Chapter 1

Adam blinked, momentarily taken aback as he entered the small reception room for the remote eco-resort. Sitting at the desk— although lounging would be a more appropriate term— was a woman that would make anyone look twice. There were a lot of terms that Adam could have used to describe her, but the one that stuck most in his mind was ‘lush’.

The woman had long and wavy dark hair cascading down over alabaster shoulders. Her lips were a dark shade of red, and her deep blue eyes focused on Adam as he paused in the doorway. She had a voluptuous body— and that was apparent because she wore a bikini top under a sheer white shirt that was unbuttoned down to her navel. It was a warm day, but not enough to justify that level of undress, so it was clearly a choice. Adam struggled to stop his eyes darting down to the deep valley between her large breasts, being barely constrained by her bikini top. The top was a little too small, judging by the way the swimwear dug into the soft flesh of her breasts.

When Adam tugged his eyes back to the woman’s face, her expression was one of pleased amusement. Her lips quirked slightly in a half smile. Adam couldn’t quite peg what her age was. There wasn’t a line on her face, but her eyes weren’t young. She could have been anywhere from thirty to forty-five. The woman raised something to her mouth— a long-stemmed pipe that was at least six inches in length with a very shallow bowl— and inhaled deeply. She blew out a light mist of smoke, and Adam braced himself for the pungent smell of tobacco, but that wasn’t it. The smoke had a light floral scent that he couldn’t quite identify.

Clearly deciding it was up to her to initiate any sort of conversation, the woman gestured vaguely in his direction with her pipe. Her voice was low and husky, and even in the bright sunlight of the day, it made Adam shiver with how intimate her voice sounded. She started with what sounded like a well-worn spiel, her tone disinterested and bland, before her voice lightened up into a sardonic drawl.

“Welcome to Serenity Falls Eco-Retreat. Where you can truly relax and get away from the world. Or at least that’s what the brochures say. Reservation?”

“Um, yeah. I mean, most of my family is already here. But I have a cabin reserved, I think.”

The woman nodded patiently.

“Good. Hell of a long way to come if you didn’t have one. So ... name?”

“Oh, yeah. Sorry!”

Adam flushed. The woman was way too hot, and it was throwing him off. In fact, the level of arousal he was feeling just by being in her presence was strange. He couldn’t remember feeling this way except when he had first started noticing that girls were a lot more interesting than he had first supposed! And to top it all off, Adam felt like he was getting a headache from the effort of stopping himself from glancing down at her exposed chest. Trying to cover his reaction, he fumbled in his wallet for his identification and gave her his particulars. The woman lazily typed his details into a laptop.

“Ah, yes, there you are. I remember your family now. They arrived yesterday. Deluxe Bungalow down on the shoreline, and a regular bungalow amongst the gardens. You’re down for a regular bungalow as well. Just sign here, and we can get the payment sorted.”

“Payment? My dad should have paid already?”

“Hmm. I’m afraid not. He was quite clear yesterday when he paid for the first two bungalows. He informed me that you would pay for the last bungalow when you arrived.”

Adam sagged. That was just like his father, and he knew there wasn’t any point in finding him and arguing. Even though his father could pay for the entire holiday a hundred times over, ever since Adam had turned eighteen last year, he had insisted that Adam had to pay his own way. That included taking on loans for university and working part-time to pay for accommodation on campus. Adam hadn’t had a spare moment for himself in an entire year - when he wasn’t studying, he was working. Apparently, university was a time for experimentation and fun, but if that was the case, it had completely passed Adam by.

Adam hesitantly looked at the slip of paper and blanched when he saw how much the bungalow was for the weeks they were staying here. He could just about afford it, but it would drain his entire savings that he had built up over the last year. He set his shoulders, miserably deciding he was going to have to talk to his father about it - even though he knew it would probably be futile. Adam was about to tell the woman this when a strident voice called out from behind him.

