Aubrey laughed and gave her perky co-worker a pat on the shoulder. “Is your dentist good looking at least?”
Ruby wrinkled a pert little nose that was covered with a dusting of reddish brown freckles. “Fiftyish, fat, and bald. And he probably had fish for lunch and didn’t do a very good job of brushing his teeth afterwards. Now, tell me more about this studly doctor of yours. When did you meet him? More importantly, does he have an equally hot friend he can fix me up with?”
“I met him five days ago, at the beach over near the Gregson. Which, by the way, is where he’s staying so there’s no worry about me fraternizing with guests of this hotel. He’s here on vacation, and lives in San Francisco so unfortunately for you there aren’t any hot friends along for the trip. So it’s totally just a casual thing between us, since he’ll be going back home in about ten days, and I’ve got another month on my contract here. And after that - well, who knows where I’ll wind up.”
“Maybe in San Francisco,” offered Ruby slyly. “I hear it’s a great place to live - beautiful scenery, some of the best restaurants in the world, mild weather. And apparently it’s home to hot doctors who know their way around the female body. What’s his specialty?”
Aubrey grinned. “He’s an OB/GYN. And before you ask, yes. He’s very, very familiar with, uh, the female anatomy. As for living in San Francisco, that’s not very likely. I’ve heard it’s also hellishly expensive to live there. As you know, our profession doesn’t exactly pay very well.”
“That’s the understatement of the year,” groused Ruby. “Hey, maybe he’ll invite you to visit him and stay awhile. That way you wouldn’t have to worry about paying rent. And there’s tons of big hotels in San Francisco. I’m sure you could get a job at one of them on the concierge staff. Isn’t that what you really want to do anyway?”
“Maybe,” replied Aubrey noncommittally. “Honestly, though, I’m pretty sure Jordan is only interested in a vacation fling. He’s - well, kind of a player, I think. Not that he’s been looking at other women or flirting with them, at least not while we’ve been together. But when you put all the pieces together - he’s thirty-nine, never been married, gorgeous, flirty, rich - they all add up to being a big time player. So I’m definitely not letting myself think past this next week and a half. I’m going to enjoy every minute I spend with him, and rack up as many orgasms as I can. Especially since it will probably be a really long time - as in maybe forever - before I meet someone who’s as capable as Jordan is in that department.”
But despite the rather practical, resigned attitude she had just exhibited to her co-worker, Aubrey had frankly thought about little else but how devastated she was going to be without Jordan in her life. In less than a handful of days, she’d become rather obsessed with him, spending every minute of her free time by his side, and cherishing each second they were together. And she was pretty sure she was falling in love with him, a thought that alternately thrilled and terrified her.
They hadn’t even begun to discuss what happened when he returned home the week after next, both seeming to be content to live in the moment and enjoy the time they had together. Aubrey, however, could pretty much predict how this was going to turn out - with Jordan telling her what a great girl she was, how much he’d enjoyed being with her, and wishing her a great life. He would return to his carefree bachelor life in San Francisco and pick up where he’d left off - which no doubt involved having a revolving door of women in and out of his life, none of them lasting more than a few nights at a time at most. He might think of Aubrey fondly from time to time, briefly wonder how she was doing, but that would be the extent of it. He simply wasn’t the sort of man who went in for commitments or long term relationships, an attitude that most likely had been formed as a result of his parents’ tumultuous marriage.
Aubrey was having a tough time imagining how or why two people like Jordan’s parents could have stayed together for so many years when they had clearly disliked and despised the other. Surely it would have been far healthier for their son to not have been witness to such hostility, or to realize at far too young of an age that his mother and father had other lovers. Either way, the damage had been done, and Aubrey had little doubt that Jordan’s continued bachelorhood was largely because of the poor example he’d been given of a happy marriage. He might never admit it out loud, but it didn’t take a trained therapist to realize such things. However, he didn’t seem like the sort of man who would ever admit to having been negatively impacted by his parents’ toxic relationship, and Aubrey wouldn’t have the nerve - at least not without knowing him a lot better - to broach such a sensitive subject.
