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  I felt anger rising in my throat like bile. If this other guy was interested, there was no way I’d be able to drum up enough interest to save the property!

  “That’s not fair,” I whined loudly. “He looks like such a jerk!”

  “He probably is,” Lisa said. “Look – he’s so smug.”

  I groaned. “I’ll confront both of them,” I said, gritting my teeth. “And force them to give up their plans, or else the local ecosystem is going to be ruined!”

  Lisa and Andrew stared.

  “Adele, that’s insane,” Andrew said, shaking his head. “There’s no way you’re going to be able to convince two billionaires!”

  I gritted my teeth and crossed my arms over my chest, staring defiantly until Andrew shrank down.

  “Just watch me,” I growled.

  ---

  When we boarded the flight, I was surprised to see that the plane was mostly empty. Lisa took out an eye-mask and travel pillow, and within ten minutes, she was snoring next to me. I’d been planning to use the time in the air to work on my research, but now that I had a new task at hand, I knew I was going to have to work quickly. I paid for the in-flight wi-fi and connected my laptop, searching for Louis Franchot and Jack Nathan.

  Louis Franchot was easier. A simple type of his name yielded a plethora of search results – and most of them were terrible. It looked like he was responsible for several luxury resorts – all of them incredibly overpriced, in exotic locales around the world. I rolled my eyes – he even looked like a jerk. He was overweight, with a big paunchy belly, and he was always photographed wearing suits that were wrinkled and creased. His neck was adorned with several gold chains, and despite the fact that he was balding, tufts of grey and white hair floated around the rim of his head like clouds.

  “I’m going to get you,” I whispered to his photo on the screen of my laptop.

  Next, I looked up Jack Nathan. I was surprised to see that he was local to Boston, and unfortunately, it looked like we had something in common: like me, Jack Nathan had attended Lager College. But then, he’d graduated and taken over what appeared to be his father’s company. Based on his photos – not to mention the one I’d seen in the newspaper – he was the opposite of Franchot. Young, handsome, and lean. But they did share one thing in common: a cocky smirk that told me they both thought of themselves as kings.

  I rolled my eyes, then slammed the screen of my laptop shut. I was angry and excited at the same time – I couldn’t wait to confront these losers and demand they abandon all plans to ruin the wilderness of Nassau.

  When the plane landed, Lisa, Andrew, Sally, and I took a cab to the hotel. The Hotel St. Charles was just as ostentatious as I’d imagined.

  “There’s no way in hell the department’s going to refund all of this,” I whispered to Lisa as we hung around the lobby. “It’s way too expensive.”

  Lisa shrugged. “It’s the only hotel on the island,” she said. “It’s not like we had a choice.”

  I groaned. “Yeah,” I muttered. “I guess you’re right.”

  When the smiling young concierge appeared, Lisa handed over our reservation information.

  “Ladies, I’m so sorry,” the concierge began. “Due to the hurricane, we’re urging all of our guests to leave immediately.”

  “What?” Lisa’s jaw dropped. “You’re kidding,” she said. “Look, we’re not here for a vacation – we’re grad students, and we need to do research.”

  The concierge smiled apologetically. “I understand,” she said. “But unfortunately, I cannot help you. We are not equipped to handle such a disaster.”

  “I’m not leaving,” I said, shaking my head.

  “What?” Lisa turned to me, and I saw that all of the blood had drained from her face. “Adele, what are you talking about? Why not?”

  “Because,” I said slowly. “I have an idea.”

  “What? Like dying?” Lisa shook her head. “Adele, you’re nuts!”

  “Ma’am,” the concierge broke in. “I must urge you – please, leave Nassau immediately.” She shook her head in dismay. “I don’t even know how you were able to fly out here in the first place!”

  “Because if I stay, I’ll get a lot of publications,” I said firmly. “And that’s what I need right now – a lot of attention in environmental publications.”

  “More like mental publications,” Lisa said in exasperation. “Adele, this is suicidal!”

  “Give me my key, please,” I said to the concierge, holding my hand out.

  She hesitated for a long moment before handing me an elegant wooden key fob attached to a silver key.

  Surprisingly, I found that I had a hard time reaching out and taking it. I knew, deep down, that Lisa was more than right – if I stayed in Nassau during a hurricane, I was risking my life. I had no idea how bad things could get. What if I couldn’t find food or water? What would I do then?

  I couldn’t think like that though, not now. I had a stand to make. I could just see it now – headlines in the most famous environmental publications: “Heroic Grad Student Risks Life to Defend Nassau Wildlife.”

  Just thinking about it made me feel good.

  “I can’t believe you,” Lisa said when I finally reached out and took the key. “Adele, this is insane! I should call your parents!”

  I rolled my eyes. “Lisa, I’m twenty-four,” I said. “My parents haven’t been able to control me for at least six years.”

  Lisa stared at me for a long moment before shaking her head. “Adele,” she said. “I know you mean well, but…” She trailed off and shrugged. “If you change your mind, call me,” she said. “Maybe I can help coordinate some kind of rescue for you.”

