Things were supposed to be different. He was supposed to be CEO of The Luxe. He'd worked in this business long enough, he had known that hotel inside and out, and he was sure the top job would've gone to him.

Instead, Nate Harper had won the gig. Nate was younger by a few years, and it ticked him off that the time he'd put in wasn't enough to beat out the young hotshot. Ethan hadn't stayed on at The Luxe after losing that two-man race. That would have been too hard, so he'd sought out a new job, and grabbed the chance here, thinking he could make a difference. But most days he was banging his head against a brick wall.

He sank down in his chair, swiveled around, and stared out the window of his office building in midtown. He wanted something to change the image of Victoria Hotels. Make it more like Victoria's Secret. Something sexy. Something alluring. Hell, that's why he'd reached out to Casey Sullivan in the first place, trying to strike a deal with Joy Delivered. Victoria wouldn't be the first hotel to include pleasure packs in its rooms. Plenty of high-end hotels around the world included anything from shag bags to condoms to feather ticklers to blindfolds, and such perks had been proven to spread positive word of mouth-but he wanted something no one else had. With the way Joy Delivered's star had risen in recent years, he'd wanted to pair up with that company.

But Casey had given him the blow-off in her messages. Maybe he needed to try something else, another sexy type of product. He turned around, grabbed the phone, and dialed Grant Abbott at Entice. He knew the guy because the Victoria Hotel in Chicago featured an Entice boutique in the lobby.

"To what do I know the pleasure of this phone call?" Grant said, his southern drawl coming through loud and clear from New Orleans all the way to Manhattan.

After a bit of friendly chatter, Ethan tackled the matter at hand. "What are the chances that we can expand our deal with Entice?"

"You know I'd love to do something with you. But right now my energy is focused on this new partnership with Joy Delivered. But perhaps, we can discuss it as soon as that's done."

His spine straightened and his radar went off. There was that name again. What the hell was Casey up to? "What are you doing with Casey?"

"Just launching a new product with them. It's the ultimate pleasure toy on the path to prolonged orgasm," Grant said, speaking in an over-the-top voice as if he were narrating an infomercial.

"Which means?"

"Apparently it's like being licked and fucked at the same time," Grant said, choosing bluntness now. "That's not how we'll be positioning it in our boutiques, but that's what it is and what it does, evidently. Tried it out myself with a lady friend in Hong Kong and it pretty much sent her flying. So there you go."

When the call ended, Ethan flipped open his laptop and hunted through his emails to Casey Sullivan. He stabbed his finger at the screen as if he'd caught her red-handed. Because right there, in black and white in her reply from a few days ago, she'd told him that she was already working with another hotel. His antennae went into overdrive, a memory resurfacing. Hadn't Nate told him on the phone when he'd called to give him the Danya report that he was doing business with her?

What the hell? Had she taken his idea and given it to fucking Harper?

Searching through his sent messages in a flurry, he found his original note to her. Early June. His eyes narrowed and his jaw clenched.

Harper again. Coming out ahead.

If she'd stolen his idea and handed it over to the man who took the job he'd wanted . . . well, he'd find a way to get what rightfully belonged to him.

CHAPTER THIRTY.

The Maldives, sunrise . . .

She was stealthy that morning.

Her pink bikini was already on-she'd retrieved it from her villa after the first rays of a bright orange sunrise peeked over the horizon-and her breath was minty fresh. She had her sights set on one thing-destination waterfall. The night before, she hadn't been able to see it in the dark, but it was one of the first things she spotted when the soft peach dawn painted itself on the sky this morning. There, in a little lagoon next to an outcrop of rock was a waterfall, serene and falling softly.

She kneeled next to Nate, naked and beautiful under a sheet. He'd grabbed one from the bed last night and brought it out to the deck so they could sleep under the stars. The sheet slipped down to his waist and she couldn't help but admire the strong muscles in his back and his shoulders as well as the trim taper of his hips. He had a pretty fantastic ass too, so she gave the sheet a gentle tug, revealing a few more inches of that firm, rounded rear that she loved to hold on hard to when he was inside her. He stirred from the movement, turned over, and blinked. Flashing her a drowsy smile, he shielded his eyes from the sun, and said a husky good morning.

"Good morning to you too," she said, matching the wattage with her own grin. "I just decided that kissing you under a waterfall is on my bucket list and we're going to go check that off right now."

