Page 35 of Blue Hawaiian
“I told Marc I had other plans,” Connor said. “You know I’m not much of a golfer.”
Victoria offered her brother a sly smile. “Agreed. The way you play, you would have slowed us down considerably.”
“That’s still no excuse for putting your own needs in front of the family’s.” Mr. Blackwood shook his head. “You’re as selfish as ever.”
The disdain on the older man’s face made Jess want to curl up in a little ball, and she wasn’t the one under fire. No wonder Connor had dreaded facing him.
Ginny Blackwood placed a hand on her husband’s arm. “Let’s not forget this is a vacation, dear. Connor’s entitled to a little free time.”
Mr. Blackwood gave her a withering look. “Don’t defend him. He knows what’s expected. He just doesn’t care enough to make the effort.”
In response, Mrs. Blackwood lowered her head and nodded, like a child being chastised. Jess wanted to side with her, but she knew better than to cross Connor’s dad.
“So,” Victoria said brightly. “What were you two crazy kids up to?”
Jess tucked a damp strand of hair behind her ears. Caught in the spotlight, she fumbled for an answer that wouldn’t upset Gabi. “Umm…Connor invited me to join him on the Road to Hana. We did some hiking and swimming and had a picnic lunch. And we stopped at Halfway to Hana for banana bread.”
Gabi’s uptight expression didn’t change. “You do realize we have a family dinner at seven, right?”
Ease up, Gabi. That gives me two hours.
Unlike her sister, Jess didn’t require hours of primping time. But she was grateful for a reason to beat a hasty exit.
“Then I’d better get going. See you all later.” She wished she could squeeze Connor’s hand or hug him—some gesture to show him how much she appreciated their day together—but the others might suspect something was up. She offered him a weak smile. “Thanks for taking me along. I had fun.”
“Me too,” he said. “See you at dinner.”
Jess sensed Gabi wanted to grill her, but she couldn’t handle a full-on interrogation in front of the Blackwoods. Later, she could take her sister aside and explain that she and Connor had spent the day together as friends. Nothing more.
Once she got to her room, she shucked off her damp clothes and took one of the leopard-print bathrobes from her closet. A shower and a full makeover were in order. Given that she hadn’t seen her mother in six months, she wanted to make a good impression. Not that it would change her mom’s viewpoint. She always compared Jess to her perfect big sister. Gabi, with the perfect grades, the perfect job, and the perfect, wealthy fiancé. Naturally, Jess fell short.
As she headed into the bathroom, her thoughts drifted back to Connor. Their day trip had gone better than she hoped. She’d had fun, and he’d behaved himself. By the end of the trip, she felt like they were friends again.
There was just one problem.
She couldn’t stop thinking about him. Little details from their day kept flitting through her mind. Like their encounter at the swimming hole. When he’d caught her and pressed her up against a rock, she’d wanted him to take things further—to kiss her, peel off her bikini, and make love to her, right then and there. During the drive, she’d fantasized about pulling over at a wayside and stealing a quickie in his tiny rental car.
Oh, but she had it bad.
You idiot. You knew this was going to happen.
After spending the entire day with Connor, she couldn’t deny the truth. She wanted him as much as she had five years ago.
Think about Gabi. She pleaded with you. You gave her your word.
But when would Jess get another chance for a passionate, no-strings affair? Certainly not over the next few months, when she’d be packing up her life in Chicago, driving across the country, and moving back home. Back to the same cramped, two-bedroom apartment she’d known since childhood, looking for work while her mom nagged her relentlessly.
You’ll get your heart broken again.
No, I won’t. Because this time, I won’t let myself fall in love.
After four months of heartache, crappy temp jobs, and a steadily dwindling bank account, she needed a win. She needed joy, passion, and earth-shattering orgasms. Besides, if she played things carefully, she could balance her time with Connorandher role as Gabi’s maid of honor.
What her sister didn’t know wouldn’t hurt her.
Before she lost her nerve, Jess slipped her key card into the pocket of her bathrobe, along with her phone and the condoms from her purse. She left her room and knocked on Connor’s door.
He answered it, clad in nothing but his shorts. His hiking boots and shirt were on the floor, as though he’d been about to jump in the shower. Her breath caught as she stared at him, and she yearned to run her fingers over the smattering of dark hair that covered his broad, muscular chest.
