Formula for Passion

He watched the gentle sway of her hips as she walked. He watched the breeze as it blew through her short bob. And he was far from oblivious of the swarm of men who had encircled her. She was holding court like the Queen of England, smiling at one, lightly touching another’s arm as she spoke and batting her eyelashes at another. She was an incorrigible flirt!

Miguel had filled him in on all the details about Courtney Adams. She was the illustrious spokesmodel for Adams Cosmetics. Courtney came from money and was probably used to fame and the power it could bring. According to Miguel, she’d used it to keep her family’s company in the public eye. He’d bet she flirted with every man she came into contact with. She probably couldn’t help herself.

The company she worked for, Adams Cosmetics, sounded oddly familiar. He searched far back into his memory, digging for the name. Finally it hit him. Adams Cosmetics was the very same company that his father, Andrew Jackson, had always competed against. Jasper had gotten away from all the madness, but now he’d stumbled right into the lion’s den by meeting his father’s rivals’ daughter.

But that didn’t stop him from being annoyed at the prospect of other men surrounding a woman he felt he had already laid claim to. Of course, she didn’t know that. He’d been aloof when he’d declined her invitation to spend the evening together, but it was time he corrected the matter and got down to business.

“What do you have, pretty lady?” The bartender had finally come around to her side of the bar.

“She’ll have a Presidente,” a masculine voice said from behind her. “What I’m having.”

Courtney’s heart turned over in her chest. He had come over. She spun around on her barstool to face him. He was so close to her she could smell the strong woodsy scent of his cologne wafting to her nose. Jasper had used intimidation to push the other men away to get to her side. All her suitors had taken several steps back and were watching them wearily.

“Excuse me, what do you think you’re doing?” Courtney finally found her voice and eyed him up and down. He looked casually fine in relaxed jeans and a black shirt open at the collar.

“Getting your attention,” Jasper responded. After a cold shower at his villa had been unable to alleviate the hard-on the honey blonde had caused him, he’d returned to his resort to see if she would deliver on the promise that had been in those dazzling green eyes of hers.

Courtney couldn’t help smiling—he was completely arrogant and she dug it. “Well, you have it,” she said, and motioned to the seat beside her.

Jasper slid onto the barstool next to hers.

“I thought you were too busy with errands to join me.”

“I finished up early.”

“And decided to grace me with your presence? How generous of you.”

“I figured I couldn’t allow a woman as beautiful and sexy as you to sit alone at a resort bar,” Jasper replied smoothly. “The vultures would be circling.” He eyed the rest of the men at the bar who were giving him the evil eye.

“So you think I’m sexy?”

Jasper eyed her up and down. “In that dress, hell yeah.” He laughed. “But then again, you were pretty hot in those skimpy shorts and top earlier.”

She gave him a sideways glance. “I thought you hadn’t noticed.”

“I’d be dead not to.” Jasper sipped on his beer.

“So we’ve established that you find me attractive,” Courtney replied, and spun around to face him. The chemistry between them was palpable. She was sure everyone else had to feel their sizzling connection. “So what now?”

There was a lot of innuendo behind Courtney’s remark, but Jasper opted to be good, for now. “How about we start with names? Mine’s Jasper. And yours?”

“Courtney.”

Jasper held up his drink. “To having a good time.”

“To a good time.” Courtney clinked her glass against his.

Courtney didn’t remember how many drinks she had because Jasper had been regaling her with tales of his life in construction and all the mishaps he’d had. Although he hadn’t said as much, she figured he was a construction worker. He appeared to love what he did for a living. Courtney didn’t say much about her job, only that she was in public relations for her family’s company. Jasper seemed happy with that. Neither one of them had offered much in the way of personal information. They were just having a good time.

They did shots of Patrón and then got up to dance. Jasper grasped her hand and they made their way into the throng that had congregated on the dance floor and danced to the merengue band. He was an excellent dancer and easily guided Courtney across the floor. And once his hands were on her body, there was no denying the attraction coursing between the two of them. At the touch of his hands caressing her bare back, a fire spread through Courtney’s loins. Does he feel it too?

When Courtney’s pert breasts grazed against his chest, she felt his lower half respond. And when she ground herself against his arousal to the beat of the music, he groaned and she thought he would lose it and take her right there on the dance floor. But he didn’t. He must have wanted the moment to last longer, because he slowed the pace, and it allowed her to feel the delicious friction of their bodies meeting.

