Wordlessly, Georgie handed me a cup of coffee and continued staring into the distance. She looked hung over even though I knew she wasn't, and I began to suspect that was her default look for lack of sleep. How many times had I thought she was hung over when really she was just exhausted? The question made me uncomfortable only because I'd made a lot of assumptions about Georgie over the years, and if that one was wrong, how many others were?
Alex nodded to me but also didn't speak. All three of us stood in silence watching happy guests gear up for another holiday happy day, all of us surly, and Alex with that idiot hat perched on his head and his mouth twisted in the dismay of being out of bed. I felt exactly the same, sans stupid hat.
That was how Detective Ray found us. His mouth was pinched and his eyes hard, and that more than anything made it clear to me that something not good had happened. He crossed to us and immediately handed a couple of photos our way. Alex took them first, and we leaned in to look. It was Strangler's Cove, I supposed, but not the way we'd seen it last night. All the opium poppies were gone. The entire thing had been brutally cut, leaving nothing but a few smashed flowers and hundreds of sliced stalks. Of all the things I'd expected Detective Ray to find, this was certainly not even on the list.
Georgie and I were silent in horror, and Alex's only response was a single curse.
"I take it you're going to say it didn't look like this last night," Detective Ray said.
We nodded, voices overlapping as we told our story again, pointing out how many poppies there had been, how we'd been nearly murdered, how someone clearly knew we were onto them. Obviously, they'd come back during the night and cut down their crop, clearly feeling they were left without choice. Now we would be on their hit list because we'd just ruined what was no doubt many thousands of dollars of a big cash crop.
Detective Ray testily flipped his notebook closed. "They probably cut down the crop so they could harvest whatever was to be had before they lost it all to us. I'm sure not all of it was ready, but some to them is better than all to us. Stay close to the phones. And for heaven's sake, stop sticking your nose in this."
We worked through the morning, finally getting back into the swing of things. With only a few days until the big Christmas Eve luau, there was plenty to do, and my concentration was spotty at best. A member of the luau committee came by to show me a picture of the happy porkers who were about to bite it for the festivities, so there was that. I broke for lunch and headed for the lobby, hoping to find Georgie and Alex and see if they wanted to have lunch and talk about the bomb Ray had dropped on us. If the drugs were gone, was the chance also gone to find the person who had murdered Mallory?
Both were in the lobby—Georgie working the crowd and talking to some delighted teenage boys, and Alex talking to some of the members of the waitstaff, likely about tonight's dinner. After she finished talking to the boys, Georgie moved through the room, laughter and smiles following in her wake. Georgie had a skill I'd never been able to learn. She knew how to make people feel good. I only knew how to keep people in line. How to get things done. It really was no wonder that Jared had caved in to her and jumped into bed at the first available opportunity.
I rubbed the grit of exhaustion from my eyes and watched her cross the room, khaki uniform shorts swishing around her long, tan legs. I lived in Hawaii, and somehow she still managed to look tanner than I. That had to be some kind of a marketable skill.
When she stopped in front of Alex, he flashed her one of those charming grins, cocking his head to the side.
He liked the way I looked. I knew that was true. But we didn't mesh. We were like oil and water, touching but never merging. Georgie, well, Georgie was just his type. Funny, clever, gorgeous, charming, easy. Everything I was not. My throat caught, closing up like I was struggling with the byproduct of anaphylaxis. Not unless a person could be allergic to bitterness and jealousy. I had done this by repeatedly telling Georgie that I wasn't interested in Alex, that our relationship was strictly business. No one could be blamed for her flirtation but me, myself, and I. Didn't she know when someone was lying like my father after a weekend "working"?
Their conversation was low, casual, clearly flirting. When she gestured up, my gut clenched. She was pointing at the hat. The stupid mistletoe hat. He'd made it clear that even when it wasn't someone extra desirable like Georgie, he would kiss anyone who asked. That was his new rule.
