Can he be her everything…

As the beautiful public face of her family’s legendary cosmetics empire, Courtney Adams lives a life of privilege and glamour. But her hectic schedule leaves no time for pleasure. Until her latest commercial shoot takes her to the Dominican Republic, where she meets a sexy, soul-stirring stranger.

…when he’s not the man she thinks he is?

Alone together in their exotic idyll, Jasper Jackson can’t get enough of the stunning Atlanta heiress. And when a family emergency sends her rushing home, he knows he can’t let her go. But what happens when Courtney discovers that her island lover is really one of Atlanta’s most powerful developers—and the son of her family’s long-standing enemy? With sabotage looming, will it be the end of two towering dynasties…or a new beginning for a man and a woman who have become everything to each other?

Jasper slid onto the barstool next to hers.

“I thought you were too busy with errands to join me.”

“I finished up early.”

“And decided to grace me with your presence? How generous of you.”

“I figured I couldn’t allow a woman as beautiful and sexy as you to sit alone at a resort bar,” Jasper replied smoothly. “The vultures would be circling.” He eyed the rest of the men at the bar who were giving him the evil eye.

“So you think I’m sexy?”

Jasper eyed her up and down. “In that dress, hell yeah.” He laughed. “But then again, you were pretty hot in those skimpy shorts and top earlier.”

She gave him a sideways glance. “I thought you hadn’t noticed.”

“I’d be dead not to.” Jasper sipped on his beer.

“So we’ve established that you find me attractive,” Courtney replied and spun around to face him. The chemistry between them was palpable. She was sure everyone else had to feel their sizzling connection. “So what now?”

There was a lot of innuendo behind Courtney’s remark, but Jasper opted to be good, for now. “How about we start with names? Mine’s Jasper. And yours?”

“Courtney.”

Jasper held up his drink. “To having a good time.”

“To a good time.” Courtney clicked her glass against his.

YAHRAH ST. JOHN

is the author of ten books and numerous short stories. A graduate of Hyde Park Career Academy, she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from Northwestern University. Her books have garnered four-star ratings from RT Book Reviews, Rawsistaz Reviewers, Romance in Color and numerous book clubs. In 2012, St. John was nominated for the RT Book Reviews Reviewer’s Choice Award for Best Series Romance. A member of Romance Writers of America, St. John is an avid reader of all genres. She enjoys the arts, cooking, traveling, basketball and adventure sports, but her true passion remains writing. St. John lives in sunny Orlando, the City Beautiful.

Formula for Passion

Yahrah St. John

MILLS & BOON

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Dedicated to Beatrice Astwood for her love and support and making me feel like a daughter.

Dear Reader,

Formula for Passion concludes the Adams Affair trilogy with Courtney Adams falling for Jasper Jackson, the son of her family’s mortal enemy.

Courtney and Jasper are strangers who embark on a no-strings-attached tryst in the Dominican Republic but soon realize love is on the menu. Life gets complicated when family loyalty seeks to supersede their romance. Expect to see Jasper’s father, Andrew Jackson of Jax Cosmetics, take center stage in the drama.

I hope you will find it a satisfying conclusion as I give closure to the Adams and Jackson feud once and for all, while you catch up on your favorite characters: Kayla and Ethan Graham and Shane and Gabrielle Adams.

Visit my website at yahrahstjohn.com for the latest updates and details on my next book, expected in spring 2013. Or contact me via email at Yahrah@yahrahstjohn.com.

Warm regards,

Yahrah St. John

A heartfelt thanks to my friends and family for their faith and encouragement. My utmost gratitude to my readers for their continued loyalty. And to Freddie Blackman…for all the love and inspiration.

Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Epilogue

Chapter 1

“A trip to the Dominican Republic? Sounds fabulous!” Courtney Adams was overjoyed at the prospect of leaving the chilly January weather of Atlanta. As a spokesmodel for Adams Cosmetics, she really did have better perks than her older sister, Kayla, the CEO, and brother, Shane Adams, vice president and head chemist. She’d been in Milan for New Year’s Eve for a fashion show, and now no more than two weeks later, she was off to the Caribbean.

“This is not a vacation, Courtney,” said her brother-in-law, Ethan Graham, part owner of Adams Cosmetics. “You would be there for Bliss’s new campaign.” Bliss was the company’s third fragrance.

“I’m well aware of that.” They’d all been summoned to the conference room for a mandatory board meeting. It was a new-year, new-start sort of thing. “I’m just saying that it’s a welcome change after all the drama with Ecstasy’s debut.” Ecstasy was their previous perfume that, thanks to the machinations of their competitor Jax Cosmetics, had a rocky start in the marketplace. But in the end, Ecstasy’s revenues surpassed the knockoff Jax Cosmetics had produced.

“We’re looking to capture the clean, modern and oceanic quality to Bliss,” Shane added. “And what better way than on the beach? Gabrielle and I—” he smiled over at his fiancée, who’d joined Adams Cosmetics last year “—went

there a month ago and we were so impressed that we thought it would be the perfect location for the ad campaign. And once they saw the pictures, Kayla and Ethan agreed.”

“Well, I’m there,” Courtney responded. “When do I leave?”

“Myra is finalizing your travel arrangements,” Kayla said. She’d just finished feeding her five-month-old son, Alexander, and returned from the employee day-care center.

“We’d like you to leave by the end of the week.”

“You’ll love Sea Breeze Resorts,” Gabrielle said. “Shane and I found the resort to be first class. The staff is so warm and friendly you’ll hate to leave.”

“I’m looking forward to it,” Courtney replied. She needed a break from all the lovey-dovey in the air. First Kayla and Ethan had gotten married over a year ago and then Shane and Gabby had gotten engaged. And although she’d orchestrated her brother’s union, she still felt like the odd man out. Her mother, Elizabeth, was in full mother-hen mode and eager to fix Courtney up with any number of eligible Atlanta bachelors. It was time for her to make like a ghost.

“I’m so excited for this trip,” Courtney told Kayla once their meeting adjourned. “I need to get away.”

“You have been a little restless these days,” Kayla noted. Courtney was usually full speed on all cylinders, but since Ecstasy’s campaign had died down, it had been quiet on the home front. Her little sister had seemed content helping plan Shane and Gabrielle’s wedding, but Kayla knew better. Courtney craved excitement.

“I’ve been still for too long,” Courtney agreed. “I’m used to having too much to do and now I don’t have enough.”

“Are you looking for more responsibility in the company?” Kayla inquired.

Courtney nodded. “I can only survive on my looks for so long. I mean, I’m already past my prime in model years. I’m twenty-seven.”

“Well, we’d love to have you take a bigger role here. You’re not just a pretty face to me. With your marketing degree, you’re a real asset to AC.”

Courtney smiled broadly. It was nice hearing those words from Kayla. She’d always wanted her big sister’s approval, but sometimes that was hard to come by. Kayla had always been very focused on her studies and learning the business, while Courtney had been about having fun and being carefree. It was getting long past time that she started acting like an adult and not an adolescent model.

“Why don’t you get whatever it is out of your system?” Kayla replied. “And when you get back, be ready to get down to business.”

“That sounds like a plan.”

