Chapter 7
Growing up in Indiana as the youngest child of three to middle-class parents, Maurie never imagined she would one day grow up to live in this beautiful place, surrounded by such influential and glamorous people. Cooper’s party was spectacular. Of course it didn’t hurt that his home faced one of the most pristine beaches on Oahu. Even though she couldn’t see it in the semidarkness, the water was vivid turquoise, clear like the Caribbean with a tiny island in the distance.
Cooper’s deck and patio were lined with tiki torches, casting a warm glow over the area. A live band was playing Top 40 hits, along with a few popular songs from the 80’s. For the past hour, a steady stream of guests had come and gone. Cooper mingled effortlessly amongst them, pausing only long enough to give a compliment or tell a witty joke. At first, she tried to stay close enough so he could introduce her to various people he deemed important. But the skyscraper heels she was stuffed into had not been kind. Her feet were hurting, along with the corners of her mouth. She’d pasted on so her polite smile so frequently this evening that her lips felt painted on, clown-like. She scanned the crowd, expecting Liam to arrive any minute. His behavior this morning was concerning. Surely he didn’t actually believe Cooper was storing stolen or forged art in some outbuilding in Hau’ula. The whole thing was preposterous. And yet, the fear in Liam’s eyes was real. Several times today, she’d come close to mentioning it to Cooper, but she’d promised Liam she wouldn’t.
Her heart flipped when she saw Liam strolling towards her. Wow! Talk about eye candy. She’d only seen him in a tux one other time. Seeing him now, it was hard to believe he preferred going casual. He was perfectly at ease, as if the tux were a second skin. His understated confidence drew others to him. Liam grew up with affluence and prestige, so this elegant party was as familiar as everyday business. Even amidst these upscale people, he stood out like a pop of color on an otherwise black and white canvas. She chuckled inwardly, noticing two women eyeing him with interest. Yes, indeed, Liam was the quintessential chick-magnet. Fortunately, the women weren’t close enough to hear his accent, or she’d have to pry them off him.
He swiped his hair from his eyes, a frequent, involuntary gesture. Liam’s slow smile caused her pulse to increase. She snuffed out the attraction, disappointed that she’d allowed such thoughts to enter her head. Cooper needed to be the focus of her thoughts. Pretty soon, he would be the center of her universe, not Liam. The thought made her a little sad.
“Hello, love.” His eyes flickered over her emerald dress as he leaned in to kiss her cheek. “You look enchanting.”
Despite her best effort, she blushed. “Thank you.”
He pulled his hand from behind his back, revealing a long-stem, red rose. “For you.”
“You’re such a romantic.” She brought it to her nose, inhaling the delicate scent.
He leaned against the handrail. “How’s the party?”
“Great.”
“Cooper seems to be making the rounds.”
They looked to where Cooper was standing with a group of guests, who seemed to be hanging on his every word.
She shrugged. “I guess it comes with his job description.”
“Evidently.”
She ignored the disapproval in Liam’s voice because she didn’t want an argument. Liam was the king of understatement and didn’t like putting on airs. He especially didn’t like flaunting his wealth. She could only imagine how garish Cooper’s showy home and extravagant party looked to him. Liam was born with the world at his fingertips. He didn’t have a thing to prove to anyone, whereas Cooper grew up fighting for everything. Maybe that was why Cooper needed all of the trappings—to prove he’d risen above his upbringing. At any rate, Maurie didn’t want to spend the rest of the evening psychoanalyzing the two men in her life. She turned her back to the party and looked up at the full moon that was casting shimmering silver threads over the black water.
Liam followed her trail of vision. “It looks close enough to touch, doesn’t it?” He paused, studying the moon. Then he frowned. “Wait a minute, that’s odd.”
“What?” she said, waiting for the punch line.
“There seems to be more than one man on the moon tonight.”
She laughed. “And how do you figure that?”
He draped an arm around her and pointed. “I’m counting at least four. See those two on the right. One in the middle, and one on the top left.”
“Yeah, I can see that.”
