Safe in Clua

FOUR

Laia

The second I close the taxi door, my pie high plummets down to the toes of my brown leather sandals.

Figures.

Nerves twist into knots in my belly as I watch the taxi pull out of the parking area and take off down the road.

The Beach Hut sign in big wooden letters tops the doorway of the low building we’ve pulled up in front of. The sky blazes red and orange behind it. I’ve seen this place before. The flyer from the ferry.

Bouncing on the balls of her feet, Kenzi holds her hand out for me. “I’m so glad you came. You’ll love it here, I promise.”

Suddenly leaving dinosaur-jeep at home seems a bit drastic. Back at the house, it had made perfect sense. I’d already had one glass of wine. Any more would probably take me over the limit and let’s face it, even sober I have trouble keeping myself alive.

Taking a bolstering breath, I force myself to take Kenzi’s hand and let her pull me forward and up the three wooden steps. I can do this. New Laia has totally got this.

“Welcome to The Beach Hut.” Pushing one of the swinging saloon-style doors open with her butt, she drags me into the bar.

A-mazing. My mouth falls open. And I thought the view from the bungalow was special. One side of the bar is completely open to the beach, and from here the sun looks like it’s floating on the sea, its oranges and pinks reflected across the sand, casting everything in a cozy, shimmering light.

I could stand here all night. It’s just—perfect.

“Oh look, there’s Fee.” Still holding my hand in hers, Kenzi leads us between the comfy-looking wicker sofas that fill the inside area until we reach the bar. “Laia, I want you to meet Felix.” She pulls me to stand beside her. “He’s the owner of The Beach Hut.”

I drag my gaze from the spectacular sunset. And freeze. Completely.

Seriously? Seriously???

It’s him.

He hasn’t looked up yet. Too busy listening to the tiny brunette who’s practically sitting on top of the gleaming mahogany bar. All white teeth, flappy eyes and silky, dark hair down to her ass. If I run now, I could probably make it out before he looks up. I glance down to where Kenzi has my fingers in a death lock, then up to her beaming face and the other shoe finally drops.

This was a set up. I don’t know how, but this was a goddamn set up.

My face warms. I don’t have to look to know he’s spotted me. But I do. Obviously. Because I’m me and I have no idea what’s good for me.

His dark brows raise in recognition, and he straightens, his gaze sliding down to my short red sundress. I fight the urge to tug at the hem. It’s too short. Too low-cut. I should never have let Kenzi talk me into wearing it. His full lips curve into a bemused smile.

I definitely should have run.

“You?” He scratches the corner of his mouth with his thumb, then folds his arms over his wide chest, the Beach Hut logo printed across the middle of his black T-shirt.

He seems lighter than the other day somehow, that glower of his nowhere to be seen. It looks good on him—I shut that thought down before it can take root.

“Hi.” I do a semi half jazz-hand wave. It’s exactly as lame as it sounds, trust me.

Moments like this I wish it were possible to make myself disappear. “I mean?, hey.” I snatch my fingers into a fist.

“You two already know each other?” Kenzi presses her lips together like she’s trying to stop herself from grinning and if there was ever any doubt that this was a set up it’s gone now.

“We do.” Felix smirks and shakes his head, his attention never leaving my face.

“You do?” Flappy Eyes glares down her wrinkled nose.

“We do.” I twist my lips to the side and side-eye Kenzi. “Sort of.”

“Small island, right?”

All three of us turn to Kenzi and an awkward silence falls over our little foursome, her expectant eyes swiveling between us.

“Apparently so.” Felix shakes his head indulgently at her but steps away from Flappy Eyes, his gaze flicking to me like I might vanish the second he takes his eyes off me. “Drinks?”

“We’ll both have a Pink Monstrosity.” Kenzi slaps her hand down on the bar decisively.

“We will?” I jerk around to face her. “Should I know what that is?”

“Only the Beach Hut’s inhouse cocktail, created by yours truly. Trust me. You’ll love it.” She grins wide.

And I can’t help but return it. Even if she did set me up.

“These are on me.” Felix grabs a couple of oversized fishbowl glasses from the rail above the bar. “It’s the least I can do after last week.”

A slither of abs appears with the lift of his arms. And just like that, my cheeks blaze and I can’t, for the life of me, remember what he’s talking about. “Last week?”

“The key thing.” His lips twitch again, like he’s barely restraining his smirk, when I finally return my gaze to his.

“Oh. Yeah. Right.” I shake my head. “Don’t worry about it.”

“Is one of those for me?” Flappy Eyes fixes Felix with an unimpressed pout.

His jaw ticks when he glances her way, but he grabs another glass.

She’s the girlfriend. Of course, there’s a girlfriend. It’s probably a good thing. A tug of something that feels scarily like disappointment has me pressing my lips together and looking away. Most definitely a good thing.

“Let’s go sit over there.” Kenzi pulls me away from the bar.

“I’ll bring these over.” Felix lifts his chin and picks up a bottle of pink liquor.

“I knew it was you,” Kenzi singsongs as she lowers herself down into the cream cushions of the wicker sofa she marched me to.

