When Everly became pregnant with Jordan, Mitchell resented her for it. And when the two started having marital problems, Roland decided it was the perfect time to make his move. He began by planting seeds in Mitchell’s mind, painting him a picture of all that he was sacrificing being married, instead of single. Then he invited him to glitzy parties with glamorous women who, for a pittance, would tell a man anything he wanted to hear. The plan unfolded like a well-orchestrated play as the wedge between Mitchell and Everly grew larger. Then Roland used his influence with local law enforcement to turn up the heat, putting Mitchell under investigation for fraudulent business dealings. The best part was Mitchell never knew Roland was the instigator of the investigation. As far as Mitchell was concerned, Roland was his closest friend and confidant. And then came the finale—he gave Mitchell a large amount of money, helped him fake his death and disappear.
Briggs thought it absurd that Roland went to all that trouble to help Mitchell disappear when he could’ve, just as easily, put a bullet in his head and dumped him in the lake. But Briggs was a machine, acting without sentiment or feeling, whereas, Roland was more genteel and refined. In fact, Roland had developed a surprising fondness for Mitchell and wished him well, so long as he stayed out of Everly’s life.
Marriage to Everly was a dream come true, until she grew jealous and started snooping into his private affairs. If only she’d kept her nose out of his business, the two of them would still be happily married. He’d given her every comfort and treated Jordan like his own child, which was not an easy task, considering Jordan was the spitting image of Mitchell. When Everly demanded a divorce he reluctantly agreed, but only because he knew he could maintain control over her. There had been plenty of suitors who set their caps at Everly over the past two and a half years, but he systematically took care of them. He figured it was only a matter of time before Everly came back to him. What he hadn’t counted on, however, was her escaping to Hawaii and meeting a famous actor. Blood throbbed in his temples. There was no way he was gonna give Everly up. She belonged to him. One way or another Christian Ross was going to have to recognize that. He forced himself to look at the situation analytically. The next logical steps were to find out all he could about Ross, discover his weaknesses, and exploit them. If that didn’t work, he’d be forced to get rid of him.
“Hey, where’d you go? Come back to bed,” the blonde purred.
“In a minute,” he said, not bothering to hide the annoyance in his voice. An image of Everly flashed before his eyes—her heart-shaped face, stubborn chin, lively eyes, and lush, curly hair. And the best thing about Everly—she was opinionated, not some simple-headed puppet who’d tell him anything he wanted to hear. Her sauciness enthralled him. And she was smart. He could almost see the outline of her delicate shoulders, tapering to a small waist and shapely legs. Her light floral perfume invaded his senses, and he longed for her to the point where it hurt.
The woman came up behind him and started rubbing his shoulders. He’d picked her up at a bar the night before, couldn’t even remember her name. She encircled his waist and snuggled close to him. “Come to bed. I’m lonely without you.”
Roland turned to face her, hardly seeing her beauty in front of him. All he could think about was Everly. Suddenly, it angered him that this woman was here instead of her. When she reached up to caress his face, he slapped her hand away.
Smudges of scarlet stained her cheeks as a petulant frown formed on her face. “What was that for?”
He pushed her away, feeling dead and empty inside. “You need to leave.”
“Hey, baby. Don’t be like this. I know just what you need,” she said softly.
“Get out!”
Her eyes lassoed. “What?”
“You heard me.” He turned his back to her and stared unseeingly at the dark night.
The woman let out a long string of curse words, which he barely heard. Then she grabbed her things and left in a huff, slamming the door behind her.
Roland placed a hand against the cold glass. “Come back to me, Everly,” he uttered. “For both of our sakes … please come back.”
CHAPTER 7
It was one of those perfect, blue-sky evenings for which California was known, a salty breeze floating up along the Pacific Coast Highway. Everything was right in the world. Christian’s latest movie had broken box office records its opening weekend, and negotiations were underway for a third movie in the Jase Scott action series. All of his hard work was starting to pay off, and to celebrate, Christian had bought a new sports car. He gripped the steering wheel, appreciating how his sleek red Ferrari 458 Convertible Spider hugged the road, almost anticipating the turns before he made them. Growing up poor, he never could’ve imagined he would be living such a charmed life.
“Faster,” Heather urged, her long hair whipping in her face.
He pressed his foot on the accelerator, and the power was instant, catapulting them forward at a light-speed pace.
“Whoo!” Heather lifted her hands in the air. Also an actress, Christian and Heather first met when they co-starred in his first movie. At the time, she was more well-known than he. He’d asked her out at least a dozen times before she agreed to go on a date with him. They’d dated on and off for several years but were now seeing each other exclusively.
The scene changed, Heather was driving. “This is the life,” she exclaimed, sheer exhilaration sounding in her voice. One of the things Christian most appreciated about Heather was her gift for living in the moment—blissfully happy and completely alive. His parents didn’t much care for Heather, probably for that same reason and because they saw her as a social climber, who only wanted to date him because of his superstar status. Deep down, he suspected that was probably the case, but life with Heather was fun and thrilling. She knew all the right people and they went to all the right parties. And at the moment, Christian had no desire to settle down.
“Let’s see what this baby can do,” Heather said, speeding up.
