Tropical Tryst: 25 All New and Exclusive Sexy Reads

by Nicole Morgan

“Ollie, wait. Give me ten minutes. DeAnna just called. Let me find out what she wants. Then you call her.”

  “Ten minutes. Not a millisecond more.”

  “Love you.”

  “Prove it.”

  He swiped the screen on his phone. Two missed calls, one voice mail. Shit. Starting across the lobby, he listened to the edge of panic in DeAnna’s recorded voice.

  “Mr. Martin called. He demanded I get confidential vendor names, contacts and pricing from Fragrant Garden. When I refused, he fired me. For my airline ticket to Oahu to be valid, I need to catch the last flight this evening. I couldn’t reach you, so I instructed the desk to let you into the suite to get your things. Ed, I have to leave right now.” Her voice hitched. His heart broke in two. “I’ll try calling you from the airport.”

  Blood thundering in his head, he kicked into high gear. And discovered the first thing to go was his civility. He cut to the front of the line at the front desk. Ignoring the grumbling, he demanded Dee’s keycard.

  He raced to the VIP floor, grabbed his rental car paperwork, and the valet claim-check. Outside the main entrance, he cut the line again. The young valet must have recognized Quinn’s desperate look. Flinging open the driver’s side door, the valet scrambled out before Quinn could yank him out.

  Dodging the slamming car door, the valet shouted, “Be careful.”

  When he nearly sideswiping two cars, Quinn was forced to settle. At least enough to access the GPS.

  Trying to connect a hands-free phone call, he came close to losing it.

  DeAnna’s phone went straight to voice mail.

  Shit, shit. If she got through airport security, before he caught up to her? He wouldn’t be allowed to go any further. Resort desks and valets were one thing. TSA turned nasty when people tried to-passed security.

  Finally, fate tossed him a break. A parking spot opened in the first row. As close to the terminal as he could hope to get. He pulled in, leapt from the car and ran flat out for the building. Once inside, he maintained the same pace toward Security. With the ATF check-point in sight, his phone rang.

  “DeAnna. Honey, where are you?” Stepping aside, he smiled at the frowning agent, and scanned the area.

  “I’m through security, on my way to the gate. The phone app says my flight’s already boarding.”

  “Dee, I’m sorry about Mr. Martin, about your job. But we need to talk. Work this out. Do you have to leave right this minute?”

  “Yes. I do.”

  “Tell me you’re not running from me.”

  “I’m running for the last flight to Honolulu. My last chance for a free flight.”

  “Come back. Let me pay for another ticket. Or Mr. Whitney will be happy—”

  “Quinn, I won’t take money from you or Frank’s dad. This flight is part of my employment. I’m using this ticket. And there’s no way jerk Martin can make me repay it.”

  “Screw him. You should be grateful he terminated you.”

  “I am. Except I wanted to be the one to quit, not get fired. And not before I made a decision to move someplace else.”

  “DeAnna, I love you. I care about you.”

  “Edmund Quinn, listen. Try to think of this as moving up our schedule. I’m entitled to take the free flight back to Oahu.” He heard a flight attendant in the background. “Oh, Eddie, the real world intruded on us today.”

  Adrenaline made his ears buzz. More like the world crash-landed right on top of them. He held his breath, terrified the next words out of DeAnna’s mouth would shatter his heart.

  She sighed. “I’m only going as far as Oahu. Will you come after me?”

  “Hell, yes.” His heart heard her words while his brain tried to catch up.

  Dee talked fast, “I’ll text you my address in Honolulu. Finish up your assignment for Mr. Whitney, then come get me.”

  “As fast as I can. Honey?”

  “Yes?”

  “For heaven’s sake, please be there.” Refusing to disconnect, he listened to background noises until the call cut off.

  Quinn found a relatively quiet corner and made his calls from the public terminal. The time difference wasn’t as bad to the west coast.

  “Mr. Whitney, I appreciate everything you’ve done for me. I have urgent business in Honolulu and need to leave Kauai in the morning. I—”

  “From what Frank tells me, I’m guessing your business involves the brilliant woman I’m desperate to hire. Maybe you could put in a good word for me?”

