Tropical Tryst: 25 All New and Exclusive Sexy Reads

by Nicole Morgan

  Her past was littered with a long line of assholes, users, and abusers.

  She knew she wanted a strong, alpha man. A guy who might have a few scars on his knuckles and a bit of an attitude, but who still knew how to treat a woman right. A man like… nope, it was better not to even think his name. She’d had her chance to win him over and he’d completely shot her down.

  “The best way to get over a guy is to get yourself sexed up by a better one,” Remi declared, clearly misinterpreting Jenn’s response.

  “No! No men!” She responded a bit too quickly, then attempted to cover her haste by adding, “I’m done with men for a while. I need to focus on me.”

  Remi eyed her, not at all convinced. She clearly suspected something, but was willing to wait for her best friend to open up, which made Jenn feel even guiltier for keeping it a secret.

  She was supposed to be the fearless one. The girl who was always up for a dare, for travel, for adventure. How had it all crumbled? How had she ended up in this emotional whirlpool? Afraid to open her emails, afraid to answer her phone, afraid of her own shadow?

  The first cracks in her confidence had no doubt been created by Roger, but what happened after he left was her real undoing. It now overshadowed every aspect of her life. A fresh horror popping up every time she thought she was finally getting over the last.

  The photographs were first. Nasty pictures which made her skin crawl. Then came the emails and phone calls, always made on a burner phone, to prevent anyone from tracking it back.

  She had a stalker.

  Of course, she’d thought it was Roger at first. She still hadn’t completely written him off as a possibility, but to be fair, it could be any one of her post-romance catastrophes. She’d certainly had her fair share of lovers turned stalkers in the past, although none of them had shaken her as badly as this one.

  This one felt different.

  For one thing, she didn’t know who it was.

  She’d confronted Roger after the first picture arrived, but his surprise had appeared genuine. He also had a beautiful new woman on his arm, which made Jenn question why he would ever bother stalking one of his least favorite exes.

  She caught Remi staring at her and realized she’d fallen silent. Lifting her chin, she offered her friend a brilliant smile, while mentally shoving all dark thoughts to the back of her mind.

  “Well? Go on!” She urged. “Lead me to this paradise you keep taking about.”

  Remi flashed a grin and waved for her to follow.

  The boat ride down the Amazon river was both terrifying and exhilarating. In some places, the river was so broad, she suspected both the Manhattan and Brooklyn bridges could be laid out nose to tail and still not span its width.

  The rainforest itself was more beautiful than she’d ever imagined. Pictures just couldn’t do justice to the incredible rainbow of exotic plants and birds surrounding her, nor capture the rich symphony of sounds which filled the air.

  In the golden rays of early dusk, she could see caiman, turtles, and the occasional otter perched on floating logs or basking on the sandy shore. Everywhere she looked, her view was filled with living things.

  There was not a car, nor a building to be seen. Not even a road, nor a pathway through the trees. There were no candy wrappers here. No empty bottles or tin cans littering the shore. There was no sign of humanity at all.

  Here, nature still ruled supreme.

  The sun slipped down beneath the trees and darkness quickly consumed them. There was no electricity for street lights in this wilderness. Only a massive sky, filled with an explosion of brilliant stars, and the biggest moon she’d ever experienced.

  Even the night was filled with the sounds of life. Frogs singing for mates, exotic crickets and insects buzzing in the underbrush, and a vast canopy full of birds and other creatures calling to each other as they settled down in their nests.

  After a few miles, Jenn caught sight of flickering firelight ahead and heard the haunting chant of human voices.

  As they drew closer, she realized there was some kind of celebration happening on the beach. Native men and women danced in the firelight to an exotic melody made by resonate drums and hand-carved wooden instruments.

  For just one moment, she recalled Peter’s dire warning about cannibal tribes, and her heart skipped a few beats. These shadowy figures, streaked with red and white paint, and illuminated by flames, certainly looked like something straight out of National Geographic. Then she caught sight of Remi’s huge smile and her fear quickly faded.