The emotions that tore through me were far more intense than anything that had come at the loss of Jared. Nothing had overwhelmed me then but humiliation and wounded pride for my ignorance and stupidity. This was a burning wash of hot jealousy. I had to bite down on my tongue to stop myself from crossing the room and announcing to both of them that Alex was mine. That every inch of that clever brain, every inch of that tanned skin, every curve of that mouth, it all belonged to me. And the urge to protect that, an idea that wasn't even true, welled up in me, struggling to break free with violence.
After watching Alex bend and press a kiss to the edge of her mouth, I longed to kick my own sister's ass, despite our recent understanding. I hadn't even wanted to do that when she'd actually slept with my fiancé. Mostly I'd just been disappointed. A little bit let down. Disillusioned that family would always do what was best for you. Rage, well, apparently violent jealousy was something I saved for men I couldn't even consider.
Alex stood straight. My pulse slammed hard. I could hear the staccato beat of my heart in my ears, the rest of the room just a rushing of water. I didn't know what he was saying to her. I couldn't read lips. He stopped in what was clearly the middle of a word, suddenly noticing me.
I didn't know what my face said. I did my best to shutter the burning resentment I felt, but his raised eyebrow told me I wasn't entirely successful. The right side of his mouth cocked. Just the slightest hint. There was something smug in it. He turned back to Georgie, said something else to her, and then flashed her the thousand-watt smile before turning away.
He grabbed the radio from the belt. "Charlie," he said, the word sending goose bumps skittering across my skin as I heard it come through my radio. "Can you please meet me in my office for a moment?"
I could only hope everyone else in the building who could pick up this radio frequency couldn't hear the way he said my name. That teasing stroke of intimacy when he rolled the word across his tongue.
I swallowed hard. I didn't want to. I hadn't forgotten the last time we'd been in an office together. It wasn't him who was the problem. It was myself I couldn't trust.
"I can't do that at the moment," I said, my throat constricting, my body traitorously screaming how much I definitely could meet him alone.
He licked his lips, very slowly. I nearly moaned into the radio. Out of the corner of my eye, I registered that Georgie was still there, watching our exchange. That she could probably even hear our words. But I couldn't focus on that.
"This is a very important conversation, Charlie. About a subject that is still sensitive here at the resort." He was trying to sound professional, but he didn't. Not to me. I was about to start hyperventilating. "I really don't think you want me saying what I have to say on this open line."
Oh, good Lord. No, I didn't. I didn't know what he had to say right now, but I definitely didn't want to hear it at the same time as everyone else. I took a deep breath and pressed the button. "Of course. I'll meet you there in five minutes."
His gaze burned, even across the room. My entire body was nothing but the molten lava that flowed, hot and thick, all over Hawaii. This was so dangerous. My pulse thumped hard, kicking at my throat. I couldn't even swallow. The sane part of my brain had turned off. The part that was left wanted to scream "I want you." Right into the radio. It was a very good thing that I couldn't speak.
I glanced at Georgie, realizing she was still there. Still staring at me across the room. Her look told me that if she'd ever believed my claims of strictly business, she certainly didn't now. She'd be an idiot, which she wasn't, i
f she couldn't tell there was something a little bit more than coworkers and a lot more like people who'd been trying to strip each other naked days before. Her eyebrows shot up into her hair. I refused to acknowledge her expression.
Back straight, I averted my eyes from Alex and crossed the room, headed silently for his office. At least it was a different locale than before. That could only help me stay focused on whatever it was he felt we needed to talk about and not on the man himself. That was good. The way it should be.
I stepped into his office and shut the door behind me. I hadn't watched his progress, so I was surprised to discover I was alone. Somehow I'd managed to beat him, even though he'd been closer. Waiting impatiently, I paced from one end of his office to the other before he finally turned the knob and stepped inside, locking it behind us. I watched his deft fingers turn that lock and felt the breath knock from my body like a punch in the stomach. I was one hundred different kinds of stupid to be here right now.
