by Edie Claire
Laney chuckled. “Right.”
They smiled at each other, but after a moment, things grew awkward. It was quiet, and they were alone. Laney’s previously shining face clouded, and she let her gaze drop. “We need to talk,” she announced. “We should have talked before, but this trip just came about so fast.” She sat down on one of the couches, tacitly inviting him to do the same.
Jason tensed. He didn’t know what she was about to say, but he was certain he wouldn’t like it. Not when she looked so unhappy. He picked out an armchair opposite her and sat down.
She made a lame attempt to smile. “It’s just that, as much as I appreciate your making all this happen for me, I don’t want you to feel like you owe me anything. You’ve never owed me anything — I’m the one who owes you. So please don’t feel like you have to babysit me this whole time, no matter how much of a wreck I might be. I want you to enjoy this trip as if it were a solo vacation. I want you to go surfing and do whatever else you would do if I wasn’t even here. Okay?”
Jason’s jaw tightened. He respected her sense of pride and understood that she disliked feeling beholden. But her insistence on trying to turn their every interaction into some kind of business deal was maddening. “I thought we decided to be friends,” he said, more stiffly than intended.
Her blue eyes widened. “We are,” she said uncertainly. “But…”
“But what, Laney?” he interrupted. His tone still sounded sharp, but he couldn’t seem to help it. “Don’t friends do nice things for each other? Why is it so hard for you to accept a friendly gesture from me for what it is?”
Now her jaw tightened. She met his gaze levelly. “Because I don’t know what it is, Jason. Your actions don’t make any sense to me. Why would you even want to be my friend? I mean, don’t get me wrong — I’m not down on who I am… normally. But, come on! The whole time you’ve known me I’ve been a friggin’ hot mess! You’re not interested in me romantically and you could get sex from any number of other women anytime. So, seriously,” she threw up her hands. “Why? What are you getting out of this? What do you want?”
Her outburst left him speechless. He sat there, blinking back at her, for an awkwardly long time. She’d taken the most burning question in his chest — which he’d been doing a stellar job of avoiding — and thrown it right out in front of him. What did he want? All he knew was that he was here now, with her, because he wanted to be. He wanted her, period, exactly as she was. Stubborn, combative, constantly on the verge of falling apart, brave, trembling, whip-smart with ocean weather patterns, witty, secretly athletic, dressed in ridiculous-looking completely inappropriate clothes, wise to his tricks, loyal, and brutally honest. He wanted her by his side and he wanted her in his bed. It didn’t seem that complicated. Why did she have to make it that way? Could they not just roll along and see what happened without all the messy introspection?
He stood up. “I enjoy your company,” he said brusquely, avoiding her eyes. “I don’t see what’s so surprising about that. We have a lot in common.”
She stood up with him. “We do,” she said more softly. “It’s just that it feels one-sided. I get a chauffeur and a free condo and a shoulder to cry on, and you get the pleasure of my company. Woohoo. I just want to do something nice for you for once. Like making sure my problems don’t totally bring down your vacation. Okay?”
“Sure,” he said, still sounding miffed. What was wrong with him? More to the point, what was wrong with her? What made her so damn sure he wasn’t interested in her physically or romantically, anyway? So he hadn’t technically made a move on her. Okay. But she hadn’t encouraged him either, and that didn’t stop him from wanting her.
Why was he fighting so hard against his attraction anyway?
Oh, right. The forever girl thing.
Silently, he swore a blue streak.
“Listen, Laney,” he said finally, managing at last to control his voice. “I think we both know what the problem is, here. We’re coming from different places; we have different values. We want different things out of life. We’re not compatible for anything besides friendship. So let’s just focus on that. Okay?” He caught her eyes, but they were studying him so intensely he dropped the contact.
“Of course,” she replied. Her own voice sounded resolute. “I agree completely. I’m glad that’s settled.”
“Me too.” He walked into his bedroom, retrieved his wallet and keys, and returned with a totally fake smile on his face. “And now if you’ll excuse me,” he announced, “I’m going to indulge your request and do what I would do if I was here by myself. I’m going to take a walk, maybe check out the local bars. You need anything while I’m out?”
