Island Encounter

By Samantha Gentry

He wants revenge. She wants peace. A man with the wealth and power to make things happen, Flynn Ormond is about to see his decade-long quest for revenge fulfilled. But then he stumbles onto a bikini-clad beauty sunbathing on his deserted beach. He wants her, and he’s accustomed to getting what he wants. However, she’s a distraction he can’t afford, not at all what she seems, and stands against everything he believes is right. Traci Meredith has a long term plan of her own, to confront the man responsible for the death of her parents and finally move on with her life. But when sun-kissed god of a caretaker wanders into her life one sunny morning, she lets more than the tropical paradise seduce her from her goal. Then she discovers the truth of his identity and the length he’ll go to for justice. Can she lure him from destruction's grip or will the fingers of the past hold on tight?

• Language: English
• Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
• Release date: Apr 17, 2015
• ISBN: 9781628308280

Samantha Gentry

I've lived most of my life in Los Angeles and earned my living for twenty years by working in television production. I was always interested in writing and dabbled at it, but not seriously. I combined my interest in writing with my avocation of photography and began doing magazine articles featuring my photographs. After selling several articles, I discovered I enjoyed the writing process as much as the photography. My friends told me I should make use of my television contacts and write scripts. I enrolled in a screen writing class at UCLA. By the close of class I knew screen writing was not for me. The other thing I knew was that I wanted to write novels rather than magazine articles.

Book preview

You

Island Encounter

by

Samantha Gentry

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales, is entirely coincidental.

Island Encounter

COPYRIGHT © 2015 by Samantha Gentry

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the author or The Wild Rose Press, Inc. except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

Contact Information: [e-mail]

Cover Art by Diana Carlile

The Wild Rose Press, Inc.

PO Box 708

Adams Basin, NY 14410-0708

Visit us at www.thewilderroses.com

Publishing History

First Scarlet Rose Edition, 2015

Digital ISBN 978-1-62830-828-0

Published in the United States of America

PRAISE FOR AUTHOR

Samantha Gentry

AND HER BOOKS

FORBIDDEN ISLAND

If you want a sexy read for a cool summer night, then I’d suggest Forbidden Island. I give this steamy short story 4.5 Cherries.

~Whipped Cream Reviews

STEAMY ENCOUNTER

Samantha Gentry is an awesome writer who spins a tale of so much interest you have to fall in love with the characters and the book itself! Trust me on this! You will enjoy Ms. Gentry’s style. I guarantee it...read this book!

~5 Hearts - Brenda Tally, The Romance Studio

MASKED ENCOUNTER

I found Masked Encounter a lovely and steamy way to spend a couple of hours. This is another story that will be placed prominently in my short story library.

~Joyfully Reviewed

UNEXPECTED ENCOUNTER

Ms. Gentry has believable characters that are well written. She tells a visual tale with words.

~5 Angels - Dawnie, Fallen Angel Review

Chapter One

Traci Meredith glanced around the isolated cove for the third time, making sure she had the small patch of beach to herself. After spreading her mat on the sand, she stretched out on her stomach and unhooked her strapless bikini top. The warm tropical sun felt good on her skin. The sound of gentle waves lapping at the shore filled her with a sense of calm. A truly idyllic setting. The tension gradually drained from her body. It had been a long time since she felt so much at peace.

The surrounding sensations lulled her into a deceptive state of contentment, and her true reason for being on the island at the corporate retreat slowly began to slip from her consciousness. However, a sworn quest from the past presented a powerful motivator and a tenacious force once it secured a hold on someone. Her determination could not be shoved aside by a momentary sense of serenity and well-being.

I see you found the island’s best hidden secret. A smooth masculine voice intruded into her calm.

A jolt of apprehension jerked her to attention. As she sat up, she grabbed her towel to cover her bare breasts before turning in the direction of the voice. With her free hand, she shaded her eyes from the bright morning sun.

A deserted cove on a privately owned island, her nearly nude body, and a man standing only a few feet away, looming over her like some dark fear dredged up from the depths of her soul. A shiver of trepidation swept across her skin. She had never felt as physically vulnerable or fearful as she did at that moment.

Then in total defiance of her precarious situation and the apprehension churning in her stomach, an unexpected sensual surge darted through her body, generated by the sight of this gorgeous hunk of flesh dressed in cutoff jeans and a tank. Tanned skin covered the taut muscles of a hard chest, broad shoulders, and long legs. His sable brown hair contained sun-bleached streaks, the length covering the tops of his ears and hanging along the back of his neck. The ocean breeze ruffled the top across his forehead—a look that gave him a devilishly sexy appearance, a casualness befitting someone native to a tropical island.

Even though his dark glasses prevented her from seeing his eyes, his handsomely chiseled features could not be denied. He radiated pure sexual magnetism. He had spoken only nine words, but the sound of his voice melted her insides. Despite obvious and logical concerns, his physical presence excited her. An odd and conflicting combination of emotions.

Who…who are you? Her voice didn’t sound anywhere near as firm as she wanted. What are you doing here?

He kneeled down next to her, flashing a smile that exposed a row of perfect white teeth, a smile that enhanced the sensual surge still bouncing around inside her. He took off his sunglasses, revealing intense turquoise blue eyes that seemed to delve into the depths of her reality. A little shiver moved up her spine. A moment as mesmerizing as it was unsettling. Her breathing quickened slightly.

I have those exact same questions for you. This is a privately owned island with only two legitimate access points, the dock adjacent to the conference facilities and a runway that accommodates small planes with an adjacent helicopter pad. Private jets not allowed. So…who are you and how did you get here?

My name is Traci Meredith, and I’m with the corporate retreat. I arrived yesterday afternoon by boat…uh, the ferry.

He tilted his head, wrinkling his brow in a brief moment of concentration as he stared at her. That’s odd. I have a list of all the employees scheduled to attend the retreat, and your name isn’t on that list.

I’m not a member of the retreat. I’m a speaker at one of the seminars. I wasn’t due to arrive for a couple of days yet, but Mr. Daniels was nice enough to allow me to come early so I could enjoy the island facilities prior to the time when I present my program.

"Well, that was certainly nice of Mr. Daniels." A momentary frown wrinkled his forehead again but quickly disappeared. She wasn’t sure what to make of it or the hint of sarcasm surrounding his words.

In spite of the odd turn their conversation had taken, she didn’t detect anything threatening about this stranger. As he said, this was a private island with limited access, which indicated he belonged there. She began to relax a little, then a thought put her senses on alert again. Who are you and why do you have a list of people attending the retreat?

I’m Flynn Ormond. I guess you could say I’m the island caretaker, for lack of a better title, which makes me the liaison to the people renting the facilities. He paused as he blatantly scrutinized her body, as if he could see through the towel she held in front of her. His obvious stare caused her nipples to pucker into taut buds. "What’s your area of expertise? What qualifies you to be a speaker at an executive corporate retreat attended primarily by men who could more aptly be described as belonging to the good ol’ boys network. His gaze swept across her body again. A description that definitely does not fit what I’m seeing?"

A heated flush of embarrassment spread across her cheeks. I’m a consultant…a motivational speaker.

Motivational? He rose to his feet as he put on his sunglasses. "What do you motivate people to do? The teasing grin tugging at the corners of his mouth exactly matched the tone and inflection of his words. And can you motivate them to do whatever you want? If so,