Better vs. Worse

by Mary E Thompson

  I swung my gaze to Alvin, standing only a few feet away at the bar. “And you? You have no problem with your sister walking away with some malihini? You think that’s a good idea?”

  Alvin snorted. “Do you really think my sister asks my opinion on the men she dates? Hell, maybe it’ll be good for her. She’s been in a funk lately. She needs to get over that last ass she dated and move on. Maybe a visitor is exactly what she needs.”

  I growled again, furious that neither of them was willing to do anything about Ada leaving with that guy. We didn’t know him. He could be any kind of crazy. And they were letting her walk away with him.

  “I could use your muscles,” Jack said, running his hand down my bicep. “If you’re up to it.”

  I growled at the empty walkway to the parking lot and followed Jack. If I couldn’t stop Ada from making a mistake, I could at least use my hands to do something other than throttle the guy she was taking home.

  Chapter Fourteen

  I struggled to get sleep that night. Every time I did manage to close my eyes, I pictured Ada with Nick. He did all kinds of things to her, sexy things, things that had her screaming his name. And had me ready to go knock out a guy I barely knew. A guy I’d never see again.

  I growled and pushed out of bed far too early. I hated being up before noon, especially when I didn’t have enough sleep. I did the only thing I knew to do. I grabbed a board and sent Ginny a quick text in case she was up for some grumpy company, with a fair warning about my mood, and hit the water.

  The first dunk under the cool morning water was better than the best Kona coffee, and that was some good shit. I’d take a swim in the ocean any day over anything else. Unless I found a way to make Ada mine.

  I tried to figure out how to turn what we had into a casual situation that would mean she spent more nights in my bed than anyone else’s, but every time I thought about her screwing another guy, I saw red and had to focus on something else.

  The slap of the water against my palms as I paddled out was a welcome sting that drew my attention. The gentle waves picked me up and shifted my body as my board floated over the curves of the sea. When I reached the spot I was working for, I sat up and surveyed the beach.

  Everything was mostly back to normal. A few houses had damage, but the tsunami didn’t destroy us. Nothing destroyed Hawaiians. We were a tough breed, there for each other and welcoming in tourists as though they were one of us.

  I still held on to the photo album I found on the beach. I forgot to get it to Sawyer, but the view of the shore reminded me to talk to him. Those pictures meant something to someone.

  The sun eased over the mountain on a slow climb that brought heat down on me. I splashed in the water as I surfed, enjoying the feel of the water as much as the heat of the sun. It focused my mind and gave me the clarity I’d searched for all night and struggled to hold on to.

  Proposing a sex-only relationship with Ada had nothing to do with me. It was what she wanted, what she liked. I had to put my feelings aside and give her exactly what she wanted. I knew how to touch her, how to make her come, how to turn her on until she was begging me to give her the release that only I could drag out of her. She needed me.

  There was no reason she had to know I needed her.

  My cock grew as I considered how to approach her. She was a fan of my cooking so maybe another dinner invitation would work. Except she refused the last one.

  No, if it was sex only, there wouldn’t be any dinners. Just sweaty, hot sex.

  I glanced around and debated relieving the pressure in my shorts when I spotted Ginny paddling toward me, parallel to the shore.

  “Hey,” she said when she got closer. “Still in a shitty mood?”

  I shrugged. “Better.”

  Ginny nodded knowingly. “The water will do that.” She took a deep breath, her chest rising under her blue and purple rash guard.

  I was only human.

  “I’m glad you texted. I needed a break from my dad.”

  “He still giving you shit?” I stretched out on my board, staring up at the sky that was as light blue as the ocean was dark blue.

  Ginny sighed heavily. “Yeah. I signed up. He’s not happy.”

  “No shit. Congrats. When’s your first run?”

  Ginny flashed me an appreciative grin and laid back with me. “In a month. I’m kinda freaking out.”

  “Why? You know what you’re doing.”

  “Yeah, here. Waikiki is a whole different ballgame.”

