Total pages in book: 156
Estimated words: 158829 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 794(@200wpm)___ 635(@250wpm)___ 529(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 158829 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 794(@200wpm)___ 635(@250wpm)___ 529(@300wpm)
Of course she’s splashed me right on the crotch.
So much for hiding that raging hard-on I hate her for riling up.
“Brat, you want a splash war?” I glare at her until her smile fades.
Then I’m stomping into the ocean up to my knees, scooping madly at the water, throwing it at her face.
She goes down laughing like the damnably adorable sea sprite she is.
“Okay, okay! I surrender,” she yells. I douse her one more time for good measure before she spits a stream of water at me. “Let’s go back to the hotel. You can change and we can get ready for whatever’s next! I could go for a pick-me-up, too.”
“No more coffee. I’m cutting you off,” I snarl.
Her smile disappears.
“Woman, I just ruined my pants to play with you.” Honestly, saying it makes it that much more unbelievable.“Yeah, let’s head back. You should change too. We won’t be spending as much time in the water this evening.”
She blinks and looks down, her cheeks heating like she suddenly realizes how exposed she is.
“Oh. Okay. I’ll keep a bikini on under my clothes just in case we jump in the ocean again.”
Did she have to say that? I cannot unhear bikini.
With her thin dress so soaked, it’s not hard imagining what she’d look like in a bikini.
I doubt I’ll think of anything else for the rest of the entire day now.
“Come on. Just a short hop up the road, and we’ll take the secret entrance again.” I glare as she claps her hands.
“Cool,” she says. “So what’s up next?”
First, I’m grabbing a whole carafe of coffee to keep up with her.
“We’ll go into Lanai City so you can see the shops. We can grab lunch at a local place.” I pause. When she doesn’t answer immediately, I say, “We could also have lunch at the resort, or have a picnic lunch packed. Our menu is always on point, whatever you choose.”
“Let’s go local. Don’t take this the wrong way, but there’s a Winthrope Resort in Seattle. I’m from Washington and I can eat your food anytime.”
Washington? I grit my teeth, hoping like hell she doesn’t live in my backyard.
I shrug. “If you don’t mind missing the best seafood in Hawaii.”
My stomach growls like a bear, demanding another lobster.
“I’m from Washington. Right on the Pacific.”
Shit, shit.
I say nothing because that’s way too close to home base. That also explains her heavy travels in the Pacific Northwest.
After she dries off, we jump into my rental Jeep and I take us up the road. I don’t press her about home, not when she’d ask about me.
I’m still aiming to leave her clueless about who and what I really am.
Back at the resort, I lead her to the concealed hotel entrance that opens into the private garden. I punch in the code and push the gate open.
“Meet me at the front entrance in twenty minutes and we’ll head out again,” I say.
“Sounds good. Come dressed for Lanai this time.” With a parting look that’s pure sass, she sails toward the elevator.
I sigh, trying like hell to tear my eyes off her lush little ass.
The things I could do to this woman—if only I wasn’t counting on her professionalism.
Since I’ve been exiled to the first floor, it’s a short walk to my garden room.
I change into a USAF t-shirt and khaki cargo shorts with deep pockets for my phone, leaving my hands free.
When I get to the main entrance, I see Piper standing impatiently, already waiting.
Her strapless blue sundress brings out the emerald-green of her eyes. I almost laugh when I see it’s speckled with white outlines of owls.
I wish I could only find her outfit funny.
She wasn’t joking about the bikini.
A bright pink strap crawls up her cleavage and wraps around her neck. That pop of color might as well be a dagger in my brain, destroying whatever section makes me a sane human being.
“...are you okay?”
My head jerks, nodding, so quick to lie.
I’m not okay.
I’m not well.
I’m fucking bewitched by a vision of guiding this girl straight through the private gardens, pinning her against the wall, and tearing that pink strap off with my teeth.
“You sure?” She studies me, her eyes searching mine.
“You look goddamned ravishing,” I blurt out.
Shit, shit.
Way to make everything weird again, you gibbering lust monkey.
“Oh.” She falls back a step and then beams at me. “Well, thank you.”
She’s smiling, isn’t she?
Crisis averted.
I hope.
“Ready for Lanai City? I’m pumped to check it out,” she says, already heading for the door.
“Of course.” I step past her in two quick strides and hold the door open for her.
“Thanks! So how far is it from here?”
“Not far at all.” I veer my head to the right.
We walk together quietly until we reach the Jeep.
That lingering blush on her cheeks tells me she’s still stuck on my dumbass comment.