rob’s got a round of golf set up for us.”

  Jami blinked and grabbed her sunglasses. “I’d better fly. I’ve got a three-fifteen spa treatment with Mandy and Jo.” With a floaty wave, Jami dashed away and left Beck standing by the edge of the lagoon, the sounds of the waterfall splashing cheerfully in the background.

  Beck cocked his head and squinted at her retreating form. What the hell had just happened?

  BECK DUCKED BACK to his beachside bungalow without encountering any stray family members. The ceiling fan whirred faintly, and sweet hibiscus filled his suite with a welcoming scent. Beck kicked off his sandals, and the cool tile floor cut the sense of humidity in half.

  With one eye on his laptop and the other on the clock, Beck hustled to check his emails. He scrolled through his emails until the exact one drew his attention, and without an extra breath, Beck clicked it open. He skimmed the blah-blah-blah at the top and jumped to the meat. Oh yeah. BK Industries had scooped up the grant. He jumped up and pumped his fist in the air, but stifled the shout that threatened to erupt. No need in shocking the resort goers.

  Hot damn. His company was set. This was exactly the kind of thing that country commissioners ate up. It was good for the local community, and it was fabulous for his company. Beck reread the message slowly this time and savored all the details.

  This would allow him to double his workforce and likely increase production fourfold. He was going from small time to the big show, and it would likely open up the doors to new applications that the military was developing. Stealthy, silent motorcycles. Beck released a breath he hadn’t known he was holding, and he flung himself down on his bed in one fluid motion. He landed with his hands clasped behind his head and his ankles crossed.

  Hard work and determination did pay off. And an innovative idea was no small help. His imagination started forging the new plant designs, and he could see the press lined up to talk to him at the next Detroit auto show or Daytona Bike Week.

  Barrett Ridge was the perfect place to expand BK Industries. Oregon was environmentally progressive, and it had a nice little reputation as being different and off the beaten path. It was the exact image he was cultivating. His bikes were green and mean.

  Beck frowned. What about the Barretts? He could handle Teddy he supposed. Teddy was old school and had a temper, and might try to make things challenging for BKI in the small town. It could develop into a rift. He’d have to consider a strategy for that and find a way to bring Teddy over to his way of seeing things. Maybe a fundraiser, or perhaps there was some kind of synergy between their two businesses.

  A vision of Jami’s lovely, cushy derriere flitted past his eyes. This one was going to be trickier. She was all fire and competition, and he had the sneaking suspicion there was more on the line for her than simply the closing of a property deal.

  He could cope with never getting an invite to family dinners. He wasn’t in the habit of hanging out with relatives, so it was no skin off his nose to miss out on any other Barrett festivities.

  Beck cursed under his breath. He didn’t want Jami as his enemy. Suddenly, there was no doubt in his mind. He wanted her in his arms, twisted in the sheets and under his body. A taste of jasmine tickled his senses. It was her scent, and it was lingering in his brain and on his skin.

  Jami was irritating and sarcastic, but he couldn’t seem to get enough of that fiery spark in her eye when she’d attack.

  Beck wondered what his end game was. He always had a plan and a contingency plan. He shrugged and shut his eyes for a moment. Maybe he didn’t have to have a grand strategy for everything. Wasn’t that what his last girlfriend had suggested?

  Beck bristled. A man with a plan could accomplish anything. Yet, it was his gut, or maybe something a little lower, that was urging him to just go with the flow and his attraction to Jami.

  She was nothing like the string of part-time girlfriends he’d been mostly ignoring for the last two years. No. Jami was not artsy or homey. She was action and energy, and a lot like him, but different. Beck smiled. He always had his next five steps mapped out, and Jami, well, she was impulsive, reckless.

  They were much alike, except for that. He closed his eyes and let the tiny thrum of the ceiling fan drown out his idle thoughts.

  Beck leaped up. Time was a-wasting. He fired off a message to his legal counsel so she could inform the county of the new grant. The commissioners would be making up their minds anytime now, and he’d better get busy winning the Barretts over to his side, or it was going to get even hotter here on Santa Tarita.

  But what about Jami? A ripple of guilt rolled over him. She wasn’t just another competitor. Beck slipped on a pair of running shorts and headed for the beach. It was time to wear out his sorry ass and clear his brain.

  He needed to shake off the memory of those enchanting freckles on the end of her nose and the curvy goodness of that red bikini top.

  CHAPTER 9

  J ami reached into the basket and plucked out a folded piece of white paper. She ha
d a sinking feeling she wasn’t going to be happy with what was written inside it. How under the stars had she gotten roped into a treasure hunt?

  “Has everyone picked now?” Anna called out to the group. “I think it should work out that we’re all in groups of three or four. That will make the hunt all the more fun.”

  Jami wasn’t sure why trios would be beneficial, but since she’d rather be drinking a mai tai and floating in the pool, well, she probably better keep her mouth shut.

  Jami peeked inside her note. She’d gotten a blue dot. She glanced over at Sam and Jo who sported a red dot and a green dot respectively. She spotted twelve-year-old Carl waving a blue dot, and she motioned him toward her. As he approached, Beck put his arm around the boy and showed off his matching paper.

  Fabulous. There was no escaping Beck. She folded and refolded the paper into a tiny square and glanced at Anna, who was happily handing out the treasure hunt lists. Her sister was on top of the world. Who was she to rain on her parade? She could suck it up for an hour and cooperate with Beck on this family bonding experience. At least Carl was a good little guy.

  “Hey, Jami. Looks like you’re on my team.” Carl grinned, but then grabbed his stomach.

  “You okay, buddy?” Beck leaned closer to the boy.

  “I dunno. I feel funny.”

  “Why don’t you sit down.” Jami dragged a chair closer to him, but he stopped and paled.

  Jami knew that look. “Uh-oh. Can you grab that garbage can by the—”

  It was too late. Carl hurled his breakfast all over the ground. He whimpered and retched a second time. Anna and Rob rushed over as Carl crumpled onto the chair.

  “How many pancakes did you eat this morning?”

  “I lost count after twenty.”

  Anna choked, and Beck laughed outright. Jami snagged a few napkins and spread them over the mess and waved to an attendant hovering on the far side of the pool.