Connected by the Sea (Hawaiian Crush #1)

by E. L. Todd

  “Then don’t make me stay here.”

  “I have to.”

  She sighed. “Well, we’re here so why don’t we study together?”

  “I guess we can.”

  “Okay.” She opened her notes and they reviewed the material together, testing each other as they went through the diagrams of specimens and their components. Sydney was really impressed by his knowledge of the material. He wasn’t lying. He really did know his stuff.

  When they had fifteen minutes left, Coen pushed the book away. “I’m done for the day.”

  “Me too.”

  “Are you named after the capital of Australia?” he asked suddenly.

  “Are you named after the Cohen Brothers?”

  He smiled. “I didn’t ask to be rude. I’m sorry if my question offended you. But no, I’m not named after the Cohen Brothers, especially since we don’t even spell our names in the same way.”

  She was quiet for a moment. “Yes.”

  “That’s cool.”

  “Really?”

  “I’m not making fun of you. I was just wondering.”

  “My family is from Australia. We moved to California when I was ten. My mom loved the city so much that she named me after it.”

  He nodded. “That’s interesting. So how did you end up in Hawaii?”

  “I wanted to go to college here. How did you end up here?”

  “My family lives here. I’m a native.”

  She raised an eyebrow. “You don’t look Hawaiian.”

  “I misspoke. I was born here.”

  “Oh. Cool.”

  “I couldn’t imagine living anywhere else.”

  “Nor could I.” She placed her books in her backpack then stood up. When she looked out the window of the study room, she saw Henry standing there, waiting for the tutoring session to end.

  “Is that your boyfriend?” he asked. “He’s very determined to claim his territory. I’ve never been silently threatened so much in my life.”

  “No,” she said with a sigh. “He’s not my boyfriend.”

  “Are you sure?”

  She looked at him. “Yes, I’m sure.”

  “Well, you should tell him that. He clearly doesn’t get it.”

  “He’s just my friend. He probably has something to tell me.”

  “And a text wouldn’t suffice?” He stood up and shouldered his pack. When he moved his arms, his shirt pressed tight against his body. She could see the lines of his muscles through the thin fabric. She was getting aroused just by looking at him. She hadn’t been turned on like that in a really long time. Aaron didn’t even make her that horny.

  “You okay?”

  “Huh?”

  “I was talking and you totally zoned out on me.”

  “Sorry, I was thinking.”

  He raised an eyebrow. “Okay. Well, I have to get to work. Thank you for tutoring me.”

  “Yeah.”

  He opened the door and walked past Henry. Just like Coen said, Henry glared at him with pure hatred. Sydney was surprised by his obvious hostility. He clearly hated the guy.

  Sydney stepped out of the room and looked at Henry. “Why are you here?”

  “I had some trouble at the bookstore, and by the time I was done, your session was over. I just thought I would come by and see how it went.”

  She was still suspicious. “You couldn’t wait until tomorrow?”

  He averted his gaze. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you. I’ll see you tomorrow.” He turned to walk away but she grabbed him.

  “Wait. You didn’t upset me.”

  “I didn’t?” he asked hopefully.

  “I was just surprised to see you here. You were glaring at Coen like you hated him.”

  “Well, I think he’s a jerk.”

  “You don’t even know him.”

  “From what I’ve seen, I can tell he’s a jerk. Plus, he has a tattoo.”

  “What’s wrong with tattoos?”

  He looked uncomfortable. “Nothing. I just get a bad vibe from him.”

  “He’s actually really nice.”

  “He is?”

  “At least he was to me.”

  Henry walked toward the door and she followed him. “Is he really stupid?”

  “No. He’s actually pretty smart. Since he failed that test, he has to be tutored.”

  “If he’s smart, then why did he fail it?”

  “He said he was distracted.”

  “By what?”

  “He wouldn’t say.”

  They walked to the parking lot until they reached their cars.

  “Wanna go out to dinner?” he asked.

  “I’m hitting the gym,” she said.

  “Oh, cool.” He opened his car door. “I’ll see you later then.”

  “Bye,” she said as she waved. She climbed inside the Jeep and he waited for her to leave first, like he always did. Sydney pulled out of the parking lot then drove to the gym a few miles away. Jeremy had given her the number to a new fighting trainer and she made an appointment for that evening.

  When she arrived, she walked into the locker room and changed into her tight-fitting spandex and her sports bra, the attire she was told to wear when training. The least amount of material would ensure that she was harder to grab and wouldn’t get caught on anything. Also, it allowed the trainer to see her form as she moved.

  After she was dressed, she walked to the front desk. “Hello. I have an appointed at four with a personal trainer.”

  The man looked at the computer. “Okay. I have you down here for workout room eight for the street fighting advanced level.”

  “Thank you,” she said as she walked away.

  When she reached the workout room, she placed her bag against the wall and stepped into the center of the studio, tightening her gloves around her wrists. The trainer was kneeled on the ground, working with the stereo. He had his shirt off. When she looked at the muscles in his back, another round of lust flooded through her. She shook her head. First, Coen and now she wanted to screw her trainer. She would have to get a vibrator or something otherwise she would start raping people.

