Page 27 of Blue Hawaiian
He leaned back and crossed his arms. “You’re lying.”
“Am not.”
“Are too. Admit it—you didn’t want him. You were trying to make me jealous.”
Even if he was right, his smug expression infuriated her. “Not everything is about you!”
“Last night was.”
Indignation rose inside her. “What about you and Luisa? Were you into her or were you deliberately trying to piss me off?”
He shrugged. “Like I said, she wanted someone to hang out with on the cruise. But that’s it. I didn’t hit on her. If I wanted her, do you think I would have spent the night on the couch?”
Jess sat down at the desk, taken aback by his honesty. “Still…you didn’t need to come to my aid. I was handling things fine on my own.”
Even as she said it, her face heated up with shame. She hadn’t been fine. She’d come perilously close to face-planting in the hallway.
“Sorry if I was out of line,” he said. “But I still care about you. No one should be left alone when they’re that drunk.”
He was apologizing? Once again, she wondered if he had an agenda, but he looked genuinely contrite. “Thanks. I…kind of lost control.”
Her skin crawled when she thought of how far she’d let things go, with a man she didn’t like. And she’d done it to make Connor jealous.
Gabi was right. Even after five years, she was still obsessed with him.
She looked away, not wanting to meet his gaze. She didn’t want him to know how conflicted her feelings were or that she’d spent the last twenty-four hours wavering between resentment and longing.
On his desk was a cardboard to-go cup and a pecan bun on a paper plate. She inhaled the tantalizing aroma of French roast. “Is that coffee for me?”
“Yep. Same with the sticky bun. I consider coffee and carbs to be the perfect post-hangover breakfast. Provided you drank the Gatorade I left you?”
She gave him a wry smile. “We share the same remedy. Thanks. Did you manage to snag me another key card?”
“It’s on the desk. Don’t lose it this time.”
“Where? I didn’t see it.”
“Hang on.” He pushed aside a pile of clutter—brochures, a Maui guidebook, and a printed map of the resort—until he located the card and gave it to her.
She tucked it in the pocket of the robe and took a sip of coffee. Heavenly. He’d flavored it the way she liked it—with a light splash of cream, no sugar.
“You missed your other surprise.” He pointed to a green suitcase, now propped against the couch.
Ignoring her throbbing head, she jumped up in excitement. “Oh my God! When did it get here?”
“Last night, maybe? The front desk texted me this morning about my garment bag. On the chance your suitcase arrived, I asked if they’d let me pick it up. I needed ID, so I grabbed your driver’s license from your purse.” He took it from his pocket and handed it to her. “I figured you’d rather have me get it than go down to the lobby wearing last night’s clothes.”
Connor had given her his bed, bought her breakfast,andretrieved her suitcase. All of which struck her as incredibly considerate gestures. Maybe it was time she put the past aside.
“Thanks. Sorry you had to sleep on the couch.”
“No harm done.”
They sat in silence, sipping their coffee, but Jess had a hard time reining in her fantasies. Now that her irritation at Connor had faded, her attraction had ramped up, once again. She was alone with him. Wearing nothing but a bathrobe. What would happen if she flung it off and tackled him on the bed? Would he still want her? Or was he totally turned off since he’d seen her at her worst last night?
Just stop. You’re here for Gabi’s wedding. Everything else comes second.
“What’s on tap for today?” she asked. “My phone’s dead, so I can’t pull up the itinerary.”
