One Taste

by Cari Quinn

  When the muscle in his jaw rippled, she averted her gaze.

  And still he didn’t talk.

  She’d never been the type to need to fill the silence with chatter, but she could feel the babbling conversation bubbling up in her gut. Everything was happening so fast. By the third song, she couldn’t stand it any longer. “What exactly are you going to say to…Kain? Was that his name?”

  He didn’t answer her, but his jaw flexed again.

  “Shane. I’m so far out of the loop on this. You gotta give me a little info here.”

  “I don’t know the details, or I’d give them to you.”

  She wasn’t so sure about that. “Fine. Sit there and let your gut churn up acid until your voice box fries.”

  His eyebrow rose, and his lips twitched. But again, not a damn word. Her own anger started a slow burn. The entire album finished by the time he turned off onto another winding road. What was it about California? Did they have to carve all the houses out of the… Her thoughts drifted away as Kain’s house came into view.

  Glass and steel and sand. She could hear the ocean roaring below, but she couldn’t pull her gaze from the wall of softly lit glass. There was no hiding the inside of his friend’s home. Streamlined wood and contemporary furniture filled the lower level. A huge stainless steel and granite kitchen flowed around the open-floor plan.

  “Holy crap.”

  “Kain’s an architect.”

  “You think?”

  Of course he didn’t reply. The jackass just opened his car door and left her to follow. She was getting tired of playing puppy behind him. She caught his arm at the door. “If you don’t stop stalking around and tell me what the hell the plan is, I’m going to deck you myself.”

  He was at least a foot taller than her, and his damn lips twitched again, but he didn’t say a word, just opened the door like he owned the place. “Kain,” he called out.

  “In my office, bro.”

  Kendall slid her gaze to Shane. “Bro?” But he was already heading up the stairs. Her molars clicked together as she followed—again. Halfway up the landing, she held on to the banister. The stairs were wide open, and the entire living room floated under her. She returned her focus to Shane’s backside and wasn’t sure which was more dangerous.

  The upstairs was as impressive as the down. Kain’s office was the first thing she saw at the top of the stairs. It was a huge room that was wall-to-wall glass. A panoramic view of the ocean and dark skies stole her breath. Wispy fog blocked the stars and filtered the moon. More warm furniture and streamlined couches filled the room. A large desk took up the corner with the fantasy view as Kain’s backdrop, but it was the man who completed the holy-crap view.

  He was huge. His shoulders were massive under a sleeveless shirt that hugged his broad chest. Long, dense black wavy hair hung at his shoulders with a few tiny braids peeking through. His eyes were a direct and uncompromising bottle green under slashing dark brows. His left eyebrow was bisected by a deep scar that emphasized the natural arch.

  He stood and came around the desk. “I didn’t realize you were coming out. And bringing company.” He looked down at his long board shorts and bare feet. “I would have been a little more presentable.” He held his hand out. “I’m Kainoa N’ai.”

  His voice was a deep bass any woman would react to. At least that was what she told herself when her heart rate kicked up. She tilted her chin back to keep eye contact. If she thought Shane was impressive, Kain had another few inches on him in brawn and height. “Kendall Proctor.” Her hand disappeared into his gentle grip. Shane vibrated with anger beside her, but she instantly felt at ease with this man.

  Kain straightened his shoulders, and she was pretty sure his chest puffed as he faced Shane. Kendall took a step to her right. “What can I do for you, kaikua`ana?”

  “Why’d you do it?”

  Kain’s eyes lost their friendly warmth. “Do what?”

  “Don’t put that fucking boardroom face on with me, asshole. What the fuck did you do?”

  “Why don’t you tell me what you think I did?”

  “I think you swooped in and took my father’s company when he was financially fragile.”

  Kain arched his scarred brow. “Is that right?”

  Shane paced the length of the room. “This isn’t one of your acquisitions that you can just come in and take over.”

  Kain folded his arms over his massive chest. “Do tell, brother.”

