An Island Affair Read online

  A passion for all seasons...

  Returning to the beloved Eleuthera Islands of her childhood is the best decision Jasmine Talbot ever made. She’s determined to succeed in transforming her family’s magnificent Caribbean property into a one-of-a-kind B and B. But she needs Jackson Conner’s help. A brilliant visionary, the hunky contractor is proud, egotistical...and impossible to resist.

  Starting his own business was a huge gamble. And so is Jackson’s powerful desire for his alluring new boss. But what kind of future can he offer Jasmine when he has just discovered his entire past is a lie? Will his quest to uncover the truth—and the secret he’s keeping—jeopardize Jackson’s budding romance with the dazzling Bahamian beauty? Or give him the love that could be his lasting legacy...

  “Let me hear it again,” he said.

  I went back to the track and played it again. I started moving my hips in a circular motion, my eyes closed, one hand in the air and an arm around my waist. I got lost in the music. When I opened my eyes, Jackson was watching, studying me. I grabbed his hand and encouraged him to dance with me. He moved a little.

  He grabbed my waist with both hands. Much like he had the night of our almost-kiss. His body pressed against mine and we danced to the Caribbean beat. With a quick twirl, my back relaxed against him. His arms wrapped tightly around me from behind and I rested my head against his chest. Still moving. Still swaying. My hormones began to rage, and I couldn’t think of one place I’d rather be than right there. He planted sweet kisses along the back of my neck, and when I turned to face him, he planted those same kisses on my forehead and nose. Soon, his lips found mine, and this time without interruption. His kiss was gentle, and his tongue found its way between my lips and danced with my tongue. I savored the taste of him.

  “You’re so damn beautiful,” he whispered.

  Dear Reader,

  It was midbook when I completely fell head over heels in love with Jackson. He’s sexy and a generous lover. He’s truly a man’s man and Jasmine’s hero in every sense of the word. She wants a man like her father, and he fits the bill. He needs a woman who can unleash his inhibitions. And Jasmine is exactly that woman.

  I hope you will enjoy Jackson and Jasmine’s story. Writing this book was effortless and such a joy. Because my family is from the Eleuthera Islands, it was like sitting with them and having a great Bahamian meal while researching the beautiful island they call home.

  I hope you absolutely fall in love with the Talbot family! I sure did.

  Visit my website at monica-richardson.com or email me at [email protected].

  Happy reading!

  Monica Richardson

  Monica Richardson writes romance that is based in the Caribbean Islands. Her alter ego, Monica McKayhan, currently has eleven titles in print. Indigo Summer, the first book in her young-adult series, was the launch title for Kimani TRU and snagged the #7 position on the Essence bestseller list. Monica penned her first romance novel, Tropical Fantasy, in 2013.

  Books by Monica Richardson

  Harlequin Kimani Romance

  Tropical Fantasy

  An Island Affair

  Visit the Author Profile page at

  Harlequin.com for more titles

  For my Granny, Rosa A. Heggie

  (November 1927–2008)

  She was special in so many ways, and the strongest woman I knew. My life is rich because of her.

  Acknowledgments

  To my husband, the love of my life—

  thank you for being my biggest encourager.

  To my family and friends—

  you are my support system.

  To my readers who give me the energy to continue to write, I’m sure you will enjoy the Talbot family and get to know them well. This is for you!

  To my family in the Bahamas—

  visiting with you and talking to you about my history has made the research and writing of this Talbot series a complete joy.

  To my agent, Pamela Harty—

  thanks for years of support and encouragement.

  I appreciate you.

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 1

  Jasmine

  I took the liberty of undressing him. Inch by inch. One piece of clothing after another starting with his tool belt, which I tossed carelessly into the sand. I loosened the belt on his Levi’s 501 jeans, slid the zipper down and gently caressed him in places that required careful attention. I lifted his shirt and brushed my hands against his torso. His abs were rock-solid, and his chest protruded against the snug red T-shirt that restrained his biceps. He was gorgeous: a copper-colored man with black curls. I wanted his lips to touch mine, his tongue to dance inside my mouth.

  He reached for my hand...and I jolted back to reality.

  “I’m Jackson Conner.”

  I almost missed the introduction. I was too busy fantasizing about him—undressing him in my mind. It seemed unlawful for a man to look like that, to cause things inside of me to react that way.

  “Are you Jasmine?” he asked with a bit of agitation in his voice.

  “I am...yes.” I smiled and took his outstretched hand.

  “So you’re Edward’s little sister,” he teased with a smile that was far more beautiful than the ocean that lapped against the shore next to us.

  “I’m Edward’s sister, yes. Not his little sister. As you can clearly see, I’m a grown woman.” I lowered my voice almost to a whisper. “Nothing little about me.”

  I expected Jackson to affirm that I had it going on.

  “Just a figure of speech,” Jackson muttered.

