“I don’t believe this,” Shelby said, shooting Mia a stunned look before resuming her openmouthed stare.
They both watched as he leaned toward Lindsey and kissed her. Her hand immediately went to her hair the way it always did when she was nervous. But she didn’t pull away.
“I must be hallucinating,” Shelby muttered.
Mia blinked just to be sure.
“Would you ladies like a cocktail?”
They both turned to the tall, narrow-faced waitress, who seemed to have appeared out of nowhere.
“Desperately,” Shelby said.
“I’m pretty sure you have to be more specific,” Mia said absently, and then advised the waitress, “Nothing for me, thanks.”
“Make it a Mai Tai—No, wait.” Shelby pulled a face. “We need to find a spot to sit. Catch us your next time around, okay?”
“Sure.” The waitress shifted her tray, smiled and stalked off to the next guest.
Mia glanced over at Lindsey and saw her friend trying to get the waitress’s attention. Mia quickly averted her gaze. “Great,” she murmured. “I think Lindsey might have seen us.”
Like a pro, Shelby maintained a poker face. “Okay, then let’s go get our towels. And then—What?”
“I say we go over and say hi, pretend this is a coincidence. We postponed the birthday dinner. She knows we’d be looking for something else to do. Why not come down for a swim?”
“Right.” They walked to the counter and each signed out a towel. “Is she looking this way?” Shelby asked.
“I haven’t checked.” Mia draped the yellow towel over her arm and slid a furtive look from under her lashes. “Oh, hell.”
“Is she looking?”
“I don’t know,” Mia said, sighing. “But Jeff is here, and he just spotted me.”
DAVID HAD BEEN IN THE SHOWER when Mia called his cell phone and left a message. She was going to be late, wasn’t sure how long, it had something to do with previous plans with her friends, and she’d explain more later. She’d said she was sorry. Twice. And she’d sounded genuinely disappointed. But that hadn’t lessened his own disappointment. Or frustration.
He put on some music while he perused the room service menu, poured himself a scotch and tried to relax. But reading the menu only reminded him that the romantic dinner he’d planned might not pan out. He eyed his phone sitting on the bar, flirted with temptation and finally ordered himself not to call her back. She would’ve given him the green light had she wanted to talk to him.
Instead, muttering a mild oath, he laid his head back to stare at the textured ceiling. She and her friends had planned this trip together and naturally had their own itinerary. He had no business feeling put out. He knew he was being totally selfish in wanting her to spend every minute with him, but he didn’t give a damn. This could be their last chance to see if there was something there between them, figure out if the feelings he’d been suppressing were real.
His restless gaze landed on the crystal desk clock. Only twenty minutes since she’d left the message? How could that be? With the time difference, it was too late to call his office. He sure as hell wasn’t about to talk to his father. He’d want to know if David had presented the offer to Mia. Which he would have done by now if he hadn’t had a personal agenda.
But damn if he’d feel guilty about that, too. For three years he’d kept on blinders, concentrated on his job, refused to allow the smallest crack in his professional armor where Mia was concerned. It wasn’t even just about Mia, although she’d been his ultimate test. For the eight years since he’d been out of law school, he’d always put work first. And yes, of course he was concerned about losing clients and avoiding cutbacks. The possibility of layoffs ate at him, and he was willing to do almost anything to prevent the firm from going that route. But he wouldn’t sacrifice a chance with Mia.
He’d forgotten about the scotch he poured, and took a long slow sip, letting the liquid burn all the way down his throat. Thinking about the office wasn’t doing him any good. The decision to extend the offer to her at the end of the trip was a good one. The right one. Tonight and the next few days had to be strictly about them.
Ironic, really, that this trip was for both personal and business reasons, after he’d prided himself in keeping those two areas of his life separate.
He inhaled deeply, then exhaled slowly. Of course this whole thing could blow up in his face if she thought his every action since arriving in Hawaii had been about luring her back to the firm and not about wanting her for himself. No, she knew him too well. He had to trust that she held him in higher esteem than to believe him capable of conning her. Mia wasn’t just beautiful, she was damn smart.
Smiling, he easily pictured her lying on that crazy straw mat, her dark hair fanned out around her slim shoulders, her green eyes hazy with desire. He loved the way her lips unconsciously parted, ever so slightly, the second before he kissed her, and the way she tasted—cool and sweet and just the right amount of eager.
Well, hell, thinking about her like this and nursing yet another unattended hard-on wasn’t doing him any favors, either. Not that he couldn’t take care of himself, but he’d only resent her absence all the more.
Abandoning the rest of his scotch, he pushed off the chair. Waiting around the suite was a mistake. He’d have his phone with him in case she called, but he needed to expend some energy, stop doing so much thinking. What he needed was a good swim.
“JEFF, PLEASE, LET ME GO. I don’t want to get wet.” Mia tried to keep her angry voice low and not cause a scene, though luckily, very few people were close to them. But when he tightened his arms around her, his boozy, fetid breath nearly making her gag, she was sorely tempted to kick him in the balls.
“Come on, baby, for old times’ sake.” He drew her within an inch of the water’s edge. “We had us some crazy fun in the pool last time, remember?”
“That wasn’t me, you idiot,” Mia growled. Thank God Lindsey and Rick had left and weren’t witness to this. Shelby was getting a drink. “Now let go, or I will hurt and humiliate you.”
Jeff roared with laughter. “I didn’t know you were into that stuff. I like it.”
Mia poked her elbow back until she made contact with his ribs, and he yelped, momentarily loosening his hold. Sure that had been enough to make her point, she stepped away. He quickly recovered, laughing, and banded his arms around her so tightly that she could barely breathe.
Damn, she didn’t want to do the girlie thing and bite him, but if that’s what it took…
“Oh, hell, you’re gonna make me waste a perfectly good drink, you ass.” Shelby stood with one hand on her hip, the other holding a pineapple-and-cherry-garnished drink that she had poised to throw in Jeff’s face.
“That won’t be necessary.”
At the sound of David’s deep, rumbling voice, Mia’s pulse leaped. Embarrassed more than relieved, she turned her head to look at him. His face was devoid of expression, not so much as a brow moved, but she saw the fury in his dark eyes.
“Hey, David.” Jeff blinked blearily at him, oblivious to the unspoken threat. “How’s it going?”
“Let go of her.” David’s chin went up slightly, his jaw tight. His hands stayed relaxed at his sides.
“I was just leaving,” Mia said, not wanting