Trying to ignore the sheer power of his presence after yesterday's events, I kept my face impassive. "What's the problem?"
The corners of his mouth turned up in a grin so contagious I wanted to join in, even though I knew I wasn't going to be half as delighted by what he was going to say as he clearly was.
"You're jealous."
Those were neither the words I'd expected nor wanted to hear. I actually flinched, even though I was begging my face to give nothing away. "Really, Alex? That is why you called me away from work?"
He was still grinning. I didn't want him knowing I was jealous. It helped nothing in our lives, our work environment, or our hotel situation, and it was embarrassing besides.
"I called you away from work because that's what I'm going to do every time you stare at me across the room as though you'd like to consume me alive, because I can't stand it. I see you looking like that, and I swear to you that every time—every single time—I will find an office, an empty room, even a freaking closet. And then I will do this."
There really wasn't any warning, although I should have figured it out from his words. His hand snaked around the base of my skull and pulled me forward, tilting up my head until my mouth was directly under his, and then he was kissing me. He kissed like it was going somewhere. And it wasn't. When his hands were buried deep in my hair, my bun was a thing of the past, and I couldn't quite catch a breath, I pulled away from him, pushing at his chest.
"Alex, stop. You can't just kiss me whenever you want."
His smile was proprietary, wolfish. "I'm not. I'm kissing you whenever you want. You are not nearly as good at hiding it as you think you are."
There wasn't even anything I could say. He was about the hottest thing I'd ever seen, and there was no denying it. But that didn't make workplace relationships okay. "Workplace relationships are not okay," I reminded.
He laughed like nothing could be funnier than me mentioning regulations. "You don't need to be jealous of Georgie. She's not attractive to me, even a little."
"She looks just like me," I pointed out, bizarrely indignant that he would say that, even though I was the one saying it was against the rules. And why was he standing so close to me still? Every time I exhaled, our bodies touched, and every inch of me that even remotely touched any part of him was screaming for attention. He needed to back away.
His grin was irresistible. I wanted to kiss him just because of the way he smiled, which told me I definitely needed to get out of this room.
"In Korea, one of our favorite dishes is called Tangsuyuk. It's like sweet and sour chicken. Do you know why it's a favorite?"
I shook my head, unable to speak when his fingers were trailing a path down the curve of my neck. It took all the power in all the atoms in my body not to drop my head to the side, giving him freer access.
"The key to really good Tangsuyuk, the thing that makes it so delicious, is a perfect balance between the sweetness…" His mouth hovered near my neck, replacing his roaming fingers. His breath sent goose bumps chasing along my skin. My legs were actually shaking. "…and the tartness."
Some inarticulate noise worked its way from my throat. I needed my brain back so I could figure out how to get out of here. Or maybe even just what he was talking about. "We make the sauce from tart apples, so it's sweet," he whispered, his tongue dipping into my ear. I gasped, my entire body trembling. "Then we add vinegar, because too much sweet isn't good. Then we add crushed red pepper flakes, called gochugaru, so that every single bite is…irresistibly…" His teeth nipped softly at the skin of my neck. "…deliciously spicy."
The throaty moan was definitely coming from me, but I would never make a sound like that. At least, I never had before. His mouth worked at my neck, pulling, biting—if he gave me a hickey, I would kill him. But I couldn't stop him. I couldn't even breathe.
"Georgie is all sweet," he whispered, returning his attention to my ear, his finger tracing the tender skin at the collar of my shirt, leaving shivers in his wake. "All sweet is for children. Grownups know that nothing is more delicious…" He kissed me very softly, and I let him, because apparently I'd lost all modicum of self-control I'd ever possessed. "…than something…" His tongue flicked inside my lips for only a hint of a second. I was panting now, clutching his shirt uselessly. "…that burns against your tongue."