  “Let’s just keep it professional, shall we?” I said. “I wouldn’t want you getting off course or distracted.”

  “I’m not easily distracted, and keeping things professional is exactly what I had in mind,” said Jackson. “Now if you don’t mind, I’d like to go over the construction plans with you.”

  He delivered his remarks in a businesslike manner. And whatever thoughts I had in my mind about ripping his clothes off quickly disappeared. There were no compliments or acknowledgments. He simply laid out the details of his plans for my family legacy and quickly asked if I had any questions. My immediate opinion was that he was cocky and arrogant. And I didn’t particularly care what he thought about me. Not as if I had earlier. In fact, that morning I’d been running behind schedule, not because I was handling other business, but because I’d spent too much time on my appearance. I was glad I’d spent those extra moments. Not because I cared what he thought, but because I now wanted him to see what he couldn’t have.

  Things had started off smoothly that morning before I left home. As I’d dressed, my hips had swayed to the sounds of Beres Hammond’s “I Feel Good.” His voice had teased my senses; nostalgia almost brought tears to my eyes. It was great to be home. I missed the Caribbean and everything about
it. The music, the food and our family home that rested on the shores of the beautiful ocean. I had grown to love California, but nothing could compare to Eleuthera.

  Life in the Bahamas was carefree—magical even. Especially now that the Grove would soon be up and running. The anticipation was like expecting a newborn baby. Not that I would know anything about that. I hadn’t yet had the privilege of birthing anybody’s child. I didn’t even have a man in my life—which was an integral part of having a baby. Though I’d been with my share of guys, I’d only fallen in love with one—Darren, my high school sweetheart.

  Darren had always been that guy—the one I’d dreamed of marrying. However, after a surprise visit to Darren’s college campus, I quickly discovered that another young woman had become the apple of his eye instead.

  As I listened to Jackson, I smoothed down my skirt—the one that hugged my hips so nicely: hips and glutes that I’d worked so hard for the past several months with a personal trainer that I could barely afford. Living in California, I’d felt an enormous amount of pressure to look good and become successful. In less than a year, I’d drained my entire savings trying to achieve both. It was difficult finding work as an actress in a city where everyone was a Hollywood hopeful, and beautiful women were as common as the grains of sand on the beach. Even with confidence and my spicy Bahamian accent, California had proved too challenging and extremely lonely.

  I adjusted my long, curly hair, pulling it off the silky, sheer blouse, and caught a whiff of my cologne, again glad I’d taken the time to look my best. First impressions were important. And if I wanted to be taken seriously by our family’s contractor and business partner, I had to look the part. No half stepping.

  Prior to today’s meeting I’d only seen pictures of Jackson Conner. The pictures had been dead-on. The man was definitely a looker. And now as I got a good look at those eyes in person, I was sure they were a color I’d never seen before. Of course I’d seen gorgeous men—LA was full of them—but Jackson was different. He was self-assured and had a commanding presence. He was manly—the type that would grab your hand tightly and lead you to places that you wouldn’t normally go on your own. He seemed like the type that made your heart beat at a rapid pace by simply entering the room.

  “I was thinking that we’d begin renovation on the first property there,” he said as he pointed toward one of the older homes along the beach. “We’ll restore the old hardwoods and the cabinetry. It needs a new roof, and we should bring those old windows up to date.”

  “I think a front porch would be nice. In fact, each home at the Grove should have a front porch.”

  The Grove was our inheritance—properties that had been passed down from my grandfather Clyde Talbot to my siblings and me. The six of us had collectively decided that the three historical beachfront properties on Harbour Island would be converted into beautiful bed-and-breakfasts. Each would have its own distinct personality, theme and name. The Talbot House would have flair and spunk and boast bright colors. The Clydesdale would have a musical ambience where portraits of jazz and Caribbean music legends would adorn the walls. My grandfather’s baby grand piano would reside in the Grand Room of the Clydesdale. And lastly, Samson Place would be the most tranquil of the three homes. Decorated in tropical Caribbean colors, the beachside home would be the most coveted retreat for lovers. The Grove would be a place where tourists could relax and experience the Eleuthera Islands Bahamas in its truest form.

  * * *

  Now as I stood in front of this very gorgeous man—a man I’d be working with for God-only-knew-how-long, spending countless hours with—I knew that this would be a much more challenging task than I’d ever anticipated.

  “I agree that each property should have a front porch,” said Jackson. “But...”

  “And the Clydesdale should have a huge cabana on the back big enough for tables, a fully stocked bar and a dance floor.”

  “You have a big imagination, it seems,” Jackson said.

  “Yes, I do. And you should, too, considering you’re the engineer of this project.” I walked toward the back of the house, and Jackson just stood there. I urged him to come along. “Follow me, and I’ll show you exactly where I want the cabana to be.”

