Romancing the Tropics Read online

  Romancing the Tropics

  A Tropical Cocktail Romance Boxset

  L.M. Mountford

  Copyright © 2021 by The Lord of Lust Publications

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the publisher, addressed “Attention: Permissions Coordinator,” at the address below.

  L.M. Mountford

  United Kingdom

  Romancing the Tropics

  Published 2021

  By The Lord of Lust Publications

  Publisher’s Note: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination. Locales and public names are sometimes used for atmospheric purposes. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, or to businesses, companies, events, institutions, or locales is completely coincidental.

  Edited by readabit: Copy Editing and Proofreading Services Est 2018

  L.M. Mountford—1st Ed.

  ISBN: 978-1-913945-48-0

  Contents

  About the Author

  Bibliography

  Don’t Miss Out

  Tequila Sunset

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Beneath the Sheets

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Also by the Author

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  A self-confessed Tiger fanatic, L.M. Mountford was born and raised in England, first in the town of Bridgewater, Somerset, before later moving to the city of Gloucester where he currently resides. A fully qualified and experienced Scuba Diver, he has travelled across Europe and Africa diving wrecks and seeing the wonders of the world.

  He started writing when he was 14. Under the pseudonym Dark Inferno, he has written more than thirty Fanfiction stories.

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  Collections

  Deliciously Sinful Liaisons

  Sweet Temptations Box Set

  The Sweet Temptations Series

  The Babysitter

  The Boss’s Daughter

  Just Friends Series

  Just Once

  Broken Heart Series

  Broken

  Tropical Cocktail Romance

  Tequila Sunset

  Beneath the Sheets

  Confessions of a Trophy Wife

  Forbidden Desire

  Stand Alone Titles

  Uncovered

  Serving the Senator

  Blood Lust

  Reckless

  FREE

  “Oh bugger it!” David Street cursed, using his laptop’s touchpad to highlight the paragraph he’d just written, and then deleting it with a tap of the key, collapsing back into his desk chair. He couldn’t believe it. After working on it all morning, he was actually two paragraphs behind where he’d started.

  He glowered at the screen, the cursor mocking his ineptitude with its constant blinking on the blank Word document.

  A lot was made of the blank page. It was often said to taunt writers, to intimidate them with the immense space to fill. He never saw it that way however. To him, the page wasn’t a weight tugging him down, it was a challenge to overcome, fresh clay to be moulded however he saw fit.

  No, the page wasn’t the problem.

  It was the pressure. The drive to outdo himself. To make this chapter better than the last. For the book to be new and exciting in a world where the well of creativity had run dry.

  And time was running out.

  His agent had been on the phone only that morning to tell him the publishers were getting impatient. That he had missed his deadline and they wanted to see something by the end of the week or they would be insisting on the return of his advance.

  “Bloody ingrates,” he scoffed, leaning so far back in his chair until he was in real danger of falling on his arse. “You make them millions one day and they’re kissing your ass. But one little bit of block the next, and it’s ‘hasta la vista, baby’.” He emphasised the Schwarzenegger impression by shooting a finger pistol at the ceiling before a scream, then a splash, had him on his feet and looking out the office’s window.

  Below, his daughter, Stacey, lay out on one of two inflatable beds drifting along the surface of the villa’s large pool, sunning herself while her friend Cassandra swam lengths.

  The girls spent most of the week like that. Enjoying the hot summer days and the awe-inspiring views over the Bay of Gibraltar.

  David had taken a moment to enjoy them too, though his view had been one quite different. His gaze followed the figure in the water, his eyes locking onto the sheer ivory white bikini as she power-stroked through the crystal blue water, from one edge to the other. Without stopping, she dived under, rolled and kicked away from the wall to repeat the lap.

  She did this five times before swerving and swimming towards the edge closest to the villa, where they'd left their towels.

  It was a scene straight out of David's own dirty little movie. Time almost seemed to hold its breath as Cassandra pulled herself up easily out of the water, throwing back her bountiful mane of raven hair. Rivulets sparkled in the sun and cascaded down her long neck, full breasts and flat belly. Then she was up on her feet and towelling her hair, her head turning up towards the house. Finding him.

  Their eyes met and David knew instinctively that she knew he had been watching her.

  He'd been caught, but the idea only sent a hot shiver tingling up his spine as he dragged his eyes away. Feeling a little hot, he decided he needed to take a break.

  And maybe have a little fun in the sun himself...

  “Ah... this is the life!” Stacey sighed, stretched out across her inflatable.

  Cassandra didn’t answer, just led back on her float and kicked gently away from the edge, sending her float drifting lazily back across the surface of the pool. Overhead, the sky was as blue as she had ever seen it. Stretched out below at the base of the western slope of the rock that dominated the eastern side, the slender crescent shaped town of Gibraltar seemed quiet and sleepy. Beyond that, the still azure waters of the bay stretched out as far as the eye could see towards the black lines of the distant Spanish coast.