“And look … the cheeky blokes are walking right off the moon and leaving their dirty trails all over the sky.” He made a clucking sound with his tongue. “The nerve.”
She wrinkled her nose. “What?”
He pointed to the clouds that formed about a dozen wispy lines across the moon. From this viewpoint, the lines appeared to be coming out of the moon.
She sniggered. “You, and your creativity. Oh, to see the world through an artist’s perspective.”
“It does make life interesting.” Liam turned to Maurie. “So, are you going to introduce me to John Koga?”
The excitement in his voice made her smile.
“I would, but he left already.”
His face fell. “What?”
“He came for about thirty minutes at the beginning, then had to leave.”
“That’s a bummer.” Liam paused. “Hey, do you hear that?”
“What?” she wondered, expecting another joke.
“They’re playing our song.”
She wrinkled her nose. “Since when do we have a song?”
“Listen.” He started singing along softly with the words. “What started out as friendship has grown stronger. I only wish I had the strength to let it show. I tell myself that I can’t hold out forever. I say there is no reason for my fear. Cause I feel so secure when we’re together. You give my life direction. You make everything so clear.”
The implication of the REO Speedwagon song hit her forcefully, causing her to go weak in the knees. She swayed, but Liam caught her.
He searched her face. “Maurie, let’s get out of here.”
She stiffened. “What?”
“Let’s go away together. I’ll buy a sailboat. We’ll take off around the world.”
Her head started spinning. “But what about your art? Everything we’ve built? We have a warehouse to run. Employees.”
“This is the twenty-first century. We can handle everything remotely. The business won’t skip a beat. Besides, you know money is no object for me. Let’s do it. If you don’t want to sail, we’ll go to Italy like you’ve always wanted. Buy a villa. We’ll spend part of the year there and part of it here. We’ll have a life most people only dream of. With the two of us together, anything’s possible.”
A breath of excitement crept over her. There was such promise shining in his almond eyes she could almost believe him. How easy it would be to embrace him, and the picture he’d just painted. She’d loved him for so long. “Could we go away?” she said, mostly to herself.
“Yes,” he exclaimed joyously. “Yes, love, we can.”
The spell was broken when Cooper stepped up and kissed Maurie’s cheek. Maurie backed away from Liam like she’d been burned.
“There you are, darling. I wondered where you’d gotten off to.” Cooper offered Liam a curt nod. “It was good of you to join us.”
“It’s my pleasure,” he said, his eyes never leaving Maurie’s.
Panic fluttered through Maurie when she felt Cooper stiffen.
Cooper looked back and forth between the two of them. “Am I missing something?”
A shaky laugh escaped Maurie’s lips. She touched Cooper’s arm. “Liam was just saying he was disappointed he didn’t get to meet John Koga.” She squared her chin, silently prodding him to help ease the tension.
Liam cleared his throat. “It’s a shame he had to leave so early.”
“Yes, a shame.” Cooper gave Maurie a questioning look.
She looked away as gu
ilt spread through her. She’d allowed herself to get drawn in by Liam’s charm. A stupid move on her part! She hoped Cooper hadn’t overheard the conversation.
In the next instant, Cooper’s smiled magnanimously, transforming him into the gracious host once more. “Liam, a good friend of yours is here.”
Liam leaned back against the handrail and folded his arms, a surly expression on his handsome face. “Oh, yeah? Who?”
As if on cue, a leggy blonde stepped up and flung her arms around Liam’s neck. “Aloha,” she bellowed, then kissed him full on the mouth.
Maurie flinched.
Liam stumbled back, stunned.
“Aren’t you glad to see me?” the blonde purred.
Recognition dawned. In the long line of bimbo girlfriends Liam dated over the years, Jenna Pingleton ranked as the most annoying. Not only was she bird-brained, but clingy.
“Jenna,” Liam began. “I thought you’d left the island and gone back to Washington.”
“What can I say? I missed the sun … and you,” she pouted.