"Ah, I see you're enjoying the perks of the best villa on the property. Or I should say, you're about to." He sat up. "Give me one minute."

As he retreated up the stairs and across the deck, she watched him walk, enjoying the view of his backside as he headed into the hut. A minute later he returned, still in his full birthday suit. His eyes raked her over from top to bottom. He scratched his forehead as if something didn't compute. "What I don't understand is why you have on a bikini."

She held her hands out wide as if the answer was obvious. "Because we are about to go in the ocean."

"The way I see it, this whole bucket list thing should be satisfying to both of us. And mine has skinny dipping in the Indian Ocean with you on it, so get out of that right now," he instructed. Then added, "This area of the beach is private. There's no access to the lagoon except from this hut. So, if I were you I'd strip."

She laughed and rolled her eyes, even as she did what he asked, leaving two pink scraps of fabric on the wood floor. "You just love being the alpha male, don't you? Giving me orders."

He wiggled his eyebrows. "I do, and I love all your orders too," he said, then dropped a quick kiss on her lips. His breath was fresh, just the way she liked breath to be in the morning, and all day long, for that matter.

Casey walked down the final set of steps that descended into the ocean. A former swimmer, she would've preferred to dive in, but the water was shallow by the hut. Soon, it deepened and she and Nate swam naked to the lagoon.

Serenity took on a new meaning here in the tranquil water with the sun caressing her skin. The world was calm and not a care was to be had, not a concern existed, and nothing at all could ever go wrong. This was the true escape, and she understood why people wanted to make island getaways for life. This kind of paradise had a way of working a magic spell on you.

When they reached the secluded lagoon, the curving rock ledge shielded them further, hemming them into this private little pool for lovers. The waterfall pattered down the slate, beating out a steady rhythm.

She roped her arms around Nate's neck and pulled him in for a kiss. It was a morning kiss, the kiss of the sun rising and the start of a new day. It was a kiss that held the promise of so much more between the two of them, of a whole future. Of lazy Sundays. Of breakfasts together. Of Saturday matinees, and foot rubs, and baths, and Chinese takeout, and someday, walking a dog together in the park.

She ran her tongue across his top lip, then the bottom, savoring this lingering pace-soft, slow and unhurried. No one was in a rush. They weren't subscribing to a set amount of lessons or expecting only a finite amount of time together, and the kiss said as much. She gave herself over to the delicious sensations that spread through her whole body, warming her inside and out with the tenderness of his touch. Then, he picked up the speed, kissing her harder and deeper, their tongues tangling as the falling water made its morning music. Soon he backed her up so they were under the waterfall. It was like standing in an afternoon summer storm as the drops cascaded over her shoulders, her breasts, her waist. She sighed contentedly as his lips fused to hers.

But then, sometimes easy kisses turn into something more. As he yanked her closer, the evidence was clear in the hard length of his erection-this kiss was primed for much more than first base. "I'm thinking we want to kick the bucket list item up a notch. How about you?"

She nodded, flashing him a naughty grin. "I'm thinking we're on the same page again. But just to make sure, is this how you're thinking you'd like me? In this position?" She turned around, dropped her hands onto a rock that peeked over the water's surface, and raised her backside into the air. He groaned appreciatively.

"Yes. You are reading my mind," he said as he slid his hand between her legs where she was ready for him.

Funny, how she'd intended simply to kiss him in this romantic, blissful setting. But then the two of them had never been very good at stopping at kissing. The first night in New Orleans his kisses had made her want to climb him like a tree. They'd only grown hotter since, and they always led to more.

He rubbed his hard-on against her entrance, and a little whimper escaped her throat from that first heady sensation of him touching her where she wanted him most. In one quick thrust he had them both moaning at the same time, their sounds echoing across the rocks, carried off on the morning breeze along the ocean. The water lapped gently around her as he rocked in and out, filling her.

Even though she was the one bent over with her ass in the air, being fucked standing up in the wide open waters, she still felt possessive of him, of this man who wanted her, who craved her, who seemed to need her desperately. Somehow, she was the one who had him. But she also knew they were a perfect match. Perhaps that was why she felt so possessive of him and wanted him as her own for all time.

He took her like he wanted her that way too.