* * *

“What is going on, Mark?” Jasper Cartwright asked his head of development that same morning in his office at Sea Breeze Resorts in Punta Cana. He’d just reviewed the report from the lender’s inspector on his second hotel in the Dominican Republic, Palace at Punta Cana, which was currently under construction, and seen that work wasn’t as far along as he’d hoped on the project. To make matters worse, he didn’t like the materials the construction company was using. Yet they had passed the bank’s inspection. But even if the bank that had lent him the money was satisfied, Jasper wasn’t. In his gut he felt something was amiss at the construction site.

“I thought you’d vetted this crew out?” Jasper asked from behind his desk.

“I did,” Mark returned. “They were highly recommended by several local businesses.”

“And did they use subpar materials on their build-outs too?” Jasper asked testily.

Mark appeared to be offended by Jasper’s tone. He’d always taken his job very seriously and clearly didn’t like the implication. “You don’t know that for sure.”

“Don’t forget I used to work in construction,” Jasper said. “I’ve done it all, from helping pour concrete to framing the walls to painting. It appears they are using inferior materials from what was drawn on the architectural plans. I want them off the site.”

“We can’t do that, Jasper. You signed a contract. You would stand to lose millions.”

“I’ve lost faith in this general contractor.”

“Then perhaps you should become more involved with the construction from here on out.” Over the years, Jasper had allowed Mark to take the lead with this project.

Jasper rubbed his jaw. Mark had a point, and it gave him a crazy idea. Perhaps it was time to get his hands dirty again. Usually he would have been there himself, overseeing things, but he’d had to take a step back when his mother, Abigail, had taken a spill on the steps of her farmhouse in Marietta, Georgia. He’d gone back to the States for a couple of weeks so he could spend some time with her. He’d hired a private nurse to help with her rehabilitation, and she was progressing smoothly.

But now was clearly the time to jump back in. This prime piece of property had fallen into his lap and he couldn’t afford to have it wasted because of bad construction. He needed to be more hands-on, and what better way than to go to the construction company and pose as a laborer or better yet a foreman? He could use his background to get hired, which would give him a way of seeing exactly what was going on on-site. Of course, he ran the risk of the general contractor recognizing who he was. But throughout, Mark had been the face of the project, and Jasper had been behind the scenes. He should be able to get by without anyone being the wiser.

“That’s exactly what I’m going to do,” Jasper stated.

* * *

“What makes you tick, Ms. Adams?” the reporter with the Atlanta Star asked when he visited the Adams family estate to interview Courtney for the cover of their next magazine. The issue was going to focus on the top thirty under thirty in Atlanta business.

When he’d arrived with a photographer, Courtney had been ready for him. She’d already called ahead to make sure Viola, AC’s makeup stylist, was present, because she had to be camera ready and look her absolute best. Her stylist had picked out several different outfits for her to be photographed in. The first was a cream pantsuit with a plunging neckline and the final one was a white, one-shoulder evening gown with a front slit that showed off one toned thigh.

It was increasingly becoming a chore getting all dolled up for the press. As much as Courtney loved the fame, she was ready for a change. The photographer shot Courtney in several areas of the estate, in her bedroom facing her cheval mirror, in the gardens and by the pool. When they were done, they returned to the living room where Victor, their butler, had sweet tea and lemon cake waiting on the coffee table.

“You have it all—fame, wealth and beauty. The world is your oyster. What more could you want?” The reporter set the tape recorder on the coffee table.

“I am pretty lucky,” Courtney said, touching her chest. “But let me tell you that fame is fleeting. There will be another pretty face to take my place soon enough.”

“I don’t know about that,” the reporter commented, leaning back against the sofa. “You’ve dominated the Atlanta scene for over a decade and are always seen in New York, Paris and Milan.”

He was right about that. Courtney had loved the spotlight. It was as if she was born to be there, but all good things must come to end. “True, but I guess that dovetails into your other comment. Wealth. I’ve cultivated my fame to help brand my family’s cosmetics company. It’s not for personal gain. I’d like to think I’ve played a part in the company’s success.”

“I would say so. If you hadn’t been in the limelight, no one would know Adams Cosmetics. Which brings me to my next question. For twenty years, Adams Cosmetics was a boutique firm catering to a specific clientele. What has it been like merging with such a corporate Goliath like Graham International?”

Courtney smiled soberly. “It was an adjustment for all of us, but we’ve acclimated. And now we’re bigger and stronger than ever.” It had taken a long time for Courtney to feel comfortable with Kayla and Ethan running the company. She’d been none too pleased when her brother-in-law had tried replacing her with Noelle Warner, an actress. Who also happened to be his ex-girlfriend. It was doomed from the start. “We’ve introduced new products in our cosmetics line, revamped our skin-care line and introduced two new fragrances, Hypnotic and Ecstasy. And we have another on the way.”

“Sounds like you’re a busy lady,” he said. “How is your love life faring? I mean with your good looks, men must be bountiful.”

Courtney skated by his question and said, “I think I get my good looks from my mother, Elizabeth. She’s absolutely stunning.”

“Did you inherit those famous green eyes from her?”

“I did. So did my brother.”

“That’s right, your brother, Shane, is AC’s chemist. He’s getting married soon, yes?”

“In a couple of months.”

“Wow. Your sister and brother both married in the last two years. Does that make you hear wedding bells yourself?”

“Absolutely not.” Courtney shook her head fervently. “I love my freedom and am content with the status quo. I’ll leave it to my siblings to marry and procreate.”

“Are you saying you would never marry?”

Courtney shrugged. “I don’t know if I’m the marrying kind. I’m having too much fun being single.” And she couldn’t wait to hop on a plane and find out just how much fun she could have.

* * *

As he drove in an old pickup, Jasper was pleased with himself. In less than an hour, he’d secured a position at Dorchester Construction Company, the company he’d hired to construct his new hotel, and would begin work on Monday. He’d driven his old beat-up Ford pickup truck, because it wasn’t as if he could drive his Lamborghini to the hotel site and expect to get hired.

Jasper had acted as if he were a man down on his luck. The superintendent had taken one look at his truck and his attire of ripped jeans and T-shirt and hired him on the spot. It had helped that his foreman had just quit, and he was in need of help. But why would the foreman have quit such an illustrious project? It didn’t make sense, and Jasper suspected his gut was right on the money that something was wrong on-site. The superintendent had requested a résumé, which Jasper didn’t have, but he’d given him several references, all of whom Jasper phoned in advance to give a heads-up of his plan.

The superintendent had easily fallen for his act. Now Jasper would have the opportunity to finally see what was going on.

* * *

When Courtney arrived in Punta Cana on Sunday afternoon after a three-and-a-half-hour flight, she was amazed at just how beautiful the Dominican Republic truly was. Flying over the Atlantic Ocean, she’d gotten a clear view of the island thanks to the cloudless blue sky. She saw sparkling cobalt waters, magnificent palm trees and sandy white beaches. It was Mother Nature at her best.

A hired car greeted her at the airport and whisked her to Sea Breeze Resorts. The hotel was tucked away from the other resorts and required a forty-five-minute drive to get there, but it was worth the wait. Sea Breeze Resorts had its own private beach, plush landscaping and the greenest grass she’d ever seen. Courtney was sure the golf course she’d passed on her way to the main building was a top-ranked course. Golf wasn’t her favorite sport, but it was a necessary evil and had gotten her in front of movers and shakers she wouldn’t otherwise have met.

