Tangled: A New Adult Romance Boxed Set (12 Book Bundle of Billionaires, Bad Boys, and Royalty) Read online

  I gulped. This was by far the nicest place I had ever been in. It really was a tropical paradise. There was no way I would have been able to afford a place like this on my vet tech salary. I wondered how much the radio station paid for all this, or rather what connections they had that allowed them offer a free vacation in a place like this. I shook my head at the thought of all that money and power.

  “You must be Ms. LaRue. I am Anna,” said a female voice with a soft British accent. A woman in a linen sleeveless dress stepped forward, a smile highlighting her tropical features. I smiled nervously and nodded. “We’ve been expecting you. If you would follow me to checkin please.” She smiled again and gestured towards a glass-enclosed office in the corner of the lobby. I picked up the handle to my suitcase, but she waved a hand to stop me. “The bellhop will take it to your room for you. You are on vacation, Ms. LaRue,” she said as she smiled, her white teeth beautiful against her dark skin. A man in a navy-blue uniform hurried over and reached for my suitcase. I let him take it and he gave a curt nod and placed it on a luggage trolley. “If you will please follow me?”

  Anna opened the door to her office and cold air-conditioned air flowed out. I stepped inside and sat gingerly down on a leather chair.

  “I just need your signature here to indicate that you are checking in. Music Radio Inc. has already covered all charges,” Anna said handing me a pen and an important looking document. “I will need your signature on the next page as well. It is simply a liability waiver and that you agree not to damage the property.”

  I scanned the document quickly, looking over the legal words and evaluating. Anna waited patiently as I read every word, her eyes only confused for a moment. Most people must not read this, I thought, but I wanted to know exactly what I was signing. The control freak in me had to make sure I was in control of what I agreed to. It was the standard legal agreement I was expecting, so I signed it with a flourish.

  “Excellent. You will be staying in Cabana Four. Here is your identification bracelet. This simply notifies staff that you are staying at the resort and will allow you to access all the dining facilities, beverage stations, and the spa,” Anna said as she handed me a bright pink rubber bracelet. She helped me fasten it as she continued. “You have complete access to all the amenities of the resort. If you need anything, please ask any of our staff. I have included a packet with all the information you will need for your stay.”

  I peeked in the envelope. There was a certificate for a beach massage, some rental vouchers for water sports equipment, and menus for the different restaurants on the resort. I tried to keep my fingers from shaking; this was really happening. I was having a vacation that people only dream about. That stupid happy smile crept back onto my face.

  “Well, everything is done here. Are you ready to go to your cabana?” Anna asked as she filed the paperwork. She laughed gently at my animated nod. “Follow me, please.”

  Anna led me out of the lobby to a pristine white golf cart. Felipe winked at me from the driver’s seat as I climbed in next to him. Anna wished me a happy stay and I hung on tight as Felipe started down the beautifully gardened path.

  “Enjoying yourself so far?” he asked, smiling at my obvious excitement.

  “I can’t believe it’s real. This place is beautiful,” I said. My eyes darted around the resort as he drove me towards the beach. Everywhere I looked were big beautiful trees and tropical flowers. It was exactly what I thought a tropical paradise should look like. The movies, for once, were right.

  “There are three pools on the property. The one closest to the main restaurant is where all the activities occur. We have water aerobics, pool volleyball, and other games throughout the day for anyone interested. The beach is open at all times, as are the pools,” Felipe explained as we drove by a giant pool with a swim-up bar. He continued on about the five restaurants, the evening entertainment shows, the eight bars, and the myriad of other opportunities the resort offered, but I had stopped listening. I could see the ocean.

  It was so big. And blue. And probably the most beautiful thing I had ever seen in my life.

  I was born and raised in a small town just outside of Des Moines, Iowa. I hadn’t had any opportunities to go far from home. The most exotic place I had ever been was Chicago with my high school honors society. The biggest body of water I had seen up until this point was the Mississippi and Lake Michigan, but this was so much better.

