An Innocent In Paradise

“You and me both, sweetheart.” Logan stepped to the edge of the pool. “And I swear the only predatory beasts are the small lizards who only want to sun themselves down in the flatlands.”

“Okay. Is the water shallow?” she asked.

“No, it’s more like five or six feet deep.”

She slipped out of her hiking shorts, then adjusted the strap of her bathing suit where it wrapped around her neck.

Logan, being a mere human, slid his gaze down to her breasts, where the strap adjustment caused them both to lift in a sensual movement that was surely meant to search and destroy every last one of his brain cells.

When her nipples suddenly perked up at his scrutiny, he grinned. Always nice to know the attraction wasn’t one-sided.

With little blood left to nourish his brain, Logan was helpless to prevent his gaze from traveling farther down her well-shaped torso, taking in her nicely toned stomach, perfectly rounded hips and long, lovely legs.

When he finally realized that she was watching him as he took his little side trip, Logan forced himself to make eye contact once again.

Sure enough, Grace glared back at him with eyes narrowed and hands pressed to her hips in a mock display of insulted dignity.

“Hey, I’m just a guy,” Logan said, laughing. “An uncouth clod of a guy, for sure, but still a guy.”

“Have you seen enough?” she demanded to know.

“Not nearly.”

Grace smiled. “Maybe you’ll get a chance to see more if you behave.”

“Not a chance you’ll get me to behave out here.”

“Well, then.” Grace whipped around toward the water. “Last one in the pool is a dirty rotten protozoan.”

She jumped into the pool and Logan followed her, creating a riot of waves and splashes as they surfaced. They grabbed blindly for each other and once he had her in his arms, Logan kissed her slowly, deeply, wrapping his tongue around hers as all his pent-up fervor began to unfurl.

In unspoken synchronicity, they began to peel off what little clothing they wore. Logan flung his trunks and her bikini onto the nearest rock, then, despite an aching yearning to be inside her, he turned all of his attention to first satisfying her completely. He was determined to move unhurriedly, though she was so damn tempting with her lovely breasts cresting on the surface of the water.

With both hands on her face, he kissed her again. When she swept her tongue along his lower lip in a move that was both innocent and seductive, his mind emptied of all thought but pleasure, pure and unadulterated.

He took his time with her, working his hands along the sides of her breasts, teasing her nipples to fullness, then moving down her firm stomach to the apex of her thighs where he stroked her soft folds until he heard her blissful sigh. The sweet sound brought his erection instantly to attention and he groaned with desire for her. She reached down and stroked his rigid length until he had to pull away or fall apart in her hands.

Gripping her behind, he squeezed and kneaded lightly as he moved his mouth to cover hers, kissing her long and hard as he continued to touch her all over.

“I need you, Logan,” she murmured, and stretched her arms around his neck. “Please.”

“I just have to do this first,” he whispered, cupping her breasts in his hands, then bending to taste first one, then the other, taking his time to enjoy her soft fullness. “Now wrap your legs around me, sweetheart.”

She did as he asked, her breasts pressing against his chest, driving him to madness as he eased her down onto him, then held his breath when she drew him in to the hilt.

Her eyes fluttered closed as passion overcame them both. Logan began to move inside her, thrusting faster and harder, plunging deeper, then deeper still. She cried out her pleasure as she moved with him. Her heated need threatened to drive him to completion too quickly, so he willed himself to go slowly, carefully, dragging each second out as he stroked her innermost core.

But need consumed him once more and pure instinct took over. His movements grew faster, deeper, more frantic as his body pulsated within hers. She screamed his name and moments later, he groaned in response as a wild rapture overtook him and he plunged with her over the edge.

Spent and sated, they lay sprawled on one of the smooth boulders that lined the edge of the pool.

“You’re right-this is paradise,” Logan said, touching her cheek with his fingers. Then he rolled up onto his elbow and leaned over to kiss her.

She stared at his long, powerful body lying next to her, aching to touch him again. She just wasn’t sure she had the strength to move a muscle.

They dozed for a few minutes, then slid into the water again. She swam toward the waterfall, needing the coolness to quench the heat she felt inside her body and out.

He came and stood behind her and let the water cool them both. He smoothed her hair back with his hands. Then she turned and he pulled her into his arms, holding her against his chest, his solid strength a counterpoint to her soft roundness. She ran her hands along his shoulders and down his back, marveling at the silky smoothness of his skin against the solid firmness of his muscles.

Paradise. Against all odds, she’d found it. And her heart stuttered, knowing it was only a matter of time before she would have to leave it forever.

Two days later, the twins’ father, Tom, arrived with Sally Duke and the three Duke brothers and their wives.

The limousine picked all eight of them up at the airport and delivered them back to the hotel in time to get checked in, then meet Logan and Aidan in the cocktail lounge for drinks before dinner.

As they toasted the cousins’ arrival with various cocktails and fruit drinks, Logan spied Grace working at the bar.

She should be sitting here with me and my family, he thought. The realization caused him to jolt. Had he really been thinking that? No. He brushed the thought away. Grace wasn’t a part of his family. She just worked here. Yes, they were sleeping together. And, yes, he liked her. But, damn, he needed to get real.

Not that it mattered, but Aidan would never let him live it down if he ever found out what Logan had been thinking.

“You must get the cream of the crop in terms of workers,” Adam said, glancing around the well-appointed, wide-open room.

“I was just thinking the same thing,” his wife, Trish, said. “Your employees are all such beautiful people, and so accommodating.”

Brandon’s wife Kelly smiled. “And who wouldn’t want to work in a tropical paradise?”

“It really is a spectacular location,” Sally said, pointing toward the wide wall of windows. “I love this view.”

Julia, Cameron’s wife, glanced around, then directed a playful scowl at Logan. “So is everyone on your staff required to be gorgeous?”

Everyone at the table laughed, and Logan said, “I’ve never considered that a job requirement. But I will point out that serving cocktails and food requires the servers to be on their feet for hours while lifting heavy trays the entire time.”

“You’ve got to have great upper-body strength for that job,” Brandon said.

“Which means they’re all in excellent shape to boot,” Kelly said, and laughed despite her look of dismay.

“Besides being so pretty,” Sally added.

Logan glanced at Aidan, then gazed around the room and realized it was true. They had a darn good-looking group of people working here. Why hadn’t they ever discussed that fact? Maybe they could feature it in one of their online newsletters.

Aidan bit back a grin. “Contrary to every human resources dictate ever written, we have a very strict Pretty People policy here at the Alleria Resort.”

“Yeah, right,” Logan said, rolling his eyes. “He’s kidding. Our Senior Vice President and most of our managers would have our heads if that were true.”

“Well, the hotel is beautiful,” Sally said, sipping her pina colada. “And everyone has been more than