Barefoot Bay: Forever Yours (Kindle Worlds Novella)

by Jennifer Perkins

  Looking out at the calming waves off the ocean, Kinsley was lost in her thoughts. Her mind wandered to Logan and how he resisted her kiss, but then warmed up to it. He even seemed to enjoy kissing her back. She’d never done anything so presumptuous and grinned at the thought, when she was interrupted by a knock on the wooden double doors at the front of her villa.

  “Who could that be?” Kinsley said out loud as she walked over to open one of the doors.

  “Hey. Kinsley, right? Kinsley Stone? May I come in for a moment?”

  Logan flashed a smile that normally would bring her to her knees, but then she remembered the restaurant embrace. “Uh, I…” Kinsley stammered. She stood in the doorway and took a long look at Logan in his sapphire-blue shirt and khaki shorts. He was the last person she thought she’d see.

  “Can we talk about what happened earlier? You know, at the restaurant?”

  “Oh, yes. Sure. Definitely. Come in.” Kinsley opened the door, so he could enter. He walked to the sliding doors and looked out over the ocean.

  “Beautiful view.”

  “Thanks.” Kinsley joined him after she closed the door. “Sorry, I wasn’t expecting anyone.”

  “Kind of like me not expecting what happened at the restaurant.” Logan sounded amused. “That was a shocker for me and everyone else at my table.”

  “Yeah. Sorry about that.” Kinsley turned to Logan. She was embarrassed by her actions, and wondered what Logan thought. She looked into his eyes and tried to read how he felt, but she couldn’t. Instead his eyes sparkled from the sunlit windows, and she couldn’t help but notice how his chestnut brown hair casually fell across his forehead, his wide smile across his face, the dimple in his cheek, his sensuous lips, the light stubble on his jaw, his broad shoulders, the muscles that seemed to define his chest under his shirt, his—

  “Kinsley? You okay?” Logan asked. “You seem to do a lot of that. You know, stare.”

  “Huh? Oh, um, sorry.” Kinsley placed her hands on her face and her cheeks were warm. She turned away from him and walked toward the kitchen. She unquestionably stared, but who could blame her? Even though she had initiated the kiss, it jolted her senses. The guy was sexy, and cute, and delectable, and definitely hot. Okay, get hold of yourself, Kinsley. “Would you, um, like a soft drink or some wine, Logan?”

  She pulled out wine glasses without waiting for an answer, then poured two generous sized portions.

  “Why would you…oh, shit!” Logan yelled.

  “Oh my God! Logan,” Kinsley said. Too late. Logan was covered in red wine.

  “I didn’t mean to knock the glasses out of your hands.”

  “Logan, I’m so sorry. Let me help.” Kinsley quickly placed the wine glasses on the counter. She grabbed a wet paper towel and started to wipe the stain off him.

  “It’s okay, I’ve got this. Really.” Logan grabbed her wrist when she tried to wipe the stain from his shorts. “Seriously, Kinsley, I’ve got this.” He let go of her when she backed away. “I was just going to take the glasses from you, but you turned and I guess I got in the way.”

  “Oh, you can’t believe how sorry I am. Really, really sorry.” Kinsley pointed toward the bedroom. “You can use the bathroom off my bedroom to rinse off your clothes. Or you can just send them to the cleaners and I’ll pay the cleaning bill.”

  “I’ll try to wash them, but I don’t think wine will come out.” Logan headed for the bathroom.

  Kinsley groaned. “You’re right. Red wine doesn’t normally come out. How did you know where I’m staying, anyway? I don’t recall telling you that,” Kinsley called to him while she cleaned up the wine mess in the kitchen. She was relieved to find the tile didn’t stain with the few drops that landed on the floor.

  “I heard you tell Patti where you’re staying,” he called back from the bathroom. “I practically grew up on the island. I lived here through middle school, and I still know my way around. I hope you don’t mind, but I really just came over to ask about the kiss.”

  The kiss. Her kiss. Kinsley remembered it well. A hint of cologne on his body and the way his lips were soft against hers made a surge of heat ripple through her.

  “Kinsley? Hello?” Logan asked. “Are you still there?”

