Page 40 of Blue Hawaiian
“I’d love to.” He kissed the soft curve of her neck, inhaling the scent of coconut sunscreen. “You brought two condoms, right?”
“Mmm-hmm.” She wiggled beneath him, fumbling for the remaining condom on the nightstand, but stopped short when her phone buzzed from the pocket of her robe. “I should get that. It might be Gabi.”
He released her, watching as she leapt out of bed and grabbed her robe from off the floor.
She pulled out her phone and answered it. “Gabi! What’s up? No, I’m not ready yet. It’s only—” As she looked over at the clock, her eyes grew wide. She pointed at it and mouthed the words, “It’s six thirty.”
Shit.He still had to shower and shave.
Jess was now in full apology mode. “I’m sorry. I lost track of time. But we still have half an hour. I’ll be ready by then. Okay? I’ll text you as soon as I’m good to go.”
She ended the call, then let out her breath in a long exhale. “Damn it.”
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
“My mom wanted to meet with us before dinner. So, naturally Gabi’s annoyed I’m not ready. Or maybe it’s pre-wedding stress.” She put her robe back on. “Speaking of stress, we should probably keep this a secret. I’m not ashamed to be with you or anything, but…”
But Gabi and Marc had asked them not to hook up. And he wanted his family to focus on his business plan, not his love life. “Works for me.”
“Okay. Good. So…umm…will you be joining me after dinner?”
“Of course. Your room or mine?”
She grinned. “How about mine? Bring the brandy. I only brought a couple of condoms, so make sure you’re adequately prepared.”
He would be. Getting through tonight’s dinner would be rough, but knowing he had a late-night rendezvous with Jess made it bearable.
Chapter 15
Jess dashed back into her room and took the world’s fastest shower. She tackled her hair and makeup while waiting for the iron to heat up. Ironing was a task she avoided whenever possible, but her clothes were wrinkled from spending three days in a suitcase. As soon as her dress was presentable, she shimmied into it and smoothed the silken fabric over her hips. It was nothing fancy—just a little black dress—but she was impressed at her reflection in the room’s full-length mirror. No doubt about it, she was rocking a definite glow. Maybe it was all those hours in the sun. Or the mind-blowing sex.
Oh, it was definitely the sex.
A quiver of excitement passed through her as she envisioned the next few days, sneaking off with Connor whenever possible. She’d forgotten what it felt like to be with a partner who cared about her pleasure. Who told her she looked gorgeous and treated her with kindness and affection. After this week, she’d have to remind herself never to settle for sub-par sex again.
At ten minutes to seven, a knock came at the door. Jess raced to open it. Naturally, her sister was early. Dressed in a dusky pink wrap dress and matching heels, Gabi radiated poise. Everything about her was perfectly understated, from the single strand of pearls around her neck to the light coat of polish adorning her nails.
Jess grabbed her jewelry pouch and sat on the bed. “Have a seat. I’ll be ready as soon as I find two earrings that match.”
Gabi did not sit. She strode over to the bed and stood above Jess, hands on her hips. “Did you have fun with Connor?”
If Jess reacted defensively, her sister would know something was up. She tried to sound humble. “Sorry you had to find out that way. I was going to tell you about it tonight. There’s a good explanation.”
“I hope so. You promised me you’d steer clear of Connor, and yet you spent the entire day with him. What happened?”
“I…ran into him in the lobby when I was getting coffee this morning. When I told him I was too tired for golf, he invited me to come to Hana. I thought it sounded like fun.” With each lie she told, she expected her nose to start growing. But the truth would send Gabi off the deep end.
Gabi rubbed her forehead, as though Jess was giving her the world’s biggest headache. “Fine. Just don’t make the same mistakes you did last time.”
Too late for that.“Of course.”
“I can’t handle one of your romantic crises. Dealing with the Blackwoods is stressful enough on its own.”
“No crises, I promise. Connor and I are just friends.”With benefits.
She found a pair of gold hoop earrings and put them on. “Besides, I had time to kill today. It’s not like you invited me to go kitesurfing with you and Luisa.”
“Sorry.” Gabi sat on the bed next to her. “I should have included you, but we planned it on Sunday when your flights were delayed. I didn’t think you’d be up for it.”