The car stopped in front of a whitewashed stucco building, and a bellhop immediately opened the passenger door and helped her out of the vehicle. “Welcome to Sea Breeze Resorts.”

“Thank you.” Courtney smiled, accepting his hand. She was impressed at the prompt service. Even more so when a man whom she assumed was the hotel manager, dressed in a formal suit, greeted her by name as she walked in the lobby.

“Welcome, Ms. Adams, to Sea Breeze Resorts. My name is Miguel,” the older, distinguished gentleman said. “It’s a pleasure to have a celebrity of your caliber staying at the resort.”

He led her to the check-in desk that was situated in the open-air lobby, where a wood-paneled walkway surrounded two small pools of water lilies and sea turtles. The hotel manager took care of checking her in himself.

“Celebrity? I wouldn’t say that.” From the lobby, she could see the property’s spectacular ocean view and elegant accommodations. The focal point was the seventeenth-

century hand-carved wooden archway that encased the entrance and the Dominican art sculptures that adorned the windows.

“But you and your family are featured in this month’s Essence magazine, are you not?”

Courtney nodded. “Yes, we are.” She’d forgotten that Ethan had arranged for the Adams and Graham family to be spotlighted in the magazine.

“Then, you’re a celebrity,” the hotel manager said. “My name is Miguel and I will be happy to assist you during your stay at Sea Breeze Resorts. We’ve arranged an excellent suite for you with a majestic view of the ocean from your terrace. You’ll love it.”

“Thank you so much,” Courtney replied. Typically, she was in more cosmopolitan places like New York and Paris. She rarely got to go someplace warm, let alone frolic on the beach. And she intended to do a lot of frolicking on her stay. She’d promised Kayla she would get the wanderlust out of her system, and she intended to do just that.

With all the wedding planning for Gabby, who was inept at fashion, Courtney had been on a self-imposed male hiatus. It was time she had a little fun.

“Allow me to show you to your room and once you’ve had time to freshen up, I can give you a tour of our fabulous resort.”

“That sounds great.”

An hour later Courtney had showered in her oceanfront suite. She was duly impressed with the seven-thousand-

acre resort and could see why Shane and Gabby had recommended it for the shoot and her stay; it was nothing short of phenomenal. The resort was upscale and infused with modern sophistication and Asian twists in its furnishings and architecture. It was as if the owners had thought of every possible amenity from the infinity-edge pool, the fitness center, the tennis courts to the spa. The manager had indicated there was horseback riding, Jet-Skiing and windsurfing too. It was going to be a great trip, complete with a photo shoot and commercial for Bliss’s new campaign.

Thanks to Miguel, she was sat at the chef’s table with several other high-profile guests and enjoyed a delicious four-course meal later that evening. Although dinner was incredible, it was three hours long and Courtney was eager to depart and get some rest after flying; tomorrow she would explore the island.

* * *

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Courtney said, pulling her rental car over along the side of the highway. Despite Miguel’s insistence that she take a hired car, Courtney had decided to tour the island herself without a guide. She hated to be tethered down to a set itinerary, and she’d had a good time driving around the island all day. But this was not on the menu.

Courtney jumped out of the Dodge Charger in her shorts and tank top and stared down at the rear driver’s-side tire. She had a flat. She’d never had a flat in her entire life, and she certainly didn’t know how to change one. She glanced around the dirt road but didn’t see a car in sight. She’d passed a gas station a couple of miles back, but that was quite a hike. Courtney glanced down at her Manolo Blahnik shoes. They were not made for walking, especially not in ninety-five-degree weather.

It was already sweltering hot outside. The sun was high overhead and Courtney could feel the first beads of sweat beginning to form on her brow. She hated to sweat unless she was playing a sport or being active in her favorite spot: the bedroom. She leaned inside the window she’d rolled down earlier and grabbed the bottled water she’d been smart enough to bring, then took a generous swig.

An hour later, the afternoon sun was baking her delicate café-au-lait skin, so Courtney pulled out the car manual and reviewed how to change a tire. It might as well have been written in Portuguese. She only spoke fluent French and a little Spanish, so she couldn’t make heads or tails of it. She would have to fly solo. Courtney opened the trunk and took out the donut from the floor. She found some device called a lug wrench and what she could only assume was a jack to lift the car.

She was bending down to take the lug nuts off the hubcap when she heard the roar of an engine coming down the highway. She had a savior, thank God!

* * *

Jasper sighed wearily as he drove back to the resort in his pickup. He’d had a long first day. After completing the usual employment paperwork, he’d met up with the superintendent of the construction company to walk the site. He had put on his hard hat and steel-toe boots and followed him outside. The superintendent had introduced him to his laborers as well as several key subcontractors, such as the electrician, plumber and finisher and painter. Jasper shook hands with each of them. He intended to talk to them extensively, on the sly of course, to see if he could figure out exactly what was going on at his hotel.

The day had been long. Jasper had forgotten what backbreaking work it was to be in construction. He was ready for a nice hot shower and to change into his linen trousers and Tommy Bahama polo shirt. That is, until he saw a statuesque beauty bending down on the side of the road, wearing skimpy shorts and a formfitting tank top.

As he stopped his truck on the opposite side of the road, he got a nice view of her well-shaped behind. He was admiring the view when the beauty gazed up at him. With her hand shielding her face from the sun, she yelled, “If you’re done staring at my butt, would you care to lend me a hand?”

Jasper smiled broadly as he jumped out of the vehicle. A woman with attitude! He liked her already. “My, my,” he said as he crossed the road, “someone is sure testy.”

“You would be too if you’d been standing out in this blistering heat for an hour. I have delicate skin.”

“I bet.” Jasper chuckled. He was unprepared for the sight that greeted him once he got up close and personal. The woman was tall in what had to be four-inch heels, but that wasn’t all. She wasn’t just beautiful, she was breathtaking. She had creamy latte-colored skin that complemented her sleek, sophisticated bob with honey-blond highlights. And, well, her green eyes were nothing short of arresting! They stopped him dead in his tracks.

Courtney sighed wearily. She was used to men’s reactions toward her looks, but there was something about this one that was a little bit different from the other men she’d encountered. There was something strong about him and his dark chocolate skin that appealed to her on a physical level. She guessed he must be six foot two, maybe three, and despite his less-than-desirable attire of ripped jeans and a T-shirt, he smelled all man.

“Well, are you going to help me or not?” she asked. “Or do you always stare at ladies dumbfounded? I doubt that gets you very far.” The second the words were out of her mouth, Courtney realized she sounded a bit harsh.

“Listen, lady.” Jasper quickly snapped out of his daze at her tone. “It’s you who needs my help, not the other way around.” He glanced down at her attempt at changing a flat tire.

Courtney stood up straight. She’d never had someone give it back to her like that, and she had to begrudgingly admire it even if she didn’t like it. “You’re right, so if you would please be so kind as to help me out of a pinch, I would appreciate it.”

“That’s better!” Jasper walked around the entire length of her rental car and then stated, “Can’t do it.”

“Well, why the hell not! It’s just a flat tire,” she responded gruffly.

