Trouble in Paradise (4 page)

Emerson differed from his brother. He still kept the military cut, while Trent had been determined to rid his mind of his military life. Emerson had gone into the Air Force and while he loved the life he loved his brother more. He left active duty to take care of Trent. These brothers were family strong. Each would die for the other. Emerson’s hair was more brownish blond. He and Trent both had gray eyes from their father’s DNA. They both had more of an islander’s skin tone because of their mother’s DNA. Both had been born in the Bahamas so taking the job in Tahiti had been their ideal location. They led the Tahiti hub making sure all employees remained trained and ready for whatever their job required. They were handling things just fine and Sterling could have handled their meetings over video conference, but instead he booked an entire month in Tahiti. Bambi figured he wanted to split work with giving Jocelyn a summer vacation to remember. From the excited giggling and chatter Jocelyn had done from the airstrip to the beach home she was sure this was a trip the young woman would remember forever.

“Your place is back here,” Sterling picked up one of her bags and led her down one of the halls, through the entertainment area and out the back door. He walked with her down the bamboo pathway and then, after passing lush tree after lush tree, they came to a smaller guest home. He was putting her in the guest home? Wow, she hadn’t expected that. She thought she was like family. Of course she wasn’t family. She was just an employee and employees, no matter how freely they associated with their boss, did not get to live in the same house with the family.

“Thank you,” she tried to keep the disappointment out of her tone. It was crazy anyway. Jocelyn was not her daughter even if they were close like mother and daughter meets best friends. Sterling was not her husband no matter how much she wished he was.

“I wanted you to have some privacy so you can rest. And I wanted us to have some privacy…for when we need to talk,” he said as he placed her suitcase on the rack in the corner of the bedroom.

“Talk? We can talk in the house. Jocelyn always gives you privacy when you need it for your business and you know it.”

He mumbled something she couldn’t understand. Fine, he wanted her in the guesthouse—she got it. She heard his unspoken words loud and clear and even though they hurt it was as it should be.

“This really is great,” she decided to be thankful he hadn’t stuck her in a hotel far away from them at least. She walked over to the near wall to wall sliding glass doors and pulled the wooden blinds back before sliding the door partially open and stepping out onto the deck. She didn’t have a view of the beach, but the view she did have was beautiful. The trees with fruits and flowers and birds perched on the branches reminded her she was home. Tahiti was always going to remain in her blood no matter how far away she went.

“I thought you might like it here.”

She nodded. “Reminds me of growing up here. I can’t believe I stayed away this long.” She felt Sterling come to stand behind her. He was so close if they were more than boss and employee it would feel like the move of a lover. She tightened her hands on the banister the moment his arms trapped her in her position. He had outstretched his arms and placed his hands on the banister on either side of her causing his body to brush against hers. Good lord what she didn’t want to do with this man right here, right now. The thoughts going through her mind were not good thoughts to be having about her boss, especially not with his daughter just a bamboo walk away. But she couldn’t stop the mental image of him removing her clothes piece by piece and taking her right there with nature surrounding them. The place was so secluded nobody would see them—except there was Jocelyn to worry about.

Rick had already gone back to the main hub and they had their own jeep to get them wherever they needed to go. Trent had been sure to get the best for Sterling. They were mostly alone. Mostly wasn’t the perfect setting, but she still couldn’t help thinking what it would feel like if he placed his big hand on her stomach and caressed her while sliding it lower. She couldn’t help thinking what it would be like to have him kiss her neck while he unbuttoned her pants, pulled down her panties, took her right there. Yes, she wanted him to take her body because she was ready to offer it to him.

“So um…” She couldn’t think with him this close in this setting that was so perfect for lovers. She couldn’t even fathom the words.

“Yes?” He leaned his head lower and closer to her ear. His warm breath fanned against her skin and she took a sharp inhale of air. She hadn’t meant to giveaway her lustful thoughts but there was no mistaking what he was doing to her while the veins in her hands were throbbing from her hold on the banister and her body was trembling. She could feel it and she was sure he could too. “What do you need, Bambi?”

Oh what she needed was him, but she couldn’t tell him that. She had to find a way to play down her body’s need for betrayal. She had to get her head back on straight and stop lusting after this man. “I…” She wasn’t likely to stop lusting after him if he kept breathing on her ear in such a seductive way. It was almost as if he were waiting to taste every inch of her. No. It couldn’t be that. She had to be imaging it. Sterling did not mix business with pleasure.

“Tell me what you need?”

His voice was so low and sexy. Had it ever been that sexy before? Or was she just doped up on island hormones and her need for release? Just looking at the man could make her want to reach down and touch herself, but having him this close with the tropical breeze and the Tahitian heat caressing her already warmed skin and the ache between her legs was growing stronger and stronger by the second.

“Dad this is so awesome!” She heard Jocelyn yell from somewhere within the house. Sterling put distance between them swiftly. He was back inside her bedroom tinkering with her other case before Bambi could even pull her head out of the sexual fog it was in.