  Felipe pulled up next to a small tropical cabin and stepped out to grab my bag. I sat in the golf cart mesmerized by the water. It was a shade of blue that made me want to dive in and never leave. The sound of the waves lapping the shore was better than any recording could ever be, and the smell of water, salt, and sun threatened to overwhelm me with joy.

  “Miss? Would you like to see your room?” Felipe asked, touching my shoulder. I blushed and stood.

  “Sorry. I’ve never seen the ocean before,” I said. He laughed and gestured to the thatched building, guiding me toward the door.

  “I forget that people have never seen it before,” he said. He turned towards the blue horizon and peered out at the water, a smile on his face. “It is beautiful. I suppose I would feel the same if I ever saw snow,” he said as he stepped up on the porch and opened the door.

  “You’ve never seen snow? How strange,” I said as I entered the room. I immediately forgot what I was going to say. If the lobby was beautiful, the room was opulent. The main room had a leather couch and giant TV, but the windows opened out onto the ocean. I took slow steps into the bedroom. A king-sized four-poster bed dominated the room. A gentle breeze blew through the big open bay windows, ruffling the bedspread. I could hear the ocean as though I were sitting on the beach. I glanced towards the bathroom and could see a giant tub and shower that looked like it could hold four.

  “What do you think, Ms. LaRue from Iowa?” Felipe asked as he set my suitcase down in the bedroom. I couldn’t find the words to answer, and I turned to face him, my mouth hanging open. He laughed and patted my shoulder.

  “Enjoy yourself. You say these things never happen to you? Then this is an adventure. Let yourself take risks and have the time of your life. You only live once,” Felipe said, seriously, but his dark eyes sparkled with amusement as I contemplated his words.

  “This is going to be the best adventure,” I said slowly, looking out onto the blue ocean. I would never get the chance to go someplace like this again. Not on my salary. I decided right then that I was going to be fearless while I was here. This was going to be the best vacation in the history of vacations. There was nothing I wasn’t going to do.

  I spent the rest of the day exploring the resort. Between the pools, the restaurants, the spa, and the gym, I was never going to want to leave. The excitement finally got to me and I crashed into the incredibly comfortable bed immediately after dinner and fell into a deep sleep.

  The next day, I was up almost before the sun was, excited and anxious to play in the blue water just outside my cabana house. I threw on my swimsuit and a sundress and skipped out to the main restaurant for breakfast. I sat out on the patio, drinking in the cloudless blue sky, the aquamarine water, and the soft calls of strange birds. I tried mashed plantains, mistaking them for mashed potatoes at first. They were delicious, with a taste similar to potatoes, but with a smoother texture. They didn't taste anything like bananas and I found myself going back for a second serving.

  After breakfast, I walked around to the pool, thinking I would sit by the edge and have easy access to the bar and the water, but as soon as I sat down, I changed my mind. I couldn't hear the ocean anymore, and I realized I could sit by a pool at home. I really just wanted to stay on the beach all day.

  "Can I get a drink to go?" I asked the bartender by the pool. "A piña colada please." It was still early, but if I was going to be on the beach, I wasn't sure if I was going to be willing to get up to get one later.

  "Of course," the bartender said. I loved the accents everyone had here.
He looked over and somehow read my mind. "Are you going to the beach?"

  I nodded. He must have seen me sit down only to stand up again. He reached under the bar while the blender whirled my drink and pulled out a small clicker device.

  "Here, use this on the beach. When you want a drink, just press the button and someone will bring you your last order."

  "I press this and someone will bring me a piña colada? On the beach? I am never leaving this place!" I grinned as I took the small device. He laughed and handed me my drink, complete with a little umbrella. I thanked him and headed back to the beach, snagging a towel from the pool towel cart. Today was going to be amazing.

  Chapter 2

  I stretched out on my towel, and then sat up, digging my feet into the sand at the edge of my towel. The sand burned a little, but the heat felt so good on my skin. I couldn’t believe how much I was enjoying being on the beach. The ocean sparkled in the tropical sun, the sand glowed with sunlight. Gulls called in the distance, but the constant breathing of the ocean was all I wanted to hear. I never wanted to stop hearing it.