She wondered if he had any close friends back in San Francisco, or if he kept everyone in his life at arm’s distance. She felt sorry for him, sad even, because he seemed so alone and lonely. There was a saying she had read once, about being surrounded by people and yet still feeling alone, and she was pretty sure that those words would describe Jordan’s life to a tee.
With only a handful of minutes to go until her shift was over, she ducked into the employee restroom and quickly changed clothes. She was expected to wear an unofficial uniform of sorts for her job, which basically consisted of cargo shorts or pants in a khaki fabric, teamed with a navy blue polo shirt emblazoned with the tour operator’s logo. The outfit was comfortable and practical but hardly figure flattering, and certainly not what she wanted to wear for a night out with her very sexy date. She pulled on a short white cotton skirt with a flared hem, and a black and white striped cropped T-shirt that bared the lower half of her midriff. Black flip flops embellished with faux stones completed the simple outfit that was one of her favorites for a night out.
As the clock finally read five-thirty, her official quitting time, Aubrey decided it was useless to worry about whether or not Jordan was alone or lonely, whether he had a huge circle of friends back home, or was a loner. Because whatever happened between them during the two weeks of his vacation couldn’t precisely be thought of as a relationship. Rather, it was more of a torrid affair, an all-too-brief holiday fling, and once he returned to San Francisco that would be the end of it. He wouldn’t be the kind of man who’d enjoy receiving emails or texts from her, who’d want to “remain friends” when it ended. Men like Jordan Reeves didn’t have female friends. They had lovers, one-night stands, or, in a rare case like Aubrey’s, a short-lived tryst. That was all a man like him would ever be able to offer her, and the sooner she accepted that fact the better.
But when she spotted him in the parking lot leaning against his rented Porsche, she couldn’t help the little thrill that rippled through her at how handsome and sexy he looked this evening. Or at the realization that a man like him was actually here for her.
Jordan was casually dressed tonight, wearing a pair of lightweight gray slacks and a short-sleeved blue cotton shirt. He would still be the best dressed man at the local beachfront hangout she’d persuaded him to have dinner at tonight, though, since the majority of the other male patrons would be garbed in cargo shorts, T-shirts, and might or might not have shoes on.
Aubrey decided right then and there that it didn’t really matter what he was wearing - swim trunks and a T-shirt, an expensive designer suit and tie, a more casual ensemble like tonight’s, or nothing at all - because each look turned her on equally. And she was so happy to see him, had missed him something fierce today, that she couldn’t help breaking into a little run and more or less leaping into his arms.
He grinned as he twirled her around in a semi-circle, her feet leaving the ground for a few seconds. “I guess this means you’re happy to see me, huh?” he teased.
She gave him a rather loud smooch on the lips, returning his grin full force. “If we were alone in your suite right now, I’d show you exactly how happy I am to see you,” she replied suggestively, batting her eyelashes at him saucily.
Jordan’s arms tightened about her, his eyes darkening to a stormy gray color that she now knew meant
he was aroused. “That can be arranged very, very easily, darlin’,” he assured her. “I don’t mind having room service for the third time this week. And if you’re really set on having fish tacos for dinner I’ll bet we can persuade the restaurant to whip some up for us.”
Aubrey’s cheeks flushed as she recalled just why they had ended up having room service two nights this week. The first time had been on Tuesday, after that erotic shower when they hadn’t been able to keep their hands off each other for the rest of the night. And the second time had been the very next evening, when Jordan had picked her up from work just as he was doing now. It had been the first day she’d had to return to work since they had met, and his impatience to be alone with her had been all too obvious. Without giving her an opportunity to protest, he had driven them back to the Gregson, urged her upstairs to his suite, and practically flung her onto the bed. He had more or less, well dominated her that time, fucking her with an intensity that had left her dazed and barely able to move. Getting dressed and going out somewhere to dinner had seemed an impossibility, so Jordan hadn’t hesitated to pick up the phone and order up a lavish meal.