“Are you done yet? I’m sick of waiting in your shitty car. It was bad enough I had to get a ride here with you. Hurry the hell up, I want the room key so I can get changed.”

Adam hunched his shoulders and sighed. He didn’t bother turning around, but he knew what he would see. A girl a few years older than him stood imperiously in the doorway to the office. She had long honey-blonde hair and a body that was flawlessly statuesque. Her normally beautiful face was screwed up in a look of disdain and irritation. She was about to attack Adam again when she noted the raised eyebrow of the woman behind the desk. She hesitated a moment at having a witness to her tirade before turning her ire on the woman in the reception.

“You shouldn’t be smoking in here. It’s an enclosed space.”

The older woman took a long drag on her pipe and absently blew a cloud of the herbal smoke towards the ceiling. Even though he was cringing at listening to his passenger, Adam couldn’t help but admire the long, graceful lines of the woman’s throat as she tilted her head back.

“Is that right?”

The older woman’s tone indicated she definitely wasn’t querying the assertion. In fact, she sounded bored and amused, if anything. The younger woman tried again.

“It is! It’s against the law. I came here to relax, not breathe in secondhand smoke. I could report you.”

The receptionist smiled thinly at the younger woman.

“Not a lot of law enforcement around here, but be my guest. I think the nearest station is at the town two hours down the road you came in on. So be my guest.”

Adam steeled himself and spoke to the newcomer in the meekest tone he could manage.

“It’s okay, Emily. I’m nearly done. I’ll be out in a few minutes. Or you could go down and see if you can find the others if you don’t want to wait.”

Emily glared at the older woman for a few moments but gave up when she refused to look intimidated. Emily spun on her heel and stalked back outside without another word. Adam breathed a sigh of relief.

“Um, sorry about that. I guess it was a long ride out here. And my car doesn’t have the best air conditioning...”

“Don’t apologise. You weren’t the one making an ass of yourself.”

The woman cocked her head and studied Adam for a moment.

“You’re young enough that you could do with some advice. She was pretty enough, I’ll grant you, but no matter how good the sex is, it’s not worth putting up with someone who doesn’t respect you.”

Adam stared at her a moment, his mouth agape. Then he flushed in embarrassment.

“No! I mean, I’m not sleeping - I’m not dating her. That’s my sister.”

The woman burst out in a laugh, a velvety cascade of sound.

“Well, that’s a relief. If you were sleeping with that little vixen, it would be a lot harder to escape her. Although I see you’re sharing a bungalow with her for your stay, so I’ll still give you my sympathy. The regular bungalows aren’t as spacious as the deluxe ones.”

Adam stared at the woman. That ... wasn’t what he expected to hear from an employee at a resort, no matter how private and remote it was. When he said as much, she smiled easily at him.

“Oh, I’m not an employee. I own the place.”

Adam stammered his apologies even though he wasn’t sure what he was saying sorry for.

“Sorry, um, I didn’t get your name. Sorry?”

The woman’s smile deepened, and she raised her hand to twitch the strap of her bikini towards him. Adam finally lost his battle of avoiding looking at her chest. On her bikini was a small name badge saying ‘Delilah’, although Adam almost didn’t see it - her action had exposed even more of the soft swell of her breasts.

“Aren’t you just adorable? Your father knew what my name was the instant he walked in. Although by the same token, he might not know what my face looks like.”

Adam flushed. He just hoped his father hadn’t done it within sight of his mother. Otherwise, she would be in an even more acerbic mood than usual.

“Shit, I’m sorry. I hope that -”

Delilah waved her hand idly at Adam, cutting him off.

“You should stop apologising so much for people you aren’t responsible for. It’s not a particularly attractive trait. But I will take it in the spirit that you meant it.”

Delilah cocked her head to one side, looking at him in a considering manner. She seemed to reach a decision because she reached out and took the sheet he had yet to sign back. She typed a bit on her laptop and then handed him a new sheet to sign. When Adam looked it over, he was stunned to see the cost was a lot less - almost half! When he asked Delilah why she had changed the price, her smile returned.

