“Not going to happen.”
“Actually, I think I spotted some treasure back there.”
“Let’s get this over with.”
Beck handed the map to Jami and bent down to search for the small jewelry box he’d thought he’d spotted. There it was. A few inches behind the clump of red flowers and nestled next to a small striped plant with tiny white flowers.
“Got it!” Beck waved the toy jewelry box in the air, and Jami grabbed it.
As she opened it, tinkling, tinny music erupted, and a ballerina in a white tutu pirouetted in her never-ending circle. She picked out a pair of objects stored in the small chest “Here we go. Two stone hearts.”
“That doesn’t sound romantic or wedding-ish.”
“They are pink.” Jami held the pale pink stones up for Beck’s inspection.
“That’s rose quartz. It symbolizes love.”
“And a pair of them indicates Rob and Anna. I like it.” Jami stared at the stones, and a distant, unfocused look glazed over her eyes. Beck cleared his throat, and Jami jumped. She flushed.
“We only have one more treasure to find.”
“What’s the clue?” Jami hung back and didn’t try to take the map from his hand like she usually did. Was she afraid to get too close?
“Go to where the island ends, find the resting place of love.” Beck read the line in a singsong voice.
“Nice clue.” Jami pulled the resort map out of her bag. “We have a south and a north end of the island.”
“We’ve got a fifty-fifty shot at guessing right the first time around. Do you feel lucky?”
Jami’s lashes fluttered, and she stared down at her toes before she glanced back up at Beck. She flipped her ponytail with a saucy toss. “I braved a dragon, so this should be a snap. Let’s go north.”
“North it is.”
Jami led the way via the right arm of the pathway, and Beck tucked in behind her. It was truly a superior view. Her ponytail swished, and she charged ahead like a tiger was chasing her.
And he was the predator about to pounce.
That was a helluva kiss they’d shared. The adrenaline rush had given it an energy and a yearning he’d never had before. He needed to taste her lips once more, and he wanted the curves of her flesh pressed up next to his.
Beck licked his lips and tasted her salt on his tongue, and his erection bounded to life again. She was a tantalizing bundle of complications and curves.
He was not done with her yet.
CHAPTER 11
A breeze riffled past, a shower of plumeria petals showered down on Jami and Beck as they walked along the pathway to her cottage. Jami laughed and caught a fragrant pink petal in her hand and sniffed at it. She stopped at the stairwell leading up to her room and glanced at Beck. A smile played at the corners of his mouth.
She was tempted to lean in and steal another kiss, but she resisted.
“Do you want the trophy?” Beck waved the treasure hunt’s grand prize and laughed.
“I think I can live without it. It’s all yours.”
“I should keep it as a memento of your wild iguana run.”
Jami blushed and remembered the feel of him holding her tight and the hot crush of his lips against hers.
Another couple strolled by, arm in arm, and Jami shifted from foot to foot. She didn’t want Beck to leave, but she couldn’t invite him up. She didn’t know what she wanted.
“You were really good with Daphne and Mae yesterday,” Jami blurted out.
“Was that a compliment?” Beck blinked, but smiled at her. “I didn’t know you knew how to give those.”
“Just shut up and say thank you.”
“I’m honored that the mighty Miss Barrett of Barrett Ridge noticed I’m a human being.”
“Don’t push your luck, mister. I still think you’re the devil trying to destroy my family’s business.”
“Seriously? Do you take every business deal so epically out of proportion? I’d never even heard of your family’s business until I found out there was competition on the bid. I have no vile intentions. Your family seems perfectly nice.”
“I hate to say it, but you might be right.”
Beck’s mouth fell open.
Jami held up her hand to keep him from speaking. “I don’t want to like you or trust you. We’re after the same piece of property, and I genuinely believe expanding Barrett Logistics will be better for the county.”
“We’ll be doubling the number of jobs Teddy can offer.”
“But we’re a trusted employer. We’re not going anywhere. And we have a sterling reputation. Much better than yours.”
