Island Pleasures, Page 5

  “You look like you need it.”

  “Thanks,” she said, clearing her dry throat, and sat up, taking the drink. She sipped some, then rubbed her forehead. “What a crazy night.”

  “But a fun one, right?” he asked, hesitation in his voice.

  “It’s one I’ll never forget,” She smiled and leaned over to kiss him.

  He covered his mouth and shook his head. “Your kisses belong to Quinn, not me.”

  She realized he was right. With all the sex and passion shared, she’d only shared that particular pleasure with Quinn. Woody tugged her hair and rose from the bed.

  With his back turned, she got a great view of his cute ass. Even better when he bent down and scooped up her clothes. When he placed them near her feet, she couldn’t help herself and inspected Woody’s package. Nice, but he’s no—

  “Where’s Quinn?” she asked, rubbing her eyes.

  “Out on the deck having a cup of coffee. Why don’t you get your own cup and join him? I’m going to take a shower.” He kissed the top of her head and left the bedroom.

  She stretched her arms above her head, grimacing. Sore, but a good sore and one she wouldn’t mind having again. She finger-combed her tangled hair into some semblance of order, dressed, and paraded into the kitchen. She splashed cold water on her face and patted it dry with a paper towel. More awake now, she opened the cabinets until she found the one with mugs.

  Outside the glass door, Quinn faced away from her. He wore his shorts and nothing else. Nice view. She licked her lips, enjoying the way his shoulder muscles lifted when he drank from his coffee cup.

  She smiled and joined him, resting her head against his back and wrapping her arms around him.

  “What happens now?” he asked, closing his fingers over hers.

  She kissed his shoulder. “I write a different article from the original one I had planned. No shocking expose or dirt. I told my editor so yesterday.”

  “That’s not what I mean.” He pulled her around in front of him, gazing at her with narrowed eyes. “What about us? After what we shared last night, you can’t leave as if nothing ever happened.”

  “I don’t know….” She hugged her waist. “I need to think and then—”

  “Then what? I don’t hear from you for another decade or so?” He dropped his mug on the patio table and seized her by her upper arms, his expression intent, jaw set. “Don’t leave. What we did last night, even with Woody involved, wasn’t a vacation fling you can remember fondly when you’re old and gray. Stay with me here and let’s build a future together.”

  “What would I do for a job? What if it doesn’t work out between us? Why don’t you move to Vegas to be with me?” I would feel so much safer on my own turf. Moving here is a huge risk, giving up everything….

  He let go of her arms. “I have an important job. People count on me. I’ve worked hard to get where I am and I can’t walk away from it for—”

  “Some flaky blonde you slept with in college and then had a hot and heavy encounter with years later? What about my work and all my accomplishments? Shouldn’t they count for something?”

  He stared past her shoulder, his mouth tight, his eyes cool. She glanced at the house, at a loss for words. Woody appeared in the open doorway with only a towel around his hips. He remained inside, concern etched on his features.

  Okay then. I guess it’s my call. “I was planning on leaving tomorrow, but I think I’m going to try and catch an earlier flight tonight.” She took a step away. He stared at his feet. “If you don’t come and see me before this evening, then I’ll know we have nothing more to discuss or want from one another.”

  He whispered her name, then nothing more. She waited, but when he didn’t speak up or rush over to her, she moved away. She shrugged off Woody’s sympathetic stare and ran into the bedroom. Finally, tears held at bay, she returned to the kitchen, bracing herself for an argument with Quinn. Woody sat at the table, fully dressed…and alone.

  “Quinn had to leave, something about an appointment,” he said.

  She nodded and she asked him to take her back to the resort. After a silent ride, she thanked him for an interesting time and he told her not to be a stranger. She then spoke to the concierge, asking about booking the earliest flight out of Grand Turk.

  She cried all the way to the airport. She had lost her heart to Quinn, who had gotten his revenge by breaking it in two just like she had done to his so long ago.