  “What?” Kinsley’s attention was brought back to the guy standing at the sink in her bathroom trying to clean his clothes, which meant he probably wasn’t wearing them. How could she explain? “Um, yes. Sorry. I, uh, kissed you because I’m trying to convince my ex-fiancé that I don’t have feelings for him anymore.”

  “Is that who he was? He came back to our table and, in front of everyone, demanded that I keep my hands off of his girl. Don’t you love him?”

  “Did you not hear the ex part?”

  “Oh, right. Sorry about that,” Logan called out.

  “Anyway, he’s here with his wife and wanted to talk with me at lunch, about getting back together. I can’t understand why. It was very odd.” Kinsley walked to answer the front door when the bell rang. “What is this, Grand Central Station?”

  “I thought you said you weren’t expecting anyone,” Logan said.

  “I’m not.”

  Chapter Five

  “Todd?” Kinsley asked. “What’s going on? What are you doing here? How did you even know where I was staying?”

  “Okay, don’t take this the wrong way, but, after you left me at the restaurant, I had to find my way back. It wasn’t easy. I had to bribe someone to take me back.”

  “So, you’re saying that’s my fault?”

  “Well, yeah. You left me stranded. And we were becoming good friends.”

  “We’re not friends.”

  “Anyway,” Todd ignored Kinsley and pushed his way past her.

  “Hey!”

  “After I got my car I followed you. Then I went back to speak with Crystal and, well, here I am.”

  Why did you follow me? Kinsley wanted to ask. There didn’t seem to be any logical reason for Todd to be here. She briefly glanced toward her bedroom. “Listen, Todd, I really have something else going on, so…”

  Todd looked out over the ocean, his hands fisted and his lips drawn straight. “I broke it off with her. I think Crystal’s packing right now to go back to home. We’re done. It’s over.”

  Kinsley couldn’t believe what she was hearing and repressed the impulse to ask why. She took a deep breath and wrapped her arms around her waist and let the silence fill the room. This latest revelation made her angry.

  “This is a nice place,” Todd said as he looked around. “I always knew you had class.”

  “What do you want, Todd?” Kinsley’s brows furrowed and she took a step back. “I thought you were going to work things out. I mean, geez, you just got married.”

  “I don’t think I can. She deceived me.” Todd sighed. “I never should have left you. We were good together. We can still be a power couple. The money, the success, everything we want is right at our fingertips.”

  “No, it’s not. This is nuts, you’re nuts,” Kinsley shook her head. “I never wanted that. And I really don’t think Crystal deceived you.”

  “You’re looking at this all wrong. Don’t you see, Kinsley?” Todd asked. “With your money and my connections, we could really go places. We could be on top of the world!”

  “What?” Kinsley put her hand to her chest and took another step back. She wasn’t liking the way Todd was behaving. “As far as I know, you don’t have any connections, Todd. And I’m not willing to use my money for power. That’s not who I am. That’s never been me. I just want to make a good life for myself.”

  “We could be so much more,” Todd insisted. “We could double our wealth. We—”

  * * *

  “Hi, honey.” Logan, wearing only boxers, came from the bedroom. Logan draped an arm across Kinsley’s shoulders and he felt the tenseness in her. He hadn’t liked the direction Todd’s conversation was headed and Logan suspected he was correct when saw a silent thank you in Kinsley’s
emerald eyes. “Is everything okay out here?”

  “I think so,” Kinsley answered.

  “I was just leaving.” Todd sighed and headed for the door. “I’ll show myself out.”

  “Oh, yeah. I remember you. You’re the dude from the restaurant who gave me some unusual advice before you left.” Logan wrapped his arms around Kinsley and she wrapped her arms around him in return. Logan didn’t want to tell Kinsley that Todd had warned him to stay away, but at the same time, Logan wanted to get a message through that he didn’t forget or appreciate what was said. “Have a nice day, buddy.”

  Todd looked back. He hesitated and shook his head before he walked out, and when the door shut Kinsley let out a nervous laugh. “That was totally awesome. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate it.”

  “Yeah. That was actually kind of fun.” Logan smiled at Kinsley. “Maybe you should invite him for dinner sometime.”

