“Aren’t you helpful, aiding me in your own downfall?”
“Right?” She nods. “I just need to grab my purse from the back.”
“I’ll be waiting.”
Minutes later, she appears with a slouchy hobo bag that I think is meant to be some shade of brown. The tab to the zipper is missing, so the purse hangs open, but she’s offset all that by tying a colorful scarf at the base of the handle and dangling some little charms off the loop of the shoulder strap. I’ve got to give her style points.
“Japengo sound good? I hear the crème brûlée is killer.”
“So this isn’t a run through the convenience store for Boone’s Farm, followed by the Taco Bell drive-thru? Impressive.”
“You describing your last date?”
“Basically. So you really are a gentleman. Or more determined to get laid.”
“Probably both.” I smile. I’m not sure closing the deal with Keeley is going to be as easy as she makes it sound, but I can be persistent and persuasive.
Tomorrow is soon enough to tell her I want her to distract my brother.
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.”