Chapter 6
Six
L ani groaned when her phone buzzed on her bedside table at six in the morning. She’d hardly slept, thanks to the late-night meeting with the Australians. Worse, every time she fell asleep, she had that simple kiss in her mind.
She knew that Jakob meant nothing by it. The man did love scenes in front of cameras. It was nothing new for him. For Lani, that kiss sent sparks of electricity coursing through her body. Still, just thinking about it had her nipples hardening.
Lifting her hand, she touched her lips. She could still feel his mouth against hers. She couldn’t remember the last time a kiss left her that dizzy or had her mooning over it. It was a little embarrassing.
Her phone buzzed again. That woman would just not give up. It was bad enough that Royal was forcing Lani to the dress fitting. And who in their right mind had a dress fitting the day before the wedding? A woman who changed her mind four times about what dress she wanted.
With a sigh, she picked it up. Royal’s face was on the screen, and she couldn’t handle it. Instead of answering, she set the phone face down on her chest and ignored it. There were only forty-eight hours of insanity left for her. Once the wedding was over, she would try her best to avoid Royal and her brother.
Her heart hurt at that thought. At one time, she and Ben had been close. Their age difference hadn’t made a bit of difference. And when their parents died in a car accident, the two of them clung to each other. She had only been eighteen then and felt as if her whole world was coming apart. But Ben had stood stoically by, urging her to go to school. Jakob had agreed. He had lost his father a few years before their parents died, so she’d assumed he knew what he was talking about.
The phone buzzed again, and she rolled her eyes. Expecting to see Royal’s face, she was surprised when she lifted her phone and saw Jakob’s face.
Her nerves skittered, and her body heated. All her other worries faded into the background, and memories of their kiss came flooding back. Good God, this weekend might be the death of her.
She answered the call.
“Isn’t it a little early for a movie star to be awake?”
He chuckled, a rich sound that she felt down to the soles of her feet. She curled her toes against the sheets.
“Remember, I just arrived yesterday. I’ll be up before dawn for a couple weeks. Besides, if I’m filming, I’m in the chair for hair and makeup early in the morning.”
She knew that, but her usual response was to antagonize him. “Did you need something?”
“Yes, but I have a feeling that’s not on the menu at the moment.”
She frowned at his flirtatious tone. It made her heart turn over and she got a weird feeling in her stomach.
“What are you going to be up to today?”
With a sigh, she grabbed the remote control for her shades. She settled against her pillows and watched as the view of Honolulu Harbor appeared. She missed the windward side of the island. She had lived in a little bungalow on the Kingston estate for the last few years. It was so close to the water that she could hear the waves when she slept.
“Lani?” he asked, his voice filled with worry.
“Sorry, didn’t have a good night’s sleep. I had that meeting and couldn’t get to sleep.”
“That doesn’t sound good. You should have told Ben to handle his own damned wedding.”
He sounded angry on her behalf. And yes, her brother should have, but she just couldn’t let that woman handle the wedding. It was already ridiculously expensive and kind of tacky. Royal thought the richer you were, the more gold you needed in your wedding.
“Well, I have less than forty-eight hours, and then I’m free. I might even take a vacation.”
It had been years since she had taken a vacation that wasn’t at the tail end of a work trip. This time, she might just relax at the Kingston beach house in Kauai.
“You never answered me about what you’re doing today.”
“Oh, wedding stuff. Dress fittings this morning around eleven. I swear, there’s no way I would have some big ass wedding. What is the purpose of it? It’s not actually to show love. It’s to impress other people.”
Silence. He said nothing for so long that she was convinced the call was dropped.
“I have to agree with you. Both my siblings went the simple route. I liked that.”
She knew that the Kingstons were considered royalty in Hawaii. The Hawaiian side of her family could trace their origins all the way back to Kamehameha. She wasn’t sure just how much royal blood they had in the family line, but she knew there were members of their family who took it very seriously. They tended to want to make a big deal out of things like weddings. She and Ben had always avoided doing anything extravagant unless it was for the company. Well, until now.
Jakob was also royalty, but they seemed to align with her thinking. The public got to see so much of their lives. It was nice to have something private.
“Then, I have to head out to the resort. I have to check in with everyone from the caterers to the flower folks.”
He chuckled. “Flower folks makes them sound like woodland faeries.”
She smiled. Jakob always had a great chuckle.
“Well, I have to do all that, including making sure the rehearsal dinner is all set.”
“Hmm, will you be on the phone to do that?”
“No, I’ll go in and make sure everything is right.”
“Where is that at?”
“Jakob Wulf! You don’t know where the wedding is? How were you planning on getting there?”
“I figured Marta would know. Everyone knows about the wedding on the island. If not, Jules will know. I’m supposed to talk to her this morning.”
She smiled. Yeah, that sounded like Jakob. For someone who came from what she thought might be a stuffy family, he definitely fit in with the Hawaiian way of living.
