Chapter 4
Four
J akob sat in the back of the family limo and waited. John and he had arrived ten minutes earlier, but Jakob still hadn’t moved to get out of the car. He should have rented a car, and he would tomorrow. It was pretentious to have the family limo drive him around Oahu. Plus, he wanted a convertible. Jakob always felt everyone should ride in a convertible in Hawai’i at least once.
Thinking of convertibles, he thought about Lani’s. The fact that Ben didn’t seem upset by what happened with her car bothered Jakob. It was so out of character. And he felt there was more that Lani wasn’t telling him. Her unhappiness was easy to see…but more, he could feel it. No one else noticed in the years since he’d met her, but Lani’s moods often affected him.
He glanced around the parking lot once again. He did not see the SUV Lani had been driving earlier, so he waited. He didn’t want to go into the restaurant and be alone with Ben and Royal. He hated that the thought even crossed his mind.
He and Ben had clicked as friends from the moment they’d met. He’d been on the island to play a professional surfer, and Ben had been eager to help him portray the culture properly. That’s why dating Royal was an odd choice. Hell, marrying her…he would have laughed in Ben’s face just a couple of years ago.
Someone tapped on his window, and he started. Lani was standing beside his car.
“John, I’m gonna go in. Why not take the rest of the night off?”
“Are you sure?”
“Lani or Ben will give me a ride home.”
“Of course. Have a good night, sir.”
“You too, John.”
She stepped back to let him open his car door.
“Daydreaming?”
“No. Thinking about when I first met your brother.”
Her smile dimmed a little. “Oh.”
“Yeah. When I came to the island, the one person in the world of surfing everyone said would be best to talk to was your brother. Kingston Surfing had a reputation of sponsoring some of the best surfers in the world and showcasing the Hawaiian culture.”
She nodded. “We did.”
“Not anymore?”
She shrugged. “He’s changed.”
The sadness he heard in her voice struck a chord in him. He did not like it one bit. He wanted to make her smile. Better yet, he would love to hear her laugh.
“Yeah, well, sometimes the right woman can still make a man do crazy things.”
Like, sign a contract to act in a show based in Hawai’i. Jakob was starting to realize that his motives might reach beyond career aspirations. Maybe the main reason was standing in front of him.
She glanced at the restaurant. “I guess we should go in.”
“You don’t sound enthusiastic.”
“Yeah, well, my day started at five this morning, and I still have work to do when I get home.” She pulled her attention away from the restaurant. “Video conference with folks in Australia.”
He wanted to pull her into his arms and tell her he would take care of her. That feeling had always been there, even when all he thought he felt was lust for her. Jakob had wanted to shield her from all the bad in the world. Neither was ready for that, so he held out his arm instead.
“Shall we?”
Lani looked down at his arm, then up at him.
“I promise I don’t bite unless a lady asks.”
Pink stained her cheeks, but she took his arm. The moment her hand touched his arm, bare skin to bare skin, a spark seemed to flush through him. It had always been like this with her, which was one reason he had avoided her all these years. She smiled up at him, and his dick jerked.
Down, boy.
He might have some insane idea about winning her over, but pouncing on her in the parking lot was probably a bad idea.
They made their way into the restaurant. It was hard to get a table at this particular place. Locals and tourists loved it not only for the food but also the scenery. The restaurant overlooked expansive gardens. The lush greenery was on full display as people enjoyed their meals.
“We’re here for the Kingston party,” Lani said.
The young woman behind the hostess stand smiled at her. “Of course, Ms. Kingston.”
Lani started as if she didn’t think anyone would recognize her. She didn’t realize how popular she was on the island. Ben had been popular when Jakob had first met him, but he knew that over the past few years, Lani had become the face of the company. She was the person most people went to. He might not live on the island yet, but Marta told him all the great gossip.
“Your party is this way.”