“Oh,” she with surprise. He glanced at her just long enough to see that she looked hurt. Maybe a little angry. “No, I don’t need anything. I’ll probably just go to bed. That’s good though. I’m glad you’re getting out. Have a nice time.”
“Thanks. I will.” He made his way to the door. “Sleep tight.” He stepped out and closed the door without looking behind him. There were other people waiting at the elevator, so he took the steps down. Eight flights later he still needed to move. He found a road and walked down it. He passed a half dozen other resorts and at least as many bars. A couple women flirted with him as they walked past. He wondered what would happen if he brought one of them back to the condo.
He could absolutely do that. The terms of his relationship with Laney were clear. They were friends sharing a space. She could be a guy friend or his sister. Who he brought back to his own room and what went on inside of it were his business. Laney shouldn’t care. She wouldn’t care. Nor would he care if she went out and brought back some—
Oh, hell no. That wasn’t happening!
He reached the end of the sidewalk by the string of resorts and turned towards the water. At the beach he slipped off his sandals and walked barefoot in the sand.
Maybe Laney would care if he brought another woman home. He could have sworn she looked miffed when he’d said he was off to the bars. At a minimum, she’d looked hurt.
He felt a wave of remorse, but squelched it. She’d practically ordered him to do it! She was the one acting irrationally, not him.
A thirty-something woman was standing on the beach admiring the night sky. She was wearing a flesh-colored bikini whose outline was barely visible underneath a completely transparent sarong. She turned to him with a smile that dripped of invitation. Jason smiled back, then walked on past.
He was losing his mind. He could think of a hundred good reasons why he should follow up on the tacit offer and not a single reason he shouldn’t. Except that he didn’t want the woman. He wasn’t sure why. He just didn’t.
Laney would be upset if he brought a lover home. He knew it in his gut, logical or not. And if they were both going to be jealous of each other’s paramours, what the hell kind of friendship did they have?
At the entrance to a complex full of shops and restaurants, he brushed the sand off his feet and slipped his sandals back on. Bright lights and loud voices drew him up the boardwalk. He saw a bar ahead and began walking toward it, but stopped short in front of a shop window. The mannequin in the display was wearing a sleeveless Hawaiian dress and sexy sandals. In his mind, Laney was wearing them. He had to supply certain details from his imagination, since the frumpy clothes she wore hid her assets. Luckily, Jason had an excellent imagination.
He would give anything to see her in that dress. Better yet, in a bikini of his choosing. His blood heated as he dwelt on the thought. How could he want a woman so badly when he’d seen virtually nothing of her body?
Jason didn’t know. He didn’t understand anything that was happening with Laney. But he was tired of overthinking. He was on Maui, dammit, and he intended to enjoy himself. He cast another glance toward the bar ahead.
He turned and walked into the store.
Chapter 27
Laney brushed her hair the next morning, resisting the urge to scrat
ch at the annoying staples in her scalp. At least they only itched now, rather than ached, and her bruises were fading nicely. If it weren’t for her pending hospital bills, she could almost forget that six days ago, she’d nearly died.
But she wouldn’t forget. Not ever. Jason and Ben had saved her life, and now they were good friends. She would focus on that. Friends.
She stared at her reflection. The dark rings under her eyes were pathetic. She would conceal them if she could, but she had no makeup handy. Maybe Jason wouldn’t notice, or at least wouldn’t ask. Under no circumstances would she confess how many hours she’d lain awake, listening for him to return, telling herself it didn’t matter if he brought another woman home. Wondering if he would sleep somewhere else altogether. Imagining exactly what was going on with him, every ticking second. She doubted she would have slept at all if the front door hadn’t finally opened and closed with no noises indicative of female company. It seemed as though Jason had puttered about in the kitchen a minute, then gone straight to bed. But she had continued to toss and turn, regardless.