Jasper laughed at her indignation, which only infuriated Courtney further. She stomped toward him, giving him a great view of her pert bosom in the formfitting tank top. “Because, my dear, you have two flat tires.” He inclined his head in the direction of the passenger’s-side rear tire.

“How can that be?” Courtney shook her head. “Who gets two flat tires?”

“Apparently you do?” He grinned broadly. “You must have rolled over some nails.”

“For Christ’s sake!” She should have listened to the hotel manager instead of going off on her own. Now look where she was, stuck on a dirt road with a construction worker. “Well, if it’s money you’re after to help me, I’m sure I can accommodate you.”

Jasper’s eyes narrowed at her condescending tone. This high-class diva was probably used to getting what she wanted with a bat of her eyelashes. She probably thought he was some poor schmuck off the street whom she could speak to any kind of way. She was wrong. “I don’t have to do a damn thing. And if I were you, I wouldn’t be throwing around the fact that you have money in these parts. It might attract the wrong sort, if you get my drift.” And with that comment, he started walking back toward his truck.

Courtney stormed after him as best she could in four-inch heels on a rocky dirt road. “Wait, just a minute. Where do you think you’re going?”

Jasper turned around and Courtney caught a flash of anger in his eyes, but just as quickly it was gone. “I’m leaving. Or do you need me to get an interpreter for you?”

“Oh!” Courtney was flabbergasted. “You’re just going to leave me here?”

Jasper opened his truck door and hopped in the driver seat. “That’s exactly what I’m going to do. Perhaps you should be more kind to Good Samaritans.” He turned on the engine. It sputtered to life and seconds later, he shifted into gear, leaving her staring at his bumper. It was what she deserved considering the way she’d spoken to him. She had acted like a princess and as if she were entitled to a ride. He owed her nothing.

So why did he feel terrible? From his rearview mirror, he could see her standing in the middle of the road. She looked shell-shocked that he had left her stranded on the road in a bad area of town where beautiful, rich women like her disappeared in a nanosecond.

Seconds later, Jasper was reversing his truck to scoop her up. His mother had raised a gentleman, so he couldn’t very well leave her alone. When he reached her, her arms were folded across her chest and he could see she was pouting. He swung open the passenger door. “Get in!”

Courtney paused, debating whether she should get in the vehicle. It was dirty and looked as though he hauled debris of some sort in it. Not to mention the fact that he could be some crazy ax murderer. How would she know? She probably wouldn’t realize it until he’d taken her to some abandoned house in the woods never to be heard from again.

“I’m not going to ask you a second time, princess,” Jasper warned.

Courtney didn’t have a whole lot of options. If she stayed there, she could be stuck until nightfall and what would become of her? Throwing caution to the wind, she jumped inside the truck. Something in her gut told her she could trust him. Plus, she didn’t want to be left on the dirt road to fend for herself. She would just have the hotel manager send someone for the car.

“I am not a princess,” Courtney said, looking over to hazard a glance at the stranger.

“You sure act like one,” Jasper replied, shifting into gear and pulling back onto the highway.

“Wow, you sure know how to talk to a lady.”

“Is that what I’m doing? I thought I was giving you a ride back to your resort. Because trust me, if I was trying to talk to you, you would know it.”

Courtney turned around and stared at the stranger. She was surprised, but yet oddly turned on by his confidence. He didn’t seem to have the same social graces that some of her boy toys did, but perhaps that was why she tired of them so easily. “You sure are cocky.”

“I’ve been told that before.”

“But you don’t care?”

Jasper shrugged, which Courtney took to mean he couldn’t care less what others thought about him. She wished she could do the same. She always had to be conscious of how she was viewed by the public. It was up to her to sell the Adams Cosmetics brand, so her every movement was calculated. She supposed it was why when she was eighteen, she had done something completely reckless.

She’d gotten married to Chaise Anderson, whom she’d known only a few weeks. She’d met Chaise, the son of a wealthy Atlanta businessman, at a local party. He was good-looking, charming and sexy. The attraction between them had been instant. So when Chaise suggested they run away to Vegas to get married, Courtney had been on board. She’d been dying to get out of her parents’ grip, and marriage had seemed like the next best thing. The marriage hadn’t lasted longer than a few days because, as soon as her father, Byron, had found out, he’d flown to Vegas. She’d gotten quite the tongue-lashing about the image she was portraying and he’d insisted she have the marriage annulled. Courtney had never seen her father so furious and she had quickly agreed. But truth be told, she’d liked being free and reckless, if only for a little bit.

The remainder of the drive continued in silence with the exception of Courtney asking the stranger to roll up the window and turn on the air-conditioning. That’s when he’d promptly informed her there was no a/c and they hadn’t spoken a word since. Clearly, her handsome stranger was a man of few words.

He also looked like the type who knew how to handle a woman in the bedroom. Where had that thought come from? She didn’t mind a bad boy every now and then, but they were usually the clean-cut type, trust-fund babies who liked to have fun. But this guy, he was different from the men she usually encountered. There was something a little dangerous about him and it was kind of a rush. Courtney shook her head, trying to shake the thought out of her head, but she was having a hard time focusing. They were in such close quarters she could smell his woodsy earth scent, and it was making her horny.

She was happy when the resort finally came into view and the truck made an unceremonious stop in front of the entrance. She turned to the stranger at her side and said, “Thanks for the ride.” She reached inside her purse for her wallet, but the stranger placed his large dark hand over hers. Courtney felt a tingle shoot straight from her hand to her core.

“Think I told you about offering folks money,” he said. “Didn’t I?”

Courtney lowered her eyes and blushed. “You did. So perhaps I can buy you a drink as a thank-you?” She looked up at him and a smile spread across her lips.

When Jasper’s dark eyes stared into her green ones, Courtney swallowed hard. Her throat felt parched and she licked her lips. The stranger’s eyes followed her movement, and that made her nervous. Why was he so silent? Speak, for goodness’ sake!

* * *

Jasper thought about the princess’s offer. Despite her efforts to appear aloof, he could see she was attracted to him. Her body language was giving it away, and he noticed her breasts in the tank top perk up at his long gaze. And then wetting those full, sumptuous peach-stained lips told him everything he needed to know. Normally, he would accept and take what she was offering, but he had a feeling the princess was used to getting what she wanted, so he would decline right now. And then have fun making her work for it.

“I have a couple of errands to run,” Jasper replied. “But maybe later?”

She frowned. “Fine.” She threw her purse over her shoulder, opened the truck door and climbed out. “Thanks again for the ride,” she said over her shoulder without hazarding another glance at him.

“’Bye, princess.” Jasper waved.

She stomped inside the resort and didn’t see the hotel manager come out to greet Jasper.

“Would you like me to put the truck away for you, sir?” Miguel asked Jasper when he came around to the driver’s side.

“That’s not necessary. I’m heading to my villa.” Jasper watched as Courtney’s rear disappeared from his view. His villa was located on the outskirts of the Sea Breeze Resorts property. It was close enough for him to check on the resort, but far enough away for him to have his privacy.

“She’s breathtaking, isn’t she?”

“So you noticed, Miguel? I thought you didn’t look at patrons.”

“I usually don’t, sir, but she’s hard not to notice, yes?”

