“The hurricane currently pounding on the shores of Antigua and the surrounding islands has been upgraded to a Category 2 hurricane with wind speeds approaching a hundred and ten miles per hour. The storm is dissipating as it moves further South, but conditions are still considered to be dangerous. Residents are advised to stay indoors in a safe location. Power outages and flooding are expected in many areas...”I stared at the TV screen, not really hearing the reporter's words or even seeing the map. The room was dark except for the glowing screen, and I was simply focused on the light. I wasn't sure how long I had been sitting here, staring at nothing and hating myself, but enough time had passed that the gray light was gone from the windows.I kept seeing Logan's crumple, seeing the ache and betrayal in his eyes, seeing his broad shoulders slumping as he broke. All I could hear were the tightness in his voice and the loss and pain that echoed through in the pauses between his words.
“Roger that, Olivia.” Dr. James' voice crackled over the connection. I could hear Maddy crying in the background. “I'm in the lobby. Bring him home.” “Spock?” Tyler's feeble voice asked, his head lifting to search for his beloved dog. “He's here. We got him, too,” Logan told him. “We got you both. You're safe now.” Tyler relaxed his head onto Logan's shoulder, but he kept his death grip on Logan's raincoat. Logan's eyes met mine for a brief moment. Their depths reflected the simultaneous relief and urgency I knew were in mine. Without another word, Logan turned and moved quickly back down the hallway toward the main lobby. Spock was right behind them, eyes up on Tyler's feet. One of his ankles didn't hang correctly and was already swelling. I swallowed down the lump in my throat as I scrambled after them, hoping that the obviously broken ankle was the worst of Tyler's injuries. The storm howled against the tunnel and the lights flickered, but we didn't stop. Logan followed the pat
I finally found Logan in the spa lobby. When the resort officially opened, this lobby would be busy with vacationers coming to get massages and pedicures, but with just us few travel agents and a hurricane in full force, the lobby was empty and quiet. It was the perfect place to be alone.Logan was looking at a picture hanging on the main wall, his hands resting behind his back. The ocean, calm and gentle, filled the frame. Blues and greens that exemplified a tranquil, tropical, and relaxing vacation getaway stood in stark contrast with the howls and shrieks of the wind outside.I knew he could hear my footsteps on the bamboo flooring, but he didn't move. I stood beside him, examining the picture. The only indication that he knew I was there was the slight stiffening of his body. He didn't move to leave, though.“Tyler sent me to find you,” I finally said, breaking the silence between us. “He didn't get to say thank you.”“He doesn't need to,” he replied.“He doesn't see it that way,”
The ocean breeze is soft against my skin. The water is calm this time, and the sky is blue. I would almost call it a perfect day, except that in my mind, the perfect day here involved a hurricane.But that was a whole year ago.Today is about celebrating. Celebrating that storm and how it brought Logan and I together.“You ready?” Maddy asks, adjusting the straps of her sundress one last time.“I am,” I say. I take a deep breath.“All right, then, let's get this party started.” She grins and takes my hand as we step onto the beach. The wind makes the hem of my dress flutter around my ankles. It's nothing fancy, just a white cotton sundress that is comfortable and soft. There is beauty in simplicity. There's no need to impress anyone with designer labels or couture gowns. We are here just for us.The sun is almost painfully bright, but I don't care. I can see him. He is like a beacon, shining softly, yet almost more brightly, than the sun itself. He's standing next to his brother and a
I looked up from my book and took in a big breath of fresh sea air. This was what a vacation was supposed to look like. White sand turned into pale blue water that slowly darkened as it stretched out toward the horizon. A tiny sailboat floated across the view, its yellow sails bright and cheerful against the sky. Behind me, green palms fluttered in the warm breeze.I took a sip of the latest concoction from the bar and then set it down in the sand beside me. It was sweet with some sort of fruit juice and had a giant paper umbrella sticking out of the top. I closed my eyes, letting the warm sun shine down on me for a moment before starting the next chapter. This was so much better than my normal Novembers in Chicago. A girl could get used to tropical vacations like this.I heard the soft sound of feet on sand and I turned to see two of my favorite people walking toward me. I grinned and sat up on the edge of my lounge chair and waved to my best friend and her son. Maddy walked slowly,
Two Years Earlier...I took a deep breath, smoothed the front of my skirt, and stepped into the office of Travel, Inc.'s Chief Operation Officer. If this worked, I would have the funding and connections to make my dreams a reality. I was going to do the job I wanted, instead of the job I hated. If this meeting went well, Travel, Inc. would add Dream Vacations' services to their already massive empire. I would have all the resources of the biggest travel website to make my concierge travel planning the best it could possibly be.The last two months of my life I had dedicated to getting my business up and running. The computer program that was the heart of Dream Vacations had been a pet project of mine over the past year and a half, and now I was finally ready to use it. I had waltzed out of my terrible computer programming job the minute I had finished it with a smile on my face.I now had the website, the business plan, and the connections, but I needed more funding. Advertisements we