He let go of Lani’s arm as it would have been awkward to walk that way through the sea of tables. Knowing Ben, he got a table by the massive window overlooking the gardens. Still needing that contact, he kept his hand on the small of her back. As they followed the hostess to their table, he heard a few murmurs, but the truth was Lani could cause as much of a stir as he did. She was well-known on the island for working with charity organizations.
The hostess led them to the coveted corner and a massive round table. A niggle of dread settled in his gut. They didn’t need such a big table if it was just the four of them. He wasn’t the only one who was worried about the situation. Lani’s spine straightened even more as she continued to walk across the room.
“Did you two come together?” Ben asked the moment they were close enough to hear him.
Lani shook her head. “Just showed up at the same time.”
So, she wasn’t going to rat him out. She left a seat open next to her brother. He pulled out a chair for her and waited. After a moment, she slipped into the chair, then he took the chair next to her brother.
“Kind of a big table, bra,” Lani said.
“Well, Sienna and Rick are coming,” Royal said, who had not said a word to them in welcome.
He felt rather than saw Lani’s entire body go on alert. “Why?”
Royal’s eyes narrowed as she studied Lani. “She’s my maid of honor, and he’s your boyfriend.”
Before Lani could respond, she was interrupted by her ex -boyfriend. Which, he wondered, why didn’t Ben know that they had broken up? Jakob studied the other man. It was Hawai’i, so people didn’t get overly dressed, but Bellows looked like he’d just rolled out of bed before coming out. His brown hair was a tangled mess, and it looked like he hadn’t washed it in days.
The other person with him looked vaguely familiar, like in a social media way. But then, a lot of the vapid ones looked alike to him. Her blonde highlights mirrored Royal’s, as did her makeup and clothing. Women like them always reminded him of the Stepford Wives. Same hair, same makeup, same plastic surgery.
Sienna was frowning at Lani. Lani presented a serene air, but he knew better. Her hand was fisted in her lap. He didn’t know what was happening, but one thing that irritated him was anyone upsetting Lani.
“Hey, Lani,” Rick said, leaning down to kiss on the cheek.
Oh, that bastard was not getting his lips anywhere near his Lani. He blinked and realized that in a day, he had gone all territorial when it came to Lani. Partly because it was apparent to him that Lani did not want the surfer anywhere near her.
He stood and reached across to Rick. “Jakob Wulf. And you would be?”
Yeah, he knew how to cut people down to size. Not because of his time in Hollywood. He’d learned it at his mother’s side. She had grown up poor, and she did not like pompous asses.
Anger flared in Bellows’ dark brown gaze. It was quickly masked.
“Rick Bellows. I’m surprised you don’t know who I am.”
How had she dated this asshole? Maybe she’d lost a bet. Perhaps she’d had a drinking problem he didn’t know about.
“I’m sorry. Is there a reason I should know who you are?”
The man’s cheeks turned ruddy. Another direct hit.
“I’m the number one surfer in the world.”
“Oh. Well, good for you.” He tried his best to sound patronizing. His gaze moved over to the blonde at his side. “And you are?”
She blinked, apparently surprised that he didn’t know who she was.
“Sienna Lawson.”
Her tone told him that he should know who she was. He did not.
These people. Seriously. He had a passing acquaintance with the future King of England, and he wasn’t as pretentious. And that was saying a lot.
“Nice to meet you.” Then he sat back down. Yes, it was rude, but so was how she stared daggers at Lani.
Sienna looked at him, then at Royal.
“I thought you and Sienna would have a lot in common, Jake.”
First off, where the hell did she get off calling him Jake? Also, the only thing he had in common with Sienna was blue eyes and the fact that they were both in the wedding.
“I wanted to catch up with Ben, plus, I wanted to touch base with Lani about the Pinnacle. Maybe doing a tie-in with Kingston Surfing.”
Yep, he threw his sister and her husband into the mix. His family owned the resort. He assumed his sister would be okay with it since she was the one who told him to follow his heart.