  “You don’t need my endorsement, sir. I’m certain DeAnna will be in touch either way.”

  “That’s all I ask. And thank you, Major, for your valuable contributions. Thanks to you, and the inspiration of the lovely lady, I have outstanding reports, tour ideas and marketing plans. I got a lot more than my money’s worth. Don’t worry about leaving in the morning, the VIP butler will change your ticket. Good luck to you both, Major.”

  “Thank you, sir.”

  Ollie’s phone was busy so he left a voice message. “I’m at the airport. Going to change my departure. Ollie, I’m in love with your best friend, DeAnna. And first thing tomorrow morning, I’m going after her. If all goes well, we’ll call you together from her apartment. If not, I’ll call from the nearest bar. Until then, fingers crossed little sis.”

  He called the butler, turned in the rental car, and took the shuttle back to the resort. After packing and double checking both suites for forgotten items, he returned to the florist shop for a container to transport DeAnna’s lei.

  Finally, he scoured the stores for one last personal souvenir. Just in case DeAnna was—no, he gave his head a rough shake. She’d be waiting for him.

  Signaling to the clerk, he hefted a table-top sculpture with glass Spinner dolphins in different stages of leaping, twisting, and diving back into the ocean-blue base.

  “I’ll bet you recommend shipping this one?” He raised one eyebrow.

  “Yes, sir. We’ll guarantee it, if we pack it.”

  “Sold.” His mission tonight was choosing mementos the two of them would share. Until they could return to Kauai again, together.

  * * *

  IT WAS past noon the following day when the cab dropped Quinn at DeAnna’s apartment building. Apartment 301. Gripping his suitcase and shopping bags, he eyed the stairs and thanked heaven the dolphins had been shipped.

  He took the stairs two at a time. Rounding the corner to the third floor, he spotted her in the open doorway.

  “DeAnna Drake?” Dropping his suitcase and bags, he scooped her into his arms. Smothering her answer, he kissed her. Kept kissing her until he made himself dizzy. Finally, he backed off just enough to focus on her face.

  “I love you, DeAnna.” Her lips were moist and puffy from his kisses, her blue eyes glistened with tears. “Thank you for being here.”

  DeAnna stuck out her bottom lip in a sexy, defiant pout. “I told you I would be.” Her lips curved into a smile. “I love you, Edmund Quinn.”

  “Good. Wait, you love me?”

  “I do.” She laughed. “Come in, bring your luggage.”

  Inside, he kicked the door closed and dropped everything. Again. He held her in a tight embrace. “Honey, you gave me a real scare. Will you think I’m an animal if we go straight to your bedroom, make love?”

  “Yes. But I’ll still love you.”

  “Seriously, we’re okay?”

  “Not if you don’t get naked in the next two minutes. Then make me lose my mind. We’ll talk after.”

  “What a woman. No wonder I adore you.”

  CHAPTER 18

  Her toes pointed, feet sticking out over the end of the mattress, DeAnna stretched and yawned. Indulging in a soft groan of satisfaction, she rolled, curling closer to Quinn, ready for some serious snuggling. And resisted the urge to finger-comb her hopelessly tangled hair.

  After their first frantic love-making, hurried, and border-line desperate, they’d stumbled to the shower together. Her lips curved at the memory.
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  It had been a soapy adventure that quickly got hotter, and steamier. Back in bed, Quinn insisted on licking any excess water from her body. Any drops the towel might have missed. She’d forgotten all about dealing with her unruly hair. Now, drying, it was hopeless.

  Quinn wrapped one of her wild brown spirals around his finger. “Awesome curls. They frame your face.”

  Her eyes grew wide. He had to be kidding. “Humidity and moisture are not my friends. It gets tangled.”

  “Could I brush it sometime?” His fingers followed a different corkscrew from scalp to tip.

  “Sure. If you want to.”

  “Gorgeous.” He moved a clump aside and kissed the sensitive skin beneath her ear.

  “Thank you for coming after me,” she whispered.

  “My pleasure.” His breath tickled. “Thank you for being here.”

  “Stop saying that.”