  “So go there for a few weeks.”

  Ginny snorted a laugh. “Why didn’t I think of that? I should just pack up my board, that you haven’t made yet, and spend a small fortune on a hotel room in Waikiki for a few weeks. Because I have money just sitting around waiting for me to waste.”

  Yeah, that was kind of dumb. “Okay, well, can you go a few days early? I mean, surfing is surfing. We might not have competitions here, but it isn’t like our surf sucks.”

  “Speaking of sucks,” Ginny said, rolling effortlessly and shooting across the water so quickly I wondered if she was trying to outrun a shark.

  I sat up and saw the perfect set of waves coming our way. She grabbed the first one and rode it toward the beach, leaving me to shake my head at her.

  When she reached my side, I shook my head.

  “What?”

  “That was dirty. You could have told me what I was missing out on.”

  She shrugged and smirked. “You could have been paying attention.”

  I shook my head. She was trying to get out of the conversation we were having, but she wasn’t that good.

  “What’s really going on?”

  She glanced at me, surprised I figured out there was more to the story. “I made a deal with my dad.”

  My eyebrows spiked. That wasn’t like her at all. “What was the deal?”

  “If I win, he’ll back off. Let me surf as much as I want. Stop telling me I’m wasting my life.”

  “And if you don’t,” I asked, even though I already knew the answer.

  “I give up surfing.”

  “Fuck, Gin.”

  She nodded. “That’s pretty much how I’ve been feeling.” She paused a few minutes and watched the ocean around us. Blue as far as we could see. The crystal clear water looked like we could reach out and touch the bottom that sat more than ten feet away.

  I knew what she was giving up if she lost. I’d been there. I sacrificed all that for Kiki. It was the hardest thing I’d ever done, but I did it for my sister, so I could take care of her.

  Ginny was doing it because her father was being selfish.

  I understood that he was scared. He’d already lost one child. He didn’t want to lose another one. But he was going to lose her if he forced her to let go of what she loved. Even if she was there with him every day, she’d be gone forever.

  “What are you going to do?” I finally asked.

  She shrugged. “I’m going to win. I have no choice.”

  I nodded, knowing she meant it. Ginny was a hell of a competitor. If she said she was going to win, she would.

  “You will. And I’ll get you the best damn board you’ve ever been on to do it.”

  “You will? Seriously? Don’t fuck with me now.”

  I grinned. “Yeah, yeah. I’ll get you a board. I’ve been working on a design for you.”

  Ginny flung herself at me, an awkward pose that almost knocked both of us into the water. She pulled herself back and kissed me, a kiss I knew meant nothing because that was just Ginny.

  Until I looked at the shore and saw my sister pointing to me and Ada standing next to her.

  I went stock still, thinking they couldn’t see me if I weren’t moving.

  Ginny picked up on it and flipped her gaze from them to me and back. “Who is that?”

  They waded into the water until it hit their thighs then stretched out on surfboards. Oh, fuck.

  “Kiki and Ada.”

  “Your sister? Why ar
e you so upset about… Oh, my God. I’m so stupid.”

  I spared her a glance, but she wasn’t looking at me. Ginny was locked on Ada, understanding written all over her face.

  “Gin…”

  She finally met my gaze. “I don’t know why I never saw it, but it makes so much sense now. I like her for you.”

  “What?”

  “She’s perfect for you. I like you two together.”

  “She’s not perfect for me. She doesn’t want me.”

  Ginny snorted. “The glare she’s giving me says something else. Want me to flirt with you so she’ll get jealous?”

  “Gin,” I growled, but it was too late.

  “Kiki! It’s been forever since I’ve seen you. How are you?” Ginny waved and paddled over to hug my sister.

  “Ginny! I wondered who was out here with Kapena. It’s so good to see you. He’s been hiding you for far too long.”

  Ginny was fucking killing me. I didn’t know how she could act like nothing was going on. I was ready to claw out of my own skin, and Ginny was just talking to them like it was an ordinary day.