  Something bumped into the side of the boat, causing Jenn to startle. Tearing her gaze away from the natives, she realized that they’d pulled up to a large wooden dock, lined with propane torches.

  The boatman tied up his rig, then started passing Jenn’s luggage up to a waiting attendant.

  “They’ll carry everything to your room,” Remi assured her, stepping out of the boat herself.

  As Jenn followed her friend up onto the dock, her gaze was drawn back down to the dancers on the beach.

  “Do they live here?”

  “Just down the river a bit,” Remi nodded. “Occasionally, we’ll pay them to put on a show. It helps to support their village and the tourists love it.”

  The flow and tide of the dancer’s movements was hypnotic.

  “I can see why,” Jenn gaped, feeling the echo of the drums as if they were resonating within her very soul. “It’s beautiful!”

  “Every gesture and word tells a story,” spoke a deep and terribly familiar voice.

  Jenn’s heart ricocheted off her ribs, while Remi merely beamed at the tall figure emerging from the shadows.

  “Hey Jackson, looks who finally came to visit us.” Remi greeted her older brother.

  He was the last man Jenn ever expected to see here. The one man she would have done just about anything to avoid, which was probably why Remi hadn't mentioned he was around.

  When Jenn was a little girl, she’d fallen in love with her best friend’s brother, but Jackson had clearly seen her as nothing more than a nuisance.

  Try as she might, she’d never been able to earn more than a scowl and a few terse words, until that one night, which had completely destroyed her hope of ever being anything more than his little sister’s friend and an annoyance he’d rather avoid.

  As soon as he was old enough, Jackson had gone off to join the marines and Jenn had done her best to forget him.

  She hadn’t seen him in years, but as he drew closer, she realized she’d never really purged herself of Jackson’s surly charm. If anything, the bastard looked even sexier than she’d remembered.

  Falling head over heels in lust with her best friend’s brother was horribly cliché and embarrassing, the first time it happened. Yet she could feel the familiar storm of butterflies beginning to churn in her gut and she silently berated herself for every damn flutter.

  To be fair, Jackson was living perfection. He was so tall she would have to stand on her tip toes to steal a kiss from him. With emerald green eyes and thick black hair that she’d give anything to run her fingers through.

  He was wearing black slacks, beneath a black tank top, a combination which might look out of place in the city, but seemed appropriate here in the damp heat of the rainforest. It had the added benefit of emphasizing his incredibly broad shoulders and powerful arms.

  She hated how just the sight of him was enough to recall all the fantasies she’d once entertained. Imagining those big, strong arms wrapped around her. Or better yet, feeling the heat of his naked body against hers, as they tumbled into bed together.

  “A few weeks ago, our chief of security retired,” Remi was saying, oblivious to the crimson flush staining Jenn’s cheeks. “It was perfect timing, because Jackson was just finishing his latest tour and was looking for a civilian job to keep him busy. I talked the owner into hiring him.”

  “Nice to see you again, Jenn.”

  Jackson’s deep voice did terrible things to
her body, forcing Jenn to fold her arms over her chest, to hide the way her nipples had perked up beneath the thin material of her blouse.

  “Hi,” she mumbled, hoping that the deepening shadows would hide the desire in her eyes. Then Jackson turned to speak with his sister, dismissing Jenn with the same indifference he’d shown her as a child.

  Although, she’d half expected as much, she still felt a pang of disappointment.

  “It sounds like I’ll have to work tonight.” Remi made a face as she concluded the brief conversation with her brother and returned full attention to Jenn. “I'm sorry. One of the staff called in sick, so I’ve got to cover for them, but Jackson can show you around.”

  “No!” Jenn answered quickly, avoiding his gaze. “I’m actually pretty tired. I’d rather just go up to my room.”

  Remi frowned in concern.

  “You do look like you could use the extra sleep. Are you sure everything is okay? You don’t really seem like yourself.”

  “I’m sure it’s just jet lag,” Jenn assured her. “I’ll be back to my old self in the morning. I promise.”