“Don’t worry, I’ll get the rest out of your father’s deposit. Maybe a cleaning fee. It’s always the hidden charges that get you.”

“Really? You can do that?”

“Sure. What do I care if he complains? Between you and me, we’ll call it payment for him staring at my chest so much. It almost made me want to button up my shirt.”

Delilah gave a genteel shudder and then flashed a quick grin at Adam. She took another long drag on her pipe, and when she exhaled, she let it drift in between them, enveloping both of them in the sweet-smelling smoke.

“Welcome to Serenity Falls, Adam. I’d wish you a pleasant stay, but something tells me that’s not entirely up to you.”

The promised relaxation of a holiday still managed to elude Adam when he had finished taking the bags from his car into the bungalow. It looked like a simple structure on the outside, hidden amongst tall palms and sculptured gardens, really embracing an island aesthetic with a thatched roof and wooden walls. Emily wasn’t in sight, so she must have gone looking for their parents. Adam had hesitated at taking his sister’s belongings inside as well, but in the end, decided he may as well just do it. It wasn’t worth the hassle of an argument when she attacked him for not bringing her bags in. Of course, she would probably still attack him for daring to touch her things in the first place.

Once inside, the bungalow looked pretty nice - it had a tranquil, beachy vibe. The ceiling looked cavernous as it hadn’t been sealed off - large wooden beams crisscrossed above head height. There was the main bedroom with an oversized bed, a second room with some bunk beds, and a decent-sized bathroom. No kitchen, though. Adam had seen a communal cooking area near the pool, and there was also a restaurant as well.

After glancing at the information packet that Delilah had given him, Adam saw that it offered a buffet breakfast every morning as well as a rotating menu for lunch and dinner. He sighed when he saw that while breakfast was included, lunch and dinner were extra. Adam maintained a faint hope that his meals would be covered under the family expense, but glumly concluded that it was fortunate that Delilah had given him a discount - the money he had saved was probably going to go to feeding himself.

At least the drink prices looked cheap.

Having unpacked his car, Adam decided to explore a bit before finding his family. He wasn’t feeling entirely up to dealing with them just yet. And if the past was anything to go by, they probably wouldn’t wonder where he was for quite some time.

Adam took a deep breath in. The air here had a certain property he couldn’t identify. It was crisp and fresh, along with being faintly salty from the ocean nearby. It filled Adam with a sense of restless energy. It was ... peculiar.

As he approached the large pool area, he saw some of the other Serenity Falls guests for the first time. There were two young women lounging down by the water, and another couple further along setting up their space for the day. He guessed the rest of the guests were down at the beach. The two women - a blonde and a brunette - looked to be a few years older than he was. Maybe in their mid-twenties. The couple seemed to be a few years older than that, perhaps thirty. The woman looked about six months pregnant.

Adam hadn’t realised he was being overt in looking at the other guests until one of the two younger women - the pretty blonde - smiled and waved at him. He almost ducked down out of sight, but then he stopped himself. Adam hadn’t done anything wrong, and he was on holiday. It was about time he loosened up. He gave the two women a sheepish smile and waved back. As he continued on his way, Adam did his best to keep looking at the two girls as he passed them. The brunette was quite cute, but the blonde was damn hot.

Adam missed a step as a surge of arousal swept through him. What the hell? That ... wasn’t normal. He quickly walked out of sight of those at the pool and then adjusted his pants, frowning to himself. He hadn’t been laid since the first week of university - almost a year now - but he couldn’t ever remember having a reaction like that at simply seeing a pretty woman in a bikini.

Thankfully, by the time that Adam had reached his parents’ bungalow, he had calmed down. The resigned dread of talking to his father about money did wonders for calming down his libido. The young man took a deep breath and then opened the door and went inside.

