Page 46 of Hula Girl

“Um, well,” I mumble, trying to sort out just what the hell is happening.

“Wait a second,” Bryce says. “Let me get this straight, Ava.You, of all people, are getting married? And it’s to theBoy Wonder, Ford McAvoy?” He laughs, clearly finding the whole thing preposterous.

That’s exactly what it is. Still, I’m irritated that’s whathethinks.

Before I get a chance to say anything, Ford leans in close to Bryce, telling him with absolute confidence, “Ain’t nothingboyabout me, old man. Now, why don’t you go ahead and get yourselfanotherdrink? You’ll need it for when it really hits you that Ava walked away from your ass.”

My hand flies to my mouth as I fail to suppress a laugh at the expression on Bryce’s face. He’s shocked and angry at being talked to this way.

“Real mature,” Bryce sneers.

I catch Ford winking at Bryce before he turns us away and toward an empty cocktail table.

“Kiss me,” Ford says.

“What? No. I don’t even know what is—”

“Fine. Then, I’m going to kiss you. And it’s going to be arealkiss. Slow, deep, and leaving you wanting more. Both because I want to—so fucking much—and because your ex is still watching us.”

“Oh,” I say on a sigh, powerless to refuse him when he puts it like that. I raise myself to my tiptoes as he gathers me to him.

When he kisses me, I lose all sense of anything else. My body melts into his, just the way it had during our few days together in Maui—no doubt a perfect display of our desire and attraction to each other.

When we slowly, oh so slowly, pull apart, he caresses my cheek with his hand and stares into my eyes.

“I was desperate to see you again, but I never thought I’d find youhere, Hula Girl,” he says softly, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

“Where did you come from?” I ask and he laughs. Before he can attempt some kind charming reply, I continue, “No, I mean it.” I pull fully away from him, needing the distance to try to comprehend what’s going on. “I really want an answer. Because I’m so confused. And honestly, I think I’m a little mad at you, too.”

“Mad at me? Why?”

I shake my head, trying to formulate all the reasons. In the end, I simply say, “Because you lied to me.”

“Uh, no, I didn’t.”

“You’re not just some surfer dude. You’re a lawyer. You don’t live in Maui. You live here. You played some really jacked up game over there, pretending to be something you’re not.”

“No, you’ve got it all wrong.”

“Ford McAvoy? That’s your full name?” I realize with some embarrassment that I never got his last name.

He nods. “And you’re Ava …?”

“Ruiz,” I say dismissively. “That’s not the point. The point is that my friend Tyler told me who you are about fifteen minutes ago.”

He cocks an eyebrow at me. “What did he say?”

“That you’re well known as a brilliantlawyer. That you’ve been away. And now you’re back.” I pause. “He also said that you’re gorgeous, which I won’t argue with.”

That gets a laugh out of him. “Your friend Tyler doesn’t know the whole story, Ava. No one does. I left the law about a year ago when I movedhometo Maui. I do live there. I really do teach music at my mom’s school. And I spend all my time otherwise surfing.”

I still can’t sort out what all this means. “Then—then, why are youhere?”

“I wish I could say I planned this as some elaborate way to get in touch with you, but it’s trickier than that. I have some business to wrap up.”

Looking past him, I try to process all of this. “Wait a second.” I look back at him. “You knew that whole time that you’d be in LA and you didn’t plan on seeing me, did you?”

“I, uh—”

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