Jasper leaned out over the window and patted the man’s back. “I agree, wholeheartedly. So, what do you know about the lady? Who is she?”

“If you come into my office, sir,” Miguel said, “I can fill you in on the details.”

Chapter 2

Courtney couldn’t believe the man had turned her down. She’d hoped for a quick drink, or maybe even a long roll in the hay with her construction worker. He looked as though he had lots of stamina. Unfortunately, she was left to comb the resort for some fun on her own.

After a long, hot shower and a massage and facial at the resort spa, Courtney was ready for the evening. After a spritz of Bliss over her body, she slid on a long maxi dress in a bold Copacabana print and some ornament-encrusted thong sandals and headed to the bar.

As she entered, Courtney noticed that every male eye in the room turned to her. She wasn’t unaware that the halter maxi dress plunged at the neckline to show off her pert breasts or that the dress plunged to her waist to show her bare back.

The bar was pretty busy and the band had already started playing some merengue music. Courtney scanned the bar looking for an opening and got more than she bargained for when a pair of dark eyes focused solely on her. He was here. How many dark-chocolate, six-foot-three brothers, with a killer smile that could make your panties wet, were on the island? Courtney’s breath caught in her throat. He’d changed his mind, but why? He’d seemed determined to make her feel like a fool for asking him out, so she would give it back to him and act as if she didn’t recognize him.

Courtney sauntered to the bar and sat across the way from her stranger. He could come to her. She knew it was a dangerous cat-and-mouse game they were playing, but she was secretly thrilled at the prospect. She needed a spark of excitement in her life after watching her brother and sister fall in love.

She didn’t have time to order a drink because, shortly after being seated, one of the men who’d been openly staring at her approached.

* * *

From across the room, Jasper drank his Presidente and watched the beautiful seductress through dark lashes. She’d seen him and knew he was here, but she had been content to sweep past him and go to the opposite end of the bar. But from here he could watch her every move. And watch he did.

He watched the gentle sway of her hips as she walked. He watched the breeze as it blew through her short bob. And he was far from oblivious of the swarm of men who had encircled her. She was holding court like the Queen of England, smiling at one, lightly touching another’s arm as she spoke and batting her eyelashes at another. She was an incorrigible flirt!

Miguel had filled him in on all the details about Courtney Adams. She was the illustrious spokesmodel for Adams Cosmetics. Courtney came from money and was probably used to fame and the power it could bring. According to Miguel, she’d used it to keep her family’s company in the public eye. He’d bet she flirted with every man she came into contact with. She probably couldn’t help herself.

The company she worked for, Adams Cosmetics, sounded oddly familiar. He searched far back into his memory, digging for the name. Finally it hit him. Adams Cosmetics was the very same company that his father, Andrew Jackson, had always competed against. Jasper had gotten away from all the madness, but now he’d stumbled right into the lion’s den by meeting his father’s rivals’ daughter.

But that didn’t stop him from being annoyed at the prospect of other men surrounding a woman he felt he had already laid claim to. Of course, she didn’t know that. He’d been aloof when he’d declined her invitation to spend the evening together, but it was time he corrected the matter and got down to business.

“What do you have, pretty lady?” The bartender had finally come around to her side of the bar.

“She’ll have a Presidente,” a masculine voice said from behind her. “What I’m having.”

Courtney’s heart turned over in her chest. He had come over. She spun around on her barstool to face him. He was so close to her she could smell the strong woodsy scent of his cologne wafting to her nose. Jasper had used intimidation to push the other men away to get to her side. All her suitors had taken several steps back and were watching them wearily.

“Excuse me, what do you think you’re doing?” Courtney finally found her voice and eyed him up and down. He looked casually fine in relaxed jeans and a black shirt open at the collar.

“Getting your attention,” Jasper responded. After a cold shower at his villa had been unable to alleviate the hard-on the honey blonde had caused him, he’d returned to his resort to see if she would deliver on the promise that had been in those dazzling green eyes of hers.

Courtney couldn’t help smiling—he was completely arrogant and she dug it. “Well, you have it,” she said, and motioned to the seat beside her.

Jasper slid onto the barstool next to hers.

“I thought you were too busy with errands to join me.”

“I finished up early.”

“And decided to grace me with your presence? How generous of you.”

“I figured I couldn’t allow a woman as beautiful and sexy as you to sit alone at a resort bar,” Jasper replied smoothly. “The vultures would be circling.” He eyed the rest of the men at the bar who were giving him the evil eye.

“So you think I’m sexy?”

Jasper eyed her up and down. “In that dress, hell yeah.” He laughed. “But then again, you were pretty hot in those skimpy shorts and top earlier.”

She gave him a sideways glance. “I thought you hadn’t noticed.”

“I’d be dead not to.” Jasper sipped on his beer.

“So we’ve established that you find me attractive,” Courtney replied, and spun around to face him. The chemistry between them was palpable. She was sure everyone else had to feel their sizzling connection. “So what now?”

There was a lot of innuendo behind Courtney’s remark, but Jasper opted to be good, for now. “How about we start with names? Mine’s Jasper. And yours?”

“Courtney.”

Jasper held up his drink. “To having a good time.”

“To a good time.” Courtney clinked her glass against his.

Courtney didn’t remember how many drinks she had because Jasper had been regaling her with tales of his life in construction and all the mishaps he’d had. Although he hadn’t said as much, she figured he was a construction worker. He appeared to love what he did for a living. Courtney didn’t say much about her job, only that she was in public relations for her family’s company. Jasper seemed happy with that. Neither one of them had offered much in the way of personal information. They were just having a good time.

They did shots of Patrón and then got up to dance. Jasper grasped her hand and they made their way into the throng that had congregated on the dance floor and danced to the merengue band. He was an excellent dancer and easily guided Courtney across the floor. And once his hands were on her body, there was no denying the attraction coursing between the two of them. At the touch of his hands caressing her bare back, a fire spread through Courtney’s loins. Does he feel it too?

When Courtney’s pert breasts grazed against his chest, she felt his lower half respond. And when she ground herself against his arousal to the beat of the music, he groaned and she thought he would lose it and take her right there on the dance floor. But he didn’t. He must have wanted the moment to last longer, because he slowed the pace, and it allowed her to feel the delicious friction of their bodies meeting.

They continued dancing and drinking until the wee hours of the morning when Jasper pulled her aside.

“Wanna get out of here?” he murmured against her ear as he flicked his tongue lightly across it.

Courtney shivered and said, “Yes.”

When they left the bar, the crowd had already thinned out and retired for the night. They walked barefoot toward the beach, since Courtney had abandoned her high heels earlier in the night. That’s when Jasper whisked Courtney into the nearby gazebo. It was dark and granted them plenty of coverage so Jasper could kiss her. His movements were slow and methodical. He snaked his arm around her waist and pulled her firmly to him. Courtney’s head fell back in response because she knew what was coming next. That deliciously sinful mouth of his on hers. He didn’t disappoint. He kissed her the way a soldier kissed the first woman he saw after coming home from a long war.