They rounded a couple of curves, and Christian could feel the car nearly slipping out of Heather’s control. They were going fast … too fast! Heather was a daredevil, always pushing the envelope. “Hey, slow down,” he cautioned.
Heather laughed. “Party pooper,” she drawled, pursing her Botoxed lips and blowing him a kiss.
Christian relaxed a fraction when they came up behind a slow-moving van. Now Heather would be forced to slow down. But she jerked the wheel to pass and had to pull back when she realized a semi-truck was coming in the other direction.
“What’re you doing?” Christian demanded. “Just stay behind the van.”
“I’m the one driving,” she sniffed, leaning her head out to see around the van. “Coast is clear,” she chimed, swerving into the oncoming traffic.
Christian’s heart lurched when he saw the car, a short distance ahead, coming right towards them. “Step on it,” he yelled.
“I can make it.” Heather pressed on the gas. As she got even with the van, it sped up. She put the pedal to the floor, trying to get ahead. By the time she passed it, the approaching car was almost upon them. She swerved to get over in her lane, but the back of the Ferrari clipped the front of the van.
Everything seemed to slow down, Christian sensed it all in excruciating detail. The horror on Heather’s face as the car spun out of control. The helpless feeling as he bounced around uncontrollably. The sound of metal crunching. The pain that ripped through his body. The acrid smoke filling his lungs.
He cried out, and then he was falling.
Everly sat up in bed, darkness pressing against her eye sockets. It took a second for her eyes to adjust so she could see. For a split second, she was disoriented, before remembering she was at Christian’s home. She’d been having that same wretched dream about Mitchell, diving at Lake Tahoe. Except this time, as Mitchell’s body sank and she went after him, his face transformed into Roland. Before she could pull away, he clutched her hand in an iron grip, dragging h
er down into the cold, murky water. She shuddered, grateful it was only a dream.
What had awoken her? Jordan? No, he was sleeping soundly beside her. She looked at the pale moonlight seeping through the edges of the curtains as she reached for her phone—2:45 a.m. She lay back against the pillow and was drifting back to sleep when she heard the noise. She stilled, listening. It sounded like a muffled cry. She waited. There it was again. She got out of bed and slipped on her shorts and t-shirt from the day before. Unfortunately, that was all she had to wear until she could get her luggage.
She knew Christian’s room was right next to hers. He’d pointed that out in case she needed something during the night. She stepped into the hall. The house was eerily quiet, making her wonder if she’d only imagined the sound. There was something unnerving about being the only person awake in an unfamiliar house. And even though she’d felt an instant connection with Christian, he was a virtual stranger. A shiver ran down her spine as she hugged her arms. Spending the night here felt so logical earlier, but now, in the dead of the night, she questioned her judgment. Christian’s door was partially open. She cocked her ears, listening. Had she just imagined the noise? She was about to go back to bed, then heard it again. This time, it was an unmistakable cry, coming from Christian’s room. She stole towards the door and peeked in.
“Christian?” she said softly. “Are you okay?”
He didn’t answer. She peered through the darkness and could make out his sleeping form in the bed.
She heard a gurgle, followed by soft moans. Her feet acted before she had time to think and strode across the room to his bed. She stood beside him and realized instantly what was happening. He was having a nightmare, his face twisting in pain. She touched his arm, and he jerked, opening his eyes. But she could tell he was still half asleep as he looked right through her.
Suddenly, she felt foolish for charging into his bedroom and waking him up. “Are you okay?”
He shook his head as if coming out of a daze. His eyes came into focus as he sat up in bed and leaned back against the pillow. Then he seemed to realize she was there. “Everly,” he said, sleep coating his voice. “Is everything okay?” He reached and flicked on the lamp. It was then Everly noticed he was bathed in sweat. He rubbed his hands through his hair, pulling a single curl into the center of his forehead.
How was it possible for a man to look so adorable and sexy at the same time? And then Everly realized he was shirtless. Her throat turned to sandpaper as she swallowed. He was like a moving sculpture with his chiseled pecs and abs. She forced her eyes to his face as an explanation tumbled out. “I heard something, and I wasn’t sure what it was. It woke me up. So, I came to see what the noise was. And your door was open. I’m very sorry I intruded. Goodnight.”
She turned, intending to scamper away as quickly as possible before she made a complete idiot of herself.
“Hey.”
“Yeah?”
“Would you like to have a cup of hot chocolate with me?” When she didn’t answer, a wry grin formed over his lips. “Please?”
“Sure.”
“Give me a minute to get dressed, and I’ll meet you in the kitchen.”
“Okay.”
Everly took a sip of hot chocolate. “Umm … very good. I’m impressed.”
Christian joined her at the table. “Thanks.”
“What’s your secret?”
He flashed a mischievous grin. “A guy can’t give away all his secrets.”
She laughed. “Oh, I see how it is.” She took another sip. “That’s okay. I bet I can figure it out.”
“Really? This, I’ve gotta see.”
“There’s cinnamon in it.”
“Yep. But that’s pretty obvious.”
“It kind of has an egg nog flavor. Is it a creamer?”
He sat back in his chair. “Nope.”