  To her, it was. Some part of me knew that, but she was just so fucking normal.

  Ginny laughed. “Not hiding me. We just always seem to hook up on the ocean but don’t make it out aside from that. How are you, Ada? I love your suit.”

  Oh, God. My eyes couldn’t have stayed away from her body if someone glued them in place. Ginny’s comment gave them permission to make a lazy tour of her body, taking in every dip and curve that her swimsuit hid. It wasn’t flashy or seductive, except it was because it was on Ada. The bright blue bottoms hid the secrets she kept between her thighs, curving up around her backside to torture me just a little more. A sliver of honey skin peeked out between the tantalizing blue bottoms and the brilliant pink of her top.

  It was supposed to fit well, to cling to her body, but the water created a suction that allowed her top to adhere to every valley, every hill, every hidden spot that I ached to rediscover.

  My hard cock gave an encore performance, bringing an aching need that wouldn’t go away until I had Ada again.

  And again.

  And again.

  My gaze finally landed on her face. Her cheeks were flush and her mouth parted, her eyes locked on mine.

  Hell, I walked into my own trap without even realizing it.

  Phase one. Make sure she knows I want her. Check.

  I shrugged like it was no big deal she saw me checking her out, then slowly looked down at my dick, tenting my board shorts. Her throaty gasp said her eyes followed mine like I hoped they would.

  I lazily lifted my eyes to hers and smiled when she swallowed thickly. Her eyes were locked on my cock, making it even harder. I throbbed, but damn was it fun.

  She licked her lips and drew the bottom one between her teeth. Her nipples pressed against the fabric of her rash guard.

  I wanted to strip her bare and take care of the need I could feel from just a few feet away. It might as well have been an ocean away for all I could do with her, though.

  “We didn’t mean to interrupt you guys,” Kiki said. “I dragged Ada out here with me since Sawyer still hasn’t gotten over the ass-kicking Kapena gave him last time they went surfing.”

  I grinned, thinking back to the ‘lessons’ I gave Sawyer when he arrived. He thought he was big and bad, but he went down just as hard as the rest of them.

  He got a bonus lesson for fucking with my sister.

  “We were just…talking,” Ginny said, letting it sound like there was more going on. “You’re welcome to join us.”

  Ada’s eyes met mine with a question in them.

  I smiled, not giving anything away. If she was going to go home with some guy from a wedding, I could sleep with my best friend.

  Not that I would, but Ada didn’t know that.

  “Sounds like fun,” Ada answered without breaking our stare. “I’d love to catch up, Ginny.”

  “Awesome. Gosh, I still remember when you two were in high school. I’m having trouble thinking of you both as adults. Kiki, I know you have your wedding planning company. Ada, what are you doing now?”

  Ada finally looked away from me and focused all her attention on Ginny. “I’m doing a few different things. I’m a licensed officiant so I work with Kiki as much as I can. It’s not enough to pay the bills so I also work as a consultant with local businesses. Helping them get started and connecting them together so they can support each other.”

  “What?” I blurted. “Like an angel investor?”

  Ada shook her head. “No, I don’t have that kind of money. Just someone to point them in the right direction. Get them moving and help bring in customers. I’ve been working with Kiki for so long that I’ve picked up a few things. Plus, I have an MBA, so I know a thing or two.”

  “That’s really interesting,” Ginny said. “How did you get started in something like that?”

  I zoned out while they talked about some of the companies Ada worked with. I had no idea she did that. Someone I needed to help get my business flowing was under my nose the whole time, and I had no idea.

  I considered asking her to help me, but dismissed the thought as quickly as it formed. I didn’t want a working relationship with her. I wanted a between the sheets, spend the night, walk down the aisle relationship with her.

  Holy. Fuck.

  Where did that come from?

  My head spun as I processed just how far I’d fallen. I wanted her for a long time, but I never let myself think about anything more than that, and I sure as hell never imagined marriage. But I couldn’t deny that was the only thing I wanted.

  A life. A future. With Ada.

