Temperatures Rising

Sloe-eyed. Sleek hair. Slender figure. Lucian Hunter mentally summed up his first impressions of the woman he spotted across the ballroom. She was a stunner, a definite standout. Between the two of them were a crowd of black-tied-clad celebrants getting drunk on self congratulations and a tropical fruit punch that made even the stuffiest drinker feel loose enough to dance naked through the pacific surf. Lucian wasn't that far gone, but he was experiencing a pleasant buzz. It was as loud as the calls of the night birds in the jungle surrounding the landscaped grounds of the Coral Reef, the spectacular resort that was enjoying its official grand opening tonight. The potent punch had a tendency to soften discipline, suppress morals, and subdue previously held ideals concerning s****l equality. Eyes glazed by intoxication, Lucian stared at the woman in the clinging white dress. Without an iota of remorse he was asssessing her only as a s*x object. Easter Island had that effect on people. The place, no more than a dot in a chain of dots on a map of the South Pacific, was intoxicating. Fragrant flowers, banyan trees and coconut palms abounded. Only a few hours earlier Lucian had finally succumbed to the island's allure. For the first time since his arrival months before, he had looked beyond the shell-pink-marble walls of the hotel. Up till now it had consumed so much of his time, energy, and thought, he hadn't had the opportunity to enjoy the unspoiled island and its friendly inhabitants. One inhabitant in particular--the woman in white. Damn, she was gorgeous. Beautiful. She had noticed the stare and had returned it with a cool evaluation of her own. Then, as though nothing about him could possibly interest her, she eagerly ignored him ever since. Lucian was intrigued. He hadn't seen her around the resort while it was still under construction, so she wasn't a hotel employee. The wife of the employee? That was a hell of a grim thought. He discarded the thought along with his recently emptied glass. If she was married, where was her husband? What guy in his right mind would let a woman who looked like her run around loose in a room full of men who had been separated from hearth and home for months? No, Lucian doubted she was married or seriously attached. She didn't have a "taken" look about her. Then who was she, he wondered as he disinterestedly surveyed the array of exotic foods on one of the buffet tables while keeping her in sight. "Great job, Mr Hunter," someone commented in passing. "Thanks." A large portion of the resort hotel was built out over the waters of a placid lagoon. Lucian had engineered the marvel, working together with the architect. Because of his bright efforts, he was receiving his share of the glory. His hands had been shaken many times, it was cramping. His shoulder was sore where it had been heartily slapped in congratulations for a job well done. Reeling with intoxication more of success than of the fruit punch, he pushed his way through the crowd. His destination was the woman standing beneath one of the high, arched openings leading outside. When he got within speaking distance, she turned suddenly and looked at him. Lucian was stopped dead in his tracks. He sucked in a quick breath. The almond-shaped eyes, tilted up slightly at the corners, weren't dark brown as he had expected, but blue. "Lucian, where are you off to? Glad I caught you before you got away. " His elbow was grabbed from behind and he was brought around. Keeping his gaze locked with the woman's for as long as possible, his head reluctantly followed his body around. "Ah, Mr. Reynolds." He shook the hand extended to him. "Corey, " the hotel magnate corrected Lucian. "You've done a terrific job. Getting tired of hearing that yet? Lucian shook his head and laughed self derisively. "Never." "It goes without saying how pleased we are. I speak for everyone in the corporation. " "Thank you, sir." Lucian couldn't afford to be rude to the man who had signed his hefty paychecks, but he glanced quickly over his shoulder. She had disappeared. Damn! "It wasn't an easy undertaking," Corey Reynolds was saying. "Especially when one considers all the hardships you faced during the construction." Lucian asked, "You mean the islanders' attitude towards work?" The other man nodded. "They definitely do not comprehend the meaning of deadlines or the eight-hour workday," Lucian said ruefully. "Overtime incentives never lured them away from a celebration, and they have about ten of those a month. That didn't bother me nearly as much as the thievery, though. i apologize again for going over budget on the supplies." "It wasn't your fault that they kept disappearing. I know you tried every way you vould think of to catch the thieves." "Stupid bastards," Lucian said beneath his breath. "I even sat up four nights straight keeping vigil. The night I decided that it was fruitless and went to bed, we were hit again." Catching a glimpse of white out of the corner of his eye, Lucian swiveled his head towards the terrace. There was nothing there but moonlight and sultry fragrant air. Was she still out there, lurking in the shadows of the tropical gardens? ".......with yourself?" "Huh?" What had Mr Reynolds asked him? Oh yes. "No, I haven't seen anything of the island except the area immediately around here. I thought I'd take off a week or so before flying home." "Good idea. Give yourself time to wind down before your wedding. I presume it's still on." "Late next month." Mr Reynolds smiled and asked, "How is Miss Colfax?" Corey Reynolds had been introduced to Jeniffer Colfax at a dinner party in New York, where the Reynolds Group was headquartered. At that point the Coral Reef resort had been only an architectural rendering. It pleased Lucian that the CEO remembered his fiancee's name. He could always count on Jennifer to make a good impression. "Her letters indicate that she is fine," he replied. "Still beautiful?" Lucian grinned broadly. "Very." The older man chuckled. "You're a trusting young man to leave her for this long a time." "We came to an understanding before I left. I couldn't very well expect her to sit at home alone every night while I was away. She's been free to date, as long as it's kept on a platonic basis." Lucian followed the direction of Mr Reynold's gaze. He was watching one of the island girls hired for the night to serve Red velvet cake truffles. She was dressed in a short floral-print sarong that had been artfully wrapped around her slim body. Like most of the island women, she was petite and pretty, with glossy black hair, snapping dark eyes, and a ready smile. "Even though I'm engaged to be married, " Lucian said, "I haven't failed to notice that one of Easter's Island's natural resources is its lovely female population." Reynolds directed his attention back to Lucian. "What do you plan to do here on the island during your R and R?' "Lose myself. Escape from delays. Slow-moving workers and the telephone. Go fishing. Maybe get in some hunting. Body-surf. Lie on the beach and do absolutely nothing." He leaned forward and added, "If I get captured by a lovely, bare-breasted native girl, don't come looking for me anytime soon." Corey Reynolds chuckled and slapped him on the back. "You rascal. I like your sense of humor." They shook hands and, again, Corey Reynolds praised Lucian's engineering feat. "I'll see you back in New York. I want to talk over some future projects with you. Let's you, the lovely Jennifer, and I have lunch soon." "We would enjoy that very much, sir. Thank you." After the talk with the old man, he felt even more that he had something to celebrate. Taking another glass of punch from a waitress bearing a silver tray, he moved through the archway to the terrace beyond.