She fiddled with one of the buttons on his shirt, keeping her eyes downcast. “Um, that - that’s okay,” she stammered. “Remember, this is supposed to be my treat tonight after all. And it won’t take very long to get our food and eat. This place isn’t exactly the Seven Palms, you know, so don’t expect multiple courses or anything too fancy.”
He pressed a kiss to one rosy cheek. “Like I care about that stuff when I have you with me. And I’m still not too happy about you paying the bill tonight. I’ve told you multiple times that I don’t expect you to reciprocate. I’m not some freeloader Australian beach bum, after all.”
Aubrey rolled her eyes. “Now that’s the understatement of the year. And I can afford a couple of beers and some fish tacos. Please, Jordan, don’t argue with me about it, okay? You’ve treated me like a queen these past few days, made my head spin with all of the wonderful things you’ve done for me. Let me buy you dinner just this once, okay?”
Jordan held up his index finger. “Once being the operative word, darlin’. For the rest of my stay here you are not paying for anything else. Got it?”
“What if I cooked for you one night? Though not at my place,” she added hastily. “I’m not sure if the stove even works. It’s so old we’re half afraid it will blow up if we ever turn it on. But you’ve got a fully equipped kitchen at the hotel, one with modern, functioning appliances. And while I’m not much of a cook, I can manage spaghetti or grill steaks or fish. And anyone can make a salad.”
“We’ll see,” was all he would say in response, but Aubrey wisely chose not to press the issue any further this evening, quietly sliding into the passenger’s seat of the Porsche as he held the door open for her.
She hadn’t been exaggerating about Jordan having made her head spin these past few days with all of the unaccustomed luxuries he’d been heaping on her. Even before moving to Hawaii - a place that had one of the highest costs of living in the entire country - and learning to live on a tight budget as a result, Aubrey had grown up with a fairly modest lifestyle. Her family home in San Diego was very comfortable and spacious, located in what was considered an upper middle class neighborhood, but it wasn’t the least bit fancy or elegant. Her parents had made a good living as professors, but the cost of raising three children and sending them all to college had been a struggle at times. Scholarships and grants had helped with some of the educational expenses but not all, and then there had been the added costs of law and medical schools for her brothers. There had never been much money left over for things like extravagant vacations or designer clothes or expensive cars. Family vacations had mostly consisted of road trips to explore national parks and museums, visits to Disneyland, and a couple of budget friendly cruises to Alaska and Mexico. Aubrey had almost always bought her clothes at modestly priced chain stores, and during high school and college she had driven a rather ancient Honda compact. Now, of course, she didn’t even own a car, just the well-used Vespa that she would need to unload before leaving Maui next month.
Fortunately, she wouldn’t have a whole lot of her other belongings to pack up and ship when it was time to depart. She hadn’t been joking the other day when she’d told Jordan that she liked to travel light. It would mostly be just her clothes, shoes, toiletries, and a few photos and mementoes that she would need to pack up. She still had some stuff at her parents home, of course, clothes and books and childhood keepsakes that she couldn’t bear to get rid of. Her old bedroom hadn’t really been touched since she’d left for college, especially since she’d been a frequent visitor during those years. And Aubrey knew she’d always be able to call San Diego home, that her parents would always welcome her with open arms and let her stay with them for as long as she needed to in between jobs. Unfortunately, given the fact that both of her brothers had been living entirely on their own since they’d graduated high school, it was just one more reason for Aubrey to feel like something of a failure or a disappointment when compared to her older siblings.
Still, she was looking forward to seeing Josiah and Mateo when she returned to the mainland in about six weeks. There had never been any sort of sibling rivalry between the three of them, especially since their parents would never have permitted that sort of competitiveness to exist. No, any feelings of being less worthy or accomplished than her brothers was something Aubrey had always kept strictly to herself. She knew that the mere mention of feeling inferior would have resulted in vehement protests by her parents, and their assurances that they were every bit as proud of her as they were of her brothers. And Aubrey didn’t doubt that, not for a minute. Rather, she wasn’t quite sure that she could call herself proud of the way her life had turned out so far.
