Chapter 9
Nine
A bout midway through the reception, Lani was done. Done with the relatives, done with Royal, and done with shoes.
She leaned against the wall, watching other people dance. Most everyone was having a good time, and she felt like an ass for being grumpy. She blamed it on her stupid shoes. Glaring down at her feet, she wondered what would happen if she yanked them off and ran away. Not that she was thinking about actually doing that. Not really.
She had picked a location that kept her out of sight of the head table. Heels usually didn’t bother her, but she didn’t wear these insane three-inch stilettos. She should have gone with the flats she had eyed. Instead, Lani did it to appease Royal because the bride wanted everyone to wear heels. Lani didn’t consider herself part of the wedding party, but Royal did. Not enough for her to sit at the head table or be part of the wedding.
Her stomach grumbled. Yep, she hadn’t eaten since breakfast. There was a good chance she would gnaw off the face of the next person who stepped up to bother her.
“Why aren’t you sitting at the big table up front?” Jakob asked, his breath feathering over her sensitive ear.
Oh, well, now, she wasn’t about to do anything to his pretty face.
She glanced over at him. How did he sneak up on her? And just where was his partner for the night?
“The maid of honor got my seat.”
Or that is what Royal claimed.
“What the hell?”
She shrugged and tried to ignore the way he looked. The man was made to wear a tux. It looked like it had been custom-made for him, which made sense since he had bought one just for this occasion.
“Lani?”
She blinked, realizing she was staring up at him like an idiot. Yep, she was sure that she looked like an idiot.
“What did you ask? Sorry? Blood sugar is low.”
Her aunt had brought the extra person, as did a few other family members. Any no-shows and extra meals were snapped up.
His frown darkened, and even in his irritation, he was gorgeous. His face flushed, and his eyes narrowed.
“Did you not eat?”
She shook her head and opened her mouth to explain, but he didn’t give her time.
“What do you want?”
She blinked. “What?”
“What do you want? Steak, salmon, whatever, tell me.”
“You don’t have to do that, Jake.”
His eyes darkened. They seemed to do that any time she called him by the nickname. “No, I don’t. Your dumbass brother should be wondering why you hadn’t eaten. Either way, I want to make sure you’re fed.” The cake had been cut, and the toasts had been given, so neither had a reason to be there anymore. “Which restaurant do you like here?”
She shrugged. “All of them are decent.”
“I’m going to beg off. Tell your brother that I have to call my sister or something. Meet me in the lobby, and we’ll decide.”
She should stay. She shouldn’t run off with Jakob, but she had done her part. From the moment her brother started dating Royal, she had been the dutiful sister. When he had sprung the wedding on her, then dumped everything into her lap, she had done what she needed to do. It had always been the two of them, and she felt he might realize his mistake. Or maybe his love would change Royal. Instead, it had changed him.
“Lani?”
She blinked again and nodded. “I’ll meet you there.”
Then, he kissed her cheek and strode away. She lifted her hand and brushed her fingers over her cheek. He’d kissed her as if it was the most normal thing to do. Her head spun with the turnabout the last few days had brought her. Lani wasn’t a woman who leaped into a relationship or even a situationship without thinking about it for a long time.
No, that was wrong. There had been one guy, and her ego was still reeling from that fallout.
As if to remind her the universe put Rick in her path.
“Hey, Lani. I thought we could talk.”
The man had lost his mind. He didn’t get it. Still, she understood her dumping him had been a blow. Rick wasn’t a man who got left by women. That was all this was, and she didn’t want to deal with it. Lani also didn’t want to have a scene at her brother’s wedding. It would make it harder to disappear.
“I don’t have time right now. I have to check on something for Royal.”
The lie rolled right off her tongue as if it were second nature. Yes, there were times she had to be careful about what she said in public. She was the head of PR, so she understood there were gray areas in business. But in her personal life, she rarely lied and never thought she would be that good at it.