“It was just coffee … and a couple of near-death experiences.” I sit beside her, twisting my body to face her. “How did you even…?” I glance over my shoulder just in time to see Flappy Eyes reaching over the bar to run her fingers up his forearm.

“I told you, this island is small. So, spill. You like him? I think I saw sparks.”

I force a smile, focusing on Kenzi’s excited face and not the unease her assurance has set off in the back of my head. “I don’t like him … I don’t even know him … and there was definitely no spark.”

“Okay.” Her lips purse, her eyes narrowing on my apparently lame excuse for an easy breezy, everything’s-fine smile.

I sink back into the soft cushions, my back to the man in question. “I’m not interested in sparks.”

“Shame.” She shrugs, staring over my shoulder to the bar. “I think you’d be good for him.”

“You seem awfully interested in his love life.”

Resting an arm along the back of the sofa, she tucks one of her long, tanned legs under herself. “Me and Fee go way back.” There’s no disguising the warmth in her eyes. “He’s more than just my boss.”

“Oh.” I’m helpless to keep the confused frown from my face, or the weirdness climbing up my throat. “You guys?”

“What? Ewww. No.” She pretends to gag. “We lived next door to each other growing up. He’s my brother from next door’s mother. Seriously. No.”

“It doesn’t matter anyway, it looks like his sparks are directed elsewhere to me.”

“Two Pink Monstrosities.”

I squeeze my eyes shut and pray to anybody listening that he didn’t hear any of that.

Felix

Laia’s eyes widen, tracking her cocktail’s journey from the tray balanced on my fingertips to the low table in front of her.

I should have known Zi was up to something when she texted me four times today to make sure I’d be in tonight. I just can’t decide if I’m mad at her thinly veiled match making or not. I don’t date. She knows this. And there’s a particular type of woman I don’t date with, she also knows that, even if she has made her disapproval more than known.

Regardless, finding myself face to face with this Laia again after convincing myself I wouldn’t, and, more importantly, that it wouldn’t bother me if I didn’t has picked at something I don’t want picked at.

She pushes her hair behind her ears and looks my way when I straighten, those big green eyes flashing the same wariness as the other day. “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.” Pulled by something bigger than common sense and the unfamiliar need to get rid of that wariness, I tuck the tray under my arm and drop to a squat beside her chair. “So, you’re staying around here then?” I ask, ignoring Zi and the smug grin on her face.

The pink that’s been staining her cheeks since she walked in deepens, her eyelashes fluttering nervously. “I … no … yes. I started in the hotel this week. That’s how I met Kenzi.” She nods slowly. Awkwardly as she presses her lips together and glances over to the woman by the bar. “I think your date wants you.”

She’s not wrong. Janice-Jane-Jocelyne? is glaring. She’s not even my fucking date. She just showed up and parked herself at the bar. But. I scratch my jaw as I stand and look over there, she’s Rosa’s double. She’s exactly my type.

Clearing my throat, I stand and spin the tray on the palm of my hand like it’s a basketball as I step back from the table, refusing to meet Zi’s dumbfounded stare. I should stop fucking about and stick to what I know, and this—Laia—is about as far from what I know as I could possibly get. “Enjoy your drinks, ladies.”

I don’t look back as I walk away. Not my type. She’s not. My. Type.

“Baby. You abandoned me.” Rosa-look-alike places her hand on my shoulder as soon as I’m within reach. My skin bristles under her touch. Her perfume’s too sweet. Her voice, too high. But fuck. I could look at her all night.

I wave to catch the bartender’s attention. “Water, Dale.” I nod my thanks when he gives me the thumbs up. “And take a couple over to Zi’s table when you get a minute, those cocktails are lethal.”

“You seem distracted, babe.”

I start at the feel of Jill’s? hand on my inner thigh. She’s forward, I’ll give her that. I raise my brows at the faux innocence in her dark eyes as she runs her fingers up until they almost graze my cock through the denim of my board shorts.

“Want me to take your mind off it?”

Any other day, I probably would have taken her up on her offer. It’s not healthy. Hell, it’s the equivalent of chasing a ghost. But it is what it is.

Laia’s laugh pulls my attention back over to their table. Her head is tilted back, her fingers wrapped around the gold necklace that hangs around her neck, and for the first time in a long time chasing ghosts doesn’t hold much appeal.

“Listen. Joyce…” I grab her hand and place it back into her own lap.

“It’s Jayne.” Her pretty features twist into a deep scowl.

“Jayne. Right. Listen, I’ve got stuff to do after we close tonight.”

I don’t have to look to know where her glare is aimed before she hits me with a very wide, very fake smile and leans forward to plant a kiss on my cheek. “Rain check it is then.” She stands and smooths her hands down her tight little body and the even tighter white dress covering it, then turns and struts away.

I drag my hand over my mouth and watch her go.

“Hey, boss.” Dale grabs two of the big cocktail glasses from the shelf above the bar. “Zi just ordered two more cocktails. She said they’re on you.”

“Take more water over with them.” I fold my arms and lean on the bar, shaking my head when Zi holds her empty bottle of water in the air above her head. Laia just looks right through me.