  Chapter Eight

  “I always did like the view better from your office.” Jagger sauntered over to the window.

  “Your view is pretty amazing, too. Not the same in A.C.?”

  “The Jersey shore is not my thing.” Jagger crossed his arms and stared at him.

  “What?” Quinn wiped a palm over his face, weary beyond measure.

  “You need caffeine. I’ll treat you to a cup of java. We haven’t had much time to talk since I returned three weeks ago.”

  He nodded and stood. Jagger had never brought up again what happened between him and Carly in his office. Quinn’s chest stung as thoughts of her filled his head. He dreamed of her every night and woke up moaning her name.

  They took the elevator down to the first level. As their coffee arrived, Jagger asked him the question he’d been dreading. “So your romance with Miss Kimball ended badly?”

  He took a big gulp and burned the roof of his mouth. Wincing, he considered his reply. “No. It was a fling and nothing more.”

  “Oh really?” Jagger gave him a disbelieving look. “The security video makes me think otherwise.”

  He tapped the front of his teeth. If Jagger was anyone else, he’d tell him to go to hell.

  “Madame Eve’s matchups usually go better than this. But I don’t think she’ll be disappointed.”

  Quinn was stunned. “What are you talking about?”

  “You never figured it out? Didn’t I tell you Miss Kimball was here investigating 1Night Stand?”

  “Right, but she also scheduled a date?”

  Jagger nodded. “That was her cover.”

  “But she—”

  “Anyway, the linguistics doesn’t matter. I’ll let Eve know it didn’t work out according to her plans.” Jagger shrugged. “Highly unlike her.”

  Quinn struggled to process the information and finally refocused on the matter at hand. It didn’t matter if they’d been on an arranged date. She was still gone. He cleared his throat. “I’ll understand if you want to fire me.”

  Jagger sighed. “I have no plans to fire you. And I destroyed the recording. Not something we want showing up at the employee Christmas party.” Quinn’s face heated, but shock replaced embarrassment at his boss’s next words. “I would like to give you a promotion of sorts.”

  “Are you rewarding me for what I did?”

  “I’ve wanted to do this for a while. You accomplished what I asked you to do. Miss Kimball wrote a very complimentary article. I have the magazine in my office if you’d like to read it.”

  “I’d rather not,” he said, sipping his coffee much slower this time.

  “You must have made quite the impression on her.” Jagger smiled, sympathy and something else—mischief?—in his expression. “Woody thinks you made the biggest mistake of your life letting her walk out on you again.”

  He wouldn’t be surprised if Jagger was aware of everything that had occurred between the three of them. He always found out one way or another. “We weren’t meant to be. We have our own separate lives, thousands of miles apart.”

  “Not for much longer.”

  He didn’t like the determined focus in Jagger’s eyes. “Does this have to do with my promotion?”

  “Yes.” Jagger pulled a brochure out of his jacket pocket and placed it on the table.

  Quinn scanned the front page. “A new Castillo hotel and casino is coming to the Vegas strip in three years? Isn’t one enough?”

  Jagger chuckled. “Not for Jackson. He feels Vegas could benefit from an
other one.”

  “What does this have to do with me?”

  “You’ve contributed to our success here, and Jackson needs someone like you. He would like you to help oversee the construction and eventually run the new, yet to be named hotel. Since you’ve been an ideal employee, you’re the perfect man for the job. Plus, a special lady is waiting for you—”

  “Hold up.” He raised his palm. “You’re offering me this position in order for me to get back with Carly?”

  “I’m a businessman, Quinn. I’m making a business decision. You’ll also get a forty percent raise, and we’ll put you up in a hotel suite until you can find more permanent lodgings.”

  “What if I refuse? Grand Turk is heaven compared to Las Vegas.” His argument sounded thin even to him. A huge promotion, raise, and Carly? What a package.

