Chapter One

Gemma

3 years ago

Love had no place in my life. That was a bold statement, but it was true. I didn't have room for love in my life. I didn't have time for the unnecessary complications that came with it.

Nothing good ever came from falling in love and trusting someone with your heart, which was why I was more of a casual hookup type of girl. Besides, those encounters significantly cut down on the drama. At thirty-five I didn't really need the drama in my life. I was running a successful public relations business, and that was all the drama I needed.

That was right, I was single and doing just fine. Without a man. I didn't need one. I didn't want one.

And I already knew not everyone was destined for a great love. Sometimes some of us just weren't meant to find their other half.

I'd yet to find mine, much to the dismay of my parents who wanted love for their daughters so badly. But for them it was easy, they had a whirlwind romance. They met in Paris, the most romantic city in the world, and fell in love immediately. My dad proposed to my mom two weeks after they met and they were married the same night. They eloped in the City of Lights—and love, of course. But that wasn't always how romance stories went. Some were muddled with problems and doomed to end badly.

I supposed you could say that was my track record—date boy, fall in love with boy, tell him my dreams and aspirations, boy moves on without me (read: cheats on me)—and I was left to pick up the pieces of my broken heart.

That was, until I decided it wasn't worth it.

Although, I was never going to tell any of this to my little sister, who was years younger than me and still believed in love. She hadn't had her heart broken nearly as much, though. It was a good thing, too, because as her older sister I never wanted her to feel what I'd felt, go through what I'd gone through. It just wouldn't have been right.

I crossed my legs as I sat on a couch in the middle of the lobby of the resort where I was just hired for my PR services, my pencil skirt inching up higher on my thighs. I pulled it down for the umpteenth time today and sighed. A man strolled passed me and grinned at me as he did. I smiled back, but then quickly looked away, not wanting to confuse him into thinking that I was interested. I wasn't. It took a certain man to catch my attention. Maybe I was picky, but I liked to think I knew what I liked.

I pulled my phone out and checked my messages. None. If I could have willed a text message to appear, I would have willed it to pop in from one of my newest VIP clients. She hired my company to handle some bad rep they had received from their latest beauty product. They claimed that it assisted in acne breakouts, but a very angry customer claimed they were liars. They needed me to do a little damage control, which was my speciality. But I needed more information from them to do my job to the best of my abilities.

It was just as well anyway, since I should've been focused on the resort, getting my head in the game for this meeting. I locked my screen and put the phone back in my purse.

It was almost time for my meeting with the general manager, so I got up and began walking to the offices where we were supposed to meet as per the instruction from the front desk attendant. I was meeting with Felicity Anderson, one of the best GMs around, or so I'd heard. The resort snatched her up a year ago and had been doing great since then, but there was always room for good public relations. Sure, the Emerald Seas Resort had been published in countless magazines and were even named one of the top luxury resorts on a nationwide blog, but they could do better, getting their name out there more.

That was where I was supposed to come in.

I walked down the hallway of offices and stopped when I got to her door. It was ajar, so I peeked in. There was a woman with long blonde hair tied back in a neat ponytail and she was wearing a zebra-print pantsuit. I'd been on the resort's website, so I knew this was Felicity. She was talking with a young man and a boy, who had to have been no more than four or five years old, their backs to me. The boy must have been with the man because he was holding his hand.

I stepped back not to interrupt their conversation and decided to wait outside the door until they were done. Perhaps their meeting was running late, I mused. I didn't mind waiting. It wasn't like I had anywhere else to be. I wasn't due back in Orlando for days. I'd be staying at the resort for a while at Felicity's behest. She wanted me to experience every aspect of the hotel so everything I did for them was authentic.

"But my dad is great," I heard the little boy say. "He's super fun, loves to cook, and," his voice got lower as though he was whispering to Felicity now, "he lets me have tacos on Fridays, too. It's just that it's almost Valentine's Day and he needs a valentine."

"I do?" the man asked, chuckling. His voice was deep, almost gruff. "Is this why you wanted to see my boss?"

Decidedly curious about this man who needed a valentine, I peeked back in and admired the way the little boy felt about him. The man, though, stood back, looking amused at his son.

"Yes. I know things, Dad."

He laughed. "All right, well, I'm sorry, for taking up your time. Really, I came by to say thank you again for allowing Mason to visit and come with me today. He's been dying to see where I work. He loves the ocean as much as I do."

"It was no problem," Felicity spoke.

"Hey, I have stuff to say, too," the boy whined.

