Island Pleasures (2 page)

“My spies have told me otherwise. A writer has applied for a 1Night Stand date under an alias and traveled here undercover with the purpose to bring me down.” Jagger frowned. “This woman, going by Cassidy Kellogg, made one big error. She used her own credit card, under her real name, to pay for the vacation.”

“She doesn’t sound too bright.” Tension settled into his shoulders.
What are the odds
…? “I knew a Cassidy in college.”

“She probably thought I wouldn’t notice. But when a tabloid writer’s name comes up, particularly from a magazine that’s been a nuisance lately, we notice everything.” Jagger moved behind his desk and produced a folder.

“I’m not following,” he said, confused.

Jagger pushed the file across the desk. “The real Cassidy’s married name is Kellogg and she owns an accounting firm. Her sister, whose credit card paid for the trip, is a columnist for
Chit-Chat
magazine. Both graduated from Las Vegas University the same year you did.”

Quinn shot up in his chair as it all came together. “What’s the columnist’s name?” Memories of his senior year came crashing over him as thoughts of
her
, the one woman he’d tried his best to forget, bombarded his mind.

“Carly Kimball,” Jagger said. “She’s pretending to be her sister, to hide where she works. I want you to tail her and go so far as to be her companion for the weekend.”

He clenched his fist to stop it from shaking. Jagger couldn’t know how close he and Carly once were. She was the one who got away, or rather hightailed it out of his room the morning after he lost his virginity to her. He had never heard from her again. Now his past was returning to haunt him big time.

“You’ve grown pale. Are you okay?” Jagger asked.

Quinn wiped a palm over his face. “Must be the cloak and dagger spy work you want me to do. I’m not the best one for this. Why not someone else like….” He snapped his fingers. “Woody! He’ll be more than happy to act as a Jason Bourne or a James Bond.”

Jagger groaned. “I’d find your comment funny if I was in a better mood.”

Quinn fiddled with his tie, trying to ignore the heat spreading over his face.

“All I’m asking you to do is to keep an eye on the woman while I’m away. She’s here until Monday morning. Keep her out of trouble and try and stop her from asking too many questions or bothering the staff.” The corner of Jagger’s mouth lifted and his eyes flicked with amusement. “You can talk about old times and reminisce.”

“Why can’t we just ask her to leave?”

“If only it were that easy. But, I’m afraid if we throw her off the resort grounds, she’ll write an article full of lies, implying we have something to hide. I don’t want the bad press. If she meets someone from her past, meaning you, she’ll be off her game, especially if you stick to her like glue.” Jagger cracked his knuckles and grinned. “She’s quite the attractive lady, so this shouldn’t be too much of a hardship for you.”

He grimaced. The Carly he once knew was one curvy, sexy package full of bubbly energy who’d done a number on his young libido. He fell for her hard during the months leading up to graduation. He’d been so naïve. She had left his heart broken after she used him for her own selfishness.

“This would mean a great deal to me,” Jagger folded his hands on his desk. “I’ll make it worth your while.”

He finally grabbed the folder but didn’t open it. He would reserve the pleasure for when he was alone, where no one could witness his reaction to the picture most assuredly inside.

“She’s going to find it odd I’m her new best friend and won’t let her out of my sight.”

“This is the perfect opportunity to work on your romancing skills. Teach her to snorkel or give her a guided tour of the island. Hell, seduce her if you have to.”

Quinn swallowed uncomfortably. He already failed in the romance department with Carly. Most likely she’d run in the opposite direction when she saw him coming.

“I don’t have a choice, do I?” he asked, slumping in his seat.

“No.”

He stood, clutching the file. “You own me big time.”

“I imagine I will,” Jagger muttered, reaching into his desk drawer to pull out a bottle of aspirin.

“If you’ll excuse me, I’ll research my mark.” With a cocky salute, Quinn stomped out of the room.

Chapter Three

Her picture didn’t disturb him as he’d expected. Even though her hair was a lighter shade and tied in a braid, and thick-framed glasses hid her large, beautiful brown eyes, he’d recognize the face anywhere. Quinn traced a nail over the spotting of freckles on Carly’s nose. He had touched and kissed them in his dorm room, which led to one of the most memorable nights of his life. He had also kissed the other freckles on her body. He especially liked the grouping near her navel….