Without having any recourse, Sienna took the seat next to Royal. That meant Rick was free to sit next to Lani. Jakob did not like that. It wasn’t as if Lani was his date. Hell, most of the time, she acted like he annoyed the hell out of her. He had talked himself down from saying anything to Bellows until the idiot leaned over to whisper to Lani. Jakob wasn’t someone who wanted to control Lani, but she stiffened. Oh, fuck that. It was all the indication he needed that she didn’t honestly like the man near her.
Jakob leaned over, grabbed the edge of her chair, and shifted her closer to him. Lani’s eyes widened as she looked at him like he’d lost his mind. “Sorry, but we have things to discuss, and I don’t want people at other tables hearing them.”
Lani was biting the inside of her lip to keep from laughing. And he wanted to be nibbling on that lip before slipping his tongue between them…
Her eyes widened again, and he realized he’d probably broadcasted his feelings. He banked his need before turning to face the table.
“It’s been a while since I’ve been here. Any suggestions?”
Lani stared at herself in the mirror. She’d escaped to the ladies’ room after dinner. She couldn’t believe that Rick had the nerve to show up with Sienna, of all people. Rick had never been accused of having common sense. He was a hell of a surfer, but he always seemed to screw up his life.
She knew all this before they started dating. But she had been at a low point. It had been reported that Jakob was dating Gwen Hastings, his co-star in Getaway Car. They were at all the red carpet events together. It had been stupid to give in to Rick. He had been after her for months, and she knew he only went after her because of her position at the company. And they might have made it if he hadn’t been fucking Sienna Lawson.
Drawing a deep breath, she exited the bathroom and found Rick waiting. What the hell had she done in her life to deserve this crap? She worked hard, loved her family, and did everything possible to make the world better.
“What are you doing here?” She didn’t even try to hide her irritation.
“I wanted to talk to you.”
“We don’t always get what we want in life, Rick.”
“I want to make this better.”
This was not the first time he had said this to her. They had broken up six months ago, and at least three times a week, Rick tried to win her back. The fact that her brother hadn’t noticed was embarrassing. Maybe he’d never really paid attention to her life.
“Rick, you’re not getting it. There’s one thing I can’t ever forgive, and that’s my boyfriend sleeping with someone else. I would also suggest when you do this to the next woman because we both know you will, maybe, not show up to a dinner with the skank you fucked.”
“We showed up at the same time.”
Yeah, like she was going to believe that. She’d lied about it to save Jakob from saying he’d sat out there avoiding her brother and Royal.
“If so, you should have been smart enough to know that showing up with her at the same time was not going to go over well with the woman you are trying to win back.”
She brushed past him, but he grabbed her by the upper arm. His fingers dug into her skin.
“I will not give up.”
“Maybe,” Jakob’s cultured voice said from behind her, “but you might want to take your fucking hand off her.”
Dammit. She wanted to survive the night without being humiliated. Rick blinked and looked over her shoulder. “This isn’t your business, dude.”
Lani rolled her eyes. One of Rick’s most annoying habits was lapsing into surfer lingo when he felt threatened. For some reason, he thought it would make him sound threatening.
“Is that a fact?” Jakob rumbled. She had never heard that deep, threatening tone of Jakob’s except when he was acting. Looking at him, she realized he wasn’t even making eye contact with Rick. Instead, his gaze was solely focused on Lani.
She twisted her arm, wincing because Rick still had a firm hold on her bare upper arm. He was holding onto her so tightly she was sure she would have bruises. Jakob’s gaze moved from her face down to her arm. His face transformed from mildly irritated to rage. When he looked at Rick, the other man released her.
“I think from now on, you must stay away from Lani. She apparently wants nothing to do with you.”
“I think that’s up to her.”
She couldn’t help it. She rolled her eyes again. Turning her head, she made eye contact with Rick. How had she found him so attractive before? Yes, most women would look at him, see his soulful eyes, and think he was a good guy. But she should have looked deeper. She should have seen what a total bastard the guy was.