It was dangerous and passionate, thrilling and exhilarating, all at the same time. His tongue traced the outline of her lips, eager to be inside her warm, waiting mouth. Courtney allowed him entry. His tongue delved into the deep recesses of her mouth and he stroked her tongue with his before sucking hers. Courtney wound her arms around Jasper’s neck and kissed him back with equal fervor. His firm chest pressed against her, causing a tight ache to form in her breasts.

Jasper’s hands palmed her backside, pulling her closer to him. There was no mistaking it, Jasper was as turned on as she was. Courtney reveled in the fact that she could make her tall, dark stranger feel the way she did, because she’d been burning up since the moment she saw him.

“I want you now,” Jasper groaned as his tongue traced her ear with light flicks.

“Oh, yes.” Courtney shuddered. “I want you too.”

Jasper knew exactly how to tease her earlobe to send her mind swirling and make her dizzy and light-headed. She sighed, tingling with anticipation of what she knew was to come, but Jasper suddenly pulled away.

“Wait here. Be right back.” And he was gone in a flash.

After the heat of his skin left hers, Courtney felt bereft. She looked around her and it was dark, with only a faint glow from the stars overhead. Just when she thought he’d abandoned her, Jasper returned with a blanket and laid it across the floor of the gazebo.

Before she could think about what they were about to do out in the open, Jasper was pulling her down on the blanket. It was surprisingly thick and soft against her knees.

Jasper noticed that Courtney’s eyes lowered slightly and she pulled away. “Haven’t you ever done it outside before?”

Her pupils dilated and Courtney blushed, which thankfully he couldn’t see in the dark. She didn’t want him to think she was a prude. “Well, no, but I guess there’s a first time for everything.” She’d always been a little bit of an exhibitionist, but what if someone saw them? She glanced around the dark night.

“Are you afraid to?” he asked, stroking her cheek lightly. “Because we’re far away enough that no one can see us.”

“You sure do know a lot about this place,” Courtney said. “Do you do this often? You know, pick up American women and take them to bed?” How else could he have procured a chenille blanket in the middle of the night?

Jasper paused. “Actually I don’t, but since the moment I saw you—” he crawled toward her on his hands and knees “—I wanted to kiss you, to taste you.” He slid his hand around her neck, leaned his head to one side and laid claim to her lips.

He lifted his head slightly so Courtney could regain her breath and said, “Now’s your chance, princess, to back out, because once we get started I can’t promise I’ll be able to stop.”

“Who said I would want you to?”

They reached for each other at the same time and tumbled down onto the blanket. It was a long, drugging kiss that sapped Courtney of all rational thought. Warning bells were ringing that she shouldn’t be outside making love with a stranger underneath the stars, but she didn’t care. She gave in to the emotion and...it was sweet heaven.

Jasper’s well-defined mouth took full possession of hers. It started when his warm and moist tongue played with the outer corners of her mouth before darting inside for a taste. Then his tongue thrust deeper, penetrating the hollows of her mouth. He made love to her mouth and she shivered with desire.

He pulled back slightly to rain kisses across her forehead, her eyelids, her cheeks and then back to pay tribute to her lips. He grappled with the halter at her nape until he was finally able to release the knot and free her breasts to his searing gaze.

Jasper found Courtney’s breasts to be high and round and ready for him. The tips of his fingers reached out to glide their way down her satin skin before his mouth came down on them, hot and rampant. He took one nipple between his teeth and lightly sucked on it, tormenting her. He drew circles around the bud with his tongue and drew her into his mouth. He loved the other breast with equal measure. She clasped his head to her breasts, never wanting him to stop, but Jasper was clearly eager for more.

“Now, Jasper.”

“Not yet.”

He ignored her pleas and continued his quest by caressing her shoulders, then her bare back, then lowered to the contours of her hips, one inch at a time. A ribbon of desire coiled through Courtney, so she didn’t object when he slid her maxi dress higher and higher until it was at her waist and he could slip his hand between her thighs and cup her intimately.

There were no second thoughts because she was warm and welcomed his hand. And when he rotated his palm across her mound and pushed the tiny fabric that was her thong aside, Courtney let out a whimper of consent.

He slid his fingers between her damp folds and began rubbing light circles around the nub. He watched Courtney’s eyes dilate as she struggled for control. His thumb continued stroking. She was flushed and he could feel the heat coming off her in droves. Oh, yes...she was oh so damp down there. He thrust his finger farther inside her until she began to tremble.

“Yes! Yes!” Oh, dear God. The man had a way with his hands.

“Yes, baby.” The urge to bury himself inside her was overwhelming, but he wanted her to come. He wanted to see the look on her face when she did, to know that she enjoyed his ministrations. He could only imagine how good it would feel once he was inside her. He thrust his tongue deep inside her mouth, kissing her feverishly, all the while his fingers delved deeper and deeper inside her. Only when her inner muscles clenched around him and she screamed out his name did he finally relent.

“Are you ready for me, baby?” Jasper nuzzled her neck and ear.

Courtney answered him by grappling with his belt buckle and zipper. “We need a condom.”

Jasper helped her by pulling his pants and briefs to his ankles and removing a condom from his pocket, while Courtney discarded her thong.

“Did you know this was going to happen?” she asked, looking up at him as he sheathed himself.

Jasper grinned mischievously. “I only hoped.”

One hard, muscular thigh moved between her legs to spread her wide, and the erection she’d felt all night as they danced was now pressed against the opening of her womanhood. She welcomed it. He worked his hardness back and forth over her aroused flesh, causing delicious sensations to whirl through Courtney from the crown of her head to the tips of her toes.

“Now!” Courtney urged. She was teetering on the edge and she needed him inside her. He nudged the tip inside, slow at first, and then he sank into her in one slow, powerful glide. Courtney felt every hot, hard and powerful inch of him. When he was sure her inner muscles had stretched to receive him, Jasper began withdrawing and reentering at a steady rhythm, going deeper and deeper. And as he stroked he covered her body, breasts and lips with hot, desperate kisses. He muttered short phrases. “Courtney! You feel. So wet. And. So good.”

She urged him on by rocking her hips. The impact caused her to reach another shattering orgasm. “Jasper!” she cried, lifting the top half of her body and clutching him to her. A moment later, she shattered as tremors racked her body.

His tempo increased and she felt him reach his climax seconds after hers. He shuddered against her and fell atop her, then withdrew and rolled to his side.

They were both looking up at the ceiling of the gazebo. “Wow!” Jasper murmured as he pulled her closer in the darkness. “That was incredible. You’re amazing, Courtney.”

“You weren’t too bad yourself.” She was in awe of what they had just shared. Courtney stretched languidly, and her last thought was that Jasper might be dangerous to her well-being.

Chapter 3

The next morning, Courtney was startled to find herself naked in a king-size bed with a muscled arm across her naked body. Whose room was this?

The last thing she remembered was drinking shots of Patrón, dancing all night long and making love with Jasper in the gazebo outside. What had gotten into her? She’d thought she’d stopped being so reckless after her two-day marriage to Chaise. Sure, she liked her freedom and this had been wonderful, but it had also been utterly stupid. Anyone could have seen her out there and taken photos and sent them to the press! She was supposed to be the image of Adams Cosmetics. She’d come down here on business, so how would her family feel if she’d been caught in flagrante delicto?