“It’s at Turtle Bay.”
“Figures.”
She knew what he meant. It was where many wealthy people got married.
“Say hi to your sister for me.”
“I will.”
They both hesitated, neither of them seemingly wanting to hang up.
“Is there anything else you need?”
“I already told you that you weren’t ready for that.”
“Jakob, I told you not to play games with me.”
He sighed. “One of these days, you’ll realize that I’m not playing games.”
She frowned and opened her mouth to say something, but he interrupted her thoughts.
“Oh, hey, my sister is on the line. I’ll check in with you later, okay?”
“Sure.”
“Have a good day, Lani.”
Then he was gone. Lani lay in bed, staring out the window, thinking Jakob Wulf was still as confusing as ever.
Jakob stood at the kitchen counter waiting for his tea to steep, and he felt like a slug. He had panicked and lied to Lani. It was partially her fault, but he shouldn’t blame her. He couldn’t help but flirt with her a little bit. She sounded warm and cozy, with her lyrical voice all husky from sleep. He lost control of his mission. Lani didn’t trust him, and he knew coming on strong was going to screw everything up.
So he lied and said his sister called. Knowing it wasn’t the same, he called his sister to assuage his conscience. The moment the phone started to ring, he realized how early it was.
Didn’t matter. Jules picked it up on the second ring.
“Good morning.”
She sounded exhausted, and he instantly felt even worse. Jules was seven months pregnant with her first child.
“I’m sorry for calling so early.”
“No worries. I’m just not sleeping well right now. Still, wake up at four in the morning, but this little one is sitting on my bladder.”
He heard a deep voice in the background and knew his brother-in-law was nearby. He seemed to not want to be far from Jules, but Jakob understood, especially as they approached the due date. The truth was, Alek seemed to be handling it better than their brother, Jensen, had. He had been a bear about Nicola walking down the stairs…or basically anything.
“I’m fine. Stop worrying. I’ll take a nap today.”
Another growl in the background, and he had a feeling what Alek was worried about.
“Hey, why don’t I fly to you on Sunday?”
There was a brief pause. “I miss you.”
The sadness he heard in her voice was odd. From the moment they’d found each other, Jules had sounded happy.
“Is everything okay?”
She sniffed, and his worry escalated. Jules wasn’t a crier.
“Yes.”
“Jules, maybe you should wait until Sunday, and I’ll fly over there.”
“But I miss you.”
The longing he heard in her voice hit him square in the chest. He thought Jules was happy in Hawai’i. She had sparkled anytime he had seen her with Alek. It was really disgusting, but he had been happy for her.
“It’s just two days. I’ll stay a few days. I think Alek would agree with me.”
She sighed. “You’re probably right. I just miss you. And Mother. And Nicola and Jensen.”
He couldn’t wait to tell his brother he ranked last on Jules’ list.
Another growling comment from his brother-in-law, and she sighed.
“Alek wants to talk to you, and I must use the toilet. This baby hates my bladder.”
“Love you, Jules.”
“Love you, Jake.”
Then, there was a jostling sound, and he heard his sister’s voice.
“I can walk to the bathroom, Aleka.”
It was another few seconds before his brother-in-law came on the phone. “Hey, Jake. Thanks for telling her not to come over.”
“Is everything okay?”
“Yeah. We’ve just gotten to the point where she’s uncomfortable in any position. Her feet are swelling, and she’s been sad about not wearing heels.”
He rolled his eyes. His sister had a thing for stilettos. “No problem. Nicola said she was surprised the doctor was allowing her to travel.”
“That’s another thing. I found out yesterday that Dr. Lee told her it wasn’t a good idea, not even to Oahu.”
“That seals the deal. I’ll hop on the plane on Sunday.”
Maybe he could convince Lani to come with him. They could spend a few days decompressing.
“Jake, are you still there?”
“Sorry. Still acclimating to the time difference.”
“Yeah, it’s a bastard.”
“Is she truly okay? There’s nothing wrong with the baby?”
“Naw, Jules just cries a lot now. Since about week twelve, I’ve had to be careful around her.” He sighed. “It’s been tough, and she seems to be getting worse. Her blood pressure is a little high, so they’ve ordered her to take it easier, but you know your sister.”
“Yeah. I have some news I was going to wait to tell the family, but maybe I should tell Jules.”
“Good news.”
“She’ll think so.”
“Love, Jake wants to talk to you.”
There was a muffled response.
“No, he has some news he wants to share.”
Again, jostling of the phone, she was on the line. “I’m back. Can you get my tea, love?”
“Of course. Sit down,” he heard his brother-in-law’s order.
“Such a bossy bit of goods.”
“But he’s wrapped around your finger.”
She laughed, and the tension in Jakob’s gut loosened. “Yeah. He is. So, what is this news?”
“How would you feel if I moved over here full-time?”
“Here? As in. Hawai’i?”
