Finding Paradise Read online

  Finding Paradise

  C.M. Steele

  Brent—Enjoying my vacation was all I had planned. Ten days of the beach, sun, and booze. I never expected to meet the woman of my dreams and find paradise with her.

  Alana—I looked out on the ocean wishing for it to wash me away. Who knew I’d find a man who made life worth living.

  This is a short, syrupy-sweet, and dirty treat, like a sundae shared in the bedroom.

  Copyright ©2016 C.M. Steele

  All Rights Reserved

  No part of this book may be reproduced, copied or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system without written expressed permission from the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination and are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or locales is purely coincidental.

  Cover design: C.M. Steele

  Cover Image: Shutterstock

  The use of actors, artists, movies, TV shows, and song titles/lyrics throughout this book are done so for storytelling purposes and should in no way be seen as advertisement. Trademark names are used in an editorial fashion with no intention of infringement of the respective owner’s trademark.

  This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment. This book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, or if it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return it to the seller and please purchase your own copy.

  All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior express, written consent of the author.

  This book is intended for mature adults only. Contains sexual content and language that may offend some. Suggested reading audience is 18 years or older. I consider this book as Adult Erotic Romance.

  Contents

  Chapter 1 — Brent

  Chapter 2 — Alana

  Chapter 3 — Brent

  Chapter 4 — Alana

  Chapter 5 — Brent

  Chapter 6 — Alana

  Chapter 7 — Brent

  Chapter 8 —Alana

  Chapter 9 — Brent

  Epilogue — Brent

  Chapter 1 — Brent

  I laid the seat back and reclined, trying to rest during my six-hour flight to the Bahamas. I was on a 747 with only a hundred other passengers. Ending up with the window seat left me with a lot of leg room and a smile on my face. I could even stretch out my arms because no one was sitting next to me. Across from me was this woman who took my smile and ate that shit up like some Halloween candy. My happiness had nothing to do with her, so I let her know. “Loving the leg room,” I remarked.

  “I wonder if the bathroom has a lot of space, too,” she chimed right back, wagging her brows at me suggestively. She was a pretty chick, but way too forward for me. I didn’t like women like that.

  “Probably not,” I said, effectively dismissing her offer. I didn’t need the headache that she would bring if I even flirted with her. As soon as we landed she’d be attached to my sac, following me around to pay for her trip. Some of the guys at the bar warned me about chicks like that. They would flirt with a guy on the plane or at the hotel bars, looking for a great time at the guy’s expense. I didn’t want to spend my vacation looking over my shoulder.

  This was the first vacation I’d ever taken in my life. Working hard as a young man, eager to get away from my life back home, I never took time for me. I was always on the grind. At twenty-six, I was living the American dream. I had a successful business that I built from the ground up. With a smile on my face, I closed my eyes and started my vacation. A trip to the Bahamas with its clear water and warm weather. Ten days on a sandy beach getting drunk sounded perfect to me.

  The flight had been smooth all the way there. I didn’t wake up for more than twenty minutes at a time, so it seemed like a short trip. I picked up my luggage and hopped in a cab to my resort. I had picked the best they had to offer because there was no way I was cheapening out on myself. With a family inheritance and a popular bar, I had plenty of spending money. The only thing I didn’t have was company. I’d been alone a long time. The only female I readily talked to was my cousin Sonya. She understood me and the life I had growing up. I’d left her in charge of the bar and felt more than confident that I had nothing to worry about.

  Women had always been something of a mystery to me. After dealing with years of my mother, I couldn’t imagine ever getting married. It had been years since I went on a date. Time was a luxury that I didn’t have. I could have spent more time chasing women, but I had dreams to fulfill and a big “Fuck You” to send my dad. With the bar, I needed to be there most nights. There was no way I could take a woman out on a Friday or Saturday night. It was time I met a woman. The kind you should want to bring home to your family. Well, not my family, but a relatively sane family.

  I hadn’t spoken to my parents in four years. They preferred that I conformed to their ways or I didn’t get to be graced with their presence. Frankly, I was happy without them, but it was because of them that I was single. I was forced out on my own to fend for myself, and unwilling to fail and come back groveling, I sacrificed the party scene. People thought because I owned a bar that I lived a party lifestyle, but the business fell into my lap and it was a hell of a lot of hard work. In order to keep it running, there was no drinking on the job. Stressful, sleepless nights were just one of the many benefits of being a small business owner.

  With all that behind me, I thanked the driver and jumped out of the car and into the hotel. I got to my sweet villa that overlooked the ocean. The sky was clear as the waves pushed against the shore. The sun would be setting soon and I had every intention of watching it from the beach. Changing into some comfortable clothes and sandals, I headed outside.

  “Mr. McCartney, would you care for a drink?” The server asked as I walked onto the sand. They had lounge chairs set out all around for you to relax. I smiled to myself. This was nice.