  Kinsley let out another nervous laugh. “I think those dinner days are long over.”

  Logan’s hands ran down to the small of her back when she hugged him a little tighter, the tension gone from her body. Her eyes reflected a beautiful soft shade of green, and they sparkled when she smiled. Holding her gaze, Logan’s heart pulled and he ran his hand through Kinsley’s silky blonde hair, the hint of tangy orange filling his senses. Her bare succulent lips turned up at the corners. Like little pink shells, desperate to be caressed. Logan cupped her chin and kissed it gently. His lips brushed across hers before his mouth lowered to a sweet, soft, delicate spot on the side of her neck and Kinsley quietly moaned.

  A shiver ran through him when her soft fingers gripped his shoulders. Logan brought his lips to hers, this time with a greater intensity. His tongue thrust against hers, and then he ran his tongue over her bottom lip. Breathless, he leaned into her. His erection hardened and she moaned again. She reached up and caressed his neck and he pressed into her body.

  “Logan,” Kinsley spoke against his lips and then gasped for air. “What are we doing?”

  “I’d say we’re enjoying each other’s company.” Logan took her hand and brushed his lips across her knuckles. “But I can tell you’re not ready for this. You know, Kinsley, I think you’re beautiful. You deserve better than Todd. You should be happy.”

  “That’s very sweet.” Kinsley broke eye contact with Logan and she walked to the glass sliders.

  All of his attention was focused on her—how she moved, how she looked. Desire had built within him and the urge to hold Kinsley in his arms was stronger than anything he could remember. She opened the doors and looked out over the ocean. The waves were now a whisper against the sand, and the cool, salty, late afternoon breeze filled the room.

  The sun began to set in the sky with rays of light dissolving behind the horizon, where it would leave in its wake a prism with hues of deep amber and light dusky violet.

  Logan had never felt a tug at his heart the way it pulled with Kinsley. Was love at first sight really possible?

  “You know,” Kinsley turned back to Logan. “I appreciate having you here when Todd was here.”

  “He was playing you.” Logan saw the confusion in her expression. “Think about it, he said nothing about using his money to get anywhere in life and he never mentioned anything he could add. If I didn’t know better, I’d say he’s only after you for whatever money he thinks you might have.”

  “I was thinking the same. Although, my parents are the ones who have money, not me. They’ve done well with their investments and loaned me a little money to start my own advertising firm. It’s barely growing. That’s why I’m here. To clear my head. I need to come up with a strategy to grow my business. If I can’t, I guess I’ll go back to school. Maybe follow in my dad’s footsteps. He’s an attorney.”

  “That’s why I recognized the name.” Logan raised his eyebrows. “I didn’t mean to interrupt, but is your dad a partner in Dressler and Stone, Attorneys’?”

  “Yes, how did you know that?”

  “My parents hired them to rewrite their corporate trust. They’re looking to divide their company among me and my siblings.”

  “That’s a nice gesture.”

  “Sure,” Logan shrugged. “As long as you don’t mind running adventure parks the rest of your life.”

  “Sweet Adventures? The parks with zip lines and climbing walls?” Kinsley asked. “Your parents own that? I loved going to those as a kid. They’re all over! In what? Ten maybe twelve states?”

  “We’re in thirteen states. And I could make it bigger.” Logan gave her a cocky wink and then looked at his bare feet. He realized how arrogant he must have sounded. “What I meant to say is, while my parents have done a great job growing the company, I think it’s stagnant. They don’t realize the market they’re leaving behind. Sure, it’s a fun adventure park for kids, but there’s nothing for a range of different age groups. There’s an entire demographic that’s slipping away, nothing to bring kids back when they grow up.”

  “Have you tried telling them that?”

  “They only see me as a party guy. That’s all they’ve ever seen.” Kinsley raised an eyebrow. “Well, I’m not anymore. Sure, I had that reputation through high school and a little in college, but that was years ago. I’ve grown up. I want to show them I can settle down and take responsibility. They were the couple you saw with me at the restaurant. I had almost convinced them that I have really given up being a partier—”

  “When I kissed you,” Kinsley said. “Logan, I’m sorry. I was only trying to show Todd I was finally over him. You were an unfortunate bystander. How about if I explain what happened to your parents? Would that help?”