I smiled and stepped back again. It was obvious his son was worried about him and his dating life, or rather lack thereof. I thought it was sweet.

"Yeah, well, little buddy, let's say it somewhere else. Ms. Anderson has work to get to."

"Not a problem. You know, it's never a big deal for you to drop by, but I do have a meeting." After a short pause, she added, "Right now, actually."

I cleared my throat and looked around, unsure if I wanted to be spotted right outside the door. I turned around and considered retracing my steps, acting cool, as if I just got there, but also felt this strong urge to turn around and get a good look at the man in sweats and a shirt. He seemed as charming as his son.

Just as I was about to make my move, though, I heard a woman shout, "Same time tomorrow, then," and felt a nudge from behind as she bumped into me.

But that wasn't stopping me from getting a closer look at the duo. My eyes fixed on them, I took in the man's lanky form, his tanned and taut muscles, and the adorable little boy who looked like his carbon copy. Now that was a man that caught my attention, I thought to myself.

Meanwhile, the woman who so clearly wasn't watching where she was going, flipped her long locks behind her and giggled. "Sorry," she said, smacking a piece of gum in her mouth. "Guess I should be more careful."

I looked over at her and noticed she was wearing a sports bra and tennis skirt with white sneakers. I almost saw the bra pointless, considering her cleavage was spilling out of the top completely, and the skirt left little to the imagination as it barely covered her butt. She was obviously still in her twenties. I practically rolled my eyes, thinking back to what it was like when I was that young. It was so much easier back then, not a care in the world for covering up veins or cellulite. And I thought I would be one of the lucky ones, like my grandmother, and not have a grey hair crop up until I was at least fifty. I was wrong—my first grey hair came when I was twenty-seven and I'd been dying my hair brown with blonde highlights ever since.

I sighed, waving her off as much as I was the memories of my twenties. It did me no good to look back. I was a catch and the right man would see that, or they wouldn't, and I didn't care either way. "Don't worry about it."

She smiled. "Thanks," she said, as she began walking away. "Sorry again."

"Gemma Jones."

I turned my head at the mention of my name and saw Felicity standing in her doorway now, opening the door to me.

"Sorry, my previous appointment ran a little late."

Previous appointment, my behind, I mused. Unless a boy and his father coming to see if you were free for Valentine's Day for a little lip-to-lip action was what we were calling an appointment now. "It's fine," I lied and looked around as though waiting for the man and boy to appear again. It was silly, really, and I didn't even know why I was looking for them.

"Are you waiting for someone else to join us?" Felicity asked, looking around, too.

I shook my head and smacked my lips together. "No, it's just me." Just as it always would be.

"Great." She waved her hand inside. "Should we get started, then?"

I nodded and pushed all thoughts of the boy and his father out of my mind, too. It wasn't like I was ever going to see them again.

* * *

Felicity told me to get the full experience, so that was exactly what I was doing. My bags were already sitting behind the front desk, waiting for me after my meeting with Felicity, so I stood in line at the front desk to get my room key and my belongings.

I moved up in line where I was now first for check-in and looked around. The place was truly stunning, it was easy to see why the resort was so special. It was contemporary yet tropical, giving just the right vibes for a Miami beach resort.

Just as it was my turn to walk to the desk, the man from earlier with the boy reappeared out of nowhere, but this time he was alone. His dirty blond hair was wet and his tan skinned practically glistened. It appeared he'd also changed from sweats to board shorts, definitely having come from the beach or pool. Turning to face me—the guest he just cut off—he offered up a panty-dropping smile and I had to wonder how it was possible he needed a valentine. He was definitely a charmer and I wouldn't mind spending one of the most romantic days of the year in bed with this hunk. "You don't mind, do you? I'll be just a second," he said to me before leaning on the desk to talk to the attendant.

Who exactly was this man who moved with such swagger, such confidence, such sexiness?

Finding my voice, I answered, "Not at all. I have all the time in the world." Maybe it was a bit passive, but this was no way to act in front of guests, no matter how good-looking he was.

"It's a small emergency," he insisted, turning back to regard me before looking back to the front desk. "Someone vomited outside the bathrooms. I just saw it. The guest is okay and housekeeping is on their way, but you should put out a wet floor sign until they get there." I cringed, feeling bad now for thinking he was being rude.

The attendant he was talking to looked at me, as though waiting for my permission to leave his post since I was next in line. I gave him it with a head nod. "Take your time," I said.