“Yeah. I just inked a deal to be the lead in the Task Force Honolulu series.”
There was a beat of silence. “That’s brilliant.”
“You’re the first one I’ve told but don’t say anything to Mother. I need to prepare her. She already misses you so much.”
“You’ve lived in LA for the most part in the last few years.”
“True. Except, I have specific reasons for doing this.”
“And those would be?”
“Well, you’re here, and I know that it puts me farther from Jensen, Nicola, and Maria, but they have Mother there. I wanted to be backup for you and Aleka.”
“Oh, Jake,” she said, sniffing. “That’s sweet.”
“I think I’ll like playing one character for a while. Plus, it’s in my contract that I get to direct an episode the first year, then two in the next…if we get renewed.”
“Brilliant. I knew you wanted to direct.”
“I didn’t tell you that.”
“Yeah, but remember when you did Runaway Car ? You talked about Marty Reynolds and how much you respected his direction. You went into detail about how he worked. There had been something in your voice that told me you really wanted to direct.”
Jules was the youngest sibling but was always the smartest and most observant.
“Are those the only reasons?”
“Well, no.”
“I knew it! So, you are getting over your stupid rules.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Come on, Jake, it’s me. You’ve been half in love with Lani for years. It’s the way you said her name. Wait, isn’t she dating Rick Bellows?”
“No. They apparently broke up months ago.”
“So, she’s free to date. Good. You would make an adorable couple.”
“Don’t get your hopes up. I’ve been kind of an ass to her for years.”
He could practically hear Jules roll her eyes at him over the phone. “Men. You were trying to keep her away because of that stupid rule about her being your best friend’s little sister.”
“It’s out of respect.”
“She is a grown woman. She doesn’t need stupid boys making decisions for her.”
There was a growl in the background.
“I’m fine. I’m just telling my brother he’s an ass.”
Another growling response and Jules laughed. The sound made Jakob happy.
“What’s your plan?”
“Plan?”
“Yes, to woo her.”
“I’m acting as her plus one at the wedding.”
“That’s it?” From her voice, Jakob could tell Jules didn’t think much of his plan.
“She’s so damned busy with the wedding. Royal treats her like a bloody servant.”
“That woman. When you told me Ben was marrying her, I researched. Then Nicola got in it with me.”
“Good God, that sounds dangerous.”
“Maria had a fever, and they were stuck at home. I had just developed cankles?—”
“What the bloody hell is that?”
She laughed. “My ankles are really swollen, so I had my favorite heels taken away from me, and I had to keep my feet up. We needed to entertain ourselves.”
“What did you find?”
“Well, she’s tried to latch herself to a few billionaires. Mainly tech bros. And she seemed to be interested in a few athletes. One of those tech bros is Charlie Wellington.”
“I thought he’d been married for years.”
“Yeah. I think she broke up his marriage, but then he dumped her. It wasn’t long afterward that she started dating Ben.”
“Well, he’s not a billionaire. The business is a family business, shared with all the relatives. He’s beyond wealthy, but she might not understand. Lani said that she got the woman to sign a prenup by saying Royal needed to protect her brand name and assets.”
“She’s smart, your Lani. You know Alek’s family features their brand in the surf shop here at the resort.”
His brother-in-law’s family owned a resort on Maui.
“She’s not mine.”
“Well, you must do more if you want her to be. Not just the fake relationship thing going on.”
It wasn’t fake on his part.
“Got any suggestions?”
“Well, since you are being mean and don’t want to see me?—”
“I did not say that.”
She continued on as if he hadn’t spoken. “What is she doing today?”
“Wedding stuff. I told you. Royal acts like Lani works for her.”
“You should go help her. Or take her something like her favorite treat.”
“That’s Hawaiian ice. It would melt before I could get it to Turtle Bay.”
“Hmm, is there anything else?”
“I’ll figure it out. You get to rest, and I’ll see you Sunday.”
“Keep me updated on your progress.”
“Sure.”
Which meant that he wouldn’t bother her. Not unless she wouldn’t leave him alone through texts, which was a sure bet. After hanging up with her, he heard Marta arrive.
“You’re up early,” she said with a smile. She had worked for the family for several years and knew them well.
“I need some help.”
“Of course.”
“I want to take a friend—a lady friend—something. I plan on taking a piece of that cheesecake, but I feel like I should take her something more.”
“Is she Hawaiian?”
He nodded. “And you can’t take her to a place to eat?”
“She’s busy at a location. I want to take her something besides Hawaiian ice, which is one of her favorite treats.”
She offered him a smile. “Is she allergic to seafood?”
“No. She loves poke.” Then it hit him. “That’s brilliant. Thanks.”
“Any time,” she said as he rushed to get ready.
He knew one of Lani’s favorite places to get poke was at a convenience store close to where she would be. If this worked, he would definitely owe his sister, but if it helped him with Lani, he didn’t care.