stared at Jasper. Here was her fantasy man live in the flesh. Should she go for it? Then her mind came back to Ethan’s comment that she was there for work. But then again, she had said she would have fun on this trip, and Jasper was offering her exactly what she said she wanted.
“I need to think about it.” Courtney slid off the bed and headed toward the bathroom but stopped in her tracks. “Of course, if you want to join me in the shower to try and convince me otherwise, I wouldn’t be opposed to it.”
“Absolutely!” Jasper hopped off the bed and followed her into the bathroom.
Hours later, once Courtney had returned to her hotel room, she decided to call her best friend, Tea. They’d met seven years ago when Adams Cosmetics had hired Tea’s public-relations firm for one of Courtney’s earlier campaigns for Adams Cosmetics. The two women had hit it off instantly and been friends ever since. Because Tea was a couple of years older than Courtney, she helped keep Courtney grounded whenever she got the itch to do something crazy.
Courtney had always wondered where she got her wanderlusting free spirit from. Her father and Kayla were hotheaded workaholics devoted to Adams Cosmetics, while Shane and her mother were more cerebral and creative. Shane had been developing products for AC since he was twenty-five, and their mother was a talented artist. Some of her artwork had been featured in AC campaigns.
Although Courtney loved her family and shared a bond with each of her siblings, she always considered herself somewhat of a rebel. She hated to conform, but that was exactly what had happened when she’d agreed to be AC’s spokesmodel ten years ago. Little did she know how much freedom she would be giving up, but now Jasper was offering her a taste of living on the edge. It secretly thrilled Courtney, but she needed some advice. What better person than her BFF, Tea?
Courtney glanced at her watch from her hotel-room terrace, and then used her iPhone to dial Tea’s work number in Atlanta.
“Tea Santiago.”
“Tea, it’s Courtney.” Courtney slid open the glass doors and sat on one of the terrace lounge chairs, facing the Atlantic. The day was warm, and Courtney was soaking in some of the fresh air and cool ocean breeze.
“Hey, girlfriend, how’s DR treating you?” Tea asked.
“Tea...DR is treating a sista real good.”
“Oh yeah? Did you get yourself some last night? I know you said you were long overdue.”
How was it that Tea could read her so well if they were an ocean apart? “The sex was spectacular!”
“Wow! Spectacular, huh? I’ve had good sex before, even great, but never spectacular.”
“My point exactly,” Courtney said. “Which is why I’m considering having myself an island fling with a construction worker. Jasper is his name. Doesn’t his name just sound sexy? Anyway, he propositioned me to prolong our one-night stand into a fling for the duration of my trip.”
“I thought you only needed to stay for a few days for the campaign.”
“True, but I’m long overdue for a vacation, so perhaps I’ll extend my trip and stay awhile.”
“This Jasper must have done some number on you,” Tea said, “because you have never stuck around long enough with any man for him to make an impact.”
“Ouch.”
“I don’t mean it harshly, Courtney. You know I love you. But you don’t do commitments. You never have. In your personal life, you’re all about fun and freedom. I think it’s because you don’t have that flexibility in your career.”
Courtney was silent on the other end. She knew Tea was right, but to hear her private thoughts out there in the open, to have her best friend shine a light on them, was disconcerting.
“Are you still there?” Tea asked. “Did I say too much?”
“No,” Courtney finally said. “You’re not saying anything I haven’t thought before. But it does make me wonder if I’m capable of something more.”
“Professionally or personally?”
“Both. I mentioned to Kayla before I left that I wanted a larger role in Adams Cosmetics, other than being the face of the company.”
“I’m so glad to hear you say that,” Tea said. She’d been waiting for her friend to speak up and step out of her older sister and brother’s shadow at AC. “You’re capable of a lot more, Courtney. I think your family still thinks of you as the baby and the free spirit. In the meantime, enjoy this Jasper. Get him out of your system and then come back to Atlanta and show your family what you’re made of.”
Even though they were a thousand miles apart, Courtney smiled at her best friend. “That’s why I love you, Tea, because you always give me sound advice. So I’m going to have my fun with Jasper now. You know, love ’em and leave ’em. Then come back ready for bear.”
“Have fun and be safe,” Tea said. “And please do everything I wouldn’t do.”
“Count on it.”
* * *
“So, where have you been?” Mark asked Jasper, when he returned to the office the following afternoon. He’d been shocked when the morning passed and Jasper hadn’t come to work. It was now 1:00 p.m.
“Getting myself hired at Dorchester’s construction company,” Jasper replied.
“So he fell for the bait?”
“Yeah, that old pickup truck really did the trick.”
“So what now?”
“Well, I’ll work there for a few weeks and see exactly what his operations are and find out how he’s constructing my hotel.”
“You’re actually going to do manual labor?”
Jasper laughed. He didn’t take Mark’s comment as an insult. It had been a while since he’d been hands-on. “I’m not above manual labor. How else do you think I started Sea Breeze Resorts? I had to get my hands dirty.”
“I know, but you don’t like to talk about your past much.” Not many people knew his true identity. That Jasper Jackson was the son of millionaire Andrew Jackson. He’d always kept a low profile, staying out of the public eye to ensure no one made the connection. He never did interviews and was considered somewhat of a recluse. Jasper had confided in Mark, his right-hand man, years ago, but he’d sworn him to secrecy. So Mark had never told another soul.
“That’s because there’s not much to speak of.”
Mark regarded him questioningly. “I know there’s more to the story, but I’m going to leave you be. I have a conference call to get to. Let me know how your investigation goes and if you need my help.”
“Will do,” Jasper said as Mark left his office. When he was gone, Jasper rose from his chair and gazed out the window.
Mark was right that he didn’t like talking about his past. Jasper had made a point of distancing himself