Before the attendant left, the man tapped the desk and shot him a quick thanks. When he turned back to me, I was filled with questions. He was intriguing and I couldn't deny how attracted I was to this perfect stranger. But I wasn't the first one to speak. "Have you been here before?" he asked, an elbow on the desk now. "Or is this your first time?"

I smiled, not sure how much I should say. "First time."

Smiling, he leaned forward. "Ah, we have a virgin among us," he noted, then added, "to the resort." He clasped his hands together and searched my eyes. "You need the grand tour. I'm a surf instructor here, but I have some time in my schedule now if you'd like me to show you around." That explained his clothes.

No way was crushing on a surf instructor what Felicity had in mind when she said to get the full experience. So I didn't know what I was thinking when I nodded and told him, "Sure. Lead the way."

He looked down to my feet. "Where's your luggage?" he inquired.

"Behind the desk. I had a meeting a little while ago."

He looked like he swallowed a bug the way he shut his mouth and nodded while trying to make sense of what I said. "Here?"

"With Felicity Anderson. I'm doing PR for the resort. I'll be staying here for the week to experience the place like a guest." I wasn't sure why, but I suddenly decided to be candid with him.

He wet his lips and smiled again. "Then you definitely need the grand tour. I'm Lance Easton by the way. I don't think I caught your name." He waited for my response. Yeah, he was a charmer, for sure.

"Gemma Jones."

Gesturing ahead as we took our first steps, his arm swept out in front of me. "Well, Gemma, I promise this tour is going to be the start of a very special week for you."

That much I'd already figured out, but didn't say anything.

* * *

For the next week, Lance and I did a dance around each other as we kept bumping into one another, our chemistry growing more palpable by the meeting. First on the beach, then the pool, at the bar, and outside by the valet where I was waiting for my car to journey off the property for an evening. Whether it was destiny playing with us or something else, I wasn't sure, but as much as we both seemed to want to jump each other's bones, neither of us gave in. I was working for the resort, but technically staying as a guest, and he was an employee who wasn't allowed to have relations with guests. It was a tangled web of deceit that I didn't want to entangle myself in.

It didn't matter now, though. I was leaving, getting on the elevator to go back to my room from breakfast where I was all ready to check out, to collect my bags and walk to my car where I'd drive the four plus hours back to Orlando. It was all planned out and there seemed to be no reason for me to stick around.

Don't get me wrong, I considered finding Lance and telling him that today I would no longer be a guest, that technically he wouldn't be breaking any rules. But he knew I was here for a week and where to find me if he wanted me.

I also respected that things must be more complicated for him because he had a son. Being a single dad must've gotten lonely, though.

Before I could finish my train of thought, my heart threatened to beat right out of my chest at the sight of a strong hand stopping the elevator doors before they fully shut.

Lance.

He stepped into the elevator with me and said, "We have to stop meeting like this," looking over at me as he leaned against the wall and grinned. Always the flirt.

I scanned his body and dragged my tongue over the corner of my mouth. He was wearing a light blue buttoned-down shirt with board shorts and sandals. When my eyes finally connected with his, neither of us seemed to be able to look away. "Lance," I said breathy, barely able to find the words. "I'm on my way to get my things to check out." Could I be any more obvious about the effect he was having on me? "I'm leaving," I tried again. If he wasn't staring at me, I would've slapped my forehead. This was what I wanted, I reminded myself, to see Lance again . So why was I acting like a blubbering mess?

"Easily the longest week of my life," he told me. My eyes rapidly flew from his eyes to his lips, where he watched them move as he said, "I was hoping I'd catch you before you left." He stepped away from the wall and began moving closer to me. With every inch closer he got, my brain screamed, "Yes! Yes! Yes!" If I was right, he was going to kiss me. And I was going to let him.

When he fully had me backed into the corner, he brought his hand to my cheek and I leaned into his touch, loving the way it felt to be touched by this man that had invaded my thoughts since the first time I saw him in Felicity's office.

"Listen, I played by the rules and waited the week, but you're not a guest anymore and I've waited to do this since the first moment we met. I think you have, too," he said, his mouth a hair's breath away from mine at this point.

I slowly nodded and stared at his lips. Without another word or any argument from me, he dropped his head, looked at my lips and moved his hand to lift my jaw before pressing his lips against mine. Neither one of us took the kiss any further, but I'd have been lying if I said I didn't want to, that I didn't want to feel his fingers on the rest of my body. It was just as gentle a touch as his kiss but both held the promise of so much more.

Placing my fingers over my lips where his just laid, I looked up at him, drinking in this sexy man who charmed me right from the start. "Maybe I can extend my trip," I decided before adding, "for pleasure."