Pinning her to his body, he twisted her hair around his fist, pulling hard, giving him even more leverage to drive all the way into her, which is exactly where she wanted him. Her fingers dug into the rock as she held on tight, the waterfall raining down on them. Like that, the sea turtles somewhere out there and the birds flying by the only witness to their intense pleasure, she rose higher and higher. Her toes dug into the wet sand. Her body tightened as she sought release from the sheer intensity. Concentrating on the sensations that blasted through her body, she rode closer to her climax, and then she shattered-bright, brilliant diamond lights exploding behind her eyelids. In seconds, he chased her there, grunting her name as he came, his body jerking from the aftershocks.

He pulled out of her and then, and as if on cue, they both sank down in the water to their necks, enjoying the pleasant sensation of the ocean covering their bodies. He rained more kisses down on her mouth, her cheeks, her eyes, whispering words of love, words of desire, words of sweet, tender passion. She was a lucky woman. She was a happy woman. In their time together he'd made her feel so good about herself, loving her for who she was, not who he wanted her to be. That's how he'd always treated her, from way back at the start of their friendship on through the here and now.

They played in the water, splashing each other, laughing, darting under the crystal blue waters like dolphins. She was faster and each time she popped up, her hair sleek, she'd laugh at him. "You must've forgotten that I was a swimmer in high school."

"I remember. Did you think I'd forget anything about you?"

Her eyes widened and she clasped her hand over her mouth. "Uh-oh. What if we don't have anything to say to each other? What if we know everything about the other person and there's nothing left to talk about?" Her voice rose in mock fear.

He laughed and shook his head. "I'm not worried about a damn thing when it comes to you."

They swam to the dock, water droplets falling off their naked skin as they climbed the stairs, and then headed inside to get ready for the wedding.

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE.

The Maldives, early afternoon . . .

The chiffon dress fell just below the bride's knees, the ideal length for a beach wedding. The thin straps showed off her strong arms that were already tanned from a few short days here. Casey pinned a white orchid in Michelle's hair, while her other bridesmaid, Sutton, sprayed the loose tendrils that framed Michelle's face.

Casey stepped back, appraised the bride, and clasped her hands at her heart. "You look so beautiful," she said, pushing past the lump in her throat.

"Thank you so much," Michelle said, her expression heartfelt.

"His jaw is going to drop the second he lays eyes on you," Sutton chimed in as they finished the final prep in the villa nearest the beach.

There was a soft rap on the door. Sutton and Casey stared at each other with wide eyes. "It better not be Jack. I'll answer it," Casey said and opened the door a few inches, peering around the wood to find Michelle's brother, Davis. "Oh, you're the only guy allowed in right now," she said, with a bright smile. Davis flashed a quick grin in return, his piercing blue eyes lighting up his face.

"I have something for the bride," Davis said. He held a small box and carefully opened the lid.

Michelle gasped when she looked inside, and brought her hand to her mouth.

"It's mom's," he said softly.

Michelle nodded. "I know," she said as a lone tear slid down her cheek.

"I thought you'd want to wear it. I've held onto it for you for this day."

"I do want to wear it," she said, holding out her hand so Davis could clasp a simple, thin silver bracelet on her wrist.

Sutton grabbed a tissue and dabbed quietly at Michelle's cheek.

Michelle held up her wrist. "I love it."

"And I love you," Davis said, then wrapped his arms around her in a warm embrace. Casey looked away, giving them their private moment.

When he pulled apart, Michelle spoke first. "Are you ready to give me away, but not give me away?"

Both Davis and Michelle laughed, and the touching, tender moment had turned to a lighthearted one now. "No one could ever give such a strong, independent woman away. It is merely my honor to walk by your side on this journey," he said, and it was Casey's turn to steal away a tissue and bat at the tear in her eye. She loved their approach-Michelle wasn't anyone's to give away, but she and Davis had looked out for each other and took care of each other, and it simply felt right for him to be the one to walk by her side at this moment.

They made their way through the resort to the beach, weaving through palm trees and banyan trees, lush and emerald green. The sun was high in the sky, but the breeze that blew off the ocean kept them from sweltering. Soon, they reached the patch of sand where the ceremony was to be held.

Pretty music from a string quartet rose up to greet them. A Brahms Symphony, she recalled Jack telling her, and then he'd made some offhand remark about never catching the end of it the night he and Michelle had gone to the symphony. Casey didn't press him about what he meant, figuring it was a sexy inside secret between bride and groom.

They rounded the final bend in the path to the beach, and the wedding came into view. A canopy was set up on the soft white sand, and Jack stood waiting, looking handsome in beige slacks and a white shirt, as casual as he could ever be. Her heart raced as her eyes landed on Nate, standing next to the groom. God, he was beautiful, and he took her breath away even from this distance. The wedding was small-perhaps twenty people-and they all stood since the ceremony would be short.