“Okay, you’ve got me. I have no idea.”
“Turmeric.”
She wrinkled her nose. “Turmeric? Like the spice?”
“Yep.”
“The stuff they put in curry?”
“Yes.”
“Hmm … I never would’ve guessed that.”
Christian’s gaze flickered over her. She raked a self-conscious hand through her hair. She could only imagine how awful she must look. Not a speck of makeup, and her hair was all over the place, even curlier than usual due to the humidity.
“You look great,” he said, as if reading her mind.
She rolled her eyes. “Yeah … right.”
“I’m serious.”
“Thank you.” His eyes met hers, and she was struck by how green they were. She couldn’t help but voice the question that had been on her mind since she’d met Christian. “Your eyes … they’re an unusual color for a Polynesian.”
“My mom’s Tongan and my dad’s Haole.”
“Haole?”
“White. The term Haole actually means foreigner, but most locals use it to refer to Caucasians.”
That explained it. His features looked more Caucasian, and he was slighter and thinner than most Polynesians she’d seen. “Did you grow up here?”
“Yes, in a little town called Laie, only a few miles up the road.”
“Where the Polynesian Cultural Center’s located.”
He was impressed.
“I was going to take Jordan there last night,” she explained. “He wanted to see the fire-knife dancers.”
He winced. “I’m sorry your evening got wrecked. This is probably not turning out to be the greatest vacation, huh?”
She tucked a loose curl behind her ear. “Well, it’s definitely different from what I expected.”
His eyes held hers. “Different can be good.”
The pull to him was so strong that she gripped her cup in order to keep from reaching out and touching him. A small smile touched her lips. “Absolutely.” She was itching to ask him about the nightmare and kept hoping he would bring it up. His demeanor was so calm and relaxed that had she not seen his anguish firsthand, she wouldn’t have believed it. Silence settled between them, and she sought for something to say. She glanced around the airy kitchen with neutral tones, gleaming countertops, and streamlined cabinets. It was distinctly masculine with the strong, clean lines. “I love the dark wood. What kind is it?”
“Koa. It grows here on the islands.”
“It’s really beautiful.”
He leaned back in his chair and took a drink from his mug, studying her. “So, Everly, I want to know all about you. What do you like to do? Besides exercise?”
She thought for a minute. Did she have any outside interests? Her life revolved around Jordan and work. That didn’t leave much time for anything else. “I like to cook,” she finally said.
“Well, I like to eat, so there you go. See, we have lots in common.”
She laughed. “Spoken like a true man.”
“Tell me something else about you.”
“I like to read.”
“What types of books?”
“Romantic suspense. I’m a sucker for Mary Higgins Clark.”
He made a face. “I think we’re gonna have to agree to disagree there.”
“You don’t like to read?”
“No, I’ve never been much of a reader.”
She was surprised and a little disappointed. As far as she was concerned a voracious reader equaled an intelligent person. Her thoughts must’ve shown on her face because he laughed. “Don’t look at me like that.”
“Like what?”
“Like … I’m a moron.”
Her face flamed. “I wasn’t thinking that.”
“Yes, you were.” An irresistible grin curved his lips, highlighting his dimple.
“How can you not like to read?”
He shrugged. “I guess I was always too busy playing sports and surfing. Don’t get me wrong, I read a lot of articles … abstracts … that sort of thing. I just don’t enjoy reading fiction.”
She gave h
im a pointed look. “Well, what do you enjoy doing?”
“Acting.”
She wagged a finger. “Something other than your profession.”
“Gardening.”
“Really?” She wouldn’t have pegged him as a gardener. But then again, the grounds of the estate were immaculate.
“Gardening helps me relax. I also enjoy painting.”
“That’s impressive. I took a watercolor class once.”
“How was it?”
She grimaced. “Dreadful.”
He laughed. “It couldn’t have been all that bad.”
“Trust me. It was. The teacher was tickled pink when I didn’t sign up for her next class.”
Time seemed to fly as they sat, chatting about inconsequential things. When Everly drank the last sip of her hot chocolate, she yawned. “I’d better get back to bed.” She was about to stand, but he placed a hand over hers.
“Tell me about Roland,” he implored.
The comment was a bucket of ice water that jarred her back to reality. Roland had been belligerent on the phone, accusing her of all sorts of ridiculous things. He even had the gall to suggest that she’d planned the entire trip to Hawaii, just so she could hook up with Christian. He wouldn’t listen to reason, so she finally had to hang up on him. He was insanely jealous, to the point where she was becoming afraid of him. She looked across the table at Christian. It had been fun to pretend for a moment that she could live in Christian’s world, feel his protective arms around her, and know that everything would be okay. But it was only a dream—a dream that would end all too quickly the minute she stepped foot on the mainland.
He rubbed his thumb across the top of her hand. “Please. Tell me.”
Energy surged through her, and she couldn’t help but appreciate how his skin felt on hers. She eyed him. “Okay. But only if you’ll tell me about your nightmare.” A muscle twitched in his jaw, and she thought for a second he might refuse. But finally, he nodded.
Love on the Rebound (Hawaii Billionaire Romance) Page 6