  I nodded and smiled faintly. I knew my best friend didn’t approve of what I was doing, but it wasn’t like I had a choice. If I had any chance of defeating Franchot and the cocky, smug Jack Nathan, I was going to have to make a real splash.

  Lisa, Sally, and Andrew called for a taxi back to the airport. I stood outside with them and waited, unsure if I’d be able to stop myself from leaping into the backseat and yelling that I’d changed my mind. But when the yellow cab pulled up, I swallowed and stood tall and tried to act proud.

  “Are you sure?” Lisa asked softly. She pulled me into a tight hug. “I’m going to be so worried about you!”

  “I’m sure,” I said, even though I wasn’t at all. The sky was bright, and the sun was shining – but how long would it last?

  Lisa nodded. Her big dark eyes filled with worry. “Okay,” she said softly. “Check in when you can.”

  I nodded.

  The taxi driver honked, and Lisa flushed before scrambling into the backseat. Then the car pulled away, and I was on my own.

  ---

  I spent the rest of the day on the beach with my laptop, trying to think of what to do next. Obviously, I was going to have to let a few people know that I was in Nassau if I wanted any kind of recognition. I emailed my adviser, as well as a couple of small journals that I knew covered environmental science. I laid out my reasons for wanting to stay, as well as the evil that was Jack Nathan and Louis Franchot. After a couple of hours, I felt satisfied with my efforts, so I closed my laptop and took a swim in the still-tranquil sea.

  That night, I ordered room service and sat alone in my room, working on my paper. The halls were filled with people trying to make a desperate escape before the hurricane. With each sound of frightened voices, I felt a little more frightened. But I wasn’t going to let that scare me off – I had a mission, and I wasn’t going to be satisfied until it was complete.

  In the morning, everything was different. The sky was dark and grey and cloudy, and angry winds were whipping the palm trees back and forth until I thought their trunks would break. When I went down to the lobby, I found it was empty.

  A chill of fear ran down my spine. “Hello?” I called. “Is anyone here?”

  There was no answer. Grimly, I turned back and headed upstairs where I decided to k
eep working on my paper. I wrote for three hours, then got up to stretch. Just as I was about to pick up the phone and call for more room service, the lights flickered.

  “Oh, no,” I said softly. “No, please!”

  My pleas did nothing. The lights flickered a few more times, then cut out and left me in a disquieting semi-dark.

  My heart was thumping as I made my way out of my room and walked down the hall. The Hotel St. Charles was completely deserted, and somehow the silence was even more frightening than that of the panicking guest. I shivered despite the warm temperature as I made my way down the back stairs and into the lobby.

  “Hello?” I called.

  There was no answer.

  Frowning, I walked through the lobby and into the hotel’s signature restaurant – a classy steak joint where the cheapest thing on the menu was over twenty dollars. A loud noise made me jump and shriek with fright. I gasped when I saw a figure standing in front of me. He was tall and lean yet muscular, with tousled dirty blonde hair and dark eyes.

  “Hello?” I asked uncertainly. “Did you decide to stick it out, too?”

  The man chuckled and stepped forward. He was wearing a creased white shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, showing his tanned skin. Between the muscles in his arms and his chiseled jawline, I felt a shiver of arousal race down my spine. Stop it, Adele, I told myself. He’s just a man – stop freaking out like you’ve never seen one before.

  “Yeah,” the guy said. His voice was lazy and arrogant. “I guess I did.”

  Chapter Three

  Adele

  “I guess we’re alone then,” I said weakly, gesturing to the empty restaurant.

  “I guess so,” the man replied. He snickered. “What’s your excuse?”

  I laughed nervously. “I’m a grad student,” I said, shaking my head. “I thought it would…I don’t know, look good that I decided to stick it out.” Saying it out loud made me wonder if my idea had truly been stupid.

  To my surprise, the man whistled. “Damn,” he said. “That’s impressive.”

  I flushed, feeling like an idiot.

  Just then, a loud clap of thunder sounded overhead, and I jumped again, squeaking in fear. I thought the man would laugh at me, but instead, he stepped closer and I felt a delightful shiver run down my spine.

  “You know, we could die,” the man said, gesturing outside. I winced as I saw angry waves crashing down on the shore. It was hard to believe that I’d just gone swimming yesterday.

  “I suppose we could,” I said. My heart was thumping, and my mouth was dry.

  The man raised an eyebrow and stepped closer. He was so close that I could have reached out and touched him.

  “So, what do you wanna do?” The man asked.

  I flushed hotly. His implication wasn’t lost on me.

  “I don’t know what you mean,” I lied.

  The man grinned. He reached out and took my hand. When our skin touched for the first time, I felt a spark leap from his flesh to my own. I shivered again – I’d never felt like this, especially not with a stranger!

  “I think you know,” he said in a husky voice. When he leaned in closer and pressed his forehead against mine, I didn’t push back.

  “Are you trying to get in my pants?” I asked softly.

  The man leaned in and pressed his lips to mine. They were warm and dry, and he smelled so good that I almost swooned as his tongue slipped into my mouth. Without even thinking about it, I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him close.

  “Yeah,” the man whispered, breaking the kiss. “After all, we could die.”

