California Secrets. Jules Bennett

       One

      The red bikini never failed to arouse him...and the damn thing was just hanging there on the heated towel bar in his en suite.

      When Harper Williams donned that collection of triangles and strings, he always enjoyed peeling the flimsy material from her curvy body. As much as he always wanted to tear it off, he enjoyed this sexy suit way too much to destroy it.

      Ethan Michaels slid on a gray T-shirt and stepped back into the bedroom of his penthouse at Mirage. The adults-only resort was beyond luxurious and grand. In addition to all the amenities that made this five-star resort so sought out, the breathtaking property sat in the middle of Sunset Cove, a private island off the southern coast of California, making this resort a most magnificent destination.

      While waiting out his time until he orchestrated an epic surprise reunion with his bastard of a stepfather, Ethan had started a fling with the owner of that tempting red bikini. He’d always been a sucker for red...and the lush body beneath didn’t hurt, either.

      The one-night stand had turned into nearly a month of passion and R-rated sleepovers. Even with the time that had passed, he and Harper had kept things casual, simple—just the way he preferred his temporary arrangements, and she seemed more than okay with how their fling was going.

      Ethan had no clue what brought Harper as a single guest to Mirage—and he had no intention of asking. She’d been alone like him, and they’d just gravitated toward each other, as most people who came to the adults-only resort were couples.

      He and Harper had fallen into a perfect routine of meeting in his room for dinner in the evening. He’d always make sure the chef prepared something special just for them and the waitstaff always accommodated every need—Ethan would remember each loyal employee when he took the resort back into his name.

      There was never a set time for Harper showing up in the evening, but Ethan always made sure something was ready for her. During the day, though, they did their own thing and went their own ways. Occasionally he’d see her on the beach and take her a drink, but they never so much as touched outside his penthouse.

      Watching her parade around on the beach seemed to be the ultimate foreplay.

      But he couldn’t get too distracted—he still had a job to do, a vendetta to secure. His time here wasn’t all about play. Harper was just an enjoyable by-product. He didn’t care one bit that she seemed to be using him to pass her time, as well. He did wonder what she was biding her time for, but again, he didn’t want to pry, because anything personal was out of the question.

      All it would take would be one quick message to his assistant to have any answer he wanted about Harper, but that would imply that he wanted to know her beyond the bedroom. Some may call him cold, and they might be right, but Ethan had his reasons for the distance, and they were nobody else’s concern.

      Besides, he never started a fling if the woman wasn’t on board for something casual and fun or if he thought for a second she was husband shopping. He’d never lead a woman on or pretend he could offer anything more than his body and a small portion of his time.

      So, while some may think he was a coldhearted bastard, the only person who was hurt at the end of the day was himself. It was that pain that kept him focused on why he sought revenge, why vindication was so important. Using women was never his plan, but using his own body was.

      Ethan grabbed his cell from the nightstand and checked his emails as he stepped onto the balcony. That fresh salt water and the ocean breeze never got old. He was meant for the beach, while his twin brother, Dane, was meant for the mountains. They were so alike, yet so different.

      Nothing too pressing on the email front, so Ethan sent a text to his investigator to make sure the timeline for Robert Anderson’s arrival was still correct. His dear ol’ stepfather had been due at Mirage three weeks ago, but for some reason or another—likely illegal—the man was running very late. People like Robert flittered around from one spot to the next without a real plan or too much of a schedule.

      But Ethan was patient. He’d waited nearly twenty years to get retribution...a few more days wouldn’t matter.

      He pocketed his phone and glanced down to the beach. White canopies draped over the two-person cabanas. Staff roamed around with trays of drinks. The calming water rolled up against the shoreline, only to roll back out again. Yeah, he could easily stay right here and wait on Robert because passing his time at a posh luxury resort while enjoying passionate nights with Harper was sure as hell better than anything else he could be doing for work or otherwise. He used his days to maintain and work on growing his night clubs across the country, and he couldn’t think of a better temporary office to work from.

      Mirage—the beautiful resort his mother had created, which had been wrenched away from her sons after her death—was always meant to be his. This place felt like home, and soon, so very soon, he’d be in charge just like his mother had always intended.

      With the twentieth anniversary of her death approaching, Ethan knew it was well past time to make Lara Anderson’s dream a reality. Sticking Robert Anderson in some hellhole where he belonged would just be icing on the proverbial cake.

      As Ethan turned back toward the living area, his cell vibrated in his pocket. He pulled it out to see Harper’s name light up the screen.

      Strange. They never texted or called. They kept this arrangement strictly superficial.

      Where are you?

      He hesitated but ultimately replied that he was in his penthouse. She’d only been gone from his bed a few hours. Since she’d left, he’d gotten in a full workout and managed to touch base with each of his managers for his nightclubs across the country. He was in the middle of branching out globally and hoped a deal in France would close soon.

      Time zones were often a bitch to work around, but he had a dedicated staff and couldn’t run his company without such trusted members. Ethan demanded loyalty and, in turn, compensated his crew nicely.

      He already had a master plan of who he’d bring on to Mirage to help with a smooth transition, though he fully intended on keeping the bulk of the resort’s staff, so long as they proved themselves worthy. He expected nothing