At first, she thought Rick knew she was lying. His eyes narrowed, then his expression relaxed into what he thought was a charming smile. She had felt the same thing at one time. Now, though, he looked like a shark ready to attack.
“After?”
She wanted to tell him to fuck off. She wasn’t someone who used a lot of profanity. It came from going to a Catholic elementary school and having an aunt who was a nun. So, the thought almost made her laugh. Instead, she gave him a smile. “I’ll find you.”
He smiled. There was that same dimpled grin that had first captured her attention. None of the surfers had ever really paid attention to her past the business they had together. She usually would say she wasn’t the type they went for. But Rick had been different. He had asked her out the first day they’d met.
Rick leaned closer as if to kiss her on the cheek, but she pretended not to notice and moved away. “Give me about thirty minutes,” she said as she hurried away. Her cheeks were burning from her deception. That was why she was never a good liar. She blushed.
Thankfully, she hurried out of the reception without a backward glance. She didn’t want to see if Rick was watching her, and she didn’t want to make eye contact with her brother. She was sure he would question where she was going if she did.
Her stomach muscles clenched, but someone grabbed her arm when she thought she was cleared of everyone. She looked behind her, ready to smack the person who dared to touch her without permission, and found herself face-to-face with Jakob.
“What did surfer boy want?”
“He wanted to talk. I said I would be back in thirty minutes.”
“Not bloody likely.”
She snorted. “I know. I’m not coming back tonight.”
“You’re not staying here?”
She shook her head.
“That opens the possibilities of places to eat. Let’s go.”
She had her purse with her. “We can take that behemoth of a vehicle. Let’s go.”
Thankfully, they avoided anyone from her family or interested parties. However, she couldn’t be sure some tourist hadn’t seen Jakob and snapped a pic. Currently, she didn’t care. All she knew was that he was rescuing her from hunger and having to deal with her idiot ex.
They were waiting at the valet stand when she felt his attention her. She looked over at him. “What?”
“I just never get used to your beauty. It stuns me that you seem to grow more beautiful every time I see you.”
She blinked at him, then shook her head. “You don’t have to compliment me, Jakob.”
His eyes narrowed. “As I have said before, you have dated stupid men.”
“True story.” She saw the valet returning with the SUV. “How about you drive? My feet are hurting, and I just want to collapse.”
He nodded. “Anything you ask.”
She was opening her purse to tip the valet, but Jakob had already tipped the guy before she could pull out any cash. Once they were in the car, she slipped off her shoes. “So, what do you want? I guess we could have stayed at the hotel to eat.”
She shook her head as he drove down the long driveway that led out of the resort. “Naw, you know what I want. Some local cuisine, like Zippy’s or Rainbow. Or Sidestreet Inn.”
“Tell me which one, and I will take you there.”
She smiled. “Great, you’re gonna want to get on Kam Highway.”
Thirty minutes later, they were sitting in a Zippy’s eating. Jakob had been there once or twice in his travels, but it was definitely interesting to be there with Lani. She’d insisted on the Mililani location because she said it was her favorite. There was a smattering of people in the place, but no one seemed to pay attention to them.
She was smiling at him, holding up a SPAM musubi. He liked the smiling, which was much better than the frowns she usually threw his way.
“Jake, come on. Try it.”
SPAM, ugh. He was not about to eat that. The idea disgusted him.
“One bite, and I’ll let it go.”
Her eyes were sparkling, and her whole face lit up with…he didn’t know what. It was just good to see that she wasn’t so stressed anymore. He sighed and took it from her.
“One bite.”
Then he took a bite. The hit of seaweed with the sweet rice, then the salty SPAM, was surprisingly delicious.
She laughed. “You like it. Before long, you’ll finally try moco loco.”
He made a face. “No. I can’t handle eggs sunny side up. Or just…no. It has to be well cooked.”
Jakob took another little nibble as she scooped up her saimin. The Hawaiian noodle soup smelled delicious, but he was not hungry. He had gotten dinner.