  Remi’s scowl lifted.

  “Alright, follow me, I’ll show you to your room.”

  Jenn couldn’t help but sneak one last peek at Jackson as Remi led her away, but she quickly snatched her gaze back when she found him watching her, his brows drawn together in a pensive scowl.

  The resort was unlike anything Jenn had ever imagined. There was a huge palm-roofed lodge built just up from the river, with a swimming pool, a bar, and an immense dining hall, to create a focal point for the tourist area.

  From the lodge, heading off into the rainforest, a few narrow pathways cut through the trees and underbrush to a chain of grass-roofed bungalows.

  Each bungalow had a screened porch, with a hammock or two hanging inside, out of reach of the giant mosquitos which now buzzed around their heads.

  Remi stopped in front of one bungalow and handed her a key.

  “This is you! Isn’t it adorable?”

  Remi led Jenn through the screened porch, and into an enclosed room with two single sized beds. On the far end of this room was a large closet and a small bathroom. An attendant had already brought Jenn’s suitcases up from the boat and left them in a neat stack beside one of the beds.

  “I’ll just warn you right now, don’t plan to take a long shower after dusk,” Remi grinned conspiratorially. “The whole resort is eco-friendly. We use solar energy to run the water heaters, so after the sun goes down, you’ve only got about five minutes of hot water in the tank. After that, the water turns cold and won’t warm up again until morning.”

  “Yikes.” Jenn eyed the tiny bathroom warily. “That’s good to know.”

  “I should also warn you that there are no internal lights in the bungalows,” Remi continued. “There’s a small battery powered lamp on the table between the beds, but I’d recommend you get some sleep, because we’re starting your adventure first thing in the morning.”

  Jenn quickly stepped over to push the button on the tiny lamp, then silently compared its dim glow to the powerful flashlight which Remi was carrying.

  “Isn’t this great?” Remi beamed.

  “Sure,” Jenn responded carefully. “Are all the bungalows like this? What about the lodge, are there rooms available in the lodge?”

  “Nope. This is it. The whole resort is green and eco-friendly. Any fossil fuels must be boated down the river, and solar panels can only support a limited number of necessities, like the water heaters. That’s part of what makes this place so amazing.”

  Remi was bubbling with such enthusiasm, Jenn found it hard to complain.

  “It’s great,” she agreed, although maybe not what she’d expected.

  “Just wait until you see what I’ve got planned for you tomorrow. You’re going to love it!” Remi gave Jenn a hug. “I wish I could stay and just chat, but I really have to get to work. If you need me, just follow the path back down to the lodge. Oh, uh, don’t wander off the path at night, okay? Stay in the torch light. It’s safer.”

  Jenn didn’t dare ask why the rainforest might be unsafe at night, too many possibilities came to mind and she didn’t want any of them confirmed.

  “I’ll be fine, I’m just going to get some sleep.”

  Jenn watched as Remi hurried back out of the bungalow and down the shadowy path towards the lodge. The old-fashioned metal key dug into her palm as her hands closed into fists at her sides.

  She’d never been afraid to be alone, not even as a child. She’d never had a reason to be afraid, before Roger’s violence had escalated and the frightening photographs had started arriving.

  She needed to find her courage.

  Roger was gone, he couldn’t hurt her anymore. And whoever this stalker was, she’d find a way to remove him from her life too.

  If she were lucky, he’d grow bored now that she was out of the country and out of his reach.

  She was a survivor, a fighter, a successful woman who was going to spend the next few weeks enjoying a once in a lifetime rainforest vacation and having fun with her best friend.

  With a determined grimace, she walked back into the bungalow, shut the door and shoved the key into the lock to secure it. Then she hesitated, as she heard the outer porch door open and close once more.

  Was Remi back? Had she forgotten something?

  Jenn pulled the key out of the lock and was about to open the bedroom door, when a small white square of paper slid underneath, coming to rest near her foot.

  Her entire body froze as she stared down at the envelope resting on the smooth wooden floor.