  “I’m eternally grateful.” He sounded sincere but she knew he was teasing. The twinkle was back in his hazel-green eyes. “I would’ve followed you, tracked you down, wherever you went. But honestly, I’m not sure how much leave I have left.”

  She smacked his arm.

  “Now that I’m here,” he said, “could I stay with you?”

  “Absolutely.” She kissed him but drew back before the kiss got out of hand. “Which leads me to our talk. I’m thinking, since I’m currently unemployed—”

  “Wait. Is that resolved? Do you need to face-down Mr. Martin?”

  “We’re done. For starters, my final paycheck including paid sick and vacation days, the check he threatened to hold, was direct deposited into my account this morning.”

  “Sounds like Martin either changed his mind or cooler heads at Human Resources prevailed.”

  “Just to make sure, I phoned him. To inform him my final report had been emailed. To ask if I’d have an exit interview.”

  “Smart cookie.” Quinn smirked. “Martin has to know what whistles you could blow during an HR interview.”

  “I told him I’d pass on talking to HR for a copy of the detailed, paid-in-full expense report for the Kauai trip.”

  “I’m so proud.”

  “I took another shower after I hung up.”

  “Sorry. Back to your plans. Since you’re unemployed…?”

  “Right. Maybe it’s the ideal time to head home. Get a new job. Or maybe go back to school for my MBA. Or both.”

  “Ambition is so sexy.”

  “And?”

  “Home sounds good. When are you planning to return stateside?”

  “Tomorrow. I expect my paperwork to arrive by messenger. I don’t have much to pack.”

  “I’m on the same time-frame. I like the idea of us going home together.”

  “Great.”

  He dropped his gaze. “Where are you thinking about sending your resume? You mentioned not wanting to live near your folks in Greenville.”

  She bit the inside of her mouth to hold back her smile. If he could tease, so could she. “The rest of South Carolina is loaded with golf-course resorts and it’s all lovely.”

  “And not too far from me.” He sounded hopeful. Except the mischievous gleam was missing from his eyes. Still, she wasn’t going to fall at his feet. He needed to speak up.

  She raised a skeptical eyebrow. “Too far to commute.” When he opened his mouth, she held up a hand. “Don’t dare mention you moving. That’s not an option.”

  “Good. Okay then. I stay in Goldsboro, North Carolina while you move to Hilton Head, South Carolina. I don’t know—”

  “Don’t know what?” Damn. She was losing ground. Gritting her teeth, she cupped his face between her hands. Stared him down. “You don’t know if you want me?”

  “What? Hell yes, I want you. I need you so much it hurts.”

  “Then why are you hemming and hawing about where I should live?”

  “I don’t want to push you. It’s your decision.”

  She shot straight up in the bed. “You’re right. My choice. But so far, I haven’t heard any options from you. Ideas? Suggestions?”

  “Wait.” He sat up, grasped both her hands. “What are you asking?”

  “I give up. So much for subtlety. Remember our truth pact?”

  He nodded.

  “Good,” she said. “Then here it goes. How about I find a map, draw a big circle around Goldsboro. Start my job search and find a place to live, inside the circle. Meanwhile, I can apply to UNC for my MBA.”

  “No.”

  Pulling her hands free, her heart plummeted.

  Beside her, he dragged his fingers through his short hair. “It’s not because I don’t want you. I do. Haven’t asked you because everything between us all happened so fast. Figured you’d think I’m crazy.”

  A thread of hope circled her bruised heart. “Try me.”

  For a slit second, Quinn sat with his mouth open. Then he grabbed her and kissed her. Her heart pounding, she clung to him.

  When they finally came up for air, he was still gripping her arms. Quinn narrowed his gaze. “DeAnna, I love you with all my heart. I desperately want you to come home to Goldsboro with me. Stay with me. I love you, and I don’t ever want us to be apart.”

  He lifted his head, waved a hand. “Well, except for deployments. Otherwise, we’ll always be together. Oh, and Red Flags. Other flags. We won’t ever be apart. Never.”

  Hurriedly biting her bottom lip, she struggled to suppress her laughter. The man was adorable. Joy and relief formed a bubble in her chest which demanded release. Instead, she faked a cough.