A screech from the pool area jerked him out of his musings. He took out his handkerchief and patted his forehead, glad he’d left his jacket and tie in his office. He wanted Carly to believe he took life easy, like Woody who sat at the bar talking to a woman wearing an understated sundress. Laughing, she tilted her head back, allowing a few of her tresses to escape from her clip and land on her shoulders.

“Carly,” he whispered, rolling up the file.

She suddenly stared in his direction.

He slapped the file against his hip, smiling when her jaw dropped and alarm filled her face. Something electric and searing settled in his groin. He went to stalk his prey.

Oh, shit
.

She ran her damp palms over her lap. What were the odds not only an old classmate would be working for the resort, but an ex-lover as well? Well, more like a one-night stand when it came to Quinn Alfasi, the reserved, half-Irish, half-Moroccan hunk who’d made her horny for most of her senior year at LVU.

“Earth to Cassidy.” Woody waved his hand in front of her face.

“Sorry, I thought I saw someone I knew. It’s such a small world.” She struggled to think of an excuse to leave before Quinn ruined everything.

“You can say that again.” Woody took a long pull of his beer and beamed at her.

“Too bad Carly couldn’t be here. You remember my sister, right?” She admired the way the sun bounced off his hair, displaying the burgundy strands and drawing attention to his magnetic, bronzed face. “Speaking of which, I should give her a call to say I’ve arrived. She tends to worry, especially with me so far away.”

His brow knitted. “She’s probably concerned about you vacationing alone so soon after your divorce.”

“Divorce?”

She turned to find Quinn staring at her with blinding green eyes. Her legs turned to Jell-O.

“My man! You’ll never guess who I ran into.” Woody slapped him on the back. “Cassidy, do you remember Quinn Alfasi? He was my roommate at LVU. Now he makes sure the resort runs in tip top shape. Wasn’t your sister good friends with him?”

Her heart jumped into her throat. “Ah, I think so.”

“The resemblance is remarkable. Good to see you again, Cassidy. How long has it been?” Quinn held out his hand.

Here goes
. Giving him a cheery smile, she met his stare straight on and lifted her chin, refusing to cower.

He curved his hand around hers and peered down at her chest.

Gritting her teeth, she resisted the urge to snap her fingers in front of his face. The Quinn she once knew would have never done such a thing. But his appreciative, rather lusty expression indicated times had changed.

Two can play at this game
. She captured his wrist, noting the rapid beat of his pulse.
Hmm…interesting
. She squeezed.
Come on, let me go
. He didn’t.

He lifted their linked fingers to his mouth and kissed her knuckles. His eyes glittered in defiance, his warm breath rushing over her, making her stomach clench.

“It’s been years,” she whispered, tugging.

He released her and fiddled with his shirt collar. “Six years to be exact.”

She zoned in on his movements, noting the dusting of black hair rising from the opening of his shirt. Once she had run her tongue across his—

“I can’t believe it’s been that long.” Woody said, breaking the moment.

“What a strange coincidence, seeing you again and here of all places.” she said, grabbing a napkin and blotting away the sweat on her upper lip.

“Here, use this,” Quinn offered her an ivory handkerchief. When she didn’t take it, he waved it in front of her face. “It won’t bite.”

But will you
? He’d been more of a nibbler. She snatched the linen square. His thumb brushed her. She flinched, hiding her reaction to his touch behind the crisp, white cloth. Needing support, she rested her hand over Woody’s. Something sounding like a growl came from Quinn. She chose to ignore it.

Woody lifted a small glass. “A toast to new beginnings, and to Cassidy, in the hopes she finds love again.”

She took the shot the bartender set in front of her and smiled in thanks.

“New beginnings, Cassidy? Last I heard you were married. Joining the single ranks again, like your sister? Or is she with someone special?” Quinn asked.

His presumptuous questions annoyed her. Was he searching for answers, interested if she was single, or wanted to throw her failing marriage in her face? Her temper grew on behalf of her sister, who had made the heartbreaking decision to separate from her husband of three years and start divorce proceedings.