“What are your plans tomorrow?”
She shrugged. “I’m having some kind of lunch with my brother and Royal.”
“You don’t know what it is?”
“No. I know what it is. I’m surprised he didn’t invite you so you could spend time with Sienna.”
It was even more evident at the wedding that Royal wanted him to be interested in the woman. She was nice enough and definitely pretty in that Instagram model way. But…she just couldn’t compare to Lani. And it made no sense because Sienna seemed to be enamored with Rick.
“I’ve been hearing rumors.”
He cocked his head. “You should never listen to rumors.”
“There’s a new show that’s being set in Hawaii.”
He shouldn’t be surprised. Ben was the face of Kingston Surfing. Everyone who paid attention knew that Lani was the brains behind a lot of it. She also had all the connections.
“Is there?”
Irritation moved over her expression, and he almost laughed. It was so much fun to mess with her. “Jakob. Tell me.”
He sighed. “I’m not supposed to say anything.”
“Which is an answer. Is it finalized?”
He nodded. “The rest of the cast isn’t set yet.”
She ate a little more of her saimin. “So you’re going to move over here. Going to live in your family’s house?”
He shook his head. “I thought about it, but I would be in the way whenever someone comes over. Also, when I’m filming, I can have insane hours. Most of the filming will probably be in and around Honolulu.”
“That makes sense. It’s not that far, but you could get stuck if there is an accident or weather issue.”
“Where are you living?”
“I bought a condo by Ward Center. It’s a little busy, but it has a killer view.”
Then she started eating again, and he enjoyed watching her. When she realized he was watching her, she made a face. “What?”
He shook his head, unable to put into words exactly what he felt. It was nice to hang out with nobody bothering them, and no older brother giving him accusing looks. Not that Ben would notice his attention these days.
“Do you think they’ll last?”
She shrugged. “Probably as long as Ben doesn’t realize.”
“Realize what?”
“That she’s probably cheating on him. Not that I know anything, but when I walk into a room, and she whispers into the phone and hangs up, it makes me suspicious.”
“Did you say anything to Ben?”
“No. I have no proof, and I tried to get him to wait a year or at least six more months before the wedding. He wouldn’t.”
His friend had really gone off the deep end. Not that Jakob didn’t believe in happily ever after. His siblings had met and married their soulmates, so he understood. But he agreed with Lani. There was something off.
He didn’t want to think about that anymore. He didn’t want to worry that his friend just screwed up his life, either.
“So, what do you want to do?”
“Truthfully?”
He nodded.
“I want to get out of this, get up, put on my comfy clothes, and watch something fun.”
“Want company? Or…we could go to my place. I’m sure we could find something for you and do a marathon of something. I’ll even watch Gilmore Girls .”
“Why would I watch that?”
“It is always Jules’s go-to for comfort.”
“Oh. Well, not my thing.” She searched his gaze for a moment, and a smile spread across her face. Her lips curled, her eyes brightened, and Jakob felt he owned the world. “I saw that you really liked Only Murders in the Building .”
For a moment, he was surprised. “Have you been reading my interviews?”
Heat filled her cheeks, and apparently, he loved when she blushed. “Maybe.”
“I have not watched the newest season.”
“I haven’t either. I’ve been too busy with the wedding and the invitational.”
He was trying not to get too excited. “Since you aren’t staying at the resort, do you want to go back to your place and change?”
She shook her head. The smile she sent him had his dick pressing against his zipper. Thank God they were sitting down, so he didn’t embarrass himself. She had rarely smiled at him over the years, but when she did, he felt like he was standing in the sunshine. It was oddly comforting and unsettling at the same moment. The panic he felt was all his own doing. He worried he would do something to get her to stop looking at him with that smile.
“I have clothes in the SUV since I stayed at the resort last night. I noticed that you didn’t book a room at the resort.”
He shrugged, not sure just how to explain it.
“It can look odd sometimes if I stay at a resort. Plus…” he let his voice trail off, not wanting to offend her.