  “Thankfully,” she said, “I’m able to translate most of that. Because I have a best friend, Olivia who sounds just as discombobulated when she’s feeling real intense, and a little flustered. So, I get what you said.”

  She paused for air. “And since I love you right back, with all my heart, I’ll go home with you, live in Goldsboro with you. We’ll figure out the nearest resort and then an MBA program, when we get there.”

  Quinn beamed and his eyes glistened.

  Then a look of horror spread across his face. “Shit. Shit, shit. Forgot to call Ollie. I’m a dead man. Where’s my phone?”

  THREE WEEKS LATER, DeAnna unlocked the door to the ‘old’ apartment using the key Quinn had attached to her dolphin keychain and presented to her. She weaved her way around a stack of moving boxes. This rental had originally been Steve and Quinn’s place.

  Steve had moved in with Kari. She and Quinn were scheduled to move to their new house next weekend.

  Her feet ached, protesting her choice to wear heels, but otherwise, it had been a great day. As she approached the doorway to the living area, all discomfort vanished. The aroma of ham and pineapple pizza greeted her. Quinn was home.

  She toed off the offending shoes and hung her purse on an empty hook. Adjusting the laptop bag hanging from her shoulder, she got a good look at the living room. And laughed out loud.

  “Quinn? What have you done?” The main space, a combo living/dining room had the last box-free floorspace in the apartment. It and the postage stamp-sized kitchen were separated by a breakfast bar.

  The room was festooned with tropical paper decorations. Colorful garlands crossed the ceiling. Little palm trees, parrots, and pineapples covered every surface.

  On the bar sat a new blender alongside bottles of rum and tropical drink mixes. When she spotted the tray of cut fruit, plastic orchids, and little umbrellas, DeAnna laughed harder.

  “Surprise.” Quinn hurried from the bedroom, buttoning his classic Hawaiian shirt, his hair damp from the shower. He maneuvered around another tall stack of boxes without breaking stride. With one hand, he slid the bag off her shoulder and eased it to the carpet.

  His other arm circled her, lifting. She hiked her skirt up. Leaped into his arms and into a heart-stopping kiss.

  “God, I missed you today,” he murmured.

  “Me too.” She rubbed her cheek across his. He smelled like soap and aftershave. “Thanks
for shaving. Why bother to dress?”

  “Don’t know.” He turned, wedged her back to the wall.

  She yanked his shirt over his head, pulled her blouse over hers. Released her bra. Hot need raced through her. “Faster.”

  “Hang on.” He eased back to drop his shorts and boxers, and roll on protection. Shifting her thong aside, he slid home.

  They ended up on the carpet, naked, and half under the coffee table, panting for air. “How come we so seldom use our brand new, very expensive bed?”

  “We do,” he said, nuzzling her neck. “Remember, the night it was delivered, we christened it several times. Any night we’re both here, we sleep on it.”

  “Sleep?”

  “Don’t give me flack, woman. I went to a lot of trouble out here.” He gestured to the room. “Anniversary surprises.”

  She dodged his lips. “What anniversary?”

  “One month since our first kiss.”

  “Aww, happy anniversary to you. The gift for one month is Hawaiian paper decorations?”

  “Nope.” He pinched her bare butt. “It’s sex against the wall, then again under the coffee table.”

  She laughed until her sides ached.

  * * *

  OVER RE-HEATED PIZZA and a fully-loaded Mai Tai, she said, “Tell me about your day. Any news?”

  “Got picked to go to Red Flag in the fall with Steve and the new guys. Nellis Air Force Base, near Las Vegas. I want you to come, if you can manage it.”

  “I’d love to. Get me the dates and I’ll check.”

  She took in a deep breath. “No other travels?”

  He kissed her nose. “Nothing scheduled.”

  She willed her muscles to relax. Nothing scheduled. It was Quinn-code for no deployments on the horizon, so far. It was the best she could hope for.

  He recounted a funny incident involving one of the new WSOs. Then he asked, “How was your day?”

  “On the job, the new landscaping around the front seems to be taking hold. The adjusted schedule is a big hit with the staff. The caddies still laugh their asses off whenever I pick up a golf club.”

  “Maybe we could go hit a bucket of balls.”