  It was paradise. Their very own little slice of heaven. Cut away from the rest of the world as Gibraltar itself was separated from the rest of mainland Europe.

  So then why couldn’t she bring herself to enjoy it?

  ‘I’m sorry Cass, but you’re just too boring for me,’ Nathan’s voice answered, ringing through her memory, thick with all the self-assured arrogance she had once found so exciting.

  Now it only made her skin crawl.

  It shouldn’t have mattered. They’d only gone out a couple of times. Hell, they hadn’t even slept together yet. Not that he hadn’t been trying, of course.

  It shouldn’t have mattered to her what he thought. But it did.

  It mattered. She hated that it did but it did matter to her.

  It mattered because she’d always been that girl. The plain Jane that played everything safe, with her routine and comfort zones.
Unadventurous. Unspontaneous. Boring.

  “Hey Cassy, are you listening?” Stacey asked, loud enough to snap Cassandra out of her daze.

  “Huh? What? Oh, sorry Stace...”

  Pushing her sunglasses up into her sleek and tidy blonde bob, Stacey rolled over to fix Cassandra with a look. Concern shadowed her pale blue eyes. “Are you okay?”

  “What?” Cassandra forced a smile that she knew wouldn’t reach her eyes. “Course I am... why... why wouldn’t I be?”

  “How about because you’ve done nothing but mope since we got here.” She was right of course. “Geez girl, I told you the guy was bad news.”

  “N-no... it’s just... err... Stace... do you think I’m boring?” Cassandra blurted out.

  "What? No! Did he tell you that?" Stacey demanded, bolting up so fast the inflatable wobbled dangerously.

  "Pretty much... he just wanted to make it clear, it was definitely me, not him."

  "How thoughtful,” Stacey sneered, then her expression softened as she reached over to touch her friend’s shoulder. “Cass... you like what makes you feel comfortable, that’s all. There is nothing wrong with that. It doesn’t make you boring, just you. And if that fucker can't accept it then that's on him. You are a great catch. So what if you’re not that adventurous. With a bod like yours, any guy would be drooling to go out with you. You just need to show it off now and then.”

  “What with my fat ass and belly?” Stacey rolled her eyes. “I still can’t believe you made me buy this thing, I wear more in the shower.”

  “What? It looks great on you. You’ve got all the right curves for a bikini, and your tits look great in it. All you need now is a sexy little skirt to show off your legs and maybe a...” Cassandra’s stomach dropped as her friend’s eyes lit up with an all too familiar look. Oh no, she wasn’t thinking... “I know, why don't we go across the border and hit the town for a girl’s night. Do a little shopping in Puerto Banus... have a few drinks... find a couple of hot Spanish boys. You know what they say, the best way to get over a bad break up is getting under a hot lay..."

  "Eww... no!" Cassandra laughed in mock disgust. Why was she not surprised. Shopping, drinks and sex- Stacey’s holy trinity. Though not exclusively in that order.

  “Aww... Okay, what about just shopping and drinks then. Come on Cass, it’s only an hour away, we can be there and back again before it even gets late. Come on Cass, you got all those euros for spending money... and it's the off-season so the sales are on. Just imagine the bargains!”

  "Yeah, thanks but I think I’ll pass. My girls and I are staying right here. But you go."

  Stacey slumped back on her inflatable with a sigh. "Na it's ok, I don't want to leave you all alone with Dad.”

  “Don’t be silly, this is your break too, you go, have some fun, your dad barely comes out of his cave any way right? It’ll be just like I have my own private little getaway." Even as she said it, Cassandra couldn’t help a glance back towards the house, her eyes moving towards Mr Street’s office window, disappointed but not surprised to find it empty.

  However, Stacey was already halfway across the pool to the ledge and didn’t bother to reign in her excitement as she called back "Kay' if you're sure!"

  Then she was up and out and almost skipping across the villa’s back porch, before vanishing through into the kitchen without so much as a backwards wave.

  Cassandra watched her go with the smallest of smiles. God bless Stacey, she always knew just what to say.

  Not.

  She always had the right of it, but translation got muddled in transit, somewhere between her brain and her mouth. But her heart was in the right place.

  It was her idea to come out here. No sooner had Casandra told her flatmate and old childhood friend what had happened with Nathan, she was on the phone to their boss getting them both some time off. Stacey never left anything to chance and knew Cassandra well enough to know she would likely try weaselling out of what she had planned by simply saying she couldn't get the time off. Only as an afterthought had Stacey then called her dad to ask if they could use his villa in Gibraltar for the week, with an extra helping of the daddy's little princess routine just to make sure.

  She needn't have bothered. Mr. Street had always been cool like that, even before his divorce. Firm but laid back, and a big strong softie with a softer spot just for his daughter and her friends.

  Or it might have had something to do with the fact he’d already been out here and wouldn't have to worry about his nice villa getting trashed by a pair of boozed up party girls.