“We’re an award-winning company.”
“I’ve heard stories that all is not right with BK Industries.”
“Like what?”
“A sister of one of my old college friends worked for you, and she left because of sexual harassment. She said you had been the asshole who violated her rights.”
“Stop right there.”
“Don’t bother trying to deny it. I totally believe her. You guys settled out of court with her.”
“I didn’t do anything.”
“That’s what they all say.”
“No. I mean I was not the one making her life unbearable. It was the old president.”
“Come again?”
“You are so quick to judge, but you don’t have all the facts. When I started BKI, I went into partnership with Oliver. He was the business and marketing expert, and I was the designer and engineer.”
Jami folded her arms and waited.
“Long story short, Oliver was way too old school and had no respect for women. Three different women filed complaints. We fired Oliver and settled all the lawsuits.”
“Is that when you filed for bankruptcy?”
“Filed, but never proceeded. I lost more than half my investors, but somehow, I managed to find two angel investors and one loan, and that tided us over until we launched our first product and finally generated revenue.”
“It wasn’t you?” Jami’s voice sounded small, even to her own ears.
Beck’s shoulders slumped. “No wonder you think I’m such a bad guy. It was a nightmare. I still can’t believe I trusted such a scumbag to run my company.”
“What happened to him?”
“During the whole deposition phase, he actually ran off with his old secretary and his wife sued for divorce. The last time I checked, he was living in Panama and managing a cement factory.”
Jami’s jaw dropped and then she barked with laughter before she covered her mouth. “That’s hilarious. I mean, that’s horrible.” Jami shook her head. “Is that true? Crap like that only happens on TV.”
“Matter of fact, this little story was featured on some cable news show right after it happened.”
“That’s out of control. I see why your investors abandoned your company.”
“It was a nightmare.”
“Dad’s business has been sued several times over the years. There was one case that took over three years to settle. It was a pretty dark time in our household. My dad was all alone. Austin was still in high school, and Mom had only recently died.”
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay. It’s life I suppose. We survived.”
“How old were you?”
Jami pressed her lips together. She almost hated the sympathy in his voice. As if she were defenseless and needed help. “I was nine.”
“My dad died when I was thirteen. It was horrible, wasn’t it?” Beck seemed lost in his own memories and his eyes focused on a moment long gone. “I’d lived with my father most of the time, and then I was shipped off to Fiona’s full time.”
“Why do you call her Fiona instead of Mother?”
“That’s her rules. I think it’s her way of denying that she has responsibilities and maintaining her own selfish identity.”
“Ouch.”
“Yeah. It was even better living through it.”
/> “I’ve got a Caitlynne now so I can feel some of your pain, but once upon a time, I was really lucky. My mom was practically perfect. Until breast cancer stole her from us.”
“A perfect mother. I’m jealous.”
“I know, right? She was a no-nonsense kind of woman. She didn’t let us cry too much or whine, but she knew right when to give you a hug or slip you a cookie to help mend hurt feelings or a wounded spirit.”
“My father was Irish and wasn’t too demonstrative with his emotions, but somehow I always knew he was proud of me. He went to all of my baseball games, and he even led my Scout troop for several years, despite knowing little about nature. He was a planetary scientist for NASA.”
“I guess that explains where you got your smarts.”
“Is that a dig at my mother?”
“Oh my gosh. I didn’t mean it that way.”
“Got ya!”
“You’re a jerk.”
“You’re a sore loser.”
Jami stuck out her tongue, but she laughed. “Don’t think that you’re off the hook yet. You may be a normal human being after all, but in my opinion, you are still public enemy number one. I don’t fraternize with the enemy.”
“That’s a strong word. How about opponent?”
“Foe?”
“This isn’t war. I prefer adversary.”
“It is a battle. Maybe not to the death, but this is the life of my father’s business. It means the world to him.”
“And he means the world to you, doesn’t he?”
“He’s the only parent I have left.”
