Tropical Lion's Legacy (Shifting Sands Resort 9)

“I’m not done yet,” Alice said quickly as she opened her eyes. “Graham, I want to be with you forever. It doesn’t matter where, or what else happens.”

Graham in a suit was breathtaking, but Graham in a suit sinking to his knees at her feet to gaze up at her in the moonlight was the most romantic thing that Alice had ever seen.

“I love you,” he said, and Alice smiled to remember that they were the first words he had said to her. “I pledge myself to you,” he went on. “Marry me, or don’t, I am yours for all time, in all ways, all places.”

She wasn’t afraid of the words this time; happiness filled her so completely that there was no room for fear or doubt. “I am yours,” she replied simply, and then Graham was flowing to his feet and pulling her into his amazing arms and kissing her with his amazing mouth.

It was several moments before coherent thought was possible. “Graham,” she said, pulling away at last. “Graham.”

“I will come to Lakefield with you,” he said.

“I don’t want to ask you to,” Alice said. “I want to come here.”

“Your job,” Graham said reluctantly. “Your wrestling team.”

Alice stroked his jaw, enchantingly clean-shaven for the occasion. “Do you remember when I told you that it’s easy to be confused about the difference between loving what you do and loving to be good at what you do? That’s the truth, and it’s my truth, as well as yours. There are things I love about being a gym teacher, and being good at it is right up at the top of that list. But there’s a lot I hate, like the administration, and the pay, and watching good students wash out, the parents...” She could have gone on for a while.

“But I’m a millionaire now,” she said with a grin. “Or I was for a few minutes anyway. I don’t have to teach middle school again if I don’t want to. I’m not going to say there won’t be parts I’ll miss, but there are a lot of parts I won’t miss, too... and this is an amazing tropical paradise. I’m sure I can find work to do here. Work that I’ll love, even. Scarlet won’t kick me out, and... you belong here just as much as she does. This is my home, now.”

She wondered how to explain how much the resort was under her skin... she felt like it was the place her feet belonged, like she could do good here, like there was something about the island that called to something inside of her.

Something good inside of her.

Graham was smiling, that rare, beautiful, slow smile that he shared only with her.

“This is our home,” he agreed, and he kissed her again until she was panting and clinging to him desperately.

“I can think of something I love to do,” he growled in her ear as she started to work loosening the tie.

Alice chuckled. “Do you love it, or do you love that you’re good at it?” she teased.

“Let’s find out,” he suggested.

“Your bed... or a strawberry bed?”

Graham didn’t answer, but took her by the hand, and then they were laughing and running over the lawn in the direction of The Den... and the gardens beyond.

Epilogue

Graham rarely attended the formal dances that Scarlet hosted most weeks; she didn’t ask him to, and he didn’t offer.

But Alice was adamant. “If I have to stomp around in those goddamn shoes for three awful hours, I’m doing it on your toes.” It was the last dance before she and Mary and Amber and their mates returned stateside, just a day and a half before their charter flew out, and Graham thought that Alice felt guilty for skipping out on most of Mary’s reception.

Alice planned to put in her notice at the school and pack up her things to come back to the resort, but the timeline for her return was still loose. Graham dreaded the weeks without her and would have agreed to worse than a dance to keep her close as long as he could.

It was no surprise to Graham that Alice was significantly lighter on her feet than she had advertised, and the feel of her in his arms more than made up for the snickers of the rest of the staff and the torture of having to wear a nice suit.

And Alice liked the suit.

Graham was beginning to suspect she’d only agreed to go to the dance to get him back into it.

“You’ll excuse me, my lord,” Breck said, appearing next to them as they walked off the floor at the end of a song. The waiter held out a hand to Alice. “Chef stole Darla for a turn around the floor, so I’m here to impart some of my wisdom to your lovely lady and show her how a dance floor ought to be used.”

“I’ll dance with you,” Alice said, arching an eyebrow at him. “But if you add any wandering fingers to your words of wisdom, you’ll lose them.”

“I’m hurt,” Breck said, pressing his chest. “You injure me by believing I would be anything but a perfect gentleman. My fingers have never gone anywhere they weren’t invited.”

“Oh, I’ve heard all about you,” Alice said, letting him lead her out onto the dancefloor with one smile over her shoulder for Graham. “And I know that Darla will be happier with all your fingers intact, so let’s keep them that way, shall we?