Tempted in the Tropics by Tracy March

amazing against the steamy, barren backdrop. He’d definitely captured more than the moment with that shot. Pleased with what he saw, since it was perfect for what he had in mind, he loaded it into a text message, brazenly typed “Smokin’ Hot,” and handed her the phone. “Wanna send it to yourself as a souvenir?”
    A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth as she looked at the picture and read what he’d typed. She keyed in her number, hit send, and gave the phone back to him with a knowing look. “Slick move, Doc.”
    He shrugged. “It was less awkward than asking for your number.”
    She scrunched her nose as if she regretted giving it to him.
    “What?” he asked.
    “It’s the sulfur. I could use a heavy dose of sensory adaptation right about now. Hopefully it’ll smell better when we get to the mineral baths.”
    “Mineral baths?”
    “Yep.” She nodded. “That’s the combo part of the ticket. Stinkin’ volcano and soothing mineral baths.”
    “Soothing? Sounds kind of girly.”
    She rolled her eyes. “I hated to say therapeutic because you might just freak out on me right here on top of the magma chamber. But I’ll risk it and tell you that the waters are world renowned for reducing stress and curing rheumatism. If you rub the mud from the pool on yourself, it’ll make skin problems disappear.”
    “You really believe that?”
    “Doesn’t matter,” she said. “I know better than to argue it with you.”
    Lane cut her a look.
    “Whatever!” she said with a laugh. “ This is the part I’m banking on.” She skimmed her finger down a section of the glossy brochure, stopped at the end of a paragraph, and read, “Our guides confidently boast that a dip in our magical waters makes every visitor look ten years younger.”
    There she went with that magic thing again. He rolled his eyes.
    “You just wait.” She playfully flipped her ponytail. For a blissful second he smelled something other than sulfur when he caught the fresh vanilla scent of her hair. “One dip in that Black Water Pool and I won’t even be legal anymore.”
    Lane shook his head. He didn’t have a lot of faith in the fountain of youth claims about the mineral baths, but he figured it wouldn’t hurt to take a dip with Paige—that’s what a laid-back guy would do. Besides, he’d get to see her in a bathing suit sooner than he’d thought, and he’d been thinking about it since she’d mouthed off at him in the barbershop. It also meant he’d be stripping down to his trunks, too. Despite the state of his career and personal life, he was buffer than he’d been in years, and the timing couldn’t be better. After everything had fallen apart in Austin, the only way he’d kept what little sanity he had was by going for long runs and then hitting the gym for grueling sessions of weight lifting.
    She jutted out her chin and gave him a challenging look. “So are you in, or not?”
    He nodded cockily. “I wouldn’t miss this transformation for anything.”

Chapter Nine
    Paige was so focused on Lane’s abs that she nearly missed the spellbound look on his face when she came out of the changing room in her bikini. One corner of his mouth quirked up mischievously as he checked her out, looking positively edible in a pair of white swim trunks that hung just low enough on his narrow hips. His abs were so defined she could count them, all the way up to his smooth pecs and tightly muscled shoulders. And there were no chicken legs on this guy, which might’ve detracted (a little). His calves were sturdy and well-developed. She swept her gaze over every sexy inch of him and reminded herself to breathe. Nothing she’d baked in Sweet Bee’s had ever looked so delicious.
    “I don’t think you’ll be needing any of that magic mud, Doc,” she quipped, because she couldn’t think of anything else appropriate to say out loud.
    He tipped up his chin. “You either.”
    Paige hated the feeling of heat rushing to her face, but she