  “I know you’ve been trying to get a foothold here, but this is the lowest of the low.”

  Kendall’s stomach clenched. Between the prowling tiger and the stoic linebacker who could be an extra on Hawaii Five-0, she was a little worried. Surely they wouldn’t start a brawl. They circled each other, and she took another step back until her calf bumped into a couch. She sat down and curled her fingers into the edge of the cushion. The tension in the room was as thick and virile as the two men.

  “My dad always got back on his feet. You know that. What did you have over him that he’d allow you to swipe up his client list? That list had been cultivated for decades.”

  She frowned. The list seemed to be far more important than even the company. That was the third time Shane had reacted to it. What could be so important about names?

  “Not this time, Shane.”

  Kain’s quiet voice finally halted Shane’s pacing. He looked up, his golden eyes brittle with pain. Kendall wanted to get up and smooth a hand down his arm. Christ, what was wrong with her? None of this was any of her business. She had only the Heron to worry about. Not some name game in the middle of California’s finest-looking men.

  “What are you talking about?”

  “Look, your dad had no choice when he came to me. Believe me. I asked him to talk to you about this.”

  “And you couldn’t come to me?”

  Kain looked down, and she saw his arms flex with his fisted hands. “Don’t you think I wanted to? For fuck’s sake, Shane, you’re my best friend.”

  “Yeah? Well, best friends would never betray each other like this.” Shane turned and headed down the stairs. Kendall rose and slung her purse over her shoulder.

  “Let him go, `ânela.”

  “He’s not going to leave me here, is he?”

  Kain smiled down at her. “No. He’s just going to go hit the beach.”

  “At night?”

  “It’s what we do. How we met, actually.”

  Kendall slumped back down on the couch. “I’m so freaking lost. I don’t know what the hell is going on.” She let her head fall back.

  He sat down next to her and covered her hand with his. “I knew when I put this deal together with his dad six months ago that he was going to lose his shit, but I thought I’d have time to convince Larry to tell Shane.”

  Kendall hooked her foot behind her ankle and turned to him. “Was it really that bad?”

  Kain rubbed his huge hand over his face. “Worse. Larry begged me to help him. I’ve got more money than sense, according to my accountants, because I took on the Justice Construction debt. It wasn’t in the will, but I also took on all of Larry’s employees.”

  That didn’t sound like any merger that she’d ever read about. Usually the company would place their own people in the spots. “You loved him.”

  Kain nodded. “He was as much my father as he was Shane’s.”

  Kendall flinched but kept silent. Who was this Lawrence Justice? The man they described was nothing like the man she remembered. Not even close to the sort of man who would inspire this much devotion.

  “My family runs most of the construction in Hawaii, but I wanted to branch out off the Big Island. I came here for college and fell in love with the area. After I got my company up and running, I had the know-how but not the contacts. California is all about old names and a good-old-boys network that I could never bust into.”

  She didn’t understand the intricacies of construction, but she did understand reputation and word of mouth.
The Adirondacks of New York thrived and died by those same principles. “And Lawrence had those contacts.”

  Kain nodded, relaxing beside her. “Larry knows everyone, and he knows that Shane wasn’t built for this life forever.”

  Kendall frowned. “What do you mean?”

  “Shane will have to tell you about that, `ânela.”

  She sighed and slid her hand away. “He’s not all mad at you.”

  He tapped his forefinger against his knee. “I don’t know about that.”

  “The lawyer, Mr. Murray…he wouldn’t tell Shane anything either.”

  He sat back and stretched his arm across the back of the couch, his face contemplative. “Are you his new girlfriend?”

  “Where would you get that idea?” Shane had been nothing but rude since before they left. There was no way they gave off a couple’s vibe.

  Kain shrugged. “Just curious.”

  “Why?”

  “You’re beautiful, and he left you alone with me.”

  Kendall’s eyebrows rose. “Should I be worried?”