Well, what was done was done, and she had to move forward. Somehow she had to extricate herself from the situation as gently as possible. Courtney tried to rise from the bed, but that only prompted Jasper to stir beside her.

“Good morning, sunshine,” Jasper said as Courtney turned over to face him.

“Morning,” she replied, stifling a yawn with the back of her hand. “I assume you carried me back here?”

Jasper nodded. “I believe I wore you out last night,” he said as he stretched. When he moved, the sheets moved with him and revealed a long expanse of hairless, muscled chest. A vivid memory of running her hands across it came to mind.

“Likewise, it was a very enjoyable evening.” And she had the sore muscles to prove it. “But how can you afford this place?” She motioned around the room as she sat up, clutching the sheet to her bosom.

Jasper shrugged, watching her feeble attempt to cover herself up. He’d seen, tasted and touched everything she had. “I know a few people at the resort that owe me some favors.” He kind of liked the fact that Courtney thought him some poor slob who couldn’t afford an expensive room like this. Perhaps he would get a chance to see the real Courtney.

“Well, aren’t you the man?” Courtney said, smiling as she threw the covers back. “I have a busy day ahead, so I’m going to get going.” She made a move to leave, but Jasper pulled her down until she was flat on her back. He didn’t allow her to utter another word. Instead, his large hands took her face and held it gently. He stared at her for several long moments before he planted a tantalizing kiss on her, coaxing a response from her. She kissed him back, lingering and savoring each moment.

When he finally lifted his head, Courtney was out of breath. “Wow” was all she could mutter. Her memory of last night was somewhat fuzzy, thanks to the liquor, but she was fully awake and alert now, and Jasper was an excellent kisser.

“Did you think I would let you go that easily?” Jasper asked, moving from her lips to nibble and lick on her ear. He’d been immediately attracted to her spunk and her vitality and wasn’t ready for that to end. Courtney wiggled underneath him, trying to move away, but Jasper pulled her into his arms until she was above him. He circled one hand around her neck and pulled those rosy lips of hers back on his.

“That was not supposed to happen,” Courtney said afterward, falling back on the pillows. She couldn’t move because she was completely depleted. Jasper wasn’t just an excellent kisser; he was also a good lover. He was very giving and ensured that she was thoroughly satisfied before his own needs were fulfilled. He’d immediately squelched her feeble protests of leaving with one kiss. Then he’d made love to her until she had no thoughts of leaving his bed.

“You thought you’d make a quick exit and take the walk of shame back to your room, didn’t you?” he asked, turning around to face her with his head resting on his chin.

Courtney couldn’t resist laughing at Jasper’s bluntness. “Uh...something like that.”

“Well, I’m not going to make it that easy for you, Courtney,” Jasper said evenly. “I think you and I both know how combustible our union was just now and how hard that is to come by.”

Jasper was right. Courtney couldn’t recall her climaxes being quite that explosive before, and if the shout that Jasper gave as he came was any indication, it had been the same for him. But so what? What else did they have in common outside the bedroom?

“I can read what’s going on in your mind,” Jasper said, interrupting her thoughts.

She raised an eyebrow. “Oh yeah? And what was I thinking?”

“You were thinking that we have nothing in common other than great sex. So I’m going to offer you a proposition. Stay with me on Punta Cana and find out. No strings attached. And at the end of your trip, we both go our separate ways.” It had been a long time since someone had intrigued him like Courtney, and he wasn’t ready for that to end just yet.

“You want me to stay here in a no-strings-attached fling?” Courtney asked. “Wow, you do think highly of yourself.”

“Don’t act like it’s just me,” Jasper said. “I know you felt it too. We have a connection of sorts, and I’m just saying we should enjoy it for as long as you’re here. Why should we deprive ourselves?” He dazzled her with his perfect white smile.

Courtney stared at Jasper. Here was her fantasy man live in the flesh. Should she go for it? Then her mind came back to Ethan’s comment that she was there for work. But then again, she had said she would have fun on this trip, and Jasper was offering her exactly what she said she wanted.

“I need to think about it.” Courtney slid off the bed and headed toward the bathroom but stopped in her tracks. “Of course, if you want to join me in the shower to try and convince me otherwise, I wouldn’t be opposed to it.”

“Absolutely!” Jasper hopped off the bed and followed her into the bathroom.

Hours later, once Courtney had returned to her hotel room, she decided to call her best friend, Tea. They’d met seven years ago when Adams Cosmetics had hired Tea’s public-relations firm for one of Courtney’s earlier campaigns for Adams Cosmetics. The two women had hit it off instantly and been friends ever since. Because Tea was a couple of years older than Courtney, she helped keep Courtney grounded whenever she got the itch to do something crazy.

Courtney had always wondered where she got her wanderlusting free spirit from. Her father and Kayla were hotheaded workaholics devoted to Adams Cosmetics, while Shane and her mother were more cerebral and creative. Shane had been developing products for AC since he was twenty-five, and their mother was a talented artist. Some of her artwork had been featured in AC campaigns.

Although Courtney loved her family and shared a bond with each of her siblings, she always considered herself somewhat of a rebel. She hated to conform, but that was exactly what had happened when she’d agreed to be AC’s spokesmodel ten years ago. Little did she know how much freedom she would be giving up, but now Jasper was offering her a taste of living on the edge. It secretly thrilled Courtney, but she needed some advice. What better person than her BFF, Tea?

Courtney glanced at her watch from her hotel-room terrace, and then used her iPhone to dial Tea’s work number in Atlanta.

“Tea Santiago.”

“Tea, it’s Courtney.” Courtney slid open the glass doors and sat on one of the terrace lounge chairs, facing the Atlantic. The day was warm, and Courtney was soaking in some of the fresh air and cool ocean breeze.

“Hey, girlfriend, how’s DR treating you?” Tea asked.

“Tea...DR is treating a sista real good.”

“Oh yeah? Did you get yourself some last night? I know you said you were long overdue.”

How was it that Tea could read her so well if they were an ocean apart? “The sex was spectacular!”

“Wow! Spectacular, huh? I’ve had good sex before, even great, but never spectacular.”

“My point exactly,” Courtney said. “Which is why I’m considering having myself an island fling with a construction worker. Jasper is his name. Doesn’t his name just sound sexy? Anyway, he propositioned me to prolong our one-night stand into a fling for the duration of my trip.”

“I thought you only needed to stay for a few days for the campaign.”

“True, but I’m long overdue for a vacation, so perhaps I’ll extend my trip and stay awhile.”

“This Jasper must have done some number on you,” Tea said, “because you have never stuck around long enough with any man for him to make an impact.”

“Ouch.”

“I don’t mean it harshly, Courtney. You know I love you. But you don’t do commitments. You never have. In your personal life, you’re all about fun and freedom. I think it’s because you don’t have that flexibility in your career.”

Courtney was silent on the other end. She knew Tea was right, but to hear her private thoughts out there in the open, to have her best friend shine a light on them, was disconcerting.

“Are you still there?” Tea asked. “Did I say too much?”

“No,” Courtney finally said. “You’re not saying anything I haven’t thought before. But it does make me wonder if I’m capable of something more.”

“Professionally or personally?”

“Both. I mentioned to Kayla before I left that I wanted a larger role in Adams Cosmetics, other than being the face of the company.”