“I have told you before. I want nothing to do with you.”
Then, without waiting for his answer, she stepped away. Before she could return to the dining area they were sitting in, Jakob took her by the hand and urged her into a little alcove.
“What?”
“Are you okay?”
She blinked. It had been so long since anyone had asked her that. At least sincerely. Jakob cared about what happened back there. Her brother, the rest of her relatives? They hadn’t even realized that she and Rick were broken up.
“Yeah.” She sighed, her cheeks burning at what she thought he might have overheard. “It’s embarrassing.”
“I can understand that, but who cares how Rick feels?”
She opened her mouth to respond when she realized what he had said. “Why would he be embarrassed?”
“Uh, you are definitely out of his league. That man should have been worshipping you. Instead, he did something stupid, although I’m not sure what, but enough to make you walk away.”
Relief rushed through her. Lani knew it was stupid, but she cared what people knew about her life. She always tried to be a decent person. The fact that she’d picked such an asshole to date was mortifying.
“Your brother was making noises about ordering dessert. That’s why I came to find you.”
“Oh.”
“But Marta made her famous pineapple cheesecake with that macadamia nut crust. I will happily share a piece with you in exchange for a ride home.”
She didn’t have to even think about that. “Deal.”
He laughed and waved for her to step in front of him. They made their way back to the table. Rick was still missing and now Sienna was gone.
“I’m going to head out,” Jakob said. “The day is catching up with me, and since we have a ton of things to deal with tomorrow for the wedding, I need to get my beauty rest.”
Royal looked between them. “Don’t worry. Lani can handle them.”
“No, she can’t,” he said smoothly. “Plus, I have meetings to deal with tomorrow. So, I’ll take a rain check. Perhaps in exchange for a dance with the bride at her reception.”
Damn, he was smooth. Lani wanted to rage at Royal, but instead, Jakob had backed her into a corner.
“Of course.”
“Lani’s going to give me a ride home. I gave my driver the night off.”
“Oh, I thought we could talk some stuff over, sis.”
She frowned at her brother. “Work or wedding?”
“Work.”
“I have a teleconference tonight with the Aussies, so I need to get ready for that.”
“Why would you do that? I mean, you could have that meeting anytime,” Royal said.
“No. The original time was tomorrow morning, but since you insisted on the final fitting to be so close to the wedding and insisted that I be there, I had to change it.”
Royal opened her mouth to no doubt bitch at her again, but Jakob stepped in. “Must get going. Great to see you again, man.”
Then, he hurried them out of the restaurant. As they stepped outside, a woman gasped. When she glanced over, she saw a teenager with her parents. From their sunburned faces, she assumed they were tourists. When the young woman spoke, her accent was pure Texas.
“Oh, wow! My friends will never believe I saw Jakob Wulf.”
He slanted Lani a look before he smiled at the teenager. “We can’t have that, can we? Do you have a phone? Want a selfie?”
The girl squealed in delight as she handed her phone to Jakob. Lani stepped back as the family crowded around to take a pic with Jakob. He glanced over at her and shook his head.
“Hey, folks, this is my very good friend Lani Kingston. Do you mind if she were in the selfie with us?”
“Kingston,” the father said in the same tone of reverence his daughter had uttered Jakob’s name. “Kingston Surfing?”
Lani nodded.
“You are looking at the granddaughter of the Benedict Kingston. I’ve known her for years.”
The wife smiled. “He’s a huge fan of your surfing invitationals. He can’t surf to save his life, but he loves the stuff you do for the invitationals around the world. He’s an environmental lawyer.”
The man was still looking at her in awe. They all crowded around the camera, and Jakob snapped a few shots. Afterward, they walked to her car, and her horrible feeling from dinner floated away.
“So, we agree.”
She glanced at him.
“About what?”
“I get a car ride home, and you get a slice of cheesecake.”
She smiled. “Yes. Wait, no. I want one to eat and one to take back to my place.”
His eyes sparkled. “You got it.”