Liam glanced at Maurie. “I’m gobsmacked! I had no idea she would be here.”
Jenna laughed. “Of course you didn’t, silly. I stopped by The Alani Gallery last week and met Cooper. He invited me to the party. Isn’t it just delightful?” She clasped her hands together. “Liam, we should hang out … maybe do a little dancing.”
“Yeah, and you can get a soda and popcorn while you kids are at it,” Maurie quipped, mimicking Jenna’s cheery tone.
Liam’s eyes rounded. “Is that really necessary?”
“I merely call it as I see it,” Maurie countered, shooting daggers at him. She knew she was being catty, but couldn’t help herself. It was all Maurie could do to resist grabbing Jenna by her bleached hair and wiping that moon-eyed expression off her face.
Liam shoved his hands in his pockets. “I’m afraid I’m not up for dancing tonight. I was just telling Maurie that I need to be getting home.”
“Nonsense,” Cooper said, his voice velvety smooth. “The night is young.” He flashed a disarming smile at Maurie. “I want to introduce this beautiful lady to a few more guests.” He motioned at Liam and Jenna. “In the meantime, it sounds like the two of you have much catching up to do.”
“That’s a marvelous idea,” Jenna chirped, gripping Liam’s arm.
As Cooper maneuvered Maurie away, she glanced back at Liam, who was allowing Jenna to drag him to the dance floor. Jenna showing up was just the slap in the face Maurie needed to see things clearly. What was she thinking? For a moment there, she’d gotten so caught up in Liam’s spell that she actually contemplated going away with him. That would’ve been the biggest mistake of her life! She looked up and realized Cooper was studying her.
“Are you okay? Those remarks seemed a little out of character for you.”
She tilted her head. “How so?”
“If I didn’t know better, I’d say you sounded jealous of Jenna and Liam.”
An inferno of heat crawled up her neck. “That’s ridiculous.”
“Is it?” His eyes pierced hers, and she feared he could see through her brave exterior, right into her greatest fears and weaknesses. “Do I need to be worried?”
“No, of course not.” She scrunched her nose. “It just so happens that I don’t care much for Jenna.”
He lifted an eyebrow. “Why not?”
“Because she’s haughty, self-centered, and her head is as empty as Hukilau beach the morning after a storm.”
He chuckled. “That’s a little harsh. Remind me not to get on your bad side.” He took her hand. “Come on, I want to show you something.”
“I thought you wanted to introduce me to more people.”
“Nope, that was merely an excuse to get you all to myself.” He led her into his home, which was as stylish and classy as he was. The space was open and modern, much like his gallery with lots of glass, metal and stone. The furniture was sleek and low profile, intrinsic to the minimalistic style. White walls provided the perfect backdrop to showcase his impressive art collection. He led her to the study. When they stepped into the room, he pointed. “What do you think?”
She stepped up to the painting. “Kilauea by Irena Gorenjak. It’s lovely.”
“I’m glad you like it.”
Like it? That was an understatement. Irena Gorenjak was one of her favorite artists. The piece was breathtaking. Gorenjak was a pro at capturing primitive motion. Looking at this piece, Maurie could imagine herself standing in front of the volcano, witnessing the spark of life unfold in a burst of glorious energy.
“It’s yours.”
“What?”
He smiled, his white teeth sparkling. “The painting. I got it for you. I know how much you love Irena’s work.”
She felt like a fountain filled to overflowing, as gratitude gushed through her. “You are so thoughtful. I love it.”
His arm encircled her waist. “This picture is but a small token of my never-ending devotion.” His eyes trailed over her. “You really are exquisite.”
The compliment sent a burst of pleasure running over her. “Thank you.”
He leaned in, his warm breath tickling her ear. “I’m sorry I neglected you tonight.”
Cooper’s gift was the final confirmation she needed to let her know she’d made the right decision. He was so thoughtful and generous. And he was a responsible man she could build a future with, whereas Liam was charming and reckless, still just a great big kid at heart. Cooper was the picture of perfection with his shock of blonde hair and patrician features. Any girl would be lucky to have him. And he’d chosen her. “It’s not a big deal. I was fine.”