“Teddy makes it hard on you. All his attention is on his new wife and the twins.”
“It’s not that. I’m an adult, and I don’t live in his back pocket or anything, but Barrett Logistics means everything to him. He and my mom built it from scratch, and it’s been his anchor when everything else has been messed up or miserable.”
“If you don’t clinch this deal, then in your mind you’ve failed both your father and your mother.”
“That sounds really screwed up when you put it that way.”
“I’m no psychologist, but you need to ease up on yourself. Don’t frown at me. I’m right. I don’t often think about it, but I’m messed up about my parents, too. I’ve shut the door on most of it, and I rarely see any of my family. That’s my way of coping.”
“I see my family most days of the week. Either at dinners or around town. Barrett Ridge is small, and there are a lot of us. Anna and Austin are the only ones who moved away.”
“There are a lot of you.”
“I love it. There’s normally someone around to share a laugh with, or listen to you whine about a bad day.”
“You’ve conveniently skipped over the nosy part. Isn’t Caitlynne up in your business nine days out of ten? I can tell she delights in cutting you down.”
“I’m not special. She picks on all of us. Except Austin. She’s afraid of him, so she gives him a wide berth.”
“I’m not one to judge family dynamics.”
Elaine strolled along the pathway in front of the bungalows and called out to them both. “Have you seen Sam? We’re heading over to the spa for a seaweed wrap.”
“No, I haven’t, but she might be in her room.” Awkwardness settled over Jami. What if Sam had been able to hear everything she and Beck had shared? She supposed none of it would be a big surprise to her sister, but she didn’t like the idea that Sam would think she’d been friendly with Beck.
Sam’s door popped open, and Sam poked her head out. “There’s a lot of commotion going on. Have I missed anything?”
“We’ve got ten minutes to make it to the spa.” Elaine sipped on the icy, pink concoction in the glass in her hand. “Do you know how to get there? I’m hopelessly lost with the maze of walkways around here.” She laughed and sucked on her straw again.
“I know the way.” Sam threw a saucy look at Jami. Jami caught her breath. Did that mean Sam had overheard them?
“Join us, Beck?” Elaine asked archly. “I’m sure there’s room for one more in their appointment book.”
“I’m good. Golf trumps the spa any old day.” He checked his watch. “In fact, I’ve got twenty minutes to get my butt over to the first green. Teddy is hosting us to a round.” Beck nodded to Sam and Elaine and then winked at Jami. As he strolled off, she fixated on his curling cowlick. Her heart executed a tiny dip-dive. It was kind of charming.
“You sure you don’t want to join us?”
“I’m good. You two go have fun.” Jami waved the women off and stood for a moment at the foot of the stairs leading up to her room. Elaine and Sam’s voices drifted through the greenery and bougainvillea, and a cheery whistle carried to her ears but was fading quickly. Was that Beck?
She touched her lips as if his mouth was still on hers. He wasn’t quite the monster she’d made him out to be. He was stupidly good with her little twin sisters, and he’d been surprisingly understanding about her motives for clinching the property deal. He was so much more than Fiona’s arrogant son.
And she had a sinking feeling he was completely right about one thing. He had a better than outside chance of beating her. Then what? She’d have to face her father.
And Beck would be living in Barrett Ridge.
CHAPTER 12
Beck lolled on the deck of the charter boat as it rocked to the easy pitch of the waves. The sun baked the top of his head and his back. He vaguely worried about a sunburn since the sun was so intense this close to the equator, but his eyes just couldn’t seem to stay open. A seagull swooped past, and Beck cracked his eyelids at the passing shadow.
This island living was paradise in his humble opinion. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been so relaxed. He never napped, and certainly not when he could be diving or windsurfing with the others, but with his belly full of lunch, it had sounded much more tempting to just watch the horizon and the endless blue waves.
He refused to feel lazy. He’d taken a spin parasailing and snorkeling with Ryan and Carl, who was completely recovered from his bout of sick stomach. Yes, he’d earned a snooze.