  I was almost alone on the beach. A single figure walked along the waterline to my right, and the couple staying in the cabana next to mine played in the water to my left. Other than that, the beach was empty as most of the resort guests preferred the pool with the swim up bar. I didn’t quite understand why they all preferred being on display in a crowded pool when the ocean was right here, but I was happy to have the beach to myself.

  I smoothed the front of my swimsuit self-consciously. It was expensive, but the 1940s style cut flattered my curves. “You just have real curves,” a friend had once said when I complained about how I looked. I was never going to be model thin. I did try to take care of myself, but I was never quite happy with my body shape. I tried not to let it bother me, but swimsuits were always dangerous ground. I thought this swimsuit accentuated the curves I liked and hid the ones I didn’t. So far, it was worth every penny.

  I watched the couple splash for a moment, the girl shrieking with delight as the man tried to dunk her under the water. I felt a surge of jealousy. I had technically won a trip for two, but I had come alone.

  I lived by myself, had no boyfriend, and my older sister who was supposed to come with me had gotten appendicitis and had to cancel at the last minute. It was easy enough to cancel the reservation for her, but it meant that no one else was able to get the time off to go with me. I was on my own for this trip. I sighed and turned away from the happy couple. Valentine’s Day had only been a couple of weeks ago, and I didn’t want another reminder that I was alone.

  I looked towards the solitary figure in the other direction. It was a man, at least good looking from the distance, but unhappy about something. It was subtle, but the way he kicked at the waves and clenched his hands, I could tell he was not enjoying his vacation. I wasn’t sure how that was possible in a place like this, but I wasn’t about to let a stranger ruin my good mood. He was walking slowly towards my spot on the beach, lost in his own thoughts.

  I pressed the small clicker the bar had given me for "beach service", knowing they would bring me a fresh piña colada in minutes. This really was a slice of heaven.

  “Help! Somebody, help! HELP!” A scream came from the water, high pitched and full of fear. I jerked up, knocking my sunglasses off my face. The girl was screaming and thrashing in the water. My first thought was a shark, but the water was still crystal blue. She was struggling with the man’s limp body towards shore, screaming as she battled the waves.

  I was up in a heartbeat and racing towards her to help. Out of the corner of my eye I could see the solitary man running in the same direction I was headed. I crashed into the shallow waves, the first touch of the warm water surprising me. I had expected it to be cold, but it felt more like bathwater. I reached the girl quickly and grabbed hold of her boyfriend’s arm to help drag him into shore.

  “What happened?” I shouted as we pulled his dead weight through the water.

  “I don’t know! One minute he was under the water, and the next he was just floating there. I thought he was just playing, but, oh God...” she cried softly. The solitary man reached us, not even breathing hard despite the fact he had sprinted down the beach. Between the three of us, we maneuvered the unconscious man onto the beach, his feet still in the waves as I bent to check his pulse.

  I couldn’t find it. I wasn’t sure if I was too excited and was missing it, or if I really couldn’t find one. Either way, I knew what I had to do. It was more instinct than actual thought; I placed one hand on the other and began pumping his chest, humming an old Bee Gee’s song under my breath. The girl started screaming again and Solitary Man quickly grabbed her and took her up higher on the beach, asking her questions. I could barely hear them, like they were in a far away dream as I concentrated on making my thrusts deep and even.

  “Does he have any heart conditions?”

  “I don’t know... wait, yes! He said it wasn’t a problem though!”

  “Is he on any medications? Even stuff that he wasn’t prescribed?”

  “No, no... Well, he took something today. A little blue pill. It’s our first vacation together and we didn’t think it would cause any harm! Oh god, why did I let him take it?”

  The man underneath my fingers suddenly lurched and gasped. I quickly rolled him on his side, just in time, as he vomited salt water and whatever he had for lunch all over the beach. I rocked back on my heels, suddenly light headed. My shoulders and back ached; I hadn’t realized how hard I had been pushing. The girl was screaming again, but this time with joy as she rushed over to check on him.