They continued dancing and drinking until the wee hours of the morning when Jasper pulled her aside.

“Wanna get out of here?” he murmured against her ear as he flicked his tongue lightly across it.

Courtney shivered and said, “Yes.”

When they left the bar, the crowd had already thinned out and retired for the night. They walked barefoot toward the beach, since Courtney had abandoned her high heels earlier in the night. That’s when Jasper whisked Courtney into the nearby gazebo. It was dark and granted them plenty of coverage so Jasper could kiss her. His movements were slow and methodical. He snaked his arm around her waist and pulled her firmly to him. Courtney’s head fell back in response because she knew what was coming next. That deliciously sinful mouth of his on hers. He didn’t disappoint. He kissed her the way a soldier kissed the first woman he saw after coming home from a long war.

It was dangerous and passionate, thrilling and exhilarating, all at the same time. His tongue traced the outline of her lips, eager to be inside her warm, waiting mouth. Courtney allowed him entry. His tongue delved into the deep recesses of her mouth and he stroked her tongue with his before sucking hers. Courtney wound her arms around Jasper’s neck and kissed him back with equal fervor. His firm chest pressed against her, causing a tight ache to form in her breasts.

Jasper’s hands palmed her backside, pulling her closer to him. There was no mistaking it, Jasper was as turned on as she was. Courtney reveled in the fact that she could make her tall, dark stranger feel the way she did, because she’d been burning up since the moment she saw him.

“I want you now,” Jasper groaned as his tongue traced her ear with light flicks.

“Oh, yes.” Courtney shuddered. “I want you too.”

Jasper knew exactly how to tease her earlobe to send her mind swirling and make her dizzy and light-headed. She sighed, tingling with anticipation of what she knew was to come, but Jasper suddenly pulled away.

“Wait here. Be right back.” And he was gone in a flash.

After the heat of his skin left hers, Courtney felt bereft. She looked around her and it was dark, with only a faint glow from the stars overhead. Just when she thought he’d abandoned her, Jasper returned with a blanket and laid it across the floor of the gazebo.

Before she could think about what they were about to do out in the open, Jasper was pulling her down on the blanket. It was surprisingly thick and soft against her knees.

Jasper noticed that Courtney’s eyes lowered slightly and she pulled away. “Haven’t you ever done it outside before?”

Her pupils dilated and Courtney blushed, which thankfully he couldn’t see in the dark. She didn’t want him to think she was a prude. “Well, no, but I guess there’s a first time for everything.” She’d always been a little bit of an exhibitionist, but what if someone saw them? She glanced around the dark night.

“Are you afraid to?” he asked, stroking her cheek lightly. “Because we’re far away enough that no one can see us.”

“You sure do know a lot about this place,” Courtney said. “Do you do this often? You know, pick up American women and take them to bed?” How else could he have procured a chenille blanket in the middle of the night?

Jasper paused. “Actually I don’t, but since the moment I saw you—” he crawled toward her on his hands and knees “—I wanted to kiss you, to taste you.” He slid his hand around her neck, leaned his head to one side and laid claim to her lips.

He lifted his head slightly so Courtney could regain her breath and said, “Now’s your chance, princess, to back out, because once we get started I can’t promise I’ll be able to stop.”

“Who said I would want you to?”

They reached for each other at the same time and tumbled down onto the blanket. It was a long, drugging kiss that sapped Courtney of all rational thought. Warning bells were ringing that she shouldn’t be outside making love with a stranger underneath the stars, but she didn’t care. She gave in to the emotion and...it was sweet heaven.

Jasper’s well-defined mouth took full possession of hers. It started when his warm and moist tongue played with the outer corners of her mouth before darting inside for a taste. Then his tongue thrust deeper, penetrating the hollows of her mouth. He made love to her mouth and she shivered with desire.

He pulled back slightly to rain kisses across her forehead, her eyelids, her cheeks and then back to pay tribute to her lips. He grappled with the halter at her nape until he was finally able to release the knot and free her breasts to his searing gaze.

Jasper found Courtney’s breasts to be high and round and ready for him. The tips of his fingers reached out to glide their way down her satin skin before his mouth came down on them, hot and rampant. He took one nipple between his teeth and lightly sucked on it, tormenting her. He drew circles around the bud with his tongue and drew her into his mouth. He loved the other breast with equal measure. She clasped his head to her breasts, never wanting him to stop, but Jasper was clearly eager for more.