  “Please. I’d like a Corona, thank you,” I answered.

  “Yes, sir.” I walked over to the nearest lounge cushioned chair to lay down. This was a dangerous place to sit. I could totally fall asleep here. My beer was in my hands sooner than I expected. There were boats in the distance and it reminded me that I wanted to go scuba diving. Mentally, I made a note to ask for information.

  The sky was changing color as the sun set, but immediately my eyes were trained to something or rather someone else. In a petite, little package stood this pale beauty with long, curly, blonde hair. She was standing next to some guy who looked a bit menacing. It wasn’t that he was much taller than her, it was the way he looked like he was going to knock her on her ass. If he even tried I’d fuck him up fast as hell. I didn’t come to a faraway paradise to see a couple fight. I could have seen that on a Saturday night at the bar.

  He wasn’t happy with her. Then I heard, “I swear…you make me want to drown your ass.” She backed away from him like he would throw her into the water.

  Immediately, I was up on my feet. Pissed that someone had the nerve to be so mean to someone so damn adorable. She wasn’t even dressed like the other women. She had a full bathing suit on and a pair of shorts covering her bottom. Her blonde hair was wrapped up in a tight ponytail and if s
he wasn’t stunning in the face, she would just be passed up. Most of the people here were glamourizing their beauty, this one was hiding it. I called out, “Hey,” as I approached them. They both turned to me and the guy stormed off. I walked up to her, invading her space. She had tears in her eyes.

  “Hello there. Are you okay?” I asked, looking into her honey colored eyes. She only went up to my chest. I wanted to pull her into my arms, like I had the right to do.

  “Hello,” she muttered softly. “I’m fine.”

  “Yes, that you are, but by the tears on your face, it’s clear you’re not okay,” I stated boldly. It didn’t sit well with her, though. She let out an exasperated gasp, then scowled at me.

  “It’s none of your business. Excuse me.” She walked right passed me, stomping her tiny feet in the sand. Yes, it was none of my business, but I didn’t trust that she was safe and fuck if I wasn’t a tad bit jealous that she even spoke to someone else.

  I had enough of the sunset. I walked back into the hotel and up to my room. The fiery way she looked at me played over in my head. She let that bastard talk to her like that but gave me attitude. I wanted to take her over my knee or, better yet, the edge of my bar and drive my cock deep inside her.

  I decided to go have a drink at the bar. There were five other guys around, one of them being that piece of shit from the beach. I walked right up there and sat next to him.

  “You were the man talking to my daughter by the beach a few minutes ago. Don't bother wasting your time. She already has a fiancé.” I was taken aback by what he said, even when I thought they were a couple I hadn't thought she was engaged or even married. Whoever this guy was he was a lucky son of a bitch.

  “I wasn't wasting my time. When I see a girl crying after some guy is a freaking jerk to her, I try to make sure she's okay.”

  "She's fine. She's just cost me another business deal. Unless you got millions of dollars stay away from her, she likes the good life."

  "Wow. You sound like father of the year. I swear if I didn't care about going to jail, I'd kick your teeth in."

  "She's my stepdaughter. And I wish you would try. I'd have you locked up so fast."

  "That's because you're a big pussy,” I said. The bartender approached us. "I'll have a Corona."

  As soon as the bartender walked away, he turned his face to me angrily and snapped, “You’ve got a lot of nerve talking to me like that.”

  “I’m not afraid of some blowhard.” I took my time drinking my beer. The man was half my size. I would drop him if he tried, but of course, he didn’t.

  I went back to my room and felt a cool breeze come from the balcony. I went to close it because my mood was sour. Then I saw her about to take a seat in the sand. She had on a light sweater and white capris that reminded me of the Hollywood celebrity style attire. What a beauty. My heart was thumping in my chest, looking at the moonlight playing on her figure. The wind blew the light sweater around, revealing her curves while her hair danced around her face. She brushed it back with her left hand. Her ring finger was bare. He was a lying shit or her and her boyfriend broke up.

  I took a look at myself in the mirror, making sure my hair still was on point. Once I was ready, I hurried out to the beach. I looked around and didn’t see her. My head moved back and forth searching for her. “Looking for someone?” a soft sweet voice said behind me.

  I spun around hoping it was the little beauty. It was. “You, actually.”

  “What for?”

  “I wanted to see how you were doing.”

  “I’m better now.” She swiped some strands of her hair and tucked them behind her ear.

  “I met with your father at the bar,” I informed her.

  “Yes. I saw,” she replied.

  “You did?”

  “I was supposed to meet them for dinner, but I wasn’t up for it. I heard what you said. Thanks for being so kind. Most people have ignored the way he yells at me in public.”

  “So, do you want to tell me your name?”

  “My name is Alana Cole,” she said, sticking out her hand for me to shake.

  I did just that. “I’m Brent McCartney,” I replied, holding onto her hand longer.