  “I’m not so sure they’d believe you.” Logan answered. “I’ve had a bad boy reputation for too long. I’m twenty-eight and it doesn’t matter to them that I’ve been out of college for a while. They don’t seem to want to believe I’ve really changed. I just think the only way for them to see I’m serious is to come up with a plan on how to grow the business, and then put it in place. That’s why I’m back here. My sister’s looking for venues for expansion and thought she could find available land on the island. She’s not actually focused on expanding what the business does, only finding new locations.”

  “Oh, Logan,” Kinsley responded. “If there’s anything I can do to help—”

  “No.” Logan put his hand up. Kinsley’s sensuous lips narrowed, the corners pulled down. “Don’t feel bad. This is something I need to prove.”

  Kinsley didn’t respond. She turned and walked to the door when the bell rang and Logan silently cursed, thinking he shouldn’t have kissed her. He didn’t want her to think he was still a playboy, but he couldn’t explain his attraction.

  Could this be the true love he’d been missing?

  “Okay, where is he? I saw his car out front and some guy told me he was in here. Logan?”

  “Excuse me! What is this about?” Kinsley followed behind the woman, whose sandals echoed off the tile floor as she walked toward the sliders where Logan stood. “You can’t just barge in here.”

  What the hell was his sister doing here? Skulking around was more his brother Ryan’s style. Had Ryan put her up to it? “Val? What are you doing here?” Logan pulled the closest item to cover himself when Valerie whipped out her phone and snapped a picture. Only then did he realize he had covered himself with a silky, electric-blue camisole.

  “Nice. I’m sure you’ll be able to explain that to everyone.” Valerie laughed. “Still playing house, I see.”

  “No, there’s nothing happening. You’re completely wrong about what’s going on here,” Logan told her. “Damn.”

  “Damn is right. Just calling it like I see it.” Valerie plopped herself onto one end of the couch and pushed her hair behind her ears.

  “You’re confused,” Logan told her.

  “Well, I know I’m a bit confused,” Kinsley spoke up.

  “Sorry about this, Kinsley.” Logan said. He wanted to explain why his si
ster was here, if only he could understand it himself. The quiet of the room was suffocating and in any other circumstances, he could laugh this off. But not this time. “This is my sister, Valerie. Val, this is Kinsley Stone. And this is her villa that you just barged into. And who is this guy who supposedly told you I was here?”

  “Oh, I don’t know.” Valerie looked up at the ceiling in deep thought before answering Logan. “He never told me his name. He had brown hair and mumbled something about having to talk someone out of leaving. So, naturally I asked him if he was okay and he said Logan was in the way.”

  “Todd,” Logan and Kinsley said in unison.

  “Like I said, he didn’t mention his name,” Valerie shrugged. “I guess I could have asked, but it wasn’t my business. Besides, he was weird enough talking to himself outside. But that’s not why I’m here.” She stood and pulled out her phone to read her messages.

  A few years younger than Logan, Valerie was being groomed to take over part of their families’ small corporation, but she had confided in Logan that she was having too much fun living life outside of the microscope of their parents and didn’t want to be tied down trying to make it grow. He suspected this was why she focused on looking for venues rather than growth.

  “Why are you here?” Logan said and cleared his throat, realizing how tense he sounded. Of course he was tense. He was still covering himself with a camisole. “Thanks,” he said to Kinsley, who he realized had just handed him a towel. He wrapped it around his waist and put the camisole down.

  Another quick picture was taken. “Don’t get your panties in a bunch.” Valerie laughed, as he glared at her, and put her phone away. “Don’t worry, those pictures aren’t going anywhere. I knew you’d freak out if I took any. I just wanted to see your reaction. Besides, I’m really here to find out about Kinsley.”

  “About me?” Logan placed a protective arm across her shoulders. “Why? I don’t even know you.”

  “I know. I was also told about what happened at the restaurant. Our parents wanted me to find out if you’re another one of Logan’s money-hungry flings.”