  When he stood and faced her, she felt her heart squeeze tightly, flushing the rest of her body with adrenaline. Her blood pounded in her ears and blocked out all other sound. Now she knew why she wanted to fuck her trainer—it was Coen.

  He raised an eyebrow then looked at his clipboard. “I guess I should have looked at the name first. When Jeremy referred you, he spoke to someone else.”

  “Oh.” She felt stupid for not saying something better.

  He eyed her body, his look lingering on her breasts before he met her gaze. If she caught someone else looking at her like that, she would be pissed, but it was hot when Coen did it.

  “Your paperwork says you’re advanced, and Jeremy can’t keep up with you anymore.”

  “I guess.”

  He stepped closer to her, and against her will, she looked down at his chest. He was perfectly sculpted. His chiseled eight pack tightened his waist, making him thin around the hips. His chest branched out into his wide shoulders. There were no blemishes or markings on his skin. He was perfect and beautiful. Her panties were already starting to soak. His best feature was his bright blue eyes. They reminded her of the depth of the ocean, full of life and mystery.

  “What do you mean you guess?”

  “What?”

  He shook his head. “You seem more intelligent when we’re in the classroom.”

  She was too turned on to respond to the insult.

  “What is your interest in self-defense?”

  “Protection,” she said automatically.

  “From what?”

  “It’s...personal.”

  “Your boyfriend can’t protect you?”

  “I don’t have a boyfriend.”

  “He’s in the relationship even if you aren’t.”

  “What?”

  “I guess you’re only book smart, not common sens
e smart.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “Your friend is in love with you. Or did you not notice?”

  “No, he isn’t,” she said quickly. “He’s just my friend.”

  He shook his head. “You are totally ignorant to what goes on around you, you can’t answer a question most of the time, and you zone out randomly.”

  “You’ve just caught me on a bad day.”

  “I guess we’ll find out.”

  “So you’re a trainer?”

  He raised an eyebrow. “You just figured that out?”

  She sighed. She knew how stupid she sounded. “Since when?”

  “A couple years ago. I have three black belts and I’ve mastered jiu jitsu, kick boxing, and street fighting. You really don’t want to piss me off. And you didn’t answer my question. Why do you want to learn self-defense?”

  “I said it was personal.”

  “That isn’t good enough for me. How am I supposed to give you the results you want if I don’t know what your goal is?”

  She was quiet for a moment. “I just want to be able to fight against two men at once.”

  He raised an eyebrow. “That’s very specific.”

  “Well, you asked.”

  “Are you in danger?”

  “You tell me.”

  “Don’t be a smart ass.” He stepped close to her and pressed his face against hers. “Is someone threatening to hurt you?”

  She wanted to tell Coen the truth but she couldn’t. She was surprised that she even considered it at all. “No.”

  “You aren’t a very good liar.”

  She averted her gaze.

  “Look at me when I talk to you.”

  “You were a lot nicer an hour ago.”

  “When we’re in this room, don’t ever expect me to be nice to you. That’s not what you’re paying me to do,” he said as he stepped back. “So are you going to tell me the truth?”

  “No.”

  “Fine.” He turned on the music. “Let’s get started.” He tossed the remote on the ground then rushed her, tripping her to the floor. After she felt his body on top of her, she had absolutely no desire to get him off. Her first thought was to wrap her legs around his waist and ask him to fuck her, but logic finally returned.

  She rolled him off and tried to pin him to the floor but he threw her off. When he rushed her again, she dodged his body then landed a punch on his mouth. He returned with his own strike but missed when she ducked.

  Sydney concentrated and avoided most of his hits then returned with her own strikes. She was fast, but he was equally quick with more strength. He had a look of anger on his face the entire time. She liked the expression. Everything about him turned her on. After twenty minutes of sparring, neither one having the upper hand, she let him tackle her to the floor. When he tried to pin her down, she made a weak attempt to move. His face was close to hers and she felt his heavy chest push against her breasts. Their breathing was both quick and heavy. A drop of his sweat fell on her neck and she liked it. His hips were pressed against hers, and after a second, she felt the bulge in his crotch form. She could tell how big he was and that just made her more frustrated with longing for him. Coen wasn’t ashamed of having a boner on top of her. It was obvious that she felt it. How could she not?

  “Aren’t you going to try to get away?”

  She just lay there, breathing heavily. The last thing she wanted to do was run. She had to mentally stop herself from kissing him, feeling his lips against her own. She had never been attracted to someone like that other than Aaron. Why did she only like assholes? Henry was a great guy. Why couldn’t she like him?

  He finally got off her. She wanted to scream.

  “That ends this session.” He stood up and grabbed her hand, pulling her to a stand. “Your form and timing are good. You’re quick on your feet, but you lack initiative. You tried to avoid my attacks but rarely made any of your own. If you want to run from someone, then keep it up. If you want to defeat them, this behavior will have to change.”

  “Okay,” she said with a nod.

  “Overall, I was impressed. I wasn’t expecting you to be so strong.”

  She tucked her hair behind her ear. “Thanks.”

  “I wish you would tell me who is responsible for this.”

  She said nothing.