  Jackson followed me, and I wondered if he was enjoying the view of my rear end as we headed to the back of the house. I smiled wickedly at the thought.

  “Well,” said Jackson, “I can appreciate your ideas for this project, but I have clear guidelines from my commander in chief, Edward.”

  “I would suggest that you abandon all instructions from Edward and follow my lead from here on out. I’m your new commander in chief. I’ve been designated to oversee this project.”

  “Really? See, no one told me that.”

  “I’m telling you now.”

  “I’ll have a word with Edward about that.”

  “You should.”

  “I fully intend to.”

  “Good.”

  “Good, then,” he finally said.

  I’d thrown him off, but I didn’t care. He needed to know who was in charge.

  “See, right here. I think the space here could be expanded. Perhaps we could build a nice deck. Maybe a nice bar over in that corner, a spacious dance floor right here. I think the dance floor should be the main attraction.” I smiled.

  “Are you a dancer?” Jackson asked.

  “It’s one of my favorite pastimes,” I said. “And you?”

  “I have two left feet.”

  I wanted to know what his marital status was, but to directly ask him if he was married was rude. He’d think that I was interested in him, and that was the last thing I wanted him to think. So I found the opportunity to ask what I wanted to know.

  “Is your wife a good dancer?”

  “My wife?”

  “Yes. I thought I remembered Edward mentioning that you were married.” I lied. Edward and I hadn’t discussed much about Jackson, except that he’d be handling the construction of the Grove.

  “I’m not,” he said, “and have no intentions of ever being married. Women are a bit too high-maintenance for my tastes.”

  “Really?”

  “Yes.”

  I turned and bumped right into Jackson. Our bodies collided, and he grabbed me to break my fall.

  “Sorry,” I said as I regained my composure.

  “It’s those dark shades.” He smiled. “How do you even see where you’re going?”

  “I manage.” I was intrigued by his scent, and that gorgeous smile that he kept hidden behind his cool demeanor was a wonderful surprise again.

  “Well, good. Now that I know what your ideas are for the cabana, I will try to implement them into the plans. After I speak with Edward, of course.”

  I rolled my eyes. He wasn’t taking me seriously, and I hated it. Jackson’s phone rang, and he answered it before I had a chance to respond to his comment. He rudely began a pervasive conversation with the person on the other end of the phone. I’d been dismissed, and I didn’t like it one bit. Soon, I’d let Jackson Conner know just how much.

  Chapter 2

  Jackson

  I knew she’d be beautiful, but also superficial and demand that the world revolve around her. I’d met women like her in the past—the ones who spent too much time fishing for compliments. She wouldn’t get that from me. I was here to do a job, and I had a personal interest in this project—I’d invested a good portion of my savings. Although I wouldn’t be involved in the day-to-day running of the place, the stakes were too high for me to mess around.

  The Grove was a promising venture, and when my buddy Edward asked me to invest, I didn’t hesitate. He was one of the few people that I trusted. I knew he was a good man and had solid family roots. Edward and I had attended Harvard together and had become instant friends, bot
h very driven and focused, both pursuing a career in politics. Edward had gone on to achieve his political goals. He’d studied law and eventually landed a job in the Florida governor’s office. He worked on President Obama’s campaign and now was running for mayor of a small city in Florida. Unlike me, he hadn’t given up on his dreams. I envied my old friend, but was proud of his accomplishments. He’d been brave, whereas I’d been a failure. I’d dropped out of law school. Not because my grades were bad (in fact, my grades had been exceptional), or because I couldn’t maintain the curriculum. No, I left Harvard because of a lie.

  I’d initially chosen Harvard because it was my father’s alma mater, a place near and dear to his heart. I remember that the day I got accepted was the proudest day of my life—and his. My father, John Conner, had been my role model, and I wanted to follow in his footsteps. He was a good man, with undeniable character, and taught my brothers and me everything we needed to know about being good men. So it was hard when I discovered that the man who taught me to be honest had been anything but.

  It was good that Harvard had been more than just John Conner’s alma mater. It was the place where my important friendships were born. It was why I’d come to work at the Grove in the first place and why I had suddenly found myself entertaining Edward’s spoiled little sister.

  “Let’s step inside,” I told Jasmine. “It’ll be easier for me to show you my plans in here.”

  I grabbed her small elbow to help her climb the stairs of the old house. We stepped inside and the stench of mildew swept across my nostrils as I looked around at the wood paneling on the walls. That would be the first thing to be removed, I thought—wood paneling wouldn’t work with my new plans for the place. There were cobwebs in the corners of the ceiling, the baseboards were beginning to rot, and the dull floor needed to be revived. I’d already determined that I could salvage the hardwoods and bring them back to life. In fact, I would preserve as much of the original structure as possible. The Talbot homes were three of the oldest homes on the islands, and the history was undeniable. I thought it an honor to take part in such an important project.