The first reaction that he got was that this bungalow made the one he was staying in seem like shit. Everything screamed opulence, and from what Adam could see of the bathroom, it looked like there was a large spa bath, not just a shower.

As was typical, no one paid any attention to him at first. There was his sister talking to their younger cousin, Fiona. There was a guy standing with them that Adam didn’t recognise. He looked to be a few years older than Adam, maybe around Emily’s age. He was quite built, emphasised by an overly tight t-shirt.

Adam saw Fiona’s eyes flicker towards him, but she ignored him for now. Adam sighed. A few years back, Fiona had been such a sweet girl, always excited to spend time with him. She was only a year younger than he was, but ever since she had turned eighteen, Fiona had begun to act like she was far too good to be seen with him. Even though she was his cousin, Adam had used to have a bit of a crush on Fiona, so this change was doubly cutting. He had never thought to act on it in any way, but Fiona was such a pretty girl - slender body, long dark hair, big blue eyes ... She had been the only member of his family that seemed to enjoy his company.

But not anymore.

Adam turned his attention to the older adults in the bungalow. His father, John, was talking to his wife and sister-in-law. Or rather, talking at them as was typical for the man. Going grey but still looking fit, Adam’s father seemed to exude the expectation that anything he had to say better damn well be listened to.

Adam’s mother, Erin, had her usual plastered-on smile - only her slightly unfocused eyes told him just how little she was paying attention to what her husband was saying. Erin was an extremely attractive woman even at forty-two. She had the same champagne-blonde hair that her daughter Emily had inherited, and her body was Emily’s as well - just softened and ripened with age. Erin had married her husband very young, and Adam had always suspected that their marriage wasn’t based on mutual love and respect. John tended to treat his wife like an adornment. He seemed to have no real expectations of her except that she keep herself fit and attractive. Adam had often thought that he would be otherwise sympathetic to his mother’s lot in life ... if only she didn’t have that same disinterested mien when talking to him as well. She wasn’t a happy woman and included her own children in her resentment at life.

In contrast, Adam’s aunt, Tessa, was a textbook sycophantic people-pleaser. At thirty-seven, she was five years younger than her older sister, and her personality had never really seemed to move past partying and having a good time. Adam had never met his cousin Fiona’s father— in fact, he had never heard his aunt ever mention the man.

Adam could vaguely remember a time when his aunt had been nice to him— somewhere around the time when he still had playdates with Fiona. That was far in the past, though, and she had adopted the family’s universal disdain for him with gusto. It still stung as his aunt Tessa had been Adam’s first major crush.

Tessa’s hair was a darker shade than what her older sister sported— more brown with blonde highlights. She was a little more slender than Adam’s mother, with modest curves that she tried to emphasise with figure-hugging clothing. Her penchant for lazing around in skin-tight outfits was probably why Adam had fixated on her in the first place.

Adam set his shoulders, about to announce himself to his uncaring family, when the guy that he didn’t know glanced up and frowned at him.

“Yo, man. Can I help you?”

Adam stared at the stranger. Before he could respond, his cousin Fiona looked up. Her face was blank when she saw Adam, but then she turned to the built guy, placing her palm on his chest and standing on her toes so she could kiss his cheek.

“Todd, baby. That’s just my cousin. Don’t worry about it.”

Todd paused before laughing loudly. He stepped forward and thrust out his hand to Adam.

“Hey, man. Nice to meet you! Sorry, thought you were lost or something when you just snuck in here.”

Adam pushed down his anger. Why did this stranger act like he had more of a right to be here than him? And he hadn’t missed the adoring smile Fiona had had when she kissed him. He wasn’t aware that Fiona was going to bring a date on their holiday. There was no point in questioning it. His aunt Tessa was the kind of woman who would encourage her young daughter to date an older guy. Adam had only just met Todd, and he already hated him. The way Todd was trying to crush his fingers in the handshake wasn’t helping either.