  He grinned. “Nah. I’m harmless.”

  She doubted that. Something told her there was a string of women across the state who would attest to just how intriguing he was. But oddly she didn’t feel the least bit attracted. Oh, he was attractive and wore charisma like cologne, but that was all it was. Not like when she was with Shane. And that scared the hell out of her. “We just met today.”

  “Huh.”

  She twisted the frayed edges of a woven bracelet under the cuff of her blouse. “I feel like I’m only getting half the conversation here, Kain.”

  He seemed to make a decision and sat up. “Shane’s kind of a loner lately. I’m surprised to see him bring someone here with him, let alone a woman.”

  “He doesn’t have a choice.”

  Kain cracked his knuckles. “And now the story gets interesting.”

  “Just you wait.”

  Kain stood and gestured down the stairs. “This sounds like a whiskey story.”

  She smiled. “Probably a bottle of whiskey.”

  “My kind of story.”

  Kendall went down the stairs, again marveling at the breadth and scope of Kain’s house. She wouldn’t want to be the one who had to keep all the glass spot and fingerprint free.

  “To the left,” he said from behind her.

  Even with his huge presence, she didn’t feel uncomfortable with him. There was an innate friendliness and openness about Kain. So at odds with the Shane she was beginning to know. He went to a sideboard and opened a crystal decanter, splashing two glasses half-full. She’d been kidding about drinking the bottle, but she took the glass when he offered it.

  The living room was much different from the front room. The furnishings here were wide and comfortable, and a huge picture of a perfect tidal wave hidden by tropical vegetation hung above a glass and crystal rock fireplace. She walked to the flames, grateful for the heat they gave off.

  How the hell was she supposed to tell him? It was probably better to just get it out. She sat down on the oversize leather love seat. “I’m Lawrence Justice’s daughter.”

  Kain sat beside her. He didn’t even try to hide his shock. “His what?”

  “Yeah.” She took a sip, and the bracing fire of good liquor faded to a pleasant burn. Kain was an active audience as she explained the shortened version of her story. He asked questions about her place and her mother. He was a calming influence that she hadn’t expected. Nothing had been what she expected since she’d gotten to Monterey.

  On her second refill she told him about the will.

  “I knew Larry had some secrets.”

  She sat next to him on the edge of the cushion. She was so tired that if she sat back and settled in, she was pretty sure she’d go right to sleep. “You did?”

  “Larry liked to be everything to everyone, especially Shane.”

  Everything to everyone, except for her.

  His green eyes gentled. “I’m sorry, Kendall. That was thoughtless to say.”

  “It’s okay. I don’t understand the man you knew, but I remember flashes of a strong and charming Lawrence Justice. But for me, he was simply a man who turned his back on me and my mom.”

  “The man I knew was so worried about being the best man for Shane and his employees. And when he came to me, I couldn’t turn him away. Even when he asked me not to tell Shane. He had far too many people counting on him.”

  Kendall worried the knot of her bracelet. She could still see the shattered shock on Shane’s face. In her head she knew Shane had lost more than she had, but hers was a distant empathy. He was a stranger to her. Their afternoon together had only added more confusion to the mix of emotions. “Shane’s had a few too many punches today, I’m afraid.”

  “Far too many,” Shane said from the doorway.

  “How long have you been there, brother?”

  His face was shuttered up tight. Nothing was there to soften the harsh planes of his jaw. Even his soft mouth had hardened. “Long enough.” Shane looked down at her. “Cozy.”

  She flushed. She had no reason to feel guilty, but her gut churned thanks to lack of food, alcohol, and a rising fury. She stood. Who the hell was Shane to keep poking at her? She was just as angry and just as lost about this whole thing as he was. He took her glass from her and knocked back the last mouthful and took it for a refill.

  With his back to them, he splashed another healthy dose of whiskey into the tumbler and gulped it down. He braced his hands on the bar. “Jonas won’t tell me what’s going on.” He refilled and turned around. “Did you really think I wasn’t going to ask questions? That I was going to just walk away without a word?”