Jo and Mandy were stretched out on recliners at the ship’s stern, soaking in the sunshine. A burst of noise alerted him to the location of Teddy and Caitlynne. They were up on the second story sundeck. As usual, they were bickering over some kind of nonsensical, trumped-up need of hers. He was growing to dislike Jami’s stepmother about as much as Jami did.
Teddy growled something Beck couldn’t quite make out, but then Teddy clomped his way down the ladder to the enclosed bridge. The captain greeted the older man, who then settled into the spare reclining seat and promptly stuck his nose into his all-absorbing phone.
Beck shrugged and turned away. Who played on their cell phone in the middle of the Caribbean? With glorious sunshine and salty waves, what more could a man want? He supposed the yacht must have Wi-Fi since he guessed cell signals would be nonexistent out here, miles from the island.
Beck rolled his neck in a circle and stretched out his back with a pop. The distant shoreline and towering, green mountains of St. Lucia beckoned on one side, and the golden sand beaches of Santa Tarita glimmered to the south. In the distance near St. Lucia, a speed boat bounded along with a parasail high in the air behind it, and Beck wondered if Jami had taken her turn yet.
She had looked luscious in her coral-colored bathing suit, the mesh cut-out sides providing tempting peeks at her midriff. Beck shook off the memory.
To the port of the yacht, a sprinkling of dive and snorkel boats and ships were anchored, and he imagined he could make out the tiny wakes left by the snorkels as the paddlers drifted in the shifting current.
The whirring noises of approaching watercraft filled the air and drowned out the strident squawking of a new pair of seagulls.
Austin, Emma, and Carl bounded through the aqua waters with a wild, snaking wake as Carl drove the personal watercraft in giant S-curves. Anna, Daphne, and Clara plunged alon
g behind them. A third Jet Ski swooped close, threatening to launch a massive wave over him.
The watercraft abruptly swiveled, and the wave rushed away from the boat. Jami laughed, while Mae and Ryan, who rode behind her waggled their hands in greeting.
“Did you get wet?” Mae called out to Beck.
“You missed me by a mile.”
The trio put-putted in a circle around the boat. Jami’s grin was infectious.
“Why don’t you come with us, Uncle Beck?” Ryan tugged on Jami’s life vest. “Is there room for four people?’
“Only three, I’m afraid.”
Beck tried to gauge Jami’s tone. Did he hear regret in her voice, or was she simply being kind to Ryan?
“Jami? I have to pee,” Mae said.
“I guess we timed it just right then, didn’t we? Here we are at the boat.”
Jami goosed the engine and brought the watercraft to the side of the yacht while Beck waited to toss her a rope. Ryan gathered the rear rope and tossed it to Beck. With the craft secured, Mae held out her arms to Beck, and he pulled her up to the deck.
“Now you can join us.” Ryan smiled. “Is that okay, Mae?”
The little girl cocked her head. “I’m hungry. I want some cookies. It’s only fair that Beck gets a turn, too.”
Jami and Beck laughed in unison, and their gazes met in an instant of frisson. Beck’s mouth went dry, and all he could see was the breeze teasing a lock of Jami’s hair along her full, lush lips.
“Jami, I don’t remember where the bathroom is,” Mae complained.
Austin emerged from the below deck cabin.
“Can you make sure Mae gets her potty break and then a cookie?” Jami asked.
“Absolutely.” Austin smiled down at his smallest sister and pointed her toward the stairwell in the belly of the boat. “I’ll wait for you here.”
“Thanks—”
Teddy leaned out of the bridge and motioned Austin toward him. “Where have you been? I need you.”
Austin’s eyebrow shot up. “I’ll be there in a minute. I’m waiting for Mae.”
Teddy growled in irritation. “Fine. But I need your opinion. I’ve got another crisis going on.”
Tropical Tryst: 25 All New and Exclusive Sexy Reads Page 106