  “True, but you’ve outgrown this island.” Jagger rested his elbows on the table and shrugged. “You would be stupid to pass this up. You two have unfinished business, and I’d hate to see you grow into a bitter, lonely old man because you refused to swallow your pride and go after the woman you love.” He winked. “And your moping around is undoing all the good you did. If I let you stay here, morale will be in the toilet.”

  “Love?” He tightened his grip around his cup.

  Jagger nodded. “I used be a pessimist when it came to love, but then when I met Daniel, I finally understood power and money means jack shit if you don’t have anyone to share it with. If you go to Vegas and tell Carly how you feel, you’ll be much happier.”

  What choice did he have, really? He had to see her again and tell her how much he cared about her and maybe they could work something out. The ache in his chest he had ever since Carly left finally disappeared now that they could possibly have a future together.

  “If I accept your offer and go out there and she tells me to get lost, then what? Can I come back here?” He clutched at the thought, more frightened than he would have believed at putting himself out there, changing his whole life in the hope that she might take him back.

  “I have a feeling she won’t reject you. Again, I recommend you read her article. What you find there may surprise you. She has many flattering things to say about you.”

  “You’re such a cocky bastard when you get your way.” He shook his head, disgruntled by his boss’s ego. But for the first time in weeks he felt motivated and keyed up.

  Jagger grinned. “It’s who I am.” He raised his cup in a salute.

  “Tell me again how much of a raise I’m getting and about the car I’ll be driving around. I think a Porsche convertible would work best.”

  “I didn’t mention a car.”

  “I need something flashy, to impress my lady.” He laughed when Jagger cursed.

  ***

  The room erupted in applause as Jackson finished his speech, revealing his plans for a new casino resort that would be hottest attraction in Vegas in three years’ time. Carly adjusted her press badge on her dress. Everyone broke off into groups and took drinks and food from servers in the room.

  Ever since her article in Chit-Chat had been published about the wonderful Grand Turk Castillo Resort, extolling its virtues as a premier destination for singles searching for romance, her professional career had exploded. Daphne ordered her to write monthly articles on great vacation destinations, geared to a female audience. Emails and phone calls poured in, praising her work, asking for more. The icing on the cake was Jagger Castillo calling personally about buying advertising in Chit-Chat and other print publications owned by the corporation.

  Everything she had wished for had come to pass. But the emptiness inside kept her from getting a good night’s rest. She missed Quinn so goddamn much, she was close to asking if she could do a follow up article on Grand Turk with the real purpose of begging him to forgive her and to give them a chance. She checked her email on the hour, never let her phone out of her sight, but it seemed he’d forgotten her. The cycle had come full circle. Cass had “told her so” when she picked her up from the airport and she’d explained what had happened between her and Quinn, omitting Woody. Cass would have had a heart attack knowing her younger sister by five minutes had a ménage with two sexy men. Now she and Cass were in the same boat when it came to love—total failures.

  She crossed the ballroom to the bar to have a glass or two of wine before she went home, alone. “Success in business but lacking in love,” she muttered.

  As she parted her lips to give the bartender her order, a familiar voice spoke behind her. “The lady will have a glass of your finest champagne, and I’ll have whatever light beer you have on draft.”

  She shut her eyes and swallowed. I have to be hearing things.

  “Hello, Carly mine.”

  Her eyes shot open, and when someone tweaked a lock of her hair, she spun around.

  Quinn, dressed in a bold suit, the color of chocolate with a silk, maroon tie grinned at her. She dug her nails into her palms.

  “What are you doing here?” His arms came around her, and she collapsed into them, breathing in his manly scent. “I’ve missed you so much.”

  He traced a tear track on her cheek. His own eyes were damp. “You’re not wearing your glasses. You’re gorgeous with your hair down like this.”

  She sniffed. “The glasses were part of my disguise along with my braid. I usually wear it free.”

  “Good.” He rubbed his face against hers. “I love the way your hair slides across my chest and how it brushes over my crotch when you suck off my cock.”

