Page 15 of Dare Me

She lifts a brow in question. My eyes drop to her lips as she speaks. “Lochlan?”

“Hmm?”

“Clark asked if you wanted to know the history behind Summerland?” Her tone tells me I was too busy staring at her to hear his question.

I take the opportunity to show that while I may not have been paying attention just now, I haven’t been slacking. “It began as Southern Coast Island Resort, a camp-style resort for the rich and famous. The location provided ultimate privacy and it became a favorite vacation destination for international tycoons, former presidents, and Hollywood’s elite.”

A smile curls on Stella’s lips and the men nod approvingly. I continue, “Seventeen years ago, you two bought the property, opened Libidine, and Summerland was born.” I swirl my glass of wine, raising it to my nose before taking a casual sip.

“Correct,” Jeffery says. “It’s named after a pagan concept of paradise, a place of happiness, ecstasy, and sensual pleasure.” My skin crawls as his eyes rove Stella’s body on those last two words. I have to remind myself that throwing him overboard wouldn’t be a good start to our business relationship.

“To believers, Summerland is where souls go between reincarnations. A place of rest and renewal,” Clark adds quickly, like he’s trying to move the conversation forward, sensing my restraint growing taut.

“How fitting.” Stella does a good job of sounding intrigued, as if she didn’t know this all ahead of time.

The rest of the thirty-minute ride passes with droning small talk. The Mauldins share some of their favorite stories from Summerland, Stella giving me a particularly interested look when they mention karaoke.

The island greets us with white-sand beaches, palm trees, and big flowering bushes. The water under the dock as we disembark is azure, the ripples of sand on the ocean floor below visible, like looking at sand dunes in a snow globe.

“I can carry my own stuff, Lochlan.” Stella chases after me carrying both our luggage. She catches up to me and tosses a loc out of her face over her shoulder.

“I know you can.” I give her a playful smirk. “But you won’t as long as I’m breathing.”

“What a gentleman,” she jokes and falls in stride with me.

“Not in the least bit.” I shoot her a side look, not bothering to conceal the burning desire in my eyes, wondering if she can see the very ungentlemanly things I want to do to her.

She flicks her chin at the Mauldin brothers walking in front of us. “We’re here on business,” she reminds me yet again.

I wink. “Good thing I’m in the business of pleasure, baby.”

1. Play “Closer” by Kings of Leon

Chapter 6

Capricorns Never Lose

Stella

Before we spend the day touring the property, the Mauldins show us to the villa where we will be staying. There are no cars on the island, so we wind through the boardwalks that sprawl the lush campus on golf carts.

The boardwalks remind me of the ones in the bayous of Louisiana. Growing up, we’d visit family in New Orleans and drive out of the city to take long, exploring walks on the worn, weathered boards. In some places, the wood had completely deteriorated, and we’d have to hop from rock to log to cross the marshy ground.

Here on Summerland, the boardwalks are much better maintained. They look like they came off a yacht deck, but they are surrounded by the same beautiful kaleidoscope of plant life.

It’s a five-minute ride to the villa, which is a towering A-frame. Stepping inside, I can see the main room is open and airy, with a minimalistic tropical vibe. There’s no physical division between the kitchen to our immediate right and the main living area with modern lounge furniture. Which means that standing in the entryway, I can look across the entire floor plan and straight out the floor-to-ceiling windows to see the ocean.

The brothers let us explore on our own. When we turn to walk through the kitchen and pass the large marble island, Lochlan says quietly, “This here is the kitchen. Won’t be using it much.”

Continuing straight, we come across a luxurious bedroom. “Now this”—he nods to the king bed with a cocky smile—“we will be using.”

“You will be using that. I will be using a separate bed in a different room—specifically whichever one has the best view and biggest shower.”

He tongues his cheek and chuckles. “For now.”

We have dinner at one of the island’s restaurants, Ocean View. The light from the candle on the table makes Lochlan’s straight nose and high cheeks look even more defined.1 He shovels a bite of steak into his mouth, humming along to the music filling the intimate dining room, unaware of his cutting beauty. I greedily suck down my ice-cold mojito through a straw to quench the thirst making my throat dry.

“And do we have room for dessert tonight?” the waiter asks while a busboy takes our plates and uses a crumb sweeper to scrape off the tablecloth.

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