Present DayMaddy laughed and scooted the snot-filled envelope off my desk and into a trash can. “You have a pen?” she asked, setting the unsigned waiver on the desk. I fished her one out of a drawer and went to open the last email in my inbox. It was my daily news and I nearly punched my laptop screen because of the headline article.“What?” Maddy asked as I made an angry growl at the offending article. I turned the screen to face her. Logan Hayes and his brother's smiling faces filled the screen with the headline “Hayes Family Donates Millions to Mayoral Candidate.”“Ah, Logan Hayes again. He is a good-looking man,” she said appreciatively, taking in the image. I glared at her and she clarified, “A jerk, but a handsome one.”She was, of course, right. Maddy was always right. Logan Hayes was incredibly good-looking. It was part of his charm. He was tall with broad shoulders and an easy smile that was made to be photographed. Both he and his brother had short honey-colored curls; Loga
I walked quickly up the path to the dock where Tyler was supposed to meet me. He was standing patiently next to the storage shed, petting a dog and talking to a man whose back was to me. I admired the back of the attractive male form for a moment, taking in the broad shoulders and muscled frame under a skintight rash guard shirt. His board shorts were low slung and accentuated a perfect ass. I hoped that this delightful male specimen would be joining us and that his front was as attractive as his back. I could use a little vacation romance.“Hey, Tyler,” I called out as I approached. “You ready?”Tyler raised his hand and grinned at me. The man he was talking to turned around and I nearly ate asphalt as I momentarily forgot how to walk. His front was as handsome as his back, all right. But that was because he was also Logan Hayes.“Olivia Statler,” he greeted me with a smile. “It's a pleasure to see you again.”“What the hell are you doing here?” I sputtered, trying to keep my temper
The ocean breeze is soft against my skin. The water is calm this time, and the sky is blue. I would almost call it a perfect day, except that in my mind, the perfect day here involved a hurricane.But that was a whole year ago.Today is about celebrating. Celebrating that storm and how it brought Logan and I together.“You ready?” Maddy asks, adjusting the straps of her sundress one last time.“I am,” I say. I take a deep breath.“All right, then, let's get this party started.” She grins and takes my hand as we step onto the beach. The wind makes the hem of my dress flutter around my ankles. It's nothing fancy, just a white cotton sundress that is comfortable and soft. There is beauty in simplicity. There's no need to impress anyone with designer labels or couture gowns. We are here just for us.The sun is almost painfully bright, but I don't care. I can see him. He is like a beacon, shining softly, yet almost more brightly, than the sun itself. He's standing next to his brother and a
I finally found Logan in the spa lobby. When the resort officially opened, this lobby would be busy with vacationers coming to get massages and pedicures, but with just us few travel agents and a hurricane in full force, the lobby was empty and quiet. It was the perfect place to be alone.Logan was looking at a picture hanging on the main wall, his hands resting behind his back. The ocean, calm and gentle, filled the frame. Blues and greens that exemplified a tranquil, tropical, and relaxing vacation getaway stood in stark contrast with the howls and shrieks of the wind outside.I knew he could hear my footsteps on the bamboo flooring, but he didn't move. I stood beside him, examining the picture. The only indication that he knew I was there was the slight stiffening of his body. He didn't move to leave, though.“Tyler sent me to find you,” I finally said, breaking the silence between us. “He didn't get to say thank you.”“He doesn't need to,” he replied.“He doesn't see it that way,”
“Roger that, Olivia.” Dr. James' voice crackled over the connection. I could hear Maddy crying in the background. “I'm in the lobby. Bring him home.” “Spock?” Tyler's feeble voice asked, his head lifting to search for his beloved dog. “He's here. We got him, too,” Logan told him. “We got you both. You're safe now.” Tyler relaxed his head onto Logan's shoulder, but he kept his death grip on Logan's raincoat. Logan's eyes met mine for a brief moment. Their depths reflected the simultaneous relief and urgency I knew were in mine. Without another word, Logan turned and moved quickly back down the hallway toward the main lobby. Spock was right behind them, eyes up on Tyler's feet. One of his ankles didn't hang correctly and was already swelling. I swallowed down the lump in my throat as I scrambled after them, hoping that the obviously broken ankle was the worst of Tyler's injuries. The storm howled against the tunnel and the lights flickered, but we didn't stop. Logan followed the pat
“The hurricane currently pounding on the shores of Antigua and the surrounding islands has been upgraded to a Category 2 hurricane with wind speeds approaching a hundred and ten miles per hour. The storm is dissipating as it moves further South, but conditions are still considered to be dangerous. Residents are advised to stay indoors in a safe location. Power outages and flooding are expected in many areas...”I stared at the TV screen, not really hearing the reporter's words or even seeing the map. The room was dark except for the glowing screen, and I was simply focused on the light. I wasn't sure how long I had been sitting here, staring at nothing and hating myself, but enough time had passed that the gray light was gone from the windows.I kept seeing Logan's crumple, seeing the ache and betrayal in his eyes, seeing his broad shoulders slumping as he broke. All I could hear were the tightness in his voice and the loss and pain that echoed through in the pauses between his words.