  Forever. Together. The opposite of what my parents had. A love that went above and beyond anything I’d ever heard of. Ever dreamed of.

  I shook my head. She’d never go for it. Not with me. Not when I had nothing more to offer her than a tiny house on the beach and a meager salary that didn’t even afford health insurance. I needed to find a way to be more.

  But I was done letting her date other men. If she wanted to sleep around, she could do it in my bed, with me. She didn’t need other men to fulfill her every sexual fantasy. She only needed me.

  Which meant I had to make sure she knew exactly what I had to offer.

  I bided my time, waiting until we’d been out on the water for hours and everyone was hungry. Casually, I offered to fix lunch, knowing it wouldn’t take much to get Ginny to wrap Kiki into a conversation that would leave plenty of space for me to guide Ada exactly where I wanted her.

  We left the boards on the lanai and walked inside. Kiki poured water for everyone and headed back outside with her glass. Ginny caught my eye and nodded toward Ada.

  I grinned and nodded, getting her message loud and clear.

  “Can you hand me the broccoli?” I asked Ada.

  She paused, halfway to the door, and turned back. “Sure.”

  She bent at the waist, her perfect ass high in the air the same way it was when she bent over my couch.

  I groaned.

  She snapped up and spun to face me. “Are you okay?”

  I nodded, my gaze running down her body. “Just remembering how good it felt to slide into you the last time you were like that in front of me.”

  Her face flushed, but her dilated eyes and fluttering pulse at her throat told me she liked the reference.

  “I’ve never come so hard as I did when I was buried deep inside your pussy, fucking you hard. My balls are still aching for a repeat of that.”

  “I’m sure you’ve had other opportunities since then.” She was trying to dismiss it. Act like what happened between us wasn’t the best sex of her fucking life.

  I shrugged, not letting on that not only had I not had other opportunities, I hadn’t wanted another woman, even looked at one, since I had her. I couldn’t if I tried.

  She cleared her throat and busied herself with handing over the broccoli.

&n
bsp; I took it and brushed my fingers over her wrist, smiling when she gasped. I turned and set the broccoli on the cutting board, carefully slicing chunks off and adding them to the pan I had on the stove.

  I felt her watching me, her eyes drifting over the back of me, up and down until I was so hard I had trouble focusing.

  “Are you going to stand there and ogle me or are you going to help?”

  “Well, I was thinking about just ogling you.”

  I tossed a smirk over my shoulder. “Ogle away, sweetheart.”

  She hitched her hip against the counter and eyed me.

  I laughed and went back to work. She watched me the entire time I cooked lunch. I scanned her every chance I got, making sure she knew I knew she was watching me.

  “Is there something I can help with?” she asked when I was almost done.

  I turned to face her and pointed to my cock trying to break through my shorts and said, “What do you think?”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Her eyes widened, and her tongue swiped her lip slowly. Her gaze dropped to my cock. It twitched under her appraisal. “You think I’m going to get on my knees right now?”

  I snorted. “Nah. That’s not your style.”

  Her eyebrows winged up, and she blanched. “Not my style? What exactly do you think my style is?”

  I stepped closer and dropped my voice so she had to lean closer to hear me. “Well, first you’d tease me a little. A brush against my side. A hand on my arm. A flirty wink tossed my way. Something to get my blood pumping.”

  She murmured her agreement.

  “Once you knew I was paying attention, then you’d kick things up a notch, maybe rubbing those sexy tits against me. Showing me that ass of yours that I could spend hours worshipping. Running your fingers down your body and showing me how turned on you’re getting.”

  Her finger trailed between her breasts and settled at the waist of her bikini bottom.

  I moved close enough that she could feel the tip of my cock against her hip.

  She swayed toward me and drew her lower lip back between her teeth. “Then what?”

  I dipped my voice again, barely above a whisper, and said, “Then you’ll get a little more bold. This is my favorite time. You’ll dance your fingers across my chest. Maybe run over my abs. I know you like those.”