  “Tell me about this fiancé you have. Is there a reason you’re not wearing a ring?”

  “I don’t have a fiancé, no matter what John says. He wants me to marry a competitor so that they can merge and make millions together. That’s the only way the business deal will go through.”

  “You’re up for barter?”

  “It would seem so, but I still have a say in it. The thing is I don’t know if I’m strong enough to fight against them. He’s made it so I have to rely on him, which means following his rules. I don’t think I can handle it anymore.”

  “You won’t have to.”

  “So you say, but I have no skills and even less money to run away. I’ve been looking into a position at this hotel and two others in this area. I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be blurting out my life story to you,” she said in a rush.

  “No. And for now I would ask you to stop. Not because I don’t want to know everything about you, but I’m ready to beat them and toss them to the sharks.” She gave me a bit of a giggle that she bit back like she was afraid to laugh. “You have a cute laugh. I suppose it’s because you’re an adorable, sweet, little thing.”

  She started looking over her shoulder when she heard her name being called.

  “Come on, let’s go this way.” I grabbed her hand and we ran off into a dark corner of the hotel. I looked around the building to see if they were there, but the guy was spinning around.

  “I hope she wasn’t serious about killing herself,” a man said, I couldn’t see his face, but that voice was eerily familiar. I turned to look at her and her head was down. That’s what she was down by the shore for. She’d been ready to jump into the ocean. My eyes narrowed at her.

  “Looking for a job? Really?” I asked, trying not to snap on her. She didn’t need my anger.

  “I’m sorry,” she said ashamedly. I pulled her against my side. A riot of violent emotions floated through me when I thought about her desperation.

  “We can deal with that later,” I whispered softly. I didn’t want her to be afraid of me. I turned my furious expression towards them. I knew that it was their fault for her decision. I still wanted to spank her for thinking of doing such a fucked up thing.

  “That little bitch better not have. Fucking shit. It’s not my fault if she did. The deal should still be good.”

  “Are you fucking nuts? My son is going to be without a wife and you think that I’m going to just go ahead with the deal? We’re done unless you find her alive and well.”

  Without a doubt, I knew that voice. How was it even possible?

  Chapter 2 — Alana

  When I came out to the beach, I felt nothing but dread. I was tired of the looks from people who felt bad for me but hadn’t bothered to lend a hand to stop the abuse. Since I grew up to be attractive, my stepfather stopped hitting me because, as he would say, “I can’t sell damaged merchandise.”

  I hated him and I felt I had no way out. The ocean with its waves looked like the answer. I thought about it, but then the man came in between John and I. He gave me a tinge of hope and a strange feeling in my body. I wanted to jump into his arms and beg him to protect me, but I didn’t know him from a hole in the wall. He could be just as bad as my stepfather, and what if he didn’t want to help? Then I was alone and in trouble. Ending it all seemed like a wonderful idea. I had the knife with me. I had everything I needed to be done. I was walking out to the spot I found the prettiest when I overheard John and the handsome man argue about me. He was looking out for my wellbeing without even knowing me. My heart was aching for that affection, but I didn’t know if it was enough for me to break free from John’s hold on my existence.

  The waves crashed against the sand and I ached to find some peace. I watched the ocean, not quite sure if I had the strength to
go through with ending my life. Was it as bad as I thought? I knew it all had to do with the stranger. Before him, I had no doubts. I thought about it so much that I looked forward to it, but after his interference something in me changed. I felt hope.

  I heard someone coming so I ran and hid. What I hadn’t expected was to see him. He was searching for someone, looking frantically and standing where I’d just been. Was he looking for me? I knew that he couldn’t have, but I couldn’t hold back. I came out of my hiding spot and there he was. It was him looking for me.

  I couldn’t believe that he was looking for me. At the moment, I didn’t even care why. I was just grateful that he was interested in how I was doing. He didn’t give off that asshole vibe that I got from some of the men at the hotel. The same kind that only came here to get drunk and lucky with their friends. I wondered if he had a woman and was just being my hero. Then I heard them calling for me. So, I hid back in the spot I was just in, dragging Brent along.

  The echo was ridiculous, though, and he heard what they said. The fury in his eyes told me all that I needed to know. The thought of me killing myself pissed him off. I didn’t get the feeling that he’d hurt me, but I got the feeling that he was very angry.

  Chapter 3 — Brent

  I would deal with the other situation later. What I needed to deal with now was the beauty in front of me. What the fuck did I almost come upon? Tell me that she wasn’t going to end her life. I bit back a growl, waiting for those two bastards to leave. Then I dragged her around the other way to my suite. The moment we were inside, I said, “Fucking explain yourself.”

  “I…I…don’t know what to say.”

  “Tell me what the fuck were they talking about. Explain to me why they got the impression that you were going to off yourself.”

  “Because I was…” I saw the pain in her eyes and I knew that whatever she had been through, I’d only gotten a glimpse of it today.