“What do I do, Maddy?” I felt a tear run down my cheek. I turned from the window to face her. “I like him, and I know he likes me. A lot. How do I go downstairs and say, ‘Hey, thanks for the fantastic sex and deep conversations, but for business reasons, we’re going to have to stop seeing each other.’”“You say just that. Maybe a little more nicely,” she offered with a smile.“I don't want to hurt him,” I whispered. Even though he had once hurt me, I didn't want to turn around and do the same. Once, not that long ago, I would have relished this opportunity. But now … now, I hated it. I slid to the floor and leaned against the wall. I could feel the strength of the storm outside as it pummeled the siding.“You have a choice to make, then,” Maddy stated logically. “Logan Hayes, billionaire playboy representing your biggest competition, or the business you built with your own blood, sweat, and tears. The business that feeds not only my son and me, but six other women's families? The comp
I slid my key card into the door and waited for the green light to flash in recognition. I never trusted these electronic hotel locks. I had accidentally stored one too many of them in the same pocket as my phone so that they were demagnetized.“Where were you all day yesterday?” Maddy asked, startling me. I nearly missed the green light because I was too busy bumping my head against the ceiling. “And in the same clothes no less?”“Maddy, you scared me,” I told her, putting a hand to my thumping heart. The little jolt of adrenaline raced through me. “What are you doing here?”“Just walking by.” Maddy came right up next to me, peering into my face and then bursting out in a big grin. “I was right. You've been with someone.”“What?” I chuckled nervously. I wasn't ready for this conversation yet. I hadn't had my coffee, and while Logan's kiss was the best way to wake up, I wasn't ready to face the wrath of Momma Maddy without my caffeine. “I have no idea what you're talking about.”Maddy
Gray light seeped through the edges of the boarded-up window, but instead of making Logan’s room seem gloomy, it simply made me sleepy. I guessed it must still be early morning, but with the storm hiding the sun, it was difficult to tell. A gust of wind shook the boards on the windows, but they were locked down tight. So far, the hotel had withstood the force of the hurricane as if it were nothing more than a summer breeze. Noah had done a good job.I rolled to my side, expecting to find a warm body to cuddle up against. Instead, I found empty sheets. The space was cold. Logan was long gone from the bed. A moment of panic washed over me, but peeking out through the doorway, I could see the glow of a computer screen in the other room. I instantly relaxed. He was just working. I could understand that. The man ran a multibillion-dollar travel company; he had to work sometime.I reached out to the nightstand and checked my smartphone. It was only a little after eight in the morning, but t
“Maddy must be wondering where I am,” I mused out loud. I hoped she just thought I was napping.“I won't tell if you don't,” Logan replied, sitting down on the edge of the bed and handing me a menu. “I'm not sure she likes me all that much.”“She's just being protective of me, and until you explained everything, she had good reason,” I told him. “She's kind of a best friend, guard dog, mom and secretary all rolled into one smart lady.”“She doesn't have to worry. I wouldn't hurt you for the world. And, I can't tell you how sorry I am for the last time.” His face grew serious. “I knew then just how amazing you were, and I should have called you that morning and never stopped. My father and his company be damned.”“You already got me into your bed. You don't have to keep charming me,” I said with a smile. He relaxed his shoulders and grinned.“Maybe I want more than you just in my bed.”I looked up from the menu with wide eyes. Did he mean what I thought he meant? I didn't think we were
Rain pulsed against the window like the heart of a living creature. I could imagine that there was nothing outside of this room but a monster of rain and wind. I reveled in the idea of spending eternity like this, trapped with Logan in the pit of the monster's stomach where no one could find us.Logan's long fingers traced the curve of my spine as I closed my eyes and focused on his touch. I lay on my front, bedsheets tangled around my feet as he sat beside me, admiring my skin. I couldn't remember feeling this satiated or relaxed in forever.“God, you are so beautiful,” he whispered. The compliment made me blush with pleasure. Logan's lips caressed my shoulder, his kiss soft and appreciative.I rolled over, propping my head on my hand to look at him. I smiled. Based entirely on the way he was looking at me, I believed him. His eyes held so much life and emotion, I was sure I would drown in them. I was torn between languid happiness and shock that I had allowed this to happen. Once ag