“I’m so glad to hear you say that,” Tea said. She’d been waiting for her friend to speak up and step out of her older sister and brother’s shadow at AC. “You’re capable of a lot more, Courtney. I think your family still thinks of you as the baby and the free spirit. In the meantime, enjoy this Jasper. Get him out of your system and then come back to Atlanta and show your family what you’re made of.”

Even though they were a thousand miles apart, Courtney smiled at her best friend. “That’s why I love you, Tea, because you always give me sound advice. So I’m going to have my fun with Jasper now. You know, love ’em and leave ’em. Then come back ready for bear.”

“Have fun and be safe,” Tea said. “And please do everything I wouldn’t do.”

“Count on it.”

* * *

“So, where have you been?” Mark asked Jasper, when he returned to the office the following afternoon. He’d been shocked when the morning passed and Jasper hadn’t come to work. It was now 1:00 p.m.

“Getting myself hired at Dorchester’s construction company,” Jasper replied.

“So he fell for the bait?”

“Yeah, that old pickup truck really did the trick.”

“So what now?”

“Well, I’ll work there for a few weeks and see exactly what his operations are and find out how he’s constructing my hotel.”

“You’re actually going to do manual labor?”

Jasper laughed. He didn’t take Mark’s comment as an insult. It had been a while since he’d been hands-on. “I’m not above manual labor. How else do you think I started Sea Breeze Resorts? I had to get my hands dirty.”

“I know, but you don’t like to talk about your past much.” Not many people knew his true identity. That Jasper Jackson was the son of millionaire Andrew Jackson. He’d always kept a low profile, staying out of the public eye to ensure no one made the connection. He never did interviews and was considered somewhat of a recluse. Jasper had confided in Mark, his right-hand man, years ago, but he’d sworn him to secrecy. So Mark had never told another soul.

“That’s because there’s not much to speak of.”

Mark regarded him questioningly. “I know there’s more to the story, but I’m going to leave you be. I have a conference call to get to. Let me know how your investigation goes and if you need my help.”

“Will do,” Jasper said as Mark left his office. When he was gone, Jasper rose from his chair and gazed out the window.

Mark was right that he didn’t like talking about his past. Jasper had made a point of distancing himself from his immoral, ruthless father and never looked back. Andrew Jackson was a calculating bastard who cared more about his money than his family. When he’d met Jasper’s mother, Abigail, she was a country girl from Marietta, Georgia. She had no idea about the likes of a slick, city boy like Andrew. One night, she made the fateful mistake of meeting Andrew after he’d learned that his true love, Elizabeth, was marrying Byron Adams. He’d seduced Abigail that night as a consolation prize. Unfortunately for Andrew, his mother had ended up pregnant.

Jasper doubted he would have married his mother back then if she hadn’t been carrying a son, an heir to the Jackson family fortune. He married Abigail to ensure that his son was legitimate, but he didn’t love her and his mother knew it. She hated every minute of life at the Jackson Manor. Initially, she’d tried to be a good wife in the hopes that Andrew would fall in love with her, but that had never happened. She’d even tried to have more children, but two miscarriages later, the doctor had told her to stop trying. That’s when she knew her marriage was over and went running back to her family farm. She’d tried to take Jasper with her, but Andrew had steadfastly refused. “My son will stay with me,” he’d insisted, vowing to fight her in court if she dared try to keep him away from his son.

And so Jasper had stayed in that cold mausoleum of a house at seven years of age, missing his mother, whom he was only able to see on the odd day Andrew was in a good mood and allowed a visit. Andrew had retained full custody with minimal visitation rights to his mother because he’d bought the bank that held the mortgage to his grandfather’s farm, which was in debt at the time. He’d threatened to foreclose on the farm if Abigail didn’t give Andrew full custody. So she didn’t fight for custody, and in return, Andrew paid off the mortgage on Jasper’s grandfather’s farm. But as soon as Jasper had turned fifteen, he’d petitioned the court to become an emancipated minor.

Andrew had been livid and had intended to fight Jasper every way until Jasper indicated he knew a lot more about the company’s business practices than Andrew wanted the world to know. He’d blackmailed his own father, but it had freed him to move in with his mother at the farm. She was overjoyed, since she always blamed herself that she hadn’t been able to keep him. Jasper had understood. Andrew had all the Jackson money behind him.

Jasper had loved living on the Cartwright farm with his mother, grandfather and uncle Duke and his family. His grandfather had shown him everything about farming while his uncle Duke had taught him construction from the ground up. After college, when Jasper was ready to strike out on his own, he’d changed his name. He wanted no relation to Andrew. He’d received a small business loan, and the rest was history.

For thirty-three years old, he’d accomplished a lot. He already had a small chain of boutique hotels, with one in Florida and now his second in the Dominican Republic. He was proud of his accomplishments and that he’d done it all without a dime from Andrew. He’d never been able to call the man his father because he’d despised him for keeping his mother from him. He hadn’t spoken a word to him since he’d walked out at fifteen.

Jasper heard Andrew had eventually remarried—a woman named Blythe who had a daughter named Monica. Rumor had it that his stepdaughter was a chip off the old block and had Andrew’s killer instinct. More power to her, because I want no part of Andrew Jackson’s legacy.

Jasper was happy when his cell phone rang, knocking him out of his reverie. He didn’t like strolling down memory lane. It always left a bad taste in his mouth. He smiled when he heard the voice on the other end. It was Courtney.

“Hello, gorgeous. Have you given any more thought to my proposition?”

“I have.”

“And? Don’t leave me in suspense.” Please say yes, please say yes. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d had so much fun, talking and dancing and making love. He was clearly working too hard, and Courtney Adams was just the medicine he needed to cure him of being a workaholic.

“I say yes,” Courtney replied. “What are you doing this evening?”

“Spending time with you.” He was excited about another night in the seductive temptress’s arms.

“Should I come to you this time?” Courtney asked.

“Oh, no,” Jasper replied, a little too quickly for his liking. “I can come to the resort.”

“Are you sure? This pampered princess doesn’t have a problem slumming it,” she joked, using the nickname he’d given her.

“It’s no problem. I wouldn’t dream of taking you away from your creature comforts.” He was one to talk, considering he was in a lavish custom-designed office. Yet he wasn’t ready to reveal himself to Courtney just yet. He was finally having some long-overdue and much-needed fun. There was no reason that Courtney should find out he was related to Andrew, especially since they’d both agreed to use first names only. Plus, he’d had no connection with the man in nearly twenty years.

“All right, I’ll meet you at sunset, Room 4410,” Courtney added. “And be ready to show me Punta Cana’s nightlife.”

“I’ll see you then.” Jasper hung up. He was sure Courtney was used to dating rich playboys all the time and was probably bored to tears of the same ol’ same ol’. It was probably a refreshing surprise to have some fun with a hardworking chap like him. He told himself this charade was all for her benefit, but it was partly for him too. He’d been engrossed in work for far too long and needed to start enjoying life while he was still in his prime. Courtney Adams was just the outlet.

Yes, he knew who she was, heiress and spokesmodel for Adams Cosmetics. Yet she knew nothing about him and for now he was fine with keeping up the pretense. After they’d had their fun, Courtney would tire of him and be back on a plane to the U.S.

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