“Plus, what?” Lani asked before using her chopsticks to scoop up some more noodles.
“I wanted to avoid people.”
She chewed her noodles and swallowed, her golden gaze locked onto his face.
“I didn’t realize we had so much in common. I mean, I love people. I get that parties are fun, and I like to get together with friends and family. It’s just that sometimes, I need a break.”
He nodded, feeling a little lighter. It was nice to be understood. “When everyone watches you, making one move can cause many issues. Jensen had issues with it to some extent. Especially during his years as a user.”
During those dark days, Jensen always caused problems for the family. Thankfully, he’d gotten sober, and their mother had hired Nic to be his sober companion. The rest was history.
“And everything your sister went through. That bastard Gregor should be in prison for what he did to her.”
“No, him being ostracized by everyone is better. He’s in prison of his own making.”
“True.”
She looked out the window at that moment, and he felt her pulling away.
“Lani?”
It took her a second or two before she finally turned to look at him.
“You’re a good brother.”
And even though she didn’t say it, she meant hers wasn’t.
“He’ll get his head out of his arse soon.”
“Hopefully. Even so, I’ve looked into other opportunities.”
Alarm lit through him. “You’re not leaving Hawaii.”
She shook her head. “No. Those years I spent on the mainland taught me that while I loved exploring different places, Hawaii would always be my home.”
“So, what are you talking about?”
She bit her lower lip. The woman was trying to kill him.
“You promise not to say anything to Ben?”
He nodded.
“There have been a few companies that have tried to hire me away. Most of the time, I ignore them because they would require me to move. One just came up, though that’s based here in Hawaii.”
“Another surfing company?”
“Oh, no. There is no way I would do that. This would be for a security company. They want someone to head up their legal department here. They’re based in Miami, but the company is growing fast, and they need someone on-site to handle their legal matters in the Pacific Rim.”
“And you have that background.”
Of course, someone saw her and wanted to poach her. Lani was brilliant.
“I don’t do legal work for Kingston.”
“Lani, this is me. I know that you handle more than PR. I also know that you graduated with honors.” Then he started thinking about what she had said about the company in question. “Are you talking about Dillon Security?”
Her eyes widened. “How did you guess?”
“They handle our security. We had them thoroughly checked out.”
“Well, I haven’t even met with Conner.”
“But you will?”
She nodded. “Tuesday. We’re just having lunch. I never thought I would leave the company, but I’m not sure what will happen with Royal at my brother’s side. And there is no way I am going to stay in PR.”
“Wait, I thought you would move into legal soon.”
“That was the plan, but Royal is still making noises about moving the company to the mainland.”
He frowned. “The family would never go for it.”
“No, they wouldn’t. There will be a board vote.”
And the pain he witnessed in her gaze told him everything. She would be forced to choose between the business and her brother.
“If you leave, you will still be on the board.”
She nodded. “But it will be easier.”
To side with her family over her brother. She left that unsaid, but he knew what she was implying.
“Also, Conner just wants to meet for lunch and talk. Nothing may come of it.”
He wanted to ask more but knew it wasn’t the right time.
“Are you done?”
She nodded, and they took their trays to the trash bin. Then, he led her to the door, holding it open for her. Just like when they walked into the restaurant a few nights before, he settled his hand on the small of her back. It was one of those things he needed to do on some primal level.
He took her to the SUV, and she paused to look over her shoulder.
“What?”
“Do you feel like someone is watching us?” she asked, her gaze moving over the parking lot. It wasn’t particularly busy that time of night.
“No, but I’m accustomed to people watching me.”
Understanding lit her eyes. “Yeah, I can understand that.”
He helped her in, then hurried around the hood of the car and climbed in.
“Ready for some murder and mayhem with the oddest trio that ever worked in a show before?”
She laughed. “Yes. I need to escape, even for a little while.”
And with that, he pulled out of the parking lot. He would not screw tonight up.