Woody frowned. “Cassidy is getting over a painful divorce. She came here to recover. I’m glad she has familiar faces around to ease her.”

Quinn’s piercing glare turned darker. “Carly wasn’t into commitment back in college. Does she still play the field?”

She gritted her teeth, resisting the urge to stick her tongue out at the lout. “She dates.”

Quinn laid his palm on her back. She leaned forward, his touch a hot brand. “Problem?”

She curled her hand into a fist to quell the urge to slap the smirk off his face. “No, just jet lagged from my trip.” She climbed off the stool and gulped her shot. The sweet tasting alcohol landed in her belly and helped calm her fast-beating heart. She dropped the handkerchief on the bar. “I’m going to my room and take a nap.”

“There’s a barbeque on the beach tonight. You should come. I’ll be there.” Woody waggled his eyebrows, making her laugh.

“Maybe,” she murmured, glancing at Quinn from the corner of her eye.

Woody spoke close to her ear. “It would be great to catch up and hear how you and Carly are doing.”

“I’ll have to see. I don’t want to be up too late, right Woody?” she asked, patting his chest and grinning up at him.

He nudged her hip. “The best time to go to the beach is early morning.”

“What are you two talking about?” Quinn’s voice grew hard and he slapped his leg with the folder he held.

Why was he carrying a folder out by the pool? All business.

“We have a paddle board lesson tomorrow,” Woody said with a pleased smile.

Her cell rang. “I better answer this.” She slipped from between the two men. “Woody, if we don’t hook up tonight, I’ll see you tomorrow morning at nine at the bar.” She lifted her phone to her ear and darted away.

Chatting with the real Cassidy on her way out of the area, she caught Quinn watching her with a heated stare that went straight to her core.

She has the same walk and terrific ass wiggle she had in college
.

He charted Carly’s movement, the boxy sundress downplaying her curves. No matter how hard she tried to hide her body, or acted like her sister, she couldn’t diminish her perkiness and sunny disposition. He was going to have fun breaking her down and having her spill her secrets, all of them….

“The one time I didn’t need you as my wingman,” Woody said in a disgruntled voice.

“You never complained about us tag teaming a woman before. Why’s Carly different from all the rest?”

“Don’t you mean Cassidy?”

“You were talking to Carly Kimball, undercover writer for
Chit-Chat Weekly
. She’s using her sister’s name as an alias in order to find dirt on Jagger and that 1Night Stand dating service.” He slapped his palm with the folder and set it on the bar. “Check out her file. She went pretty far with her deception.”

Woody released a low whistle, flipping the pages. “Carly has quite the imagination. Wonder if she’d get off on having two men. We can—”

“Stop right there.” Quinn held up his palm, running his tongue over his dry lips. “What we do together every once in a while with a female guest is something we won’t be doing with Carly. Even if I wanted to, which I don’t, it would give her ammunition for her sleazy article.”

Woody lifted a brow. “You never got over her, have you? That’s why you’re snarling at me. I don’t mind sharing, as you well know.”

A vision of his best friend and his ex-lover rolling around sweaty and naked on a bed made his head pound along with the need to punch something.

Quinn flinched when Woody’s hand landed on his shoulder. “I have a headache. I’m going home to lie down before tonight’s barbeque for all the new guests.”

“I’m meeting with the staff about the event in ten minutes. Hopefully it won’t be a late night for me since I have an early morning lesson tomorrow.”

The pounding in Quinn’s head amplified. He swallowed a groan when he thought of another pounding—no, throbbing—in a different area altogether. Maybe he’d take a long, hot shower and relieve his stress with a bar of soap and his hand.

“You should join us tomorrow. Maybe Carly will come clean. Then you can find out why she dumped your ass before graduation.” The bantering tone in Woody’s voice had vanished.

“I might hold you to that.” Quinn grabbed the folder and headed back to his office.

His friend had been right about one thing. He still ached for the woman who’d waltzed in and turned his controlled and settled life upside down…again.

Chapter Four

A school of neon yellow fish swam by.
Such beautiful fish
! She circled around in amazement and kicked up sand in the clear blue water. She had survived her first stand-up paddling with minimal scrapes and now celebrated by wading in the breathtaking ocean.