Baring It All

“You’re welcome for pushing you to take that job with Marianna,” said Cameron.

“I’ve already thanked you a hundred times, asshole,” rumbled Simon, but there was no malice in his voice. He laced his fingers behind his head. “Sometimes I still can’t believe she’s here in Sydney with me.”

Ever since Simon reunited with his first love when she came from Miami seeking protection, Max had seen a different side of his formerly stoic friend. The woman who’d been off-limits to Simon growing up was now his fiancée, and he actually looked...content. Derek had been married for a while, but now, Cameron and Simon head-over-ass in love?

That brand of happiness baffled Max. Sure, he could understand the appeal of having someone in his bed every night, but there were so many pressures that could wreak havoc on two people caught in a sex-induced haze. Life had a way of steering relationships south—as in Antarctic south—at least for the Jensen family. When his mother was still alive, the media storms surrounding his parents had pushed them to retreat to Western Australia permanently, and his brother...well, TJ was a lot like their father, and he just seemed to shut that part of his life off.

“Moving on,” said Cameron. “Reconnaissance on the world summit in three weeks?”

Derek gave a run-down on his team’s schedule, adding, “We’ve booked the final security walk-throughs and client meeting after Max returns from Green Island.”

“I’ll be back on Monday,” said Max. “Henning is covering me and keeping an eye on Alya’s ex-boyfriend’s movements from the office.”

Cameron frowned a little. “You sure you want to go on this job?”

“Why the hell wouldn’t I want to?” he asked with a smirk. “Low-risk trip to a tropical paradise.”

Natasha would be there for some bedroom paradise, too. Or maybe she liked it outdoors? He couldn’t dream of more ideal workplace conditions if he tried.

The conference room was silent, and Max shook himself out of his wandering thoughts. He looked around the room slowly. All three men were watching him, and no one else was smiling. Derek rested his hand on Max’s shoulder. “The Jensen Family Foundation dinner won’t be easy next weekend. And you’ve got a lot of changes coming.”

Max scowled. Goddamn, this was the last thing he wanted to think about right now. He had spent every day since he was eighteen making sure his family bullshit didn’t run his life. There was no way he was going to start down that path now.

Which was why he’d continue to work for Blackmore Inc. for the foreseeable future. Of course, he’d need to dedicate a good chunk of his free time to fund-raising, charity events and other activities for the foundation. At some point, he might even need to cut back a little on the number of assignments he took. But Max would never quit. He’d always want to keep this part of his life, where he’d earned his position on skills alone.

“It’s not a problem,” he said roughly.

“Someone else could go with Alya,” said Derek.

Max frowned. “I dealt with my shit last year when my mother died, and I’ll deal with it again next week. A few days on the beach won’t change that.”

The last thing Max wanted was to move back into the Jensen family world, where his easygoing nature didn’t fit with his family’s rigidity and stoicism. Where his every move was measured against his father’s and grandfather’s legacy. But his very last promise to his mother was that he’d take this position if his father asked, if her death was too much for him.

Frankly, when Max agreed, he hadn’t actually expected that request to ever come, considering his father’s well-established will of steel and unwillingness to show a hint of vulnerability. Yeah, his father had loved his mother, though he was more the taker than the giver in that relationship. Ironic that it took his mother’s death to bend his father’s will—when it was too late for her to appreciate it.

There were other issues that would come up when he headed the family foundation. Stepping into the Jensen family spotlight had the potential to play out just like his admission to Princeton. After years of falling short of family expectations, Max’s father couldn’t trust him to find a university that would take him on his own merits, so he had sweetened the deal behind Max’s back. Price tag: a new graduate library with the Jensen name on it. That way, every single person who set foot on that campus knew Max didn’t earn his place in the freshman class. The fact that his admission had cost a whole fucking library spoke for itself.

His father’s vote of no confidence had made him doubt himself. Never, ever again. If Max had to take on everything that went with being president of the Jensen Family Foundation, he would do it on his own terms. His mother’s other hope—that Max and his father would finally reconcile—had been left unspoken. Even in her last weeks, his mother had known better than to ask for that.

But enough of that shit. For the next few days, he could concentrate on a job he had earned on merit and some downtime on an isolated island. Warm water, warm beaches, hot woman...

“Yeah, I can see why you don’t want to give up an assignment like that,” said Derek, stopping Max’s schlong thoughts before they got any further.

Cameron smirked. “I’m sure there will be plenty of attractions for you to enjoy.”

Max gave them all a smile, letting his reputation work to his advantage here. He certainly wasn’t going to tell them that there was only one attraction on Green Island he was interested in. And he was finally getting private admission.

CHAPTER SIX (#u1f0a3608-3d97-5c6c-9631-9559c5e569e4)

THE YACHT SLOWLY approached the Green Island dock, skimming through calm, cerulean waters. The ocean breeze blew through Natasha’s hair, but it barely helped. It was hot as hell up in North Queensland, even out on the water in the shade of the boat’s canopy. A bead of sweat trickled down her neck and disappeared into her tank top.

The engine cut, leaving only the sounds of water splashing against the sides of the boat and Natasha’s own breaths. How had she never made this trip before? She had been meaning to come to the Great Barrier Reef since she and Alya moved to Australia three years ago, but she had familiar research sites on the Hawaiian reefs, so it was much easier to start experiments there. And Green Island wasn’t cheap, so she couldn’t just pop up here for an extended weekend.

The captain tied up the boat as Natasha tore her eyes from the green-blue waters and gazed at the little island. White sand, palm trees, just big enough to explore, small enough to feel remote, like nothing from the mainland could touch her. Paradise, for sure. It was no wonder Tropical Bliss was shooting their new branding campaign here.

The white beach that stretched along the shore of the island was empty of people, but as they pulled in she spotted a colorful row of beached kayaks, a sign that a resort lay somewhere in the tangle of palms. Max had timed their arrival ahead of the first ferry from Cairns. They’d stayed in the ocean-side city after flying from Sydney last night. It was early to be up on a Saturday but it was worth it. The day tourists weren’t here, so the island was quiet, with only the resort staff and the other fashion shoot folks who had flown in. They had made it through the trip without even a hint of Alya’s ex, as expected. Natasha let out a deep breath and glanced at Alya. Her sister leaned over the deck rail next to her, bundled in gauzy swathes of wraps and scarves, topped with a wide-brimmed hat. The only signs of stress were in her hands, fidgeting with the strap of her handbag.

Natasha brushed her fingers over her sister’s. “It’s official. We can relax now.”

“I’m working on it,” Alya said, the corners of her mouth turning up. “Max was right about this place. I can’t see any way we could be caught unawares on this island.”

Natasha said gently, “I’m sorry you have to think about this stuff in such detail.”

Her sister sighed, her shoulders sinking a little. “It’s probably time I stopped worrying so much, but I can’t bring myself to just yet.”