“Hmm. I’m not sure I want to even ask what that particular look on your face means. I hope it’s due to a bad day at work and not because of something I said.”
Jordan’s lazy drawl interrupted her rather morose thoughts, and she was quick to give him a reassuring smile.
“Of course not. And I was just lost in thought there for a minute or two, honestly. It just occurred to me that I’ve got to start packing up my stuff pretty soon and arrange to ship some boxes to San Diego. And while it will be great to see my family again, I’m really going to miss living in Hawaii. And my roommates, too. They’ve been the best. So it’s going to be kind of sad in a few weeks, you know?”
He nodded in response. “I do know. Especially since I’ll be leaving sooner than I want to think about myself. Though it won’t just be Maui I’ll be missing.”
Jordan picked up her hand and brought it to his lips for a brief kiss before releasing it so that he could shift gears.
Aubrey wasn’t sure she wanted to contemplate any deeper meaning behind his words, or the rather somber tone he’d used in speaking them. Instead, as she often did when confronted with an awkward situation, she deliberately steered the conversation to a more lighthearted one.
“I’ll bet I can guess what you’ll be missing the most when you go back to San Francisco,” she teased. “It’s either going to be those Mai Tai’s you keep ordering, or else having a butler at your beck and call round the clock.”
He grinned. “Well, those are just about the best cocktails I’ve ever had. And since I’m admittedly lazy having my own butler has been a godsend. But we both know exactly what I’m going to miss the most, Aubrey. More accurately - who I’m going to miss.”
Her cheeks grew warm at his very pointed comment, but once again she tried to keep things from getting too serious. “Hey, you haven’t even been here a full week yet,” she protested. “So it’s way too early for you to think about heading home. Oh, the next turn is up ahead. And fair warning - the road turns to gravel about a quarter mile down.”
Jordan shook his head. “I’ll be sure not to mention that little fact to the rental car company. Where exactly are yo
u taking me, anyway? And how did you find this restaurant in the first place?”
“To answer your first question, we’ll be there soon enough. This place is admittedly a little off the beaten path, but the food is well worth the adventure involved in getting there, as is the view. As for your second question, Jenna brought me here the first week I was in town. Besides being a local, the place we’re going to is owned by one of her numerous cousins. I swear that almost everyone that girl knows is supposed to be related to her in one way or another. Oh, and referring to the Surf’s Up Cantina as a restaurant might be stretching it a bit. At least what your definition of a restaurant probably is.”
He raised a hand in protest. “Hey, I already told you I’m willing to keep an open mind about the place. And that I’m not a snob. And that spending time with you is the only thing I really care about while I’m here. It doesn’t matter to me where that time is spent. Though of course,” he added with a lascivious grin, “I’d prefer to spend as much of that time as possible between the sheets. Or in the shower. Or the patio. Or any of the dozen other locations where I still plan to ravish you.”
Aubrey rolled her eyes in exasperation. “Someone has a one-track mind, doesn’t he?”
“Can you blame me?” he replied teasingly. His hand fell to her thigh, bared by the short hem of her skirt, and gave it a squeeze. “All I have to do is look at you and I instantly start thinking about sex. Especially with as much bare skin as you have showing tonight. Please tell me that you’ve never worn that outfit before. Or at least not in the presence of other men.”
She snorted. “I’m probably over-dressed for the Surf’s Up. It’s right near the beach, you know, and only has outdoor seating. so there’ll be at least a few people walking around in just their bathing suits. And this is Hawaii, after all, where the average daily temperature is around eighty degrees. Wearing as little clothing as possible is part of the lifestyle here. Trust me, I’ll hardly be the only female there flashing a little bare skin tonight.”
The Girl of His Dreams (Bachelor #1) Page 12