  A note? For her? It couldn’t be. Remi or Jackson would have knocked, and she didn’t know anybody else on the resort. Adrenaline abruptly flooded through her system, as another possibility struck her.

  No! It couldn’t be from her stalker. It was impossible! He was a million miles away, in New York, while she was in the middle of the Amazon, on a resort that could only be reached by boat.

  There was no way! But she’d been through so much over the last few months, the fear would not be silenced. She felt trapped, threatened. It had to be a mistaken delivery, but she needed to see inside that envelope. She couldn’t allow the fear to control her.

  Her entire body shook as she crouched to pinch the envelope between thumb and forefinger to lift it off the floor.

  It wasn’t sealed. The photo slipped out, to land on the floor near her feet.

  Her own face stared up at her. The photographer had captured Jenn’s expression as she’d been staring out the window at the Cusco airport, waiting for her charter plane to start boarding. It was a moment when she’d felt safe. When she wasn’t afraid.

  She was afraid now. Terrified!

  Her stalker had been at the airport, watching her. It felt like an even bigger violation of her privacy, to know that he’d seen her with her defenses down, a moment when she’d thought she was safe.

  And he’d followed her to South America!

  This wasn’t just a stalker, she realized now, she was really and truly in danger.

  She couldn’t think clearly. All she knew was that she couldn’t stay in that room, all alone, without knowing where the creep was and how close he might be getting to her.

  Panicking, she lurched upright to quickly lock the bedroom door. Then she tried to use her cell phone to call for help, but of course, there was no service. She was in the middle of the freaking Amazon rainforest. What had she expected?

  This was all a huge mistake. She should never have come to South America. Why had she thought she would be safe here? At least back in New York she’d been in her own environment. She’d known who her neighbors were and who she could trust.

  Here she was surrounded by strangers in a strange place, where her stalker could easily hide in plain sight. He could get close to her here. Much closer than he could have gotten to her back at home.

  She wanted to scream in frustration.

  Sh
e’d taken this trip to get away from this asshole, to reclaim her life, but he’d followed her!

  A sharp knock on the outer porch door nearly scared her out of her skin.

  Was he standing out there, waiting for her to open the bedroom door and acknowledge him? Had he been standing just on the other side of that flimsy door as she’d opened the envelope? Had he listened to her gasp of fear when she’d seen what was inside?

  She couldn’t move. She couldn’t breathe. She was so terrified she was afraid she might faint, but if she did, she’d be helpless. Oh god! What was she going to do?

  “Jenn? Are you in there?” Jackson’s deep voice cut through her fear and spurred her into motion.

  Without thinking. Without considering the consequences. She threw open the door and launched herself into his arms.

  Jackson grunted softly as her weight struck his chest, then his big hands closed around her waist, attempting to lift her away. She just dug in her nails and held onto him like a bloody big cat, clinging to the illusion of security that his presence offered.

  “What the hell? You’re shaking! What’s going on?” He demanded.

  The tone of his voice might once have terrified her, but now it somehow made her feel safe. It was familiar. His scent surrounded her. The hard strength of him was pressed against her, solid and safe.

  “Jenn?” He was growing more concerned, but she couldn’t find her voice. She couldn’t face reality yet. She just wanted to entrench herself in his arms and hide there until the fear subsided.

  Abruptly the world tilted and she realized Jackson had given up on trying to push her away and had instead scooped her up, like a baby, so he could carry her back into her room.

  Tapping the door shut with his heel, he carried her over to the bed.

  Although she would have preferred to remain in his arms, with her face buried against his chest and out of his sight, she didn’t have the strength to resist as he sat her down on the mattress and straightened up to tower over her with a piercing scowl and powerful arms crossed in disapproval.

  “Explain.” He commanded.

  It took a moment for her to work up the nerve to meet his eyes, hating the way her stomach fluttered and her gaze tried to skip off to the side. Even with all that she’d been through, with all the fear she was drowning in, one look from Jackson could still make her heart pound.