She turned to see Jocelyn coming inside the bedroom. “Oh, there you are,” she skirted past her father and out to the patio area. “This place rocks. We should move here,” she laughed. “Hint, hint, Dad,” she spoke up so her father would take the hint. He laughed and shook his head as he set the last case on another rack. She had packed for a month of business plus working out. She knew she would be filming, but she also knew Sterling had wanted her to speak with the employees at the hub about the importance of good nutrition and fitness so she was going to need more than just her workout apparel. She also brought her own makeup for the makeup artist because she had sensitive skin and anything harsh on her face was going to make her look like a hormonal teenager with the breakout sent straight from hell. She wasn’t a fan of wearing makeup, but whenever she had a big meeting, an important meeting or outing, she covered up some of the scars she acquired over the years with some of her Magic Concealed and Magic Photo Ready foundation and powder. She would admit, even with the cake painted on her face she still felt beautiful, sometimes even sexier, when she wore what she called the cake with icing on her face. Makeup might not have been her thing, but it did wonders for her looks. More men looked at her with makeup on, not that they didn’t look before, but they looked harder and more of them paid attention. The problem wasn’t getting a man to notice her. The problem was getting the man she wanted to do it. Sterling Lancaster was her love and he didn’t even know it. No other man would ever come close.

“What’s for dinner anyway?” Jocelyn walked back inside the room with Bambi following behind her.

“We’re going out some place nice so put on one of those nice dinner dresses you bought the last time we were in Salt Lake.”

Jocelyn nodded. “I’m glad Bambi made sure I packed them then. We’re going to dinner,” she turned to Bambi with a huge smile on her face.

“You’re going to dinner. You and your dad.”

“You’re not coming?” Jocelyn frowned.

“We,” Sterling said; “have reservations for three.”

He looked at her as if he were angry that she would insist otherwise. What was she supposed to think? He had put her in the guesthouse. Beautiful as it was, the house was still meant for guests, not family. This dinner should have been about his family, not about adding a “plus one” to the equation.

“I didn’t bring anything for a fancy dinner. I can cook here. You said the refrigerator was fully stocked with the foods I like to eat so…” She watched him shake his head as he walked over to the French door closet area. He pulled open both doors and stepped aside, waving his arm to showcase the ten formal and dinner wear gowns and cocktail dresses.

“I figured you might be thinking of work only so I made sure these were purchased for you. They’re yours to keep when we leave here.”

“Sterling…”

“They’ll fit. I know your measurements just fine.” He eyed her up and down and it sent a tingle up her spine. “You’ve worked for me long enough to know that.”

She wasn’t sure if he were saying she should know that he knew, or that he knew because she had worked with him long enough for him to know what size she wore. Either way it went, his words reminded her that she worked for him and nothing more.

“Put whatever you want on, just be ready in two hours because we’re going to dinner—all of us.” He uttered those words sternly as if he were closing a business deal and there was no room for negotiation. “You too, Jocelyn,” he pointed to her and she laughed.

“You don’t have to tell me twice. I’m in paradise and I am so loving this. Wait until my friends see. They are going to get their Tuesday workout call with a view of the beach.” She threw her hands up in a raise the roof manner while doing her little happy dance.

Sterling laughed heavily. His voice could always send vibrations through her body, but his laugh—now that laugh could start a raging inferno of need within her.

“I have to make a call to Don. He’s starting up Protection Inc and he needs some advice.”

“Won’t that cut into your business?” Jocelyn frowned.

“Nope. He’s going to use some of the men I trained. Trust me; he can do more with his plan than I could. He’s putting Vets to work. The ones nobody else wants to hire. The ones living on the streets because our government abandoned them. While we’re in the same business of protection we won’t cut into each other’s profit. He’s even using my training facility for his employees, so it’s a win-win for both of us.”

“Got it,” Jocelyn smiled. “So I guess I don’t hate this Don then.”

Bambi chuckled. “She has your back,” she wrapped one arm around Jocelyn and hugged her before releasing her. “You better go get ready. We both know your hair and makeup routine will take you nearly an hour to get ready.”

“Ooh, right. And I still want to shower first.” She nearly danced out the bedroom. Sterling chuckled.

“That’s my girl. She has a lot of me in her, but she has some of her mother too. Don’t tell her that or she’ll try to cut out pieces of her just to expunge Jordana from her.”

She nodded knowing exactly what he meant. The hair and makeup obsession was definitely from Jordana who couldn’t be seen leaving the bathroom without fake eyelashes and gobs of mascara. At least Jocelyn wore her makeup tastefully and not over dramatic in anyway unless she was playing with a photo shoot for one of her friend’s photography obsessions.

“She’ll be okay. She has you.”

“And you. She looks up to you. Thank you for all the help you’ve given me. I know it’s not in your job description to pick my child up from her mother’s so we can come here together. I know it’s not in your job description for you to spend time being her friend—but I do appreciate that you do it. She needs a good female influence in her life so I’m glad she has you.”

She nodded. “She’s easy to love.” She meant that. Jocelyn was such a joy to be around and if she had a daughter herself she would want her to be like Jocelyn. That free flowing spirit of energy was invigorating. She hoped she kept it as she got older.