Now, she had a new day to face. And she was going to do that, sleep deficit or no. She opened the door to her room and crept out. There was no sign of life from Jason’s room. If her shower and blow dryer had awakened him, he must have gone back to sleep. Relaxing a little, she headed for the kitchen. She had only taken a few steps before stopping in her tracks.
There, flung over the back of the couch, was a woman’s dress. A pair of sandals sat on the floor beneath. She felt sick to her stomach. So. There was a woman in there with him. Right now. A very quiet woman, but a woman. Laney had been right to think the worst of Jason. He had actually gone out and picked up the first—
Her heart skipped. Was that… a price tag? She moved stiffly forward, extended a hand. Yes. The dress still had tags on it. So did the shoes. They were new. Brand new. And there was a sticky note attached.
Merry Christmas, Laney!
This is your belated gift. I’ll get mine when you put it on and shut the hell up about it.
Fondly, Jason
Laney was glad she hadn’t bothered with eye makeup, since whatever she had applied would now be smeared. The sounds of someone stirring filtered out from Jason’s room, and she snatched up the dress and shoes and bolted back into her own.
Jason hadn’t brought back a sex partner. He’d brought back a present. For her!
She heard the door to his room open. She froze in silence, feeling like a guilty child as she stifled a strong desire to sniffle. After a moment the door to the bathroom opened and closed. She released a breath, wiped the tears from her cheeks, and checked herself in the mirror. Good God, she looked horrible. Her eyes now had rings underneath them and were puffy and red! She had to get herself together. She took another look at the dress, then held it up in the mirror. It pretty much screamed “Hawaii.” Spaghetti straps, a shapely, form-fitting top, and a flowy skirt, all in a beautifully understated floral pattern of bright hibiscus contrasting with a subtle dark background.
Could she wear it? She pulled it aside again to reveal what she was currently wearing. It was the best the lost and found box had to offer: a pair of navy women’s track shorts and a promotional tee from a 2013 car cruise in Spokane. She huffed out a laugh. Jason was right. Not even a guy friend would want to stroll around a vacation paradise with a woman looking like that! Nor would a real friend refuse a gift that came from the heart.
When Jason emerged from the shower sometime later, Laney was standing out on the lanai with a freshly brewed cup of coffee in her hand. She heard him walking towards her and turned around with a smile. “Good morning! I made a whole pot,” she said cheerfully. “The view from here is even more amazing than we imagined. I may never want to leave!”
Jason said nothing. He stood in the center of the room, wearing a stylish pair of shorts and a soft, bright-colored shirt that hugged his muscles to maximum effect. His adorably curly hair was still damp. His eyes were wide. His mouth — if not exactly hanging open — was not completely closed, either. After a long moment, he swallowed. “Merry Christmas,” he said, a devilish smile playing on his lips. “To me.”
Laney laughed, hoping she wasn’t also blushing. He hadn’t looked at her like that before. She shouldn’t enjoy it so much now. But she so did. She raised her coffee cup, as if in a toast. “Merry Christmas to us both. And thank you.”
“Thank you,” he grinned back at her. She stepped to the railing, expecting him to join her on the lanai, where they could ooh and ahh together over the Parkers’ unbelievable everyday view of white sand; dark blue, whale-filled waters; and striking islands on the horizon. But unexpectedly, he pivoted and disappeared back into his room.
When he reappeared a few minutes later, his eyes glanced over her only briefly before he poured himself a cup of coffee and then joined her at the lanai’s patio table. “I have a text from Pauley,” he informed her. “He says he saw Gordon early this morning and handed him the note.”
Laney’s happy mood crashed. The news wasn’t bad; in fact, it was good. But she’d been doing a stunning job this morning of forgetting why she was here. It was easy enough to do when one’s hair was blowing in a warm trade wind, with the sounds of fluttering palm trees and happy beachgoers echoing up from below. The sky was as blue as the ocean, with bright white cumulus clouds drifting high and harmless over the rippling waters and green mountains beneath. With the balmy air bathing her bare arms and shoulders, and the memory of the look in Jason’s eyes warming up her insides, she was feeling like she’d stepped into heaven.