  Suddenly, his words struck me as both profound and powerful. Why not, I thought as I reached out and pressed my body against his, enjoying the feel of his muscular bulk against my own body. He’s right. I might not make it out of here – I may as well have sex with this gorgeous Greek god!

  When we kissed again, it was more intense. I moaned softly as the man nibbled my lip, sucking the flesh gently until I felt a flood of arousal in my lower belly. My tongue danced with his, and I cocked my head to the side, deepening the kiss until my jaw ached. It didn’t matter. A torrent of ecstasy and anticipation was flooding my body, and I moaned into the man’s mouth as I felt his hands on my body. He wrapped his arms around my waist and held me close, pressing his hard muscular body against mine.

  “You taste so good,” the man whispered, breaking the kiss and nuzzling me. He slipped his hands under my shirt, and I purred when I felt him stroking my bare stomach. He moved his hands higher and higher, cupping my breasts through my lacy bra and rubbing his thumb over my stiff nipples until I bit my lip and groaned with pleasure. I was so aroused that I felt like I was going to explode if the man didn’t take me right here and now. When he reached around my back and expertly unclasped my bra, I shivered with arousal. I crossed my arms over my chest and grabbed the hem of my shirt, pulling it over my head as the man pulled my bra away from my body. The air in the restaurant was chill, and my nipples were so stiff that they almost ached.

  The man dropped to his knees and put his hands on my hips, pulling me closer. He nuzzled my belly as he fumbled with the zipper of my jeans. Sliding the stiff material down my hips, I shivered again. There was something strangely sensual about being almost naked while my partner was still fully dressed. The crotch of my cotton panties was soaked with my arousal. The man nuzzled me between the legs, sending swirls of pleasure through my lower belly. I felt weak in the knees as he slid a finger inside my panties, gently fondling my sensitive skin.

  “You taste good, too,” the man purred, licking his finger and locking eyes with me. I shuddered. I’d never had someone act so brazenly sexual with me, or treat me like I was some kind of exotic goddess. Most men ignored me or treated me like their long-lost sister. Even when I’d had boyfriends and one night stands in college, it had never been particularly passionate. But this was incredible, this was different. This man was making me feel like I held sexual power in my hands, the kind of sexual power that brings men to their knees.

  The man slipped my panties down, and I stepped out of them, kicking them to the side. He ran his hands down my bare thighs, scratching the skin with his nails until I shivered with pleasure. I dropped to my knees and wrapped my arms around the man’s neck, kissing him deeply. My nipples rubbed against the soft cotton of his shirt, and I moaned with pleasure – it felt so good that I could hardly stand it. I could feel my clit was pulsing with arousal, hard and stiff between my legs, and I shivered as I thought about how good it would feel when the man slid inside of me for the first time.

  With clumsy fingers, I unbuttoned the man’s shirt and pulled it away from his body. His torso was muscular and lean, shiny and hairless. He smelled spicy and musky, and I leaned in close and kissed his chest breathlessly, licking his skin until he growled with pleasure. His cock was hard – there was a bulge at the fork of his trousers – and I ran my hand over it until he groaned. The man grabbed my hand and began thrusting against his in a lewd gesture that made me flush. Then he unzipped his pants and wriggled out of them. I gasped when his cock popped free – he hadn’t been wearing any boxers!

  Naked, the man was even more handsome. He was sturdy and lean, with narrow hips and a neat waist that made me think he spent every day alone in the gym. He kissed me again, pinching my nipples with his fingers until a flood of pleasure crashed over my head. His hard cock poked me in the lower belly, and I blushed at the girth of it – he was huge, much bigger than anyone else that I’d ever been with.

  “I want you,” I groaned softly. “I can’t take it anymore.”

  The man grinned. He wrapped an arm around me and laid me down on the soft carpeted floor. Then he slid a hand between my thighs and stroked my wetness before pushing my legs apart and crawling in between them. When I felt the head of his cock pressing against me, I arched my back and lifted my hips high into the air.

  The man’s cock slid inside of me, penetrating me to the hilt.
He groaned and grabbed my hips, staying frozen for a moment before beginning to thrust back and forth. I moaned loudly as the man grabbed my ankles and hauled my legs over his shoulders. His cock was sliding in so deep that I felt completely filled. The man smirked at me and reached between my legs where his thumb found my clit and began to rub. It felt so good that I closed my eyes and shivered, moaning happily as pleasure filled my body.

  In that moment, I forgot about everything. My grad school work, my plan to keep the two billionaires from building huge hotels, even the hurricane. I was transported to a world of pleasure and lust.

  The man groaned. He arched his back and thrust in deeper and deeper. We were both covered in sweat and beads of perspiration were dripping down from the man’s forehead to my chest. I bit my lip, trying to suppress a loud shriek of pleasure. The man was rubbing my clit harder and faster, and I was gasping for air. I knew that I was about to come, and I held my breath until I couldn’t hold it in any longer. When my orgasm hit, it was like a tidal wave crashing over my body. I gasped and shuddered and screamed with intense pleasure as my body quivered and shook.