  A uniformed man came running towards me carrying a big red medical bag. Another man carrying an orange back-board was hot on his heels. I stood up and backed away slowly in a haze, letting the professionals take over. They spoke quickly between themselves, efficiently transferring the man onto the back-board and hooking up a blood pressure cuff and other monitoring devices. Before I had cleared my thoughts enough to understand what was going on, they were already halfway up the beach to a waiting ambulance. They passed by a confused looking waiter with a piña colada walking towards my empty towel on the beach.

  I brushed the hair out of my eyes, suddenly realizing I had lost my sunglasses. I glanced around the beach, but couldn’t see them anywhere. A kernel of irritation welled up inside my chest; I really liked those sunglasses. I kicked at the sand before realizing that my sunglasses weren’t important. I giggled a little; I had just saved a man’s life, but my issue with the day was about my missing sunglasses. People lose sunglasses all the time, but very few people randomly save a stranger on their vacation.

  “That was amazing,” a deep voice said by my shoulder. I spun around quickly to see Solitary Man smiling at me.

  “Oh, um, thanks. I didn’t even really have time to think about it to be honest. I just reacted,” I said, a little flustered. Up close, he was really handsome. Like movie star handsome. He had a white t-shirt that did nothing to hide his muscles and dark blue swim trunks that looked expensive. He ran a hand through sandy hair, his eyes twinkling at me.

  “Well, I think you saved his life. Not a bad thing to tell the folks at home about your vacation. You did really well,” he said. His eyes were focused solely on me, like I could be the center of his world. I fidgeted with my foot in the sand, embarrassed by his praise.

  “Thank you. You helped. You kept his girlfriend from completely freaking out,” I said quickly. I could still feel my heart pounding a million miles a minute and I wasn’t completely sure the whole thing hadn’t been a crazy dream. Adventure never happened to me. I was always the one who came in five minutes after the excitement ended, not the person living it. Once again everything felt surreal.

  “I think it was his wife. She had a big diamond on her finger,” he said with a smile. “I’m Jack by the way. Jack Saunders.”

  “Emma. Emma LaRue,” I replied and shook his outstretched hand. His skin was wa
rm and his grip firm. I felt a strange tingle run through my fingers as we touched, like we were completing a circuit. He smiled and repeated my name, still holding onto my hand.

  “Emma. Well, it is very nice to meet you, Emma. Are you staying at the resort here?” He asked. I nodded and held up my other wrist with the pink bracelet.

  “Yup. How about you?”

  “No, I am staying at a house on the beach a little further down,” he said, jerking his head back in the direction he had come from. He still hadn’t let go of my hand and I wasn’t about to complain. I found myself wanting to touch even more of him.

  “Oh, that must be nice. The houses I saw on the way in looked very nice,” I said, instantly sounding dumb in my head. I needed to find a new adjective. I let myself off the hook for it though. I was still a little shell shocked. He sighed and let go of my hand.

  “I am actually trying to escape it right now,” he said, his smile gone. It was like the sun had dipped behind a cloud when he stopped smiling.

  “It can’t be that bad,” I said, hoping he would smile again.

  “I came with someone, and I thought we were going to have a good time, but it has been miserable. I couldn’t stay in the house with her a second longer,” he said with a grimace.

  “Girlfriend?” I asked, trying to keep the disappointment out of my voice. If he was here with someone, then I probably would never see him again. I had only known him for less than five minutes, but I never wanted him to leave.

  “Secretary. I thought maybe the cliché would work, but it’s no fun out of the office,” he said. He shook his head and shrugged. I nodded. He had a secretary. Those swim shorts probably were as expensive as they looked.

  “So you just left her?”

  “She’s out admiring the pool boy and still hung over from last night. It hasn’t been the best vacation of my life,” he said. “Our conversation has been the most civil one I’ve had all day,” he said looking directly into my eyes.