Then I was against the door again, and I was all for it, my nails digging into the hollows of his cheeks as he invaded my mouth. I was so insanely hot for him. There was no point in denying it. I wanted to do things with Alex that were probably illegal in all forty-eight contiguous states, and Hawaii. Then I wanted to do it a second time, because I was very, very sure that once wouldn't be enough.
From another man I wouldn't have believed his words. Not with the constant casual flirting between he and Georgie. But I believed Alex. I couldn't make complete sense of that, but somehow I knew he was sincere. Georgie was of no interest to him. He'd never really acted like she was. I'd never been jealous before. Not of anyone. But I was now. Because even though it wasn't true, every fiber of my being was screaming that Alex was mine.
It was just getting very, very good when my radio beeped abrasively. I considered, for a second, flinging it across the room until it made a satisfying crunch against the wall.
"This is Jillian. Charlotte Conner, please identify."
Alex's body convulsed with silent laughter as I let a very dirty word fly. I pressed the button, schooling my voice to reveal nothing. "This is Charlotte."
It didn't work. I sounded low and raw. My breathing was strained.
"Charlotte? Are you okay?" she asked.
I licked my lips, trying to push Alex away unsuccessfully. "Yes, I'm fine. What is it?"
Alex's fingers teased the back of my thigh, barely slipping under the hem of my skirt. I strangled another moan, stepping hard on his foot. He laughed again. I sincerely hoped that Jillian couldn't hear him.
"There's a problem at the concierge desk. Can you come up?"
I ran a hand through my ruined hair and searched desperately for the scattered pieces of what had once been my brain. I'd come in with it. It still had to be around here somewhere. "I'll be there in five minutes," I promised, turning off the radio and tucking it into my jacket pocket.
I turned for the door, and Alex grabbed my arm. "This is not done, Charlie."
The words sent another hot wave of violent lust rolling over me. I pushed it away and squared my shoulders. "It is, because it has to be." If only I felt as determined as I sounded.
* * *
It turned out that Jillian really could have handled the problem herself. She'd handled problems like it before. For whatever reason, she'd felt the need to clear comp tickets for a show in Kapa'a with me. I could only be grateful to the universe for breaking up the huge mistake my body desperately wanted to make. I ignored both Georgie and Alex for the rest of the workday, focusing, instead, entirely on the work that needed to be done and on the needs of our many guests. Really, since I'd arrived in June, I
'd never seen this many guests, and thankfully, they all seemed to be having a great time.
At every moment the main building's spacious lobby was filled with the giggles of children and the fake, snapping noises of cell phones taking selfies designed to make friends and coworkers jealous. Couples were loving the time together. Children were dreaming of the water park, deep sand, and castles. From large families to extended families to small groups of friends, it was clear that the crisp, sultry Aloha Lagoon air was good for bonding.
At five PM, I headed back to my office to deal with emails that had been getting ignored in favor of luau prep. Alex stepped into my office, and my heart shot into my stomach. He reached for the door. I could tell from his expression that he was here on business, but that didn't matter. I held up a hand. "Don't shut the door."
I couldn't tell what to make of his expression. He stepped closer to my desk, obediently leaving the door open behind him. "Georgie says Christmas used to be your favorite holiday. That you have a good reason now for your special dislike."
Dang Georgie and her "helpful" streak that had her admitting my personal business all over the island. She clearly wanted Alex and me together and was trying to do the work for me. "That's true." I offered no more information.
"Are you going to tell me about it?"
I shook my head. "Most definitely not. Anything else?"
He sat down on the corner of my desk, staring at me for a long second. Then he cocked his head. "Please tell me, Charlie."
The words were like a punch in the gut. Completely unexpected, and even worse, I wanted to do it. Oh, what the heck? What did it hurt?
"Fine. I told you about how I was engaged to a man named Jared. He was a total jerk, but I was just sure we'd be getting married and chugging along happily in our perfect jobs and perfect marriage. We'd been dating since our freshman year of college, and I felt like I'd invested far too much time in him for it to lead anywhere but marriage."
Mele Kalikimaka Murder Page 15