Page 36 of Faith

“Nothing,” Adam said.

“Is there something you want to tell me?”

“No. I just think it’s funny how men always think they’ve figured out women, but we always get our asses handed to us,” Adam said with a smile.

“True enough.”

On their drive back to the house, Jensen couldn’t let go of the conversation. “Do you have something planned while I’m gone?”

Nicola looked at him, but it was hard to see her expression in the darkened car. The streetlights were little help in that regard.

“I told you. I’ve a meeting or two, and then there’s laying by the pool.”

“Nothing else?”

“Do you mean am I going to have a party and invite all the kids over while you’re on Maui?”

“No,” he said, thankful that it was dark in the car since he started blushing again. This woman always knew what button to push. “The guys were cryptic.”

“You mean the two men you were very suspicious of before we went to dinner? Normally, this would piss me off, but since I get two days of mostly hanging out by the pool, I will ease your mind.”

She placed her hand on the seat and leaned closer to him. In this position, he could see more of her. Her hair slipped down and brushed against his arm and then there was her scent. It wasn’t perfume. He knew it came from the lotion she slathered on her skin. Jasmine. Bloody hell.

“I am going to relax. It is going to be nice just to enjoy Hawaii for a couple of days this trip. We have only stayed a few days here and there.”

“Okay.” He was fighting dual urges. One told him to lean further back from her. She was a temptation that he was having more and more trouble ignoring. The other need coursing through his body told him to take one big bite.

Thankfully, she moved away from him allowing him to breathe again. Where was his control? Everything he had learned during his BDSM training had taught him to use his own inner strength to control his actions. One whiff of her lotion and he wanted to tear off that blue dress and plunge into her.

This was not good. It was bloody fucking horrible. Once he was done in Maui, he would definitely have to make a trip to Rough ‘n Ready to work out the demons plaguing him. Nicola was too important to him and the family to risk an affair with her.

chapterseven

Jensen looked out the expansive windows of theMaukaResort. It was a little drab outside, with light rain falling, but it didn’t matter. It was still beautiful.

The massive pool was empty, but you could still see a few people out on the beach. He didn’t blame them for braving the crappy weather. It would clear up soon, he was sure, and besides, it was Hawaii and no matter what, it was always beautiful.

This view, along with the massive acreage, were the top two reasons they wanted to invest in the resort. And he should be happy. Negotiations were going better than he thought they would. With half the family wanting the investment, he knew that he only had a slight edge. The other half knew they needed an infusion of capital to keep the place running. They weren't happy about it; but, in the words of Nicola, life didn't always make you happy.

Damn, he was missing her. She hadn't even come to the plane to see him off. He knew he wasn't being logical, but damn, he wanted her there. She was right. He didn't need her. But he wanted her there with a ferocity that truly irritated him. He could and had functioned without her before.

He watched Alfie’s reflection as he made his way through the board room. He stopped beside Jensen.

“It's hard to tell what they're thinking.”

He nodded. “Very stoic. I think we have a good chance though.”

Alfie sighed. “I agree. They need the help, and I don't think they have another company offering our type of package. I thought Nicola was going to come.”

“She's in Hawaii.”

“No. I mean here.”

“Oh, I thought she told you. She stayed on Oahu. She had some work that she could do from there.”

“Oh.”

His disappointed tone had Jensen turning to look at him. Nicola had been right, they had been best friends at Eaton. They came from different worlds. The Wulfs had a long history of being a silent but powerful family in England. Alfie Thompson was new money. It was odd, because if someone heard their last names, most people would think Alfie was twenty-fifth in line for the throne. Wulf sounded like some weird family name made up by an actor. Instead, Jensen could trace his family history all the way back to before the Norman invasion. Wulf had been Wulfgang, so after World War I, they had changed their name. Well, shortened it.

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