  He leaned toward her lips. “I’ll make you tell me eventually.”

  She breathed in his scent, the mixture of sweat and blood, pure masculinity, and wanted to taste it on her lips. She was speechless, overcome by her desire.

  He walked away then turned off the stereo. He grabbed his shirt then pulled it over his head, hiding the rest of this body. Now she understood why his girlfriend was willing to forgive him for cheating on her. He was a hot piece of ass. She shook her head. She had to stop thinking about that.

  Coen walked to the door then held it open for her. Coen escorted her from the lobby to the parking lot.

  “Same time tomorrow?” he asked.

  “Uh, I only train three days a week.”

  “I meant for tutoring.”

  “Oh, yeah.”

  “Cool.” He got inside his car and drove away. She climbed up into her Jeep and sat inside, relieved that he was finally gone. All she could think about was sex when she was around him. Now she wasn’t sure if she was just insanely horny or if Coen was responsible for her lust.

  When she got home, she showered then went straight to bed, exhausted by the long day. She wanted to fall asleep so she could stop thinking about Coen, wondering what he looked like naked and how big his cock was.

  When she started to dream, she fantasized about Coen. They were fucking all over the house, in her bed, in the shower, on the beach—everywhere. Sweat covered her body as she explored the realms of her passion during her unconscious state. His body was on top of hers, his wide chest completely dominating her, and he was moving deep inside her with her legs pinned back while she begged him to fuck her harder.

  She came harder than she ever had before, screaming incoherently. The sound of her moans woke her up. She sat up in bed, recovering from the blissful orgasm. She was out of breath and soaked in sweat. Her underwear were drenched and the sheets were wet. It was the first time she’d come in six months and she wanted to do it again. She went back to sleep as quickly as she could.

  6

  She went to work a few hours before her first class. A few of the tanks needed to be cleaned and the plants needed to be trimmed in some sections of the wildlife preservation. She didn’t mind getting up early to go to work. Even though she was just cleaning, she loved being with the marine wildlife.

  When she was finished for the day, she was walking out when she ran into Dr. Goldstein, one of the leading scientists of the aquarium.

  “Hello, Dr. Goldstein,” she said with a smile.

  “Hello, Stacy.” He nodded.

  “It’s Sydney, actually.”

  “Well, have a good day,” he said as he continued on his way.

  She sighed. She had been trying to get in his good graces for months. She even cleaned his lab and the equipment in it, hoping he would notice her. He was leading an exhibition out to sea to study great white sharks, and she really, really wanted to be a part of it. She couldn’t just ask him for an invitation so she had to get under his radar.

  She ran into Henry in the parking lot.

  “Good morning,” he said with a yawn.

  “Hey,” she said awkwardly. After the dream she had about Coen, she felt awkward around Henry and guilty about the raw sexual feelings she had for Coen. She also wondered if he really did have feelings for her. Coen said he did, but he didn’t even know Henry. “I saw Dr. Goldstein.”

  “How’d that go?”

  “Keeps calling me Stacy.”

  He cringed. “Sorry. It doesn’t sound like you’re getting anywhere.”

  “No, not at all.”

  “Keep trying.”

  “I’ve been trying for month
s. That field mission will be launched soon.”

  “Maybe he would notice you more if you weren’t wearing that baggy jumpsuit. No one looks attractive in that.”

  “I don’t want him to notice me because of my appearance, Henry.”

  “Well, if you’re desperate, you have to do everything you can, right?”

  “I suppose.”

  They got inside their cars and drove to the campus. Every song on the radio reminded her of Coen so she shut it off. But she kept thinking about him, especially in sexual ways. She had to see him in her next class and wasn’t sure what she was supposed to do. Should she say hi to him? Ignore him? Act like nothing had changed? She knew she would blush when she looked at him, especially after all the nasty shit he did to her last night in her sleep. She hadn’t had an orgasm like that ever—not even with Aaron. She had to change her underwear twice.

  When they got to the building, they walked to their zoology class and sat down. Coen was already sitting to the left and one row ahead. He didn’t look at her or acknowledge her in any way. She wasn’t sure if she should feel upset, hurt, or relieved by his complete indifference. She tried to focus on the lecture as the period went by. When the class was over, she went back to thinking about Coen.

  When they walked to their next class, Nancy looked at Sydney. “So how did it go with him?”

  “It was fine,” Sydney said with a smile.

  “Why are you smiling?” Nancy teased.

  “No reason,” she said quickly.

  Henry looked at her then turned away, obviously displeased by the look.

  “What’s he like?” Nancy asked.

  “He’s actually really nice and very smart.”

  “Then why does he need a tutor?”

  She sighed. “It’s personal.” Sydney and Henry left Nancy then went to their physio class. She started to concentrate on the powerpoint but Coen came back into her mind, and of course, he was naked. She kept forcing herself to concentrate on the lecture but images of them having sex flooded her brain. She knew it needed to stop. He had a girlfriend and he was a heartbreaker.

  When her classes were over, she felt her heart fall. Now she had to tutor Coen. She was excited to see him, but equally frightened. When she left the building, Henry was supposed to walk to the parking lot but he followed her instead.