  Not that he’d have had much to worry about on her account. Stacey might have been the good time girl, but the boring little introvert that she was, Cassandra rarely ever went out to party. And she never, ever got pissed.

  I’m sorry Cass, but you’re just too boring for me.

  No! Inwardly screaming defiance, she rolled off the inflatable and plugged down through the pool’s crystal waters. After the warmth of the Mediterranean sun, the depths raked her like shards of ice as she kicked angrily for the bottom, then rolled and torpedoed from the tiles for the surface, breaching up to grab a breath before breast stroking for the edge. Nathan’s words constantly echoed in her ears, taunting her.

  No, that wasn’t who she was. Stacey was right. She was fun and exciting in her own way. She could step out of her comfort zone. She could do the unexpected. She would prove that arrogant son of a bitch wrong.

  She would... She would... Oh who the fuck was she kidding.

  Hauling herself out of the frigid waters, she made straight for the lounger where she’d laid out her towel, lying back and wrapping it around her like a cocoon. It was hopeless. If she didn’t even have the balls to go out on an impromptu shopping trip with her best friend, how the hell was she ever going to break out of her slump. What could she do to break the cycle? Who-

  “Room for one more?”

  His familiar low rasp sent a hot rush sizzling down her spine and tingling out to her fingertips.

  Oh god, that voice!

  Her heart suddenly fluttered like a robin red-breast in a cage and Cassandra’s breath caught in her throat as she twisted round and saw him walking out of the house.

  David Street, Stacey’s dad. A god among mortal men.

  A tall feast to behold with long limbs dusted with soft dark hair and he was dressed in tan shorts, sandals and a plain white short sleeved shirt stretched tight over broad musculature. Beneath those thick waves of raven black hair, his face was like a chiselled slab of white marble, hard and brutal with a sharp nose, wide jaw rough with the morning’s growth, and full lips that she had so longed to feel pressed against her skin.

  And his eyes were the stormiest shade of grey she had ever seen, and so intense, they seemed to crash over the banks of her own and wash her away.

  “Oh, hey Mr Street.” Cassandra forced herself to smile, but couldn’t drag her gaze from the vision of him coming to stand over her with a colourful drink in hand. It didn’t help that he’d left the top three buttons of his shirt open, teasing her with a glimpse of the treasure beneath. “Sure, help yourself.”

  Oh if only I could... David mused, drinking in the bounty stretched out before him, before stepping around her lounger and instead settling down on the next. “Thanks, how’s the sun?” he asked before sipping his drink.

  “Hot and bright. Just another beautiful day in paradise,” she said, forcing a broad smile and trying to remember she was meant to be on holiday. She was supposed to be enjoying herself, not a bag of nerves just because her friend’s dad was sitting next to her. Sitting next to her while she was dressed in nothing but this damn micro bikini!

  Then he chuckled, a deep warbling rumble that rose up from within his throat to crash over Cassandra as he turned to look at her. “You say that now but give it a couple more months and you’ll be praying for some good old English weather.”

  She could feel his eyes moving over her body, devouring her from head to toe, an
d the heat of his gaze made her skin flush and tingle.

  “If you say so....” She licked her lips nervously, her mouth suddenly dry. “How’s your book coming along?”

  Realising he was staring, David quickly dragged his eyes back out across the bay. Past the menagerie of brightly coloured sail ships, an immense cargo tanker was cutting through the dark turquoise waters towards the Spanish port. He focused on it, trying to ignore the stirring between his legs. It didn’t help.

  “Oh... you know, it’s coming along, about as well as British Rail. I’ve got the nucleus of a plot, but it’s missing... something. I don’t know. It’s there, right in front of me but I just can’t see through the block.”

  “The dreaded block huh, is there anything I can do?”

  Oh he could think of a few ways.

  Every author had their ways for dealing with writer’s block. It was just an unpleasant fact of life in his trade, like taxes, the government, or Amazon’s ever shifting policies. Making a big deal about them wasn’t going to make any difference, you just had to be practical and deal with it. Sex had always been a great help for him when trying to get over the wall.

  Fuck, how long had it been since he’d last gotten laid. Three months? Four, at least. Not since his divorce. Too long. Much too long if just looking at Cassandra in that sexy little thing was getting him hard.

  He’d need to do something about that once the girls had gone home.

  But first he needed to make it through the next few days without making a fool of himself.

  He coughed, trying to drag his attention back to the tanker, the coast, a bird, anything but the flawless curves of the beauty beside him! Dammit, just being so close to her was a fucking turn on. “No, not unless you can slow down time, get the publisher’s off my back or know a trick for breaking down the wall.”

  She hummed for a moment, as if actually mulling it over. “Afraid I’m fresh out of ideas, though I might know a guy with an undead dragon that could deal with that wall of yours.”

  “Thanks, but I already have an ex-wife,” he joked, and they both chuckled. It was official, ex-wife jokes were funny no matter the situation. “So, where’s my daughter scampered off to?”