CHAPTER TWO
As we leave the restaurant with full stomachs, I lead her to the valet stand. The night—like so many others in Maui—is balmy, slightly breezy. It’s heaven. I might not have loved moving here as a teenager because being pale and green-eyed hardly made me liked by all my native public school peers. But now that adolescence is behind me, I admit that I love the temperate, year-round weather.
Once the valet pulls up in my new vehicle, I edge the teenager out of my way and help Keeley into the passenger’s seat. She strokes my Range Rover Evoque convertible in Waitomo Gray. It’s almost sexual watching her touch my car, which is great for showing clients the best of Maui, top down, while sporty enough to keep me from feeling like I’m driving my old man’s Lincoln.
After tipping the valet, I climb in beside her and take the wheel. As I pull away, I wonder what the night will bring. I feel an urge to ensure she doesn’t slip through my fingers, so I rack my brain for some way to impress her—beyond the expensive Japanese food, the hot car, and my stylish suit. She’s not a tourist, so I doubt I can wow her with sights around the island. So…I’ll have to rely on conversation. Not my first choice. But she looks relaxed, almost happy. I’ll go with the presumptive close and see if that will get this deal done.
“That was the best crème brûlée I’ve ever had.” She puts a hand to her stomach. “Good wine. Good company. Good evening.”
“It could get even better.” I send her a wry grin. “I could ask you if you’d like to come to my place to see my art collection…”
“You don’t have any art, do you?” She laughs. “If I’m wrong, I’ll be shocked.”
I shake my head.
“You’re too driven and bottom-line to spend money on old stuff to watch it gather dust.”
“Bingo.”
“And you’d never stop to simply stare and appreciate it.”
That sounds faintly like an admonishment, though I’m not sure she means it that way. Maybe Britta’s speech is still lingering in my brain. “You’ve got me pegged, sunshine. I can think of a lot of things I’d rather spend time on. And people I’d rather spend it with.”
As we stop at a light, the trees part. The moon glows on her skin. She looks alabaster and flawless with her soft smile. Her blue eyes seem to shine silver. I can’t remember the last time I found a woman so beautiful.
“Come home with me. No pressure. No bullshit. Just you and me and all the pleasure we can stand.”
She reaches across the console and drops her hand on my thigh. My whole fucking body lurches, and it takes all my restraint not to pull over, rip off my seat belt—along with her dress—and get as deep inside her as I can.
When did I turn into a caveman?
“Yes.” Her one word has me sweating. I can just imagine how perfect she’ll feel against me once I have her naked in my bed.
Traffic is thin now. Maybe if I run a light or two, we’ll make it to my condo in the next five minutes. Screw that. I’m shooting for three.
“I like you,” she elaborates. “I never spend the night with a stranger. Seriously. But I guess there’s a first time for everything. You…kind of do it for me, so yeah.”
“Kind of?” Okay, I feel myself preening, but come on. This quirky, amazing, funny girl is into me. “You kind of do it for me, too.”
She gives me that crooked smile I noticed when I first laid eyes on her. Just like then, my chest beats in some mad rhythm, like John Bonham himself is pounding out a signature Zeppelin drum solo on my heart. I’m a sucker for classic rock. Sue me.
I’m pretty sure my driving is worth a speeding ticket as I head up Highway 30 toward my place. When we reach the complex, Keeley turns to me. “The Ritz? You’re bringing me to a hotel?”
I chuckle. “I live here. It’s a residence, too. I get all the hotel’s amenities as a part of my homeowner’s dues.”
She still looks confused. “Don’t you have tourists underfoot all the time?”
“Not in my building, and some facilities are reserved just for the owners. We always get the first and best service. The food is decent. The housekeeping staff is fantastic. It works for me.”
As I drive through the gated entrance, I glance over at her wide eyes. She looks dazzled, and I’m feeling good about giving her an early thrill before the good stuff starts.
“You like it?”
“I totally take back whatever I said. It’s beautiful here. The grounds…”
“They’re meticulous. And people rave about the views of the water.”
“I love the ocean. It’s why I came here.”
“You moved here just to see the Pacific from Maui?” To me, the view of the ocean is pretty much the same all over Hawaii. L.A. isn’t much different from Honolulu, honestly. Just a few more palm trees and Hawaiian street names.
“Not exactly. I came with an ex-boyfriend because we wanted to see the views around the island. But we could only afford a one-way ticket. We figured we’d work all winter at a resort or something, save a little, then fly back home when we were ready.”
“But you loved it so much you decided to stay?”
“No. After work one day, I returned to our little shithole apartment to find that he’d moved out, taken our savings, and flown to Denver.”
“Bastard.”
She shrugs. “It wasn’t going to last. He liked smoking pot more than working, which explains why he headed to Colorado, not home. Besides, the sex was really average.”
Keeley doesn’t look like she’s brokenhearted over this jerk, but I know how crazy someone hung up on the wrong person can behave. Griff was such a dumb ass about Tiffanii.
As I pull up to the front of my building in resident parking, I kill the engine. “How long ago was that?”
“Almost three years go.”
She surprises the hell out of me with that answer. “You’ve stayed here all this time? You must like it. Maui is paradise, right?” I toss over my shoulder as I step out of the car and jog around to her side, then open her door.
“I could never afford the roof over my head and a plane ticket off the island at the same time. In the ages-old tradition of saying ‘I told you so,’ my mom won’t lend me the money to leave. So…here I am.” She stands. “Can we talk about something else?”
“Sure.” I shut the car door and lock it as I lead her toward my unit.
I want to keep things light between us. If I’m going to ask her tomorrow to tempt my brother into losing his mind, I don’t need to get too involved in her life. We’re here to have a good time. Yet all these questions run through my head. How long had she and dirtbag been together? Keeley seems to have a soft heart, so how devastated had she been by his betrayal? Has she found it hard to forget this guy? Already I know the sex between the two of us won’t be anything but amazing, but I wonder if she still misses the ex. Will she think of him—even accidentally—while I’m inside her?
Okay, I need to stop that train of thought. What the hell is wrong with me? I never ask questions, much less want to know a one-night stand’s personal shit. We have a few drinks, a few laughs, a few orgasms, then it’s over. I give her a fond memory, and we move on. I don’t remember anything more than her name—if that.
Already, I’m pretty sure Keeley will be different.
Worry less about closing the deal and open yourself to someone who can share your life.
Damn it, Britta needs to get out of my head.