  Kain got up and walked to him. “I told your old man this wasn’t the way to go.”

  “You could have told me, Kain.”

  “There was a lot more to this deal, and you know it.”

  Kendall frowned. She was sick of being on the outside of this conversation. “You two need to clue me in before I get on a stool and clock you both with that crystal decanter.”

  Kain grinned. “She’s spunky.”

  Shane sighed. “You have no idea.”

  She waded in between them and stabbed Shane’s chest. “You don’t know me well enough to make that comment.” She turned to Kain and tipped her head back. “You need to give us some answers—and straight ones—before I let him loose on you.” She pointed her thumb behind herself at Shane.

  “Yep, spunky.” Kain looked over her head at Shane. “I like her.”

  “Can we talk about me later?” she growled.

  For the first time Shane’s mouth quirked up at the corner. “You heard the lady.”

  “Shane, your dad knew about the furniture.”

  Shane’s face closed off again. What the hell were they talking about now? Kendall took the glass away from Shane and drank down a little too much. She coughed before handing it back to him. “Will you two stop with the word games? Shane and I are now officially joined at the hip thanks to my father’s idiotic will. I deserve to be in on this discussion.”

  Shane tossed back the rest of his glass. “Looks like we’re staying here tonight.” He grabbed the decanter and another glass and headed into the kitchen.

  “Seriously. If he doesn’t stop walking away from me, I’m going to toss him through your glass window and see if he’d like an up close and personal taste of the ocean.”

  Kain tipped his head back, and the booming laugh startled her.

  “I’m glad you think this is funny.”

  “`nela, you’ve no idea what you’re in for.”

  She had enough liquor in her that the room was getting hot. She shrugged out of her jacket and shoved it at Kain and followed Shane into the kitchen. “Do you think I’m just going to stand around and get drunk with you tonight?”

  “It’s the current plan,” Shane said wearily.

  “I’m not getting drunk in a skirt and silk.”

&nbs
p; Shane leaned on the counter with hooded eyes. She didn’t need to focus on what she could do in a skirt and silk. But instead of saying anything, he took another drink.

  Kain came in and opened the fridge. He threw packages of deli meat, cheese, and condiments on the wide granite island, then pulled out bread and rolls from a cupboard. “Go to the top of the stairs and hang a left. My sister has some clothes in the closet. Might be a little big on you. You’re a tiny thing.”

  “As long as it’s not your clothes, I’ll be fine.”

  “You’re not wearing anything of Kain’s.”

  Kendall put her hands on her hips. “Oh, really?”

  Shane looked up. His gaze was steady, and everything about him seemed too still. “Yeah, really.”

  Her skin tingled, and her nipples tightened. She turned and took the stairs two at a time, hoping to God that neither man noticed. What the hell was wrong with her today? First she’d hopped on a table and had…well, the best sex of her entire life. With a stranger, no less. Oh, and a stranger who was going to take half of her home.

  “I’m assuming hands off?”

  “Assume right.” Shane rolled his shoulders and cracked his neck. After he’d walked off his mad, when he’d come in to see Kain and Kendall cozied up on the couch, all the mad had come back like a goddamned breaker off Big Sur. And that wasn’t going to work. He had too much at stake now to get messed up over a woman. Even if the woman felt so good he was already half-hard at the thought of her naked upstairs.

  “Good to know. Christ, Shane. Larry’s daughter?”

  “I didn’t even know she existed.” Shane stuffed roast beef and cheese into a roll and added mayo. Nothing made sense. Family was important to his father. How many times had his father given Shane shit about working too hard and not visiting him enough? And he had a daughter he’d left behind?

  If she didn’t have the same exact odd-colored hair as Larry, he’d question the validity of that in the document as well.

  “This will has me twisted up as fuck. What the hell was he thinking?”