  Her stomach dropped. She let out a nervous laugh. “Are you here on business or pleasure?”

  He rested his hands on her shoulders and flashed her a dazzling smile. “I’m living here now. I was offered a position I couldn’t refuse. I can tell you more about it after we have a drink together. I’m staying in one of the Castillo Hotel penthouses. We’ll order room service and spend the remainder of the night and the morning together talking about everything and anything until we can get over the past and move on.”

  “Oh really? Just us? No Woody to help you out?” She took her drink and Quinn grabbed his.

  A smoldering look filled his eyes and he tapped his bottle to her glass. “Woody’s given me his blessing. Don’t worry, he’ll come for a visit soon. But from now on, it’s just you and me. You’re all I need.”

  “Is it true you have a Jacuzzi? I’ve heard all the penthouses have them,” she purred and tugged on his tie.

  “Yes. We can soak in mine, and you can catch me up on everything you’ve been doing since you left me.” His eyes softened. “I read your article. So, I made your vacation a memorable experience?”

  “I found my heart there.” She rested her palm on his chest.

  He placed his hand over hers, his hungry stare making her want to jump in his arms and kiss him. “What a coincidence. I found mine, too.”

  She melted, and not caring if anyone saw, wrapped her arms around Quinn and gave him a kiss. He returned her passion and didn’t stop until she was dizzy.

  He whispered those three special words she’d been dying to hear.

  Her heart exploded in her chest. “I love you, my darling Quinn. I think I always have.”

  ~ABOUT THE AUTHOR~

  KT Grant is a self-proclaimed eccentric redhead who not only loves to read a wide variety of romances, but also loves writing it. Under her alter-ego, she is a well-known book reviewer and blogger who doesn't shy away from voicing her opinion. A proud native of New Jersey, KT is multi-published and known for writing "out of the box" romances. KT has been mentioned in the Guardian.UK, Publisher's Weekly's Beyond the Book and at Bookseller.com. KT is a top ten best-selling author at Amazon, as well as being a multiple All Romance Ebooks best seller and a Night Owl Reviews Top Author Pick.

  You can visit KT at:

  www.ktgrant.com

  A Bid for Love

  Anthony Conlin is a forty-one year old workaholic in love with his twenty-nine year old neighbor, Reece
Whitmore, who looks like he belongs on the cover of GQ magazine. Anthony longs for Reece to the point of obsession, but doesn’t think he stands a chance because of their difference in age, his graying hair and a less than rock hard physique.

  When Anthony’s friend, Jagger Castillo urges Anthony to try the matching services of 1Night Stand, Anthony still refuses because of his crush on Reece. But Jagger, along with the help of Madame Evangeline, the owner of the 1NS has something up their sleeves to make certain Anthony and Reece finally get together.

  A charity auction sets the stage and rolls into motion a night Anthony and Reece will never forget.

  Xavier's Loving Arms

  Xavier Marks has the looks, great job, and more than enough money to throw around. The only thing missing is a woman by his side. He hasn’t had much luck in love since he caught his fiancée’ cheating on him, and isn’t too happy about his current bachelor status. But that may all change when a cute barista from a coffee shop catches his eye. Perhaps she can help him lick his wounds?

  Life hasn’t always been too kind to Rebecca Price. She hides a shameful secret that still threatens to destroy her. With a grandmother suffering from dementia, and the threat of foreclosure on her childhood home, she may have no choice but to turn to a possessive ex-boyfriend who won’t settle for anything less than marriage. She’s ready to give up all hope when a suave, yet seemingly kind-hearted man enters her life and comes to her rescue.

  Rebecca is wary of placing her trust in Xavier, who wants to be more than a shoulder for her to lean on. But as the two grow close, Rebecca’s guilt over her past continues to haunt her. Xavier wants to show Rebecca that the one place she can feel whole and at peace is in his loving arms.

  Contents

  Title page