"Ready?" Davis asked.

"Never been more ready," Michelle said.

Davis gestured to Sutton, her cue to walk down the white runner spread out on the sand. With flowers in hand, Sutton led the way. Michelle grabbed Casey's wrist, and tugged her close. "You told me last night you were glad I was marrying your brother," she said and Casey nodded as she recalled their conversation. "I want you to know how happy I am that you're my sister-in-law."

"Oh hush," Casey whispered, waving her hand quickly in front of her face to try to quell the tears that welled in her eyes once more. "Now you're going to make my mascara run yet again."

Michelle grinned. "Go. I'm eager to see my soon-to-be husband," she said, then let go of Casey's wrist, and she walked to the canopy, her smile growing ever wider as she neared her two favorite men-her brother, who she adored to the ends of the earth, and Nate, who she loved madly. She wore the yellow dress she'd snapped a photo of herself in a few weeks ago, and she knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that Nate was remembering the time she'd sent it to him, and was savoring the way it fit her in the flesh. She thrilled at the way he looked at her; it told her he only had eyes for her.

"Hi," Nate whispered under his breath as she took her post next to Sutton.

"Hi," she whispered in return.

They both turned their gaze to the bride as the music shifted, and the quartet began playing Ode to Joy by Beethoven. Casey had asked Michelle why she'd chosen this piece and she'd responded that the music made her happy. That seemed reason enough, and Casey understood why. The piece lived up to its name, matching the expression on Michelle's face as she walked to the canopy. When they reached the wedding party, Davis let go of her arm, planted a kiss on her cheek and stepped aside to join his wife.

Jack gazed at Michelle with such happiness, such certainty, that she wanted to jump up and down, and dance in circles. She was so damn happy for him.

The officiant began the ceremony. An older man with graying hair and kind eyes, he seemed well suited for his role. "We're here today to celebrate the relationship of Jack and Michelle. Together, they have gathered the most important people in their lives," he said, stopping to gesture to the guests, "to share in their love and their joy."

As the officiant continued his introduction, Casey locked eyes with Nate. She couldn't have wiped the grin off her face if she'd tried, nor could he, as a warm breeze rustled the canopy. She had never expected to be at her brother's wedding having fallen in love herself. But it had happened, hook, line and sinker, and here she was, deep in the throes.

Soon it was time for the vows.

"Michelle and Jack are here to marry each other and begin this next path in their lifelong journey," the officiant said, his deep voice carrying across the coconut-scented tropical air. "Their words, their intentions, their vision, and that love and faith in each other will define and shape their marriage and all their days together. There will be times of conflict and times of joy, and amidst all those times I ask them to remember always that love is a gift, that marriage is a lifelong commitment, and that together they can face any hurdles with a love this strong. I call on them now to give their promise to each other before their friends and family. These are the pledges that will bind them together."

The gray-haired man looked from Michelle to Jack and back. "Please join hands and look into each other's eyes."

Michelle handed Sutton her bouquet of pink roses, then focused on Jack as he clasped hands with her.

"Jack, with this understanding, do you take Michelle to be your wedded wife and to live together in marriage? Do you promise to love her, comfort her, honor and keep her, for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, forsaking all others and to be faithful only to her, so long as you both shall live?"

Jack nodded. "I do," he said, his voice full of confidence and hope.

"Michelle, with this understanding, do you take Jack to be your wedded husband, and to live together in marriage? Do you promise to love him, comfort him, honor and keep him, for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, forsaking all others and to be faithful only to him, so long as you both shall live?"

Michelle beamed as she answered, "I do."

The officiant turned to Nate. "May I have the rings, please."

Nate dipped his hand in his pocket, and presented two platinum bands.

"These rings are a symbol of your unending love and a sign of your commitment to each other. A ring is unbroken. May your marriage always be unbroken, too. Now, as you place these rings on each other, you may share your vows," the officiant said, gesturing to the couple.

Jack slid the ring on Michelle's finger, his eyes on her the whole time as he spoke. "This ring is a gift for you and symbolizes my desire and my love for you that grows every day, and will continue to for as long as we both shall live."

Michelle took his hand, placed the ring on him, and repeated the same vow. Then the officiant delivered the words that sealed off the ceremony: "You may kiss the bride."