Now she was back. “I suppose Gordon could contact me any time after he gets back to shore then,” she remarked. “If I’m lucky he’ll want to meet soon. I don’t want… I mean, it would be better for everyone if we can just get this thing resolved.”
“Your letter was compelling,” Jason encouraged. He still didn’t seem to want to look at her. “I doubt you’ll have to wait long. In the meantime, how would you feel about finding some breakfast? The coffee’s great, but I’m starving. Besides, a little sightseeing would be a nice distraction while you wait, don’t you think?”
Laney had no problem with that plan. She did have a problem with the continued awkwardness between them. At least now, the problem at hand was clearer to her. She might be a relative ignoramus where relationships were concerned, but she knew raw animal lust when she saw it. Jason did want her. The revelation both excited and further confused her. They had agreed that their values were incompatible. She assumed that was because he wasn’t looking for a serious relationship, and he presumed that she was. But if he liked her as friend and he was attracted to her, why exactly was the prospect of a real relationship so daunting to him?
“I’d love to go sightseeing. And get breakfast,” she said agreeably. “Whatever you’d like to do.”
“Okay, then,” he said, rising. “Let’s do it.”
She rose also. The sliding glass door onto the lanai wasn’t open wide enough for both of them to pass through at once. Being closer to it, Jason could have gone through, but since he seemed to be waiting for her to go first, Laney — who was feeling unusually feminine in the Hawaiian dress — decided to indulge him. But somehow they got their signals crossed. Just as she moved forward, Jason stretched out a hand to open the door wider, the result of which was a bumbling collision of his arm with her chin. In reaction, she teetered backward and he swiftly took hold of her upper arms to steady her.
“Sorry,” they said simultaneously, erupting in nervous laughter.
Laney could have stepped back then, but she didn’t. Her bare arms tingled at his touch. Did he feel that? She wanted to know. Her eyes sought out his, and she was not disappointed. The gray-green orbs practically crackled with electricity. There was no doubt. He felt it, too.
She stepped closer, still keeping eye contact. Not quite touching. The air between them felt like an open flame.
Laney didn’t think anymore. She closed the irr
itating distance, her arms clutching his waist, her lips pressing his. He resisted for all of two seconds before his own muscular arms pulled her tighter against him, deepened the kiss. The sensations he evoked were like nothing she’d ever experienced before. His touch was possessive, all-consuming, exhilarating. She lost track of anything and everything else in the world; she lost her friggin’ mind. She had his shirt up his back and halfway off one shoulder before some tiny kernel of intelligent thought managed to weasel its way into her brain.
She stopped. With an audible groan of frustration, she tugged his shirt back down and pulled away.
He let her go immediately. For a long moment they stood still, only a few inches apart, staring at each other and breathing hard.
“Not a good idea,” Laney whispered hoarsely.
“Not at all,” he agreed. He stepped back and turned his head.
Laney couldn’t seem to catch her breath. She appreciated his stopping when she did. But couldn’t he at least try to talk her out of it? “So, why isn’t it a good idea?” she asked. “I mean, from your perspective?”
Jason turned back to her. His face was flushed and sweaty. He looked impossibly gorgeous. “You know why, Laney. Because you’re the kind of woman who plays for keeps. Casual hookups aren’t your thing.”
Anger sparked. “And what makes you so sure of that?” she demanded.
“Am I wrong?”
Her cheeks pulsed with heat. How she would love to show him just how wrong he was! But she couldn’t, dammit, because he wasn’t wrong. “No, you’re not,” she said instead, her anger igniting. “I’m not interested in casual hookups, recreational sex, friends with benefits, or whatever else you choose to call it. How unfortunate for us both that that’s the only thing you are into!”
Now his face reddened. “You don’t know that!” he protested hotly.
“Am I wrong?” she shot back.
He made a move as if to answer, but stopped himself. He was breathing as heavily as she was. He also appeared just as angry.