“I promise, it won’t happen again.” He pulled her close, and she rested her head on his shoulder, liking how protected he made her feel.
“We’re going to build a beautiful life together.”
“Yes,” she agreed, “we are.”
Chapter 8
Liam pulled into Maurie’s driveway at precisely 6:45 a.m. If he’d had it his way, he’d have gotten here at the crack of dawn. He couldn’t wait another minute to take Maurie to the outbuilding in Hau’ula to expose Cooper for the fraud he was. And, he was eager to continue the conversation he and Maurie were having when Cooper interrupted and practically dumped Jenna into his lap. He rang the doorbell and waited. No answer. He rang it again, then started knocking. He was about to use his key to let himself in when Maurie opened the door.
She was still in her pajamas, her curls shooting out in all directions. “Why are you here so early?” she moaned, yawning.
He stepped inside. “We have an appointment, remember?”
She padded over to the couch and plopped down, giving him a sour look. “No.”
He sat down beside her. He took in her bedraggled appearance, a smile tugging at his lips.
“What?” she said self-consciously, pulling at her pajama top.
“The just-out-of-bed look is rather sexy on you.”
She looked surprised, then started laughing. She tucked her legs underneath her. “Only you. What’s going on?”
A familiar painting caught his attention. It was on the floor, leaning against the wall. He frowned. “Kilauea by Gorenjak. I saw that painting in Cooper’s gallery.”
“Cooper gave it to me last night,” she said, her face glowing. “Isn’t it incredible? I’m trying to find the perfect spot for it.”
He was speechless for a second. “Yeah, it’s great,” he grumbled. No wonder the girl in the gallery wouldn’t sell it to him. He felt like Cooper had bested him again, which was ridiculous. He was pretty sure the only reason the painting was in the gallery was because Cooper ordered it for Maurie. From the way he chattered on about it, he would’ve thought Cooper gave her a kidney, rather than a painting. He let her go on about the painting and how thoughtful Cooper was until he couldn’t stand it any longer. “So … you ready?”
“For what?”
“I’m taking you to the build
ing in Hau’ula, remember?”
Her face fell. “Not that again.”
He gave her his best dewy-eyed look. “You promised you’d go.”
She folded her arms over her chest. “I suppose I did.” She rolled her eyes. “But to tell you the truth, I was hoping you’d give up this ridiculous witch hunt and just be happy for me.”
His heart dropped. This didn’t sound like a woman who planned to running away with him. He swallowed hard, his mouth going dry. “After last night, I was under the impression that you …” His voice caught, and he had to force the rest of it out. “That you and I … we were going away together.”
Her expression softened. “For a split second, I did consider it, but then I grew up.”
He pushed his hair out of his eyes. “Um … I—I’m not exactly sure what you mean by that.”
She caught hold of his hands. “Liam, I know that at this moment, you think you love me.”
“I do love you.” What was he going to have to do to prove it to her? Sign a confession in blood?
“You think you love me. But what happens when someone else comes along? What will you do then? I’m not one of your disposable girlfriends, Liam. We have a business together. And I can’t just conveniently disappear from your life when you grow tired of me. I know the business doesn’t mean as much to you, since you have an endless supply of money, but it’s all I have. I built it from nothing, and I won’t let anything … not even you, ruin it.”
He pulled his hands away. “Is that really what you think of me? First of all, I would never throw you aside. And second, the business means a lot to me too, despite my money. It’s the one thing I’ve accomplished outside of my father’s influence. And I’m quite proud of that, thank you very much. And for your information, there won’t be anyone else. That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you. I love you, Maurie. Only you.” He could tell from the stubborn set of her chin he wasn’t getting through to her. It was like standing on a rooftop, screaming at the top of his lungs, bearing his soul, but the effort meant nothing to her. She cast it aside like last week’s rubbish.
Love on the Rocks (Hawaii Billionaire Romance) Page 6